Mercenaries (4E)

Mercenaries are the most heterogeneous faction of all. True Mercenaries or small sub-factions like the Sutek can be found here.

The true mechanical advantage of Mercenaries is that they and only they can be played in other faction's decks as reinforcements, coming into play without a faction penalty.

You can easily play successful pure mercenary decks, too, though, using for example Kerebus, Taisia, Shah'syss or Menhetiri.

The Chosen (4E)

The Chosen are a Daemonic race specific to the 4E realm of Thessyria. Once Thessyria was a proud empire ruled by benevolent kings. But prosperity led to hubris which opened the way for a parasitic race to worm its way into the ruling elite, which celebrated itself by hiding behind elaborate masks.

Too late the Daemons were discovered, too many of them already had come through to this realm and now they summoned their powerful brethren from beyond and used blood magic to empower themselves.

The Chosen are an advanced faction for experienced players, using a unique mechanic sacrificing your own characters for effect.

Nothrog (4E)

Once dominated by their most brawny brethren, Thessyria has opened up new opportunities for the greenskin leaders who prefer a more brainy approach, like the Goblin Siegemaster Scyrax or Set'rokh, daughter of Sethusk, Master of Strategies in Uthanak's army.

Free Kingdoms (4E)

Liberty is the foundation that keeps the Free Kingdoms united. While Sir Robert has once again taken up arms to defend the downtrodden, it is the rogues like Keziah, Logan Ebonwoulfe or the dual-wielding Talin Tzin who thrive.

Reduced in numbers, the Free Kingdoms armies, too, have found new allies, most notably Niobe, Queen of the Glades and Guardian of the banished gods of Thessyria.

The Isle of the gods and the surrounding archipelagos have become a safe (?) haven for the last free humans in Thessyria, many of whom have turned buccaneer like Captain Alera.

Elves (4E)

Still cursed with just too brief a life span the necromantic Accordlands Elves encounter their equally stricken cousins, the Vaneris.

These Aquatic Elves fled the Daemonic invasion of their home woods and found refuge in the deep waters. Now their magic is devoted to keeping them alive in this hostile environment.

Dwarves (4E)

The Dwarves still mourn their dead King Xod, but Prince Alaric has stepped into his fathers shoes and led his people through the strange lands of Thessyria.

Here they find cousins who take them in, but all is not right - dark secrets stand behind the survival of the Thessyrian Dwarves in light of the Daemonic invasion.

Deverenians (4E)

The Empire of Deverenia has likely lost the most in the war that shattered the Accordlands. The Emperor has perished and the power of the Storm is scattered.

Those Deverenians who have been forced through the portals make do best as they can, and formerly unknown leaders, mentally stable or not, have taken over the reign.

Nothrog

Although their ancestors may have been orcs, ogres, and goblins, the terrible Nothrog are anything but primitive. The finest tacticians and group fighters in the Accord, they have seized control of the city of Baraxton - the hub of civilization and once the capital of human civilization - for their own. Nothrog serve their nation in independent legions, fighting together only when they must overpower a superior enemy. Fierce but divided, when legions of Nothrog gather for a war, the outcome is always the same: their enemy is overrun, crushed, and enslaved.

Elves

The enigmatic Elves, cold and distant, care little for lives other than their own. Once they were bound by oaths that prohibited their arcane studies, but these vows have now expired - and with their freedom returned their bloodlust and xenophobia. In their workshops in the somber Myreth forest, they research necromancy once again. To avenge an enchantment that forbade their sorcery for 100 years, they have begun a war against the human kingdoms, tearing through their unwary guard and stealing away thousands of human soldiers... who have now become undead servants of the Elves.

