New Bosses, Enemies & Events in the Shifting Sands Update

Noble Kings,

As the dunes continue to shift beyond the borders of the kingdom, whispers of dark new adversaries reach the royal court. Today, our loyal mages present a glimpse into the dangers awaiting your conquest in the lands of Shifting Sands.

Those seeking knowledge from past royal chronicles may find the previous Shifting Sands update article here:

view

Bosses of the Shifting Sands

The Desert itself is home to four new bosses who may rise to challenge your reign.

Behold: Monkey King, Greedscale, Matriarch of Dragons, Goruk, The Chainbound, and Drentlyr, Ancient Leshen.

Monkey King

He is not evil — merely rebellious. And he has little love for any man bold enough to climb his mountain and call himself king. Only he is king here, and the monkeys follow him with unwavering devotion. Well, as much devotion as monkeys are capable of.

A master of trickery, the Monkey King floods the battlefield with illusions, making it difficult to distinguish real danger from distraction. While your gaze shifts between false threats and moving shadows, his devoted monkeys slip into your kingdom to wreak havoc on your economy and defenses.

Watch closely, Your Highness. The moment you lose sight of the true threat, the Monkey King has already won.

Drentlyr, Ancient Leshen

Long before you raised your banners here, the forest had its own ruler. Old and patient, Drentlyr nurtured and guarded the woods for centuries.

Unfortunately, your royal construction plans required wood — and a great deal of it. Every tree felled and every stump left behind was an offense against the forest. Its ancient protector followed the trail of axes all the way into the Shifting Sands.

Even where no forest should exist, the Ancient Leshen bends nature to his will, shaping towering Ents to tear down your fortifications. He seeks no tribute and offers no bargains. Only vengeance. Your kingdom must fall so that something greener may grow upon its ruins.

Greedscale, Matriarch of Dragons

Every fire-spitting lizard, winged terror, and treasure-hoarding wyrm can trace its bloodline back to her. She has heard tales of your kingdom. More importantly, she has heard of your treasure.

The Matriarch is the oldest, greediest, and most fearsome of her kind. She believes all gold belongs beneath her claws. She does not invade for conquest, vengeance, or glory. She comes to claim every shining thing she can carry — and burn whatever remains.

Goruk, The Chainbound

Once, he was nothing more than a prisoner — a giant goblin buried beneath layers of iron and stone. Then he escaped.

But the prison never released him.

Chains, cages, shackles, and locks fused to his body and followed wherever he walked, clinging to him like a curse.

Now Goruk marches toward your kingdom to bind every living thing in iron. Peasants, soldiers, workers — none shall escape his chains. To him, your kingdom is merely another prison waiting for its bars.

Enemy Units

The Fennecs are a tribe that dates back to times immemorial. According to some royal historians and sages, the tribe originated from the possession of the lost wanderers with the spirits of the desert. What other explanation can there be about a tribe that boasts a host of knights, mages, and cavalry that can give any kingdom in the realm a tough run but leaves nothing in its wake except the ruins of its temporary camp

The leading edge of their army consists of highly trained fencers who fight with the precision of hired mercenaries of the Free Cities. Alone, these swordsmen are fearsome. Paired up with the Magi of the Fennecs, however, that unleash raw power of fire, they are deadly.

There are also the Javelin Masters, ranged fighters who are skilled at throwing javelins which are almost as long as a horse. While you pray for victory, your soldiers pray for the luck for these long javelins to miss or at least impale their neighbors instead. Then comes the cavalry which rides in with fury, breaking up the ranks and tearing straight through your backlines to create chaos in place of organized firing lines. And if that’s not enough, Fennec Knights will finish the job, challenging your mightiest champions that will stay alive long enough for them to arrive on the battlefield.

Though Fennecs are not the only ones that don’t like your presence in Shifting Sands. Jugs, Sand Worms and Sand Slimes will chew through your troops in order to sate their hunger. And their hunger is neverending, unlike your potential rule!

Events

While Shifting Sands will reintroduce events familiar from other maps, we have also prepared over a dozen new, unique encounters exclusive to this region. Here are some of the challenges and curiosities awaiting your kingdom:

• A silver-tongued cult leader arrives at court, promising enlightenment through the sacred Eye,

• Concern grows within the royal court after an advisor was overheard explaining his work-related stress to a cat

• A mysterious omen emerges in the skies above the kingdom.

That is all for today, Noble Kings.

May your banners fly proudly over the dunes.

— Hypnohead Team