If you thought the political landscape of Norvik was volatile, it turns out the actual land is even worse. The new worldbuilding deep dive explains that the setting isn't a standard fantasy continent. Instead, the Esoteric Coast is a constructed pocket dimension created by an entity known as JOR, populated by a collision of creatures and elements pulled from other worlds.
The Eight Bands of Reality
The most fascinating mechanical implication here is the concept of "Bands." The world is divided into eight distinct zones—including names like Reeds, Vourgeni, Kargamesh, and Askan—each operating under its own set of "esoteric rules." In a CRPG rooted in tabletop mechanics, distinct environmental rules usually mean one thing: unique gameplay modifiers that force you to adapt your build.
The geography itself is described as unstable, with physical distances and rules warping the further you travel inland from the Coast. This instability provides a narrative justification for why Norvik, the setting's primary hub, is so crowded. It is the last bastion of humanity, established just 57 years ago following the "Coast War."
What lies beneath Norvik?
The devlog also details the "Undercoast," a massive cavern system beneath the surface. The hook here is verticality and physics: between 3 and 5 kilometers deep, gravity flips. This creates a literal underworld with its own distinct biome implications. For a game focused on investigating a bombing and navigating political intrigue alongside your goblin companion Snell, these environmental details suggest that your investigation might eventually take you into areas where the laws of physics are as corrupt as the politicians.