GINNEAS

Ginneas is a strength-based tank hero of the Lightbearer faction.

"Moltenflow soul burns in the heart, an endless road towards eternal spring. Over the majestic mountains, over the peaceful plains, the way home is near but yet so far."

As the midnight bonfire burned ever fiercer, no one knew who first began to croon the old ballad. But one by one, the Dwarves who were deep in their cups began to join in the chorus. It was a well-known folksong which had become more popular in recent years, a song which sang of shameful days when the Dwarves were dependent, and their thirst to reclaim their homeland.

Perhaps too absorbed in the song, the Dwarven chorus grew deeper and sadder, as if driven by sheer melancholy. However, just then another Dwarf, hitherto still busy with work, drew aside his tent flap and joined in.

He took a half-spilled cup of bitter juice

from the hands of a soldier who had passed out from exhaustion. Then his resonant voice boomed out, interrupting the half-finished song and startling all the Dwarves, lost as they were deep in memory.

"Warriors! Raise your heads and your cups right this instant! Let us drain this bitter juice together, in praise of your courage! May your beards grow ever longer! And your hair, of course!"

Loud laughter burst from the soldiers around the bonfire and reverberated through the valley. Their cups clashed together in time with the ballad, and their spoons banged out the rhythm on the side of the huge cooking pot.

Sensing the atmosphere had lightened once more, the Dwarf was the first to drain the bitter juice he held. Then he went amongst the crowd, and made his way alone atop a boulder at their rear for a better view.

This Dwarf, able to boost morale with but a few words, was none other than the commander of the famed Moltenflow Regiment. Young ones born after the outbreak of the second Hypogean war all grew up hearing about his exploits...

Years ago, the Hypogeans who had overrun the mountains razed the Dwarven homeland. At that time of mortal peril, the Moltenflow Regiment had covered the safe retreat of the others, although they were almost wiped out in the process. But Ginneas, the sole survivor of the Moltenflow Regiment, fought his way out from the horde of encircling Hypogeans, together with the Frozen Mother.

It would be a grave mistake to think that Ginneas' legendary aura was due to his friendship with the Frozen Mother. In terms of achievements, Ginneas' feats on the battlefield were more than enough for the soldiers who idolized him to wax lyrical for days on end.

He had once led his soldiers in driving the Hypogeans, spread over the Frozen Prairie, back to the Barred Gate one by one. He used the lessons learned from the Tundra Battle to perfect the Moltenflow Regiment's formation and further reduce casualties. He even devised a new burst hammer, which he personally tested and revised through battle.

However, even such a legendary figure as Ginneas had to work to earn people's faith.

A large part of Dwarven behavior was defined by impulsiveness. While it's true that this could explosively unleash their potential in battle, it also meant they often lost their lives unnecessarily.

Ginneas minimized this sort of senseless sacrifice after he became commander of the Moltenflow Regiment. In the beginning, many impetuous Dwarves accused him of cowardice when he ordered them to retreat. They called him craven, denouncing him for giving up on reclaiming their homeland and sullying the name of commander.

But in the hundreds of battles which followed, he won countless victories for his countrymen with minimal casualties, enabling even more soldiers to bring their strength to the next battle.

Now, even support troops who saw no front-line fighting understood the thinking of their unique commander:

Ginneas was not afraid to fight or die, and never thought to abandon his homeland. He only wished to make every single soldier's sacrifice worth it.

Moonlight suffused the Frozen Prairie with a hazy pale glow, as a group of dark figures was roused by the distant clamor of the Moltenflow Regiment. They swept across the prairie, the cold wind of their passage kicking up eddies of snow on the ground, leaving a conspicuous trail.

"We finally made it." Ginneas said, observing the area for a long time. Seeing that all was as expected, he smoothed his windswept beard and revealed an excited smile.

He turned, slung his burst hammer over his shoulder, and laughed heartily: "Alright, boys! Let's send these blasted brutes back home!"

His soldiers, still happily jostling, fell into formation in the blink of an eye. Each of them brandished their weapon and let out a bloodthirsty battle cry.

When the idiotic Hypogeans decided on their foolish midnight raid, they fell straight into the trap which Ginneas had laid for them.

Perhaps they were overconfident in their ability to attack at night, thanks to many previous successes. Unfortunately for them, this time they were up against Dwarves who never backed down, and were always well prepared.

As the war horn sounded, the brave soldiers of the Moltenflow Regiment advanced towards the dense, dark cluster of Hypogeans, as unstoppable as charging iron chariots. Amidst the thunderous battlecries once again rose an unknown voice, singing the ballad, and once again more joined. The song rolled out loud and clear across the mountains, across the Frozen Prairie, all the way to the remote Dwarven stronghold of Maldan-

"Moltenflow soul burns in the heart, restless and fitful for winter's revival. Over the majestic mountains, over the peaceful plains, the soil of my homeland lies before me."