With the day of At the Heart of Ruin’s release drawing closer and closer, we at Lost Pilgrims decided to focus on a series of devlogs for those of you interested in the gameplay mechanics, artwork, and setting of the expansion. This week, we’ll talk about mountaineering and show off the first Dwarf character and a new Companion appearance!
Traversing the Volcanic Wastelands
The expansion will bring a number of mechanical changes that come into play in the new regions, so we’ll introduce some of these concepts here. To support these systems, we’ll add new Equipment, and new Equipment slots for them to fit into as well.
While the town of Scrapheap lies at the foot of the mountain, we can safely assume that daring vagri will not stop there. Instead, they will try their chances up in the mountains where riches and peril alike await on a scale rarely seen before. What’s unique about the lost kingdom of Dvendarr Tharr writ large is the terrain and climate, an impossibly perilous offering of jagged rocks, lava rivers, earthquakes, ash storms, and sulfuric gas clouds. Such terrain is not fit for any beast – they either struggle to move on such terrain at all or perish too easily due to its dangers. That’s why we’re making the entirety of the mountainous area west of Scrapheap traversable only on foot, at least initially, which will prominently shift DLC gameplay.
Distances and Focus
Partly due to the rougher than usual terrain, elevation, the weather, and the walking, travelling between places will be slower but at the same time, things are actually closer inside the confines of Dvendar Tharr. It is a dense region, much denser than what players might be used to in the base campaign. Thus, we're preparing a more detailed campaign map to represent this region.
Party Size
Comitatus size will also be limited while mountaineering due to how difficult it is to maintain a larger group while climbing and traversing such rough terrain. This puts more emphasis on cargo capacity upgrades and bonuses on Workers and Slaves, urging you to specialize and rethink your build when ascending the Mountains of Fire.
Equipped for the Job
Along with this setup, we’ll be introducing new Equipment and slots to place them in. The first category is Mountaineering Equipment, which facilitates movement across the mountainous regions. The slots will only appear for owners of At the Heart of Ruin, as these pieces of Equipment will only be used in the high altitudes and impossibly craggy terrain of the DLC.
You’ll also have another separate slot for Protective Gear, which is needed to weather the many environmental hazards that constantly beset travelers. The good news is that this’ll be available to every player: you can use Calerus Protection Gear in this slot, so it’s not only for new equipment related to the DLC.
For both categories, various pieces of Equipment will be available through questing, Faction reputation, markets, or by simply stumbling upon them in random encounters.
Difficulty and Challenge
In terms of difficulty, starting the DLC will have the same requirement as Sunfire and Moonshadow did, which generally means a mid-tier comitatus. That does not necessarily mean that such a comitatus will be able to tackle all of At the Heart of Ruin. Your level of preparedness will be of utmost importance; testing oneself against the mountains can be a grueling affair that cannot be bypassed by sheer numbers of crew, as stated above. Powerful Companions, good Gear and Equipment, an assortment of bonuses and enduring effects, and ideally, some already existing resources are all very much recommended to tackle the expansion.
Which leads us to wonder: will you be prepared? It’ll take some time to familiarize yourself with the new region as a /vagrus/, that’s true, but it’s also important to note that you won’t spend all of your time west of Scrapheap. The northern part of Tahrar Barak and the southern Penumbral Plains, lands around the trash-pile town, will be included in the expansion, too, and who knows what they hold for explorers, however bleak they may seem?
For one, they might have some… Dwarves!
Dwarves in the Mountains
While it’s true that most denizens of the Riven Realms know the realm of Dvendarr Tharr to be largely uninhabitable, this is not the case for everyone. Some are braver and bolder than the rest; namely, a cadre of Dwarves that has appeared within the old kingdom’s confines recently.
Among them are stalwart warriors whose charge it is to protect the others of their surreptitious group. Travelers and locals are noticing them and wonder why they are here and what they seek.
To answer your inevitable question: yes, it is very strange for Grey Dwarves to come together for anything, let alone in the dozens, which apparently this group’s members amount to. Whatever they’re doing, it’s unlikely it’ll be kept a secret for much longer.
And perhaps more importantly, will you find out?
We certainly hope so as we’re drawing ever closer to the day when At the Heart of Ruin releases. More on that in the near future.
Eylani, Raptor Champion
And since we’re talking about character artwork, we should mention the latest reveal in that regard, too. We have recently announced our upcoming Ruinous Supporter Pack, sharing the new look of Criftaa, Skornar, and Vorax. Following that, we asked you in polls on our social media platforms which new Companion appearance you would like to see revealed next, and the overall victory was Eylani, so here she is!
She has always felt a close kinship with all manner of beasts, but with her new cosmetic option, Eylani will become positively bestial herself. Clad in an attire akin to the most prominent members of the scavenger gang called "the Raptors", she is ready to hunt down the most dangerous prey of the Riven Realms. We hope you like this look as much as we do!
Fall Discount
Last but not least: to celebrate the beginning of fall – the perfect time to lose yourself in a harsh world of perilous journeys – we are running a Steam Sale. For a limited time only, you can get Vagrus for up to 45% off!
That’s all for now! We’ll hopefully see you in our next weekly devlog, but until then, as always, stay tuned, stay awesome, and conquer the wasteland!
– The Lost Pilgrims Team