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!

As you may know, terra supra, the northern part of Xeryn, is dotted with perilous and deadly places most people tend to avoid. Now, we are going to take a look at these, focusing on the ruined cities of yore. Embark with us upon a dread journey into the most dangerous ruins in the Riven Realms. Be warned, though, they are not for the faint of heart!

Specters are malevolent ghosts of the dead that often haunt the forsaken, magically-warped places of the Riven Realms. They are dreaded by most denizens of Xeryn because their ethereal forms are impervious to most damage types and though magic is more abundant than in other settings, it is still beyond the reach of most.

Specters are a relatively common phenomenon in Vagrus's dark, cruel setting but that does not take away from how dreaded they are. Angry, insane souls stuck between life and the afterlife, these sad creatures roam the forsaken places of the world - often locations where they were slain, haunting the abandoned reaches of the Empire. The initial challenge in encounters with Specters is finding ways to harm them: by nature, these entities are between worlds and thus can not be damaged by normal means. Once you find the means, they are less of a danger but must still be taken seriously.

Stinger Scorpions are true terrors of the forsaken wastelands of the Riven Realms. You will need a good team of powerful Companions to down one of these skittering beasts. Their high Vitality along with their Armor makes them very tough to beat, and a great Block stat further enhances that Armor. Additionally, some of the creature's Resistances (like Bleed or Impediment) are also exceptionally high - though in turn some others are fairly low (like Fire or Poison). To top it off, Stinger Scorpions are Terrifying, which means most of its enemies will suffer Accuracy penalties when attacking it.

Ashmen, or Ashlanders, are the tribesmen of the Forsaken Waste, an endless desert of grey sand and little else. Yet these nomads make a harsh living off the Qurus, gigantic snail-like creatures, as well as other critters that roam the monotonous wasteland.

When coming face to face with an Ashlander in the game, you can expect a tough huntsman, though by themselves these enemies provide little challenge. In greater numbers they can make use of their supplementary ability, bleed inducing attacks, and ranged capabilities. Their combat skills are:

'What draws them to this place, I wonder. Is it the utter sadness that permeates this forsaken expanse? Does it call to them when they begin to feel the chill breath of death? Perhaps there is a wordless language spanning all species that speaks as the realm of Ahskul starts to beckon.'

Once beautiful Madrigos, a city famous for its wealth and hospitality, is now a forsaken ruin called Scorponar, dwelling of the Scortaur, a race of savage scorpion-men who hunt all other races mercilessly and uncompromisingly on and around the Plains of Bone. Only a handful of fortunate wanderers can tell the tale of seeing the city's shattered buildings and old walls at the heart of the wasteland. Those who did see it talk about bone scaffolding and fortifications, flayed bodies hanging from battlements, and banners fashioned from human skin. Scorponar is a place of horror and despair, with the old white stone of Madrigos peeking out from under the colorless sands like broken teeth or shattered bones.

The creepy Hollow Eyes may look like weird children but in truth they are one of the most dangerous enemies you can come across while traversing the Riven Realms. Luckily, these creatures of cold hatred can only be encountered in and around the Hollow Crags and the Hargad Tuul in general.

As the name suggests, Tainted Madmen are unfortunate souls driven insane by the arcane disease called the Taint. Even if it does not directly erode their minds, the more extremely mutated of these forsaken are cast out by family and society, which is often enough to start them down a path of madness and desperation.

As enemies in the game, Tainted Madmen are often encountered all around the central regions of the Empire. Living in city gutters, sewers, or caves in the wilderness, they often emerge to waylay passersby.