The Devil's Doorknob BBS Capture (1996-2003)/devilsdoorknobbbscapture1996-2003.iso/Dloads/TEXTFILE/MAGE.ZIP/CONTIN.ZIP/NEXUS.TXT

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CONTINUUM AND NEXUS

   By Constantine Thomas ([e-mail]) (Also see:
   [1]Continuum tradition, [2]Shelby Babb's additions, and Arthur-Trevor
   D.M. Lasher's [3]Southron Republic virtual)


NEXUS -- The Shade Realm of Time


  Theme

   This may be a good point to define the `theme' of the Continuum and
       Nexus. This theme is the exploration and interpretation of the
       Mysterious Unknown. The Strange, the Weird, and the Unusual.
       Enigmatic Alien artefacts on empty worlds, disappearing cities,
       mind-blowing Hard Sci-Fi mystery, strange forces shaping
       realities, civilisations never encountered before, and so on. Bear
       this in mind when designing your own Virtuals.


  An Introduction to Nexus

   Nexus is a truly incredible Realm, and is home to Central Office, the
       Main Chantry of the Continuum. It is from here that the Continuum
       coordinates its defence of the Corridor.

       Aside from its bizarre inhabitants and environment, Nexus opens
       whole new Vistas of opportunity and adventure for Mages, through
       the Virtuals that can be accessed from it.

       Some periods of History appear to result in the creation of an
       Alternate Corridor to the Main Corridor (MC) representing Earth.
       History may take a different course in these Alternate Corridors,
       known as Virtual Futures, or more commonly, virtuals. Within these
       Virtuals, an exact duplicate of MC is created, but with one
       difference -- the outcome of the event.

       When the time comes for the event to occur in MC, one of these
       Virtuals 'crystallises' or becomes Real. This former Virtual now
       represents the outcome of the event in MC. The other Virtuals at
       this point 'shear off' the Main Corridor, and these 'failed'
       Virtuals are cast adrift in the Darkness. Many (if not most) of
       these Virtuals are rapidly dissolved by the Darkness, but some
       survive for long enough to be captured by Nexus and made Real.

       The Darkness itself requires some further explanation. It
       represents the corrective forces of the Metaverse. The Corridors
       themselves are actually aberrations in the fabric of the
       Metaverse, and as a result are quite unstable. To restore
       equilibrium, the Darkness (the natural fabric of the Metaverse)
       seeks to dissolve these instabilities. On Main Corridor (the only
       True Corridor about which anything is known at present), these
       attempts at correction manifest on the whole as seemingly
       intelligent entities seeking to invade and destroy our reality --
       the Continuum's sole purpose is to repel these invaders. The
       Continuum is fully aware that it can never `win' this Perpetual
       War, and as such solely operates defensively, foiling invasion
       attempts as and when they occur. To some, these invasions appear
       to be driven by individual entities -- the Garou see an entity
       known as the Wyrm. However, this is an illusion. The Continuum
       know that the Wyrm (and the other devils of the Awakened) are but
       the physical representations of a much greater concept. In a
       sense, the Darkness itself (or at least its physical
       representations) may be considered as sentient in an extremely
       alien way. It cannot destroy our True Corridor directly, but
       instead seeks to weaken it from the inside through these
       invasions. As such it manifests within Main Corridor as entities
       which appear `evil' and `nihilistic'. Although the Continuum
       destroys or banishes Wraiths where it finds them (due to the fact
       that they seem to weaken the Walls of the Corridor where they
       appear), the Oblivion of these Ghosts is probably much closer to a
       true understanding of the concept of the Darkness than the Wyrm.

       Nexus itself is unusual in the cosmology of the Continuum. It is
       directly attached to Main Corridor, running parallel to it (unlike
       the Branches, which radiate from the sides), but borders directly
       on both the Darkness and Main Corridor itself -- thus, in Mage
       terms, it is a Horizon Realm with access to both the Deep Umbra
       and the Near Umbra and Earth. Thus, it can collect the Virtuals
       that are cast adrift from Main Corridor.

       It is not entirely clear what factors allow certain Virtuals to
       survive dissolution by the Darkness. The probability of their
       outcome is very likely to be one factor, although the amount of
       Energy (Quintessence) they hold also appears to be important.
       Sometimes it just seems to be the will of its inhabitants'
       existence that gives the Virtual strength against the Darkness.
       One possibility, which the Continuum or any other mortal is
       completely unaware of (and is quite possibly afraid to consider),
       is that Nexus itself is actively saving Virtuals from destruction.
       This also raises the question of whether or not Nexus itself is in
       fact the Oracle of the Continuum.

       Nexus is surrounded by thousands (if not millions) of Virtuals,
       accumulated it seems from the beginnings of our own Corridor.
       These Virtuals surround Nexus like a fibreoptic cable, with Nexus
       being the core 'fibre.' However, when accessing Nexus from MC, it
       can be entered directly without recourse to having to pass through
       a Virtual first. The Virtuals themselves can only be accessed via
       Nexus, and not from MC. It appears that the Virtuals related to
       Earth and humanity are the most easy to access from Nexus, while
       other, more 'incompatible' Virtuals are much harder to enter.
       There appears to be some kind of metaphysical barrier that
       prevents different and incompatible Virtuals from intermingling.
       Thus, a Virtual where the very physical and natural laws define
       Reality to consist solely of Radiation (with no matter) is going
       to be extremely difficult (if not impossible) for an MC human (who
       comes from a Universe where Matter dominates) to access.

       A Virtual contains a 'less potent' (see later) duplicate of
       everything (even Nodes) that was contained in the Main Corridor
       when it separated. When a Virtual splits from MC, Time freezes
       within it, since it is now no longer sustained by The Flow while
       adrift. This makes it very vulnerable to invasion by the Darkness
       through the 'open ends' of the Virtual. In all cases, if the
       Darkness breaks through to the drifting Virtual, it is
       discorporated in seconds..... mercifully, its inhabitants (frozen
       in time) are not even aware of their destruction (they are not
       even aware of their existence at this point).

       Nexus itself seems to be a Pseudo-Corridor -- similar to MC but
       not quite the same. It possesses some kind of MetaGravity, that
       allows it to attract the drifting Virtuals. It also, being a
       Branch (albeit an unusual one) of MC, has the Flow travelling
       through it. The Flow represents Prime, but it also pushes objects
       within the Corridor (and all of its Branches (including Nexus))
       forwards through Time. If a Virtual has no Flow, it is temporarily
       rendered both 'unreal' and 'outside Time'. If a Virtual survives
       its drift in the Darkness and is re-attached to Nexus, the Flow
       resumes through it. This restarts the flow of Time through the
       Virtual, and its inhabitants continue their existence completely
       unaware that their future is different to that of Main Corridor
       (although their past is the same). As far as they are concerned,
       their future is the correct future, and the only future. This is
       due to the Law Of Continuity, described below.

