3600 Rift Incident

The Rift Incident of Tsalian Year 3600 involved the appearance of a spacial anomaly of unknown provenance, which was found to be a gateway into another space. Within this space, Diřexwate Pīwe Kaxas Pošiko found the first known evidence of the existence of non-extinct lifeforms outside of the galaxy. This incident ultimately led to the discovery of Earth (via Trillian Fauxel, who also accessed the space) and the integration of Earth into the galactic community. While the humans of Earth were the only civilization with whom continuous contact was feasible, the diversity of life in the rift led to the prevailing hypothesis that many more exist with varying levels of accessibility.

Discovery

During routine surveying of space nearby Cosmopolis, the Core Institute found an anomaly in local space. As the Amalgam of Three Dimensions had no records indicating any research or similar activity in the region, a ship was dispatched to investigate. Normally, such investigations would be performed exclusively by those of Three Dimensions, but a consensus of the Institute's diviners requested, and were granted, an exception in policy which had Diřexwate also join the investigation.

Upon reaching the anomaly, it was found that it was a gateway of very intentional design. Due to a specific ordination by the diviners, Diřexwate was given an array of analysis tools and entered the gateway, which sealed (though did not dissapear) after them.

After some time, Diřexwate returned, at which point the rift fully dissipated. A Łončodote Outpost now surrounds the location of the rift, though it has reported no further sightings.

Events inside the rift

After Diřexwate was cleared to interact with others following a decontamination which found no anomalies, their first description of the rift was "řyapuxiłku, byūxiłku" ("both the least magical and the most alive"). Detailed technical analysis was not taken as the tools outfitted to Diřexwate were confiscated upon entry, but their memory and accounts provide a foundation xenoanthropic data.

Their fuller description detailed a large gathering of lifeforms in a natural campsite. The purpose of the space appeared to be recreation, corroborated by the accounts of others that Diřexwate encountered, as some of them claimed to have received explicit invitations. The space was run by "a living star, clad in three masks", who Diřexwate claimed to have absolute power over the region. Some property of the space emulated the Ritual of Shallow Comprehension and allowed Diřexwate to communicate with the other lifeforms, which caused Diřexwate to hear the star's name as "Łončodote".

Łončodote had set up lodgings and events typical of a childhood summer camp, and Diřexwate spent their time in the rift participating in the festivities in order to gain an insight into the cultures of both the other lifeforms and of Łončodote. As a result of this, Diřexwate returned with a sash adorned with various merit badges, which is the only physical artifact from the space.

Aftermath

According to Diřexwate, Łončodote had set up means by which attendees could communicate with each other even after the events had completed. During the event, Diřexwate became acquainted with Trillian Fauxel of Earth, who had promised to send them a complete copy of her planet's global encyclopedia. Several days later, Diřexwate confirmed receipt of a Terran device, which, according to an attached note, had been "hastily designed to hopefully be easy to analyze". This device matched Diřexwate's recollection of Trillian's language, and the volume of data allowed the language to be translated. Since Łončodote's system was slow, Tsalian devices were sent to the Terran side to allow more direct communication between Trillian and the Core Institute, which would eventually lead to the Tsal-Earth first contact.