Lorebooks

A number of lorebooks written by NPCs can be found across Parallel. They are compiled here roughly in the order that they were discovered.

Shopping District

Originally found in front of the Shopping District nether portal in Parallel Prime, the lectern was moved to Otherside with the rest of the Shopping District.

------------------- ==An Unfamiliar Past== ------------------- Here stands the corner of a castle, a fortress seemingly longsince destroyed. Yet, records of such a castle do not exist. How can there be ruins where nothing stood to be ruined? More curious still, where is the rest of

the castle? Surely there would have been other remains of a structure so massive? Within these ruins, a crack in spacetime has formed, leading to the familiar Netherworld. But how were those portals formed, if no one has ever been recorded lighting them?

These mysteries and others remain, and will continue to vex the denizens of Parallel until someone uncovers the truth... Will it be YOU?

Post theories and discussion to the discord! /discord

Crash Site

Captain's Log Log 23 - 6/14/1020CF

Well, here I am again, putting my words to paper to capture my daily activities. You'd think by now, they would have come up with a way to voice automate this. Then again, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm a simple man; if I see a pen and paper, I'm going to use it. It's a wonder that I'm in

such a technologically advanced job in the first place, but I guess my love for the stars overrides anything else. Further image captures of the new star system have been a success. There's nothing better than a freshly captured photo of a

planet to remind you that there's an alternative to the constant monotony of a malfunctioning imaging system. The higher-ups really need to take a look at my ship, but they won't get a chance until I complete my mission in a few days.

Lastly, there seems to be a strange energy source coming from a nearby planet. Readings are off the charts compared to anything I've seen before, so I should probably go investigate in case a different explorer division finds it and accuses me of skipping over it.

It'll be interesting coming home in a few days after spending a decent amount of time away. Not sure how I feel about it yet. Signing off for now, Red Leader

Niall's Outpost

Research Log: I've returned here to get a better look at the sky from a new vantage point. If one rift has opened up already, is it possible more could open also? The sky has been rather unpredictable lately. My time here has also allowed me to think more about

recent events. There are some forces at work here that I truly cannot understand. Some cannot be trusted, some cannot be comprehended. Whatever motivations are at play here, be them of people or the universe itself, I have begun to fear where they may lead us. Dimensional creatures

and forces are only getting more fearsome. The other night, I heard an explosion on the far side of the lab and found a being of extreme energy to be the cause. I'm lucky I was able to trap it before it destroyed months of work. I had never seen anything like it before. It

behaves completely unpredictably. It resembles other beings that I call "wisps" but its particles are of a much more firey nature. It is hostile, and drops shards with much higher, less stable energy levels. I am trying to determine if these shards can be used

for anything. It is clear that we are dealing with an unknown power here. I wonder if it is someone we know, or its source lies somewhere we don't know of yet. Red speaks of a strange "they". I don't know who this may be, but I must find out.

**************************** Source found, must leave. Stand by. Do not let fire wisp escape. Protect secret lab. ~Niall

ʖᒷ∴ᔑ∷ᒷ / ℸ⍑ᒷ / ᓭℸ7∷ᒲ, / ℸ⍑ᒷ / ᓵꖎ7⚍↸ᓭ / ᔑ∷ᒷ / ⊣ᒷℸℸ ╎リ⊣ / ↸ᔑ∷ꖌ.

SECRET LAB LOG: I have managed to isolate a bit of energy from the main rift. I have begun to study its properties and am beyond amazed with its sheer power. I must protect this room, for this power can be catastrophic in the wrong hands... ~Niall

Jess' Tower

I'M GOING TO LIVE!!! The housing hurts a whole lot when I cough, but the surgeon assured me that would pass as it healed. It better, because I want to scratch my ribs out right now. BUT I'M NOT DYING! The main chipset is online, containment is holding steady, and the power

supply will last a year before it needs to be replenished. So I guess I should say I'm not dying for now. But we knew this going in! A year is a lot of time to find a workable power source, and its a whole year I'M ALIVE FOR! I've got a few

ideas for power, and a whole two weeks of prescribed bedrest to think about them. Day 18 4 days off bedrest and I can finally get back to my lab to start testing things! I don't think a redstone battery will work, even with copper casings,

but it's better to try the simple things first. Day 19 Redstone battery would last a day. Maybe. I've read articles about new quartz inlays that have been shown to greatly increase power output, so I can try those when the

factories catch up to demand in...... 5 weeks. Plenty of time to design the next smallest redstone battery! Day 60 Good news! Quartz inlays greatly increase output! Bad news! They greatly

increase output to the point of explosions! New power sources discovered from prismarine crystals? Well something needs to power the lanterns I guess. I'll try to order some.

