MM8: Who's the 2nd earliest dark elf who can join my party?

[Kareeah Indaga]

Then there's the fact that he started the Restoration Wars, so add inadvertent genocide to the list.

Eh? Remind me, please, what race did the Restoration War wipe out?

[Corlagon]

I dunno, geese? Since Sandro's original plan for the Wars (continental domination on his part) failed in the first place as he was imprisoned by King Vilmar, naturally it was going to backfire and end up causing harm to the Necromancers of Deyja. It sure as heck didn't wipe them out though, since they bounced back well enough to reanimate Lord Haart and lead a full-scale invasion of Tatalia (for reasons unknown). The genocide bit was referring to every race in Antagarich, since wars usually have that effect on nations.

[Kareeah Indaga]

The genocide bit was referring to every race in Antagarich, since wars usually have that effect on nations.

In that case, how do you get inadvertant? It wasn't like he accidently started the war...

[Corlagon]

Sandro didn't kill anyone since he was safely tucked away in a Deyjan prison, so while he did start the war which led to the deaths of thousands, he didn't personally kill those thousands himself. See what I mean?

[ShadoMan]

I assure you, your going to dislike the leader of the knights far more than the dragon leader. It's more fun to slaughter all the knights than the dragons, plus you don't need to be an insanely high level to enjoy the game of knight slaughterage.

[HodgePodge]

I assure you, your going to dislike the leader of the knights far more than the dragon leader. It's more fun to slaughter all the knights than the dragons, plus you don't need to be an insanely high level to enjoy the game of knight slaughterage.

Hear, hear! I was appalled at the fanatical cruelty of the Dragon Hunters! Blah! No way could I turn over the … oh well, wouldn't want to give anything away.

[Kareeah Indaga]

Sandro didn't kill anyone since he was safely tucked away in a Deyjan prison, so while he did start the war which led to the deaths of thousands, he didn't personally kill those thousands himself. See what I mean?

That's not inadvertent; that's indirect. Inadvertent would be if he hadn't intended to kill those thousands, which he did or he wouldn't have come up with the plan in the first place.

[Ethric]

Now this is a much more interesting version of the "political compass"

Dragons/hunters along one axis and clerics/necros along the other. Myself I'm a dragon/necro guy. Though possibly it's easier to find the hunters a bunch of prats if you are already necro

[Avonu]

Speeking of Necromancer Alliance - I was always wonder how Sandro and Roland and Catherine Ironfist meeting in Merchant Guild look like?

Lich, queen and king of Enroth drinking tea in merchant quarter:
Roland to Sandro: Did I know you? You like familiar...
Sandro: Maybe. I was fighting on your brother side in Sucession Wars. [to Catherine] Oh and it also I who invented plan of poisoning your father but these fool Vilmar stole my plans.
...

Any ideas how Ironfists reacts to Sandro present in Merchant Guild?

[Secret_Holder]

That's a very interesting scenario :d
But I suspect some cursing, knife-throwing and things that are worse...

Or maybe they just let bygones bygones so they could save Colony.

[Corlagon]

That's not inadvertent; that's indirect.

That's the one. Here, let me fix that for you.

Any ideas how Ironfists reacts to Sandro present in Merchant Guild?

I'll bet they buy him a few drinks and a room in the nearest inn...

Resting peacefully is never an option for the undead. Each night you {Sandro} are plagued with horrifyingly real dreams. It is said of the undead that if you die in such a nightmare, you die permanently.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Speeking of Necromancer Alliance - I was always wonder how Sandro and Roland and Catherine Ironfist meeting in Merchant Guild look like?

Lich, queen and king of Enroth drinking tea in merchant quarter:
Roland to Sandro: Did I know you? You like familiar...

How can they distinguish Sandro from all the other male Liches in the game? They all look and sound identical.

And NO! I won't change my mind about Knights vs Dragons. I fully commit myself to Quixote's Dragon Hunting. Plus, my main character is a Knight.

No matter what any of you may say about Quixote's supposed "cruelty" is NOTHING compared to what my poor human soldiers endured at the hands of Dragons in HoMM1 and HoMM2!

[Gaidal Cain]

Now this is a much more interesting version of the "political compass"

Dragons/hunters along one axis and clerics/necros along the other. Myself I'm a dragon/necro guy. Though possibly it's easier to find the hunters a bunch of prats if you are already necro

I always go with the dragons, and I'm not especially prejudiced either way for the other choice, even if going with the clerics makes it possible to get Eclipse.

[Kareeah Indaga]

Speeking of Necromancer Alliance - I was always wonder how Sandro and Roland and Catherine Ironfist meeting in Merchant Guild look like?

