Annulus News

[h2]“Land of Greed” — Baraigne[/h2][p]On this barren land in the north, another group of exiles from the Old Continent struggles to survive.
The eternal glaciers and frozen tundra of the far north leave little hope for life, forcing the survivors to change. Through generations of brutal struggle, ferocity, greed, and a hunger for battle have been carved into the very bones of the people of Baraigne.[/p][p]They possess neither refined equipment nor soft wheat bread. Across the endless frozen plains, there are only massive, sinewy beasts. With death constantly hanging over their heads, the people of Baraigne carved their path to survival through flesh and blood, becoming a society where every citizen is a soldier. They require no armor or fine gear — their formidable mounted archery alone is enough to strike fear into their enemies.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Harsh living conditions and an innate thirst for more have driven these warriors of the tundra to look outward. Compared to their own land, the outside world seemed incomparably rich, drawing Baraigne into relentless expansion and constant conflict along its western borders with Notuwa and Islet. Even within Baraigne itself, strife never ceased, and the question of “who truly rules” remained the subject of endless dispute.[/p][p]It was not until the Empire marched north and occupied the southern reaches of the northern lands that this ever-expanding greedy kingdom was forced to halt its advance. Baraigne became the first to propose the formation of an alliance against the external threat. Though the proposal appeared, on the surface, to be for the independence and survival of the northern nations, it is difficult to separate it from the Baraigne people’s deep-rooted lust for war.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h2]——This is the land where surviving lambs wander in exile, a breeding ground for war fed by desire.[/h2][p]Novisess, a continent divided by the Dernahir Mountains and the Escara River. Thousands of years ago, survivors of catastrophe found refuge here. Over time, shaped by the land’s natural environment and untraceable history, two faith-based powers emerged: the fertile southern empire of Gotondas, and the barren, fractured northern nations of Arrel, Notuva, Baraine, and Islight.[/p][p]The south’s ambition for territory and the north’s struggle for survival have led to constant clashes along the border, resulting in centuries of stalemate.[/p][h2][/h2][h2]——This is the unavoidable doom of the continent, an apocalypse of fanatical believers.[/h2][p]In the spring-winter transition of 1096, imperial power shifted from the emperor to the pope, placing the south under theocracy. In the summer of 1099, the pope ignited war along the north-south border—a “Cleansing of Faith,” as whispered among beggars, commoners, and nobles alike. The so-called “divine” wisdom and forbidden powers twisted the bodies and souls of soldiers. The fanatics’ revelry became the continent’s ruin, leaving Novisess scarred and broken.[/p][h2][/h2][h2]——This is an age of rampant fear, an era of widespread distrust.[/h2][p]Destitute poets beg with sacks, mercenaries and bandits seize the chaos, women descend into madness after losing their homes. Empowered by divine forces, the empire crosses the border, devouring northern lands with impunity. Death and fear ravage the already-weakened northern nations, consumed by infighting. Followers of Los pray for divine mercy, while adherents of Esos wield divine wisdom without restraint. Wails and mad laughter echo in every corner of the world.[/p][h2][/h2][h2]——This is the summer of hope, the rain of despair.[/h2][p]Monarchs gather at the round table, uniting as the Arden Alliance—four nations merged into one. Count Alonzo of the Kingdom of Baraine is appointed commander of the allied forces. In the gloomy summer rains, what slides from his armor is not only droplets but also the glimmer of victory longed for by the alliance.[/p][p]Meanwhile, in the Clamig Forest north of Updales, where Alonzo’s forces set out, a mercenary band known as the “Hyenas” prowls in the shadows…[/p][p]—In this war waged in the name of faith, some march toward rebirth, others toward their end.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]✨ Will this faith-driven war lead to salvation or destruction? ✨[/h2][h2]—Share your predictions in the comments or cheer for the faction you support![/h2]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We’d like to share an update regarding the upcoming Annulus Steam Playtest, along with a community event we’ve prepared for you.[/p][p][/p][p]Previously, we announced plans to host the playtest in December. As development has progressed, our team has taken extra time to review the current build and overall playtest experience. To maintain the quality standards we’ve consistently set for Annulus, we’ve decided to make a slight adjustment to the playtest schedule.[/p][p][/p][p]This additional time will allow us to further polish core gameplay systems, improve stability, and refine playtest-specific content—ensuring that when players step into Annulus, the experience truly reflects our vision for the game. While this means waiting a bit longer, it will help us deliver a more meaningful playtest and gather better feedback.[/p][p][/p][p]Development is progressing steadily, and we’ll share the updated playtest timeline as soon as it’s ready.[/p][p][/p][h3]🎉 Annulus Community Event & Holiday Giveaway[/h3][p][/p][p]While we continue preparing the playtest, we’re hosting a community event to thank you for your continued support and to celebrate the holiday season together.[/p][p][/p][p]As the year comes to an end, we hope everyone can take this time to enjoy a well-deserved rest, spend time with loved ones, and recharge for the year ahead. This event is our small way of wishing you happy holidays and a great start to the New Year.[/p][p][/p][p]📅 Event Period: December 24 – January 5[/p][p]✅ How to Participate[/p]

