Factions (Enclaves) are unlocked after completing The Torment Stag. Accumulating Faction Standing by completing Faction Tales lets you purchase Pact recipes and other rewards from the Favours shop.

Sieges are structured PvE events in occupied forts on a ~3-hour cycle. In Preludes 15: **Mirifuir** (Espadarte, Silistavf), **Fort Kearnhold** (Dewelion), **Fort Curlail** (runes and mats), plus **Turret Jotar** siege. Burn the Ode Skylantern to claim rewards.

Core goals this stage

Complete Rise Envoy (tutorial) — follow the Sparrow to your first objectives
Talk to every NPC in the starting zone
Recruit Tuvalkane the Blacksmith — head east to the crater

Rise Envoy through The Torment Stag: recruit Tuvalkane, unlock Nightfold weapon swap, and farm first Gossamer Quartz via Crypts or statue repairs—the checklist mirrors on-site progress goals.

Early game

Q: What should I do first in Soulframe?

Complete the Rise Envoy tutorial, then recruit Tuvalkane the Blacksmith as soon as possible. Start crafting to build Bond with Tuvalkane — Bond Level 3 is required for Pact crafting.

Q: What is the first major story quest?

The Torment Stag is the first major story quest. Complete The Last Pensive first to unlock it. It ends with a boss fight against Lady Deora followed immediately by the Torment Stag.

Q: How do I switch Factions?

Reach Rank 3 in your current Faction, purchase a Sacred Shimmer (costs 5,000 Faction Standing), then craft a new Faction Totem at Tuvalkane to switch.

Q: What is The Waste Bear fable?

The Waste Bear is a story quest that unlocks the Bromius Pact and the Neath'uns dungeon type. Start it by finding a bear-claw-scarred tree north of Borro's Mine after recruiting Verminia.

Progress stage

~2–4 hrs

Early game

What to do first

Early game covers your first Pact selection through completing The Torment Stag fable. Your primary goals are recruiting Tuvalkane the Blacksmith, increasing your Bond with her, and preparing for the first major boss.

Complete Rise Envoy (tutorial) — follow the Sparrow to your first objectives and reach the Nightfold
Talk to every NPC in the starting zone
Recruit Tuvalkane — head east from the start to a crater, clear enemies, collect the helmet, follow the Sparrow to the forge
Start crafting immediately to build Bond with Tuvalkane; Bond Level 3 is required for Pact crafting

Priority order

Recruit Tuvalkane and begin crafting to reach Bond Level 1
Complete The Last Pensive quest — find and recruit Ancestor Orlick at the Pensive Tower
Farm Gossamer Quartz — use Crypts of the Circade (Crypt Keys required) or rare chests in dungeons; repair broken statues in the world for guaranteed drops
Unlock the Nightfold weapon swap — equip a second weapon before attempting The Torment Stag
Complete The Torment Stag fable — this is the first major boss and unlocks Garren Rood and Faction access

Common mistakes

Skipping Tuvalkane — without the Blacksmith you cannot craft weapons, armour, or Pacts; recruit her as early as possible
Ignoring NPC dialogue — some NPCs give permanent passive bonuses or unlock quests; exhaust all dialogue before leaving an area
Spending Gossamer Quartz carelessly — it is rare early; prioritise weapon crafting over armour or cosmetics
Entering The Torment Stag underprepared — the fight begins immediately after Lady Deora with no rest; ensure your Pact Arcanics are unlocked and you have a weapon with short recovery animation

What unlocks next

Completing The Torment Stag grants the Garren Rood Fragment and allows you to join one of the three Enclaves (Factions). Mid-game begins once you have chosen a Faction and started accumulating Faction Standing.

