Nethergate is a huge, highly-detailed Shareware fantasy role-playing system for Windows 95/98 and Macintosh. Inside, you will find beautiful full color graphics, a powerful, easy to use interface, and a fascinating storyline. You can choose to play either the Celts or the Romans, which plots are different depending on the side you choose. Nethergate is created by Spiderweb Software, who also created the award-winning Exile series.About Nethergate
The objective is different depending on what side you choose. If you choose Celts, you are supposed to help the faery folk and to fight the Roman Empire. If you choose Romans, you are doing the opposite, thus fending of the faeries adn prevent the Roman Empire from being destroyed. It's 2 games in 1!!Objective of this Game
The Plot (in General)
Though nowadays people think of them as the Celts, back in ancient days nobody would have thought to label them all with one name. They were a very diverse scattering of tribal peoples: the Gauls in France, the Celtiberians in Spain, the Galatians to the east, and the many small tribes of Britannia.- Jeff Vogel (From Nethergate's Help)They were proud and warlike people, bearing iron weapons and bad attitudes. In 390 BC, they even sacked a small, backwater city in central Italy. Unfortunately for them, they didnt raze it to the ground.
The people of that city, called Rome, had long memories. When they exploded forth and created one of the greatest Empires history has ever known, the Celtic tribes fell, one after another, victims of superior Roman training, tactics, and discipline.
Julius Caesar had great success fighting the Celts, taking all of Gaul and then mercilessly putting down a series of rebellions. In 55 BC, he turned his attention to Britannia, the island we now call Britain. He took a large expedition there, marched around the isle for a while, defeated several native armies, and left. It was a peculiar campaign, resulting in little more than a few trade routes and a lot of hard feelings.
Though Britannia traded a fair amount with the Romans in years to come, sending raw materials like tin and lead and getting the Romans wine and crafts in return, it would be many years before Roman troops returned in force. This invasion would be led by Claudius, a weak emperor eager to display his might by expanding the Empire. The Roman invasion came in 43 AD.
The Romans were highly outnumbered. As usual. And they won a series of decisive victories. As usual. The Britons were brave, but fractious. They simply couldnt organize themselves well enough to fend off the Roman soldiers. One tribe after another fell to the invading armies, and during the next 15 years, the southern half of Britannia was absorbed by the Empire.
The people of Britannia did not meekly accept Roman rule. The rebel Caratacus, for example, led a bloody guerrilla campaign against the Roman invaders for many years, before Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes tribe betrayed him and turned him in.
Harsh Roman treatment of the Iceni people led their queen, Boudicca, to lead a rebellion in 60 AD. Tens of thousands of Roman citizens were killed in a series of bloody battles. As Nethergate begins, this revolt is still raging, and, although the final result is uncertain, the Empire has never had difficulty putting down a rebellion before.
The northern half of Britannia is still free, as is Ireland to the west, but the people there are still waiting for the axe to fall. It seems inevitabile that Emperor Nero, or some other greedy ruler to come, will decide that it is time for the Empire to expand once again.
In the conquered land of Britannia, the grip of Rome seems to grow stronger with every passing year. The memory of freedom is fading, slowly being replaced by a sad acceptance of servitude. Except for isolated pockets of defiance, the Romans are firmly in charge.
Yet, in a magical and isolated valley in the lands of the Brigantes tribe, there is a threat to the Empire. There are strange forces there, forces enjoying their last few days of potency before disappearing from the world forever. Two small groups, one Roman, one Celt, will soon fight to change the destiny of a people, and of an Empire.
So, you've learned what is Nethergate, its history and objectives. Wouldn't you want to try it? You may download the demos below:Download
Download Nethergate For Windows 95/98/NT (5.8 MB)
Download Nethergate For Macintosh (BinHexed, 7 MB)
Additional patches are available at Spiderweb Software's Technical Support page.