Darkness has crept across Nesis for centuries, so gradually that few remember life before it. The songs speak of the Age of Heroes more like myth than history. They sing of a united world where the races stood as one, with bountiful lands, far reaching roads, lamps that never needed tending and wells that never ran dry, and travelers' greatest danger was the weather. Moss-covered roads vanish beneath ancient forests, while broken watchtowers stand over trade routes no caravan has traveled in generations. Each kingdom hides behind its ever increasing defenses. Elves, humans, and dwarves have long been isolated. Travelers, who once returned with stories of distant kingdoms, now bring warnings, if anything at all.

But sometimes, people whisper the old stories of the heaven-blessed, the Anam, warriors who rose when darkness threatened to consume the world. The Anam drove back the darkness, united the great cities, and brought an age of peace. But three hundred years have passed since, and the peace they forged has nearly vanished.

Nesis can be played with a keyboard, controller, or the on-screen controller provided on phones and tablets. On desktop, the mouse may also be used in menus and during combat.

Movement in the field is directional. Use the keyboard, a gamepad, or the on-screen controller to walk through the world. Mouse point-and-click movement is not used while exploring.

Full Keyboard

Use W A S D with the left hand to move and navigate. The four action keys — O K L ; — are arranged beneath the right hand like the face buttons of a controller.

Keyboard + Mouse

Use W A S D to move through the field. The mouse can be used to select menu commands, inspect combat cells, choose actions, and select targets during battle.

Move the mouse to use the pointer. Press a movement or keyboard command to return to keyboard navigation.

The mouse does not move the character through the field.

Phone & Tablet

On a phone or tablet, hold the device in landscape orientation. The web app places a controller around the game: a directional pad on the left, four face buttons on the right, and shoulder buttons above them.

The game itself does not use direct touch-to-move controls. Use the on-screen controller just as you would a physical gamepad.

Tap for fullscreenthe game fills the screen

Fullscreenthe same, as a button

Movethe d-pad walks and steers

Actconfirm, cancel, menu, details

Cross confirms and Circle cancels, following the familiar PlayStation layout.

Controller

Any controller recognized by the browser can be used. The face buttons match the phone and tablet layout above.

Battle Speed

Press R1 to cycle through 1×, 1.5×, 2×, and 4× battle speed. Press it again after 4× to return to normal speed.

R2 remembers a faster speed. While the game is already running faster than normal, press R2 once to remember that speed. Return to 1×, then hold R2 whenever you want to use the remembered speed temporarily. Release R2 to return to normal.

TIP: Remember 4× and use R2 to hurry through a long enemy turn. Release it when your own turn approaches.

The road ahead is only part of Nesis. Speak with the people you meet, enter buildings, and look closely at unusual places. NPC dialogue changes as the story advances, and someone who has little to say now may know more later.

Treasure

Chests and bags contain useful items. Search towns as well as dungeons; valuable things are not always hidden where monsters live.

Relics may also be found throughout Nesis. A Relic carries both a piece of the past and a skill that can be used by the party.

Enemies sometimes leave treasure behind during battle. Move onto the dropped chest before the fight ends to claim it.

Resting

A bed restores HP and MP completely. Some places charge for a night's rest; others do not. Elias may always rest at his home in Laria for free.

Saving

You may save from the menu in most places, including dungeons. Saving is not available during battle or while an event is taking place.

The game also keeps an AUTO save. It is updated after important progress such as entering a new area, winning a battle, or advancing the story.

Scene Exits

Exit markers show the ways out of the current area. They are visible by default and may be hidden or shown again with the exit-marker command.

Input Indicator

An icon shows the input currently in use — keyboard, mouse, controller, or the on-screen touch controller. Mouse input is available in menus and combat; field movement remains directional.

As Elias grows stronger, some weaker enemies may choose to flee rather than fight. You may still pursue stronger foes when you are ready.