Day 79 Much greater power output than the redstone batteries! It'd buy me a month or so. That's a good emergency source, but I'd like a better power source for my continued existence. Back to the drawing board.

Day 130 Combinations of prismarine power, quartz inlays, copper casings, redstone wiring, etc. have gotten me 6 weeks at the most.

Day 163 I don't particularly trust ender pearl power, but an expermental power source is better than death. So I'll have to try it.

Day 189 Nothing. Maximum power output is still 6 weeks at the most. Day 217 Combinations of different power sources have given me 7 weeks. Curse this machine for needing so much power.

Day 239 Rifts. That's a thought. They must expend a lot of power both keeping their shape and transporting things that pass through. Could I extract that power?

Day 270 Yes. I can. It's very unstable for the Rift. But if my calculations are correct I could get up to a year in one siphoning process. I'll attempt to stabilize the siphon, make it as unintrusive as possible.

Day 304 I've stabilized it a bit. But the margin of error is too wide, and the chance of ripping open the Rift is too high. Not to mention the chances of imploding both myself and the Rift.

Day 315 40 days to live. No progress on stabilization. If I extract power from the Rift, I will likely kill at least the 30 people in the lab below it. If not the whole town. I cannot abide by that.

Day 320 I cannot abide by that. I need another power source. Day 332 I don't have a power source. Or time. Not even my previous prototypes are stable enough.

Day 344 Three weeks to live. Day 349 Calibrations on the siphoning equipment have completed. And I've figured how to go through the Rift and dodge the implosion. But I can't stop it. I need another way.

Day 352 I need another way. But I've packed my Rift sensors in a go bag. Just in case. Day 360 Five days. Pain has increased drastically. Regen potions don't work enough.

Day 362 There's no other way.

Day 364 I'm sorry. But I can't find another way.

World 7 Log Last jump gave me approximately 10 months. Energy output seems to vary, but I think it might be decreasing as time goes on. I'll have to see if I can optimize the siphon in my next few worlds.

The Rift in this world is massive. It's comprised of three concentric spheres, the largest measuring about 100 meters wide. Spherical Rifts are rare; I've only seen one so far, and never one with several spheres. If its energy signature is as unique as its shape, calibration may take

extra time. Hopefully its time I have. With an extra special Rift comes extra curious people. There's a whole swarm poking at the Rift and asking me questions when I try to get a closer look. There's another scientist they keep talking about, though they haven't

met him nor seen his outpost, so raiding it for information is a bust. I hope they all stay out of the blast radius, but I'll do what I have to.

I've returned. I usually don't. But instead of the Rift throwing me to the next world, it connected two worlds. People can now travel between what they call Parallel Prime and the Sky Kingdom, where I landed. And now that I've had

a chance to double check my readings, I can say for sure that this siphoning gave me five years back. Which is new, to say the least. I haven't had a life expectancy longer than one year since my surgery. I don't have to catapult myself between worlds for some time.

What's more, I'm stuck in this world instead of being thrown to the next. I need to know why this Rift is different. Could it give me another five years? Could it give me more? The Sky Kingdom was razed by a dragon, and its King has asked

me and Niall to expand the Rift to bring more rebuilding supplies through. I've agreed, since it will give me unprecedented access to the Rift, & Niall's research on it. I need parts. The machinery in Niall's lab is more for analysis than manipulation, and most of it can't be

repurposed. The merchant Red says he can lead people to a station that will have what we need, but I have my doubts. This station would have to be both highly advanced and massive to contain the required components. And Red's feared "They" are just going to let people take it?

I'm skeptical to say the least. We'll find out eventually, once Red has decided people have purchased enough to appease his bosses, whoever They are. Anyway, Jess signing off. For now...

Castle Cloudius

I can't believe it. My Kingdom is in shambles, my people forced out of their homes. How could I let this happen? That damned dragon, those damned players... I don't know what the future holds for me or my people. I can barely even bring myself to revisit my once great Kingdom, so I had my

remaining subjects construct this castle where I may protect what remains of my treasures, and plan for the future. This tower cannot compare to my real Castle. I have prioritized the rebuilding efforts to focus on it, and as soon as it is safe I must move back there. I even tried residing

in that "Spawn Town" with all my subjects, but it only reminds me of my once great Kingdom. It is nice to exercise my power from time to time as judge, but I can hardly bare the thought of my people and I living in such a place. This castle remains the last untouched sanctuary

of my power that I know of. I pray that the evil influences that destroyed my Kingdom never find this place. Amidst all this chaos, however, there is a glimmer of hope. Rebuilding efforts have been painfully slow, but I may have come up with a way to

