Berserks

"A berserk at the Stair of Grief, having been told that the hosts of the Soulless were so many that their spears would hide the sun, is said to have replied 'Then we shall fight them in the shade.'"

"Though Egil and his men bristled with javelins their charge did not falter, and they fell upon the Hollow Men with such ferocity that even the Thrall seemed to be frozen with horror."

Berserks are human warriors from the North who forego conventional armor for the sake of speed. Their bare, battle-scarred flesh doesn't protect them much, but the speed and ferocity of the Berserks' attack gives them a definite edge, especially when they attack in groups. However, their eagerness to attack may make them difficult to control.

Berserks use giant claymores to lop off pieces of their opponents until those opponents stop moving.

" ... returning home after the defeat of the Fallen Lords, the men of the North found their farms and villages virtually untouched by the Dark... a testament to the mettle of their homeguard."

"Though Gwyon and his brothers all died they had succeeded in breaking the momentum of the Ghols' charge... each scattering corpses until a step could not be taken without treading on one..."

"In honor of their heroism, Connacht allowed the men of the North who had been slain defending Llancarfan to be buried in the Mausoleum of Clovis - the Royal Crypt of the Cath Bruig."

Berserks are human warriors from the North who forego conventional armor for the sake of speed. Their bare, battle-scarred flesh doesn't protect them much, but the speed and ferocity of their attack gives them a definite edge, especially when they attack in groups. However, their eagerness to attack may make them difficult to control.

Berserks use giant claymores to lop off pieces of their opponents until those opponents stop moving.

Notable individuals:

• Egil
• Gywon
• Reiftyr
• Trahern with Fists like Iron
• Truan of the Hundred Battles
• Turgeis with Burning Steel
• Tyrfing

Common Names:

Bran of the Iron Skin, Hrungnir Bereft of Fear, Bram with Screaming Iron, Hervard of the Bloody Stump, Angtyr the Sword Lover, Tyrfing Slaughter's Son, Baugi Widow's Husband, Tyrvard of the Silver Hand, Thyrm of the Mighty Blows, Thrend atop the Piled Dead, Brantyr of the Whistling Steel, Skrymir of Brawn Renown, Luh of the Long Arm, Thrudnir Shield Sunderer, Tyr of the Singing Sword, Surt with One Eye, Suttung Ironheart, Surtnir of the Shadowless Hands, Angnir of Fire and Iron, Thiazi Widow Maker, Thrymnir Coward's Master, Hjonvard who Vultures Follow, Reifnir Always Wounded, Gymir Battle Seeker, Thewyn Splinter Grip, Angvard who Feeds the Worms, Leifnir with Seven Fists, Rudnir Filler of Graves, Bramtyr Piler of Corpses, Glaynir Chooser of the Slain, Hervard of the Iron Gale, Hjonfing with Arms Soaked Red, Jarlnir whose Gaze Freezes, Thorgeisl Whose Laugh Stinks of Killing, Ingvar Death's Favored Son, Tyrgeis with a Shirt of Scars, Thorolf Impaled Three Times, Eirik who Jams the Gates of the Underworld, Tyrggve of the Nine Wounds, Tyrolf Flame of Battle

bre'Unor

" ... little is known of the bre'Unor, a fir'Bolg word referring to the various head-cults of The Ermine, aside from their fanatical devotion to the profane elemental spirit, b'Y'laggo..."

" ... if this is who the fir'Bolg have been honing their martial skills on since time before memory, it is no wonder they are so good, nor that they would depart to protect their kingdom..."

The aboriginal inhabitants of the Ermine, the bre'Unor are a violently secretive race. Their society seems to be structured around their belief that their god, who resides in the air, is strengthened by the escaping breath of the beings they sacrifice and will one day grow powerful enough to spirit away their enemies - most notably the fir'Bolg, with whom they have sparred for centuries.

The bre'Unor have discovered that the bones of their largest sacrifices are excellent objects to hurl at new kills, and hoard them explicitly for that purpose. Tales abound of bre'Unor cunning and ferocity in battle, and some even say their vile deity has given them the ability to command wolves.

Common Names:

Ur-Kaol, Ton-Phal, Jav-Tara, Vir-Hajas, Ten-Dihn, Yer-Tith, Nolan-Gor, Tal-Had, Tal-Hajas, Phal-Dara, Tars-Nolan, Tar-Phal, Tith-Gor, Jav-Hajak, Ur-Thuvin, Nur-Ash, Jat-Nolan, Ras-Dihn, Tal-Mors, Tar-Tith, Ten-Kaol, Gor-Tars, Tal-Phal, Tith-Hajak, Tak-Tara, Had-Thuvin, Nur-Kaol, Mors-Jat, Kajas-Ur, Dihn-Tal, Tal-Nolan, Vir-Kajas, Ton-Jat, Nolan-Vir, Gor-Ash, Ras-Phal, Tak-Jat, Jat-Vir, Tak-Thuvin, Ton-Hajak, Hajak-Tak, Dihn-Nur, Kajas-Gor, Tith-Tar, Kaol-Tara, Phal-Thuvin, Vir-Mors, Ras-Tars, Tak-Hajak, Jat-Tal, Nolan-Ur

Callieach

"A fearsome race from the distant past. The Callieach eventually came into conflict with the Trow, and were destroyed in that conflict. In their final days, rather than be hunted to extinction by the Trow, they destroyed themselves and their hunters, leaving behind the Great Devoid."

At the damn of time Nyx molded us out of stone and clay.

During that age it seemed that a new race would crawl up out of the ocean, burrow out of the mountains, or fall from the sky every thousand years or so. But it always came to the same end - they would come into conflict with us and we would crush them.

Even the Callieach, the most fearsome race from a time now unknowable to all but us, came to final ruin at out hand.

Cath Bruig

"...we will go forth and strike down our enemies. And once they have been vanquished we will rebuild the Cath Bruig Empire to its former glory."

"In honor of their heroism, Connacht allowed the men of the North who had been slain defending Llancarfan to be buried in the Mausoleum of Clovis - the Royal Crypt of the Cath Bruig."

Notable individuals:

• Ceiscoran
• Clovis
• Connacht

Changelings

"The bre'Unor name them the Children of b'Y'laggo and humans call them Changelings. The fir'Bolg, however, refuse to speak of them."

"'Why is this tree not dead?' ne'Ric whispered to his companion, 'There is no nourishment in this rotting swamp to sustain it.'"

Common Names:

Machteca, Ooshombura, Segashan, Iwijongwe, Bometosha, Altemaque, Vengatu, Renomasha, Cajetoga

Chickens

"Once they ranged across The Province in the millions, but in five short years the man now known as Chicken Berel hunted them almost to extinction. Only a handful of these noble beasts remain."

Deer

"Second era tradition tells of a deer rising in the East, who ate the yummy green shoots and ivy and leaves which had dominated his land for time beyond memory..."

Dwarves

"The early Dwarven eddas always speak of heroes 'having gone north into the mountains to slay Ghols', but most repeated is the tale of Dvalin son of Alfrigg, third ephor of Stoneheim ..."

"Hours after the fall of Myrgard, the dwarves defending Stoneheim collapsed the barbican, entombing ten thousand of their number behind as many tons of shattered rock."

"Iri trekked for three days through Ghol haunted hills, eating as he walked, sleeping between footfalls; he ran for the last 5 hours, traversing the 26 mile wide corpse-filled morass ringing Covenant..."

"We were glad to see Oleg when he finally returned to the grove, but when we saw that his pack was empty we all covered our ears... sizzling bits of Thrall came raining down for what felt like hours."

Dwarves and short, stocky creates with a love of explosives and a passionate hatred of Ghols.

Dwarves throw small bottled willed with an unstable concoction which explodes powerfully upon impact. Most of the time, anyway.

Dwarves can also place satchel charges (T) - essentially unlit grenades which detonate if hit by another explosive. The strategic possibilities of littering the ground with high explosives should be realily apparent. Dwarves start with a certain number of satchel charges and can pick up more from the bodies of fallen Dwarves.

"Within a year of Balor's defeat, the dwarves had reclaimed Myrgard and its provinces. Most dwarves chose to return to their homeland and rebuild, but some built new lives in the West."

"...turning the godhead of the ghols into a monument to Balin's victory. Nothing else has done more to sustain the mutual hatred since the ghols raided the crypt at Myrgard for 'victuals'."

"'Si vis pacem, para bellum' has become a national motto for the Dwarves, and the advancements they have made in the area of explosives over the past sixty years have been awesome to behold."

"Vnarin, son of Snorro, best explained the character of the men of the elite mortar brigade when he said, 'It takes a certain kind of maniac to carry fire in his fist and death on his back.'"

"...the masons who built the mausoleum for Clovis, the first Emperor of the Cath Bruig, still haunt these ancient corridors, eager to destroy those who would plunder its sacred vaults..."

Albrecht, the King of the Dwarves, having been presented with the latest invention of the famed Wehrfaktorie, is said to have replied "Such a thing would make war too terrible to wage."

Dwarves are short, stocky creatures with a love of explosives and a passionate hatred of Ghols.

Dwarves throw small bottles filled with an unstable concoction which explodes powerfully upon impact.

Dwarves, owing to their immense destructive power, need to be handled carefully. They're stubborn, obstinate creatures with a warped sense of humor. If a Dwarf targets an enemy unit which then moves into a crowd of your own troops, don't be surprised if he obliterates them all. Friendly fire is part of the realism of the Myth battlefield.

Dwarves can also place satchel charges - packs of explosives which detonate if hit with another explosive. The strategic possibilities of littering the ground with high explosives should be readily apparent. Each Dwarf starts with four satchel charges, but can carry up to nine.

The sixty years of peace since the end of the Great War have not seen the Dwarves idling about. There is still great concern over what they refer to as "the Ghol problem" and much research has been done into new technologies of mass destruction. Their mortar technology is still in its infancy, and there are a scant few Dwarves trained in its use; many of them blow themselves to pieces before they learn to use it properly.

Dwarven mortars are wildly erratic...and utterly devastating.

A diminutive race of sturdy craftsmen. The Dwarves delight in the elements of Fire and Stone, and are unrivaled masters of both.

They share a deep hatred and countless years of war with the Ghols. Driven from their homelands in Myrgard and Stoneheim, they returned to reclaim them following the defeat of the Dark at the end of the Great War.

