…/realspace/ashen_winter_incident.md

The Ashen Winter Incident (commonly abbreviated as AWI) is a catastrophic, near-extinction level event that marks the most profound ontological and ecological collapse in recorded REALSPACE history. Widely believed to be the result of BLACKSPACE interference with REALSPACE, the AWI serves as the definitive boundary between two historical epochs: the Golden Autumn (pre-AWI) and the Ashen Winter (post-AWI).

Duration

The incident is characterized by a rapid, multidimensional cascade of phenomena occurring within a 24-hour temporal frame, during which conventional physical laws, astronomical constants, and planetary systems experienced extensive destabilization.

Observed Effects

  • Earth’s magnetosphere was either altered or partially collapsed, rendering traditional navigational instruments (e.g., compasses) non-functional and causing the widespread failure of unshielded electronics. Electromagnetic shielding proved effective only in isolated cases, primarily within high-security research or military installations.
  • All previously observable and documented astral bodies, excluding the Moon and Sun, vanished from the night sky. Deep-space telemetry returned null data, indicating a complete spatial nullification beyond ~30,000,000 km from Earth. Additionally, spatial changes caused tidal anomalies, including mass flooding and tsunami events.
  • The AWI is recorded as the largest Monolith breach in history, resulting in the arrival of numerous nullikaryote species, primarily Devils, across all inhabited continents. Casualty estimates range between 4 to 5 billion deaths attributed to these incursions.

Consequences

The “Ashen Winter” designation is both metaphorical and literal:

  • Global temperatures dropped by 7–10°C across roughly 60% of Earth’s surface.
  • A sudden, sustained deluge of atmospheric chalkfall, origin unknown, blanketed the planet, saturating the skies with fine calcium carbonate particulates. This triggered:
    • Massive ecological collapse in both terrestrial and marine biomes,
    • The failure of photosynthetic systems due to light occlusion and leaf suffocation,
    • A secondary mortality wave (estimated 1–2 billion deaths) from asphyxiation, starvation, and infrastructure failure,
    • Disruption and partial collapse of global wind patterns and thermohaline ocean currents due to albedo shifts and surface cooling.

Temporal Distortion

Chronological analysis reveals a temporal discontinuity between the Golden Autumn and Ashen Winter eras. Time during the incident appears to have flowed irregularly, with gaps in subjective and objective measurements.

Causation

Leading theoretical models suggest intentional interference or catastrophic resonance originating from the Maniac, with help from Mihaela Rebreanu.