Did you ever wonder what a Soulslike game would be like in a turn-based environment?

Eidolons: Netherflame is the answer to this question.

Anphis val Keserim. Even for a champion of the most sinister cabal in Ersidrian history, a sorcerer nigh without equal, his ambition has ever bordered on insanity.
Why else would the pre-eminent mage lord, Congregation’s field general and the right hand of the brotherhood’s grandmaster, turn and become a renegade?

But to slay a god, even a sorcerer such as he needs powerful weapons. So Anphis set out to seek Netherflame, grim legacy of the Primordial Gods.

And on this quest, the dark mage has met his end – or so it is said.
Now the many who hated and feared him speak with relish of how his shattered soul is no doubt doomed to be food for the dreaded fiends of the Nether Realm. 
But a few who knew him better silently wonder - was it all part of his plan?

Following his apparent demise as a mortal, Anphis - whether or not per his plan - finds himself in the haunted desolation of the Sleeper Realm, a place only vaguely hinted at in the histories of the sunlit world. 

His awakening from the deathly slumber will not be an easy one - for a source such as he cannot hope to elude the notice of darker, ever ravenous entities. 

From there, he embarks on a mystical and dark journey through the Nether Realm. 
Against all odds, he must carry out the grim quest he set out to do, alone.

Yet even in the haunted desolation, he is not without guidence. 
His own fractured psyche has given birth to a multitude of voices, some wise, some insane. 
And then there is another, more soothing voice for Anphis to take comfort in.

The Seer bound her life and soul to Anphis, become the one bridge that can take him back to the world of the living, albeit at grim price.  

In the end, the story of Eidolons asks a number of tenuous questions.

What is a soul? What can change it? Is it so wrong not to care about others? And what is the price one pays for it? 

You will have to find your own answers.

In Eidolons: Netherflame you play as Anphis and follow his rise as the last Eidolon Lord. 

In tribute to a certain tradition, the campaign is made up of 4 Acts, each set in a different location. 
Starting in the deepest recesses of the Nether Realm, the journey takes you through a vast ancient castle drifting in the dark void, and finally, back to the mist-veiled lands of Ersidria and to a place of vengeance.

Each Act contains several hand-crafted levels full of secrets and hazards plus a few larger randomized dungeons in-between.

After the introductory Act I where you test your powers, the game lets you play one of four of characters.

In his quest for  power, Anphis found unlikely allies - a group of former Wardens, deserters from the Order of Veil. Their pact seemed fragile, yet it held through, for the regenegade Wardens were called by the very power he sought, as was foretold by Selene. 

Together they set out to the Isle of Gods to challenge a mythic creature in whose lair lay the last pure seed of the Netherflame. 

Their daring quest proved ill-fated, and in the end only four Wardens were left standing by the sorcerer's side. Just enough to perform the ritual that Selene had planned for.

Few could fathom what happened next, but now the pale remnants of the intrepid four are chained to Anphis with a blasphemous magic, and his own soul fractured and trapped between worlds.

Over the course of your journey, you will perhaps learn what had really happened. And you will learn of the Wardens, their bleak past and failed hopes. And at the end of it, you will have a chance to save them - or make final use of their sacrifice and consign them to eternal torment.

In each mission, you have one ‘life’ on each of the four Eidolon heroes, and cycle through them as they die. If none are left, the mission is failed. 
Saves are allowed only between missions, making each a singular challenge to overcome - true to the roguelike spirit at the heart of the game. 

As an Eidolon Lord you will claim the souls of the fallen and use them as you see fit - to imbue items with magical properties, to cheat death or briefly assume your true form - a deathly shadow that withers all it touches, but cannot long withstand the weight of existence.

Hero Creation 

The game offers an open-ended hero progression system with over 40 Skill Trees, 10 Class Trees and 21 school of magic. In Netherflame campaign, you will begin with the base of your four Eidolon heroes - a fiery barbarian, a valiant Shieldmaiden, a crafty Dwarf headhunter and a Dark Elf assassin.

After the classic part where you distribute points between yours base Attributes, you are fully the architect of your hero. 
You invest into one of multiple Mastery types available to the hero, by which you craft hero’s own Mastery Tree. Then you fill it with Skills of your choosing, though you never had quite enough XP to get all there is, so you have to choose wisely. 

Class system works in a similar way - only instead of the more generic Mastery, you must earn Class Ranks - e.g. Fighter, Assassin or Battle Mage - and fill your personalized Class Tree with special perks, such as Last Man Standing or Berserker Blood. 

Each Class has a number of tiers and is in itself a tree, so a Fighter for instance may progress along the Soldier > Veteran > Paragon branch or perhaps along the Warrior > Gladiator > Berserker, with other choices at every step.
There are 10 base classes and a total of 70 Class Ranks, each with its own lore and unique abilities and stats impact. 

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The main idea behind combat in Eidolons is to base it solidly in reality and then make it turn-based. The result was a curious combination of HoMM5-inspired ATB system, atomic actions and real-time basis that makes intuitive sense. In action, it feels natural, and you do not have to think about it as a special ruleset. 

