Lands of Lore series
Lands of Lore or LoL is a role-playing video game series by Westwood Studios. The first two games in the series were published by Virgin Interactive, while the third was published by Electronic Arts following their acquisition of Westwood Studios. Lands of Lore follows the tradition of Dungeon Master, but introduced a linear scenario-based storyline, rather than characters and feats.
Development
Westwood Studios made role-playing games (RPGs) for years, most famously Eye of the Beholder 1 and 2. Westwood and SSI had artistic differences over a third Eye of the Beholder game, however, so Westwood chose to make their own RPG without the restrictions from the D&D rule set. Their efforts yielded Lands of Lore. Originally planned as a series of eight titles, the series ultimately spawned three.
Games
- Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos (1993)
- Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny (1997)
- Lands of Lore III (1999)
Setting
The storyline of the games takes place in a fantasy realm known and referred to simply as "The Lands". The main realm of the Lands is Gladstone, where the civilized and "good" races are based.
The history of the Lands is divided into six periods.
- The first is "The Unknown Beginning" when the Lands were created.
- Then came "The Golden Age" when the Ancients roamed the Lands. There were no wars.
- Then followed "The War of the Heretics". The Ancients fell and the Dark Army rose for the first time. The Ancients became a myth. In the era after the disappearance of the Ancients, a group of predatory Ruloi established a stronghold in the Claw Mountains. They were able to accumulate much of the ancient magic that had been left behind in the lands.
- "The Dark Times" was the fourth period- a period of darkness. Small states appeared with every race.
- After that followed "The Racial Wars". A lot of small wars not relating to each other. Some races were wiped out and the ultimate result was that the four races (Humans, Huline, Dracoids, and Thomgog) established domination over the Lands.
- The present period is called "Rise of the Dark Army".
In "Guardians of Destiny", a brief reference is made to the Kyragem from The Legend of Kyrandia, while Kyrandia's sequel The Hand of Fate has an easter egg where letters written by Scotia hint at the possibility that both Westwood Studios fantasy games take place in the same continuity.