Of the many detailed and powerful features in style="font-style: italic;"> Rift, none is
more intriguing or hotly anticipated than the highly customizable Soul
system. When finite point talent trees hit the MMOG scene they ushered
in an era of cookie-cutter builds that left anyone who didn’t follow
them on the outside looking in. Trion Worlds has managed to evolve this
system into something much more powerful and complex, giving players
the ability to perform multiple roles and add near limitless flavor to
their characters. In an effort to broaden the scope even further they
have released four new souls specifically aimed at PvP combat, one for
each Calling, and we here at Ten Ton Hammer were fortunate enough to
get an exclusive look at them before anyone else.



Unlocked via the Favor system, these souls grow in power based on the
amount of Prestige a player accumulates and give a powerful incentive
to continually hone your craft of player vs. player warfare. The
Defiant used their powerful machines to cobble together their new souls
specifically for the unique challenges of fending off the Guardians.
The Vigil received their new specializations from the gods, born in the
image of four powerful celestial beings brought back to do battle with
the hated heretics.

Vindicator

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Dominating the battlefield from the front lines.

The newest specialization for the Warrior calling, the Vindicator
brings fury and protection to the battlefield:



Each faction’s leaders
desired a Soul to stand on the front line while all others might fall
back or flee. This is the Vindicator, a warrior of mighty strength and
indomitable will. An unrestrained master of arms, he leads the charge
and wards off blows aimed at himself and his allies. Trying to stop him
is like trying to stop a boulder rolling down a mountain; you will only
end up crushed beneath his charge. When the battlefield is soaked in
blood and the dying plead for mercy over the cries of carrion birds, it
is the Vindicator who stands on wounded legs and bellows, “Is that the
best you can do?!”



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Infiltrator

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Striking fear into the hearts of opponents

Using stealth, subterfuge and deadly tactics – the Infiltrator wreaks
havoc and instills fear in the hears of its opponents who can only
wonder when this shadowy being will next appear:



The Infiltrator was
conceived as a shadow puppet, completely undetectable as she weaves her
way to the heart of the enemy force. Poison dripping from her arrows,
she snuffs the Mage’s flames and coils the Cleric’s heart in chains
cruel as iron so that their prayers are without conviction. The
Warrior’s armor she reduces to a useless costume, so nothing stands in
the way of her penetrating strikes. When the cavalry arrives, she has
either already vanished or propelled herself far from their reach,
leaving behind shadow allies to keep them off her trail.
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Templar

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Using the powers of faith to smite foes and heal allies

Even the pious are called to battle when the Defiant and Guardians
clash. The most battle hardened and devoted Clerics are forged into the
Templar:



The architects of the
warlike Souls honed the faith and focus of a Cleric into a deadly
combatant. Templars are skilled at both offense and defense, and adept
at swinging the tide of battle. The Templar is hardened for battle
while retaining their faith, whether that faith calls for the Templar
to heal their comrades, smite their enemies, or merge both doctrines.
Templars are unstoppable in the cause of their patron, and no injury,
no poison, no mere spells can stop them.




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Archmage

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The powers of the arcane are nothing to be trifled with.

Masters of controlling the battlefield from afar, the Mage becomes even
more deadly when their craft is focused on the opposing faction.
Whether perplexing their enemies into feeble-mindedness or blasting them
into oblivion the Archmage is a force to be reckoned with:



The arcane Archmages
have perfected spells that devastate the Ascended. An Archmage learns
rituals of empowerment, control, and protection. Their spells create
blasts of energy, or curse Ascended enemies with the inability to heal,
or even banish enemies from Telara itself. An Archmage can also be a
subtle broker of information, using spells to detect the unseen and
alter the flow of magic. When it comes to controlling the battlefield
with swathes of magic, Archmages have no rival.



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We want to thank the folks at Trion for this exclusive first look and
can’t wait to employ these new souls in glorious battle.