       As a result, Nexus is fuelled by many thousands of Nodes in many
       different Virtuals (and in MC), so it is a huge Realm -- even
       though most are weaker than MC Nodes, there are so many that it
       makes little difference.


NEXUS -- THE REALM


  Introduction

   Nexus is a generally Earth-like environment, in that the atmosphere is
       breathable, liquid water is present, and the flora and fauna are
       compatible with those of Earth. The scenery is spectacular,
       though.

       Nexus apparently has no Sun. However, it is continually
       illuminated by the light from many stars -- night is non-existent
       on Nexus. In addition, five large moons circle Nexus, equally
       spaced along the same orbit. The moons go through phases, which is
       odd considering there is no Sun. Their day sides are reddish,
       implying that the source of the light is red in colour. At any
       given point, all the phases are accounted for -- one moon is New,
       another is Crescent, another is Half, another is Gibbous, and the
       last one is Full. A day is defined as the time it takes between
       moonrise and moonset -- 32 hours. A month is defined as the time
       it takes for a given moon to pass through all its phases -- this
       takes 50 days.

       If the Garou were aware of this place, no doubt they would attach
       some cosmological significance to the fact that all their auspices
       are represented in the sky. A search for the light source in the
       sky using telescopes has as yet revealed nothing, which baffles
       Continuum Scientists.

       The atmosphere on Nexus is thick and humid, but pleasantly warm.
       It rains a lot, and occasionally great thunderstorms sweep across
       the land. There appears to be no seasonal variation. Gravity is
       Earthlike.

       The landscape is very extreme -- there are vast oceans, huge
       perfectly flat plains, and towering mountains and crags that dwarf
       the largest on Earth. An unusual rock in some areas is known as
       `Timestone' -- from a distance it appears solid, but on closer
       inspection other realities can be seen through the shimmering
       translucent rock. Nexus is largely unexplored by the Continuum,
       but appears to be a vast place, much larger than Earth.

       The flora and fauna are generally Earth-like, although the
       vegetation varies in colour from greens and blues to reds and
       purples. The plant life is striking in its variety -- there are
       towering Needletrees that reach up to 200' tall that do not sway
       in even the strongest hurricanes, and others (Lowtrees) that are
       about 2' high but spread over and area of about 100 square feet!

       Fauna is varied too -- some animals are dangerous, many are not.
       Predators can be difficult to deal with, since they often have
       some precognitive ability to know where their prey is. Some prey
       species also have this ability, but in many cases they allow
       themselves to be killed by the predators anyway.

       Other more dangerous species feed on Time itself, and will either
       age their prey or create a Time Loop in which they repeat the same
       actions. Somehow they derive sustenance from these shifts in Time.

       There is no direct evidence for any intelligent life on Nexus, but
       there are ancient/future artifacts on the plane. A lighthouse,
       paradoxically dated as being built 3000 years from now, stands at
       the edge of the Shifting Sea. This is not a sea at all, but is
       rather a plain, where reality itself ebbs and flows with some
       cosmic tide. Elsewhere, ancient ruins depicting the entire
       histories of realities lie, untouched by time, below the Sands of
       Time.


  Time and the Environment

   The Passage of Time: Time is a strange and highly localized phenomenon
       in Nexus. It appears that individual, aware beings (ie. animals
       and sapients) have their own Internal Time Field in which they
       operate, regardless of the External (environmental) Time Field --
       for example, a human Mage from MC Earth caught in an External
       Field where Time apparently passes 10 times slower will still be
       able to move at his normal rate. However, everything around him
       (that is not another animal or sapient being) will be moving much
       slower -- plants will sway lazily in the wind, bullets will take
       longer to reach their targets etc.

       However, it is still possible for Mages studying Time to contract
       or dilate their own Time Fields -- thus in a part of Nexus where
       Time passes twice as fast as normal, the Mage can speed up his own
       Internal Field (using Time Magic) to match the External Field. If
       this is done, the External and Internal Fields are synchronised,
       and to the Mage's perspective, Time passes at a normal rate for
       him.

       Temporal Waves: Being the Shade Realm of Time, Nexus is subject to
       unusual temporal environmental effects. The most important of
       these are the Temporal Waves that sweep across the Realm. These
       appear as immense transparent linear waves that travel across the
       land, moving at varying speeds. Some travel extremely rapidly,
       others can be escaped simply by walking. These Waves have the
       property of altering the flow of Time by their passage. The exact
       effect of the Temporal Wave can be deduced by looking through the
       Wavefront as it approaches. The image of the environment on the
       other side is sped up or slowed down depending on the effect of
       the wave. Thus, if a Wave will speed up the flow of Time three
       times relative to the present rate, images seen through the
       Wavefront will appear to move three times faster than those nearer
       the observer.

       This results in a form of `Temporal Weather Prediction,' as
       sensors in the Field detect the incoming wave and transmit data to
       Central Office. This is then processed and transmitted to Field
       Agents operating in Nexus so they can prepare for the approaching
       Temporal Wave.

       Studies of the geometry of these Temporal Waves has shown a slight
       curvature to them, which indicates that they emanate (like
       ripples) from a very distant central point somewhere to the south
       of Central Office (CO). This is certainly in the unexplored
       regions of Nexus. Quite what could be causing the Waves are
       another matter, and an expedition to what has been dubbed `The
       Origin' is being considered by the Research Section of CO.

       Time Zones: The actual rate of passage of a being's Internal Time
       Field depends on the External Time Field of the universe it was
       born in. The External Field of Main Corridor is the one that we as
       humans are most familiar with -- it is what we consider the
       `normal' passage of time. Most of the Virtuals, being derived
       directly from MC, have this same External Field. However, in Nexus
       itself there are zones in which the basic External Field is
       different to that of MC's. These stable zones are known as Time
       Zones, and can be thought of as Islands of stability in the
       temporal storm -- the passage of time within these Time Zones is
       unaffected by the passage of a Temporal Wave. Central Office
       itself is built in the only known Time Zone where the passage of
       time is equal to that of MC. However, there are many others in
       which the External Field is slower or faster. Note that Time Zones
       can have any physical size and shape. The largest known is a
       square whose sides are 25 km long -- this is where Central Office
       is located.

