In this series of “Revisited” articles, we’re taking a look at iconic or interesting locations in the playable part of the Riven Realms and invoke their unique atmosphere. 

This time around, we’re taking a look at the Great Stairs, a location we first introduced a year ago. Many once-mighty edifices of an age long past still dot the volcanic landscape of Varnurud, the ravine-ridden, broken ridges of the northern Mountains of Fire. Among the most impressive such structures is what the savage inhabitants of the region simply call “the Great Stairs”, although it was once known as the Stairs of Baldar. In the ancient days of the Third Age, the kingdom’s Dwarves used these to ascend to the tall ranges of Norrgadar, or down to Varnurud – often with cargo. By present day, the stairs have crumbled so badly that it is difficult to believe they were ever safe to traverse. Rumor has it that many scavengers found their deaths trying to reach the highest point, if only to gaze outward and take in the magnificent view of the valleys below.

Varnurud, the stage that most of At the Heart of Ruin plays out on, is a varied realm of ruin, past glory, and faded splendor. The kingdom of Dvendarr Tharr, now mostly referred to as the Mountains of Fire, has a great deal of Dwarven infrastructure; ruins of stone are most plentiful. Although most of it has crumbled to rubble or dust in the wake of the Calamity, there are those jutting edifices that yet endure – old watchtowers, cracked roads, small forts, great staircases, and massive walls only a few among them. One does not have to look far and wide.

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.

After the Dragon Lords arrived and descended upon the broken continent in the wake of the Calamity, they settled down in the middle of the landmass and cast their ancient magic on an area large enough to comfortably sustain their nests and broods. The magical energies crushed the plains and physically elevated the region, molding it into spacious highlands and great mountain ranges, as well as carrying up earth and ore from deeper below, thereby banishing the fallout of the Calamity, making this land fertile once again. Thus, the Dragonlands were born.

Some time ago we promised to invite you all to a virtual tour of our office, so without further ado, here goes:

First stop - Budapest, 13th district

Our office is located in an edifice built in the socialist era but kept in fairly good condition compared to how others fared. Back in the day when programming meant punched cards, the whole building housed a prominent company developing 'software' on those.