Meet the bosses of TERA's upcoming Fate of Arun expansion

Announced abruptly just before Halloween, TERA's long-planned Fate of Arun expansion is due out in December, complete with a level cap bump and loads of new zones. Today, En Masse has provided us with an exclusive poster and a sneak peek at the bosses arriving to torment you in Arun. Check 'em out below!

Click to enlarge the poster!

The Archdevas: Blood Mages of Northern Arun

After seizing the abandoned homeland of the giants and retreating behind the mystical "storm barrier" around northern Arun, the demon-like devas began trying to unravel the secrets of their one-time masters and establish their own empire, including a type of sorcery rejected by the giants: a twisted combination of medicine and mysticism they called "blood magic."

For centuries, these self-styled "archdevas" were content to modify their own bodies...but then came a blood mage who was not content with mere self-improvement, and he had a vision for reshaping the entire world.

Lord Dakuryon

While there is no doubt that Dakuryon, the dark lord of the archdevas, is the one true master of blood magic, his origins are shrouded in mystery. Archdevan sorcerers whisper among themselves that he was once one of them, but when his tutors were unable to satisfy his burning curiosity and megalithic ambition, he turned to forbidden relics and proscribed texts to teach himself total mastery over flesh and bone.

Whatever the truth, it is no secret that Dakuryon parlayed his knowledge of blood magic into personal and political power, eliminating all of his rivals and enemies to become the supreme leader of the archdevas. Now his twisted vision guides the archdevas, from the most talented blood mages on down to the lowliest devan underling.

Under his command, the Archdevan Imperial Army is slowly conquering all of northern Arun, until visitors from beyond the storm barrier arrive, piquing the dark lord's curiosity...

The Ranks

Archdevan Sorcerer: Archdevan sorcerers are the recognized experts when it comes to body modification, overseeing any operation which involves molding flesh toward new purposes. The average archdevan sorcerer is really just a dabbler in blood magic, however; true blood mages are masters of the art.

Furyguard Assassin: Blood mages do not believe in letting good flesh go to waste, and when an archdevan soldier is gravely wounded, the army's sorcerers go to work reshaping whatever is left into something still capable of serving. Soldiers usually become taskmistresses-a combination of drill instructor, platoon leader, and shock trooper-while those with magical ability join the ranks of Dakuryon's "Furyguard" assassins, hurling globs of caustic poison they produce from deep within their own, twisted bodies.

Archdevan Priestess: In archdevan culture, priestesses channel the power of the god Lakan to bolster and encourage the rank and file of the Archdevan Imperial Army. Though not strictly command personnel, the priestesses serve as unofficial "morale officers"-meaning they identify the least motivated troops so that they can be bound over to the blood mages for "augmentation."

Archdevan Mystic: In the Archdevan Imperial Army, mystics function as logistic officers, engineers, and field medics. Their distinctive feathered appearance marks them as members of the Corvus Belli, a sect of archdevas who seek to replicate the best characteristics of the magical minions they summon.

Archdevan Lancer: The mightiest of archdevan soldiers are modified almost daily from birth to enhance their durability. Then, to signify their total devotion to the blood mages, they are granted weapons fashioned from the ruins of the giants' fortresses that dot the landscape of northern Arun.

Archdevan Archer: Archers serve the Archdevan Imperial Army as scouts, hunters, or sentries for isolated outposts. Enhanced by the blood mages with the stealth and speed of snakes, archdevan archers are actually shunned by the rest of archdevan society; most believe that their serpentine nature makes them opportunistic and untrustworthy (which, given archdevan culture, is saying a lot).

Archdevan Warrior: While the Archdevan Imperial Army is composed mostly of Parthian levies, they are led by archdevan warriors: proud nobles who have dedicated themselves to the art of war in the service of Dakuryon and the blood mages. Equipped with the best arms and armor (and modifications) money can buy, they are formidable foes on the battlefield.

Demokrons: The abominable result of blood magic experiments taken to the most horrific extremes, demokrons are twisted mockeries of hapless creatures who have had the misfortune to be captured by the archdevan prelates. Delivered to the foul laboratories of the blood mages, these creatures undergo physical and psychological modifications until they are little more than living siege engines, their rampages kept in check only by their fear of the archdevas.