Name: Eclipse of Eternity
Alt name: EE or E²
Genre: Dungeon Crawler RPG
Plot: The core storyline revolves around a group of heroes chosen by a divine prophecy to stop an impending apocalypse. The main antagonist, a corrupt deity who seeks to merge the physical world with the Void, threatens to annihilate reality. The heroes must traverse through several dungeons to gather ancient artifacts capable of sealing the deity away for good. Along the way, they face increasing challenges, discover secrets about their own origins, and deal with factions like the "World Church," opposing religious sects, and mysterious magical orders.
Core Gameplay: The player controls a team of adventurers as they journey through procedurally generated dungeons, gathering resources, defeating bosses, and upgrading their abilities. There are specific bosses at the end of certain dungeons, with major world-building attached to each 100th floor.
Netharis Dungeon (Valdris' Domain): The dungeon where Valdris and the crew reside, Netharis, is a post-endgame, bonus content dungeon with no real bearing on the core plot. It's a massive challenge meant for the hardcore completionists. Netharis is unlocked after completing the main campaign, and serves as a brutal, near-impossible challenge where Val is the "Bluff King" boss, an unkillable force unless specific and absurd conditions are met.
Gameplay Mechanics: Players can choose from several character classes, including traditional fantasy ones (Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Cleric), as well as more unique options like Synthetic-Lifeforms (SLs), Beastmen, and vampires. The SL class line adds a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid element to the game, with mechanical and biotic abilities allowing for flexibility in combat and crafting.
Humor Elements: The tone of the game occasionally breaks the fourth wall, especially in side quests and NPC dialogue, poking fun at RPG clichés.
Vibe and Aesthetic: The core game has a dark and epic feel, with high stakes and an atmosphere of looming destruction. The bonus dungeons, like Netharis, shift to a more light-hearted and over-the-top tone, acting as a meta-commentary on the game itself.
Races:
1. Humans
Specialty: Versatility
Description: Humans are the most adaptable race in the game, able to master any class without penalty. They are known for their balance between physical and magical abilities, making them a jack-of-all-trades.
Perks: Bonus to all stat growths, access to the most class options, and faster experience gain.
Starting Point: Kingdom of Arcadia
Starting Point Description: A balanced starting location, the Kingdom of Arcadia offers opportunities for players to develop both martial and magical skills. As humans are versatile, Arcadia provides access to various guilds, allowing players to choose their specialization early on, whether they wish to be knights, mages, or traders.
2. Elves
Specialty: Magic and Dexterity
Description: Known for their affinity with nature and magic, elves excel in spellcasting and long-ranged combat. They possess heightened senses and agility.
Perks: Increased magic damage, higher accuracy with ranged weapons, and bonuses to perception and stealth.
Starting Point: Sylvanis Forest
Starting Point Description: The homeland of the Elves, Sylvanis Forest is a vast, magical woodland. Players begin near the Elder Tree, where they can access advanced nature and arcane magic training. Elves thrive in this environment, learning how to harness their keen archery skills and magic attunement.
3. Dark Elves (Drow)
Description: The Dark Elves, or Drow, hail from the depths of underground cities, often referred to as the Shadowlands. Their society thrives in dark caverns beneath the surface, where light rarely touches. They are a proud and secretive race, highly skilled in the use of shadow magic and known for their cunning and deception. Dark Elves typically have ash-colored skin, glowing eyes, and white or silvery hair. They are often viewed with suspicion by other races due to their mysterious nature and tendency toward manipulation.
Specialty: Dark Elves excel in shadow magic, assassination, and stealth-based combat. Their affinity with darkness allows them to blend into the shadows, making them perfect rogues, assassins, and spies. They are also skilled in alchemy, often creating deadly poisons and potions to enhance their abilities.
Perks: Shadow Affinity – Dark Elves can naturally hide in shadows, becoming nearly invisible in low-light conditions. They gain bonuses to stealth and critical hit chances when attacking from the shadows.
Shadow Step – Allows short-range teleportation through shadows, making them highly elusive in combat.
Poison Mastery – They have an innate resistance to poison and are skilled at crafting potent toxins for both melee and ranged attacks.
Night Vision – They can see in complete darkness without issue.
Drawbacks:
Sunlight Weakness – Dark Elves suffer penalties in direct sunlight, which makes them weaker and reduces their magical capabilities.
Distrusted by Other Races – Due to their secretive and often malicious reputation, Dark Elves are rarely trusted by other races, leading to strained relationships and hostility.
