Two Nefari dragged the elf back to his holding cell and left him in the cold, dark place.

I should take this blade to your throat. Cowards deserve a slow death, one Nefari brandished his blade and pressed it to the elf’s neck. The other leaned into his ear and spoke in a soft voice.

Next time, the Hook Demon will take a finger; perhaps, that one with the ring. Does that have any value?

The elf was silent. He felt the blade slowly working into the skin, the sharp edge growling for his life. He said nothing.

He asked you a question, traitor! Where did you get the ring?

Geril, the elf, remained silent.

I’ll just keep it. Tomorrow, it won’t have a finger to rest on.

Geril’s hand shook, as he felt the ring slide from his finger. The skin grew cold, where the band once covered and warmed it. It was the ring given to him by Darius. The Nefari gazed over its surface, staring at Elvish inscriptions and mouthing the ancient scripture. The sword was raised from his neck and the Nefari shoved him beyond the steel gate. He could hear it closing, locking, footsteps walking away. He turned to see the soft-spoken Nefari, tossing the ring in the air and catching it in his hand.

“The tree, the insignia on its face; it’s the Eternal Circle.

Geril reached to his throat, stroked the painful mark where the blade sat. He felt the stubble collecting on his chin, the gauntness of his neck; he grabbed at his jaw and felt the shape of the bone. How long had he spent in Sheoul? How long had they kept him captive?

There’s an inscription on the side, too, the Nefari spoke, indicating the grooves along the band with a finger, What does it mean?

How long had he endured? Was the time in weeks, months? When would he be amongst friends? Would he ever have that leisure again? Geril spoke.

In this forest, we are united. All of K`thir joins this eternal circle.

The Nefari sneered, dropped the ring into his pocket, And the Nefari, as well? Are we a part of your union?”

I know nothing.

Of course, brother. Kinsman. You know nothing about sealing the Mouth of Sheoul.

I am a lorekeeper. I was never told-

Anything? It’s the same story. Tell me, what spell are they using? Are they collaborating with the dwarves? The Jakei?

The Hook Demon got nothing from me. You think I’d tell you?

No, of course. I’m just making conversation with a friend, a brother.

Geril rested against the stone wall, at the back of the cell. As he lowered himself to the floor, he felt a rumbling pain in his legs. Beneath the tattered robe, his body was bruised.

A brother does not strike at his own blood.

And a brother doesn’t leave his own blood to rot in the earth.

The Nefari pressed his face to bars, his soft voice harsh, subdued, undercurrents of violence pulsing through each sound:

Did you hear me? A brother doesn’t leave his own blood in the ground, doesn’t leave them to starve, doesn’t leave them to be eaten alive by unspeakable horrors. A brother listens when his own blood is screaming.

The Nefari backed away, turned to walk, glancing back at Geril as he moved:

You bring this suffering on yourself, brother.

He disappeared into the dark shadows of the cavern. Geril looked down at his bare fingers, looked back into the darkness, searched for the ring’s glow, then returned to the hands. The ash was beneath his fingernails and in the crevices of his hands. He rubbed the black dust between his fingers. It was on his skin and in his hair, in his throat and on his tongue. A brother is not cruel, doe not hold true vitriol towards his brethren. A brother does not leave his kin locked away, does not leave him to die in a demon’s den. It was not a plan to seal the opening, but a plan to invade it. M`alta and S`etra would lead a force inside, a company of Rangers and Furies. They would have dwarves with them, priests and priestesses. L`ilim would lead another force through Mount Belkairon, accompanied by another gathering of dwarves. It would be the first offensive on Nefari soil. But, when would it happen? When would they come? Had they forgotten Geril of the Eternal Circle? Waiting was the only option, but his patience would succumb soon. The Hook Demon would take his finger tomorrow, but then what? Would it be his hand next? His arm? When would they grow bored of him? When would he be left to feed K`lzik’s brood? S`etra would find a mangled corpse, not the weary eyes of an old friend. And the alternative? Many corpses, one Geril and another S`etra, all wrapped in spider silk. He brushed his palms on his robe and then examined them; the soot had lifted. This would be his burden and he would carry it with clean hands.

The elf tells them nothing, Grimlic said to Maxxarek, Perhaps my servants would be better suited. They share a form he is accustomed to.

Erimalion rose from his throne and spoke, a voice of many voices, all of them dreadful: Grimlic is out of line. My tortures are breaking the captive. My demons do better than anything his Deep-Elves could muster.

Grimlic turned to Erimalion, the writhing mess, stared into his many eyes.

I do not question your methods. But, perhaps we go about this the wrong way.

Maxxarek smirked, the red lips giving way to teeth. His eyes were aglow, two pulsing orbs emerging from darkness.

“A friendship, Grimlic?

