The prison below
Beneath a cathedral stood a prison for people whose corruption survived death. Its wardens carried seals that could hold the force of an assault inside iron. The duty was to contain violence rather than let it pass into the world.
Melee tank / bound guardian
The Bound Warden
Two bodies. One sentence. Hold the line before you become what holds it beside you.
This class is not in the game yet. Explore its proposed identity, skills and in-game menu direction. These are development concepts, not available alpha features.
Solo and party build concepts16 active abilities14 passive choices
The keeper.
The captive.
The same sentence.
The hidden sentence
The seals preserved their keepers while deforming them. Years of absorbed violence changed bone, posture and memory. At the end of service, a Warden became the giant the next keeper would command. The order recorded this as an honour.
The inheritance
You were a prisoner when the gates failed. The dying keeper fastened his seal to your wrist and the giant obeyed you. Only later did you learn who it had been. You leave with your predecessor to discover how a sentence can end without passing it to another person.
“He wore this seal before me. He still remembers how to stand.”
The guardian is a predecessor, a witness and an unwanted mentor. Brief gestures suggest memory: it braces before an impact the player has not recognised, or hesitates at an old cell. The Warden’s arc is about care becoming coercion, and the temptation to call inheritance a choice.
The skill page, imagined in game.
Hammered iron, chained seals and prison-door sockets give the Warden a heavy, disciplined interface.
Proposed layout: a dedicated basic attack, four chosen ordinary skills, a dedicated ultimate and three equipped passives. The menu values and progression details are illustrative.
How the class works.
Burden · 0–100
Keystrike generates 6 Burden on a successful cast. Actually preventing enemy damage with your own block or a commanded interception grants 8, on a shared 1-second internal cooldown. No resources from friendly fire, environmental damage or transferred damage. Burden decays by 4 per second outside combat. Costs are paid once per command, not per target.
The Condemned · one predecessor
One persistent bound guardian follows the Warden. It is the previous bearer of the seal, not a disposable corpse. It makes one 60% W melee attack every 2 seconds within reach, with no resource generation or on-hit procs. Commands override following; it never independently chases enemies away from its assigned position.
A real shield · innate block
Hold secondary attack to block a 90-degree frontal arc: 60% less blockable incoming damage, 40% normal movement speed, no attacks or active casts. Release to act. Unblockable attacks remain dangerous and must be clearly telegraphed. Block is an equipment action, not an eleventh active skill.
Companion health and recovery
The Condemned has 50% of its owner’s maximum health and uses the owner’s damage mitigation before command modifiers. At zero health it collapses for 12 seconds, then reforms with 50% of its own maximum health; active commands fail without cost while absent. A safe rest restores it fully. It cannot body-block allies, move bosses or replace a player slot.
W · physical scaling
W is calculated melee skill power from the equipped weapon and relevant attributes. At W = 100, 140% W is 140 damage before enemy mitigation. Defence scales mainly from the Warden’s own health and equipment. All interception amounts refer to damage after the protected ally’s ordinary mitigation, before that interception.
Proposed bindings · basic + four skills + ultimate
The basic attack and the single class ultimate have dedicated bindings after unlock. Choose four ordinary skills from fourteen, and three passives from fourteen. The 16-active library counts the basic, fourteen ordinary skills and one ultimate. Core actions still obey their resource costs and cooldowns. This revised binding layout requires implementation; it is not the current game hotbar.
Choose how you fight.
Fourteen ordinary skills, plus the dedicated basic and ultimate. Open a skill for its proposed effect and expression.
01 / KeystrikeMelee · generator · Dedicated core action
0 Burden · 0.85 s cooldown · 0.65 s
2.5 m · frontal strike
Drive the warding mace into one enemy for 100% W physical skill damage and gain 6 Burden on hit. Missing grants nothing. The short, heavy swing permits a quick return to blocking.
The decision: Generate commands while choosing when it is safe to lower the shield.
Expression: A compact iron impact, a shift of the shield and one audible lock click. No magical projectile.
02 / Hold the ThresholdSummon · position
15 Burden · 6 s cooldown · 0.45 s
Ground point within 10 m
Order the guardian to a reachable point for up to 8 seconds. It attacks enemies within 3 m without chasing and slows ordinary enemies in that area by 30%. Recasting selects a new point and refreshes the duration. Self-targeting returns it to follow. It obeys collision and navigation.
The decision: Hold a side approach while your shield covers the main one. It is area denial, not an invisible wall.
Expression: The chain settles across the stone; the guardian plants a huge hand and turns its gate slab toward the approach.
03 / Prisoner’s ShelterSummon · interception
25 Burden · 14 s cooldown · 0.35 s
One ally within 12 m
Order the guardian to guard a living party member for 5 seconds. While it is within 3 m of them, it intercepts 30% of their incoming direct enemy damage, capped at 20% of the guardian’s maximum health per hit. The recipient takes the remainder. Interception ceases on collapse, range loss or a new guardian command.
