When Realities Collide

Roger Bell_West

A zone of reality on Core Earth can be Core Earth-pure, Core Earth-dominant, mixed, invader-dominant, or invader-pure.
In a pure zone, contradictions (exceeding local axiom levels) are impossible without the use of a reality bubble. Characters from other cosms may contradict their own realities (but this still causes a disconnection on a roll of 16+). Pure zones are stable, but fragile: they can be flipped to become dominant or pure zones of an invading reality.
In a dominant zone, contradictions are possible normally: disconnect on 16+ for exceeding character or local axiom, on 14+ for exceeding both. Dominant zones are mostly stable, and hard to change.
In a mixed zone, the higher of the two colliding realities’ axioms takes precedence. Contradictions are possible normally. Mixed zones are unstable; they are prone to reality storms, and usually become dominant zones one way or the other within six months.
To return a zone to Core Earth, it is necessary to uproot the stelae that define the boundary of the zone. Unfortunately this will kill all non-P-rated people inside the area, as their possibility energy has been drained by the initial invasion. They need to be re-energised first; the most practical way to do this (for Core Earth specifically) is to give them hope, with stories of heroes, great deeds, and resistance against the invaders. In game terms: Glory cards!
Once that’s been done (and it’s not easy to work out when it’s happened), the stela can be uprooted. It must be located (some are buried or disguuised), then exposed, then battered with Reality skill until it stops working (either a Dramatic Resolution against the Reality skill of the darkness device powering it, or — faster but more dangerous — invoking a reality storm against it). Then it must be destroyed.