Monday, July 25, 2016

iron pine peaks lore


Iron Pine Peak

Eternal cold

A snow-capped mountain range rises over Gloamwood and Stillmoor. It is always winter here, and the jagged crags are blanketed at all times by powdery snow, so white it can blind travelers on sunny days. The place looks austere and moody, but never desolate, as evergreens rise hundreds of feet above the snow, and their fortitude gives the mountains their name: Iron Pine Peak.

Though Iron Pine Peak has always been home to snow and ice, something of its cruel, ageless magnificence is unnatural. Iron Pine never changes, beautiful and cold like an unmelting ice-sculpture.

There is indeed magic behind the endless frost: Crucia, the Dragon of Air, lies entombed beneath the ice in her temple-city, and the sorcery that holds her has seeped cold into the very mountains, giving winter an eternal home in Iron Pine Peak.

Trapped under ice

Once, during the Age of Dragons, Crucia came to Iron Pine Peak, seeking a home close to the sky. She enslaved the people, mind and body, and had them build a city as magnificent and cruel as she. There, her thralls lived a mockery of life, moving in mindless unison to Crucia’s droning harmony.

At last, the Warlord Börte led an army to defeat Crucia’s Storm Legion. Her allies, the mage Phynnious Rothmann and Ekkehard, Shaman of the Valnir, imprisoned the mighty dragon. In a feat of sorcery unequaled since, the original Shaman and the first of the Pyromancers trapped Crucia in her city, then eternally banished every shred of heat from the valley where it lay. Now, that valley is filled with a nearly bottomless lake of ice, pierced only by the highest spires of that awful city, as if Crucia’s very claws surge desperately from her prison.

A group of merchants has set up shop on this remarkable lake, gouging into the surface to make necklaces and ornaments from the unmelting ice. These baubles fetch a high price throughout Iron Pine, yet a few locals shun the merchants and their wares. After all, it is said that just gazing too deep into the ice can attract Crucia’s all-piercing eye, so why would anyone want to upset—or gods forbid, wear—her prison?

The Chancel of Labors

Since Telara’s defenders first subdued Crucia, the Icewatch has overseen her prison in Iron Pine Peak. Owing fealty to neither Defiant nor Guardian, this ancient order of wardens and protectors has been an incorruptible symbol of dedication, learning, and martial prowess to all Telara.

Perhaps Iron Pine Peak’s greatest treasure is the base of Icewatch operations, the Chancel of Labors. This forbidding edifice serves as barracks, magical armory, and one of Telara’s greatest libraries all at once. Yet horrors from the rifts press heavily upon the Chancel’s defenses, wearing the mighty watchmen down as the sun melts vast glaciers.

From their headquarters, the Icewatch ranges throughout Iron Pine Peak. Of late, their patrols have run into surprising resistance from bandits, raiders, and other scum hiding in snowbanks and the caves winding under the mountains. The scoundrels have launched an all-out attack on Whitefall Lift, the twisting elevator that moves travelers between Iron Pine and Gloamwood. The lift’s Icewatch defenders hold the bandits back, but none can tell why they seek so desperately to control an exit from Iron Pine.

With all this fighting wearing Icewatch veterans to the bone, and new recruits harder and harder to come by, people in the nearby town of Whitefall fear for Iron Pine. If even the resolve of the Icewatch can fail, the eternal frost itself may melt, unleashing Crucia to once more enslave the people of Iron Pine Peak.

Close to home

“Where are you going?” asked the woman of Whitewall.

“To play Icewatch out in the wood,” said her son.

“Come back before dusk, or the Frozen Army might get you.”

“The Frozen Army?” asked the boy.

“Aye,” his mother said, “Before they could trap the dragon, Ekkehard and Phynnious lured her most terrible soldiers into a trap and froze them solid. Now their spirits howl and shriek on the wind.”

“I don’t believe old ghost stories,” said the boy, his father’s old helmet wobbling on his head.

“Neither do I,” she answered, “but Crucia really did have an army. They had no flesh under their robes, and they saw without eyes, and lived to hurt those who disobeyed. Disobeyed evil Crucia, of course. Not kindly young mothers.”

The boy laughed and kissed his mother, though that day he played Icewatch in the village square not out in the wood.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

[Off Topic] Legion Beta and WoW's Pre-launch Patch!

     So yes, this post is going to be about World of Warcraft instead of Rift! I do play both games of course and love both in equal but opposite measures. So let's get right down into it eh?

     Yesterday I went ahead and pre-ordered the new expansion to WoW: Legion, at my local EB Games. I ordered the collector's edition because that's what I always do when buying expansions or new games. I have a thing about collections and have all collector's editions for every WoW expansion except BC and "vanilla", which makes me sad but way back then I didn't know enough about MMO's and video games and expansions to think about special editions. After I went and pre ordered my edition (and found out that they just need 1 more pre-order in order to a midnight launch in my tiny little town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I went home and to my surprise and excitement found out I'd been invited to the Legion beta! I've always been invited to every beta of all Blizzard's expansions and even their other games, but there had been no news on Legion, and I was kinda bummed when I saw so many of my friends get invites but I didn't. Yeah, I know, whining about it won't help, but that's how I felt. Although at the same time I was also a bit relieved because I didn't want this expansion to be ruined for once. All the others I knew what was going to happen because I played the alpha and beta, and this would my first time not playing it.
     Soooo anyway, I downloaded the beta and straight off the bat made myself a Night Elf Demon Hunter because.....yes wings!!! I love wings! Seriously crazy over wings and feathers. Fur too, but mostly wings. If it has feathered wings AND fur, then so much the better! I loved playing the new DH class, it was so much fun! There were so many unique and new abilities that it was crazy and I spent the entire night playing WoW, which rarely happens anymore. There were also a lot of new cut scenes, which is something I really enjoy. I like cut scenes and cinematics A LOT. Makes the game seem more alive and real to me. Honestly I wish Rift had more cut scenes. Or even any cut scenes beyond the initial noob zone ones. :(
     As well as playing with the new DH class, I checked out changes to Hunters, Priests, and Druids in the pre-launch patch that went live on Tuesday. And let me say, I was massively disappointed. My blood elf hunter is my favorite character of all time. She's been with me since 2006 all the way to now. That's 10 years of one single character. There was not one point in the game where she was not my main character! Her and her beloved spirit beast pet Loque were like....babies to me! My babies. And now I feel gutted because of the changes to Beastmastery spec hunters, which is the only spec I play on my hunter. For one thing, all of our aspects have either been removed or reduced to such a pathetic degree that they aren't even worth using. I lost any spell or buff that gave me the ability to poison my foes. I always thought hunters would be cool with poison arrows, and when snake trap was introduced, I loved it and used it all the time. When it was removed, I was sad, but we got poison arrows instead, which was kind of the same thing, but a buff. And now, we don't even have that anymore. In fact, I only have 1 single-target attack left, cobra shot. Oh joy....how boring! True, I gained back the Volley ability, which had been removed several years ago, and my pet also gained an ability, which I suppose makes sense since I am a beastmastery hunter, but I still feel like I've lost so much that made me enjoy my hunter. Another missing thing is our traps. I love my explosives traps and my ice traps! It was so fun to set traps all around me when I was bored in Org, or in the middle of a fight for an extra dmg boost. Not just because of the dmg boost, but because of the extra little mechanic that made me feel more in tune with being a hunter, with my character! And now poof, gone. For priests: I feel almost the exact same way about my beloved disc spec that I've been using since the BC expac. Now most of the spells I used are gone and it seems that disc. spec is now a hybridization using shadow magic to heal and do dmg at the same time. For several years this spec has been leaning that way more and more, but I just shrugged it off and focused on my healing and than doing dmg only when I felt I could spare the time. Now I'm pretty much forced to do dmg in order to heal. And I lost my beautiful wings spell!!! I've already mentioned that I'm crazy in love with wings. Like serious fetish. And the thing I loved most about my priest was the wings spell!! Annnd now it's gone, poof! *cries*
     On to Druids. This was actually the least painful experience of the patch. I actually don't mind the changes to my feral druid at all! I feel like she's gained more mobility and more....motion? Before when she attacked, no matter the ability I used, it was always just a paw swipe. Rake spell? Paw darts out and cuffs the target. Ferocious Bite? Same thing. Ravage? Same thing. Now, my cat darts in, sinks her fangs in, and darts back. Both paws lash out, she turns her whole body into the blow. It feels so much more real and cool and I love it!!! Also, for the most part, her spells haven't been tampered with. I did lose Save Roar, but that's ok I can live with one spell gone. So for Legion expac it looks like I'll be maining my feral druid Verhysa with a side of DH. *sad panda*

*Spoilers for Legion*

     PS: WTF is with the prominent NPC's biting the dust this expac??? This makes me so mad! I wasn't like a rabid fan of Varian, but I always thought he was a pretty cool guy for a human. Now apparently he's dead, with Sylvanas seemingly to blame, and I've heard rumors also that Vol'jin is dead or has resigned from being Warchief of the Horde? WTF Blizzard!!!!! The Horde has gone through how many Warchiefs now in the past few expacs? 3? 4? Can we actually keep someone more than a year? And someone who isn't just looking to further their own agenda? Is that too much to ask!!! I was literally so heartbroken when I had to fly to Stormwind and attend King Varian's funeral. His poor son Anduin. He's totally not ready to be king yet. Of course this is only from playing a tiny sliver of the Legion quests before I stopped myself. I'd rather enjoy the content as a mystery when it comes out on Aug. 30th rather then have nothing to look forward to, but still, it's kind of depressing how all the major NPC's that have always been around for so long have all died or left or changed or been removed from the spotlight. (I'm looking at you Thrall...)

     And a brief really awesome comment about Rift! I was on the website I always use to buy cosplay supplies and other odds and ends and just to see if they had anything on it, I typed Rift into the search box and they had 1 item for it!! A really beautiful canvas poster of the mechanical horses the Defiant ride! I love the mechanical horses and I love Rift and I was so happy to find a poster for rift that I bought it right away and now I just need to get it framed at Michaels and I'm all set! I can't wait to add it to my collection of posters by my computer!

Thursday, July 21, 2016

scarlet gorge lore


Scarlet Gorge

Gorge

Slaughter brewing

Guardians coming from Gloamwood and Defiant travelling through Stonefield arrive on opposite sides of Scarlet Gorge, staring each other down across a chasm blessed and cursed with newfound sourcestone.

The place was once beautiful and austere. Crystal skies soared over a box canyon strip-mined into the earth by industrious miners. So rich with ore is this chasm that it once glittered by night like a pit of stars. Anticipating the conflagration to come, Fire Rifts have erupted throughout the Gorge, smothering the precious metals under blankets of ash and turning the sky red as a gushing wound.

