Hades — Achievement Walkthrough

The tutorial boss

Tartarus is the game's first biome — about 13 chambers including Megaera's arena. Megaera is the easiest of the three Furies and is the only one most players see on their first run.

Megaera tips

• She telegraphs every attack — the whip overhand is obvious; sidestep it
• Her dash leaves an after-image; dash into it to close range safely
• Mid-fight she summons two skeletons. Kill them fast or they'll pincer you
• Phase 2 (50% HP): she summons exploding orbs; dodge laterally, not backward

You'll do this dozens of times before the game ends — it's the gateway every run. By run 5 you should be clearing Tartarus in under 4 minutes.

Lava awareness

Asphodel is mostly small platforms surrounded by instant-death lava. Your Dash through lava Mirror talent (left column) is non-negotiable here — buy it before pushing past Tartarus.

The Bone Hydra

Multi-headed boss; each head spits lava puddles. Strategy:

• Focus one head at a time — the head with active glowing eyes is the one currently attacking
• The center head respawns; killing all the side heads first makes phase 2 easier
• Phase 2: heads regrow if you're slow. Speed matters
• Hellfire Boons (Ares, Hephaestus) trivialise this fight by stacking damage on the static heads

The lava floor in the boss room slowly closes in — don't dawdle.

The cost

Four weapons come progressively in your first 10 runs (Sword unlocked free, Spear/Shield/Bow at the courtyard fountain). The expensive two are:

• Twin Fists — 8 Chthonic Keys
• Adamant Rail — 8 Chthonic Keys

How to farm Keys

Keys drop from:
- Erebus encounter rooms (1-2 per kill)
- Reward selection at biome doorways (always pick Keys when stocking up)
- First-clear bonuses for boss-fight thresholds

The Daily Contractor's first-tier bounty also rewards 1 Key for completing 'Three Furies' (defeat Megaera + Tisiphone + Alecto across three runs).

Order to unlock

1. Twin Fists FIRST — they're more accessible for new players (close-range, simple combo)
2. Adamant Rail SECOND — harder learning curve, finicky reload mechanic, but rewards mastery

Both are required for 'Master of Arms' (clear with every weapon) and 'Infernal Arms' (unlock all Aspects).

What 'Greater Call' is

Each Olympian's Boon includes a Call — an ultimate ability that triggers when your God Gauge fills. The Greater Call is the UPGRADED version: you upgrade a Call Boon via the Olympian's tier-2 offers.

How to fill the God Gauge

Take damage. The gauge fills as you absorb hits — so it requires playing slightly aggressive. Don't intentionally die to fill it; just don't focus on dodging perfectly.

Which Greater Call to use

• Zeus' Greater Call — chain-lightning the whole room. Big DPS, easy to trigger
• Athena's Greater Call — global Deflect for the whole room. Defensive god-mode
• Aphrodite's Greater Call — chain-charm everything. Trivialises elite rooms

Achievement triggers

The moment you fire any Greater Call (button cast with full gauge). Achievement is single-trigger; one use is enough.

The first real wall

Elysium is the hardest 'normal' biome. Two simultaneous bosses, fast enemy waves, and floating exalted spirits that respawn. Most first-time runs die HERE rather than against Hades.

Theseus + Asterius fight

Three-phase encounter:

1. Asterius alone — bull. Fast charges, dash through them. Easy if you stay mobile
2. Theseus alone — calls down Olympian-themed god abilities. The lightning AOE is the dangerous one — keep moving
3. Both together — the hard phase. Focus Theseus down first; Asterius is more predictable

Build advice

Ranged Boons (Artemis, Zeus) shine here because you can chip Theseus while dodging Asterius. The Lucky Tooth Keepsake is huge insurance — Theseus' final phase often one-shots casual builds.

Who counts

The Chthonic gods are the underworld deities, distinct from the Olympians up top. Mostly NPCs you meet during runs or in the House:

• Hades (you fight him)
• Nyx (in the House)
• Charon (his shop appears mid-run)
• Hypnos (House sleeper, easy to overlook)
• Thanatos (drops into runs randomly)
• Megaera, Tisiphone, Alecto (the Furies — one per run as Tartarus boss)
• Cerberus (the three-headed dog — pet him)
• Sisyphus (Asphodel side rooms)

Trigger condition

The achievement counts based on first interactions with each. Most pop naturally:

• Hades, Nyx, Charon, Hypnos — pop on run 1
• Megaera — pop on run 1 (Tartarus boss)
• Thanatos — drops into a run by ~run 5-10
• Tisiphone/Alecto — they rotate as Tartarus bosses; takes ~5-10 runs to see both

The Prophecy bar slowly fills as you encounter each.

The first true escape

Despite the casual-sounding name, this is one of the meatier achievements. You need to clear ALL FOUR biomes in a single run and defeat Hades himself in the final chamber. Expect 10-30 attempts before your first kill.

