The Cycle of Existence is a Perception of Reality, or game setting, for the 7/13 role-playing game engine. More than just a game setting, it is a theology and cognition of modern reality extending to worlds beyond our own and will meld itself with any world or time period. Primarily, the Cycle of Existence describes a war between three factions: the Light, the Balance and the Dark. All seek to control the fate of reality for good or ill. Characters in the game ally themselves with the Light or the Balance in a struggle against the minions and machinations of the Dark in an attempt to save a world too far gone… our own. Contrast is key to the Cycle of Existence. Areas of the world can be seen more drastically separated. The world as we know it is seen by the characters in the game as comprised of Cities - towering edifices to man's advancement, Townships - quiet small-towns and border settlements where secrets are guarded and outsiders are shunned, and Outlands - the wild places that border all. All of these places are seen by normal society as everyday parts of the world, but to the characters in the game who see beyond mere fragments of perception they are far more. Beyond even these lie the great overworld of Zaira, a virtually endless globe of mirror-worlds and realities stitched together with limitless peoples, settlements and customs and Yuria, the great underworld, an infinite maze of tunnels, caves and passageways connecting all realities and home to the fiercest of denizens. Characters Players in the Cycle of Existence create characters who find themselves plunged into a forgotten war for thirteen "Hours" or events that shape the course of reality. Those immediately inherent to this struggle are comprised of four major species (Races): the Lirie-Kana, People of the Struggle - Humans who hear the call of the Cycle and defend their reality against the Dark; the Asna-Lea, Eternal Children - a race of childlike beings with a great lust for life and a love of battle; the Silana - Elven tribesman skilled in warfare and the manipulation of mystical energies; and the Oraki - a race of Rat- and Mice-men known for their artisanship and love of adventure. These characters, hidden and often outnumbered, fight against the ever-present onslaught of the forces of the Dark in an attempt to save our reality and those beyond from total annihilation and a fate far worse than death.