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Cortes
Adventuring Hero
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posted August 13, 2025 08:06 AM |
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Edited by Cortes at 20:05, 19 Aug 2025.
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Erios - A new creation
Welcome to something that is growing beyond it was originally meant to be. I am not even joking, I originally just wanted to create some factions as reading about Olden Era gave me inspiration.
It was NOT meant to get a lengthy lore-section or anything like that but apparently, I just end up deleting and remaking if I don't go this big. So, here we are.
Oh, I will reserve a few posts.
With that out of the way...
General History:
Ah, there you are. Welcome. So, you are here to hear more about our world Erios? Oh, don't be shy. It's a wonderful thing to be curious, that is. Maybe not about everything or every time but knowing about our world is something you should most definitely do. As someone who has traveled our shaken world quite a lot in my younger years, I believe I qualify for a little bit of education and where to start but its history?
For starters, you most likely know but we are currently in the Fourth Era of our world. At least, as far as documented eras go. There is so called Mystic Era, also called Era Zero. Supposedly a time where beastmen had much more power then today and waged war with primitive human tribes. There is very little known about it though, much lost to time and I am not sure there is anyone left old enough to remember and willing to talk about.
Regardless, the First Era began with the birth of the Starfallen Empire. So named after its founders, the fabled ancestors of modern elves, commonly referred to as the Fallen Ones or Star Elves. As far as the stories about this famous empire is concerned, the Fallen Ones one day simply and quite literally, fell from the stars. They traveled across the stars using ships encapsulated in pure magic and fell. Crushing down on Erios as they fled their old and incredible large empire. Why exactly they fled their empire is unclear. Some sources say it was torn apart by war based on internal struggles. Other sources say it was torn apart during war with another enemy. Other sources again claim they did not actually flee but were actually sent. Not to us, crashing on Erios was seemingly never part of the plan but considering no one has come looking for them since, I kinda doubt that.
Anyway, the ancestors of elves came to the world and conquered it. I am not joking, every scrap of information we have, points towards a short time of peace, followed by years upon years of war.
Now, I know this to be a controversial opinion but I really think it is the beastmen who provoked this war. Many think of the Star Elves as conquerors and they most certainly conquered but I managed to read documents of that time that point towards the beastmen as the ones to do the first strike. Specifically, the Rakasha and if you know anything about Rakasha, you would not be surprised.
You see, the Rakasha, beastmen who resemble tigers and lions, had their very own empire back in the day and were very much the rulers of the beastmen. As far as I know, they pretty much only feared dragons and giants and both were pretty content with letting the Rakasha be, as long as they stood out of their respective territories.
Then came the Fallen Ones and while their initial contact with beastmen where with the kinder and gentler folk that resembled goats or deer they quickly came into contact with the Rakasha. I believe, originally, the Rakasha may have been confused to where the Star Elves came from and may have been cautious but only until they smelled weakness. After all, they looked like they could be brought to heel and I am not sure I even want to know what the Rakashan Empire thought of doing once they had the Starfallen's powers under their thumbs.
After all, modern Rakasha still have a problem with giants and dragons and their kin and that only because their ancestors did not bow down the empire of the Rakasha ancestors. All the while even the modern Rakasha admit their empire made mistakes back then and don't want it back!
Cats, I swear! Then again, however, the Rakasha may say this about their old empire, though...
But back to topic and, of course, the Star Elves came to a conclusion that considered all beastmen to be enemies. I do not blame them. If you come to a strange place with no way home and your initial friends turn out to be friends only as long as their superiors do not command something else, you may not consider them to be friends at all and may even start treating them as enemies. If for no other reason, then to avoid a dagger in the back. So, the Star Elves waged war and took slaves. The giants were too far away from the Star Elves to be important and so they took slaves in humans and beastmen.
As far as we humans were concerned, the enslavement to the Star Elves was in all honesty actually a blessing in disguise. Sure, humans were slaves but the Star Elves seem to have seen a spark, worthy of salvation. They elevated primitive human tribes to an very early form of civilized society and by doing so accelerated a process that would have taken many generations otherwise.
Then, the Fallen Ones made contact with dragons.
