Monastery of the Dusk Flame

Long ago, the Monastery was the final resting place for many of Harat's saints. Their souls were believed to protect the holy abode from all misfortune.

Following Lubenia's isolation, however, the road to the Monastery was forgotten, and its inhabitants refused to venture beyond its walls. As the cold and hunger grew ever harsher, the whispers from outside drowned out their prayers.

It was then that the monks remembered: Harat offered not only mercy, but also a cleansing flame.
They ceased their pleas for protection. Abbot Damian proclaimed a new doctrine. They would save the souls of the infected — by burning off their flesh.

Now, it is time you learn what this faith has wrought.

The Monastery of the Dusk Flame is a new calendar event. It will remain available for an extended period during the update and later join the rotation alongside other events.

New Enemies

In the Monastery of the Dusk Flame, Exiles will face enemies well acquainted with the destructive power of fire. Most have high or complete resistance to this element, so fire weapons may not always be the wisest choice here..

Burning Fanatic

As soon as he spots an Exile, the Burning Fanatic sets himself on fire. The flames gradually drain his health, but the weaker he becomes, the faster his moves and attacks are.
Do not let the fight drag on, and exercise extra caution in melee combat: attacking the Fanatic head-on may set the Exile ablaze as well.

Blazing Soul

The Blazing Soul rushes at the Exile and explodes the moment it reaches its target. It also explodes if slain before reaching the Exile.
The closer you are, the harder the blast will hit. Try to destroy Blazing Souls from a distance, especially when you have allies fighting beside you.

Crucible of the Sullied Flame

This living suit of armor, wreathed in flames, can draw the summoned saints away and prevent them from reaching other enemies.
Attacking it at close range also carries a certain risk, as some of the fire damage is reflected back on the attacker. Do not let it keep your entire squad occupied.

Acolyte of the Sullied Flame

The Acolyte prefers to keep his distance, hurling fire potions at the Exile. Each explosion deals area damage, so you cannot remain in one place for long.
If you close the distance, the Acolyte will try to retreat. Do not let him bombard you from afar with impunity.

Priestess of the Sullied Flame

The Priestess can heal nearby enemies, summon the Ashen Ones, and set several members of your squad ablaze at once.
At the same time, she avoids melee combat and retreats if you draw near. Do not ignore the Priestess, especially when near powerful enemies.

The Ashen One

The Ashen Ones answer the summons of other monastery inhabitants. Alone, they pose little threat, but they are completely immune to burning.
Their true danger lies in their numbers. The longer the summoner remains alive, the faster a horde gathers around the Exile.

Spirits of the Saints

Fortunately, you will not have to explore the monastery on your lonesome.
Inside the monastery, you can summon the spirits of Harat's saints and assemble your own squad. Twelve allies are available, each with different stats and skills.
Some can heal, while others take the brunt of enemy attacks, bolster the squad, or help deal damage. The saints also differ in power: the mightier the spirit, the more Harat's Prayer Rings you will need to summon them.
You can summon up to three saints during a standard run. Those who reach the secret room can enlist the aid of a fourth ally.
Harat's Prayer Rings can be found while traveling through the Plaguelands.

Final Trial

Deep within the monastery, Abbot Damian awaits you alongside Luciana, his daughter and protector.
They fight as one. For as long as his daughter lives, attacking Damian is largely futile. Yet her death offers only a brief reprieve: after a time, the abbot can return her to the fray.
Use the brief intervals between her death and revival to deal as much damage to Damian as possible. Be prepared to repeat the cycle more than once.

Sister Agatha

Not all residents of the monastery have accepted the new faith.
At the entrance, you will meet Sister Agatha. As you make your way through the monastery, you can find Sacred Scriptures and bring them to her in exchange for rewards.
Explore every corner of the monastery — the more Scriptures you save, the greater your reward.

Chronicles of the Monastery

A new lore tome can be found in the monastery: Chronicles of the Monastery of the Dusk Flame.
The monastery's history and the stories of the twelve saints whose remains are buried there are told in its pages. Read about Celestina the Unburned, Sabina the Merciful, Edric the Holy Hammer, and the other defenders of Harat. Learn what happened to the monastery after Lubenia was cut off from the Empire.