Lich, queen and king of Enroth drinking tea in merchant quarter:
Roland to Sandro: Did I know you? You like familiar...
Sandro: Maybe. I was fighting on your brother side in Sucession Wars. [to Catherine] Oh and it also I who invented plan of poisoning your father but these fool Vilmar stole my plans.
...

Any ideas how Ironfists reacts to Sandro present in Merchant Guild?

Wouldn't happen. Sandro's too sneaky to bring it up directly, Catherine made sure the guy who was responsible for poisoning her father (well, directly, anyway) died, and it is unlikely she knew Sandro supplied Lord Haart with the poison in the first place, so she wouldn't associate him with the assassination except for the fact he's a Necromancer (and she fought with them against her undead father, so it's not like he's the first Necromancer she's ever met).

Roland made up with his brother in VII and managed to get over his hatred of the Kreegan, so hanging out with his brother's old 'friends' probably wouldn't bother him as much as the 'betrayal' of the Elementals in the face of the end of the world.

But yeah, that is kind of an awkward alliance.

I always go with the dragons, and I'm not especially prejudiced either way for the other choice, even if going with the clerics makes it possible to get Eclipse.

Same here*, though I tend towards the Clerics a little more than the Necros.

*Well, okay. I did the Hunters once, to see what changed.

[HodgePodge]

… And NO! I won't change my mind about Knights vs Dragons. I fully commit myself to Quixote's Dragon Hunting. Plus, my main character is a Knight.

No matter what any of you may say about Quixote's supposed "cruelty" is NOTHING compared to what my poor human soldiers endured at the hands of Dragons in HoMM1 and HoMM2!

Yes, but the dragons in MM8 are a different breed and live on a different continent. They are kinder & gentler and much friendlier to humans and other creatures.

Please don't kill me.
… …


Before you make your choice between the Dragon Hunters or the Dragon Leader Alliance, save your game see what each of the quests involve and then watch each of the cut-scenes. Then decide.

[Avonu]

Yes, but the dragons in MM8 are a different breed and live on a different continent. They are kinder & gentler and much friendlier to humans and other creatures.

Didn't dragon leader mention something about that in "normal" times adventurers wouldn't go so far into dragon caves?

Before you make your choice between the Dragon Hunters or the Dragon Leader Alliance, save your game see what each of the quests involve and then watch each of the cut-scenes. Then decide.

Second that - and I hope UndeadHalfOrc, you will change your decision after watching these cutscenes.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Actually I did watch the two cutscenes as soon as I recovered the egg from the barbarian castle. I still chose to go with the Knights. Besides, I noticed that some shops close if you choose to side with the dragons.

Anyone who ever lost their helpless crusaders/pikemen/swordsmen to dragons' multi-hex breath attack in HoMM2 shouldn't be bothered by either cutscene

I noticed that the garrote gorge dragons are hostile now (obviously). As soon as I finish the Regnan pirate scenario I'm gonna go back there and finish the job!

It is the Knights who are the heroes, folks, not the dragons!

Let me conclude this with a classic painting of good ole St-George

[HodgePodge]

Actually I did watch the two cutscenes as soon as I recovered the egg from the barbarian castle. I still chose to go with the Knights. Besides, I noticed that some shops close if you choose to side with the dragons.

Anyone who ever lost their helpless crusaders/pikemen/swordsmen to dragons' multi-hex breath attack in HoMM2 shouldn't be bothered by either cutscene

I noticed that the garrote gorge dragons are hostile now (obviously). As soon as I finish the Regnan pirate scenario I'm gonna go back there and finish the job!

It is the Knights who are the heroes, folks, not the dragons!

Hey, thanks for the cool painting. While knights are usually the heroes in most folklore, in MM8 neither the Dragon Hunters (Knights) nor the Dragons can be said to be overly heroic. The shops in Garrote Gorge do close if you choose the Dragons, but who needs to buy anything there anyway? There is lots of treasure & even many great artifacts to be found just ripe for the picking. And as soon as you get Town Portal, you can go to other places to buy or sell stuff. Besides, Town Portal doesn't go to Garrote Gorge.

Slight Spoilish Below:

There are also some "Easter Egg" locations where you can get artifacts, if you know where to look. Off the top of my head, I can think of three …

One of the Willow Trees on the riverbank in Ravenshore.

The back wall of the Ogre Fortress in Alvar (between the outer wall & the Fortress) just click on the back wall of the Fortress. Having Fly will help.

A Rock next to the lava lake in Ironsand Desert. Watch out for Cyclopes.

I know there are some others, but I'd have to look in my notes.

[Meandor]

What artifacts are found there?

[Avonu]

Random artifacts - they are "placed" there when you first enter in that map.

BTW - I have somewhere on my disc file with artifacts locations (random and not) from MM7-9. If anybody is interested I can post it (much of this info is also on TELP, CastleGobs or Flamestryke's sites).