Before time as we understand it, before the fracturing of realities, there was only Karos. Not a place, not a being, but a state of perfect resonance. It was the fundamental vibration of existence, a symphony of potential contained within a single, boundless point. This point wasn’t static; it pulsed with every conceivable possibility, every shade of color yet to be born, every note of music that would never be heard. It was, in essence, the universe’s first dream.
However, this harmony was inherently unstable. The sheer weight of potential threatened to collapse into absolute nothingness. To prevent this, Karos initiated a process of self-division, a deliberate shattering of its core. This wasn't destruction, but a transformation – a cascade of echoes, each carrying a fragment of the original resonance.
◈ Karos ◈
These echoes manifested as realities – not parallel universes, but warped reflections of the original Karos. Each one contained a different permutation of the initial resonance, leading to drastically altered laws of physics, divergent histories, and bizarre ecosystems. Some realities embraced chaos, becoming swirling vortexes of unpredictable energy. Others clung desperately to structure, forming crystalline landscapes governed by rigid mathematical principles. The most unsettling were those that fragmented the echoes themselves, creating ‘Null-zones’ - regions devoid of any resonance, utterly silent and cold.
The inhabitants of these realities – the 'Harmonics' – were born from the echoes, imbued with a connection to the original Karos. They weren’t simply sentient beings; they were living conduits, capable of manipulating the residual resonance and, in some cases, attempting to reassemble the fractured echoes.
◈ Karos ◈
For millennia, the Harmonics, driven by an instinct they couldn’t fully comprehend, sought the lost fragments of Karos. They built colossal structures designed to amplify and focus the resonance, and engaged in elaborate rituals attempting to bridge the gaps between the fractured realities. But the Null-zones remained a constant threat – pockets of absolute silence that devoured Harmonics and corrupted the resonance. The source of these Null-zones has been largely theorized but no one has ever been able to confirm it.
Rumors persist of a powerful entity, known only as 'The Dissonant,' dwelling within the largest Null-zone. It's said to be the antithesis of Karos, actively working to unravel the remaining echoes and return the universe to absolute silence. Some believe the Dissonant is not a being, but a consequence - the inevitable outcome of attempting to contain infinite potential.
◈ Karos ◈