To succeed, you must be aware of what each enemy can do at each point in time. Can you sneak by this slow axeman while he’s still getting his bearings, or will you pay with a limb for it? Can you step out of that tree, shoot an arrow and step back without having this wizard discharge his lightning bolt at you?

These things will become intuitive quickly, so the flow of possibilities and dangers will race through your mind as you re-align your strategy with each new development. No one takes too many hits to bring down, so you will have to watch it!

You can read a more in-depth breakdown of the combat system in this devlog entry. 

...fragments of the sacred Oversoul, they are a primeval force set on a path of destruction. Their power is essential if we are to succeed in the final test. They will not part with it willingly.

As in Dark Souls, Boss fights have a special place in Eidolons gameplay, and are made to feel brutal and epic, test your mastery and resourcefulness.

To prevail, you will have to use all 4 of your heroes to prevail, play your hand smartly, calling on the Eidolons of your Chain and managing your Soulforce.

In boss fights, you must win 3 rounds, and in each one they will assume a form closer to their original one, becoming increasingly surreal. And what works against one form may prove futile against the other, so you have to change your tactics accordingly. 

Edalar, the eldest of the nine worlds on our plane, is a world that has had a good life. Its history is filled with visions of wonder, glory and ruinous fury. 
Now its time is almost at an end, the twelth age is drawing to a close and Edalar, like many worlds before it, must go back beneath the Veil, into the Grey, merge with the Underverse and bow to the Nether Gods’ will. 

It must, but will it? 
Edalar is now ruled by Man, and his lust for power - mundane and arcane - has never been stronger. Indeed, mankind is now at the brink of a revolution
the technological progress - denied them for many centuries by the brutality of war and ancient gods - now finally seems within grasp.

For five centuries, there has been relative peace and undisturbed progress 
Led by the wise and honorable dynasty of the long-living Eresars, the realms of Allkingdom prospered and shed the haunting ghosts of their past.

All except for Ersidria. Here the hammer of war and sorcery fell the heaviest - and the land could never recover. Nor could the people, descendants of the once-proud Valherim, lords of Sea and Stone, brought low and conquered by the allied armies of the Young Kingdoms. 
The Red Priests of Ardai have denounced their gods and brought their own to replace them, fire and steel in their wake. 

Yet for all the misfortune that befell the distant realm, it never lost a certain air of grandeur. That, and the allure of freedom, the vane glory of legends from ages past, and the wanton rule of violence attracted those for whom the Allkingdom no longer had a place. 
Mercenaries, disgraced knights, fanatics, dangerous free-thinkers and over-ambitious wizards. And of course, simple criminals. 
Such is the boiling pot of chaos where the world’s fate must be decided. 
Yes, it will be here, deep within the twilit mist of whispering groves, beneath the leaden skies, enclosed by the mournful seas, on fields of battles past. It will be in Ersidria.

You can read more about the game's extensive lore in its arcane blog! 

What people say about Eidolons?

The project has only recently been made public, but already a few people have covered our latest news - the release of the Backer Demo!

Here is the first part of it - don't worry, it does not contain too many spoilers, only the guided/tutorial part and stops when the free fight begins. 

A few articles also already appeared in the press - 
https://www.onrpg.com/videos/eidolons-netherflame-beta-is-on-indiegogo-for-all-backers/
https://www.geekgeneration.fr/eidolons-netherflame-la-beta-indiegogo-est-disponible/
https://www.mdegaming.at/eidolons-netherflame-soulslike-trifft-auf-taktik-rpg/
https://arata.lat/eidolons-netherflame-tiene-beta/

On top of the obvious - the game key and backer demo - we are offering a wide range of digital rewards to our backers, including art, music, special access and more! 

Most rewards can be delivered immediately, but some may take more time. Everything will be delivered before end of October 2019.

Contains full introduction into the story, a short (and cruel) tutorial, boss fight and a castle

floating in hell to explore. It contains following modules from Act I of the Netherflame Campaign:

• The Awakening (cinematic story introduction),
• Duel in Flames (combat-tutorial),
• Dark Ascension (atmospheric exploration, puzzles and free combat)

Delivered as a Steam key or as custom download link on request. (Note that the demo will receive updates via Steam)

In addition to the basic version, Extended Demo will offer you a glimpse from Act II of the Netherflame Campaign - a harrowing adventure into the depths of the fallen fortress of Nyrn.

Get the game as soon as it comes into Early Access this year! 

Independent* of our crowdfunding results, Eidolons will be in Early Access on Steam before the end of 2019. 

Early Access version will provide between 5 and 7 hours of play (and receive regular updates), while the full version with the entire Netherflame Campaign - 15 to 25 hours of play and considerable replayability (as you may start with any of the 4 Acts).

*The results of this campaign could speed up the full release, which right now scheduled for 2020.

