After a developer livestream on Friday, Soulframe has officially launched Preludes 11: The Waste Bear (Patch 0.196). The update brings a slew of new story content, expanded systems, and polishing touches to the evolving pre-alpha experiment. With Preludes 11 live, the game’s narrative and mechanical depth are stepping forward. For Envoys already in the world, it’s a new chapter filled with lore, challenge, and progression. For those on the fence, this update might give the push to jump in and join the development journey.
Enter the Waste Bear Fable & the Pact of Bromius
The headline of Preludes 11 is the Waste Bear Fable, a new narrative arc where players help restore a corrupted forest and free the Arbearer Bromius from rot. The journey starts in Wevetwood, includes sap dreams, root-caverns, and negotiations with forest spirits. According to the update notes, players will traverse the ominous Neath’uns dungeon, a root-choked cave teeming with Corrupted Sproutfolk, puzzles, and spiders, and eventually confront the Heartroot to redeem Bromius.
As part of the update, the Pact of Bromius is introduced, giving Envoys three new Arcanic abilities and passive traits:
- Courage Arcanic – Rump Thump: A leap that deals area damage and staggers nearby enemies.
- Spirit Arcanic – Wevetroot: Summons vines to ensnare foes over time.
- Grace Arcanic – Song of Growth: Bolsters armor for you and allies via nature’s magic.
- Passive – Barkbare: Gain a chance to seal armour strength from your target on every attack.
- Passive – Canopy’s Blessing: A small amount of damage blocked by your armour is reflected back to the attacker.
New Dungeon, New Gear, More Customization
Preludes 11 brings the Neath’uns as a new dungeon. Tied to the Waste Bear arc, Envoys must purge ichor, rebuild root bridges, and face tougher foes to progress.
The update also expands gear customization. Players can get new armor sets tied to Bromius, inside the pact narrative. The new sets include Bromius Armour, Mockery Armour, and new faction sets for Grace, Courage, and Spirit. New weapons are also up for grabs. Marrow’s Bane, a massive cleaver, is just one of the new blades.
Upon visiting Verminia, players will also find an expanded set of customization tools. Bestitching will allow players to transmog their gear (impart the visual style from one piece to another while keeping the stats of the original), and her new dyes will offer new color customization for your gear.
Runes & Totems
A major system change arriving with P11 is Magicks, which replaces the Idols system removed in Preludes 8. Magicks include both Totems and Runes that can be applied to your weapons to increase their power and add new effects. Totems are gained by charming animals and rescuing caged animals, and can be applied to your weapons to gain passive boons. Similarly, Runes are earned by defeating named sub-bosses and can be slotted into your weapon to provide effects when Smiting an enemy.
Founders Packs, No More Forced Resets, & More
During Devstream 10, the team confirmed upcoming Founders Packs, cosmetic bundles tied to a “Primordial” lineage theme, though these will not affect Preludes key distribution. Another big confirmation was revealed during the stream: Soulframe will no longer force account resets in future updates. Players’ progress going forward will be preserved, with optional resets offered to those who want to start fresh.
To find out more about Prelude 11, you can read the full release notes or watch Devstream 10 on the Soulframe Twitch Channel.
