Part 18: Battle to Myrgard Recap

Previously on Myth III



On the way to Myrgard, a lot of Ghôls blew up.

So dwarves are kind of random. You never know when you're going to get your next dud cocktail throw, and sometimes one dud can mean the difference between flawless victory and embarrassing defeat. Dwarves are such a huge game changer I suppose it would be unfair if they always connected with their throws. And of course dwarf-initiated failure is really what makes Myth great. No seriously, the moment when you realize that dwarf is throwing that cocktail into the center of your units to kill that one low health Thrall is the greatest feeling you can ever get out of playing Myth, even though its something to be avoided.

The level itself is sort of weak in my opinion. It's really only here to introduce you to Ghôls, dwarves and the technique of laying satchel traps. This introduction was completely needed to make the next level awesome, so I can cut the developers some slack. Except on one thing - what's the Godhead doing here? The Ghôls roll the Godhead around with them in their journeys, and ends up outside occupied Myrgard in Myth 1. But the Ghôls captured Myrgard at the same time Balor destroyed Muirthemne, which is going to be about 950 years from the events of Battle to Myrgard. While the fate of Myrgard is yet to be determined during the transition to the Wolf age, having the Godhead here just doesn't make sense. Well I'll tell you why the Godhead is here - it's cool and someone wanted to have it in the game somewhere.

Screenshots:













The game film. You know what to do with it by now, if you're one of those weirdos who are actually downloading and using the game film. One of you weirdos do exist, right?

We blew up a good number of Ghôls, but I'm still a little bit miffed at the loss of the Heron Guard and the dwarf. Usually the mission goes completely tits up, or everything runs flawlessly with no casualties. Such is the way of dwarves, sometimes they're more of a boon to the enemy then they are to you. With a new tier added, the death image is starting to run away from me. I hope none of you are using small monitors…






YouTube

Have I said yet that dwarves are random and are friendly fire machines? Every single place that I could have screwed up in the level, I did in fact screw up at some point in one of the failed recordings. I did not have to fake any frustration for this fail video.

The blowing up a cactus thing in case you forgot was a reference to a Myth 1 LP video where Johnny Law let Tiny Turtle be a dwarf hero on a mission, and Tiny went out of his way to blow up every cactus he saw, sometimes with tragic results.



Dwarven Demolitionist aka "Dwarf"

Not much more can be said about dwarves that I haven't already this post. They're slow, don't have much health and they blow shit up. They're what make Myth great.

The proud dwarves of Myrgard and Stoneheim have lived since the weaving of the world in their underground empires. Beneath their small stature, they are a robust and strong race of warriors. Since recorded history, the Dwarven race has been at war with the Ghôl; their most hated of enemies, In the past thousand years of darkness, the Ghôl have slowly encroached into Dwarven territories and now threaten to invade their underground empires. The proud dwarves will die as a race before letting their ancient enemies defile their homeland.

The Dwarven Demolitionist is a recent invention. With the creation of explosive liquids, a "Dwarven Cocktail" was put into battle with explosive results. With the successful demolition of a Ghôl stronghold, the new explosives have been embraced by Dwarven culture, These Demolitionists have an affinity for blowing their enemies into small smoldering pieces - and are the only ones crazy enough to run into battle with explosives strapped to themselves. Demolitionists are not bogged down by heavy armor, so they are more mobile than their axe-wielding brethren. Dwarven Demolitionists also carry satchel charges, basically bigger versions of their explosive cocktails. Satchels are placed on the battlefield and then set off by an explosion happening nearby. Usually one good cocktail throw will set the charge off, causing an extreme amount of collateral damage.

"…Ghôls swarmed into the canyon, Endil stood, cornered, greeting oblivion with defiance. When he could smell the breath of the beasts, Endil drew from his pack a ceramic bottle. Grinning like a child, Endil shouted, 'Eat this!' and hurled the cocktail. The ensuing explosion set off the satchel charges lining the canyon. All that remained of the Ghôls were the small pieces lodged in Endil's still grinning teeth.

"…encircling the primitive shrine, a dozen dwarves stood ready. Moving swiftly from the rocky mound, Anteli shouted, 'Set and ready!' He barely set foot from the Ghôl temple when the flaming bottles were in the air. The blast knocked him many feet away, as multiple explosions echoed across the desert. Spitting dirt from his mouth, Anteli turned to see the oily cloud rising from the blackened crater…"

Ghôl

Compared to human units, Ghôl are very weak and more of a nuisance than a threat. But add in the ability to throw paralyzing Wight pus packets, pack behaviour and the incredible speed of Ghôls, and they can become a threat. They have a little hat over the letter 'o' in their name that is a pain to remember the code to type out.