As the Defiant and Guardians race toward open conflict, the dragon cults called the Golden Maw and Endless Court encroach on Scarlet Gorge. Eager for sourcestone, all these factions rush headlong into a four-way massacre. Scarlet Gorge will serve as a cauldron, where blood is the broth, greed, ambition, and devotion the spice, all boiled by the heat of the Fire Rifts into a brew to sate Telara's enemies.

Doom on the Demon Steps

Leaving the gloom of Gloamwood, many Guardians yearn for the open sky of Scarlet Gorge. Too soon after they step from under the trees, these heroes encounter ruined settlements, reeking corpses stacked like cordwood.

Mercenaries patrol, sifting through the piles of dead, dispatching any innocents who cling to life despite the poison bloating their bellies and fouling their blood. Nearby, the walking dead labor on extensive scaffolds, their bones showing signs of the same poison. Surely, the Endless Court is behind this atrocity, enslaving the miners' lifeless husks in their greed for sourcestone.

Souls in the machine

While the Guardians battle soulless corpses, the Defiant face sentient machines. Many of the miners have mysteriously disappeared from the southern part of Scarlet Gorge, replaced by golems in service to the Golden Maw: humanoids and giant beasts made of metal plates and held together by magic auras. These constructs display an uncanny intellect and knowledge of mining.

Defiant scouts have found Golden Maw factories at Frayworn Rock and Thunderworn Ridge. Prisoners are dragged in, but only automata walk out. Not to be outdone in barbarity by the slaves of Regulos, the Golden Maw must have found their own way to exploit the populace. Defiant who raid these factories must face the ugliest potential of their beloved magitech.

Rage at Rock Ridge

As both factions of Ascended deal with the onslaught of Earth and Death, one of Telara’s greatest Fire Rifts has erupted in the town square of Rock Ridge. This monstrous inferno roasts the heavens scarlet, giving the gorge its name.

Devils from the rift dominate and patrol Rock Ridge. The town council seems perfectly at peace with their new overlords, though the fiends haul common villagers away to unspeakable torment. Could the elders have willingly sold their village to Maelforge for protection from the forces of Laethys and Regulos?

Guardians rush south and meet the northward march of the Defiant as both factions seek to liberate (or eradicate) Rock Ridge, seal the polluting rift, and claim this vital territory. Soon, the chasm will echo with clashing steel and snapping bones as Telara’s heroes fight for its most precious resource, heedless of the misery it has brought the people of Scarlet Gorge. Warlike Ascended will revel in the conflict around Rock Ridge, not realizing that this bloodshed pleases the dragons of Earth, Fire, and Death.

Whispers emanating from a nondescript globe of red glass in the council building of Rock Ridge.

“Call us.

We will defend you from the flesh-reapers,

 The poisoners, the forever-slavers,

 We will protect you from the soul-suckers,

 The greedy machine, the spirit thieves.

 We will save you.

None will risk our warding flames.

 Call us out onto Telara.

 We will sear your fears away”

Sunday, July 17, 2016

stonefield lore


Stonefield

Thunder in the Hills

Wind rattles like labored breathing through the hills of Stonefield. The grass strains to stretch across rounded hills that bulge together like the muscles of some vast stone giant, ready to tear through the grass and stride out from the deep earth to crush mortal men.

Sleepers in the Stone

Long, long ago, the brilliant and mad sorcerer kings of the Eth dared to call titans to Stonefield from the Plane of Earth. The Eth put these beings—perhaps the purest expression of their element’s invincible might—to guarding Stonefield’s priceless sourcestone mines.

Stone is not just hard and strong but patient, cold, confident, hiding veins of brilliance. The titans waited, and plotted, and slowly raised an army of mountain trolls, earth elementals, and troglodytes. Without warning they rose up, and swept the Eth from Stonefield like an avalanche.

With ingenuity, tenacity, and years upon years of bloody fighting, the Eth overcame the titans and bound them deep under the hills. It is said that they rage within their prison-tombs, and every avalanche and trembling rock, every shift in the stone, is the result of some furious titan slamming his fist into an unyielding wall.

The Bones of the Earth

In some places, the titans’ influence bursts through the very stone. At Titan’s Rest, the skeleton of a particularly vast specimen juts from the hills, jaw agape in an endless scream. Rocs flit between his ribs, as if hoping to pick an ancient scrap of meat from the bones.

Mountain trolls wander his upturned grave, resting against his wrist-bone or making their lairs in his empty eye sockets. These rough-hewn brutes are split into two factions: those who yearn for a return to titan rule, and those who savor the freedom to roam the hills, smashing and slaying at will. When trolls from rival camps meet, they charge at each other, their bulbous feet tearing the earth, and crash together like boulders. Cracks in the titan’s massive bones might be evidence of where one troll smashed in another’s head.

Granite Falls

Granite Falls is just as dry and barren as its name suggests. Once, this was a prosperous mining town, its skilled miners tapping some of the richest sourcestone veins on Telara. The miners respected the earth, and never dug too deep for fear of waking the ancient prisoners. This sensible approach has done nothing to protect the townspeople from calamity after calamity since the coming of the rifts.

 

Displaced from the Deepstrike Mine by the Endless Court, the people of Granite Falls have lost their livelihood. Now the unemployed sit, surly and despondent, in the overcrowded tavern. Adding injury to insult, a mysterious illness has swept through the hill folk, poisoning even the miners’ leathery lungs.

 

Those who succumb to disease, hunger, or despair find no rest, for the dead rise in the cemetery outside Granite Falls, eager to swell their numbers with the fresh-killed corpses of mourners and passersby. Death Rifts are now nearly as common in the hills as Earth Rifts, and nothing in Stonefield stays buried long.

Transcript from the lectures of Haru Windsworn, Master of Bahmi Studies in Meridian,

 

“Today, we are honored by the presence of Bora Temurgal, Ascended reaver of the Red Sun tribe. As you can plainly see, the Bahmi emblazon themselves with narrative tattoos called 'sefir'. Unlike Mathosians, bragging around their campfires, the stoic Bahmi save their breath by writing their exploits on their flesh.

Here is a particularly rousing tale that stretches from First Hunter Temurgal’s lower biceps to loop around her wrist. I will read it aloud, and those of you who did your coursework are free to read along.

I killed a troll, and this was strong.

 He thought to strike me from ambush.

 I heard him coming,

 Loud as tumbling boulders.

 His fist hammered down,

 But he crushed only earth.

 His teeth gnashed shut,

 But he chewed only air.

 My axe tore a canyon into his throat.

 He thrashed and he reached for me.

He clutched only death. To be sure, I put my axe in his head.

 And I sat on his corpse awhile, wondering why, as he died,

 He grunted the name 'Centius' and this was wise."

Friday, July 15, 2016

alittu and scatherran forest lore

Starfall Prophecy Preview: Alittu and Scatherran Forest



On journeying to the Lost Lands that surround Ahnket, Ascended will first encounter the town of Alittu before venturing into Scatherran Forrest. Read on for more details on these new locales in Starfall Prophecy!

Alittu
Populated by a band of mysterious Mages obsessed with study of Ahnket itself, the little town of Alittu has recently been visited by members of the Empyrean Alliance, along with many other prominent Telarans such as Cyril , Asha, and Tasuil the Dragon. Centered around a broad plaza, vaguely alien architecture are spread throughout Alittu including statues of Ahnket itself. This town from beyond the cosmos is the starting point for expeditions into the lands beyond.

Scatherran Forrest
Ripped from the Plane of Life itself, Scatherran Forest is rich in verdant fecundity. The Fora, magical, sentient creatures native to the region, are threatened by seething corruption slowly emanating from the Tower. Journey to the Fora home town to discover more about them, and decide if you will answer their pleas for assistance.
Deeper into the woods you’ll also encounter the Tuath’de, progenitors of the elven races of Telara. Wilder in aspect than their cousins and adorned with horns, the Tuath’de, under the leadership of their queen, seek to harness the power of the Tower and other, even more corrupting fell magics. Push the Tuath’de back towards their base in Xarth Mire to help restore Scatherran Forest to its innocent state.
There are places aplenty to visit in the Scatherran Forest, and even more places you might wish to avoid!
Wyrdode, home of the Unicorns, is a beautiful glade where life and magic about in harmony. Also worthy of a trip is Blackthorn Falls, the ancient court of the Fae. There, a series of cascading waterfalls leaves a refreshing mist in the air to uplift and delight your spirit.

There are darker areas in Scatherran as well, where even the most hardy of Ascended should tread carefully. The Dark Forest is the hunting grounds of the Tuath’de, where they pursue all who enter, in their thirst for violence. Legends even tell of the foreboding Wyrd Hut, the site of sacrifices to dark powers in eons past. Carved out of a huge, ancient gnarled tree, the bones of the victims can still be seen inside.
Plenty of unnatural inhabitants prove a threat to aspiring explorers in Forest, including strange simulacra of the magical inhabitants of this region. While they share a superficial similarity with the more benign denizens, a subtle corruption is often discernable within these creatures. Shards of Ahnket are also known to roam about the forest on missions from Ahnket itself, although the exact reasons for some of their actions are as yet shrouded in mystery.
Prepare yourself to venture deep into Scatherran Forest, coming this Fall as part of RIFT: Starfall Prophecy!

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

[Off Topic] Patch 3.7: Summer Solstice

     So, looks like patch 3.7 is FINALLY here! Guess what I'll be doing tonight!? Hehe. I can't wait to see how things have improved in Rift. I'm excited for the new 64-bit thing, as well as the Summer Solstice, which is one of my favorite holidays, and the new changes to the souls! According to Trion, the 64-bit Alpha won't be available till later, with the beta version coming sometime in the next 2 months after that. As for what to do right now? Well there's some overhaul of some Souls that needed it, like Druid, Elementalist, Berserker and Warlord souls.
 
     There's also the new feature "Dungeon Veteran System". I'm not really sure what that is, except that it seems to give you more rewards and benefits to players who have done the challenges of a given dungeon already. There's also a new thing called "Starter Guilds", which gives noob Ascended a home while they are exploring all the stuff of Telara. I'm not sure how that works though. It's like.....an AI operated guild? Who is the guild master? Do you have to create the starter guild, or are there pre-made starter guilds? Who runs them? I'll have to investigate after the patch downloads! There's also my personal favorite, new artifacts and dimensions!
 
     Summer Solstice starts tomorrow apparently so when it goes live, I'll update this page with info on that as well! Very excited for this holiday! It's going to be 3 weeks long and I am so in the mood for some summer sun parties! Trion has never failed to improve and expand on the holidays every year either, and I can't wait to see what new content has been added this Summerfest! Apparently there's a new mount, the Burning Husk...sounds kind of ominous actually, and some new costume armor 'Alsbeth's Raiment'. Huh, Alsbeth's armor? I wonder how that works. I thought we kicked her butt already? She's like a cockroach. There's also new upgrades to other souls coming tomorrow for Paladin, Sabateur, and a secret one they aren't telling us about yet. So come on Ascended, this party is for us! It's going to be a glorious summer!!

