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November 7th
2024 Champion Spotlight: Sgt. Knox 
Posted in Idle Champions.

    The imposing presence of Sergeant Knox came to Neverwinter when the Mintarn mercenaries were hired to retake the city following the eruption of Mount Hotenow. Soon he became a daily presence and mentor for new Adventurers in the city. Celeste reached out to her old friend following the catastrophic events at Elturel, hoping the veteran mercenary would join the Champions as they face the greatest foe the Sword Coast has ever seen!

Sergeant Alphonse Knox has received a moderate rework to improve his core theme of being an excellent early game party member for Celeste and Makos. For details on the Sgt. Knox Rebalance, read on...

Sgt. Knox

Sgt. Knox
NAME
6
SEAT
2.5%
CRIT CHANCE
100%
CRIT DAMAGE
Male
GENDER
50
AGE
Neutral Good
ALIGNMENT
25
OVERWHELM
Human
SPECIES
Fighter
CLASS
Tanking / Support
ROLES
None
AFFILIATION
19
STR
12
DEX
15
CON
12
INT
10
WIS
14
CHA
82
TOT
Patron Eligibility: Mirt, Vajra, Zariel, Elminster (until November 13th, 2027)

Abilities

Basic Attack

  • Battleaxe (melee) - Sgt. Knox swings his enormous Battleaxe through a random group of enemies.

Formation Abilities

  • Rallying Cry - Increases the damage of Champions in all the columns behind Sgt. Knox by 100% for each positional formation ability affecting them, stacking multiplicatively and including this one.
  • Defense of Neverwinter - When Sgt. Knox is in the formation, Celeste and Makos become eligible for the current adventure, even if a Patron, Variant, or other restriction would say otherwise.
  • Squad Leader - If they are in the formation, Sgt. Knox increases the effect of Celeste's Crusader's Mantle and Makos' Specialization Choice by 100% for each completed base Grand Tour adventure, stacking multiplicatively.
  • Hero of Neverwinter - Increases the Health of all other Champions by 25% of Sgt. Knox's Max Health. If affected by Celeste's Mass Cure Wounds, Sgt. Knox takes 25% less damage from all attacks, excluding attacks that instantly kill him.
  • Master Defender - Sgt. Knox keeps track of the highest number of enemies that have been attacking him at one time and the highest number of enrage stacks there have been in the current area. The effect of Squad Leader is increased by 100% for each enemy and enrage stack, stacking additively.

Specializations

  • Impromptu Allies - The effect of Celeste's Crusader's Mantle is increased by 100% for each unaffiliated Champion in the formation, stacking multiplicatively.
  • For The Greater Good - Makos completes his quest to become a lich and gains the Undead tag. His damage is increased by 400% and his critical hit damage is increased by 100%. His base attack now targets up to 5 enemies at once, and he has a 20% higher chance to critically hit.
  • Shield Wall - Increases the max health of Sgt. Knox by 200%. His base attack now taunts enemies he hits to target him.

Ultimate Ability

  • Break The Line (melee) - Sgt. Knox swings his axe in an arc, knocking nearby enemies back, damaging, and stunning them for 2 seconds. He then leaps at a random enemy and swings his axe in an overhead blow, dealing even more damage and stunning enemies in the area for 5 seconds.

Equipment

Global DPS Buff
SLOT 1
Squad Leader Buff
SLOT 2
Buffs all Specializations
SLOT 3
Rallying Cry Buff
SLOT 4
Master Defender Buff
SLOT 5
Ultimate Cooldown
SLOT 6

Feats

Uncommon
  • Selfless
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 10%.
  • Tough
    Increases the health of Sgt. Knox by 15%.
  • Mintarn Chant
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Rallying Cry ability by 20%.
  • Defensive Duelist
    Sgt. Knox takes 5 more Enemies attacking to get overwhelmed.
Rare
  • Inspiring Leader
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 25%.
  • Resilient
    Increases the health of Sgt. Knox by 30%.
  • Neverwinter Anthem
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Rallying Cry ability by 40%.
  • Keen Mind
    Increases the Intelligence score of Sgt. Knox by 1.
  • Calm Under Pressure
    Sgt. Knox takes 10 more Enemies attacking to get overwhelmed.
  • Sergeant's Call
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Squad Leader ability by 40%.
  • Master at Arms
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Master Defender ability by 40%.
  • Adaptable Leadership
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Impromptu Allies, For The Greater Good, and Shield Wall specializations by 40%
Epic
  • Rally of the Protectors
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Rallying Cry ability by 80%.
  • Prodigal Leader
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 50%.
  • Siege Breaker
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Master Defender ability by 80%.
    Unlockable as an Event Reward
  • Singular Focus
    Increases the effect of Sgt. Knox's Impromptu Allies, For The Greater Good, and Shield Wall specializations by 80%
    Available for 50,000 Gems or in the Herald of Neverwinter Sgt. Knox Theme Pack

We Want YOUR Feedback

What do you think about the new and improved Sgt. Knox? Will he help your formations and synergize well with Celeste and Makos?

Your feedback is important to us, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:



November 1st
Idle Champion Spotlight: Minthara 
Posted in Idle Champions.

    Minthara, once a House Matron from the esteemed House Baenre in Menzoberranzan, was cast aside by the Absolute after failing to recover a powerful and mysterious artifact. Having broken free from the Absolute's control, she now harbors an intense hatred for her former master. Fueled by vengeance and a desire to reclaim her lost honor, Minthara channels her dark powers and cunning to oppose the Absolute and any who stand in her way.

Minthara Baenre is a Support, Debuff, and Tanking Champion who excels in formations with other Evil Champions. She provides resilience to other Champions and amplifies damage dealt to enemies. For details on this Nightwarden of House Baenre, read on!

Minthara

Minthara
NAME
3
SEAT
2.5%
CRIT CHANCE
100%
CRIT DAMAGE
Female
GENDER
150
AGE
Neutral Evil
ALIGNMENT
25
OVERWHELM
Elf (Drow)
SPECIES
Paladin
CLASS
Support / Debuff / Tanking
ROLES
Absolute Adversaries
AFFILIATION
16
STR
15
DEX
14
CON
10
INT
12
WIS
17
CHA
84
TOT
Patron Eligibility: Mirt, Vajra, Zariel, Elminster (until November 6th, 2027)

Abilities

Basic Attack

  • Double Maces (melee) - Minthara dashes toward the healthiest enemy and damages nearby foes with a swing of her maces.

Formation Abilities

  • Noble of Menzoberranzan - Minthara gains a Strife stack for each Evil Champion in the formation, including herself. Minthara increases the damage of these Champions by 100% for each Strife stack, stacking multiplicatively.
  • Soul Branding - When Minthara damages an enemy, they take 100% additional damage from all subsequent attacks, stacking multiplicatively up to the number of Strife stacks Minthara has.
  • Oath of Vengeance - Minthara provides benefits based on the number of Strife stacks she has.
    3+ Strife stacks: Unyielding: Minthara increases her health by 10% for each Strife stack she has, stacking additively.
    5+ Strife stacks: Piercing: Enemies affected by at least two Soul Branding stacks lose an additional armor or segmented health piece when they are attacked.
    7+ Strife stacks: Scarring: When Minthara damages an enemy, she immediately applies the maximum possible number of Soul Branding stacks.
    9+ Strife stacks: Nobility: Increases the base value of Noble of Menzoberranzan by 400%.
  • Ceremorphosis - Your formation gains one Ceremorphosis stack due to the mind flayer tadpole in Minthara's brain. Minthara increases the health of all other Champions by 20% of her max health, plus 2% for each Ceremorphosis stack the formation has, stacking additively.

Specializations

  • House Matron - Noble of Menzoberranzan now also grants Strife stacks for Neutral Champions in the formation (on the Good/Evil axis).
  • True Soul - Your formation gains 2 additional Ceremorphosis stacks.
  • Soul Destroyer - The maximum number of Soul Branding stacks is doubled.