Starting Point: The Shadowlands
Starting Point Description: A massive underground city filled with dark magic, shadowy alleyways, and hidden dangers. It is a place where only the cunning survive, and deceit is a daily practice.
4. Moon Elves
Description: The Moon Elves, or Lunar Elves, are an ethereal race closely connected to the cycles of the moon. They are a graceful and wise people, living in enchanted forests or high in the mountains where moonlight is most prevalent. Known for their deep spirituality and connection to celestial magic, Moon Elves are revered for their magical prowess and serene nature. They have light blue or silver skin, and their eyes often glow with a soft, moonlit hue. Moon Elves possess a natural grace and beauty that reflects their celestial heritage.
Specialty: Moon Elves excel in celestial magic, illusion, and healing arts. Their connection to the moon enhances their spellcasting abilities during nighttime or in the presence of moonlight. They are often skilled as mages, illusionists, or priests, providing valuable support in battles or crafting powerful enchantments.
Perks:
Moon's Blessing – During the night or when exposed to moonlight, Moon Elves' magical abilities are amplified, and their healing spells are more potent.
Illusion Magic – They excel in creating powerful illusions to deceive and confuse enemies, making them adept at controlling the battlefield from afar.
Lunar Resilience – Moon Elves have enhanced resistance to mind-control or psychic attacks, drawing power from the calming influence of the moon.
Healing Light – Moon Elves can harness moonlight to heal allies or restore their own health, making them excellent support characters in groups.
Drawbacks:
Weakened in Daylight – Similar to Dark Elves, Moon Elves are at their weakest during the day when their connection to the moon is diminished. Their magical power and agility are reduced in bright sunlight.
Fragile Physique – While magically gifted, Moon Elves are physically weaker compared to other races, making them less suited for direct melee combat.
Starting Point: The Luminous Glade
Starting Point Description: a mystical forest bathed in eternal moonlight, where ancient shrines to the moon goddess stand. The Moon Elves' connection to this place strengthens their magic, and it is a sanctuary for peace and knowledge.
5. Dwarves
Specialty: Durability and Craftsmanship
Description: Dwarves are hardy and strong, excelling in defensive and physical combat roles. They also have a deep affinity with crafting, capable of forging high-quality gear.
Perks: Increased health, resistance to magic, bonus to armor crafting, and enhanced mining and blacksmithing skills.
Starting Point: Stonehollow Mountains
Starting Point Description: Located in the depths of the mountains, Stonehollow is a city built into the rock, full of forges and engineering marvels. Dwarves begin with a focus on blacksmithing, mining, and physical combat. The area provides access to crafting guilds, helping them master weapon creation and defense strategies.
6. Beastmen
Specialty: Physical Combat and Tracking
Description: These half-human, half-animal beings are known for their primal strength and ability to track enemies. They thrive in melee combat and possess heightened senses.
Perks: Bonus to attack speed, critical hit rate, enhanced tracking ability, and increased movement in wilderness settings.
Starting Point: The Untamed Plains
Starting Point Description: Beastmen begin their journey in the wild and rugged Untamed Plains. They have a natural advantage in this environment, allowing them to master survival skills, hunting, and close-quarters combat. Players here can align with various tribal factions that offer unique combat techniques.
7. Vampires
Specialty: Life Steal and Dark Magic
Description: Vampires possess unnatural abilities tied to dark magic and the ability to drain life from enemies. While strong at night or in darkness, they are weakened by sunlight and holy spells.
Perks: Health regeneration via life steal, increased damage in the dark, and access to blood magic.
Starting Point: The Bloodmoon Keep
Starting Point Description: High in the Midnight Peaks, the Bloodmoon Keep is a gothic fortress cloaked in eternal night. Vampire players start here, focusing on stealth, blood magic, and dark arts. They also have access to the Nightshade Guild, which teaches the art of vampiric transformation and hunting.
8. Synthetic-Lifeforms (SLs)
Specialty: Technology and Customization
Description: SLs are mechanical or biotic beings, each generation more lifelike than the last. They have unique abilities related to technology and self-enhancement, making them incredibly customizable.
Generations:
G1-G2 (Robotic SLs): High durability, strong physical defenses, and access to advanced technological weaponry. However, they are slow and lack natural magic affinity.
G3-G4 (Hybrid SLs): More balanced between organic and mechanical parts, these SLs can use both technology and magic, making them versatile but not as specialized.