Pre-run checklist

• All four Death Defiances purchased in the Mirror of Night (left column, 2nd from top)
• Centaur Heart maxed for permanent HP
• Lucky Tooth Keepsake equipped (Skelly's gift) — free revive once per run, safety net for the Hades fight

Mid-run tips

• Stack a single god's Boons for Duo Boons (Aphrodite + Ares = Curse of Longing is brutal)
• Save Pom of Power upgrades for your main attack, not for Casts
• In Elysium, save Death Defiances for Theseus / Asterius — the chariot phase eats casual runs

The Hades fight

Two phases. Phase 1: dash through his charges, not away. Phase 2: kill summoned skeletons FAST before you get sandwiched. Save your Death Defiances for phase 2.

How Thanatos showdowns work

Thanatos occasionally drops into your run as a competitive ally — same enemy room, but you're competing to land kills. Whoever has more kills wins; he gives you a reward (Centaur Heart) for winning.

How to win by 15+

The baseline is winning by 1; this achievement asks for a domination — 15-kill margin.

Strategy

• AoE everything — single-target weapons let Thanatos cherry-pick. Use Twin Fists with Aspect of Demeter (heavy AoE) or Sword Aspect of Arthur
• Take damage Boons that PROC ON KILL — Ares' Doom, Dionysus' Hangover
• Pre-stack the room — if Thanatos has already entered, fire off your Cast immediately for a tag on every enemy

Timing

Thanatos appears in runs where his Keepsake (Pierced Butterfly) is NOT equipped — equip his Keepsake actually REDUCES his showdown frequency. Counter-intuitive but documented.

When the achievement pops

The moment Thanatos says 'You've outdone me, Zag…' at end of room with you ahead by 15+.

How to kill Skelly

Skelly the training dummy in the courtyard takes damage like a real enemy. Hit him enough and he 'dies' — he flops dramatically, then respawns moments later.

Each death counts

The count tracks each lethal blow. So you don't need to seek this out — anyone who's practiced their Skelly DPS test (for the Bronze/Silver/Aluminum trophies) has dozens of kills by mid-game.

Why kill him deliberately

• Practice your full damage rotation
• Vent frustration between failed runs (Skelly canonically enjoys it)
• Get the achievement, which is the only progress-tracker for this stat

Tracking

There's no in-game counter for Skelly kills. The achievement just pops at 15.

What Wells are

Wells of Charon are vending-machine kiosks that spawn occasionally in rooms. They sell 1 item for Obols — typically Pom of Power, Centaur Heart, Refresh, Kiss of Styx, etc.

How many Wells exist per run

Wells are rare — usually 3-6 per run, mostly in Asphodel and Elysium. You can buy ONE item per Well, so 9 purchases require 9 Wells.

How to encounter more Wells

• Pact Condition: Convenience Fee — boosts Well frequency
• Aspect of Lucifer (Rail) — its design makes more rooms = more chances
• Heat with longer biomes — more rooms = more Well RNG

Tactical tips

• Hoard Obols — don't spend them on Boon refreshes early
• Buy whatever's cheapest to maximise purchase count — Refresh tokens are usually 60 Obol and count
• Talk to the Wretched Broker for Obol-Gem trades if you're flush on Gems but low on Obols

Do this on a run dedicated to the achievement; don't try to mix it with Heat farming.

How to pet Cerberus

Cerberus is the three-headed dog who lounges in the back-right of the House lounge. Walk up, hit the interact button.

Daily petting limit

You can pet Cerberus ONCE between runs. So 10 pets = 10 separate House visits.

Tip: don't skip this

It's the wholesome answer to every difficult run. Lose a run → come home → pet the dog. Repeat 10 times for an easy achievement and a serotonin boost.

Bonus dialogue

After you've fed Cerberus a treat (via the House Contractor purchase 'Cerberus Treat'), his interaction prompt changes. Doesn't affect the achievement count but adds variety.

This is the easiest achievement in the game and also the most-loved one. Do not skip.

Who's the Broker

The Wretched Broker is the NPC in the House courtyard's far-right alcove. She trades resources between currencies — Gems ↔ Obols, Nectar ↔ Keys, etc.

How to trade efficiently

Each time you visit, she offers 3 trades. Picking any of them counts as one trade — even bad trades. So:

• Don't optimise her offers; just hit accept on whichever is cheapest
• One visit per run × 20 runs = achievement done
• Or rapid-fire her 3 trades in a single visit = 3 trades from one stop

Resources you usually have to spare

• Gemstones — accumulate fast once the House Contractor is built
• Obols — wasted between runs anyway
• Diamonds (later game) — abundant if you've cleared on Heat

Trade away whatever you have surplus of for whatever's the bottleneck. Doesn't matter what you actually take — the count tracks per-trade, not per-result.

What the Admin Chamber is

The Administrative Chamber is Hades' office in the House — the room behind the throne where he sits when you're not running. Early game it's locked. Late game it becomes accessible for story scenes and the Pact UI.

How to unlock

1. Beat Hades at least once (for the first credits roll)
2. Engage with the Pact of Punishment — toggle at least one condition on, complete a run
3. Talk to Hades after the first Heat clear — he opens the office in dialogue
4. Walk to the back of the throne room — the chamber door is now accessible

What's inside

Hades' desk has the Pact of Punishment interactive — it's the menu for adjusting Heat levels. Several story scenes happen here as the post-credits arc progresses.

