World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Revendreth and the Venthyr Covenant Preview
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World of Warcraft’s upcoming Shadowlands expansion will take us on a journey through Azeroth’s afterlife with its four distinct expansive zones. One of those zones is Revendreth - a vaguely Dracula-styled place where spirits can repent for their past sins. Revendreth is run by the Venthyr Covenant of not-vampires who are going through a bit of a civil war when you meet them. And if you’d like to learn more about the place and its inhabitants, you should check out this preview article on the game’s website.
Here’s an excerpt:
In Shadowlands, Azeroth’s heroes journey into the realm of the dead after Sylvanas Windrunner tears open the veil between life and death. As they explore four otherworldly zones—Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and Revendreth—players will meet the Covenants that rule the afterlife realms in the Shadowlands. Your final destination in the narrative arc is the shadowy realm of Revendreth.
WELCOME TO REVENDRETH
You arrive with urgent news for Sire Denathrius, the Master of Revendreth and ruler of the Venthyr. The realm is in a midst of a rebellion caused by the anima drought that’s swept over the Shadowlands. The only thing more meaningful than your survival is your discretion — you’ve walked into a den of secret keepers who are all ears as much as they are all teeth. If you are to deliver this message and save these lands you must play court and trust your instincts, for the Venthyr don’t always mean what they say and your new fickle friends can quickly turn into formidable foes.
All souls who are sent to Revendreth receive a Sinstone. Any misdeeds you’ve committed in life are inscribed upon this tombstone along with your true name. Keep its location secret and do what you must to purge any vile thing etched upon it.
PLACE OF PRIDE
Revendreth is made up of seven distinct districts, each presided over by a Harvester — powerful Venthyr who have upheld the ways of this place since creation to encourage spirits to repent for their past sins. Those who are successfully reformed are presented with a choice: Return to Oribos to be sent on to another afterlife, or remain in Revendreth and become one of the Venthyr. As for those who resist redemption? They’re banished to the Maw.
Some of the Venthyr’s practices are questionable but be warned: Dissenters disappear in these dark lands.
Home to the most decadent Venthyr loyal to Sire Denathrius, the Castle Ward is dangerous to any who are unwilling to side with the Master. The nobles who reside in the inner citadel are the oldest Venthyr and have earned their place in the shadow of The Master and are kept in order by the Countess, Harvester of Desire.
When greeting the Master, show your respect by addressing him by his honorifics: Sire Denathrius, Master of Revendreth, King of the Venthyr, First Blooded, Commander of the Stoneborn, and The Fangs of the Shadowlands.
Ruled over by the Fearstalker, Harvester of Dread, the Forest Ward is comprised of hunting grounds where the Venthyr leach pride (in the form of anima) from their victims. Extraction is simple: Give victims a sense of hope and freedom then hunt them down; a harsh lesson in humility.
The first steps of Azeroth’s champions within Revendreth are in the Village Ward, Darkhaven. Lorded over by the Harvester of Envy, this humble hamlet is full of wishful dredgers and Venthyr who aspire to be welcomed into the aristocrats residing in the Castle Ward. Downwind of Castle Nathria, its citizens look on enviously as they toil away in the refuse of soul waste and desiccation of reality while the anima drought decays this place away.
CASTLE NATHRIA
Looming above all is Sire Denatrius’s fortress, Castle Nathria. This ancient stronghold houses the Master, his loyalists and—if you listen to the traitorous rebels—something sinister that could shatter societies across the Shadowlands. . .
Then, you might also be interested in this PC Gamer article that takes a closer look at Torghast, Tower of the Damned – Shadowlands’ new roguelike-inspired dungeon. A few sample paragraphs:
When Shadowlands releases later this summer, Torghast will be a new endgame activity for characters who have completed the main story. It's intended to be the primary source of materials needed to craft and customize Shadowlands' powerful new Legendary items, but I don't even care about that. After playing Torghast for several hours on the Shadowlands alpha test servers, this is the first time in ages that an activity in World of Warcraft has been more exciting than the reward itself.
Unlike regular dungeons, which require a party that adheres to the roles of tank, healer, and damage dealers, Torghast can be explored alone or with up to five friends of any class. The dungeon's difficulty simply adapts to your group.
Torghast is a traditional roguelike in all the right ways. Each floor is full of randomized enemies with different abilities, along with randomized rewards called Anima Powers. Sometimes found in breakable jugs or dropped by especially powerful foes, each Anima Power you find gives you a choice between up to three abilities, like increasing a certain stat or giving you a new spell. In a one-hour run through Torghast I usually find between 20 and 40 different Anima Powers. That's a lot.
