Fantasy Friday - Heroes of the MMORTS Campaigns

[Alex Walz]

Fantasy Friday
Heroes of the MMORTS Campaigns

The persistent Online Kingdom mode features three story-driven campaigns, one focusing around each of the playable races, featuring dozens of characters, including royalty, rebel leaders, wizards, and power-hungry warlords, who introduce a myriad of subplots to the central storyline. These heroes are typically non-player advisors or enemy combatants that the player will interact with throughout his or her adventure. Select heroes can also be controlled in various quests or in the Castle Defense skirmish mode. Profile renders and backstories for the four most prominent heroes of each campaign can be seen below:

Heroes of the Human Campaign

Fred Firkinson - Respected village elder and advisor to the lord of the homeland estate. Reputed to be astute and efficient, though sometimes a little too fond of his own voice. As a young man lacking in physical ability, Fred Firkinson was refused entry to the army, but determined to find another way to serve the realm. Several decades later, his skills as an advisor are now unparalleled, though it is said that his ancient jokes have not aged so well.

King Erian IV of Dagbor - Lord of Teria, Master of the Tattered Isles and Sovereign of Fardale Forest. Following his father's disappearance, the then youthful Prince Erian will be forever remembered as the man who began the War Without Kings, on an impulse born of rage and desperation. (However, it must be noted that due to wizardly manipulations, the war would almost certainly have proceeded regardless of the Prince's actions.) King Erian has always been loathe to accept the name of “King”, and consequently is often referred to as “Prince”. Title aside, he is the one true heir in Mythador to claim his rightful throne, and is well respected by his people. In recent times, his reign has been dominated by efforts to unite and strengthen a weakened human realm. Success in this matter is far from certain.

Lord Harthram - Lord of Thorndale and hero of the War Without Kings. Formerly an untested lord of no great fame, his exploits in the war have earned him a reputation as a brave and noble servant of Teria, and one of King Erian's most trusted friends. The people of Thorndale refer to him affectionately as “Lord Hearty” and indeed his appetite for life still shines as an example to all, despite the great battles he has endured.

Sir Lomad - Lord of Darssen and prominent member of the King's Court in Dagbor. Popular amongst the lower ranks for his crude sense of humor. However, his laddish reputation does him a disservice, for his battlefield victories demonstrate shrewd tactics and sound decision making. Nonetheless, he is best known for an almost unbelievable party trick - balancing a full grown pig on his chin.

Heroes of the Elven Campaign

Nothras – Archguide and homeland elder. A true elf, sensitive and dutiful to the song of Boleta (the forest). Nothras has carved a career unblemished by corruption and his name is synonymous with integrity. Consequently, his rise through the echelons of elf society has been blocked at many turns, and his posting in the remote homeland is a symptom of the distaste with which many in the conclave regard moral beings. It is is said that Nothras is Pat'As, one of Boleta's favored children, and where his feet fall, new life soon blooms.

Princess Alidea of Illas Tortra – Heir to the elven kingdom, following her father’s mysterious disappearance prior to the War Without Kings. Loved by the people and friend to wood elves, she has consequently made many enemies among the conclave (the high elf government). Fearing her power, the conclave have thus far thwarted her ascension to the throne. A stalemate exists, but while the throne sits empty, the power balance is awry and the conclave have begun to derail an ancient and noble society. Songs have been composed in Alidea's honor, but lyrics which speak of her joyous forest wanderings have long since ceased to reflect a princess who now barely sleeps, and who pains to watch her kingdom crumbling.

Archon Maltona – Member of the conclave of archons (elf government, usually known merely as “the conclave”). Chief instigator of anti-princess initiatives, and rumored to have masterminded several failed assassination attempts. Though many in the conclave would struggle to deny charges of corruption or greed, Maltona has never been accused of such weakness. Instead, record of his public speeches seems to indicate great patriotism, underpinned by some rather strange beliefs, not least of which being his conviction that Princess Alidea corrupts Nhob'ru. An anecdote often used to illustrate his character is the incident of the burning trikio, in which Maltona attempted to cure diseased trees by setting fire to an entire forest. His sanity has often been questioned.

