Yearly Archives: 2012

WoW Wednesday: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

World of Warcraft: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

By Meredith Watson (MerryQuiteContrary), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

To date there are three expansions for the World of Warcraft series and one in beta. While they each offered many different features not all expansions were created equally. Each expansion offered features that worked and were well received while others were met with criticism and yet there were some features that were just downright ugly.

 

 

World of Warcraft

The original game was released in the US on November 16, 2004 and in EU on Dec 6, 2004. It is known by its players as classic WoW, vanilla WoW or sometimes old school WoW. Parents will often tell their children stories of when they were young and had to walk seven miles to school in the snow, with no shoes, uphill both ways. That is rather like the classic WoW player. On any server across the game you can find the vanilla player regaling other players with tales of yesteryear and that is because WoW was a considerably different game then than it is now. Some would even say classic WoW was more difficult to play.

 

 

The subject most vanilla players will often broach is raiding. Raiding was no easy task. Raiding required 40 players plus stand bys as someone would invariably not attend that night’s scheduled raid. Prior to the raid a lot of farming for materials had to be done, in preparation, for items like potions. There wasn’t the overload of information on boss tactics that there is now. Often times it was just trial and error but the sense of accomplishment was great when the raid succeeded.  However, the downside to raiding or even quest rewards or dungeon loot was the itemization of gear and weapons. Pointless stats were commonplace.

 

 

Patch 1.4 brought in the honour system which was a system based on honour contribution gained and ranking. The honour system rewarded the player with PvP titles and gear specific to the player’s rank. Patch 1.5 introduced Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch. Previous to these being in the game world PvP was the order of the day with impromptu battles breaking out in Crossroads and Tarren Mill most often. Patch 1.7 gave the players Arathi Basin.

 

 

The game was in its infancy and therefore prone to bugs and serious latency issues. The world server was often down and emergency maintenance was par for the course thereby making questing, instancing or raiding quite difficult.

 

 

Vanilla WoW was time consuming. Everything the player wanted to do in game took time and commitment. As an example, prior to 1.3 and the meeting stones being introduced each player had to find their way to the instance or if they were lucky there would be a warlock in the party who could summon. Since mounts weren’t available until level 40 most of vanilla WoW was spent on foot.

 

 

Was it harder? While that question is the topic of many a forum post the answer is subjective. There will be a vanilla player somewhere in game that will happily give you his or her answer to the question.

 

 

The Good – Raiding was epic and there was a real sense of achievement. World PvP.  Battlegrounds.

 

The Bad – Bugs, exploits, latency issues, and downtime. Itemization of gear and weapons.

 

The Ugly – Gold farmers. Everywhere. Ninja looting.

 

 

The Burning Crusade

The Burning Crusade (commonly known as TBC) was released on January 16, 2007 and introduced two new playable races: the Draenei and the Blood Elves as well as the new planet Outland and its self-proclaimed leader Illidan Stormrage. Previous to TBC, shaman were a Horde only class while paladins were exclusive to Alliance. TBC saw Draenei shaman and Blood Elf paladins. Many features were added with TBC including a level cap of 70, jewel-crafting as the new profession, many dungeons, seven new zones, and the neutral city of Shattrath. For a lot of players though the main feature was flying. Flying mounts became available at 70 and allowed the player to explore Outland in all its glory.

 

 

Prior to patch 2.0.1, the player, in order to find a group for a dungeon, would have to rely on his guild mates or use one of the public chat channels to advertise they were looking for a group. With 2.0.1 came the Looking for Group Interface Tool. The LFG tool allowed the player to select from a drop down menu of specific dungeons or quests. This tool would later become the Dungeon Finder.

 

 

TBC was the expansion that gave the players arenas and a revamped honour system. Gone were the vanilla PvP titles. Though the player could still display their highest rank achieved. Blizzard tried to recreate the world PvP that was prevalent in vanilla, before battlegrounds, with TBC by including world PvP events in Outlands. While many participated in these events, the overall vibe of vanilla world PvP was not achieved.

 

 

Raiding was still more or less for the hardcore in TBC but it was now more accessible to the moderate raider. The raid sizes were reduced to 25 and 10 which led to some grumbling from certain quarters but by and large was a welcomed change. More outside information was being used now in planning boss fights which were becoming more complex. Raids really had to work as a team in TBC as they did in vanilla but it wasn’t uncommon for some members of a 40 man raid to be on auto follow and afk.