The decision: Give the Vessel room to finish a rescue, or protect a Berserker’s committed attack.
Expression: The predecessor lowers its gate slab beside the ally. Only the short chain segment and shared seal briefly darken.
04 / Iron RebukeMelee · counterattack
20 Burden · 8 s cooldown · 0.5 s
3 m · frontal cone
Slam the shield forward for 130% W. If your own shield prevented enemy damage in the previous 2 seconds, add 70% W and interrupt ordinary enemies. Elite and boss interruption follows encounter rules. Spend the opportunity on use; it never stacks.
The decision: Read the impact, block it, then choose a safe moment to answer.
Expression: A low shield collision with the sound of a prison door shutting. Dust falls from the iron bands.
05 / Drag to JudgmentControl · chain
20 Burden · 12 s cooldown · 0.55 s
10 m · one enemy
Throw a short spectral extension of the seal chain for 70% W. Pull an ordinary enemy up to 5 m toward the Warden, stopping at terrain. Pull-immune elites and bosses stay in place and instead take a further 50% W; no guaranteed interrupt.
The decision: Retrieve one enemy threatening a caster without scattering the whole pack.
Expression: One heavy dark chain briefly extends from the wrist seal and retracts. It is visually separate from the permanent guardian tether.
06 / Warden’s ChallengeThreat · local control
15 Burden · 16 s cooldown · Instant
6 m · enemies in sight
Ordinary enemies are provoked to attack you for 3 seconds. This cannot interrupt an attack already committed. Eligible elites receive increased threat rather than forced movement; bosses follow encounter-specific threat rules and never have scripted attacks cancelled.
The decision: Gather loose melee threats before the group commits its damage.
Expression: The mace strikes the shield’s lock once. Nearby seals answer with a dull iron knock, not a bright aura.
07 / Recall the SentenceSummon · recovery
25 Burden · 20 s cooldown · 0.6 s
Guardian within 18 m
Recall the living guardian to follow and restore 25% of its own maximum health. It must walk back along a valid path; it does not teleport or gain invulnerability. Cancels its current guard or hold order. Cannot target a collapsed guardian.
The decision: Trade a defended position for the health needed to establish it again later.
Expression: The Warden closes a palm around the wrist seal. The predecessor straightens, recognises the call and returns.
08 / Locked GateDefence · anchor
30 Burden · 22 s cooldown · 0.4 s
Self · shield stance for 4 s
For 4 seconds your ordinary frontal block prevents 80% rather than 60% of blockable damage and permits 60% rather than 40% movement speed. You still cannot attack or cast while actually holding block. It grants no protection against attacks from behind or unblockable mechanics.
The decision: Spend Burden to survive a known frontal sequence, not to ignore the arena.
Expression: Iron locking bolts extend across the shield. The human body strains behind it; the door never grows into a magical wall.
09 / Twin VerdictMelee · coordinated burst
35 Burden · 15 s cooldown · 0.8 s
3 m · guardian must be within 6 m
Strike for 170% W. If the guardian is available and can reach the same target, it follows within 1 second for 140% W in a 3 m cone. The follow-up cancels its previous position order and returns it to follow. An unavailable follow-up does not cancel the Warden’s own hit.
The decision: Collapse the second front into a combined attack, giving up its protection elsewhere.
Expression: The mace breaks posture; the predecessor answers with its gate slab. Two heavy impacts, never an uncontrolled monster frenzy.
10 / The Last WatchUltimate · defence and formation · Dedicated core action
50 Burden · 90 s from activation cooldown · 0.8 s · lasts 8 s
Guardian within 12 m
Command the guardian to brace at a reachable point within 8 m. While the Warden remains within 8 m of it, connected living party members within 4 m of either defender take 15% less enemy damage. The guardian takes 30% less damage. A collapsed guardian makes activation invalid. The link requires sight and ends on collapse or loss of range.
The decision: Build two nearby safe positions for a dangerous phase. It does not make the area invulnerable and still requires dodging unblockable encounter mechanics.
Expression: The chain lifts just above the ground. Human and predecessor mirror each other behind two dark gates; a line of old seals briefly appears between them.
11 / GatebreakerMelee · cleave
20 Burden · 5 s cooldown · 0.65 s
4 m · frontal sweep
Sweep the mace around the shield edge for 200% W physical damage to up to six visible enemies in the forward cone. Does not require a blocked hit or a guardian. No resource generation or guaranteed control.
The decision: A repeatable pack-clearing spender that works when enemies are not attacking your shield.
Expression: A low committed mace sweep, iron fragments and cloth following the torso’s weight.
