Trial of the Ancients
Beta Access

The Grimoire

Arrows, Modifiers & Summons

Three rewards after every clear. Stack arrows with modifiers. Add a summon to fight alongside you. The catalogue updates with each devlog — balance, naming, and synergies are still in beta.

Names and balance subject to change before launch. Spotted a synergy that shouldn't work? Tell us in Discord.

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Splitshot

Splits into three on release. Tight cone, full damage per arrow.

Replaces your bowstring with a triple-string. Every shot fires three arrows in a tight cone, each carrying full damage. Devastating against grouped enemies. Falls off against single high-HP targets unless paired with crit or piercing.

Synergizes with

  • Bouncer
  • Crit Sigil
  • Venom Tip

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Pyre Arrow

Detonates on impact. Burns the ground for 4 seconds.

The arrowhead is wrapped in oil-soaked linen, lit at the moment of nock. On impact it bursts into a low fire patch — anything that walks through it takes burn damage over time. Stacks duration if multiple arrows land in the same spot.

Synergizes with

  • Doublecast
  • Homing Eye
  • Khepri's Brood

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Hollowpoint

Bonus damage to wounded targets. Ideal for finishers.

A hollowed arrowhead designed to expand on contact. Deals normal damage to full-HP enemies but +60% against anything already injured. Snaps the late-game wave economy: weak the front line, sweep with hollowpoints.

Synergizes with

  • Venom Tip
  • Pyre Arrow
  • Anubis Hound

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Storm Volt

Chains lightning to nearby enemies on hit.

The arrow carries a stored charge. On contact it arcs to up to three nearby enemies within 4m, dealing diminishing damage. Useless against lone targets, oppressive against clustered ones.

Synergizes with

  • Frostbind
  • Splitshot
  • Echo Shot

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Venom Tip

Poison stacks. Eight seconds of bleed damage per hit.

Cobra venom tipped — slow burn. Each landed arrow stacks one Poison; each Poison ticks 4 damage per second for 8 seconds. Stacks to 5. Synergises with anything that lets you put more arrows on a target faster.

Synergizes with

  • Doublecast
  • Splitshot
  • Homing Eye

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Voidpierce

Phases through armor. Hits soul, not body.

The arrowhead briefly enters a void-touched state on draw, passing through physical armor on the next shot. Deals reduced damage but ignores all armor mitigation. Mandatory for the priest-king fight.

Synergizes with

  • Heavy Draw
  • Crit Sigil
  • Wraith Companion

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Homing Eye

Tracks the nearest target. Gentle correction only.

An eye-marked arrowhead that nudges its trajectory toward the closest enemy mid-flight. Doesn't make you a perfect shot — corrects within ~15° of the original path. Stops the dust wraiths from being a problem.

Synergizes with

  • Pyre Arrow
  • Venom Tip
  • Echo Shot

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Sun Lance

Hold to charge. Heavy single shot. Pierces lines.

Replaces your tap-to-fire with a hold-to-charge. Full charge takes 1.5s, deals 4× damage, and the arrow passes through everything in its path until it hits a wall. Built for the line-up moment in the obelisk-defense levels.

Synergizes with

  • Heavy Draw
  • Voidpierce
  • Crit Sigil

modifier

Bouncer

Arrows ricochet to a new target on impact. Up to three bounces.

After a successful hit, the arrow ricochets toward the next nearest enemy. Up to three bounces total. Damage falls 25% per bounce. Becomes absurd with Splitshot.

Synergizes with

  • Splitshot
  • Storm Volt
  • Crit Sigil

modifier

Crit Sigil

+25% crit chance. Crits deal 2.5× damage.

Etched on the bow grip. Lifts your baseline crit chance from 5% to 30%. Crits are now meaningful enough to plan around. Stack with Heavy Draw for absurd headshots.

Synergizes with

  • Heavy Draw
  • Sun Lance
  • Hollowpoint

modifier

Frostbind

Slows enemy movement by 50% for 3s on hit.

A frost-touched bowstring. Every hit applies Slow for 3 seconds. Stacking doesn't extend duration, but multiple targets can be slowed simultaneously. Mandatory for melee-rush enemies.

Synergizes with

  • Storm Volt
  • Venom Tip
  • Stone Servitor

modifier

Doublecast

Every draw fires two arrows back-to-back.