Inquisitor Borinthas – High Inquisitor of the Conclave of Archons and Guardian of Illas Tiltos. Fiercely loyal to Nhob'ru, Borinthas boasts a shining career which speaks of dedication and zeal. Assuming the role of High Inquisitor, he has been charged with the protection of the kingdom, and the cleansing of corruption in all its forms. In his greatest hour, he saved the old king from assassination by a rogue wood elf. Sadly, it appears history may judge recent decisions to be disastrously misjudged, and his faith in the conclave's integrity to be his worst mistake.

Heroes of the Orc Campaign

Jentokk Karred – Loyal orc warrior, deputy to the homeland tribe. Well respected for his prowess in Akka, or “deathfight” - the skill of beating an opponent even when mortally wounded. It is said that in three separate battles, Jentokk has fought till near death, always slaying his opponents before losing consciousness. Each time, Jentokk had the good fortune to receive shamanic healing. Jentokk has always fought fiercely for his small tribe, in the belief that one day it will achieve greatness.

Krak Urnen – Tenth and youngest son of the last orc king. Often labeled proud, arrogant and obsessive. It is well known that Krak desires the throne, and believes the current ruler to be a “usurper king”. His devious scheming towards this end has marked him as the most cunning of the late king's progeny. It is rumored that on the occasion of every full moon, Krak draws his blade across his arm and vows by his lifeblood to avenge his father's death.

Prot Nubhun – Wandering shaman and staunch ally of Krak Urnen. Prone to grandiose utterances often concerning prophetic visions. Seer skills notwithstanding, Prot Nubhun commands powerful magic, and has saved Krak Urnen's life more than once. His past is murky, and various rumors abound, including the story that his heart has been dead for twenty years, yet his spirit cannot be stilled. Some would have it that Prot Nubhun is an addict of bloodsmoke, the fumes produced by a shamanic concoction derived from the bodies of fallen warriors, and said to bestow great strength upon those who inhale.

Burok Tatra (later known as Tirranek) – Chief Minister to Skav Otom (the false king). Burok Tatra has long been a larger-than-life character in the orc realm. His might on the battlefield has over the decades transformed a warrior of humble origins into a fierce warlord. Such is his strength that while Skav Otom feuds with the ten princes of the lost true king, some now look to Burok Tatra for their future leader. He is famed for his enormous talent in the discipline of unarmed combat, and has defeated many proud warriors with an arm tied behind his back.

Heroes of the Wizarding World

To make a long story short, as you may know, the affairs of Mythador do not unfold entirely free of the hand of magic. There are Three Orders of Wizards who watch the affairs of Mythador with much interest, sometimes protecting, sometimes interfering in ways that defy explanation.

They are the Order of the Wave, who seek the purity of chaos; the Order of the Calm, who fight for harmony and oppose the Wave; and the Order of the Deep, whose power goes far beneath the surface of all things. Each has its own secret philosophy, each has its own secret mission to carry out in Mythador.

During the War Without Kings, one particular wizard, Faramor of the Wave, became a renegade. Ever since, he has been hunted by King Erian and the Council of the Three Orders, but he has eluded them. We suspect he had a hand in some of the evil deeds committed during that bloody conflict.

The three orders, including the two well-known wizards below, are a central part of each of the three campaigns as well as the history of Mythador and the events leading up to the campaigns.

Lothamir – Wizard of the Order of the Deep. Age unknown, but his name has been linked to the Fire Wars, a legendary conflict of the Older Time, in which wizards are said to have set the sky ablaze during a three year conflict. Famously, the magical sky heat rendered cobbled streets too hot to walk with bare feet. In recent wars, Lothamir has aided humans, though his motives have always been hazy.

