Aroma of Chaos event art, Slay the Spire 2

Aroma of Chaos

Upon trudging through a thick underbrush and making it into a clearing, you're hit with an unplaceable nostalgia.

A mix of floral scents, putrid decay, and something else entirely. The scent grows stronger with each step, and you feel as though the world around you is warping and twisting.

Overcome with a sense of shifting chaos, you begin to lose your sense of self.
You give in and your mind drifts...
You see yourself communing with friends, fighting as a team, and dueling great foes. Is this a dream? Reality? Somehow both? Many sets of eyes perceive you and your dreams. Who are they...?

You awaken after an unknown amount of time.
The aroma weakens and its effects fade as you regain clarity. Upon restabilizing, you're more clearheaded than ever.

What were those eyes?
Resisting the temptation to give in, you climb atop a tree where the aroma doesn't reach but its effects claw at your mind.

Maintaining control is difficult; you tether your thoughts to your Core Principles.

(your character's Core Principle)
(your character's Core Principle)
(your character's Core Principle)

The aroma subsides.
Individual choiceEach player picks their own

What you can obtain

Upgrade
CardChoice: Maintain Control
Transform
CardChoice: Let Go

Where it appears

How ? rooms roll ›
Act 1Overgrowth

What each choice does

Let Go

Transform a card in your Deck.

TransformA card
What the game says
You give in and your mind drifts...
You see yourself communing with friends, fighting as a team, and dueling great foes. Is this a dream? Reality? Somehow both? Many sets of eyes perceive you and your dreams. Who are they...?You awaken after an unknown amount of time.
The aroma weakens and its effects fade as you regain clarity. Upon restabilizing, you're more clearheaded than ever.What were those eyes?

Maintain Control

Upgrade a card in your Deck.

UpgradeA card
What the game says
Resisting the temptation to give in, you climb atop a tree where the aroma doesn't reach but its effects claw at your mind.Maintaining control is difficult; you tether your thoughts to your Core Principles.(your character's Core Principle)
(your character's Core Principle)
(your character's Core Principle)The aroma subsides.

Which option to take

Let Go

TransformA card
  • Let Go is only worth it on a starter Strike or Defend you would remove anyway, since a random card of any rarity beats a Strike far more often than it beats a good card.
  • In Act 1 with a mostly starter deck, Let Go on a Strike is fine; once the deck has real cards, upgrade.

Maintain Control

Our pick
UpgradeA card
  • Maintain Control is the safe value: upgrade the card you play most, a power or your best block card, and it improves every future fight.

How it plays

  • Let Go opens your deck and lets you pick one transformable card; it turns into a random card of any rarity.
  • Maintain Control opens the deck filtered to upgradable cards and upgrades the one you pick.
  • Both are free, both leave the card choice to you, and the event ends after either.

Changes by version

  1. 21 Aug 2025TextInternal playtest
    Updated text
  2. 14 Nov 2024UpgradeInternal playtest
    "Maintain Control" option's effect is now "Upgrade a card"
  3. 12 Jul 2024ArtInternal playtest
    Updated art

Internal playtest notes are from before the Early Access release. Names and numbers in them can differ from the game today.

Purchase today
If you haven't bought Slay The Spire 2 yet, it's time. Support the devs, they made an amazing game.Get it on Steam