What are Rifts?

Good day, Associates, and welcome.

Welcome to our ▓▓▓▓▓▓ lounge. I am Dr. Bourbon, and I am the Association's lead expert on the anomalies called Interdimensional Transits. Or, Rifts, as the portals are usually called. And you all, have recently been designated your numbers. You have gone through the Rite, and now you are about to volunteer for your first assignments which might involve traversing a Rift. It might surprise you some Associates might spend their whole membership without ever seeing a Rift. But that is beside the point.

I imagine many of you only know about Rifts through media. Futuristic radio dramas of adventure. Fictional journals of explorations of alien worlds, and short stories like "The Horsedale Howler" by H. Deamington. Yes, I know that story. That is because I was the one who approved it for publication… I had more time back then.
The point is that the Association has been conducting deliberate misinformation campagne. But not to hide the existence of the Rifts, but both to subvert and for research. We are for example gauging how the populace reacts to information regarding the phenomenon. You lot, you to have been questioned about your knowledge regarding, Rifts. Conclusion? Let's just say our media campaigns have been effective.

Well. Rifts! They are indeed gateways, of sorts, to other worlds we refer to as Planes. Usually, these are very similar to our Earth. Astronomically speaking, that is. Often, this can only be determined by observing the stars in the sky. Either these worlds are devoid of humans, or life entirely. Or more concerning, all life has been wiped out. Considering what destroyed these worlds, it shows us how unlikely it is for us humans to have evolved into being in the first place. Make of that what you will.

But some worlds do contain human civilizations. These can be primitive hunter-gatherer societies, which we refer to as Tier I civilisation, or rather the lack there of. Tier II is preindustrial, often feudal, societies. And then there are Tier III civilisations, who are about as advanced as ours. Yes, we have encountered Tier IV and more advanced societies. However, information on these is available on a need-to-know basis only.
As far as we know, Rifts are not interconnected. These are two-way portals from one Plane, to another. Sometimes a world will have more Rifts, allowing us the hop from one Plane tot the next. But as far as we can tell, there are no other Planes were Rifts are as common as on ours, Atlas. Why our Plane is burdened by this many? There is no explanation as of yet.

But is sounds useful, does it not? Step through a Rift, right into another world. Why not settle there, if there are no humans in the first place? Well, I am afraid it is not that simple. Apart from the potentially toxic flora that can kill you just by getting near it, or the predators that evolved in the absence of humans, there is something else. It has many names, but most commonly it is calls Travelers Decay… Or, was it Travelers Disease? Whatever the case, it is the reason we cannot settle other worlds. For whatever reason, anyone who stays away from their Plane of Origin for an extended period of time will start to develop symptoms. Fever, nausea, vivid dreaming. After a day, the victim will literally start to fall apart, leaving nothing but a dark gray powder. This applies to everything. Humans, animals, objects of any material. Within a period of forty days, if an individual has not returned home, it will die. The forty days, are an estimate, by the way. It is not set in stone and what influences the window of opportunity is unknown. That is why the Association recommends its expeditions not to venture out for longer than a week.
Remember this, every time you see that mound of ashes surrounding the Rift you are about to enter.

So, what do we know? As of the 7th of May, 1873, there are 289 recorded Rifts all over the world. It is likely to be double that amount. Usually, these are no big deal. Sometimes a random animal gets trough, stirring up the local populace. Maybe it will attack someone's pet. In the worst case, it might pray on a lost child. Tragic, but no cause for alarm. Building a reinforced structure, or a fence could be enough to contain whatever comes trough. What does passes the barriers will die in less than two months' times… Usually.
That brings us the Outsiders. These terms apply to all beings entering our world, but there is more to the Rifts. Those are the parts we do not understand. A forty feet long dinosaurs cruising through the Spanish countryside might be a terrifying thought, but it just an animal. It's the creatures we don't understand which are our true concern.
We don't know where they come from. Some believe there is a space between the Planes. This is usually referred to as, the Void. But what the Void is or how anything can live in there, if it even exists, is a mystery. Now, when you spend time with Associates, you'll soon learn there is no shortage of fisherman tales and other legends. But whatever the case, the creatures that emerge from the Void, are very real. Their shape is an abomination to nnot just nature, but the physical world. Their anomalous abilities defy the laws of physics. And the damage they do is unlike anything you have ever seen. I find it hard to blame those who believe these creatures come from Hell itself. Some lifeforms even seem adapted to spreading their kind across various Plane, by developing particular breeding strategies. Some are strange but relatively harmless. Others, well. Not so much.
It is on these creatures the Association was made a library of reports and other documents related to our investigations. Investigating how these threats can be countered is our main objective… Sometimes these investigations bring us in contact with other peoples. Yes, there are other Planes with their own civilizations, not keen on interdimensional travels coming to their world. Those are usually the good ones. Others, well. Their machinations are outside the scope of this presentation.

That was that for tonight. If you have questions be free to ask. In a moment Associate 390 will play a number of songs. They are some coupons in the bowl by the door.

Enjoy your evening.

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