Exclusive: Edge of Twilight: The Rift at Selann

2:30 PM on 06.13.2009   |   Jim Sterling

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Edge of Twilight developer Fuzzyeyes likes Destructoid. Hot off the heels of our world exclusive E3 trailer, we have very kindly been granted permission to reveal the first piece of background story for Edge of Twilight, a first-person account of an incident within the game's world known as "The Rift at Sélann."

It was the story for this game that first drew me to the project. This steampunk adventure game tells a tale of two opposing factions, the industrial Athyrn and the spiritual, mostly undead Lithern, neither of which are supposed to be truly good or truly evil. Both of them have commited horrible acts, but both of them sincerely believe they're doing the right thing. Such is the way of politics. 

This first slice of backstory introduces the first encounter between the Athyrn and the Lithern, as told from the perspective of mine worker Luther. You can read it after the jump. 

Edge of Twilight currently has no release date, which is strange because it really should have been given one by now. We'll keep attempting to find out what's going on with this game and let you know.

The Rift at Sélann (Central)
Finally home. What happened today? Looking out at the streets of Athyr, I can’t help but
think something is wrong. Well, something bigger than what happened. Perhaps the
lamps have started burning too early. The fracture straight down the middle of the city
dislodged a few mechanisms I suppose. But the clockwork in the streetlamps is the last
thing on my mind.

The flash… I can still see it when I look into a dark corner. It was about 17:30 when Levi
and I were on a routine maintenance round at the Sélann mines, looking at the belt drive
of drill sixteen. There was nothing to report, although it’s given me problems in the past.
Levi had too, but I enjoyed his company. Suddenly the whole place filled with this flash
of light. It was so quick and so bright. I thought I’d been blinded. And the sound it
made… It seemed to come from inside my head, like my skull itself had cracked into a
thousand pieces. And the entire mountain gave an almighty jolt. I couldn’t see anything,
but I heard the iron around me straining, some of it giving way. And then came the
screaming… I’ve never heard screams like that. But I’m sure I’ll hear them again in my
dreams.

After I’d been on the floor a short while my vision began to return. I couldn’t see much at
first, but the fear that I was blinded quickly subsided. On my knees I saw something on
the ground in front of me… I couldn’t work out what it was. All I could hear was
screaming and buckling iron and steam shooting out from any number of ruptured
pipelines, but this thing on the floor… I tried to focus on it, and then I saw. And now I
wish I’d focused on anything else in that room. It was a hand. It was a man’s hand torn
off at the wrist. My stomach had begun turning, and then I saw it even clearer. The ring
on one of the fingers was Levi’s wedding ring.

I need a drink.

Back from the inn now and the Citadel is so crowded all I could hear was the sound of
thousands of boots on the iron streets – so much confusion. There’re droves of miners,
guards, families all coming up from the network station. So many of them crying or just
not showing any emotion at all. Many of them were also drinking at the inn. The flash
and those things that killed Levi… we weren’t the only ones. It wasn’t just Sélann. It was
everywhere. Those things, people are saying they were Lithern. I’ve never seen one
before, but they’re nothing like I imagined. Well, they’re everywhere too. They’re killing
us all.

I don’t understand. I was at the inn for hours. Now looking out my window, it still
appears the streetlamps are on too early. Maybe it’s just my exhaustion, but I get the
unsettling impression that the shadows of Athyr are no longer moving.

- Luther