To celebrate our Gamefound launch, we are thrilled to present a series of three exclusive articles: the Faction Focus. In these deep dives, our Lore, Art, and Game Design teams take the floor to reveal the creative journey behind Roots of Corruption.

You will discover the narrative ambitions of each faction, the artistic evolution of the Reka city following the surge of Nightmare, and the game design challenges that forged this new expansion. To guide you through this immersion, here are the experts who brought this project to life:

With over 35 years of tabletop RPG expertise, Yoshi breathes life into the world of Altered. His approach, centered on humanity and cultural diversity, ensures that every narrative arc and player decision leaves a tangible, lasting impact on the evolving story.

As Art Director, Gabriel guides our illustrators to infuse every piece of art with life, emotion, and clarity. For Roots of Corruption, his mission was to cast a shadow over the vibrant world established in previous sets. He ensured that every character and setting vibrates with tension, anchored in a reality transformed by the surging corruption.

A TCG enthusiast at heart, Charles views game design as a language, using it to weave iconic mechanics into the Altered universe. For* Roots of Corruption*, he took on the challenge of translating themes of heroism and resistance directly into gameplay. Every mechanic serves as a direct reflection of the struggle against an unprecedented threat.

The Nightmare surges through the Reka city, its corruption bleeding into every corner, fueled by shadows of terror, despair, and intolerance. In the face of this overwhelming negativity, the Lyra have rallied. They counter the darkness with their artistic brilliance, spreading waves of hope to inspire those on the brink of surrender. Led by Yeong-gi and Ember, new Lyra Heroes aligned with the Qorgan, they have begun to fill the city streets with the scent of blooming flowers, heady fragrances, and wreaths of incense to purify the air and hold the Nightmare at bay.

Bastet perfectly embodies this protective role. Drawing from Egyptian mythology, the cat-headed goddess, daughter of Ra, represents both gentle comfort and warrior fury. Historically honored with floral ointments and perfumes, she became the personification of spiritual purification. She is also the mother of Nefertum, the god of perfume, healing, and rebirth. But be warned: when provoked, Bastet reveals her darker side, the lioness Sekhmet, the goddess of divine wrath.

In this new expansion, the Lyra return with Yeong-gi and his faithful companion, Ember: a duo that blends randomness and Support effects with startling precision. Every turn presents a pivotal choice: do you play your characters to establish board presence, or discard them to trigger their Support abilities while carefully selecting the perfect target for your Hero’s power? Bestowing Sloth perfectly illustrates this dynamic. Entering the fray asleep, it remains in play for two days, creating the ideal window to be targeted by Yeong-gi and triggering its Support effect at the optimal moment. Meanwhile, Lakshmi’s Owl shines when you roll a die with your Hero, effectively transforming random chance into a calculated opportunity.

All six factions are rolling up their sleeves to save the Reka city and its people. High in the Upper City, gathered around the Great Statue celebrating the bond between Reka and Asgartha, the Lyra have begun to cleanse the creeping corruption. Bastet, the guardian goddess, orchestrates the counter-offensive from her perch atop one of the district’s towering monuments.

Below, wielding sacred censers, Mia the Ballerina and the Lyra Fifer fill the streets with purifying mist. They are joined by a former Reka guide turned Reka Thurifer, a transformation born of necessity. Even more unconventional defenders have joined the fray, such as the Smoking Skunk, who "purifies" the air in its own unique way.

In this Altered expansion, the virtuoso Lyra handle incense sticks with the same grace as a harp or a paintbrush. By weaving smoke through every card's artwork, our creative team wanted to show a faction united in effort. While incense has replaced song and paint to banish the corruption, its universal symbolism of healing and spiritual cleansing makes it a powerful visual language for players to understand the battle for the city.

The Yzmir have always known. For centuries, they watched the Nightmare lurking just beyond the fringes of reality, choosing silence so that the rest of humanity could live in peace. But they did not wait idly. With the rise of the Exalts, they are finally ready to strike back. Sam & Spook now lead an elite cadre of mages, specialists in Eldritch threats, whose mission is to dive into the heart of the Nightmare and seal the breach before the corruption spreads further. To put it simply: they have been waiting for a fight like this for a long time.

Taima is one such Initiate whose role is pivotal. While she must hold back the tides of the Nightmare, her true objective is to mend the very fabric of reality. With her needle, she can stitch the Veil between worlds back together. Yet, her greatest weapon is her mind. She has transformed her psyche into an unbreakable fortress, building mental dikes to withstand the deluge of dark thoughts and corruption that threaten to drown her. In the coming struggle, her iron will will be her only shield.

Roots of Corruption introduces a duo as formidable as they are fascinating: Sam & Spook. Their promise? To turn your discard pile into a high-octane engine of power. In their hands, every discarded card is no longer a loss, but a strategic investment. Your early game will revolve around one clear objective: reaching the critical threshold of six cards in your discard pile. Once you hit that mark, your power awakens, and the tide of the match shifts in your favor.

To get there, you’ll need to aggressively fuel your graveyard. Cards like Molting Crab accelerate your game plan by letting you discard efficiently from your hand, while others (like the Baron Cimetière) offer massive rewards once your threshold is met. As your discard pile grows, your threats become increasingly oppressive.

Sam & Spook offer a bold, high-tension playstyle where every choice matters. You must be willing to strip away your resources now to achieve total dominance later. It’s a risky strategy... but an incredibly exhilarating one.

Escorted by the elite Bravos troupe, the Yzmir push toward the corrupted heart of the giant tree, Naos, to seal the breach between worlds. In this epic clash against the Nightmare, humans and creatures alike pour every ounce of their energy into closing the rift. While some, like Janus, rely on raw physical power, the Mana Seamstress repairs the Veil separating the two worlds with her enchanted needle.

Those Yzmir brave enough to enter the breach find themselves surrounded by the Nightmare itself. These cards are easily identified by their abstract environments, filled with oppressive, hovering eyes that circle the characters. The Qorgan Exorcist and Terrified Ghost are perfect examples of this haunting atmosphere. Here, the danger is absolute: corruption can claim anyone, even a witch as powerful as Baba Yaga.

The eye is a recurring motif throughout this expansion. Highly versatile and deeply unsettling, it taps directly into the tropes of cosmic horror. Placed in unexpected locations on bodies or within the scenery, these excessive clusters of eyes are designed to make even the boldest players shudder. While the entire city is plagued by these nightmarish visions, only the Yzmir cards set within the heart of the breach feature backgrounds composed entirely of eyes ; marking the place where the risk of corruption is at its peak.