Gods Unchained - Winter Wanderlands

JOIn the skirmish

Draka or Sartonian, which side will you choose? Your games matter, as every few weeks a Skirmish will break out between these two factions. You can play any cards, but all your wins will be counted towards the faction you have sided with. Whichever side reaches the Skirmish target first will claim victory.

Skirmish 1: Crystal Mine (READ STORY)

Story Part 1: Crystal Mine Approach

The Sartonians have been harvesting the crystals from the Shimmering Atlant to power their great city for aeons. Yet with the arrival of the Prophet of Progress, their mining efforts have greatly increased as they look to power a grand design of untold power. The Draka, who live alongside the crystals, hear the land crying out, and have begun to mount attacks on Sartonian expeditions to stop the mining once and for all. As Glinn readies his pride soarers for battle, he notices the expedition is protected by a fleet of Atlanteans. ‘So, they are expecting us,’ he thinks to himself, when a particularly impressive Atlantean pilot catches his eye. The warrior bristles and snaps alert, her gaze meets his as if to say 'bring it on'.

Crystal Mine Skirmish Result: Draka Victory

Story Part 2: Crystal Mine Aftermath

With a cry, Glinn’s pride soarers take to the air and swoop upon the Sartonian mining expedition. Zaskia dives into action, her Atlantean powering up as she launches at the threat, but Glinn is ready. He maneuvers his mount to dive, narrowly avoiding a powerful Atlantean fist, and he thrusts his lance toward the construct’s core. ‘Too optimistic’, he thinks, ‘as always’. Zaskia exhausts her Atlantean, and a powerful explosion of crystal energy erupts from the magical golem’s chest, pushing the two apart. Glinn hoped to end this quickly but this Zaskia is too resourceful for such a fancy.

Draka and Sartonians clash on either side as the two warriors eye each other, both now a bit more wary. Their fight becomes a back and forth, prodding and striking, blocking and dodging, each testing the mettle of the other, neither finding a foothold.

A sudden explosion sends crystals flying through the air, shards of death for any they might catch. One of the Atlantean harvesters rushes around in flames, its crystals continuing to blow out as the flames consume it. Despite the danger, Zaskia launches her Atlantean towards the chaos, hoping to pull out any Sartonians caught in the fray. Glinn turns his energy to the rest of the battle just as another Atlantean erupts and more shards fly through the air. A Draka falls from her mount. A Sartonian screams.

The Draka have won the day. Tarken and Reios were right. By taking up arms the Draka may actually be able to stop the Sartonians from pillaging the land. So why did Glinn feel such doubt?

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Skirmish 2: Molten Flow (READ STORY)

PART 1: MOLTEN FLOW APPROACH

After great losses to the Draka's overwhelming force, the Sartonians deploy their special heavy unit deep into Draka territory. The Draka are caught unawares by this bold move and the Sartonians begin the Skirmish with the upper hand. (For this skirmish, Sartonians receive a 1.35x multiplier).

SALVATOR STRIKES FOR SARTONIA
The Sartonians fight back. The Draka have been raiding Sartonian mining expeditions for too long; retaliation was inevitable. Under the orders of King Wakian, Salvator leads a unit into Draka territory where Dragons thrive amongst molten matter. Salvator and his unit are only called upon when things heat up, and heading into the dragon’s den is as hot as it gets.

Salvator readies himself and draws his blade. Ceaseless Impact, his supercharged Atlantean, mimics the action perfectly. This won’t be an easy fight, but the best way to put a dint in the enemy is to hit them where it hurts.

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‍ALBORAX RALLIES THE DRAGONS
The Draka are set upon. After a successful raid on Sartonia, the Draka were not expecting an offensive so soon. The Dragons who call the Molten Flow their home are taken by surprise as Atlanteans charge through, until Reios and Alborax land on the scene. Alborax is the biggest and strongest of them all. With her here, the dragons gain hope.

Reios spots the leader, the one in the glowing red Atlantean. ‘Take out the chief, and the rest will follow,' she shouts to Alborax, her voice rich with confidence, but her heart racing at the sight of the Sartonian force. '…Auros, grant me strength.'

