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The Cardiff rift is a time rift.
History
The Rift has existed for an unknown length of time.
The Rift and Abaddon
The Rift, in some manner, acted as a prison for Abaddon. (TW: End of Days)
- The Disciples of the Light may possibly have created it.
However, unlike The Beast, Abaddon could easily be freed if his particular trap was opened. (TW: End of Days)
Use by extraterrestrials
The rift was known to the Gelth. The Gelth used the rift to try and take over the bodies of Human corpses and then eventually attempt to invade the planet and kill the entire species. During this attempt, the time rift was partially sealed by an explosion . (DW: The Unquiet Dead)
The rift was later used in September 2006 by both the Ninth Doctor and Blon Fel-Fotch. Though the Doctor used it to refuel the TARDIS, Blon Fel-Fotch, now mayor of Cardiff, built a nuclear power station on it and attempted to cause a meltdown, which would destroy the Earth and give her a chance to escape. (DW: Boom Town)
Humanoids known as Weevils, also had begun to cross over into Cardiff via the Rift, their motives for coming to [[Earth] unkown. (TW: Everything Changes, Combat, End of Days)
Other aliens, such as Mary and her guard (TW: Greeks Bearing Gifts) and the "Sex Gas" (DW: Day One), perhaps coincidentally, came to Earth near Cardiff, though neither used the Rft as their means of transport.
The Rift and Torchwood 3
At an unknown time, the Torchwood Institute also set up a Welsh branch, Torchwood 3. Located in an underground base called the Hub and under the command of Captain Jack Harkness, it had task of monitoring the Rift and phenomena associated with it and with securing for Tochwood any artifacts that might come through. (TW: Everything Changes onwards) The Hub also possessed a Rift manipulator (TW: [[Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood story)|Captain Jack Harkness, TW: End of Days]]).
The interaction between the TARDIS and the Rift had created a perception filter at the place where the TARDIS had landed in Cardiff earlier. This made for a hiding place for the lift Torchwood 3 could use to go to the surface. (TW: Everything Changes)
Jack stated that the area would become more active after the opening of the rift and the death of Abaddon. (TW: Everything Changes, Captain Jack Harkness, End of Days)
Effects
In with common with time fissures (DW: Image of the Fendahl), growing up near the rift tends to enable one to develop psychic powers, as with Gwyneth, who had the gift of clairovoyance (DW: The Unquiet Dead]).
- This may also account for the abilities possessed by Bilis Manger.