Nullstar

The Nullstar is the most significant known cosmological phenomenon to emerge following the Convergence. It is widely believed to be the reason the pockets of the Great Empty remain as they do, and the reason why magical energy permeates reality with such fervor.

The Nullstar cannot be reliably observed using traditional astronomical methods. Its presence is instead inferred through the behavior of surrounding energy fields, sphere formation, gravitational anomalies, and the widespread distribution of magical phenomena throughout known space.

The Nullstar is believed to reside within the violent anomaly field known as the Nullstorm.

Properties and Attempts at Observation

The Nullstar first appeared during the Convergence.

Prior to the event, there is no evidence that a comparable phenomenon existed. The Nullstar’s role in the Convergence appears to be in stabilizing the energy known as magic, and the pockets of the Great Empty that remain.

The Great Empty, the formation of spheres, and the existence of modern magical systems are all associated with the Nullstar. Even regions separated by vast distances exhibit magical energy believed to be tied to the Nullstar. Because of this, some researchers argue that the Nullstar is less of an object and more a fundamental feature of reality itself. Attempts to observe the Nullstar directly produce contradictory results. Measurements of its location vary between observations. Some long-range instruments report an object of immense scale, others detect only a void or absence.

With so little information on what the Nullstar looks like beyond a blinding white light, individuals are left to their own artistic interpretations of it. The most common interpretation is an "inverse black hole", representing a singularity or event horizon, in white rather than black.

The largest and most significant piece of speculative evidence regarding direct observation of the Nullstar is produced by a recovered ship black box, containing an audio recording. The ship associated with the black box appears to have never existed on any known records, nor do records of any named crewmembers align with the events being depicted. It is as though this crew and this ship never existed. This leads many to debate the validity of this recording. For clarity, crewmate roles have been assigned based on theory and assumption to distinguish voices.

CAPTAIN: “Expedition Day 43 into the Nullstorm. We must be getting close to the center now.”
NAVIGATOR: “You said that before, but… this time you might be right. Holy shit—holy shit, wait, we have something. Turn the—” (unintelligible) “—screen so we can see. This is it.” 
(The crew does not speak for forty-eight seconds.) 
SCIENCE OFFICER: “It’s so obvious.” 
CAPTAIN: “How did we never see it before?” 
CREW MEMBER A: “We’ve always had it with us…” 
CAPTAIN: “Of course. It waited for us.” 
CREW MEMBER A: “it waited.” 
VARIOUS CREW (overlapping): “It waited.” 
NAVIGATOR: “It waited.” 
(Various crew members begin laughing distantly.) 
CAPTAIN: “We spent centuries asking questions, and it answered.” 
NAVIGATOR: “All of them. Every single one.” 
SCIENCE OFFICER: “None of it matters. Nothing else matters. Nothing was real.” 
CREW MEMBER B: “We were asleep. We’re awake now.” 
CREW MEMBER C: “We’re awake.” 
SHIP AI: “WARNING. HULL BREACH.” 
SCIENCE OFFICER: “It’s singing to us. I hear it.” 
NAVIGATOR: “It’s coming from inside my head. I’ve always heard it…” 
SHIP AI: “WARNING. HULL BREACH.” 
CAPTAIN: “We need to tell everyone. We need to show them. They have to see, then they won’t be afraid…” 
CREW MEMBER B: “No. It’s only us here. It’s only ever been us.” 
CREW MEMBER A: “It waited for us.” 
SCIENCE OFFICER: “We waited for it. It’s looking at us.” 
CAPTAIN: “It’s beautiful.” 
(Violent audio distortion. Multiple crew members begin screaming. Simultaneously, others continue laughing hysterically. Recording corruption increases exponentially.) 
VARIOUS CREW (Overlapping): “LOOK AT IT.” 
CAPTAIN: “I CAN SEE, I CAN SEE ALL OF—” 
(Unrecoverable data loss prevents the preservation of the rest of the recording.)

The Nullstorm

The region surrounding the Nullstar is known as the Nullstorm.

Among all documented energy fields in relevant, populated space, the Nullstorm is considered the most dangerous. Unlike many other pockets of the Great Empty, the Nullstorm drifts unpredictably through space, at a much faster rate than other energy fields. It is by tracking the Nullstorm’s movement that we are able to vaguely pinpoint where the Nullstar itself is.