speed up the process. My Kingdom's portal is so small in size that it limits the amount of material one can move through it at any given time, so expanding its size would allow for a much more efficient rebuilding process. The woman who calls herself Jess has offered her services

to me to accomplish this. No matter the costs, it must be done. My people deserve a real home. That is my only priority at the moment. Jess claims she needs to get the "parts" to expand the portal, I hope she finds them soon enough. I know next to nothing about the rift, but if I am given the

opportunity to have my kingdom back, I am taking it. ~Cloudius

It's been weeks now since the destruction of my Kingdom and I am beginning to grow impatient. The more I think about things the less hopeful I become. I mustered up the courage to visit my Kingdom the other day, and what I saw only made me feel worse. While my castle is starting to look like its

former self, the rest of the buildings are nonexistent. And all the while I was watched by that foul dragon, God knows how I'll deal with him... My people have been asking me how long it will be before they can return home and truth be told I have no idea. With each passing day I

consider more and more drastic solutions to restore my Kingdom. I still cling to my plan to expand the Sky-side Portal. It seems to be the only way to speed up this painstaking process. Whenever I ask Jess for an update, she tells me hardly anything. If only she cared about my

people like I do. This castle was nice at first, but I need something to rule over. The court is not enough either. Those damned players promised they would help defend my Kingdom. They were given hours to prepare, and still it fell to ruin. While I

appreciate their efforts I wonder if their influence is what led to my Kingdom's demise. Perhaps they were against me from the beginning. It seems only fair that I focus on my own people's wellbeing, and we will see what the future holds.

My plan must work. It has to work. We need to rebuild, my people need their homes back. I need my castle back. Nothing else matters. Expand the portal, save my people. Expand the portal, save everything. I pray that Jess is almost finished. I don't know how much longer I can

last like this but it must be done this way. It must.

Space Station

Captain's Quarters

I had always dreamed of going to the stars. At least, that's what my mother told me I always dreamed of. But now that I've been there... I don't know, it seems kind of... boring? Now, I don't wanna go calling all of space and time and

wibbly-wobbly nonsense boring, but I feel like I haven't actually been anywhere. Spaceship, home, spaceship, home - although the stints between spaceship and home are getting longer and longer. I love the crew, but when will they ever learn that it's not all

intrigue and glory? Some of them still haven't lost their sense of wonder, and I wonder if that's honestly a good thing sometimes. I did a ton of work, I have my medals and accolades, I was young and full of wonder once. But now that I host my own

ship and I have my own fleet under my command, I feel like it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It's been months of searching in a vast void of nothing and trying to call out to places that don't exist. Our latest experiments in the lab didn't really help either.

However, we seem to be coming up on a system of planets that might be promising. I myself will be deploying out to one of them soon enough, but if it's anything like the others, I don't want to get my hopes up just yet. Signing off for now, -Red

The Botanists down in the greenhouse have come up with these fast-growing saplings, and other such revolutionary farm supplies. They are quite fascinating. I've been stockpiling them here, maybe they'll have a use some day. At the very least I can sell them.

Greenhouse

Greenhouse Experimental Harvest Log: ---------------- Specimen #1: Given Name: Bouncing Berry Description: A teal colored berry that gives a leaping ability upon consumption. Product discontinued, not very filling.

Specimen #2: Given Name: Velocity Vines Description: A vine that can be climbed with immense speed. Useful for transportation, not much else. We need food here, product discontinued.

Specimen #3 - Given Name: Rubber Root Description: A root that can be consumed as a paste, giving the user a significant resistance effect. We don't need this! We already have these capabilities, why can't we just grow something tasty?...

Specimen #4: Given Name: Wheat Description: A yellow grain proven to be a great food source! It can even be baked into starchy loaves... we will call these "lengthy wheat cubes". Finally a good food source!

Specimen #5: TBD.

Laboratory

Research Log: Intradimensional Travel/Wormhole Tech: Day 1: Catastrophic Failure, minor explosion, no harnessed energy Day 5: Slight Progress, sustained energy control for 2.67 seconds

Day 9: Energy Leak, Code Theta. Lab lockdown effective indefinitely. Day 24: Research continued, no progress. Day 39: Frame Constructed, portal projector lacks proper power source.

Day 70: Constant Energy Flow successfully projected, yet unsustainable. Day 99: Energy cannot be properly converted to allow for fast travel. No test subjects have been used, it would be too risky.

Day 147: Our goal may be unachievable. A portal like this is proving incredibly hard to control or sustain. Our frame is holding up so far though. Day 206: Portal opened, entry impossible. Energy has been harnessed but is still uncontrollable

and not leading anywhere. Must pursue better power source. Current Status: Failure ---------------- GENERAL LAB OUTBREAK: MUST BE CONTAINED. SIGNIFICANT LEAKAGE.