Dwarves

There are two sources of evil in the Lands of the Accord: the storm and the Abyss. In the ancient days, the Storm was defeated and driven away by an alliance of all the races living in the Lands of the Accord. The Dwarves marched beneath the mountains to stand vigilant against the Abyss, while the other races swore to keep the land safe from the Storm. That history has been forgotten by the kingdoms above the ground. Now the Dwarves have returned, saying the evil below is too powerful for them to defeat, but the surface dwellers see only another threat rising from beneath the mountains.

Deverenian Empire & the Free Kingdoms

The Nations of Man are divided into two distinct groups, the monolithic DeverenianEmpire and the holdfasts of the Free Kingdoms. Should they ever unite even the Nothrog armies would be dwarfed by their might, but their schism runs deep.


The mountains of Deverenia are dark, blackened and scorched by the passage of the Blood Moon. The Deverenian palaces rise like gothic cathedrals against a storm-covered sky, and their armies march in formation; armor and steel beneath the lightning sigil of their mighty Emperor.


The Free Kingdoms are the last remnants of several once-powerful human civilizations, now crushed and driven out of their homelands. The area of the Free Kingdoms that was once known as the land of Andover has been ravaged by the Elves, Nothrog invasions, Deverenian conquest and the shattering of the land in the wake of the Blood Moon. The refugees have seized upon empty lands left behind by war victims, and the Free Kingdoms - a united force of nobles, merchants, soldiers and peasantry - has been born from Andover's ashes.

Nothrog

Artwork by William O'Connor

Although their ancestors may have been orcs, ogres and goblins, the terrible Nothrog are anything but primitive. The finest tacticians and group fighters in the Accord, they have seized control of the Southern Lands and taken the city of Baraxton ­ the hub of civilization and once the capital of the human civilization ­ for their own. Nothrog serve their nation in independent legions, fighting together only when they must overpower a superior enemy. Fierce and divisionary, when legions of Nothrog gather for a war, the outcome is always the same: their enemy is crushed, enslaved, and turned to their use.

Nothrog are the creators of most siege engines. They developed legions and strategies before any other race, and they have tactics far beyond the military understanding of the other races of the Accord. With the seizure of Baraxton, the Nothrog have become a truly powerful force, and have the strength to back up their demands politically, economically, and with their powerful military.

They are led by a single Nothrog Lord known as Nassiral Hate. An albino ­ and therefore, a sorcerer ­ Nassiral has the powers of sorcery and magic. More importantly, he has the strength of will and charisma to bring warring legions together and force them to comply with his wishes. That alone makes him a terrible force to be reckoned with, and one that many of the other races of the Accord wish to be rid of. Yet on his skeletal throne in Baraxton, Nassiral has only one thought about the other races; he is only concerned with how to rule them.

The Nothrog specialize in group tactics, using every soldier at their disposal to present a unified force. They are known to use siege engines and unusual equipment, keeping their military secrets to themselves. Their sorcerers and clerics are rare, but dangerous ­ good at healing as well as offense, they make an ideal support unit for the Nothrog legions. Still, on the whole, most Nothrog tend to be thieves and warriors ­ scouts and soldiers, ready to give their lives for the legion that has been mother and father to them.

Mercenaries

Artwork by Llyn Hunter

"No soldier can stand alone."

Many bands of mercenaries make their living in the Lands of the Accord, surviving on the rich trade of war and steel. The Dark Horsemen are no different ­ but they are the most powerful of the mercenary guilds. Capable and unafraid, they will serve the highest bidder, but are not unwilling to join the fray for their own benefit if the opportunity should arise. At their side is a reclusive sorcerer who has made his life's study in the conjuration and creation of massive, freakish beasts, controlling them and releasing them into the enemy's territory. His creations wander through the nations of the Accord, causing destruction and death wherever they are found. Other beasts, uncontrolled, roam the Accord in order to feed on the dead or gather treasures from those who have fallen.

The mercenaries are the most diverse faction, ranging from heroes to beasts, all with one purpose: to make their own way. Those who hire the mercenaries come from all the Lands of the Accord. If one is a merc, he can expect to be well rewarded for his labors.

