The Myriopoda, as they’ve been tentatively designated by the Chronarium’s foremost Temporal Cartographers, represent a taxonomic anomaly of staggering complexity. Initial scans, conducted during the 7th Cycle of the Obsidian Bloom – a period of heightened dimensional instability – suggested a simple, almost insectoid form. However, subsequent analysis, utilizing the Resonance Cascade Method, reveals a lineage stretching backwards across timelines far older than any previously conceived. The ‘Obsidian Bloom’ isn’t merely a descriptor; it’s the name of a recurring event, a catastrophic merging of realities that seems to be intrinsically linked to the Myriopoda’s existence. Each Bloom generates countless temporal echoes, fragmented realities overlapping and bleeding into one another. The Myriopoda appear to be…catalysts for these events, absorbing and manipulating the distortions.
Consider the ‘Schism of Veridia,’ documented in Cycle 47. The initial data indicated a localized temporal paradox centered around a vanished city. Further investigation revealed that the city, known as Aethelgard, wasn’t ‘vanished’ but rather fractured across multiple timelines, its inhabitants existing simultaneously as echoes trapped within loops of their past. The Myriopoda, designated ‘Chrysalis-7’, were present at the epicenter, exhibiting an unusual ability to ‘untangle’ these temporal knots. It’s hypothesized that they possess a degree of control over the flow of time, though the mechanism remains elusive. Their chitinous exoskeletons, composed of a material dubbed ‘Chronium,’ resonate with temporal energies, amplifying these effects.
Source: Chronarium Archive – Temporal Cartography Division, Cycle 71, File 47.8.Alpha.
The Myriopoda aren’t solitary creatures. They exist within complex symbiotic relationships with organisms classified as ‘Resonance Entities.’ These Entities – a diverse range of fungal networks, crystalline structures, and even sentient atmospheric phenomena – appear to act as temporal anchors, stabilizing the distorted realities the Myriopoda interact with. The relationship is mutually beneficial: the Myriopoda manipulate temporal currents, while the Resonance Entities provide structural integrity to the timelines. A particularly intriguing specimen, ‘Nexus-3’, appears to be a vast, mobile crystalline structure that actively ‘records’ temporal events, creating a living, breathing chronicle of the timelines it traverses. It's speculated that the Chrysalis-7 species might be able to ‘upload’ memories and experiences into this structure, essentially creating a distributed consciousness spanning multiple timelines.
Recent scans indicate a distinct ‘language’ communicated through modulated Chronium vibrations. The Resonance Entities respond to these vibrations, generating counter-frequencies that seem to ‘rewrite’ temporal anomalies. The process isn’t linear; it’s more akin to a complex, multi-dimensional weaving, where past, present, and future realities are simultaneously altered. The implications are staggering – the possibility of actively shaping one’s own timeline, or the timelines of others. However, the Chronarium’s safeguards are in place to prevent any attempts at ‘temporal manipulation’ beyond observation and analysis. The potential for catastrophic paradoxes is simply too great.
Source: Chronarium Archive – Xenobiology Division, Cycle 82, File 93.Gamma.Note: Caution – Temporal Distortion Level 4.
One of the most perplexing aspects of the Myriopoda is their apparent resistance to conventional temporal paradoxes. While they actively manipulate timelines, they don’t seem to suffer the consequences – the logical inconsistencies that would typically unravel a temporal explorer. This suggests a fundamental difference in their ontological structure. They don’t ‘exist’ in the same way as linear organisms. They are, perhaps, ‘fragments’ of time itself, existing outside the constraints of causality. The ‘Chrysalis-7’ specimens exhibit a fluctuating morphology, shifting in size and form seemingly at random. At times, they appear to be composed of multiple temporal layers simultaneously, creating a visual effect described as ‘fractured light.’
Furthermore, analysis of the Chronium samples reveals traces of a substance that defies categorization – a ‘null-state’ element that appears to absorb and neutralize temporal energy. It’s theorized that the Myriopoda utilize this element to ‘repair’ temporal damage, effectively erasing paradoxes before they can fully manifest. This raises profound questions about the nature of time, causality, and the very fabric of reality. Are the Myriopoda guardians of time, or are they simply conduits for its chaotic energy? The answers, it seems, lie lost within the echoes of the Obsidian Bloom, waiting to be uncovered by the Chronarium’s intrepid Temporal Cartographers.
Source: Chronarium Archive – Theoretical Physics Division, Cycle 91, File 115.Delta.Redacted – Access Restricted to Level 3 Personnel Only.