a worldbuilding post from the Rifters universe…

The Rifters are a specialized group of humans tasked with managing and interacting with the strange creatures that emerge from rifts in reality. Each Rifter holds a rank reflecting their skills, responsibilities, and experience. Only Envoys may step through the rift itself, and even then, only with permission from the Governors. The hierarchy ensures the rift and its inhabitants are respected, studied, and sometimes contained when necessary.

Ranks of the Rifters (in order):

1. Initiate – The first step for those beginning their training in rift interaction. Initiates learn the fundamentals and work under more experienced Rifters.

2. Reader – Experts at analyzing and interpreting the signs left by rift creatures. They use tools like optilyzers to “read” rift activity.

3. Tracer – Skilled in tracking elusive creatures and following the subtle trails they leave behind.

4. Hunt Master – Combat-focused Rifters who engage directly with dangerous creatures that emerge from the rift.

5. Shield – Protectors who defend fellow Rifters and settlements, often working in pairs or teams.

6. Peer – Senior Rifters who manage rift-related operations and mentor the lower ranks.

7. Envoy – The top rank, Envoys are the only humans allowed through the rift when invited and report directly to the Governors. They lead the organization and guide future Rifters.

Characters and Their Ranks

• Trinidad Cepeda (Reader) – Descendant of Patrick Swit and cousin to Culver Swit. Lives in a trailer with a garden of plastic flamingos that wear foil hats, and she wears foil hats herself, claiming the flamingos whisper messages. Gifted at reader rift sign-off of creatures using the optilyzers.

• Francine Storm (Tracer) – Owner of the Settler General Mercantile. Expert at tracing the trails of elusive creatures that come through the rift.

• Culver Swit (Shield) – Postman and local cable and internet provider. Descendant of Patrick Swit. Shares the rank of Shield with Charming. Went to school with fellow Rifters Wald Macadam and Vance Lambert.

• Charming (Shield) – Paleontologist. Shares the rank of Shield with Culver.

• Vance Lambert (Hunt Master) – Firefighter in town. Skilled creature fighter, trained to handle dangerous rift creatures.

• Wald Macadam (Peer) – Assistant to County Commissioner Sabina Staley and second in command with the Rifters when dealing with the rift. A snazzy dresser with big dreams for Settlers’ future. Very loyal and persistent in combat or high-pressure situations.

• Moses Kane (Peer) – Head of Forestry Services and a federal employee. Second in command when dealing with the rift. Highly competent and respected by the Rifters.

• Sabina Staley (Envoy) – County Commissioner of Caslow County and top Rifter. She had big plans for her life in Portland but stayed in Settler after meeting a Centaur through the rift. Mentors Wald Macadam and manages Envoy-level interactions with the Governors. Highly competent and dedicated, with a storied past in Settler.

The Rifters are more than a hierarchy. They’re a tightly knit team built on trust and experience. Each Rifter is chosen by their peers and invited into the group; if someone in town discovers too much about the rift, they are invited to take the oath and join. Over the years, the Rifters have battled countless monsters, each encounter teaching them the importance of coordination and loyalty.

Communication with the Governors—the mysterious overseers of the rift—is strictly controlled. Messages arrive via an old electric typewriter and rotary phone in the county offices. Wald Macadam handles the incoming messages but cannot initiate communication; only Sabina Staley, the Envoy, is allowed to interact directly.

Sabina may seem a bit crusty at first, but she is actually kind, highly astute, and fiercely protective of her group. She coordinates combat with rift beasts and organizes the Rifters’ work with precision. Wald is equally organized, but still learning to think quickly on his feet in the heat of battle. The others work to support him, knowing Sabina intends for him to take over when she retires.

Every Rifter must trust each other without question. Their unity is what keeps humanity safe. Without it, Earth would already be under the rule of the very creatures they work so hard to contain.