Mythic Beings from Hell and the Heavens

Those Blessed/Tainted with the Blood of the Celestial/Demonic

Fantasy equal: Angels and Demons

Most fantasy tales, stories and themes revolve around the ever battle of good versus evil. There’s usually a dark figure or evil army that threatens the peaceful existence of those they oppose. One might think I would grow tired of such themes, yet I do not. The details of these tales are different and even though the main themes may be similar, there are always secondary themes that make a book, movie or game interesting and different to its rivals and predecessors.

There is a PC game, called Heroes of Might and Magic V, where old rivals are once again matched against each other. You can choose one of eight factions, which includes the following;

~ Academy
The Academy is a civilization of Eastern Magi and magical creatures. Their heroes focus on enchantments and powerful spells to obliterate their foes.

~ Stronghold
The Stronghold comprises of barbaric warriors who rely on their prowess in melee combat, sheer force and bloodlust to overthrow their enemies. They have little magic to their disposal.

~ Dungeon
The dungeon is home to the Dark Elves, assassins and witches. Where these Elves used to live in treetops, they now reside underground where they build up power and majesty in secret.

~ Dwarves
The Dwarven civilization gain power from technology and ancient runes. They have impeccable defense and an excellent offense, which makes them a force to be reckoned with.

~ Necropolis
The Necropolis is home to the necromancers and undead who torment the living and feed on their energy.

~ Sylvan
The Sylvans are naturally my personal favourite faction. They are Nature’s servants and their forces comprises of Druids, Nymphs, Treants and Unicorns. They draw power from the earth and strike down those who oppose Mother Nature.

~ Haven
The Haven is home to the righteous and the holy. With angels at their helm, their quest is to drive evil from the face of the earth.

~ Inferno
Inferno is home to those who like it hot. Their forces comprises of demons under the leadership of terrifying devils.

Each of these factions is more or less the arch enemy of another. The Wizards of the Academy claim their magic is greater than the barbaric ways of the warriors of the Stronghold. Is a magic counter always affective against brute force? I think not.

On the other hand the Sylvan’s despise the Necromancers of the Necropolis due to their dealings with the underworld and that which is unnatural. The heroes of the Dungeon are fallen Sylvans. They would do all in their power to overthrow their former treehugging brothers. The Dwarves also have their axes in for the Sylvans.

The main focus of the game, however, is the conflict between the celestial and the demonic. This too is the theme of this collection. Most of the images are of angels, which is good I suppose, since the people out there lean towards the good rather than the bad it seems. Still, I would have liked this collection to be a bit more balanced, by having more demons at my disposal. No matter, here follows imagery of beings from the heavens and beings from hell.

“Haven

A land populated by humans and ruled by religious warlords, the Holy Griffin Empire propagates "Law and Order" as their supreme goal. Arising from their military tradition, they have the ability to train their soldiers, promoting them from one level to another. They are the primary protagonists of the game's campaign missions. Their main Heroes are Queen Isabel, and Godric, the king's uncle and the top general for the Griffin Empire.”

“Inferno

A dark kingdom of demons from the underworld, the Inferno is a faction which uses "Gating", a method used to summon additional, though temporary, reinforcements onto the battlefield. Making their infernal abode on blasted lava terrain, the demons are the primary antagonists in the game, led by their evil overlord, the Demon Sovereign Kha-Beleth. They are the protagonists of the second act of the campaign, where they are led by Agrael.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Might_and_Magic_V