Grand Convergence

What Is Grand Convergence?

Grand Convergence is the official and historical name of a large artificial construct that has been measured to be about 1500 square miles of surface area on the outermost layer. This construct consists of an unknown number of layers of 'plates' that rotate at a regular and consistent speed. Each plate layer rotates on a different axis, but has been recorded to have stable alignment times. The most notable feature of these plates are the large Spires that run up and down through the construct. Grand Convergence is also notable for existing within a small but stable pocket of space within what has been called 'The Gap' or 'Gapspace'.

The Plates

Each Plate consists of compressed stone attached to a metal conglomerate frame in a series of hexagonal sections that are attached to each other. The Higher Plates tend to have soil, clays and other softer materials while the frames of Lower Plates rapidly become so compressed as to be nigh impenetrable.

The climate, environment and size of each plate can vary dramatically, even within their own Shell. Plates arrange themselves into orderly, consistent heights that the natives of Grand Convergence have named Shells. Each Shell varies in exact thickness but usually consists of five thousand to ten thousand feet of material before breaking through to the other side. The force that holds each Plate in place appears to be related to the Spires. The Outer Shell has approximately 10 miles of space until you hit the edge of Gapspace.

The space between the First and Second shell provides roughly two thousand five hundred feet of space but this clearance rapidly narrows, with the space of the Second and Third half that. As you penetrate each shell layer, the amount of spaces becomes smaller and more claustrophobic, leading inevitably to it's own dangers.

Civilization of Grand Convergence always revolves around the Spires, the Plates around an active Spire being centers of culture and trade, often spreading to adjacent plates. As one gets farther, however, one might find ruins and strangeness in between. Most people use the Spire network to move from place to place, or airships if unable to do so for some reason (Like smuggling, clandestine activity, or the destination Plate having no other transit option).

Time and Weather of the Plates

The Plates move in a regular, predictable pattern, so the inhabitants of Grand Convergence have developed a day/night cycle commensurately with the automated systems. While the outermost Shell is endlessly bathed in the non-light of Gapspace, most of the inhabitants live on the next two shells down. This means most 'natural' light tends to come from Gapspace shining down between gaps between the Shells. Whoever had created this place had also installed lighting into the underside of the Plates. These lights brighten and dim at regular intervals, so they have featured heavily into what the community considers 'day' and 'night'.

Weather is very stable through most of Grand Convergence. Most locations maintain a steady temperate environment. There are recorded Plates that are comparatively very hot or very cold, but it seems that they are generally used for overall environmental maintenance. Some species more adapted to such climes can be drawn to them and have set up their own living spaces.

Precipitation is almost always in the form of rain. Storms form sometimes from the contact of the Spires with Gapspace above, creating stunning displays of lightning and condensed water from the air. Most of the water is absorbed by the outer Shell, feeding the extensive plantlife above. The rest falls between the gaps and is often caught by Aplaxtian devices and fed into the water cycling systems for use by the inhabitants.

Travel Between Plates

Because of the way the Plates move, it is generally inadvisable to use ground travel to try to cross between plates. Twisted and shattered attempts at bridges mark several attempts. Most people use aerial travel, whether small aircraft or flying magics to do so. There is a brisk business in flying transport, though for anyone carrying significant amounts of cargo, they will need to use the Spires themselves to connect to other Spires through the Spire Transport Network (STN).

Similarly, there is nothing preventing someone from simply throwing a rope over the edge, jumping, or parachuting through a Gap to a lower Plate. However gaps become much more rare the lower you go, and anyone descending past the third Shell tends to not come back. Those that have, speak of strange, alien machinery and architecture, or horrifying, dark areas pulsing with malignance. The latter are areas that are of great concern to the people of Grand Convergence, and called Dark Sectors.