12 / Condemned RushSummon · offensive command
20 Burden · 10 s cooldown · 0.35 s command
Enemy within 12 m · guardian path up to 10 m
Order the guardian along a valid path to one enemy. On arrival within 2 seconds, it slams for 180% W against that target and 80% W against up to three other enemies within 2 m. Ends the previous position order and returns to follow afterwards. Invalid initial paths fail without cost; interrupted travel grants no hit or refund.
The decision: Reach a dangerous caster or bring the guardian into an attack window. You give up the position it was protecting.
Expression: The guardian leans into a short, weighty charge and drives the gate slab down. The chain follows a physical route.
13 / Chain ReapingMelee / summon · line attack
25 Burden · 8 s cooldown · 0.6 s
Guardian within 8 m · 1.5 m-wide connecting line
Tighten the seal’s current between you and the guardian for one 150% W hit against up to six enemies intersecting the line. Clear sight is required between both defenders and to each target. No repeated hits, pull, resource generation or procs. It does not change the guardian’s current command.
The decision: An offensive payoff for two well-placed bodies. Use it across a pack rather than stacking both defenders together.
Expression: The chain snaps just above the stone with a short dark iron shock, never a luminous laser wall.
14 / Sentence of RuinMelee / summon · focused setup
15 Burden · 12 s cooldown · 0.35 s
10 m · one enemy
Mark one visible enemy for 8 seconds. Your next four successful primary direct attacks or guardian basic attacks against it each add 35% W damage, on a shared 0.3-second trigger limit. Other players do not consume charges. One mark per Warden; recasting replaces it.
The decision: Sustained pressure against an elite or boss, without needing surrounding enemies or a killing blow.
Expression: The matching lock pattern briefly presses into the target’s armour, like an old verdict being stamped.
15 / Iron AdvanceMelee · mobility
15 Burden · 9 s cooldown · Instant
Up to 5 m forward
Advance behind the shield, stopping at terrain, and strike the first enemy reached for 110% W. Push an ordinary enemy up to 1 m; immune enemies remain in place. You cannot hold ordinary block during this action, and it grants no invulnerability or protection from unblockable attacks.
The decision: Close to a ranged threat or reposition the front. Movement is useful even when no enemy is struck.
Expression: A short shield-led rush with planted boots and a dragged chain; the heavy body never becomes a blur.
16 / Reclaim the WeightMelee · offensive recovery
20 Burden · 10 s cooldown · 0.7 s
2.5 m · one enemy
Strike for 180% W. If the enemy actually takes damage, heal yourself for 90% W, capped at 15% of your maximum health. Also restore 90% W to your living guardian if it is within 6 m and sight, capped at 15% of its own maximum health. One recovery per recipient per cast, independent of damage dealt. No valid damaging hit means no healing.
The decision: A solo recovery tool that asks you to create a safe melee opening. Recall remains the safer guardian-only treatment.
Expression: The mace dislodges a brief black echo from the target; the wrist seal closes and both bodies visibly regain their footing.
All values are prototype proposals. P and W are design notation for spell power and melee skill power; they are not a promise of final damage or current game stats.
Choose three commitments.
Old InstinctThe hands remember
After a successful personal block, Iron Rebuke costs 5 less Burden for 2 seconds. One discount per cast; no stacking.
A deliberate block-and-answer rhythm.
Inherited WeightCarry more of the sentence
Increase maximum Burden from 100 to 120. Generation and decay remain unchanged; equipping it does not fill the extra capacity.
Prepare for several demanding commands in succession.
Chain DisciplineTwo positions, one intention
Hold the Threshold lasts 11 seconds instead of 8. Its radius, slow and command cooldown remain unchanged.
Leave the second approach defended for longer.
Shield MemoryHe knows that stance
While you block within 6 m of the guardian, it takes 10% less enemy damage. Requires sight. Ends when you stop blocking and multiplies with other mitigation.
A compact defensive formation with real positioning requirements.
Mercy in the LockRecall before it breaks
Recall the Sentence restores 35% instead of 25% of the guardian’s maximum health when it is below 30% health at cast resolution.
A stronger planned rescue without a free resurrection.
Measured ProvocationGive them a reason to turn
Keystrike deals +20% W to an ordinary enemy currently provoked by your own Warden’s Challenge. No extra threat duration or resource generation.
A small offensive payoff during a controlled opening.
Unbroken MarchMove under the shield
Ordinary blocking permits 50% normal movement instead of 40%. Locked Gate still uses its own 60% movement; the bonuses do not add.
Keep the front mobile without permanent full-speed blocking.
Second KeyAn opening for the predecessor
After your Iron Rebuke hits an enemy, the next guardian basic attack on that enemy within 4 seconds deals another 40% W. One bonus per Rebuke, no stacking, resources or further procs.
A coordinated melee route, useful for Twin Verdict.
