We have five gods to choose from: Persephone, James, Stratos, Pyro and Charnel.
"Choosing a god" ATM actually means choosing one of five different missions.
Each mission will give us our first three types of creatures that will stay with us till the end of the game and our first offensive spell (again, it will be available till the end of the game).
First two spells - Speed Up and Heal are the same for every god.
As mentioned before, this game has 9 missions + final mission, but the campaign is non-linear. We can choose a god that we will be working for in next mission after each completed assignment.
Bear in mind, that working for certain deity will increase our "karma" with this deity (significantly) but decrease our "karma" with all others (slightly).
In other words he/she will like us more, but all others will like us less.
Because of Karma mechanism, at some point in the campaign (around mission 5) some gods will become PERMANENTLY unavailable (they won't be offering jobs for us any longer).
C&C, Baby!
Detailed description of the karma system is available
here but you probably won't understand it anyway...
Let's make it step by step: First I should describe each god and his/her creatures and spells.
GameFags said:
At the first level, each god receives one of each of the three basic types of units in the game (melee, ranged, and flying), which should usually be used in a rock-paper-scissors sort of manner. Generally, melee units are good at beating ranged units, ranged units defeat flying units, and flying units defeat melee units.
Spell-wise, each god receives the Speed-up and Heal spells along with a basic attack spell which shoots a missile of some sort towards the target (each of which does enough damage to kill any first level flyer).
Speed-up
GameFags said:
Speeds up the targets movement for an amount of time proportional to its maximum hitpoints. Speed-up works great on anything you want to get to its destination faster, including yourself. This spell is ready to use again almost as soon as you use it.
Heal
GameFags said:
Heals the target unit. Great for keeping units alive during a battle or for healing between battles.
A) Persephone - God of Life
Voiced by
Jennifer Hale (a.k.a. Commander Shepard)
The Book of Persephone said:
We are the essence of life. Throughout the ages, We have been known by many names and in many forms. In
this time and this place, it must suffice that we are Persephone. And in that name shall you find the Great
Healer, who mends the ills of the flesh and cleanses the blemishes of the soul. And you shall come to know
We have always stood beside you, in forms more familiar: The beauty and purity of the maiden is Our
reflection. The comforting bosom of the mother flows from Us. The wisdom of the matriarch is but a shadow
of Our own. Yea, We are the very essence of life.
Our vision is one of peace. Our path, of mercy. We see--as you must also--how those who do not follow Us
have been deceived or corrupted by the forces of wickedness. Thus, in their weakness, have they been lured
into an existence of treachery and debasement. We weep for them, knowing there is no greater sin against
oneself than the failure to believe in one's own worth. And there is no greater sin against Us than the failure
to stand by Our side in righteousness.
Learn from their failure and do not fear to seek the greatness within yourself. For even as We are justice, you,
as Our servant, must strive to be justice incarnate. So shall you find within yourself a greater good and greater
might than would even have touched your dreams ere now. We promise that in the pursuit of justice shall you
find peace within yourself.
Lo, and behold, even as Our teachings grant inner harmony, Our realms are a paragon of outer tranquility.
Our lands are the rolling, verdant plains and sweet, sheltering forests of Elysium. These are the most
resplendent and glorious realms in all the world, and Our creatures the most joyous and content. For all who
follow Us, whether of mean birth or noble nature, share in the blessings of Our grace, and thus are the mighty
instructed in Our love of humility. Indeed, the devout Fyllid, who provide Druids and Rangers to tend our
sacred groves, hold themselves not above the beasts of the field or the simple peasants who each day glory in
Our divine mercy.
What, then, shall be your role, in Our grand design? Dare you choose to be a hero, to be an agent of justice?
Or shall you fade into the obscurity, self-loathing and emptiness of a life unfulfilled? 'Tis common enough, if
you seek an excuse for mediocrity. Innumerable are the souls who shrink from the call of destiny and shirk
the mantle of greatness. Can you not see how meager and lowly are the forces which drive them astray? Fear,
doubt, sloth, temerity. Are any of these a worthy match for that which you strive to be... that which you can
and should be? We shall guide you down the true path if you so desire, and you shall possess power
overwhelming, and Our covenant with you shall be as simple and strong as it is pure:
Love Us and We shall requite your love a hundred-fold.
