End's beginning

End's beginning is a story about Carter Evan, who dies after failing to negotiate with the Sherman Royal Family and is sent back five years by a mysterious force. He sets out to save his brother Kander Dahl and their companions, change the course of events and protect the people important to him. The story takes place in Shermanland, an ancient kingdom at the top of the World Tree, Sherman Tree, known in historical records and myths as the “Gods’ Backyard.”

In October of year 504 of the Sherman calendar, a child favored by the gods falls from the sky and turns to ashes within days. Later scholars connect this event to power struggles among the Blood Clan, Human Clan, Royal Clan and Witch Clan. A mysterious blond boy may hold the key to the kingdom’s mysteries.

Evan’s companions

As Evan retraces his path, he forms closer ties with the people around him: his stern but caring brother; a kind-hearted young prince moving toward the throne; Julius, a cat-loving mage who has watched over the world for millennia; and Vlad, the vampire leader he has fought, with whom he shares a bond from a past life. His companions also include a cautious deputy captain of the self-defense force, a bold tavern owner, a shrewd flower vendor, a loyal royal servant and a Persian cat with different-colored eyes.

Carter Evan loves adventure and has an unusual range of knowledge. He and Kander Dahl once lived at the Hyacinth Orphanage. When Evan reached adulthood, his biological parents took him away, sending the brothers down different paths. Dahl, a cheerful and confident leader of the self-defense force, is fiercely protective of Evan. His father, Kander Ray, leads the revolutionary army, and Dahl was regarded as an ominous presence from childhood before fate led him to follow his father’s path.

Sherman Hall is a warm-hearted but scheming young prince with little experience of ordinary life and a dual personality. Kept inside the palace by the queen’s protection, he leaves the capital after coming of age and meets Evan. Their relationship leads Hall to consider what makes a wise ruler and to resist an evil force tempting him toward corruption.

Julius is a mysterious shaman who can foresee the future and the second-oldest being on the Sherman continent, after the Sherman Tree God. He has existed since the continent’s ancient chaos, serving as an agent of the gods, but has recently begun to question whether everything in the world can be governed by rules. Vlad is an immortal vampire, now operating among humans as deputy director of the Inspectorate. He leads the vampire clan, which was exterminated two hundred years ago, and has devised a centuries-long plan to achieve true death.

Repeated journeys

Evan encounters a conspiracy among the united tribes, a man-eating blood vine, refugee riots, the threatened withering of Sherman Tree, the return of the Blood Clan and a royal family on the verge of losing power. Even after he prevents the dynasty’s downfall, important people still die before him. Each time he reaches a dead end, a mysterious force sends him back to the starting point at the cost of his life. The identity of the one who kills him and grants him rebirth is part of the mystery, as Evan tries to change events and strengthen his bonds with his companions.

Story and relationships

The game features four relationship and romance modes: Brother and Brother, Monarch and Knight, God and Follower, and Vampire and Prey. Multiple playthroughs let you explore the truth from different perspectives, with 10 endings to discover across a script of nearly 300,000 words. It also includes character stories, illustrated characters with varied expressions, dozens of scenes and CGs, and animated opening and cutscenes.