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Dawn of the Dragons was a Flash-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game developed by 5th Planet Games in 2012. It was playable on Armor Games, Kongregate and Newgrounds, among other platforms.

The game took place in the fictional region of West Kruna, and each player took the role of a farmhand who rises in power to become a skilled champion who must defend the region from a variety of evil forces that are trying to take over for their own means.

The game consisted of several quest areas that players would journey through, during which they would progress through the overarching story and earn experience points, along with new weapons, armor, items and soldiers. These soldiers could be transferred to a player's "legion", a combat group that could be used to take part in raids against boss enemies.

The game featured guilds (with their own respective boss raids), an Item Crafting system and Player Versus Player areas (that allowed users to rank up and unlock new perks, weapons and armor). It was free to play but used microtransaction, allowing players to buy powerful armor, weapons, troops and legions using "Planet Coins", the game's special currency (earned through level progression, achievements or real money).

There were also two tie-in games produced alongside it — Clash of the Dragons (a Collectible Card Game that takes place in the same era as Dawn) and Legacy of a Thousand Suns (a sequel story that takes place many centuries later, and features the Player Character as the captain of a starship and its crew).

Development of the game stopped in November 2019, with the announcement that the servers would be shutting down soon on January 2020. The last server shut down on February the 25th.


This game provides examples of:

  • Absurdly High Level Cap: There was no cap on player levels, and you could see players at level 1,500 with several hundred thousand points invested in their attack stat. There was one known player in the game who achieved "Demigod" status (level 10,000).
  • Accidental Pun: The text description for Vuklao The Lion had this:
    Pah! Very well... I shall surrender my pride, in the name of defeating the dragons. I... What? No! That was not a pun!
  • Adam Smith Hates Your Guts / Karl Marx Hates Your Guts:
    • Although you can buy and sell weapons, armor, troops, and properties, you cannot make a profit on any of them. Land, in particular, is designed to discourage any selling whatsoever, despite the player having the option to. Land bought by the player can be sold at roughly 1/1000 of its original buying price, and selling high-level troops and items will give you far fewer coins back than you put in.
    • Prices get more and more expensive the further north you travel, to the point that it becomes prohibitive. Despite the fact that you are asked by the king of West Kruna to aid in dealing with various threats, including having to summon Lord Tyranthius and his knights by yourself, you are not given any financial support to buy troops or equipment, and you have to pay out millions of coins to meet the level requirements. It gets to the point where you'll have to drop tens of millions of dollars per area on useless things like rings and mounts just to be able to quest there.
    • The requirement to purchase items for the early quest zones was removed in early 2016, making it so that new players wouldn't need to deal with cash gates in order to advance the storyline.
  • A Day in the Limelight:
    • "Scrolls of Dahrizon" is a separate story involving Rissa D'Tang, a thief who ends up infiltrating the missing warlord Dahrizon's castle and waking him from a centuries-long imprisonment.
    • "My Name Is..." focuses on several of the player character's supporting companions, with four characters (Teucer Tullian, Mina von Richten, Saaragash the Mighty, and Marcus) getting separate chapters where they participate in a fight against enemies who have raided a town.
    • "The Last Titan" delves into the origins of West Kruna's gods, as related by Father Aecasius, a member of the Bloodwyn family.
    • "Crimson Shadows" is told from the perspective of Mina Von Richten, who is in a Race Against the Clock to visit the player character as they lie on their deathbed, due to old age.
  • Adventurer Archaeologist: Lucian the Scholar, a researcher you meet in Ryndor who decides to accompany you for the duration of your adventure.
  • Alliterative Name:
    • Teucer Tullian, a unique/Epic troop who can be upgraded by collecting specific arrows from raids.
    • Mathias the Masterer, a premium general who can summon other troops during battle.
  • All Myths Are True: Every story the player character hears about any general or great hero will not only turn out to be true but said player will end up facing them (and either having to kill or recruit them) at some point in the story.
  • All Your Powers Combined: Most premium troops have this in the form of a unique ability, ranging from armor, general, and mount damage mimics to scaling damage based on the number of certain items or personnel owned.
  • Ancient Artifact: Most "Legendary" items had to be crafted from specific materials found on certain quest bosses and on certain raids, and could be used to make weapons, armor, and troops that are among the best free items in the game.
  • And I Must Scream: Lady Elaine's spirit is trapped in a mirror after being cursed by an evil sorcerer. Fortunately, the player can let her out provided with the right crafting materials.
  • And Your Reward Is Clothes:
    • The reward for dealing over 5 billion damage in the "Ultimate Loot Lair" event was... a t-shirt with paltry attack and defense values.
    • Many World Raids had a vanity item without stats as the reward for reaching the highest-listed tier.
  • Angelic Beauty: Most of the troops and generals in the Angel troop class are beautiful females, including Panoptica, Matilda, and the Chaste Angel/Angelic Protector troops.
  • Animal Motifs: Various factions in the game world have specific animals they represent via their equipment, and which can be worn by the player. These include lions, leopards, and wolves, among others.
  • Animated Armor: A set of such armor is one of the bosses in the Scrolls of Dahrizon quest area, and can be summoned to fight as a personal raid.
  • Apologetic Attacker: In "The Black Carriage", the player and their forces manage to stop what appears to be a group of zombies attacking a carriage, only to have to apologize when they learn that the female occupant of the carriage was using the zombies to protect herself from other creatures.
  • April Fools' Day: The developers do special jokes every year to celebrate the day. In 2013, the character art for several generals was changed to have ridiculous images featuring developer-drawn parodies and caricatures. In 2016, the Initiates raid had its art changed to resemble a paper drawing, and the server displayed messages such as "The server has reached level 2,500, and now bears the title of Immortal!"
  • Arbitrary Headcount Limit:
    • For raids, the player could have dozens of generals and different troop types, but was limited to a single active legion, with no secondary/backup legions available and no reason given why the player could not use all their generals in a legion. However in questing, all of the player's major companions were seen fighting or at least mentioned, even if they weren't part of the player's retinue.
    • Although the main questline limited you to one legion, the PVP "Invasion" mode gave you control over six brigades (three for attack, and three for defense).
    • The Gauntlet raid event limited you to a single legion just like the main game, but let you buy extra slots for your "Battallion" with Planet Coins.
