The Severed Gods Hero Marks & Sigils

Hero Marks — sometimes labeled Sigils in menus — are permanent modifiers attached to each hero on the select screen. Marks drop during runs from boss severs, Karma milestones, and Realm achievements; you craft them into equippable Sigils with one to three effect lines. This page explains acquisition, crafting costs, slot unlocks, and recommended sigils per hero for The Severed Gods Early Access.

Pair with Karma & Hero Sigils for moral drift mechanics and Reincarnation & Meta for Realm currency that opens sigil slots.

Marks vs Sigils

• Hero Marks — fragment currency per hero, visible in Realm inventory
• Sigils — crafted equipment socketed on hero select, persists account-wide
• Slots — start at one per hero; expand via Realm upgrades

Marks are hero-specific; you cannot transfer Axeman Marks to Thief.

How to earn Marks

Primary sources:

1. Boss limb Sever rewards in High zones — see Sever Boss Limbs
2. Karma milestone events — merciful or ruthless branches
3. First-clear world bonuses
4. Achievement grants from Topebox launch challenges

Failed runs still award partial Marks based on depth — do not reset account out of frustration.

Crafting sigils

In Realm of Spirits, open Sigil Forge for each hero:

1. Spend Marks plus spirit currency
2. Choose branch — neutral, merciful, ruthless (some heroes lack all three)
3. Roll effect lines within branch pool
4. Confirm — crafting consumes Marks permanently

Reroll systems may arrive in later EA patches — check Roadmap & EA Plan.

Slot unlock order

Recommended account-wide priority:

1. Slot one on main hero (whichever you play most)
2. Realm upgrade: second slot on main
3. Slot one on secondary hero for variety
4. Third slot on main for min-maxers

Spirit costs escalate — plan in Reincarnation & Meta spending guide.

Recommended sigils by hero

Swordsman

• Neutral: +Defend spillover on successful block
• Merciful: reduced injury duration after failed Defend
• Ruthless: +Break damage when hero limb injured

Axeman

• Ruthless: sever threshold reduction on bosses
• Neutral: enrage damage reduction after failed sever

Scholar

• Neutral: debuff duration vs elites
• Merciful: bonus camp reroll charge every three runs

Thief

• Ruthless: crit chance on sever attempts
• Neutral: evasion after sever success

Taoist

• Dual-branch sigils flipping effects at Karma extremes — mandatory for serious Taoist play

Validate power impact on Heroes Tier List after equipping.

Karma alignment rules

Some sigil branches require maintaining merciful or ruthless Karma during runs to activate effects. Neutral sigils work regardless. Mismatch — ruthless sigil on merciful run — disables bonuses until drift realigns.

Taoist players should commit path on hero select, not mid-run.

Sigils and in-run relics

Sigils modify starting stats and slot counts; they do not duplicate in-run relic effects. Synergize by picking relics from Relics Tier List that amplify sigil lines — Break refund sigil + Break refund relic stacks within caps.

UI walkthrough

1. Main menu → Realm of Spirits
2. Select hero portrait
3. Socket tab → equip crafted sigil
4. Hero select before run → review sigil tooltip
5. In-run pause → sigil effects listed under passive panel

Controller users: Gamepad UI Tips notes snap settings on forge menus.

Demo limitations

Demo (App ID 4396000) previews sigil UI but full crafting requires Early Access (App ID 3755930) — Demo Walkthrough notes exact wall.

Mistakes to avoid

• Crafting sigils for unused heroes before main slots filled
• Ruthless sigils without ruthless event path knowledge
• Ignoring sever Mark rewards on optional bosses
• Assuming sigils replace learning Combat: Break & Defend

Report Mark drop bugs with seed on Discord. Balance changes: Early Access Launch.

Track Mark totals on Run Checklist optional meta section.