Tip

After unlocking, visit the chamber every few runs — Hades has dialogue specific to recent achievements, Mirror upgrades, and story progress. It's where some of the best father-son writing happens.

What counts

Each unique Boon (e.g., 'Aphrodite's Charm Strike', 'Zeus' Lightning Flourish') counts ONCE toward the 100. Duplicates of the same Boon don't add.

How to accelerate

• Rotate Keepsakes — different Keepsakes guarantee different gods on the first Boon offer, exposing you to different Boon pools
• Take Boons you don't usually pick — if you always grab Strike Boons, branch out to Specials, Casts, Dashes
• Visit Chaos Gates — Chaos Boons count as unique and there are 30+ of them

Codex tracking

The in-game Codex (Nyx's gift) tracks which Boons you've seen. You can browse it between runs to identify gaps. Each Boon has a 'first seen' lock; once you take it, it counts forever.

Speed-run strategy

On purpose-runs for this achievement, equip the Conch Shell (Poseidon Keepsake) then deliberately take Boons in categories you usually skip. 5-6 of these targeted runs covers everything.

How Aspect leveling works

Each Weapon Aspect has 5 levels. Each level costs Titan Blood. Total to max one Aspect: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15 Titan Blood for a single Aspect maxed.

Recommended first max

Aspect of Zagreus (default Sword) is the fastest because:

1. It's already unlocked (default Aspect of every weapon)
2. Its stat buffs are pure damage/range — universally useful
3. The Sword is the most forgiving weapon for early-game Heat farming

Faster alternatives

If you've unlocked a hidden Aspect you love (Lucifer Rail, Arthur Sword, Guan Yu Spear), max that instead — they reward the investment more.

Where Titan Blood comes from

First-time boss kills at each Heat threshold (1, 5, 10, 16, etc.) per weapon. Also Charon shop occasional sales (1200 Obols), Persephone gifts, and Daily Contractor bounties.

The story beat

When you first arrive, Orpheus sits silent in the House lounge. He's pining for Eurydice (who's stuck in Asphodel). Reuniting them is the key.

Steps

1. Find Eurydice — she's in a random chamber in Asphodel. Look for a glowing music-note doorway
2. Give Eurydice Nectar — at least once
3. Talk to Orpheus between runs every time you're in the House — his dialogue advances when you've made progress
4. Bring them back together — at a certain Prophecy stage, the game prompts you to relay messages between them

Trigger condition

After ~6 Nectar exchanges with both Orpheus and Eurydice + completing 'Musician and Muse', Orpheus starts singing. Achievement pops on first song.

Why this matters

Orpheus' songs play in the background of the House from then on. Several songs reference your run progress. A nice persistent reward for finishing his arc.

Easiest first bond

Achilles is the canonical first bond. He's always in the House so no run-luck needed, and his questline is rich and rewards you with the Aspect of Achilles for the Spear.

What 'max' means

Max friendship = give 6 Nectars + 6 Ambrosias. Once both bars are full and you've cleared the related dialogue arc, the bond is forged.

Why not just max Skelly?

Skelly's bond is technically easier (no Ambrosia required), but he doesn't give a Companion — just a Keepsake (Lucky Tooth). Achilles is more rewarding for the same effort.

After the bond

The NPC gives you their Companion (for House NPCs) or unlocks a hidden interaction (Olympians). Achilles in particular has a major story arc connected to Patroclus that resolves once you've maxed both.

How to fish

Buy the Fishing Rod from the House Contractor (cheap, ~10 Gems). Then look for special purple fishing pools that spawn randomly in rooms. Walk up, hit the interact button, wait for the audio cue, hit again. Catch a fish.

Fish per biome

• Tartarus — Hellfish (common)
• Asphodel — Knucklehead (common)
• Elysium — Slavug (uncommon)
• Styx — Charpus (uncommon)
• Surface — Surface fish (rare)

Each biome has multiple species but you only need ONE catch per biome for this achievement.

Timing the cast

The audio cue is a soft bloop. Press interact a heartbeat after — too early and you miss, too late and the fish leaves. Practice on Hellfish (most common) until you have the timing.

Why fish at all

Fish trade in to the cook for cosmetics and a House Contractor upgrade. Not amazing rewards but the achievement is the point.

What the Contractor sells

The House Contractor (the stand in the courtyard near Sisyphus' brother) sells permanent unlocks for Gemstones. Some are essential gameplay upgrades (Companion Pedestal, Fishing Rod, Wretched Broker access), others are pure cosmetics (House Banner, courtyard decorations).

The order to prioritise

This achievement counts ALL purchases — including the cosmetic-only ones. So buying low-cost cosmetics is the fastest path to 50 total purchases.

Functional ones to prioritise

Before cosmetic spam:
1. Companion Pedestal — needed for the Companion achievements
2. Fishing Rod — needed for 'River Denizens'
3. Improved Codex — quality-of-life
4. Statues / banners — pure cosmetic, cheap, count toward 50

Gemstone bottleneck

Gemstones come from drops in mid-game biomes (mostly Elysium). Higher Heat = more drops. By the time you're chasing this achievement, you'll have hundreds banked.

