Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2016 15:33:23 GMT -5
Jumpspace in the Known Space Campaign operates very similarly to standard Traveller boundaries in that no matter how advanced a Jump Drive may be, travel time is still seven days in Jumpspace. However, Niven's Effect is a perceptional phenomenon where an observer cannot view Jumpspace. The physics breaking realm of Jumpspace cannot be comprehended by any known sophant, and as such appears as a 'Blind Spot' in whatever direction the observer looks in Jumpspace. Niven's Effect has been known to cause severe breakdowns in mental health and for this reason, all shutters and viewports are routinely locked/shut off as part of the Jump Sequence before entering Jumpspace.
In the days before Niven's Effect was understood, many travellers succumbed to 'space madness,' (giving considerable validity to the horrific tales creeping from Reaverspace.) but a scant handful of explorers would not go mad after exposure to the reality bending experience. Some indeed found solace in the nothing before them as it helped them reach transcendental and meditative states of consciousness. Today, we call them the Mángdiǎn.
The nomadic Mángdiǎn are best described as a pseudo-religious sect of star traveling philosophers; pilots and adventurers seeking the secrets of existence. Regarded as both mad monks and wizened mystics, these astronauts would override navigational computer safety protocols to peer into 'The Blank' in search of Nirvana in private sessions during sojourns between the stars.
Curiously, there seems to be a large percentage of Mángdiǎn that discreetly exhibit psionic abilities. Whether this is due to their exposure to Jumpspace, their rigorous meditative practices, or an ability that somehow protects them from the edge of sanity is not known.
In the days before Niven's Effect was understood, many travellers succumbed to 'space madness,' (giving considerable validity to the horrific tales creeping from Reaverspace.) but a scant handful of explorers would not go mad after exposure to the reality bending experience. Some indeed found solace in the nothing before them as it helped them reach transcendental and meditative states of consciousness. Today, we call them the Mángdiǎn.
The nomadic Mángdiǎn are best described as a pseudo-religious sect of star traveling philosophers; pilots and adventurers seeking the secrets of existence. Regarded as both mad monks and wizened mystics, these astronauts would override navigational computer safety protocols to peer into 'The Blank' in search of Nirvana in private sessions during sojourns between the stars.
Curiously, there seems to be a large percentage of Mángdiǎn that discreetly exhibit psionic abilities. Whether this is due to their exposure to Jumpspace, their rigorous meditative practices, or an ability that somehow protects them from the edge of sanity is not known.