The Codex of the Abyss

A note from the tamer.

This is not a strategy guide. What follows is a reference — the creatures, the combat, the items, and the rules. Read what you need. Skip the rest.

Three lanes. Speed decides who strikes first.

Every battle is fought across three lanes. Up to three creatures per side; the rest wait on the bench. The fastest creature acts first.

Ten effects. Every stack counts.

Status effects stack, tick, and expire. Knowing which ones clear at end of turn and which persist is the difference between winning and losing everything.

One hundred sigils. Four tiers.

Creatures are organized by tier (I–IV). Stats show base HP and Speed. Damage comes from abilities and status effects — there are no traditional ATK/DEF stats. The abilities column shows what each creature knows at base.

I.Common 30 entries · HP 2–5 · SPD 1–4 Low stats, expendable — but they teach you the lanes and how combat works. Every party starts here.

GloopT1-001

HP 4SPD 3

Bite · Mend

FangletT1-002

HP 3SPD 3

Bite · Scratch

MossbugT1-003

HP 5SPD 1

Bite · Harden

FlickwyrmT1-004

HP 2SPD 4

Ember

SpectraT1-005

HP 4SPD 2

Chill · Mend

SkitterlingT1-006

HP 3SPD 4

Sting · Scratch

PebbloidT1-007

HP 5SPD 1

Harden · Tackle

GlimmerT1-008

HP 2SPD 3

Ember · Growl

II.Rare 35 entries · HP 4–7 · SPD 2–4 The workhorses. Real synergies, the first creatures worth building a lane around.

ShelloxT2-001

HP 7SPD 2

Iron Wall · Slash

DuskfangT2-002

HP 5SPD 3

Drain · Venom

StormclawT2-003

HP 5SPD 3

Arc Bolt · Slash

ThornbackT2-004

HP 7SPD 2

Barbs · Regen

GrimjawT2-005

HP 6SPD 3

Slash · War Cry

FrostfinT2-006

HP 6SPD 3

Ice Spear · Frost Armor

HexmothT2-007

HP 5SPD 4

Hex · Shadow Bolt

BloomwurmT2-008

HP 7SPD 2

Lifebloom · Regen

CinderhoundT2-009

HP 4SPD 4

Fire Burst · Tackle

VenomweaverT2-010

HP 5SPD 4

Acid Spray · Venom

III.Abyssal 24 entries · HP 7–10 · SPD 3–5 Build-defining. A run with Glacius plays completely differently from one with Infernox.

AbyssalT3-001

HP 8SPD 4

Slam · Drain · War Cry

InfernoxT3-002

HP 7SPD 5

Inferno · Fire Burst · Overcharge

VoidmawT3-003

HP 9SPD 3

Void Drain · Plague

GlaciusT3-004

HP 10SPD 3

Blizzard · Frost Armor · Iron Wall

PyralisT3-005

HP 7SPD 5

Inferno · Arc Bolt · Sanctuary

ShadowlordT3-006

HP 8SPD 4

Dark Pulse · Hex · Soul Link

SporewardenT3-007

HP 9SPD 4

Plague · Lifebloom · Barbs

IV.Void 11 entries · HP 10–13 · SPD 5–6 Tamed in battle only. They fight back hard and they almost always act first.

Null BeastT4-001

HP 13SPD 5

Abyssal Maw · Void Drain · Blood Engine · Entropy

StarweaverT4-002

HP 12SPD 5

Cosmic Shield · Dark Pulse · Sanctuary

The DevourerT4-003

HP 10SPD 6

Devour · Abyssal Maw · Entropy · Slam

Warning The Devourer waits at Depth VII — the bottom of every descent. He always acts first. Always.

Two hundred and thirty-nine abilities.

Most creatures know two abilities at base; higher tiers carry three or four. Power is base damage; a dash means the ability heals, shields, or buffs instead. Charges limit uses per battle — when they're spent, the ability is locked.

Every creature carries a signature. Mutations write the rest.

Every creature has a signature talent unique to its species. Mutations can add more talents or modify existing ones — up to three mutations per creature.

Seven combos. One creature, two abilities, one trigger.

A combo activates when a single creature has both required abilities. The combo modifies how those abilities behave — sometimes dramatically. Combos are discovered in battle and recorded in the codex. Extract and infuse the right abilities onto the right creature and the abyss rewards you.

