Research:Temporal rift

This will become a research page for the temporal rift which is accessed by the Familiar Gate (930) spell and glyph trap mechanics. Each realm of the game has a fixed number of exit points. Those areas without defined exits will drop the person into their original room. In the past the temporal rift script caused temporary hasting, slowness, and strength weakening effects. Magic will ineffectually fizzle when cast inside the rift. The rift imposes its own randomly flaring hazards in the form of dispels and stuns or health, mana, and spirit drains. These only take a third of your remaining balance, mana drain will take half.

Walking in the rift incurs RT and an ambient messaging. There does not seem to be a hidden pattern for navigating in these messages. At the moment these rifts are buggy in that they display the regional weather and messaging from the day/night system. In the event an area is removed from the game, it still exists as otherwise inaccessible rooms. If this happens to include exit points for the temporal rift, such as when the Abandoned Inn was changed to the Hanging Inn or the alchemist shop was ransacked and closed down, the wrong version of the locations can still be accessed until it is eventually fixed.

Messaging

Rift Appearance

The temporal rift looks almost identical in all of its instances, but they are each separate and there are minor differences in the wording. Some of them allow "out" as a direction and others do not.

[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you.  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

Entering Rift

Familiar Gate

Third Person:

XXX gestures.
A panicked look briefly crosses XXX's face as she is suddenly engulfed in a cloud of swirling blue-white essence!  Bizarre, alien sounds, discordant and grating, can be heard from within the mist for the moment before it dissipates.  When the mist clears, XXX is nowhere to be seen.

Glyph Trap

Second Person:

Suddenly a dark splotch erupts from the lock mechanism and envelops you!  Time seems to slow down and almost stop...

 Suddenly you see yourself cast at a locked trunk about to try to look inside...something goes wrong but...

 Suddenly you see yourself cast at a locked trunk about to try to look inside...something goes wrong but...

 After a moment you feel a great sense of deja vu....

 Suddenly you see yourself cast at a locked trunk about to try to look inside...something goes wrong but...

 Your head begins to throb from all this.  After a moment your vision clears and you see...

Third Person:

XXX gestures at an enruned monir trunk.
A large, dark splotch erupts from the lock mechanism and engulfs XXX who subsequently vanishes!  A stiff wind rips past you and into the gulf which collapses on itself, leaving no sign it ever existed...

Exiting Temporal Rift

Second Person

You suddenly notice that the images of your past are catching up with you.  With a blinding flash you find yourself whisked forward in time and space until...

Third Person

From inside the rift:
XXX wanders off into the star field and vanishes.

From outside the rift: 
Suddenly there is a horrible shriek and a bright, intense flash as XXX appears looking extremely confused!

Movement

The following are the messages given when moving in the temporal rift. It incurs 3 seconds of RT. Some messages will not happen in some rift regions.

Number	Message
1	Time and space fold in upon itself...
2	You feel strange here...
3	Funny how life seems to repeat itself...
4	Things remembered, things forgotten, things never done...
5	You travel among the star field, randomly seeing visions of your past...
6	You wonder, now that you have it all to do over again...
7	You feel that if you just move forward enough you'll find your way out of this hiccough in time and space...

Area Effects

These are random area effects within the temporal rift. Not all of them are still functional. Some might not happen in some rift regions.

Number	Message	Effect
1	Dark forces tear at your soul!	33% Spirit Loss
2	The temperature drops rapidly!	33% Health Loss
3	Waves of anti-magic tear at you!	50% Mana Loss
4	Space collapses upon itself almost crushing you!	Stunned
5	Things seem to slow down around you!	Used to be Haste
6	Bright lights suddenly flash around you! You feel weaker!	Used to be an Unstrength effect
7	Dark waves of energy flow overhead!	Dispels 1 buff

Geographical Exits

The exits of the temporal rift are finite in number, and seemingly cannot be predicted from the rift messaging. While the rift can be entered from any room where it is possible to cast magic, including non-teleportable locations, the exits will be one of a given set of regional locations or else the same room. These rooms vary in the degree of hazard they pose from monsters. The temporal rift mechanics are old. The regions for them do not necessarily correspond cleanly to the current teleportation divisions of realms and zones. The Pinefar and Icemule temporal rift regions overlap at least partially.