       Time Zones are frequently inhabited by indigenous creatures, which
       either evolved there from scratch or migrated there from other
       Time Zones and temporally adapted to the new External Field. This
       means their Internal Fields are synchronised to the External Field
       of the Time Zone they live in, even if they move outside it.
       Animals indigenous to the slower Time Zones to Central Office are
       rarely a threat to humans since they therefore move at an
       inherently slower rate, but those originating in the faster Time
       Zones are often quite dangerous, since they can naturally operate
       at much faster speeds. Agents are frequently advised to be on
       their guard in the field in Nexus [Time 1 actually has some use
       here, since Mages will be able to sense when they have entered a
       Time Zone].

       Some Zones have been disovered where there is no External Time
       Field -- in these places, there is no apparent passage of Time.
       Past, Present, and Future have no meaning in these Zones --
       indigenous creatures are effectively immortal (since their
       Internal Time Fields are synchronised with the External Field --
       Time does not pass for them). However, humans entering these
       Fields can still grow old since their Internal Time Fields operate
       as normal -- the External Field will still be present though, so
       they will not be aware of the passage of time at all. [Think of
       the Nexus in `Star Trek: Generations' if you've seen it].

       Time Fields are quantified as follows: a Time Field where the flow
       of passage of time is equal to that within Main Corridor is known
       as a Class 1 Time Field. The number indicates the rate of passage
       of time relative to Main Corridor. Thus, faster fields are known
       as Class 2, 3, 4, 5, etc fields (non-integer flow rates are
       possible, so there are Class 2.5 Fields, for example). Slower
       fields are defined by numbers less than one, usually written as a
       fractional number -- a field where time passes at half the rate of
       MC is known as a Class 1/2 Field for example. Time Zones in which
       there is no External field are known as Class 0 Fields.

       Weather: The Weather in Nexus is generally earth-like, but the
       temporal effects of the environment can produce several unusual
       phenomena -- the most striking of these are the SlowStorms. These
       are thunderstorms that accumulate and disperse very slowly, almost
       as if they were in a much slower Time Zone. When they do
       accumulate, the lightning bolts they throw travel to the ground
       extremely slowly -- slow enough for beings to see them coming and
       dodge!!!

       Other unusual meteorological conditions include FastStorms (like
       SlowStorms, but they accumulate within minutes and are over very
       rapidly -- seeing one from a distance is one of the most
       spectacular sights on Nexus, as thousands of lightning bolts rain
       down in a few minutes) and Hard Hail (Hail falling in an
       accelerated External Field -- thus when they strike humans (moving
       with an Internal Class 1 Field) they appear to fall much faster
       and thus can actually cause serious physical damage when they
       strike.

       TimeStone: Timestone is nothing less than Solid Space-Time. It is
       the base from which all reality is constructed from, and is
       extremely rare in the MetaVerse -- indeed, it has so far been
       found only on Nexus. In situ, it is a brownish-tinged translucent
       rock through which other realities can dimly be perceived. Its
       properties are as largely unknown, but it is known that if one
       concentrates and tries to `walk through' a Timestone exposure one
       can enter the Virtual that lies on the other side. However, it is
       often much easier (and more reliable) to enter a Virtual using
       Spirit magick than via Timestone, since the same Virtual rarely
       remains behind a TimeStone exposure for long.

       It has been discovered that TimeStone has the property of being
       detectable within other Virtuals through the use of Time 1. Being
       a part of Nexus, it is only perceptable to MC Mages and those with
       Temporal Avatars. Thus it can be used by Continuum Agents as a
       kind of homing beacon to others of their kind in other realities.

       In Nexus, TimeStone has a most useful property -- a kilogram (2.2
       lbs) of TimeStone is equivalent to a single pawn (1 point) of
       Level 0 (MC-quality) Time or Correspondence (Space) Tass. Thus, it
       can only be used to fuel either Time or Correspondence effects.
       The mass required precludes it from being carried around by
       individuals in huge quantities. Unfortunately, outside of Nexus,
       Timestone is simply another lump of glassy brown rock, which has
       no effect on magick -- presumably, it is too unique to Nexus to be
       of any use anywhere else.

       Geology: In many places in Nexus, the geology is generally
       Earthlike -- however, the rate of geological evolution is quite
       varied, and confusingly seems to have no connection with the
       External Time Field. Mountain Ranges have been known to appear
       overnight, and erosion can occur extremely rapidly (usually
       depending on the Entropy rating of the area). Glaciers have been
       observed travelling very quickly, while volcanic eruptions have
       occurred at very slow rates. Fortunately, CO appears to be
       situated in a reasonably stable region of Nexus!


  Sphere Ratings

   I think its a good idea to not only treat Ratings as 'pluses' or
       'minuses', but also as actual Sphere levels. As it stands,
       Correspondence +3 implies that Immediate Spatial Perception (Corr.
       1), Colocality perception (Corr. 2), and Teleportation (Corr. 3)
       are naturally possible in a realm.

       But I don't want this -- what if I just want a realm in which
       Teleportation is natural but the Perception effects are not?
       Simple -- I just put the rating as Correspondence 3. No pluses or
       minuses. This implies that effects involving Correspondence 3
       alone are natural in this realm and do not require a spell-casting
       roll (or at most just require a coincidental roll). All other
       Correspondence effects involving other levels are treated as
       normal magickal effects.

       Correspondence 3
       Entropy Special
       Forces 0
       Life 0
       Matter 0
       Mind 2
       Prime +3
       Spirit 3 (Virtuals only)
       Time +5
       To explain:

       Correspondence 3: Indigenous creatures on Nexus are capable of
       teleporting themselves. The natural laws here just allow that.
       Colocating or spatial perception is not naturally allowed though.
       This makes a jaunt in the local jungles very dangerous indeed!
       Central Office is however magickally shielded to prevent invasion
       by teleporting predators.

       Entropy: This is variable since Entropy is so closely linked to
       Time. In faster Time Fields (where things can decay/break down
       faster), this is set at Ratings 3, 4, and 5. This means that
       eroding matter/ withering life/intellectual entropy is easier to
       do in the background of the faster time flow.

       Conversely, in slower time fields (where things decay/break down
       slower), destructive Entropy magick is harder to accomplish. All
       difficulties to level 3, 4, and 5 Entropy effects are at +2
       difficulty.

       Pattern Magick: +/- 0. Forces, Life and Matter are treated no
       different here than anywhere else. Granted, the Forces of Nature
       here are much more dramatic than on Earth, but I don't see that
       this would warrant an increase in the Forces rating. Storms are
       just more violent and spectacular (lots of electrical discharge),
       while winds are quite strong.

       Mind 2: Many creatures on Nexus are telepathic, or more precisely,
       telempathic. They are capable of transmitting emotional commands.
       Sirens (creatures that lure prey to their doom in their maws) use
       telepathic impulses to dupe their prey.

