ABOUT THESKEW.ORG
Welcome to theskew.org, created by the BSTCE Foundation. This website aims to introduce the general public to the Skew — a fascinating and preternatural world that exists just adjacent to our own. While the Skew boasts a unique ecology and an intriguing history, it’s crucial to understand the risks and dangers posed by its anomalous phenomena.
Our ethos of Exploration, Preservation and Conservation forms the foundation of everything we do, whether that’s online, in the BSTCE facility or out in the Skew itself. With more people coming into contact with anomalous phenomenon than ever before, it is imperative that we are at the forefront of reliable information and education, for the safety of both our world and the Skew.
While the BSTCE facility is not currently open to the general public, our interactive map uses accurate floorplans to capture the experience of visiting the building in person. For more information scroll down to read about our ethos.
EXPLORATION
BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE
Early scholars believed that the Skew was a world of randomly shifting geography with no rhyme nor reason to what a person might find there. However, thanks to pioneering BSTCE researchers, we now know that the Skew consists of nine major sections (known as Domains) that contain hundreds of smaller pocket-locations (Subdomains).
The usual methods of exploration such as compasses, astrology and cartography are only effective in outer Domains, as the Skew warps itself to your thoughts and expectations. However, in deeper Domains these techniques are rendered useless, as neither human belief nor Earth physics are dependable here.
Today, explorers have a wealth of new technologies to ensure safe travels, including SMM (Speculative Metaphysical Mapping) and patented Anomaly Tampering Materials (ATM).
Preservation
KEEPING ARTEFACTS SAFE
Above all else, the BSTCE’s prime objective is to preserve the Skew; this includes not only the world itself but also its history, inner workings, wildlife and anomalous artefacts. This sometimes requires the careful removal of artefacts from their original location into the safekeeping of our facility. The BSTCE aims to only retrieve artefacts that are believed to be at risk of being damaged or destroyed. Rarely, artefact containment is required for items or creatures that may pose a risk to our operatives on the field.
Each artefact in our facility has its own specialist team dedicated to its unique preservation requirements. Artefacts face a variety of risks in our world, such as UV damage, improper human handling, water damage and SPhS (Stable Physics Syndrome). Before entering our facility, research is carried out to ensure the BSTCE can recreate an artefact’s origin environment, effectively minimising transfer risk.
Additionally, the BSTCE boasts an extensive documentation archive, covering everything from internal memos to diaries to vintage publications. You can read a sample of these documents by exploring the Library via the Interactive Map.
Conservation
MINIMISING ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
In the Skew, every thought and every action is amplified. Before BSTCE regulations were enforced, some explorers weren’t careful with their expeditions into the Skew and permanently altered locations. Some changes occurred through ignorance, such as lingering too long in unstable geography, while others came simply through carelessness: deforestation and pollution.
The BSTCE treads with a light footstep; we aim to leave the Skew exactly as we found it, intervening only when preservation is truly necessary. This mission has led to ground-breaking eco-friendly developments, many of which you may be using in your homes today. While our solar energy technology is mostly outdated, you can still see it in use at our facility, powering lights even during the British wintertime.
Conservation
/ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃn/
Noun
- a careful preservation and protection of somethingespecially : planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect
Lie
- “thou shalt not covet unless thou art duplicitous enough to get away with it”