G5-G6 (Biotic SLs): Completely indistinguishable from living beings, these SLs have the same flexibility as other races but retain technological enhancements, such as regeneration or increased cognitive speed.
Perks: Access to cybernetic implants, customization of stats, and the ability to self-repair.
Drawbacks: Depending on the generation, healing magic might not work. Faces heavy scrutiny.
Starting Point: The Mechanist Citadel
Starting Point Description: Located in a high-tech facility floating above the world, players choosing SLs begin in the Mechanist Citadel, surrounded by advanced technology. Each generation of SL has a different experience here: G1 and G2 players face challenges with limited human-like abilities, while later generations start with advanced biotic features. Players can customize and upgrade themselves using technological resources.
9. Undead (Condition)
Specialty: Immortality and Necromancy
Description: Undead is a condition that can be chosen alongside any race. It grants the player the ability to resist death and control the forces of necromancy, but comes with drawbacks such as weaknesses to holy magic and sunlight.
Perks: Health regeneration in darkness, immunity to poison and disease, access to necromantic spells, and the ability to summon undead minions.
Drawbacks: Weak to holy and fire spells, sunlight reduces effectiveness, and difficulty with healing magic.
Starting Point: The Necropolis
Starting Point Description: Regardless of race, if players choose to be undead, they start in the Necropolis, an ancient, decaying city inhabited by other undead. Here, they have access to necromancy, dark rituals, and regeneration powers. The Necropolis is filled with curses and dangerous entities, but it offers powerful magic for those willing to take the risk.
10. Orcs
Specialty: Brutal Strength and Combat Endurance
Description: Orcs are known for their raw power and resilience in battle. They specialize in heavy weaponry and hand-to-hand combat.
Perks: Increased attack power, reduced damage from physical attacks, and natural health regeneration in combat.
Starting Point: The Bloodfang Steppes
Starting Point Description: Orcs start in the Bloodfang Steppes, a vast, untamed wilderness filled with towering mountains, dangerous beasts, and hostile war clans. Orc players begin in a war camp, where they are immediately thrust into training as warriors and hunters. The orc culture is deeply tied to honor, strength, and battle, and players have access to powerful melee combat techniques, brutal weapons, and tribal magic. The Bloodfang Steppes are also rich in natural resources for players to craft weapons and armor, giving Orcs a strong advantage in physical combat.
11. Draconians
Specialty: Elemental Magic and Flight
Description: Descendants of dragons, Draconians wield powerful elemental magic and have limited flight capabilities. They excel in both offensive and defensive magic.
Perks: Elemental resistance, breath weapon attacks, and temporary flight. They also gain bonuses to elemental spellcasting.
Starting Point: The Temple of Eternal Skies
Starting Point Description: The Draconians begin in the Temple of Eternal Skies, a grand, isolated temple nestled high in the towering peaks of the Celestial Mountains. This temple complex reflects the elegance and discipline of an ancient, eastern-style dragon culture. The architecture features tiered pagodas, dragon statues, flowing rivers, and cherry blossom trees, with the skies constantly swirling with ethereal winds and lightning. This location is sacred to the Draconian people, who value mastery of the elements and the honing of their physical and magical abilities through meditation, combat, and wisdom.
At the Temple of Eternal Skies, players can choose to focus on mastering elemental magic, which channels the natural forces of wind, thunder, earth, and fire. The temple serves as a training ground where Draconians refine their martial skills, mastering both weapons and unarmed combat. Players can also undergo trials of honor and strength to unlock their draconic forms, a powerful transformation unique to their race.
12. Lizardfolk
Specialty: Survivalists, Ambushers
Description: Lizardfolk are a reptilian race that thrives in harsh environments, especially swamps, marshes, and tropical jungles. Known for their resilience and adaptability, they are natural survivalists with keen instincts for both ambush and defense. They have tough, scaly skin that protects them in combat and are often skilled in both melee and ranged weapons. Their culture values pragmatism over emotion, seeing things through a lens of survival and utility.
Perks:
Natural Armor: Due to their scales, Lizardfolk have a higher base defense.
Survival Instinct: Bonuses in crafting simple tools, fishing, and building shelters, making them highly effective in the wilderness.
Amphibious: They can hold their breath for long periods underwater and are strong swimmers.
Cold Resistance: Their cold-blooded nature grants them some resistance to environmental temperature changes, especially heat.
Drawbacks:
Emotional Detachment: Lizardfolk tend to struggle with social dynamics and emotional connections, often making them less favored in diplomacy or charismatic roles.
