The Monolith is a strange and complex structure, full of lost secrets and technological advancements alien to The Company’s expedition team. While people like Dr Maria Thornton are studying things from afar, to truly understand the Monolith you’ll need to venture inside. And to do that, you will need a Cartogram…
Cartograms
Cartograms are the levels that you play through while exploring the Monolith. You can think of these as “blueprints.” Empyreal’s levels aren’t procedurally generated and are exclusively hand-crafted for that more curated touch. However, the Cartograms determine the loot available in each level, add some random factors that diversify play, as well as decide the overall level of challenge presented, resulting in a different experience every single time.
You carry Cartograms in your inventory and there are two types: ones received from quest NPCs, such as Edmund Reyne, and ones dropped from defeated enemies. The latter will have their loot, Quadrant type, level, boss, elemental effects, and other elements randomised, while the former is the same for all players. You can see these elements when selecting a Cartogram in your Inventory, or at the Cartogram Portal, allowing you to focus on any specific loot that suits your build.
Cartograms have finite uses: you can unlock checkpoints and make use of a fixed number of Reset Charges should you die, but once your Cartogram attempt is over (whether you succeed or fail) you can trade or gift your Cartograms to other players using the Trading Post or Mailbox in the Command Centre.
Some Cartograms are also significantly harder than others, with enhanced loot available. But fear not: if all looks lost, you can abandon a Cartogram and sacrifice all loot gained on that attempt, allowing you to retry it again later when you are stronger.
Quadrants
Think of Quadrants as different biomes. The Monolith is home to four Quadrants in total: Man & Church, Mind & Truth, Word & Life, and Depth & Silence. Each Quadrant is home to several distinct levels for you to explore, determined by the Cartogram you use.
During your adventure, unearth items called Curios to piece together the history of these ancient locations and learn of the people who once resided in them.
Man and Church
Mind & Truth
Word & Life
Depth & Silence
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Be sure to wishlist the game on Steam ahead of the May 8th release and try the game for yourself via the demo.