Names RememberedYou are still someone
After the guardian reforms from collapse, your next valid command within 6 seconds costs 10 less Burden, to a minimum of zero. One use per reformation. Does not affect ultimate cost.
Recover the formation after a mistake without rewarding repeated sacrifice.
Cruel HingeLet the door answer
If your own shield prevented enemy damage during the previous 3 seconds, Gatebreaker deals another 40% W to its first target only. No added control, resource generation or procs.
A solo block-and-cleave rhythm that still works without the bonus.
Inherited FuryHe remembers how to strike
Guardian basic attacks deal another 30% W while it is within 4 m of you and has line of sight. This does not improve commands or generate Burden.
More close-formation pressure in exchange for the reach of a separate defensive position.
Ruin RememberedA sentence carried out
Consuming all four charges of your Sentence of Ruin refunds 10 Burden once. Expiry, target death before the final charge, replacement or a miss gives no refund. Transferred and proc damage cannot consume charges.
A resource reward that works against a surviving boss, not only against dying packs.
Unspent MercyKeep enough of yourself
Reclaim the Weight restores another 30% W to the human Warden when below 40% health before healing, still subject to the skill’s 15%-maximum-health cap. Guardian recovery is unchanged.
Stronger offensive recovery under pressure without turning health loss into a resource source.
The same character.
Different ways to survive.
The Gatekeeper
Gather ordinary threats, block a known sequence, then answer with Iron Rebuke or Gatebreaker. The guardian follows until the dedicated ultimate assigns its position.
Four chosen ordinary skills
- Iron Rebuke
- Warden’s Challenge
- Locked Gate
- Gatebreaker
Three passives
Old Instinct · Unbroken March · Shield Memory
Trade-off: No targeted ally interception or guardian repair; do not leave the predecessor exposed.
Two Thresholds
Separate the two bodies, protect the endangered caster and recall before collapse. Ordinary block remains available even without an active shield skill.
Four chosen ordinary skills
- Hold the Threshold
- Prisoner’s Shelter
- Recall the Sentence
- Drag to Judgment
Three passives
Chain Discipline · Mercy in the Lock · Shared Footing
Trade-off: No taunt, pull or strong melee burst. Guardian positioning and command timing do the work.
The Iron Verdict
Pull a loose enemy into reach, block its answer, then coordinate the two impacts. Reclaim the Weight maintains both bodies through successful melee. The basic and ultimate now have separate bindings.
Four chosen ordinary skills
- Iron Rebuke
- Drag to Judgment
- Twin Verdict
- Reclaim the Weight
Three passives
Old Instinct · Second Key · Inherited Weight
Trade-off: No targeted interception, ordinary taunt or dedicated guardian recall. Healing requires a damaging melee opening.
The Ironstride
Close a ranged threat with Iron Advance, bring the predecessor in with Condemned Rush and clear the pack with Gatebreaker. Reclaim restores both bodies after a safe hit. Weave free Keystrikes to finance the next spender and block selectively rather than waiting behind the shield.
Four chosen ordinary skills
- Gatebreaker
- Condemned Rush
- Iron Advance
- Reclaim the Weight
Three passives
Cruel Hinge · Inherited Fury · Unspent Mercy
Trade-off: No pull, targeted ally guard or ranged recovery. Plan the route and preserve a resource reserve for Reclaim.
The Last Inheritor
Stay close enough for the guardian to contribute. Sentence marks the boss; basic attacks and primary melee hits spend its charges. Twin Verdict supplies a committed attack window, Reclaim restores both bodies and Recall saves the guardian when melee recovery is unsafe.
Four chosen ordinary skills
- Sentence of Ruin
- Twin Verdict
- Reclaim the Weight
- Recall the Sentence
Three passives
Inherited Fury · Ruin Remembered · Unspent Mercy
Trade-off: No dash or area cleave. Use the ordinary game dodge and frontal block; do not finish a slow attack inside an unblockable telegraph.
A complete solo character.
A heavy melee fighter and a commanded partner. Personal attacks finance the fight even when no enemy is striking the shield.
Against a pack
- Advance to the ranged threat and send the guardian to join.
- Gatebreaker the grouped enemies when the opening is safe.
- Reclaim the Weight to restore both bodies through a successful hit.
- Weave Keystrike; block or dodge the next threat rather than spamming every command.
Against an elite or boss
- Mark the boss with Sentence of Ruin and attack from a readable angle.
- Use basic and primary melee hits to spend the four charges.
- Commit Twin Verdict only during a safe opening.
- Use Reclaim for offensive recovery or Recall to save the guardian; keep a Burden reserve.
These are proposed solo rotations, not tested damage or survival guarantees. Measure clear time, resource starvation, guardian uptime, path failures and the recovery available during boss downtime. A tank build may clear more slowly, but it must not depend on another player to finish ordinary encounters.
Explore the four-class party concept →