Origin of Bloodtides

Bloodtides wasn't always a safe haven for dark mages, instead long ago it had been part of the Isles of Neeven, and watched over by the Fae'lon. Having only recently survived years of war with the demons, Volemar a mage of incredible power sought to bring a lasting peace between all the realms of Coroleya.

Founding the Guardians of Neeven, Volemar hoped to combat the growing forces of darkness that began to show its subtle influences upon the world, recruiting powerful mages from all across Coroleya to become his followers. But it wasn't enough. The demonic influence upon the land grew much stronger with many unwitting races worshiping demons as gods.

Having lost many of his friends in the continued fighting, Volemar's frustration and hatred began to show, and soon he believed the only true way to defeat the demons was to use the demonic energies that existed all around them and turn them against the demons. A tactic deemed far too dangerous by the priests of the Lightbearer who terrified of the darkness they saw in Volemar exiled him to the island of Tides in the hopes that he would one day begin to see reason and return to the light.

But instead, away from the burning fires of the Lightbearer, Volemar's anger began to fester, and soon those that followed him to the island began to change as well, mimicking the darkness inside of him. Enthralled by the demonic energies and the immense possibilities it offered, Volemar summoned a great storm to push Tides away from the Isles of Neeven and blanketed the island in a thick fog in order to have no interference from the Guardians, who upon realising the danger he posed, attempted to thwart his plans. However with their ranks badly depleted with so many breaking off to join Volemar found themselves no match for the former Guardians and were soon driven off.

Safe inside the Islands enchantments, Volemar found a secluded spot to study the demonic energies, and came to the conclusion that the demonic energies was simply raw power in it's undiluted form, without any trace of evil within it. But as the years passed, he slowly began to change. For you see the magic he wielded while not inherently evil, did come with a price, his soul.

Without a soul to attach him to the land of the living Volemar became gravely ill, and would have died, if not for the pact he made with the demons offering them more souls in exchange for eternal life. Reborn as a Lich lord with no soul, Volemar started a fresh war of conquest to harvest the souls of millions that was only ended by the second appearance of the Lightbearer. Badly wounded Volemar from his battle with the Lightbearer, he fled back to the Island, where he has remained ever since, biding his time, and collecting like minded individuals. Thereafter the Island became known as the Island of Bloodtides for the many souls who lost their lives, and for those who were enslaved.

Harvester Faction

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The selection process completed, you trail after a group of novices led by Lord Tagrian, and head deeper into the city with no name.

Slate grey buildings passing by to either side, hunkering down into the ground like squatters, while bubbles of red energy pool on the surface of puddles, and fully grown stalagmites erupt from the city streets to ooze thick black jets of smoke. Dark red orbs bobbling up and down the street with a few coming close before being blown away by the Magelord.

Taken through a series of narrow alleyways, you find yourself in front of two huge crimson red doors etched with a glyph at it's the center, towers peaking their heads from behind a great stone wall.

Certain that this was where the Harvester Faction was quartered you follow after your new brothers and sisters through the doors which slide open down the middle, and feel an uncomfortable chill as you pass through into it's boundaries.

Beyond the gates, dozens of towers loom high above with most formed up into a tight knit circle, and at it's center a courtyard with several fountains entwined around each other with two demons curled around a third that glowers down at you. The space filled with sparks of red energy that zip through the air, circling plants you'd never seen before, all except for Malucious Noxunious, a deadly and poisonous plant that only had to be inhaled for instant death.

(Click here if you wish to try and pick up the poisonous plant. Beware those not trained in the ways of the mages could have dire consequences.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

If any race besides that of a Dark Mage picks up the flower-

Clumsily you tug free the plant, the petals crumbling in your fingertips, releasing spores into the air which you accidentally inhale.

Suddenly woozy, you wobble from side to side before the magic inside of you burns it away. (-200 Health points. Resilience nor Resistance can be used to defend against the damage taken.)

If you are a Dark Mage-

Having been taught how to gather these plants without releasing their spores, you collect it in a bag and continue following the group. (Acquired Malucious Noxunious, which when used in battle will instantly kill any opponent without incurring any loss of life. Bosses are the only exceptions. Can only be used once.)

Commanded to be silent, Lord Tiagran leads you past the fountains, where a few mages in black robes slashed with red stand guard, and walk towards the tower at the forefront. An imposing beast, slightly taller than the rest, topped with bastions to make it appear more like a citadel than a tower with more of that elven architecture you'd come to expect from such ancient buildings, columns flowing like rivers, and intricate engravings carved into the stone.

