In part three of our lore diary, civil war over the use and control of magic breaks out between the Bashrahni Emirate and the Azar Cabal, thus instigating the events of Mirage: Arcane Warfare.
“And the Alchemist Dinah’s magic ripped open the fabric of all things – in her right hand she took hold of the realm of man. In the left, the Sha’ilum. And with the immense power granted her by the elements themselves, the Alchemist Dinah pulled the worlds together in one cataclysmic, cosmic blast. And the realm of man was undone.” - Perin Genesis verses, The Bashrahni Codex.
The Divide The ruling elite of Bashrahn exact fierce control over how its citizens use magic, and the Azar Cabal rise from the ensuing conflict
Though it began as a gift to the world in helping to build the fantastic city state of Bashrahn after the cataclysm of the Dinahn Genesis, it was the magic power of the Jinnaye that would lead to the bloodiest conflict in the history of Nankur.
The “wielded” vs. “embraced” debate – the opposing viewpoints on how society should co-exist with the Jinnaye – resulted in intense arcane warfare that tore apart the nation.
The fight began with societal oppression in the city of Bashrahn. Those who subscribed to the “wielded” method ostracized from society those who took the Jinnaye into their bodies. These “embraced” users were outcast from the city into the deserts, hills and mountains outside of Bashrahn. Taurant guards, the strongmen of the city under the employ of the Bashrahni Regency, were tasked with the removal of “embraced” Jinn users. For those who had become too dangerous to evict by means of raw muscle were eliminated by the elite Vypress assassins.
– The Azar Cabal retreated to the desert and mountain caves outside of the city of Bashrahn –
The “embraced” believers were seen by the Bashrahni as unclean, their oddly coloured skin making their beliefs obvious to whoever passed them in the street. Their appearance of skin drained of its natural colour – given an otherwordly appearance – earned them the nickname “the pasties” and they were forced out of the city of Bashrahn where they formed their own fledgling society under the shadow of Mount Nankur.
Today, the Bashrahni keep to their “wielded” method in the city limits, manipulating the Jinnaye through the Marinstone ink tattooed in their skin. The Marinstones were gathered by Entropists, hunters of the Djinn who were awarded bounties based on their finds; the more successful the Entropist, the more lavish his lifestyle. The alchemical process of manipulating the Marinstone substance for magical use was mastered by Alchemancers, the most capable – and often dangerous – Jinnaye researchers of the Bashrahni Academy.
Those exiled, who came to call themselves “The Azar Cabal,” would dwell in hidden caves crafted into the cliffsides surrounding Mount Nankur. The Azar, free of the watchful eye of the Bashrahni elite, welcomed the Jinnaye fully into their bodies and worked in partnership with the spirits to utilize their powers. Many Azar gathered together and shared their new discoveries, but others chose more solitary lives – diving deeper into their relationship with the Jinnaye. In general, the Cabal rejected the ambitious architectural and militaristic drive of the city-dwelling Bashrahni when it came to using the Jinn. The Azar made practical use of their inherited territory, crafting humble dwellings to suit a simple lifestyle – in contrast to the opulent palaces, maze-like markets and incredible feats of engineering that can be found in the city of Bashran. In the caverns and old temples, outcast Tinkers – young orphans from the bazaar district of Bashrahn – made use of their hands-on knowledge of Jinn-infused technology to expedite the construction of the Azar Cabal’s exclave, built in secrecy under the mountain’s shadow.
- Continue reading at http://www.miragearcanewarfare.com/mirage-lore-blog-series-part-three-the-war/ -
Mirage: Arcane Warfare - Community Diary 4 (Sound)
In this Community Diary, hear about sound effects, voices and music in Mirage: Arcane Warfare. Join Audio Director Ryan Patrick Buckley along with Senior Brand Manager Alex Hayter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCyj0e4LyZw
At the end of the video, listen to some fun news lines written by our community for the Mason Man-at-Arms from Chivalry, recorded by Buckley - https://youtu.be/nCyj0e4LyZw?t=677
Vypress Weapon Art Development Profile
Learn about the weapons used by the Vypress in Mirage: Arcane Warfare!
Torn Banner debuts new gameplay action of Mirage at E3 PC Gaming Show
Torn Banner Studios, the creators of the popular first-person medieval combat game Chivalry: Medieval Warfare appeared onstage at this year’s E3 PC Gaming Show to present a fresh look at the intense combat scenarios of their new game Mirage: Arcane Warfare, and announce the game’s release this fall on PC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ90qtaL308
Watch Steve Piggott from Torn Banner talk about Mirage on-stage at 1:57 in the video below.
Go "Behind the Banner" in a new Mirage: Arcane Warfare behind-the-scenes video series from Torn Banner Studios, creators of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0WIhPoCZc
In this video, learn about how blood and gore in Mirage add to the satisfaction and creativity of the game's visceral combat encounters.
Mirage lore blog series – Part Two
Part Two - The Rise of Bashrahn
In part two of our lore series, from the ashes of destroyed Nankur arises Bashrahn, a golden city state brought into prosperity through the power harnessed from the Jinn.
