Dark Envoy News

‘You’re slouching, Arel.’

The captain’s voice startled me. I must have lost track of time, staring at the crackling fire. He sat next to me on a hollow, collapsed tree trunk. My back straightened on instinct.

‘Sorry, sir.’

‘Today it matters not,’ he said with a smirk. ‘But tomorrow I expect perfect execution. Anything less might get you killed.’

I didn’t know how to respond.

‘But I know you will do well. You are a great warrior, wise beyond your age.’

The captain tore off a fragment of the dead tree’s bark. He lifted it to his face, examining it in the soft glow of the campfire.

‘Why are you not resting, Arel?’ he asked, still transfixed on the piece of wood. ‘Your squadmates are already dreaming about tomorrow’s victory.’

‘I try to get into the proper headspace.’ It was a lie, but I would never admit to my captain that I am scared. Scared of the rows of faceless Imperial riflemen. Of their bullets that shred armour like cloth, to which I am not as used to as common arrows.

‘It sounds rather useless, frankly’ he chuckled. ‘But whatever makes you feel ready for what happens tomorrow, young one.’

‘A swift victory, that is.’

The captain threw the bark into the campfire. Dry as it was, it was engulfed immediately, joining the firewood in the pit.

‘Off the back of our joint effort to preserve the League’s world.’

My chest tensed, and I realised that never before had I felt such disorientating numbness. The time has come. We are off to fight.

The man next to me looked composed, relaxed even. Maybe a few years my senior, face crossed with scars and burns. He must have been there before. He must have clashed with the League in the past. He came back for more.

'Be careful with that rifle, keep drummin’ that finger of yours and the ammo might explode,' he said. I jumped in my seat, startling a few battle-ready companions.

'I'm sorry, it's just—'

'Overwhelming?'

'A bit so, yes.'

I could feel my pulse thundering in my ears, but the man didn't seem to be bothered by my display of anxiety.

‘Think about it like this, kiddo. Every elven head you blast off brings us one step closer to winning this war,’ he said. ‘So make sure to aim for their heads, right between those stupid ears.’ His confidence, while not as contagious as he probably thought it was, felt grounding.

‘Alright. I won't forget why I am here.’ I sincerely doubt I’ve sounded competent at all.

‘That’s the spirit, soldier.’

The conflict between the League and the Empire is far more complicated than public opinion sees it. But to help the perception of this animosity, let me picture it like that, my friends, a tad simplified: a group of friends, that will be our representation of League, lives on a farm. They let a stray into the barn, be it from pity or curiosity. You don’t need me to tell you who the stray represents— you follow my allegory, I hope. However, the stray seems to be quite an ingenious one and takes the barn as its own, arms it, and gathers materials to formally challenge the group of friends’ ownership over the whole farm. The stray believes that if it was to dictate the farm’s pace, it would prosper way better. Current owners disagree.



That, my friends, is how the Empire seeks to take the hegemony from the League.
And who are we? We are just the poor cattle, watching the conflict unravel.
– An excerpt from an academic lecture

Gloom havens of the RPG gods! It's time to put our cards on the table - Event Horizon is teaming up with Asmodee Digital to publish Dark Envoy.

The game is scheduled for release in 2022 on PC and consoles. It will be playable in single-player mode or in online co-op for up to 2 players.

We've drawn our ticket to ride to the launch and beyond!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

About Asmodee Digital

Asmodee Digital, a fully owned subsidiary of the Asmodee Group, is an international publisher and distributor of video games. Asmodee Digital manages the creation, design, publishing, and marketing of video games for Asmodee Group and third-party creators on PC (Steam, Epic), consoles (Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox), mobile and VR. Asmodee Digital aims at bringing passionate people together around memorable video gaming experiences. These include best-selling products with a board game DNA such as Gloomhaven, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game or Splendor. Asmodee Digital also publishes exciting indies’ gems such as Ember Knights or Innchanted, with more yet to be announced.

Hi, I’m Dawid Majewski and I'm the one behind the music for Dark Envoy. I first worked with Event Horizon when I created the OST for Tower of Time. And while I am glad about the way the soundtrack turned out, I am convinced that the musical experience in Dark Envoy is more mature and much better in quality – both in terms of composition and production.

I compose and produce over 90 minutes of music for DE, which is mostly a combination of orchestral sounds and electronic music, spiced with original ethnic instruments from around the world, such as: Asian and African bamboo flutes, Indian Sarangi, Mongolian Morin Chuur, Chinese Banhu, Armenian Duduk, medieval Hurdy Gurdy and many more. All these instruments were recorded live in the studio to create an even more realistic experience.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The principle ‘less is more’ is my motto when I make music. My aesthetic is mostly minimalist and I prefer a spacious, ambient approach when it comes to creating musical landscapes. However, I am also not afraid to use punchier, sometimes even disturbing sound to create matching atmosphere for combat scenes. But then the right balance between musical layers and sound design is becoming more and more important for me. I often draw inspiration from the similar approach of Sarah Schachner, Lorne Balfe, Jesper Kyd or Greg Dombowski.

I'm proud of the unique world we've created with the whole team, and I'm really looking forward to the upcoming release.

I hope you'll enjoy the soundtrack.
Till later’ (in your headphones)!

Dawid