Inflorescence

Template:!Alternate Plane InfoboxInflorescence is a superstructural realm, a realm "built" atop another realm, located directly "above" the Via Aylathiya galaxy in four dimensional space. This realm is dominated by a single massive spiral galaxy called Chapeirre. With slightly different laws of gravity than the Local Cosmos on which it rests, Inflorescence has very few black holes or neutron stars, with a very low number of stars having more than 1 M_☉. Consequently, most of Chapeirre is completely lifeless and virtually uninhabitable due to a lack of metals to form asteroids and planets.

Within its clouds of dust and small stars are five clouds are types of nebulae called "Grand Design Nebulae," peculiar nebulae that have similar similar formation patterns as galaxies within the wider local cosmos. It seems that whenever a black hole or neutron star does form in Chapeirre, it begins accumulating orbiting material to form these nebulae. Most of the mass contained within Inflorescence is in a form of Dark Matter unique to Inflorescence. These particles account for most of the mass contained within Inflorescence and is responsible for its strange laws of gravity.

The first sapient life to exist in Inflorescence were beings known as Engels. Engels are spontaneously manifesting beings whose origin is largely unknown. The first of them was an entity called The Administrator, followed by Molonov and Delyatu. Soon after the origins of the Engels, colonists from Via Aylathiya found their way into Inflorescence. Soon after, native civilizations would spring up. In 99,871 BCE, the Triumvirate Civilization formed, uniting all intelligent species in the realm under one banner. Soon after, the Triumvirate would expand outside of Inflorescence into the Local Cosmos. Inflorescence has not been united since the fall of the Triumvirate, with the remaining Engels and outside forces quarreling over the Triumvirate's ruins.

Dimensionality & Properties

Inflorescence is a three-dimensional region of Normal Space with no particular anomalous properties inherent to its space-time. As a realm, Inflorescence is very similar to the local cosmos. Its properties are so similar that the most commonly excepted theory for its creation, Cosmic Division, is that Inflorescence and the Local Cosmos were both one before splitting as the two cooled. Out of the five known spatial dimensions to contain matter, Inflorescence is "off-set" by about three kilo-light-years in the "W" axis. Other than that, it shares the same X, Y, and Z dimensions that the Local Cosmos does.

At one mega-light-year across, Inflorescence's total volume is a tenth of a percent as large as the Local Cosmos. The total amount of mass contained within Inflorescence, however, is comparable to the entirety of the Local Cosmos. At just under a third of the Local Cosmos' mass, Inflorescence is very densely packed with matter. Most of this matter is in the form of Dark Matter, specifically a form called A.M.P.s (Anomalously-interacting Massive Particles). Called "Strange Axions," these particles conform to a more complex set of gravitational interactions that the Local Cosmos' W.I.M.P.s (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).

Environment

Surrounding Chapeirre is a mostly empty region of space. Surrounding this empty region of space is an increasingly dense "fluid" that slows objects that move through it. This fluid, called "Ambros" (a word borrowed from Fuukanist mythology describing a primordial reality), impedes the movement of objects on a trajectory that would otherwise lead them outside of Inflorescence. The Ambros eventually reaches such a high pressure that any objects sent into it are crushed. What lies beyond the Ambros is likely the Void of Creation.

Far beyond Chapeirre, around half of a mega-light-year, another unique phenomena occurs called "Portae Amaranthae." Wormholes linking disparate locations within the Local Cosmos are visible in Inflorescence as long translucent Amaranth tubes. When a wormhole is first activated within the Local Cosmos, the path it takes arcs across Inflorescence, often for light years in length. These tubes, the width of the wormhole generator that made them, last for mere seconds to years with no correlation to how long the wormhole exists in the Local Cosmos. Within these strikingly purple tubes are projections ships that used them. There are vessels from unknown civilizations still passing through wormholes that have yet to fade, offering a valuable insight into civilizations of the past.

Chapeirre

Chapeirre up close.

Within the center of Inflorescence lies one galaxy, Chapeirre. It combined with the rest of the galaxies in Inflorescence over ten billion years ago, leaving only a small handful of stars existing outside of the galaxy still within Inflorescence. Chapeirre is a spiral galaxy in the process of transitioning into an elliptical form. Just like the local cosmos, Chapeirre is populated mostly by red dwarf stars. The ratio in Chapeirre, however, is much more extreme with over 95% of stars being red dwarfs in Chapeirre. Black holes and neutron stars are much less common, consequentially making metals heavier than iron also uncommon.

Grand Design Nebulae

Within Chapeirre are what are known as Grand Design Nebulae, a unique form of Nebula only found in Chapeirre. Due to Inflorescence's A.M.P.s, the behavior of matter on a large scale is different, allowing these nebulae to form. Grand Design Nebulae often take on the form of dwarf galaxies, with spiral, irregular, and elliptical nebulae analogous to galaxy variants. In these regions, matter is far more concentrated, allowing for a more standard distribution of stars.

Grand Design Nebulae often form around any of the few black holes or, in some cases even Neutron Stars, that exist in Chapeirre. A.M.P.s respond to strong gravity wells by dragging nearby matter towards them, eventually forming much denser regions over billions of years. Currently, there are over fifty of these nebulae in Chapeirre with well over one hundred in the process of forming. Any life that forms in Chapeirre is confined to these nebulae as even planets are a rarity outside of them save for moonless massive gas giants and brown dwarfs.

The Core

Main Article: Florescence

The core of Chapeirre is called "Florescence," the namesake of Inflorescence. The core is centered on the black hole "Mei'os," the largest black hole in the entirety of Inflorescence. Even though the core is not a Grand Design Nebula, it is dense enough to facilitate life regardless. The core, with its 40 million stars, is much dimmer than it should be thanks to efforts by the nation of Blumeheim which has been building megastructure around most of its stars.

History

The history of Inflorescence is directly related to the history of Via Aylathiya and always has been. Even more than Via Aylathiya, the history of Inflorescence is defined by "Great Actors," individuals whose influence was solely responsible for history. These Great Actors often lead nations or were the embodiment of these nations. The majority of these Great Actors were beings known as Engels, meaning that Inflorescence's history is "sporadic" with past trends often turned on their heads by these Great Actors.

The First Beings

The first sapient being in Inflorescence was The Administrator. Upon emerging in about 500,000 BCE, The Administrator found itself alone in the plane of Inflorescence. All of the few planets with life had no intelligence, just self-replicating carbon-based machines. It continued exploring for the next 50,000 years before the Svartálfar entered Inflorescence for the first time. In what was likely an accident, the Svartálfar began to colonize the numerous nebulae of Inflorescence. They first came across the Administrator in about 309,937 BCE.