Expeditions attempting to approach the phenomenon have reported severe navigational failures and catastrophic equipment malfunctions. No crew has successfully reached the center of the field or confirmed direct observation of the Nullstar itself.

Relationship to Magic

Modern magic is inseparable from the Nullstar. The energy strings, anomaly fields, and transformative forces that define post-Convergence reality all appear connected to its existence. Every known sphere exhibits properties related to these energies, regardless of location in the universe.

The known facts of the Convergence state that energy was dispersed en masse throughout the known universe during the event. It is widely accepted that it is the Nullstar’s influence that allow such energy to remain stable and usable, rather than tearing apart the spheres it transforms. Without the Nullstar, it stands to reason that all spheres would be destroyed, and all magic would be too wild to harness.

Religious Significance

Numerous faiths have emerged around the Nullstar. Among the most prominent are certain sects on the sphere of Stratos, especially among the Caelune, who continue to believe the Nullstar blessed them with a messiah to combat a severe famine thousands of years ago.

Not all perspectives are reverent. Several religions and philosophical movements regard the Nullstar as an existential threat.

Theological debates concerning its nature remain widespread throughout known space.

Expeditions and Exploration

Despite the danger, the Nullstar continues to attract explorers, scholars, and adventurers. Many expeditions have sought to study the outer regions of the Nullstorm, hoping to better understand sphere formation, magical energy, and the origins of the Convergence itself.

Most have returned with limited data, but many do not return at all. The inability of modern science to fully explain the Nullstar has only increased public fascination with the phenomenon.

Below is a recovered audio recording from a blackbox attributed to a vessel that aimed to explore the Nullstorm.

Recording #NS-307. Vessel "Far Lantern" reported lost upon recovery of blackbox. No wreckage of the vessel was discovered.

SHIP ENGINEER, PETRUS LIBO: “Captain, we’re picking up another ship signal. 
CAPTAIN BROMIA CALVUS: “Registry? 
PL: “It’s… it’s ours.” 
BC: “What? Clarify.” 
PL: “It has the same ID code.” 
BC: “That’s impossible. Do we have a visual?” 
PL: “Captain, I’m looking right at it and it’s our ship. It’s… holy fuck, what’s wrong with it?” 
BC: “Focus! Put it on the screen.” 
(Static. Loud beeping. A commotion from the crew.) 
PL: “It’s destroyed, it looks like it’s been ripped in half—stars help us—” 
BC: “…Why are they broadcasting our emergency frequency?” 
PL: “They’re telling us to turn around.” 
BC: “Who?” 
PL: “Us! It’s our voices!” 
(Static. A loud impact, followed by screaming. The recording cuts abdruptly.)

Theories

Given how little is certain about the Nullstar, many theories have emerged in an attempt to explain it.

The Reality Engine Model

This theory proposes that the Nullstar continuously generates the Great Empty, simultaneously theorizing that the Great Empty degrades over time. The Nullstar’s maintenance of the Empty is what allows spheres to exist.

Excerpt from “The Cosmic Machine” by Dr. Aster Renn, Cosmologist

“The Nullstar is not a god, nor a tear, nor a mystery to be worshipped. It is a machine on a cosmic scale, continuously producing the Great Empty just as a star produces heat. Our focus should be, now, on what happens if it ever stops…”

Excerpt from statement by Professor Vela Ors, Cervari philosopher

“Every generation invents a machine in its own image. Ancient civilizations imagined celestial chariots, cosmic engines, reality as computation… the Reality Engine Model says far more about the engineering culture of the Aurelium Exculta than it does about the Nullstar.”

The Wound Theory

According to this hypothesis, the Nullstar is not an object but rather a tear in reality created during the Convergence. The energy associated with it are believed to be leaking through from another layer of existence. This theory is often compatible with theories about the Heart Below which propose that the struggling entity ripped a tear in reality, creating the Nullstar.

Excerpt from Dr. Elias Voss, theoretical cosmologist

“The Convergence was an injury. Before the event, we find no evidence of the Great Empty. No evidence of spheres. And then suddenly, they appear. Imagine, if you will, a sealed vessel that ruptures under pressure, or a crack forming in a dam. That is what we are seeing. The Great Empty behaves like it is escaping a crack in reality. The Nullstar is that tear.”