“A creature, more pleasing to his eyes. Something to confide in.

The Demon Lord hissed, a gargling and heinous laughter. Grimlic grinned to him, continued.

We can place another elf in with him, have this one act as a listener. He will speak his deepest fears into this creature.

Erimalion smashed his mace into the rock floor.

Pathetic! Mind tricks will not break his spirit! Break his bones!

Maxxarek raised a hand to Erimalion.

“No. Something else.

He rose from his throne of skulls and stepped towards the center of the chamber.

Think of the world above us. Every nation has sworn an alliance to another. Protectorate and Wrath.

He paused; his wicked sneer caught the orange glow of the magma fonts.

Think of our allies. They question their ties to each other, but they honor them. There is always a question of loyalty.

Maxxarek turned to Grimlic, then to Erimalion.

It is universal. ëAre these my true allies?’ Even as one shakes hands with another, there is that question in the back of one’s mind.

Erimalion spoke, I hold no ire against you.

I am not questioning you. But the question exists, regardless of loyalty. Do you think Menalaus puts trust in Forglar? Does J`orea really trust her alliance with Rugolth?

Grimlic approached, his face alight in the chamber’s vermillion glow: We take illusions into J`thir, posing as dwarves from Ironfist, and have them kill Jakei.

And illusions to K`thir, disguised as Boghoppers. We could have them slaughter a hundred elves! Erimalion spoke, a delight in his demon’s voice.

Maxxarek paced for a moment. As he slowly moved from one part of the chamber to the other, a low and dreadful laughter built in his throat. Soon, it was echoing through the cavern and into the whole of Lower Sheoul. Bok stirred from their places, looked about at the monstrous voice and shook at its violence. Pitspawn joined in, trying to match its power, coming short. He ceased, but the voice still lingered in the dark crevices.

No! There is no need for such unnecessary risk. Our allies can prove useful. Come, Grimlic. Waste no more time waiting for an attack on the Mouth. There is work to be done.

The Fragile Expanse was silent; it had been this way for nearly two weeks. On the one hand, it pleased Dirge. He could hunt at any time of day, without a second thought. However, the silence worried him. It was an altogether unsettling silence. Something had fallen ill. As he traveled through the Expanse, he would pause to take a handful of dirt. Then, he would watch it, look to the grains for signs of life; boar fur or strands from a Pit Wolf’s mane, perhaps even an elven hair. He would hold the mound to his snout, snort at the mass; a boar’s scent, anything with a distinct smell. All he could smell was smolder, the remnants of a burning log. In the pile, he found small specks that didn’t belong. They were gray, unnatural things. They belonged to no animal he had ever seen. Dirge decided he would get the bottom of this illness. One morning, he took his axe and left his den for the edge of the Expanse. He would start there and work his way through to the other end. He would find the disease and root it out.

Beneath the Expanse, deep within the broken earth, something unraveled. Under dust and rock, laughter echoed through darkness.

Let us know what you think on the PoxNora Forums!

Most of the PoxNora community agrees the Broodcall campaign is the best one to date. To what would you attribute this, and do these new changes reflect the types of campaigns we’ll see in the future?

Broodcall was successful, I think, because of the randomization and the fact it is fairly open ended despite being story driven. The previous campaign ended up being less popular because it was heavily story driven but relied on the player’s tactics with starting units more than deck building. It’s likely in the future that campaigns will build off the Broodcall model, and randomization is something we will definitely do more of.

Do you have a team of people working on campaigns or are you the solo master?

I’ve been the sole campaign guy for the past 3 campaigns. We do have other people who can do them, but usually creating a single campaign is a one person job. Expansion 12’s campaign is going to be done by one of the other designers, as I’m currently working on other things. I do make it a priority to keep up with the single player community, but all our designers are familiar with all aspects of the game.

Have there ever been abilities or features you’ve wanted to implement into a campaign, but didn’t have the resources to program? If so then what has SOE brought to the table to help accomplish these dream features and abilities?

Our campaigns are made with use of an in-house coding language designed specifically to handle the bots . As such, whenever we need new features they can usually be added. Being under SOE has helped grow our staff and give more time for things such as campaign features.

Was single player always a plan for PoxNora, or was it discovered along the way?

Single player was always an intention, though it wasn’t introduced immediately. Multiplayer is not for everyone, as the number of campaign players testifies.

Do you feel that single player has opened up the scene for new rune flavors and combinations? Also, are runes now being designed with single player interests at heart, or are runes designed without affiliations?

Single player opens up a lot of creativity among players because it can be played in totally different ways from multiplayer. Generally, we design runes for multiplayer – well made multiplayer runes can easily be used in single player (often in more unique ways) regardless of power, while a single player rune that caused problems in multiplayer would have to be changed. That’s just the nature of multiplayer vs. single player. We do try to make changes to multiplayer or single player problems have as little impact on the other variety of play as possible, though that’s not always doable.