Twin-string mechanic. Each nock releases two arrows in quick succession (~0.15s apart). Doubles your DPS in exchange for ammo. Best paired with damage-over-time arrows.

Synergizes with

  • Venom Tip
  • Pyre Arrow
  • Sigil of Plenty

modifier

Echo Shot

Repeats your last shot 0.6s later, on its own.

A ghostly echo of your previous arrow fires from the same point 0.6 seconds after you do. No ammo cost. Half damage. Stacks with Doublecast for chaotic four-arrow volleys.

Synergizes with

  • Doublecast
  • Homing Eye
  • Storm Volt

modifier

Heavy Draw

Slower nock. +60% damage. Trade rate for punch.

Replaces your light bow with a heavy war bow. Nocking takes 50% longer but arrows deal +60% damage. Forces a slower, more deliberate playstyle. Falls off against swarms.

Synergizes with

  • Crit Sigil
  • Voidpierce
  • Sun Lance

modifier

Quick Quiver

Faster nock. -25% damage. Trade punch for rate.

Hand drilled to muscle memory. Nocking is 40% faster but each arrow deals less damage. Becomes the standard run-opener — pair with Splitshot and let volume do the work.

Synergizes with

  • Splitshot
  • Doublecast
  • Venom Tip

modifier

Sigil of Plenty

Adds +6 arrows to your quiver. Stacks.

Carved into the quiver itself. Permanently increases your max arrow count. Lets aggressive builds (Doublecast, Splitshot) run without ammo anxiety.

Synergizes with

  • Doublecast
  • Splitshot
  • Shabti Archer

summon

Falcon of Ra

Circles you. Divebombs the strongest enemy every 8s.

A solar falcon orbits above you, pulled from the iconography of Ra. Every 8 seconds it picks the highest-HP enemy in range and dives, dealing heavy single-target damage. Cannot be killed.

Synergizes with

  • Heavy Draw
  • Hollowpoint
  • Sun Lance

summon

Stone Servitor

Tanks one melee enemy at a time. Regenerates.

A summoned shabti, carved from temple basalt. Stands between you and the nearest melee enemy. Has 200 HP, regenerates 8/s out of combat. Decisive against rushers.

Synergizes with

  • Frostbind
  • Stone Servitor
  • Venom Tip

summon

Cobra Sentinel

Coils at your feet. Strikes any enemy within 2m.

A spectral cobra that coils near you and strikes anything that comes within melee range. Useful when enemies break the front line. Applies Poison on hit.

Synergizes with

  • Venom Tip
  • Stone Servitor
  • Frostbind

summon

Shabti Archer

Fires an arrow at the same target every time you do.

A small wooden shabti placed at your shoulder, drawing its own miniature bow. Fires a half-damage arrow at the same enemy you target each time you release. Doesn't use your ammo.

Synergizes with

  • Splitshot
  • Doublecast
  • Echo Shot

summon

Khepri's Brood

Three scarabs. Detonate on enemy contact.

Three bronze-shelled scarabs orbit you. They peel off one at a time toward nearby enemies, detonating on contact for AoE fire damage. Recharge every 12 seconds. Named for the dawn-scarab god.

Synergizes with

  • Pyre Arrow
  • Falcon of Ra
  • Doublecast

summon

Wraith Companion

Phases through walls. Drains HP from enemies it touches.

A bound dust-wraith — turned against its own kind. Walks through terrain and enemies, dealing damage on contact and healing you 1 HP per kill it touches. Slow, persistent.

Synergizes with

  • Voidpierce
  • Venom Tip
  • Anubis Hound

summon

Sun Disk

Orbits your head. Reflects incoming projectiles.

A small replica of Aten orbits at face height. Reflects enemy projectiles (cleric chants, archon bolts) back at their source. Doesn't reflect melee. Becomes essential once ranged enemies appear.

Synergizes with

  • Falcon of Ra
  • Khepri's Brood
  • Stone Servitor

summon

Anubis Hound

Hunts low-HP enemies. Finishes anything under 30%.

A spectral jackal. Targets the enemy currently lowest on HP and chases them down. Bypasses front-line tanks, denies enemy retreat. Bonus damage to anything below 30% HP.

Synergizes with

  • Hollowpoint
  • Venom Tip
  • Wraith Companion