The genesis of the Gemmipares lies within the Chronoscape, a fractured reality existing outside the conventional flow of time. It’s a locus of temporal echoes, where moments from across the spectrum of existence – the Cambrian explosion, the fall of Rome, a concert played in a dimension where music is light – collide and coalesce. The Chronoscape isn't governed by cause and effect, but by resonance. The stronger the emotional imprint of an event, the more deeply it resonates within the Chronoscape, creating these… Gemmipares.
Scientists (or, more accurately, Chronomasters) theorize that the Chronoscape is stabilized by a network of ‘Temporal Anchors’ – points of concentrated temporal energy. These Anchors aren't static; they shift and adapt, reacting to fluctuations in the broader Chronoscape. The Gemmipares, in a perverse way, act as amplifiers of these fluctuations, creating localized distortions in time and space.
Gemmipares are not objects in the conventional sense. They are… *accumulations* of temporal energy, crystallized echoes of significant events. Think of them as solidified moments. They appear as shimmering, iridescent fragments, often exhibiting properties that defy our understanding of physics. Some exhibit localized time dilation, others phase through solid matter, and a disturbing few seem to briefly replay the events that birthed them.
The size of a Gemipara is directly proportional to the intensity of the original event. A minor historical skirmish might yield a Gemipara the size of a pebble, while the extinction of a sentient species could result in a structure large enough to contain a small chamber. Their composition is equally bizarre – a mixture of raw temporal energy, remnants of the event’s physical and emotional signature, and, unsettlingly, traces of the beings who witnessed the event.
The study of Gemmipares relies heavily on the creation of Temporal Resonance Charts. These charts map the fluctuations in the Chronoscape, identifying areas of heightened temporal activity and predicting the emergence of new Gemipares. The charts are complex, utilizing a system of ‘Chronometric Harmonics’ – mathematical representations of temporal patterns. The more data gathered, the more refined the charts become, allowing Chronomasters to anticipate and, occasionally, mitigate the effects of Gemipara instability.
The chart currently displays a significant spike in Chronometric Harmonic 73b, originating from approximately 14:27 GMT on the 7th Cycle of the Obsidian Moon. This indicates a potential surge in temporal instability within the region of the ‘Silent Coast’ – a notoriously volatile area of the Chronoscape.
Observed properties of Gemmipares include, but are not limited to: Temporal Dilation, Phase Shifting, Chronometric Echoes (brief replays of the event), Emotional Amplification, and Paradoxical Existence. One particularly troubling case involved a Gemipara from the reign of Emperor Nero, which briefly manifested a fully functional Roman chariot within a laboratory.
The chart reveals that Gemiparas are capable of interacting with and manipulating temporal streams. This is, of course, highly dangerous, as even minor alterations to the timeline can have catastrophic consequences. The Chronomasters operate under a strict code of non-interference, but the temptation to 'correct' the past is a constant struggle.