Cold Vulnerability: While resistant to heat, they are vulnerable to extreme cold, requiring them to seek warmth or suffer penalties to their abilities.
Starting Point: The Swamps of Kahrain
Starting Point Description: Lizardfolk settlements are typically found in The Swamps of Kahrain, a dangerous and humid region filled with murky rivers, carnivorous plants, and hidden temples. Their capital is Y'Shtarra, a city built on platforms suspended over the deep waters of the swamp. Adventurers starting here face hostile wildlife but are well-equipped to handle the swampy terrain.
13. Fairies
Specialty: Illusions and Nature Magic
Description: Fairies are small, magical beings who excel in illusion and trickery. They are nimble and highly attuned to nature, making them excellent support characters.
Perks: Invisibility, bonus to illusion magic, and nature-based healing spells. They also have high evasion and flight ability.
Starting Point: The Gleaming Glade
Starting Point Description: Fairies begin in the Gleaming Glade, a magical woodland known for its shimmering beauty and dangerous wildlife. Players can learn illusion magic, nature spells, and develop flight abilities. The Glade offers great rewards for those who can navigate its maze of enchanted forests and mischievous creatures.
14. Demons
Specialty: Dark Magic and Manipulation
Description: Demons are powerful beings that wield dark magic and thrive in chaotic environments. They excel at manipulating their enemies and corrupting their surroundings.
Perks: Increased dark magic potency, mind control abilities, and bonus damage in chaotic environments. They can also summon lesser demons.
Starting Point: The Infernal Citadel
Starting Point Description: Demons begin their journey in the Infernal Citadel, a towering fortress located in the heart of the Demon Wastes, a scorched land filled with hellish landscapes and volcanic activity. The Citadel is a bastion of demonic power, ruled by various factions constantly at war with each other. Players can master fire magic, infernal summoning, and chaos-based abilities here. The Infernal Citadel offers the opportunity for players to form pacts with greater demons to boost their power at the cost of their soul or control over their actions.
15. Dreamlings (formerly Dreamwalkers)
Specialty: Illusion and Reality Manipulation
Description: Dreamlings are the remnants of a once-great race known as the Dreamwalkers, beings who could travel between dreams and reality. After a cataclysmic event, their race became fractured, and their powers diminished. They now retain only fragments of their former abilities but are still adept at manipulating the minds of others.
Perks: Dreamlings excel in illusion magic, able to craft powerful dreamscapes that can trap or confuse enemies. They can briefly alter reality within dreamlike zones, making them formidable in both support and control roles. They also have resistance to mental attacks and can see through other illusions.
Unique Mechanic: Dreamscapes - Dreamlings can cast dream zones, where they can manipulate the environment, create clones, or alter perceptions, making them hard to predict in combat.Drawbacks: Their power is weaker during the daytime or in bright light. They also require sleep to recharge their abilities and are vulnerable to direct, brute-force attacks when not in their dream zones.
Starting Point: The Shattered Veil
Starting Point Description: Once known as the Dreamwalkers, Dreamlings begin in the Shattered Veil, a dream-realm where reality and illusions blend together. Players must navigate through ever-shifting dreamscapes, mastering illusion magic and mental manipulation. This place offers the Dreamling's most potent abilities, but it's also filled with unstable dream creatures.
16. Skylings (Inhabitants of the Sky City)
Specialty: Technology and Elemental Mastery
Description: Skylings are an advanced race that once lived in the floating sky city, known for their mastery of both cutting-edge technology and elemental magic. Their civilization was known for its towering airships and mastery of the skies, blending arcane knowledge with scientific innovation.
Perks: Skylings have innate control over wind and air-based magic, granting them abilities like flight, weather control, and enhanced agility. They also excel in engineering and technology, allowing them to craft advanced weapons and gadgets. Their natural affinity for both magic and technology makes them ideal ranged fighters and tacticians.
Unique Mechanic: Sky Tech - Skylings can augment their magic with mechanical devices, boosting the range or power of their abilities. For example, they can launch elemental attacks using specially crafted cannons or enhance their flight with powered wings.
Drawbacks: Skylings are weaker on the ground, losing some of their speed and agility when not airborne. They also rely heavily on their equipment, and if disarmed, their magic alone is not as strong as other magical races.
