Prior to an invasion, a High Lord uses temporary portals between worlds called dimthreads to send his agents into the target cosm. These agents prepare the area for invasion by placing stelae. Stelae are arcane artifacts produced by Darkness Devices that take on the aspect of their reality. The agents prepare a network of a few dozen stelae before the invasion, and they lie undiscovered and dormant until the invasion itself. Stelae that have not been connected to a stelae network are vulnerable to destruction, but once a stela activates, it takes an incredible effort by Storm Knights to destroy it.
Stelae are each planted through a one-hour-long ritual, and placed approximately 500 kilometers apart. The most efficient pattern consists of equilateral triangles, but restrictions due to geography or interference by natives often forces a stela to be planted less efficiently. Once placed, no single stela may connect to more than six others. If attempted, the stela simply fails. Within that limit, stelae automatically attempt to connect to others within the maximum separation distance. A stela will only connect to stelae of its own reality or one other. A zone can never have the stelae of three different realities as the vertices.
Boundaries
The invading reality extends to the border defined by the stelae. Massive reality storms are usually found there.
Vertically, the invading reality extends upwards into the sky about 15 kilometers, and down into the ground for about 150 meters. High Lords may greatly adjust these values up to 250 kilometers—but this requires vast amounts of Possibility Energy, so it is rarely worth it. Two cosms which typically do expend the additional energy are the Cyberpapacy and Pan-Pacifica, extending their upper reach to 250 kilometers. Due to Uthorion’s dominance of the world between, Aysle’s realm extends downward five kilometers to accommodate his subterranean invasion.
Maelstrom Bridges
Once all stelae are in place, the Darkness Device opens a maelstrom bridge between realities. Those who witness such an event are awed at what they see. A storm appears out of nowhere and slowly expands, with lightning and flashes of red and blue lighting the clouds. As the storm continues to expand, a bridge appears, arching out of the sky and smashing into the ground.
The maelstrom bridge has an appearance related to the nature of the invading reality. Orrorsh’s bridges are made from screaming corpses while the Living Land’s bridges are made from plants, trees, and vines. Maelstrom bridges are usually about the width of a 10-lane freeway, sufficient to move whole armies. When the maelstrom bridge hits the ground, a pulse of energy flashes rapidly outward toward the stelae, activating them in less than a minute. Living beings who experience the flash feel disoriented.
Within and on the borders of the stelae boundaries, massive reality storms erupt as the invaded world fights back. Reality goes insane and the very nature of reality fluctuates and rebels. This flood of reality is called an “axiom wash“ and extends to the farthest stelae boundary. It triggers a massive wave of transformation, converting much of the land, buildings, and objects (along with roughly a third of the population) to the new reality. Soon after, the invaders arrive in force. Their troops not only battle resistance, but add to the number of living beings that accept the invading reality.
The zone containing the maelstrom bridge is Dominant from the moment the bridge lands, but the rest of the zones within the realm are Mixed. They’re wracked by violent reality storms that cause additional havoc and transformation, eventually becoming Dominant in three to six months. If that isn’t quick enough, the High Lord may expend Possibility Energy to flip a zone to Dominant, with the help of the Darkness Device, of course.
Draining Possibility Energy
The High Lords draw little energy from the living beings of Mixed Zones. They gain tremendous amounts from those in Pure areas, but it is taken very quickly and then it slows to a trickle. Dominant Zones provide the most Possibility Energy. If a Mixed Zone is a famine and a Pure Zone is a feast, a Dominant Zone is a sustainable farm.
| Elapsed | Pure Zone | Dominant Zone | Mixed Zone | |||
| Time | Living | Non-Living | Living | Non-Living | Living | Non-Living |
| 1 minute | Negligible | 1% | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
| 1 hour | Negligible | 32% | Negligible | 5% | Negligible | 0.5% |
| 1 day | Negligible | 100% | Negligible | 73% | Negligible | 9% |
| 1 week | 5% | 100% | Negligible | 100% | 1% | 30% |
| 1 month | 20% | 100% | 4% | 100% | 5% | 40% |
| 3 months | 50% | 100% | 11% | 100% | 15% | 50% |
| 6 months | 75% | 100% | 25% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 1 year | 93% | 100% | 37% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 18 months | 98% | 100% | 50% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 2 years | 100% | 100% | 60% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 3 years | 100% | 100% | 75% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 4 years | 100% | 100% | 84% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
| 5 years | 100% | 100% | 90% | 100% | Flips | Flips |
Expansion
Stelae are difficult to produce. They take great time, ceremony, and Possibility Energy—it takes great energy to steal energy. Most High Lords can manage only about six stelae a month, but under special circumstances—such as sacrificing powerful Eternity Shards, explained below—they may triple their output.
