The Crimson Eclipse
"The world does not turn the way it used to. A disastrous event caused Time to break down into cursed cycles, each one featuring nights of suffering, paradoxes, and... The Undead. Between these cycles there is a narrow window. A chance to move forward. An opportunity to escape. Yet nobody manages to leave without the sigils."
In the last days preceding the Crimson Eclipse, the world's most accomplished occultists met at the Pale Citadel, a fortress made of moonstone and bone. Under a sky divided by bleeding light they carried out the Rite of Severance, a rite so severe that it required the life essence of one hundred volunteers. It was only through their sacrifice that the first Bloodsigils were awakened from deep in the earth, thus establishing a connection between mortal souls and the superficial force of chaos.
Time itself is shattered and the cycles are reset. The dead come back to life and the living are once again pursued. Only people who are close to the Bloodsigil are able to detect the slight differences between cycles. It emits false premonitions of events which have already happened, are happening, and will happen.
Between gravescapes reality becomes thinner. At these transitional phases there are energy fields which only appear when the arcane energy reaches its peak. It is risky to enter one of them. People who do not keep to the sigil are ripped apart by revenants, while those who are affected by it are made to pursue the living forever.
The Gravescapes
Since the collapse, the world has fractured into zones of entrapment. Realities repeating in loops of unending bloodshed. Survivors call them Gravescapes. Arenas where the living must endure and protect... or perish.
Born from Collapse
Gravescapes are born from the collapse of once living places. Cities, strongholds, temples. When a place falls, its final energies are absorbed by the Chaos fields, then reshaped into a haunted echo where the last stand of the living replays in endless agony.
Dominated by Sigils
Every Gravescape is punctured by Arcane Sigils, powerful relics that emerge like splinters of hope. They are not placed, but grow. Called by the suffering embedded in the land. Wherever one rises, a conflict begins.
Wardens of the Dead
The undead roam every Gravescape, drawn to the arcane energies. They remember fragments of their former lives, and in the crystalline light they sense a promise unfulfilled, sustained by chaotic energies that warped them.
The Three Sigils
Bloodsigil
An origin Arcane sigil. The Chaos fields imbue this crystal with otherworldly powers. Survivors near it feel threatened.
- Sacrifice health for trinkets with cursed effects
- Temporary arcane abilities that are powerful but unpredictable
- Weapon modifications with hidden costs
Arcane Sigil
A pure azure crystal radiating protective light. This is a causal object of humanitys' will made manifest to protect and provide.
- Provides and Protects, but fragile
- The only means of Escaping
- A beacon of hope in each Gravescape
Corrupted Sigil
An outcome of a Fallen Arcane Sigil. It contains weak chaos energy that assists the undead.
- Indirectly empowers the undead with necrotic energy
- Allows evil undead structures to assist the undead
- Purify them. A last chance before the Gravescape is lost.
The Hunger of the Dead
The undead are drawn to arcane energies. The chaos energies that dominate warp them into something completely different, granting them powers that disfigure and transform.
Basic Infected
- Zombie. Slow but durable, deals moderate damage
- Fast. High speed, low health
- Creeper. Supportive, Places spawn point Nests for zombies
- + MORE
Evolutions
- Martyr. Upon death, releases a burst of energy that heals nearby zombies and damages survivors
- Tainting. Covers its claws in chaos energy. + DoT
- Leaper. Slightly lower health, can do a leap attack
- + MORE
Nightmares
- Butcher. Wields a giant cleaver, fast, and will eat your friends
- Tickle. Stretched arms that can attack at a increased range
- Seethe. A blackened entity that gives blindness to those it affects
- + MORE
Gameplay Systems
Wave System
Survivors face six waves of escalating undead assault. Each wave brings deadlier strains and more relentless attackers. The horde learns from your tactics, adapting their approach as the night wears on.
If the final timer expires, Overtime triggers. The undead grow stronger every minute until extraction or extinction.
Barricade System
Turn the environment against the horde. Prop fortifications, seal entry points, and hold the line against relentless assaults.
Engineers raise automated defenses. Alchemists rig traps that slow or detonate the undead. Barricades hold only as long as their foundations stand.
Economy & Progression
Every action earns its weight. Destroying undead, healing allies, repairing fortifications, and supporting the team all build your resource pool.
The Arsenal Shop offers weapons and equipment for those with enough points. Upgrade your arsenal with scrap, unlock skills to specialize your role, or embrace Ascending to reset your progress for greater challenges and unique rewards.
Victory Conditions
Defend the Arcane Sigil through the final assault to open a portal to the next linked Gravescape. The undead claim victory by overwhelming all human resistance and corrupting the sigil itself.
The sigils form a network, each one protecting humanity by creating escape routes to other Gravescapes. Endure the Gravescape and be rewarded.