In Forged By Chaos, the third novel based on Warhammer Online, author C.L. Werner takes on Dark Elves. Greenskins, and the forces of Chaos as they explore the Bastion Stair in search of the Spear of Myrmidia, a relic that could ensure their victory over the Empire of Man.

"FORGED BY CHAOS provides readers with a horrific look into the warped minds of the soldiers of Destruction – the megalomania of the Dark Elves, the destructive single-mindedness of the Greenskins, and the unholy obsessions of Chaos", said Jeff Hickman, Studio Executive Producer for Mythic Entertainment. "C.L. Werner provides a never-before-seen look at a single side of the Realm vs. Realm conflict, and shows just how fragile, and deadly, this alliance of dark powers can be."

I've always been a huge fan of fantasy novels from the bad guys' point-of-view, at least when they don't simply portray the villains as uglier heroes. Hopefully Werner gets it right! Forged By Chaos is now available at fine booksellers everywhere.

New and returning players to Mythic's MMO Warhammer Online can now play the game as long as they'd like for free, provided they don't mind being capped at level 10 until they pony up some subscription fees. Yes, it's capped, but there's still plenty to do in the tier one lands of Nordland and Norsca. Players can take all the time they want trying out each of the game's 24 professions, participating in realm versus realm battlegrounds or delving into the newly-added Hunter's Vale dungeon.

In order to facilitate easy access to the game, Mythic has also introduced a new streaming client. After an initial download of around one gig, the rest of the world streams to the player's PC as they travel, making for a relatively quick and painless introduction to the world.

"With the introduction of the endless free trial and streaming client, we are making it easier than ever for a new player to join the WAR," said Jeff Hickman, executive producer, Mythic Entertainment. "We've worked hard to create a more informative and community driven new user experience, and now we are giving players an unlimited amount of time to explore the early parts of the game at their own pace. We are confident that players new and old will find all the enhancements we've made to WAR over the past year worthy of their time and commitment."

Interested? Visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/trial to sign up for endless level 10 limbo.

October 28th is when the floodgates open and a slow trickle of the Mac users who haven't already been playing Warhammer Online using emulation are unleashed upon the completely suspecting populace. Warhammer Online for the Mac will be exactly the same as the PC version, only the computers it is played on will be slightly more expensive and prettier to look at.

"We're incredibly excited to bring Warhammer Online and its enthralling Realm vs. Realm combat to the Mac community," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. "Come October 28th, the sides of Order and Destruction will be bolsters by a fresh recruit of Mac gamers experiencing for the first time exactly what we mean when we say that ‘WAR is everywhere!'"

The beta version is currently available for existing users and new Mac players to download and play in anticipation of the late October release. The game will be available for purchase come the 28th via digital download at Gametreeonline.com for $19.95.

Sure, there are other good things about Ultima Online as well. It'll run on your toaster, and there isn't any of that third-person camera view you get in today's MMORPG titles that makes you feel uncomfortably semi-immersed. No, Ultimate Online is old school, and EA hopes that lapsed players are feeling a little nostalgic about old Britannia. At least nostalgic enough to take advantage of a little free game time.

"We're hoping that, as part of the Return to Britannia Campaign, former players will once again rediscover the joys of Ultima Online," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer for Mythic Entertainment. "UO was the first love of many MMORPG players, and it still holds a special place in their hearts after 12 glorious years. I think returning players will be pleasantly surprised to find a thriving and vibrant community from around the world ready to welcome back their former compatriots and include them in their ongoing adventures."

Returning players will have access to all expansions through Mondain's Legacy, so they'll be able to create elves and hunt for mailboxes to dance naked near. Those wanting a taste of the new Gargoyle race recently introduced in the Stygian Abyss expansion are welcome to pay for it.

Visit the game's official site to hop back onboard. The free play time runs from now until October 16th.

We don't hear much about Dark Age of Camelot these days, and really haven't heard all that much since the Labyrinth of the Minotaur expansion pack introduced a new race and the game's largest dungeon. Now Mythic aims to remind the community that DAoC still functions, offering up Labyrinth and the previous expansion, Darkness Rising, free of charge to all players who haven't secured them yet. Along with the free expansions comes a 1-day reactivation of old accounts, allowing anyone who has been gone for more than 90 days to come back and play for free.

