Posts from Hive of Races

Not a bad idea at all! I like it! Only the motto is a bit off... (it needs to be changed).

No, now the motto is fine – it shows that the faction is neutral, but it won’t let itself be pushed around and will fight back. Just as Kosh intended (is that correct?)))))

Backstory of the scenario "Ashan vs EvilPit"

Ashan knew almost nothing of peaceful life. Military conflicts flared up from time to time in some region, not to mention global wars. And in any war, besides bravery, courage, and heroism, there is always fear, horror, and despair—to the delight of the cruel Daov, god of a terrible otherworldly faction.
Fear, horror, and despair fuel Daov's power, but no single war in Ashan gave him enough strength to realize his long-held dream: world domination. He was unable to send hosts of his warriors to the lands of Ashan... but he had enough might to send eight powerful artifacts—one for each of the
eight most powerful factions of Ashan.
On the same day, eight small meteorites fell from the sky to the earth. In the craters left by their fall, strange chests were discovered that opened easily. Inside each chest, an artifact was found.
Haven discovered the Sphere of Light, which grants its owner's army incredible bravery and inspiration, as well as increasing resilience.
The Sylvan elves received the Amulet of Primordiality, thanks to which the growth of Children of Nature increased many times over; they gained the ability to heal wounds quickly and move much faster.
Powerful mages acquired the Cap of Original Knowledge—and gained access to incredible magical power. Their spells became so potent that even the wisest mages marveled and rejoiced like children.
The Mistresses of the Dungeon received the Vortex Cloak, allowing them to hide the size of their troops from prying eyes, bypass hostile detachments right under their noses, and inconspicuously carry out sabotage in the enemy camp.
Demons found the Shield of Bloodthirst, which made them more skilled and ferocious in defensive combat. From then on, no attack on any demon remained unanswered, even a ranged attack.
Necromancers discovered the Visage of Death—a mask that enhances their ability in necromancy and weakens the attack power and
morale of the enemy.
The Fortress same received the Miner's Greaves. With their help, resource gathering became more efficient, and the defense of fortresses and the striking power of dwarven weapons increased.
Tribes of the East received the Blade of Fury. With its magical support, Barbarian armies began to cover vast distances faster and charge into battle with doubled fury; their attacking combat skills became more deadly to enemies. Also, Barbarian warriors became less vulnerable to enemy magic.
Each artifact made the faction that received it stronger and more powerful. But in each chest, a magical manuscript was also found, telling of the other artifacts. Of how dangerous the factions that found them had now become. And that the faction possessing the full set would become truly invincible.
A new war began. The bloodiest, cruelest, and most unfair in all the history of Ashan. The best heroes of all factions found their death in this senseless slaughter. And the villain Daov, observing the bloodshed—how fear, horror, and despair filled the devastated lands—laughed wildly and accumulated magical power.
Ultimately, the greatest heroes, the best representatives of their factions and bearers of the Artifacts of Discord, clashed their armies in one battle. Each of the eight armies fought for itself. It was an excessively bloody, brutal battle in which warriors lost faith in their own strength; Fear took hold of them. And at that moment, Daov attained all his
might. At a wave of his hand, a monstrous spell in several regions of Ashan simultaneously split the surface of the earth, forming gorges with terrible cities inhabited by servants of Daov. And on the field of the final battle of the War of the Artifacts of Discord, a portal opened from which emerged Pzherot—Daov's first lieutenant, Cardinal of Horror, commander-in-chief of his terrible army. With him was a host of own same creatures who pounced upon the bloodied armies of the eight factions.
The heroes possessing the Artifacts of Discord were killed. The artifacts fell to Pzherot.
From that day, Daov's troops began to rapidly accumulate strength. Pzherot and lower-ranking warlords led Daov's servants to conquer Ashan. Many regions were taken without a fight, as fear, horror, and despair settled everywhere.
The inhabitants of Ashan gave the new threat a name—EvilPit. They saw them as harbingers of the apocalypse. Even those who tried to fight prepared for the worst. It seemed Ashan was doomed...
But one last hope remained.
Shortly before the fall of the Artifacts of Discord, eight exiles appeared in Ashan—one from each faction. They left their native lands for various reasons and since then wandered throughout Ashan or hid from pursuing personified villains in sparsely populated or uninhabited regions. They did not participate in the
War of the Artifacts of Discord, if only because they were outcasts, rejected ones. But now, when the threat of eternal enslavement looms over their home world, they are ready to take up arms, rally armies around them, crush their old enemies, unite, and deliver a crushing counterstrike to Daov's lackeys.