The credits-roll moment

This pops the same moment as 'Is There No Escape?' — the first time you beat Hades. The achievement name hints at the story reveal at the end of that fight. Don't spoil it; just play.

After this pops

The game does NOT end. Hades has a post-credits epilogue that requires roughly 10 more successful escapes plus maxed friendship with Persephone. See 'One for the Ages' for the actual true ending.

What Prophecies are

The Fated List of Minor Prophecies is a side-quest log accessed via the table next to Nyx. Each Prophecy describes a goal (e.g., 'War-God's Bloodlust: kill 1000 enemies with Ares Boons') and pays out 1-2 Diamonds when completed.

Which 15 are easiest

Most auto-progress as you play. Easy clears:

1. Master of Arms — clear with every weapon
2. Chthonic Colleagues — meet every god (just keep playing)
3. Dark Reflections — Mirror upgrades
4. Harsh Conditions — first Heat clears
5. Slashed Benefits — Elite kills
6. War-God's Bloodlust — kills with Ares
7. Night and Darkness — Nyx/Chaos questline
8. End to Torment — Sisyphus' arc
9. Musician and Muse — Orpheus/Eurydice
10. Divided by Death — Achilles/Patroclus

That's 10 right there; 5 more come from finishing the personal-story Prophecies (Persephone, Hermes, etc.)

Easiest progress strategy

Visit the table every 5-10 runs and grab any auto-completed Prophecy. Pick up new ones as old ones complete to keep the pool flowing.

How to trigger the fight

In any biome, find a Charon shop where Charon is away from the counter (he wanders off occasionally). Steal a sack from behind the counter. He'll appear and attack you mid-run.

The fight

Charon hits like a truck — single attacks can erase a Death Defiance. His attacks:

• Slow scythe sweeps — sidestep laterally
• Soul beam — telegraphed; dash perpendicular to the beam direction
• Teleport behind you — listen for the audio cue; dash away on hearing it

The Loyalty Card

If you survive AND beat him, he drops a Loyalty Card. The card gives you discounts at his shops for the rest of the run. Achievement pops on the card pickup.

Don't do this on a serious run

The fight is rough and the reward is mid. Try it on a throwaway run where you don't care about reaching the surface.

What's a Daedalus Hammer

A Daedalus Hammer appears once per biome (usually one in Tartarus + one in Asphodel) and offers a weapon-specific modifier — bigger AoE, extra projectiles, faster fire rate, etc.

Pool size

Each weapon has roughly 8-12 unique Hammer upgrades, and each Aspect has its own pool. So across 6 weapons × 4 Aspects, there are well over 200 possible Hammers — easily 50 unique picks.

How to accelerate

• Try every weapon — don't lock into one. Each gives different Hammers
• Run hidden Aspects for unique-only Hammers
• Pick the unfamiliar option when the Hammer offers two — your 50 count grows fastest

Tracking

The Codex doesn't separately track Hammer enchantments seen, so just trust the cumulative count behind the scenes. Most players hit 50 around run 50.

How to unlock

Max your friendship with any House NPC (Achilles is usually first — give him 6 Nectars then 6 Ambrosias). When the relationship maxes, they give you a Companion — a one-use combat ability you take into runs.

Equipping

The House Contractor sells the 'Companion Pedestal' for Gemstones early. Once installed, walk up to it and pick a Companion to take into the next run. Achievement pops on first equip.

Best first Companions

• Battie (from Megaera) — burst damage on big enemies. Use on bosses
• Mort (from Patroclus) — short-burst tank ally
• Antos (from Achilles) — big AoE

Companions are one-use per run (with cooldown for multi-use variants). Don't save them — pop on the first elite encounter you struggle with.

The list

Clear with: Stygian Blade (Sword), Eternal Spear, Shield of Chaos, Heart-Seeking Bow, Twin Fists, Adamant Rail.

Easiest weapons

1. Sword — most forgiving, default Aspect is fine
2. Spear — long range, simple combos. Use Aspect of Hades for the wave-clearing whirlwind
3. Shield — bull rush makes it broken. Aspect of Zeus's pong-bounce is hilarious-strong

Hardest weapons

1. Adamant Rail — manual reload, tight tempo, easy to die during reload. Don't play it without preparing
2. Twin Fists — close-range, no safety net. The Aspect of Demeter is the strongest version for completing this

Strategy

Do this WHILE you're farming Titan Blood for Aspect unlocks anyway. Each Aspect unlock typically requires a clear with that weapon; this Prophecy piggybacks on that grind. Two birds, one stone.

You'll naturally complete this around run 40-60.

Which Aspects count

The 'hidden' Aspects are the unlockable 4th option for each weapon: Guan Yu (Spear), Lucifer (Rail), Arthur (Sword), Gilgamesh (Fists), Beowulf (Shield), Rama (Bow). All cost Titan Blood to unlock and require their precursor Aspects.

Easiest hidden Aspect to clear with

Arthur (Sword) by a mile. Massive AoE swings, a passive damage aura, and built-in DR through its damage-shield ability. Beginner-friendly version of god mode.

