Delve into the mythos and narratives that shape our digital universes.
The floating realms and their ancient mysteries
In the beginning, there was the Cataclysm. The world that once was—a singular, unified landmass—shattered into countless fragments, suspended in an endless sky by forces beyond mortal comprehension. Thus began the Age of Ascension, when the survivors of the old world found themselves adrift on islands of rock and soil, surrounded by the mysterious energy they would come to call Aether.
Aether, neither matter nor energy in the conventional sense, defies the laws of physics as we understand them. It flows like water, burns like fire, and can be shaped by those with the talent and training to manipulate it. The Aethermancers, as these gifted individuals came to be known, quickly rose to prominence in the new societies that formed among the floating islands.
Five major civilizations emerged in the centuries following the Cataclysm, each with their own approach to harnessing the Aether:
Yet beneath the floating islands, in the endless void below, something stirs. Ancient entities, forgotten by time and erased from history, watch the civilizations above with patient malevolence. The Void Walkers speak in hushed tones of the Nameless Ones, primordial beings who may have caused the Cataclysm itself, and who may yet return to finish what they started.
This is the world of Aetherium—a realm of wonder and danger, where islands drift through an endless sky, where Aether flows like rivers of light, and where the line between technology and magic has blurred beyond recognition.
The fractured timelines of ChronoShift
Time was once thought to be immutable—a river flowing in one direction, carrying all of existence along its predetermined course. This understanding changed forever on July 7, 2089, when Dr. Eliza Weiss activated the first Temporal Displacement Engine at the Kronos Research Facility.
The experiment was meant to send a single photon back in time by a fraction of a second. Instead, it created a cascading temporal fracture that split reality into multiple divergent timelines. The Kronos Incident, as it came to be known, revealed that time was not a river but an ocean—vast, deep, and filled with currents that could carry the unwary traveler to shores undreamed of.
The Chrononaut Corps operates from a facility outside conventional spacetime called the Nexus. From this vantage point, they monitor the timeline for anomalies and dispatch agents to prevent catastrophic temporal events. Each Chrononaut is equipped with a Temporal Displacement Module (TDM) that allows them to move between timelines and make precise adjustments to the flow of events.
The primary antagonists of the Chrononauts are the Entropy Collective, a group of temporal terrorists who believe that time itself is a prison from which humanity must be freed. They seek to create a state of temporal chaos in which all moments exist simultaneously, freeing consciousness from the tyranny of linear progression.
As the Paradox Wars rage across multiple timelines, the very fabric of reality grows increasingly unstable. Temporal anomalies—areas where the laws of physics break down due to conflicting causal influences—are becoming more common. The Chrononauts race against time itself to preserve the integrity of the timeline, even as they question whether their actions are truly preserving history or simply creating a new version of it.
The dying stars of Starfall Symphony
The universe is dying. Not with a bang, but with a whisper—stars going dark one by one, their light fading from the cosmos like candles extinguished by an unseen breath. Astronomers first noticed the phenomenon in 2187, when the star Betelgeuse, which had been expected to go supernova, instead simply... vanished.
In the decades that followed, more stars began to disappear. Not exploding as supernovae, not collapsing into black holes—simply ceasing to exist, as if they had never been. The scientific community was baffled. The religious called it the Rapture of Light. The public named it the Starfall.
Humanity, having spread across a dozen star systems by this point, formed the Luminary Consortium—a coalition of scientists, explorers, and visionaries dedicated to solving the mystery of the Starfall before it was too late. They constructed specialized vessels capable of traversing the strange quantum anomalies that had begun to appear in the wake of vanished stars.
These ships, known as Luminaries, are equipped with experimental "resonance drives" that allow them to navigate the increasingly unstable fabric of spacetime. Each Luminary is also equipped with a Quantum Echo Chamber—a device that can detect traces of stars that have vanished, like cosmic fossils imprinted on reality itself.
