In the long lead-up to the release of our At the Heart of Ruin expansion, we’ve spoken at length about Dvendar Tharr and the perils there – the horrifying creatures, the utterly inhospitable weather, and the countless other hazards that await the bold who venture there. Most denizens of the Riven Realms know the realm of Dvendarr Tharr to be largely uninhabitable.

Today we’d like to introduce one of our upcoming additions to Vagrus, the Ruinous Supporter Pack DLC, a small cosmetic package that gives you Companion skins for supporting Lost Pilgrims. Our art team has been hard at work on it for some time now, and we’re excited to share the cosmetics in more detail soon. You can find its store page here, where all the cosmetics in the pack will appear soon, and you can wishlist the pack for the time being.

The teaser this week is somewhat of a continuation of an earlier post, where we brought the Earth Elemental to you, explaining that a key aspect of its design included not just anger, but a range of human emotions felt and experienced by the cursed, suffering spirits that manifest them.

In many ways, the Fire Elemental is no different. Similarly, it is a host to restless spirits, yet in contrast, that spirit is perhaps more enraged than broken. The diverse denizens of Varnurud testify that the two elementals are different in that their anger is represented in disparate ways; the Earth Elemental holds a deep grudge and sadness, while the Fire Elemental manifests a furious rage.

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.

Hey everyone,

As you may have noticed, this last month was exceptionally busy for us on the virtual storefronts, especially on Steam, where Vagrus was featured in the Daily Deal program on May 30 (at a staggering 50% discount, the lowest price as of yet), then took part in the annual TurnBasedThursdayFest between June 2 and 9 (with a similarly attractive discount). The festival received a “featured” spot on the platform, which was a fantastic milestone for everyone involved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Great news, everyone: Vagrus - the Riven Realms and all of its DLCs are now live on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5! It’s been a long, hard road getting the game into a ready state for consoles, offering the features necessary that allow it to play well on these platforms, but we got there, and we can’t wait for console players to sink their teeth into the experience.