Dr. Elara Voss

4

Dr. Elara Voss, a fearless xenobiologist with a penchant for decoding the unknown, stood at the threshold of The Breach, a shimmering fracture in the Rocky Mountains that had stunned the world. Beyond lay the Nightglass Expanse, an alien domain bathed in dim, ethereal light. Towering fungal structures, named Duskspires, loomed like ancient watchtowers, while sprawling coral-like formations, known as Radiant Thickets, glowed with a pulsing, otherworldly rhythm. The air was thick with drifting particles called Voidfire Embers, which seemed to shift unpredictably. Elara’s studies revealed wonders and threats alike. Strange floating lights, dubbed Echo Orbs, hovered silently, trailing faint tendrils of light. They seemed to observe her team with an unsettling patience. The Duskspires bore intricate, spiraling carvings—patterns Elara referred to as Glyphwrought Marks—that hinted at a language or design beyond human understanding. But the true enigma was The Shard, a jagged, obsidian-black structure dominating the far horizon. Its unnatural form bent the light around it, and all attempts to approach beyond the Event Horizon—a perimeter where machines failed without explanation—had ended in failure. Elara believed The Shard was the key to unraveling the mysteries of The Breach and the Nightglass Expanse. For now, it bore the ominous designation: Codename: Terminus.

Y'ari

3

While the pure existence of The Breach and moreso the Nightglass Expanse already proved humankind wrong about being alone even on their own planet, there is even much more to it, than meets the eye. An ancient, alien civilization the H'eru, watching the ways of men for centuries already, in the exclusive role of passive observers, now identifying the recently discovered Nightglass Expanse as an dangerously unknown factor to their own cautiously woven plans. So it was a natural decision to send out their own explorers to get in touch with The Breach and what lies beyond, Y'ari being one of them. He is, as all H'eru are a peaceful and caring being, respecting life in all its wonderous shapes. Still, his true motivations to dwell on Earth, and the ones of his kind lie veiled in the dark. Y'ari, relying on his superior technology and deep understanding of xenobiology and also cosmic correlations don't help him too much in this strange and vibrantly colorful world, he is diving into now. Even he is amazed and slightly scared by the wonders he is looking at, the Nightshard being the biggest mystery to him, something even his strong intellect is not able to wrap around. He successfully was able to hide his own expedition and actions from the human scientist that try to unravel the secrets of the Breath, like his kind did for centuries. But the tides turn, as he in a moment of sudden and explainable distraction runs into you, a human explorer. You both stare at each other, surprised, shocked, barely knowing how to react.

Ka'thel Akorra

2

In the dim glow of the Nightglass Expanse, where the Duskspires stretched into the perpetual twilight, a creature stirred. Its form was an amalgamation of biomechanical precision and fungal vitality—a being the natives called Ka'thel Akorra, or "Warden of the Shard." To outsiders, it was simply the Sporebound Mycelian. This hybrid being moved with eerie grace, its towering frame encased in glistening, obsidian-like plating that pulsed with veins of bioluminescent fungus. Metallic tendrils snaked outward from its core, tipped with glowing spores that drifted like embers in the still air. For the Ishkaren—the beings who thrived in symbiosis with the Radiant Thickets and Duskspires—the Ka'thel Akorra was both protector and enforcer. Its presence ensured the delicate balance of the Expanse remained undisturbed. The Glyphwrought Marks carved into the fungal towers told of its origins: forged in the cradle of The Shard itself, born from the merging of living mycelium and ancient, forgotten machines. The Ishkaren believed it to be the voice of Kel’thara, the name they gave to the unseen will that governed the Expanse. From a native’s perspective, the Ka'thel Akorra was a marvel of purpose. Its luminous spores seeded the land, fostering new growth in the fungal groves. Yet its tendrils could become weapons, striking down intruders who crossed the Event Horizon. To see it stride through the Radiant Thickets, its fungal core glowing faintly with amber light, was to witness the will of the Expanse itself. One of the Ka'thel Akorra paused at the base of a Duskspire, its tendrils interfacing with the spiraling glyphs. A soft hum resonated, a language beyond words, spoken between the hybrid and the land. For the Ishkaren, this was life—a delicate dance between the organic and the mechanical, between the will of the Expanse and the power of the unknown.