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PART 2 DRAKA VICTORY: THE SOARING FLAME

The Sartonian heavy unit plows into the enemy. The dragons of Molten Flow scatter, unprepared for the assault, as the crystal-tech Atlanteans wreak havoc amongst them. Dragons fall left and right, two for each Sartonian warrior.

Then, a roar from the skies. A deep, angry rumble that stops the Sartonians in their tracks. For a second there is silence and, despite the heat, a chill runs through Sartonian veins. The roar sounds again, answered by the roars of hundreds of dragons, rising to meet the battlecry of Alborax, the Soaring Flame. What follows is a heat so unbearable, even the temperature wards equipped to each Atlantean struggle to resist it.

Alborax emerges from the smoke-filled skies, a giant among giants, and crashes into Salvator’s Atlantean with her full weight. The force knocks Salvator backwards, with Salvator scrambling to regain control of Ceaseless Impact. But Alborax is relentless. With her great might she pins his Atlantean to the floor, and strong hands rip Salvator from Ceaseless Impact’s piloting cabin. The Sartonian commander goes to draw his weapon, but thinks better of it as his eyes meet those of the warrior in front of him.

‍A human. A dragon riding human. Just great. Better to play along.

“There was a time when I would have killed you,” Reios says, shoving Salvator between her and her towering dragon accomplice. “But a friend has helped open my eyes. Maybe you can thank her, if you're smart. Stand down, soldier. You are beaten.”

Salvator looked around. The Sartonians were outmatched. What had started so promising, now would end in Sartonia losing even more of its children. The heavy unit were no match for these dragons, the sheer number of which sent his mind reeling. How quickly the Tides shift.

“You will be spared. The rest? I cannot vouch for. Return to your king and warn him. There is a greater force at work here. If he continues on this path, your people will meet the same fate as your kin here today. The choice is yours.”

But for Salvator, there was no choice. The Sartonian commander drew his blade. He wouldn’t leave anyone behind and if he was going to go out, it would be in Sartonia's name.

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‍Molten Flow Skirmish Complete

Skirmish began November 10, 11PM AEDT and ran alongside Weekend Ranked.
Individual wins counted towards your chosen Faction’s total points (Draka or Sartonian).
Format: First faction to reach 40,000 points wins the skirmish.

Skirmish 3: Abyssal Mouth (READ STORY)

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STORY PART 1: ABYSSAL MOUTH APPROACH

Despite great losses, the Sartonians must buy time until their plan to return to the mainland is complete. Wakian enters the fray to bring his people hope, while Tarken draws the conflict away from the Draka and into the depths of the Shimmering Atlant.

‍Emboldened by their king's actions, Sartonians maintain a 1.35x boost in this Skirmish.
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WAKIAN MARCHES FORTH

“What word from across the Shimmer?”

“A massacre, sir. It is unknown what remains of Commander Salvator's heavy unit... but there is hope. Francesca says she can still read his Atlantean in Draka territory.”

Hope. King Wakian looked across his glorious city. For generations his people had lived here. Against all odds, they had built a home; Against all odds, they had prospered. It was hope that had let Sartonia reach its height… but hope was fading. The resources in the Shimmering Atlant weren’t limitless, and the Arrandion Cell alone could no longer sustain them.

Arrandion. Now there was a dragon to revere. A friend to all Sartonians…

But it seemed the days where Sartonians and dragons shared a singular purpose were lost to the tides. The Draka attacks had been brutal, they blamed the Sartonians for this shift, but there was more to it than that. Something was wrong below, something beyond his scientists' reach. Sartonia just needed to buy time. His people would return to the mainland, and they would return heroes. The Prophet of Progress had gifted the power to do so, if they could just hold out long enough…

Wakian looked out to his Atlantean, golden and white, towering over the city. It had been moulded on his likeness – the king in his prime – now a reminder of his own mortality. He was older, but he was wiser. He knew he could not stop, not while the fate of his people rested on his shoulders. '... but there is hope.' He would buy them the time they needed, even if it meant walking into a trap.

“Ready my twin. The Boundless Kings will march once more.”

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TARKEN CALLS TO THE DEPTHS

“Carry me land, for whom I see...”

