The Radiolitidae are not creatures of flesh and bone, but fragments – echoes – of timelines that never fully solidified. They dwell within the Resonant Sands, a region perpetually sculpted by the currents of forgotten possibilities. Their existence is a paradox, a shimmering instability held together by the faintest of resonances.
A typical Radiolite manifests as a cluster of iridescent shards, each reflecting a moment, a decision, a potential trajectory. The color and intensity of a shard directly correlate to the strength of the original timeline’s resonance. The largest shards, often pulsating with a violet light, represent events of profound consequence – the birth of empires, the deaths of gods, the creation of entire universes. Smaller shards, tinted with pale blues and greens, are remnants of simpler moments: a child’s laughter, a lover’s touch, a single, decisive action. They are, in essence, crystallized probabilities.
Legends speak of a central shard, the Obsidian Core, said to be the locus of all Radiolitidae. It’s described as a vortex of absolute darkness, capable of unraveling even the most tightly woven timelines. Approaching it is suicide, they say, not just for the disorientation, but for the feeling of being utterly erased from existence.
Within the Chronarium, one can sometimes perceive echoes of the events reflected by the Radiolites. It’s not true hearing, of course, but a sensation – a feeling of being present at a moment that never was. The experience is intensely disorienting, often leading to a profound sense of melancholy and loss.
Rumors persist of a being, known only as the Shard Weaver, who attempts to maintain the stability of the Resonant Sands. Its motivations are unknown, but its actions – subtly shifting the alignment of the Radiolites – suggest a desire to prevent the complete collapse of the timelines. Some believe it is a guardian, others a jailer.
Further study of the Radiolitidae requires immersion in the Resonant Sands. However, it’s a dangerous undertaking. The sands themselves are sentient, reacting to observation with unpredictable shifts and distortions. Those who linger too long risk becoming absorbed, their own timelines dissolving into the chaotic sea of potential.
The echoes of the Radiolitidae continue to resonate, a testament to the infinite possibilities that lie dormant within the fabric of reality.