Blood Marches

The Blood Marches are a cruel Reach: creatures hit harder and move faster, and the pack leaders still remember their orders and still give them. Those who survived the war sit at the campfires: nobody needs to tell them what to do — they need someone to do it. At the end of the Marches, in Plague Town, the Father of Plague waits.

Rust Wastes (from level 146) — “The war is over. The soldiers stayed”. Rusted steel: plate holds, spears hit hard. Found here: Rust Hound, Forsaken Soldier, Field Vulture, Siege Beetle, Banner Ghost, Rusted Automaton and Skeleton Pikeman. The pack is led by Warlord of Rust and Siege Golem; the Iron General waits in the lair. The people’s camp is the Campfire in the Trench: errands are given there. Yarek, the old sapper, waits at the fire. Besides the three common errands, this campfire has a story of its own: “The Undermine” (slay 6 Siege Beetles — they are digging under the trench), “The Rusted Cannon” (reach the rusted cannon and find Yarek's tunnel map).

Crimson Forest (from level 150) — “The leaves are red, and not from autumn”. Blood and thorns: wolves are quick, ivy drinks life. Found here: Crimson Wolf, Blood Bat, Thornback Boar, Blighted Red Fairy, Bloodsucking Ivy, Crimson Stag and Little Forest Witch. The pack is led by Crimson Hunter and Blood Treant; the Crimson Queen waits in the lair. The people’s camp is the Crimson Campfire: errands are given there. Rada, the herbalist of the Crimson Forest, waits at the fire. Besides the three common errands, this campfire has a story of its own: “The Crimson Spring” (reach the Crimson Spring and learn what sickens the water), “Blood Bats” (slay 8 Blood Bats — they nest above the spring).

Fortress of the Fallen (from level 154) — “Its defenders never surrendered”. Fallen knights: armor, chains and cursed arrows. Found here: Fallen Guard, Black Shadow Knight, Fortress Gargoyle, Jailer, Cursed Archer, Chain Hound and Fallen Priest. The pack is led by Fallen Paladin and Ram Golem; King of the Fallen waits in the lair. The people’s camp is the Campfire by the Breach: errands are given there. Bolek, the the last standard-bearer, waits at the fire. Besides the three common errands, this campfire has a story of its own: “The Last Garrison” (return the souls of four creatures of the Fortress of the Fallen — soldiers of Bolek's garrison), “The Breach in the Wall” (reach the breach in the wall where Bolek held the banner).

Plague Town (from level 158) — “The doors are boarded up from inside”. Pestilence: almost every creature poisons. Found here: Plague Ratcatcher, Plague Rat, Infected Townsman, Flyswarm, Plague Doctor, Slime Ghoul and Carrion Raven. The pack is led by Butcher of the Quarter and Plague Colossus; Father of Plague waits in the lair. The people’s camp is the Square Campfire: errands are given there. Tamir, the town physician, waits at the fire. Besides the three common errands, this campfire has a story of its own: “Carriers of Pestilence” (slay 8 Plague Rats — they carry the pestilence through the quarters), “The Plague Well” (reach the plague well and learn what lies at the bottom).

Chapter 5, “The Reaches”: each of the four campfires gives three errands — “The Approaches” (fell 15 creatures of the land), “Pack Leaders” and “Lord of the Land”. Whoever closes every errand of the Reach earns the title “Scourge of the Blood Marches”.

The Reach’s finale: after the last lord, at the Square Campfire, the Keeper chooses how the story ends. “Bury the War” — yarek and Bolek bury everyone together — their own and the enemy's. Over the shared grave rises a single banner, with no crest (chance to return a soul in the Blood Marches +8%, title “Who Buried the War”); “Rebuild the Marches” — the breach is sealed, the well is cleaned, the swords are melted into ploughs. Wagon trains travel the Marches again — and no one hides in the trenches (battle gold in the Blood Marches +15%, title “Who Rebuilt the Marches”). The choice is made once.