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Heroes Community > Age of Heroes Coliseum > Thread: ICTC 3: High Elves
Thread: ICTC 3: High Elves
Vlaad
Vlaad


Admirable
Legendary Hero
ghost of the past
posted March 08, 2008 03:40 AM bonus applied by kookastar on 30 Apr 2008.
Edited by Vlaad at 21:16, 10 Mar 2008.

ICTC 3: High Elves




INTRODUCTION

COLORS: White, blue and silver
ALSO KNOWN AS: Empire, Aeries, Avians
SYMBOL: Bloody feather
DESCRIPTION: As ancient as the world, the exiles thought they had found peace among the ruins imbued with magic... However, new alliances had to be forged in order to repel old enemies. Nowadays mighty beasts fly around the slender towers, while down in the snowy arenas High Elves sharpen their blades. Few and fragile, they rely on speed and skill.


HISTORY OF THE HIGH ELVES

~ as recorded by lorekeeper Cepheus of the Rift ~


TIMELINE

*B.S. - Before the Silence
*A.S. - After the Silence

ca 1500-1200 A.S. The Crossing
1-0 B.S. Day of Fire
0 B.S. The Silence of the Ancients
ca 30 A.S. The Elves depart Enroth
ca 32 A.S. Foundation of Vori
ca 34 A.S. Reign of King Sil-Gandir
ca 150 A.S. Departure of the Renegades
ca 153 A.S. Foundation of AvLee
645 A.S. The Timber Wars begin
789 A.S. End of the Timber Wars
790 A.S. Rebellion in AvLee
790 A.S. Erathia welcomes the "High Elves"
792 A.S. The High Elves depart Erathia
793 A.S. High Elven-Bracadan Alliance
801 A.S. Conquest of Evenmorn Isle
802 A.S. The Avengers claim Rionpoint
803 A.S. Battle of Blood and Unity
1165 A.S. The Kreegans invade Rionpoint (Heroes III RoE, Dungeons and Devils campaign)
1165 A.S. Death of the Gold Dragon Queen (Heroes III RoE, Dungeons and Devils campaign)

THE DAY OF FIRE

In days long past, many millenia after the creation of the world following the Convergence of the Elements brought about by the four Elemental Lords and roughly thirteen-to-fifteen hundred years before the Day of Fire, our ancestors were shuttled to the world in a ship built by the Ancients which crossed the Void itself to deliver us to the continent of Enroth as we know it.

The years that followed, the beautious Time of Wonders, were among the finest ages we have known.  In contact with the Ancients themselves, for centuries we revelled in the knowledge of arcane instrumentation and mystical artistry, the twinned forces of Magic and Technology co-existing in an unbroken harmony.

A harmony soon to be shattered...

For the lords of Aliant and Vissias, nations in southwestern Enroth, warred a great war brought about by trivial matters, a simple dispute which escalated into a full-scale conflict - as had most of the warfare in those days come about.  The core details of the massacre are not important here, but their outcome certainly managed to affect most of the entire world.

In the final hour of that grim war, a lone man wrought with grief and blind rage activated one of the Ancients' mightiest technological instruments.  His devastating action brought about an unstoppable rain of fire which decimated all the southwest of Enroth and everyone upon its earth.  The countryside in the cataclysm's vicinity was so badly scorched that it was transformed from a lush, fragile grassland into the harsh, relentless Dragonsand Desert.

But the true price of the Day of Fire - the greatest loss of all - led to the Silence of the Ancients themselves.  Some say that the Ancients were appalled by the destruction that we wrought upon ourselves and would not speak to us until we became more civilized. Others are not so sure the events are connected, refusing to believe the Ancients would abandon their children so casually.

The toll of their Silence, nonetheless, was clear.  Instrumentation and technology faded into the mists of time, and but a single shining beacon remained to guide us: the twin forces of Might... and Magic.



THE FIRST ELVES

The Day of Fire affected all of Enroth's races in their own way, though none quite as monumentally as the Elves.  Our race has always been credited with grace, alertness, physical ineptitude and sharp-mindedness.  Few have stopped to question the reasons for these qualities.  Our grace and alertness, of course, stem from the traits of our forebears upon some long-forgotten, ruined world of the Ancients in the bleak corners of the Void.

