Give Nectar to an NPC to receive their Keepsake — an equippable trinket you can swap at the start of each biome for a powerful edge. Keepsakes level up (to rank 3) the more you use them, and the right one at the right moment shapes an entire run.
Survival & utility
🦴 Old Spiked Collar (Cerberus)
Flat bonus max health — the go-to early survival keepsake for tough runs and high Heat.
🍀 Lucky Tooth (Skelly)
A free extra Death Defiance for the run; brilliant while you're still learning bosses.
💗 Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos)
Bonus damage that grows the longer you avoid taking damage — rewards clean play.
⚡ Bond keepsakes
Achilles' Bond, Frozen Blood and others grant flat combat boosts you can lean on all run.
God keepsakes
- Each Olympian's keepsake (e.g. Thunder Signet from Zeus, Lambent Plume from Hermes) guarantees that god's Boon appears in the first chamber.
- Use them to draft toward a specific build — equip the god you want, swap it out once you've got their core boon.
- Higher keepsake rank raises the odds of a Rare or better boon from that first offer.
- Rotate to a different god keepsake each biome to steer your build as it develops.
Swapping strategy
- Biome 1: a god keepsake to seed your build, or Lucky Tooth for a safety net.
- Mid-run: Old Spiked Collar or Pierced Butterfly for the Elysium difficulty spike.
- Before Hades: a boss-focused keepsake like Evergreen Acorn (Aegis) or a damage bond.
- Occasionally slot the Rod of Fishing keepsake to reveal fishing spots for buffs and gifts.
Companions (summon keepsakes)
🦇 Battie (Megaera)
A swarm of rapid hits — earned by maxing Megaera's bond with Ambrosia.
☠️ Mort (Thanatos)
Thanatos drops in and scythes everything for a big burst of damage.
🐍 Fidi (Dusa)
Dusa's companion petrifies nearby foes for a breather in a tough room.
🎁 Earning them
Fully bond with an ally (Nectar then Ambrosia); each grants a one-use Companion you equip like a keepsake.
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!