Hey everyone!
In the second entry of our development journal, we wanted to talk about different enemy types you will encounter while exploring the world of Ars Notoria. Various deadly creatures roam the territories of the kingdom and pose a significant threat to its inhabitants.
Enthralled
Enthralled are magic-infused beasts formed by corrupted shards of spiritual energy. They roam the kingdom’s territories, seeking to unleash further death upon the mortal world and corrupt more souls in their wake. These beings are often deformed and mutated to larger sizes due to the unpredictable nature of spiritual corruption.
All Enthralled carry some level of magic, as indicated by their soul auras. A skilled Soul Hunter can read such auras and determine the best way to defeat possessed creatures based on the type of spiritual magic they are corrupted with. There are different types of magic that spirits imbue Enthralled with: from Fire and Ice to Lightning and Poison. Spirits grant unique elemental spells to the controlled beings and also make them much stronger, faster, and more resilient than their normal counterparts.
Aberrations
Creatures that were possessed by stronger spirits and can mutate even further than regular Enthralled are known as Aberrations. Insects that grow larger than most animals, gigantic spiders that prey on humans, and crabs that can split the boat in half with their pincers are examples of such Aberrations.
Aberrations are more dangerous enemies than Enthralled beasts, and only professionally trained Soul Hunters might stand a chance when fighting against them. Despite being a higher threat in combat, Aberrations are not as common as other spiritually corrupted creatures, and encounters with them are pretty rare.
Therianthropes
Therianthropes are powerful humanoid beings that were possessed by spirits for long periods of time and changed their appearance considerably due to effects of the soul corruption. Some examples of such creatures include Lycanthropes, more commonly known as Werewolves, Arkanthropes or Werebears, and Aroanthropes or Wererats.
Therianthropes are the most powerful of the possessed enemies. They are extremely lethal and can easily defeat even a squad of experienced Soul Hunters that venture into their lair. Unlike other enchanted monsters, Therianthropes are much smarter, and they try to avoid contact with humans by often staying far away from settlements and hiding deep in the woods or in remote dungeons.
Undead
The effects of spiritual corruption not only affected the living beings throughout the kingdom but led to the rise of the undead. Spiritual energy filled the remains of ancient soldiers that were buried in numerous tombs, crypts, and ossuaries for centuries and allowed them to move again.
After spending years on end in their tombs, ancient warriors become frail, and their weapons completely rusted out. But corrupted shards of spiritual energy granted them new magical powers and strengthened their decaying bones, making them formidable foes once again.
Factions
Perhaps the most dangerous enemy of all is not magical beasts, but various factions vying for control over the region. Led by the renowned and mighty warriors, each one having their own ideology and pursuing their goals, they are capable of bringing more destruction and chaos to the kingdom than any of the monsters.
We will cover all in-game factions in more detail in the future entries of our development journal. Thank you a lot for checking out this article!
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