Developed by Spellborn International, The Chronicles of Spellborn will introduce gameplay that challenges MMO gaming conventions. No longer will back stories be irrelevant, players will move back and forth in time to experience the storyline. The Spellborn team has thrown out the old "auto lock" MMO attack system. Players will actively maneuver and aim in combat while they manipulate a "skill deck" that allows them to string together hundreds of different possible attack combinations. Also, armour and weapons do NOT affect combat so players can dress exactly how they like from the very start. Finally, the successes and failures of every player from the lowest to the highest levels will determine the fate of their House and the rest of the world.

With The Chronicles of Spellborn players enter into an impressive online scenario with scenic landscapes, majestic cities and the remnants of an ancient civilization. Alone or with a party of allies, PC adventurers step into a huge fantasy realm consisting of varied shard worlds floating in the magic Deadspell Storm. Those who want to prevail in the grippingly staged combats of The Chronicles of Spellborn need to apply their mighty arsenal of spells, melee and ranged attacks skillfully. Battles with bloodthirsty creatures, hostile peoples and human opponents in PvP battles are waiting. An innovative and tactically challenging combat system with shooter-like controls and rotating skill deck provides a fresh breath of air for the dusty MMORPG genre. Thanks to the largely extended Unreal Engine 2.5, The Chronicles of Spellborn boasts stunning 3D graphics, spectacular effects and countless elaborate details.

The background story and lore of The Chronicles of Spellborn are unique and harbour many plot twists and elaborate schemes. What players take for granted, might very well be a grand deception and what they see, might have been planned long before they became a witness.

Yet, this is just one of the many layers of The Chronicles of Spellborn’s world, for players will also fight against two Hostile Factions known as the Arionites and the Ousted. Both share the same goal: the complete eradication of the Enclave and its citizens.

The two bands of renegades do not cooperate with each other, but instead strive to take revenge on the establishment no matter what it costs. One of the factions has been holding a grudge against the Enclave for over 400 years!

The reasons for such hatred are explained in two new articles released today by the game’s developer, Spellborn. They will shed light on the intricate lore of both factions, being strongly opposed to the power of the Enclave of the Five Sacrifices.

The Ousted

In every society there are those that do fit in. They either oppose the current ruling government or are simply too lazy and incompetent to be of any use to the greater cause. Whenever the Enclave feels such a person is in their midst, they ‘remove’ said person sometimes together with its entire family, by virtue of something called the Law of Ousting. As a result the Enclave creates yet another fine addition to a group called The Ousted.

The Ousted consist of drifters, refugees and former Enclave citizens and although they may look like a rag tag bunch of scrawny looking individuals trying to get by, their common predicament binds them together closely. Both humans and daevi Ousted live together outside of Enclave controlled territory. Sometimes on man made structures floating in the Deadspell Storm called Raftyards; rocks and rubble tied together using anything they can get their hands on.

Within the Ousted, pirating, thieving and other illegitimate means of gaining wealth are a fact of everyday life and as such some individuals have made quite a name for themselves. Those are the kind of Ousted an adventurer should be weary of; greedy and bereft of all morals, these individuals have nothing to lose.

The Arionites

How long can you hold a grudge? If you are one of the Arionites, it could well be more than 400 years! The Arionites are a well organized group consisting exclusively out of humans that are all direct descendants of the warriors that joined Aryones Ithkari. Ithkari was sent to Carnyx with a band of warriors to rid the Encalve of the Vhuul threat. Instead Ithkari failed to do so and was captured and brainwashed by the Vhuul. In this state he committed atrocities the likes the Enclave had never witnessed by single-handedly killing all the warriors under his command.

It was after his crimes against the Enclave that Aryones became known as Shadow’s Hammer. When the Enclave found out what had transpired on Carnyx, they sent out a delegation of warriors to reason with him. But things did not go as the Enclave had thought they would, for when the delegation arrived it was instead completely corrupted and sided with Shadow’s Hammer’s cause. This event is recorded in history as the birth of the Arionites.

It was after Shadow’s Hammer was caught and executed, that the Enclave found out what the Arionites were capable of. The death of their leader, in their eyes unjustly executed by the Enclave, caused the Arionites to retaliate with a fervent hate the Enclave had not thought possible. Over the years, Arionite spies had infiltrated the other High Houses of the Enclave and by doing so gained a foothold into the ruling of the Enclave. These spies created an uprising within the Enclave and although it was suppressed and they were eventually rooted out, it is not sure all were caught.

To this very day, the Arionites will not rest until the death of Aryones Ithkari is avenged. The only way they see vengeance will be utterly dealt is by the complete destruction of the entire Enclave.

What differentiates ‘The Chronicles of Spellborn’ from other MMORPG?

• Dress to impress: From day 1 you will be able to look cool by choosing and changing clothes, armors, weapons, skills.
• Influencing the world with your actions: This ranges from lifelike statues of your character in Quarterstone to unlocking and owning new parts of the worlds through questing, politics and conquest.
• ‘Join and play’, you don’t have to walk whole marathons before the fun starts.
• ‘The Chronicles of Spellborn’ combat system based on skill decks. You will be able to create your own individual fighting style.

As with all of Acclaim’s games, Spellborn will be free to download and play once players have registered for an account. But those players who want to access advanced features and unlock extra game content will have the option to purchase a premium service that will offer several payment options.

The German, English and French versions of The Chronicles of Spellborn are scheduled for release on November 27th, 2008 in Europe, and North America (through Acclaim)