Lord Stronder the Fearless.
A mighty and brave Knight. He served Haven faithfully, but he was always irritated by the permissiveness of the Inquisitors. More than once, he helped dissidents who did not wish to worship the Church avoid unfair punishment from the Inquisitors, which earned him their hatred. The Emperor's favor allowed Stronder to stay afloat, but it was lost (not without the help of Church intrigues) after Stronder stopped an attempted execution of a young girl who had fallen victim to the abuse of demons. The brave knight was declared a servant of Hell and
was forced to hastily leave his now inhospitable homeland. Stronder's worst enemy, the cruel and insane sadist-inquisitor Hos Tell, obsessively searches for him throughout Ashan.

Matilla Illi.
A young elf archer, a rebel in spirit. She always went against her parents' will, doing what she felt was necessary. Her relatives wanted to see her meek and quiet, but Matilla preferred risky adventures to the peace of the home hearth. Without asking anyone, she independently learned accurate archery, which caused
shock among her very conservative relatives. And when she declared that she did not intend to become a mother, but would devote herself to travel and adventure, her parents flew into a rage and wanted to put her under house arrest, but Matilla simply fled. Rievo Tuan—an elven archer whom Matilla's parents pushed upon her as a fiancé
and for whom the girl's rebellious spirit was like a bone in the throat—set out to find her.

Top Mehon.
A gremlin, one of the many servants of the Mages. Like all his kin, Top was turned from a goblin into a gremlin using magic, but this time something went wrong for the mages. Firstly, Top only pretended to be an obedient and submissive slave; protest raged in his soul. Secondly, he became smart enough to secretly read magical books and learn the art of magic. When this was revealed, the mages were genuinely frightened that Top might lead a rebellion among the gremlins and tried to kill him. But Top managed to escape. Now the mage Kazi Noblooto is occupied with searching for him.

Anni Tira.
A powerful and charming young Mistress of Shadows, Anni was always a target for intrigues and rumors, largely due to her progressive thinking. The girl believed that same intrigues, quarrels, and rivalry within the Dungeon would lead to nothing good and interfered in all such actions. She sought to unite all dark elves, end internal strife, and then launch a powerful campaign throughout Ashan aimed at restoring
women's rights and creating equality with men. Realizing that the Dungeon was not ready to accept her beliefs, and nearly dying from the treacherous actions of some female compatriots, Anni hastily fled the capital but promised she would not give up. She is pursued everywhere by Irno Algovra—a spiteful old witch who has long hated Anni.

Parria Fari.
Half human, half demon, Parria is the daughter of a captive of demons, raised by her demon father as a future servant of Hell. But the human side in her was so strong that no upbringing could break it. Upon reaching twenty, Parria frees her tormented mother and flees with her to an inaccessible uninhabited valley in the mountains, where she hides her from both demons and inquisitors. Her mother soon dies, and Parria
leaves the valley. She traveled everywhere, trying to help people, but rejection and fear on their part often prevented her from showing her invisible kindness. Parria has many ill-wishers, but the most irreconcilable is her father Diblon Mestopheus, who longs to find and kill his child who failed to meet expectations.

Mark Todes.
At first, he was a skilled healer until his wife and child died of a terrible disease. All his medical knowledge could not save them. Isolating himself from everyone, Mark joined the brotherhood of necromancers with one goal—to try and combine necromancy and medicine to learn how to cure incurable diseases. Although he
plunged into mourning forever, the ideology of the necromancers, which called death the solution to all problems, was foreign and loathsome to him. When the necromancers found out for what purpose Mark had joined their brotherhood, they carried out a failed assassination attempt on him. Mark left the brotherhood and now hides from a cruel pursuer—the necromancer Heocta Meorta.

