Greetings, Void Hunters!
The whispers of the Void have
grown into a roarâDevlog #16 is here, and itâsÂ
packed with cool new things! The enigmaticÂ
Shaman is right around the corner, alongside some
 spicy new skill tree news. Letâs get into it!
[h3]The Shaman: Master of Totems[/h3]
The moment youâve been waiting for is here. The shadowy figure teased in Devlog #15 has stepped into the light, andÂ
oh boy, does he bring the storm... and poison... and.. you get the idea... Letâs break down hisÂ
otherworldly-totemic toolkit![h3]New Skills: Total Totem Madness[/h3]
The Shamanâs abilities are
all about totems and what they can do to help in the battlefield. Weâve cranked the totem usage this time around and we even have a
new trait called: Ancestry which will consume stacks to summon totems for you! We really did go all in on it and it is reaching someÂ
ludicrous levels of totemic madness. Behold! As The Shaman summons a variety of them to absolutely decimate the void.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Shamanâs Ascension: From Sketch to Spectacle[/h3]
As always the Ascension is the second thing we decided after deciding on the character, and we wanted to reinforce the
ritualistic nature of the character in his ascension. After
many many many hours of discussion, trying to figure out how to be thematic, simple to interact with but different at the same time⌠this is what we defined:

Doesn't look like much hahaha, but we were excited! We thought âwhat if the Shaman danced around a ritual pyre to invoke ancestral spirits, maybe even gods⌠to fight for him?â and at that point we were all convinced!
But would it be fun? Only one way to find out! Hereâs a rare glimpse at the very first prototype of his ascension, where we experimented with his ritual circle:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
This was an very early version focused on the testing of its functionality alone, it required so many spins around the pyre that you might become a Shaman yourself after performing a ritual this long⌠so we tweaked here and there⌠made a few new visuals⌠replaced a thing or two⌠andâŚ
Beholdâthe final form.[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
When the Shamanâs ascension triggers, otherworldly beings come to assist the Shaman. They surge into the battlefield, amplifying his powers into aÂ
cataclysmic crescendo. The screen gets filled with these ancient beings and the Shaman becomes a conduit for them.
Itâs equal parts terrifying and glorious. (And yes, that is indeed a gigantic and ancient fire-bird-god thing.)
[h3]Beyond the Shaman: Skill Tree Secrets in the Static[/h3]
After many iterations to this system we are finally able to see it completed. Hereâs aÂ
sneak peekâbut donât squint too hard, weâve blurred the juiciest bits:

New branches, synergies, andÂ
mystery nodes await.Â
Whatâs hidden in the fog and blurriness? Youâll find outâŚÂ
soon.
[h3]Closing Thoughts: The Void Grows Hungrier[/h3]
The Shaman is coming soon, being followed close after by his twoâŚ
mysterious friends⌠but this is still just a prelude to somethingÂ
even bigger lurking in the shadowsâŚ
Sound off in the comments:
- Are you looking forward for the Shamanâs totem-summoning madness?
- What do you think the blurred Skill Tree nodes hide?
- You all know we are working on a new game mode, with new bosses and maps⌠but there is something else⌠another HUGE feature in development⌠what do you think it could be? PS: its not coop, not yet =(
Your theories (and screams of joy/terror) fuel our development. Keep âem coming!
As always, thank you for your
relentless support. The Void may be endless, but so is our hype.
~ The Soulstone Team