There are a lot of aspects of the rune manager and UI that don’t quite seem to fit campaign play. Are there any current or future plans to improve the UI and site managers for campaign play? and Are there any current or future plans to change the rewards system for single player? With the recent change to DoW rewards it leaves us hoping.

I’m lumping these together because the answer is effectively the same. The change has been discussed at length. It’s really not a question of if, but when. I can’t get any more specific than that, but we are definitely aware that the current system has flaws.

Do you feel the single player aspect of the game is well rounded enough to support a stand alone game? If so would there be more storyline and eventful combat, if not then what would you change to make it stand alone?

It could definitely, if it was used for that purpose. If I were making a stand alone, single player focused game it would likely have a longer, more involved campaign. It would be like Warcraft 3 or other RTS games, and a more persistent army than the standard battlegroups used in pox – runes unlocked during missions and characters you can upgrade over the course of the story. This is purely hypothetical though, we have no plans for such an offshoot at this time.

The single player content has been a powerful element of driving the storyline. With Broodcall’s campaign, Wrath of the Exile, it showed us an amazing new level of detail in storytelling.

I’m personally a big fan of story driven campaigns. My goal has always been to tie campaigns into the larger story and create NPCs the player can recognize as characters. As we move forward storytelling could be the norm for campaigns, but we’re always looking at Design from every perspective possible.

How does difficulty level play into what fragments you get?

Playing on higher difficulties gives you better chances to get rarer components, essentially. Playing on legendary always offers the highest available rarities and the best chance to get them.

What is the purpose of the Fragment Harbinger?

Originally the Harbinger was something of an inside joke in an older, internal only campaign. When the Angel’s campaign was done, parts of that old campaign were used, and she made it in there. It gives something of a surprise factor to the campaign and a little side quest aspect so we left it in. Killing her will give you a chance for an extra drop from that level.

Who is responsible for giving Serkan those crazy stats on legendary mode of the Angel’s Descend Campaign?

Hah, that would be me. Angels is the first campaign I did. Since Serkan hadn’t been released yet, I really wanted to give him an epic feel, and it can be pretty hard to make an end boss that’s relevant for campaigns considering that the player usually has a whole army set up by that time. I think he contributes to making that encounter cool – that map is my personal favorite.

Are there any plans to improve the AI?

This is something Gedden, our programming lead, and I have discussed quite a bit. Currently the AI is fairly smart in targeting, but has little to no self preservation instinct. That’s an area we hope to improve on. Beyond that, more intelligent use of abilities is a goal, but an unlikely one – as complicated as PoxNora is it will be very tough to get the AI to use more than a fraction of abilities competently.

Is there going to be more taunts or LE craftables ?

Yes, though the LE craftables will likely evolve into something slightly different.

How long does it usually take to make a campaign from start to finish?

This depends on the campaign to an extent – both on the number of missions and number of mechanics in place. However, for most it usually takes a week to two weeks to create a campaign and play test it.

It was just a few short weeks ago the Broodlord took on challengers and showed the true power of the Broodcall dragons. What was the experience like and how did he provide such a formidable challenge? Today’s The Green Room will tell you more!

“When we began planning the Broodlord event, I knew it would be challenging playing veterans who knew PoxNora inside and out. The question was, how do you provide an adequate and fair game to people of any rank? It wasn’t easy a lot of time was put into creating a battlegroup that could face anything thrown against it. What did I end up with? Here is the secret behind the Broodlord battlegroup.”

Champions:

The Eight Broodcall Dragons - These were auto-includes fitting the theme but considering this was before our buffs to many of them, they could be vulnerable by themselves. I ended up growing pretty attached to Thirion as he was my only magic damage champ and Firemaw just because I like when he explodes.

Cave Dragon - I was asked a lot about this one. Why a Cave Dragon? It’s really pretty simple honestly. The Exile has Volatile, and the Cave Dragon is technically a dragon so it fit.

Spells:

Avalanche X2: With chasms on the map, and its ability to hit multiple targets I couldn’t avoid utilizing this regularly. I only managed to cliff dive one champion but it was worth it.

Backfire X1: This wasn’t used a lot but a few of you put together hefty spell spam Battlegroups and it threw people off their game.

Banish X2: I tried to only use this in emergencies when a hero was tearing up one of my dragons. It threw a major monkey wrench in some strategies and made the difference between a tough game and a sound beating of Broodlord.

Desperate Heal X1: This one was another auto-include which allowed a quick heal at a relatively low cost.

Essence Drain X1: Essence Drain is another easy spell to take the wind out of an extremely powerful creature. I didn’t use it every time but enough that I’m glad it was there.