At this point, I should probably give you a quick note about dragons, just in case you actually need it as dragons are rare. All dragons are dangerous. They are mighty, among the most powerful beings in Erios these days and they know that. So, be careful, even when you are around the more friendlier ones. However, dragons grow with age but their supposedly last stage, called Greatwyrm, is rare. It has become so rare in fact, that some scholars believe it to have gone extinct. Frankly, I have heard otherwise but I do not dare to test these rumors regarding their truth. If even half the stories I have heard about Greatwyrms are true, they are best left to their own devices. Les you risk destruction of your entire homeland.
Anyway, the Fallen Ones made contact with dragons and were very worried about their might. Now, I do not know if it had been like this but for all we know, the Fallen Ones had already defeated the Rakasha at this point and not met any serious resistance ever since and I would not doubt that they had, somewhat, grown arrogant. I suppose it was this arrogance that led to their fatal mistake for the Fallen Ones decided to hunt the dragons.
This however, awoke the wrath of the Greatwyrms. They originally cared little about the Fallen Ones but when they started actively hunting dragons like some common animals, the Greatwyrms were outraged. Besides the fact that the hunt for dragons was at best only somewhat successful and seemingly costed the Star Elves quite dearly. The Greatwyrms called upon the lesser dragons and under dragon wings, assembled armies of beastmen feeling a chance for revenge. Even the giants joined in from their remote enclaves to that cause and if you know anything about the legendary battles between dragons and giants, you know how rare it is for them to work together like this. They came over the Starfallen Empire and destroyed it and if some of the oldest texts are anything to go by, many humans joined their side as well. Not straight from the beginning mind you but many humans of that time were still slaves after all.
This was the end of the first great empire in the documented history of Erios and the end of the First Age as well. Some elves survived the fall of their empire of course but they fled across the world, hiding in the most remote regions to become the elves we know today. The cities of the empire fell to ruins and all but one have vanished over time. Its capital, the place where they crushed into our world, still stands but it is a place best avoid. If you wonder why no one tried to take over what the Star Elves brought with them, most simply did not understand how much of that worked and many simply wanted nothing to do with conquerors and slavers in such ways.
Enough of that and let's have a little break.
Back and ready? Good. We are now in the Second Age of Erios. It was a turbulent time in its early days. See, in the early years of the Second Age, humans, giants and beastmen had a lot of contact still and there was an uneasy peace. That kind of peace you only get when long-time enemies unite to face a powerful foe together. Though, giants were less involved but they were never easy to handle in the first place. In some cases, they found enough common ground to stay together and in some of these cases, they still live together to this very day. In other cases however, a peaceful co-existence was tried and failed and some didn't even bother. The dragons had left early on, guided by the Greatwyrms and had taken all of their kind with them. As far as they were concerned, business was done as the empire was defeated.
Aside from that, there is not really much to talk about. I mean, don't get me wrong, the Second Age lasted over two thousand years and it saw the rise and fall of many kingdoms but that's about it. There is no single great story to be told or one single legendary hero to know about. Excuse me for saying this but besides the fact that it laid the groundwork for realms that are still active to this day, it was a rather boring time. I mean, sure the kingdoms and realms that formed during the Second Age and are still around, whatever their form, will be talked about but only in due time.
One exception of course, the most famous kingdom and the one who brought Erios into its Third Age, was the Holy Griffin Empire.
So, the Holy Empire. At its height, the mightiest realm in all of Erios. I have even heard stories about some beings, who had lived long enough to remember that time, say that it was like the shadow of the Starfallen Empire but better. Like a soft, warm light instead of burning and stinging rays. Sadly, the empire is long gone but let's leave that sad part for the end of that history.
You see, the Griffin Empire was not even a kingdom of its own before its rise to such a legendary status. This rise may very well never happened in the first place, if the Duke of Griffin, Nicolas his name I think, would not have found an angel.
Yes, angels. Legendary warriors from a heavenly place, sent by a benevolent god to guide humanity in trying times and so on and so forth.
Excuse my direct words but that is nonsense! Oh, angels exist no doubt about that but they are nothing like their legends and while I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Griffin Empire, I will call them out on this, because the angels are not some god-sent warriors. They came with the Star Elves as their elite warriors but they are strong and they look majestic and the average person, now as much as back then, simply did not know the truth.
Yes, this begs the question how Nicolas not only found one but apparently managed to make them work for him and frankly, I have no idea.
So, when the Duke of Griffin presented the angels like they were some gift sent by the gods, many were impressed enough to believe. Combine this with Nicolas apparent immense cleverness regarding political schemes and it shouldn't come as a surprise that he was crowned Holy Emperor less then a decade later.