Ultimate Ability

  • Spider's Lyre (melee) - Minthara summons Kar'niss the Drider to attack all enemies. In a non-boss area, the Champions advance to the next area if no enemies remain after the attack.

Equipment

Global DPS Buff
SLOT 1
Global DPS Buff
SLOT 2
Health Increase
SLOT 3
Noble of Menzoberranzan Buff
SLOT 4
Soul Branding Buff
SLOT 5
Ultimate Cooldown
SLOT 6

Feats

Uncommon
  • Selflessness
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 10%.
  • Tough
    Increases the health of Minthara by 15%.
  • Defensive Duelist
    Minthara takes 5 more Enemies attacking to get overwhelmed.
  • Drow Noble
    Increases the effect of Minthara's Noble of Menzoberranzan ability by 20%.
Rare
  • Inspiring Leader
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 25%.
  • Resilient
    Increases the health of Minthara by 30%.
  • Calm Under Pressure
    Minthara takes 10 more Enemies attacking to get overwhelmed.
  • Drow Survivor
    Increases the effect of Minthara's Noble of Menzoberranzan ability by 40%.
  • Compelling Strife
    Increases the effect of Minthara's Soul Branding ability by 40%.
Epic
  • Daughter of House Baenre
    Increases the effect of Minthara's Noble of Menzoberranzan ability by 80%.
    Available for 50,000 Gems or in the Herald of the Absolute Minthara Theme Pack
  • Nightwarden's Oath
    Increases the effect of Minthara's Oath of Vengeance ability by 80%.
    Unlockable as an Event Reward

We Want YOUR Feedback

We want to hear about your experiences in Idle Champions! Your participation and feedback have brought us this far, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:
October 23rd
Vecna: Eve of Ruin, Part 4 & Emergence 
Posted in Idle Champions.

After venturing deep into The Mournland of Eberron to secure a third piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, the Champions are moving on to another dangerous destination: Barovia, the domain of Count Strahd von Zarovich.

The next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts is held inside the Village of Barovia within a magically sealed manor. Unfortunately for the Champions, this domain of dread has a Darklord who takes keen interest in visitors...

For the next Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventures, the Champions will venture into Barovia's infamous Death House.

Note: You will need to have completed the previous two Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventures, A Cause for Kas and The Ruined Colossus, in order to access these new adventures.

Campaign: Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Death House

Make your way to Barovia to find the next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts.

    Variant

    Above Average - Make your way to Barovia to find the next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts while fighting Strahd's allies!
    • You may only use Champions with all ability scores at 11 or higher.
    • 1-2 Vampires sent by Strahd spawn with each wave. They don't drop gold, nor count towards quest progress.
    • Complete Area 750

Sacrifice

Survive the night in Strahd's twisted nightmare… If you dare!

    Variant

    Oh, the Humanity! - Survive the night with only humans in Strahd's twisted nightmare… If you dare!
    • You may only use Human Champions.
    • A random Champion takes damage equal to a percentage of their max health every second (in real time). The percentage starts at 10% and increases by 10% (additively) every 100 areas. Damage does not trigger for the first 5 (real time) seconds in every area.
    • 1-2 Vampires sent by Strahd spawn with each wave. They don't drop gold, nor count towards quest progress.
    • Complete Area 800


Vampire Emergence

Our Spooky October continues with the Vampire Emergence! Vampire Spawn have made their way into Idle Champions and are chomping at the bit to take you down! Defeat Vampires in any Free Play to collect Corrupted Gems that can be used in the Thayan Enclave section of the in-game shop! The Vampire Emergence starts today and runs through Friday, November 1st.

Dungeons & Dragons Planescape Emergence

New Items Added to the Thayan Enclave!

  • Golden Epics
    • Kas Slot 3 - Eye of Vecna (20,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Commodore Krux Slot 2 - Muskets of Precision (20,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • Feats
    • Briv - Strategic Stride (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Ellywick - Gem (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Nahara - Make Undead (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Voronika - Prodigal Leader (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Widdle - Make Undead (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • Skins
    • Nosferatu Widdle (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Vampire Nahara (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • Chests
    • Unlimited Vampire Emergence Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems each)
      • Contains gear for Briv, Commodore Krux, Ellywick, Kas, Nahara, Voronika, and Widdle
    • 8x Gold Supply Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems each)
    • 8x Modron Component Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems each)
  • Buffs
    • 10x Marvelous Support Pigments (7,000 Corrupted Gems each)


We Want YOUR Feedback

We would love to hear about your experiences in Barovia! Your feedback is important to the future of Idle Champions, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:

October 4th
2024 Champion Spotlight: Voronika 
Posted in Idle Champions.

    A young Eladrin woman, raised to be the Queen of Koshmarr, what was meant to be an idyllic life took a dark turn on the night of her wedding. Pulled into the machinations of greater powers, she found herself in Mordent, now one of the many wandering ghosts. A person of great interest both to Azalin Rex and Strahd, she sought to negotiate her freedom from these dread domains. Her longtime companions and their newfound friends wanted the same and imbued her soul into Desmond’s sword. As they traveled in search of returning her soul to her body, Voronika took matters into her own hands and used the Crown of the Raven Queen to defeat Zybilna and cause the fall of Prismeer. This action drew the mists to Voronika and soon she discovered herself a new darklord in her domain of Koshmarr.
Voronika has received a significant rework to help streamline and simplify her overall design. For details about Voronika's updated design, read on...

Voronika

Voronika
NAME
1
SEAT
2.5%
CRIT CHANCE
100%
CRIT DAMAGE
Female (she/her)
GENDER
31
AGE
Chaotic Evil
ALIGNMENT
5
OVERWHELM
Elf (Eladrin)
SPECIES
Druid
CLASS
Support
ROLES
Black Dice Society
AFFILIATION
10
STR
18
DEX
18
CON
12
INT
23
WIS
17
CHA
98
TOT
Patron Eligibility: Mirt, Vajra, Zariel, Elminster (until October 9th, 2027)

Abilities

Basic Attack

  • Produce Flame (magic) - Voronika creates a flame in her hand which she fires at a random enemy. If Voronika has achieved her Darklord form, the target is lit on fire and takes 1 second of BUD damage every second for 5 seconds.

Passive Abilities

  • Wed, then Undead - After being killed on her wedding night, Voronika became a ghost. The following rules apply:
    • Voronika can be attacked like normal and she can be "killed", at which point it stops granting all effects like any dead Champion would.
    • Voronika counts as "undead" for the purposes of effects that care about dead Champions (Desmond), but "alive" for all other purposes. She still counts as undead even after reaching her Darklord form.

Formation Abilities

  • Puppet Master - Voronika claims the BUD-setting Champion as her Puppet. The damage of her chosen Puppet is increased by 100%. Voronika only changes her Puppet if a different Champion is the BUD-setting Champion for more than 30 seconds in a row. Voronika's Puppet gains the Black Dice Society affiliation.
  • Calculating Guidance - Voronika increases the damage of all Champions in one column in front of her by 100%. Voronika's key allies are members of the Black Dice Society. The effect of this ability is increased by 100% for each key ally in the formation. This stacks additively until Voronika completes her Search for the Crown, when it changes to stack multiplicatively.
  • Search for the Crown - Voronika's search for the Crown of the Raven Queen requires her to complete 3 goals. When Voronika completes all 3 goals, she acquires the crown, transforms into her Darklord Form, unlocks her ultimate attack, and improves her base attack. Her goals include:
    • Voronika reaches level 750
    • Use 50 Ultimate Attacks with other Champions
    • One additional goal unlocked by her first Specialization choice.
  • Speed Run - The effect of Puppet Master is increased by 10,000%. This value multiplicatively decreases by 10% five minutes after the adventure starts and decreases by another 10% for every minute after that, but doesn't decrease after Voronika has completed her Search for the Crown.
  • Ultimate Power - Voronika increases the effect of Calculating Guidance by 0.1% for each use of an Ultimate while she is in the formation, stacking multiplicatively. Caps at 100,000 stacks. These stacks persist until reset.

