Announce - Age of Heroes IV: Blood and Twilight

There are immortal legends and stories – but heroes are mortal. Death always tells, and only bones of great armies will remain on the battlefields, and the tombs of great lords will be covered with weed. All are equal in the end, killers will join their victims, and lions will lie near the lambs.

But there is a story of heroes overcoming death.

Age of Heroes IV: Blood and Twilight

You will know about passion and thirst exceeding everything man can feel, about the fate of those who deceived Death itself.
You will know how Undead think and feel.

You will have to participate in the last journey of those who were elves – out of new kingdom of orcs, to a far north, going by barbarian settlements and valleys of mighty wizards, through undergrounds of ancient races and heated rifts of demons, to white fire of the inquisitors of man’s empires, and sharp blades of their paladins – searching the place for dead in the world of living ones.

Looking for power or oblivion.

The Story.

Elves lost their war.
Their forests were burnt, the Great Tree, cut by orcs’ axes, have been dying slowly. The few, who survived, run with their god to other world through the portals opened by priests, and those who didn’t want to run, covered their leaving brothers retreat, and fought in their final battle on the ashes of holy groves.
Only six of them left, when the portals closed forever, – six of the best warriors and magicians, leaded by queen’s sister, distraught with grief and rage. Leaving behind heaps of dead orcs’ bodies, they retreated to vaults under the Holy Forest – to ancient elven necropolis, and rained down doorways on the heads of their pursuers.
And they stayed alone without any food and water, doomed to slow death. The magic of elven gone god have been abandoning their bodies and souls, leaving only wrenching emptiness.
Two days they wandered in catacombs, among tombs, bones and ancient dust. They were led by revenge lust and Thialin’s vision - elven queen’s sister and the last great priest – keened by centuries of magician practice, this vision showed her the source of power, hidden in the depths of necropolis. On the second day, when they walk through the graves of elven kings and priests, through caves and ruined gnomes’ tombs, they reach corridors didn’t seen by anyone for a thousands of years. Here, among the crypts of the race – so ancient that time didn’t saved their name, in the tunnels excised by signs of unknown language, they saw a temple.
It’s halls kept signs of cruel battle, and in the center stood columns, covered with glowing symbols. Here they found water, and for three days more Voledar – expert of ancient texts, have been reading to his friends Book of Emptiness; with his every word falling into the darkness, hope was leaving elves. They’ve got to know about the nation, betrayed by it’s own gods, the race, drawn its magic from indifferent emptiness lying outside the death.
And they’ve got to know of Ritual.
Till this moment the magic completely left them and the power of the Great Tree flew out of their bodies along with life, as from cracked pitcher. Deep, under masses of rocks and tombs of their kings, six elves held their final council of war. They spoke for a long time, but then they were silent much longer – because the decision was made and only the one step left.
The first was Thialin – and the arches of the temple shook with the sound of ancient prayer, and the dust rose above altars. One after another they repeated words letting death enter the living soul – and killed themselves in the hall with columns, keeping the secret. With the last of them, all sounds left from crypts, and above, in the forests the frame of the Great Tree shook – because there were no Children of the Tree in the world anymore, and spirits of the last ones were walking now through bloody emptiness of Ritual.

Three days more they were dead – and then they rose.

Features of the game:

Your character is not alone in his traveling. Now, the party of heroes with different characteristics and unique skills is under your command. Your party can be changed; heroes can join it and leave it, carry on dialogues, fulfill quests and come into conflicts.

In the beginning of the game you’ll be able to select the sex and specialization of your character. During the game heroes can get new properties and even completely transform under certain conditions met… one can become liches, others – masters of vampires or lords of creatures.

Your heroes have to fight to survive – to live, they have to devour souls of their living enemies. Soul stones, used to keep the essence of life, also serve them to raise the armies and allow using of magic.

Races:

Undead.
Not only heroes are Un-dead, but those who can be called by heroes are Un-dead too. Skeletons and zombies rising from grave-yards, shadows freezing the blood in the veins of living, nasty creatures created from latest corpses, violent and cruel vampires, and liches, sending plague – these are those who will serve you and will stand under your torn flags.

Demons.
Orcish god’s coming into the world broke its fundamentals, and let into it the creatures making tremble even orc. Demons are mighty and uncontrollable, but they are not numerous, and attached to the portals they went out. Devils are in their ranks, crossing the battlefield in a moment, fiends throwing fire balls and inspiring horror – demonic magicians.

Humans.
An order of Lunar Sword inquisitors was created to separate dead from living, forever. In the time of peace the order keeps borders of human empire protecting valleys of humans’s magicians and keeping them under surveillance – and woe to those who’ll dare to cross the boundaries of allowable knowledge. Inquisitors include – mercenaries who don’t afraid of anyone or anything, thought to fight with horrible creatures of magic; and mighty paladins, turning undead by a single touch.

Orcs.
They had won the war, and beast-god Khar, embodied in the leader Rakgul, sat on throne in the shell of elven Eternal Tree. There are no wood elves any more, and orcs don’t chase them intentionally, but when they meet them, they will never step back and will never have mercy on elves. They have – accurate hunters, fearless warriors, and kharhars – orcish army elite.

Barbarians.
Not numerous tribes of brave and strong people living in the icy deserts of the North are accustomed to meet any danger face to face. They disdain magic, fighting steel to steel – their swordsman are impetuous and fearless, their berserkers wearing animal skins and armed with huge axes compare well even with orcs, and their spearman can throw their weapon to eighty steps piercing any armor.

Magic

Magic of dead ones differs from magic of living ones – as death itself it has special power above life. Dead magicians can send plague to living ones, swallow up life and give it to their warriors, make enemies to grow old for a dozens of years in a few minutes, generate clouds of parasites and cover the battlefield with fog, impervious for eyes of mortals.
Some magicians will be able to master elemental magic and magic of demons – making land to crack under the feet of enemies, scatter their ranks by hurricane’s whirlwinds, burning alive and freezing their warriors. And the few will be able to master mystery of illusions and prophecy – hiding rows from enemies’ eye on the battlefield and gaining sight of the invisible.

Innovations in brief:

• Now heroes don’t travel alone, but in parties. All heroes have unique set of skills and ability to pass to another class;

• Ability to choose the sex and the class of hero;

• Unique armies and racial skills of the Undead. 15 new units, majority of them have special characteristics;

• Yet again battle system is renewed. Battles become more dynamic, new tactical abilities are added, the balance of the armies had changed;

• Magical system has been changed. Magic plays great role in the battle, some conjurations have great destructive effect;

• Magic of illusions appeared in the game, allowing to take enemy’s troops under control, and make your troops invisible;

• The heroes vision on the strategic map is limited by the “Fog of war”;

• For using of magic and raising of new troops soul stones are used, derivable from killed enemies;

• Enemies with demonic, elemental and holy magic withstand heroes;

• Units-magicians (as liches) will be able to use magic by themselves;

• Lots of new artifacts and necessary objects;

• Interface is reworked and improved, interactive cursor is added, decorative appearance is completely changed;

• Graphics is completely reworked and improved – new land, forests, caves and ice deserts are waiting for you;

• Exciting not linear story with two possible endings, lots of different tasks and quests;

• Communication between heroes in the party, talks with enemies and friends – more than 40 kilobytes of the text.



04.04.2007