game:BlackMoon Chronicles - Winds Of War  

Storyline

How it all began...

In an ancient and mythical time, when the Emperor Haghendorf reigned over the land of Lhynn, an enigmatic oracle declared a dark and terrifying prophecy: "When the forces of the cosmos are perfectly aligned, the Chosen Ones will scour the land in search of the truth behind their shadowy past. The weight of their presence will be seen and heard throughout the land as they inflict pain, wrath and death on those who stand in the way of their mission."

For generations, many feared the coming of the Chosen Ones who would one day bring an abrupt end to peace and order. But as the years slipped by, the oracle's dreadful forewarning of the fate of Lhynn slowly faded into memory. Until one fateful night...

As predicted, on a night that will be forever known as the Night of Screaming Tears, many innocent souls were lost. Thousands of men, women, and children were mercilessly slaughtered. Fate, however, spared a few fortunate children from a gruesome and untimely death. The two opposing forces of Lhynn -- the Alliance and the Black Moon -- rescued these children, welcomed them into their communities, and raised them as members of their respective factions.After several peaceful decades, the time finally came for the Chosen Ones -- now courageous men and women -- to defend the honor of their people and protect their territory against opposing factions. The Chosen Ones no longer feel compassion towards each as survivors of the Night of Screaming Tears; they reserve their loyalty for their respective leaders.Today, the fate of Lhynn is at stake. As the Black Moon mounts its struggle for power, the reigning emperor and his allies fear the worst.The winds of war are raging. Will you side with the Alliance and join the ranks of the Empire, the Order of Light or the Knights of Justice? Or will you follow the dark path of Haazheel Thorn and unite with the Black Moon? Choose carefully and prepare yourself well...the world is on the verge of chaos.

Factions

In the world of Black Moon Chronicles, four separate factions struggle to defend their rank and honor as they seek the approval of their respective leaders, the recognition of their people, and the respect of their enemies. Are you righteous enough to join one of the three Alliance factions? Or do you have itin you to wreak havoc among your enemies alongside fellow members of the Black Moon?

• The Empire has ruled over the land of Lhynn for over three decades. Its colors, red and black, represent war and death respectively and are proudly displayed throughout its capital city of Lhynn. {more info}

• Despite rumors about the integrity of their faction leader, Fratus Sinister, members of the Order of Light are loyal to the Emperor, whose cause they defend from the peaceful city of Altenberg. {more info}

• Led by Prince Parsifal from the stronghold city of Sysigie, the Knights of Justice are the Empire's elite troops, whose white and blue uniforms signal the sincere purity of their intentions. {more info}

• The Priesthood of the Black Moon encourages sinister adventurers from all over the world to join its ranks and help build up the two cities it overtook from the Empire: Hoorkher and Moork. {more info}

Characters

23 ways to play a role!

Are you more likely to fight against human injustice or ruthlessly pursue your individualistic goals? Find out which of BMC's 12 character classes best suits your personality, gaming style, and fashion sense!

Empire

Warrior

You are a killing machine--one that only a life of strict military training could produce. Although you're willing to die helping the Emperor maintain order among his people, your repertory of honed skills will prevent an easy defeat. First learning to defend yourself as a street urchin and later perfecting your skills in the military, you specialize in armed combat using a multitude of weapons and heavy armor.

You are the ultimate force in armed melee combat and are often challenged by opponents who foolishly think otherwise.

Sorcerer

You were born with a propensity for supernatural abilities, which you honed during years of study at the Academy of Sorcery in Lynn. Your innate gifts and extensive knowledge of spells are valuable assets in keeping the Order of the Black Moon at bay. Not only can you cast impressive yet deadly spells upon your enemies, but you can also instantly summon items with special healing powers during crucial moments of weakness and near-death.

Superior mental agility and magical powers--rather than brute strength--are unquestionably your forte. Although this makes you highly susceptible to enemy attacks by war parties, you represent a lethal force in the defense of your leader's cause when allied with the Empire's army of warriors.

Black Moon

Orc Barbarian

Many times more powerful than any inhabitant of Lhynn, you are a brutal war machine fueled by your hatred for humans who despise your kind. Nature has provided you with the incredible gifts of strength and resistance, and you vowed to use the best of these gifts in combat. Although even you admit that your mental skills may not be your greatest asset, you do not appreciate the elitism of most of your fellow worshippers. However, you joined the Black Moon to quench your thirst for vengeance over those who consider you to be an abomination. The formidable efficiency with which you wield your weapons, combined with your insatiable need for bloodshed, has transformed you into the most savage, ruthless fighter ever to cross the path of the Alliance.

There is no limit to your boldness on the battlefield. The best protection you have is your calloused, tough skin--you do not care to burden yourself with the heavy armor your cowardly opponents often shield themselves with.

Menthat

The incredible power of your mind overcompensates for the feebleness of your body. From the time you were a child, you have been training your mind to prevail over matter. The less contact you have with the material world, the better.

Praised by the Black Moon as the ultimate proof of its incontestable mystical power, you and your kind benefit from the aura of fear and misunderstanding caused by the mysteries of your psychic powers. Reluctant to speak unless in the presence of those who are not evolved enough to fully communicate, you seek the presence of exceptional minds and prey on primitive brains, which you can crush with a single thought.

