You feel the tug of an unseen hand, pulling you toward something. What that something is, you are unsure. The one thing you do know is that it is immensely powerful—powerful enough to control the creatures of the sea, powerful enough to drive men mad. It calls to you, draws you in, compels you. As the darkness hangs over you and you reflect on the things you have seen, the things you can never unsee, you feel a hollowness inside yourself. You feel empty, as you have always known it would end this way, and you are powerless to stop it.
Hiding behind its 8-bit aesthetic, SKALD: Against the Black Priory from High North Studios AS is a dive into darkness, madness, and Lovecraftian horror. It is a retro-inspired fantasy roleplaying game. In this turn-based game, you start as a simple mercenary on a mission that is dear to you. You venture to the Outer Isles, where you must understand how the isles have been plunged into chaos. After a brief prologue, you wake up on the beach with nothing but a few rags after your ship wrecked, leaving you stranded. The isle of Idra is flush with madmen and mutated creatures who will attempt to rip you to shreds with reckless abandon.