In Dawn of Fantasy’s rich MMO universe, three races are dominant; the race of Men, the Orcs and the Elves. However, this is no simplistic copy of classical fantasy; all of these races have spread around the world for generations and the tribes have adapted to their locales. Additionally, these aren’t the only peoples in the world of Mythador…
Though the Elves originated in the woodlands of Bolfores’l, their culture has never been unified, forming separate communities of Wood Elves and High Elves. The former are skilled in nature lore and earth magic, the latter in alchemy, city-building and warfare. They live together in the capital city of Illas Tiltos at the heart of Bolfores’l, high in the trees of their woodland cities, and also have settled their own havens; the Wood Elves in the swamps of Erthee L’Bala, and the High Elves in the mountain strongholds of the Taltos.
The Elven military has always focused on defense. They have the world’s strongest, stealthiest archers, enchanted ballistae, and the backing of the mighty Treants in sieges, capable of crushing gates and lifting friendly units over walls. With such defenses, why would they go to war? It is whispered that their kingdom is divided with their king kidnapped, the land sickening, and Wood and High Elves at each other’s throats… and on the borders, the Orcs wait.
These Orcs are not a single race, but a nomadic tribe of allied monstrosities. Goblins, Wargs, and Ogres are all in their service, and their focus is most certainly not on defense. With their primitive civilization, they rely more on what they can take than what they can create or grow, and their realm of Gokkholm is similarly barren and brutal. The Orc king too, was kidnapped; but he was betrayed to the humans and, on the verge of his return, murdered; since his death, the leadership of the land has been in turmoil.
In the hot south, Brakental, a city built by exiles, is manned by desert Orcs who eschew ranged weaponry, relying on their indomitable melee forces. Meanwhile, the Swamp Orcs believe themselves to have been the first Orcs, created from the lightning striking the earth in the fertile marshes of Flattan Rol, and are huge in number, defending the great fortress of Makkada. Finally, the thinly-scattered Orcs of Thikken Dal settled in the distant western forests and learned to specialize in archery and sieges.
The diverse Men of the world are more recent arrivals from the West, settling on the coast several centuries ago and rapidly spreading inland. Their capital region, Southmont, has two major cities nestled amongst the mountains, and is rich, fertile and strongly defended. The meadows of the eponymous Rollingplain are emptier than Southmont after Orc incursions, but are rightly famed for their cavalry. The once-rebellious region of the Wold and the city of Menthorn lie amidst coastal forests, known for its archers, halberdiers and siege weaponry.
The Wold is at the heart of the humans’ troubles; when the human king too died and the three races plunged into the War Without Kings, the traitors of Menthorn rose up against the state. Though this mutiny was put down, growing peasant unrest implies they are at work again, even as the rogue wizard suspected of the king’s murder reappears, and the neighboring Elves’ internal struggles spill out into the world.
Of course, this being High Fantasy, these are not the only races in the world: in the gold-riddled mountains of the North, the squat dwarves bide their time, while elsewhere in the world the Dragons reign. Both of these peoples will send troops to aid one of the races in battle – for a steep price.
Release Date
Releasing exclusively for PC, Dawn of Fantasy will be published by 505 Games on June 17, 2011.