  • Arbitrary Skepticism:
    • In the "Fallows" chapter, Mayor Aurelius Bloodwyn refuses to believe the player and Marcus's claims that the city is under siege by a camp of invaders led by a dragon. This is despite the fact that the existence of dragons (as indicated by the lore and various player units and legions) is accepted in West Kruna, and that the player has Solus (a baby dragon) with them at that point in the narrative.
    • Aurelius does the same thing again in "All Roads Lead", although this time everyone seems to ignore him (including King Jamus himself), and he gets socked in the face by Marcus after ranting too much.
  • Artifact of Doom: The Lyrpan helm turns out to be this. It has an evil demon trapped inside which whispers to the player character during battle, and eventually escaped his confines and ran rampant on West Kruna before a group of angels stopped him.
  • Attack Reflector: The spell Reflection had a 20% chance to block all incoming damage and deal 10% damage. The flavor text mentions that Bethany tested this by insulting disreputable tavern goers mothers and having them injure themselves when they tried to strike her.
  • Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Aliyah the Bejeweled (a unique troop who is boosted based on how many neckpieces the player owns) has a description which showcases this — she walks in for a meeting with the player character but gets distracted instantly when she sees how much gold and jewelry has been collected over their travels.
  • Author Avatar:
    • Two of the game's chief developers, Lena Gkika and George 'Dahrizon' Perkins, had generals named after them (Queen Lena and Dahrizon). Although they are minor characters, Lena shows up in two questing areas - and has entire scenes to focus on how badass she is - while Dahrizon had a quest zone/general named after him.
    • The Banhammer Bros Guild Raid features another developer, Felendis. Also, the new head-honcho Mouse got his own general in the form of Bernard Bronzefist, a dwarf who keeps mice... in his beard.
    • Logann (the community manager) received a freemium general named after him, which is obtained at the end of the "Bastion of Blood" guild campaign.
    • Kodiak (one of the developers) had a general named after him and included in the "Orphan Drake" World Raid.
    • Guster (a programmer) had a unique magic named after him, called "Guster's Fault". Ironically, this magic would be subjected to a Nerf after it was found to be ridiculously overpowered.
  • Authority Equals Asskicking:
    • Captain Marcus. He has no qualms about kicking down the door to the Mayor's estate if he's looking for someone, and many people (like Rissa D'Tang) are well aware of his reputation for being relentless when it comes to chasing crooks.
    • King Jamus himself joins the player's army at the end of "All Roads Lead", and confers significant combat bonuses to both the player and any human troops in the active legion.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: The Panoptica set, introduced in March 2013, which was acquired via rare Perception drops. Despite being built up as a powerful and exclusive set, the items were useless from a practical standpoint. To get all of the pieces, your Perception stat had to reach 36,000. The second set (Omniscient Angel) and the upgraded version of Panoptica could only be obtained by getting the stat up to 72,000. But the gear had weak attack/defense and only gave a real boost to Energy (which is useless because any player who could obtain the set would have finished all of the quest areas by that point) and to Perception (which at these levels doesn't matter, the player will already have enough to get the best Books of Knowledge and potions anyway).
  • Back from the Dead: Seeing as this is a game filled with the undead, spirits taking a new (more powerful) form and the player character being able to summon the essences of various bosses to fight, this trope is common:
    • Lord Tyranthius and his retinue of troops, who King Jamus tasks the player with finding. Unfortunately, he turns out to have been corrupted by a demon, forcing the player to slay him and his knights. On the plus side, Lucian joins the party after the incident.
    • Locar Kessov (a reigning lord) comes back from the dead to help you stop his son Cuthbert, who has been corrupted with power.
    • Mascon, a general who was resurrected after he and his legion died at the entrance to Dahrizon's fortress.
    • Lyrpan, a demon that was released from his spirit prison and took a new form that terrorized West Kruna.
    • Erebus the Black has returned from the grave as Tainted Erebus, Corrupted Erebus and Spectral Erebus, driven solely by his hate.
  • Badass Bookworm: Lucian. He is often more concerned with studying lore and informing characters about various stories in West Kruna, but he can hold his own in a fight, via his use of a massive cricket bat to down enemies.
  • Badass Family:
    • The Bloodwyn clan are some of the most powerful people (in-story and as troops for the player) in the game. Aurelius Bloodwyn is the Mayor of Fallows. His youngest daughter, Claudia, is a vampire who is one of the most powerful troops that can be acquired by the player. Verus Bloodwyn is the former Guard Captain of Fallows. Caleb Bloodwyn is a powerful general who works as a bounty hunter. Vanessa Bloodwyn is a fencing master who can negate player damage. Father Aecasius Bloodwyn is a powerful cleric who can be further boosted if the player has any of his other family members in the active legion. Lord Tertullian Bloodwyn has been turned into a living statue but increases the player's benefit from equipment and mounts and a passive legion bonus.
    • The Tullian family are also predisposed to heroics. Mayor Tullian sacrifces his life to protect the children of Burden's Rest, which in turn inspires his cousin, Teucer, to join the player's army as an archer.
    • The player character themselves becomes this by the end of the main story, as their grandson comes back to West Kruna through an interdimensional portal (after being kidnapped as a child) and continues to fight evil. A later descendant becomes a revered starship captain and leader in their own right.
  • Bag of Holding: Averted. Although the player has an inventory screen that can hold dozens upon dozens of armor, weapon, consumable and mount pieces, it is explained in the plot and via various raid units that the player travels with a large retinue of troops and camp facilities, which explains how they can switch out items and units between battles. In addition, all gold is stored in a bank, with the Ruth the Miser unit (obtained through the Bazaar) working on the player's behalf to get them better deposit rates behind-the-scenes.
  • Barbarian Hero: Queen Lena, who joins the player's roster of companions in "Peril of the Pumpkin Patch".
  • Big Bad: Each quest area has a boss who is leading all the other enemies, and usually reveals a major piece of information about the plot. Xerkara, the final boss of "All Roads Lead", happens to be the leader of the dragons attacking West Kruna. As such, she's the main antagonist of the game.
  • Book Ends: The main plot begins and ends with a group of dragons attacking West Kruna, with the latter instance being helmed by the Big Bad, Xerkara.