Defy Us and that day you shall surely die.
The choice is yours.
Persephone's creatures:
GameFags said:
All non-Charnel creatures regenerate health when they are standing still and not attacking. Persephone's creatures regenerate at a much faster rate than the others. Persephone's spells and creature abilities also tend to be focused on healing and defensive support rather than offense.
Druid
Type: Melee
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Lifeshield – Creates a full body shield that reduces damage taken in battle.
GameFags said:
Druid (1 Soul): Basic melee unit with a special ability called "Life Shield" which makes a shield around the druid for a decent length of time that reduces damage to the druid significantly.
Ranger
Type: Ranged
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Divine Sight – Shows where enemy units are located, even when hidden or far into the distance.
GameFags said:
Ranger (1 Soul): Basic ranged unit with a special ability called "Divine Sight" which sends a flying eye out that seeks the closest enemy. Divine Sight is not very useful since scouting on your own isn't very difficult.
Shrike
Type: Air
Passive Abilities: Sonic attack knocks down targets, stunning them. Good for interrupting enemy spell casting.
Active Ability: Lifeshield – Creates a shield that reduces damage taken in battle.
GameFags said:
Shrike (1 Soul): Basic flyer with the "Life Shield" special ability (see Druid). The attacks of the shrike also knock down enemies, and their Life Shield can make them last longer in combat than any other basic flyer.
Persephone's spells (Mysticism):
Wrath
GameFags said:
A glowing ball of light shoots out and homes in on your target, exploding with a little bit of splash damage.
Persephone's Mission 01:
B) James - God of Earth
Voiced by
Brad Garrett
The Book of James said:
I am James, God of Earth. You know, rocks and soil and stuff. Some nice gems too. It’s not all brown and gray
you know. Just… mostly. I would never claim to be the most exciting of gods, but I ain’t here to entertain
folks. I’m here to protect ‘em and to guide ‘em. I’ll tell you straight up, if it’s peace and quiet you want, I’m
your deity. Why should folks be questing for anything? Or go looking for trouble? Or stick their noses is other
folks business? Or always muck about trying to change the world? This is the world. Feel it solid beneath your
feet. I don’t see as there’s much need for change at all.
That’s the attitude folks’ take in the Glebe. They look after themselves and don’t much get in each other’s
business. A fellow’s farm is his castle, if you take my meaning. It’s a place of tranquility and prosperity. I see
to both of ‘em, and the people are glad for it. Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying there’s no room in the
Glebe for someone to be great or to stand out or to do amazing things. What I’m saying is that nobody’s gonna
tell you what it means to be great. You get to decide that for yourself. I, for one, think this attitude is more
likely than not to bring out the best in folks… and it causes a whole rock-load less headaches in the meantime.
Tramping about with some other god, you’ll never be as safe as you would be in the Glebe, with the earth to
shield you and provide for all your needs. The truth of it is, if you want to reach great heights, my granite’s
the best foundation to build on. It don’t matter what you bring or where you want to go. I got room for it
here, and I’ll do my best to see that you get everything what’s coming to you. That’s a simple promise from a
simple god. It’s even written in stone, if you like.
James' creatures:
GameFags said:
James' creatures tend to have higher defense and more hitpoints, but slower than their counterparts for other gods. James' spells are almost all devoted to using rocks or the ground itself against the enemy, and James has the most terrain-deforming spells of any god.
Trogg
Type: Melee
Passive Abilities: Immune to Magical Damage
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Trogg (1 Soul): Basic melee unit with the innate ability that troggs are immune to hostile magic. Troggs can be healed, and flung into the air with erupt, tornado, etc., but won't be hurt by any direct damage spells. Troggs are pretty good because of this ability, but may fall because of their slow speed.
Earthfling
Type: Ranged
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Rockform – Turns an Earthfling into a large boulder, making it nearly immune to damage.