Faramor – Wizard of the Order of the Wave. Reputed to be cruel and dangerous, Faramor's actions have often caused misery and death, and invariably coincide with some key moment in the history of Mythador. Records show his influence has been consistently detrimental, though some observe that sustained periods of prosperity follow each seemingly disastrous interference. Tales of his doings often mention shape-changing as a frequent method of trickery. Much suspicion surrounds his role in the War Without Kings.

[iHunterKiller]

Very nice character models
I was wondering tho, as i read somewere that magic wont come into play until it becomes DLC, are these magica orders in game at the mo, can i recruit their units? Ally myself with one of them?

Im going to play as the elves first go around, no doubt, but i think all the Heroes pale in comparrison to Burok Tatra he looks very very kool!

[Alex Walz]

Originally Posted by iHunterKiller

Very nice character models
I was wondering tho, as i read somewere that magic wont come into play until it becomes DLC, are these magica orders in game at the mo, can i recruit their units? Ally myself with one of them?

Im going to play as the elves first go around, no doubt, but i think all the Heroes pale in comparrison to Burok Tatra he looks very very kool!

Heya. Yes, magic has been pushed back to post-release DLC. However, it shouldn't take long for it to become available and we will price it cheap since it was planned for release - you can also buy it with Influence points.

So at release, magic will be kept more to lore and the campaign storyline. You'll meet Faramor in all three campaigns and Lothamir in the human campaign as well as orc shamans and elf mages in their respective campaigns, but won't be able to play as them.

[Puppeteer]

Originally Posted by Alex Walz

Heya. Yes, magic has been pushed back to post-release DLC. However, it shouldn't take long for it to become available and we will price it cheap since it was planned for release - you can also buy it with Influence points.

I missed that bombshell :\ All my instincts scream that that is a terrible idea. For both putting off customers and for marginalising and trivialising the magic system.
Not pleased...

[Alex Walz]

It was a hard decision (a decision for which we were internally going back and forth on up until earlier this year), but Magic will not be marginalized or trivialized. We postponed it so that we could give it the time it deserves and will likely start on it as soon as we reach the gold meter. The fact of the matter is simply that right now, polishing needs to take precedence over new features. We've incorporated many, many new features over the last couple years and now in the final stretch, we need to make sure they are as polished and enjoyable as possible.

[iHunterKiller]

i have no complaints really, considering its free to play after buying it, and its a MMOrts after all, their needs to be some form cash shop.
As this genre is only in its infant stages, their is no preset law as to how to work paymenys ye, personally im fine with subscriptions, but i doubt that an rts community can adjust to that as easily as the mmo side of the community.
This is definatly a good stab at keeping the game populated, easy to see it taking off well - and since you can buy it with in game currency .... well thats proof enough that the developers have the customer at heart

[GPS51]

/me hands alex a rag with polish on it :P . I'm disappointed as well but I do understand. Shoot if I could I'd volunteer to help oh wait.. I'm in the beta ..

[Novakiller]

great thread and greatfull for all the info provided, i do apreciate the honesty about the magic system, but i really am horridly disapointed that the magic system will be only as a DLC as it was supposed to be part of the retail version of the game and had been seen in trailer aswell. I dont mind the delays or setback, but as a DLC im sorry but not pleased at all about that.

[rpm081581]

First of all Dawn of Fantasy with no magic, except in DLC form. Looks to me like there really trying to disappoint the community, seriously. I mean I understand that if in its current form its just not ready, but seriously add it in an update. To make customers pay for it is a joke. Seems to me, as like most companies that develop games, you'll be rushing this one out the door. Magic in a game of fantasy is a neccesity. Going the buyable DLC route is a joke. Sounds to me there just doing it to make more money. Haha, they know that every player of the game would be willing to pay for it if they had too. DLC content is meant to add new content, campaigns, quests, NPC's, etc. Not a magic system that should already be in place, come on people it's Dawn of FANTASY. Bad move people, bad move. Almost as disappointing as Stardock's War of Magic Flop.

[GPS51]

Please tell me this isn't your post to get into the beta :P