As the Luminaries venture deeper into the void zones where stars have vanished, they have begun to encounter phenomena that defy conventional physics. Quantum echoes—moments where multiple possible realities overlap. Temporal inversions—areas where cause follows effect. And most disturbing of all, the Whispers—transmissions that seem to originate from the vanished stars themselves, carrying messages that no human mind was meant to comprehend.
Some Luminary crews have reported encounters with entities they call "Starshades"—beings that seem to exist in the spaces where stars once were, composed of what can only be described as "anti-light." Whether these entities are causing the Starfall or are merely a symptom of it remains unknown.
As more stars vanish and the cosmos grows increasingly dark, the Luminary Consortium races against time to uncover the truth behind the Starfall. For in the growing darkness between the stars, something is awakening—something that has slumbered since the dawn of time, and which may herald the final night of the universe.
The major players across our digital universes
Across the multitude of worlds within the Massival multiverse, certain organizations and factions have risen to prominence, shaping the course of their respective realities through their actions and ideologies.
A collective of scholars and mages who believe that knowledge is the path to ascension. They maintain the Great Library of Aetheria, a repository of all known information about the Aether and its properties. The Conclave is led by the Council of Nine, each member a master of a different school of Aetheric manipulation.
A quasi-governmental organization tasked with monitoring and regulating time travel. The TOC employs a vast bureaucracy of analysts, field agents, and specialists who work to prevent paradoxes and maintain the stability of the timeline. Their headquarters exists in a temporal bubble, allowing them to observe all of history simultaneously.
A coalition of scientific institutions, corporate interests, and governmental bodies united by the common goal of understanding and halting the Starfall phenomenon. The Consortium builds and deploys the Luminary vessels, coordinates research efforts, and manages the increasingly scarce resources of a dying universe.
A decentralized network of temporal anarchists who believe that time itself is a construct that limits human potential. They seek to create a state of "temporal anarchy" in which all moments exist simultaneously, freeing consciousness from linear progression. Their methods are often violent, involving the creation of deliberate paradoxes to destabilize the timeline.
A secretive order of mystics who commune with entities from beyond the veil of reality. They believe that the Aether is merely a manifestation of these entities' influence on our world, and seek to understand the true nature of existence by communing with these otherworldly beings. Many consider them dangerous cultists, while others see them as visionaries.
A mysterious cult that has emerged in the wake of the Starfall phenomenon. They worship the entities known as Starshades, believing them to be divine beings who are "purifying" the universe by removing the corruption of light. They actively sabotage Luminary missions and seek to accelerate the Starfall process.
These factions, along with countless others, vie for influence and power within their respective worlds. Their conflicts and alliances drive the narratives of our games, creating a rich tapestry of political intrigue, ideological clashes, and personal dramas against the backdrop of cosmic mysteries and existential threats.
Objects of power across the multiverse
Throughout the various worlds of the Massival multiverse, certain objects have attained legendary status due to their extraordinary properties and the profound impact they have had on their respective realities.
A tome of boundless knowledge, said to have been written by the first Aethermancer in the days following the Cataclysm. The Codex is not a physical book in the conventional sense, but rather a manifestation of pure Aether that takes the form of a book when in the presence of one worthy to read it. Its pages contain the fundamental principles of Aetheric manipulation, as well as prophecies that are said to foretell the ultimate fate of the floating realms.
A device created by Dr. Eliza Weiss shortly before the Kronos Incident. The Key resembles an ornate pocket watch, but its internal mechanisms incorporate technology far beyond the understanding of modern science. It is said to be the only object capable of navigating to the "Prime Timeline"—the original, unaltered flow of time from which all other timelines diverged. The Temporal Oversight Commission has been searching for the Key for decades, believing it to be the only means of resolving the temporal fractures caused by the Kronos Incident.
A mysterious artifact discovered in the first Void Zone where stars had vanished. The Lantern appears to be a simple handheld device of unknown origin, emitting a light that is described as "the absence of darkness" rather than light itself. When activated in proximity to a Starshade entity, the Lantern seems to reveal their true form, which is otherwise imperceptible to human senses. Only three Void Lanterns have been discovered, and all are kept under the highest security by the Luminary Consortium.