The very first entry in the musical journey of Eidolons was made by Edwin Pickett, it is made for maximum immersion  - the seamless looping lets you listen for hours. I for one certainly do while I code away in the murky depths!

Comes with two special bonus tracks composed by Edwin Pickett. Listen now on soundcloud!

Dark and Epic, the score of Eidolons: Netherflame is over an hour long and will be your loyal companion on dark winter nights ahead, as it hails from frosty Finland!

You can get a taste of its deep melancholy in the bonus track "Fractures".

The legend says that it was composed in a day and a night in a sudden flare of long brooding passion. They also hint that took a while of to arrive at that epic moment however.

For myself, I can only say it was a great pleasure for me to see this musical journey unfold, to offer ideas and and share materials that I hope have largely inspired Mika in his creative process.

A package of 25 hero portraits very well suited for customizing your character in games like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights or just on your favorite RPG forum.

A package of 15 Full HD Wallpapers with multiple resolution, color and contrast versions.

If you need custom resolution, you need only ask.

A special edition of our digital art collection, it is packed with art made over at least 5 years and contains work of over a dozen artists. From classic character art to maps and sketches, vague dreams and sublime visions of a future not yet arrived – it has it all!

The main part contains over a hundred monsters, two dozen heroes, various landscapes and a full arsenal of animated weaponry. In the Appendix you will find stranger things and abstract art. Many of the pieces come with personal commentary about the inspiration for and process of its creation.

Each page is print-friendly!

The Ersidrian peninsula is a place where ages, cultures and biomes all clash together in an arduous mayhem. It is roughly one tenth of the known surface of Edalar.

This epic map of it was drawn by Steffen Sommer based on my sketches and texts. It took almost a year to complete and the mutual creative process fueled my passion for the project and its lore. I personally think that Steffen’s passion for original works of J.R.R. Tolkien shines through every pixel of it!

On top of the original version, the item package will include multiple Full HD (and larger) versions with atmospheric lighting and weather effects, best suited for your desktop!

High DPI makes it look perfect when printed as well. So decorate that living room wall with a bit of fantasy art!

An in-game book collection of dark lore with total of at least 50 pages, it is made up of maniscripts of varying degree of completeness and sanity. Together they offer a window into the grand and crazy vision that is Eidolon Multiverse that grew over many years.

Become part of the creative process! Get the original design document, and help us create an NPC or a side-quest for the Netherflame campaign! 

Get access to a tester branch of the game with latest builds all the way to the full release in 2020!

Indulge your curiousity and ask the team any single question about Eidolons!

Note that while you can ask anything, and the answer will be full and completely honest, it must of course remain strictly confidential. Some things are not meant to be known by the many, only the few...

Want the dark secret to be your own?  Then give us something you wish to be an easter egg in the game! Subject to reasonable approval.

Get access to a private Backer or Dev channel on discord and a special role to go with it! The whole Wyrmring team is there too :)

Speaking of which...

The game is largely developed as a solo project by Alexander @EiDemiurge Kamen, but over the years a number of people have contributed to making this vision come true. 

If you would like to know more, this interview here sheds more light on how this came game to be - and bears witness to how much I had underestimated the effort to launch a crowdfunding campaign! All the more grateful to Marcello from @turnbasedlovers who gave me the much needed chance to speak up about the shrouded roots of the project at that time!  

And here is the more complete list of contributors: 

Denis Lola - technical assistance
Andrey Zarkly - character art and lineart for this campaign
Pavel @Broojacker - sound design and music 

Davide Pessach - counseling and marketing

Steffen Sommer - original map and icon art

Edwin Pickett - ambient and theme music
Alexander @Shadeborn - voice acting
Artem @Stargrave - landscape art
Artem Akmulin - music 

I also express my gratitde to these amazing people from Freesound.org:

InspectorJ
Klankbeeld 
Farbe1001
Cabled-mess
Uagadugu
Adamgryu
Digifishmusic
Erdie

Also special thanks go to these brave and patient testers!

Malik Arrum

Ya-Seen

cousity 

Korikabu

Ayechihuahua

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my brother Ilya for his insightful advice and his wife Maria for putting her manager skills to use in our nightly battle-plan sessions. 

I couldn't have done this without you  guys :)

The project needs more full-time professional help with its art and sound design, and the current team members need to pay their bills! :)

The most relevant and immediate factor however is whether Alexander Kamen will afford to work full-time all the way through to release, or have to do freelance or get a programmer job to pull it through :)

Eidolons is an innovate hybrid between roguelike and cRPG. Like all things new, there is a space for growth, but also the danger of not being quite understood - or properly executed - in the absense of a well-trodden path.

This is my main personal concern. Then there is of course always the project’s somewhat low bus-factor.

However, despite its solo-dev origins, the project is structured in a modular way to allow for easy contribution of more people, if it has the the financial means to ensure their welfare.

Eidolons project is my life, and I am determined to realize it in some form no matter what. I see see it as a chance start a change in the genre that has, from my perspective, been walking around in circles for decades now.