Part 77: Appendix: Dynasty Weapons, Part Two
Appendix A - Dynasty Weapons, Part Two
Sword of Whistlebone
Might
Acquisition: Side with the Rebels in Stronghold Campaign Map Two (Tears)
Level 1: Father Sky's Wrath - Hero attacks target stack for standard damage, and deals an additional 600 Air damage to that stack and all enemy stacks around it. Usable once per battle.
Level 2: +3 Magic Defense
Level 3: Mother Earth - Enemy non-flyer stacks have -1 Movement.
Level 4: +5 Might Power
Level 5: Slowing Winds - Enemy stacks have -10 Initiative.
Description posted:
Many dangerous creatures can be found in the savage Pao Islands. Arguably the most dangerous is the monstrous Pao Kai, a cousin to the Wyvern of the northern steppes. Blind but displaying a fierce and vicious cunning, the merciless Pao Kai is feared by even the toughest Orc tribes. In 461 YSD, the population of Pao Kais in the islands was becoming a real threat for the coastal Free Cities. That’s when the Whistlebone family arrived from Stormcliff and proposed to hunt and exterminate the creatures. But the monsters remained a threat, despite the efforts of four generations of Whistlebones. When Hardy Whistlebone, the last of the Whistlebone line due to an unfortunate fishing accident involving his tackle, was growing old and the Pao Kais were still too numerous, he had the idea of selecting young Orcs, newly arrived in the islands, and training them in the art of the hunt. The results wildly exceeded his expectations. At last the Pao Kais were nearly extinct, the surviving ones either hiding in remote islands or fleeing to the north. The last Pao Kai seen in the Pao Islands was slain by Whistlebone himself, who received a fatal wound during the battle. A great ceremony was held in his honor by the Orcs and warriors from all over the Pao Islands. The Orcs he had trained became known as the Whistlebone tribe, and carried the legacy of their mentor by fearlessly hunting monsters, wielding the sword created with the jaw of the last Pao Kai he killed.
Pao Kais appear in HoMM V as a Stronghold creature.
Thunder Staff
Magic
Acquisition: Side with Red Jaguars in Stronghold Campaign Map Two (Blood)
Level 1: Air Affinity - Reduces cost of Air spells by 10% and gain Magic Power when casting them by 5.
Level 2: +3 Might Power
Level 3: Grounded - All enemy flyer stacks are grounded at the start of battle, preventing them from flying over obstacles for 2 turns.
Level 4: +5 Might Power
Level 5: Lightning Rod: The strongest enemy stack is dealt Air Damage every turn for 3 turns. Stack is also afflicted with Dazed. Usable once per battle. Damage is increased with Blood repuation.
Description posted:
Orcs of the Pao Islands speak of a powerful spirit they call the Thunderbird, an avatar of Father Sky. According to them, the Thunderbird dwells only on lonely stone peaks, eternally surrounded by stormclouds. As part of her vision quest, the Shamaness Whaitiri once sought the nest of the legendary bird. Armed only with a paddle to navigate her small boat, she ventured into the neverending storm. She found the lonely rock peak and started to climb. After three days she reached the top. The Thunderbird was there, majestic, yet furious to have been disturbed. It flapped its great wings and the thunderstorm became twice as violent. Whaitiri planted her paddle in the rock, closed her eyes, and chanted a prayer to Mother Earth. The bird shrieked, ranted and raved, but every bolt of lightning fell on the paddle, sparing the Shamaness. At last the Thunderbird plunged on the young Orc, intending to shred her to pieces with his mighty beak. He never managed to land a single blow, his pecks and slashes absorbed by the paddle. When Whaitiri opened her eyes, she discovered she could no longer see. Such was the price requested by Mother Earth for taming the Thunderbird.
Thunderbirds appear in HoMM III and IV as a Stronghold creature, and in a HoMM VI DLC.
Malathua's Cleaver
Might
Acquisition: Complete Stronghold Campaign Map Two
Level 1: +3 Might Defense
Level 2: Iron Will - All friendly creatures are immune to negative effects reducing Might Damage or Might Defense.
