The year is 2090 and twin cities built on different ideologies, Prisma and Animus, have proven they can overcome the cataclysmic events of the past. Events that are still not fully understood, but forever changed the course of history…

Over a century has passed since the discovery of Kai sparked the Golden Era of mankind, but the unbridled optimism and prosperity did not last long. Only fifteen years later, a threat to the foundations of global society appeared: the Vines.

Initially appearing as dark, wispy lines that pulsed across the surface of Kai-infused technology, it became clear that the affliction was communicable to humans, the dark lines crawling across the bodies of the infected earning it the “Vines” moniker.

A seemingly minor virus, the Vines' only other initial symptoms were a stone-like hardening of the skin; a heightened sense of agitation; and, in rare cases, delirium. Though the origin of the virus remained elusive, the public was reassured that there was nothing to worry about. The best minds were working on a cure and the Vines would be a temporary setback, a footnote in history.

Everything changed a few short years later when the public became aware of the Aberrants.

Whistleblower testimony would later reveal that world leaders had known about the existence of Aberrants for some time, but the Golden Era came to an abrupt end when an outbreak in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area left hundreds dead.

A direct result of having contracted Vines, the Aberrants took a number of forms depending on the stage of the infection. Initially warped figures with hardened skin and sharpened limbs, the infected grew increasingly nightmarish, bound together by a web of black tendrils.

Feeding on Kai, the Vines spread rapidly across global supply lines, resulting in resource scarcity and sending civilization into chaos as hordes of Aberrants emerged.

With governments embroiled in damage control and finger-pointing, military units and corporate mercenary groups, untested after years of peace driven by the Golden Era, were quickly engulfed by the terrifying Aberrant hordes. Nowhere was safe.

In the year 2000, with the world already teetering on the verge of collapse, a sudden surge of Kai energy burst through Vines-infected infrastructure, resulting in a systemic power failure that plunged the world into darkness. With global power supplies and supply chains halted, access to the basic needs of food and water quickly became a fight for survival. Violence and civil war soon followed as the last vestiges of human civilization collapsed.

This event – which would become known as the “Flicker” – tipped the scales forever in the favor of the Vines and allowed the Aberrants to fully consume the remnants of the old world.

All seemed lost. Yet, there was still hope….

Overlooked in the chaos, a prominent Kai collection facility situated atop the Syntos mountains roared back to life the day after the Flicker. Drawing raw Kai energy down from the aether above, the Keep, as it was called, projected a translucent dome over the surrounding territory. Halting the advance of the Aberrants across a vast area of land still inhabited by millions.

New Eden was born.

A few years later, there began to emerge individuals who had a natural affinity to Kai. Their ability to manipulate Kai energy across the vibrational frequencies of the color spectrum, unaided by technology, led to a wide range of strange and astonishing abilities never seen before. Many hid their powers for fear of reprisal, but slowly they became more confident and began to seek others with similar talents so that together they might forge a path forward.

Assisted by an available supply of Kai energy from the Keep, the survivors of the Flicker necessarily came to terms with once again using the presumed source of the catastrophic events. Without any other choice for survival, the resources provided by the Keep became a lifeline that provided New Eden with a second chance. From this small pocket of life, left within a broken world, society could be reborn.

It has been 90 years since the Flicker and the twin cities of Prisma and Animus have grown out of the ashes of the past upon two separate ideological lines.

Prisma, a bastion of technological progress, seeks to reclaim the advancements of the Golden Era without as much reliance on Kai energy, driven by corporate dynasties alongside powerful individuals that want to shape its future. They are driven by the need for progress in the face of adversity and have seen great success in their rebuilding efforts.

Animus, in contrast, believes that it was not Kai itself that led to the devastating events of the Flicker, but rather its subjugation to technology that twisted its inherent connection to the primordial source of cosmic life. By rebuilding a society that is more aligned with the natural world, they believe that the powers accessible through the use of Kai can be used for great benefit – as long as the endless yearning for profit and power are left to one side.