Part 76: Appendix: Dynasty Weapons, Part One
Appendix A - Dynasty Weapons, Part OneThe Conflux is a pretty big part of HoMM VI. You have to connect with it over the internet, and it lets you earn achievements (which are worth points for you to buy things), and more importantly, it allows you to collect Dynasty Weapons.
Dynasty Weapons can be found throughout the campaigns. They are the only items that can go in a Hero's weapon slot, and they accumulate EXP as your Hero does (so battle, quests, etc.). They can keep gaining EXP even after your Hero reaches the level cap, so you can keep fighting enemies for them even after you've done so for a map. A weapon is shared amount all heroes, so if, say, you level the Sword of the Wolf to level 2 in the Stronghold campaign, then you go over to the Haven campaign, you can use the Sword of the Wolf at level 2 and continue building exp from there.
Each Dynasty Weapon is either Might or Magic, and can only be used by Heroes of that alignment. (So Irina wouldn't be able to use the Sword of the Wolf unless she's a Might Hero, for instance). Each Dynasty Weapon starts off at level 1, and gains exp to level at the following levels:
Level 2 - 100'000 xp
Level 3 - 300'000 xp
Level 4 - 600'000 xp
Level 5 - 1'000'000 xp
That is a lot of experience needed. Assuming you don't fight extra battles after you hit the level cap for each map, you need about 2-3 full campaigns to get one weapon to level 5. With each level the Weapon gets bonuses or abilities in addition to whatever ones it had already.
Here are all the Dynasty Weapons we could have collected to this point. Like so many other things in this game, they have their own little lore blurb. If a Weapon has an ability that can be used in battle (rather than a passive one that's always there), it will have a number of charges that can be used each battle. I play the LP without the use of any of the weapons.
Sword of the Griffin
Might
Acquisition: Complete Tutorial Campaign Map One
Level 1: +3 Leadership
Level 2: Griffin's Heart - All friendly creatres are immune to negative Morale effects.
Level 3: +5 Destiny
Level 4: Griffin's Roar - Decreases enemy stacks' Morale by 5.
Level 5: Griffin's Fury - Target friendly stack gets Unlimited Retaliation for the rest of the combat. Usable once per battle.
Description posted:
At the end of the Ancient Age, the Angels of Elrath were in a dire predicament: their numbers had been declining for centuries because of their courageous but often deadly exploits during the wars with the demons and their low rate of reproduction. They were facing the end of their race, and consequently, an end to the worship of their Father, Elrath. The Archangel Sarah searched the broken peoples of Ashan and learned of Human clans that roamed the land waiting for a sign from their patron, Ylath the Dragon-God of Air. Lost in the religious upheaval that had followed Sar-Elam’s ascension to Dragonhood, it was among these scattered and disillusioned peoples that Sarah found the young boy Brian, heir to a clan dwelling in the woodlands of Falcon. These clans were civilized but extremely unruly, full of character and courage. The Angels helped Brian unite them into a single nation dedicated to Elrath. Sarah then asked the Angel’s greatest Weapon Smiths to forge a set of beautiful swords. Each of the seven swords would represent a virtue of Elrath, and be offered to the leaders of the new nation: the Emperor himself and his six Dukes. The Blade of Revelation was given to the free spirited clan of Griffins in an effort to channel their audacity and courage to a higher calling.
Sword of the Wolf
Might
Acquisition: Defeat Markus in Stronghold Map One
Level 1: Wolf's Heart - Friendly creatures are immune to Mind spells and abilities.
Level 2: +3 Might Power
Level 3: Wolf's Jaws - Neither side may retreat. Usable once per battle.
Level 4: +10 Initiative
Level 5: Wolf's Spirit - Increases Hero's Might power by 1 each round. Stacks unlimited times. Resets at the start of each battle.