  • Bragging Rights Reward:
    • Drops from Nightmare-level bosses and raids are much better than the normal items acquired over the course of the plot, and can provide extra benefits to players in later areas, or unlock powerful troops and weapons/armor.
    • The Red Prince's Armor, which is acquired by cashing in Achievement Points. The best pieces of the set (which include the chestplate, legplates, mainhand weapon, and shield) must be acquired by cashing in the King's Bounty reward (10,000 Achievement Points) a minimum of four times.
    • There are cosmetic items that have no use whatsoever in battle (like "The People's Shield" from the Hero Hunter WR) that are typically placed at the top of the loot table for certain events, making them a vanity item for players who reach that tier and want to look unique.
    • Most Legendary-rank items have become this, either because they are very tough to obtain, require lots and lots of grinding in order to find all the required pieces or crafting components, or (in the case of the Panoptica sets) require very high perception in order to acquire.
    • If a player manages to reach level 2,500, they become an "Immortal", and get a special title on the Hall of Achievements page, a special familiar (Ceremonial Sword of the Immortal) and a special bonus power that deals grievous bonus damage to raid bosses. At level 5,000, the player is given another special class, "Immortal Drake-Slayer", 1,000 Planet Coins, another new familiar and another new magic. If they manage to reach level 10,000 (to date, only one player has done so), they receive a new title (Demigod), a legendary familiar that gives a passive legion bonus and a new magic.
  • Bribing Your Way to Victory: Significantly. A massive micro-economy exists around Planet Coins, which can be bought with real money and used to buy powerful generals, troops, Legions, weapons, armor and health/energy/stamina refills. This makes it much easier to deal more damage or level up faster.
  • Brick Joke:
    • The Flavor Text of the Merfolk Illusion Set reveals that Celcinoe once threatened to sacrifice the player to the Ninth Terror after they met her wearing it (thinking it was real). Later in the story, the two meet again and the player comments on this moment. She laughs it off. Turns out she wasn't kidding... The Ninth Terror is released shortly thereafter to kill one of the dragons.
    • Celcinoe's antics get brought up again when the player character returns to West Kruna in "All Roads Lead", which causes the latter to rail at the former, who thinks it's Actually Pretty Funny.
    • For a very long time, the "Lyrpan Helm" was a item obtained through direct purchase that had a demon that would sometimes "whisper" to the player during the course of a raid, telling him/her how they should turn to the side of evil and take over West Kruna for themselves. Two years later, this became a World Raid in itself, as the spirit inside the helm escaped and became a boss. The description for the helm changed, with the player character noting how happy they were that it wasn't whispering to them anymore.
  • Can't Catch Up: It is much more difficult for new players to get up to the ranks of other players these days, due to a combination of power-creep and inaccessible raid events. Several of the most notable armor sets (Siege Master, Drake-Doom) and their proc boosts were only craftable through limited-time raids, and many other generals and troops - which were further enhanced through associated world raids - are currently unavailable to purchase or obtain.
  • Cat Folk: The Felpuur race.
  • Changeling Tale: Done in the "Uncharted" quest zone, where it's revealed that fairies kidnapped the player character's grandchild, and replaced them with a doppelganger.
  • Clockwork Creature: The Clockwork Set, acquired by amassing Clockwork Parts during questing. The parts can be used to make clockwork troops, a horse, a dragon and two generals.
  • Cool Old Guy: King Jamus I (who is seen as an old man in the portrait for his general) joins the hero's army in "All Roads Lead", and proves to be a very capable (and surprisingly quick) man for his age.
  • Combat Medic: The "Healer" general/troop class can restore Health (and, in some cases, Energy and/or Stamina) during raid combat.
  • Combination Attack: The Legion system, and the generals/troops you could acquire, allowed you to make multiple attacks at once on an enemy per 1/5/20 Stamina or Honor hit. You could also deal bonus damage based on what equipment you were wearing, what Legion you were using, and whether any troops gained special benefits as a result of being in said Legion.
  • Commonplace Rare:
    • Due to coding, certain crafting components (even common ones) had much lower spawn rates in some quest areas. It was not uncommon to get 5 or 6 of the rare claw fragments in the Dragon's Claw area, and be missing a single Brown Claw Fragment (which was listed as a common ingredient).
    • There were also several "common" items offered through World Raids and Event Raids that required a very high level of damage to obtain (such as "The People's Shield" from the Hero Hunter WR and the "Bugeye Helm" from the Terror Rising War event). This gave them a Bragging Rights Reward level of rarity, despite being classified as common items.
  • Composite Character: Lord Tyranthius combines elements of King Arthur and Beowulf.
  • Continuity Nod: Coax (the titular Nightmare Queen) was originally referenced in one of the cards from Clash of the Dragons, which talked about her dream powers. The descriptions for both her and Cornerstone (her protector) are quoted as coming from the same document that was mentioned in Clash.
  • The Corrupter: Lyrpan tries to corrupt the player character with its whispers when it was still trapped in a helm. The player character was more irritated by the non-stop whispering than anything else.
  • Crippling Overspecialization: In PVP, any player who skews their stats towards attack/defense (and avoids increasing their health) becomes a Glass Cannon who can be "killed" after a handful of hits, especially in Colosseum mode.
  • Damsel in Distress: Subverted. Princess Lysicaa (from the "Vhaliribdis the Third Terror" World Raid) is ensnared by sailors looking to sell her to a group of nobles who consider her kind a delicacy. She's then "rescued" by an adventurer who, as it turns out, was in league with the sailors and wanted to use her to help him free a monster. Then she turns around and kills him single-handedly while the player character and his/her companions slay Vhaliribdis.
  • Day-Old Legend: Averted and played straight.
    • Most Legendary craftable items do not have any past history, and are only assumed to be powered up and ready for use.
    • The Hauberk of Gold is crafted by combining a magical essence with a "championship belt"...to get a chestpiece that is said to have been worn by a hero many centuries before, and had divine gold used to fashion the overlaying chains.
  • Dead Guy Junior:
    • Solus is named after the deceased mayor of Burden's Rest who was killed during the war. Incidentally, his death inspires the player character to continue their quest.
    • The player character's grandchild was named after them, and decides to fight evil several years after the former passed away.
  • Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: The player can never actually die - when they lose all their hit points, they have to wait to regenerate at least 10 points of health before they can fight again.
