WoW Games - War of Wizards

VICTORY CONDITIONS

BACKGROUND

Three separate wars raged on Avon, each of which had lasted many millenniums.  Ballads were sung of great battles, heroic deeds and acts of treachery.  The armies engaged in each of these wars knew the history of every battle that had been fought by the generations before them.  Yet none knew that as every drop of blood was spilled on their own plane, soldiers were falling in equal numbers in wars elsewhere.  In fact to the residents of the surface world, the Underworld and Astral Plane were regarded as myth and legend.  Likewise the people of the underworld could not fathom a world without a ceiling.  Those in the Astral Plane saw no evidence of anything but their gem covered lands.  The armies of Avon would have continued to war for dominance of their own plane for thousands of years more had a young mage’s experiments not lead to “The Joining”.

Terraforming, the magical theory of drawing power from above and below to change an entire shire’s terrain had been taught at the Magic Colleges for centuries.  Originally proposed by Grandmaster Finus, the complex algorithms required to channel magic to change features of land were the bane of many students.  The subject was particularly unpopular as the branch of magic had very little practical use.  The gems required to change even a small patch of ground made the expense of casting spells to change significant amounts of land preposterously expensive.  Too expensive that was until Ulnar Barvinus the prodigy apprentice discover gem amplification.  Through arranging crystals amongst gems in a specific order, the powers of the gems were multiplied exponentially when applied to Terraforming magic. 

With the senior council of mages in tow, Ulnar sailed out into the great lake where he intended to prove the worth of his breakthrough by transforming the terrain of an entire island.  With a large pile of gems donated by many benefactors laid amongst specially selected crystals, Ulnar began to chant.  Rays of light and power came down from the skies above.  The earth below shook and began to open.  While Ulnar had an understanding of magic far beyond any on the council, he was still unable to comprehend the power of the combined gems and crystals.  Waves crashed across the Great Lake sinking the boats fleeing the island as the spell spiralled out of control.  The sky cracked open and the bridges of light began to solidify, while the cracks in the ground below open wide revealing new lands below. 

The world as it had been know was now gone.  The planes had been joined.  New lands, allies and enemies were out there.  The stalemate that had formed in three separate wars was now broken.  A wizard who could find a powerful ally and demonstrate their combined power to the lands of the underworld, surface and astral plane would rule Avon forever!     

CITIES

DARK ELVES

Deep in the underworld, the dark elves reside. Splitting from their High Elven cousins many millenniums ago, the two are now almost as separate as humans and gnomes. The slim build, dark complexion and white hair of this race makes any dark elf stand apart from all others. Their society, dominated by female priests, is one which revolves around combat and treachery. The twin cities of the Dark Elf race are Milshar and Hilshar.

MILSHAR - Milshar is a city that was founded solely as a base from which to launch attacks on the Granite Stronghold.  The close proximity to the enemy under dwarf city does not cause issues as counter attacks from the enemy are rare.  However, as a defensive structure the Granite Stronghold has proven too difficult to conquer.  With the Dark Elf cousins of Halshar covering to the north, the armies of Milshar continue their siege hoping to one day break through to victory.  

HALSHAR - While also built as a base to attack the Granite Stronghold, Halshar is a safer distance from the enemy an as such is more a town than a fortress.  Roving bands of Dark Elves patrol the surrounding tunnels rather than relying on defences built in the city itself.  While allie in the war against the Under Dwarves, Halshar in may ways resents the richer city of Milshar.

CHAOS MINIONS

Where volcanos break the surface of the earth and sparkling streams of magical power erupt, the creatures of Chaos can enter our world. Not only flesh hounds, hydras and spawn are inevitably drawn to these places, but also ruthless sorcerers gather there who are longing for powers no mortal should possess. Enslaved kobolds are working in their cities and scouting for their raiding parties, while the backbone of their armies is formed of the fierce blood warriors. The undisciplined fighters excel in wild melees where they sacrifice the blood of their enemies to the dark gods of war.

HELLS PEAK - The Chaos Minions of Hells Peak are ready to leave their isolation in the Astral Realm and unleash their horrors on the world below.  The Portal Guardians have prevented recent invasions into the Minotaurs territory and the forces of the city are marshalled for war.

GNOMES

Gnomes are small demi-humans known especially for their weird and wonderful inventions. Another peculiar trait is their fast and continuous speech. The Gnomish capital is Telefor (it's full name being almost unpronounceable in under a day).

TELEFOR - The Gnomes of Telefor have thankfully gone unoticed by the warring Dark Elves an Dwarves in the underworld.  With cunning technology they have hidden their city and booby trapped the surrounding shires.  Technology that has unfortunately been destroyed by the cataclysmic cave ins resulting from "The Joining".  With their anonymity gone, the Gnomes must prepare their defences for war.   

HILL DWARVES

Hill Dwarves are renowned everywhere for their skill as weapon smiths. The short stocky race also has a passion for forging the earth's minerals into many types of objects and artifacts. The only sizeable population of Hill Dwarves is in Ironville.