You know, I do wonder what all those long living races thought when one human kingdom started to use angels. I very much do not doubt that at least dragons may very well have remembered them from the war against the Starfallen Empire but given history is as it is, I guess they saw no reason to intervene. Hm, maybe they should have.
Now, the Holy Empire was, for all intents and purposes, a great realm. It brought peace and prosperity to many lands, though it didn't exactly work without conquest either but this time, there were no slaves taken. At least not in any amount comparable to what the Star Elves did. It also established itself as a protector for those within its lands and was generally well accepted among its people. Sure, it wasn't without problems but what land isn't?
Well, it did become less favorable over time, though. Don't get me wrong, it had problems from the beginning, the big lie it was pretty much built upon being at the center of it did a lot but they trieed to make up for it. We have documented proof that Nicolas himself gave the order that everyone should be allowed to worship whatever god one wanted, as long as one would also worship the Holy Church. Which worked for quite a while, until a new reign of emperors were crowned, after the empire faced its first civil war.
You see, the Holy Empire lasted quite a while, around 500 years and during this time, it survived not one but two civil wars and was, though with much help, a wall against the great Barbarian Invasion.
This was a short period when all the barbaric tribes united united under one king. Quite an impressive feat but a story for another day, as their descendants are still around.
In the end, the empire's own arrogance was its downfall. Yes, I am aware of a parallel that could be drawn here but there is still a difference between the Starfallen Empire and the Griffin Empire. Though, I cannot help but wonder how the Griffin Empire would look like, if it was still around today and how different it would then appear to those, who remember the Starfallen Empire but I am not sure if anyone is still around able to do that.
In case you did not know, the Empire got “worse” every time it survived a major crisis, as I already mentioned. By worse I mean, it lost a bit of its warmth, shall I say. A good example I already gave regarding religious freedom. It also became more arrogant every time. Not right out of the gate, mind you but I don't think it ever lasted longer then a generation or two after such events, for this new iteration to take hold.
That said, however, their idea of actively searching for the secrets of the Starfallen Empire, meaning actively searching their ancient capital, is actually understandable. Considering the time they decided for that, that is.
The Griffin Empire decided for after its second civil war, its last major crisis and while many of the imperial nobility were certainly arrogant enough to do so simply for their own benefit, the actual reason was to help the Empire. Not out of any ill intent but to honestly help in getting it back on its feet and to make sure it stood there better then ever before. After all, the Griffin Empire was still not done recovering from the Barbarian Invasion by the time its second civil war happened. So, I suppose it is understandable that someone, I guess hoped, the legends about the might of the Starfallen Empire would actually bring help to the Griffin Empire.
To be fair, they knew more about these times back then, then we do now as the greatest tragedy hadn't happened yet and the Griffin Empire did actually benefit from the findings of the expeditions. For a while. Then, the expeditions delved too greedily and too deep.
Now, we are getting to the last days of the Holy Empire. We don't know exactly what happened back then but we do know about the plague that burdens Erios to this day still:
The Necrom.
Unfortunately, we will have to talk more about the Necrom specifically later on, so lets stick to the historical part. Necrom hordes came over the Griffin Empire and the empire itself rallied to defend against this threat. Though, by the time they realized what they were dealing with and what needed to be done and actually came to do it, the Necrom hordes had laid waste to more then a few remote landscapes of Erios. Much more but the Griffin Empire, together with its closest allies, united to fight this threat and they were making good progress. Until another threat appeared, like a dagger to the back:
Demons.
Demons are not from this world. Not originally. For all we know, they are from another world, one we know very little about. What we do know, is that they came into this world because an experiment in the lands of the Mage Kings, who are no longer around, went wrong. It had something to do with teleportation and a few other things, I believe. Anyway, a large portal was built and activated and through that portal came the demonic legions.
We are reaching the final stages of our tale here. To make a sad story short, the demons attacked, well, literally everyone but as the Empire and its allies were already busy with the necrom hordes and were surprised by the demonic legions. The alliance was stretched beyond its breaking point and never again since, had so many come together to fight for a common cause. One last final effort was made, though, one last final charge against the Great Gate that allowed the demons to flood in our lands. Catherine, last empress of the Holy Empire led the charge and sacrificed her life in the process. The gate collapsed but the demons did not vanish as hoped.
