Horn of the Abyss – How did the Bulwark town concept come about?

Author: Liso1 January 7, 2025 1 Comment

So, as we know now, the next town in HotA will be the Bulwark. Why?

The Bulwark, once known as Kronwerk, was literally one of the first faction concepts in HotA, along with the Cove. Of course, the town has evolved significantly since then, but for us, this is a return to our roots.

The inhabitants of the Vori island were covered very scarcely in the original games by NWC, and discussions about what a Vori-themed faction might look like in HoMM III haven’t stopped since 1999.

We keep receiving questions about the fate of the Kronwerk concept as originally envisioned by us on social media and on forums to this day. All of that makes this project all the more interesting, while lending us significant creative freedom.

The niche of a town associated with the archetypal North is not fully occupied in HoMM III. The Stronghold only fits the image to a small extent, while the Tower, despite snow being its native terrain, does not reflect it at all.

Vori is a mysterious frozen island located northwest of the Antagarich continent. There were a few bits of disparate information about it provided in the Might & Magic and HoMM series.

Map of Antagarich and Vori by MarkonPhoenix

How did the Bulwark town concept come about?

The town concept was initially announced on the forum created by the former HotA Crew member hippocamus; this happened even before the inception of HotA, all the way back in 2007. At that time, it was a Viking town concept by the user d0s.

Later, on the DF2 forum in 2007-2008, Alex-ander (the creator of the majority of visuals making up the Cove’s image) reworked this idea into the town of dwarves. In many ways, this new rendition was inspired by the style of dwarf factions from Heroes V and Disciples II, as well as the frostling faction from the Age of Wonders series.

In this shape, it joined the group of towns worked on by HotA Crew at the very beginning of the project. Its main ideologist and graphic designer was (and still is) Alex-ander, an active contributor to HotA to this day.

Initial town screen background concept, 2008

In 2015, DrSlash joined HotA Crew; he had an independent concept for a Vori elf-themed faction. Similar ideas had been mulled over in the team before that, as a Northern-style town was ideally suited to their implementation, so the two concepts ended up being combined, finally establishing the Bulwark as a town of Vori islanders. This happened back when Docent Picolan was still at the team’s helm.

One of the earliest Kronwerk creature line-ups, by Alex-ander

Are there any other developments by Alex-ander present in the town? Did Docent Picolan participate in its development?

Yes; the current appearance of the town is based on what Docent and Alex-ander designed before the former’s passing. Docent was very active in discussing it, especially in terms of graphics.

The town’s creature line-up was approved back when Docent was still alive. Of course, since then, we’ve made some changes to the graphics and gave more thought to the gameplay roles of certain units.

And yet, quite a lot of things in the Bulwark have been carefully preserved from that time and improved upon, including with the active participation of Alex-ander himself.

Jotunn and Jotunn Warlord concepts, by Docent Picolan

HoMM III factions are all about eclectic styles. How does this manifest itself in the Bulwark and its inhabitants?

The style of the town is based on a mixture of aesthetics of a number of northern peoples. It features bits of visual influences from Scandinavia and Scottish Highland, as well as from the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far North.

Moreover, the yeti harks back to the folklore of the Himalayan region. Classic fantasy motifs also play a significant role; players will see the full picture after the release, but for now, we wouldn’t want to be too rich on spoilers.

How long has the Bulwark been in active development?

There are several active periods in the development of the Bulwark / Kronwerk: first, at the very start of the project in 2007; then, some episodic activity after the decision to reimagine the faction in the 2010s. And now, the proper active phase has come, starting from late 2023.

How does the new faction fit into the gameplay? What niche will it occupy?

The main focus of the new faction is defense. Its creatures generally have a high defense skill and a significant HP value, but average speed, which sets them apart from, say, those of the Fortress. The Bulwark will not have any flyers, but there will be two intriguing shooters and two spellcasters, which should compensate for its shortcomings.

The town’s native terrain will be snow.

The Bulwark on the adventure map

Several Bulwark units were revealed in the announcement. Please do tell us about them.

Tier 1 units seen on the adventure map are kobolds. They play the role of defensive-minded infantry, something like the spearmen of the Castle or the dwarves of the Rampart. These creatures are associated with Northern European mythology, and their images are often found in fantasy, so they are familiar to fans of the genre.

In addition, they have already been featured in the early games of the Might and Magic RPG series.

The argali are Tier 2 units of the town. They are quite fast, so at the game’s start, most likely, they will be the army’s backbone, while their good damage should allow one to make a shock stack out of them. The Factory’s armadillos are not only fighters, but also a source of food; in the Bulwark, argali play a similar role for the inhabitants of Vori’s austere lands.

Vori’s snow elves are pretty tough for their Tier 3. They use javelins in ranged and melee combat, and equally effectively at that.

Next up, yeti, the Tier 4 shock infantry. These creatures were present in several iterations of the line-up; we like this choice, because, like kobolds, they make for a popular mythological and fantasy image, no less familiar to fans of Might and Magic. One of inspiration sources for their image was the Gigantopithecus, an extinct prehistoric ape that, according to some estimates, could grow up to 4 meters tall.

Shamans were our choice as Tier 5 units. These are shooters and spellcasters, providing magic and ranged support to the troops. They are the keepers of lore and tradition, as well as the spiritual leaders of the Snow Elves.

Mammoths are Tier 6; they will be the tankiest unit on this tier. Their image embodies both the broad northern aesthetic and the defense-focused nature of the faction.

