VN Ren'Py Eternum [v0.9.4] [Caribdis]

[EdenGenesis]

Yes, this episode is fantastic. Just play it.

Thanks! I'll try to make some space unless it's possible and easy to just download the last update.

 

[Master Peter Raven]

I am curious though, we have been creampie'n the girls so far, will there be pregnancies??

Not inmy playthrough, unless Caribdas decides to ignore the fact I was allowed to turn pregnancies OFF, which I did so fast I almost broke my keyoard.

 

[Impetu]

Eternum – A Working Theory

Based on what we know and what the game subtly shows, Orion does not fit the category of a normal human protagonist. Everything points to him being something closer to an Immortal, or at least a new generation of one—not fully awakened, not fully aware, but fundamentally different.



Calypso and the Dual Legacy of Idriel

Calypso stands as the other half of Idriel’s legacy. Unlike Orion, she is not a human altered into something more—she is a pure creation, and possibly Idriel’s most powerful one. The Founder’s words suggest that Calypso was not merely designed to rule, but to exist outside conventional systems, which is why her prison had to be constructed by the Immortals themselves.


Orion and Calypso mirror each other in inverse ways. Calypso is power without human limitation; Orion is humanity enhanced toward Immortal capability. Together, they represent two solutions to the same question Idriel was trying to answer: Can a being exist beyond the Immortals without becoming one of them?




If so, Orion may not be meant to free Calypso out of rebellion, but out of correction. Not to break Eternum, but to finish what Idriel started—creating something that even the Immortals could not fully predict or control (Remember he didnt even got that close to the box but it oppeded itself)




Orion’s unusual growth, his resonance with powerful entities (He saids ths on Hil'yl Rar that he feels stronger), and the sense of strength he experiences in key moments all suggest a latent inheritance—not just power, but access. He is not meant to dominate Eternum outright, but to eventually decide its fate in ways even the Immortals cannot. In this sense, Orion is neither pawn nor god, but a successor—created after the Immortals failed to fully control what they made.



Idriel – Mother, Echo… or Penny?

When it comes to Idriel, there is a second interpretation that cannot be ignored.

Either Idriel is literally Orion’s mother, trapped within Eternum after its collapse into control by the Immortals…

Or Idriel is not a separate being at all, but an echo expressed through Penny.

The visual and narrative parallels are too consistent to dismiss as coincidence. Idriel and Penny share striking physical similarities—facial structure, posture, and even color palette—suggesting a deliberate mirroring rather than simple reuse. More telling, however, are the clothing details. Penny’s disguise and later outfits echo elements Idriel consistently wears, down to specific ornamental choices that feel symbolic rather than practical. These are not random assets; they read like identity fragments.

Narratively, Penny is the first to push Orion toward self-destruction as liberation—“Break me”—while Idriel repeatedly urges him to “break the chain.” Different words, same intent. Both frame destruction not as violence, but as release from constraint.




If Idriel’s consciousness was fractured when she became trapped inside Eternum, it is plausible that part of her embedded itself into Penny—either intentionally as a failsafe, or unintentionally as a side effect of system collapse. Penny would then function as a localized, human-scale anchor, allowing Idriel to observe, influence, and emotionally guide Orion without triggering Immortal-level safeguards.

In this reading, Penny is not a replacement for Idriel, but a vessel of proximity. Where Idriel operates at the mythic level, Penny operates at the intimate one. Both serve the same purpose: keeping Orion moving forward until he is capable of choosing for himself.

Whether Penny is Idriel’s fragment, her reflection, or her contingency plan remains unclear. But the symmetry is deliberate—and in a system as carefully constructed as Eternum, symmetry is never accidental.


Orion’s Father and the Cost of Creation


This framework also gives weight to Orion’s father and his apparent downfall. If Idriel was not only his partner but the core mind behind Eternum’s deepest architecture, then her loss would not have been merely emotional—it would have been existential. He didn’t just lose his wife; he lost the person who understood what Orion truly was.


His alcoholism reads less as weakness and more as collapse under impossible responsibility. He is one of the few humans who knows that his son is not fully human, that Orion carries abilities and access meant for beings like the Founder. Protecting Orion while hiding the truth from him—and from the world—would be an unbearable burden. Alcohol becomes an escape from knowledge rather than grief.




This also explains why he both underestimates and fears Orion. He sees the child, but he remembers the design.

Idriel being his mother reframes almost every major mystery in Eternum. Rather than a distant creator figure, she appears to have worked directly with Orion’s father during the early stages of Eternum, likely in collaboration with either Ulysses or the Syndicate, before those groups fractured or redefined their goals. Orion, then, would not be an accident or a byproduct, but a designed being, meant to bridge human consciousness and Immortal-level access.