  • Death Seeker:
    • Sigurd of the Frost Wyrm Clan is noted by Panoptica to have thrown himself into battle seeking an honorable death, so that he may restore his clan's honor.
    • Sargaash also has shades of this, as he seeks to fight a worthy enemy who can beat him in battle. He finally gets his wish in "All Roads Lead".
  • Deity of Human Origin: The minizone "The Last Titan" reveals that the gods were originally giant humanoids called the Titans who partook in an ascension ritual.
  • Disc-One Nuke: There are many ways to get powerful items right off the bat without expending much effort:
    • Due to the real-world money aspect of the game, it's possible to buy powerful armor/weapons/troops right at the beginning of the game, giving you a big advantage early on. However, it's usually not enough to carry the player unless several pieces are bought.
    • The Rhalmarius the Despoiler guild raid gives out the same amount of loot for every participant, regardless of damage dealt. This means a new player who joins a guild could take part in the Rhal raid, give one or two hits and potentially get two top-tier generals (Booma and Kalevra), and several mid-level armor pieces that are easily good enough to see them through most questing areas on Normal-Legendary difficulty.
    • The Salome the Seductress guild raid (introduced on April 26, 2013) also gives a surprisingly powerful set of loot for a comparatively low raid damage threshold. Aside from offering boosts to five generals in the game (including the aforementioned Booma and Kalevra), the Epic loot from the raid includes one of the best free all-purpose legions in the game (Angels of Virtue, with a 230% power bonus), a mount that has more attack and defense than the fully-upgraded Solus, a mid-tier general (Matilda) and strong troops (the Chaste Angel, which can be acquired multiple times). Like Rhal, this gear is easily good enough to get the player through most raids without having to spend Planet Coins.
    • The Grundus guild raid operates in the same manner as Rhalmarius and potentially drops even better gear. However, the drop rate for said items is relatively low.
  • Dirty Coward: The kobolds attacking Burden Rest's farmlands turn out to be this, they in fact start to falter once the men and women they were attacking start fighting back against them. Averted with their chieftain, who chooses to fight the hero personally and kills two kobolds for desertion.
  • Don't Touch It, You Idiot!: Rissa tells a warrior not to touch a scroll in the "Scrolls of Dahrizon" chapter, but he doesn't listen and the scroll (which is a lightning spell) fries him. Lampshaded a moment later when Rissa notes that telling everyone to not touch anything has fallen on deaf ears.
  • Doom Troops: Several units exhibit this, including the Elite Night Blade, Kalevra's Shadow, and Springing Stabber.
  • Doppleganger/Evil Twin: In the final area of the "Uncharted" quest zone, the player's character's grandchild is revealed to have one of these, whom s/he eventually beats.
  • Double Unlock: Several items can be purchased in the Colosseum and Arena when you reach the required rank, but they must be purchased with money after they're unlocked.
  • Draconic Abomination: What were you expecting in a game with dragons?
    • The Draconic Dreams raid boss starts off as a white dragon with a fang-mouthed tumorous mass on its neck and a twisted arm; and mutates into a three-headed monstrosity with each head and limb being completely different, four wings, and a body comprised of bloated tumorous masses. Its victory Flavor Text describes it as a constantly mutating literally-living nightmare formed from the all-consuming hatred of dragons slain by your ancestor the Dragon Rider.
    • Recurring Boss Erebus the Black keeps coming back in more horrific and warped forms often through a Merger of Souls with other spectral or corrupted drakes through sheer hate of the Dragon Rider. Fittingly he makes up part of the aforementioned dream.
    • The Grotesque Hybrid and Makeshift Drake are a Artificial Hybrid and Flesh Golem respectively, collectively they are shambling abominations that need to be slain.
  • Dragon Rider: The player is this with Solus, their faithful mount.
  • Drama-Preserving Handicap: Erebus the Black is weakened by Medea before the player actually fights him. Presumably, this leads to a much easier fight than it would otherwise, considering that the dragons fought later form typically stronger raids.
  • The Dreaded:
    • In-universe, the player character is referred to as "Dratherax — the God-Slayer" by Xerkara and her band of dragons in the final areas of the main plot.
    • The third (Legendary) form of Mina von Richten is noted to be this in the quest areas that take place after the Time Skip, with her troop description noting that she is so deadly that other vampires are afraid of her.
  • Dream Sequence: The "Together in Eclectic Dreams" chapter, where the player goes inside the dreams of Marcus, Lucian, and Medea.
  • Dream Weaver:
    • Coax, the "Nightmare Queen", is referred to as a "dream-walker" who can shape the memories of others.
    • The Siren Sylph familiar is also noted to have this ability, as they create many unique dreams for the player character while they sleep.
  • Druidic Sickle: In Clash of the Dragons, the Druid's Sickle is a special weapon that can only be used by, unsurprisingly, druids. The art for the Druid class also shows the character in question holding a sickle in his hand.
  • Drunken Master: Several characters are stated to become more powerful once they consume alcohol.
    • Bernard Bronzefist and Grandmaster Lenzy both rely on alcohol to fuel their battle prowess.
    • Phlaw The Drunken can proc an "Angel Ale" during raid combat that makes his next three attacks more powerful.
  • Dual Wielding
  • Evolving Weapon: The "Sword Of Conquered Kingdoms" summons Sword Fanatic units when in use, which increase its damage.
  • Fake Crossover: With The Guild. Although the six main characters of the series retain their visual identity, their stories are changed to reflect events happening in West Kruna.
  • Famed In-Story: The player character becomes this, as of "Uncharted". Having passed away years before, his/her deeds have passed into legend, and many people consider them to be the most important human of the previous age.
  • Fanboy: In-universe. Sir Linaris of the Glorious Dawn was kicked out of the Order of Seven (Knights) because of an unhealthy fixation with the player character and his/her heroics. The text description for his soldiers notes that he plans to freak out when he meets his hero.
  • Fantastic Racism: A young girl you meet points out to you how ridiculous it is that despite both being undead, vampires and zombies are treated differently because one race is pretty and the other isn't.
  • Fantastic Recruitment Drive: Marcus (a special general given in the second quest area of the game), Bertram the Necromancer and Mathias the Masterer (a premium general obtained by spending Planet Coins) can recruit Troops during combat. It is explained that their skills are so exceptional that recruits are inspired to join the player's cause as a result.