So died the Holy Griffin Empire and the Third Age came to an end.
Let's wrap this up, shall we? The Fourth Age, the one we are now in, is undoubtedly the darkest age Erios has ever been. No single great empire to stand firm against the threats towards humanity. No united alliance of humans and friends to keep people safe. Alliances are fleeting, friends even rarer. If only necrom hordes and demonic legions would be the only threat we humans have to face but alas, they are not.
But that is talk for another time. We have been here for a while now and the history is now finished up as well. Be careful on the way home and goodbye.
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HIDEOUT
Musical Themes:
Gothic 1 Samp Camp Theme
Maifa: The Old Country Main Menu Theme
LORE:
Overview:
Swamp Mafia
Area/Realm/Kingdom:
The Glowing Marshes. A large swamp area that is known for its huge amount of natural sources of light when the sun is down.
Capital:
Angar
Religion:
Religion is two-fold and consists of the Dreamer, often depicted as an old man and his daughter, the Maid, a young and beautiful woman.
The Dreamer is said to be a god that prefers hermit-like practitioners of the arcane and to care little about anything related society.
The Maid is said to be a goddess who favors family above everything else and is apparently the one to help the people of the Glowing Marshes most of the time.
Symbol:
A cigar and a knife, crossed
Lore:
Have you ever committed a crime? Done something you shouldn't have? Something that most would consider illegal?
Don't worry, I do not mean to gain knowledge about any dark or embarrassing secrets you might have. I simply ask because what you and I would consider a crime might be completely normal behavior for someone else. Why our views might differ so greatly can have many reasons but for this case, it is society. You, there is a group of people out there who pretty much make their entire living by what we say is committing a crime and yet have nothing to fear from any official government force, because they are the government and their rule of their their land is absolute.
I am talking about the Bayou-Dons in the Glowing Marshes.
The Glowing Marshes are old, very old. They have existed for at least the early stages of the Second Era but it wasn't until the beginning of the Fourth Era, that their society became what it is known as today. That is simply because for all this time in between, the marshes were only scarcely populated. Minor communities of deeply religious people who cared little about the outside world, unless they were about selling rare and valuable herbs. There had been attempts to conquer the marshes but only few ever tried and none succeeded.
The marshes can quite hard to travel, especially when its natural inhabitants are determined you will not succeed.
All of that changed, however, the Third Era ended. While not truly important in the grander scheme if things, these were also days were many minor nobles, especially in the more remote parts of their respective lands, would hire men to watch over their respective lands. They were given the title of Don.
These Dons were, for all accounts and purposes, tenants of the nobles who where given enough freedom to run their lands as they pleased, as long as their respective noble was not facing trouble because of it. Which in turn led to the Dons committing all sorts of crime at one hand while at the other hand actively protecting their land and sometimes even better then anyone else and dealing in Favors was an important part in that. Protection that became a matter of survival when the end of the world seemed near. Of course, it wasn't but many thought like that during that time and I do not blame them.
Anyway, the nobles fled or died and the some Dons abandoned their posts to save themselves but others stayed. They stood and fought and one of them, being forced to flee into the nearby marshes after a battle went wrong, met a young and beautiful woman. Some suspect he met the Maid herself and I am almost tempted to believe so too. I mean, he returned healed and with an army on his heel. This was not about to reconquer lost lands, however, this was about bringing the other Dons and their people into the new home.
The Dons came into the Glowing Marshes, not as conquering crime lords but as homeless fugitives and were told to resume their old positions, as long as they adjusted to their new lands. The Dons now were and are many things but stupid is not one of them. They quickly realized the only save and quick ways to travel across the marshes, by comparison, were the water ways and seized control over them. They also agreed to a set of rules to follow and to install a council, so they wouldn't be constantly at war with each other, which works most of the time. They then turned to establish or rather re-establish old structures and found a new source of income as they managed to cultivate the many herbs of the marshes to an amount never seen before.
Some of these herbs are widely liked by many people while the sheer possession of them is actually a crime. Which is not a thing in the Glowing Marshes themselves as they produce and sell them. Though herbs are not the only good they sell, they are the main reason many settlements of other countries near the marshes appear to have a certain type of problem.
Now it is time to talk about the forces they deploy to protect their lands and goods.
