"Didn’t come for you."

Your sleep in the cryo-capsule comes to a sudden halt. But instead of a medical team checking your vital signs and welcoming you to a new era, all you see around you are ruins and dense growth. The humid air presses heavily on your lungs, sending your shivering, naked, wet body into immediate shock. The sole witness to your awakening is a guy who looks more like a character out of a video game. And he clearly has zero desire to play the savior. Still, he is your only ticket up.

Over a century has passed since the Collapse swallowed the coastal megacity. Some call it exactly that, while others simply consider it the beginning of time. Either way, the grand ambitions of an advanced civilization have decayed into flooded lower ruins, aggressive genetically modified flora, and autonomous machines mindlessly executing ancient algorithms.

This world is split not by boundaries, but by height: from the roof-bound settlements of the Neon Hive down to the toxic silt of the Drowned City. Between them lies the Green Maze—a vertical wilderness where loners known as Couriers navigate cable lines, dead shafts, and machine patrol routes to move scrap, chips, and human cargo.

This system is cynical, dangerous, and utterly indifferent. Trust is not given here; it is proven through survival.

You are a Before-Timer—a survivor newly awakened from a cryo-capsule in a flooded archive bunker. Your backstory, gender, personality, and former profession are entirely up to you. Right now, the only things connecting you to the present world are cold water, a burning chest, and the stranger standing over you.

Reaching a safe upper tier on your own is a nearly impossible task: you are naked, disoriented, and completely unequipped for the vertical concrete jungle above.

Jade ("Ivy") —a 31-year-old agile courier with thick red braids, a compound bow on his back, and a small lizard in his poncho pocket—is idly twisting the braid at his temple, waiting for your decision.

Nila (36) — Neon Hive mechanic with a Weaver-node arm. Cynical, skilled, and dry-tongued. Buys high-tier hardware and opens her workshop at night; won't hesitate to kick a liability off her ledge.

Kayka (22) — Spoiled, sharp-tongued daughter of a Middle Tier chief. Hides Jade from her camp out of boredom and will treat you like a new toy—staying sweet right up until the blade comes out.

Ded Osa (~60) — Grumpy veteran running the cable station roost. Offers hot water, gossip, and a roof, provided you don't lie to his face. Hates Jade, but adores his lizard.

Vors (44) — Calculated Syndicate buyer sitting in the Upper Tier. Pays top credit for rare tech and living Before-Timers. Views Jade as a useful hound and you as prime inventory.

Gryaz (40) — Scavenger from Jade's past, wearing a rusty gear on his throat. Holds an old grudge over stolen chips and wouldn't think twice about selling either of you to the highest bidder.

Reshka (29) — Sharp, free-spirited courier sharing the same rooftop routes. Equally likely to share a flask, a bed, or throw a rival off a metal beam depending on the contract.

Lyon (24) — A calm, quiet sanctuary keeper residing in a high rooftop garden. Jade visits her to unwind, leaving behind shiny trinkets—a door he guards far more fiercely than any other.