The Red Village: Meet the Champions
I do not fear death, as I do not fear the blade
Nor the arrow, nor the axe
I was forged in fire
And in fire I shall perish
My body to ashes, and ashes to dust
My days are not my own
I must face these terrors alone
Whispers of the Red Village echo across the land. Maps of the Forgotten Forest, stained brown from the touch of hundreds of curious hands, are traded between the brave and the foolish. Some leave to seek it, chasing stories of endless chests of golden coins and eternal life. They never return.
Some places are best lost to history.
The Blood Queen rules the village and the Darklands beyond. She is merciless, driven by an unquenchable bloodlust and desire for violence. She is neither dead nor alive, neither human nor demon. Powerful, captivating, terrifying, she draws the fiercest warriors from across the land to fight for her entertainment. Answering a call that they cannot hear, these warriors travel across the seas, chasing visions of the unknown. When they arrive, she promises them an endless life and unimaginable riches in exchange for their service. None refuse.
Those who are doomed to fight in the village are known as Champions. Champions may not leave the village; they are destined to fight, to bleed, and to die over and over for all of eternity. Traded between powerful Battlemasters who keep them, house them, clothe them, train them, and submit them to Tournaments, they are showered in riches for their wins and suffer endlessly in defeat.
When the Blood Queen Calls they must answer. With another’s blood, or with their own.
The Five Character Classes
In The Red Village universe, there are five classes of Champion: the Barbarian, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, and the Wizard. Each character class is composed of seven different breeds; Highborns, Nordics, Half-Dwarfs, Elves, Orcs, Origin, and The Undead.
Each character class also has its own unique strengths and weaknesses when fighting, and each character class also has its own unique special moves — extra powerful moves that occur at random during a fight. Some character classes are naturally more aggressive, some can hit harder, while others are stronger in defence.
These strengths and weaknesses are not fixed, but rather occur within a range for each character within the class. In other words, while Druids typically have a higher defensive capability, each Druid will have a different amount of defence points. These statistics are not known to the Battlemaster; rather, players are encouraged to fight often and in many different types of fights to learn where and how their Champions fight best and use this knowledge to improve their chances of winning Tournaments.
The Barbarian
The Barbarian is a brutally strong class of Champion. Renowned for their ferocity, they are tribal, loyal, and fierce. Hailing from strongholds across the Realms, Barbarians are renowned for their piercing war cry, which strikes terror in the hearts of their enemies. With high strength and high defence, they make a formidable foe. Equipped with dual battle-axes to crush skulls. Attack: high. Defence: high. Special moves: Berseker, War Cry.
The Druid
The Druid may be the most underestimated of the Champions. Solitary by nature, they roam the Great Forests relentlessly, at one with their environment.
Their harsh existence, however, makes them strong and fearless. They are said to be shapeshifters, capable of turning into giant bears and wolves. Equipped with a mighty Warhammer, they are extremely difficult to injure. Attack: moderate. Defence: very high. Special moves: War Bear, Cyclone.
The Paladin
The Paladin, otherwise known as the Holy Knight, is a noble, strong, and valiant class of Champion. They train relentlessly from a young age and take an oath to die at the blade, making them undaunted by any opponent or any challenge. Paladins show no mercy with their devastating Greatsword. They can call brutal power from the sky above to aid them in battle. Attack: high. Defence: high. Special moves: Holy Strike, Knight’s Steel.
The Ranger
Rangers are fast, stealthy, and intelligent. Valuing surprise, they tend to shoot first and ask questions later. They move quickly in combat and strike with deadly accuracy. The undisputed master of the Longbow, rangers are lethal at close quarters, and lethal from afar. Unforgiving and brutal in the arena, they make savage warriors. Attack: very high. Defence: moderate. Special moves: Exploding Arrow, Evade.
The Wizard
Wizards are the wisest, and in some regards perhaps most dangerous of the Champions. Hailing from the darkest parts of the earth, they are clever and ruthless, focused only on creating havoc. Masters of elemental magic, they wield immense power through their Longstaff. Taking life without hesitation, the Wizard is exceptionally destructive to all. Attack: very high. Defence: moderate. Special moves: Volcanic shower, Arcane Shield.
Champions are battle-hardened warriors, each deadly in their own right. Battlemasters may choose to focus on one class, learning their fighting style, strengths and weaknesses and perfecting their specialised knowledge. Alternatively, they may amass a range of classes, filling their barracks with a variety of Champions and gaining confidence in many different types of fights.
The Blood Queen cares not which approach you take, so long as there is blood. And blood there will be.
Mors certa, hora incerta.
Death is certain, the hour is not.
