It was followed two years later by a sequel, Etherlords II, which was published in Europe by DreamCatcher Interactive and in North America by Strategy First.
Nival later became the developer of Heroes of Might and Magic V. The world is governed by a force known as ether and it is wielded by the representatives of chaos, kinetics, synthesis, and vitality.
The leaders of the four factions vie for supremacy, with the ultimate goal of transcending into the fabled White Lord, the master of all ether.
Some of the maps are shared between the two campaigns, and the players simply assume the role of whichever faction they selected.
A Kinet hero who was captured by the Synthets for experimentation, she appears now as a hybrid Kinet/Synthet spreading the Pale Plague, a sinister disease which drains beings of their energy.
Diamanda was resurrected as a mindless slave for this purpose, but she eventually recovers her sense of self and makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop the White Lord's plans.
The most notable effect of this change is that, aside from occasional time limits, the scenarios in Etherlords II do not feature active dangers—the player is free to explore as he wishes without threat of his infrastructure being destroyed.
It is more about fighting through a linear path and taking on each monster in the game, and having to adjust a deck strategy against a series of different opponents.
Of particular interest to Magic: The Gathering players are the new multiplayer features in Etherlords II, including a variation of Limited, a popular sealed-pack competition format.
From the Vitals attuned to natures and grace, to the vulgar Chaots, the races encompass all the colors of Ether.
Race of Ether of Motion The Kinets are regal, winged beings with an association to air and water.
The Kinets possess an arsenal of spells that delay enemy actions, including discard effects.
A looking-good people, the Vitals rely on nature's magic for their power, and claim the creatures of the woods - from the tick to the snake - as their allies.