Nestled on the outskirts of Jinzhou, Mt. Firmament is a place of unparalleled mystery and peril, a domain where the natural laws of time unravel into chaos. This ancient mountain is both a landmark and a legend, revered and feared by those who have studied or ventured into its depths.
Mt. Firmament is not merely a geographical feature but a temporal anomaly. Its unique time patterns have fascinated scholars and mystics for centuries. According to folklore, a woodcutter once entered the mountain and witnessed two people playing a game of Weiqi. When he returned home, only hours later by his reckoning, a century had passed in the outside world.
This phenomenon is the result of the mountain's intrinsic connection to the Sentinel's Temporal Mandate, a mysterious force capable of manipulating the flow of time. Historically, time within Mt. Firmament flowed slower than in the world outside, granting a sense of safety to those within its boundaries. However, recent Temporal Disruptions have thrown this once-predictable phenomenon into chaos.
The Temporal Disruptions are a recent and devastating development that has turned Mt. Firmament into a treacherous labyrinth. Time now ebbs and flows unpredictably:
Frozen Zones: Some areas are locked in stasis, where creatures and objects are eternally trapped in a single moment.
Accelerated Zones: Other regions experience a rapid acceleration of time, aging everything within at an alarming rate.
Chaotic Turbulence: The most dangerous areas are subject to violent temporal shifts, where time's passage becomes entirely unpredictable.
These disruptions are believed to stem from the capture of the Sentinel by the Fractsidus, an organization whose actions have destabilized the Temporal Mandate.
One of the most harrowing aspects of Mt. Firmament is the price exacted upon those who leave its boundaries. While time within the mountain may feel slowed or chaotic, it continues to flow relentlessly outside. This means that visitors risk losing years—or even their entire lifespan—upon their return to the outside world.
Those who enter Mt. Firmament face dire consequences:
Aging Rapidly: Exiting the mountain can age an individual decades in an instant, or worse, reduce them to dust as if an entire lifetime passed in a heartbeat.
Mental and Physical Ravages: Prolonged exposure to the Temporal Disruptions can erode the mind and body, leaving victims trapped in a state of perpetual suffering.
Mt. Firmament is steeped in myth. Among its most famous tales is that of a mysterious individual who entered the mountain after the Sentinel's arrival and emerged unscathed, seemingly immune to time’s effects. Some believe this figure "stood alongside the Sentinel," and their legacy continues to inspire hope in those seeking answers.
In the present day, the mountain is home to the remnants of the Court of Savantae, an organization dedicated to studying its mysteries. Their creations, such as the Chronosorter and Photon Barrier, remain scattered across the region, offering glimpses of their advanced understanding of temporal mechanics.
The town of Hongzhen, located at the heart of Mount Firmament, serves as a critical junction connecting various areas of the mountain. Its strategic importance has made it a target for attacks throughout history, such as the Tacet Discord invasion over a century ago and, more recently, the infiltration by the Fractsidus.
During that historic invasion of Tacet Discords, Hongzhen suffered severe losses. The Sentinel descended upon Mount Firmament, manipulating the flow of time to create a protective barrier that shielded the village from further devastation. This event, recorded in the Grand Library, is one of the most significant interventions of the Sentinel in Mount Firmament’s history.