Posts from Sylvan versus Fortress.

Ah, welcome, welcome. I am glad you could join our little… informal gathering. I was beginning to doubt whether these whispering crystals would work. You know the Sorceress and their creations – so absorbed in theory that they never bother with proper practical testing… But let us move on to more pressing matters. Later we will have an opportunity to bring you up to date on recent events. Suffice it to say that ten years have passed since agents of Inferno murdered Saint Empress Myv. Ten years, during which the Holy Empire has been torn apart in a hideous struggle for succession, as each Duke sought to unearth old family heirlooms and lay claim to the vacant throne. After countless battles, sieges, alliances, betrayals, and treaties, only two opposing sides remain: Simus from the Duchy of Elk and Ivan from the Duchy of Griffin. I invited you to this meeting because you share views common to us: Griffins should sit on the throne. But what you probably don't know is that Ivan is tormented by doubts. Ten years of war have taken a heavy toll on both his body and soul. He is almost ready to renounce the crown and separate the Duchy of Griffins from the Empire. However, the stakes in this war are far higher than the borders of the Holy Empire. Allowing Simus to take the imperial throne means bringing disaster upon Erathia. Fortunately, Ivan is well aware of this. He has gathered his own council, friends, and allies from neighboring nations to listen to their wisdom before making a final decision. From my source, I know that the Sorceresses of Silver Cities and the Necromancers of Ereth will participate in Ivan’s council, so tension can be expected. Ivan’s master-at-arms, a proud descendant of the White Spear clan, will represent the Orcish tribes. What is even more curious is that Angels will also be sitting at the negotiating table, which in itself is an omen that the Church of Light is not entirely on Simus’ side.

But that is not all. I have also heard that Ivan wants to send invitations to other nations as well. According to my sources, he is torn between choosing either the Elves of Aïroland or the Dwarves of Grimheim. An interesting choice – both nations fought against the army of the Duchy of Elk in ancient history. But if I can trust my informant, Ivan will invite either the Elves or the Dwarves, seemingly to avoid raising unnecessary suspicions with Simus. This is an excellent opportunity for us to influence Ivan's choice. And that is why I gathered you here today, brothers and sisters. With whom should Ivan forge an alliance? With the Elves or the Dwarves? Your voice must be heard!

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Sylvan

The Elves have tried to isolate themselves from the outside world since the Day of Fire Tears. The forests of Aïroland have become hostile to foreigners, and it has become almost impossible to penetrate the green expanses without an invitation. However, they never took their eyes off the Holy Empire - their large, noisy, intrusive neighbor. Despite old feuds and alliances, the Dukes of Elk have long been accustomed to invading the border territory of Aïroland, which led to numerous skirmishes. The High King of the Elves, Aralon, is considering sending an envoy to Ivan’s council, but only if he is sure that the Empire will not be ruled by someone he cannot trust. From a military point of view, the Elves will bring flexibility to Ivan’s strategy. Elven warriors possess speed and striking power. They hate open warfare and prefer guerrilla tactics. Maneuverability is the strength of the elves – in the past, they were masters at luring the enemy into a location advantageous for them. In battle, they focus on dividing the enemy army. For an elven general, an excellent battle is one in which the enemy does not see a single elf…

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Fortress

The Dwarves are just recovering from the tyrannical rule of Hator Orlandsson and his regime, which complicated relations between Grimheim and the Duchy of Elk, especially after Hator's detachments plundered several of its cities. Despite the truce that followed Hator's death and the election of a new King Under the Mountain, Simus did not hide his intentions to take revenge on the people of Arkat. And although there is no doubt that the Dwarves would rather stay under the mountains and leave Humans to their fate, support for Ivan may be their only chance to avoid full-scale war with the Holy Empire. Dwarves can become reliable allies; their fierce warriors are also obsessed with maintaining unprecedented discipline. They fight to the death, even if their chances rapidly approach zero. The Dwarves excel at sieges; their engineers and sappers tirelessly strive to undermine any defense they encounter. This is certainly an advantage that will come in handy for Ivan in attempts to conquer the impregnable walls of Horncrest, the capital of the Duchy of Elk…

Fortress, of course!

And what about Heaven? It's the same: people with pitchforks, people with halberds, people with bows, people with crossbows, people with swords, people with maces, people with hammers, people on horses (people with spears).

I already wrote my opinion about the elven troops in the seventh game on the official website: "It feels like only little girls and housewives voted for this race and this lineup."

And having two elf-like races in the game is a bit too much.

Dwarves have left the Heroes series. In my opinion, they're gone for good.