Our sharp-mindedness and physical ineptitude, however, are not necessarily products of evolution.  For over the twenty-and-more centuries we have existed upon this world, one millenium of those two was spent far away from the horrors of battle.  We revelled most in the glories of instrumentation, technology and progress, constantly developing... constantly struggling forward.

Without the grace of the Ancients and the Wire, we could never have adapted to this world so easily.  What is the Wire, you may ask?  It is a limitless source of energy bound to all of the Ancients' worlds, said to be a product of the Creators but possibly something even more enigmatic.  Even the Silence could not seperate us from its bounty, providing us with the power to shape nothingness into substance using the force we now know as "Magic".  And this Magic is what reduced our physical strength while exercising our mental capacity.

Alas, the Day of Fire seperated us from the Ancients we had taken for granted, and our instrumentation died with the end of their presence.  We made many efforts to revive their gifts, to no avail - even resorting to constant prayer in their name.  But after some years, many of our number finally resigned ourselves to the fact that the Ancients had abandoned us.

Those who had lost faith remained on Enroth, slowly dying out and eventually fading into denizens of the continent's forests.  To this day they roam the land, serving the Sorceress' Guild of Noraston.  But as for those Elves who clung to hope, they departed Enroth in search of new frontiers.

A trouble-wracked sea voyage led these Elves into the North, far across the world and eventually to a bountiful isle of frost and snow.  For years since our fall from the Ancients' favour we had sought a land to call home, and this expansive, ice-enshrouded island was our reward.

Vori we named it, the land of tempestuous cold.



THE BLOOD DISPUTE

'Twas truly our second and final Golden Age.  Our society naturally produced sects dedicated to the constant worship of the Ancients in anticipation for their return, sects which remain in existence even to this day.  Others such as the Order of Spellbinders came about in gratitude for the "Magic" provided by the Wire, slowly forsaking the instrumentation we had embraced and turning to the "barbaric", less advanced tradition of the mystical arts.

In any case, it was rare to see an argument or a dispute.  We had learned well from the Human mistakes on the continent of Enroth and swore never to involve ourselves with the possibility of seeing such mistakes happen again.  Our nation of Vori thrived in its insular fashion, and wonders began to abound.

There were difficulties, of course, such as the loss of the City of Volee to the Sword of Frost.  It is not remembered as to whether the Sword was forged by our kind or found upon our arrival, but its status as the most powerful weapon in the known world was uncontested when it abruptly buried our capital city in glaciers.  Nevertheless, we could not have wished or hoped for more... not then.

But the time came when the younger generation sought to broaden their horizons and explore more of the world, notably the large continent to the south named "Antagarich".  During the good King Sil-Gandir's reign, they chafed at the stolid life that their parents led and wished for more excitement.  With the belief that there were great things beyond the horizon of the sea, they petitioned the King to support an expedition.  The King refused.  He informed the young, adventurous elves that their lives were too valuable to waste on a dangerous journey away from their blessed homeland.

Of course, Sil-Gandir had another agenda in the hopes of preventing another Day of Fire.  The young elves, highly confident in their moral and explorational skills, would not accept that.  Led by the headstrong Elvólas, the young elves began to build a boat to take them across the sea.  King Sil-Gandir discovered the plot and brought Elvólas to his court.  He entreated the young one to cease his preparations and to stop turning the minds of the young to his folly.

Elvólas pleaded with the king to reconsider.  He spoke of the glory that they would bring home and of his dreams of the land, not so far away, that would house them.  The king ignored his "whimsical raving" and ordered him to stop his madness, under penalty of death. King Sil-Gandir would not allow them to go, under any  circumstances.  Elvólas hung his head and accepted the king's orders.

When Elvólas returned to the ship, he told his friends that they must be off that night.

He told them of what had transpired at the king's court.  He gave them a choice.  Either they could give up their dreams of the new land, or they would have to leave before sunrise the next day.  The unanimous vote was to leave.  The next morning, when the first of the elves were waking up, they saw that the young elves were gone.  All their belongings had disappeared.  The only thing that they would have seen, vanishing over the horizon, was a large boat.

The name on the boat was clearly visible: "Mitetiiro" - Renegade.



