Covenants are permanent bonuses, and you can't switch which Greater Power you have a covenant with. The end of the cycle is also the rarest covenant, it only has a 2% chance to show up.
The Shroud is a realm of pure psionic energy from where psionic species and individuals draw their power, and a place where those who awakened their psionic potential could see in their dreams. The realm is inhabited by powerful beings of pure psionic energy that can be communed with through great effort.
The Shroud is an immaterial realm of pure psionic energy outside of the physical universe. All sentient species are linked in some way to the Shroud, however only a few will achieve the psionic ascension necessary to draw on its power directly.
Simply access your Contacts panel. One of the listed empires is the Shroud, and you can check if it's still on cooldown through that.
A covenant with the End of the Cycle will pretty much spell the end of the game unless you are very good at coming back from the brink of destruction. Despite all its might, defeating the entity is not impossible.
Recruit 1. select Under One Rule origin. 2. complete Psionic ascension tradition. 3. have luminary almost die of old age. 4. do expensive experimental healthcare. 5. use plantatery decision to setup even more expensive life support for luminary. 6. Get shroud event to make luminary the immortal chosen one.
Ascension perks. The Shroud. Player crisis. Available only with the Utopia DLC enabled. The Shroud is an immaterial realm of pure psionic energy outside of the physical universe.