Heroes of Might & Magic 5 - Faction Feature: The Academy Feature

ACADEMY FACTION

INTRODUCTION

â??All secrets will be understood, and mastered, in time.â?

• Aka: The Wizards, the Mages
• Associated colors:orange (saffron) and gold
• Worship:Wizards do not view the dragons as gods, merely as more powerful beings. With enough study and experimentation, they too will achieve the power of the dragons
• Core philosophy:â?No Gods, no Masters. Knowledge is Power, Power is Freedomâ?. The universe is a puzzle to be solvedâ?¦ and the ends justify the means.
• Country / kingdom:the Silver Cities
• Capital city:Al-Safir, the Sky Dome
• Key symbols: the Silver Star, the Cross of Wisdom
• Description:

  The Academy wizards are proud seekers after knowledge and subjugators of the natural order. The Academy society is dedicated to wisdom and knowledge. The mages spend their lives studying and writing occult research studies.

  A senate of wizards, called The Circle of Nine, rules the Silver Cities, though each of the cities maintains a greater or lesser degree of independence. Citizens who are incapable of magic are essentially second class, with an ability to harness sorcerous power being the key to social and political advancement.

  Magic is taught in academies in the large cities, as hedge wizardry is frowned upon. These academies are formal places (much like Oxford or Cambridge in the real world) where which school youâ??re in means a great deal about what you will learn, how you learn it, and how the rest of your life plays out. Wizards tend to cluster into â??schoolsâ? following the teachings of one great magus or another, and rivalries between schools are fierce.

  The wizards rule a people of servant creatures that have been either summoned or magically animated by them.

  BRIEF HISTORY

  Origins

  0 YSD: The Revelation of the Seventh Dragon Sar-Elam the first wizard reaches the conscience of the Dragon of Order who teaches him on the nature of matter and spirit and shows him the higher path of power. Enlightened by his new understanding, Sar-Elam becomes the Seventh Dragon.

  62 YSD: The Schism of the Seven Schism between the disciples of Sar-Elam, who canâ??t agree on the best way to follow the road laid down by the Seventh Dragon and, hopefully someday surpass him. Sar-Antor founds the Blind Brothers, a congregation of healers, seers and embalmers dedicated to the worship of Asha. Sar-Badon founds the Dragon Knights, a martial order disciplined in both body and mind. The other disciples, led by Sar-Shazzar, the most gifted of them all, lead an exodus of wizards and like-minded humans to found the Seven Cities (the first kingdom of Magic) in the southern deserts.

  330 YSD: 1st Eclipse - War of the Blood Moon A total lunar eclipse provokes a massive rupture of the Demon Prison. The Demon Lords force their way out and raven across Elven lands. Caught by surprise, they are rapidly overwhelmed. Called upon for assistance, the wizards of the Seven Cities send their forces into battle. They experiment with demon blood, which they inoculate into human slaves and criminals. The monstrous Orcs are created as a result. Bolstered by the Orc shock troops, the Alliance defeats the Demons. The Demon Lords are cast down, and the surviving demons banished back to their hellish prison. In the wake of this second demon war, Orcs are re-settled in the Falcon Empire as well as the Seven Cities. They are not granted their freedom, but instead serve as indentured troops.

  467-504 YSD: The Orc Crusades Orcish rebellion in the Seven Cities, which spreads to Haven. Rejecting their masters and the Dragon Gods, the Orcs declare themselves free. In the Falcon Empire, Crusades are declared against the Orcs â?“ attempts to subjugate them and convert them back to dragon worship. The fighting is brutal, and the Orcs are relentlessly driven back. Eventually, the unrepentant survivors flee wherever they can, including the deserts of the south, the steppes of the north-east and the Barrier Islands of the east, A great storm sinks the Haven fleet that was prepared to follow the Orcs to their island refuge. The Falcon Emperor declares this a sign from the Dragons, and formally ends the Orcish Crusades.