IRONVILLE - The Hill Dwarves of Ironville have built a large mining community here.  Smelters burn day around as the ore from the ground is processed and then forged.  The ornate items produced by blacksmiths fetch a high price across Avon. 

HIGH LANDERS

Highlanders are a human race who love the crisp air of the hills and mountains. They live a very traditional lifestyle, residing in clans. They are fierce warriors and wars between the clans frequently flare up. Their religion is two fold, believing in one god but also that the world also possess lesser gods known as the chosen ones. These chosen are virtually immortal barring complete decapitation. The immortals are both revered and feared, never accepted by any of the clans and forced to live in secrecy or wander the earth eternally.

MCNURRUM - The Highlanders of McNurrum have defended their highland homes for many generations.  During the winters the Icelanders climb up through the snow to raid the lands while in the summer arrows from the Elves fly in territorial battles.

ICELANDERS

Icelanders manage to live in the harsh frozen conditions of the arctic lands. They survive hunting the sea mammals and fish that inhabit their regions. The sole region with an Icelander city is the Frozen Citadel.

FROZEN CITADEL - The Icelanders of the Frozen Citadel are the kings of the arctic.  The citadel itself is carved into a glacier and provides a perfect base from which to raid other lands for the supplies not provided by the frozen lands.

LIZARDMEN

Lizardmen are fierce creatures who thrive on vicious battle. The more developed of the race have special traits that make them even more fearsome in combat. The main clan of Lizardmen gather in Sssslander.

SSSSLANDER - The Lizardmen of Sssslander completely dominate the jungles of Avon.  The last Amazons were hunted down and killed many centuries ago leaving the Lizardmen unchallenged as lords of the jungle.

MINOTAURS

Minotaurs are clearly one of the most fearsome races to face on the field of battle.. Their culture revolving around the warriors ensures only the strongest survive. Standing 8 to 10 feet tall with a bull's head atop a human torso they intimidate any they meet in combat. Capturing and breeding slaves they also accumulate an enviable supply of resources.

MINTHON - The minotaurs of Minthon are prepared to send their armies beyond their astral realm to enslave all others.  With battles against the Chaos Minions stopped by the Portal Guardians, the opportunity to attack downwards has been very timely.

OGRES

Ogres are a brutal race of large humanoids. Although not known for their intelligence, they can produce a rare cunning that has brought the demise of many opponents. Their general lack of Intellect, combined with a powerful frame, far stronger than the average mans, makes this race a popular choice to be coerced into war by manipulative villains

RAH - The Ogres of Rah are ready to rush from their mountain lairs and to war.  The recent frustration of being thwarted by inhospitable terrain when marching on the Lizardmen and Sandpeople cities may be relieved through new lands being opened up for conquest.  

ORCS

These evil creatures are renowned for their ruthlessness and lack of compassion. The main Orcish kingdom is Stenchmar where the Orcs continually fight other races and amongst themselves.

STENCHMAR - The Orcs of Stenchmar control the strategic land bridge dividing the Great Lake.  Being just under the waterline in many places the city of Stenchmar provides a ford for armies crossing Avon..

SANDPEOPLE

The Sandpeople are a mysterious race of desert dwellers. Few know how they survive in such a barren environment or how their society functions. The only contact others seem to have is having caravans raided under the cover of sand storms. These people seem to appear and disappear into the sand itself. A large population of Sandpeople is said to exist in the Hasham Dunes..

HASHAM DUNES - The Sandpeople have built this trading town into a major desert city.  The town is under constant threat by the Ogres of Rah but the desert heat provides a natural defence against disorganised an poorly supplied ogre units.

UNDER DWARVES

Under Dwarves are stocky demi-humans who spend the majority of their time in the tunnels and caverns of the Underworld. They are masters of obtaining the grounds wealth, and mine in constant pursuit of the sacred metal Mithril. The main Under Dwarven kingdom is the Granite Stronghold.

GRANITE STRONGHOLD - The Granite Stronghold has held against thousands of years of Dark Elf attacks.  Its defensive structures are almost impenetrable but unknown to their enemies the water supply has been diverted by the quakes during "The Joining". The Under Dwarves will need to emerge from their fortress to secure supplies. 

WOOD ELVES

In ancient times, when the first marvellous elven cities were built, some elven clans could not bear the thought to leave their beloved forests. These Wood Elves, as other races call them, still build their homes in the tops of large, old tress which they guard fiercely. In battle, their graceful movements appear like a dance, and the deadly precision of their swordmasters has earned the respect of physically stronger races. But the elven armies are not the only reason why few enemies dared to intrude into their forests. There are rumours that all animals and trees will respond to the call of their guardians in times of need.

MOON WOODS - The Wood Elves guard this forest from all threats.  They occassionally have to attack the Highlanders who come down to log timber from the sacred trees.