Mandel
You are a carefree young noble, returned from your career in the military, academia or diplomatic service to discover that your father Zelig Van Elstrik, a local war hero, has died and been buried in a hurry.
Commune with the Realm of the Dead
The Necromancer's Tale is a classic top-down RPG where you play the role of a minor noble in the 1730s, drawn into the Dark Necromantic Arts as you uncover a complex multi-generational intrigue. Little is what it seems, and great power awaits .. along with the weird, the morbid, and a gradual slide into madness.
Denizens of Rulsthen
Some of the 150+ characters you will meet in The Necromancer's Tale.
Jervase
Baron of Marns, Jervase is Mandel's uncle (Zelig's brother) and a celebrated defender of the kingdom in his own time.
Juliana
Your mother has always been troubled and distant, but since returning home you sense that her mind is gone.
Willard
Orphaned at a young age, Willard was adopted by Jervase as his own son, and has risen to become captain of the town guard. A straight-forward soldier, he yet has a key role in the destiny of the kingdom.
Albrecht
Albrecht is the family butler, a man who raised your father and, in your early years, you also. Professional, stoic, impenetrable; yet he bears secrets.
Mojca
The fortified city of Marns is heavily guarded, though the war with Venice finished two decades ago. Jervase's castle swarms with soldiers bearing muskets and pikes.
Ekrem
Marns in 1733 is a cultural melting-pot; positioned on the coast at the head of the Adriatic Sea, its inhabitants and vistors come from as far afield as the Ottoman Empire, to North Africa, to the west coast of Europe.
Robyn
Leader of a gang of orphaned kids, Robyn has her ear to the ground and may be a key source of information about events in the city.
Zala
A bronze age shaman of the Urnfield culture, Zala is brought back as an unwilling ally of the player. In her own time, she inhaled the ashes of cremated ancestors to have them speak through her mouth.
Alexander Pope
Several historical figures from the 1730s appear in the game. Alexander Pope (the famous English writer) appears as part of the political arc in the game.
Annie
One of the love interests who the player meets in the game. A brief but doomed romance may blossom.
Connor
Another love interest for the player. Annie and Connor are healers who the player meets while recovering in hospital from a magic-induced coma.
Commence Your Studies
Before you lies a great spellbook, filled with powerful rites of death and reanimation. Can you decipher
its pages and master its arcane rituals without losing your mind or being strung up by the townsfolk? Your progress will require
great determination, cunning and secrecy, as well as a willingness to confront difficult aspects of yourself and of all humankind.
Where does this book lead?
Mystery and Murder
The Necromancer's Tale focuses on conversation, narrative and ritual more than on combat. Yes, there are battles, however fighting on its own will not be a route to success. Choose your words wisely, because the characters you meet are already suspicious of the weird events in the town.
Development Team
Developing a game where you play as the outsider forces a fresh and interesting perspective on a game's systems.
Sam Redfern, Lead Developer
Approaching necromancy as if it were real, if the power fantasy elements were stripped from it, and exploring what following that dark path would do to a person's psyche opens up avenues for some really interesting and unique writing.
Dave McCabe, Narrative Lead
Something
Askhat Mizambekov, 2D Artist