Vagrus’s At the Heart of Ruin expansion introduces many new enemies – both bestial and humanoid – and this week we’re happy to bring you one particular favorite: the Charred Shambler. These scorching Undead can be found almost anywhere in the confines of old Dvendar Tharr. When the Calamity tore the Mountains of Fire asunder, Dwarves perished by the thousands, a lot of them warriors. Later, the twisted magic that bore down on these lands reanimated their remains so that those would walk the world again and lash out toward the living. Charred Shamblers are thus destined to roam the mountains, taking their rage out on any who chance their domain. To call them predatory would be an understatement.

This week’s article introduces not just another scalding locale where perilous heat is a given, but it is also held by one of Varnurud’s most determined scavenger gangs, the Hollow Men. Dubbed “the Bastion” by its current occupants, the ruin itself is ancient and of Dwarven origin. Following the Calamity and subsequent catastrophes on the mountain, half of its stone buildings were consumed by lava, yet at least for the time being, the rest of the scorched stone structures remain accessible. There is no telling today what the purpose of the ancient Dwarven settlement was but it had sturdy buildings and tall towers that commanded a large swathe of the area.

One of the more (arguably) cultured scavenger gangs of Varnurud, the Sons of the Mountain, take their name from their dedication to the region’s now-extinct Dwarves, lost to the fiery death that consumed the Dvendar Tharr during the Calamity. Gang members identify with and wish to uphold the great Dwarven legacy that they would say echoes through the ages.

This week we’re bringing you a glimpse of what some might consider slithering death. It is the Salamander, one of At the Heart of Ruin’s many new enemies. Just coming into contact with one would terrify even the most stalwart souls, as the look of malice in their eyes is inescapable, and their speed, cunning, and fiery abilities make them formidable opponents in battle.

After revealing our trailer for ‘At the Heart of Ruin’, our second region DLC, we’re now ready to share a little more about the new realm you will be able to explore. The first area we’ll look at here is Varnurud, which is one of the traversable parts of the great Mountains of Fire. As harsh and unforgiving as it is, most vagri will spend a great deal of their time here, as they navigate searing magma flows and the seemingly endless hordes of madmen who run roughshod over it.

For this week’s post, we’d like to draw attention to several pieces of artwork by our wonderful painter, Bence, or Benmonor. Bence is always ready to create multiple iterations of environmental paintings, filling Xeryn with awe-inspiring art. Here we have included a few of his works that quietly made it into the game’s main campaign.

The teasers just keep coming, and with good reason; we are inching closer and closer to the release of Sunfire and Moonshadow, and we’ve no shortage of intriguing points of interest to share with you. This week features one of the Bronze Desert’s more mysterious locales: the Katharaka Hills. Once covered in a lush forest that surrounded the long-lost Elven ruins of Vaelenesthil, the land here succumbed to the destruction wrought by the Calamity, leaving it in a rocky, barren state.

The Forest of Shadows is a vast expanse of tangled trees that extends across the western side of the Penumbral Plains, covering the feet of the abandoned mountain range that rises high and stands mighty over the benighted lands. Many theorize that this woodland and the Dead Forest were once united; a tale the proof of which is lost to the annals of time. Old stories circulate about the Forest of Shadows enduring the wrath of the Calamity and its fallout, only to succumb to the enigmatic arachnids that now plague its shadowy expanse. The creatures killed everything there and built their nest in the forest, covering it with their webs so thickly that not even light itself could penetrate them.

The origins of Malkin remain a tantalizing mystery. Among the prevailing speculations the most accepted one is that they are the results of sorcerous experiments. They clawed their way to the summit of the ecosystem following their appearance post-Calamity, assuming dominion with an insatiable appetite and the hunting skills to back it up. Just like many apex predators, they are rare in and around populated areas, but they don’t mind a human snack every once in a while. Their sharp claws and fangs, as well as a deadly fusion of reptilian tenacity and feline swiftness make them formidable foes indeed. Keeping a watchful eye is in the best interest of every traveler,  for to be caught unaware in their sights as potential prey is to court a perilous fate!

Hey everyone,

With the announcement of Vagrus’s first expansion behind us, we thought that it’d be a good idea to create a short series of devlogs about certain frequently appearing topics regarding Sunfire and Moonshadow. The first of these – the one you’re reading – is about the region itself and its boundaries, with some lore tidbits sprinkled in. So, let’s get to it!