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Bard Pathway
June 4, 2026 at 06:24 AM
Added official Bard Pathway character key art image (Image update 2026-06-04)
The Bard Pathway (also called the Sun Pathway, after its Sequence 0 deity 'The Eternal Blazing Sun') is one of the six publicly confirmed Pathways available in the Crimson Test of Lord of Mysteries. Its official role is melee DPS plus team support (近战输出、团辅): a frontline damage-dealer whose Holy Song party buffs, judgment, and purification carry the group. It is not the party's tank; that role belongs to the Warrior Pathway.
The Bard Pathway has 10 Sequences from Sequence 9 (entry) to Sequence 0 (god-tier). Sequence names borrow from minstrel, priestly, and solar archetypes.
The full Sequence ladder below is drawn from the source material. Only the lowest entry Sequences have been shown as playable in the closed beta; the higher Sequences and their abilities listed here have not been confirmed as implemented in the current build and are documented as source-material reference.
Sequence 9: Bard. The travelling minstrel entry rank.
Sequence 8: Solar Priest (sequence names beyond Sequence 9 are referenced in source material; specific in-game spelling may vary).
Sequence 7: Sun Servant.
Sequence 6: Solar Knight.
Sequence 5: Hymn Knight.
Sequence 4: Holy Knight.
Sequence 3: Sun Lord.
Sequence 2: Solar Tribunal.
Sequence 1: Saint of the Sun (also rendered Holy Sun).
Sequence 0: Eternal Blazing Sun. The Pathway's deity.
The Crimson Test caps Bard Pathway progression at the lower Sequences. Sequence 9 Bard is the entry rank for testers picking the Pathway at character creation. Higher-Sequence content is built but reserved for future beta phases and the live game.
The Bard is the game's melee DPS and team-support Pathway (定位 近战输出、团辅; 特色 裁决、净化), not its tank. It deals frontline melee damage while keeping the whole party buffed. Sequence 9 Bards channel a 'Holy Song' singing ability that imbues courage, dispels fear, enhances strength, brings spiritual recovery, and increases agility, speed, and other attributes for allies. For believers of the Eternal Blazing Sun, a Bard's Singing also deepens piety and improves obedience.
Official role: melee DPS plus team support (近战输出、团辅). Features: judgment and purification (裁决、净化). The Bard is a frontline damage-and-support role, not the party tank.
At higher Sequences (especially Sequence 7 and above), the Bard's music and ability suite expand: instruments can carry abilities, the Bard can move while singing, and the buffs amplify Sequence 9 and 8 capabilities. Lyrical inspiration also carries the risk of contacting outer gods and losing control, which scales the Acting and sanity costs of high-tier Bard play.
Strengths: party-wide buffs, frontline melee damage, judgment and purification utility, buff stacking with the Warrior tank's melee chain. Weaknesses: relies on positioning to keep buffs on the party, sanity-hungry at high tier, vulnerable when the Holy Song is interrupted. Recommended to players who like 'paladin' or 'support' archetypes; the Bard is the most party-coordination-rewarding Pathway in the test.
The Bard's Acting Archetype is the inspirational performer: outgoing, expressive, devoted to a higher ideal. Acting checks favour:
Picking dialogue options that uplift or reassure others.
Performing in public spaces (taverns, squares, festivals).
Defending allies during combat phases; protecting weaker NPCs in escort segments.
Carrying a Bard-tier instrument prop in the free-equip slot.
Channelling the Holy Song before initiating combat openers (the buff-first opener is the Bard's signature).
Bard-Pathway Beyonders work as travelling minstrels, lay preachers, military musicians, and Sun Church-affiliated low-tier solar knights. Many advance through the Sun Pathway into the Eternal Blazing Sun's holy orders. The Pathway is closely tied to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, one of the Seven Orthodox Churches; player Bards see strong reputation gains with the Sun Church and meaningful Acting bonuses on Sun-themed missions.
Open every fight with the Holy Song buff. The buff is the Bard's signature contribution and applies to all six party members; using it consistently turns the party damage profile up by a meaningful margin.
Keep the Holy Song channel alive in the thick of melee. The Bard fights at the front as a damage-dealer, so uninterrupted Holy Song channels matter: positioning and sustain trinkets keep the buff up through boss phases while the Warrior holds the tank line.
Stack Acting via performance. Tingen has multiple performance halls; clean performances reward Acting bonuses larger than most other side activities for any Pathway in the test.
Coordinate with the Warrior tank and the Spectator healer. The Bard pairs cleanly with a Warrior holding aggro and a Spectator healing; the Bard's buff cycles align with both, rounding out the holy-trinity core as melee DPS and party support.
