6 – Server Hubs

• What Is a Server?
• Types of Servers
• Hub Flowers
• What Is a Server Hub?
• Online Activity
• AFK Servers
• Trapped Offline
• Dissolve Resets
• Unthreading
• The Role of Anivores

See also, Chapter 5 – Hybrid Biology

What Is a Server?

A server, also called a generated seed, is a miniature world that can be accessed by hybrids. These worlds have their own creatures, materials, and terrain and allow a hybrid to explore, play, craft items, build structures, obtain food, and mine blocks. They are not mere illusions, but physical locations where one can feel the warmth of the sun and the chill of snow. In other words, these miniature worlds are like sandboxes where a hybrid can play the game of Minecraft. Some restrictions (such as gravity or the need to breathe) may apply, but other restrictions (such as the Deny field that overlays most of the Between dimension) are removed.

Bodies that are on world may take damage; this can be healed with food and rest. Damage done to a body on-server will not normally transfer to the body they have in Between, with an exception for soul wounds, which are described in Chapter 7 – “The Soul.”

• Servers grant access to The Overworld, Nether, and The End dimensions, which are otherwise inaccessible (in their true state) from Between

Many hybrids have access to private worlds that they can build in without concern that another hybrid will destroy their creations. A hybrid may hold administrative powers (i.e. admin abilities, creative mode, or OPs) while on-server, which allows significant influence over their world.

• Generally, a Deny field will come down on these worlds when the player’s energy fades and they fall “offline.” This Deny field can be resisted (i.e. overridden) if the hybrid chooses to distribute their Between dimension XP into that skill
• The Deny field will be removed automatically if the server is deleted (meaning all access from the outside world is cut)

Many hybrids play on private servers (known as single-player servers) and do not have access to the outside world. If their player does not participate in multiplayer servers, they will not have enough energy to consistently cross the threshold into the Between dimension. A hybrid’s data can be pulled from their server (i.e. unthreaded), which is described in more detail below.

• If you meet a hybrid who brags about significant changes they’ve made to their server in absence of an outside player, be cautious with your words. This is almost always a case of a server being deleted; this person may become distressed once they realize they will never play in that world with their creator again (unless a copy of the world was made before deletion)

Servers are accessed via crossroad portals (sometimes called admin portals, as the only one who can create them when inside a world is a hybrid with admin abilities). These are crafted from bone blocks and lit with a soul flare– a small part of a player’s soul, such as a nail clipping, feather, or lock of hair taken from the hybrid while in their soul state; a soul lantern can carry such items). A crossroad portal is made from a circle or rectangle of white blocks; when active, it’s filled with pink mist.

A server hub is a location where multiple crossroad portals reside and are hosted by the same hub flower (hence hub flowers being called server cores when actively functioning).

• On-World – A term that indicates a hybrid’s soul currently resides in a server (as opposed to in the Between dimension). This term can be used regardless of whether the player is considered online (i.e. whether or not they have the energy to exit the server)
• Logout – A term that indicates a transition from a server to the Between dimension (as well as the other way around)
• Kick; Force-Log – Terms that indicate the transition between a server and Between was forced by another party, hence the phrases “kicked from the server” or “forced logout”

Types of Servers

• Vanilla – A standard server that reduces hybrid traits to a minimum, though not necessarily erasing all indications of a hybrid body. Everyone is on an equal playing field in regard to skills (Ex: Avians cannot fly without elytra, everyone can consume the same foods, and special mob attacks such as fireballs are not enabled). The server’s gameplay does not use mods, although some visual effects may be present. Client-side mods may or may not be permitted (Generally should be discussed). The term “vanilla” indicates a plain flavor
• Modded – A server that uses mods in its gameplay, such as unique crafting recipes, blocks, mobs, and other features. It is not vanilla
• Anarchy – Anything goes; mods may or may not be present both on the server and client-side
• Low-Trait – A server (either vanilla or modded) where hybrid traits are turned to a non-overwhelming state, usually to reduce inconveniences or standardize gameplay in multi-species groups. However, there may be more allowances than default vanilla would allow (For example, winged individuals may have the ability to fly without needing an elytra)
• High-Trait – A server where bodies function as they do in Between, meaning all advantages and disadvantages of the species exist for that hybrid player; modded players may or may not be adjusted

