Part 81: Appendix: Mercenary Heroes (Necropolis)

Appendix B - Mercenary Heroes (Necropolis)

Might Heroes (Ebon Knight)


Leila
Female
Shield to the Bloodless: +10 Defense to Vampires/Vampire Lords.
Blood

Biography: For a long time, many believed Leila was a man because of her hard features. The ebony-skinned girl was quite proficient with a blade, and soon found work as a sellsword in the Bull Duchy, ridden with so many intrigues and plots that even the smallest baron could not do without a bodyguard or two. During this time, her reputation grew steadily, and she was eventually hired by a traveling scholar, a Necromancer called Javed. She accompanied him in his quest to find the lost secrets of the Shantiri, and soon saw the obvious advantages of becoming an immortal vampire. More than satisfied with his hireling, Javed vouched for her introduction in the Spider Cult. Among her enemies, she is now known as the Black Widow.

We haven't seen Vampires yet at this point in the walkthrough (though anyone who's played the series shouldn't be surprised the Necropolis has them), but it's a good bonus for them.


Moander
Male
Handler: +1 to all Core creatures/week.
Blood

Biography: One would say Moander is a survivor – if he wasn’t technically dead. A respected and charismatic general in the Bull Duchy, he was bored by the countless political intrigues of peacetime. Maybe that’s why he let his guard down, allowing a rival to poison him with deadly Manticore venom. Discovering he would die in a matter of hours, Moander quickly devised a desperate plan to cheat death.
He managed to obtain a vial of Namtaru venom, the substance imbibed by Necromancers to become immortal Vampires, from the black market of Vradek’s Crossing, which he drank without thinking twice. The mixture of the two venoms had a devastating effect on his body, searing his skin and withering his flesh. Transformed into an Undead, he now looked like a raggedy corpse, a walking skeleton; at least, though, he was “alive”, and had his revenge on his murderer. Moander then fled the Empire to join the ranks of the Necromancers, where his skills as a general made him as popular as he was during his lifetime.


Scatha
Female
Blade Master: +10% damage to Hero attacks.
Blood

Biography: Scatha left the kingdom of Tuidhana at the age of twenty-four to study the way of the sword in the Seven Cities, at the invitation of the Mageblade Deras Ban, one of the greatest weapon-masters in Ashan. She was a brilliant student, and continued to be so until her queen was attacked by the Holy Falcon Empire. At this point, Deras Ban, extremely fond of his prized student, sent her into hiding in his native city, Al-Betyl, fearing that the High Mages of the Seven Cities would side with Emperor Liam, and that she would be imprisoned as a sign of their “good faith”.
While hiding in a luxurious cellar, Scatha became acquainted with the Cult of the Spider Goddess. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding her conversion, but she stands devout and trusted by both the Mother Namtaru and the Necromancer Sveltana.


Siham
Female
Lord of the Vacant: +2 to Liches and their upgrades/week.
Blood

Biography: Siham was a Wizard obsessed with spirits, which she captured and collected like trophies. She spent years of her life hunting Namtaru Fate Spinners in the southern deserts of Sahaar. This led her to a violent encounter with the Necromancer Aguirre. Aguirre stormed into Siham’s mansion to free the captive Namtarus, and blasted her into unconsciousness with a powerful mind spell.
When Siham awoke she could no longer see clearly, her vision partially blurred by a permanent imprint of the spirit world. Siham realized that the veil was actually a blessing, for she could now see Ghosts and spiritual creatures as clearly as though they were fully materialized. It also become clear to her that it was wrong to bind and torment the Fates, for they were beautiful treasures of Ashan with four legs in the real and four legs beyond. She thus rallied to the cause of Aguirre and the Cult of the Spider Goddess, and is now personally tending to the Mother Namtaru as an interpreter of her cryptic visions.


Sir Jaywoods
Male
Haste Master: Automatically starts with the Haste skill, and increases the effects by +1 Movement and +5 Initiative.
Tears

Biogaphy: Sir Jaywoods, formerly a knight of the Unicorn Duchy, will tell you that he chose to become a Vampire because there’s more life in a half-dozen ghosts than a hundred living, breathing townsfolk, which is quite possibly not far from the truth. Sir Jaywoods is obsessed with the future, a fascination that was sparked by his father’s passion for history. He wants to know who will rule Ashan in five hundred years, what the constant discoveries of arcane magic might bring, and whether there will always be space for chivalrous men such as himself. Becoming an immortal Vampire was one way to find out. He wagers that life will remain cruel and bloody whatever the age, but he’s happy to hunt Demons while he waits to find out for sure.

Sadly, Jaywoods doesn't appear in HoMMV, so who knows if he survived to view the events of that game?