Level 3: +5 Might Power
Level 4: Wrath of the Orcs - Target friendly stack strikes an additional time for two turns. Usable once per battle.
Level 5: Improved Wrath of the Orcs – Wrath of the Orcs also grants unlimited retaliation to its target for two turns.
Description posted:
The Orcs were created in 330 YSD to fight the demon invasion. Yet, despite their help, they were enslaved by the Wizards. In 467 YSD, the Orcs decided they had had enough. In Shahibdiya, the great chieftain Malathua started the revolt. Malathua declared that henceforth, the orcs would have nothing to do with the dragons. They would neither worship nor serve. Malathua led a group of rebels inside the Wizards’ laboratories, and found cells containing aberrations – failed specimens still being used for cruel experiments by the Wizards. Enraged by the discovery, Malathua freed his “brothers” and unleashed them in the city, adding a whole new degree of horror to the revolt. This terrible night still haunts the Wizards, earning Shahibdiya her nickname – “the city where magic never sleeps”. By dawn, The Wizards and their elite Mageswords had regained control of the city and exterminated the insurgents. Malathua himself died, still grasping his bloody cleaver in his hand. But his death wasn’t in vain – many Orcs escaped to the wilderness, and soon the revolt would spread to the rest of the Seven Cities. Years later, Malathua’s son, Kunyak, would continue the fight for freedom.
Silksword of the Kirin
Might
Acquisition: Recruit the Kirin in Sanctuary Campaign Map Two
Level 1: Friendly creatures gain +5 Initiative.
Level 2: Chilling Strike - Hero's attacks inflict the Chilled effect.
Level 3: +5 Destiny
Level 4: Wish of Kirin - Friendly creatures gain +1 Movement.
Level 5: Mystic Wave - Casts 'Teleport' for no cost. Usable once per battle.
Description posted:
The Hoshino clan is named after its legendary founder, Daimyo Hoshino. On the third day after the birth of his son, the newborn grew ill. As the boy’s condition grew worse, the Priestesses of Shalassa told the Daimyo his son would not survive the night. Only one hope remained: to take the child to the island of the Spring Spirits before dawn broke. The only way this would be possible was if the fabled Kirin, the fastest creature in the Empire, was called upon. The Daimyo knew the price: whoever rode the Kirin had to die. Still, the Daimyo didn’t hesitate. With the newborn strapped to his chest, Hoshino accepted the deal. In a matter of hours, the creature crossed the seas that separated the Daimyo from the Island of Spring. As the first of the sun’s rays grazed the seas, Hoshino laid his son before the Spring Spirits. With great skill the Spirits brought the Daimyo’s son back from the cusp of death. Afterwards, as the Daimyo’s last day passed, he held the child against his heart in order to savor their last moments together. When the sun finally dipped beneath the waves, the Daimyo presented himself to the Kirin, and was instantly dissolved into water. Only his silksword remained, tempered by this great act of courage and selflessness. It is considered a great honor to use the blade, though it is called upon only in times of great trouble.
Heartrending Song
Magic
Acquisition: Located east of the final Alliance of Temperance town in Haven Campaign Map Two, guarded by Seraphs
Level 1: Light Affinity - Reduces cost of Light spells by 10% and gain Magic Power when casting them by 5.
Level 2: +3 Leadership
Level 3: Sephiel's Voice - Heals all friendly creatures in target 5x5 area. Healing effect is increased with Tears reputation.
Level 4: +5 Might Power
Level 5: Improved Sephiel's Voice - Sephiel's Voice now also charms enemy stacks in target area, forcing them to skip their next turn. Effect is dispelled if attacked, allowing retaliation.