UNITS:
Name: Thug -> Brute
Type: walker, melee
Tier: CORE
Lore: The most common soldier in the forces of the Dons are what other would consider criminal muscle. They are, however, sworn to serve their Don and this they do, with loyalty and respect. They are neither heavily armed nor armored but they do have their ways to make sure their targets can't retaliate to their attacks. Which is usually saved for the common workers who don't want to play along but depending on the Don, that can be quite a rare circumstance.
Abilities:
(U)Bash: Attacks of this unit have a chance to stun the target.
Name: Stalker -> Tracker
Type: walker, ranged
Tier: CORE
Lore: The Marshes are a difficult terrain to navigate and the Dons deploy trained archers and hunters to keep an eye out for invaders. Or monsters getting too close to the settlements. On occasion, however, these loyal souls are also deployed for hunts of a more darker kind. They are quite versed in using their terrain to their advantage and catch their prey of guard.
Abilities:
(U)Set Trap: Once per round, this unit can set a trap on the battlefield. Every enemy unit walking into this trap has a chance to end its turn and have reduced Initiative and Speed until the end of its next turn.
Name: Will-O-Wisp -> Jack-O-Lantern
Type: flier, melee
Tier: CORE
Lore: The Glowing Marshes have their name for a reason. Partly they are called so because of spirits inhabiting the marshes, glowing beings known to lead many weary travelers to their doom. They are a race of their own, though may be of the same family as other minor spirits of nature. They never mind joining the armies of the marshes, though have strange requirements for payment, as they demand pumpkins. To be fair though, them using pumpkins like armor seems help them in many ways. If only it wouldn't be for these faces.
Abilities:
Hypnotic Glow: Reduces Attack and Speed of nearby enemy units.
(U)Guiding Light: Increases Speed and Initiative of nearby allies.
Name: Werewolf -> Garou
Type: walker, melee
Tier: ELITE
Lore: A long, long time ago, during Era Zero as legends would have it, existed humans able to transform into animals or into a state like a hybrid between man and animal and where heralded as great warriors. To fight fire with fire, so to say but the more civilized humans became, the more the more they departed in heart and mind from their once revered warriors. Not so the Dons, though, who never forgot an ancient tale of their old country who said its first king and namesake of its capital, was a werewolf himself. Though, no one can say how they even managed to forge this bond in the first place. However, when the Dons traded one home for another, the werewolves went with them.
Abilities:
Large: This unit is considered large
Leap: Once per round, this unit can perform a special attack towards any target within an area of twice is movement range as it jumps towards it. Does not suffer from retaliation on this attack.
(U)Toughness: Reduces non-magical damage towards this creature.
Name: Basilisk -> Greater Basilisk
Type: walker, melee
Tier: ELITE
Lore: Many who never faced a basilisk before would just deem it an overly large crocodile with slightly deformed head and small purple spikes on its back. Which is true, until they demonstrate their magical power of turning someone into stone by making contact, eye to eye. They are natural monsters of the marshes and even though they are used for the army and even as mounts in rare cases, many wild ones still remain.
Abilities:
Large: This unit is considered large
Stone Gaze: Every attack of retaliation of this unit has a chance to petrify the target.
Name: Hag -> Ancient Hag
Type: walker, ranged
Tier: ELITE
Lore: Some believe Hags best described as old witches, their bodies deformed by their lives and arcane powers. They are powerful indeed, they even participate in military activities as spell casters on the battlefield. They seem to resemble the Dons in some ways as Hags too, dwell in deals and favors. As one said it once: The Hags and the Dons are not too different from each others. The Dons may have the land but the Hags can be the far more potent option for deals and favors. They also can be the far more dangerous option for their payment.
Abilities:
Caster: This unit can cast spells
Name: Swamp Elemental -> Swamp Thing
Type: walker, melee
Tier: CHAMPION
Lore: Elementals are rare. Rare and powerful. The most common variants of elementals are the pure ones. The ones that only have connection to one element. Rare by comparison to other elementals are elementals of mixed elemental connection. A single elemental of mixed connection is said to be as strong as a greater elemental of pure connection. Which of course begs the question regarding greater elementals of mixed connection but as far as the Dons of the Glowing Marshes are concerned, that question is none that needs an answer. They summon these elementals in the hour of great need and their tremendous power has decided a battle in their favor more then once.
Abilities:
Large: This unit is considered large
Elemental: This unit is considered an elemental
Immune to Earth: Earth magic spells cannot harm this creature
Immune to Water: Water magic spells cannot harm this creature
Crushing Blow: This unit can attacks walls and fortifications during siege.
