Fantasy Friday XXX - Elven Realm of Nhob' Ru

[Michael Mullens]

FANTASY FRIDAY XXX
Elven Realm of Nhob' Ru

Welcome back to another Fantasy Friday! Seeing as how there have been a couple questions regarding how MMORTS Homelands work, we thought it would be best to address these curiosities with today's showcase. We will be looking into the three elven homelands: Bofores'l, Erthee L'Bala, and Taltos.

Dawn of Fantasy's MMORTS, or Online Kingdom, mode gameplay revolves around a player's Homeland territory, which can be built in one of nine regions across the game world of Mythador. Players will develop their homeland from a single building (a couple in the case of the orcs), worker units, and a hero unit to a massive empire complete with layers of heavy walls and keeps, a complex economy, and a number of armies and trade caravans wandering the map. To develop this city, players can gather resources, construct various buildings, recruit new units, and research powerful upgrades and new abilities. Even when a player is offline, their homeland will still be in development with the worker units still gathering resources and finishing constructing any buildings tasked shortly before logging off. Although, the gathering, construction, and training rates are significantly slower than in the fast-paced Skirmish modes.

At your homeland, you will meet an Advisor unit, who will give you your first quests, which will ease the MMORTS learning curve in their introduction to many of the game's mechanics. These quests form the foundation of the MMORTS Campaign storyline and unlock various elements of the game, through which you will discover the large world of Dawn of Fantasy, with its myriad of characters, events, and subplots. While most of these quests engage the player in PvE gameplay throughout the twelve major NPC strongholds of Mythador, there are a couple PvP quests in which players must conquer similarly-matched players in a specified region. Completion of these quests typically results in additional resources or units.

If at any point your own homeland is threatened, you will be able to opt out of the battle by paying a tribute to your attacker. If you decline this payment and ultimately lose the battle at hand, your loss will not be devastating. Your homeland will recover but suffer a small loss of some units, resources, and buildings while the victor will receive a considerable amount of resources.

Begin your adventure by choosing your homeland at the New Stronghold page. Browse through the nine regions before making your choice.

The Forest Region of Bolfores'l

The elven race originated in Bolfores’l. Growing and spreading out from here, they developed both the high arts of civilization and the deep skills of nature lore. In time, elves of each type formed separate communities. So it was they developed into two distinct groups: the Wood Elves who are most gifted in nature lore and earth magic, and the High Elves who are masters of alchemy, city building, and traditional warfare. Both groups still live together in the capitol city of Illas Tiltos, however, and the player who settles in this region can take advantage of the skills of both groups.

In recent years, many elves from Bolfores’l have been emigrating north to the unexplored lands at the foot of the dwarfish mountain kingdom --- this no doubt will lead in time to interesting relations between the elves and dwarves!

The Bolfores'l map gives you an overview of the region.

For now, however, the High Council of Archons has extended an open invitation to all who wish to settle in the ancient forest, parcelling out the lands abandoned by the elven folk that are migrating north.

The Bolfores’l player enjoys the balanced gameplay in all regards. The union of Wood and High Elves carries with it all the benefits and disadvantages of both groups

Map Details Bonus:
-The land here is characterized by numerous separate cliffs and ravines, connected by suspended bridges and arching marble causeways. Winding mountain paths, narrow canyons and natural choke points make for a land that is easily defended against invaders. Both gold mines and stone mines are scarce here.

Economic Bonus:
-The rich forest environment of Bolfores’l enhances Food Vial Production by +25% and Deer Food Generation rate by + 25%.

Economic Penalty:
-Although possessing knowledge of alchemy, this is not an area of study the elves of Bolfores’l have focused on. So Alchemy Labs suffer a -25% generation penalty. The same applies to Stone Trickle generation.

Research Adjustments:
-Normal Elf conditions apply here.

Building Price Adjustment:
-Normal Elf conditions apply here.

Unit Price Adjustments:
-Normal Elf Conditions apply here.

At your new homeland, you will be met by an Advisor unit who will give you your first quests and introduce you to MMORTS gameplay.

I gather my sentries as they await my command.

From your settlement you expand and move outward.

The swamp lands provide a solid region to fortify yourself.

The frozen swamp of Erthee L'Bala

This region is due south of the great woodlands of Bolfores’l, where the elven race first originated. As Wood Elves migrated out of Bolfores’l, the swamps of Erthee l’Bala seemed like an easily defended haven where they could settle. Here, too, they knew they would be free to pursue their understanding of nature lore and nature magic, and so they built their major city of Serepha Moota here.

After leaving the elf homeland, however, the Wood Elves were often castigated by their brethren back in Bolfores’l, sometimes called fugitives, or even outlaws. The independent spirit of the Wood Elves no doubt contributed to this perception.

The Erthee L'bala map gives you an overview of the region.