       Prime +3: The sheer number of Nodes that supply Nexus make the
       place fairly glow with Quintessence. As a result, it is very easy
       to see Nodes or transfer Quintessence (even Virtual Quint) from
       one place to another in Nexus.

       Spirit (3): This is only in connection to Virtuals -- it is very
       easy to enter Virtuals from Nexus. All other Realms are at normal
       difficulty to enter from Nexus. Access to the Deep Umbra from here
       is impossible (effectively at Spirit -6).

       Time +5: Any Time effect is naturally possible here. This includes
       the creation of Time Loops, the ebb and flow of Time, complete
       cessation of Time, and contraction and dilation. This is after all
       the Shade Realm of Time! :-)


  Paradox

   Nexus is so much a part of the Continuum's Paradigm (and vice versa)
       that magick in it is considerably harder for those who live
       outside this paradigm. The situation is rather similar to that
       which must exist in Autochthonia, the Home Realm of Iteration-X --
       Tradition Magick must be impossible (or at least very difficult)
       there since it is so against the paradigm of that Convention.

       Continuum Agents can cast their magicks as normal in Nexus (using
       the sphere ratings described above), but any invading Traditions
       (or the Technocracy) have to cope with Paradox! Paradox thus
       strikes as normal for any Mage whose Paradigm is different to the
       Continuum's. All magicks cast by an invading Mage require a
       spellcasting roll, even if they are 'free' as a result of the
       sphere ratings. Paradox strikes in exactly the same way as it does
       on Earth, though it does not seem to affect Continuum Agents. This
       is one reason that the Continuum managed to hold off the
       Technocracy when they seceded from them in the early 20th century.
       Additionally, it is rumoured that this may be the result of a
       change in the nature of the Realm created by the Continuum's
       Oracles.

       Fortunately for the Continuum's allies, there is a way around
       this. Through training, the outsider can be acclimatised to the
       paradigm within Nexus such that he does not gain Paradox for
       casting magicks there. In addition, every outsider entering Nexus
       is given an ID badge which contains a tiny piece of modified
       TimeStone. This acts as a kind of bar-code which is used to
       identify the outsider. This must be worn at all times in the
       Realm, and must be returned when leaving Nexus. Since TimeStone
       acts as a beacon outside Nexus for those with Time 1, it can be
       used to unerringly follow those who try to smuggle their ID badge
       out of the Realm (for duplication, for example). Since Timestone
       is unique to the realm, it is very hard to duplicate outside it.
       This provides another security measure to protect the Realm.


  Nodes and Virtuals

   Nexus is fuelled by many nodes from a wide variety of (largely
       unpopulated) Virtuals, as well as Earth itself.

       The Orb of Lucifer: An extremely powerful Node, this is located on
       the major continent of Lucifer, a Level 1 Virtual. In this
       timeline, Life never evolved on Earth. The planet remains as a
       hostile Hothouse world, with surface temperatures ranging between
       50 and 120 degrees Celsius [between 120 and 240 degrees
       Fahrenheit], a large proportion of Steam and Carbon Dioxide in the
       atmosphere, and very hot polar oceans. There is extensive volcanic
       and seismic activity. Of course, there is no Oxygen content in the
       air at all. The planet itself is tipped at an angle of 40 degrees
       to the vertical, and a day is equal to a mere 8 hours!!! As a
       result, winds and storms on Lucifer can be extremely powerful.

       Interestingly enough, Lucifer has no Moon, leading many Continuum
       scientists to believe that the formation of the Moon played a
       critical role in the formation of life on Earth.

       In this hostile environment however lies one of the most powerful
       Nodes in the Metaverse. The Node itself is a 10' diameter globe,
       the Orb of Lucifer, hovering a few feet above the ground on the
       planet's major continent. It is constructed of a black material
       that defies all analysis (even Magickal). It rotates around its
       axis, tipped at 40 degrees to the vertical, once every 8 hours --
       exactly like the planet it is located on! And its power is
       immense. No ley lines or other Nodes exist on Lucifer -- it is
       almost as if all the planet's Quintessence is channelled to and
       concentrated at the Orb.

       The Orb's origin is unknown -- its connection (if any) with the
       present state of Lucifer is also unknown, as is its purpose.
       Whether its builders will return to claim it one day is a matter
       that most Continuum Agents would rather not think about...

       The Orb is heavily guarded by the Continuum's finest agents, and
       it is presently located in a sealed Guard Station that has been
       built around it. Humans require spacesuits or atmospheric
       protection to survive outside the Station. The Orb and Station has
       already been the focus of several concerted attacks by agents of
       the Darkness, all of which have been successfully repulsed so far.

       Nada One: This is a mysterious city of glass, which appears (along
       with the small rocky island it is situated on) out of thin air in
       the southern Indian Ocean on Earth. It always appears at sunset,
       and is only visible while the Sun's disk touches the open sea, and
       even then it is only physically real if viewed/approached from
       certain angles. After the Sun sets, it disappears for the rest of
       the night and following day.

       Nada One itself is a beautiful, eerie and silent place. It is
       uninhabited, and completely unaffected by the environment; it is
       extremely clean, and the glass it is constructed on is perfectly
       unblemished. The glass itself appears to be indestructible; it
       cannot be broken.

       It is not known where the Island disappears to after sunset. It is
       believed that the city travels through the Corridor, appearing at
       random points in Time. If anyone or anything is left behind on the
       isle, they are never seen again -- when Nada One returns, no trace
       of its accidental passengers are ever found. Indeeed, anything
       moved in the Glass City resumes its normal place when Nada One
       returns.

       Easter Island: Located on Earth itself, Easter Island is a
       collection of hundreds of smaller Nodes, each represented by one
       of the famous `Heads' that gaze out to sea. It is quite powerful,
       and the Order of Hermes has been vying for access rights, but so
       far the Continuum is having none of it.

       Concentration Alpha: Alpha is located in a Level 1 Virtual
       codenamed `Neverland'. Neverland is exactly identical to Earth
       until January 18th 1993. On this day, every higher life form on
       the planet (ie. all human and animal life) suddenly vanished
       without a trace!

       The only clue to this Vanishing is the continual signal emitted
       from the Aricebo Radio Dish in Puerto Rico, aimed at what is
       apparently a point of empty space about a billion kilometres
       beyond the orbit of Pluto. Further research by the Continuum
       through Neverland Aricebo and US Government records has so far
       yielded no official documentation or explanation for the
       transmission, and no target for the signal has been described.
       However, the signal was activated on the 18th January 1993.
       Interestingly enough, there is no record of such a transmission in
       the Aricebo records on MC Earth at that time...