Specializations A

  • Embrace Evil - For the third Quest for the Crown goal, Calculating Guidance's key allies must kill 2,500 enemies. The key allies for Calculating Guidance now also include Champions who have the Evil alignment.
  • Hunt The Favored - For the third Quest for the Crown goal, you must kill 500 enemies who are the Favored Foe of any Champion in the formation. The key allies for Calculating Guidance now also include Champions who have a Favored Foe.
  • Weaken The Fools - For the third Quest for the Crown goal, you must apply 1750 Debuffs to enemies. The key allies for Calculating Guidance now also include Champions who have the Debuff role.

Specializations B

  • Battle Magic - Voronika's Puppet additionally casts an explosive magic missile at a random target after each attack which deals 1000% of their normal damage to all enemies in a small area.
  • Powerful Focus - Voronika's Puppet has all of their incoming positional damage effects increased by 75%, and their basic attack now knocks back any enemies it hits a short distance.
  • Strike First, Strike Hard - Voronika's Puppet attacks 1.0 seconds faster and their damage is increased by 150% for each Champion adjacent to them, stacking multiplicatively.

Ultimate Ability

  • Horrifying Visage - Voronika moves in front of the party, magically pushing back all monsters a short distance, especially the ones in front. All enemies take ultimate damage, and then all surviving enemies deal 90% less damage for 30 seconds. In addition, the boss/enemy enrage timer fills 200% slower for 30 seconds.

Equipment

Global DPS buff
SLOT 1
Puppet Master buff
SLOT 2
Calculating Guidance buff
SLOT 3
Ultimate Power buff
SLOT 4
Speed Run buff
SLOT 5
Ultimate Cooldown
SLOT 6

Feats

Uncommon
  • Selflessness
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 10%
  • Explorer of Nightmares
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Puppet Master ability by 20%
  • A Finger on the Scale
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Calculating Guidance ability by 20%
  • Dreamscape Walk
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Speed Run ability by 20%
Rare
  • Inspiring Leader
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 25%
  • Koshmarr's Embrace
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Puppet Master ability by 40%
  • Shaped By My Will
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Calculating Guidance ability by 40%
  • Nightmarish Sprint
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Speed Run ability by 40%
  • Strength of Will
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Ultimate Power ability by 40%
  • Skilled Puppeteer
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Battle Magic, Powerful Focus, and Strike First, Strike Hard abilities by 40%
  • Keen Mind
    Increases the Intelligence score of Voronika by 1
Epic
  • Calculated Movements
    Increases the base effect of Speed Run by 900%, increases the reduction to 20%, and the effect amount starts reducing at 1 minute.
    Available in the new Vampire Hunter Voronika Theme Pack or for 50,000 Gems.
  • Master Puppeteer
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Battle Magic, Powerful Focus, and Strike First, Strike Hard abilities by 80%
    Unlockable as an Event Reward
  • Kindred Allies
    Adds Elves to Calculating Guidance's key allies.
    Unlockable as an Event Reward
  • Prodigal Leader
    Increases the damage of all Champions by 50%
  • Dark Lady
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Calculating Guidance ability by 80%
  • Extended Support
    Changes Calculating Guidance to target the next two columns.
  • Unlimited Potential
    Increases the effect of Voronika's Ultimate Power ability by 80%

We Want YOUR Feedback

What do you think about Voronika's rework? Will you find a place for this Darklord of Koshmarr in your formations?

Your feedback is important to us, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:



September 27th
Idle Champion Spotlight: Kas 
Posted in Idle Champions.

    Once the Lieutenant of Vecna, Kas betrayed his former master in a fight resulting in the dreaded artifacts, the Hand and Eye of Vecna. Kas is a vampire, legendary swordfighter, and ruthless warlord, and he is driven primarily by one thing: his hatred for Vecna.
Kas is a DPS and Healing Champion that excels when used with Evil Champions. In addition, this Vampire Lord can turn living Champions into his thralls, granting the ability to recover lost hit points with every attack they make. Once unlocked, you can find this Human Fighter in Seat 6 (Asharra).

Read on to learn more...

Kas the Bloody Handed

Dungeons & Dragons Kas Bloody Handed Vecna D&D Eve of Ruin
Kas
NAME
6
SEAT
2.5%
CRIT CHANCE
100%
CRIT DAMAGE
Male (He/Him)
GENDER
976
AGE
Neutral Evil
ALIGNMENT
5
OVERWHELM
Human
SPECIES
Fighter
CLASS
DPS / Healing
ROLES
None
AFFILIATION
26
STR
20
DEX
22
CON
24
INT
19
WIS
26
CHA
137
TOT
Patron Eligibility: Mirt, Vajra, Strahd, Zariel, Elminster (until October 2nd, 2027)

Abilities

Basic Attack

  • Vengeful Swing (melee) - Kas moves up to the closest enemy and swings his sword, dealing one hit to all enemies in a small area.

Formation Abilities

  • Vampire Lord - Kas is Undead and counts as "dead" for the purposes of effects that care about dead Champions, but "alive" for all other purposes. Via his abilities, Kas may cause one or more other Champions in the formation to become his Vampire Spawns, which are also Undead.
  • Born Into Evil - Kas increases his damage by 100% for each Evil Champion in the formation, stacking multiplicatively.
  • Mortal Pawns - Every time an area is completed, Kas gains Pawn stacks equal to the number of Champions in the formation that are not one of his Vampire Spawns. Each Pawn stack increases the effect of Born Into Evil by 0.5%, stacking multiplicatively.
  • Life Drain - When an Undead Champion in the formation attacks, they regain 50 Hit Points.
  • Spawn of Kas - When a Champion that is not already Undead dies, they immediately resurrect at full health as a Vampire Spawn, counting as Undead for the rest of the adventure. The effect of Born Into Evil is increased by 100% for each Undead Champion in the formation, stacking multiplicatively.

Specializations

  • Kas the Bloody Handed - Kas increases the effect of Life Drain by 100% and Evil Champions attack faster as their base attack cooldown is reduced by 0.5 seconds.
  • Kas the Betrayer - Kas' damage against Boss enemies is increased by 100%, and the effect of Born Into Evil is increased by 100% for each Undead Champion in the formation, stacking multiplicatively
  • Kas the Destroyer - Increase the effect of Born Into Evil by 100%. In addition, Champions adjacent to Kas gain the Evil tag. This does not affect their other alignment tags, and doesn't affect whether they are eligible for the adventure.

Ultimate Ability

  • Rise, Fallen Soldier! (magic) - Kas summons two specters that move towards enemies, dealing ultimate damage each second for 15 seconds.

Equipment

Born Into Evil Buff
SLOT 1
Mortal Pawns Buff
SLOT 2
Life Drain Buff
SLOT 3
Spawn of Kas Buff
SLOT 4
Buffs all Specializations
SLOT 5
Ultimate Cooldown
SLOT 6

Feats

Uncommon
  • Tavern Brawler
    Increases the damage of Kas by 30%
  • Born in Darkness
    Increases the effect of Kas' Born Into Evil ability by 20%
  • Familiars
    Increases the effect of Kas' Mortal Pawns ability by 20%
  • Life From Death
    Increases the effect of Kas' Life Drain ability by 20%
Rare
  • Grappler
    Increases the damage of Kas by 60%
  • Evil Begets Evil
    Increases the effect of Kas' Born Into Evil ability by 40%
  • Followers
    Increases the effect of Kas' Mortal Pawns ability by 40%
  • Sanguine Wine
    Increases the effect of Kas' Life Drain ability by 40%
  • Live Again
    Increases the effect of Kas' Spawn of Kas ability by 40%
  • Dark Powers' Embrace
    Increases the effect of Kas' Kas the Bloody Handed, Kas the Betrayer, and Kas the Destroyer specializations by 40%
Epic
  • My Creatures
    Increases the effect of Kas' Spawn of Kas ability by 80%
    Unlockable as an Event Reward
  • The Sword of Kas
    Kas' damage is increased by 400% and his base attack cooldown is reset at the start of every area.
    Available in the Darklord Kas Theme Pack, or for 50,000 Gems
  • Stake to the Heart
    Increases the damage of Kas by 400%. Kas' attacks prevent the target from healing for 10 seconds.
    Unlockable as an Event Reward

We Want YOUR Feedback

We have been excited to bring Kas the Bloody Handed to Idle Champions for a long time, and that day is almost here. What do you think about his design? Will you be using this legendary vampire in your formations?

