Umbelle wasn’t born; it coalesced. Not from dust or stone, but from the residual echoes of forgotten melodies. These melodies, once sung by beings of pure light – the Lumiflora – were remnants of a civilization that predated even the oldest star charts. The Lumiflora, masters of harmonic resonance, shaped reality itself with their songs. When their civilization fractured, not through war or disaster, but through a gradual, sorrowful fading of their light, their songs remained, lingering as shimmering particles within the void.
These particles, we now call ‘Shimmers,’ are the building blocks of Umbelle. They accumulate in areas of intense emotional resonance – places where joy, grief, or profound contemplation have taken root. The most potent Shimmers form the core of the Umbellule - the crystalline structures that dominate the landscape. Each Umbellule resonates with a specific emotion, a fragment of the Lumiflora’s lost song.
The Chronarium of Whispers, a vast, subterranean archive, attempts to record and interpret these resonances. However, the Shimmers are notoriously fickle, shifting and changing with the ebb and flow of temporal currents.
The Umbellule are not simply beautiful formations; they’re living conduits. They absorb and amplify emotional energy, creating localized distortions in time and space. Walking among them can induce vivid hallucinations, profound memories, or a disorienting sense of déjà vu. The color of an Umbellule directly corresponds to the dominant emotion it contains. Azure Umbellule pulse with melancholic longing, crimson ones throb with fierce passion, and pale green ones radiate a sense of serene acceptance.
The Lumiflora believed that by harmonizing with the Umbellule, one could achieve a state of ‘Resonance,’ a merging with the collective consciousness of their lost civilization. However, prolonged exposure can lead to ‘Echoing’ – the gradual erosion of one’s own identity, replaced by the accumulated emotions of the Lumiflora.
The process of ‘Harmonic Extraction,’ used by the Chronarium’s scholars, is incredibly delicate. It involves carefully calibrated sonic vibrations that can temporarily unlock an Umbellule’s resonance, allowing for its study – but also risking a catastrophic cascade of emotional energy.
What is ‘Echoing’ exactly? It’s a phenomenon observed when individuals spend extended periods in close proximity to an Umbellule. Initially, they experience heightened senses, an increased capacity for empathy, and a profound connection to the surrounding environment. But over time, their memories become fragmented, their thoughts lose their distinctiveness, and they begin to exhibit behaviors consistent with those of the Lumiflora. Their skin takes on a faintly luminescent quality, and their eyes develop a serene, almost vacant, expression.
There are accounts of individuals who have become entirely subsumed by the Echoing, essentially becoming living extensions of the Lumiflora’s lost civilization. Some theorize that this is not a tragic end, but a form of transcendence – a return to the source of all creation.
The Lumiflora themselves seemed to embrace the Echoing, viewing it as a natural progression, a way to resolve the inherent dissonance of existence. They believed that by dissolving into the collective, they could finally achieve true harmony.