Utility of the Jinnaye The people of Nankur learn how to utilize the spirits of the Jinnaye into incredible abilities
Before the Dinahn Genesis, the Jinnaye lived almost identically to humans; they loved, feared, hated and lusted. However, their lives existed on a separate plane of existence known as the Sha’ilum. When the Jinnaye occasionally drifted into the mortal plane and were witnessed by the people of Nankur, they appeared as incorporeal beings of smokeless fire (the Dim), disconnected from their physical being. After the Dinahn Genesis shattered their plane of existence, this incorporeal form was all that remained of the Jinnaye.
The rings that can be seen in the skies above Bashrahn are the only remaining physical evidence of this other plane, and are the actual portions of the Sha’ilum world puncturing its way through the planar division. It has been made visible by its collision with the human realm as a result of the magic performed by the Alchemist Dinah.
Magical shards, that are the consequence of this collision, fall to earth in stones called Marinstone. These stones contain the Jinnaye. Many Bashrahni fear that the use of magic is in fact beckoning more Jinnaye spirits into the mortal world in the form of more falling Marinstones - and thus without moderation, the Sha’ilum will eventually overtake the human realm.
- Continue reading at http://www.miragearcanewarfare.com/mirage-lore-blog-series-part-two-the-rise-of-bashrahn/ -
Mirage Community Diary 3 (Blood & Magic)
Mirage: Arcane Warfare will be featured on the PC Gaming Show at E3 2016!
In this Community Diary, learn more about the blood, gore and magic effects in Mirage. Join Technical & Environment Artist Brandon Phoenix, UI & Effects Artist Darin Walsh along with Senior Brand Manager Alex Hayter.
https://youtu.be/Ia-WW4BkcQg
Mirage lore blog series – Part One
In our first lore diary, learn of the fall of the ancient nation of Nankur and the cataclysmic event known as the Dinahn Genesis which brought forth the magic spirits of the Jinn, and reshaped the world.
The nation of Nankur
The genesis of Mirage begins with the fall of an ancient civilization
The ancient people of Nankur built their fiefdoms along the banks of the river Naban. It was a dark age of warlords, famine and hard labour. According to Bashrahni myth, the Nankur worshipped the four elements Aether, Sulfur, Salt and Mercury. They considered the waters of the Naban sacred because they believed the Naban flowed from the Four Heavens via Mount Nankur. Being near to Mount Nankur and the Four Heavens, it was not uncommon to encounter spirits, which the Nankur called "the Dim". These spirits were believed to be the recently deceased.
The Dim were actually shadows of beings from another plane of existence -- the Jinnaye. But that was before people understood the Jinnaye and where they came from. To the Nankur, the Dim were regarded with fear because of their perceived closeness to Death.
Watch eight minutes of raw gameplay from Mirage: Arcane Warfare from its first public appearance at PAX East 2016.
https://youtu.be/VqQyMKHphcs
Recorded by our own team, in an Alpha version demo of Mirage.
Plus, check out PAX East hands-on media impressions of Mirage - to be updated with more to come!
TotalBiscuit
"It needs a little bit more skill, it's less defensive, it's a more aggressive combat system in general - particularly with the addition of abilities. The combat can be quite fast paced at times but it still has the weight of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare"
https://youtu.be/66L8k0Ebwks
Angry Joe
“You know Chivalry: Medieval Warfare? Take that, take the training wheels off, take the historical restrictions away and then just go crazy with it and that’s what you have here with magic and special abilities.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YklJpKCCpNs
Polygon
"The mix of dexterous swordplay and body-bashing magic left us powering through the multiplayer matches only to return to the back of the line for another run. It was hands down [my son's] favorite game of the show and nearly the same for me."
“The premise is easy to love, and with a focus on blocking magic and melee attacks at the right time while finding an opening for magic spells, Mirage is more than just your average FPS with swords and fireballs.”
“These days, you’re bound to see another multiplayer game with some variation on the first-person shooter (FPS) mechanic. However, Torn Banner stuck to its guns (pun intended) to deliver competitive multiplayer with a melee twist. Adding magic to the mix makes for new ways to take out enemies without overpowering the melee combat that serves as the game's backbone.”
“Having played the game I’d say this is definitely a positive direction that they’re taking it in. They’ve got the the similarly deep combat mechanics [as Chivalry] but then with the extra layer of magic they can make combat a bit more interesting and add an extra layer of depth”
https://youtu.be/UuiYaBZdT-w
PC Gamer interview
“We’re bringing fighting game mechanics into multiplayer”
https://youtu.be/J6g1fQOAK0w
Hardcore Gamer
“After every convention, certain games seem to stand out as the clear winners of a given event. After spending forty-five minutes with the brutal, intense Mirage: Arcane Warfare, it’s safe to say that players should eagerly anticipate Torn Banner’s next title. After all, there was a reason why fans kept on flocking back to hop in and get another match in rather than seeing something new.”