The High Lord’s agents continue to plant stelae outside the realm’s boundaries, and as they become active the realm expands but no corresponding axiom wash develops.
Since new zones aren’t connected to maelstrom bridges, they start off as Mixed and the outcome isn’t quite as drastic. Once enough of the population accepts the new reality the High Lord may expend energy to flip the zone to Dominant early. This injection of Possibility Energy causes an axiom wash, unlike the more gradual transformation and expansion.
Backup Stelae
Not all stelae are used to expand the realm. Some High Lords are more cautious, like Cyberpope Malraux I, and prepare stelae in defensive positions, just in case something goes wrong. Backup stelae can even be located in close proximity of active stelae so they can be automatically activated should a zone collapse.
Destroying Stelae
The Storm Knights have done something amazing to fill the people with hope and played a Glory card. A stela has been located nearby. Confirmation comes in from the Delphi Council: Take ’er down.
Destroying a stela is not a mission taken by neophytes. As mentioned in the player’s section on Reality, removing these anchors of reality is incredibly difficult and dangerous.
In game terms, removing a stela is a use of Dramatic Skill Resolution using reality. A Storm Knight must be within 10 meters to affect the stela in this way. The DN of each step is Standard (DN 10), modified by the strongest adjacent zone according to the Zone Modifier Chart. If a stela is at the confluence of a two Mixed Zones and a Dominant Zone, for example, the DN is 14 for the more resilient Dominant Zone.
Zone Modifier Chart
| Mod | DN | Zone |
| -0 | 10 | Mixed Zone |
| -4 | 14 | Dominant Zone |
| -8 | 18 | Pure Zone |
Wrath of the Darkness Devices
There is no time limit to remove a stela, but the longer the heroes take, the more likely they are to suffer retaliation by the stela’s maker—the Darkness Device!
The High Lords’ Darkness Devices are attuned to all of the stelae in their realm. They are like spiders at the center of a vast web of reality, sensing disturbance the moment someone interferes with their strands. Completing steps draws the device’s attention to the Storm Knight’s efforts. The sequence below represents the general response during the early stages of the Possibility Wars. As the fighting escalates, so does the cunning and fury of the Darkness Devices.
- Step A: There is no immediate reaction from the connected Darkness Device when Step A is completed. It’s aware its stela is under attack, but responding takes time and significant amounts of energy. In the meantime, no stela is completely unattended. Each has guardians, usually dangerous local beasts compelled to remain nearby or regular troops stationed on site. The Darkness Device depends on these forces to keep Storm Knights busy until help arrives.
- Step B: Crackling dimthreads descend from the sky. The Darkness Device transports as many Gospog of the First Planting that it can find nearby. Dimthreads are costly, so the device uses creatures from no more than a few miles distant, somewhere along the stelae network. Usually this amounts to two or three gospog per character.
- Step C: The Darkness Device focuses its energy on one final defense of the stela. It reinforces the stela itself, increasing the DN by two for further attempts to destroy the stela with reality tests. This effect lasts so long as the Darkness Device feels an ongoing attack. A dimthread also delivers the Darkness Device’s final line of defense: a dreaded ravagon! The ravagon knows its task, and targets any Storm Knights working against the stela first.
- Step D: The stela is finally wrenched from the network and destroyed in the ensuing axiom wash! The native World Laws take effect immediately, which could be bad news for any invaders in the area. The ravagon may seek vengeance or flee, depending on the situation. The Darkness Device seethes with anger, but can’t afford the massive expenditure of power needed to transport more forces into the area.
The loss of a stela renders a zone immune to replacements for a short while. If Storm Knights successfully destroy one and there is no backup in place, an influx of energy rapidly fills the zone and wracks it with reality storms.
Reconnecting stelae around the area is near impossible for one to four months afterwards. This means that ripping up stelae can significantly affect the expansion of the High Lords’ realms.
Stela may be physically attacked, but that’s usually a doomed effort. They have the usual properties for an object their size, Toughness 15 and three Wounds. While they’re part of the network the attached Darkness Device can soak Wounds for them with nearly unlimited Possibilities. Any physical attack brings the full attention of the Darkness Device and all its reinforcements.