Fireblast X2: Another great utility area of effect spell which helped finish off more champions than I can count.

Firestorm X1: This is another great area of effect spell which I found particularly effective against Moga swarm.

Hammer Strike X2: Hammer Strike was really fun to use against people who used it on me. I could see this as aggrivating though so I tried to only use when I had to.

Mobilization X2: It would have been easy to use Mobilization with Flying in order to quickly advance and crush a shrine. The goal of this event however was to make it fun so I only used against extremely fast units.

Monsoon X2: Monsoon served me in two ways, first to drown so many heroes. Euan, Talgar, Grimlic and many more sank to the murky depths. In a pinch it also could slow down a War Enchanted Groble too.

Retribution X2: The benefits of Retribution probably don’t need explanation, but in my case remember these dragons were all in the 100 nora range. This made the damage output catastrophic when utilized correctly.

With a hefty nora bank, you can see I had plenty of tools at my disposal. I was surprised however a number of times by many players ingenuity and I think most of you had quite a bit of fun trying to beat me. To those who succeeded, we’ll have a rematch one day. Until we meet again mighty champions, I leave you with one important thought. I will totally Banish your Euan.

In his dream Drakon relived the horror of the dying villagers and wrath of the Exile. The sounds around him: screaming, crumbling stone, the roar of a dragon and his inextinguishable rage. He couldn’t stand to hear the pain but he was powerless to stop it. The strength in his muscles waned, until they were all but useless. Inside his mind was the twirling scene of villagers, innocents, before a backdrop of fire. They begged for his help, pleaded with bloodied faces and scarred bodies. His guilt was torment, paining him far worse than the wounds he’d received from the Exile. Unable to bear the scene, Drakon opened his eyes.

He had returned to his lair a while ago, the catacombs beneath the Ironfist Stronghold, to rest and recuperate from his confrontation with the Exile. The catacombs had always soothed him; they were quiet, cool and peaceful. Light filtered in from the iron gate, the cold grey of morning against the stone. His gaze then fell upon the Ethereal Priestess who was tasked with aiding in his recovery.

She was a skilled healer, weaving Nora through the air and into his various wounds. He watched her awhile, with the strands of blue in her hands. She moved it about the air, eyes focused intensely on where she would apply her healing energy. She murmured her chant, and then touched a tender spot on his outstretched arm; the Nora seam followed her movement, sewing the wound shut and soothing his pain. As she continued her task, Drakon glimpsed a familiar dwarf, in platemail, sauntering towards him. He turned his head towards the approaching dwarf, greeted by a nod from Euan Ironfist.

“You’re a mess, Drak’.”

Drakon pulled himself up from the ground, found the strength that had disappeared.

“Any word on the Exile? Where is he? Where is Windfury?”

“Settle down. You’re the only dragon in Ironfist territory. It’s been that way for a month.”

“Windfury wants blood Euan, nothing else.” Drakon grumbled.

“There hasn’t been an attack on Ironfist since we found you at Raela. Not even a single Draksar scout. The mountains slumber with you.”

Drakon was poised for battle, but Euan’s touch eased him.

“The Exile is in the Peaks. If he decides to return, we’ll have an army waiting for him.”

The priestess had climbed onto Drakon’s back and began soothing the scars along his spine. He lowered himself to the ground, releasing a heavy sigh as he did.

“Windfury tore open his own son, Euan. The Draksar carried Akakios away before the Exile could finish him. He wants blood.”

“Then we’ll just have to make sure it isn’t ours. You worry too much. This isn’t our fight brother, you just got caught in the middle of a feud is all.”

Euan left Drakon to rest, beginning his long trek up the stairs towards the bottom floor of the Stronghold. Drakon dropped his head to the cold stone floor; another breath brought a small cloud of dust into the air. The wounds along his back were closing.

“Euan Ironfist doesn’t worry enough. The Exile will be back.”

The priestess continued her work, her voice fading softly into the empty space of the stone roost.

