This week’s location showcase for our At the Heart of Ruin expansion reveals the Ember Mines, a highly contested site that once belonged to the Dwarves of Dvendar Tharr, but has recently become a den for the numerous scavenger gangs that plague Varnurud. Whether it's sacrificial burnings or the enjoyment of human flesh, these savages are hardly the kind you’d be happy to encounter in the Ember Mines’ depths. No wonder that few go near the site – to do so is to invite death – though the resources within are said to be plenty, and there is talk of far more down the shaft than mere scrap.

In the northwestern reaches of Varnurud, a monument to Dwarven splendor rises from a stone platform, a vestige of ruined Dvendar Tharr – its immense size and state of preservation are testaments to the craftsmanship and skillful architecture of the ancient Dwarves of the faded kingdom.

Though none who dwell in these forsaken lands now know its origin, some theorize that the statue was erected to honor a thane or king whose name was lost to time in the millennium since the Calamity. As for its name, “the Hollow King”, it is unknown if it is a metaphor for the king that once was or simply a descriptor; indeed, its interior has been hollowed out and the cavernous gullets that bore inside the mountain from its base share the characterization.

It’s no secret that At the Heart of Ruin, our upcoming expansion, features a veritable cornucopia of scorching locales. Death by exhaustion, flame, or combustion is likely to be a frequent occurrence. Yet perhaps more than any location above ground, the subterranean depths of Dvendar Tharr are the worst; rivers of lava cut through rock, frequently blocking the way, making exploration a tenuous and perilous notion.

As we ramp up the teasers for At the Heart of Ruin’s release, some of Varnurud’s most perilous landscapes come to the fore. While the mountainous realm’s northernmost reaches are a far cry from the red-hot, scorching locales closer to the volcanos, they pose a different kind of threat  – one emanating immense dread. In so many respects, this is no man’s land.

Hey everyone,

We return to you with another round of updates, this time the focus being on performance improvements and save game files. Controllers received some love as well, fixing inconsistencies, updating UI, and squashing bugs that pertained to them specifically. We also reworked the Extras Menu due to requirements on certain other platforms, though admittedly, its functions are much better now, allowing you to listen to tracks of the OST there and check out other extra content you own.

It’s about time we brought to your attention one of the most insane gangs of them all in our new At the Heart of Ruin DLC, who call themselves the Cleansing Conflagration. This band of murderers and pyromaniacs are just as likely to lob fiery projectiles your way as they are to parley, so if you're a vagrus who relies on persuasion to get what you want, you’ll not find these madmen particularly amenable.

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.

The theme and look of this week’s location reveal for our upcoming DLC, At the Heart of Ruin, is quite different from the previously teased ones, all fiery and desolate. It is true that vagri who brave the Mountains of Fire will mostly traverse a volcanic hellscape replete with peril of the scorching variety, but what lies beneath is also intriguing.

We’re delighted to share one of Varnurud’s more inhospitable locales with you this week: Flamescar Cavern. “Delighted to show us something inhospitable?” you might ask. Well yes, because the Cavern itself represents a site of both danger and opportunity. A mere glance at its confines makes clear why so few dare to brave its interwoven passages and caves.

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.