Notable individuals:

• Albrecht
• Andvari
• Balin
• Dari
• Eitri
• Iri
• Jari
• Oleg
• Snorro
• Uni
• Vnarin

Common Names:

Bui, Brami, Hrani, Barri, Durin, Alfrigg, Dvalin, Berling, Grerr, Solblindi, Uni, Iri, Bari, Var, Vegdrasil, Dori, Ori, Delling, Ivaldi, Brokk, Eitri, Baugi, Tind, Haddings, Soli, Dari, Nori, Jar, Oni, Vnarin, Ari, Eri, Uri, Telling, Felling, Gilling, Deri, Duri, Trakk, Ivoldi, Norling, Jarling, Solling, Varling, Jvalin, Badi, Ladi, Tadi, Abi, Ebi, Sak

Ghost Names:

Alvis, Fjalar, Galar, Lit, Beli, Gimli, Regin, Rudlwn, Frocin, Sindri, Fafnir, Hreidmar, Tronc, Pethboc, Druidan

Fetch

"We know not whether Fetches wear the skins of men out of necessity or whim, but we do know they are not from our world and their arrogance is without equal among the minions of the Fallen."

"When first glimpsed, I thought it a devil; when it spoke, it spoke with the voice of an angel, but its true nature was masked by the louse infested skin it wore."

Priestesses summoned from another world by Balor for their magical abilities. Disturbingly pround of their ability to singlehandedly decimate legions of veteran warriors, the Fetch wear the skins of the men they've electrocuted as trophy and warning.

The Fetch fires blasts of electricity from its withered fingertips.

"...the fetch wear the skins of men out of necessity, for if the eye of Wyrd were to fall on them not so adorned He would recognize their alienness and smite them..."

"Not native to our world, it is said they fight for Soulblighter in hopes that he will honor Balor's pledge to send them home. Being stranded in our world has only served to fuel their hatred of us."

Priestesses summoned from another world by Balor during the Great War, they found themselves unable to return after his destruction at Alric's hands. In return for their continued cooperation, Soulblighter has promised them a way home.

The Fetch fires blasts of electricity from its withered fingertips.

Disturbingly proud of their ability to singlehandedly decimate legions of veteran warriors, the Fetch wear the skins of the men they've electrocuted as trophy and warning.

fir'Bolg

Long enemies of the civilized nations, the truce which brought the fir'Bolg and their famed bowmen into the Light was forged by ou'Kahn the Great King and Caliban during the Sword Age.

" ... though the Ghols were afraid to kill him after his capture at Myrgard they dislocated his arms at the shoulder with a chisel to prevent him from ever drawing a bow again."

Formerly enemies of humans and their nations, the fir'Bolg changed their minds when they realized they didn't stand a chance against the Fallen Lords by themselves. They fare poorly in hand-to-hand combat, but their archers' skill is so well-developed that most foed don't get that close.

The fir'Bolg archers are renowed for their dead aim and steady hands. A group of them can do substantial damage to enemy forces while they're still too far off to fight back. If cornered, fir'Bolg can punch their attackers; double-click an enemy to punch it.

" ... on occasion an archer of promise is sent to the Ermine, the homeland of the fir'Bolg, to study his craft at one of the three war colleges: jo'Za-Thatal, wa'Ama-Tchal, or ai'Kijin-Tak."

"When asked of his advice on how many men should be trained in the use of the bow og'Un remarked, 'One in twenty from each town. Go there, these men will make themselves known.'"

" ... little is known of the bre'Unor, a fir'Bolg word referring to the various head-cults of The Ermine, aside from their fanatical devotion to the profane elemental spirit, b'Y'laggo..."

" ... if this is who the fir'Bolg have been honing their martial skills on since time before memory, it is no wonder they are so good, nor that they would depart to protect their kingdom..."

After the war against Balor ended, the fir'bolg returned to their own land. The truce remained intact, but they swore that they would never fight outside of their borders again.

" ... fir'Bolg, with whom [the bre'Unor] have sparred for centuries."

"The bre'Unor name them the Children of b'Y'laggo and humans call them Changelings. The fir'Bolg, however, refuse to speak of them."

In those days as the war raged ever west-ward, old rivalries were forgotten and new alliances formed, and so it came to be that the fir'Bolg, renowned for their archery skills, came to stand with the newly formed legions against the Fallen Lords!

Notable individuals:

• gr'Uman
• iu'Shee
• ki'Angsi
• og'Un

Common Names:

he'Rero, il'Edi, ka'Fou, ka'Lemba, ka'Tanga, ke'Nyatta, ki'Ntampo, ku'Bhasah, kwe'Si, ma'Pungu, mho'Ndoro, nwa'Nga, ndo'Ro, nkru'Mah, nsi'Ah, nyo'Ro, ou'Ngan, og'Un, ob'Atala, os'Hun, tsho'Fan, ya'Nalo, ya'Nvalou, ye'Boah, yu'Rugu, iu'Shee, yn'Jouyll, yn'Drogh, ny'Anmey, ry'Ghunver, ny'Marro

Forest Giants

"On the last day of the siege at Seven Gates a priest asked the Giants present of their faith. A young one showered the man with chips of stone as he struck the ground, 'The Earth is our Faith.'"

"When asked of the source of their animosity towards the Trow, all were silent. After a time the eldest among them looked down and seemed to weep, 'It was they who poisoned the soul of iron.'"

"No man has seen one of the giants since the first battle for Seven Gates thirteen years ago. They helped contain the fury of Balor himself for three years, but on the fourth they did not return and the pass was lost."

Massive wooden dwellers of Forest Heart. Their emnity with the Trow goes back for centuries. The towering Forest Giant can swat smaller enemies out of his way, and beat larger foes into submission.

Common Names:

Grayleaves, Graybark, Oldbark, Deeproots, Longbranches, Hardwood, Wisebark, Oldgrowth, Highbranches, Ironwood, Stoneroots, Millionleaves, Yellowleaves, Stonebranches, Evergreen, Wintergreen, Greatwood, Ironroot, Morningwood

Ghasts

"...the unholy throng stumbled through the woods... their wretched claws searching... mouthing words noislessly... drawn to the village they had called home not so long ago..."

"Its fist struck my face and a strip of putrescent flesh sloughed off, adhering to my cheek... my brain disconnected by the horror of it... if not for the fast action of my comrades..."

Having learned Balor's greatest secret, the reanimation of the dead, Soulblighter passed on this knowledge to his evil human associates so they could build him an army. These Undead are the corpses of villagers and other commoners, and are the first stage in what will eventually become a Wight.

They are nimble compared to most undead units, and while their blows do little damage, their foul stench and clammy touch can stun the living.

Since they're dead, thrall, wights and ghasts don't have to breathe. Unlike the living, they can travel through the deepest water, and can remain hidden under water indefinitely.

Ghols

"The early Dwarven eddas always speak of heroes 'having gone north into the mountains to slay Ghols', but most repeated is the tale of Dvalin son of Alfrigg, third ephor of Stoneheim ..."

"The Ghols have forever been at war with the dwarves around Myrgard and Stoneheim, and the rape of the dwarves' ancestral home there has been the Ghol's rabid dream for centuries."

"The Ghols worship enormous pieces of unworked stone, moved in antiquity to the open meadows far below their mountain dwellings. They alone remember the names of the dark gods."

The Ghol is a swift beast which drags its knuckles as it lopes along the ground. Their speed makes them incredible souts, and although they are relatively weak they an dash up a hill and hack a group of archers to pieces before they have a chance to react.

The Ghol wields a cleaver longer than its own lengthy and muscular arms.

Ghols can pick up battlefield detritus and hurl it at their nearest enemy. Axe blades, dwarven grenades, explosive pieces of wights, and scattered limbs of the dea can be picked up by Ghols and used for a more destructive attack. To pick something up, select the Ghol and click on the item you would like him to use. He will carry it until told to throw it by targeting another unit or the ground. Ghols can also taunt nearby enemies using the Special Action key.

"...turning the godhead of the ghols into a monument to Balin's victory. Nothing else has done more to sustain the mutual hatred since the ghols raided the crypt at Myrgard for 'victuals'."

"...with the destruction of their most sacred shrine at Myrgard and driven out of the Dwarven lands, the Ghols have only redoubled their efforts to '... devour the dwarves from existence'."

"...they celebrate the capture of the Dwarven capital at Myrgard with feasts under the full moon... re-enacting its spoliation, so they will never forget their moment of triumph."

The Ghol is a swift beast which drags its knuckles as it lopes along the ground. Their speed makes them incredible scouts, and although they are relatively weak they can dash up a hill and hack a group of bowmen to pieces before they have a chance to react. They have never been an especially bright race, and since the Dwarven destruction of the Ghol Godhead during the Great War they have thought of nothing but the complete subjugation of the Dwarves. The Ghol wields a cleaver longer than its own lengthy and muscular arms.

Ghols can pick up battlefield detritus and hurl it at their nearest enemy. Axe blades, Dwarven grenades, explosive pieces of wights, and scattered limbs of the dead can be picked up by Ghols and used for a more destructive attack. To pick something up, select the Ghol and click on the item you would like him to use. He will carry it until told to throw it by targeting another unit or the ground.

Dwarves are short, stocky creatures with a love of explosives and a passionate hatred of Ghols.

The sixty years of peace since the end of the Great War have not seen the Dwarves idling about. There is still great concern over what they refer to as "the Ghol problem" and much research has been done into new technologies of mass destruction.

[The Dwarves] share a deep hatred and countless years of war with the Ghols. Driven from their homelands in Myrgard and Stoneheim, they returned to reclaim them following the defeat of the Dark at the end of the Great War.

A bestial race of knuckle walkers that served the Dark during the Great War. Inhabiting the same hills and mountains as the Dwarves, Ghols have been in conflict with that race for as long as they have known one another. It is they alone who remember the names of the dark gods.

It is in the nature of Ghols to be savage and brutish, although they are not thought to be inherently evil in and of themselves, their allegiance to the Fallen due more to ignorance and sorcerous deception!

Notable individuals:

• Fang-Grinder

Common Names:

Crusher, Masher, Breaker, Snapper, Smasher, Killer, Grinder, Gnasher, Screamer, Splitter, Eviscerator, Destroyer, Crasher, Dasher, Wounder, Ruiner, Tamer, Gentler, Butcher, Slaughterer, Extinguisher, Pulper, Crusher, Flattener, Squasher, Squisher, Pounder, Bruiser, Hasher, Pulverizer, Harasser, Tormentor, Shrieker, Squealer, Screecher, Howler, Severer, Mangler, Eradicator, Lascerator, Disabler, Crippler, Lamer, Mutilator, Thrasher. Cruncher, Knacker

Hawks

"While still shell and yolk, the Hawks were most vain about their color and round shape, spending the eve of hatching beneath a peregrine rather than in an empty nest."