 

 

Finally, near the end of TBC, with patch 2.3 guild banks were added to the delight of everyone.

 

 

The Good – LFG tool, guild banks, flying. Smaller raid sizes.

 

The Bad – So-so world PvP.

 

The Ugly – Blood Elves.  Patch 3.0.2. (technically WotLK content patch but it was released a month prior to WotLK)

 

 

Wrath of the Lich King

Wrath of the Lich King (or as this writer likes to think of it – Wrath of the L33t Kids) was released on November 13, 2008 . WotLK introduced the new continent Northrend, raised the level cap to 80, the hero Death Knight class was added, as well as more dungeons, zones, and the neutral city of Dalaran.

 

 

In addition to the above listed features, WotLK added the first PvP zone, Wintersgrasp. Wintersgrasp is a siege warfare based PvP zone in Northrend. The player must be level 75+ to join the queue for the battle which happens every couple hours. In addition to the siege warfare there is a dungeon, Vault of Archavon, which is only active for the faction that is currently in control of the zone.

 

 

WotLK is a prime example of Blizzard listening to its player base. One of the complaints from the players in vanilla and TBC was that the casual player was at a disadvantage for raiding because they didn’t have the time to commit to raids yet still they wanted the goodies that raiders had.

 

 

With Blizzard trying to make raiding accessible for everyone, raiding reached an all time low with the introduction of the casual raider. Everyone was now able to get pre-raid dungeon gear whether they had intentions of raiding or not. Raiding became PUG-able. No longer did it require the teamwork and dedication of the hardcore raider or moderate raider. Anyone could do it and everyone did. Dalaran would end up being a sea of players clad in Tier 9 to Tier 10 gear all looking identical. The only difference being a slight colour change in the gear denoting how the player obtained it.

 

 

WoW has always had an elitist group amongst its players but with the advent of the add-on Gear Score in WotLK, elitism was taken to a whole different level. Gear Score essentially calculates the level of the player’s gear; however, some viewed it as a measurement of a player’s skill causing controversy in WotLK. Remember high school? Apply that mentality to the WoW community during WotLK and it about sums up the Gear Score debacle.

 

 

The Good – Wintersgrasp. Graphical improvements. The new look of undead quest hubs.

 

The Bad – PUGs. PUG raiding. Elitism. Gimmicky quests.

 

The Ugly – Gear Score. Achievements.

 

 

Cataclysm

The most maligned expansion thus far, Cataclysm was released on October 12, 2010. Blizzard did something innovative here by destroying their old world and changing the way the game is played.  Innovative,yes, but not to everyone’s liking. With Cataclysm came two new player races the Worgen and the Goblins as well as a level cap of 85, five new zones, and flying in Azeroth to name a few features. For all of Blizzard’s intention of breaking Azeroth and giving the player’s something new, many players are finding it dull, too hard or just more of the same.

 

 

Blizzard has seemingly perfected phasing in Cataclysm and while questing is linear it is still quite enjoyable with notable quest lines such as those leading up to Cities in Dust. The problem, however, is in how fast the player levels. Cataclysm feels like the player is being hurled towards end game.

 

 

Raiding, like regular dungeons, in Cataclysm is leaning towards the quickest route possible with the casual raider complaining they may have to put in a bit of effort. The casual raider was created and then spoiled in WotLK. With Cataclysm, Blizzard wanted to use more elements of TBC than WotLK much to the dismay of those that had their heyday in WotLK or started playing at that time.

 

 

The Good – Undead quest line. Phasing. Zone revamps.

 

The Bad – Leveling is far too quick. Dungeons very short.

 

The Ugly – Not making use of Shattrath and Dalaran.

 

 

Blizzard has realized the mistakes they made with WotLK and tried to resolve them with Cataclysm. While Blizzard hasn’t quite succeeded in this yet, possibly with Mists of Pandaria we can all put WotLK behind us and get to kung fu fightin’.

 

 

What is your favourite expansion? Do you have your own list of the good, the bad and the ugly? Tell us what you think.

Darkblood Online

Dark Blood places players in the role of a descendant of a legendary hero. The game is a PvP fighting game, featuring fast paced hack-and-slash action in a variety of arenas. Dark Blood offers players an internal ranking system, all while delivering a mature, grim storyline.