And, of course, the Tier 7 unit: jotunn. These are meaty infantry with good damage-dealing ability, and at the same time, one of the town’s spellcasters.

Jotunn Warlord, by Alex-ander and DrSlash

Bulwark units in battle

The choice of units for the announcement was determined by the fact that they best reflect the faction’s spirit. In our concept, snow elves (javelin throwers and shamans), kobolds, yeti and jotunns are the main races inhabiting Vori, and they will also become the faction’s heroes. Argali and mammoths, on their part, are cogs of the Bulwark’s ecosystem and everyday life.

The presented visuals of the Bulwark’s inhabitants are preliminary. There is still much work ahead on tuning animations, post-processing sprites, correcting lighting and camera angles, etc. We are also interested in hearing the community’s opinion, and we will be happy to receive feedback.

Which heroes will lead the armies of the Bulwark?

The might heroes are called Chieftains, and the magic ones are Elders. Their parameters and abilities will emphasize the faction’s strengths, as well as offset some of its weaknesses. For now, we can say that the Chieftains will be big on defensive tactics, while the Elders will focus on acquiring new knowledge.

The Bulwark’s heroes are inclined to use the forces of water and air, since the lands of Vori are known to be inhabited by skilled cryomancers.

Evolution of the Chieftain, by DrSlash

Please tell us about the Bulwark’s buildings.

In addition to buildings that increase the growth of certain creatures, a structure is planned that improves the exchange rate in the market. There will be a couple more, but we would like to leave their purpose as a surprise for players.

Bulwark castle model, by Alex-ander and Don_ko

Are you planning a musical theme for the Bulwark?

Naturally. It is being composed by our great friend Maigret, who contributed greatly to creating the final version of the Factory theme. By the way, some of the music heard in the trailer hints at the future town theme of the Bulwark.

What is the new faction’s philosophy and alignment?

Vori elves are isolationists. They rarely venture out of their native island (although other islanders may be more aggressive; for example, ice giants are known for raiding Jadame). However, should one trespass into their territory, they would defend it with all their might, sometimes even if the aliens have no intent to fight.

They are adept at wearing the enemy down with defensive tricks and magic that strengthens their own and weakens the enemy.

How will the new faction fit into the overall plot? What is its backstory?

The history of the faction has a lot to do with the glaciation of the Vori island. Those who stayed there were forced to adapt to the harsh conditions. They allied themselves with the mountain dwellers and tamed the rare local animals. All of that helped the Vori elves survive, but the terrible climate wasn’t their only problem.

More detailed information about events related to the faction will be provided in its campaign.

Fun fact: AvLeean elves of HoMM III are descendants of the Snow Elves.

Will the campaign’s events be related to the Sword of Frost?

Yes. We won’t reveal our hand entirely yet, but in a sense, the Sword of Frost will be one of the campaign’s protagonists.

Sword of Frost

Will the Bulwark’s campaign feature characters from other HoMM III campaigns?

Yes; after all, the backstory of the Sword of Frost is intertwined with the stories of Gelu and Kilgor, characters known from the campaigns of the Shadow of Death and Armageddon’s Blade expansions, as well as from Heroes Chronicles. Kilgor, by the way, also appears in Dargem’s campaign, released in version 1.7.2.

Is the campaign to be released simultaneously with the town?

Yes. We considered releasing the town first and implementing its campaign later, but in that way, the new faction would hardly get a proper presentation. Therefore, they will be released in the same patch.

Speaking of new campaigns, do tell us what Dargem’s campaign, All In, is about, for those who haven’t played it yet. Is this an independent story, or will it serve as a prologue to that of the Bulwark, or other events of the global HotA plot?

Ironically, Dargem’s campaign was conceived more than 10 years ago, and some of our most loyal followers may even remember mentions of it by the Crew members. It ended up being postponed for a long time, and the Cove’s backstory creator had left the team for a while, before returning last year, which marked the revival of this story.

Creating Dargem, by Balkron

Back in the day, this campaign was conceived as a prequel to other Cove-themed campaigns. However, after Dargem getting featured in the Factory’s campaign, his own story became not just a prequel, but a link. It has nothing to do with the Bulwark’s campaign; the new town will have its own story, not directly related to the Cove.

Dargem Llywellyn is an adventurer, a former member of the privileged warlock caste of Nighon. He is a fairly charismatic, but monumentally unscrupulous man.

As a young man, Dargem fled his homeland and took his talents to Regna, where they determined his quick rise. Even as a pirate leader, he retained some of his aristocratic inclinations and aspirations. After being vanquished by the halflings and their allies (events from the Factory’s campaign—ed.), he is back offering his services as a hired mage.

In this capacity, Dargem is approached by a certain Stella, who offers him an unusual job. After the events that take place in the All In campaign, Bidley will stumble upon him in the labyrinths where the Horn of the Abyss lies (events from the Cove’s campaigns released earlier by HotA Crew—ed.).

Creating the Doom Castle, by Balkron

Dargem was voiced by Mikhail Markov, a stage professional and a massive fan of HoMM games. We were extremely pleased to work with him; Mikhail took the most thorough approach to building Dargem’s image, studying his story, character and development in the course of the campaign. Moreover, Mikhail did a great job in recording soundbites to accompany the video clips.

Voice work with Mikhail Markov

Source: http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=39830&PID=1584146