Freekingdoms

Artwork by beet

The Freekingdoms are the last remnants of several once-powerful human civilizations, now crushed and driven out of their homelands. Nothrog invasions, Deverenian conquest and the shattering of the land due to the passage of the Blood Moon has brought these refugees together. Now, only their abiding hope that the world will be reborn keeps them intact. The Freekingdom, once known as the land Khalenar, has been ravaged by the Elves and their leaders have been destroyed. The refugees have seized upon empty lands left behind by war victims, and the Freekingdoms ­ a united force of nobles, merchants, soldiers and peasantry ­ has been born from Khalenar's ashes.

The people of the Freekingdoms suffer from their losses at war, and are badly traumatized by their continued destruction of their homelands. Still, they turn their eyes toward a better future, uniting their meager armies into one last force for good, determined to try to restore the balance of the world ­ or die, trying. Their faith is strong; their courage stronger.

The soldiers of the Freekingdom have seen a great deal of war. They are a rag-tag group comprised of those good enough (or lucky enough) to have survived the destruction of their native kingdoms. Many of them are too old, too young, or otherwise not first-sting soldiers; in desperate times, everyone who can fight, must fight. Their armies are comprised of archers and pikemen, the clever and the lucky. Where the other armies of the world have strength, the Freekingdoms have cunning ­ and guile. Thieves are not uncommon; many of their new leaders gained their posts by shrewdness or wit, and not strength. They use guerilla tactics and strike-and-run maneuvers, and the few wizards who have survived are typically those who specialize in movement, illusions, or divinatory spells ­ most of the sorcerers with directed war power fought, and died, long ago.

Elves

Artwork by Llyn Hunter

The enigmatic elves, cold and distant, care little for life other than their own. Once they were bound by oaths that prevented their arcane studies, but they have recently been freed; and with their freedom returned their bloodlust and xenophobia. Living in the dark somber Alothian forest, they research necromantic practices, and collect specimens for their use from the other races of the world. In order to fulfill their need, they began a war against many of the human kingdoms, tearing through their unwary guard and stealing away thousands of human soldiers to become undead servants of the elves.

Elves are short-lived and rarely have more than a span of thirty short years on the world before their bodies collapse into ash and bone. To prevent this, they use necromantic techniques that give them a new and nearly immortal life. Only one Elf in thousands is capable of this transcendence; all struggle toward it. Despite their own short lifespans, Elves have no compassion for non-Elven life, and see other races as test subjects for their necromantic experiments.

Elven magic has had a thousand years to be researched; a thousand years of forbidden studies and covert practice. Extremely powerful magic-users, they have mastered the art of raising dead bodies for purposes of war. Their revenants, spirits, haunts and vampires feed on the living and provide the Elves with soldiers so that the Elves do not have to risk their own precious lives. Elven warfare consists of a series of attacks with their undead armies, followed by necromantic sorcery to raise the bodies of the fallen and return them to the fight. Their scouts, clever and quick, gather information on the enemy so that their powerful sorcerers can use distance spells or turn huge armies of the undead toward their foe.

Dwarves

Artwork by William O'Connor

Long ago, an almost overwhelming evil crept out from beneath the crust of the earth, seeping through the rocks and rising from the center of the world to destroy the world. The races of the world fought back against it, and barely closed the portal before the land was destroyed; this occurred at the same time that the Storm ­ the strongest Evil to be released from the gate ­ was defeated. Aware that the portal could one day be used again, and that many of the evil denizens from beyond the gate still lived deep beneath the earth, the Dwarves chose to give up their lives on the surface. For thousands of years, they have lived below ground, and had almost no contact with the surface races.

They have built tremendous cities in caverns, carved palaces from solid rock and earth, and they have lived their lives fighting the evil that the surface world slowly forgot. But now, the portal has begun to crack, and again their ancient enemies are escaping. Overwhelmed by the loss of their greatest city to the portal's minions, the Dwarves have retreated to their strongholds and sent ambassadors to the Lands of the Accord.