UPDATE!! July 14th. Summerfest is now here! Woot. I found out what the "Burning Husk" mount actually is. It's a wicker man kind of thing, which is apparently some kind of ancient elven tradition where victims were sacrificed for good harvest, just like in the olden times when pagans would do the same thing. How you use the mount? I've no idea, but it seems to hint that you'll be on fire while doing it lol...Not sure how I feel about that. There's also a new Minion called Mitch being introduced today, with a new set of minion quests unique to him, along with a ton of unique artifacts from doing them. You can also explode the artifact piñatas to get shinies! The servers were crashing all last night, telling me they were in a maintenance window, so I couldn't do too much investigating, but tonight I shall delve into Summerfest! Happy Rifting!
 
  • Summer of Souls: As stated, new improvements, buffs, abilities, and build synergies for some of the "vanilla Rift" souls like the Druid and Elementalist. Not gonna lie, they definitely needed the attention.
  • Summerfest: The Plane of Life is just bursting forth with the bounty of summer, and they can't wait to share it with us! Not that I'm complaining. New rewards this year include artifact pinatas, Alsbeth's Raiment costume armor, a new mount, new achievements, new pets, etc!
  • Multicore 64-bit performance stuff: Significant improvement to the latency issue, performance, and stability. Let's hope they live up to their claims! *crosses fingers*
  • New Guild System: New Rift players will now be auto-invited to starter guilds. These new guilds are locked lvl 5 (guild lvl) and sort of gives players a look at guilds and introduces them to others their lvl so they can begin making friends right off the bat. That sounds kinda neat, actually. They've also removed the requirement of needing player signatures to create guilds. You can now make your own guild with just your little old self if you want to. Sounds kind of lonely though and defeats the purpose in my opinion. But hey, extra bank slots right?
  • Dungeon Veteran System: Characters that complete a dungeon 5+ times will now become a "veteran" of that dungeon. Veterans that run that same dungeon with at least one other player who is NOT a veteran will be granted a 15% bonus to currency, rep, tokens, and exp. So, a good reason to bring your guildies, friends, and random new players to a dungeon with you!:)

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Starfall Prophecy Item Upgrade stuffs Eternal items, etc

RIFT’s Lead Systems Designer, Andy “Vladd” Kirton, lets fly with information on all the ways you can become more powerful in our upcoming expansion, Starfall Prophecy!

Greetings Ascended,
With Starfall Prophecy on the horizon, I thought I would take a bit of time for a high level overview of some of the new features the RIFT Systems Team is working on. We’ll go into each one more as we get closer to the expansion, but this introduction will hopefully give you a good idea of what each feature is and how it will impact your experience in Telara.
Active Upgrades:
If you boil down upgrades to their core concept, Item Upgrades are quests to make your gear more powerful. In order to upgrade your gear to its maximum potential, you’ll need to procure the required ingredients one way or another. Our goal with Active Upgrades is to embrace that they are quests, while providing exciting thematic experiences and flavor. As an example, and this is by no means going to be an item, if we wanted you to upgrade your mace from Tenebrian Maul to say, “Drathgar, Maul of Undead Slaying” you would need to kill a certain amount of undead with it along with meeting other requirements.
There are a ton of ways that we can use this new system to make your items more a part of your character’s personal story. I’m pretty excited about the possibilities it gives us.
Eternal Items:
With Starfall Prophecy, we are adding a new item rarity: Eternal. Forged by god-like beings from the cosmos, these are artifact tier items in both rarity and power. While some of these artifacts will be found with their Eternal rarity already unlocked, others might need to be upgraded through active upgrades to unleash their full potential.
It’s important to note here no one should expect to wear full suits of Eternal quality items – Eternal Items are much more rare than that! You might have one piece, maybe two if you’re exceptionally diligent and fortuitous. Slots covered will be based on the calling, but because of the powers that each Eternal Item embodies, they will be calling restricted. This allows for more custom tailoring of passive or active effects. Another important note: we are throwing our normal concepts of item balance out the window – that’s how powerful Eternal items are!
Planar Fragments:
One of the things that we’ve been trying to address over the past few major updates is reducing/removing the need for different sets of gear based on your role. For instance, with Mind of Madness, we removed the option for any gear to drop as tank specific, and instead provided sidegrade paths for all DPS drops to change into tank gear. This certainly helped with dealing with the challenge of players who Tank and DPS in obtaining their desired role gear, but it still wasn’t the complete solution that we were looking for. Planar Fragments are a much bigger step towards that solution.
Generally, gear being for a Tank or DPS is determined by the amount of endurance on it along with tertiary stats such as Dodge and Crit Power. With Starfall, gear will no longer drop with tertiary stats attached to them – Planar Fragments give you the ability to customize your stats the way you like! The fragments will have their own tab in the Character UI where you slot in the fragments with the stats of your choice. Similar to the wardrobe system, there will also be saved sets that you can swap on command. In other words, you can keep the same set of gear equipped but change between Tank and DPS stats by swapping out your Planar Fragment equipped set. This can be done via the UI or through a command in the chat window. This will make an amazing difference for folks that have been maintaining multiple armor sets. We also have some changes coming for runes and dream orbs to help out with this, but I’ll save that information for later.
You’ll gain Planar Fragments from throughout Telara; you might find them in dungeons, get them through crafting, see rare examples as world loot, or obtain them in PVP, LFR and raids. By default, Planar Fragments are bound to your account, so that if you get an awesome fragment for your Warrior alt, you can mail it to yourself. Each character will maintain their own individual inventory, though. Speaking of inventory, Fragments will have their own separate inventory similar to Quest Items so that we don’t take up your normal bag space. If your Fragment inventory fills up, it will overflow to your regular inventory.
Legendary Powers:
Legendary Powers are how your character increases in power and flexibility, in addition to just gaining more stats per level as you work toward the new level cap of 70. Each level past 65 will award a Legendary point which can be spent to unlock a Legendary Power. You’ll be limited to a maximum of 3 Legendary points spent per soul and only if you have more than 44 Talent points invested in said soul. With 0 to 14 Talent points invested, you can spend 1 Legendary point and 15 – 43 Talent points invested allows you to spend 2. As for which abilities will be targeted for Legendary upgrades, we can say for sure that each soul will have the 61 point, the 41 point, and one of the 0 point abilities will have options as well. There also will be a sub-15 option, but that wildly varies from soul to soul.
Our goal with Legendary Powers is to change up how your character plays, based upon the powers purchased. For instance, an ability that is normally a 6 second channel that doesn’t allow movement might become a 3 second channel with double the ticks, allowing movement, and also applies all of a certain type of buff to you instead of needing to individually cast each one.
Another interesting twist to Legendary Powers is that the 0 point Legendary is not designed to be taken by anyone that will invest more than 15 talent points in a given soul, but to appeal to more off-soul choices than what is supplied by just the talent point investments. An example is Legendary Flame Bolt, where it increases the damage of your next non-fire damaging ability by 20%. Clearly this is of no benefit to the Pyromancer as all of their damage is fire-based, but for an Elementalist or even Warlock, that’s awfully tempting!
So, as you can see, we have a lot coming down the pipe for Starfall Prophecy and I still haven’t talked about Looking for Raid or Personal Loot yet! I’m super excited about all of these systems and how they will change Telara. I can’t wait to see the imaginative ways you’ll put them to use!


Starfall Prophecy allows the most experienced Ascended to designate certain powers as Legendary, and to utilize them in exciting new ways. Find out more about them, and how they’ll help you defeat ever more powerful foes!

So what ARE Legendary Powers?
Legendary Powers are more powerful and more exciting versions of the abilities you are already familiar with. To put it simply, Legendary Powers makes your favorite abilities even better! Whether it’s adding new effects, new mechanics, or simply powering up an ability to a whole new level, the Legendary version of a power amplifies your power!
Legendary Powers also play brilliantly into your overall build. For example, Clerics who make even a minimal investment in Druid can obtain the Legendary Fervent Strike ability: utilizing druidic magic to weaken an enemy’s defenses against all non-druidic powers. Simply selecting this one Legendary Power in the Druid soul will make any damage dealing Cleric more powerful!
How will I obtain these mighty Powers?
Every time you level in Starfall Prophecy, from 66 to 70, you’ll be able to select a new power to designate as Legendary. Players can select up to 3 abilities in each Soul, depending on how many points they have already invested in that Soul.
Not every ability in every Soul is able to become Legendary, but there are a variety available at different points in each Soul’s tree. These powers are specific to a particular role, so you can have entirely different Legendary powers in every role slot. Pick the perfect powers for each one of your builds!
So what are some abilities we might get?
Here are just a few more examples to whet your appetite:
Primalist: Legendary Fury Blast
Fury Blast now sets your focus to neutral and deals increased damage based on how close to 100 Fury you are when it is cast. It now gives you an incredibly powerful on command means to expend Fury, providing a fantastic source of emergency burst damage as well as letting you move rapidly back into Cunning.
Warrior: Legendary Wavelength
Casting Pulses reduces the cooldown of Wavelength by .5s each time you deal damage. Getting the most out of your pulses allows you to get your burst phases even closer together, letting you deal heavy damage more often.
Warrior: Legendary Unleashed
Stacks of Readiness reduce the cooldown of Warrior Abilities by 5% per stack. Maintaining high uptime on Readiness will ensure you do everything faster, significantly improving your performance when using any cooldown.
Rogue: Legendary Empyrean Bolt
Legendary Empyrean Bolt now has a 6 second cooldown and also reduces the cooldowns of your non-Tactician Abilities by 1 second when cast. This opens up a new builder that allows you to build combo points quicker by weaving it in to your normal rotation. Marksmen, take note!
Mage: Legendary Summon: Lesser Air Elemental
The only thing better than one pet is two! This Legendary Power summons a minor elemental that increases the your Spell Power by 5%. This elemental can be summoned alongside other pets and provides a buff to you as long as it is active.
Cleric: Legendary Explosive Rage
Now also applies a stack of Greed to you for every Rage consumed by this ability.
This offers you a powerful damage combo that strongly increases your burst potential, and allows you to fill more global cooldowns with your most powerful abilities.
Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as we reveal more details on Legendary Powers for each Calling!


We bring you a second sampling of Legendary Powers for the final three callings. If you’re looking for Rogue and Primalist, check out our previous article! Legendary Powers are just a few of the terrific features coming with Starfall Prophecy on November 16th!


