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About
Necropolis, the faction of undead, is one of the recurring factions in the Heroes series. For the first time, the top tier creature in the Necropolis faction is no longer the Bone Dragon. The replacement is a spider-inspired creature named Fate Weaver, which has two forms. The Lamasu is also a Necropolis creature that makes its debut in Heroes 6. The creature is reminiscent of a Sphinx. Most of the creatures in Necropolis have been well-received by fans.
The Necromancers begun as a splinter sect of the wizards and grew into a powerful faction. They worship the "Death" aspect of Asha. Their nterpretation of the Goddess's darkest aspect is fanatical, emphasizing death alone and exalting the state of un-life to which all necromancers aspire. They study Death Magic in order to become eternal but on their way to un-life they learn how to control the spirits of the deceased or how to raise the dead. They were inspired by ancient Egypt (Book of the Dead), Buddhism (asceticism and rejection of the world of flesh as illusory and transient), and all kinds of sects (fanaticism, cult of the leader, fascination with order and purity).
Vital Statistics
Associated Colours: Black, white and fluorescent green
Symbols: Death spider, number 8: vertical (Asha master of Time - hourglass) or horizontal (Asha master of Space - infinity)
Worship: Asha, the Primordial Dragon of Order, in a twisted aspect of her "Death" version
Core Philosophy: "Embrace the Void. Enlightenment can be found only after the passions of flesh have been stripped away. Time is our ally for one day all that things that live will someday die."
Country / Kingdom: The Silver Cities
Capital City: None at the time of Heroes 6
Lore
“Life is change, chaos, filth and suffering. Death is peace, order, everlasting beauty.”
Necropolis is at the beginning of their rise to power, and power they have. They are currently fighting for emancipation and acceptance from their brethren the Wizards of the Seven Cities. They do not seek to convert all the nations of Ashan to their morbid belief, nor to kill them all and raise them as undead, but rather to have a dominant place in the world as protectors of the equilibrium between the worlds of life and death.
They see the upcoming Demon Invasions as an opportunity to sanctify their religious order and justify its existence to the other factions of Ashan.
Worship
Necromancers worship Asha, the Primordial Dragon of Order in a twisted version of her "Death" aspect.
Necropolis is the faction of the Necromancers. At the time of Heroes 6, they are not yet the powerful rulers of Heresh but just a splinter sect of the Wizards. Later, they worship the "Death" aspect of Asha. Their interpretation of the Goddess's darkest aspect is fanatical, emphasizing death alone and exalting the state of un-life to which all Necromancers aspire.
Necromancer life is ascetic in the extreme. Sensual pleasures are frowned upon, as is any sort of gaiety, or celebration. Citizens speak in whispers and low tones, nobody hurries anywhere, and there is little change on the streets from day to night. Those who have tasks do them, quietly, and then go home to the generally childless social groupings called "families" for lack of a better term. Necromancers spend their birthdays in seclusion and penitence. Procreation is generally frowned upon as a distraction from the greater work.
Social Organisation
Necromancer life is ascetic in the extreme. Sensual pleasures are frowned upon, as in any sort of gaiety or celebration. Citizens speak in whispers and low tones, nobody hurries anywhere, there is little change in the streets from day to night. Those who have tasks do them quietly and then go home to the generally childless social groupings called "families" for lack of a better term. Necromancers spend their birthdays in seclusion and penitence. Procreation is generally frowned upon as a distraction from the greater work.
Architecture
Necropolis architecture is frighteningly uniform. Devotion to order is reflected in obsession for symmetry and sharp, angular shapes. Pyramids and obelisks are their archetypal buildings, unadorned except for the ever-present symbols of the Spider Goddess. Their favourite construction material is the cracked black stone of the southern deserts, making it seem as if entire cities are drinking in the light of day and swallowing it down.
Magic
The Death Lords focus on the destructive paths of magic with a predilection of the Primordial magic of Order and the elemental spheres of Darkness and Earth. They have also discovered their own branch of magic which they call necromancy. Most of their spells consist in eroding the body and dominating the spirit.
Recent Events
Necropolis is at the beginning of their rise to power, and power they have. They are currently fighting for emancipation and acceptance from their brethren the Wizards of the Seven Cities. They do not seek to convert all the nations of Ashan to their morbid belief, nor to kill them all and raise them as undead, but rather to have a dominant place in the world as protectors of the equilibrium between the worlds of life and death. They see the upcoming Demon Invasion as an opportunity to sanctify their religious order and justify its existence to the other factions of Ashan.
Necropolis warfare: “A dead enemy is a good ally”
Necropolis troops are mainly composed of “puppet” undead units like skeletons and ghouls, controlled by necromancers, but also of more powerful entities like vampires and liches. They are slow but literally unstoppable, for killing what is already dead is not an easy matter and will often take time. Time that Necropolis will conscientiously exploit to slowly erode the body and dominate the spirit of their enemy.
Military strengths
Magics which can weaken and despair the enemy, units which have no notion of what fatigue and low morale actually are.
Military weaknesses
Limited mobility, slow troops, few support abilities.