GameFags said:
Earthfling (1 Soul): Basic ranged unit with a special ability called "Rockform" that turns the earthfling into a boulder that is immune to damage, regenerates, and looks just like a regular boulder to enemies. Rockform is a good way to save almost dead earthflings, and could be used to setup ambushes.
Gargoyle
Type: Air
Passive Abilities: Rock attacks from the air do area damage.
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Gargoyle (1 Soul): Basic flyer unit that spews out a bunch of pebbles at enemies. The attack does area damage and stacks with multiple gargoyles. Without special abilities, the gargoyle is the toughest basic flyer, but still dies from spells and ranged fairly quickly.
James' spells (Geomancy):
Rock
GameFags said:
A boulder flies out of the ground and homes in on your target, but will hit anything in the way (especially since the boulder is so large). No splash damage.
James' Mission 01:
C) Stratos - God of Air
Voiced by
Tim Curry (a.k.a. Gabriel Knight)
The Book of Stratos said:
I am Stratos, God of Air and Supreme Lord of the Heavens. I am the bringer of storms. The mover of the
firmament. Ah, let's do be honest, shall we? In any halfway-civilised world, I would be the only god.
My true form is too divine for mortal eyes to bear, but I find that lacking physical representation, I am too
abstract for mortal comprehension. Some even have the temerity to believe me to be an unthinking elemental
force. Au contraire. I am as cerebral as I am celestial. All of which I present as a simple explanation for the
form in which you now observe me. Sleek, refined and dignified. A form nearly worthy of my perfection.
Speaking of which: It is not merely mastery of the heavens and all things godlike that lead me to this claim
of superior divinity. (Although, if I may momentarily digress, I am master of the celestial and the elemental,
the transcendental and the temporal, the meteorological and the epistemological, to name but a few of my
areas of expertise.) No, such simple braggadocio does not speak to the quintessential nature of me. It is merely
the plainest of facts that I am smarter, cleverer, and more insightful than all the other gods combined.
Look at my creations if you are in need of further evidence: Empyrea is, literally and figuratively, the loftiest
of all realms. Its inhabitants more talented than any other’s. The great libraries that hold the chronicles of our
time are to be found in Empyrea. (If I may be candid, I am not certain many of the other gods’ followers even
know how to read.) Sacrosanct peaks onto which no mortal foot has tread: Also in Empyrea. (There are places
in Dys where mortals do not go, to be sure, but it is for lack of interest, not ability.) From the fantastical to
the fearsome, the elusive to the erudite, Empyrea—much as her lord—reigns supreme.
Stratos' creatures:
GameFags said:
Stratos' creatures are faster and usually have special abilities or side-effects to their attacks (mostly moving the target), but are more fragile than other gods' creatures. The spell selection of Stratos uses lightning, wind, and ice to attack Stratos' opponents.
Frostwolf
Type: Melee
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Run Away – Not to be confused with retreating! This ability speeds up your Frostwolves to an alarming rate. Utilize the extra speed to strategic advantage!
GameFags said:
Frostwolf (1 Soul): Basic melee unit with a special ability "Run Away" which makes them move much faster, like the speed-up spell had been cast on them. Frostwolves are already much faster than other ground units, and Run Away makes them faster. Frostwolves are very fragile in terms of defense and hitpoints. Great for charging ranged units.
Sylph
Type: Ranged
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Stealth – Can make itself nearly invisible. When in this state it cannot be targeted by spells or missile attacks, even if seen by the enemy. Must reappear when attacking.
GameFags said:
Sylph (1 Soul): Basic ranged unit with the "Stealth" special ability which makes the sylph invisible to all enemies until the sylph attacks. Stealth can be used just like Rockform to save near-death sylphs, scout, and ambush.
Brainiac
Type: Air
Passive Abilities: Knocks enemies down by the use of psychokenesis, causing a target to be stunned as well as wounded. Perfect for interrupting an enemy wizard’s spell casting.[/quote]
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Brainiac (1 Soul): Basic flyer unit that shoots brain waves at enemies. Brainiacs have much, much longer range than other basic flyers and knock down enemies that get hit. Good overall unit, brainiacs are very annoying when used against you as you get knocked down while casting spells.