Servers can be adjusted by admins and/or through the use of an operator panel; similar terminology includes OPs panel, admin panel, and OPs powers. An OPs panel can be used to increase or decrease the physical and non-physical traits that individuals display while in a server (with emphasis on the word “display”). For example, a hybrid’s traits can be toned down so they:

• Don’t burn in sunlight
• Don’t feel pain after touching water
• Don’t teleport
• Have smaller wings on-server than in Between (to prevent them from getting in the way, especially in tunnels)
• Have their flight abilities set to 0 until they touch elytra (to prevent winged species from having an advantage in public servers)
• Have their underwater breathing abilities set to 0 without the assistance of potions, turtle helmets, or nautilus shells (to prevent aquatic species from having an advantage)
• Can consume foods their bodies would reject in Between (Making gameplay more convenient)
• Do take fall damage (Eliminating immunity from some species, such as chicken hybrids)
• And additional adjustments

An OPs panel can decrease traits, but not necessarily increase them. For example, if your soul does not have enough Between dimension XP in its wingspan or fireball prowess, the server cannot increase your abilities beyond your maximum prowess. Many people choose what they pour their Between XP in by considering the on-server advantages more than the Between dimension advantages.

• Ex: A wolf hybrid can add XP to their wingspan and flight maneuverability stats and this will carry into their elytra use on-server, even though the wolf has no wings in Between (although the XP will also be useful to them there if they opt to mod wings into their code).
• Conversely, it may be difficult to remove the visuals for modded traits completely (compared to the easier removal of those same limbs or powers from non-modded species)

These OPs adjustments affect individual servers and should not be confused with modding traits away, which is a permanent or semi-permanent procedure (usually involving repeated treatments or surgery) and usually involves the addition or removal of traits and tweaks that will follow the individual to multiple servers.

Hub Flowers

Hub Flowers (sometimes called server cores) are large flowering plants with many roots. The petals are white if no players are connected to it. They turn bright blue and begin to glow when the roots are in connection with player data (be it a soul crystal or soul exposed beneath the skin). Infected or damaged roots will turn black and curl, and one or multiple petals may mimic this depending on the severity of the damage.

These flowers are native to Between. Connecting one’s player file (i.e. soul crystal) to the roots of the server core allows a hybrid to:

• Draw energy from the flower’s aura similar to the way they draw energy from the players who use them as avatars in this world; this causes the soul to grow brighter (meaning the eyes glow brighter through their thin mesh layer) 
• Gain an additional layer of protection against infection thanks to additional antiviruses and firewalls present in the roots
• Maintain a link with the outside world (i.e. receive an influx of energy when the player they’ve connected with in the outside world begins to play Minecraft; with practice, a hybrid can cross  the threshold into the Between dimension not only when the action of playing Minecraft occurs, but simply when the urge to play Minecraft occurs, or when a player and hybrid are in sync in some way- such as by cooking exactly the same meal or playing out a similar conversation with their partner)
• Enter and exit servers that are hosted in the hub (so long as the server is open to all or the individual is whitelisted)
• Create a life for themselves away from their mother dragon or foster parents, if they choose to leave their home for a new one
• Use their communicators to send messages anyone else who has their player file connected to the roots of the same hub flower
• Use communicators to browse creations (such as tutorials, screenshots, nonfiction reports, works of fiction, moodboards, video clips, and design ideas) that others in their hub have uploaded to the local area network
• Use communicators to keep tabs on the achievements, logouts, and deaths of others in their hub
• Link their data to an AFK server where they can spend their free time when tired
• The hybrid will reform inside their designated AFK server if they are plugged into the system when logged out (i.e. consumed by) an anivore in Between; if not plugged in, the hybrid will respawn at their soul spawner, which may be far from where they chose to live (and may result in long-distance separation of the hybrid and the crystal that contains their player data, leaving them open to infection, forcibly applied mods, or code alterations)

Hub flowers are generally the centerpiece that a hybrid community revolves around. Communities allow hybrids to meet their needs; a community may offer safety, shelter, reliable access to food, socialization, and servers to play in. Many hybrids choose to stay in a server hub long-term as it brings a sense of security and friendship. However, some feel tied down by these hubs and communities (which likely have their own cultures and rules) and choose to wander without plugging themselves in.

