In a world driven by the Effervescence, a matter transportation technology powered by a peer-to-peer economy, citizens compete for wealth and prestige by aligning themselves with an array of currencies. The Woven Oath is a deal humanity made with the Effervescence and one of the major currencies in an attempt to prolong their lives and cure their illnesses. Every human is now enslaved to paying off their Oath and should they fail their very bodies become food to feed the ravenous entity demanding payment.