0/8 completed

0 / 8 (0%)

Complete Rise Envoy (tutorial) — follow the Sparrow to your first objectives
Talk to every NPC in the starting zone
Recruit Tuvalkane the Blacksmith — head east to the crater
Start crafting to build Bond with Tuvalkane (reach Bond Level 1)
Complete The Last Pensive quest — recruit Ancestor Orlick at Pensive Tower
Farm Gossamer Quartz — Crypts of the Circade or repair broken statues
Unlock Nightfold weapon swap — equip a second weapon
Complete The Torment Stag fable — first major boss

Recommended for this stage

Weapon

⚔️

Wulder

Common Tethren Long Blade and the default Courage starter after Rise, Envoy. Craft at the Blacksmith with Scrap Iron×15, Sproutfolk Frond×20, and Quenching Acid×25 (4h, 1500 Dracs); no Virtue gate. Post-Preludes 15: 46 ATK, 92 charged, 24 stagger, 3% smite. Whole-weapon previews can appear on the ground from Barrels, Baskets, Crates, and Sword Racks while you farm early routes. P15 preview flow: pick up ground previews in Nightfold, dismantle for Chordstones, refine at Tuvalkane when you want Temper rolls. Upgrade path on pure Courage Tethren lines: Vetch (11 Courage) or Falx when virtue allows; compare Oryn-Umbr if you want a throwable shield hybrid.

Pact

🔮

Oscelda

Oscelda is the recommended starter pact for new players — a Spirit kit that combines crowd control, healing, and damage in one flexible loadout. Bestone petrifies enemies (Courage-scaling CC that you can break early for bonus damage), Elderbloom summons a healing plant restoring Life to all nearby Envoys (Spirit-scaling), and Phantom Flock sends phantom songbirds that damage and stagger targets (Grace-scaling). The unique passives Tendrils and Vernal Pool round out a support-oriented identity that never feels one-dimensional. In Preludes 15, Virtue is free per loadout (no Virtue Lith), so you can shift emphasis between CC, healing, and damage without respec friction. Best for beginners who want a forgiving first pact: you bring real utility to any group while learning the game's combat rhythms. The beginner difficulty rating means no demanding execution barrier — Elderbloom healing gives you sustain, Bestone gives you a panic-button CC, and Phantom Flock adds offensive pressure. In solo play Oscelda is self-sufficient; in group dungeons it is a premier support pick. After the tutorial, all pacts unlock at Tuvalkane — Oscelda remains a strong fallback for any Virtue loadout. Start on Gwylen for Spirit weapon scaling, The Alder for a forgiving Grace blade, or Seathorn if you prefer ranged pressure. See the Oscelda melee-spirit and magick-spirit builds on the Builds hub (filter by pact) for Virtue spreads and Pact Art naming after Preludes 15 renames. Review Pact Arts names before respeccing — several abilities were renamed in the Preludes 15 update.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do first in Soulframe?

What is the first major story quest?

What do Factions do?

What are Sieges?

How do I switch Factions?

What is The Waste Bear fable?

Next steps

← Hub

What to do first

Complete Rise Envoy (tutorial) — follow the Sparrow to your first objectives and reach the Nightfold

Talk to every NPC in the starting zone

Recruit Tuvalkane — head east from the start to a crater, clear enemies, collect the helmet, follow the Sparrow to the forge

Start crafting immediately to build Bond with Tuvalkane; Bond Level 3 is required for Pact crafting

Priority order

Recruit Tuvalkane and begin crafting to reach Bond Level 1

Complete The Last Pensive quest — find and recruit Ancestor Orlick at the Pensive Tower

Farm Gossamer Quartz — use Crypts of the Circade (Crypt Keys required) or rare chests in dungeons; repair broken statues in the world for guaranteed drops

Unlock the Nightfold weapon swap — equip a second weapon before attempting The Torment Stag

Complete The Torment Stag fable — this is the first major boss and unlocks Garren Rood and Faction access

Common mistakes

Skipping Tuvalkane — without the Blacksmith you cannot craft weapons, armour, or Pacts; recruit her as early as possible

Ignoring NPC dialogue — some NPCs give permanent passive bonuses or unlock quests; exhaust all dialogue before leaving an area

Spending Gossamer Quartz carelessly — it is rare early; prioritise weapon crafting over armour or cosmetics

Entering The Torment Stag underprepared — the fight begins immediately after Lady Deora with no rest; ensure your Pact Arcanics are unlocked and you have a weapon with short recovery animation