Getting started8 min read
Mother's look · appearance changes · 12 Pacts at a glance
TL;DR: In Soulframe's opening you design your mother's appearance and your Envoy inherits her look; afterwards you can change it via Verminia at the Nightfold or by replaying the opening "War Songs" fable from the journal. Creation offers face presets, hairstyles, and a gender swap option (P13 overhaul; creation hairstyles unlocked for all Envoys since Hotfix 14). Your Pact pick is low-stakes: all three starters are eventually obtainable, abilities unlock in three stages to rank 30, and the starter Pacts can be trialled repeatedly before locking in.
Yes, two ways: Verminia's services at the Nightfold (available after the Brewer of Hues fable), or replaying the opening "War Songs" fable from the journal — the latter lets you redo the creation screen even before Verminia is unlocked (community-sourced). Since Hotfix 14 (Jul 29, 2026), creation hairstyles are unlocked for all Envoys and Verminia's customization flow is fixed (see Beginner's guide).
Soulframe's opening doesn't start with your character — it starts with your mother. You sculpt her appearance, and your Envoy inherits that look; the same "War Songs" opening fable can be replayed later from the journal to redo it.
The frame story (one line, community-transcribed lore): on the night of the Ode invasion, the Ode used the Spell Song to reverse Alka's magicks and make the living forget themselves — the amnesia your Envoy wakes up with, and the reason your mother's face is the thread you follow back.
⚠️ Same-name warning: the "War Songs" fable referenced here is the current opening fable that contains the creation flow. It is not the new Warsongs chapter announced for later in the year (Preludes 16 preview) — don't confuse the two when searching guides.
The character creator was overhauled in Preludes 13 (community-sourced changelog framing):
Hotfix 14 (Jul 29, 2026) then unlocked creation hairstyles for all Envoys and fixed the Verminia customization flow — no more being stuck with the starting hair options (official Hotfix 14 notes).
Naming evolution: Pact abilities were originally called Arcanics; the official terminology has since moved toward Magics — but the community still overwhelmingly says Arcanics (three independent community sources corroborate the mixed usage).
This site uses "Arcanics" throughout (the catalog term), and notes "Magics" where official wording matters. If a guide or video says "Magics" and ours says "Arcanics" — same thing.
One-line positioning for every Pact in the catalog; depth and unlock paths live in the Pact selection guide and all Pacts overview:
| Pact | Virtue | One-line positioning |
|---|---|---|
| Tethren | Courage | Melee bruiser — aggressive forward combat, stacking damage and crowd control (Fellust). |
| Oscelda | Spirit | The recommended starter — crowd control, healing, and damage in one forgiving kit. |
| Sirin | Grace | Stealth rogue — positioning, deception, and strikes from the shadows. |
| Ode Tempest | Courage | Top-tier P15 Courage — near-immunity windows (Atmos Sphere) with lightning melee synergy. |
| Mora's Hand | Courage | Fire melee — ignite enemies and punish the burns (Ignus Wroth). |
| Garren Rood | Spirit | Commanding drain — siphons enemy life to sustain allies and weakens foes. |
| Orengall | Spirit | Pack-oriented — rewards fighting alongside allies; wolf-form finishers. |
| Bromius | Courage | Nature tank — armour stacking and heavy AOE slams (Rump Thump). |
| Duelo | Grace | Duelist — Flintlock pierce shots, Duo Duelo ghost-clone bursts, Chamariz after perfect dodges. |
| Wyld Tethren / Wyld Oscelda / Wyld Sirin | — | Founders Pack cosmetic variants of the three starters — identical kits, Wyld visuals. |
Your starting Pact auto-assigns your first faction (community-sourced mapping, corroborated by a creator video):
| Starter Pact | First faction |
|---|---|
| Tethren | Kith of Kings |
| Oscelda | Alka's Children |
| Sirin | Silent Rose |
Faction assignment is not permanent — see Changing factions for the switch process and each faction's wares (pigment recipes among them).
Two pairing rules that keep early builds coherent (community buildcraft, P15-era):
Your sidearm slot covers what your main hand can't do (community buildcraft):
| Main hand | Sidearm | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Melee (blades, heavies) | Wrist caster (e.g. Basker's Wrest) | Ranged poke when enemies stay out of reach |
| Magick staff (e.g. Seathorn) | Short blade (e.g. Nettle, Witan) | Parry and riposte — staves themselves cannot parry |
| Anything | Fly blades (e.g. Skílter, Precklies) | The all-rounder — ranged filler for melee builds plus orbiting protection while you cast or shoot |
More weapon-side pairing context: Weapon tier list.
If you're wondering when the sidearm slot actually opens up: the first sidearm drops from enemies near Grandfather's cottage in the early game (community-sourced) — clear the fights around the cottage area and you'll walk away with your first off-hand, which unlocks the pairing theory above.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who do I actually create at the start? | Your mother — your Envoy inherits her appearance (community-sourced), and the opening fable can be replayed later to redo it. |
| Can I change my appearance later? | Yes — Verminia (after the Brewer of Hues fable) or replay the opening "War Songs" fable from the journal (community-sourced). |
| Is the "War Songs" fable the new fall chapter? | No — that's the current opening fable containing character creation; the new Warsongs chapter is the later announcement (P16 preview). |
| Does my Pact choice lock me in? | No — the three starters can be re-selected repeatedly while early, and all three starter Pacts are eventually obtainable (community-sourced). |
| When do I get all three Pact abilities? | Progressively: 1st from the start, 2nd and 3rd as you level, full kit by rank 30 (community-sourced). |
| Does my Pact decide my faction? | It auto-assigns your first faction (Tethren→Kith of Kings, Oscelda→Alka's Children, Sirin→Silent Rose (community mapping)), but you can change factions later. |
| Arcanics vs Magics? | Same thing — the official name drifted from "Arcanics" to "Magics"; the community still says Arcanics, and so does this site. |
Compare walkthroughs tagged as Getting started; this page is highlighted.
From catalog relations — follow-up topics for this guide.