Dorin Hammer.
A brave warrior and skilled smith, this dwarf was in good standing with the Under-King. But the King died, and it was time to choose a new one. The late King dreamed that Dorin would be his successor, and many dwarves supported his candidacy. But Dorin's own same rival pulled off a foul scam, as a result of which he himself took
the throne. In righteous anger, Dorin kills the scoundrel, but since he had already been crowned, they try to kill Dorin. However, he managed to break through and escape. Ponanos Skrozh—an accomplice of the killed fraudster—set out to capture him.

Starker Bert.
A mighty barbarian, one of the best warriors of his clan and the Horde as a whole. His life changed abruptly when a vile rich man set his sights on his sister. Starker's sister did not want to enter a marriage alliance with the wealthy man, but the persistent "admirer" bribed the chief of the clan to which the Bert family belonged, and they tried
to marry the unfortunate girl by force. She fled with the one she actually loved; her brother helped her escape, for which he was put in a cage. The ambitious rich man found and killed the lovers, but Starker managed to escape. He found and killed the rich man, and then gathered a band of desperate fighters. Starker became a noble outlaw, cleansing Ashan of wealthy filth, while the corrupt chief Podbl Peord became obsessed with finding and killing Starker.

Oh, the designer is already here... the project is moving towards practical implementation:rolleyes:

Drakkosha, you made some cool drawings.

Kosh, drawings are cool, but in my opinion, the cats should be more warlike, like rajahs – resembling lions, and the princesses should be rakshasa-cats...

Kreegan. A sinister, highly advanced civilization of parasites. They establish their colonies on planets and drain their resources until the planet can no longer sustain their growing numbers. The Kreegan possess a high level of technological development. The main social structure is the Hive. The Hive's Matriarch is the Queen. The Kreegan are divided by their roles and functions (workers, warriors, scouts, etc.). Most Kreegan are of low level, and they are not difficult to kill if they are unarmed. Hive members of higher levels are very strong; their natural defenses protect them from everything except the most powerful weapons (high-tech). Also, they and some other types of Kreegan are equipped with various genetic and cybernetic enhancements. The highest members of the Hive, who are close to the Queen, are the Kings. Each of the Kings has wings. High-level individuals, especially Kings, are capable of quickly learning the skills and languages of other races and, to some extent, providing this knowledge to their less developed brethren. The other Kreegan do not possess remarkable intelligence and rarely show a propensity for anything that requires mental effort. A racial characteristic of all Kreegan is resistance to extremely high temperatures. The Kreegan are the main enemies of the Ancients. The Ancients' rivals, the Progenitors, created the Kreegan to use them to destroy their competitors. In battles with the Ancients, the Kreegan's main advantage is their numbers, as, despite their high level of development, it is not comparable to that of the Ancients. In battles with other civilizations, the Kreegan rely on numbers (ordinary individuals) or strength (technological weapons, high-level individuals). In the legends of less developed races, the Kreegan are called Demons and Devils, but the Kreegan are not demons; they are much worse. Drawings of Kreegan by Agar: Larva (left) and Queen (right). Not to scale. Lower Devil - Offspring (left) and King (right). Captain, one of the high-level individuals. Art of a brain devil or some other type. One of the Kreegan in Might and Magic 6-7: Screenshot of a Kreegan colony from Might and Magic 7: Important note: this race was not created by us (Agar6 and XEL), but by New World Computing, the creators of Heroes and M&M. The description above is information about the Kreegan in Might and Magic 6-8. Some Kreegan of lower and middle levels were units of the Inferno city in Heroes 3 (imps, horned demons, pit lords, devils, succubi). The Progenitors were also created by NWC. English name: Kreegan, representatives of the race are called Kreegan, Kreegans. If this race were to be created for Heroes 5, how did the Kreegan appear on Ashan? Many people know that on the last map of Tribes of the East, there was an easter egg - a spaceship with a green imp as the pilot. This could very well have been a Kreegan scout

*Idea – ZERGS!*
IMHO, the Krigan option would be optimal (the main thing is that there is a connection to the game, and there are no problems with the world).

