A pulpy romantic sword-and-sorcery game of the end of one world and the beginning of the next. The rules of this game are meant to enable a type of fantasy where things don't necessarily make common sense, but are always full of style: a bit creepy, a bit comedic, a bit dark and violent, and definitely romantic. There's quite a few rules in here that have to do with love and sex. The game's setting is intentionally a sketch. It is there for you to fill in with your players and gives you a set of tools to do so. The fundamental tenets of Near can be summed up as: No gods. No monsters. Just people.
Set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world where the creation of a moon has ravaged cultures and thrown the fate of the Earth into question, TSoY evokes equal parts Robert E. Howard and Emily Bronte. Goblins that change their shape at will, and find their form through love. Broken lands at war, rich swamps full of poisoners and slavers, and a decimated people with incredible magic. Jungle-dwelling kayakers who have mastered the world of the dead. It was the first RPG to use the concept of "keys," player-chosen ways to gain experience that you can use, rewarding and changing your character, until you act against them.