1. [p]Wishlist Annulus on Steam[/p]
2. [p]Join our official Discord:
   [/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]🎁 Rewards (10 Winners)

• 5× Discord Nitro
• 5× Annulus Battle Passes (redeem when official launch) [/p][p][/p][p]Winners will be selected and announced on Discord after the event ends.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for your patience, support, and enthusiasm. We’re excited to share more updates with you soon.[/p][p][/p][p]— The Annulus Team[/p]

[p]Hello everyone, I'm the producer of Annulus.[/p][p][/p][p]We've previously discussed why this game is called 'Annulus'—a worldview centred on rings, layers, and cycles.[/p][p][/p][p]This time, I'd like to introduce you to a more 'bizarre' aspect of our lore:[/p][p][/p][p]Reconstruction and Aberration, the Soul Cavities, and those 'hands' reaching into other planes.[/p][p][/p][h3]1. Soul Cavities: Where Negative Thoughts Accumulate and Take Shape[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]Within the world of Annulus exists a peculiar space: the Soul Cavity.[/p][p][/p][p]One might envision it as—[/p][p]A void in the world's psychological fabric, where all undigested emotions, negative thoughts, regrets, and fears flow.[/p][p][/p][p]Here, it is not merely emotions that gather, but also various 'Minis creatures' drawn to and bred by this negativity.[/p][p][/p][p]They resemble:[/p]

• [p]Fragments of dreams, incomplete in form[/p]
• [p]Lives gnawed away by emotion.[/p]
• [p]Or simply 'things' piled up from sheer obsession[/p][p][/p]

[p]The Soul Cavity is not a normal ecosystem,[/p][p]but rather the world's spiritual junkyard + testing ground.[/p][p][/p][p]For us, this zone holds two core significances:[/p]

• [p]Narratively, it serves as one source of negative emotions and alienation.[/p]
• [p]Design-wise, it grants us a space unconstrained by ''normal physical laws.''[/p][p][/p]

[p]Many outlandish object combinations, terrain structures, and even enemy forms can be plausibly justified by declaring: this place is inherently abnormal.[/p][p][/p][h3]2. Ring Array: Environment and Life Drawn into a Shared ''Pathological Cycle''[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In the depths of the soul's cavities, a structure emerges: the “Ring Array”.[/p][p][/p][p]When the Ring Array activates or persists over time—[/p][p]Everything around it is drawn into a process of “Reconstruction and Aberration”:[/p]

• [p]Trees develop skeletal patterns, with vein-like and rib-like textures entwining their bark[/p]
• [p]Stone surfaces acquire skin-like textures, pores, and even ‘wounds’[/p]
• [p]Once-independent creatures become fused to the ground or walls, as if ‘welded’ into reality like corrupted files[/p][p][/p]

[p]We wish players to grasp instantly:[/p][p]Here, ‘environment’ and ‘creature’ are no longer distinct entities.[/p][p]They have been forcibly bundled into a loop by a force beyond comprehension.[/p][p][/p][p]Conceptually, this carries two layers of meaning:[/p]

• [p]A power transcending human understanding:[/p]

[p]It directly rewrites creatures' genetics and mechanisms, inducing an 'overbinding' to their environment,[/p][p]ultimately transforming them into 'environment-creature hybrids'.[/p]

• [p]A re-examination of ‘nature’:[/p]

[p]Nature has never been mere backdrop;[/p][p]Organisms and environment have always formed a cyclical whole, mutually influencing and consuming each other—[/p][p]Only we seldom witness such a starkly ‘naked’ version.[/p][p][/p][p]Within the confines of the ring array,[/p][p]Boundaries continually blur:[/p][p]Where ends terrain? Where begins life? Where lies the curse?[/p][p][/p][h3]3. Thought Solidification: When ideas cease to flow and become ''objects''[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The soul cavity does not merely reshape the physical form;[/p][p]it also intervenes with thought itself.[/p][p][/p][p]We often discuss an internal question:[/p][p]When thoughts fuse with solid matter,[/p][p]might a wholly new mode of cognition emerge—[/p][p]a “fixed plane of thought”?[/p][p][/p][p]Under normal circumstances, thought flows freely;[/p][p]within the Soul Cavity, however, certain ‘ideas’ become frozen, fixed, crystallised—[/p][p][/p][p]visually, you might perceive something akin to this (target direction):[/p]