CLERIC LEGENDARY POWERS
Shaman – Time is everything, and Legendary Deep Freeze makes the best of it – this version no longer stuns targets, but now lasts a full 10 seconds.
Sentinel –Legendary Light of Redemption also applies Redeemed to the target when they are healed, increasing damage resistance by 6% for 16s. When Light of Redemption heals anyone, all targets with Redeemed are also healed. Mana costs are passively reduced by 25%, and Legendary Light of Redemption heals for 50% more.
Runeshaper – Smite your enemies as they justly deserve! With Legendary Rune of Impending Doom, you gain a stack of Smiting Force any time you do damage to the target (in addition to existing effects).
Oracle – Have you been seeking a reliable “get out of death free” card to play? Cast Legendary Defend the Fallen to ensure that allies cannot die for 8 seconds afterwards, in addition to its other effects.
Defiler – Legendary Unstable Transformation also causes Aggressive Avarice and Explosive Rage to consume only a single stack of Rage or Greed while active. Economy leads to victory!

MAGE LEGENDARY POWERS
Pyromancer – Legendary Fusillade casts Fireball on the target once every 0.5 seconds. At the end of the channel, if also hurls a satisfying Fulminate on the target.
Necromancer – Choose Legendary Condemn to convert all of the Mage’s stacks of Deathly Calling on the enemy into stacks of Condemn, dealing Death damage over time per stack. Make things even worse for your enemy when it adds two stacks of Deathly Calling to the Mage when this ability ends.
Storm Caller – This soul has a simple need – more lightning! RIFT answers with Legendary Lightning Arc; it consumes stacks of Electrified to deal increased damage. Simple. Effective. Deadly.
Elementalist – The Legendary Elemental Burst has a chance to be automatically cast a second and third time after the initial cast.
Archon –Every time Illuminate deals damage, Legendary Illuminate amplifies the damage of your next Pillaging Stone by 10%. Even better, it stacks up to 20 times.

WARRIOR LEGENDARY POWERS
Warlord – Legendary Breaking Blow no longer consumes AP. It merely consumes up to 60 Power to deal additional damage.
Void Knight – If you consume 3 pacts, Legendary Ascended Discharge doesn’t go on cooldown.
Tempest – Pulses reduce the cooldown of Legendary Wavelength by .5s each time they deal damage.
Reaver – Legendary Shadow of Dread passively causes your reaver dots to tick three times as fast but last 50% less time. It gets you to your goal faster!
Liberator – Legendary Medical Facility no longer reduces the cast time of Deliverance and Fast Relief. It causes Deliverance and Fast Relief to splash 12% of their healing in an AoE around affected targets.

Legendary Powers provide brand new choices to help you build your perfect character. Read on to see just some of the options available to Rogues and Primalists in Starfall Prophecy!

Rogue Legendary Powers

Rogues receive an incredible diversity of options in Legendary Powers, appealing to a wide variety of play styles. Each Soul affords choices for entirely new paths, or opt to simply make existing powers even more useful in fights. Here are a few examples:
Assassin
Legendary Thread of Death – Step out of the shadows and use stealth based damaging abilities any time you like! Fair enough – abilities used in this manner deal 25% less damage, but oh, the freedom! You’ll never go back!
Bladedancer
Legendary Fated Blades – Your Bladedancer can maintain a second Rythmic Action while Fated Blades is active. No one can match the speed and grace of your deadly footwork!
Bard
Legendary Harmonic Distortion – Bards will love the ability to stack Harmonic Energy up to 10 times, and better yet, critical finishers always grant an additional stack, for even more power. Legendary Harmonic Distortion will consume 2 stacks of Harmonic Energy if they are available, and heal for more than twice as much!
Marksman
Legendary Free Recoil – Arrows fly faster for Marksmen who select Free Recoil! With this pick, Empowered Shot no longer has a cooldown (or triggers a global cooldown) and grants 1 CP on use. Each subsequent cast of it in a limited time frame increases its energy cost and reduces its cast time.
Physician
Legendary Emergency Response – This ability certainly lives up to its name, giving Physicians an extraordinarily strong tool to keep their patients alive! Emergency Response no longer has a cooldown, but consumes all of the Rogue’s energy while healing the target for a percent of the Rogue’s life, based on the amount of energy consumed.

Primalist Legendary Powers

With more streamlined Soul trees, Primalist Powers tend to be a bit broader in effect than with other Callings. Legendary Powers for Primalist tend towards making the abilities more focused, and providing all new means of specialization for the Primalist! Here are some examples:
Typhoon
Legendary Tsunami – The more Turmoil a Typhoon has built up, the longer Legendary Tsunami Lasts! For every stack of Turmoil consumed, the duration of Tsunami is extended by 1 second, damaging enemies longer.
Maelstrom
Legendary Flamewalker – Maelstroms with the patience to channel Legendary Flamewalker for a full 3 seconds will do 30% more fire damage for the next 20 seconds!
Dervish
Legendary Primal Avatar: Wind Serpent – With Legendary Primal Avatar: Wind Serpent, Dervishes can channel the power of the Wind Serpent for even longer! Instead of its normal duration, Primal Avatar: Wind Serpent lasts a full 60 seconds, with the damage bonuses provided gradually reducing over time.
Vulcanist
Legendary Ethereal Beam – The fury of fire and the crushing strength of earth are at the heart of a Vulcanist’s power, and Legendary Ethereal Beam transforms this ability to count as both! This means that Legendary Ethereal Beam benefits from all buffs to both Fire and Earth elements, making it more deadly than ever before!
Titan
Legendary Primal Avatar: Ram – Titans are the shield wall among Primalists, able to shrug off even the heaviest of blows when their Primal Avatar: Ram is enabled. With Legendary Primal Avatar: Ram, the cooldown of this ability is reduced every time you are attacked (up to once per 3 seconds), giving you the ability to channel the ram’s totemic gifts more often!
These aren’t the only options available in the Rogue and Primalist Souls, and keep in mind these abilities are still a work in progress! Keep an eye out for upcoming blogs for examples of Cleric, Mage, and Warrior Legendary Powers, or wait for the Starfall Propecy Beta to check them all out!

 

Monday, July 11, 2016

[Off Topic]: Gotta Catch 'Em All!

     Alright so, if you read the title, it's rather obvious what THIS post is about, isn't it? If not, than I'd like to mention that I'm going to talk all about the current obsession that has taken my town (and from the look of Facebook and other social media sites, the entire bloody country) by storm. Pokémon Go, to be exact. I'm not really a fan or a follower of the Pokémon genre. I literally know next to nothing about the story, the characters, the games, anything. Zip, zilch, nada. But I kept getting more curious as all my friends kept talking about it and exclaiming about it, how it's making them go outside more, how they are walking so much just to catch Pokémon. I thought, hey, that can't be a bad thing right? So yesterday when my co-worker came to work and started gushing about how she just downloaded the app and has been having all kinds of fun wandering around town to the pokecenters getting balls and such, I demanded to know what the game was about. So she showed me what it looked like on her phone, explained what everything was, and even managed to come across a Pokémon while explaining. After she caught the critter and told me about the points and how to lvl it up, I found myself eager to try the game out. She downloaded it onto my phone, I went home, and things went from there. After that, on the walk home from seeing the Purge at the Cineplex, I caught a magikarp, a pidgey, and a spearow! I was so proud of myself, and it was actually pretty fun! Also, I could see the towers in the distance beckoning to me, spurring me to walk further. Gotta catch 'em all, after all!
     So, in all seriousness, there is something to be said about this game. I've not seen as many people walking, jogging, or bicycling around town as I have these past handful of days. Not even exaggerating. And now every time I see a vehicle randomly pull over to the side of road, pause for a few moments for no apparent reason, then merge back into traffic just as randomly, I suspect that they have just caught themselves a Pokémon. With the wide range of new games, new computer software and intellectual activities one can become lost in online, or otherwise, it's actually really neat to finally see a game that encourages you to go out and exercise. And not just encouragement. But actually requiring you to walk around if you really want to be the master trainer. The more places around your town you visit, the more Pokémon you'll catch and level! The only downside, as far as I can see so far, is that it's a huge drain on your device's battery, as well as internet data usage, unless you stick to areas with Wi-Fi access of course. Also, it can cause a bit of a distraction, and kids aren't known for their awareness of surroundings at the best of times. Not to mention, some people take games a little too far and a little too seriously, and I'm not sure to what lengths someone would go to have the game, or prevent another from topping them. Or having someone take advantage of a Pokémon Go player who just wants to catch their next critter. I haven't seen anything negative that was true yet. A few fake stories about it causing deaths or car accidents, but again, it's in the early stages so who knows? All I can say is, a few of my co-workers, who are known to be a bit lazy and are pretty much housebound when not at work, have admitted to spending hours at a time outside, just walking around the park and the sidewalks. True, they are still playing a game, instead of interacting with nature or appreciating what's around them, but at least they are getting out there, getting some fresh air, and getting some much needed movement! So way to go Nintendo, for finally succeeding in doing what many parents the world over have despaired of accomplishing! Getting modern, tech-savvy teens and young adults to go outside. Don't complain!

     Since this blog entry seems to be all about the new games I've experienced lately, how about I mention another game I've recently downloaded and had the pleasure (or misfortune) to spend hours lost in. A game I've been following passively in Facebook that's been cropping up in my feed has been catching my eye because of its unique mechanics. Riders of Icarus, the game is called, and the premise of the game is....when you get down to it, a lot similar to Pokémon Go. Well...to me it is anyway! You level up your character and "catch" wild creatures to add to your arsenal. In Riders, as I have taken to calling it, you start out like any other MMORPG, and create a character. You can customize stuff, just like in other games. I chose a female Priest. I really like healing, and I wanted a character that I would feel useful with. Everyone always seems to need either healers or tanks in MMO's, so I was fairly safe in my choice. Pretty quickly into the game, you get to tame your first wild creature. It happens to be a pretty white unicorn pony. As I am rather a sucker for pretty things, immediately, I was sucked in. It's quite similar to Aion in a lot of things. Once you tame your creature, you can learn how to make it into a combat pet that will fight at your side, or a mount that you can ride around. You can also level up your pet/mount, and give it armor. You can also name it. There are literally hundreds of them out there, even special rare ones! You come equipped with a "bestiary" which is like a diary on all the beasts of the world that will explain to you and give you hints on how to tame a critter that catches your fancy. Some of them are easy and you just need to hop on their back and ride em out. Some of them require you to do special tasks first. In the first noob zone, for instance, there is a really cool looking spider that you can't get anywhere but in a special solo instance. In order to tame said spider, you need to have a special book in your inventory that only drops from specific sources and has a very low drop rate. If you have a lot of patience, these pets can be yours, and you can ride around in style! So far, I really like Riders of Icarus, and I am really enjoying the beautiful, flashy spells and the really nice armor. Already I've grown fond of a few NPC's as well, in particular a guy who rescues your character from jail at the beginning. He's rather mysterious (what I fancy in a guy lol) and dressed all in black feathered armor. If anyone knows anything about me, they know that I have a feather/wing fetish. Nope, not even gonna deny it. I love wings, and I love feathers, and I mean LOVE them. I've gotten my hands on every single movie/TV show I can find that features winged/feathered characters. If you know of any, please leave a comment too!! :) But back to what I was getting at before I went off on a tangent. The guy's name is rather apt, I'll say. He's simply called "Crow". And he definitely dresses like one. I wonder if he got his name from the armor he wears, or if he designed his armor after his name? Yes, I actually wonder such weird things about the games I play. Makes it more fun!