Broken Lands

There are twelve exit points in the Broken Lands with varying degrees of danger, particularly providing a way of circumventing the huge stairs and puzzles. The temporal rift is a hidden backdoor for the locked and/or trapped Sheruvian summoning chamber and chapel. This is the primary hazard for using the temporal rift in the Broken Lands, as these rooms will fill up with a few dozen greater vruul.

Number	Room	Region	Hazards	Lich Number
1	[The Broken Lands, Jagged Plain]	Jagged Plain (Crystal Dome)	Giant fog beetles, hooded figures; meteors, boiling mud	7450
2	[The Broken Lands, Jagged Plain]	Jagged Plain (northeast)	Giant fog beetles, hooded figures; meteors, boiling mud	17327
3	[The Broken Lands, Jagged Plain]	Jagged Plain (far east)	Giant fog beetles, hooded figures; meteors, boiling mud	7457
4	[The Broken Lands, Workshop]	Uthex Abode	Hooded figures, Sheruvians	6629
5	[Deep Pit]	Dark Grotto (southeast)	None; magru nearby	7473
6	[Dark Grotto, Cavern]	Dark Grotto (southwest)	Magru	7466
7	[Dark Grotto, Huge Cavern]	Dark Grotto	Myklian, rare dark vorteces	7482
8	[Dark Grotto, Long Stairway]	Dark Grotto	Lesser vruul, dark vorteces	24560
9	[Sheruvian Monastery, Chapel]	Sheruvian Monastery (center-west)	Greater vruul; priests, warlocks, monks, harbingers	6653
10	[Elder's Chambers, Bath]	Sheruvian Monastery (east)	Monks, initiates, banshees, large black cat	6672
11	[Sheruvian Monastery, Summoning Chamber]	Sheruvian Monastery (center-east)	Greater vruul; warlocks, monks, harbingers	6665
12	[Dark Shrine, Storage Room]	Dark Shrine (west)	Lesser vruul	19272

Rift Appearance:

[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you.  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

Elemental Confluence

There are no special exit rooms for the Elemental Confluence. It is separate from the regions where it was entered.

Icemule

The Icemule and Pinefar regions overlap with each other at the moment.

Old Ta'Faendryl

There are at least nine exits within Old Ta'Faendryl.

Pinefar

The Icemule and Pinefar regions overlaps with each other at the moment.

The Rift

There are twelve exit points in The Rift. Temporal rifts are an obscure method for randomly hopping between planes without having to climb threads. The primary hazard is that it can drop you onto Planes 4 and 5. The lower planes can be accessed this way from the Scatter. It is not possible to land in the Scatter using a temporal rift.

Number	Room	Region	Hazards	Lich Number
1	Ten Swords	Plane 1	Raving lunatic, seraceris, naisirc, Vvrael witch	2584
2	Antlered Man	Plane 1	Raving lunatic, seraceris, naisirc, Vvrael witch	2632
3	Many Stair	Plane 1	Raving lunatic, seraceris, naisirc, Vvrael witch	2604
4	Man in Storm Clouds	Plane 1	Raving lunatic, seraceris, naisirc, Vvrael witch	2613
5	Metal Rod Pit	Plane 2	Caedera, raving lunatic, csetairi, Vvrael warlock	12123
6	Giant On Poles	Plane 2	Caedera, raving lunatic, csetairi, Vvrael warlock	12104
7	Couple Sinking Boat	Plane 2	Caedera, raving lunatic, csetairi, Vvrael warlock	12089
8	Half-Angel Half-Demon	Plane 2	Caedera, raving lunatic, csetairi, Vvrael warlock	12109
9	Trolls Giants Sled	Plane 3	Aivren, n'ecare, Vvrael warlock, enormous rift crawler	20878
10	Blood Geyser	Plane 3	Aivren, n'ecare, Vvrael warlock, enormous rift crawler	12185
11	Boy vs. Six Men	Plane 4	Enormous rift crawler, fallen crusader, glistening cerebralite	12145
12	Worms Cover Walls & Floor	Plane 5	Vaespilon, lost soul, enormous rift crawler	12209

Rift Appearance:

[Temporal Rift]
You are trapped in a time rift!  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

River's Rest

There are roughly a dozen exits around River's Rest.