The Exile did not plan another attack on Ironfist. When he fled from the field at Raela, he didn’t return to Eehiist and the caverns that dotted the Shattered Peaks. Instead, he rested in the Fragile Expanse, a plain reaching between the Peaks and the Ironfist Mountains; Voil territory. The Fragile Expanse was plagued with quakes and unstable ground, no place for a Moga or G`hern; yet there lived in its various spaces, hiding from the winged tyrants. It was a place for a dragon to hide, to collect his thoughts. In his roost of broken rock, he was visited by Hyaenid. They yipped when they first saw him, occasionally retreating and baring fangs at him. A month passed, a month of introspection and contemplation. The Hyaenid spent the time sneaking around his roost, speaking in hushed and squawking tones, pointing to him. He ignored them, thought of the blood he had spilt. He imagined the little boy, hiding in the stable in Helenda, and the guard captain who scooped the boy into his arms. Occasionally, a rock would strike his skin; a soft impact that he barely noticed. Bladen would turn to its source, to see darting figures and hear the yipping throats. He thought of Varia revealing a scaled shoulder to the Draksar that combed the streets for soft-skins. He could see his son’s men, dragons on their hind quarters, raising swords against men who defended with farming tools. Had the soft-skins already suffered their due? Many lay where they once stood, burned or cut for standing against their demise. They had no homes and the ones they could keep were meager. He thought of the homes he crushed in Raela, the meek ones that watched in horror, the ones who drew their crude steel against a titan. He thought of the soldiers who were ready to defend the small hovel of cobblestone. Bladen had released his anger, his vindictiveness, on weakened spirits. They had no chance of defending themselves. He remembered the red dragon that descended beside him, the one who called him an interloper, his son Akakios. What turned his son to such violence? What could drive a child to extermination? Where was his little Akakios, or the man he imagined the boy would become? He wanted a better life for his son, one of peace and silence. The son was ire, a shadow of his father.

The thoughts consumed him until the Hyaenid had stopped their harassing and came out from the shadows. He noticed them at the mouth of his roost, a group of ten. Instead of retreating from his glance, they approached him directly. They were dressed differently than the others, each adorned in ornate leather and crowned with feathered crests. They had a drum on each hip, which they proceeded to slap in rhythm. Bladen looked down on them, watched their fervent hands slap the thin skins. A few began to move about the roost, continuing the furious beat; the entire gathering began howling and yipping. One stepped up to Bladen, stood right beneath his maw and stared into his eyes. Their fear of the behemoth was gone. Their drumming slowed, the beat waning into a dull roar and then into silence. The Hyaenid beneath him spoke.

“Mighty titan, god of the Peaks, we have no offering other than our music.”

Bladen snarled.

“Why are you here, Hyaenid? Your kind has been gnawing at my patience.”

“We come to pay homage to you, the true king of the Shattered Kingdom.”

“Homage? King?”

“We come to ask for food. Our hunters bring morsels fit for a Moga. Our calls to the Queen Eehiist go unanswered. Our tribes will starve if they don’t receive a healthy meal. We need your help, mighty titan.”

“You ask a dragon for food, not a king. I have nothing for you.”

“Do you sit on a throne?”

Bladen looked around his roost, stone jutting from stone, the formations encircling his bed.

“A roost. This is my roost.”

“It is a throne made from shattered rock, fit for the king of our lands.”

“I am no one’s king, little dog. Leave.”

The Hyaenid raised his hands to Bladen, his finger close to the dragon snout.

“Don’t leave us to rot, king! We need you, we need your guidance, your gift!”

Bladen stood and snarled at the groveling creature.

“Fine! I get you food and you leave me alone!”

With that, Bladen swung his wings and lifted himself into the air. The Hyaenid watched the titan, each pump bringing him higher and higher into the sky. Soon, the entire expanse was in his view, along with all of its little denizens; miniatures of themselves, scrambling across the tiny curves and crevices of the land. He scoured its shapes, searching for a suitable game. Moments into his hunt, he spotted a pack of feral boars, bounding into the horizon. He sailed across, plucking up one in each claw. The soft bodies squirmed in his grip, their voice squealing as he swooped across the plain. Four savage boars, each a feast in its own right, would be enough for them. As he returned to his roost, he saw the adorned Hyaenids standing at the entrance, anxiously awaiting his arrival. When he entered, he dropped the boars onto the stone floor and then returned to his resting place. The bewildered beasts stumbled around, squealing and thrashing about. Two more Hyaenids appeared from the entrance, wearing torques of beads and carrying spears in their hands. In a sudden movement, a quick and effortless motion, two of the four were sputtering their last breaths along the stone floor. One of the ill-fated beasts made for the entrance, only to receive a magical blast to its flank. The wound grievous, it too succumbed to death. The final beast rushed towards Bladen, only to be met with a powerful swipe across its face. It thrashed about once more, blindly and frantically. Another magical blast to its back and it was felled. Bladen lowered his head to the ground, resting it on an arm, and turned a single eye to his unwanted visitors.

“Your food, little dogs. Now, leave me.”