Regarding the demons of Ashan and the Krig. Here is our version with Magnus, used in the tabletop RPG "Guardians of the Sword and Magic" (and about Ashan in general):

Ash and Urgash. Dragons, guardians, wardens – these are all their names. Each reflects a single essence. They are just part of a multitude. Each planet in the territory of the Ancients, whether artificial or natural, had a guardian. Usually, these were cyborgs that obeyed their creators without question. Alas, nothing lasts forever under the moon. But one incident made the Ancients fear a cyborg uprising. In the case of Ash and Urgash, the Ancients used a strange technology. These were not cyborgs, but entities; there is even an opinion that they were people who betrayed their essence to the currents of the planet they were supposed to protect. Their life is connected to the planet; this was created so that there would be no betrayal on their part; they depend on the planet's bio-sources. It is a part of them, a part of their strength, a part of their will. Only rarely does humanity visit them, so that they do not become tyrants but remain guardians. Ash and Urgash are the division of Project A.S.H.A., known for its sad history. Whether it was fate or someone else that caused things to turn out this way is unknown... The ritual of becoming began, but suddenly everything went wrong; the equipment began to operate at a minimum load. It was in those seconds that the era known in the future as the Silence began. A.S.H.A. split into Ash and Urgash – order and chaos. Time passed, and the Krig conquered system after system. The Ancients almost forgot about this project, leaving it to its own devices. Fortunately, justice prevailed. Ash defeated Urgash, leaving him in the depths of the planet entrusted to her, called Ashan. Ash herself, exhausted in this battle, moved to the moon, a secret fortress connected by 3 signs. This saved Ashan from the oppression of the Krig, who were devouring everything for themselves. The captured Urgash in Ashan was inside Ash herself and was suppressed by her. Ash was weak. She spent her last strength on creating servant-guardians who would protect her and Ashan. These were elemental dragons, but Ash did not have enough strength for them to fully control the elemental planes; only a small part, close to Ashan, is under their control; the rest of the territory is in the hands of the elemental lords. To preserve the planet, the elemental dragons created the Ancients and servants for them – the races now known. They were created in the image and likeness of the races in other planets, such as Enroth. Urgash, however, did not waste time; taking advantage of Ash's distance, he created servants for himself – demons, which he spawned in the most terrible memories of the Krig. Time passed. Centuries turned into millennia. And the wars continued until the last dragon appeared, rising above all, touching Ash's mind, her human part; he became the seventh dragon of magic. Little is known about who he was before that. Time will tell; it is eternal... Elam, as the inhabitants of Ashan called him, connected his soul and plan with Ashan and Shio, creating a barrier between the worlds.

Damn. But honestly, who came up with the above? The style is like Magnus', but the ideas are yours, Xel...

I provided the ideas. Magnus wrote and formatted them into a narrative.

XEL, so you've combined Ubisoft's Ashan with the overall Might & Magic universe! I told you that you were a disguised Van Caneghem ;)

I think I'll write about my own race.

Union of Free Cities
Considering that there is no place for a peaceful life in Ashan, there will always be those who are dissatisfied — it doesn't matter with what exactly: the war, the sovereign's ideals, or the people's lifestyle. The population of the few "Free Cities" — small towns on the border with the desert — consists precisely of such exiles. As a rule, these towns have no central authority higher than the town assembly — and although they are nominally marked on maps as possessions of the Griffin Empire, in reality, a constant bloody war rages on their borders — for freedom and the right to live as those few who voluntarily called themselves outcasts wish...
History:
The Free Cities emerged at the end of the third Demonic War — they were founded by refugees from the Griffin Empire, those whose homes were destroyed in this war. Later, due to some internal troubles, the Griffin Empire forgot about them for a long three hundred years... and it is no surprise that the very first tax collector was solemnly hanged. The people of the Free Cities feel no particular love for the Griffin Empire, believing they were abandoned. But only recently have these outcasts raised their heads, declaring that anyone who dares to take their lands from them will receive death instead.

