The old world is dying, choked by its own ambition. But for Seraphina "Sera" Cottage, a pragmatic architect with an unyielding vision, a new world beckons. Leading a small band of hopeful colonists, Sera arrives on an untamed continent, a land of sprawling forests, winding rivers, and vast, silent plains. Their mission: to build Havenfall, a new civilization from scratch.

The First Clearing plunges Sera and her people into an arduous struggle for survival. Every tree felled, every stone quarried, every shelter raised is a testament to their desperate will to live. They must master resource management, hunt for sustenance, and forge rudimentary tools, all while battling harsh weather and unfamiliar, often hostile, wildlife. Yet, amidst the raw wilderness, they uncover something unsettling: ancient, overgrown ruins that whisper of a forgotten, highly advanced civilization.

This isn't just a story of survival; it's a raw, visceral account of humanity's enduring spirit, the painstaking process of turning wilderness into a nascent home, and the first, unsettling discovery that they might not be the first to try.