The Chlorines, as they were initially understood, weren't elements in the conventional sense. They were echoes. Fragments of temporal resonance, imprinted upon the fabric of existence. Before the Harmonization – a catastrophic event involving the destabilization of the Chronal Currents – the Chlorines pulsed with raw potential, capable of accelerating or decelerating localized timelines. This wasn’t manipulation, per se, but rather a sympathetic amplification of existing temporal flows. The earliest records, etched onto solidified chronal shards (a substance now incredibly rare), describe the Chlorines as being intrinsically linked to 'Nodes of Potential,’ locations where the flow of time was particularly strong. These Nodes were invariably associated with intense emotional energy – moments of profound joy, devastating sorrow, or overwhelming fear. The Chlorines, it seems, fed upon these emotions, growing in intensity.
The Harmonization, triggered by the unchecked accumulation of negative chronal energy within the central Nexus, resulted in a profound shift. The Chlorines ceased their chaotic amplification and instead coalesced into what we now refer to as the Grey Pools. These pools aren't simply reservoirs of temporal energy; they’re pockets of stabilized, yet profoundly altered, timelines. Within the Grey Pools, paradoxes aren't necessarily resolved, but rather… folded. Memories bleed into one another, causal relationships become blurred, and the very concept of ‘now’ loses its meaning. Navigation within a Grey Pool requires a specialized apparatus – the Chronal Compass – which doesn't point north, but towards the point of least temporal distortion. The Pools are also home to the Chronal Shades – entities born from the echoes of fractured timelines, eternally seeking to reassemble themselves.
Recent research, spearheaded by Dr. Lyra Vance, suggests a parallel reality existing *within* the Grey Pools. This "Obsidian Resonance" isn’t a separate dimension, but a hyper-compressed state of temporal existence. Within this reality, the laws of physics as we understand them break down entirely. Time isn’t linear; it’s a swirling vortex of possibilities. The Obsidian Resonance has been linked to the disappearance of several Chronal Survey Teams – their chronal signatures simply… dissolving into the temporal flow. Some theorize that the Obsidian Resonance is actively *consuming* temporal information, effectively erasing events from existence. The most terrifying aspect is the increasing reports of individuals emerging from the Grey Pools, exhibiting symptoms of 'Chronal Dementia’ – a complete loss of personal history and identity.
The official account of the Harmonization remains shrouded in ambiguity. The original records – largely destroyed during the chaos – paint a picture of escalating instability, culminating in a catastrophic surge of chronal energy. The central Nexus, a colossal structure designed to regulate the Chronal Currents, overloaded, triggering a chain reaction that destabilized the entire temporal matrix. It’s believed that a rogue faction within the Weavers attempted to amplify the Nexus’s power, believing they could ‘control’ time. Their actions, however, only accelerated the collapse. The Harmonization wasn’t a singular event, but a protracted process of unraveling, a slow-motion disintegration of reality itself. The true extent of the damage remains unknown, and the long-term consequences – particularly concerning the Obsidian Resonance – are still being assessed. The Chronarium itself was established as a repository of knowledge and a means of attempting to understand, and ultimately, contain the effects of the Harmonization.