Sweat dribbling down your back, you nervously step once more into a Tower, hoping this time would be different from the last, and quickly follow the rest down a dimly lit corridor passing paintings of strange creatures that could not possibly exist in this world, before taking a set of stairs down towards the lower levels of the tower, where you come across a room crammed full of cages filled with elves, minotaurs, werewolves, goblins, dwarves, and other races.

"Your true text begins now. All Harvesters must be able to drain life at will."

Grabbing hold of the nearest novice who had been nervously looking back towards the doorway, Lord Tagrian stared into the horrified gnome's eyes and drained the life right out of him, leaving behind only grey sagging skin and bone, the gnome dropping soundlessly to the stone floor.

"There is only one way out of this place," said Tagrian.

The thick heavy set doors leading into the dungeon slam shut, and the Magelord disappears from view, the cages all around you spilling open to release it's prisoners who immediately rush out to attack.

Those caught unaware are the first to fall to the desperate captives who bludgeon several mages to death, snatching away their weapons to make a bid for the locked doorway.

Caught up in the melee, you dodge a blow to your shoulder, and elbow a minotaur warrior in the chest, folding him over as you take a step backwards to assess the situation.

With more than half the novices dead or dying, you sense this wouldn't be an easy fight, there were at least three hundred prisoners ranged against thirty or so surviving mages who fought back with spells and incantations. But already you could sense that this would not be enough. This had to be a test, but what kind of test? Lord Tagrian had not taught you how to drain these prisoners of life, and yet that had to be the test?

(Click here if you wish to try and pluck one of the captives and attempt to drain them of life?)

Spoiler: Spoiler

With little time before the few novices are overwhelmed, you sneak up behind a scrawny elf that still lay inside of his cage, and lay a hand upon him.

Staring up at you with eyes full of pity, you try to focus your mind on sucking the elderly elf's life force, but the fae'lon merely smiles sadly at you, his eyes looking behind you.

Grabbing him, you swing the elf around to take the blow meant for you, before plucking out the dagger implanted in his gut and slicing open the throat of the filthy dwarf who gapes at you in stunned surprise.

Angered by the death of their friends, more prisoners rush to box you in, when an image appears in your mind of their hearts being squeezed till they burst.

Uncertain why, you gather the magic in your hands and shoot strands of energy forward to grab hold of their hearts, and crush them in a magical vice, your body filling with unimaginable strength as those around you crumple into heaps of bones.(+50 Health points.)

New Spell Gained:

Reaper - The ability to drain most anything of all life. This spell can be used to boost your own health or that of your allies by +50(Limited to 3 uses per Chapter). Mana Cost 20.

All around you, you see the other novices doing the same, and soon the dungeon is littered with the dead.

(Click here if you use Storm of Light to incapacitate them all before attempting to drain them of life? -5 Mana.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Releasing a blast of light to blind them all, you try to focus your mind on sucking the life force out of them, but whatever your doing doesn't seem to be working.

Time running out till they'd be able to see again, you consider attacking them with conventional means, when an image appears in your mind of their hearts being squeezed till they burst.

Uncertain why, you gather the magic in your hands and shoot strands of energy forward to grab hold of their hearts, and crush them in a magical vice, your body filling with unimaginable strength as those around you crumple into heaps of bones.(+100 Health points.)

New Spell Gained:

Reaper - The ability to drain most anything of all life. This spell can be used to boost your own health or that of your allies by +50(Limited to 3 uses per Chapter). Mana Cost 20.

All around you, you see the other novices doing the same, and soon the dungeon is littered with the dead.

(Click here if you decide instead to launch a Fireball Barrage to clear the dungeon? -90 Mana)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Seeing no reason to hold back, you launch barrage after barrage of fireballs to lay waste to the prisoners, their dying screams filling the dungeon as you kill both friend and foe, your magic having a most devastating effect. When an image appears in your mind of their hearts being squeezed till they burst.

Uncertain why, you gather the magic in your hands and shoot strands of energy to the few remaining prisoners and grab hold of their hearts, crushing them in a magical vice, your body filling with unimaginable strength as those around you crumple into heaps of bones.(+50 Health points.)

New Spell Gained:

Reaper - The ability to drain most anything of all life. This spell can be used to boost your own health or that of your allies by +50(Limited to 3 uses per Chapter). Mana Cost 20.

All around you, you see the other novices doing the same, and soon the dungeon is littered with the dead.

With most in the dungeon dead, Lord Tagrian reappears in the corner of the room, a smile splayed out across his lips. "You have all become Harvesters, unfortunately there can only be three survivors."

Throwing yourself out of the path of an incoming firebolt, you roll across the stony floor and cast Storm of Light as you dart forward to get behind cover.(-5 Mana.)