You are not foolish enough, however, to underestimate the advantages of using your fellow warriors' physical abilities in combat to shelter you from melee and give you the advantage of distance to fully deploy your mental powers.

Ghoul

Your cadaver was violently brought back to life by necromantic magic in one of two ways. Most likely, you were taken from your grave to be raised as a Necromant's follower. But it's also possible that you are the sinister result of a failed Negation ceremony in which Dark Priests and Blackguards sacrifice their lives and are taken beyond death by the powers of Negation. You express hatred towards all living creatures. Your new life as an Undead has left many traces on your mind and body, making you mentally slower and physically weaker than you were as a human. These distinctive scars generate disgust even from your own fellow worshipers, except for a few Orcs who often feel as rejected as their undead companions.

Consequently, you prefer the company of the undead and merely tolerate non-humans, but you feel overlooked and underestimated by the elite of your faction, which is mainly composed of Dark Priests, Blackguards and Menthats.

Your rage against anything that lives makes you a fierce, fearless warrior. The sight of your decomposing body and torn garments is enough to incite horror in your enemies' eyes. Your archenemies are the fools who try to fill the world with the magic of healing and those who fight in the name of their so-called holy God. You wander the world with no care other than to plant your deadly, rotting claws into the living flesh of your opponents.

BlackGuard

Your vigor in combat and your dedication to the Priesthood of the Black Moon had been noticed for quite some time before the high priests selected you to join the prestigious circle of the Knights of Negation. In a ceremony that will be forever imprinted on your memory, you were put to death, separated from your feeble soul and brought beyond life by the forces of Negation.

Now you stand proud as one of the elite warriors of Haazheel Thorn, ruler of the Black Moon and your master for eternity. He granted you the ability to use the arcane powers of Negation in addition to your combat skills, making you the most unholy adversary of paladins and phalanxes.

Your only purpose in life is to unleash the wrath of your weapons and the doom of Negation on the cold-hearted dogs who left you and your brothers and sisters to die on the Night of Screaming Tears.

Necromant

Exactly when and how your ancient art of magic deviated from its course to harness the forces of the undead remains a mystery. The fluid in your veins is not replenished by mortal food or drink: the source of your power lies in the energy you drain from your opponents and use to raise the fallen ones and send them back into battle. In your eyes, living beings are nothing but potential followers. You are nonetheless attracted to them because of the potential they represent as undead servants. As an adept at necromantic magic, you know that the Black Moon's victory will rely on your powers to raise and command the most horrible army of darkness ever sent to fight against the Alliance.

Dark Priest

You have dedicated your life to studying and unveiling the unholy, arcane secrets of Negation. The scientific knowledge you possess is key to the victory of the Black Moon. You are among the most valued travel companions because of your ability to regenerate the energy of your fellow adventurers. Your mastery of blunt weapons follows an ancient art of war that was almost lost in times before the coming of the Black Moon. Not only do you represent a major threat in close combat, but you are also as lethal as poison with your use of Negation.

Order of Light

Archer

You have a steady hand and a cool head in any combat situation. Always careful to distance yourself from proximate danger, you rely on your keen eye to vanquish even the most imposing of rivals. Your agility, enhanced by light armor and clothing, and your aptitude for far-ranged attacks, makes you a stealthy and cunning opponent. Adversaries underestimate the simple design of your bow and arrows -- but they realize too late the effectiveness of your ability to advance and retreat swiftly and silently on the open battlefield and in the wilderness.

Phalanx

Your superior size and strength -- the result of years of rigorous training -- give you an obvious advantage in hand-to-hand combat. This, combined with extreme mental discipline and a highly refined fighting technique have made you into a resilient and tenacious opponent. Experimenting with alchemy and wizardry as a youth, you learned to withstand tremendous magical punishment -- a special ability that makes you a threat to physically inferior mages.

Knights of Justice

Paladin

Gifted with an unmatched talent for melee combat, your sword and your faith are your eternal companions. Prayer and memories of better times as a youth in Sysigie keep you warm at night and give you the strength you need to continue your quest to protect and defend those who suffer injustice. Fearless and confident in your skills, you are not afraid to travel alone; you know that Archangel Gabriel is with you every step you take.

As long as there is a need for justice, you will follow Parsifal's example and will not hesitate to sacrifice your life with honor if needed. Nothing will stop you.

Priest

Ever since your childhood, the mace has been your weapon of choice. You have mastered it over the years, thanks to your hard work and dedication. Your real talent, however, lies in your healing abilities, which make you a fearsome enforcer of justice. Because your superiors taught you to be humble, you never underestimate an opponent and you fight with honor. Well aware of your talents, you hear Parsifal's words echoing in your head before you join a group of adventurers... "Listen to your heart; trust only those whose souls are pure."

You will travel the land of Lhynn, healing and protecting those who are in need. The world is losing faith; it is God's wish that you give it back to them.

System Requirements

The minimum requirements are as follows:

Microsoft Windows 95* / 98 / Me / 2000 / XP
Pentium II 233
64 MB RAM
1 GB free hard disk space
56K Internet connection
DirectX 7.0 or higher

Requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher.

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