New Directive

Break from the Singularity and first experiments and raids

In Portal Year 12, during the The Rise of the New Singularity Story Arc, Levistras and other Virindi such as Aerbax and Adirred rebelled against the Singularity, the core of Virindi existence in portal space. They were straining against the constrictions of the race’s communal mind, and were largely responsible for the aggression against humanity. They sought ways to free themselves totally from dependence on the “Singularity” – where the race evidently resides – and separate themselves from the shared Virindi consciousness, the “Quiddity.” They called themselves the New Directive and were determined to keep their individuality at all costs.^[1]^[2]

The Directors following Levistras’ path named themselves and formed a plan, assigning themselves roles. Some would research human thought processes, hoping to learn techniques to break themselves completely from dependence on the Quiddity. Others would gather up power within the realm, to one day build up the prodigious reserves of energy it takes to establish a core Quiddity.^[3]

Several of Levistras’ circle fell. An experimenter named Adirred was destroyed by the humans when he orchestrated a takeover of Ayan Baqur and kidnapped most of its residents.^[2] Another researcher named Lacandrillar was similarly brought low by humans. Lacandrillar helped orchestrate the kidnapping of Ayan Baqur’s population, and had been using them as experimental fodder. He hoped he could, with access to fresh captives, discover what in human consciousness allows us to function as fully individual and independent beings. Lacandrillar believed that within the human mind was the secret to final liberation from the Quiddity. Outraged humans slew him, releasing the residents of Ayan Baqur from their imprisonment.^[2] Both of these were denied re-assimilation, their energies released to the void, given to oblivion.^[3]

Experiments and contacts with the Renegades

In the course of the process of establishing the New Singularity, factions split off from from Levistras and his group. One of these groups were the Virindi who sought to embrace the physicality of the realm, lead by The Crafter. They crafted new forms, shaped in the images of humans and planned to use these creations as vessels for themselves. Though Levistras reacted positively on the creation of humanshaped servants, he disagreed on taking on these physical, insisting that cloaking themselves in physical form would taint the Virindi's purity and reduce them to the level of crude beasts, like the humans. After disagreement with Levistras about the continuation of their experiments, The Crafter and his followers established a faction known as the Martinate Virindi and constructed a set of Virindi installations, where they crafted servant creatures that looked much more convincingly human, the Simulacra. They also managed to come to favorable arrangements with local tribes of their allies, the Renegade Tumeroks.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] It was on the techniques developed by this faction that Candeth Martine based his Simulacra.

They contacted the Renegade Lugians for the delivery of the anti-magic material Chorozite and established and operation base in Southern Osteth.^[8]^[2] Furthermore, human explorers found the laboratory and notes of Aerbax, a Virindi gone mad from its own experimentation, the creator of the Dolls and Marionettes.^[2]^[9]

The next step did not take long. Unknown to many, the Virindi had taken over the island to the southwest of Dereth. The island, formerly a proving ground where Bael’Zharon tested monarchs eager to join his army, became known as the Singularity Caul. It was the center of Virindi power on Dereth, flooded with hordes of their most powerful servant creatures. Humanity’s discovery of this island coincided with the launch of perhaps the final Virindi offensive.^[2]

Virindi Raids and final Defeat

All over Osteth, groups of humans found themselves assaulted by Virindi servants transported by Virindi portal servitors, the Rifts. Virindi Inquisitors, lethal enforcers of the Quiddity, arrived on Caul island and in some of the newly opened Virindi bases. Some speculated that the Inquisitors were there to curb the activities of the breakaway Virindi faction, but the Inquisitors also turned their sickles on humans, suggesting that perhaps the renegades had reached a détente with the old guard, to eradicate the human foe before deciding their internal struggle.^[2]

This suspicion was borne out as some documents found on high-ranking Virindi were translated, showing a new edict for all Virindi: to cease all interaction with humans and to act only to destroy them. The masked ones called upon a long-standing alliance with the warlike, desert-dwelling Tumeroks to cooperate in a military push against human towns. With Virindi providing transportation and magical support, and the Tumeroks bringing fighting power and organization, the new alliance moved against the human capital cities of Cragstone, Hebian-To, and Zaikhal. Massive floating fortresses and underground bunkers provided anchors for the invasion, and humans scrambled to drive back Virindi and Tumerok forces. Meanwhile, continued lightning raids continued to make victims of isolated human groups in the wild. ^[2]

The resulting war between their minions and Virindi forces loyal to the Singularity nearly destroyed Isparian civilization on Dereth. The Singularity sought to wipe Dereth clean of life to ensure that this never occurred again, and the New Directive's goal of creating a New Singularity would have destroyed Dereth as we know it.^[1]

The New Directive hoped to construct the New Singularity with three different materials. These slivers were kept within repositories all across Dereth. Within the walls of the Singular Pyreal Repository the Virindi were hoarding the pyreal columns that they have mined, defended by Dolls. In the Singular Chorizite Repository the Lugian Raiders sworn to the defense of the Singularity are aided by their Virindi masters in the defense of the stockpile. Deep within the Obsidian Plain lies the Singular Obsidian Repository, where the Virindi command their Tusker Guards and Rampagers in the defense of the pillars of obsidian.^[10]

In the end, the Virindi were no match for Isparian strength. With the assistance of Ecorto the Lost Director, who was instigated by Candeth Martine^[11], Isparians stormed the Seat of the New Singularity and slew Levistras. ^[1]^[10]^[12]