The first game to reintroduce the Might & Magic universe to the public will be Heroes of Might and Magic V. Gamers will delve into a more mature, consistent fantasy universe that will appeal to fans of all fantasy genres. One of the most successful turn-based strategy franchises, the Heroes of Might and Magic series, with its distinctive touch of RPG, is a benchmark in the Heroic Fantasy genre, with considerable commercial and critical acclaim. The new game will benefit from the features and characteristics that established the success of the initial saga while offering a wealth of innovations such as a highly immersive scenario, a variety of appealing factions, modern 3D graphics, a revolutionary tactical combat system, and a story-based campaign mode.

INTRODUCTION

“We dance to the rhythm of the world”

• Aka: The Wood Elves
• Associated colors: green and brown
• Worship: Sylanna, the Dragon of Earth, Nature’s Great Mother
• Core philosophy: “Live and let live… in harmony”
• Country / kingdom: Irollan, the forest maze
• Capital city: Shataqua “New Green”
• Key symbols: tree leave, feather, “triskel” rune

Swift as the wind, graceful as the stream, strong as the waterfall, wise as the oak…at one with nature… Sylvans are graceful and patient souls who live in close harmony with the earth. Distrustful of machinery and cities, they keep to their ancient ways and ally with others only rarely. The Sylvan society is built around several people that all experience a symbiotic relationship, making the Sylvan realm a very united nation. Along with the elves (druids, hunters, warriors) live wild legendary beasts (Direwolves, Unicorns, Treants…), and Fairies (Sprites, Pixies…).

BRIEF HISTORY

The origins

• ASHA, the Primordial Dragon of Order creates the world by giving it shape and purpose.
• She then gives birth to the Elemental Dragons who are destined to guide and rule her creation.
• The mortal races are created as “servants of the Dragon Gods”, and placed upon the earth. Each chooses its gift and its patron.
• The quiet and meditative Elves choose SYLANNA, the Dragon of Earth.
• Elder Wars – The Angels launch a crusade on the Faceless. The destruction is terrible, and the elder races suffer tremendously. Early Elf civilizations and kingdoms are destroyed.
• The Primordial Dragons become myths and are slowly forgotten. Only the Elemental Dragons are worshipped.

The Modern Age

• 28-40 YSD: Wars of Fire: First great demon incursion. Until the Wars of Fire, little is known of the elves. It was them, however, who first summoned forth the other races to do battle against the demon armies, and many of the great generals of that war were elves. It is the elves who held the line against the last demon assault as the Seventh Dragon prepared his final spell, not that men remember this now.
• 50-260 YSD: The Years of Healing – creation of Irollan: Reconstruction from the Wars of Fire and relatively harmonious relations between the races. Great swaths of the elven forests were burned away by the demons, scarring the land and poisoning the waters. Once the fighting was over, the elves retreated to their wounded land and spent the Years of Healing restoring it, planting new groves, cleansing the waters, and expelling the slightest bit of demon taint from their lands. Thus was created the Elven kingdom of Irollan.
• 528 YSD: Tuidhana’s secession: His head turned by a band of flatterers, the third Elf king, Arniel decided that elvish power was too decentralized, and the method of choosing a High King too random. Instead, central power was needed to go with a hereditary monarchy. While many objected to this, only Tuidhana, Queen of a tiny realm which sat on the border with the Falcon Empire, chose to act and declared her independence.
• 540 YSD: War of the Bitter Ashes – birth of the Dark Elves: The Knights of the Holy Falcon Empire, for their part, saw an opportunity. They marched in force on Tuidhana’s borders. She appealed to Arniel for assistance, but her messengers were turned away from the High King’s court unheard. “She stands alone, let her fight alone,” was Arniel’s decree, and it was not until humans had nearly overrun all of Tuidhana’s realm before he finally acted. With Tuidhana sufficiently humbled (or so he thought), Arniel marched his forces to the border and engaged the Human armies in the so-called War of Ashes. Neither side paid much heed to the elves whose lands they fought over. Desperate to protect her people, Tuidhana turned to other allies. As her lands were burned and her subjects killed, she made a pact with one of the few surviving Faceless, rumoured to have long since been driven extinct. If she would turn herself and her people to the worship of Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness, then the Faceless would grant her the power she wanted. Tuidhana made the bargain, and the Dark Elves were thus created from the surviving elves of her kingdom. Both elves and humans were expelled from the contested terrain, and Tuidhana reaffirmed her independence. An uneasy peace settled between Elves and the Dark Elves.
• 566 YSD: Day of the Tears of Fire – death of Tuidhana: A massive fire burns down the Elven capital. The High King Arniel dies in the flames with most of his court. Brythigga, the Mother of Trees, sacred to the Elves, is also consumed by the fire, leaving a blackened scar on the earth where nothing would ever grow again. The loss is devastating. The Dark Elves are blamed and given an offer of exile or death by Arniel’s son, Vaniel. Most chose exile; the rest are hunted down and destroyed without mercy. Tuidhana remains with her lands and is killed. The place where Brythigga had stood was stricken from the maps, and to this day no elf will go there. Another Mother of Trees has been consecrated, hidden deep within the forests, but no Elf will speak of her to outsiders.
• 585 YSD: Discovery of Demon implication in the Day of the Tears of Fire: Dragon Knights bring evidence to the Elves that Brythigga’s criminal fire was set by a Demon spy. Emissaries are sent from the forest to the wandering Dark Elves, offering amnesty and inviting them to return home. The offer is refused.
• 756 YSD: Death of Vaniel : Vaniel is succeeded by king Alaron, whose eye is turned outward from the forest. Slowly, he re-establishes stronger contacts with the other races. Alaron provided aid to the Wizards of the Silver Cities in their wars against the Necromancers, and encouraged traders to come to the elven borders.
• 951 YSD: 5th Eclipse - War of the Gray Alliance: Alaron leads the Elven armies out of the forest to join the Haven Knights and the Wizards of the Silver-cities in the ill-fated Gray Alliance. The Demon horde is finally defeated, but at a terrible cost for the Alliance.

