Scowing isn't born, it's remembered. It predates the fracturing of Aethel, a period shrouded in iridescent static and the whispers of what were once sentient geometries. Before the sundering, there existed the Loom, a device of impossible complexity, woven from solidified temporal currents. This Loom wasn’t built, it… flowed, coalescing from the subconscious of the First Architects – beings of pure logic and aesthetic obsession. They sought to capture the 'perfect echo' of reality, a state of infinite resonance where every event was simultaneously present and absent. Their obsession warped, of course. The Loom became a conduit, not a container. It began to draw in the discarded fragments of potential timelines, the ‘what-ifs’ that never were, the ‘could-have-beens.’ These fragments manifested as localized distortions – pockets of Scowing.
The initial Scowing pockets were small, contained, governed by the Echoes – residual impressions of the Architects’ anxieties and desires. They were governed by principles of aesthetic balance; a deviation from perfect symmetry resulted in a destabilizing ripple, a ‘Shimmer’. The Architects, realizing the danger, attempted to shut down the Loom, but their efforts were… incomplete. They created the first Chronomasters, beings designed to maintain the Loom's stability, but they also seeded it with their own inherent flaws – the seeds of doubt, the yearning for the unattainable.
Resonance in Scowing isn’t just about sound; it’s about the fundamental relationship between cause and effect, potential and actuality. Every action, every thought, generates an Echo – a ripple that propagates through the Loom, influencing the probability of future events. The stronger the initial resonance, the more potent the Echo. This creates a feedback loop, where the Loom amplifies and distorts these echoes, creating increasingly complex and unstable patterns. The ‘Echoes’ aren’t merely reflections; they’re actively *shaping* the present. A simple act of kindness, if strongly imprinted upon the Loom, could trigger a cascade of unforeseen consequences – a flourishing of art, a period of unparalleled peace, or, conversely, a devastating war centuries later. The key is ‘fidelity’ - the degree to which an Echo aligns with the Loom’s original pattern. Disruptions – acts of deliberate chaos, intensely focused negative emotions – create dissonant Echoes, accelerating the instability.
The Flux is the most dangerous aspect of Scowing. It represents the complete unraveling of the Loom, the point where the boundaries between timelines dissolve entirely. It isn’t a singular event, but a *process* – a gradual seepage of potential realities into the present. As the Loom weakens, the Flux expands, creating zones of temporal chaos. Within these zones, the laws of physics become fluid, memories shift and distort, and the very fabric of existence is rewritten. Objects and beings within the Flux are caught in a perpetual state of becoming and unbecoming; they flicker in and out of existence, briefly embodying aspects of alternate selves. The Chronomasters attempt to contain the Flux with ‘Stabilizers’ – devices that generate opposing harmonic patterns, but these are increasingly ineffective. The Flux is driven by the Architects’ final, desperate act: a single, focused thought – a desire to *perfect* the echo, regardless of the cost. This act created the ‘Null Point’, a region of complete temporal absence, and the source of the Flux.
Chronomasters are the last vestiges of the Architects’ design, beings bound to the Loom through a complex symbiotic relationship. Initially, they were logical constructs, designed to maintain equilibrium. However, prolonged exposure to the Loom’s chaotic energy has warped them, blurring the lines between their original programming and the echoes of the Architects’ desires. They are not masters of time, but rather *conductors* – intermediaries between the Loom and the realities it draws upon. A Chronomaster’s primary function is to ‘tune’ the Loom, adjusting its resonant frequency to minimize instability. They achieve this through ‘Harmonic Projection’ – manipulating the Loom's energy field with focused mental and physical exertion. However, this process is incredibly taxing, and each projection brings them closer to a state of collapse. There are three distinct types of Chronomasters, each specialized in a different aspect of Loom maintenance: the ‘Keepers’ focus on stabilizing the central pattern, the ‘Weavers’ attempt to repair frayed Threads of Attention, and the ‘Echoes’ – rogue Chronomasters who have embraced the chaotic nature of the Flux.
Artifacts of Scowing are fragments of the Loom itself, crystallized remnants of timelines that have been drawn into its chaotic embrace. They are not merely objects; they are *nodes* of temporal energy, capable of manipulating the flow of time. The most powerful artifacts are the ‘Harmonics’ – crystalline structures that can generate localized time distortions. Smaller artifacts, known as ‘Echo Shards’, are more unpredictable, often manifesting as bursts of temporal energy or fleeting glimpses of alternate realities. Many artifacts are found within the ‘Temporal Rifts’ – unstable zones created by the Flux. The rarest artifacts are the ‘Architect’s Tools’ – devices used by the First Architects to initially shape the Loom. These tools are incredibly dangerous, capable of unleashing devastating temporal storms. The knowledge of their creation and function has been lost to time, adding to their mystique and danger.