AVLEE'S BIRTH

Sil-Gandir, naturally, was furious at the young Elves' audacity, but the end of his reign neared and there was little he could do to stop them.  And thus began our next segregatory move.  The expedition led by Elvólas succeeded, and our people arrived in the vast pine and oak forestlands of northern Antagarich.  Slowly but surely adapting to the warm climate, they reverted over the years from Snow Elven mystics to Wood Elves at one with the woods.

And thus, the nation of AvLee, Kingdom of the Wood Elves, was founded.

Our newborn kingdom progressed well over the ages, expanding its territory to eventually dominate practically all of Antagarich's northern regions.  Cities such as Pierpoint and Spaward were constructed, augmenting our military and economical might with the aid of nature and the Tularean Forest's numerous mines and resource deposits.

We formed a strong military, befriending nearby creatures such as Dendroids, Unicorns and the Good Dragons in addition to the rough Centaurs and gruff Dwarves native to the region.  Archery took precedence over Magic in our military affairs, and Rangers led our armies.  Those who still followed the ways of Magic spoke with nature itself, becoming Druids.

Even so, those who would oppose our peaceful way of life emerged.  Like a cancerous blight, the Necromantic realm of Deyja just southwest of our own lands festered, their undead armies occasionally attempting to raid our forests.  Defensive wars instructed us in dealing with these lifeless ghasts, though a true war was never declared and they reside in the same spot to this day.

Another early threat to our civilisation from these monsters came when we asserted our control over the World Tree or the "Roots of Life".  Coming upon this wellspring of life looming over the area north of the Land of the Giants, our Druids attuned themselves with the Tree and became recognised as its protectors.  The Necromancers boldly attacked in another stereotypical attempt to quench all life.  They came in great numbers, and our forces were severely crippled.

That was a dark part of our history indeed.  Many of our people would have been slain were the Tree destroyed, but out of sheer luck we were "aided" by Barbarians led by Shaman from the western wastes now known as "Krewlod".  The Necromancers were fortunately pinned between our armies, and upon their defeat we gracefully relinquished our role as the Tree's defenders to the more competent Krewlish.

And then we discovered Erathia...


an ancient chart, sketched by Cepheus



THE TIMBER WARS

As AvLee's boundaries crawled slowly southward, going as far as the Land of the Giants in mid-eastern Antagarich, the Human kingdom of Erathia responded with an unprovoked backlash.  Taking calculated note of our expansions, they pushed their own boundaries further into the east and northeast to contest our own.  After a few hundred years of this spiteful selfishness, the time inevitably came when we clashed.

'Twas the year of 645 A.S. when they encroached upon our borders, during the reign of David Gryphonheart IV.  We did not originally intend for war to break out, but they and their accursed sawmills pushed us backwards beyond our own borders.  As the territory was not clearly indicated, we allowed this.  The Erathians forced us all the way to Shantanna before we decided to inform them that they had encroached upon our settlements and were forbidden from progressing any further in their destruction of the forest.

They ignored us.

Under the AvLeean Duke's orders, one of our Rangers was dispatched to King David's court to demand that the King immediately abandon all human settlements north of the Phynaxian Empire.   In addition, Erathia would pay a sum in gold equal to the value of all wood taken from the region.  King David's reply was a simple one... "No."

The Duke was so enraged upon hearing the news that he had his own Ranger executed for treason.  Another proclamtion was sent, but this time instead of demands, a declaration of war was issued against Erathia, and so began the Timber Wars.

For the next nearly 150 years, the humans and our forces warred with each other.  The region over which we fought (which eventually came to be called the Contested Lands) became a desolate wasteland.  Neither side could hold an advantage for any length of time, and the wars only served to sap the military and economic strength of both sides.

Finally, in 789 A.S., both sides sued for peace.  The borders of the two kingdoms had changed, but neither side had gained more ground than it had lost. The Contested Lands were nearly uninhabitable.  In all, it was a bloody, costly loss for both sides...



OUR DAWN, THEIR FOLLY

And so we come to the advent of the High Elves.  Disgusted by the savagery of our own people during the Wars and strongly fearful that Sil-Gandir's belief in a second massacre like the Day of Fire was coming to a fore, three hundred of our number assembled in Pierpoint, rose up against the AvLee and fought their way south out of the Tularean Forest, heading for the Land of the Giants.

