Heralds of Ariel

The Wood Elves – or Asrai – are the guardians of Athel Loren, the most ancient forest in the Old World. They are a reclusive and mysterious race who rarely emerge from the forest and are generally only seen when coming to its defence. Although they can appear cruel or capricious, in reality the Asrai are a neutral power who act only to maintain the balance of their environment.

It is this cause for which they fight, for no land remains untarnished long if it cannot take up arms against those that wish it harm. The waking woodlands of Athel Loren have endured for many thousands of years, so long as the watchful eyes of her protectors continue their loyal vigilance.

Faction Name Heralds of Ariel

Campaign wh3_main_combi

Culture wh_dlc05_wef_wood_elves

Subculture wh_dlc05_sc_wef_wood_elves

Military Group wh_dlc05_group_wood_elves

Faction Group wh_dlc05_fact_group_wood_elves

Faction Group Name Wood Elves

• (wh2_dlc16_political_party_wef_sisters_of_twilight)
  The Sisters of Twilight rejuvenate the world’s Magical Forests and destroy all who threaten them, starting with the withering Witchwood of Naggaroth. "Pure as starlight…
  
  …Wild as Flame!"
  
  For thousands of years, the Wood Elves have lived in harmony with the sentient forest of Athel Loren and the spirits which dwell beneath its boughs. Like all Elves, their origins can be traced back to the cradle of Ulthuan, but the Asrai, as they would come to be known, splintered from their ancestral home long before the acts of jealously and spite which led to the Sundering and on to the beginnings of the age-old conflict between their High Elf and Dark Elf cousins.
  
  Initially inhabitants of an Elven colony on the fringes of Athel Loren, the Asrai forged an alliance with the powerful spirits of the forest after Ariel, the foremost amongst their magi, learned the art of tree-singing and became the first to speak to the forest. Thus it was that Athel Loren opened up its many secrets to the Elves who made it their home, treating the forest with the awe and reverence it deserved and demanded, seeing the essence of their ancestral gods in its seasonal cycles. Through the mysterious power of the Oak of Ages, the spiritual heart of Athel Loren, Ariel acquired the aspects of Isha, the ancient Elven goddess of nature to become a Mage Queen, ruling over the Asrai alongside her consort Orion, a demigod in his own right. Despite being powerful beings, the King and Queen in the Woods do not seek to act as the world’s protectors, nor enthrone themselves as its rulers, but there are times when Ariel’s will must shape the fortunes of other lands for a greater purpose. Never has this been truer than in these dark days, where every broken bough or withered leaf carries an omen of darker times to come.
  
  To assist her, Ariel sends forth her emissaries Naestra and Arahan, twin maiden sisters who can only be told apart by the shade of their hair and their contrasting temperaments. Naestra has a spirit as pure as starlight, seeking out battle only in pursuit of preventing greater harms, while Arahan is as wild as an unbridled flame, welcoming it with wanton joy. Despite the sisters’ different outlooks on war, many a foe has fallen before them in battle. Not only are their armaments crafted by Lord Daith himself, the most celebrated of Elven smiths, but they can only be defeated if both are felled in quick succession, for the ancient magics of the forest mean that the harms inflicted upon one twin are inconsequential as long as the other still draws breath. None save for Ariel herself know the sisters’ true origins, with some stories claiming that they share her divinity, or that they are her daughters and therefore princesses of Athel Loren by blood. Whatever the truth may be, the sisters speak and fight with the authority of their beloved Mage Queen.
  
  The Mage Queen’s Authority
  By Ariel’s will, the Sisters of Twilight bring balance to the Weave, tempering the wildness of summer and stoking impetuousness in the dullness of winter.
  
  Ability: "Volley of Kurnous" for Hawk Riders units (faction_to_force_own_unseen)
  Forge of Daith: Craft and upgrade unique weapons, armour and items offered by the master smith Lord Daith (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  hidden effect to unlock forge items so we can lock them via bonus value later (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
  Ammunition: +10% (all armies)
  

Forest Healing: Heal the world’s forests in return for powerful factionwide bonuses.
Worldroots & Deeproots: Wood Elves armies can use the network of ancient tree roots to avoid impassable terrain and travel vast distances between forests.
Missile-focused Elven unit roster with a variety of enchanted arrows and fast-moving cavalry.

Faction Group

wh2_dlc09_effect_increase_army_capacity_hidden (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
Seductive influence: +200 required for complete seduction (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
Seductive influence: -3 per turn from race (faction_to_faction_own_unseen)
Battering rams: +1 per siege item constructed (all armies)
Siege towers: +2 per siege item constructed (all armies)