 The kitzloc were an enigmatic species who long ago recognized that the height of an enlightened existence was a guarded appreciation of individual freedom. With that fact as the basis for their interaction with the physical world, the kitzloc confined themselves to the planet Mirabel and thus had interests in keeping their existence unknown to all other sentient species. As space-faring races reached into the cosmos for resources and suitable worlds for colonization, Mirabel was eventually discovered -- an event not particularly unsettling to the kitzloc because in their evolutionary process, they had uncovered the power of quantum manipulation, which had quite literally given them the ability to perform extraordinary deeds as well as lend to that unique race an understanding of the universe, and reality, far beyond that acquired by other species. At least, those species living on the same dimensional plane of reality. And so, the kitzloc lived in peace and relative harmony for millions of years, occasionally sharing their world with outsiders, but in the end always managing to manipulate the interlopers' perceptions until the invaders eventually decided to abandon Mirabel. Of course, the trespassers always believed the decision to leave was wholly their own, whereas in reality it was not. But there finally came a time when the grand plans of the kitzloc - all born out of the desire to keep their existence secret - had such startling and far-reaching consequences that the kitzloc were compelled to gather for a discussion on how to best proceed, for it seemed that their own meddling into the nature of reality had upset the delicate balance of the universe. Owing to the extreme alien nature of the creatures, a suitable definition for what they do, or what their abilities allow them to do, is beyond human translation. Kitzloc refer to their ability to access and manipulate quantum fields as 'tapping the continuum' but those few humans who have witnessed their feats, attest that it seems more like magic. Neither do Kitzloc ordinarily communicate directly, that is, face to face in the same time stream. Not because they are not capable, but because they are telepathic, in a sense, and so obstinate about their freedom that they often elect not to participate simply as a statement of basic principles. However, if they find themselves on the same continent and believe their focused energies might coalesce for mutually beneficial reasons, then they might decide to physically attend. And in that case, humans would find kitzloc to be much like other creatures. Their individual behavior is ruled by a wide range of emotions and beliefs, always with the underlying cause of self-service struggling with the notion that something will be required for the greater good (a difficult case in that even as individuals, they want to be left alone). In this case, the location of this unusual meeting was underground, in a series of ancient caves the kitzloc called a crevah, somewhere in the Great Wahabi desert of Mirabel. Owing to their love of individuality and freedom, the kitzloc were solitary creatures by nature and so, finding so many gathered in one place was highly unusual and signified the importance of the meeting. After a considerable amount of opinionating over where to sit and perhaps it was better to stand, a lone creature felt moved to begin. "Eli," it said, addressing another attendant individual, "it seems you've really done it this time." Eli was not the creature's name, but rather a moniker it used on occasion during its interaction with humans. "What I have done," said Eli, "could not have been accomplished without the explicit cooperation of all other kitzloc across all time streams. To blame me for the current breakdown is counter-productive to…" "All right, all right," the first one intoned. "We all know about your oratory skills. As far as placing blame, it doesn't really matter at this point, does it?" Eli waved a taloned hand. "What does matter," continued the first one, "is what we're going to do about correcting things. That is, if things can be corrected at all, because, upon my life, I cannot see a way out of this." "It's a cascade effect," said another. "What's happening in this dimension will begin to affect the other dimensions and eventually they will begin to fold in upon themselves." The speaker paused for effect, and then continued, "I hope you don't find my next statement to be utterly paranoiac, but my calculations indicate the eventual collapse of the universe." "And there is nothing we can do about it," lamented the first one again. "What have we done to ourselves? Exactly that which we have worked to avoid." Eli shook his head. "That is not entirely true. If you recall, our first goal was to re-acquire our status as an unknown race. That much has been achieved." "But at what cost?" "Fear not," replied Eli. "All is not yet lost." Hooked yet? Order here.
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