What makes a great set of stairs, you might ask? Well, that’s a tough question, we say. In our At the Heart of Ruin expansion, there are many sets of great stairs, but only one is called the Great Stairs – at least that’s what the locals would say. Whether those locals are bloodletting miscreants who worship an unknown entity that demands depraved sacrifice, madmen who delight in the act of burning themselves and others alive, or men who believe themselves to be beasts after discovering a dead Wyvern that they thought was a divine creature of the skies, that’s what they would say. There are other… more cultured locals, of course – even ones that’ll talk to you – but they each share a different brand of insanity. Enjoy, we say.

One of the best things about our upcoming expansion is the sheer number of fearsome foes one will be able to bump into. So this week, we’re going to show you one of our favourites: the Basilisk.

The fearsome Basilisk is a creature of legend that exists across countless worlds and mythologies, evoking dread in even the staunchest of warriors and adventurers. In the Riven Realms, these reptiles began to make their appearance in Xeryn’s Fourth Age, some time after the Calamity tore the realms asunder. Found only in the Mountains of Fire, some say that they are sluggish lizards, yet the truth is that they can be both cunning and lightning-fast when under threat.

We’re bringing you another locale this week, and this time it’s one of the many sites of grim ostentation that can be found throughout our upcoming At the Heart of Ruin expansion.

But what do we mean by grim ostentation? The answer can be found with the Wasteland Stalkers and their strict hierarchy. Stalkers’ ranks within the brood depend on the beasts they have slain, and most of their trophies can be found within the forum itself. Here, there are skulls of beasts and men alike, an unnerving offering of grim-faced reptiles, deadly serpents, and terrifying foes.

Today we’re paying homage to those holds, forts, and fastnesses that the Dwarves – at least those that lived prior to the Calamity – created all over their domain. It’s no secret that such bastions were symbols of Dvendar Tharr’s craftsmanship, military prowess, and ingenuity; indeed, the last of these (especially ones above ground) were the focus of the Inventor Kings. But more than anything, these fortifications speak to a prouder Dwarven past, one that endured until fire and destruction never before witnessed tore it asunder.

This week we’re coming to you with another teaser, this time of the elemental variety. As you might know, the elements, specifically fire and earth, are closely tied to our At the Heart of Ruin expansion, and the proliferation of elementals that personify these elements comes about largely because of the spirits of these lands, destined to suffer and be consumed by rage. This is the sad legacy of the Calamity.

Today we have another teaser for you in the form of character art – an essential component of our upcoming At the Heart of Ruin expansion, where many new humanoids, beasts, creatures, and anomalies are set to be introduced. And yet, this one is hardly ostentatious; it does not aim to dazzle or inspire fear, but simply to show you one of the various factions of authority that exist in Scrapheap, the focal point of many coming adventures.

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.

Disturbing monstrosities prowl northern Tahrar Barak, their sinewy, slimy forms slithering on open ground, preying upon any who come into contact with them. Those who are unlucky enough to have seen them call them the stuff of nightmares, though none know their name – or even if they have one.

The creatures’ many limbs – are they even limbs? – are said to lash out, strangling those they manage to grasp. Yet most threatening of all is its underbelly – much like an open, gangrenous wound, it’s an unseemly sight and its stench is sickening. Blind and seemingly possessing little intelligence, these abominations seem to be drawn to other living beings with the single-minded intent of snuffing them out.

Since our console launch, we have received a lot of love and support from our community, as well as some interesting questions. We have collected the most common ones – along with answers to them – in this post. Hopefully, players looking for something can find it here.

Q: What kind of game is this exactly?

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.