  • Fighter, Mage, Thief: An in-universe example of this occurs in "Scrolls of Dahrizon", where a group of fighters, mages and a single thief are sent into Dahrizon's castle.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: The plot heavily indicates this is what happens with the player and their companions, one of whom is usually recruited in each quest area. Most quest areas usually involve the player running to each of their comrades to defend them in the heat of battle, and likewise, their defending the player while he/she attempts to complete a task.
  • Five-Man Band: The focus of most chapters.
  • Flavor Text: Generals, Troops, gear, craft items, etc usually have them, in the form of serious backstories and/or Black Comedy.
  • Fragile Speedster: Rissa D'Tang, a nimble thief who is shown in-story to be incredibly quick and stealthy but extremely deadly when the situation warrants it.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: Played straight and averted.
    • Later zones are written to emphasize the number of troops and generals the player is amassing throughout the story, but it fails to explain why certain generals won't be part of the player's legion unless they purchase them (with gold or Planet Coins):
    • "Peril of the Pumpkin Patch" and "Crypt of Carcalla" prominently feature two characters: Lena (a barbarian queen) and Rissa D'Tang (a thief). Lena can only be acquired as a character by getting a high-enough rank in the PVP Colosseum mode, while Rissa is only available in the "Scrolls of Dahrizon" quest area as a rare drop.
    • The plot zones from "Crypt of Caracalla" to "All Roads Lead" feature two separate stories: one with the player character/Roland/Lucian/Lena/Rissa and others stuck in the middle of nowhere after they are forced to take an alternate exit through the Crypt, and a B-plot with Marcus - masquerading as the player - and most of the craftable Legendary troops (Mina/Saragaash/Teucer) continuing to fight enemies in his/her stead. In raids or Invasion mode, however, you can still use all these characters at the same time and no mention is made of their separation.
    • Faustus the Wizard travels with the player through the various quest areas and handles the summonable raid monsters that can be fought outside of quests. However, he can't be used as a general in the player's army unless said player spends Planet Coins to acquire him as a unit.
    • Made even more extreme in "All Roads Lead" in which several of your generals and unique troops die without impacting your use of them in the slightest.
    • Both "Crimson Shadows" and "Uncharted" take place decades after the main plot, while the only characters confirmed to still be living (as of "Crimson Shadows") are Lucien, Medea, and Mina. Despite this, your army, legions, and armor all carry over and nothing else changes.
  • The Glomp: A grateful soldier does this to Matricide in "All Roads Lead", leading to her being confused and telling him to let go before she cleaves him in half.
  • Gotta Catch Them All: There are hundreds of weapons, armor sets, crafting components, troops, and legions that can be collected throughout the game. Some are automatically given over the course of the story, some are acquired after completing raids or areas on certain difficulties, and others must be bought (either with gold or Planet Coins, which often cost real money).
  • Grand Finale: "All Roads Lead" serves as a finale to the main story arc, and has the hero and his/her army fighting an overwhelming force of dragons and most of the armies who had terrorized the region up to this point (although it has a Sequel Hook as well).
  • Guide Dang It!: The steps required to craft the ultimate version of the Sword of Conquered Kingdoms. You must acquire 5 "Enigmatic Items" and 5 "Enigmatic Powers", which are obtained by putting on certain combinations of weapons/armor/troops/Legions/mounts and fighting in specific raids. There is no information on what combinations to use anywhere in the game itself, and the DOTD wiki is the only location where such information can be found (due to players trying tons of different combinations before figuring out which ones resulted in the items being obtained).
  • Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: The beastman army is this most of the time, with anthropomorphic creatures dressed in loincloths, shorts, or else very little. And they are attacking West Kruna's armed and armored soldiers. No wonder they need the dragons to back them up, apart from a few elite beastmen with impressive weapons and/or armor. The Felpuur meanwhile avert this — most if not all of the Felpuur troops and generals are depicted wearing clothes and armor.
  • Halloween Episode: "Peril of the Pumpkin Patch", "Tales from the Pumpkin Patch", "Pumpkin Nightmares" and "Sanguine Stories" and "Cryptic Tales", which all revolve around the legend of Jack, a demon sporting a jack-o-lantern for a head.
  • Hard Mode Perks: Similar to Bragging Rights Reward, Legendary and Nightmare quest bosses and raids are much more difficult (and they have much more HP), but they give much better items and chances to get rare troops, generals, legions and weapons/armor.
  • Hellish Horse: Vornex's Steed, a premium mount that has red, glowing eyes and red/black skin.
  • The Hero Dies: The player character him/herself passes away of old age at the end of the "Crimson Shadows" quest area. Despite this, they still remain as the character model when equipping armor. It is eventually revealed that their grandchild (who looks just like them and shares the same name) continues to fight after their death.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In "All Roads Lead", Roland sacrifices himself to allow a woman and her children to escape from a powerful villain.
    • The already injured Vanessa Bloodwyn goes out defending Machaon, High Sister Agnes, and the other wounded and healers from a Hyena Beastman.
  • The Hero's Journey: The player starts out as a simple farmhand in Burden's Rest, and soon becomes a prophecized warrior who will save West Kruna from evil forces.
  • Hub City: The Citadel, which has various buildings and facilities that can produce troops, legions, weapons/armor, raids, mounts, and more. Further building upgrades are unlocked over the course of the game.
  • Idiosyncratic Difficulty Levels: Normal, Hard, Legendary, and Nightmare. While the first three difficulties can be easily managed by most players, Nightmare significantly ups the difficulty and multiplies the damage output and HP of most enemies and bosses.
  • Idiot Ball: The Lyrpan World Raid was caused by the player character obtaining and wearing a hat that had a trapped demon within it which spoke random thoughts. The demon then escaped and grew powerful, which subsequently required the help of angels to take it down. Thaddeus the Protector lampshades the absurdity of the player's actions by proclaiming the hat's owner to be a "stupid wretch".
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: In the "My Name Is..." chapter, Teucer Tullian fires three arrows (while facing a woman and casually speaking with her) that kill three targets off in the distance.
  • Improvised Weapon: Lucian somehow ends up with a cricket bat in his hands after taking part in the player's dream in the "Together in Eclectic Dreams" chapter, and uses it in every battle afterward.