Starting Point: The Sky City of Aetherion
Starting Point Description: Skylings start in Aetherion, a city high above the clouds. This aerial metropolis is filled with advanced technology and powerful wind magic. Skylings can use elemental magic to manipulate air currents and craft gadgets to aid their movement and combat. Aetherion also offers opportunities to master ranged and tactical combat.SL Generations:
SL Generations:
Early Generations (Mechanical/Robotic SLs):
Generation 1 (G1) - Primitive SLs:
Appearance: Completely mechanical with visible gears, metal plates, and robotic joints. Resemble machines more than anything lifelike, often crude in design with blocky, utilitarian builds.
Capabilities: Limited emotional or personal capabilities, designed primarily for functional tasks like labor or combat. Any personality is rudimentary and based on basic artificial intelligence.
Classification:
A: A living being's soul embedded in a mechanical frame, giving it a sense of purpose but limited expression.
B: Artificial soul, granting basic autonomy but highly robotic behavior.
C: No soul or awareness, completely controlled by external programming.
Primary Uses: Combat drones, factory workers, heavy labor.
Generation 2 (G2) - Enhanced SLs:
Appearance: More refined, sleeker, though still clearly robotic. Movements are smoother, and they may have more human-like shapes but still lack human features.
Capabilities: Improvements in AI allow for basic problem-solving and limited interaction with humans, though responses are still mechanical and emotionless.
Classification: Same A, B, and C types, though with more refined interfaces and processing power.
Primary Uses: Combat, strategic planning, surveillance.
Mid-Evolution (Semi-Humanoid SLs):
Generation 3 (G3) - Semi-Humanoid SLs:
Appearance: The first attempts at blending human aesthetics with machines. Parts of their structure (face, hands, torso) begin to resemble human anatomy, though still visibly metallic and artificial.
Capabilities: Greater interaction with humans; capable of holding conversations, understanding basic emotional contexts, and performing more complex tasks.
Classification:
A: Embedded souls now have more control over their body, creating more human-like behavior and expression.
B: Artificial souls show more independence and can express basic emotions.
C: Uncontrolled units still act as drones, but with more versatility and adaptability.
Primary Uses: Skilled labor, tactical combat, mid-level leadership in armies, and interaction with humans.
Generation 4 (G4) - Humanoid SLs:
Appearance: Much more human-like in their construction, though still with mechanical elements visible in the joints, or subtle metallic tones in their skin. Their faces, while close to human, may have a robotic glow in the eyes or segmented plating.
Capabilities: Highly advanced interaction skills, capable of mimicking human emotions and responding dynamically in conversations. They can perform a wide variety of tasks, including decision-making, combat leadership, and even diplomacy.
Classification:
A: Embedded souls have more freedom, allowing for full expression and development of personality.
B: Artificial souls can now express complex emotions and form attachments.
C: These are now rare, with most being upgraded to A or B classifications.
Primary Uses: Diplomacy, military command, personal assistants, and advanced engineering.
Late Generations (Biotic SLs):
Generation 5 (G5) - Semi-Biotic SLs:
Appearance: Almost fully human-looking, with only subtle indicators of their synthetic nature, such as glowing eyes or small, hidden mechanical parts. Skin is a synthetic material, almost indistinguishable from organic.
Capabilities: Highly advanced emotional intelligence and decision-making capabilities. They can form deep connections, understand complex moral issues, and display empathy.
Classification:
A: Essentially humans in all but the body. Souls embedded in these SLs are nearly indistinguishable from a natural person.
B: Artificial souls are so advanced they can pass as real people, capable of forming complex social bonds.
C: All C-class SLs are either upgraded or obsolete at this point.
Primary Uses: Infiltration, espionage, leadership, scientific research, personal companions, medical staff.
Generation 6 (G6) - Biotic SLs (Final Evolution):
Appearance: Completely indistinguishable from living humans or other organic beings. Their synthetic bodies are entirely biotic, meaning they replicate the biology of living organisms perfectly, including self-healing tissues, hair, and internal organs.
Capabilities: These SLs are effectively living beings but with synthetic origins. Their physical capabilities exceed normal human limits (e.g., enhanced strength, speed, and endurance), but they can feel emotions, pain, and complex thought as a living being would.
Classification:
A: SLs with a living being's soul are virtually identical to how they were in their original body. Only those with knowledge of their origin would know they are SLs.
B: These artificial souls are nearly perfect, having developed their own consciousness, desires, and ambitions. They are fully sentient and capable of free will.
C: No longer exist, as every SL now has a soul or artificial consciousness.
Primary Uses: Everything from high-ranking officials to espionage, assassination, diplomacy, and even personal relationships. These SLs are fully autonomous and can even reproduce artificially.