Schism is the sixth early access faction and a new faction for the Heroes of Might and Magic universe. It is a splinter group of Alvari Elves who penetrated the Depths of Water using ancient Vori rites. They possess the ability to negate magic and opponent abilities and summon ever-growing hordes of monstrous creatures. Scholars and soldiers sought answers among the ruins of the Vori ancestors, were changed by what they found, and opened the Rift to the Abyss. The Abyss is described as a lower layer of the Plane of Water, connected to the Realm Between Realms. Source: Devlog #13.
Faction Composition
The lineup includes altered Alvari Elves, as well as creatures and monsters they are capable of summoning. The developers emphasize that Olden Era is not a remake, therefore Schism was created as an opportunity to merge the old and the new.
Abyssal Communion
The unique skill Abyssal Communion increases army size upon entering battle depending on the specific hero's Communion level. The level decreases every day but grows, up to a certain limit, with each won battle. Additional creatures are available only during combat and do not persist after it, meaning they cannot be transferred between heroes.
Connection to Existing Lore
The faction draws on the theme of the Realm Between Realms from Might and Magic VIII, where the party encounters Escaton the Destroyer in an interdimensional landscape separating the Material World from the Arcane or Elemental Planes. In Heroes IV, similar motifs are touched upon in the story of Gauldoth Half-Dead through Ice Demons and Venom Spawns.
Lower Layers of the Elemental Planes
According to lore fragments gathered by the developers, the barrier between the elemental worlds and the Material World is thinnest in the deep rifts of Enroth leading to the dark layers of the planes near the Realm Between Realms:
- Abyss in the depths of the oceans;
- Chthonic Depths deep beneath the world's crust;
- Underworld, also called Hell in some localizations of Heroes III: Chronicles, in the volcanic caves of the Underground Realms, such as Nighon or the Jadamean Cave Network;
- Starry Firmament, sometimes called the Stratosphere by those who preserved knowledge of the past, high in the sky.
Visual and Narrative Role
The Abyss, as a lower layer of the Elemental Plane of Water, is directly connected to the Realm Between Realms, which is why its inhabitants have many aquatic traits; this is reflected in the design of Schism creatures and the mutations of the elven part of the roster. The developers call the connection to H. P. Lovecraft an important part of the faction, but emphasize that it is integrated into existing Might and Magic elements, including mentions of Elemental Planes, Realm Between Realms, ancient artifacts, and the Triton Empire.
Early Access Factions
The developers summarize the early access composition as 3 familiar Factions — Temple, Dungeon, and Necropolis — and 3 "new" ones — Hive, Sylvan, and Schism. Possible new factions are being considered for potential DLC.