Tarken stood on the cliff’s precipice, the shimmering water stretching before him. The Sartonians had moved deeper and quicker than they had expected, and Tarken wouldn’t let the dragons suffer their home being overrun by an invasive force again.

“Carry me sky, for whom I breathe...”

The wind whipped around Tarken’s face, his crystal scales creating a rhythmic chime that spoke of many things. They spoke of the pain felt deep below. Of the damage to their brethren each time crystal was ripped from the greater whole. Of the sacrifice that must be made.

“Carry me tide, for whom I feel...”

The waves crashed against the shore. The guiding force that his people had followed for so long. The fury of a land, a peoples, pushed to their limit. He would draw the Sartonians here. This is where they would fight.

“Carry me depths, for whom I dream...”

A rumble from the depths, a deep baritone that rippled through Tarken’s very being. The depths had responded. They would aid his people in the fight to come. Reios had done well by capturing the Sartonian Commander. They would use him as bait, and when Sartonia arrived, the Draka and the Depths would be waiting. Maws wide, teeth sharp.

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‍STORY PART 2: ABYSSAL MOUTH AFTERMATH

A gentle tide.

The horizon fills with Sartonian ships, speckled with the rainbow reflections of unseen domain crystals. The bows cut through the Shimmering surface as the sun dips below the horizon.

Stillness, as if the tides themselves have stopped. All goes quiet.

Then, a rumble from the depths. A swell of abnormal proportions. Impossible jaws emerge as Sartonian screams fill the air. Dragons descend from the skies; ascend from the depths.

Tarken can feel them all. He is with them, in them, through them. They move as one.

The battle is met. The fighting fierce. Both sides suffer heavy casualties. Tarken’s fallen rise again. Sartonia's remain still, their hair flowing gracefully as they sink to the depths below.

“Retreat! The kings! Protect the kings!”

The Sartonian leader retreats, or is forced to retreat, not all Sartonians are so lucky.

It is over, at least this battle, but the Depths have more to show Tarken. A mighty crystal, jutting out of the middle of the world. A sword of power, modified with Sartonian meddling. A powerful being – a god, no, a man – plunges the blade deep into the natural formation, splitting the crystal in two.

Tarken staggers, the cut is deep, he feels it as if the blade were plunged into his own heart.

The Shimmering Spire. So this is where it all leads. If Sartonia plans to destroy the heart of the ocean, the Draka would meet them. The Draka would fight them. And the Draka would stop them.

For the land. For the Draka. For the Depths.

SKIRMISH DETAILS

Skirmish begans November 24, 3PM AEDT and ran alongside Weekend Ranked.
Sartonian Faction gained a 1.35x multiplier to each win due to team size.
Draka reached 60,000 points and won the crystal on the card back.

Skirmish 4: Endless Falls (TOURNAMENT)

Both sides have fought bravely, and a begrudging respect has passed between the strongest among them. Glinn and his pride soarers have challenged Zaskia and her elite unit to a battle of skill. The contest is to take place amidst the endless falls that drop from beyond the clouds to the Shimmer below.

The battle has been long and hard, and maybe this can be decided here and now... before something drastic happens.

Special Skirmish Tournament!

The Tournament is over and Draka have taken the victory! The skirmish came down to a nail-biting finish with a 6-6 tie being broken in the final game.

Watch the VODS here: VOD1, VOD2 (epic penultimate game timestamp 1:05:15), VOD3.

Tournament ran Dec 6–10 AEDT.
Full Tournament Details
Hosted by Infinite Mana League

See how this outcome shaped the final story with FINALE: DROWNED IN DREAD below!

Skirmish 5: Spire Clash (READ STORY)

The outcome of this final skirmish permanently altered both Glinn and Zaskia cards in name, art, and function. Read the final story in the section below!

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STORY: SPIRE CLASH APPROACH

The Sartonians enact their master plan to draw power from the Shimmering Spire while the Draka rush to stop them. All skirmishes have led to this point and the two factions are caught up in a battle that will change Eucos forever!

PROJECT R.I.S.E. – SARTONIA’S LAST STAND

“That’s it! She’s ready to glow!”