What they found there was a world much changed from their histories ­ it was divided by greed and war, and all but the most venerable sages had completely forgotten about the evil below ground, the portal and the Dwarves. The Storm still raged; the Dwarves found no succor in the surface world. Simply put, the people of the Accord lands did not trust them.

They continue to seek for allies, desperate to save the world for which they have so long fought. They carry a pure faith, tested by generations of conflict with absolute evil, and they are aware of the dangers that are threatening to boil up from the earth's core and destroy the lands above. Yet no one trusts them. They are outcast, and they are reviled.

Dwarves are blessed with a pure and shining faith, and the knowledge of their enemies. They have spent generations carving stone and learning of its magic, and now they can create soldiers of stone and metal, gargoyles that will fight by their side and defend their cities. They revere life, respect honor, and believe that if they should fail, the entire world will suffer for their loss. Their armies tend to be light on direct strength but high on defense; with a few faithful Dwarven clerics and several stone Gargoyles, they can stand behind their stone walls and slowly whittle down their opposition.

Deverenians

Artwork by Craig Maher

The mountains of Deverenia are dark, blackened and scorched by the passage of the Blood Moon. On the far side, the mountains have turned red with fire and blood, marking the edge of the moon's destruction. The Deverenian palaces rise like gothic cathedrals against a storm-covered sky, and their armies march in formation; armor and steel beneath the lightning sigil of their mighty Emperor.

The people of Deverenia are soldiers, warriors with a dark sense of honor and the iron fists of tyrants. They live within a rigid military society where the nobility rules, and the serfs farm the land and care for the day-to-day business. Once, long ago, the Deverenian Empire had conquered nearly all of the human lands in the Accord, butchering those who did not agree with their rule. Many years passed, and the Empire fell from within, leaving only the crumbling shell of a once-powerful nation.

Until now. United beneath a strong young Emperor and his sorcerous advisors, the Deverenians have begun to reestablish their conquest, this time seizing Elven and Nothrog lands as well as the lands of the Human kingdoms. The Deverenians see the Storm as a kind of god, a power that can be harnessed and controlled. Their Emperor believes that he can gather the power to summon the Storm ­ and control it. If he is right, the Deverenians could well conquer the world, with the Storm at their side.

The Deverenians are strong fighters and good commanders, using a great deal of fodder-troops and sorcery to compliment a single warrior's raw physical prowess.

One Deverenian Knight is nearly a match for 20 Nothrog; if the knight is accompanied by squires and a sorcerer, he could potentially take out a legion. Deverenian politics are ancient and subtle; they know the secrets of all the lands they conquered, and they remember the means to manipulate their enemies. Their ambassadors often hid an iron hand within their velvet glove ­ and all too often carry a touch of poison behind honeyed words. The Deverenian units are typically made up of one massive, heavily armored fighter, and a number of weak grunts that exist to 'soften the enemy' for the Knight's attack. Their wizards specialize in offensive magic, with fire being a particular favorite among their sorcerers.

The Story So Far...

Warlord: Saga of the Storm is the first collectible card game in years designed to grab and hold the attention of RPG, CCG, and miniature gaming fans everywhere. Based on a fast-playing card mechanic and packed with a deep "chess level" strategy, Warlord is the front-runner for Best CCG of the Year.

Set in the newly-created World of the Accord, Warlord chronicles the clash of mighty armies and the actions of great heroes as entire nations crumble around them. Developed by the award-winning AEG design staff, the world of Warlord is rich and inviting, providing the perfect backdrop for epic conflict as players battle it out for dominance.

The Story So Far...