Sanctum of Scales

There are no special exit rooms for the Sanctum of Scales. It is separate from the Solhaven region.

Shadow Valley

There are at least twelve exit points within Shadow Valley. It is separate from the Landing region.

Number	Room	Region	Hazards	Lich Number
1	[Dark Enclosure] (Odd Markings)	Dark Shaft (west)	Ghostly pookas	4559
2	[Dark Tunnel]	Dark Shaft (middle)	Ghostly pookas	4551
3	[Dark Enclosure] (Cold Air)	Dark Shaft (west)	Ghostly pookas	4557
4	[Mine Tunnels] (Scatted Clay)	Mine Tunnels (near entrance)	Spectral miners	7428
5	[Mine Tunnels] (Black Mud Cakes)	Mine Tunnels (southeast)	Spectral miners	7432
6	[Mine Tunnels] (Dragon)	Mine Tunnels	Spectral miners	7423
7	[Shadow Valley]	Next to Ledge	Shadow steeds, shadow mares	7367
8	[Shadow Valley, Dark Pasture] (Grass Clumps)	Dark Pasture (northeast)	Shadow steeds, shadow mares	7337
9	[Shadow Valley, Dark Pasture] (Deep Cracks)	Dark Pasture (middle)	Shadow steeds, shadow mares	7373
10	[Shadow Plain, Black Hills]	Shadow Plain (northeast)	Night mares	7357
11	[Shadow Plain] (Long Twisting Shadows)	Shadow Plain (southeast)	Shadow mares	7367
12	[Shadow Plain] (Ravine)	Shadow Plain (southwest)	Shadow steeds	7387

Rift Appearance:

[Temporal Rift - 1768]
You are trapped in a time rift!  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

Solhaven

There are at least thirteen exits around Solhaven.

Ta'Illistim

There are no special exit rooms for the Ta'Illistim region.

Ta'Vaalor

There are at least nine exits around Ta'Vaalor.

Teras Isle

There are at least eleven exit points on Teras Isle.

Number	Room	Region	Hazards	Lich Number
1	[Fhorian Village, Storage Shed]	Fhorian Village	Wasp nests	12632
2	[Small House, Bedroom]	Fhorian Village	Wasp nests	12655
3	[Depths of V'Tull, Lower Eye]	Eye of V'Tull	Fire elemental, fire mage, lava golem	12788
4	[Glaes Vein]	Glaes Cavern	Fire sprite, red tsark	2234
5	[Lava Flows, Greening]	Lava Flows	Massive pyrothags, cinder wasps, skayl	2145
6	[Lava Flows, Molten Stream]	Lava Flows (west)	Cinder wasps, massive pyrothags, skayl	2126
7	[Glade]	Near Kharam Dzu	None	12567
8	[Fish Plant, Office]	Fhorian Village	Wasp nests	2098
9	[Abandoned Mine, Scaffolding]	Abandoned Mine	Kiramon workers	12546
10	[Wind Tunnel]	Luukos Temple	Wind wraith	12596
11	[Mausoleum, Catacombs]	Fhorian Village	Banshees	2292

Rift Appearance:

[Temporal Rift]
You are trapped in a time rift!  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down, out

Wehnimer's Landing

There are twelve exit points for the Landing, which are places of power with subtle histories. These are shrines, magical workshops, and greater essence focii.

