The **Gurpila Universe** is an ultra-hard science fiction setting spanning billions of years, where humanity and its progeny fight against extinction even after Earth is swallowed by the Sun. Fear and existential despair haunt the minds of those traversing Deep Time. Yet not all hope for fulfillment is lost: Gurpila clings to radical optimism even as the universe trends toward silence and entropy. Its people hope that wisdom through knowledge can defeat even thermodynamics, and seek to preserve the miracle of harmony, dignity, and pride in humanity. They dilute time to the extreme, partially defying their own mortality, guarding over humanity as the aeons pass. But the Universe has never spared those of strong will from triumph... or tragedy. # Core Premises - **No Magic, No Faster-Than-Light:** Neither travel nor communication can exceed the speed of light. - **Life is Rare**: Humanity never encounters another spacefaring species, only the ones it creates. All intelligent life encountered by humans traces back to their evolution on Earth. - **Space is Big**: No human or generation ship is ever able to travel between star systems. The distances involved are simply too vast. - **Life Can Be Built**: It is possible to send inorganic factories across stars, which then compile DNA and gestate it upon arrival at their destination. - **No Sentient AI**: Digital minds are not “awake” like living things but can emulate life with extremely high accuracy. The truth that only biological beings truly “live” remains technically unproven in-universe, however. # Novels or Wiki? - The Wiki covers the setting up to the start of the first novel, so the plot "hasn't happened yet." - However, it openly contains lore spoilers and detailed background regarding facts not known to novel readers. - So the Wiki is more than just a novel primer, but does not reveal ultimate outcomes. - What kind of reader are you? - If you want the mystery and awe intact, jump straight into [[The Last Seed]] or even [[Round and Round]] - If you care about the deeper universe and lore but do not have time to read through plotlines, characters, and slow reveals, then the Wiki is for you. - If you are done with the novels, it's still not "safe" to read the Wiki! - The novels don't talk about *everything*, and are hopefully bereft of heavy lore dumps. - The Wiki *is* a heavy lore dump. - If you're interested in things touched on in the novels and want to dive deeper, start with the [[Post Novel FAQ]] # So I chose the Wiki. Where do I start? - [[Gurpila Project]]: It is recommended to start here. It explains the central mission that shapes the story. - [[Main Timeline of Events]]: Start from the present day and get a raw timeline of the setting instead - [[Science Primer]]→ A straightforward guide to the scientific foundations of the setting. Helpful if you want clarity before diving in. - [[Philosophies]]: If you’d like to approach the universe from its ideas and moral debates first.