Next easiest: Lucifer (Rail) — the bomb launcher is range-safe.

Avoid for this achievement

Guan Yu (Spear) halves your max HP. Cool for high-Heat speedruns but rough for a first hidden-Aspect clear.

How to unlock

Talk to Achilles after the credits to unlock the riddles that point you to the hidden Aspects. The riddle for each Aspect tells you which prior Aspect needs to be active to discover it.

Who needs Nectar

• Olympians (run-only): Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Ares, Dionysus, Demeter, Hermes, Chaos
• House NPCs (always accessible): Nyx, Megaera, Achilles, Skelly, Sisyphus, Eurydice, Patroclus, Hypnos, Orpheus, Thanatos, Dusa

Total: 21 Keepsakes.

How to farm Nectar

• ~1 Nectar drops per run from Wells of Charon or story chambers
• Run the Adamant Rail or Bow for more Charon shops (longer biomes)
• Daily Contractor's bounty often rewards 1-3 Nectar

Hardest-to-meet Olympians

• Hermes only appears at random doorway portraits; he can no-show for 5+ runs in a row. Use his Keepsake (the Lambent Plume) to bump his frequency once you have it
• Chaos requires a purple Chaos Gate (random per biome). Worth detouring for

Giving Patroclus a Nectar requires meeting him first in Elysium; he's in a hidden side room (look for a stone face symbol).

Where to find one

Infernal Gates are red skull doorways that occasionally appear at the END of biomes (Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium). They cost 1 Death Defiance to enter and put you in a wave-survival room with a Pom of Power reward.

Build that makes it trivial

• Aphrodite's Charm Boons — enemies fight each other; you barely touch them
• Athena's Deflect Aura — passively reflects projectiles; near-zero incoming damage
• Twin Fists with charge attacks — clears whole rooms before enemies aggro

Tactical tips

• Enter Gates ONLY after biome 2 (Asphodel) when your build is online — never on Tartarus
• Stay in motion; don't camp corners. Most damage in Gates comes from spawn-on-top crystals
• Save your Cast charges; a well-placed Cast clears a wave instantly

Achievement pops the moment the gate closes if you're at full HP.

What the Codex tracks

Nyx's Codex (gifted to you mid-story) has entries for:
- Every Olympian + Chaos
- Every House NPC
- Boss encounters
- Notable enemy types
- Major items (Keepsakes, Aspects)

How entries unlock

Each entry unlocks the first time you meet/encounter/use that thing. So progress is automatic — just play the game.

Late-game gaps

The stuff you'll probably miss without trying:

• Charon's Loyalty Card entry — earned by beating Charon (see 'To Charon's Credit')
• Specific enemy variants in higher Heat levels (e.g., Skull Cyclops in Styx)
• Hidden ending characters that only appear post-epilogue

How to check progress

Nyx's Codex is on the House table near the Mirror. Click any entry to see what unlocks it; locked entries show a teaser hint like 'You have not yet met...'.

Most players naturally clear this around run 60-80 without targeting it.

How to accelerate

Equip the Bloodstone (Ares Keepsake) at the start of any run. This guarantees Ares appears in the first 2 Boon rooms, letting you stack his Boons early and consistently.

Best Ares Boon combos

• Curse of Agony (Strike or Special) — DOT ticks count as kills
• Slicing Shot (Cast) — buzzsaw projectile chunks crowds
• Doom-tagged Boons — Doom procs all count toward this Prophecy

Weapon synergies

• Twin Fists with Doom Strike — fast hits stack Doom counters; each tick = a kill credit
• Adamant Rail Special with Doom — bombs that DoT in waves

The grind

1000 kills sounds like a lot but stacks fast. A normal Ares-heavy run kills 300-500 enemies. Three focused runs and you're done.

Don't forget Curse Boons

Curse of Vengeance reflects enemy attacks back at them — kills via reflected damage still count as your kills.

What Extreme Measures does

The Extreme Measures Pact of Punishment modifier (3 ranks) progressively buffs bosses. At rank 3 (Elysium), Theseus summons a colossal statue of Aphrodite mid-fight. The statue fires homing tracking beams and is brutal.

The statue fight

• Active phases: rank 3 summons the statue early in phase 3 (when both bosses are alive)
• The statue's beam tracks you slowly — strafe constantly, never stop
• Damage the statue's beam-eye to break the phase
• DON'T ignore Theseus and Asterius — they keep attacking while you focus the statue

Build for this

This is a Hellfire-comp fight. Stack Hephaestus Special Boons or Ares Curse of Pain. A Twin Fists Aspect of Demeter build can shred the statue in seconds. Avoid slow weapons (Shield, default Sword) here.

Expect 5-10 attempts. The statue's geometry is unforgiving until you learn it.

The two characters

• Orpheus: Silent in the House lounge. Loves Eurydice. Won't sing.
• Eurydice: In a hidden Asphodel side room (look for the music-note doorway). Misses Orpheus but pretends not to.