Some scattered Elven garrisons near the World Tree resisted the rebellion, though the rebels were practically possessed by the desire to distance themselves from their kin.  Led on by Telkare, an AvLeean Druid obsessed with the old ways, they slashed their way through the forests and finally passed through the Land of the Giants into the western Contested Lands, purposefully avoiding the Eeofol border lest the Druids of the World Tree predict such a move.  Stunned by this strange and uncalled-for uprising, the Council of Elders in AvLee decided to pursue the fleeing Elves out of sheer anger and shock.

Though it may seem like a fleeting matter to one who should read these words, the Timber Wars were little more than brutal genocide between the Humans and Elves.  Thus it was that Erathia sued for peace, though the stubborn AvLeeans would have nothing to do with it.  As the rebels had attained some form of inadvertent revenge for a bitter Erathia, the humans, having learned the extent of the situation from Telkare, decided to secretly shelter these rebels in their capital, Steadwick.  The Elves had not traded with the Erathians since before the Timber Wars, so risks of any discoveries were minimal.

Over the next two years, we integrated with the humans and grew to revere the mysterious "Light" worshipped by their Clerics.  Now a mix of Erathian and AvLeean culture, we became known as harbingers of a second Golden Age.  In honour of the bounties we provided the humans, we gradually became known as "High Elves", noblest of our kind since before the Silence.

Meanwhile, the AvLeean avengers traversed Eeofol, seeking out these rebels.  Luckily for the High Elves, the experienced Rangers were not enough to unravel Telkare's cunning in his clever use of spells during the escape from AvLee.  He had covered their tracks well, and for the next two years, nothing whatsoever was known in the Elven Kingdom of the fate of their estranged, blood-stained kin.



DEPARTURE

It is a tragic truth that those of foul mind and intent can be found among any race, no matter how pure.  In the case of the High Elves, it was a two-faced spy named Derrotti who betrayed their presence to the Wood Elves.  In order to prevent another all-out war, the King of Erathia had little recourse but to reluctantly send the High Elves out of his lands and deny any knowledge of their very existence.  Good fortune triumphed that day, however, as Erathia's present King - unlike David Gryphonheart, might I add - was a gentle soul.  He arranged for the High Elves to make haste southward, where they would be sheltered in the mountains of Erathia's wizardly allies, the nation of Bracada.

Gavin Magnus, Bracada's ruler, gladly welcomed these new subjects.  A man inclined towards study, he was greatly pleased to have servitors of the Light working with his people in the skycity of Celeste.  The year now was 793, and the Wood Elves were fully aware of the movements of the High Elves.  The worm, Derrotti, had returned to them, and though neither king nor country could prove that the High Elves had ever set foot in Erathia, political warfare between the rulers of the Human and Elven lands was alive and well.

At last it came to a point where Erathia's King could say or do no more in the High Elven defence.  Much to the dismay of Steadwick's citizens, he was forced into permitting the AvLeean avengers to cross over into Rionpoint, an Erathian region on Antagarich's southeastern coast from which further preparations against the High Elves could be made.  So it was that the Avengers traversed Eeofol and the Contested Lands, establishing bases in Rionpoint.  It was our misfortune indeed that the Gold Dragon Queen resided in the nearby cliffs, and lent her aid to the Wood Elves.

Further lapses in Fate's grace became evident indeed, as one year beforehand King Magnus of Bracada decided that he would deign to conquer Evenmorn Isle, a large island just east of Bracada ruled by the Sun and Moon Temples, and form it into a "homeland" for his High Elven subjects.  Telkare himself and a large contingent was sent to conquer the island, and succeeded after a long and bloody struggle against the resident zealots.  However, politically the island remained outside of Bracada, even as the High Elves began to relocate there.



THE BATTLE OF BLOOD AND UNITY

The AvLeean Avengers were poised to strike at this island outside of Bracada's grasp.  Nothing could be done to stop them without provoking yet another continental war, and thus their leaders sent warships due south of Rionpoint to bombard the High Elves.  Now masters of the Light, the High Elves put up a strong defence.  They crafted their own galleons and both seafaring armies, each a thousand-men-strong, clashed in the midst of the Evenmorn Channel.  The sea ran red with blood before the High Elves narrowly pushed forth and landed at Rionpoint.

