#Thrymmology 102
We meet again, my little morels! It's time to continue our discussion on the basics of thrymmology. I don’t know how much you remember from our last course, but frankly, I don't care! My courses, much like the times, don’t wait for fools.
So! Let's check on the homework I assigned... Wait. Zero submissions? Really? None of you could figure it out? I... Hm. That's promising.
Fine. Let’s recap: “thrymmology” is an emerging natural science that studies the entire Shardverse and its related subjects, including glunite, Shards, and Lancers—but the most important aspect of thrymmology is the Smash-Up. Believe it or not, we still don’t truly know what it is, why it happened, or if it will happen again. Life is full of mysteries, non? That's what we scientists are for.
Little in the way of visual evidence of the Smash-Up exists, and many survivors remember only a sudden brightening of the sky, the world spinning out of control, then waking up here in Acme. Altogether rather useless!
Here's what we do know:
-The occurrence of the Smash-Up is almost certainly related to glunite. In the data records published by our various research institutions, the concentration of glunite in Acme increased sharply before the Smash-Up. It is believed that, at that moment, either a) a high amount of glunite surged into the area where Acme was located; or b) latent glunite already present reacted with the introduction of new glunite to transport Acme into the Shardverse.
-In parallel worlds (ex. Balamtok, Aesir, and Kemet), the Smash-Up occurred almost simultaneously alongside our own. Each instance transported land masses and planets from across these universes into our current Shardverse, and the violent spatial tearing of the event further shattered these planets into what we now know as "Shards."
-If you're still paying attention, I have a little secret for you! Kepler has labeled this information as "confidential," but I will always break the rules for science. Plus, they can't intimidate me; I'd very well like to see them try! Ahem. So! You won't read this anywhere else, but Kepler suspects that a "Catastrophe Device” is the real culprit behind the Smash-Up. Such an ominous name! And it comes with all the ominous black market competition you'd expect. My employers really want their hands on one of these things, and they're not the only ones. (Now, now, Broker, don’t get too excited! You might have more information, but that's the extent of mine.)
Perhaps, one day, we scientific pilgrims will uncover the true nature of the Smash-Up...but that day is not today. Or perhaps thrymmology itself will trigger another disaster! Wouldn't that be exciting? Ah! Here's to the future, and all the possibilities it holds~
—From Jeanine Voclain, “The Witch of Science,” “Pathojen”
