Grail
The Grail is an item similar to an artifact in the sense that heroes can carry it and exchange it between them in the same way as artifacts. In fact, the Grail is sometimes unofficially referred as the ultimate artifact. The Grail is typically hidden somewhere in the ground of Adventure Map, and finding it requires digging it with a hero. Recovering the Grail artifact and taking it to any town enables player to build town specific Grail Building listed below:
- Castle has Colossus
- Rampart has Spirit Guardian
- Tower has Skyship
- Inferno has Deity of Fire
- Necropolis has Soul Prison
- Dungeon has Guardian of Earth
- Stronghold has Warlords' Monument
- Fortress has Carnivorous Plant
- Conflux has Aurora Borealis (in Armageddon's Blade and Shadow of Death expansions).
The primary bonuses of Grail Building for all towns is extra 5000 gold generation per day and 50% additional creature growth per week. Additionally, every town has its own unique bonuses which are presented in their own pages.
Finding the Grail
In order to recover the Grail, a hero must dig it out of the ground. Only one Grail may be hidden in the Adventure Map. However, it is also possible for a mapmaker to set a hero or several heroes to carry the Grail in their backpack. When the Grail is buried into the ground, clues to its location can be found at obelisks. Every obelisk heroes visit reveals a part of the Puzzle Map, which shows the location of the Grail marked with X. Typically the X becomes visible when when the entire Puzzle Map is revealed, but occasionally it will be showed before the last oblesiks is visited. However, it is often possible to guess roughly the area where the Grail might lie, and systematically start digging it. In fact, the AI at hard difficulty levels start digging the Garil even if only third of the Puzzle Map is completed.
Grail Buildings
When the Grail is taken to a town and the visiting hero with the Grail "visits" the Town Hall, a town specific Grail Building will be build. Noteworthy fact is, that the town can build the Grail Building even if the player has already built in that town, but after the Grail Building is built the player can not built in the town that turn.
Castle's Colossus
Castle's Colossus looks like a huge statue of an soldier holding a sword and a shield. It increases owners all heroes' morale by +2. Although the documentation states that it increases all allied heroes morale, this appear appears to be wrong.
Rampart's Spirit Guardian
Rampart's Spirit Guardian looks like totem pole with a winged horse on top. It increases owners all heroes' luck by +2. Although the documentation states that it increases all allied heroes luck, this appear appears to be wrong.
Tower's Skyship
Tower's Skyship looks like gnome-made zeppelin. It reveals the entire map for the player who owns it, and increases knowledge skill of the hero defending against a siege by +15. Revealed map is a permanent effect and is not cancelled if the player loses the town with the Skyship. Unlike the Lookout Tower, the Skyship can not be used to disperse the darkness generated by a Cover of Darkness. Having this building gives massive tactical advantage, and any player will be pefectly able to spot any attemp of siege or attack not only to this town but to all friendly heroes and buildings.
Inferno's Deity of Fire
Appearance of Deity of Fire is a enormous glowing devil that stands in the horizon. It causes every week to be The Week of Imp, which means that the population of Imps and/or Familiars are increased by +15 in addition to normal growth. External dwellings are not affected by this special week.
The problem with Inferno's Deity of Fire is that typically grail buildings are built long after the imps, a low tier creatures, are useful. In fact, it is Necropolis who benefits more from extra imps available to be harvested as skeletons or transformed into one.
Necropolis' Soul Prison
Dungeon's Guardian of Earth
Stronghold's Warlords' Monument
Fortress' Carnivorous Plant
Conflux's Aurora Borealis
Discussion
- If the hero carrying the Grail Retreats, Surrenders or is defeated in battle, the Grail is lost forever.
- If the map has no obelisks, it is completly impossible to find the grail (even if every single block on the map is dug on). Also, using "nwcoracle", a cheat that reveals the puzzle map, will have no effect and the puzzle will not show anything.