(U)Wrath of the Swamp: Once per round, this unit can damage all enemy units standing in marshland.
HEROES:
Mount: Greater Basilisk
Name: Enforcer
Alignment: Might
Lore: Enforcer were once the go-to muscle of the Dons. Not necessarily mindless brutes, Enforcers were more often directly beneath the Don and his seconds in command. The basic concept of this position has remained, though most Enforcers these days find themselves with the addition of military duties in their roles. Now leading the armies of the marshes, Enforcers can come to blow with whatever equivalent there is to them and considering what that can entail, its probably no wonder experienced Enforcers see themselves as battle-hardened warriors. They are not so wrong and may sometimes end up being Dons themselves.
Name: Witch Doctor
Alignment: Magic
Lore: Witch Doctors existed before the Dons came into the marshes. They were pretty much the spiritual leaders of the small communities back then. Spiritual leaders and also healers and they kinda managed to hold on to both positions. Though things changed greatly as Witch Doctors are now pretty much healers who happen to lead armies if their Don so orders. They are still also priests, though not above aiming for the position of Don, should it so happen to be possible. While many Dons find the more quirkier and eccentric Witch Doctors rather annoying, they will gladly sent their children for study, should a talent be discovered.
SPECIAL BUILDINGS:
Name: Pumpkin Fields
Lore: Will-O-Wisp are spirits of the swamp with a love of pumpkins. Whoever makes sure to have entire fields ready can be sure to have a few more of these spirits around.
Function: Increases weekly growth of Will-O-Wisp and Jack-O-Lantern.
Name: Sunken Temple
Lore: The Glowing Marshes are old, very old. Their entire history is not exactly well documented but these ancient temples can give hints, if one is willing to explore.
Function: Increases Knowledge of all heroes visiting this city but only one time.
Name: Black Market
Lore: The Dons are criminals and have forbidden only very, very little from being traded in their lands. In most cases, they are completely fine as long as they get a cut of the price.
Function: Allows to buy and sell artifacts.
FACTION SKILL:
Marshland
Turns one hexagon at the start of the battle into marshland. Marshland will slow enemy units down. Even fliers, should they start in such a hexagon, though teleporters would always immune. Marshland would also grow with the start of each round.
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CITADEL
Musical Themes:
Deep Forge
Vampire Counts
LORE:
Overview:
An attempt to combine Necropolis and Forge
Area/Realm/Kingdom:
Trassalia, a land with lots of dark forests and hills and mountains rich in minerals, where dark Citadels tower over the lands.
Capital:
Blackstone
Religion:
Their is no true united religion to speak off. The closest thing they have, however, are cults dedicated towards the Forge itself. They are not inherently religious but anyone watching them long enough will notice a slight shift into ever more religious territory.
Symbol:
A skull surrounded by four hammers
Lore:
What is the worth of a soul? Not a life or a body but the very soul itself. What would you do, if could control a soul? What would you do, if you could sell your soul for benefits?
In one place in this world, the answer is simple: Bound it to something and make it obey your every command.
This place is Trassalia, a land that is honestly not very interesting on its own but what lies beneath is of highest interest. You see, Trassalia is a place where the Starfallen Empire left one of its greatest treasures behind: The Soulforge.
The Soulforge is a gigantic machine, able to do with ease what others would need to do in lengthy arcane rituals. It can apply the soul of a living being to whatever you want it to apply. How and why the Starfallen Empire not only placed the Soulforge there and how it managed to survive the times until it was found is a mystery.
The exact moment is not definitively proven but I have a suspicion that it was found much earlier then it had been put into use openly. For Trassalia is the land of the midnight aristocracy, who have lived since at least the early days of the Second Age. Though, 'lived' is probably the wrong description, since vampires are not exactly what I would consider 'alive' anymore.
Yes, vampires. Undying creatures with the need to suck blood. Trassalia is their land and they are the masters of the Soulforge. Now, there are many stories about vampires in existence and from personal experience I can tell that at least some of them are nonsense. Neither water nor garlic as any effect on them but that is not a story about vampires. Well, not that kind of story at least.