    Never fear though, Rift is still held in high fond regard in my heart. One thing I would like to point out about Riders though, that is a con, is how the movement of your character works. I'm quite fond of and quite used to using the arrow keys to move, because that's how I play in WoW and Rift. That's literally the only way I know how to play an MMO actually (shameful I know) and I'm also a clicker. I use my mouse to click the keys to cast my spells. Occasionally I'll hit the corresponding hotkey, but not often. Maybe it's just because I'm left handed. Maybe it's because I've always associated the arrow keys with moving, but alas, that's how I'm wired now. And in Riders, yes you can change the key binds. I did change the movement binds to the arrow keys, but it's subtly different in Riders then in WoW or Rift. In a way, it makes the game more realistic, but it's rather disorienting and frustrating for me. If you move your character left, your character does not immediately, turn sharply to the left. Especially when mounted, this becomes the most obvious and the most frustrating. Your mount will sort of lunge or dash to the direction you want to turn, instead of sharply just moving to that angle. I hope I'm explaining that right. Say if you were facing straight ahead, mounted, and you wanted to actually turn around and go to someplace that is behind you. You can't just quickly about face and go that way. Your mount will rear up, and prance around in that direction in a bit of a wide circle. Kind of like in real life. Animals, especially ones used for riding like horses, can't just immediately spin around. They have to make a bit of a circle to face that direction. And while it's kind of neat to be on a rearing, spinning animal, it does get dizzying for me. I get dizziness and vertigo really easily. There are some games that I can't even play because of this. Sadly, GW1 is one of them. And I love that game! So, there's my review of Riders. I've only played a few hours so far, and have made it to level 10 and the capital city. I've yet to get a flying mount, or anything "really cool" like a dragon or phoenix or what have you. But so far, I'm really liking the look of the creatures and the exotic feel of the setting. And the city is absolutely gorgeous. For me, the scenery, and the other creatures/NPC's etc. are just as important as game content. I'm pretty big on aesthetics.

     There's nothing else really to report about non-Rift activity lately, except for my resentment about not being invited to the Legion beta yet. Legion is WoW's next expansion. I'll try not to sulk, I suppose. I've been invited to every other beta, but not this one. Why Blizzard, WHYYYY!? Oh, and on the side, I'm definitely still working on cosplay! I have one in the works for My Little Pony (don't judge) where I did an original design of an warrior princess Luna and also designed an original armored warrior princess Celestia for my sister. We are going to wear them to this year's Edmonton Expo. I can't wait. I'm also in the middle of a WoW costume for this year's BlizzCon. This will my first year cosplaying a Horde character, and also my first Hunter cosplay despite hunters being my all time favorite class. Druids are my second, and Priests are pretty much right behind that, if not tied. I'll probably end up obsessed with Demon Hunters when Legion comes out, just like I was when Death Knight's were introduced in Wrath, but my love for them tapered off mid-Cata, so it might wane with the DH's as well. Who knows?

     And so I draw this post to a close. It wasn't really an interesting read, or anything related to Rift, but I had to mention a few things about my latest time-consuming adventures!
        Until next time, Dark out. :)

Saturday, July 09, 2016

planar assault adventures lore

For five long years the Ascended have battled against an endless stream of invaders from the planes, invaders who can be driven off for a time but inexorably regroup and return later. At last, Ascended are given the means to turn the tables on these unwanted guests, and battle them in their own Plane!

Planar Assault Adventures are a new type of Instant Adventure available to those who have access to Starfall Prophecy. Once you queue up for these trials, you’ll travel from Telara to the very planes themselves!
You’ll first travel to the cosmic splinters of Fire and Life, staging grounds for Planar Invaders from the larger planes of Fire and Life, and disrupt Rifts before they ever reach Telara. Battle your way through waves of planar enemies, and prevent them from launching their murderous attacks on our world!
If you are successful in accomplishing these goals, you’ll be rewarded with the heartfelt loyalty of those whose lands would have been invaded, as well as the gratitude and respect of the Planar Defense Force itself. Planar fragments and essences are frequently offered as rewards for the victors, as well as strange new Dimension items and Minions found nowhere else in Telara.
The Planar Defense Force also has a collected stockpile of these items, available to the most dedicated Ascended guardians.
Prepare yourself for the next step and stop our vicious enemies from from ever reaching Telara’s beautiful lands!

Thursday, July 07, 2016

mind of madness intrepid adventure

Mind of Madness Intrepid Adventure Now Live!

    
Return to the Nightmare!
There’s safety in numbers, they say. Let’s put it to the test! Challenge Lord Arak and explore the Mind of Madness in the company of an Intrepid Adventure party.

Featuring nine original raid bosses and a host of new challenges, the fortunate Ascended who prevail in these new challenges will be rewarded with mighty equipment bearing the same iconic appearances as those found within the Mind of Madness raid.
You’ll pursue Lord Arak from the Plane of Water to the depths of madness, through evil deities of nightmare. Face Pagura, the Destroyer of Dreams, the ever-hungry Fauxmire, the mysterious Tenebrean goddess Lady Envy, and more!
To join this new intrepid adventure, log into RIFT, build up your courage and select “Featured: Mind of Madness” in the Instant Adventure window.
Face your fears!

Monday, July 04, 2016

dungeon and raid gameplay placeholder


Dungeons-Where Heroes Dare

In the deep, dark places of Telara, the dragon cults plot devastation, and only the glorious Ascended can end their corruption. The goblins must be chased from their stinking holes, and surreal faerie haunts must be cleansed of their wicked occupants. Undead miners dig in the earth, coming ever closer to waking ancient sleepers. Elsewhere, the great dragons themselves strain to escape their elemental prisons.

RIFT™ offers many varieties of dangerous dungeons, raids, and other challenges. Come learn, if you dare, what plane-spawned perils lurk in all the invaders’ strongholds.

Chronicles

(1 – 2 players)

Special adventures for one (very well-geared) player or two players, Chronicles let you and a friend explore Telara’s sweeping story, fighting beside legendary heroes and earning rare items in the process.

Dungeons

(5 players)

Designed for teams of five adventurers, dungeons come in three difficulty levels.

• Normal – These lairs make a thrilling challenge for characters leveling through Telara.

• Expert – Revisit the dungeons you conquered while leveling to earn epic loot from tougher enemies and extra bosses.

• Master – Balanced for focused teams of elite Ascended, these offer the best rewards of any dungeon.

Raids

(10 – 20 players)

Raids require a group of ten to twenty players ready to confront the greatest threats Telara’s enemies have to offer.

• Slivers – Teams of ten Ascended can raid alternate timelines where the Blood Storm is victorious.

• Twenty-player raids – Only the largest forces can triumph against the dragons and their lieutenants in truly terrifying strongholds like Greenscale’s Blight and Hammerknell.

Caduceus Rise

The traitorous spirit

When the Kelari colonized Ember Isle, they made binding pacts with ancient spirits. These primal beings helped the displaced Elves tap arcane Sourcewells and build a kingdom of wonders, and they grew prosperous as the Kelari honored them with gifts. Then the rifts came, bringing with them foul magics that corrupted the Sourcewells, and through them, the spirits themselves.

Some spirits succumbed, pledging themselves to the dragon of their element. One such was mighty Caduceus, spirit of Earth, who lords over a huge hidden valley called Caduceus Rise. He allowed the Golden Maw into his home, where they work to prepare Caduceus for some sinister destiny.

Conquer the secret valley

Even Ascended who have triumphed over countless dungeons will be awestruck at the sheer scale of Caduceus Rise. Temples loom over its emerald canopy, pointing accusingly at the open sky.

Caduceus Rise is wide open, encouraging exploration as you defeat its molten masters in any order you like. You can take on Coalgut and High Thane Hergen in the sweltering jungle, or fight your way into the temple complex to battle Captain Black Spit, who has been known to slay his foes with nothing more than a ladleful of noxious grog.

Rise to the challenge

Caduceus Rise promises an intense challenge, sporting 11 complex bosses—that’s as many as Hammerknell! This monster-haunted valley is so vast its Expert Mode could only be contained in two separate wings, offering hours of adventure to any group courageous enough to enter.

Only the Ascended can defeat the minions of Laethys and Maelforge and put down Caduceus before he fulfills the destiny his mistress has in store.

Charmer's Caldera

Convocation and eruption

In the twilight of the Eth Empire, the Sorcerer Kings commissioned a secure laboratory in Shimmersand, its very existence a matter of extreme secrecy. They were never able to unveil their project, for when the Convocation came, a massive volcano erupted directly under the facility. All its research disappeared in a rush of molten rock, to be forgotten for eons with the rest of the extinguished empire.

It has come to light that the laboratory’s work was not entirely wiped out, and indeed the Charmer’s Coil, final fruit of the Eth’s experiments, remains hidden within the volcano itself. This potent mind-altering device was meant to bind planar creatures into service, to prevent a repeat of the titan uprising in Stonefield. Crucia, enslaver of the will, now seeks to add its powers to her own.

Charmer's Caldera

Fire and Air

To find the Coil, the Storm Legion has sent an expedition into Charmer’s Caldera, and now the brainwashed slaves of Crucia engage in a brutal struggle with both the hostile terrain of the molten volcano and the Firetouched who make the Caldera their home. First summoned as aids, guards, and energy sources for the laboratory, the Fire-spawn found an active volcano more comfortable than did the Eth. Their chieftain, Smouldaron, is enraged at the Storm Legion incursion, and both Legionaries and Ascended must fight past this demon and his entrenched forces as they race to the Coil.

Intent on finding this amplifier for their mistress’s power, the Legion has deployed some of its most impressive agents. The Naga huntress Ryka Dhavos and the elder Air elemental Cyclorax aid in the search, while rocs flit from outcrop to outcrop patrolling for interlopers. If the Ascended have any hope of keeping the device out of Crucia’s talons, they must confront all these threats while working their way into the very heart of Charmer’s Caldera.