The High Elven forces had been decimated, though they remained far more numerous than the Avengers.  These Rangers had been poorly prepared for a counter-offensive, and two of their cities were burned before the march on their headquarters, the Rampart of Vyar's Keep.  The siege of this Keep ran over seven lengthy weeks as catapults cast rocks at the battlements, Wood Elves rained arrows on their blood-kin assisted by Gold Dragons and likewise High Elves shattered their foes' defences with piercing light and gleaming swords.

Anti-climactically, the almighty Telkare was slain in conflict with the worm Derrotti himself; though not nearly as powerful as the High Elven leader, he was fierce enough when cornered to slay even the strongest of Elves.  Following the death of our leader, we fought all the harder and forced the Avengers to sue for peace just as they had forced Erathia's hand years before.  The AvLeeans, now of paltry numbers, threw themselves upon our mercy, which we granted them.  Compassionately, we allowed most of them to live among us, sending only the lowliest dogs back to their masters in the forests far north.

And so we come to the end of our tale.  The first Golden Age was the Time of Wonders; the second Sil-Gandir's reign, and now the end of conflicts between the Wood and High Elves signals the dawn of a third.  Those of us who hail the Light and our comrades who hail the Earth have coexisted for over three-hundred and fifty years now with no interference from AvLee, who perceive us now as a branch of their own kingdom.  Erathia and Bracada our allies; our enemies far from our own soil.  'Tis a second Time of Wonders, a time where the Elven people, differences aside, stand as one.

Alas, there are many further stories to tell within these tales, but they shall remain secreted away until another time.



CREATURES

Upgrades and alernatives:

L1: Spearman > Legionnaire > Centurion

L2: Stinger > Amazon
             ( > Pegasus Rider )

L3: Air/Fire/Water/Earth Elemental

L4: Alkonost > Halcyon
                 > Firebird

L5: Pegasus > Silver Pegasus > Gold Pegasus
                 > Wild Pegasus
               ( > Pegasus Rider )

L6: Archon > Paladin > Elder
               > Avenger

L7: Eagle  > Thunderbird
              > Roc
    Phoenix



LEVEL 1: SPEARMAN - Long Weapon (Negates Jousting Bonus), Upkeep (1 gold/day)
Upgrade1: LEGIONNAIRE - Long Weapon; Large Shield (-50% damage from shooters), Upkeep (2 gold/day)
Upgrade 2: CENTURION - Long Weapon, Large Shield, First Strike, Upkeep (4 gold/day)


Every male spends most of his adult life serving the Phoenix Guard - steadfast defense of the Empire. Low in numbers, High Elves have perfected their form and weapons.

LEVEL 2: STINGER - Archery, Melee Penalty
Upgrade: AMAZON - Archery, No Melee Penalty
Possible Alternative Upgrade: PEGASUS RIDER (see below)


Archers of the Empire provide tactical support for other troops. The ancient kingdoms of Men considered the Amazons even more fierce than their men, while Orcs and Dwarves still believe Pegasus Riders to be "Valkyries", goddesses who carry off the greatest heroes to Valhalla. The truth is the fallen are taken to the Chambers of Healing. However, once they have entered the undying lands, mortals are not able to leave them.

LEVEL 3: ELEMENTALS
AIR - Incorporeal, Fly
EARTH - Permanent Stone Skin, Defender (+100% bonus when it "defends" instead of waiting)
FIRE - Fire Resistance, Water Weakness, Fire Shield
WATER - Water Resistance, Fire Weakness, Caster (Ice Bolt)
All Elementals: cannot be resurrected, not affected by morale, mind spell immunity

Having tamed the forces of nature, High Elves are able to erect the Conflux in their cities, but can summon only one type of elementals at a time.
(Requirement: Mage Guild level 1).