The Hyaenids obliged, carrying the boars out in twos and praising his beneficence with each step away. The rest of the night was spent in introspection, the same as the past month, but the subject was different. Such a simple act, lifting a boar into the sky, gave the Hyaenid something to eat. In Raela, he struck down the ones that needed his help, crushed their homes in his hands. Did he enjoy it? What did he gain from killing the soft skins of Ironfist? Nothing. There was nothing gained in vengeance, other than soiled claws and a hunger for more. It destroyed his son and it would end him if he continued. If not vengeance, then what? Helping the Hyaenid? They needed him. They named him the ruler of the Shattered Peaks, begged him for sustenance, and praised him when he delivered. It was the fact that they would eat that night, not their praise, which pleased him. The night was long with thoughts of his actions and, ultimately, he had chosen a new path. The soft-skins had paid their debt many times over, through Akakios and his loyal servants. Vengeance had consumed his son and Bladen could do nothing more than dismiss his actions. The son would not listen to his father; he was too far submerged in blood and all-encompassing hatred. Bladen Windfury would not follow the path any longer. He made his decision; when the sun was up, he would find the Hyaenid tribes and aid them in whatever way he could. He would be their king, not to garner worship, but because they needed him.

As time passed, the Exile aided the Hyaenid in whatever way he could. He hunted with them, pulling in large game. The Hyaenids ate their fill of boar and mountain lion, occasionally indulging in seared fesh. Bladen’s praises were sung around bonfires and in circles of witchdoctors. Eventually, word of their king spread across the Fragile Expanse to hidden tribes of Moga. Even the Cyclopes of the Storm Lands heard word of the mighty dragon god. They came to him, either for his aid or to praise his glorious power. Soon, the Fragile Expanse became a kingdom, a gathering of different creatures; Hyaenid, Moga, Cylcops; all of them bowed to him as their benevolent king. His troubles with the soft-skin had faded to a faint recollection, all but a wisp in the furthest corner of his mind. No longer was the Exile the title of a murderer; it was a king’s name. Bladen Windfury, exile in name and no longer in spirit, was the rightful king of the Fragile Expanse. His domain would reach from the foot of Ironfist to the edge of Eehiist’s caverns. His subjects would follow him and sing the glory of his feats in their tales. They had no banner in his honor, because he forbade it. When asked why, his reply was always simple.

“My banner is in the air, the praises of the Hyaenid and Moga. Their voices are my crest and their hearts are the poles that hold each banner up to the sky. There is no need for a flag.”

His rule rose friction with Eehiist, but their differences never came to blows. The shattered plains were his to rule. God or mortal, the Voil Queen kept her distance; it was best to leave the wretched place alone. Bladen Windfury, exile in name alone and no longer in spirit, was the rightful king of the Fragile Expanse and of all the creatures unguarded by Voil.

Most people outside North America know little of Gen Con and even resident geeks can only tell you they’ve heard of it. Started a really long time ago, Gen Con was a convention to bring together pen and paper game players to share their love of Dungeons & Dragons and foam weaponry. Over the years it’s evolved into a major commercial venue showing off miniatures, trading card games, and tournaments. Thus the 2009 Gen Con was the perfect venue for PoxNora to present its awesomeness so Slugbait, Kaervas, and I made our way to Indianapolis.

I arrived just before dinner and got a message from a few co-workers on the Community Team to meet up for dinner at a restaurant in the mall. The mall across the street from the hotel was a spiraling maze that would rival any good MMO dungeon. I ascended 2 levels, wandered past NPC’s at a Cinnabon, and tried to use a map but to no avail. Leaving the building and wandering around eventually brought the results I needed. Poor Kaervas and Slugbait got in around 11:00 PM local, and we made our way to Champions to enjoy some wings and Salsa. After receiving an odd marketing pitch about a pen and paper gaming product, from someone who had a few beers, we called it a night.

The next day started early as we made our way over to the convention hall well before 8:00 AM. This event usually sees about 25,000 people so you can imagine the commercial opportunities here. Every trading card game or boardgame you’ve ever heard of , and many you haven’t, were not only for sale but being demonstrated. The booth as you can see was 12 PC’s with 30 inch flat screens showing off Legends of Norrath, Free Realms Trading Card Game, and of course PoxNora.

One of the most exciting things about the event, was SOE got the lanyard for the entire show. That means tens of thousands of people were wearing something that said PoxNora! How fricking cool is that? As the doors opened up and everyone started streaming in, it became clear to me this would be the biggest showing PoxNora has seen in quite awhile. The lanyards however weren’t it, as we printed thousands of cards with rune art on them letting people know about the Gen Con packs being offered. So not only were thousands of people walking by looking at the game, but we were handing out reminders for people to try it out.

The first day was rough as all three of us spent nine straight hours talking to people about the features of PoxNora. Things were just getting started however as we made our way to Jillian’s for the SOE Meet and Greet. I have to admit, they went all out for this. Open bar, free food, and tons of swag were available and I can’t remember a single complaint the entire night. Kaervas bravely accepted the less glamorous duty of manning our PC’s in the Tournament Hall in case anyone wanted to play PoxNora. Slugbait and I sat in a booth for just moments before we were cornered by a few very happy fans which were enjoying the alcohol. It was an interesting night, and we learned a new term called “pure” which describes something beyond awesome.