Stratos' spells (Elementalism):
Lightning
GameFags said:
A lightning bolt connects the wizard's hand to the target. The best thing about lightning is that it recharges much faster than any other first level attack spell and doesn't deal less damage. The down-falls of lightning are that it will hit anything in it's way and stop, and that certain Stratos creatures take almost no damage from lightning effects and even become powered up by them (no, you can't target your own units). No splash damage. My favorite first level attack spell by far.
Stratos' Mission 01:
D) Pyro - God of Fire
Voiced by
Kevin Michael Richardson
The Book of Pyro said:
I am Pyro. God of Fire. They will tell you I am the god of Destruction and Chaos, but that is not entirely
true. Pyro is the spark of imagination and the engine of industry. Pyro is the bringer of knowledge and the
bearer of light.
Why do they slander me? Fear and jealousy. I expose their deficiencies. Persephone demands order. What is
wrong with order, you say? Nothing, except when it really means fearfully clinging to the past and never
taking the steps necessary to improve the world around you. Order cannot be allowed to stop Progress.
Charnel promises everyone strife. He glories in it, or so he pretends. The truth is Charnel is afraid. He never
builds anything because what if it doesn’t work? If he loses a battle, he says, "What does it matter? My
creatures were already dead." Cowardice! Then there is Stratos. Stratos is more craven than Charnel--if that is
possible. At least Charnel pretends to stand for something. Stratos hides behind a veneer of neutrality and a
supposedly noble love of the truth. Pity him most of all; for his lies are innumerable and he believes them all.
And as for the god of earth… don’t get me started on him.
They are jealous of what Pyro has wrought: The great furnaces of Pyroborea burn day and night, channelling
the souls and life blood of my slaves into the creation of ever more powerful machines. Machines to make
machines. Machines to fix machines. Machines to design machines. The slaves are only fuel, you see. Oh, I
make no denials about its brutality, but you will come to appreciate brutality. Not the random mayhem of
Charnel or the false justice of Persephone. No, the brutality of the crucible. Honest. Purifying. Inescapable.
There is an odour here, acrid and sulfurous. The medley of burning flesh and metal. How sweet is that aroma!
Some call it pain and chaos, but it is progress plain and simple. I know you are not yet ready to appreciate it.
I know it is frightening. You must burn away those parts of yourself that cannot love the smell of progress.
Burn them utterly and savour the stench. All my followers do. It makes them strong. It makes them make me
strong. If Pyro did not bring them progress, they would cast him aside and find a new god. That is as it should
be.
Pyro's creatures:
GameFags said:
Offense is what the creatures of Pyro are all about, as they have high amounts of damage, but somewhat lower defense compared to other gods' units. Offense is also what Pyro's spells are focused on, throwing flames, fireballs, and explosions at enemies.
Cog
Type: Melee
Passive Abilities: Upon its death, it releases steam, causing area damage. (Careful, this will damage nearby friendly units!)
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Cog (1 Soul): Basic melee unit that excretes steam upon death, damaging anything nearby.
Flame Minion
Type: Ranged
Passive Abilities: None
Active Ability: Run Away – Don’t confuse this ability with retreating. Run Away charges your flame minions up to speeds greater than even your level one wizard spell can bring about. The perfect ability for quick attacks or any other strategy you can devise.
GameFags said:
Flame Minion (1 Soul): Basic ranged unit that spits fire, and has the "Run Away" special ability. Run Away is good for quick strikes and running away (who would have thought?), but in my opinion is not as useful as the other stealthy basic ranged abilities.
Spitfire
Type: Air
Passive Abilities: Area damage when breathing fire on targets.
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Spitfire (1 Soul): Basic flyer unit that shoots a cone of flame which does area damage and stacks with other spitfires. Spitfires have the highest damage output of basic flyers and are great in large groups, if somewhat prone to dying.
Pyro's spells (Sorcery):
Fireball
GameFags said:
A fireball homes in on the target, exploding and dealing good splash damage. Fireball is great for taking out groups of enemy flyers, because of the splash damage.