Magic Heroes (Necromancers)


Javed
Male
Spirit Walker: +40 Mana.
Tears

Biography: Javed sought knowledge on the ancient Shantiri civilization in his efforts to recreate animated constructs, considered their most impressive works of magic. The necessity to build a servient army for the protection of the Seven Cities had become apparent since the revolt of the Orcs and the evasion of nearly all of their Beastman slaves. From the ruins of Irollan to the underground caverns of the Savage Sea, Javed traveled as much of Ashan as the famous explorer Aguirre, whom he met one sunny afternoon for mint tea in a tavern in the Free City of Hammer Fall.
Aguirre and Javed, both impassioned by their individual quests, became friends and it is said that they were perhaps the only friend either one of them truly ever made. After a long and heated debate, Javed saw the potential for protecting the Seven Cities with the creation of Undead armies.
Though not as religiously dedicated as Aguirre, he quickly mastered the power to animate Skeletons and Ghouls, and is considered the expert in this domain by the cultists of the Spider Goddess. It is said that upon Aguirre’s destruction, his ghost paid Javed a final visit, promising to meet him again in the next life.


Luna
Female
Regeneration Master: Automatically starts with the Regeneration spell, and gains a +10% effect when using it.
Tears

Biography: Luna was born in the forests of Irollan during a full moon, and it is said that the baby seemed to stare at the moon with her eyes wide open, prompting her parents to name her in honor of the celestial body. Some say her unusual destiny was written that night because of her very name. Naturally attuned to the mystical forces inhabitating the world, Luna was trained to become a Druid, but the young Elf could not find Harmony; to the other Druids, she seemed restless, unpredictable, unreliable. She finally found peace in the most unexpected way: by drinking the venom of the Mother Namtaru and embracing Undeath. Reborn as a Vampire, Luna is definitely a defender of Harmony – though her understanding of the term is very different from what she was taught as a Druid. For Luna, Harmony comes from the silence of Death.


Qamar
Male
Ghoul Rouser: Ghouls and their upgrades gain +2 Movement.
Blood

Biography: Qamar was recruited into the Cult of the Spider Goddess by the powerful Death Lord Haffayad, the day Qamar’s young bride died. The beautiful girl was also Haffayad’s sister. She was murdered by a jealous Wizard. Haffayad was able to revive his sister before Qamar’s startled, incredulous eyes, but she pleaded to Qamar to be allowed to pass on. She was pregnant, and the soul of their child would be trapped in her body for eternity.
Deeply saddened by this tragic turn of events, Qamar swore to Haffayad that he would not rest until he found the reincarnation of the woman so dear to both of their hearts, even should it take forever to do so. Haffayad became close to his brother-in-law and made certain that he received the best necromantic education. Qamar is now considered one of the most determined Necromancers ever to walk the face of Ashan. The Wizard who murdered his wife is now said to serve him as a loyal Ghoul.


Saahir
Male
Slow Master: Automatically starts with the Slow skill, and increases the effects by +1 Movement and +5 Initiative.
Tears

Biography: Biography: The Wizard Saahir is the younger brother of the notorious Emir turned Demon-worshipper, Malik. Saahir was good-natured but had always been more interested by his own research of the arcane lore, so when he discovered his brother’s corruption, he felt responsible for not having seen it coming. He confronted Malik, hoping to bring him back to reason, but his brother was too far gone and did not hesitate stabbing him in the back, leaving him to rot in the burning desert. Saahir miraculously survived the ordeal, but he was changed forever. Now inhabited by a grim resolve, he joined the Spider Cult to become a champion of Order againt his brother’s Chaos.


Zenda
Female
Master of Darkness: Increases the effectiveness of Magic (Dark) by 6%.
Tears

Biography: Zenda was the first child born to Wizards who were fervent believers in the Spider Goddess. A great deal of “dark” hopes were placed on her shoulders in her early years. The High Necromancer Miranda herself was chosen as her godmother, and she was given a permanent retinue of sworn Vampire Knights for protection.
During her first encounter with the Mother Namtaru – a baptism ceremony where her feet were washed in sacred venom and the education of her soul pledged to the sect – the Avatar of Asha put everyone at ease: “The child’s fate belongs to no one. The Choice of Life or Unlife she will make when the Moon bathes in blood and a sword steals her heart.”
Zenda was returned to Al-Betyl where she received a Wizard’s education and religious indoctrination from her parents. The ominous prediction from the Mother Namtaru has been nearly forgotten by many, though her parents and other important members of the Cult have sought for years to divine its meaning. Zenda herself continues to live a happy life and, though she is extremely competent in necromancy, she has yet to decide whether she will make the transition into the body of an Unliving.