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| Thread: The Dungeon faction- long | |
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thehiddeneye
Adventuring Hero
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posted January 22, 2011 05:53 PM |
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The Dungeon faction- updated
“In darkness we lie, until vengeance is ours”
Men had always feared the dark, and for a good reason. For centuries humanity’s unwanted sons- criminals, outcasts, heretics and the mad- were driven or escaped into the Abyss underneath Ashan, thought never to be seen again. Forever forgotten, in order not to blemish the Holy Empire’s image of Angelic perfection. But they were not lost. For in the dark places underneath the earth, in damp tunnels, cathedral-like caverns and labyrinthine catacombs built by long-dead races, they had found ancient and terrible things, hateful and forever hungry. Faceless. And they were offered the choice- embrace the darkness, or be consumed by it. And so, these Banished had formed their own twisted society in the Abyss- built on terror, secrecy and ruthless lust- for power and vengeance on the Light who had forsaken them.
Now, after years of gathering their power the time had finally come. The Empire is weak and beset by its enemies from outside and within.The Wizards of the Silver Cities- guardians of coveted magical secrets and artifacts which might hold the key to godlike power- are also at their weakest hour, torn from within by the rise of the Necromancer cult. Demons are once again pouring out of Sheogh in ever increasing numbers, and Orcish fleets are said to be amassing for war near the distant Pao islands. And the Faceless’ most hated enemy- the Archangel Michael, who nearly destroyed their kind during the Elder Wars and devastated their mighty empire, seems to have returned from the dead, hell-bent on finishing what he started.
For the monstrous armies of the Dungeon, now is the time to execute the plans that were hatched for centuries, sweep out of the Abyss and cover Ashan in eternal, beautiful darkness- and make the hateful Angels and their pathetic human allies into their mindless slaves…
* In a nutshell: A collection of outcasts, mutants and monsters of the Underworld, forged into a single terrible army through the fear and manipulation of their masters.
* Inspiration: The Lord of the Rings (for the theme of a monstrous army), Harry Potter (Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters), Cthulhu Mythos (for the atmosphere of underground horror and dark secrets)
* Associated colours: dark blue, silver and black.
* Symbols: featureless mask, the wyrm, the sightless eye.
* Worship: Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness, and its mysterious servants- the Faceless
* Core philosophy: “Power at all costs”
* Country / kingdom: The Abyss- an endless network of tunnels, caves and ruins running underneath Ashan all the way to Sheogh, serving as the refuge of the Facelss and many other monstrous beings
* Capital city: Ygg-Dagor, the Whispering City
Emblematic Dungeon Hero: The Overlord (Might Hero)
Overlords are the masters of the Dungeon’s armies, vicious warriors who usually serve a powerful Warlock rather than a Faceless lord directly. Many are former Knights of the Empire, who were banished or fled underground after committing acts of dishonor, heresy and senseless cruelty. Others are Minotaurs, former slaves who bought their freedom through combat excellence and cunning, or even Thralls acting on mental orders by the Faceless themselves. Their strongest asset is the sheer terror they inspire amongst enemies and especially their own troops, allowing them to forge the various monstrous beings of the Abyss into a single highly disciplined fighting force. Overlords also know the basics of dark magic, which they view as another useful tool to spread terror and destruction in their enemies’ ranks.
Dungeon Warfare: “Devastate the enemy”
Dungeon troops are composed of monstrous beings- enslaved, created or altered by dark magic, Banished humans and their Faceless masters. Dungeon units are extremely powerful individually, but suffer from low growth rates and a high price. Their healing and support abilities are also quite sub-par. Every unit counts, and so a successful Dungeon hero should calculate his strategy well and utilize his units’ strengths and special abilities to their fullest. Dungeon is especially good in dealing mass damage in their enemies’ ranks- two of their Elite units possess area attacks (Drake Rider and Hydra) and Warlocks have the best magic damage-dealing capabilities in the game.
* Strengths: Powerful troops, High morale, multiple fliers, powerful offensive magic
* Weaknesses: Low growth rates, expensive units, very mana reliant
* Racial abilities: Shadow Magic- allows Warlocks to deal extra magic damage by spending additional spell points.
Tyranny- allows Overlords to increase the morale of their own troops or decrease the morale of their enemies.
Units:
Core
* Thralls, also called Troglodytes by some sages, were once human beings, broken and twisted through dark magic. Years of living underground had made them pale and blind, and they rely on alien senses to perceive the world around them. Their tortured origins had made them into perfect soldiers, highly disciplined and nearly impervious to pain and fear. Sometimes their masters carve magical tattoos into their flesh to endow them with additional powers.
