Sovereigns and Factions
|
Kingdoms of Men
To understand the Kingdoms one must remember Amarian the Great. Amarian was arguably the most powerful channeler since Hosten.
Amarian was instrumental in the downfall of the Titans. He was the undisputed king of all mortal men of Elemental. Unfortunately, he would not live to see the kingdom of men reborn but instead died in battle at the Henge as chronicled by Ezmir the Scribe.
It was, for a time, believed that his gifted daughter, Procipinee, would, as heir, inherit the throne of all men. But such was not to be. Instead, we are left with four different factions that strive to be the leader of mortal men of Elemental.
Kingdom of Altar
The people of Altar belong to no one race, no one creed. Miners and scholars alike stand in their councils; peasants and soldiers stand shoulder-to-shoulder in their armies. All value accomplishment, not pedigree. They led the so-called ‘Nobles Revolt’ against Queen Procipinee of New Pariden, in the name of the one overriding cause they have in common; freedom. Freedom for themselves, and all of Elemental.
Faction traits
- Wanderlust - Unlocks Quest Maps, Athican Leather Armor, the Fending Blade and the Athican Longsword.
- Heroic - Completing a quest provides double the normal Experience.
Kingdom of Capitar
The people of Capitar are the descendants of the great trading houses of old - the LaMord, the Serrano, the Ruvennese - the merchants and traders of the old kingdoms. They have a strong distaste for empires, and kings who rule by fiat, for in the time that was, the time before the cataclysm, they made their own wealth, and created great prosperity for those who were loyal to them.
Faction traits
- Civics - This faction starts with the Civics technology, which allows them to Produce Wealth and construct Inns and Bell Towers.
- Legacy of Serrane - Caravans are immune to attack. This also gives access to the Bazaar city improvement and the Warhorse, which boosts the riders attack.
- Lucky - All units have +25% to Dodge and +25% to Accuracy.
Kingdom of Gilden
The people of Gilden are the “Ironeers”: descendants of the Iron Tribes who were the first to master the art of shaping metal. In the days of the Magi clans, the Aivernach forged the swords of mastery, legendary weapons still prized by Man and Fallen alike. In those isolated pockets of civilization reclaimed from the wilderness, a skilled few still toil in the ancient crafts their forebearers mastered. They seek a leader to help them reclaim the land... and their pride.
Faction traits
- Master Smiths - Armor and weapons cost half the normal production. Upgrading units is half the cost. It also unlocks the Golem Shield, a massive tower shield which is as impenetrable as it is heavy.
- Great Hammers - Unlocks the War Club, which has a higher attack against Men and Fallen, the Battle Hammer, which has a higher attack than a Warhammer, and the Sledge, a Maul with higher attack.
- Light Plate - This faction crafts Light Plate Mail instead of Chainmail with the Armor technology. Light Plate has better defense but is heavier than Chainmail.
Kingdom of Pariden
The people of Pariden see themselves as the last hope of mankind in a world gradually consumed by darkness and disorder. They are inheritors of the Decalon, the great books carried west by Ezmir the Scribe, now contained in the library in New Pariden. They see Queen Procipinee as the heir to the throne of Amarian III, who led the Great Army of the West into battle against the Titan Curgen. Other kingdoms are, at best, rebels, and at worst, traitors.
Faction traits
- The Decalon</
- Unlocks Tomes which allow the reader to learn Air, Earth, Fire and Water magic.
- Unlocks Arcane Monolith, a spell which places an outpost.
- Enchanters - Unlocks the Sindarian Staff, which gives additional Dodge, and the Leht Staff, which fires lightning.
Kingdom of Tarth
The people of Tarth are warriors, gladiators and slaves who rebelled against their masters, the merchant lords of Capitar. A century of being treated as little more than playthings has left these former slaves with a burning desire to use their strength in pursuit of revenge, rather than more constructive purposes. Lady Irane is teaching them the virtues of discipline, and order.
Faction traits
- Master Scouts - No Movement penalty in Forests, Swamps, Hills, or Rivers.
- Stealth - Monsters won't attack this player's units.
- Archers - Grants access to a unique set of bows that don't require metal and have a higher initiative and attack than the bows they replace.Additionally, the Ram's Horn Longbow ignores 50% of the victim's defense.
- Masterwork Chainmail - This faction crafts Masterwork Chainmail instead of Plate Mail armor at the Heavy Armor technology. Masterwork Chainmail has a lower defense but is lighter and cheaper to craft than Plate Mail.
- Rebels - +10% Unrest
Empires of the Fallen
The Titans are gone, but not their ideology. The Empires have only contempt for the Kingdoms who squabble amongst themselves over whether leadership should be hereditary or through some kind of vote. The mightiest should rule. The weaker should follow. How could it possibly be any other way?