Blood of the Earth

The volcano’s insides are only accessible to veteran Ascended, who will encounter an even more dangerous landscape of jagged rocks and lava with a curious sheen of liquid gold. Crucia’s monstrous thralls patrol here, led by the huge gargoyle Gronik and his harpy brides. Worst of all, a Legion commander named Caelia is at the Caldera, and seems to be in high spirits despite the ongoing search for the Charmer’s Coil.

Perhaps this has something to do with the strange golden magma that flows within the volcano and pulses with intense magical energy. Arcane scholars know that Crucia and her sister Laethys are bitter rivals, so why would the discovery of so much magical gold please a high-ranking subject of the Storm Queen?

Darkening Deeps

The goblin city

In the deepest part of Gloamwood, the waterways under a once-stately Mathosian castle play host to the frenzied stirrings of creatures from the rifts. Gloamwood’s goblins built a city into this chasm’s walls, their hovels lining a path spiraling deep into the bedrock. Every day, goblins skulk from this hole to wreak havoc through the woods.

It was all the people of Gloamwood could do to control the goblin menace, until the Gedlo priests came through the Fire Rifts, whipping their lesser goblin brethren into a fighting force bold enough to harass even armed patrols. Victims report muscle-bound, frenzied goblins who maul defenders at the Gedlo priests’ command.

Always vicious, the goblins’ newly focused ferocity is taking a heavy toll on their High Elf blood-foes, and Silverwood was almost razed in a recent raid. Uproar over this threat cost the Guardians the allegiance of the Elf prince Hylas.

Darkening Deeps

Foes in the Deeps

Adventurers who brave Darkening Deeps will find a vast chasm, choked with smoke and the reek of goblins. The vicious little creatures attack anyone who comes too near their city, spurred on and backed by the magic of their Gedlo rulers. Normal goblins are dangerous enough, but the new breed of hulking berserkers swarm through Darkening Deeps, as eager to rend intruders limb from limb as they are to crush the skulls of fat villagers on a raid.

Goblins have never been much for pest control, and an entire wing of Darkening Deeps has been overrun by spiders from Silkweb Pass. Likewise, the sewer system the goblins first colonized is now jealously guarded by water elementals so polluted with foulness their mere stench can overcome hardy invaders.

Call to adventure

Several villagers from Gloamwood Pines have vanished after encounters with goblins. Their desperate cries can sometimes be heard over the din of the goblin city, subsiding only on full moon nights to be replaced by the howling of wolves— though no wolves are known to live in Gloamwood. The wood has seen less treant activity of late, and though locals bear no love for these invaders from the Life Plane, their disappearance might have some connection to the goblin berserkers.

Heroes uninterested in kidnapped villagers or goblin alchemy are nonetheless tempted to enter the Darkening Deeps, for the Gedlo use potent magic and artifacts to protect some secret hidden deep underground. Whatever has the goblins in such a paranoid frenzy would be of value to any Ascended bold enough to delve into Darkening Deeps.

From the report of Commander Oakheart, Paladin of the Sanctuary Guard, Gloamwood

“Three times we’ve stormed the den of these filthy goblin priests and three times they’ve pushed us back. By now my sword shows more blood than steel, yet still we cannot break through!

I have heard tales of villagers taken prisoner, offered as sacrifices in these halls we cannot breach. As we struggled with the goblins, I noticed ten long, bloody scratches in the rock beneath our feet. A loose human fingernail lay where one of the scratches ended.

These degenerates have never shown such frenzy as when they defend these halls. My stealthier compatriots have seen goblins regard the chambers with gleeful reverence, as if they hide a weapon that will obliterate the fair races from Gloamwood forever.

Whatever they’re hiding, whether or not we receive reinforcements, the goblins have abducted one of my men, and I will not see him die under Gedlo daggers."

Deepstrike Mines

Deepstrike

The coveted stone

In the heyday of their Empire, the Eth Sorcerer Kings discovered sourcestone under the rolling hills of Stonefield. They carved out a mine like no other: not a maze of shafts but one enormous cave supported by twisting pillars, thick as ancient granitewoods and veined with glowing sourcestone.

So great was the Eth’s lust for sourcestone to fuel their machines that they bound titans from the Plane of Earth to guard their mines. In time, these mighty giants overthrew the Eth, who only managed to reclaim Stonefield shortly before their empire’s collapse.

After the Eth withdrew, hardy Mathosians laid claim to the mine, prospering as they supplied the magic stone to their own empire. When the rifts tore into Telara, the cultists of the Endless Court rose from their hideaways to chase the miners from Deepstrike with a swarm of walking dead.

Now, undead miners exploit the wondrous Eth engineering. Unwilling to properly maintain the soaring Eth walkways, they move between the pillars on a rude catwalk. Anyone who falls off is immediately set upon by flesh-eating scarabs that can strip a living body in seconds, leaving only a skeleton to join the Court’s mindless horde.

Realm of the Fae

Enemies: dead in the ground

Undead swarm the mines, hacking recklessly at veins of sourcestone and slaughtering any who intrude. Spectral overseers goad miners on with lashes of chain, and seers have sensed a powerful necrotic entity in the mines, whose task perhaps is to supervise the silent laborers and discourage reclamation efforts with curses and shadowy magic.

Walking corpses are the least of an explorer’s worries. Deepstrike has always been plagued by creatures from the Plane of Earth, and the Endless Court works tirelessly to subvert and corrupt these crude beings, planting the seeds of death in the brutes as corpses are laid in the ground.

One massive earth elemental has already shifted his allegiance from Laethys to Regulos. Called Bonehew, this fouled behemoth guards Deepstrike like the titans of old, eager to live up to his name. Rumors have it that the deepest parts of the mines are home to an elemental of diamond, and who knows what harm the Endless Court could do with an unbreakable champion of black gemstone.

Call to adventure

As it corrupts the mines, the Endless Court fouls the very land of Stonefield, and it must be scourged from Deepstrike Mines if the honest folk of Granite Falls are to survive. The sourcestone in Deepstrike could provide endless fuel for technomagical machines, so any loyal Defiant should fight to reclaim the mines.

Yet the undead are digging for more than sourcestone. Every day, they gouge the mines deeper under the earth, a fact that sends Eth scholars scurrying to their tomes in search of some spell or device to eradicate the Court before they dig too deep.

It is well known that after they put down the titans’ rebellion, the ancient Eth imprisoned their mighty slaves under Stonefield. Could the Endless Court seek to release the titans from their prison? Perhaps they hope to corrupt these ruthless juggernauts to serve the Devourer of Worlds, or merely plunder the treasures buried in the tomb.

For all their hideous magic, the Endless Court had best hope they never breach the buried gates. The titans within epitomize the power of earth, waiting in the deeps to shatter the works of living and undead alike.

Iron Tomb

Iron boss

Crypt of the March Wardens

Freemarch has earned its name as an independent and just land, thanks largely to the guiding hand of the March Wardens. Proudly refusing royal titles, they have led Freemarch since Eliam cast down Jakub the Warlord shortly after the fall of the Eth. Even the stern Mathosians allowed Freemarch some measure of self-rule, out of respect for the Wardens’ reputation.

To honor their leaders, the Freemarchers built a grand tomb complex where every Warden can rest for eternity in the company of his peers. There, the Wardens lie in spacious catacombs dug into walls of polished sandstone. Eliam himself is buried in a magnificent crypt deep in the complex, and no tomb robber would have dared the fury of the Wardens’ spirits… until the rifts came.

Iron Tomb

The defilers of sleep

Who but the Endless Court would disturb the slumber of the March Wardens? They have broken into the tomb, torn up the stones with their rude digging, and even raised the bodies of noble leaders as lethal undead thralls. Alsbeth the Discordant, mistress of the Endless and right hand of Regulos, has enslaved many of the Wardens’ souls to build a force of elite ghosts. Three of these leaders, Laric, Darribec, and Humbart, now haunt their monuments as Alsbeth’s tortured protectors.

Unliving filth wanders Iron Tomb, zombies and mummies and worse ready to chew the flesh of pilgrims and break the bones of heroes. Poor Caor Ashstone was once Eliam’s most loyal servant, the only commoner honored with a place in Iron Tomb. His corpse has risen, tortured by Death magic and concern for his master, to fall upon intruders in a misguided frenzy.

Tales also say a rare species of poisonous spider burrows near Iron Tomb, and if the Endless defile the stones any more, these hunters could creep in, making the tomb unapproachable by anyone but the dead.

Defend the dead

Empowered by Regulos, Alsbeth is perhaps Telara’s most powerful sorceress, but even she has yet to break the will of Eliam. His spirit alone has withstood her magic, so she has recruited Ragnoth, a Fire demon adept at enslaving souls. For all this, Eliam’s ghost calls Ascended to Iron Tomb, warning all who will listen that the fate of Telara may be decided in his crypt under Freemarch.

The Endless have not come to Iron Tomb simply because they can’t abide a dignified death, or even for an army of enthralled heroes. The March Wardens were buried where the righteous might of their ghosts could protect an ancient secret. Tales say that deep below Iron Tomb itself lie mossy caves, lit by the hideous glow of an artifact that could bring victory to the Endless Court, and ruin to all Telara.

King's Breach

Basilisk

A clash of elements

Scarwood Reach is divided by two opposed elements, ravaged by rifts, and fought over fiercely by spawn of the elements. In the north, Death Rifts spew forth flesh-crafted horrors and turn the land to barren dust. In the south, the Elves of House Aelfwar have spread the surreal jungles of the Life Rifts. These two invading forces meet in battle at King’s Breach, which legends say serves as a back door to the sealed Dwarven delve of Lord’s Hall.

None know the true location of the hidden passage, or if it even exists, but that does not stop the Endless Court and House Aelfwar from fighting jagged tooth and rotting nail for every square inch around the supposed entry. Ascended who come to assault these two cults will find an army of Life Cultists besieging a fortified Deathtouched position.

Death and Life at war

Perhaps no two elements are opposed like Life and Death, and both factions have brought their mightiest minions to the battle at King’s Breach. Heroes seeking to protect this passage must first fight through the Aelfwar siege. Hunter Suleng of the Aelfwar is under direct orders from Prince Hylas to break down the Endless Court’s barricade, overrun the Deathtouched expedition, and find the way into King’s Breach.

To that end, Suleng has brought dozens of fanatical cultists, including three Lifewardens who stand a perpetual watch atop the stumps of enormous trees, channeling magic to hold open a Life Rift. From this rift have come packs of dire wolves, and worse, forest trolls, who patrol the Aelfwar encampment, ready to feast on interlopers.

Heroes who best Hunter Suleng and his followers must do what the cultists could not and breach the Endless Court’s defenses. There they will find knights of Regulos, clad head to toe in black plate. Gaunt ghoul-hounds prowl and drakes fly over the deflated hills. The people of Scarwood Reach claim to have seen manticores soaring toward the Breach. Even the mighty Ascended may hesitate to engage such Deathtouched horrors.

