Forgenews #5: The Island

Have you explored the year-end updates? Seen the Albueran pines? Wandered the palace corridors in Ephedrya? Dispatched a few deathburns in Ereboria? If so, it's time for a breather between two odysseys. Settle in, relax and enjoy a few images from Lance Dur. How would you like a little story to go with them?

DOFUS, DOFUS Touch and WAKFU have unveiled their year-end specials and you're probably exploring every corner of their new zones in search of rewards and XP. And yet, Lance Dur's wanderings are far from over!

Would you like us to tell you more about what's behind the scenes in this huge transmedia adventure?

In the last episode…

DOFUS revealed sketches of Ereboria that are sure to have sketched a place in your hearts, along with in-game decors and some of its bestiary.
DOFUS Touch invited you to get a fresh start.
WAKFU shared tons of decors, NPCs and monster families from the cursed island. It was positively pouring down magnificent images!
The anime Lance Dur showed its dark side: the Deathburns!

There's more…

To make sure Swood knew what he was getting into, Fergus had taken him to see Reska, an Ecaflip adventurer who came back in one piece from Ereboria, the island of the Deathburns and home to Cire Momore and a gigantic legendary treasure. Did her tale dissuade him?

Background: The Island

On a peaceful beach in the Astrub Rocky Inlet while a placid tramp was catching a few winks in the shade of a kokoko tree and three snappers were dodging an adventurer's arrows, Fergus stood on the end of a dock near a moored sailboat. The Forgelance Klimti Swood was already aboard, preparing to set sail.

"I've done everything I can to keep you here, Mr. Swood."

"It's Klimti, Fergus…" said the Forgelance, as he had so many times over the past few days. "Klim-ti. You're a good chap, but if it was your family, you'd do the same in a heartbeat."

"I thought that Reska's experience would have opened your eyes to what's waiting for you there… By Enutrof's clanking kamas, what the…?"

Swood turned around to see what had shaken up the smith. It was Reska carrying a crate to stow in the hold.

"RESKA! You're going too!"

"Calm down, Fergus…"

"Calm down?! I take him to you so you can convince him to stay and you end up going with him?!

"It wasn't me," said Swood. "She didn't give me a choice…"

"I've been thinking about it for years, Fergus," said Reska. "I left my friends behind… but what if some of them survived?"

"Fine!" exclaimed Furgus as he jumped onto the boat. "Let's all make reckless decisions! The more the merrier!"

He cast off.

The ship started to move slowly away from the dock.

The dock on which two wooden crates were still sitting. The smith's embarrassment could be seen on his face.

"Perfect choice of words, Fergus. Leaving half of our supplies on the dock is the very definition of reckless!" said Swood as he tapped him on the shoulder.

*****

The ship seemed frozen on a glassy sea.

Leaning on the starboard railing, Reska was bored.

"Are we even moving?"

Swood answered from the help without looking away from the horizon:

"Yep!"

"Are you speaking pirate?"

"Nope. I'd have said 'aye' if I was."

The Forgelance glanced over at the listless feline and felt sorry for the Ecaflip in distress.

"Come over here! You can steer the ship…"

The feline purred with joy and leapt over to Klimti's spot. Klimti headed over the gangway and gave Fergus a friendly tap as he went past. Wearing a red scarf to protect his head from the sun's rays, Fergus was fishing patiently.

"I haven't been on vacation in a long time!" he said joyously. "Err… and I haven't lost my touch. Tonight, dinner's on me!"

Swood smiled as he looked at the sea. He felt good, too. It was the first time since…

Suddenly, he moved back from the railing:

"Ahhhhh! What's THAT!? Did you see it?!

The others shrugged.

"It looked like something… I mean… someone in the water… But with scales and big eyes! They were staring at me… Shudder! That gave me goosebumps!"

"It looks like Forgelances are like Iops," said Reska. "Lots of bluster but easily scared!"

She and Fergus laughed heartily.

"Haw haw haw!" Klimti imitated them. "I'd like to have see you two in my place…"

"You've got to admit, Mister Klimti, that you sure made a funny face just then!"

"You looked just like one of those sailors startled by a fish at sea who starts talking about mermaids when he gets into port!" added Reska.

"They think everything is a bad omen!" added Fergus.

Just then, they heard a slow rumble in the distance. Fergus's expression changed. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. Swood turned around. The sky ahead of them had grown considerably darker.

*****

The only sound was the pouring rain beating against the deck. Never ending.

The raging sea and waves. Grumbling.

To avoid going overboard, the passengers had tied ropes around their waists and attached them to a solid part of the ship.

Reska clung desperately to the helm. Klimti struggled valiantly to lower the sails. Fergus clung on, clutching his teeth.

The tempest seemed to go on forever. They all hung on in the noise and fury. Hung on with every ounce of their strength.

Suddenly – a terrible crash.

Then nothing.

*****

It was a familiar, peaceful melody. The sound you hear listening to seashells. The slow sweeping of waves on the beach. Light. Sand. A still crab scrambled sideways to take refuge in a hole at the first movement.

As he got up, Swood felt like he'd tumbled down a hill. His feet in the water, he quickly took stock of the situation. He touched the hull of the sailboat next to him. It had washed up on a beach. He must have been thrown clear by the shock, but the rope around his waist had kept him close.

"Fergus! Reska!"

Klimti climbed onto the ship. Phew! His companions were there, unconscious. The Forgelance touched each in turn – they were breathing.

"Friends? Are you alright?"

It took them a little while to come around, but aside from a boatload of bruises, they were unharmed. Klimti hugged them close, and then laughed:

"We did it!"

He untied the rope around his waist and jumped overboard.

"Reska! Can you toss me my lance from the hold?"

The disheveled Ecaflip looked around:

"Are you sure we're in the right place? I'd be surprised if we stayed on course during that storm…"

"It's got to be Ereboria! There's nothing else for leagues and leagues. We couldn't have drifted that far off course! You must recognize where we are, right?"

Reska scratched her head:

"I'm a bit shaken up, you know. I was only here once, and it was years ago…"

"And…?"

"Well, it looks like it, but sand and vegetation… most islands look the same…"

"Ok. I'll let you recover from our trip and set up camp. I'll head out on recon!"

"Mr. Swood, won't you wait a bit?" asked Fergus, wringing out his scarf. "We'd better stay together… especially if this is Ereboria."

"Don't worry! I'll just go see if Dayd is nearby, but I won't try anything on my own…"

"Just like a Iop, you rush in headfirst…" remarked Reska, tossing the lance to Swood.

"…and you're a lousy liar," added Fergus.

"Later!"

The Forgelance took off running straight ahead. In front of him, gigantic tentacular spikes stalks that seemed to be devouring a building towered over a thick forest. Reska frowned and whistled:

"Pssss… We aren't in Ereboria."

Fergus looked at the feline and then looked out beyond the forest.

"You're right, Reska… We're in Ephedrya…"

To be continued in the next FORGENEWS…

DOFUS/DOFUS Touch

Ephedrya Design Sketches

In-Game Zone Art

DOFUS

DOFUS Touch

WAKFU: The Ocean Prison

If WAKFU didn't unveil Ephedrya in its latest update, it's an additional zone inspired by the animated series Lance Dur. You read the title: it's the Ocean Prison. Recommended for Twelvians of levels 216-230, it is located some 20,000 kametres under the sea (we didn't measure exactly). Luckily, you don't need gills to explore it! There, you'll encounter the Abyssal Creepers. This area is run by Spriggiss, a fishy guy, who can give you crucial information to help you complete your main quest. In addition, you'll notice that Raeliss, the area boss, has a familiar weapon…