Description posted:
At the end of the Ancient Age, the Angels of Elrath were in a dire predicament: their numbers had been declining for centuries because of their courageous but often deadly exploits during the wars with the demons and their low rate of reproduction. They were facing the end of their race, and consequently, an end to the worship of their Father, Elrath. The Archangel Sarah searched the broken peoples of Ashan and learned of Human clans that roamed the land waiting for a sign from their patron, Ylath the Dragon-God of Air. Lost in the religious upheaval that had followed Sar-Elam’s ascension to Dragonhood, it was among these scattered and disillusioned peoples that Sarah found the young boy Brian, heir to a clan dwelling in the woodlands of Falcon. These clans were civilized but extremely unruly, full of character and courage. The Angels helped Brian unite them into a single nation dedicated to Elrath. Sarah then asked the Angel’s greatest Weapon Smiths to forge a set of beautiful swords. Each of the seven swords would represent a virtue of Elrath, and be offered to the leaders of the new nation: the Emperor himself and his six Dukes. The Blade of Justice has been wielded by the Dukes of the Wolf Duchy for hundreds of years. Sarah was able to transform the pack and hunting values originally associated with their totem animal and elevate them to the Elrathian value of Justice. The ruthless Wolf are both bounty-hunters and executioners of the Emperor’s justice.
Staff of the Tides
Magic
Acquisition: Defeat a group of Fire Elementals (Tears) or Water Elementals (Blood) on Sanctuary Map 1
Level 1: Water Affinity - Reduces cost of Water spells by 10% and gain Magic Power when casting them by 5.
Level 2: +30 Mana
Level 3: Call of the Depths - Create a tidal wave that hits all enemies on the battlefield, dealing 230 Water damage and pushing small stacks back by 2 tiles. Usable once per battle.
Level 4: +5 Magic Defense
Level 5: Ice Barrier - All friendly stacks gain an Ice Barrier at the start of each battle that absorbs a certain amount of damage and Chills enemies striking them in melee, reducing Movement by 1 and increasing damage from Fire attacks by 20%. Ice Barrier lasts a maximum of 4 rounds.
Description posted:
As Asha herself, all the Dragon-Gods have several aspects. Shalassa is no exception: she can be the benevolent sea, the source of life… but she can also be the furious waves of destruction. This second aspect of Shalassa, the Wrecker, is considered to be a heresy in the Naga Empire and its worship is thereby forbidden. However, it happens that some Pearl Priestesses hear the dark call of the Wrecker coming from the depths of the ocean and are tempted to become its servant. When their heresy is discovered, those renegade Pearl Priestesses are banished from the Naga lands. They become known as Medusae, dangerous creatures living in remote islands and sunken ruins. While Medusae are known to be solitary, they occasionally join pirate crews, or unite to form small sects dedicated to the Wrecker. They can then join their powers to summon tsunamis and tempests to destroy merchant ships and even small coastal villages. The Staff of the Tides once belonged to the headmistress of such a cult. The famous bounty-hunter Hamato was hired to find and destroy the cult and beheaded the Medusa leader, claiming the staff as a trophy along with her head.
Iron Feather
Might
Acquisition: Return the Griffin eggs in Haven Map 1
Level 1: +3 Might Defense
Level 2: Shining Feathers - Positive effects on friendly creatures cannot be dispelled.
Level 3: +5 Might Power
Level 4: Iron Feather - Friendly flying creatures gain +20% to Might Defense.
Level 5: Burning Light - Whenever target enemy stack attacks, it takes 30% of the damage it deals as Light damage. Lasts 3 rounds. Usable once per battle.
Description posted:
Shortly before his death, the free-spirited Duke Ishtvan of Griffin became increasingly defiant towards the Angels. When they offered him a sword – the Blade of Revelation, more commonly known as the Sword of the Griffin – he hung it on his trophy wall and refused to touch it again. Instead, he asked the best blacksmiths of the Duchy to fashion him a new sword. The Iron Feather is the very symbol of the duality of the Griffin Duchy. The blade itself was forged in a shrine dedicated to Ylath, the Dragon-God of Air, while the hilt was crafted in the name of Elrath, the Dragon of Light. The result is an incredibly light sword despite its impressive size. Ishtvan never wielded the sword in battle as he was murdered shortly after it was completed. Since his heirs were more respectful of imperial authority and preferred to use the Sword of the Griffin, Iron Feather was given instead to the cadet children of the family. Even if the blade has served the Empire without fault through the centuries, it remains a symbol of Griffin defiance.
Soul Drinker
Might
Acquisition: Defeat Tor-Berith or force him to flee for the first time in Inferno Map 1
Level 1: +3 Magic Power
Level 2: Lifeforce - Increases maximum health of all friendly creatures by 3%.
Level 3: +5 Destiny
Level 4: Life Drain - Deals (400+Hero's Level) Dark damage to target enemy stack and heals all friendly creatures by the same amount. Usable once per battle.