Steps

1. Find Eurydice in Asphodel — random hidden chamber. The music-note doorway is the giveaway
2. Give her Nectar — at least 3
3. Talk to Orpheus in the House — he'll start opening up after a few visits
4. Mid-arc, Eurydice asks you to relay a message — do it the next time you see Orpheus
5. Late-arc, they reunite in a brief scene set in Eurydice's grove

After completion

Orpheus starts singing again ('Urge to Sing' achievement also pops). You can request specific songs from him via dialogue.

The whole arc is beautifully written — slow-burn, emotional, one of the game's best.

What the Lambent Plume does

Lambent Plume (Hermes' Keepsake): you gain a dodge chance that increases the faster you clear rooms. At max rank, the cap is 20% dodge.

How to build the stack

• Clear rooms FAST — under 25 seconds per room is ideal
• Use a fast-clearing weapon — Adamant Rail, Twin Fists with Doom, or Aspect of Demeter Fists
• Pack damage Boons — Ares Doom, Hephaestus AoE, Zeus chain lightning
• Avoid Boon-shopping detours — every wasted second in a non-combat room slows you

The 20% cap

The stack maxes at 20%. The achievement pops the moment you HIT 20%, not when you sustain it. So a single super-fast biome can push you over.

Heat 1 helps

The Pact 'Tight Deadline' is a great pairing — the timer forces you to clear fast, which is exactly what the Plume rewards. Stack discount.

What's a Trial of the Gods

A rare mid-run event: two Olympians appear simultaneously and force you to pick between their Boons. The one you DON'T pick gets angry and 'curses' your next room, attacking you with their own ability set.

The setup

1. Trigger a Trial — happens randomly when two compatible gods spawn in close succession
2. Have a Greater Call from one of the trial gods loaded (full God Gauge active)
3. Choose the OTHER god's Boon — this spurns the Greater Call's god
4. Use the Greater Call in the next room AGAINST the spurned god's curse — this is the 'bad call' moment

Why it's hard

Timing is fiddly:
- You need the right Trial pair
- You need a Greater Call (not a basic Call)
- You need to actively use it during the curse phase, not before

Best setup

Run Aspect of Beowulf Shield with Zeus Greater Call early. Force a Trial by picking Boons from many different gods to keep the spawn pool wide.

Where Skelly is

Skelly the practice dummy stands in the courtyard outside the Mirror of Night room. Walk up and attack him.

How the prize works

Deal a set amount of damage within a fixed time window. The Bronze trophy threshold is low — even basic weapons and basic Boons on a mid-run loadout can clear it. The achievement pops the moment Skelly drops the trophy.

Tips

• Practice while waiting for cooldowns between runs — Skelly is in your face anyway
• The clock starts on first hit, so wait until your Dash is loaded before the first strike
• Heart-Seeking Bow charge shots count as bonus damage if held; charge the first shot

This is more of a tutorial gate than a real challenge.

Where to find a Fountain Room

Mid-biome Fountain rooms (Asphodel, Elysium, Styx) offer the chance to swap or purge a Boon for a fee. Purging removes a Boon from your active list and refunds some resources.

How to get a Legendary Boon first

Legendary Boons are the gold-rare top tier of a god's Boon tree. You need to have 3 already-eligible Boons from the same god to be offered the Legendary. The easiest setups:

• Stack 3+ Athena Boons → 'Divine Protection' Legendary
• Stack 3+ Zeus Boons → 'Splitting Bolt' Legendary

The deliberate purge

Once you have a Legendary, walk to the next Fountain Room and pick the purge option. Achievement pops the moment the Boon is removed.

Why you'd actually do this

In a real run, almost never. But it's a free achievement on any run where you take a Legendary then realise you no longer want it.

What 'Elite' means

In higher Heat levels, normal enemies sometimes spawn as Elites — yellow-glowing variants with one of several modifiers (Slowed, Doomed, Sturdy, Volatile, etc.). The Prophecy asks you to kill enemies with each modifier active.

When Elites appear

Elite spawns require Heat 1+ with the relevant Pact condition active, or come naturally in higher Heat levels. The list of modifiers you can encounter expands as you raise Heat.

The full list of Elite modifiers

• Doomed, Sturdy, Volatile, Snowflake, Speedy, Sniper, Beefy, Healing, Acid, etc.

How to ensure variety

• Run Pact Condition: Approved Substitutes which forces Elite spawns more frequently
• Run Heat 4+ which seeds more modifier variety
• Take a route through Elysium — Elites are most common there

Don't grind this directly

The Prophecy fills naturally during normal high-Heat play. By the time you've done 10-15 Heat 4+ clears, you'll have killed Elites of every modifier without trying.

Talent pairs

The Mirror has 12 talent rows, each with a left and right option. You pick ONE side per row at any time. This achievement counts ranks, not pick sides — you need to invest at least 1 Darkness in BOTH columns of every row.

Cost estimate

Each talent's first rank is cheap (10-100 Darkness depending on row). All 24 first-ranks total roughly 1500 Darkness. Easily covered by mid-game.

How to toggle

In the Mirror UI, hold the toggle button to switch a row's active side. Buying the new side's first rank is independent of the old side's progress.

Best order

Prioritise the side you actually want to USE first (Death Defiance, Centaur Heart, Stubborn Defiance, Greater Reflex). Then come back later for the unused-side first-ranks just for the achievement.

