Devlog #8: On Triumvirate's Strength and the Alvar Pact
As one of the most beloved factions, the Warlock/Dungeon town was a natural fit for our story. When we first looked at Jadame, we saw the variety of monsters it has to offer that have always been associated with Dungeon, who claimed the continent for themselves and formed their own kingdoms. This gave us an opportunity to create a unique faction that would be as close to its traditional lineup as possible while letting you explore a new story.
If you were to ask us how to describe Dungeon throughout the series in two words, it would be “Power” and “Misfits”. As we return to the world of Enroth, we once again have a chance to define what these powerful warlocks represent. Drawing upon the rich lore of the continent of Jadame (particularly from Might and Magic VIII, where we have first seen it), the Alvar Pact is a yet another take upon the Dungeon faction, representing those often seen as monsters forming an alliance with the red-skinned dark elves, who were condemned in the past for their pragmatic way of life — together they wish to project their strength onto the continent through diplomacy, mercantile power and military treaties, a twist to their previous means of acquiring prestige and renown.
Featured in every installment of Heroes of Might and Magic series since its conception, the powerful Warlocks and mighty Overlords have been a staple among the playable towns. However, each game within the series defined them differently:
- Servants of Lord Alamar and King Archibald from Heroes I & II were individuals that desired power and amassed creatures that shared their vision;
- The Warlords of Nighon from Heroes III believed the strong deserve to crush the weak and ruled from within the depths of their tunnels, hoping to one day claim Antagarich for themselves;
- In Heroes IV the Chaotic Sorcerers and Thieves lived among the swamps of Axeoth and united the miscreants of a new world under their banner, intent on carving out their own realm;
- In the world of Ashan the powerful and brooding Dark Elves allied themselves with dragon goddess Malassa and the Underworld, their story depicted through Heroes V, VI and VII.
[h2]But what does that mean for Olden Era’s gameplay?[/h2]
A unique faction skill: Triumvirate’s Strength: Once per round, the hero can activate one of the three Expert Stances in battle. They grant bonuses to different attributes.
Triumvirate’s Strength will be unique to Dungeon heroes only, as one of their starting skills. When activated in battle, this will provide a bonus to the chosen stat for a whole round, having the ability to swap to another when a new round begins. These bonuses pack a punch in the early game and will give dungeon heroes a lot of tempo in taking on some tough-matched opponents.
This uniqueskill is not the only addition though, as Dungeon units will also have fighting styles that act like an ability during battles. These styles will come at a cost, for instance, damage reduction, but will provide significant effects to their standard attacks.
As an example, troglodytes will have the option to fire a Long Reach attack at 50% damage penalty:
Medusae can turn their ranged attack into an AoE, potentially dealing much more damage to stacked-up units:
Our goal was to combine the Pact's narrative aspect with the faction's gameplay. As Alvar is all about cooperation and working together to avoid a malady, it is reflected in their heroes having access to special stances that temporarily boost their stats to empower their army, whilst their units utilise the unique fighting styles to handle any challenge thrown against them. By combining these two elements, we hope that Dungeon players will always have an ace up their sleeve and a way out of a tricky situation.
We’ve heard your feedback about adding Beholders/Evil Eyes to the lineup. However, the story established in Heroes of Might & Magic III and in Might & Magic VI and VII reveals that they were created by the Warlock Agar who hasn’t been born yet during the time of our events. As we are dedicated to staying true to lore and to the roots of our factions, we came up with a unit that fills the same role of a ranged unit with no melee penalties as the Eyes did in Heroes of Might & Magic III.
It took us a little bit longer to reveal them, as they were not present in our first Dungeon faction reveal (it takes a long time to renovate the Theatre of Glaives!) — but you may have seen them recently in our Recap video. However we would like to showcase them once more; as the Infiltrators embody dark elven penchant for subterfuge and political intrigue, the Dancers combine their grace and love for the arts with combat expertise.
However, that’s not all. Even though our friend Kelarr is still missing, we found this message between him and one of his friends about Dungeon. Let’s have a look, shall we?
