Game ZXC exclusive reveals the newest Salutor for The Thaumaturge, Morana. For the uninitiated, players take on the role of a Thaumaturge named Wiktor, who can perceive certain entities that normal humans cannot. These Salutors manifest in many ways, with developer Fool's Theory (which is also developing The Witcher 1 Remake) taking from several mythologies and belief systems to create these designs.

Previously, Fool's Theory had revealed four Salutors for The Thaumaturge. There's certainly more to come, but prior to Morana, fans knew about the Bukavac, a hard-to-tame horned monster filled with violence and ferocity that can rend human and foe alike; the Upyr, a skeletal ghoul-like creature trapped between life and death, envious and malevolent toward the living; the Lelek, a bird-headed creature believed to influence the decisions of men, while slowly driving them insane; and Weles, an entity that thrives in splendor and serves as an unpredictable ally.

Not only does each Salutor have a unique design and unique gameplay elements in The Thaumaturge, but they each come from unique backgrounds. There are many Slavic beliefs manifested here, but fans can expect more from Jewish, Bavarian, or Arabian circles, design director Karolina Kuzia-Rokosz tells Game ZXC. It's also possible for Thaumaturges to have Salutors unique to them, with Wiktor meeting others during his journey in The Thaumaturge. If nothing else, Morana who is a humanoid woman in nature shows how vastly different each Salutor is.

The Thaumaturge - Morana

The Thaumaturge describes Morana as the "quiet death beneath the water." In Slavic beliefs, the death of the Goddess Morana at the end of winter represents the return of Spring. Because of this, Morana is known to be a particularly powerful Salutor. Thaumaturges may find her lurking just beneath the water, taking possible victims by surprise and dragging them down in her deadly embrace. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how she manifests outside of combat, but it seems likely that her abilities deal with surprise, death, and nature.

In combat, her drowned bride conceit works by reducing an enemy's focus and dealing damage in correlation with their remaining focus. For example, her Pestilent Breath ability reduces focus and interrupts an enemy's planned action, while her In Death's Embrace ability reduces focus and slows the enemy's planned action. Once ready, Morana can use The Price of Peace which deals damage equal to a whopping 8 times the missing Focus. This ability will restore all of the enemy's focus, however, and she has one more damage-dealing ability (not tied to enemy focus) called Winter Sleep. It deals damage and slows all enemies' planned actions.

Overall, Morana is impressive in design, in lore, and in abilities, and it's easy to see many would-be Thaumaturges keeping her ready to go for combat. The Thaumaturge releases in February 2024, so fans will just have to wait and see what this Drowned Bride brings to the table, as well as to what 11 bit studios and Fool's Theory have prepared for fans.

The Thaumaturge

The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG set in 1905 Warsaw, Poland. Players take on the role of Wiktor, who can see entities called Salutors that normal humans cannot. It features isometric gameplay, turn-based combat, morally ambiguous choices, unique character development features, investigation mechanics, and much, much more.

Platform(s)

PC

Released

March 4, 2024

Developer(s)

Fool's Theory

Publisher(s)

11 Bit Studios

Genre(s)

Adventure , RPG