Your feedback is important to us, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:

September 25th
Idle Champions: Vecna: Eve of Ruin Part 3 
Posted in Idle Champions.

After braving the dangers of sailing the Astral Sea and exploring the floating corpse of a dead god, the Champions have managed to find and secure a second piece of the Rod of Seven Parts.

For the next Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventures, the Champions will help a Vecna find a 'new' hand and eye(!) before traveling to one of the most dangerous and cursed regions in the multiverse in search of another piece of the Rod of Seven Parts: the former nation of Cyre, better known as The Mournland...

Note: You will need to have completed the previous two Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventures, Havock's Zenith and The Heart of Havock, in order to access these new adventures.

Dungeons & Dragons Vecna: Eve of Ruin Variants

A Cause for Kas

Help Vecna find a new hand and eye, even if Kas thinks it's a bad idea!

The Champions have some time while the Wizards Three attune to the most recent piece of the Rod of Seven Parts - and Vecna has a quest for them! He's tired of not having an eye and hand since they were destroyed the last time they fought, and he wants "new" ones...

    Variant

    Lend a Hand - Help Vecna find a new hand and eye while overrun by hands.

    • Only Champions with a Melee base attack can be used.
    • Every time an enemy is defeated a Crawling Claw spawns in its place.
    • These Crawling Claws can not be slowed or stunned. The also don't drop gold nor count towards quest progress.
    • Complete area 650

The Ruined Colossus

Travel to Eberron to find a piece of the rod inside a ruined warforged colossus!

The Wizards Three have located the next piece of the rod. It's in Eberron! Specifically in the Mournland. More specifically, in the rotting remains of a ruined Warforged Colossus...

    Variant

    No Good Options - Travel to Eberron to find a piece of the rod with a custom set of evil Champions!

    • Only Evil Champions can be used.
    • Each Chaotic Champion in the formation increases enemy health by 100%.
    • Each Neutral Champion in the formation increases enemy speed by 100%.
    • Each Lawful Champion in the formation increases enemy damage by 100%.
    • Each of the above effects stack multiplicatively.
    • Complete area 700


We would love to hear about your experiences in Eberron! Your feedback is important to us, and we would love to have you join our community on one of our official platforms:

August 28th
Turn of Fortune's Wheel Part 7 & New Blessings! 
Posted in Idle Champions.

This week, the Turn of Fortune's Wheel campaign continues as the Champions find themselves in the Mausoleum of Chronepsis. They must help Eonstaryx clear out the undead infestation and clear the dragon gods mind! After that, they make their way to Glorium - the final gate-town - and face off against the the Giant Whirlwyrm!

Additionally, today's update includes Tier 4 Blessings for Fortune's Favor! Read on to learn more!

Note: You will need to have completed the previous two Turn of Fortune's Wheel adventures, Soul's Mirage and Titan on the Town, in order to access these new adventures.

Dungeons & Dragons Turn of Fortune's Wheel Variants

Time's Mausoleum

Help Eonstaryx with dragon memory problem while you face an old foe.

As the Walking Castle continues its trek across the Outlands and, possibly by chance, it passes the Mausoleum of Chronepsis. Eonstaryx says he remembers something bad happening there and asks the Champions to go with him to check it out. As they cross the dunes leading up to the mausoleum, the sands begin to move, and the dead begin to rise! The Champions must clear out the undead and traverse the memories of dragons if they are to save the Mausoleum of Chronepsis!

    Variant

    Chronepsis's Legacy - Help Eonstaryx with a dragon memory problem using your draconic heroes.

    • You may only use (True) Neutral Champions and/or Dragonborn Champions.
    • Dragonborn Champions attack more often as their (normal) attack cooldown is 2 seconds faster.
    • Complete area 950

Heroes of the Day

The Champions venture into the mountains of the Outlands and discover what being a hero really means.

The Champions have finally reached the last of gate-town the need to visit in order to restore the Mosaic Mimir's memory. As they make their way there, Wren questions if she really knows what it means to be a hero because of recent revelations. Freely and Orkira do their best to help her figure this out, but nothing seems to work. Luckily, the gate-town of Glorium is in need of heroes! And the Champions are ready to answer the call.

    Variant

    Glory to Glorium - The Champions venture into the mountains of the Outlands and discover what it means to be a free spirit.

    • You may only use Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral and/or Neutral Good Champions.
    • All non-boss area requirements are increased by 25%. If Freely is in the formation, this restriction does not apply.
    • Complete area 1000


Turn of Fortune's Wheel Tier 4 Blessings

  • The Forge of Mount Celestia - Local: Increase the damage of all Human, Gnome, and Dwarf Champions by 100%.
  • Favor of the Wheel - Local: Increase the favor gained from Fortune's Wheel adventures by 100%.
  • Recruit Wren - Local: Increase the damage of all Champions by 100% and Wren by an additional 100%.
  • The Great Lords - Global: Increase the damage of all Champions by 2% for each Patron Variant completed, stacking additively.


We would love to hear about your experiences in the Outlands! Join our community and start a conversation:
July 24th
Turn of Fortune's Wheel Part 6 & An Emergence! 
Posted in Idle Champions.

This week, the Turn of Fortune's Wheel campaign continues, and denizens of Sigil invade the Sword Coast in the Planescape Emergence! Fight your way through familiar dreams in Soul's Mirage and help an empyrean face her troubles in Titan on the Town. After that, put your formations to the test with new Adventure Variants!

Read on to learn more about these adventures, and scroll below to find info on the Planescape Emergence and the updates to the Thayan Enclave Shop!

Note: You will need to have completed the previous two Turn of Fortune's Wheel adventures, The Witch and The Wyrmling and Inversion, in order to access these new adventures.

Dungeons & Dragons Turn of Fortune's Wheel Variants

Soul's Mirage

Fight your way through familiar dreams and discover the truth of who Wren was.

Dungeons & Dragons The Soul's Mirage

The Champions find themselves in a place they do not know fighting foes they do not recognize. Soon, they find themselves back in the Walking Castle - but was it all really just a dream? Before too long they are locked inside another dream and learn of a man named Somnus, who claims to be guiding them through memories they do not remember. But, can Somnus be trusted? And what happens if they die in a dream? Find out in Soul's Mirage!

    Variant

    Dessert in the Desert - Get lost in the desert, and encounter some interesting dreams from your past.
    • You may only use Good Champions.
    • Every 5 seconds, a scoop of ice cream hits a random Champion, stunning them for 10 seconds.
    • Complete area 850

Titan on the Town

The Champions must hunt down Sylvania's moving gate through a sea of chaotic celebrations.

Dungeons & Dragons Green Slaad

The Champions arrive in Sylvania - a gate-town full of constant parties and celebrations. They quickly learn that the gate they seek is constantly moving locations within Sylvania, and if they want to find it, they'll need to do something for the people in charge first. They are charged with tracking down an empyrean named Kopoah - who is causing problems at every party she goes to because of a bad day she is having. It is up to the Champions to find Kopoah, help her work through her problems, and bring good spirits back to the celebrations of Sylvania.

