Violentandapocalypticenergieswereunleashed,tearingthenorthernlandsofUlthuanapart.AwallofseawaterathousandfeethighcrashedintoNagarytheanddrownedcountlessthousands.Atthelastmoment,MalekithandtheothersurvivingSorcererschantedspellstopreservetheirgreatestfortresses,transformingthemintofloatingBlackArks.Thesesailedwestward,eventuallycomingtorestinthenorthoftheNewWorld.MalekithnamedthislandNaggarothandhisexiledpeople,nowcalledDarkElves,madeanewcivilizationforthemselves.
WhatlittleremainsofNagarytheisatorturedandtwistedland,blastedbyfireandsearedbydestructivemagicalenergies.Strange,mutatedcreaturesstalkthisgloomy,barrenwastelandofgrayearthandblackstone.TheHighElvesnamedthiscursedplacetheShadowlands,foritseemedalwaystobeindarkness.
ItwasnotlongbeforetheDarkElvesreturnedtoclaimtheirancestralland,andthetwosideshavefoughtceaselesslyforcontroloftheregioneversince.
FollowingthedeathofAenarion,firstPhoenixKingofUlthuan,theElvesfacedadifficultchoice.SomearguedthatMalekith,Aenarion'slonesurvivingson,shouldsucceedhisfather.Others,however,fearedwhatAenarionhadbecomeafterhedrewtheSwordofKhaineandworriedthatthedreadsword'scursehadbeenpassedontoMalekith.Intheend,itwasBel-ShannarwhowaschosentoleadtheElves,andnotAenarion'sheir.Atfirst,MalekithconcealedhislustforpowerandhishatredoftheElveswhohaddeniedhimhisbirthright.Instead,hemadealliesandwongreatvictoriesinwar,risingtoapositionofprominenceamonghispeoplesecondonlytothePhoenixKinghimself.Itwasthenthathemadehismove,assassinatingBel-ShannarandproclaiminghimselftherightfulPhoenixKing.Onlyonethingnowremained.MalekithwouldhavetoprovehisqualitybyenteringthesacredflameattheShrineofAsuryan,tobejudgedbythegreatestoftheElvengods.
Whenhedidso,however,theflamerejectedhim.Malekithwasburnedanddisfigured,andhisservantsrushedtheambitiouslordtothelandofNagarytheinthenorthofUlthuan.Whentruthoftheassassinationcametolight,theHighElvesmadewaruponMalekithandhisfollowers.WhenhewasdefeatedbythenewPhoenixKing,CaledortheConqueror,thesonofAenarionhatchedamadplantoundothemagicoftheVortexandlettherawpowerofChaosspillintoUlthuan,destroyinghisenemies.Theattemptwasonlypartiallysuccessful,buttheresultsweredevastating.
ThoughtheShadowlandsareforeverruinedbythecatastrophicwarsoftheSundering,thearmiesoftheHighElvesandDarkElveshaveonceagainconvergedheretodobattle.TheinvadersfromNaggarotharesearchingformoreoftheancientmenhirsthatanchortheVortex,andtheHighElveshavecometomakesuretheydonotgaincontrolofthesestandingstones.Themenhirsaresourcesofgreatarcanepower,butanytamperingwiththatpowercouldhavefar-reachingeffectsthatmirrortheancientSundering.
TheShadowlandshaveothervaluefortheDarkElves.Artifactsandrelicsfromtheirdistantpastcanbefoundhereaswell,andtheseareprizedbythenoblesofNaggaroth.Eager-eyedscavengerssearchtheblastedwastesforsometrinkettheycanoffertocurryfavorwiththeirlords,orperhapsevenwiththeWitchKinghimself.
MoretimeisneededtoresearchtheprophecyandconvincetherulersofUlthuanthatitmustbepursued.Time,however,isaluxurythattheHighElvesarequicklyrunningoutof.Theirarmiesarespreadthin,asmanyoftheirlegionsarestillintheOldWorldfightingtoaidtheEmpireandtherealmsoftheDwarfs.TheShiningGuardhasbarelybeenabletoslowtheadvanceoftheinvadingarmy,andiftheDarkElvesmoveonthegreatgatesthatgrantpassagetotheInnerKingdoms,thereisgravedoubtthattheycanbestopped.
Thesparkofhope,itseems,maybeextinguishedbeforeithastrulybeenkindled.
ExperienceEnhancements:PhaseIII
OpenRvRcombatenhancement
ThefirstandthesecondexperienceenhancementphasesrenderedTier3andTier4questingandKeepwarfaremorerewarding.Inthisthirdphase,MythichasnowfurtherenhancedOpenRvRcombat:
ExperienceEnhancements:PhaseIII
Withtheadditionofthenewregion-wideandRvR-widechatchannelswehaveseenamarkedincreaseinOpenRvRparticipation.Inordertoencouragethistrendevenfurther,wehavemadeanadditionaladjustmenttotheexperienceawardedforkillingenemyplayersinanOpenRvR%26#8216;lake'.Previouslyweincreasedthisamountby50%.Asoftoday,thatbonushasbeenraisedto100%.WiththischangeplayerskilledinOpenRvRwillnowbeworthdoubletheexperiencethanthosekilledinscenarios!
ComplicatingmattersforthewarriorsofHouseUthorinistheappearanceoftheirgreatrival,HouseArkaneth.Thesetwohousesdespiseeachotherdeeply,evenbyDarkElfstandards.TheWitchKinghascommandedtherulersofbothnoblehousestotakecontroloftheShadowlandsmenhirs,pittinghistwomostpowerfulrivalsagainstoneanother.Inthisway,MalekithintendstoensurethatneitherLordUthorinnorLadyArkanethbecomepowerfulenoughtoposeathreattohim.
WhilethewarriorsofNaggarothscourtheShadowlandsforpiecesofthepast,itistheHighElveswhomakethemostsurprisingdiscovery.Followingabattleatoneoftheinvaders'digsites,ancientscrollsarefoundthatcompleteaprophecyoncethoughtlost.TheeventsdescribedintheantiquatedscrollsbearadisquietingreferencetotheunfoldingAgeofReckoning,buttheprophecyalsooffersaslimhopethattheDarkElves'terribleplancanbestopped.
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