What could tempt the Endless and the Aelfwar?

Canny Ascended will quickly realize that two dragon cults at odds present a ripe opportunity. Just as the cults exploit the conflict between the Guardians and Defiant, so could a small party of heroes exploit the siege to strike a blow against both Life and Death.

The Endless Court has long sought the entry to Lord’s Hall, saturating the area with Death magic. The Ascended must stifle this volatile energy before it spreads necrosis across all Scarwood.

The siege at King’s Breach also stands as proof of the Elves’ desperation and depravity, as they seek to expand Greenscale’s holdings even against the slaves of mighty Regulos. They have poured extensive resources into this conflict with the Endless Court, and breaking their siege could set their plans back all across Telara.

Realm of the Fae

shambler

The mean seasons

In Silverwood, in Hedgerow Court, there is an old wishing well. Anyone who falls down the well lands in a maze of high hedges, where the air is sweet and still and faeries flutter overhead. Most never find their way out, but the truly unfortunate wander through the labyrinth and into a stolen world of madness and torment.

The faeries have ripped away a piece of Telara, bending it to their will in every aspect, from its physics to its weather. This kidnapped land is the Fae Lord Twyl’s playground and stronghold, and he calls it the Realm of the Fae.

A cackling trickster guards the hedge maze’s exit. Those who get past his daggers find themselves at the foot of a path winding up a mountain, a path that defies all logic. It suits Twyl’s whim to divide the Realm of the Fae into four terraces, each locked forever in a mockery of Telara’s seasons, each haunted by one of his lunatic retainers.

Those who survive the challenges of spring, summer, and autumn find that the path breaks free of the mountain altogether, anchoring a series of glacial islands that float free in the swirling ether. From here, Twyl watches over his own tiny universe, needing no more protection against the cold than an artist needs protection from his work.

Realm of the Fae

The Good Neighbors

The Kindly Folk, the Wee Men, the Good Neighbors. Calling a faerie an unkind word might get the horrid little creature’s attention. Natives of the Plane of Life, faeries epitomize the heartless caprice of the wild. They have childlike bodies and elfin features. Their skin shimmers, their laughter intoxicates, and their eyes are black and dead. Despite their playful veneer, faeries love to manipulate mortals in cruel pageants, or tear their limbs off for sport.

Faeries range through all four seasons of their Realm, though each season hosts unique and terrible denizens of its own. Shamblers appear to be innocuous mounds of autumn leaves, but sport blubbery arms and froglike mouths that can swallow prey whole. Treants stride along the path, eager to shatter bones with knotted fists. Satyrs throw their crazed bacchanals in the autumn terrace, fighting, carousing, disemboweling all those who do not join the revel.

Heroes who climb to the winter terrace face the elite guard of the Fae Lord Twyl. Long the favorite of Greenscale, this aristocrat commands not only the Realm’s natives, but the Realm itself. His twisted thoughts shape the hedge maze, and his fractured mind split the Realm of the Fae into its four seasons. Those who fight through his prancing minions must face Twyl himself, and the Fae Lord can weave illusions to unmake the stoutest mind.

Call to adventure: a pocket of madness

No one knows why Twyl has isolated himself in the Realm of the Fae. It was he who tempted Prince Hylas of the Elf clan Aelfwar to join in Greenscale’s cause. After such a coup, the local defenders assumed Twyl would be active and aggressive, only to find him retreating into his own pocket dimension.

Shyla Starhearth, Pentarch of the Vigil, wishes to know why Twyl has hidden himself away, and has promised rich rewards to any Guardians who can bring back proof of his motivation, or even slay the fae lord outright to end a major threat to Silverwood. Perhaps it is possible to wrest this land away from the faeries, restoring it to its proper place in Telara.

The Realm of the Fae teems with magic, in everything from its impossible plants to the very air of its shattered seasons. Adventurers might find uses for all of these, and for glittering faer weapons coated with sweet-smelling, deadly poison. For all its danger, riches and glory await any Ascended willing to dive down the magic well, navigate the hedge maze, and fight their way through the Realm of the Fae.

Runic Descent

Golem

The tainted glade

The influence of Regulos is insidious, capable of overt displays such as zombies and ghouls, and subtle corruption such as befell the delve of Hammerknell and its adjacent garden now called Runic Descent, in Moonshade.

Hammerknell is sealed. The kings under the mountain built their city with runebinding, enslaving Death spirits and the souls of unfortunate mortals to power their wondrous magic. All was splendor until the rifts opened and the runes fueling Hammerknell overflowed with Death magic. Necrotic energies swept through the delve, possessing many Dwarves, killing many more. Only those few who made it out of the city survived, trapping the dead and damned behind doors as thick as a city boulevard. They hoped such measures would keep the Death magics from contaminating the world beyond their lost city.

They hoped in vain.

To glorify their city in its heyday, the Dwarves had planted a magnificent garden in a ravine beside Hammerknell. Too late, they remembered that the garden had runebound paths that would repair themselves, runebound watering cans and shears that maintained the garden of their own accord. Like the runes within Hammerknell, these sucked in Death magic from the rifts like a sponge. Anyone foolish enough to be enticed by the garden’s lingering beauty has fallen to the power of Regulos.

Twisted wretches

After the Dwarves left, a group of Faeries tried to settle in Runic Descent. Fleeing from the upheavals in Greenscale’s service, these refugees saw a pristine garden in a defensible valley and made a home amid the gem-toned leaves.

The wicked magic of Regulos corrupted the Fae before they even reached Runic Descent, and now they find themselves transfixed by a desperate desire to be at one with their new patron. Like mice hypnotized by a swaying cobra, neither lowly sprite nor towering treant can escape the Death energies spewing from the ancient runes.

To make matters worse, not every Dwarf accepted the need to abandon Hammerknell. Warden Falidor has led a contingent of rune-crafters back inside, hoping to solve a runebinding disaster with yet more runebinding. Naturally, he and all his followers have gone quite mad, and will assist the Endless Court in slaughtering any interlopers who intrude on their doomed experiment. Supported by golems with steel bodies and iron wills, the denizens of Runic Descent are all but impossible to dislodge from their toxic den.

Devourer’s defiance

Runic Descent must be cleared of riftspawn if Telara is to survive. Deathtouch brings slow corruption as easily as devastation, eroding Telara’s very will to endure. In Runic Descent, the branches no longer blow in the breeze, and the air itself is stagnant. Regulos’s power extends over the beautiful and the hideous alike, and if Runic Descent is not cleansed, no one will believe that the Destroyer’s power can be assailed.

Before the rifts, Hammerknell owed much of its prosperity to secret Death magic. Even if Aedraxis had not worked his horrors, Regulos could have used the Dwarven delve to trigger a different disaster. Hammerknell remains a looming threat where the Destroyer could anchor himself in Telara. Every bit of Death magic aids Regulos, so the Ascended must destroy the corruption at Runic Descent, if only to limit his avenues of escape to the seemingly numberless rifts.

The Fall of Lantern Hook

Wanton

A taste of things to come

In Lantern Hook in the Droughtlands, there is a deep, clear well. It is said that this well is enchanted, and that any Ascended who swims to the bottom will be transported to a nightmare world of endless flame. This is so, but only the mighty Ascended are brave enough to chance the deep waters. And when they emerge from the well, they do find themselves in a world consumed by fire. Yet this is no alien land but a dark vision of Lantern Hook itself, the last spot on Telara to fall to the rampaging hordes of Maelforge. By experiencing the Fall of Lantern Hook, the Ascended can see firsthand the horrific fate in store if they fail and even one of the dragons is allowed free reign over Telara.

Guardians are drawn to Lantern Hook by dreams and visions, believing their experiences at the bottom of the well are part of a revelation from the Vigil. The Defiant, no strangers to time travel, believe that the Fall of Lantern Hook is but another alternate future like the one they hail from, where Regulos devours the world with the wasting energies of Death. The Fall of Lantern Hook depicts Maelforge, Dragon of Fire, roasting Telara alive and unleashing a frenzy of consumption and desolation.

Wanton destruction

Upon emerging from the enchanted well, Ascended will find a chamber in ruins. Kobolds run rampant, laughing at the corpses of friends the Ascended will recognize from their adventures in the real Droughtlands. These hideous dog-men prod and hack at the remains of fallen allies, snapping and snarling to decide who will get the next cut, as mindless devouring pleases their triumphant master. These kobolds guard cells where more of Lantern Hook’s people wait to meet some grisly doom by fire or fang. Perhaps one of the Mages among their number can quench the flames preventing escape from this central chamber. But old allies are not the only familiar faces in the Fall of Lantern Hook, and any escapees must beware the patrolling jailer, a traitor who once pretended neutrality in the battle between Telarans and dragons.

Kobolds are but the lowliest threat Ascended face in the Fall of Lantern Hook, as mighty Dragonians stalk the halls, tearing intruders limb from limb and roasting the chunks with breath of flame from their scaly gullets. Maelforge’s cult, the Wanton, hold their revels among the charring ruins. Flamebringer Druhl, the demonic general of the Wanton armies, patrols here, while Pyromancer Cortilnald, arguably the greatest living Mage of his school, cackles as he summons Hellhounds and imps to torment Lantern Hook’s doomed citizens. Leader of the entire cult, Emberlord Ereetu lurks nearby, gloating over Maelforge’s final victory.

The future aflame

Why would anyone want to experience a future where Telara succumbs to the unrelenting Flame Sire? Because every hero must know the price of failure, and the Fall of Lantern Hook plays out one possible apocalypse in store for Telara if the Ascended should falter. Whether dream or temporal pocket, injuries suffered and treasures gained in the Fall of Lantern Hook are quite real and will follow the Ascended back to Telara-that-is. Still, seeing Telara-that-could-be is the true reason to swim into the well.

Of course, there are other advantages to risking life and limb in this final stand against the Wanton. Several traitors show their true colors in this future, so Ascended who survive the Fall of Lantern Hook will know who can and cannot be trusted when the dragons begin their assault. Furthermore, all the cult’s major leaders will be present when the Hook falls, and heroes can learn their identities and tactics firsthand. Indeed, all throughout this vision, the Ascended risk meeting a foe more terrible than they imagined. A deafening roar can be heard in the distance, over the ever-closer thunder of titanic crimson wings.

Greenscale's Blight

Greenscale

Prison of the primal

Of the Blood Storm, no dragon was more familiar to mortal races than Greenscale the Primeval, though this familiarity was a source of terror and sorrow. Greenscale would thunder across Telara, turning every forest into an aggressive, invasive force, seeding the world in vines and vegetation that could devour cities. Even Maelforge, for whom destruction was an ecstatic joy, did not cause widespread devastation on par with Greenscale’s crusade against all things civilized and soft. When Thorvin Sternhammer and his allies finally defeated and imprisoned Greenscale, countless wretches had perished between his teeth, beneath his claws, choked upon his poison breath.