Ghôl are a race of scavengers who take what they need from others to survive. Unlike the other races, Ghôls worship the forgotten Dark Gods - it is said that only the Ghôl remember their true names. Worshiping these horrific beings, the Ghôl priests offer blood-sacrifices of children to them for clandestine reasons. The Ghôls are the age-old enemy of the dwarves, and have been bent on the capture and destruction of their homelands for as long as there has been written word. Ghôls are notoriously appalling, living in filth and collecting bits of garbage and remains to adorn themselves and their caves. Ghôl are not strong, but they are quick. With rapid strides they can race into the midst of their foes and deliver heavy damage with their rusted cleavers.

Savage and cruel, Ghôls are always on the hunt, moving quietly to stalk their prey. They are a cowardly lot, preferring to attack from the enemy's flanks. Yet, with greater numbers, they will attack almost anything. Ghôls carry with them crude sacks which they use to store remnants from the battlefield - like rocks, pieces of metal, Wight bits, and heads. They have learned to throw items carried in their sacks with great strength and accuracy, stunning, damaging, or paralyzing a struck enemy.

"…A Ghôl's sack is their most prized possession. They carry in it everything from dead meat to scavenged bits of bone and metal. Tucked away in the pouch are small trophies gained from the bodies of their vanquished enemies. It is believed that certain items, like fragments of skin or hair, contain the souls of the deceased, and are sometimes offered to the Dark Gods during foul ceremonies…"

"…scratching the dirt with its paw, a crease was found in the ground. Prying with their cleavers, the pack lifted the stone slab from its aeon rest. Peering into the opening, carved sarcophaguses lined the tomb. One grinned and slobbered, 'Victuals'. Soon the ancient Dwarven mausoleum was raided of every bone, coin, and tatter of cloth. Through gnawing jaws one hissed, "Crunchy victuals'…"

"...the Ghôl have existed as long as humanity has recorded records. They are widespread scavengers, eking out a living in the harshest deserts or the coldest mountain caves. Ghôls apparently can eat organic matter of all types, from lichens to living creatures, bones and all. They are notorious cowards, but traveling in packs their bravery can be bolstered to foolhardy levels..."

Ghôl Brute

A stronger version of a regular Ghôl, this one is about a match for a human in terms of strength.

A few Ghôls are bigger and tougher than the average. These brutes are chosen by the priest caste to become fearless warriors for their tribes. A Ghôl Brute's great strength allows them to inflict more damage, and their larger bodies can readily receive more damage as well. Usually, brutes stick to themselves - either as a combat group, or as bodyguards for the Ghôl Priests.

"…it was a Ghôl, but one the size of a man. It carried a massive metal blade in its hand, much bigger than any man could carry! The beast howled - a bellowing roar that froze the company to a man - and launched its charge. If the Dwarves hadn't the wherewithal to hurl their explosives at it…I shudder when I remember the insatiable bloodlust glittering in the beast's eyes…"

"…laying low a second soldier with a great blow, the huge Ghôl shrieked its delight. From the safety of the woods, the lesser Ghôls howled their inciting calls. Arrows shot past the encircling warriors and hit solid against its monstrous pelt. The roar of agony awoke the rest of the camp. Even grievously wounded, the creature split open another soldier before loping away into the dark woods…"

Ghôl Priest

Very dangerous unit. It doesn't look like much when slowly approaching, but one attack from it creates a tornado vortex that causes incredible damage to anything trapped within it. One Priest attack can change the tide of battle. This vortex can draw in and detonate explosives, further dooming trapped characters.

The holy leaders of the Ghôl are much craftier than most races give them credit for. Being in communion with the Dark Gods, they have learned foul magical abilities - including the necromantic art of creating Wights. The priests have mastered a spell known as the Savage Wind Dream which creates unseen hands of air, allowing the priest to fling objects laying on the ground. Having an area of shrapnel suddenly hurl itself at a foe is a great advantage in a carnage strewn battlefield. The Ghôl Priests make up for their powerful spells by being slower than an average Ghôl. Ghôl Priests also have special spells that can weave the threads of muscle and tissue, repairing and healing their wounded brethren.

Wait, really? Must be a multiplayer thing because you don't see that in the campaign.

"…the small-ones, they are the heart of our rage! The defilers! Our Bloodshrine! The most precious Bloodshrine! Relic of the Dark Gods! Destroyed by their accursed hands! Slay them! Feast on them! Gather their heads! Defile their homes and temples as they have ruined ours! Chase them into their dark holes and devour them from the world! The Whisperers of Darkness demand it!"

… Ghôl mystics are chosen at birth by diving signs of discoloured markings. Raised by the priests of the tribe, they are forced to memorize the names of the multitude of Dark Gods before maturity. Each shaman chooses a single Dark God as a totem - donning a unique name they believe will best draw favor from their unholy masters. Through their vile sacrifices, their loathsome favors are granted."


Next time on Myth III
After crushing the Ghôl army surrounding the Godhead, the forces from Llancarfan race to The Gates of Myrgard where the dwarves are already under siege from uncountable numbers of Ghôl. Running low on manpower and explosives, the dwarves of Myrgard are at risk of being overrun. Can reinforcements arrive in time to save them?