Idriel’s or Orion’s Mom “death” is likely not a true death. Instead, she seems to have become trapped inside Eternum, existing as a Game Master–like entity: influential, knowledgeable, but not fully in control. This explains her limited interventions, her cryptic guidance, and why she pushes Orion toward breaking chains rather than directly acting herself. She is constrained by the system she helped build.






--------------------------------------------------------------CALLY----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[magellandimarco]

A harem is nice, but I just need Luna really.

I should probably play the update soon and not visit the thread until then

*sigh*......Luna. I understand completely, Jarulf....

 

[Master Peter Raven]

Eternum – A Working Theory

Based on what we know and what the game subtly shows, Orion does not fit the category of a normal human protagonist. Everything points to him being something closer to an Immortal, or at least a new generation of one—not fully awakened, not fully aware, but fundamentally different.

View attachment 5626464

Calypso and the Dual Legacy of Idriel

Calypso stands as the other half of Idriel’s legacy. Unlike Orion, she is not a human altered into something more—she is a pure creation, and possibly Idriel’s most powerful one. The Founder’s words suggest that Calypso was not merely designed to rule, but to exist outside conventional systems, which is why her prison had to be constructed by the Immortals themselves.


Orion and Calypso mirror each other in inverse ways. Calypso is power without human limitation; Orion is humanity enhanced toward Immortal capability. Together, they represent two solutions to the same question Idriel was trying to answer: Can a being exist beyond the Immortals without becoming one of them?

View attachment 5626879


If so, Orion may not be meant to free Calypso out of rebellion, but out of correction. Not to break Eternum, but to finish what Idriel started—creating something that even the Immortals could not fully predict or control (Remember he didnt even got that close to the box but it oppeded itself)

View attachment 5626940


Orion’s unusual growth, his resonance with powerful entities (He saids ths on Hil'yl Rar that he feels stronger), and the sense of strength he experiences in key moments all suggest a latent inheritance—not just power, but access. He is not meant to dominate Eternum outright, but to eventually decide its fate in ways even the Immortals cannot. In this sense, Orion is neither pawn nor god, but a successor—created after the Immortals failed to fully control what they made.



Idriel – Mother, Echo… or Penny?

When it comes to Idriel, there is a second interpretation that cannot be ignored.

Either Idriel is literally Orion’s mother, trapped within Eternum after its collapse into control by the Immortals…

Or Idriel is not a separate being at all, but an echo expressed through Penny.

The visual and narrative parallels are too consistent to dismiss as coincidence. Idriel and Penny share striking physical similarities—facial structure, posture, and even color palette—suggesting a deliberate mirroring rather than simple reuse. More telling, however, are the clothing details. Penny’s disguise and later outfits echo elements Idriel consistently wears, down to specific ornamental choices that feel symbolic rather than practical. These are not random assets; they read like identity fragments.

Narratively, Penny is the first to push Orion toward self-destruction as liberation—“Break me”—while Idriel repeatedly urges him to “break the chain.” Different words, same intent. Both frame destruction not as violence, but as release from constraint.

View attachment 5626864
View attachment 5626866

If Idriel’s consciousness was fractured when she became trapped inside Eternum, it is plausible that part of her embedded itself into Penny—either intentionally as a failsafe, or unintentionally as a side effect of system collapse. Penny would then function as a localized, human-scale anchor, allowing Idriel to observe, influence, and emotionally guide Orion without triggering Immortal-level safeguards.

In this reading, Penny is not a replacement for Idriel, but a vessel of proximity. Where Idriel operates at the mythic level, Penny operates at the intimate one. Both serve the same purpose: keeping Orion moving forward until he is capable of choosing for himself.

Whether Penny is Idriel’s fragment, her reflection, or her contingency plan remains unclear. But the symmetry is deliberate—and in a system as carefully constructed as Eternum, symmetry is never accidental.


Orion’s Father and the Cost of Creation


This framework also gives weight to Orion’s father and his apparent downfall. If Idriel was not only his partner but the core mind behind Eternum’s deepest architecture, then her loss would not have been merely emotional—it would have been existential. He didn’t just lose his wife; he lost the person who understood what Orion truly was.


His alcoholism reads less as weakness and more as collapse under impossible responsibility. He is one of the few humans who knows that his son is not fully human, that Orion carries abilities and access meant for beings like the Founder. Protecting Orion while hiding the truth from him—and from the world—would be an unbearable burden. Alcohol becomes an escape from knowledge rather than grief.

