Introducing Act I & II of Age of Darkness: Final Stand Campaign, Flames of Retribution!
Protectors of the Light,
Flames of Retribution is coming! Act I & II of the long-anticipated campaign for Age of Darkness: Final Stand will arrive 19 April worldwide! The Campaign will feature three different Acts, each with their own unique missions building upon the story and taking it to new and horrifying depths.
Let’s take a look back at the story of Age of Darkness: Final Stand, contextualising the perils Protectors face in Survival Mode and setting the scene for new explorers of the grim, dark world of Erodar throughout the Campaign.
THE ELOSAN WARS – PART 1
Before the world of Erodar had been decimated by The Veil and the vile Nightmares that spewed from it, a different yet equally sinister battle was being waged between the people. Their greed for power created a corrupt world for The Veil to feed on and thus, plunged the world into darkness…
The continents of Erodar, Surabia and Va’Shin are situated on the lush planet of Marua. The overlands, specifically Erodar, were once inhabited by an ancient race known as the Elosa.
The Elosa appear to have originated in Erodar before gradually venturing across the seas to Surabia and Va’Shin, where they first encountered human civilization. Early humanity was scattered and tribal, living in basic communes, eking out their simple existences with meagre farming techniques, basic tools, implements and weaponry. Much later, these settlements would eventually combine to become the first regions of the human Alderin empire.
Both the Elosa and humans were plagued by an emerging threat: Nightmares – horrific creatures that emerged from fissures in the landscape to feed. The Elosa, over time, developed powerful techniques to keep the Nightmares under some semblance of control. Harnessing their own blood as a source of power, the Elosa were able to create enormous protective Dark Crystals, imbued with an energy that prevented the Nightmares from advancing.
Humans, however, had to rely on their own wits and rudimentary devices. As a result, they were heavily predated.
Humans were not viewed by the Elosan society as a threat, but as an opportunity to be harnessed. Through careful intervention, it was believed that human blood might help the Elosans uncover new discoveries, combining human ingenuity with Elosan techniques and capabilities. As such, the Elosan rulers took humanity under their protective reach.
After establishing diplomatic relations, a slow exchange of knowledge took place. It is believed the Elosa are responsible for conferring complex metallurgy and construction techniques upon humanity, teaching them how to create secure settlements and more sophisticated defensive techniques. They also taught the first human Kings how to repair the enormous Dark Crystals that had been damaged by ongoing Nightmare infestations.
These two races worked together and prospered, and for a time, the overlands of Erodar were purged of Nightmares completely. All known fissures were sealed beneath Dark Crystals, held in place by the potent blood rites of the Elosa, and upheld by both the Elosa and trained human representatives.
After several generations, the great human King, Ezekiel, took the throne. Until then, relations between humans and Elosa were steady, but discontent was spreading in the newly-settled human cities on Erodar. Ezekiel’s expansionist mindset proved fruitful for humanity; new cities were being constructed as populations swelled. However, Ezekiel craved more. It was clear to King Ezekiel that the Elosa had a firm hold on the most critical resources of all: Dark Crystal – and the blood in their veins that imbued them with powerful capabilities. Humans had become reliant on the Elosa for protection from the Nightmares for too long. It was time to shift that balance of power…
FLAMES OF RETRIBUTION
Act I & II of the Campaign, Flames of Retribution, includes seven distinct Missions where you step into a world full of epic battles and dire threats. The aftermath of the Elosan Wars has created both internal and external threats for each Hero and character throughout the world.
Watch the story unfold in beautifully scripted cinematics and in game cutscenes, where you will be introduced to captivating characters, some who you have never met before. You may either love or loathe them, so who’s side of history will you be on?
Each Hero has such a rich backstory and thorough gameplay, you will have the chance to learn more about the past and present history of Erodar through voice-acted Lore entries. Within the Missions, Protectors will also have the opportunity to play with characters who are not available in Survival Mode.
The dazzling 3D Mission Select Map will help players feel grounded in the world of Erodar as it provides a visual representation of the landscape the story is taking place in. With each Mission complete, the Hero you are playing as in will move between the regions of the map to get to the next checkmark – which helps players keep track of where they are travelling to throughout the world.
For our apprentice Protectors who have only now joined the fight, the initial Campaign Missions can also act as a tutorial for those who have yet to brave the Darkness in Survival Mode. So whether you are a seasoned fighter or new to the cause, Campaign Mode will immerse you into a world where each decision you make could be the difference between life and death.
With every great saga, there will always be twists and turns… Flames of Retribution is only the beginning.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Expect more updates and content will rise out of the Darkness once they are ready! A key player in Campaign will also be joining the stellar lineup of Heroes available in Survival Mode to help players defend their Keep from the looming threats that are invading the lands – You’ll be meeting our new valiant Hero very soon.
Keep your sharp eyes peeled for future Campaign release announcements as we are excited to share with you soon when Act III will be available.
So, Protectors, keep your villagers out of harm’s way and the enemies abay… you never know what’s lurking in the darkness.
Please report bugs or crashes to us either through the Steam forums, our Discord server in the ‘bug-reporting’ channel or using the in-game bug reporting tool.
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Have a question about the game? We have a handy FAQ we’ve posted on the Steam forums that you can view. If your question hasn’t been answered there, we’ll be doing our best to keep up with questions here, on the forums and our Discord server.
Speaking of which, you can also chat with our team and ask them questions on our official Discord server here!