The Brand: your Legend levels, in a hex

How the Brand works in The Ember Depths 0.21: a hex of 19 sockets, runes in four colours, your class rune in the Heart and what each Legend level buys.

Version 0.21 replaces the Legend board with the Brand. Past level 20, every Legend level is one rank for a hex of 19 sockets that is yours to arrange. It is one screen with a few clear choices: which runes, where they sit, and where your ranks go.

The hex

The Heart is the middle socket. It always holds your class rune: the old Legend-board legendary of your class, awake from rank 1.
Around it sit 6 sockets, then 12 on the outer ring. Each holds one rune.
Runes come in four colours: Pyre, Bulwark, Hunt, Covenant. Runes of one colour that touch each other join into a Bond; a big enough Bond is a Great Bond.
Every socket starts at rank 1 and goes to 12. A Legend level buys one rank, so 209 Legend levels fill every socket.

Waking it

From level 10, a greyed Brand waits on your hero sheet with your class rune glowing in the Heart and the words "Legend at 20". Tap the Heart to see what the rune does.
Your first Legend level is the Awakening: choose a colour and its first 3 runes arrive in place, already lighting a Bond. Pick a starter Crest, spend your first rank, and the screen tells you what to reach for next.

Try anything

Runes and Crests move for free in town, as often as you like. Ranks stay with the socket.
Every rank and choice since you last went between town and a run can be undone for free. The Temple's Rite of Recollection takes every rank back for gold and a few souls.
Each class has two suggested Brands. Fill from suggestion places what you own and ranks it along a path, stopping at every Deepen or Bridge choice so the choice stays yours.

Every number is in front of you

Each rune, Bond and Crest card shows its live numbers for your hero, not a vague word.
Every rank, choice, move and Fill shows before and after: the number, your Bonds and your Power.
A Totals panel lists every stat and power the Brand gives you right now, with where each part comes from.
Timed Brand powers show on your buff strip, and their damage appears in the meter under their own names. Caps and limits are shown where they bind.