Mahir

" ... an obsidion knife screamed in a tongue he understood not, it's words violent, clear and distinct, tearing his breast and pulling him toward the dark thing which had risen from the shadows."

" ... what we pulled back was less a corpse than it was a carcass -- the barest ribbons of flesh clung to his ribs and spine."

"...an obsidion flame howled in a tongue he understood not, it's words violent, clear and distinct, tearing his breast and pulling him toward the dark thing which had risen from the shadows."

"Though he couldn't have been dead more than an hour, his corpse resembled a centuries old mummy... and it crumbled like dry leaves at a touch."

Common Names:

Deeper Shadow on a Waning Moon, Vile Oaths and Scorned Supplication, Quiet Whispers from Open Graves, Serene Death Stalking, Dreams of Lost Daylight, Denied Hope of the Wretched, Painful Memories of Lost Faith, Silent Student of Untaught Knowledge, Forever Cast in Deepest Night, Promises Broken to Greedy Ends, Final Sleep Without Rest, Bitter Legacy of Darker Deeds, Curse on a Final Breath, Silent Nightmare in the Twilight, Hope Forever Lost to Fate, Keeper of the Dismal Paths, Thief of the Silent Fate, Deeper Shadow on a Waning Moon, Quiet Student of Untaught Knowledge, The Goassamer Fate Awaiting all Fools, A Cheerless Gathering of Dreams, Pride at Dusk, Joyless Messanger of Still Places, Deemer of Suffering, Weilder of Dim Shapes, Serene Death Stalking, Silent Sacrifice in Vain, Ill Omens and Destiny, Seven Shadows Crossing, Broken Chains of Smoke and Night, Cloudless Night Without End, Waning Moon Over Lifeless Moor, Night Lost in Fog, Vile Oaths and Scorned Supplication, Solitary Walker of Darkened Lands, Hushed Whispers from Opened Graves, Whispers in the Ears of Evil Men, Faded Memories of Forgotten Nightmares, Misery's Wet Nurse, Broken Oaths and Unspoken Regrets

Mauls

"...tempted by Soulblighter's promises of easy victory over an unprepared foe... their desire for new lands to dominate became unsatiable..."

"Like a nightmare clothed in flesh, the Mauls swept across The Blind Steppes, their grotesque appearance and incredible strength causing even the most hardened Warrior to tremble with fear."

"Even worse, we are not alone. Our scouts report seeing terrifying shapes lurking about, masked by the foul weather."

Hulking, pig-like brutes native to the Blind Steppes, Mauls wear armor and wield spiked clubs fashioned from whole tree trunks. With heads as thick as their massive limbs, they were easily bound to Soulblighter's service.

Though not fast, Mauls both absorb and inflict serious damage, and are willing shields on the battlefield for more vulnerable units.

Common Names:

Bandoona, Arcooh, Naracoorte, Tantanoola, Warbla, Wigunda, Wooltana, Yamnti, Ithapi, Wakarla, Koomooloobooka, Koomalboogurra, Bildoolja, Noolook, Myora, Butawana

Myrkridia

"Tradition tells us almost nothing of the Myrkridia save for the horrible skull platforms they would build from the severed heads of their enemies."

"The Myrkridia were the most vicious servants of the Dark in another time, now long past, and Balor himself imprisoned them within the Tain. Or at least that's what Alric says. I'd always heard that the Myrkridia were hunted to extinction by Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age."

A race if icredible evil and ferocity, destroyed during the Wind Age by Connacht.

"...the world lived in the long shadow of the Myrkridia - a race of flesh-eaters too horrible to describe... creatures able to keep the land stricken with fear for hundreds of years."

"...we went looking for what had become of our scouts... what we found were less corpses than they were carcasses... the barest ribbons of flesh clinging to their gnawed and broken bones..."

"They were cannibals of the worst sort, proudly displaying their grisly trophies... and their bosses ruled with an iron fist... at the first sign of weakness they would be torn to shreds."

"[Many of them] were slain when they attacked Muirthemne, and their cursed blood seeped into the ground... not every mysterious disappearance could be traced back to the Spider-cults."

"All that we know of the Myrkridia comes from old songs and half-forgotten legends. They are full of horrifying tales of whole armies being devoured and entire cities being erased from the world."

"They are nightmare made flesh. Even men hardened by combat cowered in miserable terror at first sight of them."

A terrible race of flesh-eaters with a limitless capacity for evil. During the Wind Age, the Myrkridia were trapped in the Tain by Connacht and thought destroyed.

... why had [Acerus Malum Magnus] not spoken of the Myrkridia? According to what I remembered of Forgall's text the Myrkridia were active during the Golden Age of the Trow and both had come into conflict with Connacht.

Myrmidons

Desirous of power and immortality, the warrior race of the Myrmidons left their northern kin to join Balor and the Fallen Lords, and so they became known as The Kithless.

While still flesh and blood, the Myrmidons were most vain about their long hair and body paint, spending the eve of battle before a mirror rather than in a bedroll.

A race of warriors who betrayed the light when Balor promised them immortality. Three hundred years later, their decayed bodies still walk, held together only by rotting bandages and the desire to rend flesh from the bodies of the living.

Myrmidons carry two Gridaksma Blades, composed of a human femur capped on each end with the steel blade of a scythe. A few deft swings will cut a swath through almost anything.

Common Names:

Gorerage, Lifelust, Swordslaughter, Bloodhunger, Battleslaughter, Warwilling, Angerflame, Greedhunger, Swordbite, Ironhammer, Lifethirst, Soulthirst, Souldeath, Skinhunger, Bloodflame, Soulthirst, Bloodlove, Goreflame, Soulrage, Warrage, Lifestifle, Ironfate, Bloodfate, Soulfate, Lifedoom, Hearttear, Skinpeel, Doomrage, Deathcaress, Gorecaress Frothinghunger, Bonepowder, Bonesplinter, Bonehunger, Boneflame, Bonehammer, Boneslaughter, Bonerage, Hearthammer, Heartflame, Hearthunger, Fleshbite, Fleshthirst, Fleshhunger, Fleshrage, Fleshdoom, Fleshtear, Ironheart

Oghres

Then, after an aeon of peace, the younger races began to appear. During that age man was a simple beast hardly worthy of notice. But his older cousins, the Oghres, knew something of the waking world and called us a race of consorts!

[ . . . ]

The Oghres resisted us tooth and nail, but we had a very powerful ally...

[ . . . ]

But, after twelve centuries of slavery, the Oghres rebelled...

And blinded by hatred, we could not not suffer them their freedom. The war lasted for thirty years and was fraught with unconscionable acts of wholesale slaughter - their towns and villages were razed, their women and children put to the torch and our cities thrown down... It all culminated in a single battle - the Battle at the Valley of the Red Seal was a solid month of fighting and it resulted in the extinction of their race.

Pigs

"A berserk at Tandem, having been told of the extraordinary taste of roast pig, is said to have replied 'and Ghol may taste like haggis, but I will never know, as they are filthy beasts.'"

Shades

"A house gutted by fire, a well poisoned with carrion, what had been sheep in the morning spread like a thick jam against the long wall of the barn..."

"... and it was said of Sciron that his hatred for the living was so intense, his shadow would go out and kill while he slept and not return until next he awoke."

The reanimated corpses of long-dead sorcerers, Shades take great pains to avoid running water (since they can only cross it by using a bridge) and act as a conduit for the evil magic of the Fallen Lords.

"...Turquine so mistreated his subjects that even his personal guard abandoned him... he agreed to endure the indescribable tortures of the Fallen that he might have his revenge."

"...those that Phelot deemed unsuitable for use as thrall... were given to the ghols, who hacked their limbs and chewed their flesh... this is how he dealt with the people of Avon's Grove."

Notable individuals:

• Mazzarin
• Phelot
• Sciron
• Sinis
• Turquine

Common Names:

Nym, Sycorax, Gullveig, Cailleac Bheur, Cormorant

Skrael

"Every Skrael believes that he who dies in battle is reborn seven times to revenge himself upon his destroyers, and that each of these seven incarnations may itself give rise to seven more ... "

Common Names:

He Who Gathers Cattails, He Who Swims Deeply, He Who Speaks Slowly, He Who Hunts Longest, He Who Throws Farthest, He Who Laughs Last

Soulless (Hollow Men)

"A berserk at the Stair of Grief, having been told that the hosts of the Soulless were so many that their spears would hide the sun, is said to have replied 'Then we shall fight them in the shade.'"

Called 'Hollow Men' in the West, the Soulless are most feared for the sticky venom with which they anoint their javelins before battle, for wounds contaminated by the toxin never heal...

"... they swept through the fields corrupting all they touched, and the stench they left in their wake was that of a hastily abandoned slaughter house."

The souls literally stolen by sorery, the Soulless slowly float across the countryside; leaving pestilence and corruption in their wake. Their weapon of choice is a barned javelin anointed with a toxin that causes excruciating pain that can build up to fatal levels.

"...also known as 'Hollow Men'. The Soulless' weapon of choice is a barbed spear anointed with a venom which causes excruciating pain... wounds contaminated by the toxin never heal..."

"...souls stolen by sorcery, these once-human minions of The Dark exist only to torture and spill the blood of the living... leaving pestilence and corruption in their wake."

Their souls literally stolen by sorcery, the Soulless slowly float across the land, leaving pestilence and corruption in their wake. Their weapon of choice is a barbed javelin anointed with a toxin that causes excruciating pain. One of Soulblighter's most successful experiments with reanimation, it is hardly surprising that he has brought more of them along this time.

Spiders

After scoffing at the ease at which he killed one, Hrungnir was told "what they lack in strength, they make up for in number..."

"... we were standing knee deep in a lake made up of the corpses of spiders the size of very large dogs when 12 Moon remarked, 'Wyrd preserve us, these are all males!'"

"... I called for a light to be brought forward and just as soon regretted my order, and I wept with fear as its hideous bulk became more distinct."

Dwarven legend tells of spiders that grow larger than humans, living unchecked in the deepest bowels of the earth, Their constitutions were weak, but their frightful size - and their sheer weight of numbers - made the more than a match for thoise foolish enough to delve into their subterranean lairs in search of veins of gold or other precious metals. Having no loyalty, they will also attack the Fallen.