       Aricebo itself is a major Node in this Virtual, which is beaming
       out Quintessence to its target point. Although the Continuum has
       deactivated the transmitter, Quintessence is nevertheless still
       being beamed to the target. In addition, Aricebo is the nexus of
       all of the Ley Lines on Neverland -- this ley line network is
       believed to be artificial, and hints at some secret magickal
       experiment (probably set up by the Technocracy) that backfired
       horribly. It is even possible that the Darkness partially intruded
       on this Virtual before it was re-attached to Nexus, which may be
       an alternative explanation that accounts for the disappearance of
       the planet's higher lifeforms.

       The Continuum has managed to at least tap some of the flow, but
       with this came the discovery that Neverland itself is actually
       losing cohesion - the Quintessence is actually disappearing from
       the Virtual at the beam's target point! The Continuum is trying to
       prevent this loss before Neverland becomes a Level 2 (or worse)
       Virtual, or completely loses cohesion.


  Central Office (CO)

   Introduction:

       The following are guidelines to the integration of the Continuum
       to a standard Mage Chronicle. This section largely covers the
       policy of the Continuum regarding Virtuals and other outsiders.
       They are by no means complete, and need not be considered
       'official'. The existence of the Continuum and Nexus can change
       the focus of a campaign, so I leave it largely up to the
       individual storyteller as to how they should be included.

       Overview:

       Central Office itself is a complex of interconnected utilitarian
       red-brick buildings situated on an large flat prairie in Nexus. It
       is located in the only known stable Class 1 Time Zone.

       The buildings include several towers and fortifications, a
       holdover of the days when the Technocracy sought to actively
       invade Nexus and wrest control of it from the Continuum. CO is
       still heavily defended, and regularly patrolled by experienced and
       well-armed guards. It is also magickally shielded so that it is
       impossible to enter it from outside using Correspondence magicks.

       Inside, Central Office is a network of laboratories, ready rooms
       and offices. It is powered by its own generators in the basement,
       and has several backups in case of a power failure. It also has a
       computer network directly connected to the main Intelligence
       Acquisition Station in London, England on Earth. It has extensive
       research facilities (though not as much as other Home Chantries)
       and a huge catalogue of data on the known manifestations of the
       Darkness.

       Entrances to Nexus are small in number and are found only in the
       vicinity of Central Office, and as such are very heavily protected
       by checkpoints and guard posts. While the level of security can
       sometimes be oppressive, those working in Nexus acknowledge that
       it is essential to prevent the Realm from falling into the wrong
       hands. The security is not invasive however, and many Mages often
       forget they are working inside a fortress.


  Continuum Policy Regarding Virtuals

   The Continuum has a fixed policy regarding the inhabited Virtuals (ie.
       those that contain indigenous sentient beings) -- it only deals
       with them as and when necessary, and even then only with Awakened
       members of that society. Sometimes it actively Quarantines them
       (as in the case of the more hostile Virtuals such as Reich and
       Terra Prime). This is akin to a 'Prime Directive', and is largely
       as a result of the Law Of Continuity. However, those with Temporal
       Avatars who originate in these Quarantined Virtuals and attempt to
       leave are quickly hunted down and 'contained'. This usually
       involves Mind, Prime and Spirit manipulation which blocks the
       Temporal Avatar and prevents it from leaving the Virtual. However,
       many have escaped this fate, and most have gone on to join the
       Technocracy on MC Earth. A few fight a guerilla war on Nexus
       itself, but these are rarely a significant threat to the
       Continuum.

       In most cases though, the Continuum leaves the inhabited Virtuals
       alone, though it often welcomes those with Temporal Avatars (from
       the Non-Quarantined Virtuals) who blunder through to Nexus and
       discover the truth about the extent of the universe. Indeed, many
       of the Continuum's finest agents are from other Virtuals.

       Although there is a vast amouunt of Nodes available to tap among
       the Virtuals, the Continuum leaves those in the inhabited Virtuals
       to their inhabitants -- there are plenty of Nodes to be found in
       the uninhabited Virtuals. The Law Of Continuity could easily be
       violated if a Continuum agent is capture by the inhabitants of a
       Virtual, who then discover that they are in fact no longer the
       'official' universe. The social consequences of this within the
       Virtual could severely undermine the world-view of the
       inhabitants, a fate that the Cotinuum wish to avoid. Many
       Continuum agents in the field are extremely careful, and
       Intelligence Acquisition sets up complex identities for them to
       allow them to fit into the Virtual more easily. In some cases (eg.
       Sauron), the Agent has to be physcially changed to fit in!

       However, the Continuum has an open policy when it comes to the
       uninhabited Virtuals, those that are not populated by sentient
       beings. These it uses for resources (minerals, Quintessence, etc)
       and exploration. Many uninhabited Virtuals are simply catalogued
       and forgotten, but bases are frequently set up in the more unusual
       Virtuals (such as Neverland and Lucifer).


  Policy Regarding the Traditions and Technocracy

   While the Continuum remains comparatively open with the Traditions, it
       frequently has to hold them at bay from raiding the Quintessence
       of the Virtuals. Tradition Mages are extensively vetted before
       they are allowed to enter Nexus, and those seeking to join the
       Continuum must often pass stringent examinations to do so. Any
       allied mage found compromising the security of the Realm,
       Virtuals, or Central Office is dealt with with extreme
       prejudice...

       The Technocracy is not allowed within Nexus. The Continuum is
       aware of what this organization could do given access to the
       Virtuals, and does not wish to take the risk of them invasively
       plundering the resources of the Virtuals to give them a huge
       advantage in the Ascension War. The Traditions as a whole are
       similarly prevented from doing so.

       The Continuum fully places itself outside the Ascension War. It
       plays no part in the domination of reality, and seeks to remain
       neutral -- it has its own role to play in the defense of reality,
       which is a fulltime job in itself.


  Policy Regarding the Marauders

   The Marauders are one of the main enemies of the Continuum. They are a
       constant thorn in their sides, since their immunity to Paradox
       applies even within Nexus. Virtual Marauders, while limited to
       their own Virtuals, have been proving a problem since there are
       reports that some have kidnapped MC Mages (and Virtual Mages with
       Temporal Avatars) and somehow 'transplanted' the Temporal Avatar
       to their own bodies, effectively turning them into MC Marauders
       able to access any Virtual, Nexus, and Main Corridor. It is not
       known why the Marauders are so interested in Nexus and the
       Virtuals. Perhaps it is because it represents the 'Dynamic' aspect
       of Time -- the infinite possibilities that lie in the alternate
       universes of the Virtuals. Many think that the Marauders seek to
       'free Time' from the constraints of the Virtuals, creating a realm
       where all the alternatives exist at once. Regardless, the
       Continuum repels Marauders wherever they are found in Nexus.