I already mentioned it but vampires have been around since the early days of the Second Age. No one knows exactly how the first vampire came into existence but I have a suspicion. As already mentioned, the Forge is hidden beneath Trassalia and I think someone found the Forge and, somehow and for whatever reason, activated it but it didn't exactly work out. At least I cannot imagine the Starfallen Empire willingly deploying something like the Forge and working as intended means creating beings with eternal live and superhuman powers as long as they suck blood and soul.
Oh, that's right, vampires such more then just blood out of you. They suck blood to maintain their physical appearance but they also always suck at your very soul to make use of their powers.
Then again, maybe the creation of vampires was working as intended but talking about the plans and motives of the Starfallen Empire would probably take more time then either of us have.
Regardless, it was once again the end of the Third Age and the beginning of the Fourth Age, that would shake things to its foundation. You need to understand, up to this point, the vampires of Trassalia did not deploy entire armies like these days. They did not conquer like these days. They were holding their territory, had their wars of course because the mere presence of vampires is enough to drive some people into a mindless frenzy. Though, when they found bodies on mass across the lands, they could not resist and started to collect them. I can't say I blame them, it must have been one hell of a opportunity.
Anyway, it was around these times that their use of the Soulforge reached levels that made any kind of hiding impossible. Whether they had to abandon it or straight up stopped bothering I do not know but the lords and ladies of the midnight aristocracy no longer hide the existence of the Soulforge. They now use it openly and have expanded the borders of their land to almost twice their size now.
UNITS:
Name: Skeleton - > Skeleton Archer
Type: walker, melee - > walker, ranged
Tier: CORE
Lore: One of the most common ways to use souls in the forge is to bound them to skeletons. They fulfill many roles, most as simple workers or servants but can be used on the battlefield as well. Though they mostly related to ranged positions as soon as as possible, since their frail bodies are easily disposed of, in close combat.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound.
Name: Animated Armor - > Living Armor
Type: walker, melee
Tier: CORE
Lore: Suits of armor, moving and attacking as if anyone was inside but they do all of that thanks to the souls bound to them. They are the commonly used soldiers, slow but though and every vampire has at least a few pieces of such armors displayed for show as if it could not simply start walking. Which they absolutely do, the second an intruder gets to close to them.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Armored: Defense of this unit cannot be lowered
(U)Big Shield: Reduces non-magical ranged damage towards this unit
Name: Ghost - > Wight
Type: flier, melee
Tier: CORE
Lore: Not all souls used in the Forge are bound to something you can see and touch. Many souls are, many more appear without any visible physical connection to anything. These souls, pure in their appearance and yet tainted by their past, often times resemble whoever they were during their living days. Bound to the will of the one controlling them, these ghosts as they are called are valued greatly for their incorporeal form. They cannot take much to their form but given they are what they are, there is a good chance any non-magical attack will not even hit them and might even give them a chance to strengthen themselves with draining mana. Not unlike vampires suck at ones blood and soul.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Ethereal: Reduces the chance of non-magical attacks to hit this unit
(U)Mana Drain: Allows this unit to heal and replenish its numbers by draining mana of enemy units it fights with.
Name: Forge Spirit - > Forge Guard
Type: teleporter, melee
Tier: ELITE
Lore: The Soulforge is a place of secrets and mysteries and even those having worked for centuries in it, have to admit they do not know everything. For example, there are beings within the Forge that sometimes simply appear, just to disappear again as quickly as they can. Whenever they appear, they seem a bit like the ghosts used by the vampires. Except they have a distinct elf like appearance, with bits and pieces resembling parts of the Forge's machinery molded into their bodies. There are many theories regarding their existence. Clear is only them being linked to the Forge in ways beyond anything done by hands other then Star Elves. Some believe they were once workers, forced to link their souls to protect the Forge forever. Other think them criminals, punished for all eternity. The truth is unknown but they have accepted new masters at the Forge and will fight for them, if needed. They have proven quite useful against magic.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Magic Resistance: This unit has magical resistance
(U)Dispel Blade: Attacks of this unit will remove positive effects from the target.
