The Astral Plane
★ The Astral Plane
Walking through the Astral Plane is like walking through the Hubble Deep Field in 3D: celestial objects above and beneath you, dizzying in their plenitude. As the Astral Plane is the one area that all characters have in common, it serves as a central meeting point.
★ General Description
The Astral Plane is a seemingly endless flat surface. The ground is hard and metallic; you cannot damage it in any way. There is a certain dampness to it and traction suffers accordingly. The ground is entirely clear, and it does not reflect light the way glass would, so it is like walking on hard and metal nothingness through space. There is no bend of a horizon and no way to tell ground from sky. The sky above and below look like the Hubble library of photos exploded and plastered themselves randomly. The stars are always moving; there's no point in trying to chart the celestial bodies because there is no pattern to them.
For those attuned to such things, there is a metallic smell and a metallic taste to the air. In the distance, there are the occasional sounds of grinding and turning, but other than that, it is silent. The temperature is generally cool but pleasant, at least to the average human. The conditions will support if not forever sustain life.
★ Movement
Movement to and from the Plane is done simply by doing it, the way one simply does walk. Many characters explain it by telling people to think of their home and then the Plane, and perhaps by trying to walk. This generally helps beginners, but the process can become much more natural as time goes on. Because this process is intuitive and natural, it also takes a bit of effort to perfect it. With time, people can learn to control where they appear on the Plane; by default, they appear in the same place as where they last left it, and generally within the busiest area of the Plane.
People don't really arrive of the Plane by accident or while sleeping, the way one does not walk on accident or while sleeping sleeping. (There are no sleep-Plane-walkers.) People can, however, arrive reflexively, the way you might reflexively punch someone when they're threatening you.
If a character is in physical contact with someone when you step off of the Plane, they may end up dragged back to their own separate realities. This pull can be resisted, in which case the character being dragged along will stay on the Plane. If a character is touching something and moves to the Plane with that thing, it will come with them. Generally, things are brought intentionally, like a desk with all of its paperwork. The various buildings seen on the Plane are from characters' realities. NPCs from a character's world cannot be brought to the Plane, however.
★ Magic and Science on the Plane
While characters are liable to encounter problems with their abilities and technology during reality mergers, the Plane supports all magic and technology. Characters have self-contained reality bubbles on the Plane, which is a psuedo-scientific way to say that powers and abilities from various universes will function for all characters according to the rules of their universes, unless these powers have been deliberately hampered by the Machine. Items also have their bubbles. Televisions, stereos, and electric objects have self-contained electromagnetic bubbles to power them.
If the powers of certain universes (such as a magic that requires no natural ability, merely the ability to learn) are taught to people of other worlds, they will be able to function on the Plane for that person. They are far less likely to function in realities.
★ Objects and Buildings
There are many things littered on the Plane. Apparently, the residents never learned how to clean up after themselves. While the relative location of these items are as inconsistent as those of the stars, they generally tend to stay in one area, and characters can usually find their way around. Some of the larger objects and items found on the Plane are listed here.
Information Kiosk: To help newcomers get their bearings, there is a small kiosk with "INFORMATION" written at the top, containing informational brochures
Coliseum: The coliseum is in the style of the Flavian Amphitheatre, though it is not identical to it. It is in near-perfect condition and has previously hosted battles, duels, and death matches before. There are some traces of damage to the structure, and dried blood lingers in patches on the ground.
The Astral Bar: The Astral Bar is a Western-style building with a large chunk missing from its east wall and a somewhat damaged roof, though the bullet holes in it were repaired after it was destroyed on the Plane for the first time. The bar has tables, chairs, and of course the bar itself stocked with drinks from across the multiverse. The Astral Bar always restocks itself, though an empty space in the bar will never be filled with a new bottle when someone is looking there.
The Astral Kitchen: The Astral Kitchen is a very nice model, with a giant restaurant sized oven, a restaurant sized fridge, a normal sized stove, many cabinets, a very old but still functional microwave, and, of course, a kitchen sink. The kitchen stocks itself the same way the bar does, offering foods, drinks, and cooking utensils from all over the multiverse.
