They say there have been eight worlds before ours. Eight times the people of this Earth, over vast millennia, built their civilizations, reaching heights we cannot even fully imagine now. They spoke to the stars, reshaped the creatures of the world, and mastered form and essence. They built cities and machines that have since crumbled to dust, leaving only their barest remnants.

This is the Ninth World. The people of the prior worlds are gone—scattered, disappeared, or transcended. But their works remain, in the places and devices that still contain some germ of their original function. The ignorant call these magic, but the wise know that these are our legacy. They are our future. They are the Numenera.

Set a billion years in our future, Numenera is a tabletop roleplaying game about exploration and discovery. The people of the Ninth World suffer through a dark age, an era of isolation and struggle in the shadow of the ancient wonders crafted by civilizations millennia gone. But discovery awaits for those brave enough to seek out the works of the prior worlds. Those who can uncover and master the numenera can unlock the powers and abilities of the ancients, and perhaps bring new light to a struggling world.

You are travelling to a rustic villa called Tavrul to deliver a gift to the resident Aeon Priest. The ancient road made of pebbly synth is twisting and turning through the occasional large rocky hills. Yet still, progress the past few days has been good and the way is clearly navigable through the arid, cold region. You are camping out now, , between toadstool-like fungi, big enough to almost stand under. The campfire has all but burned down, so it's quite dark...

The Blancmange & Thistle is an extravagant hotel cast in gold and chrome. Chandeliers, ironwork, thick colourful mismatched carpets, paintings of every style taste and era, guests in nooks buried in deep chairs seemingly built for them, mandrills everywhere, the smell of brass polish and artificial cherry in the air.

The characters arrive looking for suitably glamorous accommodation for their first few days in the city of Troika. The concierge informs the party that they are hosting their annual Feast of the Chiliarch on the roof and as a result there is unfortunately only one room on the 6th floor left and that they “simply must attend the party” and that it will be “a positive delight to have you”. In a fit of politeness you all agree to share the remaining room.