Every attack belongs to a damage type. Physical damage is checked against Physical Defense. The elemental damage types are checked against Magic Defense and may also carry a status or affect the ground.

	Damage type	Category	Status	Ground
	Physical	Physical	(none)	(none)
	Poison	Magical	Poisoned	Poison
	◈ Acid	Magical	Acid Covered	Acid
	◈ Ice	Magical	Chilled	Icy
	◈ Fire	Magical	Burning	Aflame
	Radiant	Magical	Blinded	Hallowed
	◈ Necrotic	Magical	Cursed	Cursed

The ◈ mark indicates a rule or damage type that is introduced beyond the current Episode One encounters.

Status Effects

A status icon appears above an affected unit. If a status is applied more than once, its remaining duration increases.

At the end of the affected unit's turn, one stack is spent and the status takes effect. Poison, for example, deals damage at that time. Poison can remain after battle, so cure it before traveling too far.

	Status	Comes from	Description
	Poisoned	Poison	Small damage every turn. Less likely to land hits, more likely to be hit.
	◈ Acid Covered	Acid	Damage every turn, and reduced physical defense.
	Blinded	Radiant	Much less likely to land hits, much more likely to be hit.
	Interrupted	A broken charge	The charged attack is cancelled, and the creature loses its next turn — it can neither act nor react.
	◈ Restrained	Web ground	Cannot move, but can still attack from where it stands.
	◈ Chilled	Ice	Movement reduced.
	◈ Burning	Fire	Moderate damage every turn.
	◈ Cursed	Necrotic

Repeated Poison makes further Poison easier to apply. Do not ignore a stack simply because its first tick is small.

Ground Effects

Certain attacks leave dangerous terrain behind.

	Ground	Description
	Poison	A chance to become Poisoned each time it is walked on. The Mother Slime lays it as she moves, and it lasts the rest of the fight.
	◈ Acid	Damages whoever walks on it and applies Acid Covered.
	◈ Web	Costs double movement to cross, with a chance of Restrained.
	◈ Icy	Costs double movement to cross, with a chance to fall prone.
	◈ Aflame	Applies Burning, and a Burning unit leaves an Aflame trail.
	◈ Hallowed	Radiant ground.

Affinities

A unit may be unusually weak or strong against a damage type.

Mark	Affinity	Description
	◈ Vulnerable	Damage type does double damage.
	Resistant	Damage type does half damage.
	Immune	Damage type does no damage.
	Absorb	Damage type heals instead of damages.

A permanent affinity shows in the unit's status details panel, readable only with Scan at enough Expertise. A temporary affinity shows as a bubble above the unit, with the turns remaining on it.

◈ Vulnerability is not seen among the creatures of Episode One.

Permanent affinities can be learned through detailed enemy information. Temporary affinities appear above the unit with their remaining duration.

Skills come from two places: a character's Class Tree and Relics found throughout the world.

Skill Types

Every skill is one of three types.

Relic	Icon	Kind	Description	Examples
		Action	used on your turn, often costs MP	Smite Cure Cleanse
		Reaction	triggers automatically in response to something	Counterattack Parry
		Passive	always on, no input needed	Scan Health-up

Class Skills

Spend SP on the Skill Tree to learn class skills, increase attributes, and open additional Relic Slots.

Expertise on a class skill unlocks further improvements, but those still have to be purchased in the skill tree. Nodes that need Expertise carry a lock. Revisit the tree whenever a class skill gains Expertise.

Passive class skills may be turned off in the Skills menu. A disabled passive does not gain Expertise.

Relic Skills

Relics are remnants of people who came before. It is said that an Anam can draw out a part of the strength held within them.

Finding a Relic is not enough. Equip it in a Relic Slot from the Skills menu to activate its skill. You begin with one Relic Slot; more can be opened on the Class Tree.