 

 

Features

Action packed: The game is a hack-and-slash PvP game. This offers players the chance to hit-and-run, overwhelm their opponents, or play defensively in order to win. Combos and skills will determine the winner and loser.

 

Exciting arenas: Each arena has its own mechanics to be aware of. In order to succeed, players must overcome obstacles, or force their opponents to be hindered by them.

 

Internal Ranking system: Players will be ranked by skill and ability. Face players at your skill level, learn to fight better, and advance up the ladder.

 

Mature content: Blood, violence, and gore are the name of the game in Dark Blood. Expect brutality unending as you and your opponent seek to defeat each other.

 

Elsword Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary w/ 3DS Giveaway

Elsword Celebrates its North American 1 Year Anniversary w/ 3DS Giveaway

 

 

Manga-themed MMO game Elsword is turning one! To commemorate this milestone, Kill3rCombo is not only gearing up with in-game activities and bonuses, but is also awarding five lucky players with custom-skinned Nintendo 3DS Portable Gaming Systems. Beginning Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6 gamers can enter the raffle by claiming the “3DS Raffle Ticket” item from the in-game mailbox, and continue playing as usual. Winners will be announced on Wednesday May, 9 and will be contacted by the Elsword team.

 

 

“As with any new business venture in North America, we were both apprehensive and hopeful that online gamers would receive Elsword as well as audiences overseas have,” said Ben Colayco, CEO of Kill3rCombo. “Now, as we celebrate Elsword’s first anniversary, we are proud that the game continues to grow and has found its niche within the gaming community as the recipient of the 2011 OnRPG Online Gaming Awards Best Side-Scroller.”

 

 

 

Anniversary in-game festivities are live now and will continue through Tuesday, May 8. All-new features include:

 

Anniversary Cubes – Coupons will be awarded to players who craft special Anniversary Cubes which contain special rewards, including rare Ariel Magic Amulets!

 

Anniversary Cake – Now available for purchase, cakes provide 50 percent HP Recovery and Cure Effects.

 

Limited time Anniversary Coin – The exclusive Anniversary Coin accessory can be purchased from Luriel, and will only be available during the event.

 

Play time bonus – Players who are logged in for more than one hour will receive special rewards, such as Accessory Cubes, Ariel’s Ice Burner and Fluorite Ore Exchange Tickets.


Increased drop rate – Starting on Friday, May 4 through the weekend, there will be a two time drop rate increase and EXP during specific times.

TERA NA Launches Today

TERA NA Launches Today

 

 

En Masse Entertainment, a player-driven publisher focused on delivering fun and innovative online games, announced today that its award-winning action MMO, TERA, has shipped to retail stores in North America and is now available for an MSRP of $49.99. TERA sets a new standard for MMOs by delivering true action combat for players who want a more exciting, skill-based alternative to the repetitive gameplay that typifies conventional online RPGs. A new trailer demonstrates this focus in gameplay style and is definitely worth checking out. The innovative PC roleplaying game can be purchased in standard and collector’s editions at retailers and online stores.

 

 

With a focus on contextual combat and an emphasis on position and timing, TERA is a new breed of online game. For the first time, players can get the best of both worlds: all the depth of a traditional MMO with the visceral gratification of an action game. In TERA, players actively aim, dodge and block, as the game’s real-time combat system takes into account player skill and position as well as stats.

 

 

“TERA ushers in a new era of true action MMO gameplay that advances the online roleplaying genre,” said Chris Lee, vice president of publishing at En Masse Entertainment. “It’s time to move past yesterday’s repetitive combat mechanics and embrace a more intense and deeply immersive approach to MMO gaming, where every player is actively engaged in skill-based combat and the most savvy players rise to the top through an innovative political system.”

 

 

Players will begin their journey through TERA’s world of savage beauty by creating a highly customized character from any of seven races and eight classes. After creating characters, they will join with an alliance of all races to save their homelands from ravaging armies that threaten to destroy the very gods who hold the world together. TERA also introduces a revolutionary political system in which players wield power in a province based on their in-game political prowess.

 

 

Two collector’s editions of TERA are available—a traditional boxed edition and a digital download. The digital edition will grant players unique in-game items, including the Regal Frostlion mount for in-game travel, along with two valuable necklaces: the level 15 Velik’s Bloodstone necklace and the level 40 Shakan’s Bloodstone necklace. The Digital Collector’s Edition is available for $59.99.