View attachment 5626936


This also explains why he both underestimates and fears Orion. He sees the child, but he remembers the design.

Idriel being his mother reframes almost every major mystery in Eternum. Rather than a distant creator figure, she appears to have worked directly with Orion’s father during the early stages of Eternum, likely in collaboration with either Ulysses or the Syndicate, before those groups fractured or redefined their goals. Orion, then, would not be an accident or a byproduct, but a designed being, meant to bridge human consciousness and Immortal-level access.


View attachment 5626466

Idriel’s or Orion’s Mom “death” is likely not a true death. Instead, she seems to have become trapped inside Eternum, existing as a Game Master–like entity: influential, knowledgeable, but not fully in control. This explains her limited interventions, her cryptic guidance, and why she pushes Orion toward breaking chains rather than directly acting herself. She is constrained by the system she helped build.






--------------------------------------------------------------CALLY----------------------------------------------------------------------


View attachment 5626953

Uhm.......Wow. I don't.......just Wow.

 

[Big_I_Guy]

Eternum – A Working Theory

Based on what we know and what the game subtly shows, Orion does not fit the category of a normal human protagonist.
...
Idriel’s or Orion’s Mom “death” is likely not a true death.

Orion's mother isn't said to be dead. The game says "my mother left shortly after I was born." My personal theory is she's in the Syndicate.

I agree that Orion isn't a normal human. I think he's a creation of the Founder, something designed to gather the Gems. I think Thanatos is one as well, in their first confrontation Thanatos describes Orion as "inferior" and "defective". So in this scenario Orion and Thanatos are essentially male Praetorians. If you refuse the Amulet of Blair from the Founder he'll say "none of the others accepted it either" and he's not sure whether he should be "annoyed...or proud."And in the most recent update Orion will argue with Idriel about her being artificial and himself being natural, which she appears to find amusing.

I think it's pretty clear that Orion has been brainwashed to some degree. He has suppressed memories and eveytime he has a dream he'll say to himself "I hardly ever dream in the first place." I always thought it odd that Orion's training in Eternum was also obviously making him jacked on Earth, he even mentions he's been neglecting the gym for Eternum. I've wondered whether Orion's body is actually just a projection (like how normal people project into Eternum), and his actual body is asleep somewhere else, maybe beyond the Gates of Acheran. It would tie into all of Idriel's crytptic pronouncements about whether dreams are as valid as reality.

I'm a believer of the theory that there's some sort of timeloop going on in the story, and my crackpot theory is that the Founder and Orion are the same person.

 

[Master Peter Raven]

Orion's mother isn't said to be dead. The game says "my mother left shortly after I was born." My personal theory is she's in the Syndicate.

I agree that Orion isn't a normal human. I think he's a creation of the Founder, something designed to gather the Gems. I think Thanatos is one as well, in their first confrontation Thanatos describes Orion as "inferior" and "defective". So in this scenario Orion and Thanatos are essentially male Praetorians. If you refuse the Amulet of Blair from the Founder he'll say "none of the others accepted it either" and he's not sure whether he should be "annoyed...or proud."And in the most recent update Orion will argue with Idriel about her being artificial and himself being natural, which she appears to find amusing.

I think it's pretty clear that Orion has been brainwashed to some degree. He has suppressed memories and eveytime he has a dream he'll say to himself "I hardly ever dream in the first place." I always thought it odd that Orion's training in Eternum was also obviously making him jacked on Earth, he even mentions he's been neglecting the gym for Eternum. I've wondered whether Orion's body is actually just a projection (like how normal people project into Eternum), and his actual body is asleep somewhere else, maybe beyond the Gates of Acheran. It would tie into all of Idriel's crytptic pronouncements about whether dreams are as valid as reality.

I'm a believer of the theory that there's some sort of timeloop going on in the story, and my crackpot theory is that the Founder and Orion are the same person.

I wonder if anyone is close, theory-wise. As involved as the story is, and appears to be, I'm assuming Cirbdas has the story blocked out from start to finish, chapter by chapter. Then "fleshes" it out as the updates are done, but the framework for each update is already in place.

Meaning, if he actually reads any of these, he's either laughing at how far off-base everyone is, or mildly irritated that someone is actualy close to his outline. Going to be interesting to see how close anyone comes.

 

[e6mill]

Orion's mother isn't said to be dead. The game says "my mother left shortly after I was born." My personal theory is she's in the Syndicate.

