Champions! The war for Terrene Gall has begun! As we prepare for our launch, it's time to get you up to speed on the various factions you'll encounter in the world of Dragon Front Adventures. Over the course of the coming weeks, we'll be sharing crucial intel on the forces you'll command - and the enemies you'll face.
Dive into our first dev blog below to get a full briefing on the lore and inspiration for the Scales faction.
Scales: The Golden Shield of Valor
Population: Approximately 2 Million
Capital: Paragon
Governing Body: The Bard King (Monarch)
Notable Locations: The Dwarven Forges of Red Rock, The Free Port of Argos, The Southland Agricultural Annex
The great Kingdom of Scales is all that is left of the once-proud global union that was the Warden Empire. When man cast out the Gods, the aristocracy of this Empire kept the world united under a single banner. Once the Empire began to crumble under corruption and the citizenry turned to religion once more, the Priest-King of the Great Church emerged as the ruler of the toppled Empire's heart.
The Crown of Scales
When the Priest-King died, his eldest child, now known as the Bard-King, took the crown and has ruled the Kingdom of Scales ever since. His massive Warden army is supported by the Dwarven forges of Red Rock and the mercenary union of Argos. This military strength has stabilized the kingdom, allowing the great nation to look outward, surrounded by potential threats.
Pressed on all Sides
Scales counts Eclipse and Strife as their chief enemies, though recent assassinations among the minor nobility have made them suspicious of Silence, and the Ether Mines of Essence ceasing their shipments has forced Scales to venture into the forests of Thorns to find replacement fuel for their Dwarven forges. While pressed on nearly every side, Scales has fortified quickly and has one of the most highly trained armies in Terrene Gall.
Art/ Inspiration
As the lore suggests, Scales is among the most well-fortified and sophisticated factions within Terrene Gall. To exemplify this in their design, we modeled this faction after the Allied army of WWII, creating a force that is defined by big, heroic units, advanced machinery, and solid fortifications.
The Scales faction is outfitted the closest to actual World Ward II-type weaponry and outfitting, but you'll notice a recurring theme: scaled armor with a distinctive plate-fabric-plate motif in their equipment. This blend of eras is most apparent in the helmets that adorn many of their units, where we started with standard Allied military helmets as a base, and then layered on medieval-style face shields and ornamentation from there, giving them a unique blend of classic defense and modern warfare.
Weapons and Technology
The unique look of Scales also extends to their arsenal: their swords are universally flat-ended, which is a nod to the holy roots that traditionally forbade them from using bladed weapons. Keen-eyed players will also notice that all of Scales' ranged weapons feature a revolver motif and produce a greenish-blue, electric energy when fired. Scales' machinery is primarily diesel-based, and many of their contraptions use treads for locomotion - a design choice that frequently puts them at odds with Thorns when entering their territory. Finally, in homage to their reverence for heroic figures, these powerful machines bear the striking appearance of dragons, lions, and beasts of legend.
Environment
The Scales faction makes its home in the most well-rounded terrain of Terrene Gall. Their lands are an idyllic landscape of great valleys and towering mountains, punctuated by sun-dappled plains and life-giving lakes and rivers. This peaceful landscape is dotted with small farm villages that surround the glorious city of Paragon, which was build over millennia by the blood, sweat, and tears of the mortal races. Giant stone statues of the original guild founders line the walls, and smokestacks, stone citadels with glass windows, and European-style rooftops all mark the city as one of progress.
Since the most recent conflicts began, however, the skyline of Paragon has changed dramatically, now adorned with the addition of flying machines, artillery nests, and tank squadrons to protect it. While not considered to be the most ideal of circumstances, the Bard-King believes that these military reinforcements are necessary to preserve and defend Scales' sophisticated way of life. The tranquility of the land, must now be matched by the vigilance of its defenders.