Hub flowers can be mined (i.e. picked up) and moved to new locations. If the roots are damaged or separated from the player files that were sharing energy with it, the players will be dropped back to their offline state (meaning they lose the above connection benefits, which may be first noticeable when their communicators go offline or their eye color fades). Hub flowers create energy for the entire community by drawing from the energy of the soul crystals that are plugged into them; without energy to draw from, they are little more than pretty white flowers with excessive roots.

It could be said that hub flowers are parasites, as they do drain energy from the souls the roots are connected to. However, the flower’s petals produce an energy pulse into their surroundings that can considerably strengthen the hybrids within several chunks of it (with larger flowers having a much larger aura). “Strengthen” in this case means energy pumps quickly through the soul without becoming stagnant, similar to a rushing river turning a water wheel. A soul that’s actively flowing is less likely to become clogged and muscles are less likely to become stiff. These healthier souls in turn provide the flower with healthier nutrients, creating a loop that benefits the community.

• That said, I would not personally live in a hub where my energy was being drawn from my crystal if I was outside the aura of strength benefits. For the same reason, I would never choose to leave my player file connected to a hub if I am planning to travel far away. Some may be content with the other benefits they receive, but I do not particularly like the idea of managing a sped-up metabolism if I don’t have to

What Is a Server Hub?

A server hub is a physical location (such as a small building, a town, or city) where hybrids can plug their player files into the local area network (LAN); this is also known as “connecting to the system.” Some server hubs may be long-term dwellings while others may be utilized only when passing through the area.

There are three types of server hubs:

Nesting Hub – A server hub that places emphasis on being a dragon’s space to raise her mob and hybrid offspring. Dragons live near their soul spawners and at least one species is born and respawned in the area. As there are only 98 dragons still producing eggs, there can be no more than 98 nesting hubs unless the number of dragons increases or the dragon expands their territory. Some dragons maintain multiple spawners, so 98 is a high estimate of the current number.

Community Hub – A server hub that places emphasis on togetherness. This could mean communal farms for all, or each individual owning the space to manage their own private farm while living near neighbors. Community hubs are commonly built near soul spawners to provide a living area and easy portal access for hybrids who have weaned and no longer need to take up the dragon’s nesting space. However, community hubs are not normally the dragon’s responsibility to maintain. Dragons may weigh in if asked their opinions, but these hubs are typically managed by hybrids. If not built near a nesting hub, these are often built near highly popular areas such as fair-weather zones or interesting landmarks.

Rest Hub / Travelers’ Hub – A small server hub, typically in an area with low population, but regular travel. An attendant may manage the hub, but they are sometimes left on their own, like rest stops on a long journey. In fact, they may provide a place to relieve oneself and offer a small farm (such as a berry or wheat farm) to provide food for travelers. Since it’s not possible to sleep in a bed in the Between dimension, these rest hubs may offer chests to store items. Portals allow travelers to log off and rest for the night. Unfortunately, these conveniences may be targeted by griefers, thieves, and anyone who wishes to take the hub flower for themself. 

Online Activity

Between is a dimension that exists in a permanent offline state. It is inaccessible to the outside players who engage with Minecraft as a game; this realm is for the characters they create. Only when the outside player has left their avatar character to their own devices can the hybrid player access Between.

Accessing this dimension requires the hybrid to have online energy remaining in their soul. You can think of this energy as the key that unlocks the door into Between. Online energy, by its nature, drains over time (which moves a player towards the offline state); once it reaches zero, the key dissolves and it is no longer possible to access the Between dimension. The longer a hybrid waits before stepping into Between, the less time they will have there before their online energy trickles out to zero.

