Antagarich
NOTE: 'Erathia' is another common name for this continent, also being the name of the central kingdom on it.
Antagarich is located on the world of Enroth and is the setting for:
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: Restoration of Erathia
- Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
- Most of Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death
- Most of Heroes Chronicles
- Most of Heroes of Might and Magic III: Horn of the Abyss
History[edit | hide | hide all]
A legendary Barbarian, Jarg, united the tribes of the Wastelands (the area that eventually became Krewlod) and conquered Antagarich, including Bracaduun. However, after he died of old age, his heirs squabbled for the throne and weakened the nation in the process, allowing the Wizard-Kings of Bracaduun to establish their empire that supplanted the Barbarian dominance over most of the continent. Bracaduun oppressed Barbarian culture especially, attempting to suppress the history and legend of Jarg in fear that heroes would try emulating Jarg; and had nearly succeeded in that task when Tarnum rebelled and repeated history. This new nation came to be known as the Barbarian Empire.
Tarnum, however, was not as wise as Jarg. His reign was especially ruthless and brutal, forever twisting Barbarian culture, and Tarnum himself turned out to be as much a tyrant as the Wizard-Kings were. Rion Gryphonheart would soon lead remnants of the empire in an uprising against the Barbarian King, and vanquish him in single combat. With Tarnum's death, his empire crumbled quickly, allowing Rion Gryphonheart to create the new nation of Erathia, which eventually dominated much of the continent. This power vacuum also allowed the wizards to reform the fallen nation of Bracaduun into Bracada.
The new nation of Erathia was not without its flaws. They enslaved the Mudlanders and oppressed them. In atonement for his crimes, the Ancestors reincarnated Tarnum and tasked him with liberating them. Under Tarnum's tutelage, Droglo led the Revolt of the Beastmasters. Droglo befriended Prince Niven of Erathia and together they overthrew Mad King Gryphonheart, becoming the rulers of the newly formed Tatalia and Erathia respectively.
The kingdom of AvLee was formed by renegades from the Snow Elf kingdom of Vori. Later, the necromancers were exiled from Bracada and settled in the heart of AvLee, forming the undead kingdom of Deyja.
Originally belonging to the Halflings, the nation of Eeofol was formed during the Kreegan invasion on the Night of Shooting Stars.
The island nation of Nighon is located off the eastern coast of Antagarich, its subterranean tunnels are thought to extend under much of the mainland.
Many wars have been fought in Antagarich over the centuries. For a list, see List of wars in Enroth (world).
Political Landscape[edit | hide]
Mainland nations:
Erathia is the largest nation and occupies a central position. It shares borders with every other nation on the continent.
AvLee is the northernmost nation, and shares borders with Deyja, Eeofol, Nighon and Erathia.
Bracada is the southernmost nation, and shares borders with Erathia and Krewlod.
Eeofol is on the East coast, facing the Nighon Straits, and shares borders with Erathia, AvLee and Nighon.
Deyja is landlocked, surrounded by Erathia to its South and West, and Avlee to its North and East.
Krewlod is on the western coast, between Erathia and Bracada.
Tatalia is on the western coast, facing Vori, and sharing borders only with Erathia.- Contested Lands are on the border between Erathia and AvLee, near Eeofol.
- Stone City is underground in south-east Erathia.
Island nations:
Vori on the North-West. This island features supernatural cold and time anomalies.
Nighon on the South-East. However, Nighon's subterranean domain extends far beyond its island of origin, stretching under the sea and reaching into the underground of Erathia, Eeofol, and AvLee. On the mainland, it shares borders with AvLee and Eeofol.
Other powers:
Great Conflux: During the events of Armageddon's Blade, these towns appear throughout Antagarich.- Harmondale: The independent kingdom that was possibly formed around the eponymous town during the late 1160s AS.
- Churches of the Sun and the Moon: Two opposing clerical and military organizations based on Karigor. Highly influential in Antagarich before their decline in 1083.
Historical powers:
- Jarg's Horde: The kingdom that briefly dominated the continent, ruling the lands between the two oceans, in the period near the Silence.
- Empire of Bracaduun: Precursor to Erathia and Bracada, this nation supplanted the Horde, ruling much of its former territory for the next several generations.
- Barbarian Empire: Successor state to the Horde, formed by the Barbarian Tyrant when he conquered Bracaduun, and even more short-lived than the previous two.
- Phynaxian Empire: The nation that briefly ruled the steppes of the South-East in the 8th and 9th centuries.
Regions of note:
- Land of the Giants is the part of Eeofol on the eastern tip of the continent, bordering AvLee and Nighon. Virtually impossible to reach from the mainland, and home to droves of titans and dragons, it served as the main base for the Kreegan invasion of Antagarich.
- The Underworld goes deep and wide into the bowels of the earth, being connected to the mainland of Antagarich. Demonic forces from its depths once threatened Erathia.
