u/Aarklash

MEET THORVALD THE FALLEN !
Once a proud guardian of Tir-Nâ-Bor, Thorvald's life was shattered by a single mistake. While guarding an abandoned tunnel beneath the Ægis, he sought refuge in ale and fell asleep. In those precious moments, a Chthonian Larva slipped into the city, unleashing a massacre that would haunt him forever.
Cast out by his own people, Thorvald now wanders the depths beneath Cadwallon, hunting the creatures he once failed to stop. Grim, relentless and driven by redemption, he seeks only one thing: an honorable death beneath the Free City.
And that's not all: thanks to his Incarnation Hero card, Thorvald can also join your skirmish warband on the battlefields of Aarklash.

WHAT IS AARKLASH?

The Age of Prophecy is over. The Age of Incarnation begins. Discover the world of Aarklash, the Great Alliances, and the forces shaping the continent's uncertain future...
"The prophecies have fallen silent, consumed a decade ago in the fires of the Rag'narok. Since then, the world of Aarklash has endured an Age of Darkness, where only the Incarnates, chosen by the gods, hold the fate of our future in their hands."
Caddarik, Itinerant Chronicler of the Free City of Cadwallon

Long before armies marched beneath their banners, before heroes earned their place in legend, there was Aarklash.

Long before kingdoms rose and fell, the gods themselves are said to have walked the lands of Aarklash. Their temples still stand, their names are still spoken in prayer, but the age when they walked among mortals has long since passed into legend.

Aarklash cannot be defined by its mountains, its forests, its deserts or even its cities. These are merely the stage upon which a far greater story unfolds.

Above all else, Aarklash is a world shaped by its peoples, their beliefs and their ambitions. Every kingdom, every culture and every nation carries its own vision of what the future should become.

Aarklash is a land where irreconcilable visions of the future collide.

Every nation has risen upon the ruins of another, and every victory has left scars that time has never truly healed.

A WORLD AT WAR. AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

The Rag'narok is no longer a prophecy whispered by seers or a threat looming on the horizon.

It has become the reality of everyday life.

Foretold as the final confrontation between the greatest powers of the continent, it continues to reshape Aarklash more profoundly than any king, prophet or conqueror could ever have imagined. Ancient certainties have crumbled. Nations have been transformed. Old powers have fallen while new ones rise from the ashes of war. The victorious pass into legend, while the defeated fade into oblivion.

The continent that stands today bears little resemblance to the one that once marched toward its foretold destiny. Borders shift constantly. Ancient alliances are tested. Entire peoples have been shaped by the choices they made and the battles they chose to fight.

History is still being written.

Despite the ruins, the losses and the scars left by this age of upheaval, the peoples of Aarklash continue to hope, to struggle and to shape the world according to their convictions.

THE GREAT ALLIANCES

The peoples of Aarklash have never shared the same vision of the world.

Across centuries of war, discovery, diplomacy and betrayal, those who embraced similar ideals gradually found common cause, while those divided by irreconcilable beliefs drifted further apart. In time, these bonds gave birth to the Great Alliances of Aarklash.

They are far more than military coalitions. They embody competing philosophies. Different answers to the same question:

What kind of world should Aarklash become?

THE WAYS OF LIGHT

The nations of the Ways of Light believe civilization is worth defending.

Though they often disagree on matters of politics, faith and tradition, they remain united by one unwavering conviction: order must prevail, and the future must be built upon knowledge, justice, honor and duty.

Among them stand some of the oldest and most influential powers on the continent, including the Griffins of Akkylannie, the Cynwäll Elves and the Dwarves of Tir-Nâ-Bor.

Their alliance is not without tensions. Ancient rivalries endure, and old wounds have yet to heal. Yet whenever the balance of Aarklash itself is threatened, they stand together.

THE MEANDERS OF DARKNESS

Where others see limits, the powers of Darkness see opportunity.

The necromancers of Acheron, the alchemists of Dirz and their allies reject the notion that the world should remain as it is. Some seek dominion. Others pursue forbidden knowledge. Many believe the great nations have failed and deserve to be replaced.

Necromancers raise the dead to serve their ambitions. Alchemists reshape life itself in pursuit of perfection. Forgotten powers awaken beneath the earth and in the shadows of history.

Their enemies call them abominations.

They see themselves as visionaries, pioneers and conquerors destined to forge the world of tomorrow.

THE PATHS OF DESTINY

Many peoples of Aarklash stand apart from the very notions of Light and Darkness. Rather than choosing between them, they follow the path laid down by their ancestors.

The Wolfen, the Orcs, the Goblins and countless others live according to traditions and loyalties older than any alliance.

Some fight for freedom. Some fight for survival. Others fight to preserve what they hold dear or reclaim what was taken from them.

What unites them is not a common banner, but a shared determination to remain masters of their own destiny.

CADWALLON, THE FREE CITY

And then there is Cadwallon.

Neither kingdom nor alliance, the Free City occupies a place unlike any other in the history of Aarklash.