    Variant

    Clockwise Through the Great Wheel - The Champions must hunt down Sylvania's moving gate with heroes of every alignment!
    • This variant will not be available for Mirt
    • You may only use Neutral Champions and Champions of the alignment(s) specified below.
    • For the first 100 areas, you may use Lawful Good champions. Every 100 areas, this restriction changes: Neutral Good for area 101-200, Chaotic Good for area 201-300, and so forth. This restriction is linked to your highest area completed, not your current area.
    • Every 100 areas, all Champions in the formation are removed and can't be used for the rest of the adventure.
    • Champions can't otherwise be removed from the formation once they've been added.
    • Complete area 900

Planescape Emergence

Denizens from Sigil are finding their way onto the material plane and wreaking havoc! Harmonium Peacekeepers are arresting people in the streets, Heralds of Dust are trying to take charge of graveyards, and Cakers are trying to turn anyone and everyone into baked goods!

The Planescape Emergence starts today and runs through Friday, August 2nd at Noon PDT.

Dungeons & Dragons Planescape Emergence

New Items Added to the Thayan Enclave!

  • Two Golden Epics
    • Aeon Slot 3 - Bigby's Beneficent Bracelet (20,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Ulkoria Slot 2 - Volo's Guide to the Weave (20,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • Four Feats
    • Valentine - Air Genasi Glitch (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Duke Ravengard - Heart of Battle (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Umberto - Woken the Hive (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Ulkoria - Better Every Day (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • Two Skins
    • Tabaxi Glitch Shandie (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
    • Secret Agent Maan Hew Maan (10,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • 10x Marvelous Support Pigments (7,000 Corrupted Gems)
  • 8x Modron Component Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems)
  • 8x Supply Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems)
  • Unlimited Planescape Emergence Chests (2,500 Corrupted Gems)
    • Contains gear for: Aeon, Duke Ravengard, Hew Maan, Shandie, Ulkoria, Umberto, and Valentine.

  • We would love to hear about your experiences in the Outlands! Join our community and start a conversation:
    June 26th
    Idle Champions: Vecna: Eve of Ruin Part 2 
    Posted in Idle Champions.

    The Champions' adventure across the multiverse to stop Emperor Vecna continues! The next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts is lost in the Astral Sea - and with the help of the Wizards Three, the Champions are sent to the floating corpse of a long-dead god. There, the Champions discover a crashed Spelljammer ship and some of the surviving crew. Could this be where the next piece of the Rod is? Time to find out!

    Note: You will need to have completed the previous two Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventures, A Tale of Two Vecnas and The Wizards Three, in order to access these new adventures.

    Dungeons & Dragons Turn of Fortune's Wheel Variants

    Havock's Zenith

    Investigate a cult of Vecna in the Neverdeath Graveyard!

    Dungeons & Dragons Astral Sea

    The Wizards Three have located the next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. Far, far away in the Astral Sea floats the corpse of a long-dead god Havock. The Wizards Three are sure the second piece of the rod is located somewhere around it. Using the portal in the Sanctum, the Champions travel to the corpse of Havock and quickly discover the debris of a crashed Spelljammer ship - the Lambent Zenith. Could this ship have the piece of the rod?

      Variant

      Swords at the Ready - Venture into the Astral Sea supporting your best fighter.
      • You may not use Champions with the DPS role unless they have the Fighter class.
      • The Book of Tarchamus joins the formation.
      • Good Champions next to the Book aren't revived and don't heal when changing areas.
      • Complete area 550

    The Heart of Havock

    Join forces with the Wizards Three and venture into the Underdark!

    Dungeons & Dragons Hertilod

    The Champions trek across the horrifying corpse of Havock, ready to search the other two sections of the Lambent Zenith. Along the way, Blooshi meets a representative of her new patron - Alvina! The prismatic tressym tells her that The Kitten Lord has taken up her patronage, and the group is just THRILLED (not really) that Alvina is with them. Eventually, they meet with the captain of the Lambent Zenith and learn the location of the piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. But, in order to get there, they'll have to face off against the gruesome Hertilod!

      Variant

      The Messenger of the Kitten Lord - Break the second ward, find the vault, and try not to get distracted by the CUTENESS!
      • Alvina joins the formation.
      • Champions adjacent to Alvina have their base attack cooldowns doubled due to the distracting cuteness, unless they are Tabaxi.
      • 1-2 Wild Dogs spawn with each wave. They don't drop gold nor count towards quest progress.
      • Complete area 600

    We would love to hear about your experiences in the Astral Sea! Join our community and start a conversation:
    June 26th
    Idle Champions: Peril at the Greenhow, Part Three 
    Posted in Idle Champions.

    Previously in Peril at the Greenhow:

    Peril at the Greenhow, Part Three

    Umberto

    The city guardsmen and magister had just left when Harlow opened Umberto’s door. Umberto had been sitting at the desk while he gave his statement of events to the guardsmen, eyes still where they were now - on the broken and shattered window frame. The memory played in his head over and over again. The wind catching the hood and revealing the face of his dead sister. Well, possibly dead sister. What stayed in his mind most of all were her eyes. The eyes that had looked to him for protection as a child. But as she stood on that rooftop all she had in them then was hate.

    “We’re ready,” Harlow said when Umberto hadn’t addressed him. “We have the Greenhow Tavern surrounded. When the proprietor, Aeon, returns, we’ll move in and arrest her.”

    “How are you so confident?” Umberto said, still not looking away from the hole in the wall. “That it is this Aeon person? Especially after I have given a statement saying my assumed-to-be-dead sister made an attempt on my life earlier today?”

    “Aeon is an artificer,” Harlow said, a note of annoyance in his tone. “She could be using any number of illusionary devices to make you see that.”

    Umberto finally looked to the aumarr. “But why my sister? How would she even know to use that image? This doesn’t add up. You are telling me to bake a cake, but giving me the ingredients of a pie.”

    Harlow put on a smile that Umberto could see was starting to crack. “All will be revealed in good time. Trust me.” Umberto opened his mouth to say something, but Harlow put up a hand to stop him. “Once we have her in custody, I'll make everything clear. You have my word, Umberto. None of this would have been possible without your detective skills to put me on the right path!”

    Before Umberto could say anything, Harlow turned on his heel and left the room. “Come,” he said from the hall. “I’ll escort you to the tavern!”

    Umberto let out a sigh. Something was off. That roaring fire inside him was dwindling now, nearly smothered by the shadow of his sister. After seeing the crime scene things were feeling like they had before six months ago. The world was making sense again as he viewed it from behind the lens of a detective. But Sliver had turned the world back to chaos. Nothing felt right and nothing made sense.

    “Are you coming?” Harlow called from down the hall.

    “Yes,” Umberto said, getting to his feet. “I was just stuck in the mud for a moment.”

    Aeon

    Aeon made her way through the crowded market, being sure to look down next to her every so often to make sure Beaky hadn’t gotten lost or swept away in the sea of people. Deuce sat on her shoulder, playing look out as always, but she seemed to feel the weight of him more than usual. No, it wasn’t that. It was the weight of the deal she had just made. This is really going to set you back, she told herself. It had been a nearly constant thought since leaving Xanathar’s lair.

    But not as far back as being dead, she reminded herself.

    Yes, this wasn’t the best deal she had ever made. But it wasn’t the end of her time as a spymaster - that was the important part. It was going to be difficult, but Aeon had every confidence in herself that she could come back from this. Hells, if she hadn’t had that confidence in the first place she wouldn’t even be in a position to deal with Xanathar. Or have been in a position to have a murderer after you.

    There was a tug on Aeon’s coat as Beaky pulled in closer to her. “Are we nearly there?” A group of halflings passed by and the kenku eyed them. “There’s too many sounds and way too much light.”