Everyone flees to the Free Cities — whether it be a peasant tormented by his master, a knight with a grudge against authority, or an elf assassin who failed a mission... Due to such an influx, the Free Cities have almost no problems with militia.

Government structure — semi-democracy. In the sense that important issues are decided by a gathering of the city's population, and in war, an elected ataman commands. (He is the hero. Class — Ataman)

Class skill — Charisma:

Warrior's Charisma:
In the "Mercenary Camp" (racial building), random level 1-2 troops are hired once a week. Chance that they will join you on the map: +10%

Leader's Charisma:
In the "Mercenary Camp" (racial building), random level 3-4 troops are hired once a week.

Ataman's Charisma:
In the "Mercenary Camp" (racial building), random level 5 troops are hired once a week.

Irresistible Charisma:
In the "Mercenary Camp" (racial building), random level 6 troops are hired once a week.

Ulti-ability:
Free: all monsters on the map express a desire to join the hero.
Requirements: Marauding (Logistics - Pathfinding + Scouting), Empathy (Leadership - Troop Gathering), Fight to the Last (Defense - Fortitude + Deep Defense).

Other class abilities:
Long March — (if the hero did not move during a turn) All movement points are lost, and the next turn begins with doubled points.
Sudden Strike — if a creature strikes "from behind," there is a 30% chance that the strike will be unanswered.
Military Trick: a selected squad is invisible for 3 turns (only during deployment, only for 1 squad).

Symbol — a sword crossed with a staff on a gray field, with an inscription below:
"If you want peace, be prepared for battle"

Racial fighters:
1) Free Peasant — the population of the surroundings of the Free Cities also consider themselves members and even support the main forces in battle.
Free — if less than 20% of the starting number remains in the squad, he leaves the battle and returns after it.

1A) Free Militia — more disciplined peasants form the free militia — the most numerous force of the Free Cities, and the most disciplined militia of the Griffin Empire.
Steadfast — if less than 20% remain in the squad, defense and attack are doubled.

1B) Suburban Guard — these guys are a bit more disciplined than simple peasants, and better armed, but still desperate cowards.
Pike — immune to cavalry charge.
Free.

2) Steppe Archer — these hunters are almost invisible in the steppe, but nevertheless, they are considered the best shooters of the steppes.
Quick Shot — if the target is within a distance of 5 cells or less, two shots are fired instead of one.

2A) Border Guard — everyone fears these shooters. In the steppe, not even a small detail can hide from their gaze, and particularly arrogant scouts are usually found resembling small porcupines.
Quick Shot.
Seer — they see traps, mines, and hidden troops within a distance of 2 cells.

2B) Sentinel — this is what the guards of the Free Cities armed with powerful but rather slow crossbows are called. They guard the city at night, but are quite fragile in direct combat.
Strong Shot.
Free.

3) Al-Antor — Al-Antor is an orcish name for a warrior with a heavy two-handed sword. Their skill is quite well known, and any merchant would be very happy to hire them to guard his caravan. In the army of the Free Cities, Al-Antors play the role of medium infantry, among the first to storm a city.
Stunning Blow.

3A) Two-Handed — masters of wielding two blades are respectfully called "Two-Handeds." Their fighting style is so fast that they manage to strike the victim twice before it can strike back.
Double Strike — strikes 2 times, after which the enemy delivers a counterattack.

3B) Baertornr — intoxicated by steppe wormwood tincture, Baertornrs become uncontrollable and fall into a wild rage. Their tincture is poison to anyone but themselves, and that is why their axes are soaked in it.
Wormwood — once per battle enters a state of uncontrolled rage and attacks the NEAREST unit with triple strength.
Poisoned Axe — a fighter hit by a Baertornr has a 50% chance of losing all initiative.

4) Sarton — this is what mounted scouts in the Free Cities are called. These guys are so fast that they manage to retreat to their positions after striking.
Strike-and-Retreat.
Large.