I still suspect that she's Idriel. Not for any reason I can point to really, she just kinda acts like a mom. Also, Caly tells us that the only ones who can hop between servers are descendants of Anima (such as she) or of Y'liar the usurper. If MC is also of Anima's line Patreon would likely be perturbed. Also, unless the scion of one of those ancient bloodlines is spending his days downing cheap beer and watching football, it must be mom from whom we get these abilities...

 

[Impetu]

Orion's mother isn't said to be dead. The game says "my mother left shortly after I was born." My personal theory is she's in the Syndicate.

I agree that Orion isn't a normal human. I think he's a creation of the Founder, something designed to gather the Gems. I think Thanatos is one as well, in their first confrontation Thanatos describes Orion as "inferior" and "defective". So in this scenario Orion and Thanatos are essentially male Praetorians. If you refuse the Amulet of Blair from the Founder he'll say "none of the others accepted it either" and he's not sure whether he should be "annoyed...or proud."And in the most recent update Orion will argue with Idriel about her being artificial and himself being natural, which she appears to find amusing.

I think it's pretty clear that Orion has been brainwashed to some degree. He has suppressed memories and eveytime he has a dream he'll say to himself "I hardly ever dream in the first place." I always thought it odd that Orion's training in Eternum was also obviously making him jacked on Earth, he even mentions he's been neglecting the gym for Eternum. I've wondered whether Orion's body is actually just a projection (like how normal people project into Eternum), and his actual body is asleep somewhere else, maybe beyond the Gates of Acheran. It would tie into all of Idriel's crytptic pronouncements about whether dreams are as valid as reality.

I'm a believer of the theory that there's some sort of timeloop going on in the story, and my crackpot theory is that the Founder and Orion are the same person.

Another thought crossed my mind while reading some comments from people saying that Penny lacks character development and has an “empty” personality. A few weeks ago, Caribdis also dropped a rather ominous line along the lines of “don’t get too attached to the girls.” Keeping that in mind—and considering that time in Eternum is clearly not linear—it made me wonder whether Penny’s apparent lack of depth is not a flaw, but a setup.

What if Penny is not underwritten, but unfinished?

If time does not flow normally, it is possible that Penny becomes trapped inside Eternum at some point, forced to exist and evolve within the system itself. Over time, that experience could shape her into something far more distant, restrained, and architect-like. In that sense, Penny growing into Idriel would not be a contradiction, but a consequence: the same person, altered by time, isolation, and responsibility.


This would also recontextualize her “emptiness.” Rather than lacking personality, Penny may be in an early state—before loss, before sacrifice, before being burdened with knowledge and control. The warning not to get attached would then make sense, not as shock value, but as narrative foreshadowing. Penny is not meant to stay Penny forever.


If this is the case, Idriel would not be an external creator watching from above, but a future version of someone we already know—someone shaped by Eternum itself. And crucially, this would mean her story is not one of permanence, but of waiting. Penny does not become Idriel to remain lost forever; she becomes Idriel to endure long enough to be found. In that reading, Orion’s role is not just to break chains, but to close the loop—to reach across fractured time and finally save her, returning her not only to freedom, but to herself.

 

[Ozymandias037]

In older versions of the game there were 9 main girl slots; it's more or less certain that Caly was planned to fill one of those slots, likely not doing so immediately for some sense of mystery or suspense. Not sure who the last one would've been. Eva? Chop Chop's assistant? Lorelei? Idriel?

We'll likely never know unless Cari makes a post-mortem QnA of Eternum and someone asks him there who the 9th main LI that got axed was.

I am not sure if there was 9th one. Possibly the dev decided to combine Caly and Others into one, to hide Caly as secret love interest, due to her initial introduction as NPC. The reversed question mark, if it was her spot, was going to out her being real rather than AI early in the story. The one right next to Alex was Nova. The last was that was Others, assuming the reverse ? was Caly was going to Eva once more.

As for potential 9th love interest, there aren't too many options. Charlote possibly to get info from Axel but now we are doing with him instead. Eva due to her dialogue about "what is real" and "prefering Eternum over the normal world" could have had her own story arc revolving having even bad family life / situation irl but then Alex has the same arc. Eva seem the most likely one, to be honest. Matt, she apperead in 0.3, so it's possible that there were bigger plans for her that were revolked because it didn't make sense for Orion and Nova to be nice to her after what she did. Matt, unlike Eva, returned for something beside gag and seem to have relavence to the story, the option to give her money being required for perfect run.

The cancelled 9th LI was going to be Gertrude. Obviously.

 

[Master Peter Raven]

Another thought crossed my mind while reading some comments from people saying that Penny lacks character development and has an “empty” personality. A few weeks ago, Caribdis also dropped a rather ominous line along the lines of “don’t get too attached to the girls.” Keeping that in mind—and considering that time in Eternum is clearly not linear—it made me wonder whether Penny’s apparent lack of depth is not a flaw, but a setup.

