Lore & History
"To understand the Fracture is to understand the fragility of our own existence. These records document the collapse of the Old World and the rise of Havenfall."
The Cascade Incident
The "Cascade" was not a singular event, but a rapid, accelerating decay of physical constants. At precisely 12:04 UTC on the Day of Iron, gravity became a local variable and the stars began to flicker in patterns that simulated complex data structures.
Reality did not simply end; it fractured. Thousands of disparate worlds and timelines were compressed into a singular, lethal frontier. Those who were not immediately caught in the gravitational shears found themselves standing on fragments of earth floating in a velvet void.
The Cartographic Mandate
Survival in the Fracture is not just about kinetic force; it is about preservation of data. The phenomenon known as "Knowledge Decay" ensures that any unrecorded exploration is lost to the void upon an Echo's expiration.
The Hub Command mandates the use of Blank Maps for all field operations. Without verified coordinates, the world fragments remain unstable, drifting into the deep celestial planes where no rescue or extraction is possible.
Eras of Reconstruction
Era of Dust (The Silence)
The immediate aftermath of the Fracture. Communication between surviving fragments was non-existent. Most of the planetary population was lost to the first Void waves.
Major_Milestones
Era of Sparks (The Reconnection)
The development of Pulse-Rigs allowed survivors to traverse the grid more safely. The first biome maps were established, and the Hub Forge was ignited.
Major_Milestones
Era of Echoes (The Current Tick)
A stable equilibrium has been reached. Survivors (Echoes) now regularly extract resources from the frontier to expand the Hub's shields and research the celestial mystery.