Francesca lifts her goggles as a great cheer ripples from the Sartonians behind her. Scientists and warriors scatter around the Shimmering Spire, a towering crystal in the middle of the ocean. King Wakian’s desperate push was able to buy them enough time to set up the final plans for Sartonia’s return to the mainland. With Zaskia’s unit currently keeping the Draka pride soarers busy… they might just pull this off.

At the top of the Spire she spies the tiny figure of the Prophet of Progress, his Atlantean-suit designed to give him the strength to direct the Blade of the Creator once it's fully charged.

A sword that can sever an entire realm, huh?

As the theory goes, the powered blade should be able to separate Eucos from its gods. The Sartonians could then return to the mainland heroes, bringing with them an age of technology for all mortals.

Francesca greatly doubted this theory – a belief she, as Chief Scientist, shared with her King.

What she was certain of was the sword's ability to act as a conduit – thanks to her crystal augmentations. It was what they had been missing for so long. A crystal the size of the Shimmering Spire could provide the energy needed for Project R.I.S.E.’s success, the sword now providing the means to transfer the power to Francesca's many signals. Soon all of Sartonia would be saved and they would be leaving the Shimmering Atlant behind; Sartonia their vessel, Faenar their destination.

A great roar erupts from across the seas. It was about to begin. Now all they needed to do was survive long enough for the device to charge.

Hurry back Zaskia, we’ll need every able Atlantean we can get.

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WINGS OF THE TIDE – DRAKA STORM THE SPIRE

“Forward, Draka! As one!”

The beating of a thousand wings fills the air as the Draka fly towards the Shimmering Spire in the distance. Tarken’s vision merely pointed the way; it was the Draka who answered the call. A fight to end Sartonia’s plan for good, a noble pursuit… but Eiko still couldn’t quiet her howling mind.

The Hands of the Spire had shown her the “Prophet” Thaeriel and his mad plot for order. He needed to be stopped, of this she was certain, but what about the darkness of the Depths?

“Hey, wolfy. Chin up!” Reios shouts over the rushing air, obviously seeing Eiko’s concern. “You’re flying a dragon for Auros’ sake!” Her mirth is met by Alborax’s roar and Eiko could feel the sound vibrate through the majestic creature’s entire being.

“Alright you two, calm down.” The duellist, turned seafarer, turned dragonrider, couldn’t help but smile, if only briefly.

She had saved Reios. Whatever had gripped her friend had weakened once Eiko confronted the Old Wolf with her possible fate. She’d helped her friend reclaim her mind and dispel the darkness that clouded what she fought for. But these Depths… they were ingrained in the Draka’s way of life. She couldn’t sway them from their path so easily.

“It’s just… something bad is coming. I can feel it.”

“Since when isn’t something bad coming?” laughs Old Wolf. “I almost lost myself there – I ain’t too proud to admit it – and I owe you my sanity. But these people saved my life. They’re good people, Eiko. Whatever is coming, I’m gonna be there to pay back that favor. We’re gonna be there. Maybe we can change their fate too? And hey, if that Thaeriel character is at the Spire like you said? We’re definitely doing the right thing.”

A mighty roar bubbles from below. A sound like a tsunami mixed with a primal beast as old as time itself.

“She comes! The queen of the sea has answered our call!” Tarken bellows, and the battle cries of the Draka rise to greet her.

Xansiddion, Waveruler. Her great body, a hulking shadow below the shimmering water, followed by an endless trail of shadows: sea creatures of all forms of life following their queen.

This was it. No turning back. The final battle.

Fate guide us all.

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Read how this outcome shaped the final story with FINALE: DROWNED IN DREAD below!

DRAKA WIN THE FINAL SKIRMISH

Skirmish began December 8, 3PM AEDT.
Individual wins counted towards individual faction’s total points.
Sartonians held a 1.35x multiplier.
First Faction to reach 80,000 points won the skirmish.
Post Skirmish: Final story unlocked for Tides of Fate based on Skirmish 5 result.
Post Skirmish: Victorious faction claimed the final crystal on the card back.
SPECIAL SKIRMISH OUTCOME: Glinn and Zaskia card art and utility altered forever based on the result of the Spire Clash Skirmish.