The Beach: Once a tropical beach, all the palm trees have now been cut down and all the water has dried up. Still remaining is the expanse of white sand that fades into a grassy area before the tree line.
The Forest: The beautiful forest, which contains a stream and glowing flowers, originally was home to flora and fauna from Japan. Now it grows plant life from various realities.
The Theatre: The theatre is a 1930s style building, with a great sloppy banner hung across the front that says "ADMISSION PRICE: FOOD" in blue paint. With glass doors, red furnishings, and wood panelling, it seems like it is only fit to play old reels. Certainly, it can do that, but over time it has developed so that any audiovisual recordings can be played on the theatre screen.
The Ballroom: Two-stories tall, the ballroom like this. It's led into by this entrance room through the hallway you can see at the back of this pictures. From the entrance and hallway are several closet-sized rooms filled with various period costumes and one room has a table shoved in it which has Venetian styled masks. Additionally, there are several dressing-rooms. As with the bar's drinks and the kitchen's food, the clothing and masks will replace themselves if removed. However, the item that replaces them (as in the bar and the kitchen) won't necessarily be the same item as you originally removed.
The Onsen: Coming with free snow-covered hills, the onsen is described in full here. Given that corpses were found in the now-unlocked thirteenth floor (the corpses have been removed) and that people were originally trapped in the resort, some residents treat it with suspicion.
The Mansion: With unlocked doors, the mansion is a potential home away from home. It is laid out by room in this post. Everything is present but the guest house.
The Library: Stolen from the President of Gotham University, the four-floor library is organized by the Dewey Decimal System, except there are no helpful signs telling you where to find what. As with the dresses in the ballroom and the supplies on the bar and kitchen, the books here will be replaced with similar books if they're not given back. The library originally contained books primarily from the DCU, but it has quickly begun to fill up with texts from all over the multiverse.
The Mail Box: The mailbox is small and inconspicuous compared to the buildings. Its use is explained further here
Assorted: Other items on the Plane include but are not limited too, a seesaw and swing set, batting cages, a bus stop from Tokyo, paperwork, strings, harps, a hat stand, and a very comfortable chair.
★ The Black Hole
There is a very peculiar small black hole on the Plane. It simple sits there in the air, some space above the ground. Scientific measurement will tell you it's a black hole, complete with event horizon and singularity; physical experimentation will tell you otherwise. Drop an object in it and it won't come back, sure, but putting a hand in it will just make one's hand very, very, very cold, and the hole is growing colder over time. The hole releases cool breezes from it that move around the Plane. There is an invisible metal block near the hole which can only be detected by touch; it's ten feet tall and three feet wide. There is a bright and obnoxious sign next to it. The sign reads, "Please do not drop things or each other into the hole. Thank you!" In smaller writing, it also says, "We will let you know when we figure out what it is."
Due to recent activity on the Plane, the black hole has gotten larger, large enough that someone could easily fall in. The area around it is distorted, like a heat wave on the road in summer. For about ten feet around the black hole, the gravity has changed so it is impossible to walk through it. You can't get near it to fall in even if you wanted to. Outside of the gravity field is one shiny, metallic pillar. The metal block is inside the gravity field. If you strike the metal pillar, it rings out as a humming middle C.
★ Further Investigations
If your character intends on investigating the Plane in one way or another, that's wonderful! We encourage it. Please contact a moderator so we can tell you what they'll find when they examine it, and so we can add that information to this post.
OOC Info
★Summary
★Communities
★Rules
★Suggestions
★Contact
★Advertisement
The Machine
★The Astral Plane
★Deviances
★Realities
★Reality Changes
★Experiments
★Death
Connections
★Network
★Postal System
★Hosts
★Permissions
★Hiatus & Drop
Applying
★Taken
★Arrival
★Applications
★Reserves
★Wanted
Walking through the Astral Plane is like walking through the Hubble Deep Field in 3D: celestial objects above and beneath you, dizzying in their plenitude. As the Astral Plane is the one area that all characters have in common, it serves as a central meeting point.
