Motto:
“Hide, listen, watch, learn… And when the time is right, strike from the shadow.”
Facts and Traits:
Also Known As: The Dark Elves.
Associated colors: Black and purple.
Worship: Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness, keeper of deadly secrets.
Core philosophy: “We rule the shadows, and someday the shadows will rule everything.”
Country/Kingdom: Ygg-Chal, the Dark Below.
Home terrain: Dungeon.
Capital city: Konos, the Maze of Shadows.
Key symbols: Snake, featureless mask.
Description:(From the Official Site)
The Dark Elves are renegades from the Sylvan factions who long ago made a pact with the mysterious Faceless. As a result, the whole nation embraced the darkness and chose to live in the underground world of Ashan, building their cities in the huge caves there.
The Dark Elves worship the Dragon of Darkness, and because their deeds in her name are their worship, the Dungeon society is built around secrecy, plots, betrayal, and occultism. Each town is ruled by a clan with a High Priestess at its head. Women are almighty in the Dungeon society, for they lead the religious, political, and military powers. They do not raise their children themselves, but send them to the temple instead, where they will learn all the arts a young Dark Elf must know to survive.
In peace time, the Dark Elves use their very particular skills against other Dark Elf cities, to strengthen their own clans. But in war time, all these skills dedicated to murder and plots are turned on the common enemy. On the battlefield, Dungeon troops are renowned for their superior agility and power, even amongst their basic units. Fortunately for their enemies, this superiority is scarce and comes at a higher cost, for the Dark Elves are few in numbers and each loss is a severe blow to their military might.
A Summary:
The town of the underground - The Dungeon - has formed an alliance with the Dark Elves to strengthen its reptilian ranks in Heroes V. The role of women is higher than usual in this town, especially for the Dark Elves, who have renegaded from the traditional 'Sylvan' Elves.
Despite this change towards a more elvish faction, beasts and reptiles remain a focus for the Dungeon town, even moreso than in Heroes III. The ominous and legendary Black Dragons return to terrorise enemy ranks, as do the Minotaurs. A female application of Heroes IV's Bandit, the Scout, epitomises the Dungeon's shadowy and stealthy nature. The colossal Hydra is another Heroes classic creature to return to its roots of the Warlock town, armed with an extra head. Two elvish creatures are also included in the Dungeon, the Blood Sister, and the Shadow Witch, augmenting the traditionally strong magical element of the town.
Judging on the basis of a divergent culture such as the Dark Elves, the Dungeon look to be ensued in a fierce contest with the 'pure' Sylvan elves. The legacy of Heroes I's Warlock town is alive in Heroes V, albeit under the guise that the Dark Elves have placed over the town.
Thanks to ThE_HyDrA for creating and looking after the Heroes 5 section of Age of Heroes!
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