"...Berel threw a brand down into the shaft in order to judge its depth... a nightmare boiled up out of that pit which only one in six of our number survived..."

"Connacht could no longer ignore the atrocities committed by the Spider-cult but when he assailed their shrines, no trace could be found of the Smiths of Muirthemne or their followers..."

"Dwarven legend tells of spiders that grow larger than humans, living unchecked in the deepest bowels of the earth. Their constitutions are weak but their frightful size, and sheer weight of numbers, make them more than a match for those foolish enough to delve into their subterranean lairs. Having no loyalties, they will also attack the Fallen.

Spores

The Spore, though immobile, are feared for their deadly vapor....

Squirrels

"...but it was Rocky alone that stood up to the challenge and packed the giant nuts; the huge nuts that no two other squirrels could pack."

Stygian Knights

"Empty shells of armor animated by mysterious sorceries, the Stygian Knights have no true spark of life, and thus no fear of death."

"...it is said that the animation rituals require the caster to surrender a portion of his soul to provide the Knight's semblance of life."

Only the darkest sorcery is capable of creating these magically animated suits of armor. Stygian Knights are a rare sight as they are created only by Soulblighter and given as guards to his human associates.

They attack with huge battle axes and are unharmed by arrows. Even dismembered, they do not bleed.

Swallows

"Of all the swallows in the Four Ages there is no doubt that Pretty Boy was the most powerful and his death the most salient victory of the Feline during the Wind Age."

"The target dummies of the West have always had the thankless task of training young warriors."

Common Names:

Bob, Tuncer, Alex, Jason, Mark, Paul, Juan, Frank, Konrad, Jonathan, David

Trow

"When asked of the source of their animosity towards the Trow, all were silent. After a time the eldest among them looked down and seemed to weep, 'It was they who poisoned the soul of iron.'"

"' ... or we will fell your people like a pine forest.' One Ghol asked why he had singled out pines. 'Once cut, pines never regrow.' spoke the Trow emissary, to which the Ghols had no answer save silence."

"Initially we thought the barn we were hiding in had been magicked away, but then we saw the unmistakable silhouette of a Trow becoming more and more distinct through the settling dust..."

The Trow are relics from a forgotten age. During the height of their golden age they were responsible for the creation o fmany complex megalithic structures, but as their civilization declind they began enslaving their lesser brethren, the Oghres, to construct their cyclopean edifices. Finally, during the Wind Age (after many centuries of domination at the hands of tehir cruel masters), the Oghres attempted to throw off the shackles of Trow tyranny. The resulting war left the Trow city-states severely weakened and the Oghres extict. The hero Connacht took advantage of this conflict and entombed the Trow where none would ever discover their barrows, and melted their icon cities into the ice. Since that time, the continent as been free of brutalization at their massive hands.

"...when Soulblighter confronted the Trow, demanding their continued servitude, they replied 'Set iron to rest and choose you one from our number. Ask of his name and what he owes you.'"

"...he spoke in a voice I felt as much as heard... his words slow and deliberate... each syllable the roaring of an ocean..."

The Trow retreated to the north at the end of the Great War, and have since held a nervous truce with the humans who slew so many of their number during the conflict. Their bitter memories of their own golden age many generations ago have left them with a collective hunger for a return to better times. This urge does not prevent the Trow from exacting a frightful toll upon any who would pass across the land they have claimed as their own.

Trow wade into a melee with mighty kicks, powerful enough to rip the target's body in half.

"The Callieach eventually came into conflict with the Trow, and were destroyed in that conflict. In their final days, rather than be hunted to extinction by the Trow, they destroyed themselves and their hunters, leaving behind the Great Devoid."

To know the history of the Trow is to know the history of the world.

At the damn of time Nyx molded us out of stone and clay.

During that age it seemed that a new race would crawl up out of the ocean, burrow out of the mountains, or fall from the sky every thousand years or so. But it always came to the same end - they would come into conflict with us and we would crush them.

Even the Callieach, the most fearsome race from a time now unknowable to all but us, came to final ruin at out hand.

... why had [Acerus Malum Magnus] not spoken of the Myrkridia? According to what I remembered of Forgall's text the Myrkridia were active during the Golden Age of the Trow and both had come into conflict with Connacht.

Notable individuals:

• Acerus Malum Magnus

Common Names:

Igne Ferroque, Tympanum Caput, Saxum Pugnus, Pugil Stultus, Tonitrus Femuf, Auris Morsus, Dolabra Index, Fractum Atrox, Muglio Potens, Acerus Malum, Hebes Ictus, Sanguis Ebriosus, Fustis Demens, Mons Latus, Lapicida Venenum, Luctari Furor, Filius Tofus Mola Saccus, Pernix Ultor, Quercus Invidia, Tegula Cutis, Terramotus Calcitrare, Pulvis Ira, Quassare Vis

Thrall (Children of Bahl'al)

"Though Egil and his men bristled with javelins their charge did not falter, and they fell upon the Hollow Men with such ferocity that even the Thrall seemed to be frozen with horror."

" ... the seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."

"Bahl'al descended to the flooded, rusting halls of Si'anwon and under the sea there took no breath for nine days, searching the ruined palaces and temples of the Trow for the dream of unlife."

The reanimated corpses of humans who fought against the Fallen and lost. Because they're dead, Thrall are ponderously slow, but they will also withstand a great deal of damage before the foul soreries that keep their bodies upright fail. Another one of the benefits of being undead that Thrall enjoy is not having to breath, this allows them to remain underwater indefinitely.

The only weapon that the mindless Thrall can use with any degree of success is an ax. The Thrall, having no will of its own, can be ordered to taunt nearby enemies to little effect by usin the Special Action key.

"...Bahl'al spurred his army onward with a blistering wind. Three full days before his army arrived... the citizens of Tyr knew their doom lumbered nearer with each passing hour..."

"...they attacked the city of Covenant... reinforced not only by the slaughtered town folk and farmers... but also by the plunder of catacombs, crypts and cemeteries of a thousand years."

"...those that Phelot deemed unsuitable for use as thrall... were given to the ghols, who hacked their limbs and chewed their flesh... this is how he dealt with the people of Avon's Grove."

The reanimated corpses of humans. Because they're dead, Thrall are slow moving, but they will also withstand a great deal of damage before the foul sorceries that keep their bodies upright fail. Another benefit of being dead that the Thrall enjoy is not being required to breathe, which allows them to remain underwater indefinitely.

The only weapon the mindless Thrall can use with any degree of success is an axe.

Since they're dead, thrall, wights and ghasts don't have to breathe. Unlike the living, they can travel through the deepest water, and can remain hidden under water indefinitely.

" ... though the dwarves before Myrgard were unshaken by the wights opposite them, each knew the slow, bleeding death-fever which awaited those who survived the battle."

"... but they were not driven to attack by malice, what goaded them forward was the pain clouded thought of release from an anguish so singular that it wracked their bodies even in unlife."

A stitched up corpse, given new life by dark magic as a breeding ground for virulienet disease and foul decay. The wight shambles up to its target and plunges its dagger into its gas-filled body causing it to explode, shaking the earth around it, destroying anything in its immediate vicinity and coating everything with a thin film of pus, which induces a brief paralysis.

Alternately, you can order a Wight to detonate it self by using the Special Action Key.

"...once known as the Messengers of Culwyeh, a name now forgotten by all but the most devout pupils of Necromancy, these miserable creatures seek only release from their hellish existence."

"...preceding the assault on Covenant... two score and nine wights were herded into the Tiber an hours march from the city, there to stand until they burst, rendering the water undrinkable."

Since they're dead, thrall, wights and ghasts don't have to breathe. Unlike the living, they can travel through the deepest water, and can remain hidden under water indefinitely.

A stitched-up corpse, given new life by dark magic as a breeding ground for virulent disease and foul decay. The wight shambles up to its target and plunges a dagger into its gas-filled body causing it to explode, shaking the earth around it, destroying anything in its immediate vicinity and coating everything with a thin film of pus which induces a brief paralysis.

You can order a wight to detonate by pressing the Special Action key (T).

Wolves

"The wolves of The Ermine have been a menace to the people of the Free Cities of the North... since the area was settled in the Axe Age."

"...wolves, feared for centuries as man-eaters and killers of livestock... used to great effect by the fir'Bolg during our time of conflict with them..."

Avatara

Of all the avatara in the Four Ages there is no doubt that Mazzarin was the most powerful and his death the most salient victory of the Dark during the Wind Age.

" ... the seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."

"They say Alric talked about The Head often, ridiculing The Nine's belief that it was one of the avatara of Connacht."

"[Alric] seeks Myrdred, an avatara of the Wolf Age whom Balor renamed "The Deceiver" after bending him to his will."

The Nine powerful sorcerors who lead the Legion against Balor and the Fallen Lords. Because of their years of training as magic-users and strategists, they tend to avoid melee combat but can be vicious whe they have to be.

Each Avatar carried a sword, and knows how to use it. Each Avatar has a unique magic ability.

Notable individuals:

• Alric
• Cu Roi
• Maeldun
• Mazzarin
• Murgen
• Myrdred
• Rabican

Bowmen

" ... on occasion an archer of promise is sent to the Ermine, the homeland of the fir'Bolg, to study his craft at one of the three war colleges: jo'Za-Thatal, wa'Ama-Tchal, or ai'Kijin-Tak."

"When asked of his advice on how many men should be trained in the use of the bow og'Un remarked, 'One in twenty from each town. Go there, these men will make themselves known."

"...but not all men picked up the bow for love of their country or defense of their liege... for some it was for love of money, and others... an unnatural desire to kill."

"...[to the likes of] the highwaymen of the Chalk Hills... and the bandit gangs of Tarhan Downs...it was business as usual... it didn't matter who died, as long as their bellies were full."

"To be a bowman in the Imperial Army was an honor second only to acceptance into the Heron Guard. It is said that their honor was so great they would not sleep as long as the crown was in peril."

After the war against Balor ended, the fir'bolg returned to their own land. The truce remained intact, but they swore that they would never fight outside of their borders again. Humans who had fought alongside them had come to rely on the fir'bolg ability to attack opponents from a distance, and human militias soon drummed up their own groups of bowmen.

A group of bowmen can do substantial damage to enemy forces while they're still too far off to fight back. In addition, each unit carries a fire arrow that can be activated by selecting the unit, pressing the special action key (T), and attacking an enemy unit or the ground.

If cornered, bowmen can fight with a knife (although this is not their strong suit). To make your bowmen fight hand-to-hand, select the bowman, then double click on a nearby enemy unit.

