Meet Mara, Lord of Illusions; Elf twins Dowan and Duvessa; and Purgy, a rather thin troll–these are just a few of the characters that have joined the army of uniques. Since our last stable release (0.5.2), there have been a total of fourteen added, so sit down and get ready to be introduced!

We’ll start our list in order of addition, with the most recently added last.

  • Kirke, named for the minor Greek Demigoddess, can be found in the Dungeon between levels fourteen and nineteen (and equivalent depths). She comes with a band of hogs, and would very much like for you to join them! Don’t run into her without a stash of holy moly, or, if that is not forthcoming, a good source of magic resistance, unless you enjoy spending the rest of your short life as a swine.

  • Seasoned adventurers may recognised that the animal pelt worn by Grum originates from a war dog. Non-seasoned adventurers need not fear, as they’ll shortly run into Grum and his friendly pack of war dogs! Grum is found in the early dungeon, between levels eight and thirteen (and equivalent depths), and comes with a band of war dogs, as well as a polearm with a guaranteed reaching brand! If you want it you’ll have to survive to take it off his corpse.

  • Purgy, an unusually thin and nervous troll. He was bullied by the bigger trolls for being so small, and took refuge in the sewer. As a result of this, you are more likely to find him camped out there, where he can appear in two maps, though he does occasionally visit the dungeon, between depths three and four. But be warned! Just because he’s skinny doesn’t mean he’s an easy fight.

  • Priests sought to mummify the remains of Menkaure, a benevolent ruler, and in so doing grant him eternal life. In the process, his soul was twisted and, like many undead, he gained an intimate knowledge of pain and torment. He now seeks vengeance on the wandering adventure who woke him from his long sleep. He can be found wandering the Dungeon between depths four and seven, as well as in one Ossuary map.

  • Duvessa and Dowan, Elf twins who are inextricably (and, indeed, psychically) linked, both in life, as well as in death. If one of them is spotted, surely the other one is not far behind. Dowan is a capable but vain magician, while his sister, Duvessa, is slightly more plain, though an expert with swords. They appear between depths four and nine, but beware: the death of one will trigger an emotional breakdown in the other, with sometimes surprising results.

  • Greedy Gastronok is an elephant slug who just so happened to eat a valiant Wizard for lunch one day. It wasn’t until spells came unbidden to his mind that he realised something was amiss. Indeed, he hadn’t even realised he’d had a mind before, but now he had absorbed the Wizard’s intelligence as well as his magic. Despite this fact he remains as greedy as ever, and happy to use his new-found skills to charge down his next meal. He often appears in the Lair of the Beasts, between levels four and eight, but also in the general Dungeon, between depths eight and thirteen.

  • Maurice is a sly and conniving thief, who is perfectly happy to separate you from your hard-earned loot. He likes nothing more than sneaking up on you while he’s invisible to pick your pockets, and then leave before being noticed! Thankfully, you can get your gear back–if you can find him again, which could be between depths of eight and thirteen in the Dungeon.

  • Khufu was an incredibly powerful emperor. His people built him a great pyramid, in which they stored his mummified remains, in hopes of sending him to early godhood. A follower of the Polar star, he can be found lurking in the Tomb and the Crypt, and has a rather unique way of recuperating during battle.

  • Nikola is a brilliant scientist with a predilection for electricity. After a terrible accident involving an electric golem he found himself constantly phasing in and out of reality. Don’t forget your rubber boots and gloves when facing him! He can be found between the depths fourteen and nineteen.

  • The sleepy Aizul, a guardian serpent, was once the head guard of a great vault of treasure. Late one night, however, he fell asleep on the watch and the vault was raided. He was humiliated, stripped of his position, and replaced by his subordinate. Now aimless, he can be found wandering the dungeon between depths fourteen and twenty. Be careful, because perhaps his yawn really is contagious!

  • The slaver Pikel is bringing a group of humans to sell in the Orcish Mines. He hopes they’ll bring him a good price, and set him on the road to being a wealthy kobold. The only snag to his problem is that he can’t work out where the stairs to the mines are. You can find him and his slaves between four and nine, but definitely not in the Orcish Mines!

  • Crazy Yiuf is, to put it simply, crazy. As he would say, “You leg down broken song, no?” He hangs out in his cottage between depths two and seven in the Dungeon, and is always found with a chaos-branded quarterstaff, the effects of which are almost as crazy as he is!

  • Lord Mara‘s illusions are capable of misleading even the greatest spell-casters, and far surpass those of even the strongest of the Rakshasas which he rules over. Those who are willing to face Mara can find him between depths eighteen and twenty-five, and should be ready not only to fight Mara, but also the horrors that he can dredge up from their minds.

    • And for now, this is it! Good luck in your valiant fights and victories (or defeats, as the case often is).