Description posted:
During the Ancient Age, the Elder Wars saw the Angels launch a merciless crusade against the Faceless. The war devastated the surface of Ashan. One Angel, Sephiel, glorified his name over the course of numerous battles. His exceptional voice carried far beyond the horizon. His songs galvanized the hearts of warriors and soothed the souls of the dying. Like many of the Angels, Sephiel grew addicted to the murderous euphoria of the crusades. At the start, his voice was an instrument of healing. As the years went by, it became lower, and its resonance an awesome instrument of destruction. Walls and armor shattered at the sound of his voice. Sephiel died during a battle when his voice pulverized his own heart. His voice survived his death and journeyed, for a while, in the form of a wandering spirit that haunted the sites of ancient battles. The melodious spirit attracted the attention of the Silent Sisters centuries later. Only they were able to approach and appease it, binding it to the staff now known as the Heartrending Song.
The Oblivion
Magic
Acquisition: 30 Uplay Points
Level 1: Friendly creatures gain +5 Initiative.
Level 2: Oblivion: Target enemy stack can't use activated abilities for 3 turns. Usable once per battle.
Level 3: +5 Magic Power
Level 4: The Oblivion: Daze - Hero's harmful spells inflict the Dazed status effect.
Level 5: Time is Short: Enemy Hero's spells that inflict debuffs have the debuff durations shortened by 1 turn, to a minimum of 1 turn.
Description posted:
The Blind Brothers, an order of lorekeepers, seers and augurs, were founded by Sar-Antor, disciple of Sar-Elam in 62 YSD. A century and a half later, a congregation of Blind Brothers led a pilgrimage along the path of Sighing, the expanse where Asha replenished the land with her magical breath at the dawn of the Mythic Age. United by the same hope of finding and protecting the Tears of Asha, scattered along the path, the congregation created a powerful staff called Oblivion. This artifact, resembling an hourglass, was capable of masking their pilgrimage from the eyes of their enemies.
Sadly, the artifact had a flaw, and greedy wizards from the Seven Cities got wind of their pilgrimage and found their tracks. Blinded by the desire to acquire the powerful Tears of Asha, the mages tortured and killed the devout pilgrims in their thirst for clues to the precious treasures. Only one of the pilgrims survived. Final guardian of the imperfect magic item, he replaced the sand in the hourglass with ashes from a funeral pyre of his massacred brothers, making it much more powerful. The aura cast through the martyred cinders gives the holder the power of “Forget”, affecting both time and memory. The hourglass that contains the ashes canalizes the essence of “those forgotten” and emanates an invisible barrier around the holder that prevents all intrusions. Divinations and auguries slide harmlessly off of the surface of this invisible shield.
Will of Urgash
Magic
Acquisition: Purchasable in the Conflux shop after reaching Silver Rank (3'325'000 experience points)
Level 1: Fire Affinity - Reduces cost of Fire spells by 10% and gain Magic Power when casting them by 5.
Level 2: +3 Destiny
Level 3: Burning Fire - Fire damage dealt by the Hero cannot be healed.
Level 4: +5 Magic Power
Level 5: Firestorm - Deals Fire damage to all creatures in target 5x5 area and inflicts the Dazed status. Usable once per battle. Fire damage is increased with Blood reputation.
Description posted:
In 330 YSD, during the First Eclipse, demon portals opened in the heart of the forests of Irollan. The Lords of Sheogh invaded the lands of the Elves, burning every tree, plant, and blade of grass. The devastation of the War of the Blood Moon was sickening. The Elves called their neighbours, the Dwarves of Grimheim, for help. But even the powerful Runepriests of Arkath couldn’t tame the chaotic fire. After the people of Ashan claimed victory, thanks to the timely creation of the Orcs, the Elves tried to heal the forest. But there was one clearing where the blessings of Sylanna would have no effect. As the forest was reborn around it, this perfect circle remained scorched and burned, marked by the will of Urgash, the Dragon of Chaos. Only the efforts of the druids prevented this corruption from expanding further. One druid finally understood what to do to free the land from this taint. The druid brought a single branch from Brythigga, the Mother of All Trees, and planted it in the middle of the clearing. Then like venom sucked out of a wound, the nefarious influence of Urgash started to retreat into the staff, blistering its wood and twisting its shape. When the druid’s ritual was over, the clearing was green again, while the staff had become a symbol of Urgash, the dragon eating its own tongue. The druid then took the staff and departed the forest to make sure its powers would not threaten Irollan, never to be seen again.