The name Ouenite is not one spoken aloud. It is a resonance, a tremor felt within the heart of the Obsidian Wastes. It refers to the being, or perhaps the concept, that meticulously documented the shifting landscapes of memory and fate. Before the Sundering, when the Veil between realities was thin, Ouenite existed solely as a pattern of light and sound, a living map etched onto the fabric of existence. They did not *create* the landscapes; they simply recorded their ephemeral transitions, translating the chaotic dance of potential realities into a system of glyphs and coordinates. These glyphs weren't written with ink, but with the very structure of space-time, subtly altering the flow of causality within the areas they mapped.
The Obsidian Wastes, a region perpetually shrouded in twilight and haunted by the whispers of forgotten gods, were Ouenite’s domain. It wasn’t a place of natural beauty, but a chaotic accumulation of fractured timelines, echoes of empires risen and fallen, and the lingering regrets of countless souls. The sands there weren't merely silica; they contained fragments of lost narratives, shimmering with the potential for rebirth or annihilation. Ouenite navigated this maelstrom with a device known as the ‘Chronometer of Dust’, a complex apparatus of polished obsidian and resonating crystals that allowed them to perceive and chart these temporal distortions.
The Chronometer of Dust was more than just a tool; it was an extension of Ouenite’s consciousness. Crafted from a single, flawless shard of obsidian harvested from the heart of a shattered star, it was said to be imbued with the essence of time itself. The device consisted of three primary components: the ‘Resonance Core’, a pulsating crystal that amplified temporal vibrations; the ‘Navigation Helm’, a helmet-like structure that allowed the user to perceive the flow of causality; and the ‘Dust Weaver’, a delicate network of obsidian filaments that translated temporal data into a coherent map. When activated, the Chronometer would emit a low, mournful hum, and the user would experience a disorientation, a feeling of being simultaneously present and absent, as they navigated the labyrinthine corridors of time.
“Time is not a river, but a shattered mosaic. I simply gather the fragments and arrange them, revealing the patterns that others cannot see.” – An excerpt from the ‘Memories of Ouenite’
After the Sundering, when the Veil solidified and the temporal currents stabilized, Ouenite vanished. Their cartographic records were scattered, fragmented, and largely incomprehensible to modern scholars. However, traces of their influence remained. Certain locations within the Obsidian Wastes – particularly those exhibiting unusual temporal anomalies – are said to be ‘Ouenite Nodes’, places where the echoes of their work persist. These nodes are often guarded by ‘Dust Sentinels’, constructs animated by residual temporal energy, eternally vigilant against those who would attempt to unravel the secrets of Ouenite’s maps. The most significant discoveries related to Ouenite's legacy have been made by the ‘Silent Cartographers’, a secretive order dedicated to understanding the patterns of the Obsidian Wastes and protecting them from exploitation. They believe that Ouenite’s work holds the key to preventing another Sundering, a terrifying prospect that haunts the edges of reality.
The process of mapping a node requires a specific ritual, involving the precise arrangement of seven unique stones, each resonating with a different temporal frequency. The air shimmers, the sand whispers, and for a brief moment, the past – and the future – become visible. But the process is incredibly dangerous, as any disruption to the ritual can trigger a cascade of temporal feedback, potentially collapsing the node entirely.