Tarkhan, the Mangrove, the Depths and the Sanctuary of Kundun: four huge free maps up to level 450

Four new maps have arrived, free for every player, continuing the adventure from level 300 to 450: the Desert of Tarkhan (levels 300 to 347), the Plague Mangrove (350 to 399), the Crimson Depths (350 to 431) and the Sanctuary of Kundun (400 to 450). Each one has almost three times the area of the Lumen Sewers: the Desert of Tarkhan and the Crimson Depths are the same size as Sunken Atlantis, the largest map in the game, and the Mangrove and the Sanctuary are slightly larger than the Ruins of Kantara. Monsters are spread across the whole map, among camps, ruins and arenas, with no large empty areas: there are more than 8,200 new monsters, with more than 2,700 in Tarkhan, almost 2,300 in the Mangrove, 1,500 in the Depths and more than 1,700 in the Sanctuary.

The Desert of Tarkhan starts in the Red Dunes (levels 300 to 321), with the Lost Oasis, raider camps, wrecked caravans and a bone field with a giant ribcage. Kharum, the Gryphon King of the Dunes (level 328), guards a ruined colosseum in the south of the dunes. A great wall separates the dunes from the Necropolis of Tarkhan (327 to 347), with pyramids, an avenue of sphinxes and the Pharaoh's Temple, where Sethrak, the Serpent Queen (level 352), waits.

How to reach Tarkhan: from level 300, step into the Tarkhan Gate, the new portal in the Kantara Core, in the Ruins of Kantara. You can also travel through the atlas (M key) near Selene, Keeper of Portals, in the Village of Lumen: Desert of Tarkhan (level 300, 55,000 Zen) or Necropolis of Tarkhan (level 327, 58,000 Zen). At the entrance is the Caravan Camp, with Khalid the Nomad. Behind the Pharaoh's Temple, the Mangrove Passage leads to the Plague Mangrove from level 350.

The Plague Mangrove is a swamp of twisted trees, with spores in the air. The Misty Marsh (levels 350 to 374) holds the witches' stilt houses, a fishing village, lagoons with boardwalks and the Mother Mangrove, the oldest tree in the marsh; Gorgath, the Mangrove Medusa (level 378), prowls the sunken ruins at her feet. Across a deep channel lies the Putrid Heart (380 to 399), with mud, rotten leaves, giant mushrooms and a graveyard of drowned knights. Morvath, the Plague Cyclops (level 402), lives there, in the lair at the far end of the Heart.

How to reach the Mangrove: from level 350, through the Mangrove Passage in Tarkhan, or by traveling with Selene to the Plague Mangrove (level 350, 60,000 Zen) or the Putrid Heart (level 380, 63,000 Zen). At the entrance is the Hermit's Hut, with Iara, the Mangrove Hermit. In the Marsh, the Sinkhole goes down to the Crimson Depths (level 350), and beyond Morvath's lair the Twilight Stairway climbs to the Sanctuary of Kundun (level 400).

The Crimson Depths are a lava cave on three floors, with no day or night. The Sulphur Crust (levels 350 to 371) leads to the Lava Rivers (382 to 399), crossed by wooden bridges, and the Magma Core (416 to 431) can only be reached through the Lava Rivers. Ignar, the Primordial Golem (level 410), hammers away in the Primordial Forge at the end of the Lava Rivers, and Balthor, the Lord of Flames (level 452), reigns on the Magma Throne, at the deepest point of the Core.

How to reach the Depths: from level 350, step into the Crimson Gate, the new portal of the Forgotten Mines, beyond Esteno in the Crystal Heart, or go down the Mangrove's Sinkhole. With Selene, the destinations are the Crimson Depths (level 350, 60,000 Zen), the Lava Rivers (level 382, 65,000 Zen) and the Magma Core (level 416, 70,000 Zen). At the entrance is the Ash Vigil, with Sister Cinzarra. Beyond the Magma Throne, another Twilight Stairway climbs to the Sanctuary of Kundun (level 400).