This state of zero energy could be compared to the need for sleep. In fact, phantom hybrids do register this condition as similar to sleep and may become aggressive to tired players, much as phantom mobs target players that have gone at least three days without rest.

Players that are not plugged into a server hub are already cut from outside energy sources. If they are near a hub flower, they can receive its energy benefits despite giving none in return (Generally frowned upon by the community unless one is passing through). If they’re away from a hub flower, unplugged players must rely on their own energy stores. Energy gives a player the strength to move, build shelter, and obtain food. If one’s energy runs out and they collapse, they make easy prey for hungry mobs or scavenging hybrids (such as zombie mobs, which can detect a player from 40 chunks away).

Most server hubs are mob-proofed to provide security. While it’s possible to take up residence in a server hub while staying unplugged, you do so at your own risk, as you will return to your soul spawner if logged out by an anivore.

Hybrids can step in and out of servers even while their energy is fading, provided they have permission to visit that server (Ex: It’s a public server open to all, or a private server with their name included on the whitelist). Time moves differently in Between than it does on-world, so a hybrid can travel to multiple servers and spend hours (or days) in those worlds before experiencing an energy crash. Once they’re very low on energy, the game will automatically kick that hybrid out of the server and back into Between (unless they were on their AFK server).

• Anivores who prefer weakened code (such as phantoms) often stake out popular portals from the Between side, as an individual cannot remain on that server for more than a few hours in Between unless it’s their AFK

A player who’s too low on energy cannot step into any other servers except their AFK. A player can only be registered to one AFK server; non-registered servers will reject their data.

• Spectators do not experience the daily energy drain unless they cross from the ethereal plane to the physical one

Phantoms often go hand in hand with discussing fading energy and stagnant code

AFK Servers

AFK is a gameplay term that stands for away from keys. I imagine the term “keys” may refer to the fact that an AFK player is considered locked up as though they have no keys to open a locked door and leave the server on their own. Some theorize these keys may be an input device that allows a player in the outside world to engage with the Minecraft game, such as the keys that exist on a coding desk and can be pressed to input information.

An AFK server, or AFK point, is a server that a hybrid can register in their player file as the one they’d like to spend their offline days on. Some players may wait on that server for only hours at a time while others may stay there years or even centuries before they once again have the energy to access Between.

• Some hybrids choose to set their AFK point as a server they share with their creator, as it may be a source of familiarity and comfort (even if it means a Deny field prevents them from modifying it). Other hybrids may create fresh servers that are locked to the Between dimension and will never be seen by outside players (allowing more freedom, but potential emotional disconnect)

Cross-server communication is only possible through the use of an admin panel: a communicator that can contact the admin panels of nearby servers (as in, servers hosted in the same hub). It’s possible to contact a neighbor who may be able to leave their server sooner than you are, in which case they can file a request to have your AFK point changed.

• A player whose online energy has already drained will not be auto-rejected from their current server

Some hubs may be more restrictive about this than others, as changing AFK points while someone is offline is both difficult and dangerous; it puts such people at risk of falling between worlds or losing their player data along the way.

At times when online energy is very low, a hybrid will automatically be denied access to every server except the one their player file lists as their AFK server. In fact, if the hybrid is on a foreign server, it will force them out when their energy is too low to maintain a presence. This leaves the hybrid to wander until they either return to their AFK server (which will accept them) or they are kicked from Between by an anivore’s logout abilities. These are the best case scenarios, though it’s possible for a hybrid to soft-lock themselves between blocks they can’t escape from where anivores can’t reach them. Most species will starve to death if this occurs, thus forcing a respawn.

