Chaos Worlds
Origins and Formation
Chaos Worlds are planets where the laws of physics and reality have been severely disrupted by an overabundance of Chaos Energy. These unstable celestial bodies were rare before Era-2, but the massive conflicts of the Great Reckoning and the widespread use of Spatial Compression technology created an environment where Chaos Energy surged, spawning entire systems where logic and natural order are warped beyond recognition.
The sudden eruption of Chaos Worlds was one of the most unsettling consequences of interstellar war, particularly during the rise of the Holy Empire of Man. Many former colonies, battlefields, and industrial planets were transformed into incomprehensible realms of mutation, where time fractured, landscapes shifted unpredictably, and beings of immense unpredictability emerged.
Characteristics of Chaos Worlds
Every Chaos World is unique, shaped by the specific nature of the energy that permeates it. However, several key characteristics are commonly observed:
1. Unstable Reality
Time loops, gravitational distortions, floating landmasses, and matter spontaneously changing state are just some of the bizarre phenomena found on these planets. Some Chaos Worlds exist in a state of constant flux, with entire continents disappearing and reappearing at random intervals.
2. Mutated Lifeforms
Living organisms caught in a Chaos World often undergo grotesque transformations. Some develop god-like abilities, while others become trapped in an eternal cycle of suffering. The Hand of Eris, a faction devoted to spreading chaos, often seeks out such beings, believing them to be divine emissaries of entropy.
3. Unstable Gateways and Rifts
Some Chaos Worlds act as bridges to other dimensions. These planets are riddled with unstable wormholes, leading to unknown parts of the galaxy — or even to alternate realities. It is believed that some explorers have entered a Chaos World, only to emerge in a completely different timeline.
4. Temporal Anomalies
A well-documented effect of Chaos Energy is the warping of time. Visitors to Chaos Worlds have reported experiencing days in a matter of minutes, or being trapped in cycles of repeating history. Some areas are frozen in time, while others accelerate aging at an extreme rate.
Notable Chaos Worlds
Zanath's Echo
Once a thriving colony under the Planetary League, this world was lost during the Great Reckoning. It now exists in a perpetual loop, replaying the final hours of its fall. The ruins constantly rebuild and destroy themselves, and ghostly figures repeat their last actions over and over.
The Spiral Abyss
A former research outpost of Gazillion, Inc., the Spiral Abyss is a world where gravity is reversed in spirals, making movement disorienting and unpredictable. Entire rivers flow upward, and the sky occasionally "melts" into the ground. A group of stranded scientists remain trapped there, surviving in an ever-changing labyrinth.
Epsilon-99: The Screaming Moon
Orbiting a dying star, Epsilon-99 is a desolate, fractured world where the very air produces auditory hallucinations. Whispers of long-dead civilizations can be heard on the winds, and some claim the planet itself is sentient. Explorers who stay too long either go mad or vanish entirely.
The Role of Chaos Worlds in Galactic Politics
The rise of Chaos Worlds has had significant implications for interstellar civilization. Some factions, like the Galactic Republic, seek to contain or neutralize these rogue planets, fearing the spread of Chaos Energy. Others, like the Hand of Eris, actively cultivate these worlds, using them as sacred sites of worship and recruitment.
The discovery of the connection between Chaos Energy and Spatial Compression Technology led to significant reforms in FTL travel during Era-3. Scientists and engineers in the Galactic Republic sought to develop safer methods of interstellar movement to minimize the chaotic fallout.
Exploration and Dangers
Despite their peril, Chaos Worlds attract adventurers, researchers, and treasure seekers. Some hope to unlock forbidden knowledge, while others seek rare resources that can only be found in these anomalous landscapes. However, few who venture into Chaos Worlds return unchanged — if they return at all.
The Elect of Zanath, an enigmatic group devoted to the study and containment of Chaos Energy, often deploys specialists to investigate these anomalies. Meanwhile, the Hand of Eris sends entire cults to these planets, believing them to be the birthplace of the next phase of cosmic evolution.