March 11, 2005 - Those who know of the distant past say that the island of Dereth was once home to an ancient culture steeped in the mystical arts. Despite its clear power, the entire race inexplicably vanished. That was over more than a millennium ago. There are those who believe the Empyreans went into hiding for their own protection, as a drastic measure to avoid total extinction at the claws of the deadly insect-like Olthoi. Some also feel the time is approaching when the magic users will re-emergence, eager to regain the lost heritage of their ancestors. Meanwhile, the furtive, cat-like Drudge species has long been regarded as vermin to be killed whenever possible. Nonetheless, the creatures have not only survived, but have grown strong enough to stand on the verge of taking a place a place alongside the others contending for dominance.

When Turbine's Asheron's Call 2: Legions expansion goes live, which is slated to happen in May, it will add these two playable options along with a number of other features and elements. One is the vast continent of Knorr, which will expand the gameworld by approximately 30 percent. Within its ruins, the result of events now long forgotten, many secrets and surprises await; adventurers exploring its five diverse regions will encounter never before seen monsters, ancient evils and more. To assist in overcoming them, the team is implementing a revamped hero system incorporating new abilities, skills and combat tactics gained through success in battle. Since the add-on was announced last October, we've followed its progress as closely as possible. Naturally, this made us want to know even more, so we greatly appreciated the chance to question Producer Eric "Citan" Heimburg.

Includes five exclusive screenshots

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Jonric: As an introductory overview, what kind of online world is the base game, Asheron's Call 2, and what key features and strengths distinguish it from other titles in the category?

Eric Heimburg: The Asheron's Call franchise is primarily centered on the fantasy world of Auberean, and in particular, the continent of Dereth. This is a high fantasy world with unique creatures and enemies. There are no trolls, orcs, or goblins, but you will find banderlings, gromnies, and moarsmen. The ecology of our world has been carefully imagined, and the individual races have their own rich lore and histories.

Asheron's Call 2 takes place hundreds of years after the time of its predecessor. Dereth saw the rise of a Golden Age, followed by a cataclysmic devastation that drove all the mortal races underground for generations. Players start the game as a member of one of the three races - Human, Lugian and Tumerok - finally returning to the above-ground world after a life in the subterranean shelters.

the land of Knorr is covered in Olthoi, a terrible insectoid menace with a penchant for taking over entire continents in the blink of an eye.

Asheron's Call 2 is a fast-paced game, especially compared to other massively multiplayers - where it is not uncommon to be able to walk away from the keyboard during a fight. It requires constant decision-making throughout every battle. It also offers an unprecedented number of skill choices for players - when Legions ships, we will have 35 skill trees, including 21 Prestige-class (specialty), encompassing more than 600 distinct player skills.

Jonric: What's Legions about, how does it tie into the existing game, and what is the derivation of the title?

	Empyrean female

Eric Heimburg: Legions will introduce a new playable race, the Empyreans, from which Asheron himself is descended, and their lands on the newly introduced continent of Knorr. Through the exploration of Knorr, players will learn the story of these Empyreans, where they've been, and what drove them from their lands.

The title of the expansion, Legions, refers to two large groups of enemies. The legions of the Falatacot, enemies to the Empyrean player race, have returned with a deadly agenda. Even worse, the land of Knorr is covered in Olthoi, a terrible insectoid menace with a penchant for taking over entire continents in the blink of an eye. The Olthoi have been contained on Knorr for hundreds of years, but the Falatacot's evil machinations will bring both of these armies to bear upon the players.

Jonric: Regarding the new features and improvement you're adding, what considerations and factors influenced you in choosing and designing them?

Eric Heimburg: When we first started to talk about an expansion, we asked our community what they'd most want to see in an expansion pack. The majority of the requests were for a large amount of content (items, quests, etc.) and new things to do. Legions will bring players a new race, new landmass, and lots of new items, quests and supporting story.

We're also making big changes to our Hero system, the skill and advancement system for higher-level players. We're adding new dynamics such as chain combo cooperative attacks and a completely new skills advancement system.

Jonric: What are the Empyreans like, how do they fit within the game fiction, and what will set them apart from the current playable races?

	Shield wall

Eric Heimburg: Empyreans are a race of nobility, heavily focused on magic in most aspects of their lives. It was Asheron's dubious experiments with portal magic that brought players to Dereth in the first place! Empyreans have been part of the storyline and history of the game since the beginning, so it made sense to consider them as a playable race.

When designing Empyreans, we wanted their magical tradition to be evident in all combat classes. So while a magic user naturally focuses on magic, the melee class can also use mystical energy as a weapon, and the missile class possess highly developed telekinetic and mental skills. All classes make use of magic, and this makes for a unique play style amongst our existing races.