Introduction
The Gods Unchained team hosted a lore event in Discord, in the lead up to the release of the new expansion Tower of Dread. Every day they would present a map of a tower 'level' with challenges at certain locations. At the end of each day the players were able to fight the Sovereigns (Legendary bosses) in a Direct Challenge against a dev, and finally against Thaeriel himself during the event finale!
I thoroughly enjoyed this event and I dove deep into the lore challenges, writing up a short solution for each challenge. I tried to connect the challenges, reference the card effects and make use of what we already know of the Band of the Wolf and the abilities of each member.
You can find my solutions for all 6 challenges in this collection post.
Mystery Graves
Chira stands silently before the graves, lost in thought. Then she turns to her bandmates and says "These graves belong to the wights bound by Thaeriel. This is their resting place. These two in particular are important, but I couldn't understand why at first. The engravings were faded, but then I began thinking about our fights thus far, and suddenly the names became clear." She gestures toward the grave on the left. "This one is Narcilla's; the other belongs to Levicus. Even in death they remain tethered to the Dread. The graves of the other Sovereigns we vanquished are probably near."
The rest of the band takes turns looking at the tombstones. They seem to focus for a moment and then their expressions shift, as if they too can now see the names in the engravings. They survey their surroundings, trying to discern where the other Sovereigns could be buried.
"Can we do something?", Eiko inquires towards Chira. However, the response comes back categorical: "There is nothing we can do. They are enthralled by the Dread and we cannot divine how the connection works. We can't do anything, at least for now. We should leave this place quietly, quickly. Let's find the Sovereign and put an end to this atrocity."
"Is there anything we can do?" Eiko asks quietly. Chira’s response is resolute. "No. The Dread has them in its grasp, and we can’t break that connection. At least not yet, we don't know how. Our focus needs to be on the Sovereign. Let's find them and put an end to this atrocity."
The Wight and the Chalice
The ground starts shifting into quicksand, pulling the band under. They struggle to free themselves, but without anything to hold onto, their efforts only drag them deeper. There is no escaping - they’re about to be swallowed by this Dread wasteland.
Realizing the wight is behind the entrapment, Argus makes a snap decision. He hastily murmurs an incantation and downs the contents of the chalice. As he drinks, the wight's eyes turn back to pale white and the ground becomes solid again, leaving the band still half-buried.
Before the wight gets around to grab another pour from the well, they help each other out of the ground and disappear from the wight’s sight.
Argus seems unaffected by the chalice’s contents, but the question lingers: how long before the effects take hold?
Possess Flesh
Divya tries to console Chira while glancing anxiously at Eiko, his voice tense with urgency: "We have to do something! He's going to turn against us, or worse, become taken by the Dread. What if he's already gone?"
The band stands frozen, unsure of how to act. If even Chira seems powerless, what hope do they have? Meanwhile, Argus stands motionless, hissing, his body enveloped by ghostly flames. His eyes and mouth glow the same eerie color as the flames. It's hard to say what is happening. Is he resisting the possession, or being overtaken by it?
Everyone is just standing around, clueless. Then, a ray of golden light slices through the air in front of Argus and a glowing figure with golden cracks across his body emerges. Lysander, the God of Light, stands before them. He extends his arm, places a hand on Argus’s chest and commands: "Begone!"
The ghostly light dissipates instantly and Argus falls to his knees, visibly shaken. He looks up at Lysander and murmurs "Thank you". Lysander then speaks "The Champion of Light will never succumb to the Darkness. That, I can assure you. We too fight when we must, but earthly battles are for earthly champions to win. Know that you have the blessings and the strength of the Gods. And with these words, Lysander vanishes. Reios helps Argus get on his feet and the band presses on, the encounter filling them with a renewed sense of hope.
Painstalker
Glinn stumbles backward, startled. He loses his balance and crashes to the ground just as the Painstalker pounces. With quick reflexes, he holds his double sword upright beside him, just in time to impale the creature through the neck, killing it instantly. As he gets up, a sharp screech echoes around him.
As he turns toward the sound, the landscape shifts again and the darkness recedes somewhat. Reios emerges from the clearing haze. "Where are the others?" she asks, her voice tense. Before Glinn can respond, Gama approaches, breathless but triumphant: "I just took down a Painstalker on my own! Where were you?"
More screeching fills the air, and the scenery warps again. The rest of the band appears from the shadows. They were all fighting the same creatures!
"We must be closing in on the Sovereign," Eiko remarks. "Let’s try not to get separated again, alright?" She leads the band forward, into the spiraling tower that looms ahead.
Anubian Scalemaster
Eiko stares at the scales, silently. The Anubian Scalemaster stands still, as if waiting for something to be weighed, but showing no sign of threat. Eiko grips her katana and begins walking slowly past him, without breaking eye contact. But as she starts moving past however, the scales tip towards the side closest to the Anubian, and two Vile Reavers rise from the ground, blocking her path. Reios steps forward beside Eiko, and the scales tilt further. Two more Reavers rise in front of them. The Reavers become increasingly menacing. As the other band members also assume a combat stance, the scales tip even further. Vile Reavers continue to rise from the ground and soon the band is surrounded by a small army of them.
"We have nothing to offer you!" Eiko shouts, visibly unsettled by the odds against her. "Begone and let us through, we are not your enemies!"
As this unfolds, Chira approaches the Anubian Scalemaster. She looks at him angrily and grabs the hand holding the scales. She then starts chanting repeatedly, a fury growing in her voice: "You betrayed Takhat! You betrayed Takhat! You betrayed Takhat!" Her words grow louder, more insistent, and the left side of her body begins to shift: a ghostly green aura envelops her, and her left eye turns white with the same spectral glow. Then, a ghostly green arm detaches from Chira's own arm and starts pressing down on the raised side of the scales.
As the ghostly arm pushes forcefully, the Anubian Scalemaster screams in silence under his wrappings. Chira continues chanting, now with a haunting echo added to her chant: "You betrayed ME !". As the ghostly arm pushes the plate closer to the bottom, the Vile Reavers burst into flames. Agonizing, they disappear into the floor, seemingly the same way as they appeared. The Anubian Scalemaster collapses back into his sarcophagus and the scales clatter down atop him.
The room falls into a heavy silence as the spectral presence fades from Chira, disappearing entirely. The band stares at her in disbelief. She shrugs: "Anubians and Nethers share a connection - in Death."
"Let's push ahead", Eiko proceeds. "We need to end this nightmare."
GU art for Servilla. All rights reserved, etc. source
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