Friday and Saturday kept getting busier as we sat down hundreds of people to try out the game. Most of the demonstrations blurred together but we had an amazing opportunity to get together a few PoxNora players Saturday night for dinner at Champions. Phaeton426, Ssez, and PoxAurora all showed up and it was great to meet a few of you guys in person. We had a good time hanging out and I think they can tell you we’re probably a little different in person than you think.

Sunday finally arrived and was supposed to be the “easy” day, but hundreds of families showed up which gave us plenty to do. Slugbait got the Bubonic Plague at some point, and Kaervas had people coming up to him asking him if he was RadarX. Sure, I pointed them over to him, but it was funny right? At 4:00 PM everyone who wasn’t an exhibitor was sent out and clean up began. If I hadn’t been packing up and shrink wrapping a dozen PC’s and monitors, I would have marveled at the buzz of activity. Forklifts whizzed by picking up pallets and the sound of zip ties clicking were consistent the rest of day.

Overall Gen Con was an unbelievably tough job, but did so much for PoxNora it was worth every second. There was so much more that happened I wish I could share, but this has already gotten lengthy enough. We hope to see a lot of new players in the next few weeks, so if see one saying they are from Gen Con, just say “We apologize for RadarX” and welcome them into the community.

Discuss this on PoxNora Forums

This weeks Developer Diary comes from the newest member of the PoxNora team. You might recognize him as a player, but his experience goes far beyond that as you’ll see below. Today you’ll get to meet the man behind the CorpsE and hear about just what he’s working on for the game.

How I Started Working in the Gaming Industry:

I was playing an Real Time Strategy game called Battle Realms hardcore. I played a lot. I posted on the game forums in a constructive manner, never flamed anyone, and always tried to help out. I was also one of the top players in the game. One day out of the blue the game producer contacted me and asked if I was interested in a job as a game designer for the upcoming expansion. So I left my tiny hometown of Galion, Ohio and booked it out to L.A.

Games I’ve Worked On:

POXNORA!

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (2009), THQ Inc.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (2009), THQ Inc.
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (2007), THQ Inc.
Company of Heroes (2006), THQ Inc.
Company of Heroes (Collector’s Edition) (2006), THQ Inc.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard (2005), Atari, Inc.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring (2003), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf (2002), Crave Entertainment, Inc.

What My Role is at Sony Online Entertainment Tucson:

Most of my role here at SOE Tucson is heading up the design and balance for future expansions of PoxNora.

How I Design:

This is a hard one but I feel it’s worth talking about so the community understands the direction PoxNora is headed. I am not a fan of nerfs. I loathe them and believe they are a last resort to something that cannot be fixed any other way. I would rather introduce counters to runes that are considered a problem. A good example of this was the ‘Predator’ ability we put on Doombringers. Harbingers have long been a sore spot with the PoxNora community so instead of nerfing the rune directly, we introduced a strong counter to them. This makes sense from both a business perspective and it also gives the players the capacity to make the choice to upgrade that ability. PoxNora will most likely continue in this direction since it helps grow the game and gives you the player choices.

My Hobbies
I love cigars, Scotch, baseball, my Jeep, working out, PoxNora and my sweet, sweet Dachshund, Rose.

Discuss this on PoxNora Forums

CorpsE Senior Game Designer

Discuss this on the PoxNora forums!

Barbarian Commander x2
Upgrades: 9 speed, 52 hp, Battlemaster 3 - 72 Nora

Barbarian Archer x2
Upgrades: 9 speed, 51 hp - 74 Nora

Favored Nomad x2
Upgrades: 9 speed, 59 hp - 72 Nora

Barbarian Elite x2
Upgrades: 11 speed, 50 hp, Blood Frenzy 3, Exertion 3 - 100 Nora

Veteran Barbarian x2
Upgrades: 9 speed, 49 hp - 64 Nora

Houndmaster
Upgrades: 9 speed, 50 hp, Summon Beast 3 - 80 Nora

Barbarian Guardian
Upgrades: 9 speed, 51 hp, Camaraderie - 95 Nora

Barbarian Shaman
Upgrades: 9 speed, 51 hp, Heal Champion 2 - 62 Nora

Savage Shieldman x2
Upgrades:9 speed, 49 hp, Shove - 74 Nora

Impervious x2
Hammer Strike x2
Strip Armor x2
Earthquake x2
Desperate Heal x2
Righteous Deflection
Disarm
Glorious Charge
Visage of Ironfist
Ironfist Standard

Here is a simple racial theme deck for the barbarians. Barbarians have become significantly more viable in recent expansions with changes to Favored Nomads and the release of Barbarian Archers to handle ranged combat. The biggest strength of this deck is resilience, as barbarians tend to have a hefty amount of hp and defense, not to mention access to a bit of healing and defensive abilities. They also have the ability to provide some significant buffs to their army. Cheap double Motivate and Battlemaster 3 can produce very dangerous champions. The big weaknesses are low speed and lack of nora and mines might be a good substitute for some of the utility spells. However because miners don’t fit our theme the mines won’t be too impressive. Relying on the strengths of the champions and backing it up with a slew of good utility spells the deck can enjoy success at pretty high levels of play.