"The Dark Age of Camelot community has thrived for nearly a decade and the game has helped transform the MMO landscape with the introduction of groundbreaking Realm vs. Realm gameplay," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Mythic Entertainment. "We could not be more excited to offer all this entertainment to all current players and to those interested in returning to the game, as well as to those looking to experience the game for the first time."

Yes, along with the return promotion, new players can sign up for a 14-day trial to see what they've been missing all these years.

It's been years since I've played Dark Age, but I have some really fond memories. Mainly cyber, but I swear I attacked a monster once or twice.

Ultima Online channels the classic first-person dungeon crawler Ultima Underworld on September 8th, with the Stygian Abyss expansion adding in the game's largest dungeon to date. They've filled it with imposing bosses like the Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, and have even included PVP areas within for those who prefer killing each other at every turn. The expansion also introduces a playable Gargoyle race, with their homeland of Ter Mur just one of the many new places to explore.

"As the 12th anniversary of the storied Ultima Online franchise approaches this fall, we could not be more excited to launch UO's 8th expansion, Stygian Abyss," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer for Mythic Entertainment. "On September 8th UO players past and present will be able to experience all new content, including the new Gargoyle race and one of the largest dungeons in UO history."

The expansion will be available online for $29.99, or $39.99 with a month of game time. As a special added bonus, anyone who purchases the expansion before September 30th will receive a code to transform an existing character in a Gargoyle, which is sure to impress whatever ladies are still playing the ancient MMO.

I've played Warhammer Online with Mac users in the past, but it generally involved them rebooting and twisting dials, injecting strange substances into their machines. Thanks to TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine, Mac users will now be able to double-click an icon like the rest of us, or whatever it is they do with those odd little mice.

"The MMORPG audience continues to expand, and that means gamers eager to experience WAR aren't all playing on a PC," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. "We want as many players as possible to experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm combat, and bringing WAR to the Mac makes this an exciting reality."

Players can visit the Mac Warhammer website to download the beta and sign up for a free trial. The official version is due out this fall.

Sorry if I am a bit off when it comes to Mac terminology. It's not that I am PC biased. If I had the money, I'd buy a Mac in an instant, welcoming the feeling of being a complete computer virgin all over again.

BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka, who is now heading up the merged division, says...mmmaaayyybbeee.

Anything's possible. We can't say it wouldn't happen. There's no active plans, currently to do that, but the teams at Mythic and BioWare I know from talking to all of them, they're really excited about working together, so I think that fuels a lot of cool things. People start talking about 'Hey, wouldn't it be neat if we did this, or did this together?' That kind of thing might evolve over time.

Knights of the Old Mass Relay: The MMO? Oh, we can only hope.

BioWare Comments on Mythic Merger [IGN]

Jacobs'"All Things Must Come To An End" post mainly looks back on his time with Mythic, from the early days of Dark Age of Camelot's pre-release through to his final days as GM of EA Mythic. He does briefly touch on his departure at the very beginning, however, explaining why he had suddenly gone on sabbatical, as mentioned in a previous post on the formation of EA's new joint BioWare/Mythic RPG/MMO group.

Early in May, Electronic Arts let me know that they wanted to make some changes within the Games Label and as a result of those changes I have been out of the office (and out of touch with the team, game, etc.) since that day.

Whether this means that EA asked him to step down or the proposed changes weren't to his liking and he simply took off is anyone's guess. Mark Jacobs certainly isn't telling.

...if you are looking or expecting me to damn EA or anyone there, you will be sorely disappointed. Over my 23 years of making games professionally I have refrained from attacking the competition, former and/or current partners, other game developers, etc. except on a few very rare instances. I have no intention of breaking with tradition at the present time and I hope my track record in this regard remains unchanged for the rest of my career.

All Things Must Come to an End [Online Games Are A Niche Market via MMORPG.com]

As reported earlier today, EA has restructured Mythic, placing it under the leadership of BioWare as part of a new RPG/MMO division of the company. BioWare's Ray Muzyka will be heading up both companies, with Mythic co-founder Greg Zeschuk taking charge of the Mythic portion following the departure of general manager Mark Jacobs, a move that looks to be just as much as surprise to Mythic as it was to us.

Tracey John at Massively spoke to an ex-Mythic employee who has been keeping up with company chatter today, who indicated that, while Jacobs had been on sabbatical for more than a month, employees were still shocked to hear of his departure.