ACCESS TO VIRTUALS AND NEXUS


  Introduction

   Access to Virtuals from Nexus is limited. Natural access points
       between Virtuals and Nexus do exist, but these are the only points
       from which the Virtual can be accessed -- these are known as
       portals to Continuum Agents, as differentiated from those access
       points to MC Earth which are known as gateways. Portals appear in
       fixed locations in both Nexus and the Virtuals. Note however that
       the relative geographic locations of the Portals do not have to
       correspond to their positions in the other plane -- Portals a few
       miles apart in a given Virtual may be separated by thousands of
       miles in Nexus. Portals appear in Nexus as shimmering brown
       windows into the other reality, a few metres across -- however,
       they cannot be entered without the 'Virtual Travel' procedure,
       described below. Also note that Portals can only be seen in a
       Virtual using Time 1 - they are otherwise invisible on the Virtual
       side.

       The most common way to access and leave Virtuals is via the
       'Virtual Travel' Procedure (ie. Rote - the Continuum retains much
       of their Technocratic terminology when dealing with Magick). Nexus
       itself can only be entered via the 'Nexus Entry' Procedure, a
       conjuctional Spirit/Time effect. These Procedures are described
       below:


  New Procedures

   Nexus Entry Spirit 3, Time 3

   Nexus Entry allows Agents to enter Nexus directly from any location
   within Main Corridor. Gateways (q.v.) are not required to enter or
   leave Nexus (unlike Portals). Agents always arrive in Nexus at the
   site of one of the two Gateways there -- these are constantly guarded.

   [Both Spirit and Time are required since Nexus is surrounded by an
   unusual Gauntlet with both Spirit and Temporal components to it. Three
   successes must be rolled to penetrate this Gauntlet at difficulty 7].

   Virtual Travel

   Individual Basic: Time 3, Spirit 3
   Individual Targeted: Correspondence 3, Time 3, Spirit 3
   Multiple Basic: Time 3, Spirit 4
   Multiple Targeted: Correspondence 4, Time 3, Spirit 4

   This Procedure allows the Agent to cross the Temporal Gauntlet that
   separates the Virtuals and Nexus from eachother. This Temporal
   Gauntlet is created as a natural side-effect of the basic Metaversal
   Law of Continuity. It can only be used from Nexus or a Virtual, and
   can only be used by an MC Mage or any Virtual Inhabitant with a
   Temporal Avatar -- there is absolutely no effect if anyone else
   attempts it. The Procedure must also be initiated at the site of a
   Portal. There are two main ways this Procedure can be attempted --
   Single or Multiple -- both of which are further subdivided into Basic
   and Targeted. Both Individual Procedures (ie. Individual Basic and
   Individual Targeted) only allow the Mage to transport himself, while
   the Multiple Procedures allow the Mage to bring others with him.

   'Individual Procedures':The Individual Procedures allow the Mage to
   transport only himself and any items carried across the Temporal
   Gauntlet.

   The Individual Basic Procedure (Time 3, Spirit 3) transports the Mage
   across the Temporal Gauntlet. The Mage arrives on the other side of
   the Portal before which the Procedure is used, so should be prepared
   for any unusual climatic conditions at that site (eg. if a Portal is
   in the middle of an ocean in the Virtual, the Agent had best be
   prepared for a wet landing!).

   The Individual Targeted Procedure, which includes Correspondence 3, is
   more often used however. While not vital for the Basic Procedure to
   succeed, the Correspondence component makes it vastly more convenient
   -- it allows the Agent to arrive at any location on the other side of
   the Portal -- not necessarily at the site of the Portal. Note however
   that the Procedure must still be enacted at the site of the Portal on
   the 'departure side.'

   'Multiple Procedures': The 'Multiple' Procedures are more complicated,
   but allow the Agent to take passengers with him across the Temporal
   Gauntlet.

   The Multiple Basic Procedure uses a Time 3/Spirit 4 combination to
   weaken the Temporal Gauntlet within a radius of a few metres around
   the Agent, thus allowing any within this area to travel with the Mage.
   As with the Individual Basic Procedure though, the group arrive at the
   site of the Portal on the other side of the Temporal Gauntlet.

   The Multiple Targeted Procedure adds a Correspondence 4 component
   which allows the group to arrive at any location on the other side of
   the Temporal Gauntlet, not necessarily at the site of the Portal
   there.

   Regardless of the direction of travel (Virtual to Nexus or vice
   versa), the Temporal Gauntlet of the Virtual must be successfully
   negotiated in order to enter and leave. The strength of the Temporal
   Gauntlet around a Virtual is determined by its Energy Rating (see the
   Updated Virtual Classification Scheme).

   Virtual's Energy rating Successes needed Difficulty
   1 2 5
   2 3 6
   3 4 7

   U Add + 1 to successes needed Add + 1 to Difficulty

   Thus, to enter Neverland (a 1U Virtual), the Agent must roll 3
   successes for the Procedure at Difficulty 6. The number of successes
   shown above is required to travel through the Portal -- travel time is
   instantaneous. A Failure (ie. no successes, or less than the required
   number of successes) means that the Agent cannot enter the Portal on
   this attempt, and must wait an hour for the Portal to stabilise fully.
   A Botch means the Agent has become stuck in the Temporal Gauntlet -- a
   very hazardous experience since agents of the Darkness often prowl
   this interface, looking for trapped travellers. On a Catastrophic
   Botch (a result of '1' on all dice), the Agent may open a gateway
   directly to the Darkness instead...

   More often than not, this Procedure is built into a purposely-made
   Device -- a Virtual Travel Bracelet (described below) -- given as a
   matter of course to Field Ops in Nexus. All such Devices have a
   Timepiece [the Continuum's focus for Time] of some sort incorporated
   into them, giving them the appearance of complicated wrist-watches or
   pocket clocks. To enact the Procedure, the Agent adjusts the Bracelet
   while concentrating [meditating -- the focus for Correspondence and/or
   Spirit] on the Portal. Remember that all Continuum Agents require
   these foci when attempting this Procedure, since as Technomages they
   cannot ignore their foci until they reach Arete 6.

   Note that this Bracelet is not essential to use the Virtual Travel
   Procedures -- the Agent does not need to specifically have a Travel
   Bracelet to cross the Temporal Gauntlet. However, he must have the
   necessary Spheres required for the Procedures, and must still use the
   relevant foci.

   [4]Virtual Travel Bracelet

   Quarantined Virtuals: The Temporal Gauntlet around Quarantined
   Virtuals (Danger Code Q) have been strengthened by Continuum
   Specialists. The Difficulties to enter or leave these Virtuals is set
   at 9, though the number of successes required remains the same.