    Aeon suppressed an eye roll. “It’s not much further now. We’re just-“ She stopped when Deuce tapped her shoulder. The small gold monkey motioned for her to look up, and she followed his gaze, coming to a stop. A small bird flew through the air, its wings flapping in an unnatural way. The sun caught the side of its metallic body, and it glinted for an instant.

    This was one of Aeon’s inventions. Not quite a steel defender, but it would follow orders. She used them to get messages out quickly to her agents around the city. It flew with magic, leaving its wings to flap in ways that could be interpreted by the agents.

    She counted the flaps in her mind. Once. Thrice. Twice quickly.

    “Nine Hells.”

    Beaky chirped nervously. “What’s wrong?”

    “The Greenhow isn’t safe.” Questions, plans, and actions all ran through her mind. There could be any number of reasons why the Greenhow was compromised, but there were two very likely reasons at that moment. Still, she needed more information. But she also needed…

    She looked back down at Beaky. “Change of plans. I’m going to the safe house near Trollskull - do you know the one?” He nodded. “Good. I need you to take a message back to Xanathar and then meet me there.”

    Beaky gulped and looked like he might cry.

    Umberto

    Harlow looked annoyed. Umberto had been waiting with him on a rooftop overlooking the entrance to the Greenhow tavern for nearly four hours. The sun had well set by then, and Umberto was starting to worry more about the rumbling in his stomach than if this Aeon person would actually show up. It didn’t help that there were some delicious smells from the tavern below. He did his best not to focus on it or try to figure out what ingredients he was smelling.

    “Tluning hells, where is she?” Harlow said through gritted teeth. “She must know we’re here.”

    That wouldn’t have surprised Umberto. In fact, he had suspected that from the moment Harlow had brought him up to the rooftop. He had pointed out three other buildings that guardsmen were set up on to keep a lookout for her. Not to mention the other out-of-uniform guards spread out through the street, connecting alleyways, and even in the tavern itself. Umberto couldn’t help but consider this sloppy work. It felt rushed.

    If this Aeon person were half as skilled as Harlow had made her out to be, she wouldn’t need him to point out the guards.

    “Err, perhaps you and I should go into the tavern. Get a change of scenery and keep an eye on things in there.” Plus, Umberto could finally get a bite to eat.

    Harlow looked as if he might protest, but then his shoulders sunk, and he nodded. “Maybe that’s a good idea. You all have things under control up here?”

    The guardsmen all nodded.

    “Good,” he said, then turned and headed for the stairwell door, passing Umberto.

    “We should probably disguise ourselves,” Umberto said. “Err, they know what you look like after all.”

    Harlow’s hand went for his coat pocket, then stopped. “You’re right. I could wear a hood or something?”

    Umberto chuckled, making a note in his head. “I have a disguise kit in my pack downstairs. Come, I will turn you from tulip into a rose.”

    Aeon

    All eyes were on Aeon before she even got to the Greenhow. Just as she wanted.

    The Waterdhavian guards thought all they needed to do was take off their uniforms to blend in, but Aeon could still see it. She could see it in the way they sat, the way they walked, the way they breathed.

    Deception and guile were her skills. They were just pretending like they had them.

    She let out a breath as she touched the first step up to the Greenhow alone. She had a plan. Things were in place. But, like so many things had been in her life, it wasn’t a guarantee. She took the next few steps quickly and flung open the doors to her tavern.

    “Greetings, ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereof!” She threw her hands up in the air as she walked towards the front of the room and the middle of the bar. Everyone turned in the same instant to look at her. She saw eyes she recognized, others she didn’t, and a few that were there to arrest her. One set in particular fell into the former and the latter.

    Hello, Harlow. That disguise won’t work on me. I hope you enjoy the show.

    “Step right up! Not only are all rounds on the house tonight, but I’m selling all the juiciest, most life-ruining secrets of Waterdeep for the low, low price of free!” A few people raised their brows. A few others even stood. One old man who had already a few too many walked straight up to the bar and ordered another drink.

    “Who wants to know which Masked Lords are having affairs? Or which stores are secretly being robbed by a gang of underground goblins? Or better yet, which one of the undercover guards in here is the easiest to pay off?” She said the last one directly to the disguised Harlow.

    To her surprise, this antagonizing worked even faster than she had expected.

    “That’s enough,” Harlow yelled as he stood up from the back table. He ripped off the wig and false nose, tossing them to the floor. The other man at Harlow’s table, also disguised, looked at Harlow with a furrowed brow. “I am placing you under arrest to later stand trial for-“

    “Why wait,” Aeon said, cutting him off. “Deuce! Bring him in!”

    The front doors burst open again, and in walked the magister from earlier that day, Deuce on his shoulders. The little gold monkey battered the bearded man and pulled on his cloak almost as if he were piloting the magister.

    Aeon stepped forward and pulled out an empty chair from a table. “I couldn’t help but notice that there weren’t any magisters among your undercover guards outside.” Guards in uniform and weapons drawn filed into the tavern behind the magister. Aeon responded to this by taking a seat. “So I decided to bring one myself. It is customary here in Waterdeep for magisters to pass sentencing in the moment, isn’t that right, Aumarr?”

    Harlow stared daggers at Aeon but held up a hand to stop the guards.

    Aeon got comfy and put her feet up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. “By all means, proceed with your accusation so the magister can pass judgment.”

    Harlow looked down at the other man at his table, who looked back at him expectantly. For a moment, the aumarr didn’t seem to know what to say. He was sweating. And it wasn’t because of the wig.

    What was your end goal here, Harlow?

    The aumarr straightened up and stepped forward towards the middle of the room. “This woman,” he said, pointing an accusing finger at Aeon. “Is a liar, thief, and manipulator.”

    Aeon chuckled. “Tell the room something they don’t already know.”

    There were a few laughs from the tables.

    “Silence,” Harlow said with a raised voice. “You want me to tell them something they don’t know - how about this? You got yourself in deep with the Xanathar Guild. You… you promised them information but came up short. This infuriated the Xanathar Guild.” He paused. “…and they started making threats! If you didn’t get them what they wanted, something bad was going to happen. But you couldn’t deliver - you were in over your head playing the role of a spymaster in bigger leagues.”

    He turned to face the guards and the magister, a confident grin spreading across his face. “What was she to do? The Xanathar Guild is too big for her to contend with. It wasn’t a problem she could just make go away. Unless she set things into motion to weaken them. Even destroy them.” Harlow began to pace in the small area between tables. “The Xanathar Guild has one big rival. The Zhentarim.” Several people shifted at their tables. “If she could make it so the two factions went to war - her problem might be forgotten about. And if the Zhentarim won, her problem would be completely taken care of. And even if they didn’t, the Xanathar Guild would be weakened to the point that she and her agents could swoop in.

    “So she planted sending stones in her music box trinkets and made sure they ended up in the hands of Xanathar agents so she could track them. She used them to follow her victims to the opportune place and strike.” Harlow seemed to be enjoying his lie. “The first several would just be to start suspicion. Then, she would start leaving calling cards for the Zhentarim - so the Xanathar Guild would piece it together that all of their murdered agents had been killed by their rival.

    “And to really sell it. She used her skills as an artificer to disguise herself with illusions to look like one of the Zhentarim’s most infamous agents. Sliver Thornheart.” Harlow stopped in front of Aeon, looking down at her with a smile like he had already won. “You really thought you could pull all of the strings like a real mastermind. But you’re nothing but a-“

    “No,” came a voice from behind him.

    Harlow looked as if a arrow had struck him in the back. “What?” He said, turning around to face the speaker.

    The man who had been sitting at Harlow’s table took off his own wig and peeled off some fake sideburns. Impressively, the mustache stayed. He stood and let out a sigh.

    “I said no.” He looked at Harlow with a hard gaze. “None of that is true.”