Built by adventurers upon the ruins of a forgotten city, governed by powerful guilds and enriched by merchants from every corner of the continent, it has become a crossroads where cultures, ambitions and secrets converge.

Coveted by kings, enriched by trade and shaped by generations of adventurers, Cadwallon remains one of the most fascinating places in all of Aarklash.

In Cadwallon, fortunes are won as quickly as they are lost. Alliances shift with every opportunity, and the greatest secrets lie sleeping beneath the city's cobblestones.

[If you would like to discover the Free City and the forgotten depths hidden beneath its foundations, be sure to follow Depths of Cadwallon, our upcoming dungeon crawler set in one of Aarklash's most iconic locations.]

EVERY PEOPLE IS THE HERO OF ITS OWN STORY

Perhaps that is what has always made Aarklash so unique.

Every people tells its own story. Every nation celebrates its own heroes. Every culture remembers different victories, mourns different tragedies and defends its own vision of the world.

The Lions believe they safeguard civilization. The Wolfen fight to preserve their freedom. The Alchemists of Dirz pursue perfection. The Griffins defend their faith. Even the servants of Darkness are convinced that history will ultimately prove them right.

No faction sees itself as the villain.

Every war simply looks different depending on who survives to tell the tale.

THOSE WHO SHAPE HISTORY...

In the weeks ahead, we will continue our journey across Aarklash, exploring the peoples, the powers and the conflicts that define this new age.

But nations and alliances are only part of the story.

The fate of the world also rests in the hands of extraordinary individuals whose deeds inspire armies, alter the destiny of kingdoms and leave a mark that endures long after their own lifetime.

Some become heroes. Some become legends. And a rare few become something more… Soon, you will meet the first of them.

A new chapter in the history of Aarklash is about to be written. Now, it is your turn to leave your mark upon it.

The Monolith Team

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/monolith-board-games-sarl/incarnation/updates/2

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/monolith-board-games-sarl/depths-of-cadwallon/updates/1

Cadwallon is a city of wealth, intrigue, opportunity and danger. In this first update, we explore the history of the Free City, its place in Aarklash, and the secrets hidden beneath its streets. And we've only scratched the surface.

"Cadwallon. The name itself embodies the majesty of the free city state."
Vladar the Arrogant.

Every road in Aarklash eventually leads to Cadwallon. Merchants come seeking fortune. Scholars come seeking knowledge. Refugees come seeking safety. Thieves come seeking opportunity. Adventurers come seeking glory.

Some find what they came for. Most find something else...

For more than a century, the Free City has stood at the crossroads of the continent. Goods from every nation pass through its markets. Ambassadors negotiate within its walls. Guilds compete for influence. Fortunes are made and lost every day.

There are larger cities in Aarklash. There are wealthier kingdoms. There are stronger armies. Yet nowhere else can a penniless traveller become wealthy, a mercenary become a noble, or a thief become a legend.

Cadwallon was not founded by kings. It was reclaimed by adventurers.

Long ago, the legendary Dogs of War seized the abandoned city and transformed it into something unique: a city owing allegiance to no kingdom, no empire and no god.

A FREE CITY

Freedom changed everything.

Over the years, people from every culture and every nation settled within its walls. Humans, dwarves, goblins, elves and countless others built new lives alongside one another. New districts appeared. Guilds grew powerful. Trade flourished.

Cadwallon became a city of opportunity... and a city of secrets.

Because every layer of the city was built upon another. New foundations buried older foundations. New streets replaced forgotten streets. New districts rose above ancient districts.

Beneath the city everyone knows lies another city.

A HIDDEN CADWALLON

A maze of collapsed halls, sealed vaults, forgotten sanctuaries and lost passages. Some say immense treasures lie below. Others whisper of ancient knowledge. Many simply disappear.

For generations, adventurers have descended into those depths seeking wealth, fame or answers.

Not all of them returned.

That is where Depths of Cadwallon begins.

A CITY OF STORIES

Cadwallon occupies a unique place in the history of Aarklash.

Players first encountered it through Confrontation, Rag'Narok and the tales surrounding the Dogs of War. The city later became the setting of its own roleplaying game, allowing players to experience life as Free Leaguers navigating its guilds, intrigues and dangers.

Over the years, Cadwallon appeared in novels, campaigns, sourcebooks and board games, each exploring a different facet of the Free City.

For many players, it remains one of the most beloved locations ever created for Aarklash. For others, this will be a first visit.

There could hardly be a better place to begin.

DESCEND BENEATH THE CITY

In the coming weeks, we will introduce the districts of Cadwallon, the factions that shape its destiny, the adventurers who brave its depths and the forgotten wonders hidden beneath the streets of the Free City.

Because the greatest secret of Cadwallon is not found in its towers. It lies below them.

The Monolith Team

Monolith (the current IP holder) has just dropped the first trailer for their new games and plans.

I’m sure they’ll have more to come, but here’s the first look.

https://youtu.be/iRD3aj96As8