The Bloodbound Totem offering makes Tempest Totem upgrades more likely during Ascendant Mode play.
PC / Global, with Ashes of Malmouth, Forgotten Gods and Fangs of Asterkarn
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
Outer circles of the Ascension Altar at Kurn in Asterkarn. Totems can appear throughout Cairn, including dungeon areas.
The Ascension Altar’s outer circles influence encounter mechanics. Offering a Bloodbound Totem material raises the chance that a Monster Totem becomes a Tempest Totem. Tempest Totems release stronger enemies and a mini-boss, with a chance at unique items that can be difficult to find elsewhere. The offering makes the encounter more likely; it does not guarantee a Tempest Totem at a particular location or on a particular run.
Fangs of Asterkarn for the Ascendant Mode system and altar access.
Bloodbound Totem crafting material for the relevant offering.
Forgotten Gods for Monster Totems, which are part of that expansion.
A character able to survive the stronger encounter the offering can provoke.
Collect Bloodbound Totem material during normal play and retain enough for the altar.
Travel to Kurn and inspect the Ascension Altar’s outer circles.
Choose the Bloodbound Totem offering and review its effect on both encounter odds and enemy strength.
Visit campaign areas where you normally encounter Monster Totems.
Activate each totem and clear the spawned enemies, watching for a Tempest upgrade.
Defeat the Tempest encounter’s mini-boss and collect its loot if the upgrade appears.
Keep useful equipment and repeat in other areas while the offering remains active.
Farming tips
Your established totem routes remain viable; the upgrade mechanic does not require a special route.
Use the offering on a build that can handle the stronger fights, and lower the challenge if you are losing control of encounters.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeatable while the offering is active and you continue finding totems. Tempest upgrades and their unique drops are chance-based; the material is spent at the altar, not by each totem.
Common mistakes
Expecting every totem to upgrade: the offering improves the chance, so continue the route if none appears.
Looking for totems without Forgotten Gods: the Monster Totem system requires that expansion.
Ignoring the altar’s enemy boost: choose a safer difficulty or remove the offering if the challenge becomes unsafe.
When to stop or switch
Stop after collecting the target unique or when the added danger outweighs the reward; switch off the offering or return to ordinary totem hunting.