What if Penny is not underwritten, but unfinished?

If time does not flow normally, it is possible that Penny becomes trapped inside Eternum at some point, forced to exist and evolve within the system itself. Over time, that experience could shape her into something far more distant, restrained, and architect-like. In that sense, Penny growing into Idriel would not be a contradiction, but a consequence: the same person, altered by time, isolation, and responsibility.


This would also recontextualize her “emptiness.” Rather than lacking personality, Penny may be in an early state—before loss, before sacrifice, before being burdened with knowledge and control. The warning not to get attached would then make sense, not as shock value, but as narrative foreshadowing. Penny is not meant to stay Penny forever.


If this is the case, Idriel would not be an external creator watching from above, but a future version of someone we already know—someone shaped by Eternum itself. And crucially, this would mean her story is not one of permanence, but of waiting. Penny does not become Idriel to remain lost forever; she becomes Idriel to endure long enough to be found. In that reading, Orion’s role is not just to break chains, but to close the loop—to reach across fractured time and finally save her, returning her not only to freedom, but to herself.

But would not Penny's interaction with Orion potentially then change the future where Penny becomes Idriel, thus making her "capture" and chaining never happen? Which of course leads to Idriel never existing, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Impetu]

But would not Penny's interaction with Orion potentially then change the future where Penny becomes Idriel, thus making her "capture" and chaining never happen? Which of course leads to Idriel never existing, etc, etc, etc.

Well I mean, Penny becomes Idriel precisely because she tried to help, stayed too long, or chose to sacrifice herself. The chain was never an accident—it was the cost.

 

[Master Peter Raven]

The cancelled 9th LI was going to be Gertrude. Obviously.

I still would have preferred it to be Eva. Very first "physical" scene in Eternum, and still one of my favorites. Had a soft spot for her ever since. I thought for sure something was going to happen when they teased her in the western setting, but....*sigh*

But would not Penny's interaction with Orion potentially then change the future where Penny becomes Idriel, thus making her "capture" and chaining never happen? Which of course leads to Idriel never existing, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Dorfnutter]

I still would have preferred it to be Eva. Very first "physical" scene in Eternum, and still one of my favorites. Had a soft spot for her ever since. I thought for sure something was going to happen when they teased her in the western setting, but....*sigh*

The amount of mouth frothing from jackasses who'll accuse dev of adding NTR (or implied NTR) by having a prostitute as a main LI tho...

 

[Ashira13]

The amount of mouth frothing from jackasses who'll accuse dev of adding NTR (or implied NTR) by having a prostitute as a main LI tho...

Wasn't eva a virgin when she met Orion? and he was the only one she fucked, as she quit that job

 

[Dorfnutter]

Wasn't eva a virgin when she met Orion? and he was the only one she fucked, as she quit that job

Don't think it was ever mentioned that she was. And Orion was the first guy she fucked on the job, implying the farthest she got before him was blowing off her customers, so...

 

[Master Peter Raven]

Don't think it was ever mentioned that she was. And Orion was the first guy she fucked on the job, implying the farthest she got before him was blowing off her customers, so...

Actually, if I remember correctly, she was new to it, and the Madame set them up because she thought Orion could bring her out of her shell as she hadn't gone with anyoe yet. Felt to me like Orion was her first actual "customer" she ever went with. So no NTR is applicable with her as the scene was written.

 

[Ashira13]

Actually, if I remember correctly, she was new to it, and the Madame set them up because she thought Orion could bring her out of her shell as she hadn't gone with anyoe yet. Felt to me like Orion was her first actual "customer" she ever went with.

that was how i remember it like too

 

[Master Peter Raven]

that was how i remember it like too

Schrodinger's Thread? Funny my last cat was named Schrodinger. Of course, he passed on. My fault. I opened the box. *lol*

Seriously though, that was his name. Best cat I ever owned.

 

[Dorfnutter]

Actually, if I remember correctly, she was new to it, and the Madame set them up because she thought Orion could bring her out of her shell as she hadn't gone with anyoe yet. Felt to me like Orion was her first actual "customer" she ever went with. So no NTR is applicable with her as the scene was written.

She was new at work in that place and has rejected a few customers, yeah. Her dialogue (and the fact that she chose to work in that establishment) implied that she's pretty much not new to that kind of job, tho (and only decided to fuck Orion coz she stated that she hasn't had any experience with a dick of such size). So the anti-NTR brigade will still probably froth in the mouth if she ever happened to be main.