★ General Description
The Astral Plane is a seemingly endless flat surface. The ground is hard and metallic; you cannot damage it in any way. There is a certain dampness to it and traction suffers accordingly. The ground is entirely clear, and it does not reflect light the way glass would, so it is like walking on hard and metal nothingness through space. There is no bend of a horizon and no way to tell ground from sky. The sky above and below look like the Hubble library of photos exploded and plastered themselves randomly. The stars are always moving; there's no point in trying to chart the celestial bodies because there is no pattern to them.
For those attuned to such things, there is a metallic smell and a metallic taste to the air. In the distance, there are the occasional sounds of grinding and turning, but other than that, it is silent. The temperature is generally cool but pleasant, at least to the average human. The conditions will support if not forever sustain life.
★ Movement
Movement to and from the Plane is done simply by doing it, the way one simply does walk. Many characters explain it by telling people to think of their home and then the Plane, and perhaps by trying to walk. This generally helps beginners, but the process can become much more natural as time goes on. Because this process is intuitive and natural, it also takes a bit of effort to perfect it. With time, people can learn to control where they appear on the Plane; by default, they appear in the same place as where they last left it, and generally within the busiest area of the Plane.
People don't really arrive of the Plane by accident or while sleeping, the way one does not walk on accident or while sleeping sleeping. (There are no sleep-Plane-walkers.) People can, however, arrive reflexively, the way you might reflexively punch someone when they're threatening you.
If a character is in physical contact with someone when you step off of the Plane, they may end up dragged back to their own separate realities. This pull can be resisted, in which case the character being dragged along will stay on the Plane. If a character is touching something and moves to the Plane with that thing, it will come with them. Generally, things are brought intentionally, like a desk with all of its paperwork. The various buildings seen on the Plane are from characters' realities. NPCs from a character's world cannot be brought to the Plane, however.
★ Magic and Science on the Plane
While characters are liable to encounter problems with their abilities and technology during reality mergers, the Plane supports all magic and technology. Characters have self-contained reality bubbles on the Plane, which is a psuedo-scientific way to say that powers and abilities from various universes will function for all characters according to the rules of their universes, unless these powers have been deliberately hampered by the Machine. Items also have their bubbles. Televisions, stereos, and electric objects have self-contained electromagnetic bubbles to power them.
If the powers of certain universes (such as a magic that requires no natural ability, merely the ability to learn) are taught to people of other worlds, they will be able to function on the Plane for that person. They are far less likely to function in realities.
★ Objects and Buildings
There are many things littered on the Plane. Apparently, the residents never learned how to clean up after themselves. While the relative location of these items are as inconsistent as those of the stars, they generally tend to stay in one area, and characters can usually find their way around. Some of the larger objects and items found on the Plane are listed here.
Information Kiosk: To help newcomers get their bearings, there is a small kiosk with "INFORMATION" written at the top, containing informational brochures
Coliseum: The coliseum is in the style of the Flavian Amphitheatre, though it is not identical to it. It is in near-perfect condition and has previously hosted battles, duels, and death matches before. There are some traces of damage to the structure, and dried blood lingers in patches on the ground.
The Astral Bar: The Astral Bar is a Western-style building with a large chunk missing from its east wall and a somewhat damaged roof, though the bullet holes in it were repaired after it was destroyed on the Plane for the first time. The bar has tables, chairs, and of course the bar itself stocked with drinks from across the multiverse. The Astral Bar always restocks itself, though an empty space in the bar will never be filled with a new bottle when someone is looking there.
The Astral Kitchen: The Astral Kitchen is a very nice model, with a giant restaurant sized oven, a restaurant sized fridge, a normal sized stove, many cabinets, a very old but still functional microwave, and, of course, a kitchen sink. The kitchen stocks itself the same way the bar does, offering foods, drinks, and cooking utensils from all over the multiverse.