 

 

Available in limited quantities, the physical Limited Collector’s Edition includes all of the in-game items from the digital edition and also includes collectable items such as a Letter of Marque, a canvas world map, a field guide, a Valkyon Federation-issued compass and a game soundtrack, all for $79.99. All versions, including the standard edition, include 30 days of game time. Additional game time is available for $14.99 per month.

 

 

TERA is developed by Bluehole Studio, co-produced and published by En Masse Entertainment in North America, and distributed at retail by Atari.

MicroVolts Gets Ready for Spring with Maypole Challenge

MicroVolts Gets Ready For Spring With New Maypole Challenge Update

 

 

MicroVolts

 

 

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd. announced today the launch of its new Maypole Challenge update, for its cartoon style third-person shooter, MicroVolts. In this new spring update, MicroVolters worldwide will battle it out together to complete particular goals to unlock exclusive prizes that will benefit the entire MicroVolts community.

 

 

The latest Maypole Challenge update will have MicroVolters battling it out for a bevy of cool prizes through elimination matches, zombie infections and so much more. Up for grabs is an ultra-rare Gold Rifle and Silver Katana, and for the ultimate grand prize, players will receive a Triple MP and EXP Weekend and never-before-seen Hippo-So-Cool Costume Set!

 

 

MicroVolts

 

 

“We’re anxious for players to get in the game and check out what’s in store for each and every character during the Maypole challenge,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “This new update will have maximum choice and maximum reward for the entire MicroVolts community.”

 

 

Players can rack up kills in fresh new gear with all-new weapons, parts and accessories. Knox is celebrating the MLB season in his “2-Spot” catcher’s uniform and there’s no doubt he’ll be dodging those baseballs flying out from new “Sluggergun” gatling guns! Naomi and C.H.I.P. both pay tribute to Japanese culture in their “Ceremonial” costume and “Gozen” Samurai costume sets. Not to be outshined, Pandora is marching in on the battlefield in a rather risqué “Spicy Unmentionables” costume set that leaves little to the imagination!

Aion: P2P Production Value, F2P Pricing

Aion: P2P Production Value, F2P Pricing

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 


A little while ago Gameforge the Europe’s leading provider of online games and NCsoft, the world’s premier publisher and developer of many MMORPGs announced that Aion would have a lot of upcoming changes. The biggest upcoming change was their business model. First Aion EU and shortly after Aion NA went free-to-play without any needed subscription costs. Aion saw its first daylight around the world in 2009 and had some sort of success for a few years. But unfortunately this game also joins the list of pay-to-play games that had to change their business model in order to keep existence. OnRPG decided it was a perfect time to give Aion a new look as it’s definitely one of the hottest titles on the market now that it’s gone F2P.

 

 

Anyone that has never heard of this great title must be new to the MMORPG scene because it has stolen the hearts of many fans. Unfortunately the fanbase of the game didn’t grow that much and actually went down each year which made the change in the business model needed. I personally loved the game on release but after playing for a month I also wandered off like many others. The game did not feel finished at that time and some might say the game was released way too early. Unfortunately this had cost NCsoft many players which meant a lot of income. But with the new business model I see a bright future ahead for this wonderful game because it still carries the production value of a 2012 P2P title, now in a F2P package.

 

 

First Impressions

I have seen many different design styles regarding the world and environment but I must say Aion has a world that really stands out as the most distinct from other titles. The world is called Atreia and is divided into two places. The top half of the world is called Asmodae and the Asmodians are currently living on that side of the world. The bottom half of Atreia is called Elysea and the Elyos have settled their residences there. Unfortunately there is a ruling war going on between the Elyos and Asmodians and both have different beliefs when it comes to the origin of their nature and who the rightful owners are of the entire land. The Elyos consider themselves blessed and are living on the light side of the world while the tough Asmodians are on the dark side of the world. I always liked to be good guy greg so I decided to part up with the light side and join the Elyos in the ongoing war with the Asmodians and created a beautiful female mage.

