rippedworldwiki

The universe consists of four finite worlds seperated by an infinite expanse known as [[The Bulk->The Bulk]]. The exact geometry of the universe is a highly contested topic of debate amongsts scholars. But in accordance with traditional terminolgy the finite worlds here are listed from "inner" to "outer". [[Rane->Rane]] [[Urn->Urn]] [[Moom->Moom]] [[Nerth->Nerth]]

The Bulk is an infinite expanse that exist in between the finite worlds. It is only accessible through special gateways that are believed to be remnanants of the [[first civilization->eras]]. Notable Landscape Features: The very shape of the Bulk's terrain is in constant evolution, generally consisting of massive wide open plains where the ground is covered in twisted black and white striations. There also gradual gradations in the terrain's "elevation" where traveling outwards (i.e. towards Nerth) is akin to walking up an enormous mountain with a very low incline. Other features include massive moving depressions the bottoms of which harbor the gateways to the finite worlds as well as occasional sheer cliffs that may block travel between worlds at periodic intervals. One expedition has also noted that far inwards past the motion of the Rane gateway there exists a seemingly permanent cliff feature that drops straight downward for an unknown distance. The Outerbounds of the Bulk are unknown. The very few expeditions made outwards past Nerth have noted mysterious depression features similar to the depressions of the finite worlds, though notably lacking gateways at their centers. Some radical scholars believe that these depressions are the remnants of the fabled [["outworlds"->outworlds]] that are implied in certain poorly deciphered texts from the [[second civilization->eras]], though the existence of such worlds is generally unnaccepted by the larger scientific community. In spite of the fact that the shape of the Bulk is constantly changing in a highly complex yet cyclical manner, there are some constant trends in it's shape, mostly notably that it seems to be in the shape of a cosmic scale "bowl" with an infinite pit at its center. It should be noted that the exact nature of the Bulk is difficult to study due to [[exposure diseases->bulk exposure]]

The innermost of the finite worlds, Rane is a lush and humid world predominantly occupied by Humans. All known life on Rane lives on the various "Steps of Rane" which are part of a larger island contient shaped as a sort of massive mountain made of cocentric, large flat areas divided by massive vertical cliffs. Various conflicting origin theories for the steps exist, some saying that the steps are primordial and the birthplace of humanity while others say that the island continent is an artifical structure created by [[the First Civilization->eras]] in order to have a habitable space above the otherwise hostile surface conditions of Rane. Each Step of Rane is more expansive than the Step above it, with the highest Steps being home to the more affluent members of Ranian society while the middle Steps are largely reserved for agriculture. Climate Climate varies by alttitude and by extension which Step one is on. The high Steps experience very mild and consistent weather with sunlight and occasional rainfall. The middle Steps experience nearly persistent cloud cover and frequent rainfall. The lower steps are increasingly intolerable to life and feature various dangerous phenomena such as torrential downpours, boiling fogs, and acidic rain sometimes colliqually known as "bleachstorms". These dangers are compounded by thick jungles that are both difficult to traverse and full of potentially dangerous lifeforms. Culture Rane is loosely governed by a networks of "courts" that dictate law and enforce it in predominantly capitalistic manners such as contracting groups of mercanaries or producing bounty warrants that private individuals are free to pursue. The influence of this governance is naturally weaker across lower steps where wilderness is more common and communication is difficult. Agriculture and manufacture is performed in the rainy middle steps and products are traded via vaious lift points along the cliff faces of the Steps, which are typically maintained by toll fees.

Urn is the second innermost and heaviest of the finite worlds (though its weight is only slightly more than that or Rane). It is host to no permanent civilizations but is home to a subrace of humans that live as primitive hunter gatherers that regularly migrate as harsh seasonal weather fluctuaions force them to follow tolerable conditions along with the wildlife they subsist off of. It is also notable for having the greatest abundance of ruins believed to be remnants of the [[first civilization->eras]]. Though it is unkown how the first civilization was so successful on this world inspite of its extreme seasonal variations. Regardless, Urn is a popular destination for archeaologists and groups searching for remnant ancient technologies. Climate Urn experiences periodic seasonal changes that alternate on opposite sides of the world (hereafter refered to the East and West sides). These seasons can be categorized into four phases; two "polar" phases where the East and West sides vary greatly in temperature and day/night cycle ratio, and two "transitory" phases where the East and West sides have similar temperatures and even day/night cycles. During the polar seasons, one side of the world will be exposed to near constant sunlight while the other in night. The sunlit side becomes intensely hot and ecosystems become discated and often succumb to wildfires, only to regrow when seasonal changes bring lower temperatures and rainfall. The side of the world experiencing extended night becomes extremely cold and subject to blizzards. Meanwhile the intermidate zones between East and West will experience moderate temperatures along with extreme winds and frequent hurricanes near the shoresides. During the tranisitory phases the side entering winter will experience heightened rainfalls that rejuvenate the desicated landscapes, and the side entering winter will gradually loose its snowcover to allow vegetation to regrow. As such, most flora of Urn is adept to live only temporarily, grow quickly and produce hardy seeds to survive until weather is more appropriate for germination.

