Dev Update 26: The Ruins of Mortium
Greetings Vampires!
Today, we plunge into the cold, dark depths of the Ruins of Mortium to explore our Vampire history. With the return of the king of kindred, it is perhaps time to remind ourselves of who we are and explore the new revelations of our people’s legend. We’re cracking open ancient tomes and telling old tales, then getting a taste of what is to come with the coming invasion that threatens the return of Dracula.
Before we start, have you seen everything we have coming May 8th? If not, make sure you have a look. We’ve got everything coming in 1.0 in one place, just for you, our beloved night kin.
[h3]Click to Explore V Rising 1.0[/h3]
… and with that settled, let us enjoy a tale of clans, kings, curses, and utter calamity.
[h2]This… Was Ours.[/h2]
Long ago, the realms of humankind stood proud in the light, a great civilization. In the long shadows of the mighty citadels of man, Vampires ruled through well-placed ploys and manipulations. That was an age of diplomacy, with many clans playing their courts against one another in games of blood and clever trickery. Families of Vampires fell in and out of power, trading places as easily as pieces on a chess board.
Then came Dracula. Wielding new magic from a realm beyond, the Shadow Realm, the self-declared Immortal King brought with him an era of domination and tyranny. Dracula was cunning and played his games well, and his malevolence was unmatched. He demanded nothing less than total submission, something that did not sit well with the proud Vampire courts of the day. In the following brutal civil war among Vampire-kind, unwavering loyalty bred servitude. Thus, his own army emerged, a militant cult known as the Legion of Noctum. Many clans attempted to resist his rule.
Dracula, the Immortal King[h2]The Path of the Warlord[/h2]
Dracula was hungry for battle, and though still embroiled in conflict with the many factions of the night, he turned his attention to his next target. Confident in his power and filled with a burning need to inflict his will on those below him, the conquerer would march on anyone who would raise a hand against him. A violent campaign carved a path across Vardoran, Vampire against Vampire, with humans caught in the middle and driven to the brink of extinction.
Resourceful as they are the humans tried everything they could to resist the Vampire onslaught. They developed Vampire hunting techniques, discovered various Vampire anathemas like silver and garlic, and even devised terrible biological experiments to find weapons against the nocturnal armies. Despite these small steps forward, nothing could stand against the might of the Legion of Noctum and Dracula’s powerful shadow magic.
[h2]The Price of Pride[/h2]
In desperation, humankind called out for help and was answered with the powers of the Light. This new power was harnessed by those who gave themselves to this new mysterious force, and so the Church of Luminance was born. This shocking new power allowed mankind to push back against the Vampires, driving into the heart of the invading forces, where they were able to strike down Dracula himself.
A champion for the wretched.The resulting fallout of the once Immortal King’s final act devastated the world, leaving a scar that would last to this very day. One massive crystallized blood monument is believed to be his final resting place. The other is a legacy. It rained seven days and seven nights with cursed blood, massacring many exposed and permanently twisting and changing others.
Dracula’s Demise.These changed creatures, human and beast alike, would unknowingly continue to carry on Dracula’s evil will throughout the centuries, carrying his essence in their bloodlines and enhancing their abilities. This allowed them to pursue their heightened, unlocked potential. These creatures became the “V Bloods'' that inhabit Vardoran today, often achieving positions of great importance due to their abilities and aspirational aims. These corrupted individuals even existed among the Church of Luminance themselves, heralding their strange power as further blessings of the Light.
Meanwhile, Dracula’s defeat, while true, was a ploy of its own. A great strategist always has a contingency plan, and his rain of blood planted the seeds of his inevitable revenge.
[h2]The Ruins of Mortium[/h2]
The world of Vardoran is littered with ancient memories of Vampire kind, forgotten symbols of their former greatness among the ruins of abandoned strongholds all throughout the world. None more so, however, than the cold wasteland to the east.
A forgotten Castle Heart.Dracula’s castle sits empty and decrepit in the depths of his ancestral home: Mortium. Far into the corrupted reaches, his forces flourished and built their civilization in this frozen land protected from the sun by a sky grown overcast around his seat of power. Once a land adorned with towering black spires and monuments to the night king, it has since been forsaken and forgotten following Dracula's defeat and the banishment of vampires into hiding. Now inhospitable to most life, it remains a desolate, barren wasteland, untouched for centuries.
The frozen reaches of the east.Hidden among cold peaks are the old relics of the world’s greatest civilization, fallen into disrepair as they slumbered. From the steps of Dracula’s courtyard, down his great garden, and off into the ruins of the sacrificial sites, battlements, towns, and graveyards that pepper the landscape, the one mighty bastion of Vardoran’s top predators now lay in frosted-over shards of its former majesty.
The frigid hills of Mortium lie in untouched ruins until only recently, where Dracula’s servants have come to life once again. From his throne in the Shadow Realm, Dracula has been biding his time, and now calls for his most dedicated acolytes to rise to a new challenge, the next step of his sinister plan: his return to Vardoran from the dark depths of another world.
[h2]The Legion of Noctum[/h2]
The dead silence of the cold night is broken by the thrum of ancient chanting, the hum of long-forgotten prayers to a distant, horrid place scattering the resting quiet of the Ruins of Mortium. The Legion of Noctum rises more like a scattered cult of fanatical servants than the endless armored armies they once were.
