World Building

World-Building: The Astralis Express and The Fractured Cosmos

While the Astral Express of Honkai: Star Rail follows the Path of Trailblaze, the Astralis Express follows a different journey—one not guided by an Aeon. Instead, it seeks out The Fractured Cosmos, a network of hidden pathways that exist between normal space-time. These "fractures" lead to forgotten civilizations, paradoxical timelines, and worlds that were erased from history.

Legend says these pathways were created by an unknown Aeon that was erased from existence—one that the other Aeons refuse to speak of. The Astralis Express was designed to navigate these fractures, but each journey risks encountering Echoes—distorted remnants of past events that can pull travelers into broken realities.

Character Backstories:

Caelum Veyne – The Scholar Bound by Fate

• Formerly an Intelligentsia Guild researcher, Caelum specialized in analyzing cosmic anomalies. He was highly respected—until he discovered the Codex Paradox.

• The Codex isn't just a book—it's an artifact linked to the Fractured Cosmos. It grants glimpses into possible futures but also alters reality each time it's used.

• After activating the Codex, he found himself erased from Intelligentsia records, as if he had never existed. Now, even his own past seems unstable—memories shifting with each vision.

Lyra Aetheris – The Silver-Haired Enigma

• Sometimes she appears as an ally, sometimes as a stranger, and sometimes… she doesn't exist at all.

• In some futures, she and Caelum seem to share a deep connection, even love. In others, she is his executioner.

• Every time Caelum tries to ask about her in the present, no one seems to know who she is—except for Vera, the conductor.

Ishaan Voss – The Gunblade Maverick

• Once a soldier from the Crimson Rift War, a brutal conflict between two warring factions. He defected after witnessing his entire squad get erased by a Stellaron anomaly.

• His gunblade, "Redshift," uses localized gravity fields to deflect bullets and increase striking force.

• He's the only crew member completely unaffected by the Codex Paradox—his memories remain intact even when reality shifts. Why?

Vera Noctis – The Conductor of the Astralis Express

• "The past, present, and future are just stories. The only question is who's telling them."

• Vera speaks in riddles and never gives straight answers, yet she always seems one step ahead.

• She is the only person who recognizes Lyra—and she warns Caelum not to chase after her.

• Some whisper that Vera was once part of The Weaver, but left for unknown reasons.

Ophelia Myrrh – The Smiling Phantom

• A hacker from the underworld of a shattered planet, Ophelia can override security systems, forge identities, and manipulate information networks.

• She's playful and flirty but keeps secrets even from her closest allies.

• When asked why she joined the Astralis Express, she simply says:

• "Some of us run from the past. I? I run from the future."

Main Antagonist: The Weaver – Architect of Fate

• The Weaver is not a person, but a title given to the being that maintains the fabric of reality. Some say it is an Aeon, while others claim it is an artificial construct designed to maintain "narrative stability" in the universe.

• It hates anomalies—things that disrupt the natural order of fate. The Codex Paradox, the Astralis Express, and Caelum himself are all threats to this order.

• The Weaver does not destroy anomalies outright. Instead, it "rewrites" them—subtly changing reality until they fit back into the pattern.

• But something is wrong with the Weaver. Recently, entire worlds have begun vanishing, rewritten out of existence as if they never were. Is it malfunctioning? Or is it preparing for something?

Core Mystery: The Rewritten Past and the Fate of Caelum

Caelum's past is unstable. The more he uses the Codex Paradox, the more contradictions appear:

• In one reality, he was a scholar. In another, a fugitive. In yet another… he never existed at all.

• Why does Lyra only appear in his visions?

• And why does Vera—the only one unaffected by the Codex—keep warning him not to dig deeper?

The truth is hidden somewhere in the Fractured Cosmos. But if Caelum finds it… will he even exist to remember it?