Fantasy Friday XIII - Darssen Stronghold (Readers' Choice)

[Alex Walz]

FANTASY FRIDAY XIII
The Stronghold of Darssen

This week we're going with a Readers' Choice showcase and taking a look at Darssen, the NPC stronghold that received the most votes when we asked readers what stronghold they would like to see most in our Developer Blog. Located in the human region of the Rollingplain, Darssen is a town of romance and fairytale. Bordering the elven land of Nhob'ru, stories abound of forbidden liaisons between elf and human. Consequently, it is the haven and breeding ground of bards and minstrels, as well as adventure seekers and ne'er-do-wells. But gold does not run thick, and the wooden walls of this small stronghold reflect its poverty. Though its hilltop stance is adequate against small assaults, a sieging army would meet scant resistance.

The human town of Darssen, as seen from the MMORTS World Map, towering over the Rollingplain region.

One of the smallest major strongholds in Dawn of Fantasy, Darssen consists of two layers of palisade walls and one central, cliff-top keep.

Within this keep, there is the town hall and the king unit used in skirmish matches. There's also access to the stronghold's walls, which have a great advantage peering over the rest of the town.

Darssen is a self-sustaining town with a lucrative farming and mining industry with farm land surrounding the town and a reserve of farms and gold mines within the first layer of its walls.

Although its defenses are weak, the only entrances to Darssen force enemy armies to cram into narrow gates, making them easy targets for archers and siege mechanisms.

Darssen's second entrance typically faces less human resistance, but the cliff leading up to it is very narrow and treacherous.

Darssen's cliff-side promenade adds to the appeal of this fairytale town as well provides excellent natural defenses.