The Elves were defeated 100 years ago in a war against the humans.  In Corinth, the Andover capital, the archmage Syneri forced a geas upon the elves, removing their magic and destroying their undead army.  The geas lasted for 100 years, which is over three generations of elves (who have a 30-year lifespan).  When the geas ended, the bitter hatred of the Elves towards humans caused High Queen Tepheroth to declare war.  Queen Alia of House Rowan (and loved by Rathe) was opposed, so Tepheroth exiled the entire House Rowan.  Members either fled with Alia or were killed.  The war began, and within three days, Andover was consumed in flames.  Tepheroth's mentor is Dythanus, the spirit of the first necromancer and arch mage.  Tepheroth seeks to restore him to life by recovering a magic orb in human lands.  Morghen Dythanus is his son, now a lich.

The Nothrog, led by the shaman Lord Nassiral Hate, took advantage of the elf-human war by attacking and capturing the human city of Baraxton in the Southern Plains, crossroads and center of trade for the human lands.  The attack began with a surprise slaughter of the city leaders in the Council chambers by Hate and his elite guard, with 10,000 Nothrog led by Krun hidden nearby using a Deverenian invisibility spell.  Logan Ebonwoulfe, former head of the Baraxton's Thieves' Guild, is having troubles leading a surviving band of humans past the Nothrog and Elves to join the humans in the north.  Hate's rule is not uncontested though.  A legion of Nothrog sent to Sharn Keep fell under the control of a Reaver, a monstrous overlord and sorceror.

The Deverenian Empire once ruled most of the human lands, but fell apart from within over time.  The current aging emporer seeks to regain its former glory by conquering human, elven, and Nothrog lands.  Worship of the Storm has become a unifying ideology for the empire.  So far they have conquered Tyraniel, the elven lands of House Rowan, and which are very close to the elven forest of Myreth.  Unfortunately for the Deverenians, they lost the city of Phyrgai to a siege by the Dwarves, who got there before the Nothrog army led by Uthanak.  The Deverenian Church has branded the Dwarves as demons.  The Church includes an order of evil Paladins, led by Sir Rhawn d'Ilchant.

The Dwarves moved underground ages ago to guard the portal blocking the Abyssals, evil creatures that were once defeated but not destroyed.  Now the Abyssals grow stronger, and have taken the Dwarfs' largest underground city.  The Dwarves seek assistance above ground, but with little success so far.  Coming to the surface near Phyrgai, and sensing the Deverenians were evil, they successfully seiged Phyrgai and have renamed it New Goldenaxe.  The dwarves are aided underground by Sjonegaard, Lord of the Earth and King of the Elementals, who is summoning gargoyles from the very earth to fight on the side of good. 

The Elves continued their war over six weeks, and destroyed most of the western human nations: Andover, Llyr, Toris Kelt, and Makappal.  Tepheroth raised armies of undead in each destroyed kingdom, driving the humans towards the ocean.  The remaining nations are now called the Free Kingdoms, led by Sir Robert the Vigilant.  King Michael of Andover tried to sue for peace with Tepheroth under a flag of truce.  But in a night called the "Assassins' Strike," people from all the races were killed; generals, leaders, priests, and even kings.  Known casualties include King Michael and the High Lord of House Rowan.  Sir Robert got his nickname by being the only survivor of the Strike.  Rumor has it the Assassins' Strike was engineered by the Medusan Lords.  It was carried out by Black Tom, the leader of the Thieve's Guild in Corinth and the entire Accordlands, and the leader of the Nightwalkers, the Assassin's Guild

There was also a Knightly Order of good Paladins, the Paladins of Aroch, in Llyr.  Unfortunately, with Llyr in flames and the other Paladins dead from assassins, Terak Justicebringer is the last of his Order.

The strongest of the Mercenary guilds is the Dark Horsemen, led by Kerebrus.  They don't seem to care for the Deverenians too much, mostly because the Empire isn't paying gold to hire them at the moment.  The Yscar are a cult led by Yscar the Elder, a lycanthrope (shapeshifter).