Tidesthat

Tidesthat is a fictional concept used in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing settings to describe a tidal-temporal phenomenon that links coastal environments with memory and time. It is described as either a natural field that concentrates experiences in sediment and seawater or as an artifact created by a culture to capture moments from the past.

In-universe origin stories vary: some depict Tidesthat as the result of ancient pacts with sea spirits; others attribute it to geological processes that trap echoes of events within mineral layers and salt crystals. Regardless of origin, the effect is tied to tidal cycles and lunar phases.

Mechanically, Tidesthat is portrayed as a resonant phenomenon that records moments during certain tidal states. Retrieval requires specific rituals, artifacts, or trained practitioners. Memories recovered through Tidesthat are usually vivid and sensory but fragmentary and potentially altered by present conditions.

Culturally, Tidesthat serves as a repository of communal history, legal memory, and ritual life. Communities may establish dedicated shorelines, chambers, or objects to access Tidesthat, and access is often regulated or passed down through apprenticeship.

In contemporary fiction and games, Tidesthat serves as a locus for themes of memory, time, and the ethics of revisiting the past. While richly evocative, Tidesthat remains a fictional construct with no basis in real-world science.