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As with any good rogue-like,Hades 2can prove quite the challenge at times. Even just reaching the end of a run can be daunting, let alone defeating the final boss. Except once you’ve had a taste of victory, the thirst for challenge comes alongside it. Thankfully, Hades 2 has you covered in that regard too.
Sat dormant in the training grounds of the Crossroads, the Pitch-Black Stone comes equipped with challenges for Melinoë to accomplish, but you have to unlock it first. Its challenges are myriad, from trivial to utterly absurd, but they all come with a reward worth fighting for.
Hades 2 is still in Early Access at the point of writing, so some information in this guide may change over time.
How To Unlock The Pitch-Black Stone
At the beginning of the game,the training groundsare somewhat barren, home only to your Nocturnal Arms. As time goes on and you complete incantations,more functions unlock,and one of these isthe Pitch-Black Stone.
Unlike the self-imposed punishments of the Oath of the Unseen,the Pitch-Black Stone can be unlocked long before you’ve beaten Chronos, and instead requiresspending some quality time with Chaos.
The first step to unlocking the Pitch-Black Stone and its associated trials isensuring you’ve given Chaos at least one bottle of Nectar. From here on, you must simplyvisit them and accept their boonsenough times for them to bring up a’certain artefact’where you reside. They will then give youtheAbyssal Insight incantation.
The Abyssal Insight incantation requirestwo Fate Fabric, two Pearls, two Moly, and two Nightshade. After performing the incantation, the Pitch-Black Stone is immediately available in the training grounds.
How To Use The Pitch-Black Stone
Uponinteracting with the Pitch-Black Stone through the ‘Scry’ command,you will be presented with a list ofChaos Trials.
Unlike the Oath of the Unseen,the Chaos Trials are wholly self-contained.You complete the region in question, and the whole trial completes.For example, a trial set in Oceanus will begin and end in Oceanusafter defeating Scylla and the Sirens.
While this may seem more generous than the Fear of the Oath of the Unseen, theChaos Trials are much more restrictivein other regards.
You can only use the specific loadout it assigns you, and even the boons presented to you are in many cases predetermined.You must complete the trial as Chaos intended.
The relative difficulty of any Chaos Trial is also indicated bythe number of red eyes beside it, ranging from one to five eyes.
Thereward for completing a Chaos Trial isStardust, which is used in various other incantations, such as creating Beast-Loved Morsels for taming Familiars.
How To Unlock New Trials For The Pitch-Black Stone
Thetrials presented to you when you first unlock the Pitch-Black Stone are likely not the final numberof them you can unlock. While some will be guaranteed to appear based on your weapons and progress,more unlock as more of the game becomes availableto you.
Because theChaos Trials use specific loadouts and feature certain areas, you must haveunlocked the weapons, keepsakes and areaswithin them first before the challenge will even appear. For example, the Trial of Vigor requires having beaten Oceanus, unlockingthe Aspect of Momusfor the Witch’s Staff, and having the Blackened Fleece keepsake before it shows up in the Pitch-Black Stone.
Every Current Chaos Trial In The Pitch-Black Stone
At present, there are alreadyquite a few Chaos Trials in the game. As the game is only in Early Access with more weapons and regions to be added you can guaranteethere will be more trials in future as well.
Below is a list of all the trials that we’ve found in the game as of right now.
Since there is no way of knowing how many Chaos Trials will be in the game going forward, we’ll add more as we find them.
1
Trial of the Labrys
2
4
Rift of Thessaly, Sister Blades (Aspect of Artemis), White Antler
Since the Chaos Trials reflect upon every aspect of the game,make sure you’re unlocking every Aspect you can and gifting Nectarto the many characters you meet along the way, both those in the Underworld and on the Surface.
