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WAR - Newsletter Zone Overview: Ellyrion
Following on yesterday's information from the WAR December Newsletter, today we present this Zone Overview focusing on the Elven land of Ellyrion.
The vast, rolling plains and mild climate of Ellyrion make this inner kingdom the perfect breeding ground for the finest Elven steeds in all of Ulthuan. Great herds of these amazingly swift and graceful creatures roam the grasslands throughout the year, and are prized among the noble lords of the Phoenix King’s court for their magnificent quality and majestic beauty.
The High Elves who dwell in Ellyrion are peerless horsemen who have fought to defend their fair isle against the spiteful Dark Elves since the time of Caledor the First. Mounted on steeds as swift as the wind, these light horsemen patrol the vast golden plains of their home, ready to strike should the treacherous armies of Malekith return.
The most accomplished warriors of this vast steppe land are called Reavers, and they ride to all corners of Ulthuan to serve as messengers, scouts and deadly ambushers. The Ellyrian Reavers are a swift and lethal fighting force, and the Witch King does not intend to let them run amok, disrupting his carefully-laid battle plans. He intends to strike hard at Ellyrion, and in fact he must if his scheme to capture the Phoenix Throne can succeed.
Ancient menhir stones stand tall among the waving grasses of Ellyrion, as they do in many other parts of Ulthuan. The steely gaze of Lord Uthorin is firmly fixed on these powerful constructs that anchor the Vortex, for they are the lynchpin in the Dark Elves’ plot to destroy the magical balance of Ulthuan and deprive the High Elves of the greatest advantage.
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The menhirs are not the Dark Elves’ only objective in Ellyrion. The black-hearted invaders have surrounded the province’s capital city, Tor Elyr, cutting off its occupants from reinforcement and supply. Using batteries of Reaper bolt throwers, fearsome beasts of war and powerful Dark Magic, the black legions of Malekith have launched an all-out siege against the pristine marble walls of Tor Elyr. If this bastion of High Elf strength falls, the protectors of Ulthuan will lose their most valuable stronghold in the region.
Though the invaders have had some success in their initial forays into Ellyrion, plots and intrigues hamper their advance. The rivalry between the powerful noble houses of Lord Uthorin and Lady Arkaneth has drawn much of the attention away from the battle against the High Elves, and both leaders know that their conflict must end soon. Of course, the resolution will not be a peaceful one, and what was once a rivalry has now erupted into a full-fledged war between the two houses.
Lord Uthorin’s schemes have been aided by the timely arrival of the savage greenskins. Never ones to miss out on a chance at war and plunder, the Orcs and Goblins have come to ravage the lands of Ellyrion and leave nothing but desolation in their wake. This new menace will keep the High Elves busy while the leaders of House Uthorin prepare to deal their hated rivals a final, fatal blow.
Now that the Malekith’s armies have reached the Inner Kingdoms, the battle for Ulthuan has taken a dangerous turn for the High Elves. Lands long held safe from the reach of any enemy are within striking distance of the dread host of Naggaroth, and the cruel legions of the Witch King will delight in desecrating all that is sacred to their hated kin.
Now more than ever the courage and skill of the Ellyrian Reavers is needed to help stem the black tide that is racing across the mythic homeland of the Elves.
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You know, it was hard enough deciding what to play in DAoC with only 3 major realms to choose from. Every new piece of information makes me want to try that realm out and with 6 major realms, that's going to slow down my progression time table, lol.
Still, it's a very nice backstory, since I've never really followed the actual tabletop game, I don't know if it's WarHammer or Mythic EA's creation. At any rate, it's still a nice piece.
Screen shots looked very WOW like to me.
This is true to the tabletop setting, as far as I can tell -- though it's a long time now since I played.
It's nice to see lots of detail being put in, either way.
Sigh.. I want WAR to be soo frikkin good, and look soo frikkin good.. But every time I see the screenshots, it just looks like they took DAOC Catacombs graphics and tailored them to War.
Well ..maybe they did, maybe they have the same comp graphic artists that created DAOC? Not impossible to imagine. :) Hence some familiar looking things in Warhammer....OR perhaps thats the way they want it to look. Personally I have to say there is a little "Wowism" there ..graphically.
Does this worry me ..no. Its still pleasing to the eye, and perhaps your computer won't have to accomodate all those "polygons" etc.......and it will be a playable game...as opposed to what happened with Vanguard? :)
Perhaps they are making it so anyone and everyone can play Warhammer........hmm what an innovative idea ..wonder WHO else came up with that originally...wouldn't have been Blizzard by any chance now would it? lol
As to the subject of this thread, I am glad...VERY glad that EAMythic is allowing us non-beta testers some glimpses of the lore....just want to say thank you...items like these keep me hanging on wishing for more. :)
Cend
The vast, rolling plains and mild climate of Ellyrion make this inner kingdom the perfect breeding ground for the finest Elven steeds in all of Ulthuan. Great herds of these amazingly swift and graceful creatures roam the grasslands throughout the year, and are prized among the noble lords of the Phoenix King’s court for their magnificent quality and majestic beauty.
- END partial quote
Okay....hmmm this gives me some ideas.............
Will we as players be able to go out and capture one of these horses for our very own...that would be cool, don't think I have ever seen something like that in any other game. hehe
If we are not of the "noble class" ..can we be caught for poaching horses? ^^ .....
Just a couple ideas off the top of my head, don't know how fluid the game mechanics are and what they can accomodate, being as I have never tested Warhammer. Heh this will be the first time in a long time that I wasn't in on the testing of a prominent game.
But thats okay too, it will be all new and fresh for me on release, and I won't have to listen to the whines and temper tantrums that seem to go along with closed beta etc. lol
Cend
I agree about the graphics and system resources, and I think that's always a difficult balance. Though I'd personally prefer a far more gritty, realistic look than the somewhat cartoony WoW-esque style, particularly given this setting.
Gameplay (and lore like this) will more likely be the deciding factor in any case.
Well not to reveal my source due to strictness of NDA policy but..it has been hinted at that..Warhammer is more "dark" than Wow, and plus the fact that Warhammer table top and other related playing media, have been around for a couple decades prior to Wow ever being a twinkle in some Dev's eye. ..
So ..which came first the chicken or the egg, in this case I would state War was first...and the chicken, and Wow was the egg born of that idea. Therefore Wow is the offspring not the parent :P *wink*
As for the gritty realistic look, we got that in Vanguard......what happened? Most people including folks that had been accepted to beta test in closed...couldn't run the game on their machines. Definitely think its better to err on the side of more playability .. versus more "intense" graphical displays. Not everyone can afford those machines.
Cend
Every time my WAR reaction curve is the same. I hear some facts about WAR, mostly in those suspiciously screenshotless and video-less reports from Paul Barnett, and I am ecstatic. Then I see some screenshots and I feel "meh". Not only the style looks so like WOW, the graphics look SO outdated.
Never played any games about wars before~~~
Maybe I will have a try~~~ Thank you for this pic~~
In the end, more then graphics, I would hope the gameplay is fun (having never played daoc I couldn't guess what rvr feels like).