Ember of Vaelor: the early choices that shape your whole run

Ember of Vaelor front-loads some surprisingly heavy choices, and the game doesn't warn you how much they'll matter. After two playthroughs I can tell you a few of them ripple out for hours.

The first is whether you side with the border garrison or the refugees in the opening town. It feels like flavor, but it determines which of two major characters joins your party — and they bring very different skill sets to the timeline combat.

Second, don't skip the optional shrine in the marsh. It's easy to miss, but the ability you unlock there made the mid-game boss far more manageable. I learned that the hard way on my first run.

On combat: lean into the timeline system early. Queue your slow, heavy hits to land after enemy actions resolve, and you'll avoid wasting turns. It took me a few fights to stop thinking in simple take-turns terms.

None of this is spoiler-heavy, but it'll save you some frustration. Ember of Vaelor rewards attention, so slow down and read the room.