The Sanctuary of Kundun is the end of the free world: obsidian islands floating in a dark purple sky. The Twilight Isles (levels 400 to 424) have runestones, demon statues, broken columns and glowing crystals. Two bridges over the void lead to the Throne of Kundun (431 to 450), an obsidian citadel with towers, an avenue of demon statues and the Ziggurat of Kundun.

The Sanctuary holds the two raids, bosses made for parties: the Illusion of Kundun (level 428), at the Gate of Illusion in the Isles, and Kundun, the Demon Emperor (level 455), atop the Ziggurat in the Throne of Kundun. They have far more health than the other bosses, about 15 million and 20 million health points, and a hero alone will hardly win: bring your party.

How to reach the Sanctuary: from level 400, climb one of the two Twilight Stairways, at the end of the Plague Mangrove or of the Crimson Depths, or travel with Selene to the Sanctuary of Kundun (level 400, 70,000 Zen) or the Throne of Kundun (level 431, 75,000 Zen). At the entrance is the Last Bastion, with Paladin Elyra. The Bastion's violet portal leads back to Noria; the Sanctuary has no other exit. If you die or use a Return Scroll in any of the four new maps, you go back to Noria.

The eight bosses follow the game's boss rules, like other bosses of a similar level: they drop Zen, Blessing, Soul and Chaos Jewels, rare and magic equipment (sometimes excellent), Boxes of Kundun +1 and a chance of a legendary item, and they may drop a Dark Phoenix Feather, a Condor Flame and a Horse Spirit; Kundun may also drop a Raven Spirit. They do not drop wings. Once defeated, they return after 1 hour 15 minutes (Kharum), 1 hour 30 minutes (Sethrak, Gorgath and Ignar), 1 hour 45 minutes (Morvath), 2 hours (Balthor and the Illusion of Kundun) or 4 hours (Kundun).

Experience keeps up with the new maps: heroes are now judged at their own level up to 500, the maximum level (the limit used to be 342). This means the monsters of the new maps give full experience to heroes at their level, while hunting far below your level pays less. Townsfolk tips and the daily hunting and supply quests now send you to the new maps based on your level.

To open the two new gates, the monsters of the Kantara Core and of the Crystal Heart, in the Forgotten Mines, were redistributed across their regions; the number of monsters stays the same.

The new texts are available in Portuguese, English and Spanish. This article's images are actual captures of a local demonstration with a fictional hero created and equipped only for the test, with its health refilled by the test tool during the fights; the interface is shown in Portuguese. In the atlas, the new destinations appear as markers on the current continent illustration, which was not redrawn for these maps: in the world view, the four maps show their names, and the five sub-regions appear as points, in the search and in the region details.

What changed

• Desert of Tarkhan, free: levels 300 to 347, with the Red Dunes and the Necropolis of Tarkhan.
• Plague Mangrove, free: levels 350 to 399, with the Misty Marsh and the Putrid Heart.
• Crimson Depths, free: levels 350 to 431, on three floors: Sulphur Crust, Lava Rivers and Magma Core.
• Sanctuary of Kundun, free: levels 400 to 450, with the Twilight Isles and the Throne of Kundun.
• Six new bosses: Kharum (328), Sethrak (352), Gorgath (378), Morvath (402), Ignar (410) and Balthor (452).
• Two party raids in the Sanctuary: the Illusion of Kundun (428) and Kundun, the Demon Emperor (455).
• Huge, full maps: more than 8,200 new monsters across the four maps.
• Nine new destinations in the atlas (M) and Selene's travel, from 55,000 to 75,000 Zen.
• New portals: the Tarkhan Gate in Kantara and the Crimson Gate in the Mines; the Mangrove Passage, the Sinkhole and two Twilight Stairways link the new maps.
• Entrance camps with Khalid, Iara, Sister Cinzarra and Paladin Elyra; death and the Return Scroll take you to Noria.
• Experience judged at the hero's own level up to 500 (previously 342).
• Monsters of the Kantara Core and the Crystal Heart redistributed to open the new gates.