Heroes 6 - Discussion

461
Discovery of Necromancy
Belket, a follower and student of Sar-Shazzar, discovers the teachings of necromancy. Experiments in raising the dead begin in the Seven Cities.
Belket paid less and less attention to the teachings of his mentor, and more and more to his own research and conclusions. One day he stumbled upon an ancient manuscript written by Sar-Elam himself, which was part of the "Revelations of the Seventh Dragon." The document found by Belket spoke of necromancy, the power of the immortal soul, and an aspect of Asha that was the least known and least revered. Belket became convinced that this very aspect was also the most comprehensive.
"For Asha—the goddess who created the world and gave it her name—is all facets of the wheel of existence; a triune entity of birth, life, and death. She is the Faceless Maiden, herald of Fate, unseen and watching to ensure that all living creatures fulfill their destiny. She is the Mother who brought all living things into the world; by giving life, she gives form to chaos and meaning to the inexhaustible potential of possibilities. She is the Old Woman, bent and ancient, who tears the web of life with needles held in gnarled fingers when the hour arrives."
The text of the "Revelations" read by Belket stated that the third hypostasis of Asha was the most powerful, subsuming the fruits of the labor of the other two. From the rituals included in the manuscript, Belket drew two points that would have a fundamentally important influence on the development of necromancy. First, it is the representation of Asha as a spider weaving the thread of life and capable of severing it when the time allotted in the mortal world expires. Second, it is the idea of the continuation of life: death is not an end, but merely a transformation. The wretched desires and needs of the flesh, the destructive passions of the heart, the short-sighted decisions of the mind that spawned so many wars and conflicts—death was the answer to all, the casting down of existence into its purest and most immutable form.

467-504
Orc Uprisings
Orcs revolt in the Seven Cities and in the Empire of the Falcon. Despising their masters and the Dragon Gods, they proclaim themselves free. In the Empire of the Falcon, troops march against the orcs to suppress the uprisings and return the orcs to the worship of elemental dragons. After a series of brutal battles, the orcs are defeated. The survivors scatter in all directions, including to the southern deserts, the northeastern steppes, and the eastern Border Islands. A terrible storm sinks the Empire's fleet, which had followed the fugitives to the islands. The Emperor accepts this as an omen from the Dragon Gods, and the persecution of orcs ceases.

512
Creation of Beastmen
Beastmen (minotaurs, centaurs, harpies...) are created as servants, guards, or pets in the Seven Cities. The purpose of their creation is to replace the scattered orcs.

528
Secession of Tuidhana
The third elven king, Arniel, decided that from then on, the system of government in his state would be a hereditary monarchy. Opposing this, Tuidhana, queen of a small elven province on the border with the Empire of the Falcon, declares her people's independence from the Elven Kingdom.

540
War of Bitter Ash: Birth of the Dark Elves
A war between the elves of Irollan and the humans of the Holy Empire of the Falcon. At the center of the conflict is Tuidhana's kingdom, attacked from both sides. Tuidhana turns to Arniel for help but is refused. Subsequently, he throws his troops against the human empire, caring little for the small kingdom on whose territory the so-called Ash War is being waged. In desperation, Tuidhana makes a deal with one of the remaining Faceless in exchange for power to protect her people. Those who follow her are changed by the will of Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness. And from that day forward, they are called dark elves. With the help of their new allies, they expel both elves and humans from their lands.

548
Peace of the New Spring
The Holy Empire of the Falcon renounces any claims to elven lands. The independence of the kingdom of dark elves is recognized by both elves and humans, though border conflicts occur from time to time.

564
The Second Eclipse: Arrival of the Demon King
A total lunar eclipse. This time, the Blind Brothers managed to warn him, and the Alliance, supported by the Dragon Knights, reacted immediately. Only a small group of demons managed to penetrate the world. The names of the Demon Lords, the first children of Urgash, the Chaos Dragon, are heard no more. In their place comes Ka-Belet, the first and only Demon King.

566
Day of Fiery Tears: Death of Tuidhana
A terrible fire destroys the elven capital. High King Arniel and many of his associates perish in the flames. And most terrible of all—the fire consumes Brittiga, Mother of Trees, the sacred symbol of the elven people. The dark elves were blamed for what happened, and Vaniel, son of the fallen Arniel, gave them a choice: exile or death. Most preferred exile; the rest were put to death. Among the latter was Tuidhana, who refused to leave her lands. The place where Brittiga stood was erased from all maps, and to this day no elf approaches it. A new Mother of Trees was planted in the depths of the elven forests.

568
Resistance
Two years after the Day of Fiery Tears and the death of Tuidhana, the exiles—the dark elves—are still searching for a place they can call home. Their forest kin hunt them and ruthlessly deal with them, accusing them of destroying the Sacred Tree and killing the High King. Eruina, leader of the dark elf community and daughter of Tuidhana, hoped to find refuge on the Isle of Distant Winds and approached Ruthger, chief of the local human settlement, with a proposal for an alliance. However, he sent word to the elves, his long-time allies, informing them where their dark brethren were hiding. A fleet led by the elven hero Talanar set sail from Irollan. Additionally, Eruina faced further problems from Sinitar, an ambitious and dangerous dark elf. Rumor has it that communication with spectral dragons drove him to madness, and he has now seriously decided to challenge Eruina's rule.

Having first eliminated his overly arrogant kinsman and members of his clan, Eruina struck the settlement of the traitor Ruthger, and later destroyed Talanar's fleet as it approached the island.

585
Discovery of Demon Involvement in the Day of Fiery Tears
The Dragon Knights provide the elves with evidence that the burning of Brittiga was carried out by demons. Emissaries are sent to the dark elves to convince them to return home, but they reject the offer.

586
Creation of a Second Dark Elf Kingdom on the Border of Dwarf Lands
Relations between the two kingdoms become extremely strained

Building up your hero, whose progression is now persistent across missions, and army will be especially important if you aim to take on some of the dangerous boss characters being included in the game. We didn't get to see any of these encounters, but we're told bosses will have, as one might assume, abilities, attack power, and defenses far beyond that of the normal foes.