LEVEL 4: ALKONOST (opposite of Harpy) - Caster (Haste, Speed), Shooter, Float (not affected by spells such as Fire Trap and obstacles on the battlefield, including moats but not walls)
Upgrade: HALCYON - Caster (Haste, Speed, Morale, Bless, Cure), Shooter, Float
Alternative Upgrade: FIREBIRD - Caster (Fireball, Firewall, Fire Shield, Bloodlust), Shooter, Float


The most gifted girls are taken to the Monastery at an early age, where they are introduced to the secrets of Air Magic. A woman who is not a virgin but decides to devote her life to spellbinding is considered impure and forbidden to read the sacred scrolls. Those priestesses specialize in Fire Magic; although scorned as a cult in the times of peace, their order is a welcome reinforcement in the times of war.
(Requirement: Mage Guild level 2)

LEVEL 5: PEGASUS - Fly
Upgrade #1: SILVER PEGASUS - Fly, Chaneller (spells cost less mana, enemy's spells cost more)
Upgrade #2: GOLD PEGASUS - Fly, Chaneller, Aura of Protection
Alternative Upgrade: WILD PEGASUS - Fly, Strike And Return
Possible Alternative Upgrade: PEGASUS RIDER (combined with the same number of Stingers) - Fly, Shoot, Magic Resistance

The oldest allies of the High Elves, these noble beasts are fragile and unfit for hand-to-hand combat, so they have to rely on their speed and wings.
(Requirement: Mage Guild level 3)

LEVEL 6: ARCHON - Armored (% Magic Protection, -50% damage from shooters)
Upgrade #1: PALADIN - Armored, Consecrated (double damage vs evil, half damage vs good)
Upgrade #2: ELDER - Armored, Consecrated, Mind Spell Immunity
Alternative Upgrade: AVENGER - Armored, Double Strike
Alternative Upgrade #2: none


The immortal heroes of the yesteryear are feared from the foul depths of the underworld to the   breeding pits of the greenskins to the dark towers of the undead.

LEVEL 7: GREAT EAGLE - Fly, Fearless
Upgrade: THUNDERBIRD - Fly, Lightning Strike, Fearless
Alternative Upgrade: ROC - Unlimited Retaliation, Hates Behemoths (150% damage), Fearless

Having suffered slaughter by the claws of Behemots, the few remaining Eagles broke free from the barbarians and nested at the highest peaks of the world. Bound by infinite sorrow, the High Elves and the great birds forged an alliance without a word spoken or a spell cast.

ALTERNATIVE LEVEL 7: PHOENIX - Fly, Rebirth
Upgrades: none

Attracted by magic of the Empire, sometimes these rare creatures choose to rise from the volcanic ashes and ally themselves with the inhabitants of the snow-covered towers.
(Requirements: Mage Guild level 4)


HEROES

While the greatest among the Elder swordsmen decide to dedicate their lives to the benefit of their heartland, more adventurous priestesses of the highest rank choose to advance their magic skills and become invincible warriors. Both might and magic heroes prefer charioteers, often enchanted in order to travel across inhospitable terrain.

LORD (might hero):

Skills: Armorer, Leadership, Estates, Logistics, Enlightenment, Pathfinding, Air Magic, Offence, Earth Magic, Luck

Specialties (bonuses depend on hero and object level):
- Guildmaster (builds twice a day) ~ campaign hero
- Chancellor (buildings and creatures cost less)
- Besieger (bonus to war machines and/or castle walls)
- Treasurer (additional gold bonus, upgrades mines and external dwellings)
- Jewel Crafter (+1 gem/week)
- Pilgrim (Logistics bonus)
- Diplomat (% neutral creatures join for a price)
- Governor (creature growth bonus)
- Sentry (bonus when defending his towns)
- Negotiator (% enemy creatures do not take part in combat)
- Peacekeeper (no morale penalty)
- Suzerain (creatures join daily)

MISTRESS (magic heroine):

Skills:Air Magic, Offence, Fire Magic, Enlightenment, Water Magic, Logistics, Earth Magic, Scouting, Luck, Pathfinding

Specialties:
- Windweaver (speed bonus to fliers; binds some enemy fliers) ~ campaign heroine
- Songbird (bonus to the level 4 creature's mana and spellpower)
- Stormcaller (the Blizzard spell has Freezing effect)
- Hellkite (damage bonus to destructive Fire spells)
- Auspex (learns a random spell when leveling up)
- Heretic (creatures gain magic resistance)
- Demiurge (bonus to all summoning spells)
- Butcherbird (Fearsome)
- Hierophant (negates magic resistance)
- Birdcall (different combinations of spells have additional effects)
- Tribune (attack and defense bonus to level 1 creature, no upkeep)
- Bird of Passage (minor Scouting, Seafaring, Logistics and Pathfinding bonus)

RACIAL SKILL:

SKY LORE (Health and Defense bonus to level 7 creature depending on hero level)

PERKS:

WAR HAWK: Great Eagles can be be upgraded only through experience gained in combat, and this ability enables High Elves to train hatchlings to mighty Thunderbirds or Rocs. In case of recruiting Phoenixes, the creatures gain permanent Fire Shield and Fire Immunity.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Level 7 creatures cost less to recruit. Neutral Eagles/Thunderbirds/Rocs might join the hero for a price. Boosts the Phoenix growth if the hero is stationed in the town on the seventh day of the week.

