Continuum FAQ

The Fraternities FAQ

Last updated February 3rd, 2002

The Continuum roleplaying game has been in existence for about five years now officially, and there are many elements of the game system that have aspects to them that make the players, and GMs, think a little bit. This Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page is designed to answer some of the commonly asked questions about one of the more complex Continuum game elements - the Fraternities.

Fraternities Frequently Asked Questions

I've been worried about a possible paradox between the Narcisist book and the Continuum book. In the Narcisist book, when you're crashing, it says that the Quicker have permission to pursue a Narcisist to thrust 100. (I don't have the book in front of me, so I may be misquoting.) Wouldn't such orders reveal that other universes exist to the Quicker? And how would the Quicker be able to pursue without crashing themselves? Am I completely missing something here?
No, you're not missing anything, except the Continuum's take on what crashers are doing, which isn't really included in the Narcissist pre-release. Since they don't believe a multiverse is possible, measurements like "Proximity" and all the rest are meaningless to them. Narcissists counter that it isn't paradox but hypocrisy, and that the Swarm knows all about the multiverse, and just denies it to its unevolved paeons (like you and me) for its selfish ends.

The Continuum is mighty secretive (see the First Maxim), but since the Aquarian Era has commenced in earnest, it's safe enough for us to discuss dimensional theories here.

The Continuum's stance is this: The universe is. The universe is much more complex than the spacetime that supports life - spacetime itself is supported by a structure of dozens of dimensions. But this structure must not be confused with a "multi"verse. Dimensions are not worlds.

More precisely, dimensions discovered by theoreticians exist, but they are not habitable. Attempts to make them habitable result in situations demonstrated in Continuum , page 57, with strips of the universe dangling from the As/As Not (it really helps here to have cut open the book!). The Quicker are aware that some Narcissists have gone to great lengths to try and expand upon any opening for change, and that Antedesertium treats such forays as a kind of religion. This doesn't mean that any have meaningful consequence:

Most perceivable As/As Nots are quite small, and even natural. But crashers take them for viable "timelines" even though the mathematics defies this. Trying to force them into a structure coherent with time and humanity's three dimensions is dangerous and in vain - this will only play havoc with tremendous energies, not create another cohesive universe.

Even Leveller theoreticians are suggesting that, along certain dimensions, other events exist, but _without Time to organize them_. Think of Flatland, only instead of missing one of the three dimensions of space, you're missing time. Even if you are briefly intersecting the dimension of Time (as the hero of Flatland briefly intersects the Third Dimension) the moments do not last. The reflection of spacetime upon another facet of the universe freezes or flickers out.

Lower Span spanners are not often introduced to the concept, for precisely the reason you're asking: confusion breeds curiosity and experimentation, the straight road to Narcissism. Novice spanners learn to maintain spacetime. But able-minded recruits to the Quicker are always sought for the dangerous task of maintaining the superstructure of spacetime, dimensions naturally hostile to life and consciousness.

Special thanks to Chris Adams, Dave Fooden, Barbara Manui, David Trimboli, and the folks on the Continuum Mailing List for their help in the compiling of this FAQ information.


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This page first went on-line March 10th, 2001

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