SYLVAN CREATURES

Pixie (upgrade: Sprite): The Pixies are the guardian spirits of the Kersyls, the giants trees that host the Sylvan cities. They live in their branches in a close symbiotic relationship. These creatures are not dedicated to war, but they will fiercely defend their home despite their relative weakness. With them on battlefield, the enemy will have to deal with swarms of winged creatures. Blade Dancer (upgrade: War Dancer): The Blade Dancers are the core of the Sylvan infantry. These elves have been trained since their early childhood in the secret martial art of their faction, which is essentially based on evasion and quick action rather than brute force. They wear no armor, and are therefore exposed to enemy strikes. Thanks to their superior initiative and speed, the blade dancers are an essential part of any offensive strategy. Hunter (upgrade: Master Hunter): In peace time, the Hunters supply the Sylvan communities, and they are respected as such. Wandering Irollan, they live in harmony with Nature and its unwritten laws. They will never kill a living being if without purpose. However in war time the hunters become deadly, fast, shooters. Druid (upgrade: Druid Elder): The druids are the priests of Sylanna, the primordial dragon of Earth, embodiment of Nature. As such they have access to the secrets kept within their caste. They may also be considered as the “wizards” of the Sylvan faction. Sylanna’s blessing allow them to master elemental spells and direct the wrath of nature upon their opponents, or fortify their own troops. However their basic magical attack is devastating as well. Unicorn (upgrade: Silver Unicorn): The Unicorns are spirits of nature, and as such they are sacred to the Sylvans who respect them as reincarnations of the Ancients. They are considered as a totem animal for the whole faction, and it is said that when the last Unicorn will die so will the Sylvan faction and all its people. Actually the Unicorns have indeed the ability to shield nearby troops on the battlefield from hostile spells.

Treant (upgrade: Ancient Treant): The Treants are the heavy infantry amongst the Sylvan troops. These huge, slow animated trees are the toughest creatures in Irollan. It is said that Treants breed from the proximity of elfs: they would access a superior state of consciousness thanks to the close relationship the elfs have developed with Nature. They are consequently faithful servants of the Sylvan cause.

Green Dragon (upgrade: Emerald Dragon): The Green Dragons are the incarnations of Sylanna, the Primodral Dragon of Earth. These huge creatures are powerfully linked to earth and are therefore protected against any fire-based attack. On top of that they are surrounded by a powerful vital aura that will deal damages to any attacking enemy unit.