    Umberto

    Umberto looked to the magister. “Please disregard what you just heard. This woman is not part of the murders.” He paused, looking Aeon over. “She may be guilty of other crimes, but not this one.”

    “How dare you,” Harlow said, walking towards him. “You think you can just come here and-“

    Umberto put an opened hand in front of Harlow’s face when the aumarr reached him. He looked past Harlow to Aeon. “Can we speak in private? Perhaps in a back room?”

    Aeon smiled. “I like you.” She gestured to the door behind the bar. “We can use the storage room.” With that she got up, and made for the bar and Umberto followed, moving past Harlow.

    “I’ll not allow this,” Harlow said, sounding more and more like a petulant child. “Guards! Arrest both of them!”

    Before the guards could move further into the tavern, over half the people at the tables stood, each drawing hidden weapons. Umberto froze, as did the guards and Harlow.

    Aeon smiled at Harlow. “You didn’t really think I came unprepared for a fight, did you? Say hello to these agents of the Xanathar Guild. You know, the guild that you claim has it out for me? They’re under orders to protect me. At all costs.” She looked back at Umberto. “Come on. Let’s talk.”

    Umberto couldn’t help but be impressed. This woman was clearly on the wrong side of the law, but he could still admire her complete handle on the situation.

    The storage room was more of a storage closet with a staircase in the back leading down into a darkened basement. It was cramped, but Umberto wasn’t planning on pacing or making a show like Harlow had. He was here for information, and there was plenty of room for that.

    “Err, thank you for agreeing to talk,” he said as she leaned against the opposing wall, arms crossed.

    “Well, you seem to be the only one of the guards that is willing to believe me.”

    He shook his head. “I am not part of the city guard.”

    “Then why are you here?”

    “I am here as a favor to an old friend to help solve the case of these murders. Murders that I am very confident you did not do.”

    She cocked her head. “I’m happy to hear that - trust me, I am. But how can you be so sure?”

    “Because I believe I already know who the murderer is.” The fire was back, and his mind was beginning to clear once again. “Harlow was correct about the music box, yes?”

    Aeon nodded. “I’m not happy that little secret is out, but yes, it’s true.”

    “Err, so you heard what happened the night of the murder?”

    Aeon smiled. “Hey, Beaky,” she called down the stairs.

    An albino kenku emerged from the darkness, his eyes shifting between Aeon and Umberto. He made his way quickly up the stairs and shivered next to Aeon.

    “I need you to repeat the murder one more time,” she said to him - softer than Umberto had been expecting.

    The kenku nodded. A moment later he opened his beak and began producing sounds of two men talking while walking down a street.

    Umberto smiled. “This kenku is able to perfectly recall what he heard on the sending stones.” He looked up at Aeon. “That is very clever.”

    Aeon smiled back and tipped her top hat to him.

    Umberto listened to the kenku mimicry. As he did, he played the scene out in his mind as he had done in the alleyway earlier that day. Connecting the images he had memorized with the sounds of the murder. It played out nearly exactly as he had deduced, with only a few minor differences. When the name of his sister was said, it came as no surprise - in fact, he hadn’t even realized that he had put Sliver in the place of the killer already.

    “Stlarn,” said his sister’s voice, and Umberto smiled.

    “Thank you,” he said as the kenku finished. “And you believed the killer would be coming after you? To stop you from revealing this information?”

    Aeon nodded. “That would be why my tavern is full of Xanathar agents.”

    “Err, a reasonable expectation and,” he paused. “A measured response.”

    “So,” Aeon said. “What do we do now?”

    “Follow me back out there. I am ready to reveal what happened.”

    “Sure,” she said. “Why not? Beaky, you stay here.”

    The kenku looked relieved and nodded.

    Umberto stepped back out into the tense tavern room. Waterdhavian guards stared down Xanathar agents and Harlow still stood in the center of the room. The aumarr stared at Umberto with hate in his eyes. That made Umberto put on a smile he’d seen Brenton wear so often when Umberto was young. It always came before Brenton said, “Let me teach you a lesson.”

    “Aumarr,” Umberto began as he stepped up behind the bar. “You said something that stood out to me earlier today. When talking about the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim, you said, ‘ Let the tluining bastards destroy each other, I say.’ This seemed odd to me for an aumarr to say. An aumarr of Waterdeep should want to bring those factions to justice, should they not? No offense to those present in the room.”

    Harlow’s eyes narrowed as he looked around at the Xanathar agents. “What’s your point? Both are a stain on this city. Why should I care how they get brought down?”

    “You see,” Umberto said, wagging a finger towards Harlow. “That’s the thing. I think you do care. I think you care so much you planned it out. And who could blame you? You’re the son of one of the most celebrated members of the Waterdhavian guard - that’s a lot to live up to. But from what I have heard, you’ve fallen short of those expectations.”

    Harlow growled. “Is there a point to this? Or are you just here to insult me?”

    Umberto ignored him. “You decided to step things up. Make a name for yourself that isn’t just because of your surname. You needed something big. Something people would remember for generations. You needed to solve one of Waterdeep’s longest running problems. The Xanathar Guild.”

    Aeon chuckled behind Umberto, leaning against the back counter. “But I thought they were my problem?”

    “That is a good point,” Umberto said with a nod. “The accusations you made about Aeon were very interesting to me. When you started, you sounded unsure of yourself, as if you were coming up with the words as you spoke them. But then, at a certain point, you got onto a roll. The story flowed out of you like you knew it already. It was you that wanted a war between the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim. You wanted to weaken the Guild or obliterate them in the process. I wouldn’t even be surprised if you hoped to weaken both factions to the point that you thought you could take both of them down.”

    Harlow was as red as an apple now. Fists clenched. Face twisted in a scowl. “And what? I hired your dead sister to do the killing for me?”

    Umberto felt that thorny vine twist a little, but he ignored the pain. “That was the funny part for me. You had no idea that I would be here. It just so happened that the only Zhentarim agent of renown you had ever gotten up close to had been my sister. That’s why you looked so shocked when we first met. You were already stumbling through a string of bad luck. First Aeon’s music box, then your father calling in someone to do your job, and then the brother of the person you stole the identity of arrives in their place.”

    “None of this is true,” Harlow said.

    Umberto ignored him again. “I’ve heard what happened that night in the alleyway now, thanks to Aeon.” He gestured to the goliath and she made a mocking curtsy. “And again, if it were not for the fact that I grew up with Sliver, no one would have suspected it wasn’t her.” Umberto stared down Harlow. “My sister never swore. She found them to be filler words used by people who didn’t have anything to actually say.”

    Harlow began to shake. “I did not impersonate your-“

    “You must have been so scared when that sending stone fell out of the music box,” Umberto interrupted. “I found it so strange that it was broken and tossed away. But you panicked. You broke it, then realized you couldn’t just leave it, so you put it somewhere you thought no one would ever suspect to look. If you had just left it there it would have been so much easier for you to pin all of this on Aeon. And you realized that. Which is why you started pointing everything you could towards her.”

    “You have no proof!”

    “You’re right,” Umberto said. “I don’t. But you do. When we were on the rooftop, I noticed your hand went for your coat when I mentioned a disguise. When I was applying your wig and nose, I cast a Detect Magic spell and found an aura of transmutation on you. If I had to guess, you have some item that lets you cast True Polymorph.”

    The room went still, and all eyes fell on Harlow. It looked as if the man might suddenly explode with rage. Instead, Harlow seemed to gather himself. He stopped shaking, lowered his shoulders, and let out a long breath. After a moment, he looked up and locked eyes with Umberto. “My biggest mistake was missing that crossbow shot.”

    Aeon laughed. “You’re biggest mistake was that haircut!”