 

 

There are currently four classes that are available in Aion; these classes are split into two other sub classes that each have their own unique abilities and role in the game. The four different base classes are The Warrior, Scout, Priest and the Mage. Both nations are able to make these classes and when reaching the level of ten the player gets the choice between the two subclasses. Since I had already planned out what I wanted to go for the choice was fairly easy upon reaching level ten. As I was reviewing the title solo I went with the sorcerer as they can hold their own pretty well. My other choice was the Spiritmaster that is able to summon and control various elements to fight along their side, but they fill more of a support niche that I didn’t intend to be.

 

 

The Abyss

Aion is one of those games where Player versus Player (PvP) takes a big role in the game and in Aion it is one of the biggest features that you can enjoy to do. Since I actually love PvP I was really enjoying my time that I spent in the Abyss. The Abyss is a special place where players can go to in order to do quests. The added bonus/challenge is this map is shared by both continents. As you may guess this location mainly revolves around hunting players from the other nations and slaughtering as many players from the opposite faction that you can. Because the Abyss is filled with deadly creatures and deadlier rivals, they limit access on this hardcore part of the game to level 25+. In the Abyss flying is also a big thing that you would have to use a lot in order to go from platform to platform.

 

 

Flying is something fairly unique that hasn’t been seen in many MMORPGs or even other role playing games. The player is able to get wings that will help them speed things up when trying to travel to different locations. The players is able to collect a limited amount of wings that will increase the flight time for the player and thus makes it a really important item to have when being in the Abyss.

 

 

If you aren’t level 25 yet but still want to get some fighting action against the opposite faction then you might be one of the lucky few to spot a Rift. Every player that is at least level 20 is able to go into Rifts; these Rifts will take the player to the opposite side of the world and thus on the ground of the opposite faction. These Rifts are very rare as you can imagine and people are actually consistently trying to locate one in order to explore some more content of the game. The game will automatically let you try to find one of these Rifts since there are some quests that involve making this dangerous trip, but if you randomly stumble upon one you might just take a peek in it because it is quite fun to hop around on the other side of the world surprising the opposite faction while they are doing their daily jobs and are just questing around.

 

 

In every game there is a large fan base that is always busy trying to create things or get secret patterns which will teach them to create something epic. Aion also has a large helping of side events and crafts to keep the players happy. There are many crafting skills that will help the players create a lot of useful items such as equipment, weapons, potions, food and other useful items! Many items are also able to be gathered with the gathering skills and this can keep the player quite busy for some time.

 

 

So How is F2P?

The new business model is somewhat different than the norm set by other games that went free-to-play. The game is free-to-play for everyone and there aren’t any charges that force you to get more content out of the game. But the players that are willing to support the game and would like to get some extras could buy the gold pack which is 9.99 per month. Everyone that will create an account for the first time will be put on the Starter rank. This rank has very basic and limited options but is able to play the game completely free with all the available content in the game. For the people that have bought and played Aion before they will automatically switch to the Veteran Rank, this rank will cost nothing but is just an extra thing for the fan base that had the game before. The Veteran rank has a few benefits over the Starter rank like more creatable characters, able to talk in world chat and other useful features.

 

 

Graphics

Aion is actually a really good looking game and back in the day when it launched I personally found it the best looking MMORPG of its time. Because this game is made by a major Korean game developer the game carries a strong Asian theme. I say this because developers on the Asian continent have developed their own distinguishable style, usually stereotyped by larger weapons, glowier armor, and unrealistic female proportions. Everything is over the top Asian styled with a graphical theme that is pleasing to the eye, assuming you are part of the crowd that enjoy this style. To play this beauty of a now free-to-play game you need the following computer requirements:

 

Minimum:

Pentium 4 2.8GHz, AMD Athlon 2800+;

1 GB RAM;

GeForce 6600, Radeon X1550;

Hard Drive 30GB;

DirectX 9.0c (2008.6)

 

 

Recommended (High Quality Engine):

Intel Pentium Dual-Core E6700 or AMD AthlonII X3 CPU;

4 GB RAM;

GeForce 9800, Radeon HD 4850;

Hard Drive 30GB;

DirectX 9.0c (2008.6)

 

 

For one that is unfamiliar with computers or just simply doesn’t understand this geek language, I’d say everyone with a computer that is purchased in the last four to five years is easily set to play this game just fine. But if you bring a high-end rig to the table you will definitely be rewarded with improved quality.