• Logging Out – A hybrid’s transition to or from Between. When a player enters or exits a server, this is called logging on or logging out. While Between is not a server, the term logout can refer to someone who is leaving Between to log onto a server, as in the sentence “My sister logged out for the night to sleep on her AFK server.”
• Going AFK – Specifically, a hybrid’s transition towards leaving Between and logging onto their designated AFK server. This phrase is often used to indicate a hybrid left of their own will without being forcibly logged out by an anivore.
• Force-Log – A forced logout; the anivore consumes the hybrid’s remaining energy, which denies them the ability to return to the Between dimension or travel to another server until they next receive energy from an outside player engaging with the Minecraft game. Synonymous with kick and force-kick

A hybrid who willingly goes AFK can loiter on their AFK server and leave again before they’ve lost all their offline energy. By default, the drain is continuous, meaning it does not pause when one joins the AFK server. However, individuals who have poured their XP into energy-related elements of their skill tree can unlock the ability to pause the drain while on their AFK server, meaning they can store enough energy to leave their server at will at a later time.

• See Chapter 10 – “XP, Magic, and Tables”

There are a few notable exceptions to the usual offline restriction rules. In addition to high-XP individuals who have unlocked the ability to store energy, these are:

Endermites – A species that can gnaw through code and slip between worlds. It’s possible for an endermite to chew their way out of their AFK server, leaving a tunnel behind that would allow them access back and forth. However, this is difficult to maintain. Imagine building a bridge of sand between two islands: it isn’t likely to remain for long before the ocean washes it away. An endermite hybrid would need to upkeep the tunnel frequently, perhaps multiple times a day, by widening the connection points without destabilizing it. Destabilizing the tunnel could leave the endermite hybrid stranded between worlds; they may even fall into the Void.

Wandering Traders – Wandering traders can force their way between dimensions. There are some places in Between that are very thin, allowing a trader to slip between the gaps in the dimensions and collect rare blocks (such as netherite, quartz, glowstone, and endstone). However, these points are unstable and passing through them can be dangerous. It takes a large amount of energy for a trader to jump from a server while AFK, and such an act is best attempted when the full moon is up both on their server and in the Between dimension (to allow for the hybrid’s wandering abilities to be maximized).

Phantoms – Phantom hybrids are considered code-deficient creatures; their bodies feed on stagnant code and they are not usually hunted by fellow anivores due to the lack of nutrition they provide (Phantoms cannot even force a logout on the soul of another phantom as their code is highly active and therefore incompatible with their ability to grip). In other words, phantom code does not typically weaken as their own bodies process themselves for energy. Phantoms hunt those with weakened, stagnant energy. They only lose energy themselves if they are unable to feed for more than three days. At this point, their bodies will consume their energy stores and leave them to crash, leaving them crumpled on the ground without a proper logout.

Unthreaded Individuals – Hybrids whose player file data has been “loosened” by another hybrid, usually someone specifically trained in this procedure. An unthreaded hybrid can pass through the barrier between their AFK server and Between without needing to widen or maintain the pathways. In other words, these individuals can come and go from Between as they please, provided they are not needed by their player to engage in Minecraft at that moment.

A weaned player that is fairly new to navigating Between is often called a newbie, or sometimes a low-XP player. Some players may go offline for years or even centuries before they return; those who do are usually called low-XP. This indicates their low levels of Between XP without implying they are unfamiliar with Minecraft mechanics in general (as they may have spent those years mining and building structures on their AFK server).

Trapped Offline

The phrase trapped offline refers specifically to an individual in the Between dimension who has gotten trapped in a position where they cannot move from their current spot. Additionally, mobs and hybrids cannot reach them to log them out a place where mobs and hybrids cannot reach them (For example, inside a cube of blocks with a Deny field that prevents them from being broken).

• Not to be confused with trapped AFK– a term used to describe an individual who’s drained their online energy; they cannot leave their AFK server without an influx of energy from the Outside. Colloquially, these terms may be used interchangeably, but this is incorrect

If the individual is connected to a server hub, their fading energy will soon attract phantoms. Specifically, phantom mobs cannot spawn above them if their head is beneath blocks, but they will be attracted to the scent of fading code if they detect it while flying past. Phantom hybrids have a wider detection threshold and will aggro on the individual if within range.