Relics Found in Episode One

Relic	Description
Item	Use consumables such as Mugwort during combat.
Scan	Reveals hit chance, enemy HP/MP levels, and the damage still needed to break a charge. Without it you aim blind.
Move	Increases movement range.
Health	Increases total HP.
Berserk Counter	Reaction to physical damage, temporarily increasing incoming physical damage in exchange for physical damage output. Dropped by the Mother Slime.

Expertise

Skills become more familiar through use and earn EP — Expertise Points.

Relic skills improve automatically when their Expertise reaches the required amount. A class skill uses Expertise differently: reaching the requirement makes its next rank available on the Skill Tree, where it must still be purchased with SP.

The Skill Details panel shows the Expertise earned by a skill and what is required for its next improvement.

TIP: A favorite skill becomes more useful the more often it is employed. Do not save every good technique for emergencies.

Winning battles earns experience and, as characters rise in level, points that may be used to shape their growth.

HP	Health Points.
MP	Magic Points. Restore with Irid Liquor.
XP	Experience.
JP	Job Points. Granted at each level-up. Spend on raw stats in the Status menu.
SP	Skill Points. Granted at each level-up. Spend on your class tree in the Skill Tree menu.
EP	Expertise Points. Earned by using a skill or relic.

Raw Stats

Raw stats form the base of a character's growth. Spend JP in the Status menu to raise them. Stat nodes on the Class Tree may also provide permanent increases.

Three stats — Stamina, Speed, and Knowledge — cannot be purchased directly. They develop automatically as the character levels, according to the related stats you have chosen to raise.

A class favors certain stats, but you are not required to follow that path. JP may be used to strengthen a class specialty or build a character in another direction.

Battle Stats

Battle stats are calculated from raw stats, equipment, and other effects. Most have one raw stat that matters more than the rest.

	Battle stat	Grows most from	Also from
	HP	Constitution	Strength
	MP	Intelligence	Wisdom, Constitution
	Move	Agility	Dexterity
	Reflex	Agility	Dexterity
	XP Mod	Intelligence	Wisdom
	Physical Attack	Strength	Dexterity, Constitution
	Physical Hit	Dexterity	Wisdom, Strength, Agility
	Physical Dodge	Agility	Dexterity, Wisdom, Strength
	Physical Defense	Constitution	Strength, Dexterity
	Magic Attack	Intelligence	Wisdom, Dexterity
	Magic Hit	Intelligence	Wisdom
	Magic Dodge	Intelligence	Wisdom, Agility
	Magic Defense	Intelligence	Wisdom, Constitution

Battle stats update while JP is being assigned, allowing you to see the result before confirming the changes.

No attack is guaranteed to hit. Physical attacks compare Physical Hit against Physical Dodge; magical attacks use the corresponding magical values.

A physical attack that lands may become a critical hit. Dexterity and Luck are the largest contributors to critical chance, with Wisdom also helping. Position matters as well: attacks from the flank or rear are more dangerous than attacks from the front.

Items fall into four groups.

Symbol	Kind	Description
	Consumable	Used once and consumed. Can be used outside combat, or in combat with the Item relic.
	Equipable	Can be equipped from the Equipment menu.
	Relic	Can be equipped from the Skills menu, according to your slot count.
	Key	Key item, can't be sold.

Consumables may be used outside battle from the Items menu. To use one during battle, the Item Relic must be equipped.

Equipment and Relics provide no benefit while left in the bag. Equip new gear and slot new Relics before returning to danger.

Laria General Store

Item	Price	Description
Valerian Powder	25	Cures Poisoned.
Mugwort	40	Heals a little HP.
Leather Boots	60	Slightly raises Reflex, Physical Hit, Physical Dodge and Physical Defense.
Irid Liquor	100	Restores MP.
Leather Chestpiece	150	Raises Physical Defense.

Open the main menu with the keyboard menu command, the on-screen menu button, or Square on a controller.

The mouse may be used throughout menus on desktop.