  • I'm Taking Her Home with Me!: Lampshaded during the "New Claw" World Raid. The text description for the Fat Dragon Familiar (one of Bosso Twinklefingers' creations) notes that the player character saves a young girl from being crushed by it - and the girl immediately asks the player to give it back, as she thinks it's cute and wants to bring it home with her.
  • Infinity +1 Sword:
    • There are several weapons that can be purchased with Planet Coins that are immensely powerful, and are some of the best in the game. The "Deathbringer" set is a particular case, as it requires two other armor sets to be purchased (the Battle-Scarred and Peacebringer sets), then crafting them together with a "Deathbringer" bundle that could be purchased in the Bazaar. Doing so would allow the player to own the best anti-Nightmare Queen gear in the game.
    • Any of the premium items introduced for the various anniversary celebrations could also be classified as this. One in particular, Utym, is a unique troop that has some of the best scaling potential in the game, gives a bonus to all unique troops in the legion, and is bar-none the most powerful troop you can acquire in the course of the game.
  • In the Blood:
    • It is implied that nearly the entire Bloodwyn family are all corrupt to some degree. Aurelius disagrees with the player's actions during the Fallows quest and tries to hog all the glory for himself. His brother, Verus, was Marcus's predecessor as Fallows's Guard Captain and was accused of killing a woman. Only Caleb (who was excommunicated by his family for wanting to see justice done to an uncle who murdered a housekeeper), Vanessa (who defied her father to become a noblewoman) and Father Aurelius (who works as a healer) can be considered "good".
    • The player character's descendant also becomes this, as of "Uncharted".
    • Discussed in "Crimson Shadows". Tami von Richten (the descendent of the Richten bloodline) defends her choice to keep her surname, despite her relatives' decision to abandon it because of its cursed lineage. She tells this to Mina (who is unknown to her, shares the same surname, and is a vampire).
  • Katanas Are Just Better:
    • The Ninja's Kurisagama and Ninja's Jitte can proc twice, giving them a significant edge in combat.
    • As of a recent update, the Otherworldly Blade can also do this. The blade in question though is also largely Katana-esque.
  • Killed Off for Real: Roland, Francis, Ruth the Miser, Vanessa Bloodwyn, Sargaash, Xalis, Mathias the Masterer, and Locris all die during the Grand Finale, "All Roads Lead".
  • King in the Mountain: Lord Tyrantitus and his Knights.
  • Last Of Her Kind:
    • In the "The Last Titan" minizone, the last Titan is named as such because her fellow Titans ascended to the heavens and are now the current pantheon. She was the only one exempt from the ritual because she was dead and buried at the time. She is only awake now because the desperate prayers of a young mortal awoke her.
    • Cornerstone seems to be the only known individual who is made of pure stone (and isn't even classified as such - he's marked as "Human" despite the obvious incongruity), and has laid dormant for millennia protecting Coax, the Nightmare Queen.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
    • Certain player titles like Immortal (reach level 2,500) or Immortal Drake-Slayer (reach level 5,000) come with special magics, with the text descriptions for each honoring the first player to have achieved the rank by name.
    • The first guild to complete each guild campaign had their clan name used as part of an armor set that's rewarded in the harder difficulty, along with stories referencing their members.
    • Lucian the Scholar will shout random Lore yells during combat, some of which directly name players and the strategies they use in-game.
  • Legendary Weapon: There are several of these in the game, although most of them must be crafted from loot obtained from Nightmare-level quest bosses and raids. This includes the Sword of Conquered Kingdoms, Betrayer's Deserts and the Golden Garden Staff/Blade.
  • Level Grinding: Getting experience to level up isn't difficult, but the (to date) infinite level cap means you'll probably be doing it for quite some time.
  • Live Item: The various Familiars acquired from World Raids and the Citadel perform various actions (flap their wings, dance, etc).
  • Loincloth: Often the only clothes of beastmen, kobolds, and imps. They sometimes wear one in conjunction with other clothes or armor.
  • Medieval Stasis: In the "Steam Fanatics" World Raid, a group of people obsessed with steam-based technology argue that reliance on magic has kept society from progressing. Unfortunately for them, their attempt to demonstrate the power of steam to the king's court falls short when their steam-powered crossbow hits a servant instead of the target. The court advisor overseeing this has an archer armed with an enchanted bow hit the target with perfect accuracy to demonstrate why the kingdom is sticking with magic, then has the steam fanatics thrown out. The steam fanatics decide that the only way to prove themselves is to slay a dragon. Unfortunately, they unwittingly end up attacking Solus, mistaking him for an evil dragon.
  • Money for Nothing: After a certain point, gold becomes nigh-useless, as the player will have likely bought everything in the Bazaar that requires it, and the best items and equipment require Planet Coins (the premium currency) to acquire.
  • Monty Haul:
    • The Dragon's Lair raids (and its associated World Raid, Ultimate Loot Lair) offered the chance to get eight complete armor sets (with the two best, Greenleaf and Derek's, only obtainable at the highest level) and tons of stat points. Coupled with their short-timers and ubiquitous raid links in chat rooms, it's very easy to be stocked with more armor and weapons than you can handle after only an hour of raiding said bosses.
    • Rhalmarius the Despoiler (also listed under Disc-One Nuke) gives everyone the same loot, regardless of whether they made 1 or 200 hits, and doled out generals, mounts, legions, stat points, armor, and more.
    • The Kessov World Raid can also be this, as it offers a boatload of armor sets, miscellaneous items (like Solus Coins) that can be crafted into generals, legions, and boosts, new weapons, and much more.
  • Multi Wielding: The "________-Armed Zombie Warrior" troops all carry a weapon in each hand, ranging from a one-armed warrior to a four-armed variant.
  • My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Occurs at the beginning of the "Uncharted" quest area, when Faustus the Wizard feels a strange premonition of historic events to come.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast:
    • Mina Von Richten, a.k.a. "The Red Baroness". In the description for her third (legendary) form, she is referred to as someone who even vampires have nightmares about.
    • The Nine Terrors are a series of massive monsters that have terrorized West Kruna for millennia. Several are encountered over the course of the story.
  • Non-Combat EXP: Some experience points are gained through questing (at the cost of energy).