Name: Lich - > Arch Lich
Type: walker, ranged
Tier: ELITE
Lore: For as long as there were mages, there were liches. Indeed, scraps of history say liches existing since Age Zero. For the longest time, the state of lichdom was one sought after by mages with lust for power and little morale. It was, however, a very difficult process that would more often the not fail. When the vampires openly announced their use of the Soulforge, many future would-be liches were tempted because surely it was a safe way to get what they wanted? They were but realized too late what that process meant, though many were given positions of power. As years would have it, many of the older liches who achieved this state before the Forge become available, are no longer around and if the world has luck, the secrets of how-to achieve lichdom without the Forge are forgotten.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Caster: this unit can cast spells
(U)Death Cloud: Ranged attacks of this unit have an AoE effect that deals damage to any living unit near the target
Name: Vampire - > Vampire Knight
Type: teleporter, melee
Tier: ELITE
Lore: Vampires. Creatures with many legends around them, some false but spread by vampires themselves. Their bodies eternally frozen in whatever state it was during their transformation, vampires come with as many looks as humans but all tend to consider them above humans to some extent. An opinion not unfounded for vampires can outmatch the average human in more then a few ways. That is not even accounting for when they go to war, for they are equipped with some of the finest armors and weapons the Soulforge can provide. Vampire Knights are even such masterful swordsman, enemies cannot retaliate to their attacks.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Life Drain: If fighting living units, this unit will half the damage dealt to targets to heal and replenish the numbers of its own stack.
(U)No Enemy Retaliation: Enemies cannot retaliate to attacks of this unit
Name: Dreadnought - > Juggernaut
Type: walker, melee
Tier: CHAMPION
Lore: The strongest weapons produced by the Forge. These mighty constructs are actually based on blueprints and plans discovered within the Forge itself. Things are different, though, for there is no living person inside to control it. They instead use enough bones to create overly large skeletons or go straight for the bones of large humanoid creatures like ogres or even giants. They then bound a soul to each and every bone of it, placing the skeletal remains of a would-be lich at its center to have control. They are masterfully forged and some even never tire to retaliate against every attack.
Abilities:
Soul Bound: This creature is soul bound
Large: This unit is considered large
Immune to Slow: This unit cannot be slowed down
Armored: Defense of this unit cannot be lowered
(U)Unlimited Retaliation: This unit does always retaliate
HEROES:
Mount: Iron Horse
Name: Forge Master
Alignment: Might
Lore: The Forge needs two things to work and the Forge Masters make sure the minerals from the mines are put to good use. They are masterful blacksmiths, each and everyone of them and reserve some of their best weapons and armors made for themselves. They are also more then eager to test their personal equipment time and time again, though magic is not their strong suit.
Name: Undertaker
Alignment: Magic
Lore: The Forge needs two things to work and the Undertakers are always busy bringing in more souls. Many of them also work in the Forge, though they are usually no masters. They are, however, also the preferred diplomats of Trassalia and as they sometimes travel great distances and have to convince others to let them collect bones and souls. Of course, some are stubborn to such requests but Undertakers have their ways to convince them, mostly magic ones.
SPECIAL BUILDINGS:
Name: Deep Mine
Lore: Rich deposits of minerals are not exactly a requirement for a settlement in Trassalia but highly preferred. If the deposits are deep enough, ever more ore can be transported to the surface and sometimes, it is enough to even strengthen the walls itself.
Function: Increases daily amount of ore, kingdom is getting and increases the HP of fortifications during siege.
Name: Bone Hall
Lore: Not all bones delivered a city of Trassalia can be used immediately. As such, they are often times laid to rest in large halls underground, waiting to be called. Called, as they are often times already filled with a soul. After all, Erios is a dangerous place and additional soldiers are often times needed quickly.
Function: Increases weekly growth of Skeletons and Skeleton Archers.
Name: Soul Smith
Lore: The Forge is one, large place and, while powerful, sometimes a bit distant. Too distant but the masters of the forge have managed to copy parts of it. These Soul Smiths are by no means as powerful as the real forge but especially with the more powerful Soulbounds, they can be quite the help.
Function: Decreases cost of raising Elite and Champion units after battle.
FACTION SKILL:
Soul Forging.
Works only with units that are Soulbound and pretty much allows to increase their numbers after battle, depending on the amount of living units killed. Kinda working like Necromancy in H5 Tribes of the East, except the spell Raise Dead, is not raising Soulbound units permanently, like it does Undeads.
They are different.
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Cortes
Adventuring Hero
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posted August 13, 2025 08:08 AM |
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Edited by Cortes at 08:12, 13 Aug 2025.
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Cortes
Adventuring Hero
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posted August 13, 2025 08:11 AM |
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Edited by Cortes at 08:13, 13 Aug 2025.
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Reserved
Hope 3 posts will be enough.
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