"People are shocked and in disbelief about Mark leaving," said the former staffer. "But they're also excited to be working with BioWare. I can't even fathom Mark leaving a company he loved so much, it was his life. Personally, I can't see that this is voluntary in any shape or form."

The source indicated that no one other than Jacobs would be leaving their position, voluntarily or otherwise, with the entire staff heading out to a movie theater to receive an address by Muzyka sometime today.

Having spoken to Mark Jacobs on various occasions, I would have to agree with the course. He was far too passionate about the company and Warhammer Online to have simply resigned. We'll keep abreast of the situation to see if we can get any more information regarding the circumstances of his abrupt departure.

Mythic employees shocked at Mark Jacobs' departure [Massively]

Creating what is effectively a massively multiplayer RPG development juggernaut, EA has tapped Muzkya to become Group General Manager of their new RPG/MMO Group, with fellow BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk acting as Group Creative Officer. With the departure of Mythic's Mark Jacobs, Mythic co-founder Rob Denton will step up as the General Manager of Mythic, reporting directly to Muzkya. BioWare's operations will remain unchanged.

So in effect, EA has handed the reins of Mythic over to BioWare, blurring the lines between the two entities by organizing them under one group. It's sad to see Mark Jacobs go, as he was a major contributor to the success of Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, but it should be very interesting to see what direction WAR travels in now that Dr. Ray is at the helm.

Mythic and BioWare Form New RPG/MMO Group [Warhammer Herald]

Office pranks are always entertaining ,and that goes double for video game developer office pranks. Seeing as the new Land of the Dead area in Warhammer Online is a place of sand and skulls and death, Gabe's fellow employees felt his office should look exactly the same, as foretold by prophecy, probably.

Of course, any bugs that show up in the Land of the Dead? This is probably the reason. There's always a price to pay for comedy, but it's generally worth it.

Being a member of the video game press is fun, especially when simulated human remains wind up on your doorstep. My cats really appreciate this, as they are now running about chewing on hay and batting around the mummy wrapping I had to unfurl in order to reveal the Cartouche on the skull's forehead. Unravel the mystery of the Cartouche, and you could win one of 1,000 limited edition Scarab Amulet rewards Mythic is issuing to mark the launch of The Land of the Dead zone in Warhammer Online later this month.

Mythic is only issuing 5,000 Scarab Amulets, which summons a swarm of beetles that swirls about your character, with 1,000 tied to each skull. We're apparently one of five websites to receive one, which seems like a small number, but knowing four other people are opening boxes with skulls in them across the country makes me feel a little better.

So, how do we solve this code? Apparently the key to the cartouche has been broken up and scattered across the Warhammer Online blogosphere, meaning you will have to hunt, or wait until someone posts a link that shows up in Google. Once you've deciphered the code, you can visit your Warhammer Online account page to redeem it.

So, your task, should you chose to undertake it (Get it? Undertake? Skull? Is this thing on?), is to figure out what the symbols in the picture below mean. My task? Unwrapping the howling cat from the bandages he's managed to get tied around his legs. Ready? Break!

The Stygian Abyss expansion gets its name from Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, the 1992 PC game that saw players exploring a vast dungeon in first-person view. Now that dungeon comes to Ultima Online, along with a new playable character race in the form of gargoyles. Gargoyles have long been a staple of the series, and now players will be able to take the flying stone creatures for a spin, with new skills such as imbuing, mysticism, and throwing. Oooo, throwing.

The expansion's existence was first revealed in 2007 accidentally on the Japanese Ultimate Online website, so EA's official announcement comes a bit late. Still, I suppose seeing a massively multiplayer online game soldier on after twelve years is cause enough for a press release. Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss is due out this summer.

The war between Order and Destruction takes a southward turn this week, as artifacts unearthed in the southern deserts bring with them the wrath of the servants of the undying Tomb Kings. Over the next seven days, players on both sides will do battle with Liche Priests; undead creatures who have followed the Tomb Kings' artifacts to the north. Those who kill enough of the creatures and help their side recover the artifacts of the Nehekharan Kings will be rewarded with special titles - Grave Robber and The Eternal - along with a lovely pair of magical goggles, because nothing says powerful fantasy hero like a pair of purple goggles.