  • Obviously Evil: The demon Kelvinator manifests as a big dude in spooky black armor and sets up a Guild with an awful price of admission, and constantly appears with a cageload of slaves in the background. He gets gangbeaten, robbed blind, and banished within the week by way of becoming a World Raid target. He's also dumb enough to believe the horde of do-gooders after his head are applicants, judging by the way his first portrait seems to be greeting you. However, considering the previous demon raid character manifested as a mile-tall Big Red Devil kicking it's way out of a castle, Kelvinator's being relatively subtle.
  • Oh, Crap!: In the "Thresholds" chapter, Liann gets this once the group's attempt to restore the prison of Drakontos, the First Terror, fails, and it rises from the waves in front of them.
  • Our Angels Are Different: The "Angel" race is this - a group of winged humanoids who are almost all flawed in some way.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: The dragons found in West Kruna can see far into the future and are capable of speaking the English language. Solus (the player's first mount) learns how to speak after eating his mother's eye.
  • Our Giants Are Bigger: Giants and Titans waged war on each other in the distant past. The Titans look like large humans, while the Giants look more brutish in comparison. The Last Titan is very offended when a frightened girl says she hasn't seen any "other" giants, insisting that she is a Titan, not a Giant.
  • Overrated and Underleveled: Can apply to many of the generals/troops in the game, especially from years past:
    • Roland is a former adventurer who (in questing) appears to have lost none of his strength, can fight side-by-side with the player with little effort, and is revered by just about everyone who knows him. As a raid general, he's one of the weakest in the game, and the only way to make him stronger is through various boosts and rewards from questing areas.
    • Queen Lena is a barbarian queen who single-handedly took out a group of gladiators in an arena and won her freedom, and is a key part of the player's party in several chapters, but she is underleveled (170 ATT/120 DEF at max level) compared to most recent generals.
    • Teucer Tullian is famed as the most skilled archer in West Kruna, and can be seen (and read) casually offing targets in the midst of battle and doing impossible trick shots with his bow. Despite that, he's pitifully underleveled even with his upgrade (85 ATT/65 DEF) and is likely to be phased out of the player's legion early in the game.
  • Peninsula of Power Leveling:
    • Zone 10's "Crypt of Caracalla" (and its associated raids) is frequently used for stat farming by many players, due to the sole fact that it offers twice as many stat points per craft (x4 versus x2) than any other quest or raid. The developers tried to Nerf the rampant leveling by increasing the cooldown timers for Z10 raids, but this has done little to stop anyone from getting raids from chat postings.
    • The Zone 7 (Subterranean Depths) raids. The glyph items they drop create the relatively useless Burning Rain spell. However, subsequent crafts of those same items grant a whooping five stat points a piece, as well as Oroc Crystals which craft for an additional two. The damage required to get these items is also significantly lower than later raids. Add to it, the large number of people who summon them for specifically this reason, and you have one of the best stat point farms in the game.
    • Elite raids (introduced in 2015) are some of the best general stat-farming areas for high-level players, and can drop thousands of points if players can hit more than a few billion damage.
  • Perpetual Beta: The game has operated in a "Beta" form since 2010, and has weekly updates and tweaks added to its framework.
  • Player Versus Player: The game includes four separate areas for PVP combat. Three of the four areas also have a ranking system, which unlocks more PVP power, along with rare weapons/armor, troops, legions and magic.
  • Play Every Day: Players who log in at least once each day get bonus items, ranging from common troops and energy/stamina potions to a whole armor set (originally the Callissa set, now the Forgotten One's Set) and Pitchfork Tokens, which can be exchanged either for Idols of the Damned or the Exalted Hero Chest (which contains a guaranteed premium general or troop).
  • Power Creep: The attack and defense values of most armor and weapons have crept steadily upwards since the game's inception in 2010, and are leagues better than other armor introduced just a couple of years prior. This is averted with the generals - some of the oldest premium generals and troops have scaled with the power and availability increases over the last two years, to the point that they are bar-none the most powerful units the player can obtain.
  • Power Crystal:
    • The Qwiladrian Power Stone, which are used to upgrade several sets of armor (including Master-at-Arms, Callissa's, and Drake-Death) to their highest levels.
    • The Sculpted and Harvested Crystals are typically found as rewards in Event and World Raids, and are used to boost the attack/defense of two members of the player's army (Kezeraa, a premium general, and Cornerstone, a freemium troop).
  • The Power of Hate: Erebus's hate for the protagonist is so powerful that death hasn't stopped him from being a recurring foe.
  • Rainbow Pimp Gear: It is completely possible - and normal - to see players going around one piece shy of a full set of armor, with the missing piece replaced by something totally absurd or unrelated to what they're wearing. It's not uncommon to see players in full armor with a Kobold Illusion head or wearing pieces of several different armor sets in a single configuration that has the most attack power.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Marcus, the Guard Captain of Fallows, doesn't dismiss the player's accusations about Kobolds attacking Burden's Rest out of hand, and stands with the player when Aurelius Bloodwyn tells them both to mind their own business and let him handle the problem.
  • Recurring Boss: The first dragon the player kills, Erebus the Black, just won't stay down. He has two different Raid essences (most bosses only drop one), "Erebus the Black" and "Tainted Erebus", he returned as "Corrupted Erebus" in a World Raid, and as of Halloween 2013 came back as the ghostly "Spectral Erebus". The Erebean Gore set lampshades his tenacity.
  • Regenerating Health: All players have this ability, and some raid bosses (like Hydra and Lord Tyranthius) feature it as well.
  • Retired Badass: Roland, a retired adventurer that works as a barkeep, who later proves that he can hold his own with the player and their companions.
  • The Reveal: In "Thresholds", it is revealed that the Crypt of Caracalla is not just a tomb, but a prison for the First Terror, Drakontos.
  • Revenue-Enhancing Devices: A wide array of basic functions require Planet Coins to complete, including instant energy/stamina refills, increasing the size of the player's army, changing their name, or changing their player class.
  • Sapient Steed: Solus is initially described as being able to "feel" the player's thoughts and predict what their next action will be. He eventually learns how to speak English after eating his mother, Kalaxia's, eyeball.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: Kr'xunara of the Bloody Waves, a powerful water demon, is released after the merfolk unleashed the Ninth Terror, one of the sea monsters that acted as Kr'xunara's seal, during the battle of Dracoshire.
  • Set Bonus: Most armor/weapon sets released post-2012 feature some type of set bonus when used together or in tandem with an associated General.