- Evenmorn Island lies in the middle of the Skyline Bay in the South. Ostensibly Erathian by the Restoration Wars, this lost island is the site of a never-ending war between the Grand Temples of the Sun and the Moon.
Minor regions:
Geography 
[edit | hide]
The following is a short story that was written by Christian Vanover and published on the now-defunct 3DO message board.
- Let's start with some geography. Again, this is not my specialty, but I will give it a go. From the Erathian coast, a safe journey to Castle Ironfist in Enroth lasts approximately eight weeks. The travel time can be cut to six weeks, but the more direct route takes you dangerously close to the southern shores of Regna, where pirates lurk along the shipping lanes, disrupting most traffic. Regna lies to the northwest of Erathia, and Enroth to the west of Regna.
- The Dungeon Overlords rule the eastern shores of the Erathian continent, as well as the Nighon islands off the coast. It is a broken land, but riddled with caves and underground passages - a perfect space for the dwellings of the eyeless troglodytes and other creatures of the dark. As for a Cult of Baa, I'm afraid I've never heard of it. Perhaps they are sheepherders?
- The Stronghold nation of Krewlod lies along the western coast of Erathia, in the foothills between the Bracada Highlands (home of the Wizards) and the Tatalian Lowlands (where Xanthor and I traveled several weeks ago). They have always remained neutral in the affairs of Erathia.
- Finally, you asked about the Temples of the Sun and the Moon. While there were a few temples of these religions, most were destroyed when the two went to war, leaving only remnants of each. Most stay in their homeland of Karigor, and are rarely seen here in Erathia.
- Well, that should be enough for today. I will gather more questions and answer them tomorrow."
Creatures Overview [edit | hide]
The following is a short story that was written by Christian Vanover and published on the now-defunct 3DO message board.
NOTE: This story was written during the Restoration of Erathia timeframe. Most of the creatures that are "gone" later return, one way or another, in Armageddon's Blade, while ghosts haunt the Barrow Downs by the time of Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor.
- "First let me start by saying that while the inhabitants of Erathia bear a certain similarity to those of Enroth, there are some definite, distinct differences. For example, there are six types of dragon to be found here, though two of them are the vile creations of the Necromancers. I have heard of fearsome sea creatures, but have never seen one with my own eyes, and I am happy to say that I've never had to worry about any burrowing beasts in my time here! I could not even imagine having to constantly watch my step.
- Each different castle, be it good or evil, manages to hire, train, summon, or capture seven different human and non-human creatures to be used in its armies. In addition, with enough time, money, and resources, every one of these creatures can be improved in some way. Believe me, the leaders here are quite good at what they do, and the armies they command do not die easily.
- As for things you may not be used to here, there are many. Gone are the ghosts and sprites, the boar and the halfling, even the mighty phoenix can not be found in this land. However, in this place the goblins have trained the wolves as mounts, the gorgons make the very earth tremble beneath their hooves, the death knights lead the armies of the dead, and the basilisks openly challenge the medusa's gaze."
Trivia[edit | hide]
- Antagarich is located far to the southeast of Enroth, Jadame and Regna. It usually takes at least six weeks to travel between Enroth and Antagarich, as mentioned in Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and Geography. However, the possibility of reaching Antagarich in around three weeks, depending on the season, is also discussed by Enrothians.
- People in Enroth commonly note that Antagarich is much more wild and unsafe than their continent, but also appreciate its beautiful countryside.
- Antagarich is the second major continent that was settled by children of the Ancients during the world's colonization, the first being Enroth, where the VARN landed.
- South Antagarich features a more tropical climate and is home to rubber plants, as described in Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven.
- Description for Lion's Shield of Courage found in the Heroes of Might and Magic IV game files states that long before Gryphonhearts came to power in Antagarich, the Lionheart dynasty ruled.
- Before the Restoration Wars, four Antagarich nations have never been united in arms. This changed when the Deyjan renegades, led by Archibald Ironfist, joined the allied forces of Erathia, Bracada and AvLee to overthrow Lich King Gryphonheart.
- Greg Fulton mentioned in an interview that he coined the name "Antagarich" as a portmanteau of "antagonism" and "rich", connected with an 'a' to make pronunciation easier. Fittingly, it is a continent rich in antagonism.
- Antagarich is sometimes spelled "Antagrich" in official documents such as the The Shadow of Death manual, notably in the description of the Pixies and Sprites, halflings, Rogues, and Trolls.
Gallery[edit | hide]
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An early map used in promotional materials.
It shows Erathia as touching Vori/Nighon instead of being separated by water. -
A map of Antagarich found in the MM7 guide -
A Polish localization of the MM7 guide's map of Antagarich -
Region locations map in the Might and Magic VII guide
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The following maps are from other games which were not created by New World Computing and therefore should not be considered canon for Heroes of Might and Magic III.
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A map of Antagarich in the mobile game Era of Chaos -
A different map of Antagarich from Era of Chaos -
A painted map created for Heroes of Might and Magic Online
