Surface Entropy

Surface Entropy is the foundational principle explaining the inevitable, accelerated decay observed in all structures and cultures lacking deep, subterranean anchorage. It is the geological certainty applied to the cultural fragility of the upper strata, particularly regarding the short-lived human settlements. The phenomenon operates on a predictable cycle: rapid acquisition of volatile resources, technological overreach, and swift collapse —a sequence the Abbey chronicles under the designation of Rapid Societal Collapse. This contrasts sharply with the millennia of calculated stability achieved by those within the Iron-Grip Mountains. The failure is visible in their architecture; transient, surface-built remnants known as Ephemeral Structures quickly yield to environmental stress, never achieving the mineral permanence of the deep stone. This chronic instability acts as a chilling, verifiable proof of the fatal trajectory that ruined Umbral. The destructive aftermath of the Great Sundering, followed by the instability of the Age of Lingering Echoes, confirms this axiom: those who defy the deep currents of The Great Cycle are doomed to be consumed by the mere passage of time. Our archives exist to chart the depth needed to escape this superficial rot.