• If you see a group of phantoms clawing at what appears to be regular ground blocks, you are encouraged to investigate (or at least send the coordinates to someone who can). There may be a person underneath the ground in need of rescue

Online individuals should also have access to a communicator, which they can use to signal for help (i.e. typing in the chat system localized to whichever server their soul crystal is connected). However, it’s possible for a communicator to be separated from the person by a chunk (any farther and it will respawn on the hand). An offline individual – someone who is not connected to any hub – has no ability to use a chat system. However, they can press a button on the side of their communicator which will emit a beeping noise and flashing light to attract help.

A trapped hybrid may be able to escape by removing their skin and squishing themselves through cracks in their soul form. This becomes easier the longer it’s been since the hybrid was last cycled- loosened code strings are easier to maneuver in this way.

• In other words, hybrids whose code has been unthreaded should be able to instantly loosen up their body and escape through the cracks (though doing this on one’s own is a high-XP skill; most people will require the assistance of another individual)

A hybrid might also be able to use their free-cam form to search for others and lead them back to the abandoned skin (which still contains the soul, as the free-cam form is not a whole soul in itself).

If nearby blocks are affected a Deny field, a dragon must be in the area to lift the field (or at least push against it with their own Allow aura, which runs the risk of upsetting nearby dragons if permission wasn’t granted). A player who is completely inaccessible and undiscovered will likely starve to death. Otherwise, they will not be able to get out of their situation unless hit with a wave of energy from their player engaging with Minecraft with the intent of exploring a server with their avatar character. When this happens, the hybrid in question will vaporize in a swirl of energy- the game will not allow them to exist both where they are and in the location their outside player actually needs them to be. This is called a dissolve reset.

Dissolve Resets

Generally, a player should be able to detect when outside energy is approaching- Their body should sense it and experience a tingling sensation. This may occur mere minutes before the player is needed or several hours in advance (Even several days). Time runs differently between this world and the outside world, so some players have enough time to walk or run to the portal they’re supposed to be in. Players who fail to approach their portal in time will dissolve into light particles and flash through the air to their destination (i.e. a portal that will take them to the world they should be on).

• This dissolved pixel state is often called a soul flare. A soul flare is required to light a portal, although special artifacts (such as soul lanterns) can also carry souls that permit this task
• Lighting a portal does not require an entire soul, but a small portion of one’s energy. For example, a lock of hair clipped from the hybrid’s soul and tossed through into the portal outline. Travelers’ hubs are often dormant until the traveler lights them by plucking out a hair or feather

Such particles can swish through gaps in blocks (including doors) to get where they need to be. The game will attempt to send the player into a lit crossroads portal, but if one is not available, it will find the blocks and use a large burst of the player’s energy to light them (leaving the player dizzy, but alive when they wake on-world).

A dissolve reset deletes the existing hybrid from the universe and loads a back-up from their source code; it is synonymous with hard refresh. If a hybrid is unable to access a portal (Ex: Trapped in a box), the game will delete their body and soul (including their soul crystal) and drop them into the world their Outsider is accessing. At this point, the soul crystal is forcibly pressed inside the body (i.e. the chest cavity it originally grew when the hybrid was a spawnling, which becomes the soul slot in the inventory).

The hybrid will not be able to exit their server in the hub they were previously connected to. Instead, after exiting the server, they will tumble from their soul spawner. The soul crystal will then loosen from the soul, but the hybrid must partially remove their skin to remove it from their chest cavity.

• Dissolve resets reload from source code. They erase all mods that have been applied to the code. The reset mirrors the appropriate moon phase and applies a random variant (e.g. color, pattern)

Generally, dissolve resets are undesirable as they can remove centuries of body tweaks in the span of a moment. Also, many people find them disturbing and emotionally upsetting, as the intensity of the act is far greater than a mere death respawn. Kidnapped hybrids are usually taken along with their soul crystals so they can be plugged into a server and access a portal. I encourage individuals to keep track of their soul crystals and only connect them to hubs they deem safe.