 

 

Conclusion

I had a lot of fun playing this game on my sorcerer, but unfortunately after a few levels I did experience the grind that many other Asian games have. I personally have an opinion about Asian games that they don’t work in the western market because the focus on fun is catered to a different type of audience than western gamers. The new business model however has made a difference for NCSoft as record numbers of players have flocked to the game both in EU and NA. I do question the price of the gold pack though as I find it too high for a title that also sells cash shop items. I personally would think that they will earn more money if they make the golden status a little cheaper since it is almost the same price as before. Nonetheless I would recommend every RPG or MMORPG fan to try this game out because it is one heck of a fun time and offers countless hours of PvP intensive adventure through the lands of Atreia.

TERA: For the Federation – The Island of Death

TERA: For The Federation – The Island of Death

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief

 

 

Hey everyone! DizzyPW here with the introduction of my own column (yes I’m jealous of all my writers’ columns so I’m starting one of my own) detailing the life of my lancer through the worlds of TERA. I’ll be writing this as half an informative series about the game and half fanfic as I try to do it entirely within character so I hope our many TERA enthusiasts enjoy!

 

 

Life is violence and violence is life. This realization comes faster for us Popori than for other races like humans and elves that tend to coddle their children through the early years. Me on the other hand? I fell out of the Elin Princess’ (who was soon to be queen!) personal Popori tree and immediately stumbled headfirst into the tree trunk, knocking myself out. A visiting human ambassador of the new Valkyon Federation suggested they name me Dizzy as a result, a name that stuck despite being so different from the typical names of my people.

 

Pora Elinu, my birthplace and home

 

Things moved fast in the early days. I worked as a servant in the palace and was far more informed on politics of the day than your average Popori living off the land. The Elin queen had agreed to an uneasy truce with the Amani, Baraka, and Humans to stop the overzealous High Elven armies. I didn’t quite understand really. The elves were far more in touch with nature compared to the careless humans and I secretly supported their success. However as usual the Elins seem to have a sixth sense to foresee the future. The queen’s judgment turned out to be vital in preserving the Valkyon Federation and humbling the High Elf conquerors after thirty centuries of unstoppable conquest.

 

 

This may seem irrelevant to our focused goal of preserving nature but that all changed when the Argons appeared. What are the Argons? I have no idea other than they remind me of sentient human machines that wish to do nothing but pervert the forests into a mechanical wasteland. The High Elf war was exactly what the races of Arborea needed to harden their resolve to face this threat of unparalleled proportions. But honestly life in Pora Elinu felt untouched, and I carried on my carefree life for many years.

 

 

During this time the Valkyon Federation imposed new rules that the queen reluctantly agreed to follow. They felt that imposing human family structures on our people would bring the Elin and Popori closer as well as make their society more unified when the coming hardships surely arrived. I was paired up with a ‘father figure,’ named Surmun, who taught me the way of the shield and lance like no other Popori before him could. My ‘elder sister’ Wulynn on the other hand had studied the spirits and flow of life in nature for hundreds of years, until closing wounds and purifying plague was as natural as breathing. She was quite revered by traveling humans (why can they travel so freely while I’m trapped in this palace tree?) for her unusual mutation resulting inthree fluffy tails, an anomaly said to only appear once per millennium among the Elin people.

 

 

The decades passed quickly and quietly as the Humans and Amani were so bound by foolish honor and promises of glory that they volunteered in droves to fill the ranks of the front lines fighting the Argons. The Castanics, also eager to prove they were unlike their demonic relatives, kept the dwindling ranks filled on our behalf.

 

 

However while Popori are tricksters by nature, our greatest fault is curiosity and the sudden appearance of the Island of Dawn where nothing had previous existed got many of us all hot and bothered… and ready to don our equipment for adventure. Try as I might the queen kept a hard hand on my daily tasks and denied my many petitions to set sail with the fleet. I attempted to persuade her that there was nothing to worry about since High Elf Elleon, one of the Federation’s greatest heroes, would be leading the expedition personally.

 

Elleon Keeping Low Key in Velika

 

In her infinite wisdom she once again denied my request even though Wulynn and Surmun were both sent as Centurion Captains to command the Elin soldiers. I made sure to eat their packed provisions to get back at them for leaving me alone in the palace without even putting up a fight on my behalf. I still haven’t gotten over the regret of this practical joke…

 

 

 

It turned out the Island of Dawn was nothing short of a death trap. Accounts of the landing and what happened after are sketchy and change from person to person that I asked visiting the palace, but the common string goes as follows. The Pegasus that make up the backbone of the Valkyron Federation’s aerial transport refused to go any further than the outskirts of the floating island. As such the company was reduced to only using their 12 airships to transport themselves around the island from this point on.