Since then, Greenscale has remained imprisoned under Stillmoor, his indomitable will to devour suppressed by carefully-harnessed Death magic. Yet in the time of rifts, the dragon’s will tugs at his followers like a feral instinct, drawing them to his prison, to seek his release. At last, one of his minions has risen to the challenge, and if he is not stopped, this fallen hero of Telara will unleash Greenscale to crush the works mortals once and for all.

A maze of betrayal

The temple where Greenscale is imprisoned once had a name, which has been lost as the dragon’s waxing power has overgrown the walls with alien and awful plant life. Now it is merely called Greenscale’s Blight, and parties of Ascended will arrive to see the doors blasted away, the halls patrolled by the traitorous Elves of House Aelfwar. Fighting their way through these elite guards, heroes will find a vast antechamber, where Prince Hylas and his senior followers strive to dispel the magic that holds Greenscale in place.

Always resentful of the Ascended, Hylas is too arrogant to cross swords with Guardians or Defiant. Instead, his three lieutenants have prepared a trap for any interlopers. Details remain dim, but it is known that all three have studied the misdirecting Life magic of their Faerie allies, and each is a formidable challenge.

The haughty Duke Letareus is a warrior of unshakeable focus, able to slip into an unbreakable dance of twirling death. Enraged over the Mathosians’ harvesting of the sacred granitewood trees, Oracle Aleria hides her grief behind a mask and channels her fury into a unique command of the beast within every sentient being. Finally, Infiltrator Johlen is Hylas’s loyal spymaster, a Saboteur whose bombs and traps will drive even the most elite Ascended party to distraction.

The prince empowered

Only if his vassals fall will Prince Hylas himself deign to engage any intruders, who may quickly come to wish they’d stayed home. Ascended who challenge the Prince of House Aelfwar will face the greatest Elven swordsman alive, his martial prowess bolstered with a surge of primal might granted by Greenscale. If Hylas falls it is both a triumph for Telara and a tragedy for the Elves, but the raid’s work is not yet done. For in the chamber beyond, Greenscale shakes off his shackles, a dragon more brutal and terrible than even the Ascended have challenged before.

Too much Life

To keep the knowledge from the dragon cults, Thorvin and his allies hid the secret of how Greenscale is held in check, though Death magic is certainly involved. If there is one benefit to Greenscale’s ancient rampage, it is that his general capabilities are well-known. The great green wyrm has astounding strength, and exhales poison so virulent, all the victim’s organs race to break down. The lethal plants of the Life Plane sprout where he wills, each of which sporting a unique and agonizing way to kill. Though in the Age of Dragons he preferred to stomp cities to the ground personally, Greenscale has no compunction against bombarding enemies from the air.

It is possible the Primeval is weak from his long imprisonment. Still, heroes who engage Greenscale must remember that this is no mere dragon. This is a trampling, roaring, embodiment of ruin, of the vines that swallow the tower, the unthinking, ever-hungry bane of nations.

Hammerknell

horror

The hammers do not sound

Once the shining bastion of Dwarven civilization, today Hammerknell is a symbol of madness and ruin. No one knows what horrors compelled the Dwarves to flee and seal the gates behind them. When asked, they assume shamed expressions and busy themselves with their labors. Now, with Hammeknell’s ramparts breached, the Ascended are in a race against the forces of Water and Death to expose the secrets deep within the Delve and save Telara.

The Ascended have done all they can to gather knowledge about Hammerknell, in hopes of preparing themselves for the trials ahead. They have learned much, but knowledge may be useless against the horror under the mountain.

Hammerknell

The dead halls

Given the horrid nightmares that plague many Dwarves—visions of the tormented fallen—and what little the refugees have let slip about what happened in Hammerknell, it is clear the undead rule the abandoned city. Whether ghosts of lost Dwarves or rotting slaves of Regulos, the dead linger in silent halls where mead-songs once rang out, their fetid presence befouling the great treasures of Bahralt’s beloved people.

Information is readily available from the time when Hammerknell was a thriving underground city, so the Ascended know something of its layout. Some, but not all, as Hammerknell has since been divided into three wings, with many roads and passages redirected.

The Halls of Remembrance, named for housing both the Dwarven library and crypt, where the Dwarves would spark their minds with the wisdom of the ages and stir their souls by honoring their ancestors, now stands as an abattoir, its walls thirsty for the blood of innocents foolhardy enough to enter.

In the Halls of Shaping, the Dwarves did what they were made to do, working wonders of craft and magic, developing arcane techniques of runecrafting that some say led to Hammerknell’s doom. What did the artisans use to create their unmatched wonders? It is here the Ascended will uncover the horrid truths behind the miracles of Hammerknell and what lies buried in the deeps of the Dwarves’ quarry.

The deafening silence reaches everywhere in Hammerknell, from the homes of the common people to the chambers of royalty. Some of the aristocracy even met with tragedy. King Molinar and his heir, Prince Dolin never emerged from the Delve. Their people hope that they lie at rest in the Royal Wing where once they ruled. They hope in vain.

Water and stone

Hammerknell is besieged both within and without by undead, yet the Abyssal also seek to control the Delve. What could Tidelord Jornaru—one of Akylios’s most loyal and powerful servants—seek in a Death-haunted maze? If Jornaru’s mad quest is to free Akylios, the Dragon of Water, from his prison deep beneath the earth, oblivion could drown every corner of Telara. If that happens can even the Ascended stand in his way?

Infernal Dawn

20-player Raid

As the Age of Dragons wound to a close, Telara’s heroes overcame the flames of Maelforge. They bound the red dragon of ruin deep under Mount Carcera, at the heart of Ember Isle. Held fast by the calming power of Earth, he slipped into a long, sullen sleep.

Then the rifts opened, and the Wanton surged forth across Telara. The great volcano bubbled over as Maelforge thrilled to the reborn cycle of destruction. He sent his thoughts of passion and violence out into the earth, and Laethys responded.

 Her Golden Maw minions softened the stone around his prison, and smuggled her dormant form to Ember Isle. Now, with the aid of corrupted spirits like Caduceus, Laethys has joined Maelforge under Carcera, poised to reduce Telara to glittering ash…

…unless the Ascended can brave the volcano’s core, face the dragons’ fiercest lieutenants, and bring

down not one, but two mighty gods of the Blood Storm in Infernal Dawn.

To brave the fire and stones

The Wanton and the Golden Maw have split the tunnels between them, guarding the path to their overlords. You must confront the champions of both cults in your race to stop the dragons, such as the Ember Conclave, busily planning the cults’ campaign, and the Pirate Queen Rusila Dreadblade, waiting to sail a magma tide aboard the lava-ship Dread Fortune.

The red and the gold

Reduced to molten gold by her vanquishers, Laethys has reformed at last, her new body a breathtaking sculpture of that which she loves most — glittering wealth. But her form is still unstable, and if you strike quickly, you could break her down into golden slag.

Beyond waits Maelforge, perhaps the mightiest dragon after Regulos. A fearsome beast of nightmare and sinew, his many baleful eyes look finally upon an open sky. You must strike him down before he takes to the air, or Telara will once more feel his ecstatic fury.

And what have Laethys and Maelforge been doing since they regained use of their bodies? What horrific secret waits in the very bowels of Mount Carcera? At long last, the Ascended can solve the mystery of the eggshells that once appeared throughout Telara.

The River of Souls

river of souls

When they die, every Telaran’s spirit is swept up in the comforting embrace of the Soulstream: a river of intermingling souls drifting through the æther along the border of the Plane of Death. Though he corrupted the Plane of Death to serve his whims, Regulos was never able to influence the Soulstream.

Or this was the case. Recently, priests have been wracked with visions of souls howling in agony, torn too soon from this celestial river. Scholars ponder the case of Asha Catari, plucked from the Soulstream, tempted and tortured by Regulos himself. Could it be that the Devourer of Worlds has access to the River of Souls itself?

Polluted spirit

From the edge of the Plane of Death, Alsbeth the Discordant, has control of a device that grants her access to the Soulstream, and is now able to draw forth any soul she likes, returning the poor subject to Telara as a Deathtouched minion of Regulos. If the Endless Court keeps hold of the Soulstream, death will offer no rest to the peoples of Telara, and neither gods nor machines will have souls to draw upon for Ascension.

Above the Plane of Death, the Soulstream itself appears sickly and pale. Like scum washed ashore by filthy waters, legions of walking nightmares patrol the valley. These shambling wretches wait for Alsbeth to finish harvesting the Soulstream. Then they will descend upon Telara, an undead horde to make the horror stories of the Age of Dragons seem like children’s songs. This force is so well-armed that Ascended heroes who bring them down stand a good chance of finding rare and enchanted equipment… shortly before being swallowed by the endless, reeking tide.

These unliving swarms are but foot-soldiers, a byproduct of Alsbeth’s search for the most valuable souls in the river. Two of the current prize recruits serve as Alsbeth’s lieutenants and bodyguards, keeping interlopers from interrupting her work. Each leader has orders to summon all nearby undead if ambushed, so the Ascended have no hope of a successful ambush. The Soulstream captures all souls, even those of the Planetouched, and two mighty foes the Ascended have faced and vanquished wait by the riverbanks, now eager servants of Death.

Unwilling to risk losing control over this River of Souls, Regulos has sent his herald, Gaurath to watch over the operation. The flesh has long since rotted from this undead dragon’s bones, and he yearns to share the gift of decay to all enemies of the devourer.

Dreams of discord

Assuming the Ascended can battle their way through the undead throng, bring down two foes reborn into Death, and triumph over Regulos’s Herald, they will only have to face the most brilliant, vicious, and potent Necromancer in the history of Telara, with all the might of the Endless Court at her command.

Alsbeth the Discordant works tirelessly at the very front of the Soulstream, sifting through its ethereal waters to handpick the souls she will corrupt for her lord. Somewhere in the River of Souls hides the shriveled spirit of King Aedraxis, whom Alsbeth yearns to return to Telara.

All of Alsbeth's schemes and betrayals have led to the River of Souls, and she will fight with every resource available to achieve her horrid goals. Those few who have survived seeing the Bride of Regulos in battle swear that she can surround herself with an invincible barrier, and draw undead from the ground as easily as a poet summons words.

Still, if the Ascended have one chance to bring Alsbeth down and restore peace to the dead, they must enter the River of Souls, slog through the dead dust of its banks, and take on a decaying army as wyverns soar through a hollow sky above. For all the odds against the chosen, they must triumph at the River of Souls before Regulos drinks it dry.