Rift Chronicles
Planes
Connected by SpaceTime gates, all Seven known planes are synchronized to Earth Time with twelve month years and 24-hour days. However, according to historical archives, this was not always the case. In fact, research indicates that many of the Planes not only had variant Times, but many of them were known to have much longer days and years than Earth. Kosmos in particular is well-known to have experienced 32-hour days before the Synchronization. Other Planes with significant Time differences include Sekkai and Gaia, with Sekkai's days being shorter but their year longer and Gaia experiencing half-year long day/night cycles. The mechanics of the Synchronization and its effects on SpaceTime is an ongoing study with very few definitive answers.
Known Planes
The First Plane
A super-earth which is 72% land. It is the only Plane that was united under a single government before the Synchronization. After Earth, their technology is the most advanced; comparable to the technology of pre-Wave Earth. Sekkai has no natural satellites but its dark nights are currently supplemented by a moon-sized space station known as the Orbiter.
The Second Plane
A largely water world, Kosmos has five moons, which have a dramatic and dangerous effect on tides, currents, and weather in general. It has a generally world-consistent climate which ranges between 45-68 degrees Fahrenheit except for the poles, which are considerably cooler, and the equator which is about ten-fifteen degrees warmer. There is only one continent but billions of small islands, most of which are isolated and self-governed. The days are 32 hours long with 328.5 days in a year, making making a year in Kosmos equal to 1.2 Earth years.
The Third Plane
The least Earth-like Plane due to its millennia of adaptation to its 7-month long Winter/Summer cycle caused by the dramatic axis tilt. Days on Onatah are only 18 hours long with alternatingly long day/night hours, depending on the time of year. The summers are generally scorching with the winters reaching dangerous lows. It is speculated among scholars that the Synchronization compressed Gaia's TimeSpace in order to attain the 24-hour day cycle but that the celestial circumstances of Gaia's placement and cycle remain the same. No proof exists that can either confirm nor deny the validity of this theory. Gaia has three natural satellites.
The Fourth Plane
Onatah is the most Earth-like in both SpaceTime and terrestrial composition. The largest difference is the existence of subspecies of large beasts of burden, typically over-sized mammals and largely carnivorous, that are found in a remote corner of the world's only super-continent. However, unlike their smaller cousins, these beasts lack the usual temperament associated with their territorial or aggressive Earthen counterparts. Onatah has one natural satellite.ur Product Description. Use this space to describe this product in more detail.
The Fifth Plane
A dimensional clone of Earth. Drawn into the Synchronization in 1921, it presents an intense alternate history to the 'Original' Earth. As with Earth, Terra has one natural satellite.
The Sixth Plane
Similar in size to Earth, Avani is mostly land due to being on the inner-most edge of its sun's habitable zone. The equator is extremely hot save for one mountainous region known to Outworlders as 'Eden'. Avani has two natural satellites.
The Seventh Plane
The most technologically advanced Plane. Following an eight-year apocalypse, the remaining human population was 'modified' using a DNA-coding serum known as anaphedarin. Following the mass modification, Earth underwent a heavy restructuring period before settling into its current state of politics, culture, and society. Earth has one natural satellite.
The Eighth Plane
Separated from the other seven planes during the Gate Wars. The Sekkai Gate connected to Midgard was destroyed and the magic used to activate the Earth Gate was either absorbed or dissipated. In theory, a strong enough Time/Space mage could reopen the gate by channeling their magic into the Fulcrums etched on the inside of the arch, but the amount of power needed would be nearly impossible to find in one person. Multiple Time/Space mages have attempted to combine their powers, but the magic is incompatible as the mage signatures fall on different wavelengths. Midgard has one natural satellite.
Lost Locations
Cities and Continents lost in spacetime via Surge
Shangri-La
Unknown Location or World
An old Earthen myth, many believe Shangri-La to exist as or on an actual plane outside of the Known. This mythical Plane's greatest proponents typically site Atlantis, which is now known to have been relocated to Kosmos during the Great Surge of 917 BC, as an argument for Shangri-La's historical existence. Some scholars believe Surge Walkers came from Shangri-La to Earth, a known Gate World, while others believe it possible that Shangri-La was originally a city or country on Earth that was later assimilated by another Plane via Surge.
Atlantis
Unknown Location or World
A continent traceable to both Kosmos and Earth (including Terra by default as it is an alternate Earth) via surge assimilation, Atlantis originally was a part of Kosmos before being picked up in a surge. It is unknown at what time Atlantis was assimilated into Earth's spacetime, but it's second surgetransition from Earth to its new location is well documented by ancient Earthan scholar Plato, though it's new spacetime is yet unknown.