The soundtrack of Vagrus is of key importance in conveying the powerful atmosphere of the setting. Be it foreboding or hauntingly beautiful, the score by George Olah captures the essence of the ravaged world of the Riven Realms perfectly. Even more importantly, the majority of fans and influencers have told us that one of the most important parts of the Vagrus experience for them was the music.

Stone forests are comprised of thousands upon thousands of standing, pointed stone spires or pillars of varying heights and girth. Carved by arcane winds initially, and further chipped by the unceasing gales ever since the post-Calamity wastelands were formed, these forests are now mazes of rocks and gullies where one can easily get lost. Occasionally, a 'stone tree' falls when there's movement about, which makes navigating these labyrinths even riskier.

Another crucial game mechanic that is being added to Vagrus as we are writing this is a system of Rumors. Rumors are short entries in your Journal that are meant to guide players to content and unlock locations on their Chart in order to help them plan journeys and find places. We have come to the conclusion during playtesting that not only do we need to differentiate these Rumor entries from your Objectives in the Journal but we also need to separate them entirely and move them to a different pane. As evident from this, Rumors have undergone quite a lot of change since their original conception.

The images above are from one of the starting regions of the main game, shedding some light on parts of the huge campaign map the player can traverse in Vagrus.

We can already hear you ask: 'But guys... why don't you show off the whole map?'

The Imperial word calerus has come to describe the many crystal forests that now dot the continent of Xeryn. The vast majority of these forests can be found in the east, in the province of Sargot Kala but some have grown in the central region of the Empire. Some caleri can be visited in the game, such as Loom, or the twin caleri simply called North Calerus and South Calerus.

This environment artwork displays one of the many arid hill regions of the Empire, be it the Border Region between the Ashlands and the Jagged Waste, the Windbelt, known for protecting the plains of Hargad Tuul from the constant gale coming from the north, or the Hills of Plenty, nestled snugly beneath the highland that forms the majority of the Dragonlands, guarded and patrolled by mighty Dragonguard forces.

'They may be called the 'Children of the Calamity' but make no mistake, dominus. These terrible creatures are far from being child-like. When you see one, do not hesitate; they won't.'

Another week, another location artwork! This time, somewhat of an odd 'location' at that, one that is not really a region of its own right but a road that crosses many areas. Chances are, you'll see it a lot.

Hargad Tuul (an old name meaning 'The Hollow Plain') is our next location artwork reveal that is found post-Prologue. With its fog, overcast sky, solitary gnarly trees, and greenery the area is a far cry from the usual arid wastelands and rocky deserts of the rest of the continent. The art captures its melancholy dampness and bleakness perfectly.

Another non-human character joins our cast, this time a Dwarf! Dwarves are typically lonely, cranky, calculating fellows in the Riven Realms. Their homeland was utterly decimated in the Calamity and has remained uninhabitable ever since. All the magnificent achievements, inventions, and treasures of the mighty Dwarven kingdom went up in flames when it was engulfed in a volcanic cataclysm. And because the volcanoes are still very much active, there is little hope of reclaiming anything from the ruins. Most Dwarves were killed during the Calamity and today, only several thousand remain. For all intents and purposes, they are a dead race.