Banestorms

A “banestorm” is a localized event
that transports everyone within a cer-
tain area to another dimension. The
phenomenon is most often circular,
and may range in size from a few
yards to a few miles across. On a plan-
et with an atmosphere, it tends to
manifest as a thick fog bank, mysteri-
ous thundercloud, heavy electrical
storm, etc. that builds up slowly (e.g.,
a fog rolls in and blocks all light) and
vanishes suddenly.
When a banestorm vanishes, so
does everyone within its radius. These
“passengers” reappear . . . elsewhere.
And unlike a parachronic conveyor, a
banestorm does not always transport
its passengers to a spatial location that
corresponds to their point of origin in
their home dimension. Some geo-
graphical locations seem to be “pre-
ferred” pickup or delivery points.
These places often earn a reputation –
the Bermuda Triangle, for example.
There are few consistent patterns
beyond this. Some worlds seem to be
more prone to banestorm manifesta-
tions than others – and on a given
world, certain locations seem to be
unusually
susceptible.
Multiple
banestorms can strike simultaneously.
Researchers know of at least two spe-
cial types of banestorm:
Twin banestorms exchange matter
from two dimensions. A large land-
based event can even exchange terrain
between worlds.
Permanent banestorms transform
an area of a single physical reality into
one in which two dimensions co-min-
gle. This often has an effect on the
area’s mana level, increasing it for
hundreds or even thousands of miles
around.
No one knows what causes any
type of banestorm. Theories include:
Banestorms are magical. Some evi-
dence suggests that banestorms are
magical in nature. Divination can
often predict them. Powerful ritual
magic can sometimes even summon
them. Magic seems to be less success-
ful at controlling them, however . . .
Banestorms
are
technological.
Parachronic technology can certainly
detect banestorms; a parachronic
detector (p. 532) “goes crazy” 1d min-
utes before one appears. There is con-
siderable debate as to whether
parachronic technology can cause
them.
Parachronic
Laboratories
(p. 538) believes it might be possible to
create an artificial banestorm using a
“parachronic bomb” – but if they’ve
got one, they don’t admit it. Some the-
ories suggest that any
use of
parachronic technology may intensify
or even cause banestorms. And some
evidence suggests that the technology
need not be parachronic: on one
world, Merlin, the first nuclear deto-
nation to take place triggered a per-
manent banestorm.
Banestorms are alive. A few
researchers believe that banestorms
are living things!