BIRDS OF PREY: Level 7 creatures are granted an additional Attack and Speed bonus.

ULTIMATE SKY LORE: The heroes gain an ability to transform themselves for the duration of combat into sentient Thunderbirds and are granted Flight and Lightning Strike.


SPECIAL BUILDINGS:

AVIARY boosts growth of level 5 and 7 creatures.
TEMPLE OF BA grants a +1 Spellpower bonus to visiting heroes.
BIRD OF PARADISE nests only in the town with the GRAIL and grants the knowledge of all spells.


ARTIFACT SET (WIND OF WAR - all troops enter combat with Haste cast on them):

- Griffin Talon (+1 Attack )
- Falconer's Gloves (+1 Defense)
- Enchanter's Quill (+1 Knowledge)
- Alabaster Egg (+1 Spellpower)
____________

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baklava
baklava


Honorable
Legendary Hero
Mostly harmless
posted March 08, 2008 10:06 AM
Edited by baklava at 10:06, 08 Mar 2008.

Nice. Hadn't seen your drawings for some time
____________
"Let me tell you what the blues
is. When you ain't got no
money,
you got the blues."
Howlin Wolf

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radar
radar


Responsible
Legendary Hero
Castle/Haven player
posted March 08, 2008 10:51 AM

LOL my Citadel was a waste of time.

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Mytical
Mytical


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Chaos seeking Harmony
posted March 08, 2008 10:55 AM

Well Radar if yours was a waste of time, mine is a collosal waste of time.  Think yours is much better then mine.  This is a good town, but over my head I think.  Too cerebral for me
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Vlaad
Vlaad


Admirable
Legendary Hero
ghost of the past
posted March 08, 2008 04:55 PM
Edited by Vlaad at 16:56, 08 Mar 2008.

Quote:
Nice. Hadn't seen your drawings for some time
This is just concept art... But if you like it, see Cepheus's Rift for more.
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UppZi
UppZi

Disgraceful

posted March 13, 2008 12:12 AM

Nice.
I really really like the symbol! bloody feather!
Do you think them as in warhammer (with colors and gear etc)?

Good work!

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Vlaad
Vlaad


Admirable
Legendary Hero
ghost of the past
posted March 13, 2008 12:39 AM
Edited by Vlaad at 00:41, 13 Mar 2008.

Quote:
Nice.
I really really like the symbol! bloody feather!
Do you think them as in warhammer (with colors and gear etc)?

Good work!

Thanks. Not really like Warhammer (if you like those, don't worry - I'm sure Nival will include them sooner or later, like a lot of other Warhammer stuff ). There's a twist here - exiled and weary, they have found a refuge at the top of the world. There's also some symbolism: I see High Elves as a proud nation, sometimes arrogant and haughty - thus they chose to live above others, among clouds and mountain peaks... They are as cold as their snowy empire. However, even the High Elves needed allies - so they befriended the flying creatures of their new homeland. Their bond was a natural one; having survived a genocide, those mighty birds were refugees themselves (hence the bloody feather, which also represents Elves' gory history).
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Snatch
Snatch


Promising
Known Hero
Proud Kappa
posted March 26, 2008 05:15 PM

Cohesiveness: 10/10 (all fits well)

Imagination: 14/15 (great as far as a new elf faction goes, I like the theme)

Back story: 8/10 (much effort in here)

Battle facets: 9/10 (seems like a versatile faction, a little minus is the specializiation of tier 7 creature)

Discretionary: 0/5 (nothing to add what hasn't said yet)

41/50

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Momo
Momo


Promising
Famous Hero
posted March 29, 2008 08:57 PM

Cohesiveness: 10/10 points the connection between nature and elementals is an old one (Heroes 4 for instance) and always works.