Each of the champions has something unique to offer in this deck. First is the Barbarian Commanders, who are some of your best combatants with high damage and enrage and also provide the excellent Battlemaster 3. Following up in the support area are your Veteran Barbarians - these guys are kept cheap to bring out fast as possible for motivate. Having both Veterans out significantly increases the killing power of your deck. Archers and Favored Nomads are your best sources of damage and with motivate they can really bring the pain. Nomads also offer an excellent sideways form of nora generation with all the cheap spells you can throw out. Savage Shieldmen bridge the gap between damage and support and while they’re not great at any one thing, they can help protect your range and fight against pure melee units.

The first of our more specialized units are the Barbarian Elites, who have the potential to be your biggest damagers if you play carefully with them and use spell support. They can really bring the pain under the right conditions. Next we have a Houndmaster, who offers excellent detection as well as some helpful long game potential. The dogs are also good with Revenge and Motivate, and the Houndmaster has decent stats as well. The Shaman offers an extra damage type not to mention healing, which is good for your elites or dealing with pesky Sonic Elementals. Finally, the Guardian serves as a walking discount for our army. He’s very expensive, but if you can get him out and protect him he will make his cost back. Nexus Aura is a good once per game turn changing ability, and scramble is very potentially powerful, though not often will it go off. In general the Guardian is a good early game champion for Camaraderie.

This deck makes use of a lot of spells to cover holes in the champions. Hammer Strike and Earthquake provide good spot damage and also help tremendously in controlling enemy champions. Desperate Heal, Impervious, and Righteous Deflection give you a good number of options for keeping your units alive however don’t be afraid to make use of Impervious freely. It can really change the course of a battle if an opponent has to let a champion live for an extra turn and the spell will come back quickly. Double Strip Armor makes good use of the high amount of physical damage. Glorious Charge gives the deck’s offense some range, and is especially good with Barbarian Elites. Disarm makes an appearance for standard reasons, as does the warbanner. Finally we have the Ironfist Visage. Clear is very helpful for a deck like this with no movement abilities, and the helm provides late game power to a deck that is otherwise lacking somewhat in that department.

Discuss this on PoxNora Forums

Kaervas Assistant Game Designer

Being an artist for PoxNora requires more than just pencils and paint, it requires the heart and soul of a true warrior.  Darcie has been working on PoxNora for about a year and has brought some of the more impressive runes to life.  Want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes?  Read below to learn more.

Mmmm… Sprites. No not the drink, but the little animated dudes you see battling in PoxNora. That’s mostly what I’ve worked on for Pox since I joined the company last summer. Idols like Rip Demon Alpha, Voil Windstriker, and Zarimahl (the FW avatar) are a few that I’ve done.

You don’t see many games these days using sprites for the characters. Most of my classes in college were all 3D modeling, 3D texturing, 3D animating and all that new stuff. Never did a real sprite before Pox, though I did have some pencil and paper animation experience. Painting and animating those little guys is lots of fun! It’s like making one of those skeletons you see in different poses on people’s doors on Halloween and animating it… well but smaller… and in Photoshop… but I’m sure you get the idea.

I’ve also done a handful of Rune art. Shock Toad and Blacklabel Brew are probably the ones I like the most. Mostly Shock Toad, cause creatures are fun. Can’t wait for the batch of PoxNora art stuff to work on! (No, really. I love my job ^__^ )

Now that my secret identity has been revealed!
/run away

Discuss this on PoxNora Forums

Hello all, this is Anthony Lopes. I joined SOE Tucson as an Artist last July when we were still Octopi.
Most of my work has been doing Idol animation (Savage shield Bearer, Bone Elemental, Barbarian Elite, Yeti Conqueror etc..)

Here I posted my first Champion Rune, the Lonx Striker. I’ve progressed as an artist during my time here at SOE and while I’m generally happy with this piece, there are a few things that could have turned out better.

Things that I didn’t like about the piece

• The form & shape isn’t quite as volumetric as I would have liked.
• The colors are a bit washed out
• The detail doesn’t work as well when shrunk down to card size.

Things that I did like about it

• Composition
• Basic character design

I feel my work on light & volume improved on my Alpine Cyclops (see above image), and look forward to doing more Champion Runes!

Discuss this on PoxNora Forums

Anthony Lopes Artist