Notable individuals:

• Oderic

Common Names:

Jean, Cale, Denis, Matthieu, Guibert, Luis, Roger, Gobain, Philip, Otto, Thomas, Garin, Aubry, Clement, Alvar, Simone, Petrarch, Piers, Francis, Wyclif, Cipolla, John, Jerome, Jaques, Edward, Bartholomew, Walter, Gibouin, Guerri, Raoul, Bernier, Ybert, Amant, Herbert, Droon, Gerard, Henry, Bernard, Peter, Raymond, Leo, Michael, Charles, Olivier, Urban, Eustace, Ludolf, Gislebert, Godfrey, Albert, Victor, Adrian, Karl, Eggihard, Anselm, Haroun, Pippin, Constantine, Bernhard, Hadrian, Augustine, Albinus, Gregori, Brun

Brigands (and Dark Archers)

"There will always be men lacking firmness of character or strength of will who are more than happy to carry out the orders of evil men to make their own lot in life a little more comfortable."

" ... thieves, thugs, and killers... these are the types of men that make up the brigand gangs... weak willed miscreants hoping to hide their sins amongst the evils of tyrants..."

"...but not all men picked up the bow for love of their country or defense of their liege... for some it was for love of money, and others... an unnatural desire to kill."

"...[to the likes of] the highwaymen of the Chalk Hills... and the bandit gangs of Tarhan Downs...it was business as usual... it didn't matter who died, as long as their bellies were full."

As Soulblighter's corrupting influence spread, many weak and unsavory soldiers were swayed to his banner with false promises. These are the rough equivalent of their Light counterparts, with some differences; for example Brigands, being undisciplined, run more slowly than Warriors.

The stain of evil on these units is visible even from afar.

Common Names:

Gape, Lug, Hook, Mook, Gog, Punch, Jounce, Lech, Slog, Shlep, Bob, Widdy, Chug, Creep, Flump, Lurch, Rip, Scrieve, Truk, Lout, Jag, Jerk, Junk, Juke, Drivit, Pall, Muggle, Schuss, Scrooch, Gawk, Grimace, Worm, Leer, Dirge, Coze, Slug, Jabber, Quip, Squib, Bray, Tyro, Rasp, Blat, Crow, Grouse, Jape, Jeer, Scoff, Yobbo, Droog, Balump, Gleh, Kaf, Smek, Nok

Fallen Lords, The

"Some of The Fallen are over a millennium old, and their rivalries go back just as far."

"Alric was interrogated by Balor during his captivity, and he learned by chance that Balor had bound each of The Fallen to himself, to ensure their obedience to his will. The Fallen draw their power through these links, and were Balor to be killed they would all be powerless. The armies of the Dark would collapse."

Six powerful wizards who wre suborned by Balor. Among them: Shver, The Deceiver, The Watcher, and Soulblighter.

"Six sorcerer-generals of dark and fearsome power, led by Balor during the Great War. Numbered among their ranks were The Watcher, The Deceiver, Shiver, and Soulblighter. It was thought by the Nine that their powers were derived from Balor himself, but plainly this was not the case."

Notable individuals:

• Shiver
• Soulblighter
• The Deceiver
• The Watcher

Five Champions, The

"At the behest of the Nine, our officers chose five champions from among the Legion. They were carried over the mountains by balloon and dropped at night in the rough desert twenty miles from The Deceiver's camp."

Notable individuals:

• ki'Angsi
• Oleg
• Truan of the Hundred Battles
• Turgeis with Burning Steel

Heron Guard, The

"Not a palm's breadth free of wounds on his body, Five Motion Bloody Jaguar knelt to kiss the earth and drawing strength from her rose to charge the thickest gathering of the enemy."

"Returning to the ruin Muirthemne had become in their absence, the deathless Heron Guards each tore nine gold tiles from the palace wall, every one the weight of a grown man ... "

These men are all that remains of the Empire of the Cath Bruig. Formerly the guards of the Emperor, they disbanded and wandered the earth after the Fallen Lords destroyed Muirthemne and everyone in it. Journeymen, when pressed into battle, swing the shovel of a common laborer.

Journeyman can heal friendly units using mandrake roots (T). Select the Jouneyman, hit your Special Ability key and then click on the unit wou wish to heal. Journeymen start with a certain number of roos, and can pick up more from the bodies of fallen Journeymen. A Mandrake root disappeares each time they Journeyman heals someone, and when they are all gone with Journeyman can no longer heal. Journeyman can also wither enemy units - the Wight and Thrall, for example - using his technique. Note that Wight remains are still explosive.

"To be a bowman in the Imperial Army was an honor second only to acceptance into the Heron Guard. It is said that their honor was so great they would not sleep as long as the crown was in peril."

"Their healing ritual has its roots in the initiation rites of the Heron Guard, but what brings about immortality in a truly exceptional person merely restores the vitality of lesser men."

"...upon being reborn as a member of the deathless Heron Guard... the date of his initiation, according to the calendar of the old kings of Cath Bruig, would serve as his new name..."

"Once every seven years warriors of renown from every corner of the empire gather to compete for the honor of joining the Heron Guard. From that multitude less than six will be chosen..."

"...Eight Pride Stalking sped across the field of battle like a bolt of lightning... his swords flashing as his foes tumbled to the ground in lifeless heaps..."

"The journeymen, after a hundred years of self-imposed penance for being absent during the fall of the city, threw down the gold tiles that hung around their necks and swore fealty to the new Emperor."

"Then [Nine Skull Crocodile] told me that next year the Heron Guard will be reinstating the septannual tournament to fill out their ranks. Men of bravery and warriors of renown from every corner of the empire will gather to compete for the honor of joining them."

These men are all that remains of the Empire of the Cath Bruig. Formerly the guards of the Emperor, they disbanded and wandered the earth in self-imposed exile after the Fallen destroyed Muirthemne and everyone in it. In a further show of penance, they developed the ability to heal other people, though they are by nature loners and do not actively seek out company. To heal a unit select the journeyman, press the special action key (T), then select the injured unit.

Journeymen can also heal undead units (like thrall and wights), dispelling the dark magic that animates them.

When pressed into battle, Journeymen swing the shovel of a common laborer. Some say they still have the remarkable ability of Heron Guards in combat, but the Journeymen themselves seem to have thrown off every vestige of their once glorious past.

Common Names:

Eight Flint Deer, Twelve Eagle Falling Sun, Six Motion Bloody Jaguar, Five Heron Waiting Cactus, Eight Pride Stalking Rabbit, Three Vulture Drum, Ten Stone Reed, Four Serpent Seeking Shadow, Seven Lizard Tongue, Nine Eagle Red Skull, One Flint Puma, Twelve Serpent Falling Eagle, Seven Wind Lizard, Nine Serpent Rising Puma, Seven Crocodile Rain, Six Coyote Flower, Thirteen Bloody Crocodile, Five Rabbit Fleeing Jaguar, Three Moon Jeweled Fan, Seven Jaguar White Flower, Five Obsidian Heron, One Serpent Green Talon, Seven Devil Puma, Five Monkey Bloody Stone, Six Vulture Dog Star, One Deer Burning Skull, Nine Serpent Bloody Sun, Eleven Vulture Fire Serpent, Ten Eagle Burning Stone, Seven Eagle Jaguar Claw, Twelve Flint Sun Collar, Twelve Devil Burning Wind, Thirteen Rain Jeweled Fan, Thirteen Wind Moon Stone, Fourteen Flint Moon Eagle

Notable individuals:

• Eight Pride Stalking
• Five Motion Bloody Jaguar
• Four Flint Motion Sun
• Nine Skull Crocodile
• Ten Soaring White Eagle
• Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull

Legion, The

"Yesterday our legion entered the village of Crow's Bridge and halted there for the night."

"Having turned back the attack on Crow's Bridge, we headed south to rejoin the Legion in another small town called Otter Ferry."

"The vanguard of our army, twenty thousand men, has been camped near Otter Ferry for two days now."

"Hordes of reanimated dead defeated by small, ragged groups of mercenaries and volunteers?"

An army of the Light, the Legion took part in many of the pivotal battles in the closing years of the Great War. Travelling across the continent, they broke through the Fallen lines, and fought their way to Rhi'anon, where they sacrificed themselves in an assault on Balor's fortress in order to give Alric time to defeat Balor.

Notable individuals:

• Balin
• Cruniac
• Durak
• Eitri
• Four Flint Motion Sun
• Garrick
• gr'Uman
• iu'Shee
• Jari
• Journal Writer, The
• ki'Angsi
• Mauriac
• Nine Skull Crocodile
• Oderic
• Reiftyr
• Oleg
• Ten Soaring White Eagle
• Trahern with Fists like Iron
• Truan of the Hundred Battles
• Turgeis with Burning Steel
• Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull
• Tyrfing

Nine, The

Nine Powerful wizards who oppose the Fallen Lords. Alric is chief among them, and Murgen, Rabican, Maeldun, Cu Roi, and four others act as his generals.

Nine sorcerers of great power who opposed the Fallen Lords during the Great War. Among them were Rabican, Murgen, Maeldun, Cu Roi, and their leader Alric.

Notable individuals:

• Alric
• Cu Roi
• Maeldun
• Murgen
• Rabican

Peasants / Villagers

The humble farmers who feed the West, suffering the worst in every conflict, conscripted before age fifteen to fill the ranks of the army.

"... and then Pelleas arose and asked of the Council of Lords, 'And if the Darkness strives further north, then what shall become of the peasantry?' And the Council answered, 'They shall die, just as we.'"

"...always praising King Alric for the change in their lives. The villagers and farmers of the West have prospered during the peace following the Great War."

"The humble farmers feed the West, suffering the worst in every conflict, conscripted before age fifteen to fill the ranks of the army."

Notable individuals:

• Pelleas
• Rurik

Common Names:

Jean, Thomas, Edward, Henry, Eadwine, Herbert, Gregory, Geoffry, Albert, John, Mark, Phillip, Bernard, Paul, Robert, Tuncer, Arnold, Fulburt, Edmund, Matthew, Richard, Francis, Leo, Walter, Charles, Jason, Louis, Guy, James

Poachers

"It is said that an unscrupulous group of men made a deal with an equally unscrupulous group of Dwarves in order to corner the bullet-riddled meat market."

Albrecht, the King of the Dwarves, having been presented with the latest invention of the famed Wehrfaktorie, is said to have replied "Such a thing would make war too terrible to wage."