Flaming Direwolf

One of the rewards from the Monastery of the Dusk Flame is a new direwolf with a unique fiery coat.
It possesses special skills that deal additional fire damage and set enemies on fire. Flaming Direwolves can be bred, and their unique skills will remain tied to their coat color.


Elemental Forge

The flame from the monastery can be turned against the inhabitants of the Plaguelands.

Update 8.4.0 introduces a new workbench: the Elemental Forge. It allows you to craft elemental weapons, but building the workbench is only the first step.

First, you need to find the formula for the desired weapon. Learning it unlocks a new collection in the Elemental Forge. Add the required items to the collection to unlock the recipe and gain the ability to craft the weapon.

You will also need a regular weapon of a similar type to use as a base. For instance, crafting a Flaming Dagger requires a suitable dagger, as well as Fire Essences and other materials.

At first, only the Temple Torch will be available after you build the Elemental Forge. You will have to unlock the remaining recipes yourself.

Formulas

The update introduces seven formulas for fire weapons.

Three of these formulas allow you to craft familiar weapons:

• Illuminator
• Bow of Searing Flame
• Fire Partisan

The other four are designed for entirely new weapons:

• Flaming Dagger
• Breath of Fire
• Oath of Flame
• Funeral Pyre

Formulas can be obtained in the Monastery of the Dusk Flame. Not all are available at every difficulty, so you must take on more dangerous trials to obtain the most valuable recipes.

Elemental Essences

To work with formulas and craft elemental weapons, you will need a new resource: Elemental Essences.
In Update 8.4.0, Exiles will gain access to three types of Fire Essences: Small Fire Essence, Fire Essence, and Large Fire Essence.
Look for them in the Monastery of the Dusk Flame and among the loot dropped by Harid.

New Fire Weapons

Flaming Dagger

A light fire weapon that grows deadlier after killing an enemy.
After a kill, the Flaming Dagger deals increased fire damage for a short time, allowing you to move quickly to the next target.

Breath of Fire

A new fire crossbow.
Each hit sets the enemy on fire and deals additional fire damage over time.

Oath of Flame

A two-handed fire poleaxe — for those ready to risk their own health for greater damage.
Each strike inflicts a burn effect on the Exile. The more burn effects are accumulated, the more additional fire damage Oath of Flame deals.
The important thing is knowing when to stop.

Funeral Pyre

A new two-handed battle staff.
Whenever Funeral Pyre kills an enemy, it sets nearby foes ablaze, making it particularly effective against groups.
Like other fire weapons, all four new weapons can frighten off the Night Guest.

Scroll of Flame

Yet another way to start a fire is the Scroll of Flame.
When used, it sets enemies around the Exile on fire, dealing fire damage over time.
The Scroll has four levels. As its level increases, its stats change, including the number of targets affected and the potency of the burn.
And yes, the Night Guest will not care for this flame either.

New Skill

Open Wounds

Enemies have learned to heal one another — which means Exiles will need a way to stop them.
Open Wounds is a new active skill. When activated, your next attack applies an effect that reduces the target's healing received for 10 seconds.
The skill has 15 levels. It reduces healing received by 35% at Level 1, and by 80% at Level 15.

Where Are My Belongings?

Dying in the Plaguelands is unpleasant enough. At least you will no longer have to search blindly for your belongings afterward.

If your character's body remains at a location after death, a special backpack marker will appear over that location on the world map.

If the location is off-screen, the marker will be pinned to the edge of the map and point toward it.
Only one such marker can appear on the map at a time. It disappears when you retrieve your belongings, when the location expires, or when you die again and leave another corpse behind.

The first time this happens, the game will also explain the new mechanic when you return to the world map.

Important: the marker appears only when your character’s body remains in the location. In Skull locations, quest locations, and Heroic-difficulty locations, the body disappears after death, so the marker will not appear there.

Other Changes

• The Double-Shot Crossbow is now more powerful. We increased its damage, shortened the delay between shots, and reduced its reload time.
• We also added a new visual effect for when the crossbow reload skill is triggered and reworked the effect shown when modifiers change in Heroic Wagenburg.
• Energy costs for traveling across the world map have been adjusted as well. Running to a selected point now always costs at least one energy point.
• The update also includes additional balance and technical fixes.

See you in the Plaguelands!