 

 

Elleon was a prideful commander and refused to return empty handed so he ordered half the crew to return with the Pegasus and bring back supplies in a month’s time when they were likely to be running low. Moral was running high and everyone believed a Federation colony would be established under Elleon’s leadership within the week. Elleon’s brother Leander was ordered to begin researching the nature of the island and given men to help set up a permanent camp in his absence.

 

 

As dawn broke the next day Elleon wasted no time as he climbed aboard the Audacious and announced they would be swinging around to the eastern side of the island to continue exploration. Up until this point we had only encountered a few Ghilledhus tree spirits so most were at ease about this simple voyage. As we rounded the northern tip of the island though things took a turn for the worse. An unholy storm struck just as the central island came into view from the crow’s nest of Elleon’s ship. The Audacious ship captain, who later visited Pora Elinu to bring word of the likely demise of many good Popori and Elin including Wulynn and Surmun, was kind enough to stop by my quarters to tell his story. He complained that as they rounded the northern tip of the island, their navigation instruments went haywire, the boats refused to steer properly, and an infinitely black fog reduced visibility to mere meters. As if things couldn’t get any worse, some of the weaker members of the expedition even began hallucinating and attacking their fellow crew members in a blind panic.

 

 

Elleon was forced to kill half his crew and unleash energy wave after energy wave from his blades just to blow back the fog and maintain course towards the island. The majority of the ships including the boat carrying the regiments’ food and medical supplies never reached landfall. All of the ships involved in the fateful voyage were ruined upon crashing into the reefs around the eastern gorge. Low estimates are that half the expedition was dead prior to even docking on the beach. Half of that half drowned or fell to hypothermia before dawn of the next day.

 

 

Luckily if there is one thing a Popori and Elin is good for, it’s swimming. One shaken Castanic sent to Pora Elinu for spiritual and psychological treatment confirmed to me that they saw an oversized rabbit guarding a tailed fox while receiving treatment on that dreaded beach. He claimed they were among a small group of elite officers and Centurions that were rallying around a particularly impressive Amani general. The let out a cry that broke like thunder across the camp “For Elleon” and charged into the unknown horrors of the island to catch up to their fearless commander.

 

 

It’s been said that no one from that brave Centurion squadron has been seen alive since. Elleon is missing in action and considered dead by any who feel safe to speak their mind in private. The Elins have tried repeatedly to comfort me and remind me that my duty to the forest and the castle is still priority, but I’ll be damned to admit that the silly human family experiment made me feel closer to Wulynn and Surmun than even the queen herself.

 

Elleon’s Final Moments?

 

Last week I was stationed at the palace’s mail post as Pandu the normal mailman had fallen ill to a strange disease that is beginning the sweep across our lands. In this letter was a call to action from Commander Samael requesting Pora Elinu to send any young recruits we could spare to the Fedration’s HQ in Velika. It appears that Elleon’s brother Leander is as stubborn as I to believe his brother is alive, and used his political power amongst the High Elves to pin Samael into forcing a rescue expedition to the Island of Dawn. I immediately burned the letter to prevent further unfortunate beings of my kind from suffering the same fate. I knew the queen would prevent me from going if she knew. I knew that she’s right to do so, and I likely won’t survive this trip. But if I stay here and do nothing then I feel I no longer have anything to live for. I left my post immediately, grabbed my training lance and shield Surmun has given me on my last birthday, and set out on foot for Velika.

 

 

So here I am today brooding in my dark thoughts as I ride my first ever Federation Pegasus into the unknown Island of Death. I questioned every traveler and soldier I met on the way looking for information on Wulynn but none said that a three tailed Elin had been found among the dead. So long as the hope remains that Surmun is out there somewhere protecting Wulynn, my heart will burn with an uncompromising fire to drive me forward. Today marks the beginning of a new life where I mold my destiny as I see fit, not bound by the foresight of the queen or the rules of that corrupt Federation. So begins my story… and yours.. on the Island of Dawn.