Common Names:

Jimbo, Biff, Joe Bob, Hank, Remus, Billy Joe, Cletus, Bobby Joe, Joey Bill

Smiths of Muirthemne, The

"Murgen believes us to be trapped inside the Tain, a relic forged by the Smiths of Muirthemne during the Wind Age."

"Connacht could no longer ignore the atrocities committed by the Spider-cult but when he assailed their shrines, no trace could be found of the Smiths of Muirthemne or their followers..."

"[Many of them] were slain when they attacked Muirthemne, and their cursed blood seeped into the ground... not every mysterious disappearance could be traced back to the Spider-cults."

Warlocks (of the Scholomance)

"...drawn to forbidden lore and others wise in the ways of the metaphysical sciences as a moth is to a flame... they are doomed by the very knowledge that gives them power over other men."

"The Warlocks are grim, humorless men; their hearts hardened by the secrets learned in the pursuit of power. And when a Warlock grins, it is unlikely you would find his thoughts amusing."

"Our scouts have brought back news of an odd group of men who have gathered nearby. From their description alone, Twelve Motion recognized them as Warlocks from the Scholomance, ancient allies of The Deceiver and collaborators of the Fallen Lords."

When rumors began to spread shortly after the end of the war that the Deceiver was entombed somewhere in the Cloudspine, an odd collection of men dared the journey to find him.

It was many years before anyone recognized them as Warlocks from the Scholomance, ancient allies of The Deceiver and collaborators of the Fallen Lords.

Warlocks have a primary fireball attack and a secondary confusion spell. The confusion spell can be activated by pressing the special action key (T) when the Warlock's mana bar is full.

Notable individuals:

• Seanchaidh

Common Names:

Ceannard, Malairt, Admillin, Caithim, Aibistear, Abharsair, Braman, Breamas, Diabhol, Sgulanach, Miosguinn, Eireallach, Sgreataidh, Skrati, Uabh-bheist, uadh-chrith, Beithir, Be'imneach, Mairtrighim, Martad, Casgair, Fadhbhaim, Gonim, Lollard

Warriors

After the armies of The Province were finally broken at Covenant, the survivors scattered among the free cities of the North, taking their arms with them.

"Maeldun's only words on returning exhausted to Tyr from a long campaign in the East to find half the city burning after a raid by pirates from Leix were 'Show me the way to Leix.'"

The few survivors of the human armies which have not yet fallen to Balor's forces of the undead. These men have survived previous encounters with the Fallen Lords, and might be able to do it again.

Warriors are equipped with swords, and shields that can block attacks.

"...since the end of the Great War the armies of The Province have served as a kind of policing body... from the Free Cities of the North to Forest Heart..."

"Mauriac, ancient and honored, still speaks of his time with the Legion and their victory over Balor. Many of the great military minds of our day sharpened their skills under his command."

The few living humans who could call themselves veterans of the Great War had staggered back to their cities and villages, hopeful that no similar threat would return to the land in their lifetime but determined to see that future generations would not suffer such losses if faced with a similar evil. Six decades later, their efforts have resulted in a military program which even commands the grudging respect of the mighty Trow.

Warriors are equipped with swords and shields.

Notable individuals:

• Garrick
• Mauriac

Common Names:

Mauriac, Adalard, Aethelwulf, Curran, Derek, Ajax, Avis, Barret, Esme, Kenway, Bevan, Bevis, Montago, Moliere, Billie, Brenainn, Calhoun, Casey, Cathal, Aldwyn, Allard, Chadwick, Farrell, Aethelweard, Garner, Cillian, Alyce, Conlan, Eadgar, Edmee, Beald, Brady, Cormac, Donagh, Bran, Brand, Duncan, Loring, Nealon, Ewan, Nels, Garwin, Kalevi, Kalwa, Neel, Kearney, Murrough, Niall, Bramwell, Mather, Malthus, Nola, Owen, Ramsay, Rand, Sigmund, Sloan, Thayer, Trahern, Ulrich, Vasya, Warner, Hector, Kay, Malory, Naram, Pelleas, Moore, Macaualy, Strephon, Tarquin, Alisander, Alexander, Berel the Unworthy, Clairemonde, Darras, Floridas, Gahalatine, Lucan, Melias, Tristram, Bors, Gareth, Kaherdin, Gaheris, Accolon, Sansloy, Kearney

Acer Malum Magnus

"Is man to have an entry as well?"

[ . . . ]

These had been Acerus Malum Magnus' first words since I handed him Antero's petition nearly a month ago at the very fringes of the northern holdings at the start of my journey through these Trow haunted lands.

Albrecht

"Albrecht, the King of the Dwarves, having been presented with the latest invention of the famed Wehrfaktorie, is said to have replied "Such a thing would make war too terrible to wage."

Alric

Of all the avatara in the Four Ages there is no doubt that Mazzarin was the most powerful and his death the most salient victory of the Dark during the Wind Age.

" ... the seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."

One of The Nine, former King of the Southern Provinces.

"...he drew from his robe one of the five Eblis Stones, and for a few moments it made him an equal of Balor. The rest of the Legion was sacrificed... to give us time to take Balor's head."

"...we will go forth and strike down our enemies. And once they have been vanquished we will rebuild the Cath Bruig Empire to its former glory."

"Alric, then simply a wizard of immense power and not a King, plotting and fighting against the walking dead without so much as a scratch on his chin from Balor's rotting armies?"

"An Avatara of years past, Alric is the only surviving member of the Nine sorcerers who opposed the Fallen Lords during the Great War. Alric reclaimed his throne after defeating Balor. He has spent the last sixty years rebuilding the Province."

Andir

"Andir set out that evening in search of a monster ... "

Andvari

"He had been a mathematician and engineer before the Great War... when Stoneheim fell to the Ghols and the university was destroyed... these skills served him well in the years to come..."

Antero

But Antero, my master and the greatest scholar of our day, did not despair as others did. He saw great opportunity in this tragic event...

[ . . . ]

And so it came to pass that my master petitioned the Trow for my safe passage into their lands, that I might observe their natures and record their habits for Antero's Bestiary.

Bahl'al

"Bahl'al descended to the flooded, rusting halls of Si'anwon and under the sea there took no breath for nine days, searching the ruined palaces and temples of the Trow for the dream of unlife."

"...Bahl'al spurred his army onward with a blistering wind. Three full days before his army arrived... the citizens of Tyr knew their doom lumbered nearer with each passing hour..."

Balin

Iri trekked for three days through Ghol haunted hills, eating as he walked, sleeping between footfalls; he ran for the last 5 hours, traversing the 26 mile wide corpse-filled morass ringing Covenant..."

"Where's Balin when you need him?"

"Led by their pathfinder, Balin, the dwarves landed in the midst of a sea of Ghols and laid waste to them with grenades and satchel charges."

"...turning the godhead of the ghols into a monument to Balin's victory. Nothing else has done more to sustain the mutual hatred since the ghols raided the crypt at Myrgard for 'victuals'."

Balor

"Second Era tradition tells of a hero rising in the East, who loosened the bloodless grip of the wicked things which had dominated his land for time beyond memory ... "

"On the day Muirthemne was razed, the sun rose to reveal an army that seemed to stretch across the horizon, and at its center stood Balor with his standard silhouetted against the morning sun."

"Balor has been killed before," Alric told us after we raised the Myrkridian standard, "and each time it has only made him more powerful."

Leader of the Fallen Lords.

"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."

"Balor himself, with a legion of creatures bound to him through sorcery and intimidation, unable to stop Alric from lopping off his head?"

"Once known as Connacht, great hero of the Wind Age, Balor returned wearing the mantle of the Leveller to lead the armies of the Dark during the Great War. Chief among the Fallen Lords, he fell in battle with Alric at his fortress in Rhi'anon, and his head was cast into the Great Devoid to ensure that he would never return."

Connacht and his lieutenants fell on us in our moment of weakeness but showed us mercy, instead of returning us to the One Dream, he entomded us in the vaults beneath Rhi'Anon.

Then he finished the job that the Oghres has started, virtually erasing all evidence of our culture.

And it came to pass that Connacht returned and freed us from our prison tombs. And even tough we recognized that he wore the Mantle of the Leveler, we owned him out existance, so we became allies.

Baron Kildaer

"The nearby villagers had taken to burying their dead as far from the Baron's domain as possible after seeing their recently deceased kin roaming the lands."

"The master of this castle is Baron Kildaer. We were joined at Tallow by reinforcements to attack the Baron's stronghold and put an end to his unwholesome trade in human remains."

"The Baron came to power ten years ago, appearing out of nowhere. With the aid of his brigand cohorts, he laid claim to Keep Kildaer and the surrounding lands. "

b'Y'laggo

" ... little is known of the bre'Unor, a fir'Bolg word referring to the various head-cults of The Ermine, aside from their fanatical devotion to the profane elemental spirit, b'Y'laggo..."

The aboriginal inhabitants of the Ermine, the bre'Unor are a violently secretive race. Their society seems to be structured around their belief that their god, who resides in the air, is strengthened by the escaping breath of the beings they sacrifice and will one day grow powerful enough to spirit away their enemies - most notably the fir'Bolg, with whom they have sparred for centuries.

The bre'Unor have discovered that the bones of their largest sacrifices are excellent objects to hurl at new kills, and hoard them explicitly for that purpose. Tales abound of bre'Unor cunning and ferocity in battle, and some even say their vile deity has given them the ability to command wolves.

"The bre'Unor name them the Children of b'Y'laggo and humans call them Changelings. The fir'Bolg, however, refuse to speak of them."

Chicken Berel

"Once they ranged across The Province in the millions, but in five short years the man now known as Chicken Berel hunted them almost to extinction. Only a handful of these noble beasts remain."

Ceiscoran

"Legend states that whoever wears the Ibis Crown has at his disposal truly staggering power. Such was the artifact's power that Ceiscoran, at fantastic expense, commissioned eleven ordinary copies of the thing to be made in order to make theft of the true crown more difficult."

Clovis

"In honor of their heroism, Connacht allowed the men of the North who had been slain defending Llancarfan to be buried in the Mausoleum of Clovis - the Royal Crypt of the Cath Bruig."

"...the masons who built the mausoleum for Clovis, the first Emperor of the Cath Bruig, still haunt these ancient corridors, eager to destroy those who would plunder its sacred vaults..."

Connacht

"Connacht was the great hero of the Wind Age, who drove the evil Moagim from the earth..."