Level 5: Improved Life Drain - Life Drain now restores Hero's Mana by 10% of maximum.
Description posted:
There have been several blades to bear the name Souldrinker during the history of Ashan – all of them are considered dark omens of death and destruction. In a world where reincarnation is a reality, the promise of a soul trapped forever in the cold steel of a blade is a terrible curse indeed. This particular blade, chaotic in nature, was created from the scythe of an Arch Demon killed in battle, back when these terrible champions of Urgash led his armies. The blade has the power to capture any soul, even a demon’s. It became a prize for ambitious demon lords, and more often than not, their doom, as someone would always find a way to use the power of the blade against its wielder. Fortunately its effect wasn’t permanent in Sheogh, where nothing is predictable. Eventually the soul would be released – reborn as a lowly imp. After a while, the demons themselves became scared of the blade and found it far too dangerous. Only the masochistic demons serving the Demon Overlord of Pain continue to use this double-edged sword.
Soulreaver Staff
Magic
Acquisition: Defeat some Champion creatures guarding it NW of the first Haven town in Necropolis Map 1
Level 1: Dark Affinity - Decreases cost of Darkness spells by 10% and increases Magic Power when casting them by 5.
Level 2: +5 Initiative
Level 3: Mana Drain - Whenever an enemy Hero casts a spell, your Hero gains 20% of that spell's Mana cost.
Level 4: +5 Magic Power
Level 5: Time Trap - Creates a trap on the battlefield. The first enemy stack to cross over it is afflicted by Time Stasis for 2 turns, and is unable to act or retaliate. Damage will not dispell the effect. Usable once per battle.
Description posted:
Feared by most, the Soulreaver staff is considered an object of extreme beauty by the Necromancers. The pole is made of Shadowsteel, while the head is carved in the antlers of an elusive Onyx Stag, a creature believed to live both in the material and the spirit world. According to legend, the creator of this staff was one of the first Vampires. He once loved a woman so much that he was unable to forget her long after she’d died. Not even the Namtaru venom could make him forget his lost love. Every night her ghost would haunt him, but it was not a ghost he could banish or hope to control, for she existed only in his mind. Desperate to see her again, the Vampire created the staff to travel back in time to before her death. He could not touch her, but he could see her, and as painful as it was, it was enough for him. As time went by, the Vampire spent more and more time lost in the past, and since he had stopped drinking blood, the Namtaru venom started to dissolve him from the inside. As his body was destroyed, the soul of the Vampire was drawn into the staff, where it remains to this day, mourning days long gone.
Arachne
Might
Acquisition: Find in the subterranean tunnel leading to the final Haven town in Necropolis Map 1
Level 1: +3 Might Power
Level 2: Slow - Decreases enemy stacks' Initiative by 5.
Level 3: Sadness - Decreases enemy stacks' Morale by 5.
Level 4: Drain Life - All friendly stacks drain 15%* of damage dealt to restore their own life. This stacks with any other forms of Drain Life.
Level 5: Spider's Web - All enemy stacks in target 3x3 area have their Movement reduced by 2. Lasts for 2 turns. Usable once per battle.
*Arachne was infamously bugged before patch 1.5. Drain Life would have its healing effect increased vastly by the number of troops in the stack, leading to stacks draining easily thousands% of damage dealt as life. This led to very easy maps against non-Undead enemies. It's been fixed back to 15%, but is still a great ability.
Description posted:
The famous Necromancer Aguirre had been interested in the mysterious Namtarus for a long time. After locating a dozen of them in a large cavern near the city of Nar-Ishkun, he observed as the silent, spider-like creatures started building their nest. He soon realized that what he had believed to be a mere giant web was in fact something infinitely more complex and fascinating. The Namtarus were actually building some sort of sundial complete with a long style made of chitin and moonsilk. Except, of course, it was not the sun that was casting the shadows on the dial, but the dark energy produced by the Namtarus themselves. What this organic clock was measuring was unknown to Aguirre, but he started to suspect the Namtarus were a sort of hive-mind – which meant there was probably a “queen” somewhere. This was the first event that began his life-long obsession with the mythical Mother Namtaru. Unfortunately, the sundial was eventually destroyed when a rival wizard found the cave of the Namtarus and led a troop of mageswords to exterminate the abominations. The only thing Aguirre could salvage was the style, which later became used as a sword by the Necromancers.