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The Champion System & Hero Capture

Each faction has a Champion/Hero — a powerful creature that spawns at the faction altar in waves, can be captured and held for ransom, and drives the ransom economy.

Altars & Spawns

Each faction's altar sits just outside its stronghold, accessible to anyone. Altars display a skull-based progress ring (16 skulls total):

  • Red skulls = stages completed
  • White skulls = progress within the current stage
  • Full ring of 16 red skulls = altar is locked (champion is out or being held)
Faction Altar Location
Holy Order of Trinsic 2003, 2747, 30
Yew Militia 534, 990, 0
Vesper Trading Co. 2760, 982, 0

Spawn Cycle

Altars spawn the champion in waves:

  1. Idle — altar at rest, 0/0 progress
  2. Waves 1–3 — three waves of minions; each wave defeated adds progress
  3. Wave 4 (Champion) — the champion itself appears
  4. Champion Defeated — champion falls and can be captured

Once a faction's champion is captured and held, the altar locks. It unlocks only when the hero returns home.

Capturing a Hero

When the champion yields (drops to 0 HP), a timer starts. Escort the hero to your faction's capture cell at your home base. Once the hero reaches the cell, it is imprisoned. A broadcast announces the capture faction-wide.

What Capture Means

Important: Capturing a hero does NOT transfer town ownership. The captured faction still controls their home base and all its functions. The captor gains:

  • Gold drop multiplier: +1 tier of bonus gold drops (passive)
  • Ransom negotiation rights (see Ransom Negotiations)
  • Prestige: the captured faction's heroes cannot be retamed until ransomed or escaped

Penalties While a Hero is Held

The victim faction suffers:

  • Town bonuses zeroed — all bonuses from controlled towns are lost
  • Ransom pressure — negotiations for return of the hero
  • Auto-return timer — 72 hours; unpaid captive rations bring this forward 12 hours per unpaid day

Rescue & Return

Faction members of the victim can break open the cell door to free the hero. Once freed, the hero must be led home within 30 minutes or walks home alone. A hero at ≥50% health can be walked back voluntarily.

Auto-return: If held for 72 hours unpaid, the hero returns home on its own.

See Daily Upkeep for information about captive rations costs.