The Forsaken Thrall is the upgraded Thrall.
* Onyx Gargoyles are created by placing a minor Faceless wyrm within an onyx statue, bringing it to life. Utterly silent, these constructs are the bane of spellcasters and often used by Warlocks in their endless fights against one another.
The Shadowstone Gargoyle is the upgraded Onyx Gargoyle.
* The Watchers were created by the Faceless to serve as their guards and soldiers in the war against Elrath’s children. With a powerful and agile body slightly similar to a large feline’s and a gigantic eye surrounded by countless tiny eyes rather than a head, they are some of the most hideous beings to be found in the Abyss. Cunning and cruel, their very sight withers the flesh of their enemies and can even induce various curse-like effects upon them. The presence of a Watcher is also highly valued in a Dungeon army’s ranks as nothing escapes their unblinking stare.
The Beholder is the upgraded Watcher.
Opinions?
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted January 22, 2011 08:22 PM |
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Not bad, not bad at all. Medusa and Minotaur for elite IMO.
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Meherunes
Adventuring Hero
Daedra Summoner
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posted January 22, 2011 09:59 PM |
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Very nice.  Only thing I'd change is the philosophy and exchange the silver color for purple.
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pol
Known Hero
.^.
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posted January 23, 2011 02:54 PM |
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Looks like my favourite town! 
By the colors, when they're saying dark blue and silver - they have me in. And! I also like dark silver. (Like's having hematit, refined to not reflect the light.)
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Borton
Hired Hero
A lemming in my pocket
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posted January 23, 2011 09:07 PM |
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Edited by Borton at 11:20, 24 Jan 2011.
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I love seeing gargoyles back at home. Never liked their trip to tower/death-neutral/academy
____________
The HOMM4 vampire is Dave Gahan!!!
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Raelag84
Famous Hero
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posted January 24, 2011 03:31 AM |
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Ok this faction is an improvment form the Naga faction ideas you presented earlier though I would recomend building off this and giving the faction a little more depth.
Remember just because a people is made up of "outcaste" doesn't mean they can't have a culture beyond just "we are dedicated to revenge"
Here my GF made a faction along similer lines as yours.
http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=32579
For real life insperation I would recomend studying Austrilia for it was also a nation founded by outcaste.
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thehiddeneye
Adventuring Hero
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posted January 25, 2011 08:42 AM |
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Elite Unit: the Drake Rider
Elite
Drakes are winged, fire-breathing reptiles, somehow related to the feared Black Dragons of the deep Abyss. Some say they are their young- others claim they are a seperate, although very similar species. Like Dragons, their scales start with a reddish hue and grow darker as they mature. While being way smaller and weaker than true Dragons, they still are mighty creatures- cunning, greedy and wild. It is considered an important test for would-be Overlords to break and tame the savage spirit of the Drake, although most of them die in the attempt. Those who succeed join the ranks of the Drake Riders- the Dungeon's elite aerial cavalry.
The Dark Knight is the upgraded Drake Rider.
Boss
Black Dragon
There are things dwelling in the dark even the Faceless themselves fear. The terrifying Black Dragons- the sons and daugthers of Malassa herself- are one of those few things. Extremely rare, less than ten are said to exist nowdays. Endlessly greedy and voracious, they trade the secrets they've learnt during their long lives in exchange for more gold and jewelry to add to their hoards- which are said to fill entire miles of caverns. Often, a Black Dragon would rule a portion of the Abyss as a living god, demanding tribute from thousands of terrified followers who serve as its personal army. More rarely, an especially powerful Overlord or Warlock might ally with a Black Dragon in exchange for the riches of entire kingdoms- becoming a Dungeon's most dangerous, although fickle, ally.
In combat it is nearly unstoppable- the Black Dragon is immune to all forms of mortal magic and breathes hideous Shadowfire which burns the very souls of its victims.
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thehiddeneye
Adventuring Hero
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posted January 26, 2011 02:19 AM |
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Black Dragon Abilities
Here are the special abilities for the Dungeon-related Boss- the Black Dragon. I made it very powerful on purpose- it is a Boss, after all, meant to take on entire armies by itself.
Huge Size- The Black Dragon is 4x4.
Spell Immunity- The Black Dragon is immune to all spells cast by heroes or units. However, it is affected normally by spells cast through Relic-level artifacts or other Boss units.