In any event, the fenland of Erthee l’Bala is now seen as a sanctuary for those in trouble with the law of the High Council, refugees seeking a safe haven, and simply those who seek a simple life closer to nature. Consequently, the tradition of the Wood Elves has been to accept all who wish to settle here. As a result, the player will find Erthee l’Bala a welcoming region.


Preferring natural resource gathering and living on what nature gives, the elven players of Erthee l`Bala become true defenders of all things natural. While they don’t hunt or chop trees, nature provides for them in other ways. Swamp terrain gives huge defensive advantage on the home territory. And mighty elven rangers and riders create a great combination for offensive gameplay.

Map Details Bonus:
-Erthee l’Bala is basically a great forest that became a swamp. Gold mines are available here, but stone mines are scarce.

Economic Bonus:
-The nature magic of the Wood Elves provides a Wood Trickle rate with + 50% generation.

Economic Penalty:
-The intellectual arts and the craft of high magic have been shunned by the Wood Elves, so Alchemy Lab, Stone, Gold, and Food Trickle suffer a -25% generation penalty. The Alchemy Lab Metamorphose price, however, is -25% cheaper.

Research Adjustments:
-Innovative and open to new ideas, the elves of Erthee l’Bala enjoy a -25% cost for all Economic Upgrades .

Building Price Adjustment:
-Lack of experience in working with stone penalizes the Wood Elves +20% stone when building their walls.

Unit Price Adjustments:
-Wood Elf warrior units are cheap to recruit here, with a –25% gold/food cost. And the great siege weapon of the elves, the Tree of War, requires a whopping 50% less wood when trained here in Erthee l’Bala.

Military Bonus:
-Wood Elf units receive a +25% armor benefit. However, the subtleties of pierce armor technology still elude them, so the armor bonus does not apply there.

A sky view over Erthree L'Bala displaying how spacious this elven fortress is with a vine palisade around it.

An outer view from the darkness of night in a haizy forecast.

Another view showing a work-in-progress version of an Erthee homeland.

The Rugged Alpine Mountain tops are a good location to defend off armies from.

The Rugged Mountains of Taltos

Talltos is a rugged mountainous region in the southeast part of Nhob’ru, right on the orcish frontier. The rigorous life in these alpine lands has been very suitable to the High Elves who dwell here. They focus more on the traditional arts of civilization and although they do have powerful magical skills, they also favor balancing them with other arts of the intellect.

Since it is the homeland of High Elves, the major stronghold of Gelmeerim is where the elven governing authority, the High Council of Archons, convenes. Furthermore, in Gelmeerim the High Elves have developed the combat arts to an advanced state, and any players settling in Talltos will find they can train the most powerful of the elven warriors. Along with the wizard class that the High Elves have developed, the units available for making war are among the strongest in Mythador.

The Taltos map gives you an overview of the Region.

Being right on the orc frontier, parts of Talltos were overrun in the War of the Lost Kings, as orcs advanced west against the humans. The Council of Archons has opened up these plundered lands to new settlers and ambitious lords are encouraged to settle here. Well defended inside the soaring castles of Talltos, High Elves have no need to venture outside their stronghold, so they produce everything they need through force of alchemy and magic. This is an excellent choice for a player specializing exclusively in magic.

Map Details Bonus:
-The land here is characterized by numerous separate cliffs and ravines, connected by suspended bridges and arching marble causeways . Wending mountain paths, narrow canyons and natural choke points make for a land that is easily defended against invaders. Both gold mines and stone mines are scarce here.

Economic Bonus:
-The high arts of the elves who dwell here provide the player’s Alchemy Labs with + 25% generation rate, and the Alchemy Lab Metamorphose cost is 25% cheaper. In addition to this, Stone, Gold, and Food Trickle enjoy + 25% generation.

Economic Penalty:
-The alpine regions of Talltos are not favourable to wildlife, and Deer Food Generation rate suffers a -25% penalty.

Research Adjustments:
-The advanced development of the High Elves civilization makes innovation easy here, and all Economic Upgrades and Research costs are reduced -25%.

Building Price Adjustment:
-The engineering skills of the High Elves allow walls to be built with less stone, and the cost of walls is reduced by -10% stone

Unit Price Adjustments:
-As one might expect among people who guard the orcish border, the military tradition of Gelmeerim runs deep. Consequently the best warrior units are easier to recruit anywhere in Talltos. As a result, High Elven units enjoy a –25% gold/food cost reduction.

Military Bonus:
-Well-developed military technology also results in all High Elven units receiving a + 25% armor bonus. However, as ranged weapons are not as well understood here in the mountains, this bonus does not apply to pierce armor.

At your new homeland, you will be met by an Advisor unit who will give you your first quests and introduce you to MMORTS gameplay.

A view of my Sentries crossing a bridge, one of the many mountainous choke points.

The early developing phases of a soon to be formidable nation.