New player quick reference

Pick a Pact, follow tracked Fables, seek out The Steelsinger to recruit Tuvalkane, then choose activities for the unlock or material you need. This is a suggested route, not a required linear quest order.

P16 evidence: current changes follow Avakot's community patch transcription, not direct official-forum reading or client testing. Older route details remain historical community references unless specifically updated below.

Will My Progress Be Wiped?

No — not fully. Soulframe is in the Preludes pre-alpha, and Digital Extremes has committed to preserving player progress: there have been no mandatory resets since Preludes 11, though major updates may still require adjustments with advance notice. Play confidently, but expect individual systems to change between Preludes — Virtue Lith, for example, was removed outright in Preludes 15, and Virtue points are now reallocated freely per loadout in the Arsenal.

The practical rule: invest time in your account (Fable progress, unlocks, Enclave Rank and Favour), but don't hoard materials tied to one narrow system that a hotfix could rework. For the captured P16 changes, see Preludes 16.

Which Pact Should I Choose?

Your Pact is a starting kit, not a life sentence — all three starting Pacts can be acquired later through play, so treat this as a head start rather than a lock-in (verify in-client).

Pact	Playstyle	Why pick it
Tethren	Melee bruiser / Courage	The strongest endgame presence in current tuning, but aggressive melee is punishing in your first hours
Oscelda	Support / control / Spirit	The most comfortable start — self-sustain and crowd control carry early fights, and our catalog rates it the beginner pick
Sirin	Stealth / ranged / Grace	Backstab tools plus the Pickpocket passive (loot bags on backstab kills) make early material farming slightly faster

If you're unsure, take Oscelda. For the full breakdown, read the Pact selection guide or compare every Pact side by side.

How to Navigate — You're Not Lost, Just Missing Three Tools

Most "I don't know where to go" moments in Soulframe are solved by three tools (default keybinds — confirm in settings):

• Journal (J) — shows your tracked Fable and its objectives. P16 also adds objective information when hovering over Fable map markers; use the current Journal selection to guide your Sparrow.
• Spirit Guide (G) — summons your Sparrow, which flies toward your current objective. Summon it whenever you're lost.
• Spectral Sight (hold Q) — highlights interactable objects, chests, and pickups around you. Hold it in every new zone you enter.

If the game feels directionless, you're not missing quest markers — you're just not using these three.

Your First Hour — The Correct Order

These are opening story milestones, not a strict prerequisite chain. Seek The Steelsinger independently when available rather than waiting for every listed Fable to auto-trigger:

1. The Last Pensive — starts automatically after the tutorial; completing it unlocks Orlick and the Codex.
2. The Torment Stag — triggers when you head back out into Midrath. This is the first major boss gauntlet: Lady Deora, then the Stag, back to back. Completing it grants the Garren Rood Pact materials.
3. An Invitation... — after The Torment Stag, P16 wakes you in the Nightfold for the faction follow-up. Kith of Kings still requires defeating the Ashen Spirit.
4. The Steelsinger — the critical one. Unlike the rest, this is not automatically triggered: you must actively seek it out near Rose Enclave (community-reported trigger is a letter at the Rezz Stone; verify in-client). Completing it recruits Tuvalkane, the blacksmith. Once The Steelsinger is finished and she is present, dismantles can teach Tempers; earlier dismantles do not count retroactively.

If no new Fable appears, inspect your Journal and explore for The Steelsinger rather than assuming the story has ended. See the full main quest walkthrough and how to unlock Tuvalkane.

What to Do When the Main Quest Runs Out

After An Invitation, Fables stop auto-firing and must be found through exploration:

• Inspect Enclave activities for Favour and Rank — currency and vendor eligibility are separate; see the factions guide.
• Complete the Brewer of Hues fable to recruit Verminia (appearance changes and alchemy).
• Complete The Waste Bear to unlock the Bromius Pact and the Neath'uns dungeon.
• Start the Agari loop: world bosses such as Kabocha respawn on a 30-minute timer — kill them, run errands, kill them again. The Agari timer tool tracks the loop for you.

Quick reminders

• Use your Sparrow (G) — the world does not hand-hold navigation
• Unlock Tuvalkane early; Bond 3 is the historical Pact-crafting gate. P16 Striking separately needs Tuvalkane Rank 3, a Level 30 target, a learned applicable Temper and slots within type/Origin limits; Legendary is not required
• Preludes 15: Virtue Lith removed — free Virtue per loadout in Arsenal → Virtues
• The P15 whole-weapon transition is historical context; check each weapon's current acquisition entry rather than assuming its star tier determines the route

Next steps

• Pact selection guide — the detailed comparison
• Farming routes — know where to farm before you farm
• Boss progression tool — plan what to fight next
• Beginner guide — the full systems overview