Moom is the origin of all Moomish lifeforms including [[Moomers]] as well as numerous other organisms that are biologically distinct from all other lifeforms. It is thought that the [[second civilization->eras]] orginated here from a now vanished "Moomish Mind" that appeared sometimes around the fall of the first civilization. Climate Moom has an extremely rich and diverse set of environments which can most easily be classified by where they are relative to Moom's weight anomaly (see below). The heavier side of the world is lushous with a comfortably dense atmosphere (although humans still require supplemental oxygen to survive here as the atmosphere lacks oxygen). Much of this side is covered in the Metal Sea, an ocean made of a mysterious metalic liquid which is extremely dense, reflective, opaque, and flammable when exposed to oxygenated atmospheres. There are numerous islands and other geographic features extending from the edge of the ocean which are populated by forests and plains of various moomish fauna and flora. The lighter side of the world is nealy devoid of metal seas and is has virtually no atmosphere, hence it is often refered to as "The Silent Desert". In spite of these conditions, there exist many lifeforms suited for evacuated pressures and low weight including "hunter" variant Moomers which live nomadic and isolated lifestyles hunting game. Weight Anomaly Unlike the other worlds which each have a consistent weight to them, Moom experiences a gradated weight that varies from Rane-like near one side of the world to extremely low weight on the other. The weight on the lighter side of the world is less than that of Nerth, which itself is much lighter than Rane or Urn.

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The history of the world is divided into four Eras, the fourth being contemporary times. They are divided by the rise and fall of major civilizations, which are studied by their remnants across the finite worlds and distinguished by the differences in their technologies. The First Era: The First Civilization The First civilization seems to have been the most successful and technologically advanced culture known. It is not certain which world they originated from as there is evidence of their existence on each of the finite worlds. It is believed that [[Humans->Humans]] originated from this civilization, the state of [[Moomish->Moomers]]in this era is unknown. It is not certain which world Humans originated from, some believe humans to hail from [[Rane->Rane]] and others believe it to be [[Nerth->Nerth]]. A small number of historians in recent times also suspect [[Urn->Urn]] to be the cradle of humanity, which is supported by the fact that Urn has the most extensive remnants of the First Civilization but is called into question due to Urn's extreme weather patterns that should have prevented permanent civilization from existing there. This is known as the [[Urnian paradox->Urn]] The First civilization is believed to be responsible for the construction of the Bulk gateways and numerous mega structures throughout the universe, most notably including the [[steps of Rane->Rane]] The Second Era: The collapse of the First Civilation is marked by evidence of extensive, universe scale warfare followed by a sudden decline in technological understanding. Much of humanity's technological prowess was lost in this time, but new civilizations arose on each of the finite worlds each of which more isolated than before as evidenced by diverging technogocal trends. This era is believed to mark the rise of a mysterious force known as the "Moomish Mind" which is believed to have been some kind of non human intelligence that was associated with the rise of Moomish lifeforms. Its existence is implied by the sudden appearance of a new form of technology which seemed to blur the distinction between lifeforms and machines. Though it is contested whether such technologies were ever actually "invented" or arose through natural processes. While it's influence seems universal, remnants of the Moomish Mind are most obvious on [[Moom->Moom]], especially the structure found [[Tycho->Tycho]]

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Extended exposure to [[The Bulk]] is known to cause an array of unique ailments to both Humans and Moomers which range from benign and temporary to lethal. This combined with the massive, flowing geography of the Bulk is why Bulk travel should be taken with extreme caution for even the most experienced of navigators. Onset: While the causes a Bulk related illnesses are not understood, there is one consistent sign of onset known as "sinking". When a traveler enters the Bulk initially, its surface is hard and stable and easily walked across. But travellers who spend an extended period in the Bulk (usually due to poor planning or miscalculation) find that the surface of the Bulk grandually becomes softer and eventually even viscous. Travel becomes more difficult as travellers must contend with "wading" through the surface. This is when ailments may start to occur with various effects icluding but not limited to: Chromophagy: A relatively benign condition where certain colors are seemingly removed from an individual's being. The condition typically endures for some time even after exiting the Bulk, but tends to revert naturally with time. Symptoms include being only one color, usually a very vivid shade of red, blue or green and more rarely yellow, cyan or magenta. Sufferers also percieve the world as being predominantly one color, typically the inverse color of whatever color they appear to be to others. Notably victims also percieve their own body as colored normally. Flatness: A more serious condition in which an individual has lost all depth across a particular physical dimension and therefore appears to be "flat" to others. While disturbing in appearance it does not seem to inhibit bodily functions and typically reverts with time. Sufferers are also said to percieve the world as extremely elongated along the physical axis of which they themselves are flattened, which causes psychological distress. Chronoretardation: An extreme illness characterized by an individual appearing to have a slowed progression through time and percieving the world around them as moving faster than normal. Typically experienced commorbidly with other conditions. Few cases of this condition have been observed as it is believed that most who reach this stage perish in the Bulk. Reconstitution: The end stage of Bulk exposure that occurs when an individual has been completely submerged below the surface. It is believed that an indivdual dies at this point but their body is converted into a "lost one" -mysterious distorted entities that can be rarely encountered mindlessly wandering the bulk. It is advised not to attempt interaction with lost ones.

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