Tormald,
It is my hope that this note, attached to one of my next letters, will answer your questions about the subterranean Alvar Pact. We may discuss it in more detail once you pay me a visit, friend, but until then this should satisfy your curiosity.
The name of the Pact draws its origins from the surface city where it was signed. This old town began as a haven for misfits shunned by their brethren for choosing to follow paths of enlightenment, ability and magic deemed dark by the First Elves they hailed from — relying on pragmatism, sedentary lifestyle and mercantilism over traditionalism, mysticism and more temporary nature of their ancestors’ settlements. Slowly but steadily, these renegades turned their home into one of the most important places of political power and cultural significance in Jadame. The Dark Elves built Alvar centuries ago and to this day comprise the vast majority of its populace. The city can be called the heart of a mighty empire, although not one built by warfare or defined by borders. The dark elvenkind, while quite adept in the ways of both might and magic, excel in the arts of commerce and diplomacy, which provide them much influence across the continent. Alvarian Merchant Guild has dealings with many different peoples and communities from nearly all corners of Jadame, trading in both material goods and knowledge.
More recently, this overland trade empire slithered its way below. One particular dark elf was instrumental in this. Caspair Silvertongue belongs to the ranks of Patriarchs, elite dark elf warrior mages, and has become one of the leaders of the Pact. Skilled in covert operations — be it obtaining information or eliminating opposition — he has earned the title of Spymaster of the Merchant Guild. At home in the shadows, the Patriarch spent much time studying those who dwell inside the mountains and below the plains of Jadame. Him and other like-minded dark elves found that they could benefit greatly by allying themselves with these creatures.
Thus, about a score of years ago, a historic pact was sealed between the dark elves of Alvar, the Stygianscale dragons from the Garrote Gorge’s mountainous caves, and us, minotaurs of the Ravage Roaming herd. The alliance, named the Alvar Pact after the city where it was formally established — and sometimes Triumvirate of Alvar — is dedicated to facilitating economic, cultural and military exchange between these three peoples. While not exactly a nation, the various settlements and fiefdoms — both on the surface and below — that find themselves under this alliance’s protectorate are sometimes referred to as Alvarian to signify their allegiance to the Pact.
The aforementioned Caspair Silvertongue represents dark elves and the Merchant Guild in the Triumvirate of Alvar. While not the head of the guild, the Spymaster’s station in the dark elf society is arguably no lower than that of the high guildmaster. Among other things, the might of Caspair’s subterranean allies has helped protect the guild’s operations and defend dark elven towns and villages from the likes of barbarians or Regnan pirates on many occasions.
The frighteningly majestic Amelchia rules over several flights of dragons, collectively known as Stygianscales. The Dragonqueen hails from Garrote Gorge, though a few of her subjects live in other parts of Jadame as well. The might of her warriors and experience of her great wyrms is an enormous boon to the Pact. While dragons are deservedly feared by many Jadameans, those aligned with Alvar are secure from being devoured by Stygianscales or any dragons closely allied with Amelchia.
Last but not least, the one who represents our brethren in the Alvar leadership — Balthazar the Second has worked hard to live up to the name of his father, the founder of our fair labyrinthine city. He had only recently inherited the title of Herdmaster when the Pact was sealed, and the years that followed were all but uneventful for him as a ruler. Under his guidance, Balthazar Lair continues to thrive and, in some ways, has become an even stronger bastion of civilization in Ravage Roaming. I look forward to personally giving you the tour of the Lair when you finally have the chance to visit Jadame as the mazefolk always welcome foreign minotaurs.
Dealings with subterranean races have led the dark elves to start making extensive use of caves below Alvar and other settlements. Military forces are housed within the underground districts of Alvarian towns. Overlords of the Pact can swiftly and stealthily reinforce the surface fiefdoms of Triumvirate from within our elaborate Dungeons.
Now the Alvar Pact and the Merchant Guild have managed to do what may have saved Jadame from the growing threat that I alluded to in my previous letters. Just about a month ago, the Winter Armistice, proposed by the Triumvirate, was signed. This agreement stopped hostilities between several of the continent’s major powers, and thus paved the way to finding a solution to the current crisis.
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