(Click here if you would like to focus on offensive spells such as Fireball Barrage, Firebolt, and Storm of Light.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

With the light temporarily blinding some of the mages, you let loose a burst of fireballs, killing those too slow to react. The dungeon quickly transforming into a boiling hot cauldron as mages team up with each other to take down targets, the walls scorched with a roar of magical missiles. (-60 Mana.)

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Forced to take cover behind a cage, you use your cloak to absorb the worst of the attacks, before striking out with a barrage of your own, only for a duo of elven mages, one male, one female to flank you from behind. The pair working with each other in a familiar tandem to attack and defend, their ice shards pounding you backwards. (-65 Mana, - 130 Health points magical damage.)

Grunting with each blow, you give a roar of rage and rush forward, the pair instantly splitting apart to whirl round from either side to press their assault.

Half anticipating such a move, you spin on your heels and direct a barrage of fireballs into the shocked elven mage's body, before whirling about to take down his female counterpart with a second blast of fireballs. The pair dying in writhing agony. (-60 Mana, -80 Health points magical damage.)

The fighting temporarily quieted around you, you duck back into the cover of the cages.

With only a handful of survivors left, you decide to wait for your next opportunity to strike, when you catch sight of a vancloren tearing out the heart of an minotaur. The grizzled mage stumbling from side to side in a daze of disbelief before going down hard.

Feeling your eyes upon her, she springs to the left, and bounds forward with lethal speed that could only be attained through magic, her hands turned into two huge metal claws that reach out towards you.

Barely blocking the powerful blow, your sent careening hard into the stone wall, almost knocking yourself unconscious, blood spilling freely down the side of your face.(-140 Health points.)

Growling, you quickly get to your feet as she sweeps forward once more, strengthen your arms with magical energy, and pull a cage in front of her, using her momentum against as she slams full force into the mental bars.

Bloodied but not dead yet, you char her black with two fireball barrages to make sure she stays down before stepping back. (-63 Mana.)

(Click here if you would like to focus on defensive spells such as Iron Skin, Shield and Awareness. -20 Mana.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

With the light temporarily blinding some of the mages, you cast Iron Skin upon yourself and charge forward into the hell storm. The dungeon quickly transforming into a boiling hot cauldron as mages team up with each other to take down targets, the walls scorched with a roar of magical missiles that hit you from all directions.(-20 Mana, -140 Magical damage.)

Combining cloak with Iron Skin, you soak up the damage, accelerate your movements with magical energy and slam into a nearby novice, crushing the poor fool against the stone wall before being bowelled over by a heavy blast of lightning. (-8 Mana, -100 Magical damage.)

Head ringing like a bell, you quickly clamber to your feet only to be faced with a eight fully armored skeletal warriors in rusted plate mail, the undead moving fast to cut you off, while a half centaurn mage prepares to cast a spell, fingers sparking with growing energy.

With only seconds to move, you re-cast Iron Skin and charge forward, breaking through the skeletal ranks, just as the area behind you explodes with raw magical energy, the air filled with electrical currents that snap and crackle.(-20 Mana, -90 Health points Magical damage.)

Startled by your swift escape, you hammer a fist into the centaur's chest to shatter his ribs, and snap his neck before whirling about just in time to confront a Vancloren mage, her long black hair winding down her spine, pointed fangs poking out, and sharp yellow eyes following your every movement.

Having recently fed, her mouth dripped with blood as she swept forward with lethal speed, bounding across the ground on all fours, her hands forming into two huge metal claws that reach out for you.

Relying on the weight and strength of your Iron Skin, you cross your arms up before you and take the heavy strike, metal grinding against metal.(-80 Health points.)

Eyebrows quirking upward in surprise at being repelled backwards, you hit her square on the jaw before picking her up and slamming her hard into the stone floor, her bleeding lifeless corpse left to join the growing mound of bodies around the room.

Taking cover once more, you scan the room for anymore surviving mages and see a minotaur clumsily battling a pair of elven mages. The duo of male and female fae'lon clearly toying with the immense brute who desperately tries to cast several spells that fall apart before relying on his fists to keep them at bay, the elves slipping in and out of his reach to shoot firebolts into him, again and again.

Worried, you might have to face these elves alone once they're finished playing, you use Iron Skin once more, and strengthen your legs to increase your speed as you charge out from behind at blistering speed to crash into the back of the female elf, your hands quickly going to her throat to crush her neck.(-28 Mana.)