"In honor of their heroism, Connacht allowed the men of the North who had been slain defending Llancarfan to be buried in the Mausoleum of Clovis - the Royal Crypt of the Cath Bruig."

"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."

"Great hero of the Wind Age, Connacht trapped the Myrkridia in the Tain and imprisoned the Trow. Ruling during a golden age of peace, Connacht disappeared from Muirthemne, and was thought to be dead. Centuries later, Connacht returned as Balor, the Leveller, to raze the continent and lead the Fallen."

Connacht and his lieutenants fell on us in our moment of weakeness but showed us mercy, instead of returning us to the One Dream, he entomded us in the vaults beneath Rhi'Anon.

Then he finished the job that the Oghres has started, virtually erasing all evidence of our culture.

And it came to pass that Connacht returned and freed us from our prison tombs. And even tough we recognized that he wore the Mantle of the Leveler, we owned him out existance, so we became allies.

Cruniac

"Cruniac, who seems to be more interested in political maneuvers than military ones ... "

"Cruniac is nothing if not full of surprises. No sooner had I touched pen to paper in praise of the man than he fell upon one of the captured guards, nearly strangling him to death. I was mortified, but when Cruniac released the fellow he seemed to awaken as if from a deep slumber. The commander had broken the enchantment that had bound the guard."

"Cruniac is dead. Our sergeant, Garrick, says he saw the commander and half of the color guard running like hell back through the lines ordering a general retreat. When Garrick caught up with him, Cruniac collapsed; he had been holding his guts in with his shield. Cruniac's last words were of the bravery of the color guard, who had given their lives trying to save him even as Soulblighter had delivered the killing blow."

"An officer of the Legion. His father is the mayor of Shoal. He has political aspirations, and joined the Legion to distinguish himself."

Cu Roi

"Two of The Nine were killed, which makes them something like The Three now, if you also subtract Murgen and Cu Roi, who did not escape the destruction of the Tain, and the others who have died this year."

"Two of the Nine are with us, Cu Roi and Murgen, trying to make contact with the forest giants who live in this place, to beg their help against the Dark."

One of The Nine.

"One of the Nine. A powerful sorcerer who opposed Balor during the Great War. He was trapped in the Tain along with Murgen and the Legion, and died when the Tain was destroyed during their escape."

Damas

The true name of Soulblighter.

Dari

"Hey, we did it! Dari owes me twenty big ones!"

Deceiver, The

"...the farmland surrounding Covenant was choked with the shattered remains of two armies and pregnant with diseases of the blood... It is from this fortress that he issued his commands."

"...The Watcher had been the second or third most powerful sorcerer in living memory... these two had it out after the battle for Tyr... The Watcher barely survived."

"[Alric] seeks Myrdred, an avatara of the Wolf Age whom Balor renamed "The Deceiver" after bending him to his will."

"The Deceiver claims to be held in high regard by the Trow as a being of "furor poeticus"."

"Deranged, arrogant, self-serving... none of these words can fully describe The Deceiver. No wonder his army has always been made up of bewitched men and the walking dead - no thinking being would willingly follow him."

"Ahhh, if it isn't Alric's lapdog. Will you bow to anyone who claims the Throne of the Cath Bruig?"

"One of the Fallen Lords who served Balor during the Great War. His rivalry with the other Fallen Lords led to his downfall. He disappeared after the Watcher decimated his army at Seven Gates."

Durak

"Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull says he was last here sixty years ago, fighting alongside the likes of Durak and Turgeis with Burning Steel. They caught The Deceiver and the remnants of his army in this very defile and here destroyed them."

Egil

"Though Egil and his men bristled with javelins their charge did not falter, and they fell upon the Hollow Men with such ferocity that even the Thrall seemed to be frozen with horror."

Eight Pride Stalking

"...Eight Pride Stalking sped across the field of battle like a bolt of lightning... his swords flashing as his foes tumbled to the ground in lifeless heaps..."

"Even worse, we are not alone. Our scouts report seeing terrifying shapes lurking about, masked by the foul weather. Eitri and his men have been preparing ambush sites throughout the pass for the better part of the day."

Ewan

... Antero, my master ...

[ . . . ]

... Antero said unto me, and to what few of his other pupils that still lived ...

[ . . . ]

And so it came to pass that my master petitioned the Trow for my safe passage into their lands, that I might observe their natures and record their habits ...

Fang-Grinder

...of all the foul and profane fiends who served the Dark, few were feared and hated more than Fang-Grinder! Dreaded Fang-Grinder, whose very name stuck fear into even those who rallied round him in battle! Called the "King of the Ghols" and "the Black Dog of the Hill Lands", he was the greatest and most terrible of his kind!

[ . . . ]

... Fang-Grinder ruled as do all tyrants, through fear and brutality! It was well known that he feasted upon his victims, but few would scarcely guess that he was so depraved as to devour his own kind... But his depravity knew no bounds...

Five Motion Bloody Jaguar

"Not a palm's breadth free of wounds on his body, Five Motion Bloody Jaguar knelt to kiss the earth and drawing strength from her rose to charge the thickest gathering of the enemy."

Four Flint Motion Sun

"Four Flint had to stifle a grin when word came that the brigand camp had been attacked by twelve to fifteen swordsmen, he remarked 'it's odd that I didn't see them, but I was rather busy.'"

Forgall

When Covenant fell and the Great University burned, we lost countless generations of accumulated knowledge - chief amongst the loss was the last surviving copy of Forgall's Bestiary.

[ . . . ]

Thus Antero said unto me, and to what few of his other pupils that still lived, "Even in Forgall's work some amount of speculation must have been neccesary to complete certain entries, but now, because of this terrible war, the beasts of myth walk the land once more!"

Frankenstein Computer God

"So, they've finally toppled the mad, deadly, world wide, gangster communist frankenstein computer god!"

"So, they've finally thrown off the shackles of the mad, deadly, world wide, gangster communist radio earphone slavery!"

"Place offering here you parrotting puppet."

Fulsom

"Trahern dealt a terrible blow to Fulsom, taking his left arm and piling three score dead at his feet before the bandit gang finally broke into full route never to be heard from again..."

Garrick

"...he is a fighting man's leader... unswerving in his loyalty to the crown... though, he is Cruniac's right hand man, he is definitely more popular with the men of the Legion..."

gr'Uman

"A few men and I are leaving the main column in a few moments to discover the fate of a scouting party which has not returned. None of us expect to find them alive, but we must recover an artifact carried by their leader, gr'Uman, Lieutenant of Archers."

Gywon

"Though Gwyon and his brothers all died they had succeeded in breaking the momentum of the Ghols' charge... each scattering corpses until a step could not be taken without treading on one..."

Head, The

"Apparently The Nine found the severed head of one of Balor's enemies from the old days, buried out in the desert under several tons of sand and rock, and managed to start talking to the thing."

"They say that The Head had an old score to settle with Shiver, and told Rabican that her one weakness was vanity, and showed him how to exploit it."

"They say Alric talked about The Head often, ridiculing The Nine's belief that it was one of the avatara of Connacht."

"Worst of all, what's left of the Nine had it out with The Head, which had apparently been double-crossing them ever since they pulled it out of the ground last summer."

"A severed head that spoke, lies slipping through its lips to an audience that would soon be dead?"

A severed head animated by its own arcane magic, it was discovered buried under tons of sand and rock and claimed to be one of Balor's ancient enemies. Providing the Nine with dubious advice, this enigmatic being sowed strife among the Nine, resulting in their downfall before vanishing again into the mists of history.

Iri

"Iri trekked for three days through Ghol haunted hills, eating as he walked, sleeping between footfalls; he ran for the last 5 hours, traversing the 26 mile wide corpse-filled morass ringing Covenant..."

iu'Shee

"Yesterday I saw iu'Shee, captain of archers, with a fist full of white arrows five feet long and tipped with fragments of bone. I lost track of who was carrying The Watcher's arm when we fled Silvermines, but I suspect its turned up again."

Jari

"...then Cruniac called for the Dwarves... foremost amongst them was Jari, son of Balin and Uni, daughter of the Archon of Stoneheim; strong and wise... unsurpassed in bravery or daring..."

Journal Writer, The

"As we were breaking camp, Garrick handed me a journal he had recovered from Cruniac's belongings. The commander must have taken it from one of the Baron's libraries.

What significance it may have had to Cruniac I do not know, other than it appears to have been written by a man who served in the Legion during the Great War."

"I have chosen to follow the Emperor and his Heron Guard back to Muirthemne - there is nothing left for me in Strand, the place of my birth."

ki'Angsi

"... but it was ki'Angsi alone that stood up to the challenge and strung the giant's bow; the great yew shaft that no two other men could bend."

Leveler, The

"Second Era tradition tells of a hero rising in the East, who loosened the bloodless grip of the wicked things which had dominated his land for time beyond memory ... "

"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."

"The Leveler was never killed. He was immobilized by sorcery, beheaded and burned at the stake in the Second Era. A thousand years later he was drawn and quartered on the plains before Ileum, the tireless horses dragging the pieces of his lifeless body to the four corners of the world. Again in the Fourth Era his body was destroyed by fire, his ashes mixed with salt and buried under the Mountains of Kor. Balor, Moagim and all those before them wore the Mantle of The Leveler."

Maeldun

"Maeldun's only words on returning exhausted to Tyr from a long campaign in the East to find half the city burning after a raid by pirates from Leix were 'Show me the way to Leix.'"

One of the Nine.

One of the Nine. He was severely wounded in battle at Bagrada near the end of the Great War.

Murgen

"Two of the Nine are with us, Cu Roi and Murgen, trying to make contact with the forest giants who live in this place, to beg their help against the Dark."

"Murgen believes us to be trapped inside the Tain, a relic forged by the Smiths of Muirthemne during the Wind Age."

"Two of The Nine were killed, which makes them something like The Three now, if you also subtract Murgen and Cu Roi, who did not escape the destruction of the Tain, and the others who have died this year."

One of the Nine.

One of the Nine. He was trapped in the Tain along with Cu Roi and the Legion. He did not survive the destruction of the Tain.

"One of the Nine. A powerful sorcerer who opposed Balor during the Great War. He was trapped in the Tain along with Murgen and the Legion, and died when the Tain was destroyed during their escape."

Mauriac

"Mauriac was prince regent [of Covenant] during King Alric's adolescence..."

"Mauriac, ancient and honored, still speaks of his time with the Legion and their victory over Balor. Many of the great military minds of our day sharpened their skills under his command."