Status — Spending JP

Use the Status menu to spend JP on raw stats.

Select + or − beside a stat to preview an increase or remove a pending increase. The battle stats on the right change immediately, so you may compare several choices before committing them.

Choose Save to confirm the changes. Clear removes the pending changes and restores the unspent JP.

Stamina, Speed, and Knowledge do not have + and − controls. These accumulator stats grow automatically when the character levels.

Skill Tree — Spending SP

Spend SP on the Class Tree to learn skills, raise stats, and open additional Relic Slots.

	Node	What it is
	Stat	Raises one raw stat, permanently.
	Skill	An action, a reaction, or a passive. Use it from the Skills menu or in battle.
	Relic Slot	Gives you another Relic Slot. Fill the slot in the Skills menu.

Some higher-rank skill nodes remain locked until enough Expertise has been earned with the earlier rank. Expertise makes the node available; SP is still required to purchase it.

Skills — Skills & Relics

The Skills menu shows learned skills and available Relic Slots.

Select a skill to view its type, effect, MP cost, and Expertise progress. Skills that work outside battle may be used here; for example, Cure can restore HP and Cleanse can remove a status between fights.

Place a Relic in an open Relic Slot to activate the skill it contains. Remove the Relic to deactivate that skill.

Equipment

Choose a Weapon, Armor, Boots, or Accessory slot, then select an owned item to equip there.

The displayed battle stats change as you preview equipment, allowing you to compare the new item with the one already worn.

Items

The Items menu shows carried consumables and Relics. Select an item to read its effect and quantity.

Each item shows a × quantity; selecting one shows its name and effect. Mugwort heals HP, Irid Liquor restores MP, Valerian Powder cures poison. (Using an item in battle needs the Item relic slotted, see Skills.)

The Waterways beneath Laria are home to several forms of Slime. Their abilities build on one another; learning how the weaker creatures fight prepares you for what waits deeper below.

	Foe	Affinity	Damage	Reach	Reactions	Skills
	Young Slime	Immune		1	none	none
	Young VSlime	Absorb  Resistant		1	none	none
	Slime	Immune		2	Opportunity Attack	none
	VSlime	Absorb  Resistant		1	Opportunity Attack	Poison Cloud
	Mother Slime	Immune  Resistant		2	Opportunity Attack	Poison Cloud, Poison Walk

The Mother Slime occupies four cells. Remember that attacks and area effects are resolved by cell when fighting a creature of this size.

• Spend JP and SP regularly. Leveling provides the points, but they do nothing until they are used in the Status menu and Skill Tree.
• Use every Relic Slot. An empty slot provides no benefit. The Item Relic is especially useful early, because it allows healing items to be used during battle.
• Equip what you find. Weapons, armor, boots, accessories, and Relics do nothing while they remain in the bag.
• Recover between battles. Cure and consumable items can restore the party before the next fight, and a bed restores HP and MP completely. Poison may persist after combat, so remove it before traveling on.
• Watch the turn queue when an enemy Charges. If you can fill the Stagger bar in time, the attack is cancelled and the enemy loses its next turn. If you cannot, leave the threatened cells.
• Opportunity Attacks punish careless movement. Check the danger markings before moving out of an enemy's reach.
• Use the skills you want to improve. Expertise is earned through use. Relic skills improve automatically at their Expertise milestones; class skills use Expertise to unlock higher-rank purchases on the Skill Tree.
• Counterattack is valuable against enemies that crowd you. It answers adjacent physical melee attacks automatically. Enemies with longer reach may stay outside its range.
• The Mother Slime prefers distance. She can attack from farther away than most early enemies and will not always give Counterattack a chance to trigger. Bring a way to close the distance or strike from range.
• Outgrown enemies may retreat. Once weaker creatures stop being useful fights, you do not need to chase every one of them.
• Save before going deeper. The AUTO save is useful, but a manual save gives you a point you chose yourself.