Seven depths. The map branches.

The descent is seven depths deep and procedurally generated each run. Depths 1, 4, and 7 are fixed — battle, boss, final boss. The middle depths branch into 2–3 nodes each, rolled from weighted pools. What changes between runs is which nodes appear, which path you take, and which modifier the season is running.

Five biomes. The abyss shifts beneath you.

Each depth is themed by one of five biomes. The biome determines which creatures appear on a given floor — every creature belongs to a home biome, and encounter pools are drawn from the current depth's region.

Six modifiers. Same map, different runs.

Each season, the abyss applies a modifier to a set of depths. Some are gifts; most are taxes; one is a lie. You cannot refuse a modifier — only prepare for it.

Mutagen is the price. The talent is the gamble.

Mutations are talent-based — they modify a creature's innate talents, not raw stats. Apply a mutagen item to roll the dice. Each creature can hold up to three mutations, but the odds worsen with every application. The abyss rewards caution and punishes greed.

Bait in hand. The creature at half health.

Taming happens during battle. Throw bait at a weakened enemy and hope. Lower HP means better odds. Rarer creatures resist harder.

Twelve items. Eight belt slots. Use them wisely.

Items are consumable resources carried in the tamer's belt — a loadout of up to eight slots. Most are used during battle; some work between encounters. When they're gone, they're gone. The belt does not refill.

Four packs. Four currencies. One economy.

The camp economy runs on three resources. All are scarce. All matter.

Terms of the trade.

Short definitions, in alphabetical order. If a word looks like it should mean something specific here, it probably does.

Abyss

The whole. The seven depths below the camp; also the force that returns creatures from them.

Bait n.

An item used during battle to attempt taming an enemy creature. Consumed on use, success not guaranteed.

Belt n.

The tamer's item loadout. Max 8 slots. Holds consumables — food, bait, mutagens — carried into each descent.

Bonus Strike n.

A status that adds +1 damage per stack. Max 3 stacks. Clears at end of turn.

Camp n.

The hub above the abyss. Houses the Vault, the Mutation Lab, and the Records. Merchants are encountered during runs.

Code n.

The bestiary identifier (e.g. T3-004). Tier-prefix, then index. Stable across all runs.

Descent n.

One run through the seven depths. A descent ends at the Devourer or in the Records.

Devourer, the n.

The boss at D·VII. Cannot be tamed; cannot be skipped. SPD 6 — always acts first.

Dust n.

The run currency. Earned from battles and loot. Spent at merchants for packs and items.

Food n.

Resource used for taming creatures and resting at camp. Scarce during Famine modifiers.

Fortify n.

A status that reduces incoming damage by 1 per stack. Max 3 stacks. Persists between turns.

Lane n.

One of three combat positions (0, 1, 2). Up to 3 creatures field at once; the rest sit on the bench. Targeting: same lane first, then adjacent, then fallback.

Mutagen n.

An item that triggers a talent mutation when applied to a creature. Outcomes escalate with each use.

Mutation n.

A talent modification applied via mutagen. Four outcomes: gain, upgrade, corrupt, wild. Max 3 per creature.

Nullify n.

A status that blocks the next incoming hit entirely. Consumed on use. One of the strongest defensive tools.

Records n.

The hub ledger of every fallen creature. Lists code, name, depth, cause, kills, mutations.

Shield n.

A status that absorbs damage before HP. Max 5 stacks. Clears at end of turn.

Sigil n.

The geometric mark of a creature. Each tier has its own corner motif and color.

Stun n.

A status that causes the creature to skip its action. Lasts 1–2 turns.

Talent n.

An innate trait on a creature that modifies its behavior. Mutations add, upgrade, corrupt, or replace talents.

Taunt n.

A status that forces enemies to target this creature. Lasts 1 turn.

Void n.

Tier IV. Tamed in battle at 3% base rate — the lowest odds in the abyss. SPD 5–6 means they act before anything else on the field.

Vulnerable n.

A status that increases incoming damage by 1 per stack. Max 5 stacks. Persists between turns.

Weaken n.

A status that reduces outgoing damage by 1 per stack. Max 3 stacks. Clears at end of turn.