The Rotos Starkers aren't merely artifacts; they are echoes. Echoes of a civilization consumed by the Veil, remnants of a reality that bled into ours through the fractured pathways of the Netherweave. Each Stalker pulses with a residual energy – a shard of the Architects' minds, the silent screams of the Voidborn, the desperate prayers of those who sought to mend the tear. They are cold to the touch, but radiate a disconcerting warmth, a memory of heat long extinguished.
Initially, the Rotos Starkers appeared as simple geometric constructs – perfect tetrahedrons, octahedrons, and icosahedrons crafted from a material resembling obsidian, yet subtly shifting in color depending on the ambient magical flux. But prolonged exposure reveals a deeper complexity. The surfaces aren't smooth; they’re covered in microscopic glyphs, constantly rearranging themselves, forming and dissolving like liquid thought. These glyphs aren't written in any known language; they’re the language of the Veil itself, a chaotic stream of possibility and oblivion.
// Schematic Fragment - Voidborn Resonance Algorithm
function calculateVoidbornFrequency(starkerID, temporalShift) {
// Complex calculations involving the Veil's harmonic resonance...
// ... (Extremely simplified representation)
let frequency = temporalShift * 3.14159; // Placeholder
return frequency;
}
The Architects, the enigmatic creators of the Rotos Starkers, were obsessed with controlling the flow of time and reality. They believed the Veil wasn't a corruption, but a fundamental aspect of existence, a chaotic potential waiting to be harnessed. The Rotos Starkers were their instruments, designed to stabilize temporal anomalies and, ultimately, to reshape reality according to their grand design. However, their ambition proved catastrophic. The Veil resisted, twisting their designs, amplifying their errors, and ultimately consuming them.
It is theorized that the core of each Stalker contains a fragment of an Architect's consciousness. This isn't a fully formed personality, but a distillation of their thoughts, their knowledge, and their obsession. When a Stalker is activated – and they *always* activate, subtly influencing the surrounding environment – this fragment becomes momentarily lucid, attempting to reconstruct the reality it once knew. This is why locations near a Stalker often exhibit strange temporal distortions – echoes of the Architect’s desperate attempts to reassert control.
// Data Log Excerpt - Observation Report 742
"Temporal displacement detected within a 5-meter radius of Stalker Unit 37. Subject experienced disorientation and a sensation of 'falling upwards'. Glyphs on Stalker Unit 37 shifted abruptly, displaying a sequence resembling a fractal representation of the Netherweave. Energy readings spiked dramatically."
Containment of the Rotos Starkers is notoriously difficult. Standard wards are ineffective, as the Stalkers seem to actively disrupt magical fields. The most successful method involves utilizing a ‘Nullweave Field’, a complex array of resonant crystals designed to dampen the Stalkers’ influence. However, even this is only a temporary solution. The Rotos Starkers are not passive; they actively seek to bypass the Nullweave, attempting to establish a connection with the Netherweave.