Check out the Dark Elf version of the goggles below, and visit the official event page for more information on how you can help tick off ancient undead beings, which is always a good idea.

In a battle six months in the making, members of the Destruction faction on European server Karak Eight Peaks laid siege to the Order capitol Altdorf. After a running 14-hour battle spent systematically taking over the city piece-by-piece, Destruction faced off against Order's leader Karl Franz and came out triumphant, capturing the city and placing the fallen king in a cage, all without using the exploits that made earlier successful sieges null and void.

For the many of you who've given Warhammer Online a pass, this is probably one of the biggest achievements the game has to offer. Having been playing the game on and off over the past month, I imagine the Destruction pride on that particular server must be completely unbearable at this point. Still, the best side won.

First legitimate city capture in Warhammer Online [Massively]

The two new berserker classes join Warhammer Online as part of the Call to Arms live expansion, which leads up to the opening of the expansive Land of the Dead dungeon in June. The Orc Choppa was a class originally slated to be in the game but cut before release, while the Dwarf Slayer replaces the originally planned Dwarf Hammerer, which was deemed far too boring to live.

"The Call to Arm has sounded, and the realms of Order and Destruction have welcomed two new combatants to the frontlines of WAR – the head-bashin' Orc Choppa and oath-sworn Dwarf Slayer," said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager of Mythic Entertainment. "These new careers are brutal, unrelenting fighters who will stop at nothing to claim victory over their opponents on the Realm vs. Realm battlefields."

Check out the official descriptions of the two new classes below!

The ornery and savage Choppa is an offensive juggernaut that embodies the love of a good fight found in every Orc. He has a one-track mind that is dead set on wreaking havoc on enemy lines and bashin' heads! Driven by an inexplicably strong bloodlust, the Choppa is a whirlwind of destruction on the battlefield with a … debatable sense of self-preservation.

The tattooed Slayer is the manifestation of the Dwarfs' obsession with honor, seeking only a heroic and honorable death in combat. However, dying quietly is simply not in his nature. In WAR, the Slayer is a ruthless and terrifying fighter, throwing himself into battle with no regard for his own well-being. He is a force to be reckoned with and relies on his ever-escalating rage to power each swing of his dual axes.

It's a common practice in the massively multiplayer online role-playing industry these days; popular games launch, opening server after server to deal with the flood of new players, and then a sizeable chunk of those players say no thank you, causing the servers to become barren, which leads to the inevitable sever merge. It happened with Age of Conan, and now Warhammer Online is preparing to close 43 North American and Oceania, with another 20 being closed in Europe. Forced player transfers were completed yesterday, leaving the remaining servers bursting with delicious player flavor.

Massive server merges aren't as much of a bad sign as they used to be. If anything, players who found the population too sparse previous might want to actually give Warhammer Online another try, now that everyone has been squished together.

Mythic To Close 63 Warhammer Online Servers [Gamasutra]

Warhammer has had a pretty standard refer-a-friend program up until now. Simply drag a pal into the game, and get 30 days free game time. Now they up the stakes with a special in-game pet and an experience-upping item for those who can pull in new players lite rats with a magic flute.

Folks who drag two new players to the game will receive an exclusive pet – the Imperial Hunting Hound for Order players, or the Warlord's Fell Hound for Destruction players. Those who manage to trick four newbies into playing will snag either a Rod of Service or the Collar of Servitude, items that increase experience and renown gain by 5%, with the ability to boost a realm-mates level to let him or her join you on your magical adventures.

Sounds like somebody is getting pretty desperate for fresh meat.

Recruit-A-Friend Program Details [Warhammer Online]

Bitter Rivals, running from March 3rd to March 10th, gives players a chance to unlock the new Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa classes by completing quests and participating in the new Twisting Tower Realm vs. Realm Scenario. In Twisting Tower, the forces of Order and Destruction battle for control of a ruined Chaos tower while a vengeful god rains fire down upon both armies. The event kicks off the massive Call to Arms live update, which culminates in June with the opening of a brand-new raid dungeon zone, The Land of the Dead.

Along with the launch of Bitter Rivals, Mythic has also opened the official forums for business, giving players an official place to bitch about balance issues, server lag, other players' moms - you know, the usual.

For more on the Bitter Rivals event, visit the official website. Otherwise, follow the link below to start name-calling and complaining.

Official Warhammer Online Forums [Mythic]