    Harlow pulled a wand out from his coat. Xanathar agents, even some of the undercover guards, moved to stop the man, but he was faster and the spell was instantaneous. Lavender colored smoke flowed from the end of the wand, covering Harlow as he smiled at Umberto. Then, everyone around Harlow was thrown back against the walls of the room as something massive formed in the tavern.

    A shape moved in the smoke. A low growl rumbled through the building as a clawed, skeletal hand appeared. The growing glow of firelight cut through the smoke as the skull of a red dragon came into view. Bits of dead muscle and flesh still hung to the bone, and red glowing firelight filled its empty eye sockets.

    The guards yelled in fear as the red dracolich that had been Harlow readied to strike.

    Aeon

    “Get him, Deuce,” Aeon said as the dracolich began to approach.

    The undead creature’s claws dug into and split the boards she had laid by hand years before. It pulled itself forward as if still trying to understand how its body worked.

    That’s what you get for choosing something showy, you plinth head.

    Deuce leaped from her shoulder, landing on the bar just as Umberto climbed on top of it. It was clear the older man could do magic, but Aeon didn’t know what to expect from him. A moment later, Umberto hunched forward, then threw his arms out with a fearsome roar as he shifted into a large brown bear.

    Somehow, she noted, that makes sense.

    Xanathar agents and city guard sprung into action, weapons at the ready. They charged the dracolich, for whatever good it would do. Aeon commended them for their effort, but those weapons were going to need a magic touch if they were going to be effective. Especially since the dracolich looked as if it planned to take care of them with a swipe of its wings.

    Luckily for them, Deuce had been charging up his energy beam.

    There was a flash of white light as Deuce opened his mouth wider than a real monkey would be able to - and an instant later, a blue beam of magical energy streaked towards the dracolich. In the same moment, the bear that was Umberto leaped into the air, crossing the distance between the bar and the undead creature just after the beam struck.

    The blast from the beam made the dracolich flinch, its head bobbing for a moment - giving the guards and agents their opportunity to strike. As it shook off the attacks, Umberto’s claws connected with the creature’s skull, slicing deep grooves into the bone. The bear landed on its hind legs with a thud that shook the whole tavern and readied for another swing.

    The dracolich that had been Harlow let out an unnatural roar. Somehow, there were bits of Harlow’s voice in the sound. “You’re dead,” came Harlow’s voice. “I’ll kill you all!”

    Aeon clocked Umberto’s next attack and gave a quick whistle to Deuce, who instantly understood, as she flipped a switch on her cane. The crystal in the head of the cane began to glow and charge, humming with energy.

    The dracolich righted itself, sweeping out its wings and tossing the agents and guards into the opposing walls. As it did, it roared at Umberto, fire forming in the back of its skeletal jaw like a raging inferno.

    Umberto responded to this with an uppercut swing of his bear claws. As he swung, Deuce scrambled up the bear’s legs and body, then down his arm, charging another blast. As Umberto struck the lower jaw of the dragon skull, Deuce unleashed another powerful blast - the combined force sending the dracolich’s head up and crashing into the ceiling.

    “You’re paying for all of this damage, Harlow,” Aeon said with a grin as the dracolich tried to pull its nose out of the ceiling. She raised her cane and leveled it like a crossbow, eying the sinew and decaying muscle between the dracolich’s ribs. With three quick pulls of the trigger, the cane fired as many bolts of blue, flaming energy. Each bolt found its mark, disintegrating the bits holding together several of the ribs.

    Umberto seemed to understand what she was going for. He grabbed onto two of the ribs and began to pull with a roar that Aeon could feel in her chest. Bones snapped and muscle tore - and with another whistle, Deuce scurried around Umberto and onto his shoulder. As the ribs parted, Deuce fired another beam - this one sustaining longer than the others - into the dracolich.

    Bone and sinew disintegrated as the beam cut through what had been Harlow. It roared with pain - Harlow’s voice sounding like the most pained part. After a moment, the beam sliced through the dracolich’s spine, severing the creature in half. The lights went out in the skull, and the skeletal form began to collapse.

    Before it could hit the floor, or land on Umberto, the image of the dracolich wavered, replaced by the small form of Harlow - who landed on broken boards with a grunt.

    “No,” Harlow said with a groan. “No!” He tried to get up, but the end of Umberto’s staff pressed down on his back.

    Umberto’s form returned, Deuce still on his shoulder, as Harlow looked up at him. “Guards,” Umberto said. “Take this man away.”

    Umberto

    Umberto enjoyed every bite of breakfast the next morning. Aeon had invited him the night before for a free meal and drinks if he wanted them. He had graciously accepted the food but passed on the drink. Alcohol wasn’t something he liked having in the morning. But, after everything he’d been through the day before, he’d given it serious thought.

    But, as he swirled the last piece of sausage in the yolk of the perfectly cooked eggs, he knew this was all he needed. Good food did wonders for Umberto’s mind, and he felt as if he could enjoy it just a bit more than he had the day before. Things were different. He was different. No, that wasn’t it. He felt like he had over six months before. And that was a feeling he needed.

    Aeon sat down at the table. “How was it?”

    Umberto was still chewing the sausage, but smiled and made a warm sound that clearly said, “it was delicious.” When he finished chewing, he added, “like honey from the hive.”

    “Good,” Aeon said. “I’ll give your compliments to the Chief. They’re an automaton, but I’ll still tell them.”

    Umberto wiped his mouth and mustache with the napkin, then set it over the finished plate. “You certainly cleaned things up quickly.” He gestured to the tavern that looked almost like new. The only hint from the fight with the dracolich were the broken boards of the ceiling.

    “Just one of the plus sides of making all of my staff by hand. I get to decide how fast they work.”

    They laughed, and Umberto noticed an envelope Aeon was holding.

    “So,” Aeon said. “What do you think Harlow’s endgame was with me? Did he really think he could just pin everything on me?”

    Umberto nodded. “I believe so. The reason he didn’t have a magister here was probably so he could toss the place and find enough things to make a story. The guards found a magical dagger on him - no doubt the one he used for the murders. He was probably going to plant it somewhere here in the tavern to make a case for a magister to convict you.”

    “What a plinth head,” Aeon said with a scoff.

    “Indeed.” Umberto eyed the envelope. “Err, may I ask what is in that envelope?”

    “Oh,” Aeon said as if she had forgotten she was holding it. “I wanted to thank you. I had a pretty good plan in place last night, but I don’t know if I could have pulled everything off without you. I for sure couldn’t have gotten the guards to let me go without any extra investigation without you. So,” she trailed off as she put the envelope on the table.

    Umberto went for it, but Aeon held up a hand. “Before you look at it, I need to tell you. Your sister is alive. Don’t ask me how I know, or how I got this information - because you won’t like either of the answers. In that envelope is the location of where she is being held. Do with it what you will.”

    She moved her hand and Umberto found his own moving slower now as he picked up the envelope. The vine began to wilt as a flower of hope began to grow. “You’re sure it is her?”

    “As sure as I can be,” she said as she stood. “Just please, don’t go getting yourself killed. You seem like too nice of a guy for that to happen to you.” She paused for a moment. “Before I go. I heard from one of the guards that this was your first case in six months? That you had given this line of work up?”

    Umberto nodded, having to force himself to look away from the envelope and up at the goliath. “I… I’m still not sure if I will be picking it up again.”

    Aeon gave him a friendly smile. “Well, you should. People like you make being a criminal fun.”

    With that, she walked away, Deuce hopping down from the rafters onto her shoulder.

    For a moment, Umberto let himself think about getting back to work again, full-time. Taking on cases, solving crimes, bringing criminals to justice - everything. And, to his surprise, there was no fear. No anxiety. No mud around his feet holding him back. Yes, he could do this again. He would do this again. But first…

    He picked up the envelope.

    “But first, I have something I need to do.”


    The End


    Umberto Thornheart and Aeon are coming to Idle Champions July 3rd as part of Founders' Day. Keep an eye out for their Champion Spotlights coming later this week!

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