Imagination: 10/15 points gain some points for the awesome hand-drawings, but elves really have been done to death and again and this faction doesn't succeed at surprising you by re-interpreting elves in a way you never dreamed of before. Generally speaking, "elves" are a race I'd never chose for a context, because being innovative with them is really hard.

Back story:  10/10 points admittedly I didn't read it whole, but seems great storytelling and well-tied to Ashan. Even with a partial knowledge, I'd say it looks like one of the best backstories so far.

Battle facets:  6/10 points the lineup is well rounded and balanced, but on the opposite hand also not really intriguing.

Discretionary: 3/5 points still impressed by the cohesiveness with HoMM universe, but this does not a faction alone make.

Overall Score:  39/50

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Cepheus
Cepheus


Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
posted March 29, 2008 09:01 PM

Quote:
but seems great storytelling and well-tied to Ashan.


Hah, I wrote it for Colony, not Ashan

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Momo
Momo


Promising
Famous Hero
posted March 29, 2008 09:06 PM

Quote:
Quote:
but seems great storytelling and well-tied to Ashan.


Hah, I wrote it for Colony, not Ashan


I meant colony indeed. Sorry.

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Cepheus
Cepheus


Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
posted March 29, 2008 09:10 PM

Not a problem, I just had to nitpick that, being a Colony fanatic.

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Mytical
Mytical


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Chaos seeking Harmony
posted March 30, 2008 09:55 AM

Cohesiveness: 10/10

Imagination: 13/15 To me it is not the race that decides things, but how they are implimented, and these are implimented nicely.

Back story:  10/10 .

Battle facets:  7/10 Momo pretty much said everything here.

Discretionary: 4/5  

Overall Score:  44/50

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Tobius
Tobius


Adventuring Hero
posted March 30, 2008 02:59 PM
Edited by Tobius at 00:22, 01 Apr 2008.

High Elves

Cohesiveness(4+4)=8 creatures fit very well into HoMM, but Rocs and Conflux is a bit strange
Imagination(3+2+3)=8 Sadly, you completely copied the HoMM 5 mechanics, still your theme is pretty original
Back Story(2+5)=7 it's written very well, but the known past is somehow rewritten without tying to the reckoning, so how does it expand on the universe?
Battle Facets(4+2)=6 The racial is too much focused on tier 7 and the whole mechanics are copied from Heroes 5 without any innovations

Discretionary: +1 for the in-depth history (though in my eyes it lacks tying with the old HoMM universe, but the effort has to be rewarded)

Total Score=30

How I graded these:
Cohesiveness (Internal Coherence [1-5]+HoMM Compatibility [1-5])
Imagination (Creativity [1-5]+Innovations [1-5]+Originality[1-5])
Back Story (How well it expands on one of the HoMM universes [1-5]+How interesting it was to me [1-5])
Battle Facets (Variety [1-5]+Inventive Aspects [1-5])
Discretionary (Bonus for exceptional efforts[1-5])

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friendofgunnar
friendofgunnar


Honorable
Legendary Hero
able to speed up time
posted April 12, 2008 06:25 AM


The High Elves:

FriendofGunnar

cohesiveness 9/10
originality 11/15 hmm, I guess I'm prejudiced against elves
backstory 8/10
battle facets 9/10 the level 2 + level 5 combo is a great idea. Sky lore is novel too.
discretionary 5/5 The pics are pretty great

42



Kookastar

Cohesiveness: 10
Imagination/creativity/originality/wow factor: 12 – I love the amazons! Although there are some old favs in the creature line-up they are taken to the next level – the ALKONOST is kool too!
Back story: 10 – timeline and narrative blend well to give a complete picture
Battle facets: 9 – balance in abilities without being overpowered. Not overdone
Discretionary: 5 – *bows to the artist
Total: 46


TDL

Cohesiveness(max 10) : 9
Creativity (max 10): 10
Backstory (max 10): 10
Battle Facets (max 15): 9
additional (max 5): 3

extremely difficult to rate as I am not proficient with erathia… concept-wise well-done, although yet another elven faction

Total (max 50):41


Guest Judge's Score : 38.50 (Judges grades are weighed differently depending on how many factions they graded)
Judges Score: (42 + 46 + 41) / 3 = 43.00

Final Score: 40.75

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