It was a moonlit autumn night at the Battle of Grimace Point that Mauriac of Madrigal saw his fellow perish, fallen by Fang-Grinder. His warrior's vows forgotten, he fled in terror, such was his guilt and shame!

[ . . . ]

As for Mauriac, lost and alone, he wandered the hill country for a time, an aimless rogue warrior, unable to come to terms with his disgraced honor.

[ . . . ]

... many times before [Fang-Grinder] had been wounded unto the brink of death, but he had been re-stored, his power and malice exalted! But this such time was not to be, for between him and his masters now stood Mauriac of Madrigal!

[ . . . ]

Thus did Mauriac of Madrigal regain his lost honor and for this deed his fame spread far and wide.

Mazzarin

Of all the avatara in the Four Ages there is no doubt that Mazzarin was the most powerful and his death the most salient victory of the Dark during the Wind Age.

" ... the seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."

"Ah, Sinis! I thought you died when Mazzarin collapsed the Shrine of Nyx upon you."

Moagim

A previous incarnation of The Leveler. Once was Tireces. Lead the Myrkridia. Was eventually defeated by Connacht.

Passages From The Game:

"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."

Myrdred

Nine Skull Crocodile

"I have become fast friends with Nine Skull Crocodile, the man who has healed the many wounds I received during the assault on Tharsis. He is ancient, even by Heron standards, and speaking with him has given me some insight into what has happened to our world."

Nyx

At the damn of time Nyx molded us out of stone and clay.

[ . . . ]

Every edifice... every shrine... every monument we erected we did so for the love of Nyx.

Oderic

"In battle his bow sang like a lyre... by the time his first arrow was tearing through the heart of his enemy he had already loosed two more. Many a ghol has sworn a blood oath on his name."

og'Un

"When asked of his advice on how many men should be trained in the use of the bow og'Un remarked, 'One in twenty from each town. Go there, these men will make themselves known.'"

Oleg

"We were glad to see Oleg when he finally returned to the grove, but when we saw that his pack was empty we all covered our ears... sizzling bits of Thrall came raining down for what felt like hours."

Pelleas

"... and then Pelleas arose and asked of the Council of Lords, 'And if the Darkness strives further north, then what shall become of the peasantry?' And the Council answered, 'They shall die, just as we.'"

Phelot

"...those that Phelot deemed unsuitable for use as thrall... were given to the ghols, who hacked their limbs and chewed their flesh... this is how he dealt with the people of Avon's Grove."

"I have yet to mention our jailor. It is the devil Phelot, the shade who decimated Avon's Grove during the Great War. It is a wonder he has not yet sought vengeance upon us, as he was sorely injured by The Deceiver upon our arrival."

Rabican

"Shiver fell on the first night in a spectacular dream duel with Rabican, one of the Nine."

"They say that The Head had an old score to settle with Shiver, and told Rabican that her one weakness was vanity, and showed him how to exploit it."

One of The Nine.

One of the Nine. During the War of the Fallen, Rabican faced Shiver in the battle for Madrigal, casting her down in a terrifying dream duel using secrets revealed to him by The Head.

Rabican had heard tales of Shiver's powerfull sorcery and how quickly she had defeated those whom he considered his peers.

Ravanna

Reiftyr

"Still this accursed storm rages, killing as surely as a Thrall's ax or a Myrkridia's claws. Reiftyr's death brings our losses from the storm to three."

Rurik

"...well respected by his peers and admired by the townsfolk... he is the head of the town council... many think he will be the next mayor of Willow Creek."

"As we hurried back to Willow Creek, Rurik, one of the village leaders, demanded to be taken to see the mayor of Tallow. When questioned, he offered us little, save that he had important information about the recent grave robberies. Rurik is well respected by the townspeople, so Cruniac chose not to press him further for information."

Sciron

"... and it was said of Sciron that his hatred for the living was so intense, his shadow would go out and kill while he slept and not return until next he awoke."

Seanchaidh

"...he had sacrificed much in pursuit of the Ultimate Truth... a permanent chair at the University of Covenant... a seat in the King's court... and, there was no denying it, his soul."

Shiver

"Shiver fell on the first night in a spectacular dream duel with Rabican, one of the Nine."

"They say that The Head had an old score to settle with Shiver, and told Rabican that her one weakness was vanity, and showed him how to exploit it."

One of the Fallen Lords.

"...her spirit disconnected from her body, set adrift on the ether... gathered up by Soulblighter and... made corporeal with the terrible power of Tramist's Mirror."

"Andir remembered stories of the Fallen Lord Shiver killing any tree she brushed as she and her army marched toward Madrigal.

Rabican had heard tales of Shiver's powerfull sorcery and how quickly she had defeated those whom he considered his peers.

struggled to thought

Moagim

vanity

VANITY

whisper weakness

Peel the body...

...then pierce the soul.

Victory?

Rabican stood to fight another day...

...Shiver lingered in defeat.

Sinis

"Ah, Sinis! I thought you died when Mazzarin collapsed the Shrine of Nyx upon you."

Soulblighter

"... some believe that he is Damas, one of Connacht's lieutenants who, while campaigning in the east, learned how to indefinitely prolong his life with human sacrifices and ritual self-mutilation."

"... but he has disappeared into the 'Untamed Lands' before, often for years at a time; always returning with something more unspeakably evil or singularly malignant than the time before."

One of the Fallen Lords.

"...failing to recover the head of Balor at the Great Devoid, Soulblighter fled to the east into the Untamed Lands... back to the hidden temple where he first studied the black arts..."

"...it is arguable that Soulblighter was Balor's most brutal General... frequently killing those who begged him for mercy... he is the reason that Stöng no longer appears on any map..."

"According to legend, Soulblighter was killed in the last battle of that war, when Balor's severed head was thrown into the Great Devoid and the armies of the dead collapsed."

"Did Soulblighter plan to wash both the Legion and Shiver out to sea? Truly there is no end to the fiend's malfeasance."

"Soulblighter, like Balor before him, seeks not to conquer but to destroy; to be master of the unthinking dead and their blasted lands."

"And Soulblighter - the towering, mad thing who cut off his own face and tore out his own heart as part of a ritual too dark to speak of?

None of it seemed especially believable, although the adults still spoke of Soulblighter in hushed tones; according to the stories, no one had ever discovered what became of him."

"Their leadership broken, most of the Fallen Lords were soon hunted down and destroyed by Alric's armies. With Balor's destruction, Soulblighter found himself defeated, but alive and free from Balor's service. He escaped into the wilderness, to bide his time and look for an opportunity to return to his former power, to achieve the ambition that was denied his master."

As Soulblighter's corrupting influence spread, many weak and unsavory soldiers were swayed to his banner with false promises.

Balor's second in command during the Great War. Arguably the most dangerous of the Fallen Lords, his cruelty and ambition knew no bounds. Many think that he was once Damas, one of Connacht's lieutenants.

Source of the Five Hundred Poisons

Snorro

"Vnarin, son of Snorro, best explained the character of the men of the elite mortar brigade when he said, 'It takes a certain kind of maniac to carry fire in his fist and death on his back.'"

Summoner, The

"Against my better judgment, I opened the Codex last night to a random page and read about the life of a man not yet born, who would resurrect the Myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth."

"I opened the Codex... and read about the life of a man not yet born, who would resurrect the myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth."

"The Summoner has been inside the shattered artifact for five months now, slowly resurrecting their entire race."

Legends tell of "a man not yet born who would resurrect the myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth."

Ten Soaring White Eagle

"...he hadn't slept in two days, but still he fought... his joints ached and his hands bled, but still he fought... on the dawn of the third day the Kithless fled from the pass in retreat."

Tireces

"Although the hero of every age of light is different, every dark age is ushered in by the same beast - a transient divinity that seeks only conflict - The Leveler. And so Tireces returned as Moagim to end the Age of Reason - and Connacht, the great hero of the Wind Age, returned as Balor to lay waste to the greatest empire the world had ever known."

Trahern with Fists like Iron

"Trahern dealt a terrible blow to Fulsom, taking his left arm and piling three score dead at his feet before the bandit gang finally broke into full route never to be heard from again..."

Truan of the Hundred Battles

"When Alric sent word that a man was needed to pierce the corpse-city of Muirthemne to its dead heart, and obtain from it what might be the only hope for victory, Truan volunteered without hesitation."

Turgeis with Burning Steel

"... but Turgeis' attacks were so swift, and his blade bit so deeply, that his foe barely had time to recover from the first blow before he was slain by the last."

"Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull says he was last here sixty years ago, fighting alongside the likes of Durak and Turgeis with Burning Steel. They caught The Deceiver and the remnants of his army in this very defile and here destroyed them."

Turquine

"...Turquine so mistreated his subjects that even his personal guard abandoned him... he agreed to endure the indescribable tortures of the Fallen that he might have his revenge."

Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull

"The King has sent word to Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull, a Journeyman who served under him during his campaigns east of the Cloudspine, in hopes that he has some knowledge of what became of The Deceiver after Balor's destruction."

"Twelve Motion Jeweled Skull says he was last here sixty years ago, fighting alongside the likes of Durak and Turgeis with Burning Steel. They caught The Deceiver and the remnants of his army in this very defile and here destroyed them."

Twice Born

Tyrfing

"Tyrfing just came running into camp bellowing that our scout's signal fire has gone out. That means trouble."

Uni

"...then Cruniac called for the Dwarves... foremost amongst them was Jari, son of Balin and Uni, daughter of the Archon of Stoneheim; strong and wise... unsurpassed in bravery or daring..."

Vnarin

"Vnarin, son of Snorro, best explained the character of the men of the elite mortar brigade when he said, 'It takes a certain kind of maniac to carry fire in his fist and death on his back.'"

Watcher, The

" ... the seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."

Imprisoned by Connacht during the Wind Age, The Watcher only escaped by tearing off his left arm at the elbow, like a wolf chewing through his leg to escape a snare.

"The old stories all tell that when Balor freed The Watcher from his prison under the Cloudspine, one arm was left trapped in his prison of solid rock."

One of the Fallen.

"...The Watcher had been the second or third most powerful sorcerer in living memory... these two had it out after the battle for Tyr... The Watcher barely survived."

Wyrd

"... we were standing knee deep in a lake made up of the corpses of spiders the size of very large dogs when 12 Moon remarked, 'Wyrd preserve us, these are all males!'"

"...the fetch wear the skins of men out of necessity, for if the eye of Wyrd were to fall on them not so adorned He would recognize their alienness and smite them..."