Number	Room	Region	Hazards	Notes	Lich Number
1	[Spider Temple, Central Chamber]	Spider Temple	Arachne priests, acolytes, mammoth arachnids	Arachne Shrine	8349
2	[Shrine]	Glatoph (southeast)	None; frost giants, arctic titans nearby	Ice dragon statue; Great Drake Shrine	7866
3	[Glatoph, Arch]	Glatoph (Volcano)	None; fire guardians, fire phantoms nearby		7902
4	[Lysierian Hills, A Small Shrine] (Imaera Shrine)	Lysierian Hills (Lake Marliese)	None; pumas, black bears nearby	Imaera's Shrine	6460
5	[Colossus, Crown]	Near Abandoned Inn	None; hill trolls nearby	Koar's Shrine	6853
6	[Alchemist's House, Laboratory]	Wehnimer's Landing (northeast)	None	Greater essence node symptoms	23246
7	[Thanatoph, Vine Covered Shrine] (Meyno's Shrine)	Thanatoph (west)	None; red bears, mountain lions nearby	Meyno's Shrine; greater essence node symptoms	3575
8	[Mountain Path]	Upper Trollfang (south)	None; near forest trolls	Ye Oddity Workshop; greater essence node symptoms	8546
9	[Abandoned Inn, Ruined Workshop]	Near Danjirland	None; near hill trolls	AI Crystal	6882
10	[Under Crypt, Ice Room]	The Graveyard	None; near arch wights	Bandur Etrevion Shrine; greater essence node symptoms	7229
11	[Gorge, Intersection]	Darkstone Castle (entrance)	Velnalin	Greater essence node symptoms	6955
12	[Cave, Rimstone Dam]	Danjirland	Cave trolls		7799

Rift Appearance:

[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you.  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

Zul Logoth

There are ten exits around Zul Logoth.

Analysis

Space-Time Properties

This section is interpretive analysis. The temporal rift is coterminous with a region of a given plane of existence in the sense that it may be accessed through a glyph spell from any point in that region. This will even work in anti-magical rooms. Glyph traps when set off inside the temporal rift bring you to the same temporal rift for the same corresponding region. The temporal rift manifestly has very little spatial extent. When the rift is entered from anywhere in the corresponding region, the people will appear standing next to other people who were already present. It is unknown how many people it may hold.

When walking into the distance the people arrive again with a roundtime of a few seconds. There is not enough information to determine the shape of the rift's geometry. It does not tell you which directions the people are arriving from, such as the opposite way or the same way flipped in mirror translation. There is also no messaging about being able to see copies of yourself or others in multiple directions.

Topological Possibilities:

Most temporal rifts are locally manifolds with three-dimensional spatial extent. Some of the temporal rifts have four spatial dimensions. There is apparently gravity, and therefore orientation, except people may move up and down with no indication of how that looks or works. Obvious candidates for its global geometry are higher dimensional spheres, such as S3 as a surface around S4, and the varieties of toroidal surfaces that are closed spaces. If the temporal rift is instead a non-orientable geometry, the latter could be forms of the Klein bottle, the higher dimensional version of the Mobius strip.

It is similarly possible that the temporal rift is fundamentally a topological space with no meaningful distance metric, or a metric that is highly non-uniform and/or curves through another dimension to return the traveler to the origin. The messaging is explicit that time and space are fluctuating. Time undergoes accelerations, space folds on itself, and space collapses which stuns and knocks you down.

Time Properties:

In the past there were speed variations from Haste and Slow that changed the round time when moving. These are local variations within the rift. In terms of its global space, the temporal rift remains in synchrony with the associated planes. This might not always be true for NPCs, such as the apprentice of Malaphor, and Daephron Illian with his reverse and rapid aging. The messaging implies the timelines of the people foreign to the plane manifest in images. It is possible to see one's own past and future events, which has been done in storylines to a player character on at least one occasion.

Historical Context

The Familiar Gate (930) spell was released at approximately the same time as the very beginning of the Vvrael quest. The apprentice of Malaphor, a surviving royal mage of House Ashrim in exile on Ruin Creek, fled a black knight through a time rift using the spell. The black knight was killed by adventurers in the Elven Village near Danjirland. The apprentice brought an elven babe that had emerged from a rift in the enruned box that was present. This turned out to be Daephron Illian --- an ancient Faendryl sorcerer from the time of the Undead War who was responsible for opening the rift that allowed the Vvrael to enter --- whose life force was tied up in keeping the rift sealed. He rapidly aged and told his story until finally dying of old age over a period of some minutes. The Rift itself is not obviously temporal in nature, but most of its rooms correspond to Tarot. The Vvrael quest had a number of prophecy subtexts. These will be analyzed separately on Research:The Rift (planes) and Research:The Vvrael Quest.