New Covenants in Arcane Lineage
Two new factions with brand new skill trees landed quietly — Cult of Thanasius and Church of Raphion each have their own progression.
Two new covenants landed in Arcane Lineage without a loud announcement: the Cult of Thanasius and the Church of Raphion. Each faction has its own skill tree, its own progression path, and its own relationship to the alignment system that gates other Super Class trainers. This page is the prose documentation of what the two covenants offer, how their progression works, and how they connect to the existing alignment and class systems. The Players hub and the Covenants page are the broader context.
What covenants are in Arcane Lineage
Covenants are factional affiliations that gate access to specific Super Class trainers and provide passive bonuses tied to the faction’s philosophy. The alignment system (Orderly, Neutral, or Chaotic) interacts with covenant membership to determine which Super Class paths are available on a given character slot.
The existing covenant system had three main factions. The addition of Cult of Thanasius and Church of Raphion expands the faction map with two new ideological poles that sit in different alignment spaces than the original three.
Cult of Thanasius
Thanasius is referenced in the game’s lore as the god of light and the figure behind the Great Flashpoint War. The Cult of Thanasius is a covenant built around his philosophy — community writeups describe it as having a distinct skill tree focused on light-themed abilities and faction-specific progression.
Key characteristics:
- Alignment lean: Community discussion places Cult of Thanasius in the Orderly-to-Neutral alignment range
- Skill focus: Light-themed abilities with a support and sustain orientation
- Progression: Independent faction progression track separate from the existing three-covenant system
- Super Class gate: Covenant membership gates access to at least one new Super Class path; confirm the specific class on Trello
The lore connection to the main storyline (Lightmarks, Rapion, and the Great Flashpoint War) makes Cult of Thanasius the canonically “correct” faction for characters following the game’s primary narrative.
Church of Raphion
Raphion is named as the god of light in the game’s backstory — distinct from the narrative context around Thanasius. The Church of Raphion is a covenant with its own skill tree and faction progression, positioned differently from Cult of Thanasius in the alignment spectrum.
Key characteristics:
- Alignment lean: Community discussion places Church of Raphion in the Chaotic-to-Neutral alignment range
- Skill focus: Community writeups describe the Raphion tree as having offensive and transformation-oriented abilities
- Progression: Independent faction progression track separate from the existing three-covenant system
- Super Class gate: Covenant membership gates access to at least one new Super Class path; confirm the specific class on Trello
The Church of Raphion represents the counterpoint to the Cult of Thanasius — where the Cult leans toward order and light-as-community, the Church leans toward personal power and light-as-dominance.
How covenant progression works
Each covenant has its own progression track that operates parallel to the main class and Soul Tree systems. Community writeups describe the following mechanics:
- Join the covenant by speaking to the faction NPC — confirm the location on Trello since new covenant NPCs may be in non-standard locations
- Rank up within the covenant by completing faction-specific tasks or accumulating faction currency
- Unlock skills from the covenant’s exclusive skill tree as you rank up
- Access gated Super Classes once you meet both the covenant rank requirement and the alignment requirement
The existing Covenants page covers the general mechanics. The new covenants follow the same structure but with faction-specific skill trees.
Covenant skills and what they do
Community builders have documented skill trees for both new covenants. The exact skill names and interactions shift by patch — confirm the live tooltips in-game. The general shape of each tree:
Cult of Thanasius skills — light-themed, support-oriented, synergy with party play:
- Healing and shielding abilities that scale with alignment rank
- Team-oriented passives that improve party survival
- Light damage abilities that deal extra damage to corruption-typed enemies
Church of Raphion skills — offensive, transformation-oriented, solo-viable:
- Damage amplification abilities with a transformation component
- Self-buff skills that trade defense for burst
- Lone-wolf passives that reward solo or small-party play
Both trees have at least one skill that directly interacts with the Super Class system — either by enhancing existing class abilities or by providing a unique buff that only covenant members can access.
How to join a new covenant
- Find the covenant NPC. New covenant NPCs are not in the standard Caldera town layout. Check Trello for the current location.
- Speak to the NPC and select the join option. Some covenants may require a specific alignment or item to join.
- Confirm your faction affiliation in the character menu (B key).
- Begin faction-specific tasks to rank up and unlock the skill tree.
Joining a covenant is not mutually exclusive with all other covenants at character creation, but switching covenants after establishment may reset your rank within that faction. Confirm the respec rules on Discord before committing progression to a specific covenant.
New Covenants and the September 2026 rebalance
The September 2026 Dark and Light rebalance shifted the Super Class meta significantly. The new covenants did not introduce entirely new top-tier classes, but the skill trees provide buffs that can amplify existing classes. For example, a Cult of Thanasius support skill that extends buff duration could make a Hexer or Saint significantly more effective in party content.
If you are choosing between covenants for an existing character, consider the class you are currently playing and whether the covenant’s skill tree has synergy with that class’s damage or support profile.
Related pages
The Covenants page for the general covenant system. The alignment guide for how alignment interacts with covenant membership and Super Class access. The Super Class tier list to see where new covenant-gated classes sit in the current meta. The Updates Hub for the full timeline of Arcane Lineage changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
What are the two new covenants in Arcane Lineage?
Cult of Thanasius and Church of Raphion — two new factions with their own skill trees and progression paths that gate access to new Super Class options.
What alignment does Cult of Thanasius lean toward?
Community discussion places Cult of Thanasius in the Orderly-to-Neutral range. The exact alignment requirements should be confirmed on Trello before joining.
What alignment does Church of Raphion lean toward?
Community discussion places Church of Raphion in the Chaotic-to-Neutral range, making it the counterpoint to Cult of Thanasius in the faction alignment spectrum.
How do I unlock the new covenant skill trees?
Join the covenant NPC, rank up through faction-specific tasks, and unlock skills from the exclusive tree. Confirm the rank-up requirements on Trello.
Do the new covenants gate new Super Classes?
Yes. Each covenant gates at least one Super Class path. The exact class names and requirements should be confirmed on Trello or in-game.