Preview of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
by Rick WallaceFebruary 25, 2009
Part 3 of our week long series detailing regions of the upcoming title, Sacred 2, takes us to the jungle region. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our 4th installment.
Jungle Region
The great desert of Bengaresh might be a blighted wasteland, but it holds more civilization than the thick jungles of the South. The dense undergrowth twists and seemingly chokes the great world-trees that fill the air with a tangle of branches, vines, and greenery not seen anywhere else in Ancaria. There is not room to build a single hut, let alone a town or village, unless one is willing to hack away at the relentless undergrowth. Once civilization leaves an area, it doesn't take the jungle long to reclaim it.
Those that reside here do exactly that; archaeologist camps dot the interior of the jungle as handfuls of those that pursue knowledge sweat and ache to carve history out of the clutches of the greenery. The ruins that lie here indicate that the ancient Elven Empire indeed had a great reach; however, most theories were turned on their ears when it was found that this wasn't just a province of the Empire, but the very heart of it.
The ancient Elven capital once covered a vast area of terrain; the city was larger than many small countries, organized, self-sufficient, with incredible architecture. The buildings, ruined as they are, are still impressive to behold. Many still stand intact despite the invasion of jungle; some think it probably is the jungle that helped preserve what is left so well.
Regardless, the secrets of the ancient Elves are pursued by few, as the machinations of T-Energy control grip the lands to the north. Violence here is limited to hacking vines and the occasional animal attack. However, the archaeologists here have been digging for years but have barely scratched the surface. The work is slow going, not just because of their care and dedication, but because it would be easy to get lost, uncover a deep pit, or cause a heavy wall to collapse. The work remaining is daunting and nearly impossible to fathom, but those dedicated to it merely shrug and continue their minutiae of cataloging and dusting away the centuries of dirt, vine, and rock.
Access to the digs is limited to jungle paths that require near-constant patrolling...not for monsters, but to ensure the paths do not get lost to the plants that seemingly hungrily devour any open space. While those that are here remain vigilant against monsters and creatures, occasionally a disappearance reinforces the need for weapons and those that know how to wield them. The jungle, untouched for thousands of years, no doubt holds dangers heretofore unknown that can curl an imagination like the edges of paper in a flame.
Along the coast of Jade-See, a narrow coastal road dating back to the Empire snakes its way from the north to the unexplored lands further south of the jungles. Few have followed this road that far, and none of them have returned to tell any tales of what may lay there. Here, along the coast, the jungle seems to be stymied by the sea and doesn't grow as relentlessly. In places, sandy beaches stretch for miles, whereas in others, the road is mere inches from cliffs that hold hundred-foot drops to certain death.
The lands here are a true frontiersman's paradise: undiscovered country, ancient peoples' ruins, and the possible draw of untold riches. As word got around of the discoveries made here, a trickle of fortune hunters have made their way south and into the jungles in recent times. It is still too early to tell how such quests have gone, but there's indeed plenty of work to do here; talking to any of the archaeologists will no doubt bring up opportunities for exploration and riches. If money isn't one's pursuit, then knowledge certainly must exist here as well, hidden in the broken halls and caved-in coliseums of a once world-spanning Empire.
