Having secured the first sigil our heroes leave the Door behind once again, trekking down yet another dark corridor and deeper into the bowels of the Dark Lab. As they progress they hear a sound akin to metal on metal, rhythmic, almost hypnotic even, growing incrementally sharper and stronger. They arrive at a portcullis to a vast room and at once the sound amplifies exponentially—the source now in full view in the distance. Our Hop Heroes couldn’t believe their eyes. Whispered in dark corners and told in bedtime stories perhaps—but to see him for real with their own eyes…The Voidmaster Ced. Wives’ tales spoke of a magnificent master of rare metals, a champion smith of the Hop Oracle’s court whose manifestations were legend. Tainted by the dark power of the Void he toiled in hiding, crafting for his new masters the engines of war our Alchemists and High Hop Council have spent centuries working to destroy.

Our Hop Heroes’ quest to foil the Nemesis’ plans runs through The Voidmaster. The dungeon gear check brings a mix of quick-hitting PNW attacks in Mosaic/Cascade and Idaho 7, and a massive NZ Moutere debuff + aggro reset requiring timed tank swaps (or a mage/lock with mad resistance gear, if you prefer the farming/crafting route). Will our Hop Dudes fall victim to Ced and his full-bodied, dank/pineapple/lychee hazy hits? Can they heal through the dots and debuffs of white grape and pear or will the gear check halt their progress? Pull up the stream (pop a pint) and find out!