Once you're exploring the Atlas of Worlds, you may gain the ability to place maps in the Blood Crucible, alongside your equipment.

These scourged mods are in addition to the regular explicit and implicit mods or enchantments on the item.

One of these is a beneficial mod and one is a detrimental mod. When it does, it becomes corrupted and gains a pair of Scourged Modifiers. After enough kills, your item is ready to transform. While you are killing the Scourge, it absorbs corruption from the alternate Wraeclast and focuses it onto the item.

You can put an item inside the Blood Crucible.

But the longer you stay, the more damage you'll take. The more blood you have collected, the longer you can stay shifted into the parallel Wraeclast. They're powerful, dangerous and come in many forms. This Wraeclast is overrun by demons known as The Scourge. This will instantly thrust you into a parallel reality, an alternate Wraeclast where some form of apocalyptic event is occurring. Once it reaches a certain threshold, you're able to activate the device. As you slay enemies, the Crucible fills with their blood.

In the Scourge Challenge League, you'll meet a mysterious figure who hands you a rusty-looking device called the Blood Crucible and urges you to implant it into your body.

All of your old characters and items are still present in the Standard and Hardcore leagues, but you're encouraged to join the new leagues, complete challenges and demonstrate your mastery of Path of Exile!

Challenge leagues are a great opportunity for a fresh start in a new economy.

These are the official patch notes for version 3.16.0 released by Grinding Gear Games.

1.56 Changes since the original post was made.

1.50 Zana League Mods Available During 3.16.0.

1.42 Trap Enchantments granting Cast Speed.

1.16 Support characters - Auras and other Reservation Effects.

1.15 Core Character Defences and Recovery.

Bowlegged jump animation fix