This game takes place on Arxis, the fifth planet orbiting Proxima. Arxis is a large planet with many diverse continents and peoples. The world is vast and beautiful, seemingly designed as a paradise for the complex flora and fauna that dwell throughout. The beaming light of Proxima saturates the purple skies during the long days, and the planet’s four glowing moons paint the Emergent Dawn deep blue during each of the long nights. It is known among the denizens of Arxis that in the beginning, life was formed here, but originates elsewhere—as the clerics say, far out among the cosmos. 

Aeons ago, a group of benevolent travelers left their home in the distant stars. For years they slumbered and drifted among the ether until they finally found Proxima and made their way to Arxis. There they began the long process of forming the planet into a habitable world. These travelers, now known only as “the Formers,” left few remnants of their great power and influence over the world. Among the most visible are the monoliths, massive structures that bore deep into the surface and stretch into the lavendar skies. The denizens of Arxis are diverse and have lived long and varied histories, but every culture throughout the world has been formed around the striking presence of the monoliths. The less visible remnants of the Formers might be felt in “the Shimmer,” the metaphysical link that connects all the inhabitants of Arxis. While most clerics can point to the rings around Arxis that gleam in the night sky, the Shimmer is more a perceived connection than a visible element of one’s existence. When a loved one is in danger, when fractures draw near, when a storm approaches—the inhabitants of Arxis feel these events innately as a result of their connectedness through the Shimmer. Doctrine states that the Shimmer represents the final sacrifice of the Formers in order to ensure that life on Arxis would thrive, that the Formers continue to watch over everyone. 

The hegemony of Doctrine governs life on Arxis, and while the Formers represent the mythical and ancient past, Doctrine is the very present reality that is mediated through clerical interpretations of the legacy that the Formers are believed to have left behind. Doctrine dictates political, economic, and social life for the denizens of Arxis. Tens of thousands of years of history are shaped by the many clerics of the world who hold the primary power over the legacy of the Formers. For most denizens of Arxis, the clerics represent a powerful order; clerics possess understanding of magical and technological marvels—such as eyro crystals—that are used to shape society and guide civilization. But not all clerics use their privilege for altruistic means. The visible corruption held by some clerical orders has earned the criticism and ire of many, and  here are some who believe that it is Doctrine itself that encourages corruption, keeps power in the hands of the clerics, and limits the potential and understanding and growth of civilization in the true image of the Formers. 

Additionally, among all the denizens of Arxis—its varied peoples as well as all flora and fauna across the world—there are beings known as “Emergents.” Emergence manifests itself in living beings through subtle changes to their form, such as glowing lines, visible particles, or visible auras. But among sentient species, emergence is more than simply an external physical change. Sentient emergents seem to have the innate power to manipulate eyro crystals, a power that clerics study for decades to learn. Emergents can also manipulate the Shimmer and seem to have intuitive connections to one another. Moreover, Emergents who can focus their power seem to be able to manipulate reality itself, doing what is called “ryftcasting”—opening ryfts into other planes of existence and altering the balance of Arxis. It is for this reason that Emergents  are widely misunderstood, in some cases persecuted, simply for existing. In other times and places, the enigmatic nature of Emergent powers has been met with fascination and praise. As a result of their challenges and separateness, most Emergents live self-made lives of travel and adventure in the Emergent Dawn setting. Player characters (PCs) in this game will in most cases be Emergents themselves. 

Arxis is a lush and beautiful world where civilizations have come and gone over many thousands of years, all under the shifting political and social power that has emerged through the control over the legacy of the Formers. In the age of the clerics, life on the planet has become threatened by “fractures,” which are visible ruptures in the veil that separates this plane of existense from other dimensions. The specific cause of so many fractures on Arxis are unknown, but it is known that clerical experiments with eyro crystals can have the effect of causing fractures. With their power over ryftcasting, Emergents have also been blamed as the

cause of the fractures on Arxis. Since Emergents are capable of unknown powers and they represent a threat to the order of the Clerics, there is a long and complicated history between clerical orders and Emergents in various areas, particularly in well established cities throughout the world. Regardless of the original cause of fractures, the result is the same: horrors, instabilities, destructive creatures, and putrid auras taint the landscape, mutate the flora and fauna of Arxis, and bring chaos and death to the paradise of the Formers. 

Player characters in Emergent Dawn will navigate the diverse landscapes across Arxis, explore ancient and modern remnants of civilizations, delve into the mysteries of the Formers, negotiate the complex political powers of the looming clerical orders given legitimacy by the Miravyn Monarchy and the  hegemony of Doctrine, and discover the volatility of the quantum emergent planes while using Emergent powers to heal the fractures of Arxis—or perhaps cause more chaos.