Don't break a good build

Never spec into a side you don't actually want for this achievement DURING a run-relevant Mirror session. Switch sides between runs only.

The setup

Nyx is the goddess of Night who lives in the House. Chaos is the primordial god you can only meet by entering a Chaos Gate (purple swirl) mid-run. They're siblings but estranged.

Steps

1. Find a Chaos Gate — purple swirling door, appears randomly in any biome. Pay the HP toll, enter, accept Chaos' Boon
2. Talk to Nyx in the House after any Chaos interaction — she'll comment on it
3. Repeat — after ~5 Chaos visits and ~5 Nyx conversations, dialogue arc advances
4. The reunion — at the climax, Chaos comes to the House. Talk to both back-to-back to trigger the reunion scene

Trigger condition

The achievement pops when the reunion scene plays. You won't miss it — there's a unique cinematic and Nyx's dialogue marker becomes permanent.

How to find Chaos Gates faster

Equip the Aphrodite Eye Keepsake for higher Boon-room frequency, then explore biomes you'd normally skip. The Adamant Rail's longer biomes give more chances.

Who Sisyphus is

Sisyphus appears in random Asphodel side rooms, pushing his boulder. He's a friendly NPC who gives you free Boons and Obols in exchange for dialogue.

Steps

1. Meet him — find his boulder room in Asphodel (random side room, often locked door)
2. Give him Nectars as you find him — 6 total
3. Listen to his story — each meeting advances the arc as you progress
4. The final beat — at a certain story point, Sisyphus and his brother (the House Contractor's clerk) reunite

What 'liberation' means

Lore-wise, Sisyphus isn't freed from his curse (mythology doesn't budge that easily). But he gets reunited with his brother and his story closes on a softer note. The Prophecy fulfils when that scene triggers.

Tip

Keep an eye on the House Contractor's clerk's portrait at the courtyard counter — that's Sisyphus' brother. Talk to him every run to advance the family-side dialogue.

What it requires

Each weapon has 4 Aspects:
- Default (unlocked free)
- Aspect of (god) — needs Titan Blood
- Aspect of (hero) — needs Titan Blood
- Hidden Aspect — needs Titan Blood + a riddle from Achilles

Total cost: roughly 25-30 Titan Blood + clearing the riddles.

The hidden Aspects

• Sword → Arthur
• Spear → Guan Yu
• Shield → Beowulf
• Bow → Rama
• Fists → Gilgamesh
• Rail → Lucifer

Each hidden Aspect is unlocked by:
1. Reaching Aspect level 1 on the prior 3 Aspects of that weapon
2. Talking to Achilles after the credits — he tells you the riddle clue
3. Equipping the correct preceding Aspect when the riddle says (e.g., for Arthur: 'Look to the King' — equip the Aspect of Hera or whichever the riddle hints at)

Pacing

Don't try to do this in one weapon at a time. Unlock the cheap level-1 Aspect on EVERY weapon first; you'll naturally accumulate Titan Blood over 50-80 runs as Heat thresholds unlock.

What the Prophecy asks

The in-game text says 'clear an escape attempt using each Mirror talent at least once'. In practice this means: complete 12 winning runs where each features a different active Mirror talent (left or right of each row).

How tracking works

The game tracks which side of each row was active when you won. So you need to toggle sides between successful runs.

Efficient strategy

Once you can win runs reliably, deliberately swap your weakest-active talent before the next escape attempt. Eventually all 12 rows have a winning-run flag on both sides.

The hardest sides to win with

• Privileged Status (rare-Boon attraction) — less reliable than its counterpart
• Boiling Blood (damage to recently-cursed enemies) — niche
• Family Favourite (god-rotation) — requires Boon stacking

For these, run a 'safe' weapon (Sword default or Lucifer Rail) on Heat 1 to grind out the clears.

The Iliad in Hades

Achilles and Patroclus were lovers/companions in the Iliad. In Hades, Achilles is in the House (he trains you with the Spear). Patroclus is alone in an Elysium side chamber. The Prophecy reunites them.

Steps

1. Max friendship with Achilles — 6 Nectars + 6 Ambrosias. This is the long part
2. Find Patroclus in an Elysium side room — stone-face symbol doorway, usually requires picking the right alternate route
3. Give Patroclus 6 Nectars — each refilled over multiple visits
4. The story climaxes — Achilles asks you to relay a message to Patroclus. After enough back-and-forth, a unique scene plays where they meet again

Why this Prophecy is special

It requires both NPCs' friendship arcs to be substantially advanced AND specific Heat thresholds. You'll typically have this done around the same time you're chasing the true ending.

Tip

Patroclus' room only appears in alternating Elysium paths. If you keep missing it, take the path you DON'T usually take at the Elysium fork.

The long road

After beating Hades the first time, the post-credits story unlocks. The epilogue triggers after you've completed roughly 10 surface escapes AND maxed several key NPC friendships.