   Sealed Virtuals: The Temporal Gauntlet around Sealed Virtuals (Danger
   Code Z) has been increased to such an extent that the Difficulty to
   enter or leave them is increased to 15! Additionally, a total of 5
   successes on the Procedure roll must be gained to penetrate --
   otherwise the Seal holds. Thus, only the most powerful magicks can
   penetrate the Seal, and even then a large amount of Quintessence must
   be burned to reduce the difficulty.

   Most Seals are heavily guarded, and all have magickal monitors built
   into them that can detect attempts to penetrate it and alert the
   guards if a penetration attempt is made (even if it fails). Note that
   the Seal is not broken, even if it is penetrated -- those leaving the
   Virtual must again roll 5 successes against difficulty 15 to leave.

   Timestone Exposures: Timestone is a rare glassy, shimmering
   translucent brown rock found in the depths of some mountain ranges in
   Nexus. It appears to be the barest foundation on which Nexus is
   constructed -- solid Space-Time. Timestone exposures are unusual in
   that Virtuals can be seen within them; however, the Virtuals 'behind'
   the exposure shift randomly. Nevertheless, these Virtuals can be
   entered if the 'Virtual Travel' Procedure is enacted before the
   exposure. Effectively the Timestone exposure becomes a Portal to the
   Virtual it shows.

   On leaving the Virtual, the Mage arrives on Nexus at the site of that
   Virtual's natural Portal. In many cases, the Virtuals shown by the
   exposures are previously undiscovered -- thus, the Agent has not only
   to survive the dangers of the Virtual itself, but also arrives back in
   Nexus in an unknown location (since the Portal to the Virtual would
   not have been discovered previously and mapped).


  Temporal Avatars

   Those Virtual natives with Temporal Avatars are able to cross into
       Nexus from the Virtual by either accidentally passing through the
       site of the Portal in the Virtual itself (see below) or, if they
       are capable of using magick, they may alternatively chance upon
       the combination of Spheres required for Virtual Travel (see
       above), whereupon they arrive at the site of the Portal to their
       Virtual on Nexus. Upon arrival, special Target Neutralisation
       Teams are sent to either pick them up and introduce them to their
       expanded world, or to 'Contain' the new arrivals and return them
       to their Virtual if they are undesirable elements. Occasionally,
       the Continuum has to hunt down and kill a dangerous native who has
       managed to escape from a Sealed Virtual.

       As described earlier, Portals are completely invisible on the side
       of the Virtual -- they can be detected only by using Time 1
       magick. However, on the Virtual side the Portals have an
       additional unusual property -- any Virtual inhabitant with a
       Temporal Avatar who actually passes through a Portal at any time
       will be automatically 'pulled through' by the Portal itself, a
       process known as autoentry (this is rolled as an Individual Basic
       Virtual Travel Procedure, at Arete 3). This is believed to be a
       reaction between the Portal and the Temporal Avatar itself. Note
       however that those with Temporal Avatars cannot simply walk
       through the Nexus side of the Portal back into their own reality
       -- AutoEntry is effectively one-way to them, and they cannot
       return to their Reality unless they use magick. Also note that all
       other Virtual inhabitants (ie. those without Temporal Avatars) are
       not subject to AutoEntry, and cannot perceive the Portal at all
       (even with Time 1).

       If a vehicle of some sort touches the Portal, then all those
       within who have a Temporal Avatar can be pulled in (AutoEntry is
       rolled separately for each person). In a Virtual, the vehicle
       itself is never affected however, unless specific Procedures have
       been used to enable it to pass through the Portal (ie. unless it
       has been 'enchanted'). Those without Temporal Avatars in the
       vehicle are still unaffected, and just see their comrades vanish
       without a trace!

       AutoEntry only works from the Virtual that the inhabitant was born
       in. This effect cannot occur at the sites of any Portals in other
       Virtuals, or on the Nexus side of any Portal (even the home one).
       Note also that AutoEntry can fail or even botch, though it will
       occur again if the native passes through the Portal again later.


  Gateways and Accessing Nexus

   Nexus is usually accessed from any site on Earth (not just at the
       Gateways) or anywhere else in the Near Umbra by using the 'Nexus
       Entry' [Spirit 3, Time 3] Procedure that allows the Agent to enter
       Nexus directly from anywhere in Main Corridor or its Branches.
       Agents always arrive at the site of one of the Gateways on Nexus,
       and can only leave Nexus from the Gateway site there. The Time
       component to the Procedure is essential, as the Gauntlet around
       Nexus and the Virtuals has an unusual Temporal Resonance to it
       that defies penetration by Spirit magick alone -- effectively,
       this separates it from the rest of MC. The Difficulty to penetrate
       Nexus' hybrid Gauntlet is 7, and three successes are needed. In
       addition, this Gauntlet is continually monitored by Continuum
       Sentries. These are Constructs designed to detain (or attack, if
       they prove hostile) any entities entering Nexus without clearance.
       Anyone entering Nexus from any other location in Main Corridor
       will arrive at the site of one of the heavily guarded Gateways
       near Central Office. Security is paramount to the Continuum, both
       to keep intruders out of the realm, and to prevent some of the
       more dangerous entities that live there from escaping...

       The Gateways themselves are natural doorways directly connecting
       Main Corridor to Nexus. Effectively, they are Spirit Wormholes
       that transport objects through the Gauntlets separating them,
       allowing direct passage from one realm to the other to the
       Non-Awakened. Gateways themselves are invisible on Earth, but can
       be detected there with a (Spirit 1 Time 1) conjunctional effect.
       On Earth, Gateways occupy a columnar volume of space a few
       hundreds of metres across at its base and about forty miles high
       -- thus they are very different in structure from the
       two-dimensional Portals. This configuration means that they can
       capture aeroplanes that accidentally cross the Gateway (see
       below).

       Only two Gateways are known to exist on Nexus, both of which
       connect to MC Earth. On Earth, one is situated within what is
       known as the Bermuda Triangle, while the other lies off the coast
       of Japan, in the Devil's Sea -- however, access to and from both
       has been restricted by the Continuum in recent years. Both are
       located a few miles from Central Office in Nexus itself.

       Gateways behave in a similar way to Portals, with one key
       exception -- because anyone from MC (even the non-Awakened) can
       potentially access Nexus, AutoEntry can affect everyone that
       passed through the Gateway. Most of the time, the Gateway lies
       dormant -- however, when an MC native (ie. Humans, Vampires,
       Mummies and Garou) or a vehicle containing them (such as ships or
       planes) pass through or over the Gateway, it opens and AutoEntry
       can occur. Gateway AutoEntry is rolled as a Sprit 3/Time 3
       conjunctional effect at Arete 3 and Difficulty 6. AutoEntry is
       applied to the vehicle directly, and if successful then the
       vehicle itself and all those aboard are carried into the Gateway.
       The Gateways in Nexus are situated in the dry plains surrounding
       Central Office, so ships are beached and probably holed, while
       aeroplanes suddenly find themselves at ground level where they
       invariably crash at flying speed, a usually fatal experience.
       Survivors of the rough landing in Nexus find themselves trapped in
       Nexus, as Gateways (like Portals to a Virtual native) are one-way
       affairs to the Non-Awakened -- they can only be entered from the
       Nexus side via Time/Sprit magick.