Floor 3 alcove

I've somehow gotten stuck in this gigantic spaceship. All the past events have been a bit of a blur for me. Maybe this is how I'll end up like Starlord, or Din Dijarin. Anyways, ignoring my geeking out, I've managed to drill a hole in this small crevice and steal some food from the

kitchen and garden to get by for some time. This space that I've managed to secure for myself is far from ideal, and I somewhat feel like Fortunato at the end of Edgar Allen Poe's "Cask of Amontillado." I'll try to make this space work for the time being, maybe scrounge for some further supplies.

Hopefully the aliens or whoever owns this ship doesn't feel that I'm taking too much from them/notice that I'm taking at all. I've noticed that there is a lab and some type of storage filled with both familiar and unfamiliar technology. Maybe I could use some stuff to improve the space I'm cramped

in, or work on some parts for a spaceship to escape. If not, I'm going to have to steal a ship like Poe and Finn did in Episode VII of Star Wars. Alternatively, maybe I could put myself in a cargo crate or sneak on a transport before it leaves. This has certainly been a very unique

experience on my part. Though, I'm eventually going to need to leave. I have people who need me and are wondering where I am. On a final note, I've noticed that there have been some very interesting stuff in this ship, so I'm going to try to bring some stuff home, both

for the people I care about, as well as for my own interest. Maybe I could do some research on some of the stuff. If not, I know someone who is a scientist, so I could ask her to do some research if she's interested in her free time. Anyways, this is all for now. I'll try to provide an update

at a later date. Hope this note is able to reach someone. ~Logan Carter P.S: I wish I could find bedsheets in a more vibrant color than a plain white, but I'm worried that if I manage to find and take some, the aliens would notice. Plus, it's an alien spaceship, so I don't know what I

was expecting. P.S.S: Maybe I'll be able to find a carbon freezing chamber on this spaceship. Wouldn't that be fun?

Med Bay

Limericks: Here I am stuck on a ship. And I'm starting to think I should dip. If I stay here, for more than a year, I fear this will be my last trip.

At first I thought it was cool To be traversing the Cosmic pool. But after being here, for almost a year, I wish I had stayed in school.

Trapped in the vacuum of space, I've not even shown them my face. I stay in this room, counting the moons, God am I sick of this place.

[Audio Log transcripted to words - Dated XXXX] I ain't gonna lie to a recorder only I'm gonna listen to so I found a pretty sweet hide today, surprised no one claimed it but hey, I ain't gonna push my luck. Decided to try my

hand in gardening and snatched some seeds from the top level, don't have the slightest of clues what they're gonna be but I hope they ain't ugly. I know I'm not smart but I almost had a cow when I forgot about light levels some plants need, but

thankfully found some lanterns in the archives, of course I won't say where they wandered off to... Couple of funky mushrooms started to sprout, I put them in a pot and I'm gonna show Moondust next time I see her, when I see her next at least, She's been awfully

busy lately. It's been a few weeks since I was last able to check on the room, the mushrooms had grown pretty wildly so I had to chop most of 'em down. Don't think they liked that, but I ain't gonna let some mushrooms own my room just cause I wasn't here for awhile.

When Moondust got back from her mission, I showed her the mushrooms and she said somethin' real funny. She said somethin' about how I am similiar to that mushroom, feedin' on dead things and livin' in the dark, I couldn't help but howl in laughter at her. Don't know how she gets to

her theories sometimes, must be all that spacedust she is breathin' in. Don't know when the next time I log anythin' but the flowers have grown. Blue and yellow, not too bad but they're probably gonna sit here cause it's been too much of a risk comin' here...

Anyway, if I don't have a next time this is Germaine, signin' off.

Brig

The Tale of Inmate Karl: Long have I worked in this prison, but never have I had an inmate like Karl. He has quite a reputation with the other detainees. There aren't many, but those that there are have an odd respect for him. No matter how hard I try, he always

finds a way to get spoons into his cell. Spoons, of all things. What is he gonna do try and scoop his way out of his cell? Does he not know the technology our cells use? Anyway, day after day this man winds up with a spoon in his cell and I have no idea where they come from.

I hear he was some kind of journalist before... well you know. I guess he's still looking for his big scoop. I'm too funny. Inmate Karl is nice enough, although from time to time he causes a stir. Wow, I'm on a roll. Anyway, I have no idea how he ended up in the Brig, but I

suspect it had something to do with our findings. Perhaps he was a spy, monitoring our progress. Our technology has seemed to find its way outside of our station, and I wonder what events it will cause in other places. Oh dear, I must go,

Karl's playing the spoons again!