  • Shout-Out: There are many found throughout the game:
    • Several items reference Star Wars, including the general Helena Orestine (who says "Do, or do not. There is no try."), the Light Saber weapon, the achievement name for the Dragon's Claw quest area ("Not The Drake You're Looking For") and the weapon proc for the Suneate of the Last Emperor (Emperor Strikes Back).
    • The Guru Bear mount is noted to be "smarter than your average bear".
    • Both the Derek's and Derek the Daring armor sets are a riff on Dragon's Lair - not only is the first set acquired in a raid of the same name, but they are modeled off of Dirk the Daring's appearance, and the set's proc bonus is listed as "Derek's Daring".
    • There is a reference to The Order of the Stick with the magic called Volatile Runes.
    You unfurl the scroll and begin to carefully read the message within.
    "I prepared Volatile Runes this morning."
    "Huh" you begin, "I wonder what that—" before you can finish your thought the parchment explodes violently in your face, knocking you to the ground in a burst of fire and smoke.

  • Soul Jar: Each quest boss drops an "essence", which can be used to summon them later on as a raid for the player and/or others to fight and gain loot from.
  • Stationary Boss: Most quest and raid bosses function in this fashion, likely due to the limits of the Flash engine. As you deal more damage, they change their attack stance, but do not move from where they are standing.
  • Stat Sticks: There are several items and generals in the game that, once owned, provide passive bonuses to the player, even if they're not equipped. Two of the most notable are Panoptica and her upgraded form (Panoptica, the Omniscient Angel), which give a combined 25% passive bonus to the player's legion, but require very high perception and lots of time spent questing in order to find.
  • Stealth Pun: The Guru Bear is rumored to be smarter than the average bear.
  • Steampunk: The "Steam Fanatics" World Raid features a group who want to bring civilization out of Medieval Stasis and into Steam Punk. The craftable items include steam-powered weapons, steampunk clothing, and even an airship.
  • The Strategist:
    • The common "Strategist" troop.
    • Dahrizon (a former general who was thought to be long-dead) is recruited by the player after completing the Scrolls of Dahrizon area and provides a passive boost to the strength of all Legions.
    • The premium general Fontella D'Tang (who is also a strategist) references her value to the player's team.
      I'm the most valuable weapon you'll ever have in your efforts against the dragons. Yes, I know you have plenty of warriors, mages, and assorted doers of violence in your ranks. But without a master tactician, what good are they? Don't let your successes thus far delude you. It's only a matter of time before you come up against an enemy force that you can't overcome with brute force. That's where I come in.
  • Suicide Mission: The player and their companions undertake one in the Fallows quest area to protect the city, by assaulting the Dragon's Camp area by themselves because no one else can do it.
  • Summon Bigger Fish: In "All Roads Lead", the sea dragon Nereidon nearly devours the hero's merfolk allies. Then they release the Ninth Terror, a gigantic sea monster, that eagerly devours the dragon.
  • Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors: Certain legions deal more damage against certain enemy types than other legions of comparable raid strength. Likewise, certain mounts deal extra damage against specific enemies and enemy types.
  • Take That!: The description for Witch's Boots:
    Sparkling Skin
    Step 1: Slap yourself for wanting something so stupid.
    Step 2: Grow up.
    —Gertrude the Witch, 'Practical Enchantments'
  • They Called Me Mad!: Vigbjorn the Crazed, who was called this by his tribe for having seen what he describes as a "blue Yeti". He tells this fact to a horse.
  • Time Skip: The story, beginning from the "Uncharted" quest area, takes place after the Grand Finale in "All Roads Lead".
  • The Undead: The focus of the "Vornstaag" quest area, as well as the Vornstaag Crypt and Zombies! world raids.
  • Undying Loyalty: Mascon and the Loyalist faction, who stayed at Dahrizon's castle to fight off an enemy attack, despite being cut off from their general's castle and having no support whatsoever. Interestingly, Mascon's strong loyalty for his commander is enough to bring him back from the dead, making this a literal case as well.
  • Upgrade Artifact: Several can be found and used on characters/weapons to increase their power. Notably, the "Together In Eclectic Dreams" chapter has four items that are used to upgrade specific generals (Roland, Lucian, Medea, and Marcus).
  • Use Your Head: Solus uses his natural strong one to break down the Bloody Fingers camp door in "Faedark Valley".
  • Veteran Unit: Most of the unique units found throughout the quest areas (including all of the named companions — Roland, Marcus, Aela, Calla, Lucian, Mina, and Medea) can be upgraded with items obtained in boss fights and raids to increase their attack and damage, and give more backstory on their exploits.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Kalaxia goes insane when she reads your future and realizes that she is doomed to be a minor footnote in your destiny. She attacks in a futile attempt to Screw Destiny.
  • The Watcher: Panoptica, an omniscient angel whose job it is to record acts of villainy and heroism on behalf of celestial powers.
  • Wicked Toymaker: Bosso Twinklefingers, who is famed in-universe for creating toys that are extremely dangerous, to the point that it's become a Running Gag.
  • Windmill Crusader: Vigbjorn, who is hunting "blue yetis" that supposedly killed his father by poisoning his ale. During raids, Vigbjorn will randomly yell out various lines about how the yetis are close, and he even mistakes enemies for blue yetis at some points.
  • With This Herring:
    • The player meets King Jamus, the ruling leader of West Kruna, in the third chapter, and is tasked with finding Lord Tyranthius and his posse of knights. Despite this, he never bothers to give you any supplies, monetary resources, or equipment for the trip. Later instances (like the gear you get from cashing in Achievement Points, for example) indicate that he is more than capable of providing armor/weapons that are far better than what the player currently has.
    • Lampshaded in "All Roads Lead". When the King asks if the player character needs supplies or one of the nice swords he has placed on a wall, the latter refuses and quips that ""People just keep giving me weapons. Armor too."
  • Wizarding School: The school led by Headmaster Grimley in the "Together in Eclectic Dreams" chapter and the Library of Kazarach (which is featured in a World Raid).
  • Worthy Opponent: During "All Roads Lead", an ogre says this of Sargaash before killing him.
  • Would Hurt a Child: In "The Peril of the Pumpkin Patch", Jack kills a young girl and mounts her head on a spike, which he then uses to terrorize a town.


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