Nethergate

About

Nethergate drops you in 1st century Britain where Roman legions clash with Celtic rebels. You play a traveler caught in a village’s plan to use ancient fae magic to topple the Empire. Every decision splits the path: aid the rebellion’s shadow war or crush it as a Roman enforcer. Turn-based battles mix swordplay and dwindling sorcery. Upgrade skills and gear as you navigate a web of loyalty, betrayal, and arcane risk. Spiderweb Software’s 1998 title leans into gritty historical fantasy with a focus on branching narratives. Player choices directly shift the story’s outcome, a rarity for its era. While not as well known as later entries in the developer’s library, it showcases early strengths in tactical depth and moral complexity. A lean but deliberate RPG for those who want their choices to matter.

Storyline

The time is 60 AD. The Roman Empire is at the height of its power, under the rule of the cruel Emperor Nero. The isle of Britannia is wracked by rebellion against its Roman masters, as the Celtic tribes ransack city after city. In the depths of the wilderness, the village of Nethergate, forgotten and ignored, is hatching a conspiracy. They will conspire with the faery kingdoms, the dark, secret, wild powers, to destroy their Roman conquerors. Magic is dying, but there is enough of it left to put an end the the Empire. Your job is to help them. Or, your job is to stop them.