  512 YSD: Creation of the Beast-men Beast-men (minotaurs, centaurs, harpiesâ?¦) are created as servants, playthings, and guards in the Seven Cities. Their stated purpose is to replace the Orcs.

  610-660 YSD: Rise of the Necromancers The Necromancer presence grows until they are a powerful political force in the Seven Cities.

  751-770 YSD: Purge of the Necromancers - Civil war in the Seven Citie Jealous of the power acquired by the Necromancers, the Wizards of the Seven Cities initiate a large-scale persecution, ranging from the seizing of their properties, to banishment, to the spectacle of public executions. A long and gruesome civil war ensues. The ancient cities are destroyed and much of the land is rendered uninhabitable.

  The modern ages

  771 YSD: Foundation of the Silver League Survivors of the Seven Cities establish the Silver League (the second kingdom of Magic) in the lands to the south. Necromancers flee east to the haunted valley of Heresh.

  813-822 YSD: War of the Broken Staff The Necromancers attempt to crush the newborn Silver League but the Wizards gain the upper hand and invade Heresh. The Necromancers are utterly defeated and their kingdom shattered.

  ACADEMY CREATURES

  Gremlin (upgrade: Master Gremlin) Description: Gremlins are small creatures that bear demonic blood. Unlike the Orcs, they stayed faithful to their masters. They are very weak, and therefore serve as shooters on the battlefield. They use a magical weapon that throws small bombs on the enemy.

  Stone Gargoyle (upgrade: Obsidian Gargoyle) Description: The Stone Gargoyles are magically animated statues. These statues were crafted in the ancient times to guard secluded temples in the barren regions in the south of Ashan. When the mages discovered these temples they detected primitive protective charms on these statues that allowed them to animate the Gargoyles easily. These creatures are quite fast and extremely resistant. Because they are also immune to lightning, they make for very efficient defensive troops.

  Iron Golem (upgrade: Steel Golem) Description: Golems are mechanical statues that have been magically animated by the mages. Like the gargoyles, they are extremely resistant due to their inorganic constitution. Unfortunately they are also very, very slow. To compensate this, the mages cast protective spells on them making them more resistant to magical attacks. On top of that all golems are not submitted to morale and they are totally immune to some spells due to their mechanical condition.

  Mage (upgrade: Arch Mage) Description: The Mages are the rulers of the academy society. In combat they will not enter the battle unless they are forced to. Most mages are old men. They are very slow and weak, but of course they are very gifted in magic. They will fire pure magical energy blasts that will hurt any creature in the way â?“ including friendly ones. On top of that all mages master several spells.

  Djinn (upgrade: Djinn Sultan) Description: The Djinns are ancient elemental spirits that the mages summon for help on the battlefield, magically binding them to their person. Once a Djinn is bound to another soul, it cannot retreat, and will protect his host until all his vital energy is consumed. Djinns are both gifted in offence and defence, they are the fastest Academy units and usually master basic spells. They are very versatile troops and can be used efficiently in any strategy.

  Rakshasa Rani (upgrade: Rakshasa Raja) Description: Rakshasas are the ancient rulers of the spirit world, once worshipped by an ancient southern civilization that disappeared ages ago. Thirsty for revenge, these creatures have been rediscovered by mage travellers who â?“ after many unsuccessful attempts â?“ managed to summon and control them efficiently. These creatures are extremely powerful and also very versatile. They master the art of melee combat, and the enemy wonâ??t retaliate to their attacks.

  Colossus (upgrade: Titan) Description: The Colossuses are the ultimate creation a mage can dream to achieve. They are created using the same basic method as golems, but at a much larger scale. On top of that their â??soulâ? is far from being basic, as they host the souls of legendary heroes who in this form can return to combat. This unwavering will makes them immune to mind control, assuring the mages of their total indefectible loyalty.

  TVG will have details on other factions shortly. Heroes of Might & Magic 5 will be released on PC in the first quarter of 2006.