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Over time, the Legion has shifted its focus. Formerly conquerors on the battlefield, they now employ a different approach. The Legion has become practitioners of rituals as well as executioners, gathering blood crystals and sacrificial offerings to open rift portals to the Shadow Realm. Through these portals, they summon terrifying monsters from beyond. Dracula's abominable new soldiers, the Draculin, are brought into our world to aid in collecting blood crystals and V Blood essence. Their goal is to bring Dracula back to the world of the living. Once that is complete, they will be unleashed across the rest of Vardoran to wreak havoc and reclaim the world in the dark dictator’s name.
Bearing magic of shadow and blood.When you awaken, you are one such Vampire that once stood against the tide of Dracula’s forces, awakened by the thrum of his power singing throughout the lands of Vardoran once more. It will be up to you to regain your power and make the so-called King of Vampires pay the price of his hubris in carelessly calling you back into this fight!
It's time to climb to the top of the nocturnal hierarchy, shattering old Vampire legends and crafting your own legacy along the way!
[h2]The Old Legends[/h2]
Awoken from their slumber are key members of Dracula’s surviving generals, the most trusted and capable Vampires from the days of the monarch’s rule. You’ll find these new adversaries within the depths of Noctum, watching the roadways or overseeing the operations within the frozen wastes to make certain their lord’s plan comes to fruition. There’s also a place for one of Dracula’s oldest and most fearsome soldiers.
[h3]General Elena, the Hollow[/h3]
“Elena was once a talented weaver, a wife, a mother, and friend. Now she is none of those things. When Dracula’s forces descended on her village and harvested its people, she hid in the chaos and witnessed the horror first-hand. Discovered by the Immortal King himself, he saw an opportunity to twist a suffering creature to his whim. He shaped her into an ice-cold killing machine, a perfect servant for the Legion of Noctum.”
[h3]General Cassius the Betrayer[/h3]
“Once a highly skilled and respected officer within the ranks of the Church of Luminance, Cassius served as a powerful paladin who led a troupe tasked with hunting down Dracula himself. His mission ended in failure, overpowered by the Immortal King and forced into servitude. With the dark influence of his sentient blade, Nightfall Edge, affecting his mind, Cassius now serves as a loyal general for the Legion of Noctum.”
[h3]General Valencia the Depraved[/h3]
“Valencia was once a human baroness, part of an affluent noble family from before the great war. Always hungry for power, ambitious, and utterly without moral tethers, she saw the rise of Dracula and his legions as an opportunity to surpass her human limitations and become something greater. Impressed with her utter depravity, Dracula granted the baroness’ wish. Valencia now serves as a vicious general of the Legion of Noctum.”
[h3]Lord Styx the Night Champion[/h3]
“A legendary Vampire from the age of Dracula who was reawakened by the call of the Immortal King. Known for his ferocity on the battlefield against the forces of the church and rival Vampire alike, he has more than earned his place as the Night Champion of the Legion of Noctum. His presence at the heart of Dracula's Demise suggests that operations there are of vital importance to Dracula's plans.”
[h2]Wretched Rituals[/h2]
Deep in the wallowing cold of the Ruins of Mortium, the Legion of Noctum is making moves with the resources they’ve stockpiled from their excavations in the heart of Dunley Farmlands. With the use of morbid blood-tainted rituals, they call forth Draculin legions to further their plans, each soldier another hand to assist in getting them to the ultimate goal of bringing their dark lord into being.
And unhindered, they will.By crafting the Eye of Mortium, you will gain insight into the cosmic disturbances as the Legion enacts them, which will allow a clever vampire to capitalize on this otherworldly intrusion to steal rare valuables. Cutting your way through these rituals lets you carve out remnants of the Shadow Realm, Stygian Shards, which will be your reward for unraveling these Rift Incursions.
The Eye of MortiumRift Incursions come in a lesser and greater variety. When you first enter the Ruins of Mortium to go toe-to-toe with General Cassius and General Elena, you’ll be at just around the right power to begin disrupting the lesser rift incursions. The shards you gather from these will allow you to purchase shattered artifacts from local Vampire Traders, as well as tap into them to unlock spell-crafting secrets and gain powerful passive magic effects that enhance your abilities.
Unlock hidden power.Much later on, when you’re nearly at the height of your power, you’ll be ready to take on the higher level of rifts. The Greater Stygian Shards you gain can be used to unlock your final steps of magical mastery, or if you feel like bartering, it can also be used to buy off powerful artifacts from a particularly affluent Vampire Trader. Getting an artifact in this way can be a bit of a gamble… but it may even net you something invaluable, like one of the new specialty legendary weapons with unique effects.
Challenging the Legion of Noctum and riftslaying is the final step on your ascension towards striking into the Shadow Realm itself, where you will finally be able to challenge Dracula himself!
Plunge into the Rift.The Immortal King awaits!
Are you ready, Vampires? May 8th is fast approaching, and the excitement is ramping up. Bloodthirst permeates the air, and hungry vampires are waking up from their slumber, ready for more.
Well, here it comes!
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Lots of love and a pint of blood,
/The Marketing Team