Shadowfire Breath- The Black Dragon breaths a line of Shadowfire hurting up to 3 nearby units, either in a straight line (both vertical or horizonal) or in a L-shape. Aside from dealing heavy initial damage, during the next 3 rounds the affected units suffer
a growing precentage of the initial damage unless the condition is dispelled or healed.
Spells- The Black Dragon can cast a variety of spells, mostly curses and area damage spells.
Devourer of Secrets- The Black Dragon can bite its enemies and devour their memories, regaining mana for every enemy unit killed.
However, it cannot use Devourer of Secrets or Shadowfire Breath (its regular attack) on the same round.
Allies from the Abyss- At the beginning of its turn, the Black Dragon automatically summons a stack of Minotaur Gladiators, a stack of Abyssal Hydras and a stack of Dark Knights.
Wing Block- The Black Dragon has some chance to randomly block made attacks by enemy Core and Elite units.
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thehiddeneye
Adventuring Hero
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posted January 29, 2011 09:00 PM |
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Minotaurs, Hydras and Dominators
Elite Units: Minotaur and Hydra
Minotaur
Minotaurs are a form of Beastmen, created by the Wizards of the Silver Cities to replace the rebellious Orcs in their armies. When the Beastmen followed in the Orcs’ steps and overthrew their masters, the Minotaurs fled underground- and into the domain of the Faceless. Unlike Beastmen who are human-based, Minotaurs are based on Ogres magically fused with the essence of the Bull- giving them hideous strength and durability. In peace-time they hone their combat skill in gladiatorial matches between one another, poor human slaves and other monsters for their masters’ cruel amusement, while during war the select Minotaurs who survived the grueling trials of the arena serve as the elite shock-troops of the Dungeon armies. Their natural strength and courage is complemented by high discipline and combat experience stemming from years spent on the bloody sands of the arena. The highest hope of a Minotaur is to prove its skill in combat enough so it would gain its freedom, and command its own small army of monsters as an Overlord.
The Minotaur Gladiator is the upgraded Minotaur.
Hydra
Hydras are some of the most horrific monstrosities of the Abyss, dwelling in fetid sulphurous swamps and caverns filled with toxic gas. These multi-headed reptiles are said to be distant relatives of Black Dragons and Drakes, although some whisper they are created from Emerald Dragon eggs tainted by Faceless magic. Whatever their origins, Hydras are vicious and ever-hungry beasts, with the appetites of many mouths to feed. Only the Overlords' worst cruelties and Warlocks' powerful magic can tame these foul monsters and then set them loose upon the Dungeon's enemies to defile and devour. To protect them from archers, Hydras often have armor plates painfully grafted to their flesh, which regenerates around them- increasing their natural defenses and making them into living tanks.
The Abyssal Hydra is the upgraded Hydra.
Champion Unit: Dominator
The darkest, deepest places of Ashan, just a step above the fires of Sheogh, are the domain of the Faceless, and from there they rule over all the dark and unwholesome things which call the Abyss home. Their origins are shrouded in myth and rumor- the darkest of which claim they were once the first Warlocks, who sold their souls to the Dragon of Darkness until they were no longer mortals- but creatures of living shadow, wicked and alien. The Faceless once ruled over large parts of Ashan as demigods, playing the mortal races against each other as puppets to understand the the nature of the souls which they no longer had. Their dominion was crushed by the Angels and their allies during the Elder Wars, and the few that survived fled underground- seething with hatred and plotting their revenge in the shadows of the Abyss. Over the centuries they had created or enslaved new armies of monstrous creatures, and tempted mortal Warlocks and Overlords with promises of power and immortality to lead these armies to battle.
In the rare case one of the Faceless actually enters the battlefield they make horrific opponents- while fragile of body, they can crush and enslave the very minds of their enemies and blast with magic those who would not submit.
The Ancient is the upgraded Dominator.
The expansion adds the following units to the Dungeon line-up:
Core: Stalker/Assassin (male Dark Elf)
Elite: Shadow Witch/Black Crone (female Dark Elf)
Champion: Chimera/Abominable Chimera
And that's it, for now... Later I'll post stuff like architecture and more flavor, as well as details on the Dungeon's Magic class- the Warlock...
Opinions please?
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Valen-Teen
Famous Hero
UFOlolOgist
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posted February 07, 2011 12:51 AM |
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I think that UbiHole will make dungeon with 2-3 elves units like in Heroes 5)
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