       Gateways have an unusual side-effect on Earth -- their presence
       (even when dormant) creates some bizarre visual and environmental
       effects, including wildly varying magnetic fields (which affect
       compasses), negative imagery (ie. black appears white, and white
       appears black), strange lights and flashes in the sky, sudden
       lightning flashes, disorientation, dizziness, hallucinations and
       other such effects, all of which combine to make the approach to a
       Gateway a rather terrifying experience. However, these 'special
       effects' around the Gateway are actually completely harmless in
       themselves. Most people caught in the unstable area do panic
       though, and land up either accidentally flying or sailing through
       the invisible Gateway somewhere in the unstable zone itself, or
       losing control of their vessel and crashing it into the sea. Any
       survivors arriving in Nexus through the Gateway are adopted by the
       Continuum and often work as Acolytes. This explains the spate of
       disappearances so often associated with the Bermuda Triangle and
       the Devil's Sea.

       In recent years however, the Continuum has largely succeeded in
       closing off the Gateways (essentially as a consequence of the
       wreckage that was accumulating on the Nexus side of the Gateways
       as the vessels crashed there, and the fact that the Continuum
       viewed the Gateways as a weak spot in its defences). While the
       Continuum has made a tidy monetary profit from the cargoes of
       those vessels declared lost around the Gateway areas on Earth, it
       has found that the Gateways provide a very easy access point to
       anyone from MC, even their enemies. Much of the wreckage around
       the Gateways on Nexus has been removed -- no mean feat considering
       that some ships that have arrived weighed in at several tens of
       thousands of tons displacement! However, the wrecks of the five
       Navy Avenger bombers of Flight 19 (which disappeared from Earth in
       1945) have been kept in their original sites as a memorial to
       those who lost their lives through the Gateway, and to those
       Continuum Agents who were killed in the Perpetual War.

       Nowadays, the two main Gateways are all but closed off. Their
       Gauntlet Difficulty is set at 10, and the unstable zones have now
       been stabilized. However, AutoEntry still occurs; it is just more
       difficult. Additionally, other smaller, more temporary Gateways
       sometimes spontaneously appear in other locations around the world
       where the Gauntlet rating is low; however, these rarely last for
       longer than a few days.


  New Procedure: Temporal Containment

   (Prime 5, Spirit 4, Time 1, Mind 4)

       Temporal Containment is the means by which the Continuum prevents
       those 'undesirable elements' with Temporal Avatars from entering
       Nexus. Often, these are the Virtual Inhabitants who somehow manage
       to enter Nexus from Quarantined or even Sealed Virtuals, though it
       has been used on others in the past. Containment is however
       treated on a case by case basis, though most are Contained and
       returned to their Virtual otherwise unharmed, having no memory of
       Nexus at all. If any are not Contained, they are always adopted
       into the Continuum, often as informal Continuum spies in their
       home Virtuals.

       Containment is a complex Procedure that blocks the inhabitant's
       Temporal Avatar, preventing it from entering Nexus again by any
       means (even magick). It works by making the Temporal Avatar
       completely opaque to the Temporal Gauntlet. In addition, the
       memory of how the target arrived at Nexus is removed and a
       permanent mental block is set up to prevent him from doing so
       again. This Mind manipulation includes the removal of ever having
       been Contained in the first place. Containment can only be
       detected by Mages from Main Corridor, using a Time 1 Spirit 1
       Prime 1 conjunctional effect -- Virtual Mages cannot detect
       Containment, and so cannot try to remove it.

       Containment can only be removed by powerful magicks cast by MC
       Mages, but anyone attempting to do so must possess all the Spheres
       at least at the levels used in the Containment (ie. Prime 5,
       Spirit 4, Mind 4, and Time 1) -- anything less and the Containment
       cannot be removed.

       Containment cannot be attempted on an Avatar originating in Main
       Corridor -- it is only effective on those originating in a
       Virtual.

       [Temporal Containment is a very complicated Rote. First, Prime 5
       is used for two purposes -- to set up the Containment itself, and
       to actually affect a living Pattern. A conjunctional (Spirit 4,
       Time 1) effect is then applied to render the target's Temporal
       Avatar totally opaque to the Temporal Gauntlet -- this prevents
       him from ever passing through the Temporal Gauntlet again.
       Finally, Mind 4 is used to remove all knowledge of Nexus, the
       Containment itself and how the target arrived there. This is cast
       as a single Rote, often by a group of Continuum Specialists. Five
       successes must be gained between those casting the effect to make
       the effect Permanent, and all must possess the required Spheres.

       The effect can be countered as normal as it is being cast (though
       in most cases the target is rendered unconscious at the time). It
       can only be removed afterwards by an MC Mage possessing the
       Spheres used to cast the Containment -- ie. Prime 5, Spirit 4,
       Mind 4, and Time 1 -- so he can fully perceive the magick he is
       attempting to remove. Virtual Mages cannot attempt remove
       Containment themselves, since they are unable to perceive the
       Containment to begin with -- an MC Mage must do this for them, and
       no Continuuum Mage will do so unless directly contradicting
       Central Office and risking the wrath of a Continuum Tribunal.

       A Contained Temporal Avatar remains trapped in his home Virtual
       until such time as the Containment is removed. He retains no
       memory of Nexus at all, or of ever having gone there. In addition,
       a subliminal suggestion is implanted that always persuades him
       away from ever trying to enter Nexus again. Contained Avatars can
       only be detected by MC Mages using a conjunctional (Sprit 1, Time
       1, Prime 1) rote.

       Obviously, the Continuum can only Contain those undesirable
       Virtual inhabitants who enter Nexus somehow -- these are usually
       those from highly xenophobic, warlike, or otherwise dangerous
       races. Containment is performed in Nexus itself, once the
       'undesirable' has been captured and Contained, he is then returned
       to his home Virtual (Containment does not prevent Temporal Avatars
       from leaving Nexus, only from entering it) by the Continuum, with
       no memory of his experience outside his reality. However, not
       everyone coming in through the Quarantined Portals is undesirable
       -- some for example are refugees from the Virtual. These are often
       adopted for some purpose in the Continuum].