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Hello everyone!

In today\'s devlog, we\'ll be talking about the last major feature of the upcoming Of Beasts & Sages update - and also announcing its release date: the 15th of August!

Caves are optional, procedurally generated locations that fall somewhere between Points of Interest and Dungeons. There are no roads leading to them, and they aren\'t tied to Contracts - though in the future, we plan to make them an important part of the revamped Task System.

Building on the initial concept, we created several distinct Cave types, each with its own properties, enemies, and visuals:

• Regular Caves. Versatile areas that can serve as either animal dens or bandit hideouts.

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• Mines. Unattended ore veins tend to draw opportunistic bandits - unless something else has already claimed the place

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• Overgrown Caves are inhabited by a new enemy type (details below) and are usually a rich source of rare plants.

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Many of the enemy types encountered in Caves won\'t appear anywhere else.

For example, Brigand gangs operating in Mines are bolstered by Prospectors and Scouts, and are led by new Mini-Bosses: Overseers, Raiders, and Torturers.

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Spider-infested Caves will pit you not only against the usual adult Crawlers but also juvenile Spiderlings, which hatch from cocoons as you venture deeper underground. In the final chamber, you\'ll face the Broodmother - a deadly foe who will fight to the death to protect her offspring.

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And finally, some caves (usually Overgrown ones) are home to entirely new beasts - the Rockeaters, massive gastropods with a caste-based social structure. As their name suggests, Rockeaters are excellent diggers, making them highly mobile in combat as they constantly burrow through the ground.

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Each Rockeater caste has its own unique abilities:

• Workers support allies by regurgitating semi-digested food and splashing enemies with corrosive stomach acid.

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• Hunters attack from a distance, spitting jagged spikes and blobs of poisonous slime.

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• Soldiers are protected by thick natural armor and capitalize on debuffs applied by their allies. They can also attempt to dig in, recovering from wounds and gaining offensive bonuses - unless interrupted by damage.

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• The most dangerous Caves may house a Queen - a giant, immobile creature that relies on summoning aid from the rest of the Hive.

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Different enemy factions can sometimes inhabit the same Cave. For example, a tunnel in a Brigand-occupied Mine might lead to a chamber overrun with Crawlers or Rock-Eaters.

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Survive the dangers, and you\'ll be rewarded handsomely. Most Mines contain valuable ore deposits - be sure to bring a pickaxe to extract copper, iron, silver, and gold. Don\'t forget a few extra coin purses as well, so you don\'t leave any valuables behind.

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Occasionally, you\'ll come across piles of bones and the remains of less fortunate adventurers, which often hold valuable items.

And finally, Caves and certain Hunting Grounds will provide opportunities to gather rare plants and mushrooms. Consuming them grants unique, long-lasting bonuses that can give you an edge when tackling regular Dungeons and other challenging areas:

• Silverleaf

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  Habitat: Regular Caves, Overgrown Caves, Wolf Trails, Bear Territories, Troll Domains

  Effect: Each turn replenishes 1% Max Health (even while in combat).

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• Crimson Spleenwort

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  Habitat: Bear Territories, Moose Trails, Troll Domains

  Effect: Each turn slightly improves the Condition of all body parts. Reduces the effect of damaged body parts on Max Health Threshold by 30%.

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• Marble Truffle

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  Habitat: Overgrown Caves, Boar Trails

  Effect: Grants +25% Intoxication Resistance. Doubles the effectiveness of Immunity when recovering from Intoxication.

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• Spider Vine

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  Habitat: Crawler Burrows, Crawler Caves

  Effect: Grants +10% Bleed Resistance. Reduces the damage from Bleeding by 30%.

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• Pale Puffball

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  Habitat: all Caves and Mines

  Effect: Can be thrown at enemies. On hit, deals Poison Damage, has a chance to Stagger or Confuse the target, and leaves a poisonous cloud on the same tile, which also continuously damages, Staggers, and Confuses anyone within it.

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• Rotbloom

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  Habitat: Regular Caves, Overgrown Caves, Harpy Nests, Ghoul Dens, Gulon Dens

  Effect: Grants immunity to coughing and +10% Control Resistance.

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• Azurecap

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  Habitat: Mines, Regular Caves

  Effect: Restoration replenishes twice as much Energy per tick.

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• Honey Hyssop

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  Habitat: Overgrown Caves, Saiga and Bison Grasslands

  Effect: Restoration replenishes twice as much Health per tick.

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This wraps up our devlog series for the upcoming update. Remember, Of Beasts & Sages will also include Arcanistics , Psyche System overhaul , and many other additions that don\'t have dedicated devlogs - such as Caravan Events, new gear, and various technical and gameplay improvements.

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See you on August 15th!