Worldbuilding from the Rifters Universe…
The Rifter season runs from the summer solstice to the fall equinox. During this time, the rift opens only at night, and only in one place: between two obsidian pillars deep in the forest. That means there is always a watch.
Every night of the season, a pair of Rifters is assigned to guard the rift. These assignments are made by the current Rifter leader, who also serves as the Envoy between Earth and the Governors, the entities that control the rift on the other side.
Most nights are quiet. But not all.
The rift does not connect to just one place. It links Earth to forty-one other universes. Anything from those places can sometimes slip through.
Detection
Some visitors are easy to see with human senses. Others are not.
Rifters use specialized equipment to detect what normal senses miss, including optilyzers, enhanced vision goggles, and enerlyzers, which detect abnormal energy signatures around the rift.
Containment
When something crosses through, the goal is not always destruction. Whenever possible, Rifters attempt to contain the entity and send it back through the rift. Not everything cooperates. In more dangerous cases, neutralization is required. Rifters carry neutrolyzers, which can stun or, if necessary, eliminate a threat. A neutrolyzer is no guarantee, howeer.
Sometimes situations escalate beyond a single watch pair, and additional Rifters are called in. All Rifters are effectively on call throughout the season.
What Makes a Rifter
Rifters are augmented. Tattoos along their wrists enhance strength, speed, stamina, and healing, allowing them to survive encounters that would otherwise overwhelm. Technology and augmentation only go so far.
The most important skill a Rifter has is adaptability. Every breach is different. Every visitor behaves differently. Improvisation is often what decides whether a situation is contained or becomes a crisis.
Routine and Failure States
Most nights during rift season are uneventful. Routine watches are cold, long, and quiet. The rift does not open. Nothing crosses. The pair stands guard until relief arrives, then returns home. That is the best outcome.
A bad night begins when the rift opens and something comes through.
If containment fails or response is too slow, a breach can reach the nearby town of Settler, Oregon, before the Rifters are able to stop it. At that point, the situation escalates beyond a rift incident and becomes a full threat. Once dealt with, stories and explanations to those unaware or the rift must be inventive and plausible.
If a watch fails entirely, the consequences are worse.