The Empires recognize that the transition from life to death contains the greatest of magic. They remain disgusted by the Kingdoms who leech life from the world as if they were parasites of life itself.
Empire of Kraxis
Those who call the people of Kraxis traitors are fools. The Krax are survivors - men and women who were trapped in the East when the continent split. As the savage remnants of Curgen’s armies ravaged the land, the Krax stood tall and steadfast, remaining united to resist the Fallen. Now that those same Fallen tribes have begun to form empires, it is only sense to make alliance with them... for they are neighbors, and the kingdoms of the West are a world away.
Faction traits
- Defensive
- Unlocks the Bronze Shield and one handed spears.
- Units defending cities get +10% per city level to Accuracy.
- Units defending cities get +10% per city level to Defense.
- Betrayers - Unlocks Broken Loyalties, a spell that converts a city to your cause.
Empire of Magnar
The people of Magnar are the greatest soldiers of the former Imperium. Shaped thousands of years ago by Curgen’s magics to serve as his personal bodyguard and to command his armies, their loyalty to him is inbred. Their loyalty to power, though, is learned - the Emperor who can lead them to glory will have both their respect, and their allegiance.
Faction traits
- Slave Lord - Razing a city transfers half that city's population to your capital. When men or fallen are defeated in combat they are transferred as population to your nearest city.
- Flesh Bound Tome
- Unlocks Cull the Weak, a spell that sacrifices an ally to regain mana and health.
- Unlocks Death Lash, a spell that boosts an allies attack and initiative but kills them at the end of combat.
- Unlocks Candlecloak, a spell that does fire damage to anyone who strikes your units with a melee attack.
- Unlocks Consume, a spell that destroys a shard in your territory to gain 200 mana.
- Masterwork Chainmail - This faction crafts Masterwork Chainmail instead of Plate Mail armor at the Heavy Armor technology. Masterwork Chainmail has a lower defense but is lighter and cheaper to craft than Plate Mail.
Empire of Resoln
The people of Resoln are called Wraiths by some, monsters by others. They are neither Man nor Fallen, but creatures of dark sorcery and magic, transformed by the spell that gave Ceresa power. They are bound to her by that spell, a bond that cannot be broken by even the most powerful of enchanters
Faction traits
- Adepts - Faction starts with the Shard Harvesting technology, which allows them to construct Shard Altars. The player also starts with an additional 40 Mana.
- Death Worship
- Unlocks Dirge of Ceresa, a Sovereign only spell that does poison damage to all enemies each turn.
- Unlocks Graveseal, a spell that causes the victim to suffer critical hits from all attacks.
- Unlocks Corruption, a spell that converts a shard you control into a death shard.
- Unlocks Infection, a spell that causes all negative spells on a unit to spread to all its allies.
- Binding - This faction gains Burning Wraiths, Crow Demons, Mirror Elementals, Cyndrum Demons and Grave Elementals from shard shrines.
- Cult of a Hundred Eyes - This faction can train Widows, Harridans and Hoarder spiders in their cities.
- No Armor - This faction can't craft any armor beyond Leather. Champions are still able to use armor they find.</
Empire of Umber
The Urxen are the first and most numerous of all Fallen tribes. There are many who believe that the great migrations of the Urxen tribes in the last millennium - their journey north, their shift in loyalties from Curgen to Illosa, the Lady Umber - was the single most important factor in the Emperor’s downfall.
Faction traits
- Assassin's Tools - Unlocks the Poison Vial accessory (which adds poison damage to the wielder's attack) as well as the Skath Claw (a Broadsword with higher attack and initiative) and the Scimitar (a Longsword with the backswing ability).
- Master Scouts - No Movement penalty in Forests, Swamps, Hills, or Rivers.
- Warriors - Faction starts with the Training technology, allowing them to construct Barracks.
- Masterwork Chainmail - This faction crafts Masterwork Chainmail instead of Plate Mail armor at the Heavy Armor technology. Masterwork Chainmail has a lower defense but is lighter and cheaper to craft than Plate Mail.
Empire of Yithril
The people of Yithril are those who the armies of mankind called Trogs, a name said to have come from the first of their kind, D’rog, who slew the last descendant of Ereog in the great battle at Engar’s Plain. The Trogs, or D’rog, are warriors, violence and butchery is to them what milk and honey are to other races.
Faction traits
- Warriors - Faction starts with the Training technology, allowing them to construct Barracks.
- Warrior Caste - Trained Units start off at 2nd Level.
- Tough - All units get +10% Hit Points.
- Axe Mastery - Unlocks dual wield version of all the axes.
- No Ranged Weapons - This faction's armies can't use ranged weapons like bows and magical staves. Champions are still able to use the ranged weapons they find.