Screaming in fury at the loss of his partner, the second elf rushes towards you the minotaur completely forgotten, when the elf is gored from behind on the mage's horns, the elf's chest cracked open like a ripe melon as the minotaur shakes his head from side to side.

The battle quieted briefly, you stare up into the badly burned minotaur's face, and see his lips twitch into hardened resolve as you both come together in a blur of blows, your enhanced body able to deal untold damage to the minotaur who eventually collapse at your feet with an unexpected smile, that makes you wonder if this was what he wanted.(-110 Health points.)

Head throbbing, you limp forward to see if anyone else is alive, and come across a redling with his right arm missing, the mage huddled up beside the wall, hoping he wouldn't be seen.

(Click here if you wish to kill the redling.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Skin pulled back into a grin, you hit him with a wave of fireballs turning him to ash.(-30 Mana.)The fight presumably done.

(Click here if you decide instead to show the redling mercy.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

The fight over, you see no reason to kill the mage, and decide to walk away, though you very much doubt he would live for very long anyway.

Reappearing once more to look about the dungeon, Tagrian let out a short bark of laughter at the carnage you'd wrought here, congratulating you on your victory, and offering you a fresh pair of robes. (Apprentice Robes Acquired, +2 Resilience.)

Exhausted from the fight, you're are transported to a chamber in the citadel to rest, and given free access to the Towers, except for those of opposing Factions. (+40 Health points. As a member of the Harvester Faction you're paid a fee of +1,500 gold pieces per week.)

For those still wishing to learn more, the Harvesters offer daily lessons in the courtyard to help improve spells and boost your magical abilities. They also have a quartermaster who is able to sell a few items that are only available here on Bloodtides.

(Due to the urgency of your quest you can only improve or acquire one additional spell. Once you're done exploring, scroll to the last option at the bottom of the page.)

(Click here if you're a Dark Mage.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

As a Dark Mage you now have access to one new spell in the School of Blood Magic which can be used once during each Chapter. Or if you so choose, you can improve one of the spells you already have access to by reducing the cost of the spell by 5.

Bathed in Blood

Life Cost: 10

Bath your weapon in your own blood and increase it's damage.(-20 Weapon damage added to any weapon.)

(Click here if you're a not a Dark Mage.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

As a newly Apprenticed Harvester, you have been taught the Bathed in Blood Spell.

Bathed in Blood

Life Cost: 10

Bath your weapon in your own blood and increase it's damage.(-20 Weapon damage added to any weapon.)

(Click here to view the Inventory of the Quartermaster.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

New Items

Mage Staff: -5 Damage, +5 Mana per Chapter. ( Cost: 200 Gold Pieces.)

A useful weapon for those new to life on Bloodtides.

Conduit: -10 Damage.+10 Magical Resistance ( Cost: 800 Gold Pieces.)

A weapon that offers decent protection and damage.

Guardian Cloak: +20 Magical Resistance. ( Cost: 1,000 Gold Pieces.)

A useful tool for protecting yourself against magical attacks.

Fire Robes: 50% Resistance against fire attacks.( Cost: 2,000 Gold Pieces.)

Potions & Elixirs for Sale (You may only purchase 1 of each item)

(Better practiced at potion making, the dark mages have improved some of the potions benefits.)

Shield of the Ancestor's Potion: Reduce the amount of damage you receive by half.(Can only be used once)Cost 1,500 Gold Pieces

Blood Reckoning Potion: Imbues the user with greater resilience for a short period of time +10 Resilience. (Can only be used twice) Cost: 1,500 Gold

Life's Glory Potion: Brings you back up to full health. (Can only be used twice) Cost: 2,500 Gold Pieces

Tear's of the Gods Potion: Allows you to deflect all damage. (Can only be used once) Cost: 2,000 Gold Pieces

Health Poultices: Heals 50 Health Points. (Can only be used once) Cost: 200 Gold Pieces

Bandages: Heals 35 Health Points. (Can only be used once) Cost: 150 Gold Coins

Mana Potions: Adds +50 Mana. (Can only be used once) Cost: 200 Gold Pieces

(Click here to continue.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Returning to your chambers, you see a letter on your desk requesting you to meet with the Counsel of High Magelords.

Considering no guards had been sent to get you, you take it as a good sign that you've not been discovered, and follow the instructions in the letter which take you back through the city streets and towards the Heart of Bloodtides.

Walking towards the great pulsing orb, you are lifted high into the air before flying towards a bastion floating amongst the clouds. The place obscured by a white fog that you hadn't noticed it earlier.

Greeted by mages in black robes at the entrance to the sky bastion, you're taken in to face the Counsel of High Magelords, when Daedalus whispers to you, "It's here!"