• [p]‘Fragments of thought’ suspended in the air like crystals, within which symbols and text slowly rotate.[/p]
• [p]Words that were once incantations, prayers, or curses, materialised into twisted, three-dimensional scripts, embedded like stones in the ground or walls.[/p]
• [p]An action (a sword swing, a kneeling gesture, a prayer) frozen in mid-air, becoming part of the terrain.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Here, the 'thought' loses its dynamic capacity, yet gains a different kind of 'presence'.[/p][p]It is no longer a mental construct, but rather an “obstacle” you can see, walk around, or even trip over.[/p][p][/p][h3]4. The Hand: From Instrument of Creation to Transdimensional Tentacle[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When we speak of 'dynamic capability', the hand naturally springs to mind.[/p][p][/p][p]In both reality and religious symbolism,[/p][p]the hand embodies the power to create, execute, and shape the world.[/p]

• [p]Humans use hands to build, destroy, write, and heal[/p]
• [p]In religious imagery, the divine hand often signifies 'descent, intervention, creation'[/p][p][/p]

[p]Yet we must ask:[/p][p]When detached from the source of thought, can the hand still be considered an instrument of creation?[/p][p]Or does it become something else entirely?[/p][p][/p][p]Within the cavities of the soul, these reconfigured, alienated 'hands' have undergone several transformations (conceptually):[/p]

• [p]They no longer grow from bodies, but instead:[/p]
  • [p]Are nailed to stone walls or pillars, like peculiar interfaces[/p]
  • [p]They extend from fissures, black holes, and spatial rifts, as if emerging from another layer of reality[/p]
• [p]They no longer seem to 'obey a specific brain',[/p]

[p]but are instead 'borrowed' by some higher-order will[/p]

• [p]For players, these hands are likely:[/p]
  • [p]Trigger points for certain mechanisms[/p]
  • [p]'Boundary lines' for specific domains[/p]
  • [p]Evidence that certain entities are attempting to reach into our world[/p]

[p]Here, the ''hand'' ceases to be merely a human tool, becoming instead a tentacle of unknown will reaching into reality.[/p][p][/p][p]This is a point we wish to emphasise visually and in design:[/p][p]Where players encounter numerous ''hands'',[/p][p]they will instinctively realise—[/p][p]This is not merely a terrain hazard,[/p][p]but ''something else'' attempting to touch the plane you inhabit.[/p][p][/p][h3]5. We'd also love to hear your thoughts[/h3][p]Finally, we'd like to pose an open-ended question to those who've read this far:[/p][p][/p][p]If 'thoughts could solidify into physical form',[/p][p]would you consider that a greater freedom, or a more terrifying prospect?[/p][p][/p][p]If within the game you could interact with/shatter/harness these 'solidified thoughts',[/p][p]what kind of gameplay effects would you hope to see?[/p][p][/p][p]Feel free to share wild ideas, brainstorm, or even vent in the comments:[/p][p]'This is utterly bizarre—I just want to get on with the fighting.'[/p][p]We'll refine the world of Annulus while reviewing your feedback.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for taking the time to read this design note.[/p][p]Next time, we'll discuss other 'rings' and the characters trapped within them.[/p][p][/p][p]With best regards,[/p][p]The Annulus Development Team. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h3]Green-Tier Mercenaries[/h3][p]Traits:[/p][p]• Easy to obtain, low development cost, ideal for early-game team building[/p][p]• Simple weapon-triangle interactions[/p][p]• Remain useful later as tactical substitutes, fusion materials, or lineup fillers[/p][p][/p][h3]Quick Rules Overview[/h3][p]Movement:[/p]

• [p]Infantry: 2 tiles[/p]
• [p]Cavalry: 3 tiles[/p]
• [p]Fliers: 4 tiles (can cross terrain obstacles)[/p]

[p]Advantage System:[/p]

• [p]Archers > Fliers[/p]
• [p]Lances > Swords[/p]
• [p]Swords > Axes[/p]
• [p]Axes > Lances[/p]

[h3]One-line memory trick: Fliers fear bows; swords fear lances; axes fear swords; lances fear axes.
(Or: Bow → Flier, Lance → Sword, Sword → Axe, Axe → Lance)

Human Mercenaries[/h3][h3]
[/h3][h3][/h3][h3] [/h3][h3]Elf Mercenaries[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Orc Mercenaries[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]