Excerpt from Sister Vaelyn of a Nullstar temple on Stratos

“Humanity spent centuries draining power from the Heart Below. But what if the entity’s final act was not collapse, but struggle? A wounded animal lashes out, a trapped creature tears at the cage, and perhaps it tore through reality itself in an attempt to escape…”

Excerpt from "A Critique of Wound Theory", by Ferran Professor Juno Kest

“The theory’s popularity ultimately stems from emotional appeal, providing us with a comforting narrative. However, the universe is under no obligation to provide one, nor should we be so willing to accept emotional speculation of the Heart Below's actions or inaction as fact."

The Successor Theory

A controversial theory suggesting that the Nullstar replaced the Heart Below as the primary cosmological force influencing reality. Variations of this theory differ on whether the two phenomena are related, in the sence that the Heart Below transformed into the Nullstar, or entirely separate, in the sense that the Nullstar simply succeeded the Heart Below following the Convergence.

Excerpt from a lecture delivered at a university on the Eden Construct, by Professor Kieran Sol

“History is full of transitions between dominant forces. Kings are replaced, ecosystems shift, and old stars die out to be replaced by new ones. Why would these cosmic powers be any different? The Heart Below dominated the age before the Convergence, and the Nullstar dominates the age following it. One era ends, and another begins. Every civilization alive today builds its future in the light of the Nullstar.”

Excerpt from "Stars in Succession", by Dr. Selene Ward, from the Historical Institute of Virilune

“The theory has little evidence supporting it aside from the chronology. One thing vanished and another appeared, and therefore we presume the two instances must be related in a revolving door. However, I would ask the academic community to use caution before assigning scientific merit to what could easily be explained by our desperate need to recognize patterns.”

The Observer Theory

Some physicists argue that the Nullstar cannot be properly understood because it does not possess a fixed state. Instead, they propose that it exists as a self-contradictory phenomenon whose properties depend on the method of observation itself.

Excerpt from “The Observer Problem and Nullstar Studies” by Dr. Mia Corven, Gelum Physicist

 “Every expedition reports something different, with instruments returning contradictory measurements and every attempt at classification producing exceptions. We have measured the Nullstar as a star, a void, a singularity, a storm, a living organism, and everything in-between. 

None of our observations can be reconciled, and yet all appear in some ways valid. At some point one must consider the uncomfortable possibility that the contradiction lies not in our measurements, but our assumptions. We assume the Nullstar, like all other things, possesses an objective state of being. But what if it doesn’t?”

Excerpt from Professor Marsh Cyrus of the Galactic Rationalist Society

“The Observer Theory enjoys tremendous popularity because it is impossible to falsify. Any contradiction becomes evidence to support it. By this logic, one could argue a malfunctioning toaster is ‘transcending reality’!”

The Restoration Theory

The Restoration theory proposes that the Convergence represented a catastrophic breakdown in the structure of reality itself. Proponents argue that the Nullstar emerged afterward as the universe’s response to this instability, like an immune system seeking to correct the damage. The theory remains controversial because it requires viewing many seemingly unnatural phenomena as signs of recovery rather than damage, including the existence of magic itself.

Excerpt from “Healing the Cosmos: A Reassessment of Nullstar Phenomena” by Dr. Elara Thorne

“We have spent centuries describing the Nullstar using the language of disaster. Contamination and corruption, fractures in reality. But consider what we actually observe. Spheres are changed instead of destroyed. The Great Empty exists in pockets instead of being complete and total. Magical energy adapts living organisms to survive within environments that should not be possible. The gift of magic in its current stable form could very well be a symptom of a force 
trying to restore order to a chaotic universe.”

Excerpt from interview with Dr. Lena Corven

“The theory suffers from a fundamental flaw, in assuming that just because a phenomenon occasionally produces beneficial outcomes, the purpose must therefore be benevolent. Forest fires create fertile soil, and yet few of us celebrate when it burns homes down. The Nullstar may create order and stability, but we cannot use such hypotheticals as an assessment of an entity’s character. Especially if we are not sure it even has a character…”