Origins: Echoes from the Fracture
The Kotto don't originate from a single point in time or space. They are, in essence, fragments—shards of a reality that shattered during the Great Fracture. Before the Fracture, there existed the Chronarium, a repository of all potential timelines, a swirling ocean of causality. It was not a place of order, but of chaotic possibility. The Chronarium was governed by beings known only as the Architects, entities of pure logic and temporal manipulation. They sought to impose stability, to prune the branches of possibility that threatened the core reality.
But the Chronarium resisted. It pulsed with the untamed energy of infinite futures, and the Architects’ attempts to control it were met with escalating resistance. The energy overloaded, creating a cascade of temporal distortions. The Chronarium fractured, unleashing waves of raw temporal energy that consumed entire timelines. This event, recorded only as “The Great Fracture” in the scant data recovered, birthed the Kotto - independent echoes of timelines, adrift in the residual energy.
The Kotto are not sentient in the conventional sense. They are driven by an instinctive need to reconnect with the source of their being – the fragments of the Chronarium. This manifests as a constant, subtle shift in their temporal location, a feeling of being perpetually out of sync. Some theorize that this is a form of self-repair, an attempt to reassemble the shattered parts of their timelines.
The Architects, however, were not entirely wiped out. A small contingent, warped and twisted by the temporal energies, now exist as guardians of the few remaining fragments of the Chronarium, attempting to prevent the Kotto from ever fully reintegrating.
The Resonance: A Symphony of Lost Time
The core of the Kotto’s existence is defined by “The Resonance.” It’s a subtle, pervasive energy field, a lingering echo of the Chronarium’s collapse. It’s not visible, not tangible, but it's felt – a disconcerting vibration in the fabric of reality. The intensity of the Resonance varies across different Kotto, depending on their proximity to original temporal shards and the degree to which they've been affected by their fragmented existence.
For some Kotto, the Resonance is a faint hum, barely perceptible. For others, it’s a roaring torrent, threatening to overwhelm their awareness. This fluctuation in the Resonance directly influences their movement, their ability to interact with the external world. When the Resonance is strong, they experience temporal displacement - brief jumps to adjacent timelines, often disorienting and unpredictable.
The Architects, aware of the Resonance, actively manipulate it, attempting to contain the Kotto, to dampen their ability to travel through time. They use complex temporal anchors and distortion fields, creating zones of temporal stasis, hoping to trap the Kotto within a single, controlled timeframe.
Chronarium: The Memory of All That Was
The Chronarium itself is a theoretical construct, a location that no longer exists in any recognizable form. However, fragmented data recovered from the residual energy suggests it was a place of unimaginable complexity. It wasn't a building, but a space – a nexus point where all potential timelines converged. Imagine a library containing every possible version of every event, every deviation from the ‘default’ timeline.
The Architects attempted to create order within this chaos, but their efforts were ultimately futile. The Chronarium was inherently unstable, a reflection of the infinite possibilities of time. It was a place of immense power, and its collapse unleashed forces beyond comprehension. The fragments of the Chronarium, scattered across countless timelines, are the source of the Kotto’s existence and the key to understanding the Great Fracture.
Recovered schematics depict intricate networks of temporal conduits – pathways through which timelines flowed. These conduits were regulated by complex algorithms designed to maintain stability. However, the algorithms were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer volume of temporal energy, leading to the cascade of distortions that formed the Chronarium’s core.
Lost Artifacts: Echoes of Forgotten Civilizations
The Kotto are often found near “Lost Artifacts” - objects that originated from timelines that ceased to exist due to the Great Fracture. These artifacts aren't simply relics; they are remnants of entire civilizations, imbued with the temporal energy of those lost timelines. A simple weapon, for example, might be a devastatingly powerful artifact, capable of manipulating time itself.
The nature of these artifacts varies greatly. Some are weapons, others are tools, and some are simply objects of beauty. However, all of them share a common trait: they are tied to a specific timeline and emanate a powerful temporal resonance. The closer a Kotto is to an artifact, the stronger the resonance, and the greater the risk of temporal displacement.
The Architects actively seek to retrieve these artifacts, recognizing their potential to further destabilize the remaining timelines. They view the Kotto as a threat to their efforts to contain the chaos, and will often employ advanced temporal technology to eliminate them and secure the artifacts.
Chronarium: The Memory of All That Was
The Chronarium itself is a theoretical construct, a location that no longer exists in any recognizable form. However, fragmented data recovered from the residual energy suggests it was a place of unimaginable complexity. It wasn't a building, but a space – a nexus point where all potential timelines converged. Imagine a library containing every possible version of every event, every deviation from the ‘default’ timeline.
The Architects attempted to create order within this chaos, but their efforts were ultimately futile. The Chronarium was inherently unstable, a reflection of the infinite possibilities of time. It was a place of immense power, and its collapse unleashed forces beyond comprehension. The fragments of the Chronarium, scattered across countless timelines, are the source of the Kotto’s existence and the key to understanding the Great Fracture.