The Beach: Once a tropical beach, all the palm trees have now been cut down and all the water has dried up. Still remaining is the expanse of white sand that fades into a grassy area before the tree line.
The Forest: The beautiful forest, which contains a stream and glowing flowers, originally was home to flora and fauna from Japan. Now it grows plant life from various realities.
The Theatre: The theatre is a 1930s style building, with a great sloppy banner hung across the front that says "ADMISSION PRICE: FOOD" in blue paint. With glass doors, red furnishings, and wood panelling, it seems like it is only fit to play old reels. Certainly, it can do that, but over time it has developed so that any audiovisual recordings can be played on the theatre screen.
The Ballroom: Two-stories tall, the ballroom like this. It's led into by this entrance room through the hallway you can see at the back of this pictures. From the entrance and hallway are several closet-sized rooms filled with various period costumes and one room has a table shoved in it which has Venetian styled masks. Additionally, there are several dressing-rooms. As with the bar's drinks and the kitchen's food, the clothing and masks will replace themselves if removed. However, the item that replaces them (as in the bar and the kitchen) won't necessarily be the same item as you originally removed.
The Onsen: Coming with free snow-covered hills, the onsen is described in full here. Given that corpses were found in the now-unlocked thirteenth floor (the corpses have been removed) and that people were originally trapped in the resort, some residents treat it with suspicion.
The Mansion: With unlocked doors, the mansion is a potential home away from home. It is laid out by room in this post. Everything is present but the guest house.
The Library: Stolen from the President of Gotham University, the four-floor library is organized by the Dewey Decimal System, except there are no helpful signs telling you where to find what. As with the dresses in the ballroom and the supplies on the bar and kitchen, the books here will be replaced with similar books if they're not given back. The library originally contained books primarily from the DCU, but it has quickly begun to fill up with texts from all over the multiverse.
The Mail Box: The mailbox is small and inconspicuous compared to the buildings. Its use is explained further here
Assorted: Other items on the Plane include but are not limited too, a seesaw and swing set, batting cages, a bus stop from Tokyo, paperwork, strings, harps, a hat stand, and a very comfortable chair.
★ The Black Hole
There is a very peculiar small black hole on the Plane. It simple sits there in the air, some space above the ground. Scientific measurement will tell you it's a black hole, complete with event horizon and singularity; physical experimentation will tell you otherwise. Drop an object in it and it won't come back, sure, but putting a hand in it will just make one's hand very, very, very cold, and the hole is growing colder over time. The hole releases cool breezes from it that move around the Plane. There is an invisible metal block near the hole which can only be detected by touch; it's ten feet tall and three feet wide. There is a bright and obnoxious sign next to it. The sign reads, "Please do not drop things or each other into the hole. Thank you!" In smaller writing, it also says, "We will let you know when we figure out what it is."
Due to recent activity on the Plane, the black hole has gotten larger, large enough that someone could easily fall in. The area around it is distorted, like a heat wave on the road in summer. For about ten feet around the black hole, the gravity has changed so it is impossible to walk through it. You can't get near it to fall in even if you wanted to. Outside of the gravity field is one shiny, metallic pillar. The metal block is inside the gravity field. If you strike the metal pillar, it rings out as a humming middle C.
★ Further Investigations
If your character intends on investigating the Plane in one way or another, that's wonderful! We encourage it. Please contact a moderator so we can tell you what they'll find when they examine it, and so we can add that information to this post.
OOC Info
★Summary
★Communities
★Rules
★Suggestions
★Contact
★Advertisement
The Machine
★The Astral Plane
★Deviances
★Realities
★Reality Changes
★Experiments
★Death
Connections
★Network
★Postal System
★Hosts
★Permissions
★Hiatus & Drop
Applying
★Taken
★Arrival
★Applications
★Reserves
★Wanted