• Heavily modded individuals are often ignored by anivores, who may choose to fly past without pausing to investigate whether a person is trapped among blocks. These players are highly susceptible to dissolve resets
• For similar reasons, phantoms are often in danger as well- Phantom hybrids cannot log each other out and may not approach. Phantom mobs, if they pass near enough to aggro, will still attempt to eat a phantom hybrid’s code, but their range is far less than a phantom hybrid’s
• Hybrids who travel with their files in hand should take well-traveled routes. These often host hubs en route, allowing files to be connected to the system if the player feels a sudden urge to go online. Taking less-traveled routes puts these hybrids at risk of being flung off-course (or risking a dissolve reset if the nearest portal is much too far away)

There are sporting events that revolve around this type of risk-taking behavior, such as games of who can last the longest before succumbing to the urge to go online. One of these is aptly called Outlast– a sport that involves a long tunnel with a portal at one end and a destination at the other. The goal is to reach the other side and remain there as long as possible before the system forces the individual offline.

This sport exists in many variations, including quick sprints and long-term games played with banners; teams may gain points depending on the amount of time their banner is present in a certain location (without being removed by rival players).

Archivist’s Note – [Vague Series Spoilers]
– In Session 1 of Dog’s Life, one player takes damage directly to their code, so the game attempts to delete them and reload them at their soul spawner: a task more difficult to do when the damaged player is on a server instead of in Between. Exiting the server will softly save their player file (i.e. add permanent damage to their source code), so the player chooses not to leave.

– A character was successfully dissolved and reset in One and a Half Birds, leading to permanent source code damage.

Unthreading

Unthreading is a surgical process wherein certain sections of AFK-related code are snipped from the player’s file- specifically, these are the parts of code preventing players from leaving their AFK servers. Once clipped, the player is then pulled from their server and into Between line by line of code. The strings are reformatted. The unthreaded player’s data is overlaid on an existing soul crystal. It should be a crystal that is not in use, such as one belonging to a deleted player. This new crystal can be rooted in a hub flower, even if the former crystal is plugged into a separate hub. The former crystal will grow dormant and can be used to unthread a new player someday. The term “unthreading” conveys the thought the player was stripped to the bare strings of their existence.

During this process, the game detects the missing sections of code and replaces them with vex data as the player enters Between. Vex data registers a similar amount of 1s and 0s to the missing data, perhaps due to vex being coded with the ability to pass through solid blocks (which indicates some collision-related data was removed to allow that).

• Vex hybrids who are born vex are not considered unthreaded and do not have chronic glitches. These hybrids are not able to freely leave their AFK servers

The new vex data won’t properly dissolve inside the soul, much like oil won’t dissolve in water. The new data takes the form of a glitchy patch on the surface of both soul and skin. This is often referred to as a chronic glitch. This glitch marks an area of the body that lacks structure. It may feel very stiff or very weak, like it cannot support weight. Clothing may cause chafing. Sliding a hand inside the glitched mark is possible and feels like your hand is sinking into nothingness or Void. Touching someone else’s glitch, however, may cause a shock to the system or disrupt your own code.

Vex hybrid code is aggressive in nature and spreads rapidly. It consumes the old hybrid information in the player file, replacing as much as it can with vex data. Bits and pieces of the original hybrid code may still show through, but are weakened shadows of what they once were. Freshly unthreaded vex have highly unstable bodies and may flicker rapidly between their two hybrid states. Long-time unthreaded players have more stable code.

• While vex code may devour data in the unthreaded person, it is not contagious to most hybrids in daily life. Only allay hybrids are significantly affected by it due to close similarities to vex in their code. If allay data is exposed to vex data, the vex code will quickly overpower it. These player files should not be stored on shelves near each other
• Allay and unthreaded hybrids may wish to mind their distance and wear long sleeves or gloves. Coming into contact with the solid parts of an unthreaded player’s skin is fine, but direct exposure to vex code (Ex: by touching the chronic glitch) will cause it to spread to the allay’s body
• Natural-born vex hybrids may pose a small risk to allay hybrids, for example if their saliva is rubbed into an allay hybrid’s open wound. Generally, vex hybrids are not at risk of spreading their code
• Vex mob code poses no risk to allay mobs or allay hybrids