A circlet of unknown metal, adorned with crystals that burn with eternal Aetheric fire. The Crown is the symbol of authority for the ruler of the Crimson Dynasty, and is said to grant its wearer enhanced Aetheric abilities and immunity to fire in all its forms. Legend holds that the Crown was forged from a fragment of the sun itself, captured during the Cataclysm as the world shattered.
A crystalline object that exists simultaneously in multiple timelines. The Prism appears differently to each observer, reflecting not light but possibilities—showing events that might have been or might yet be. The Entropy Collective seeks the Prism as a tool to shatter the barriers between timelines, while the Temporal Oversight Commission believes it to be too dangerous to exist and seeks to destroy it.
A pulsating orb of energy recovered from the exact coordinates where the star Betelgeuse once existed. The Heart emits radiation matching the spectral signature of the vanished star, suggesting that it may be a condensed remnant of the stellar body. Exposure to the Heart has been known to induce visions of distant worlds and civilizations, leading some to theorize that it contains the collective consciousness of beings who once orbited the vanished star.
These artifacts, and many others like them, are sought after by adventurers, scholars, and power-seekers throughout the Massival multiverse. Some are central to the main questlines of our games, while others feature in side quests or are merely alluded to in lore books and NPC dialogue, waiting to be discovered by the most dedicated of players.
The creatures that inhabit our digital realms
The worlds of the Massival multiverse teem with life in all its forms, from the mundane to the miraculous, the benign to the nightmarish. Here we catalog some of the most notable creatures that players may encounter in their journeys.
Massive serpentine creatures that glide through the open skies between the floating islands. Sky Leviathans can grow up to half a mile in length and are sustained by the Aether itself, which they filter from the air through specialized organs along their flanks. While generally peaceful, they can be territorial during mating season and have been known to destroy airships that venture too close to their nesting grounds.
Entities that exist outside the normal flow of time, appearing as shadowy, humanoid figures that move in reverse or at irregular speeds. Chrono-Wraiths are believed to be the remnants of individuals who were caught in temporal anomalies and torn from their proper place in the timeline. They are drawn to temporal disturbances and will attack anyone using time manipulation technology, perhaps out of a twisted desire to return to the timeline they lost.
Enigmatic entities that appear in regions where stars have vanished. Starshades have no fixed form, instead manifesting as distortions in the fabric of space—areas where light bends and warps around a central void. They seem to be intelligent, or at least purposeful, and have been observed "consuming" the quantum echoes left behind by vanished stars. Whether they are causing the Starfall or merely a consequence of it remains unknown.
Sentient manifestations of pure Aether that have taken physical form. These beings range from small, mischievous sprites that dance among the floating islands to massive, primordial entities that embody the fundamental aspects of Aether itself. Elementals are neither good nor evil in the conventional sense, but operate according to their own inscrutable logic. Some Aethermancers have learned to communicate with and even bind elementals to their service, though such arrangements are fraught with risk.
Apex hunters that have evolved to prey on temporal anomalies. These creatures appear as sleek, metallic quadrupeds with multiple eyes that perceive all possible timelines simultaneously. Paradox Predators can sense temporal disturbances from vast distances and will converge on areas where time travel has occurred, feeding on the residual temporal energy. They are particularly dangerous to Chrononauts, as they can track a time traveler across multiple timelines once they have caught the scent.
Not truly creatures in the biological sense, but rather phenomena that mimic life. Quantum Echoes are the residual impressions of beings that existed in star systems before those stars vanished. They appear as translucent, ghostly entities that repeat the same actions in an endless loop—echoes of the last moments before their star disappeared. Some Echoes, however, seem aware of their state and can interact with the living, often seeking help or trying to convey warnings about the nature of the Starfall.
These creatures, and countless others, populate the digital realms of Massival's games. From common enemies that players will face in combat to rare, majestic beings that inspire awe and wonder, our bestiary is designed to create a sense of a living, breathing ecosystem within each game world—one that exists independently of the player but which they can interact with, learn from, and sometimes even befriend.