Gate-keepers

• 10 successful escapes post-credits — each one advances Persephone's story
• Max friendship with Persephone — give her Nectar then Ambrosia (Ambrosia drops from beating bosses on increasing Heat levels)
• Resolve all character questlines: Achilles ↔ Patroclus, Orpheus ↔ Eurydice, Sisyphus, Dusa
• Hermes' personal questline — talk to him every run

How Heat helps

The Pact of Punishment unlocks after your first kill. Crank Heat to 1-3 to unlock Ambrosia drops from bosses. Higher Heat = more Ambrosia but harder runs. Heat 5-8 is the sweet spot for farming.

Worth the grind

The epilogue is one of the most-praised endings in roguelikes. Don't look it up — just play through it organically.

What the Pact is

After your first Hades kill, the Pact of Punishment unlocks. It's a list of ~14 difficulty modifiers (Calisthenics Program, Hard Labor, Tight Deadline, etc.) you can toggle on for bonus Heat.

The achievement

Clear at least one escape with each of the conditions active (individually counts; doesn't need to be all simultaneously).

Easiest to clear with

• Calisthenics Program (enemies gain HP) — Heat 1, almost free
• Tight Deadline (chamber timer) — Heat 2, mostly just pushes pace
• Convenience Fee (Charon prices up) — Heat 1, no real difficulty bump

Hardest to clear with

• Lasting Consequences (no Death Defiance) — risky on first kill attempt
• Forced Overtime (bosses second phase early) — actually makes fights harder
• Extreme Measures (bosses' Extreme Measures phase) — adds new mechanics to boss fights

Strategy

Stack only one Pact condition at a time when chasing this. You'll naturally accumulate other Pact clears while grinding Heat for Titan Blood — track which sides you've cleared in the Codex.

What's different from Bronze

Silver requires roughly 2-3x the damage in the same time window. You need a real build to clear it — usually means doing it on a run where your Boons came together well, after hitting Skelly with leftover charge.

Strategy

• Pick this up on a run where you have Doom (Ares) stacked on your main attack — DOT ticks count
• Athena Special Boon (deflect-spam) lets you charge attacks with bonus damage
• The Aspect of Zagreus (Sword) maxed with a Pom-buffed special is enough

Don't kill mid-run

You don't need to drop everything for this. Hit Skelly while waiting for a Cast cooldown between rooms; if his timer pops the Silver, great, otherwise carry on.

This is the gateway to the Aluminium trophy in the post-game (separate from achievements, just for completionists).

What the Pierced Butterfly does

Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos' Keepsake): grants up to +30% bonus damage when you fight enemies at very close range. The bonus builds up while you're near enemies and drops when you back off.

How to maintain the buff

• Stay in melee range — even with ranged weapons, hug enemies
• Avoid backing away — let the bonus accumulate to max
• Pair with Aphrodite's Charm — enemies don't attack you while charmed, but the Butterfly proximity still ticks

Best weapons for this

• Twin Fists — natural melee
• Aspect of Beowulf (Shield) — close-range stance
• Sword Aspect of Arthur — wide sweeps keep you in the bubble

When the achievement pops

The moment the buff hits 30% on the HUD indicator. Just play melee for one biome and you'll see it pop in chamber 5-10 of any run.

Who gives Companions

Max-friendship with each of: Achilles, Megaera, Sisyphus, Eurydice, Patroclus, Dusa, Thanatos, Skelly. Each requires you to feed them 6 Nectar AND 6 Ambrosia. That's 12 gifts per NPC × 8 NPCs = 96 gifts total.

Ambrosia is the bottleneck

• Ambrosia ONLY drops from beating bosses on increasing Heat levels
• The first Ambrosia drop from each weapon = unlocking the first Heat-1 clear
• After that, each Heat threshold (5, 10, 16) gives another Ambrosia per weapon

So unlocking all 96 Ambrosias requires roughly 8 weapons × 12 Heat thresholds = no, wait — each NPC needs 6 Ambrosias, total 48. Tractable but slow.

The order

Progress everyone to 6 Nectars FIRST (relatively easy). Then chip away at Ambrosia on a per-NPC basis as Heat levels unlock. Don't grind Ambrosia on one NPC at a time — spread it across all 8 so you get Companion variety.

How Keepsake leveling works

A Keepsake gains a rank when you equip it AND fully clear a biome with it equipped. So one Keepsake = 3 biome-clears to max it (rank 1 → 2 → 3).

The math

21 Keepsakes × 3 ranks = 63 biome-clears. But you can stack progress: equip a Keepsake at the start, clear Tartarus, switch to a different Keepsake for Asphodel, etc. One run = 4 leveling slots.

Best leveling strategy

• Use the Companion Re-Summoner (House Contractor purchase) to swap Keepsakes mid-run
• Prioritise the Keepsakes you don't care about first (Patroclus' Distant Memory, Sisyphus' Pierced Butterfly) — they're 'wasted' slots anyway
• Save your favorite Keepsakes (Lucky Tooth, Cosmic Egg) for the last 3 levels — by then your build is reliable enough to lose them for a biome

For the actually-useful Keepsakes, the rank-3 bonus is meaningful: Lucky Tooth rank 3 grants two free revives, Cosmic Egg rank 3 turns into 30% damage resist.