Fiction Primer: The Precipice
The Precipice is an interdimensional space bridging countless worlds. Like a river running through realities, it twists, forks, splits, and rejoins. And where it draws two worlds close together, they erode and blend together, creating jarring landscapes that defy conventional explanation. In the game of the same name, this between-place is where we set our scene.
To enter the Precipice is to step into a realm of deep uncertanties. Where worlds meet, the laws of physics clash and topographies snarl. Field intelligence within the Precipice is always limited and inconsistent. Terrain features and objects can emerge unexpectedly. Seemingly stable “corridors” within the Precipice can twist back upon themselves or uncoil entirely, depositing those inside somewhere entirely unexpected.
Further complicating its nature, the Precipice does not manifest in the same way on all worlds, perhaps owing to fundamental differences in their nature. On some worlds, it appears only in specific places, at specific times. On others, it blows like a storm across the surface of the world. On others still, it ebbs and flows like a tide, vanishing and appearing with some unseen rhythm and occasionally casting up some dimensional flotsam from realms beyond.
Even the name “Precipice” is for the benefit of the reader, not some transdimensional constant. On each world, it is named and understood in different ways. Some who study the Precipice postulate that it underlies all realities. Others calculate that it comes from some place beyond realities, pushing all worlds ever-closer over vast swaths of time. On most worlds, most of the time, it is unobserved and perhaps unobservable.
On Arbelos, large breaches are a recent occurrence, and even foremost thinkers like Solanon Etaic have only begun to scratch the surface of what it represents. Its manifestations are perhaps better documented by members of ASTERA who explore the Arcturus Swarmworld, but their observation of the phenomenon is limited. And in the world of Harness, ancient religious texts speak of a burgeoning fire from within a well… but we won’t give away any more of that story just yet!
The only certainty of venturing into the Precipice is danger. Anyone who travels far enough into this realm is sure to encounter harsh environments, hostile physics, and intelligent beings with their own agendas. No amount of preparation can truly mitigate these risks. Trust between travelers is hard to come by, and encounters can turn violent, whether they are with incomprehensible strangers or too-familiar faces.
As you read more stories of the Precipice, more truths of this strange realm will emerge…