The Role of Anivores

As described above, hub flowers draw energy from the player files they sink their roots in. These plants convert player energy into a wider aura of energy, similar to the way that plants draw nutrients from the soil and produce oxygen. This energy is not infinite, however. If the hub flower drains all energy from its accessible soul crystals, it can no longer provide energy to its connected portals, meaning they will shut down. This can cut off access in and out of the Between dimension, meaning individuals cannot cross the threshold until aroused with energy from their outside player engaging with Minecraft.

• Imagine the hub flower’s energy as fuel and the soul flare as the match that lights it

Archivist’s Note – [Notable Series Spoilers]
In Dog’s Life Chapter 36, the hub flower is pulled down and all the portals go offline. Anivores are then banned from hunting in New Star Station, as doing so while the flower is down will respawn people in their faraway spawn hubs. The phantoms request permission to leave New Star and hunt aboveground. Scott refuses, fearing this will out the safehaven to the illagers patrol out there. The phantoms warn him they’ll hold their peace for now, but will abandon New Star Station if the hub flower isn’t replanted soon.

BigB then warns Scott that if the phantoms leave, New Star won’t have enough anivores to cycle people’s energy and feed the hub flower, thus forcing their community to shut down access to many servers. New Star, notably, has very few vex since unthreading is banned there, which has left an overpopulated phantom flock to fill the anivore role in the ecosystem… An overpopulated flock that New Star came to rely on.

In larger hubs, a flower running too dry of energy to host portals should never be a concern: anivores play a critical role in the ecosystem by logging out other players. This energy enters the soul of the anivore, which means it is present inside their corresponding soul crystal. The flower draws from this energy, pulling it from the anivore and into the local system.

If the system is not currently hosting the player’s data (meaning the hub flower is not currently connected to a soul crystal belonging to the individual consumed by the anivore), that person is considered “disconnected from the system.” This can cause delays or errors in a player’s respawn, including slow cycles, glitches, and memory loss. It is preferable to opt for a local anivore to log you out rather than a foreigner who is plugged into a different hub than you are.

Losing access to portals should only be a concern for small hubs, such as:

• Those that are largely populated by inactive players
• Those with a population too small or too resistant to provide nourishment for anivores
• Travelers’ hubs

When it comes to travel hubs, the arrival of an individual who still has energy in their crystal and attaches it to the flower’s roots should be enough to stir such a small flower awake, granting access to the portal for several nights even if they are the only individual there.

A hybrid’s code may grow weak and fade with time, which can lead to instability in body and mind (i.e. conflicting behaviors, memory loss, headaches, loss of balance, sore limbs, and infection). Anivores clean and refresh code when they consume it, and it is further polished by a hub flower or soul spawner; this allows the individual to respawn with a repaired body and full health.

An ecosystem without anivores is one where individuals may respawn with missing lines of code (absent fingers or non-functional wings), unexpected body changes (freckles in different places on the body), without full health, or without full satiation. When evaluating a hub you intend to stay in long-term, it’s wise to research the anivores present. If they are absent, it means either the population is too low to sustain them or is actively hostile to them. I recommend such a hub be avoided, as this unbalanced ecosystem isn’t likely to treat your health any better than theirs.

Phantoms are the most efficient species at cycling souls through the system, likely due to their status as obligate stagnant code anivores, and such energy is mostly faded when it’s consumed. Phantoms are arguably inefficient at providing nutrients for their own body due to their quick metabolisms; this may be because they’re undead and lack a lot of internal structure they would have if they were living.

• In other words: Phantoms feed in bulk when possible, which allows them to wait several days before feeding again. If they do not feed enough on their hunt, they will need to eat more frequently

Phantom hybrid code will consume itself if given no other option, leaving weak phantom hybrids vulnerable to dissolve resets. Phantom hybrids can sometimes be found sprawled out and unable to move in places where sufficient food wasn’t available.