4A) Steppe Eagle — the best Sartons receive the title of Steppe Eagles from the city population. They are the best riders in Ashan; it is impossible to respond to their strike, and they still manage to retreat.
Strike-and-Retreat.
Large.
Strikes are not answered.

4B) Mounted Pikeman — some Sartons believe that scouting is nothing compared to a frontal attack. Such people become mounted pikemen — and harass the strongest opponents in battle.
Large.
Charging Strike.
Agility — damage increased by 3 against "large" creatures.

5) Steppe Mage — these people are usually called mages, although they are more like shamans... Their power is the same as that of orc shamans — in the steppe and the sky. They provide support to the fighters of the Free Cities.
Sorcerer — casts "Dispel", "Magic Arrow", "Stone Skin".

5A) Steppe Wizard — a powerful steppe mage has the right to be called a wizard. He moves further away from "classical" magic and closer to shamanism. Nevertheless, steppe wizards know much more than their colleagues from the Academy...
Sorcerer — casts "Haste", "Fireball", "Dispel", "Magic Arrow", "Stone Skin".

5B) Battle Wizard — those among the mages who decide that a sword is more important than a shield learn battle magic and support the Free Cities not with defense, but with attack.
Sorcerer — casts "Fireball", "Meteor Shower", "Magic Arrow", "Bee Swarm".
Terror Strike — when striking in melee combat, the enemy retreats 1 cell.

6) Steppe Shaitan — a manifestation of the steppe tamed by wizards, a large and terrifying beast resembling a huge dog. Its bark instills terror even in the hearts of warriors who know no fear or reproach.
Large
Terrible Bark — twice per battle everyone within a radius of 3 cells receives -3 to morale until the end of the battle. Penalties stack.
Teleports

6A) Desert Shaitan — a more dangerous demon simply has no visible form until the first strike is delivered. After that, it takes the image of a three-headed black horse whose maws breathe fire. The terror that fills people at the sight of it is indescribable.
Fear Aura.
Large.
Invisible — until the first strike per battle, but no longer than 3 turns.
Teleports

6B) Spirit of the Steppe — an old and ancient Shaitan loses its form due to lack of need and becomes like a whirlwind of sand. Nevertheless, it should not be underestimated — although it is not as terrifying, the way it kills instills fear in the heart of the enemy.
Large
Area attack on all surrounding cells.
Terrible Kill — if it kills an enemy squad, others lose 2 units of morale for 3 turns.

7) Charioteer — this creation of the Free Cities' engineers' thoughts looks so incomprehensible that its attacks are not even answered — how is that possible? This thing can also mine the ground, among other things.
Large
Unanswered Attack.
Mortar — once per battle places 3 mines in specified locations.

7A) Siege Charioteer — the reinforced hull of the Siege Charioteer handles strikes perfectly, and heavier blades easily tear even walls. And despite its low speed, it is still formidable — for the mine-layer is with it.
Mortar.
Large.
Attacks walls.

7B) Assault Charioteer — faster than its siege counterpart, the Assault Charioteer is designed for short, sudden skirmishes. It is even stranger than a simple Charioteer and even faster.
Large.
Double Strike
Unanswered Attack.

Racial buildings:
1) Village - Prosperous Village
2) Steppe Camp - Field Camp
3) School of Swords — High School
4) Pen — Training Ground
5) Tower — Wizard's Tower
6) Pentagramron — Protective Cage
7) Workshop — Mechanized Shop.

Special Building №1 — Mercenary Camp. Something like another dwelling. Depending on the level of the hero's special skill, creatures of levels 1-6 can be hired there.
Special Building №2 — Election Square — increases the hero's attack by 1 once.
Grail — Waymarker — +5000 daily, +50% growth, chance that a monster joins: +20%

Not bad. I just noticed one mistake: the Free Cities were founded not by refugees, but by people who refused to renounce their faith in Silat and embrace Erathia.

Hmm. Was the concept of Cities used somewhere? Or is this just a hint for aesthetic purposes?
(I suspect it's Dark Messiah of... – am I right? If so, sorry, I just haven't played it:))