Altered World Events (AWEs) are defined by the Federal Bureau of Control as events in which paranatural forces intrude upon perceived reality, resulting in reality being altered. AWEs are responsible for the existence of Altered Items and Objects of Power. The term is also used to broadly refer to other paranatural occurrences investigated by the FBC.
Nature[]
Per the FBC's definition, Altered World Events occur when paranatural forces intrude upon perceived reality. When this occurs, reality is altered, often in unpredictable and dangerous ways. These forces come from other dimensions or planes of existence, and often manifest in the form of unknown energies and resonances. The FBC is responsible for investigating and containing AWE instances on a national and global scale, and devotes significant research to understanding their nature.
AWEs appear to be affected by the human collective unconscious; paranatural forces often gravitate to archetypes created by human culture and psychology. This often results in the creation of Altered Items or Objects of Power, ordinary objects infused with paranatural energies, which gives them special properties and abilities. The nature of this connection between the collective unconscious and paranatural forces is not fully understood, and has been described on multiple occasions as "unknowable."
Officially, any event caused by the manifestation of an Altered Item is supposedly classified as an AWE, but this does not appear to be consistent, as there are far more Altered Items catalogued in Bureau records than AWEs. Various other events depicted in the Remedy Connected Universe have been similar in nature to AWEs, but not all of them are known to be recognized by the FBC as such (or even known to the FBC, at that).
There are no known limits on what AWEs may manifest as, or what impact they may have on reality. AWEs may also be influenced or caused by paranatural entities, such as the Dark Presence or the Hiss.
The area of Bright Falls, Washington in particular has a long history of recurring AWEs due to its proximity to a Threshold connecting to the Dark Place, located within Cauldron Lake. Other known locations are Watery, Washington; Ordinary, Maine; Night Springs, Arizona; and New York City, New York.
Notable AWEs[]
Note: This list only includes AWEs, or events appearing to be such, related to the Alan Wake franchise. For a list detailing all known AWEs within the larger Remedy Connected Universe, see this page.
- Bright Falls AWE (1970)
- Bright Falls AWE (1976)
- Bright Falls AWE (1978)
- Ordinary AWE (2002)
- Bright Falls AWE (2010)
- Ordinary AWE (2012) [Note 1]
- Night Springs AWE (2012) [Note 1]
- New York City AWE (2019)
- Bright Falls AWE (2023)
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The events depicted in Alan Wake's American Nightmare and This House of Dreams are consistent in nature with Altered World Events. They are not, however, known to be categorized (or even known) by the FBC as such.