tormentacross

Tormentacross is a fictional concept used in speculative fiction and some role-playing games to describe a ritualized or technological method by which agony or distress is projected across space, time, or dimensions from one locus to another. In-universe, tormentacross operates by linking two or more nodes with a sigil network or neural conduit; a practitioner channels intense emotional or physical stimuli into the network, causing mirrored sensations in distant participants who share the linkage. The effect is typically immersive and perilous, with potential consequences for the sender’s psyche and for the stability of the connection.

Etymology and usage: The term combines torment and across, and first appears in in-world glossaries and manuals in late-formative science-fantasy settings. It is used to describe both ritual practices and experimental technologies, and is sometimes deployed as a metaphor for coercive control in dystopian narratives.

Mechanics and applications: Tormentacross requires a focal artifact or ritual circle, alignment of resonance, and a feedback-safe boundary to limit spillover. In stories, it may be used for interrogation, punishment, or to seal breaches between realms. Misuse can produce psychological withdrawal, memory fragmentation, or uncontrolled hauntings; ethical considerations are a recurring topic among characters and scholars within the fiction.

In media and reception: The concept has been discussed as a narrative device that probes trauma, agency, and power dynamics. It appears across novels, tabletop campaigns, and video games as a plot element or gameplay mechanic, with varying degrees of realism and sensationalism.