Pyro's Mission 01:
E) Charnel - God of Death
Voiced by ???
The Book of Charnel said:
I am Charnel, God of Strife, Lord of Slaughter, Master of Death. Where there is pain, I am there. Where there
is suffering, I flourish. Where there is joy… yes, well, one could hardly have joy without another’s suffering,
no?
I am called a villain, but mine is a doctrine reflected in the unspoken truths behind all other philosophies.
Recognize that truth, my child: Strife is the single element most essential to meaning and existence. Without
conflict, without struggle, all of creation might as well be so many unmoving, unfeeling stones. Without me
to hate, who would have cause to call themselves holy or just? Oh, only a fool would seek contentment in
peace and tranquility.
Come see, come see. I hold dominion over the lands of Stygia, which coil with serpentine grace, engulfing the
holdings of my foes. Vile and putrid ground, formed of the flesh of the dead, running with rivers of blood,
plagued by swarming vermin--ah, it gives me chills whenever I think of it. Here you will find obsidian
gateways to demonic realms, an especial treat for unwitting guests. Witness also the cruel prisons wherein are
tortured those rare souls among my enemies who are worthy of such attention, and perhaps a random
assortment of others to keep the cells occupied. Oh, but do not overlook the mockeries called villages,
populated by mindless zombies--you really must appreciate their simplicity--whose greatest ambition is to toil
and die in my service. Well now, those of low ambition deserve what they get, no?
But I believe you know this, and that is what has brought you to me. If you possess both the hunger and the
courage to embrace it, you may yet prove worthy of greatness. And if not, to strive and to fail... to be cast
down into an eternal torment worthy of your failure. Ah. I almost envy your mortality. Envision success.
Envision only success. A morose attitude is most unbecoming in a servant of death. Now then, allow me to
share with you something of the powers which will be yours to command, assuming you earn a place in my
hierarchy, and assuming Acheron or one of my other servants does not strike you down out of jealousy... or
cruelty.
Charnel's creatures:
GameFags said:
Unlike every other god's units, Charnel's creatures do not regenerate health while idle. Instead, these undead and demonic entities have vampiric attacks that replenishes their life based on how much damage they do to their target, which makes many of their units much more resilient in battle than other gods' units. Charnel's spells are varied in their effects and purposes, but all have something to do with death or necromancy.
Scythe
Type: Melee
Passive Abilities: Replenishes life when attacking
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Scythe (1 Soul): Basic melee unit. There is nothing special about the scythe, except that it, like all Charnel units, have vampiric attacks. The scythe is the most resilient basic melee unit in combat because of this life draining.
Fallen
Type: Ranged
Passive Abilities: Replenishes life when attacking
Active Ability: Play Dead – While playing dead, its life will quickly regenerate (The only Charnel unit to heal naturally without having to harm an enemy creature).
GameFags said:
Fallen (1 Soul): Basic ranged unit that fires clouds of insects and has the "Play Dead" special ability, which has the fallen lay down and play dead, which allows the fallen to regenerate (unlike other Charnel creatures). Great basic ranged unit because of the vampiric attack and Play Dead. Play Dead should be used like Stealth and Rockform.
Locust
Type: Air
Passive Abilities: Replenishes life and mana when attacking, drains life and mana from targets.
Active Ability: None
GameFags said:
Locust (1 Soul): Basic flyer unit that sucks life and mana from enemies. Locusts are accurate and great in swarms as they can suck all the mana out of an enemy wizard.
Charnel's spells (Necromancy):
Insect Swarm
GameFags said:
A swarm of insects homes in on the target, doing damage and returning a portion of that damage to the casting wizard as life. Just about the same as the others, but does decent splash damage.
Charnel's Mission 01:
.
.
.
Alright, biatches.
You can choose the god for 1st mission taking into consideration his/hers looks, profile,
units/spells (the best idea IMO), mission's description... I don't care.
The important question for me is:
Which god should we work for in 1st mission?
DISCUSS!
I will wait till voices pile up a bit...
*Edited for the sake of compatibility