TITAN QUEST: THE CHTHONIC WARS - AN ALTERNATIVE STORY FOR TITAN QUEST & IMMORTAL THRONE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an idea for an alternative storyline of Titan Quest that has been growing in my mind for several years. The main goal is to make the original game more lore-friendly and more epic. If I ever had to describe what my “big dream” about modding this game is, this would be it. However, I have come to realize that this dream may never become reality, as I lack some essential skills and consistency. But anyway, I post it here, just so it does not get forgotten.
I. INTRO
Thousands of years have passed since Zeus defeated the Titans and became the supreme lord of gods and mortals. But his reign is not secure. A secret plot is brewing in the Underworld, where his brother Hades plans to overthrow him. To achieve his goal, Hades needs the help of ancient powers. He performs a ritual that invokes Tartarus, the primordial Lord of the Abyss, who holds the Titans and other nightmarish creatures in his dark domain. Hades offers Tartarus half of Zeus’ kingdom in exchange for his help, but Tartarus has different motives. He wants to devour everything in existence, including Hades himself. Still, he pretends to agree and unleashes his army of horrors upon the world.
But that’s not all. Hades also uses his power over the afterlife to raise hundreds of ancient monsters from their graves - in the same places they were once slain by heroes. In a swampy marsh, the Hydra’s immortal head breaks free from its rocky tomb and grows eight more heads. In a hidden cave, the Nemean Lion’s bones come together and form a living beast with a golden fur and an impenetrable skin.
Hades also recruits many beastmen to his cause - Centaurs, Satyrs, Maenads… even some of the Olympians’ own followers. He promises them to replace humans as the favored race of the gods. And when everything is ready, he launches his attack on Olympus… The Chthonic Wars have begun.
II. QUESTLINE
You begin your adventure in the village of Helos, where you have been chosen by the gods to fulfill an ancient prophecy. According to the Moirae, the three Fates, only a mortal can help the Olympians win the Second Titan War, and that mortal is you. After you defeat the Satyr Shaman who is terrorizing the village, the goddess of wisdom and war Athena appears before you. She tells you that a great evil is rising and you must stop it before it destroys the world. She instructs you to go to a nearby temple (EE starting temple) and select two gods to become your patron deities. They will grant you their powers and make you their avatar. This will determine your class and abilities.
Your quest is divided into several parts. In the first part, you travel through all the Greek city-states and islands that are related to mythical creatures and slay the monsters that have been resurrected by Hades, the god of the underworld. You use the Adamantine Sickle, a divine weapon that can permanently kill any creature, to prevent them from being revived again. You follow the footsteps of the legendary Greek heroes who fought these monsters in the past. Along the way, you face many challenges and enemies sent by Hades, including some corrupted human heroes who have joined his side in exchange for a second life.
The second part takes you to Egypt, where Hades’ servants are searching for an ancient tablet that reveals the location of Typhon’s prison. In my version of the story Typhon is not a Titan, but the greatest Giant ever born from Gaia and Tartarus, as he is in the myths. He is also the father of many of the monstrous creatures you face. Hades sees him as the ultimate weapon to use against Zeus and plans to release him from his eternal torment. Despite your efforts to stop them, Hades’ minions manage to get hold of the tablet before you.
You may wonder where are the Olympians while all this is happening. They are busy fighting back the Titans, who have launched a massive assault on Olympus, the home of the gods. They cannot help you directly, but they offer you their guidance and support. In the third part, you travel to the Orient, where you pursue Hades’ minions before they can reach Typhon’s prison. The Orient is different from the vanilla version, with many new quests and more lore-friendly monsters (for example, no Neanderthals). At the end of this part, you enter Olympus through a portal and join the epic battle between the Olympians and the Titans, as well as Typhon himself. Olympus is expanded to be as large as Elysium, so you can encounter many different Titan enemies as you advance to the final confrontation. After you defeat Typhon, this part is over, but Hades still remains.
The fourth and final part (similar to Immortal Throne) takes place in Hades’ realm, where you must face him and his allies once and for all. The Titans and Typhon have been defeated, but at a great cost. Zeus praises you as the greatest of all heroes and sends you on a final mission - to overthrow his traitorous brother. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Hades’ plot was originally devised by Eris, the goddess of discord, who seduced him and became his lover, replacing Persephone. Eris’ children are all evil demons that were trapped in Pandora’s Jar by the gods and later released by her. They are your enemies in this part.
Hades’ realm is greatly expanded, with new areas and features such as the five rivers of the underworld. In fact, all parts are much bigger than in the original game, to compensate for having only one difficulty level. You will face many dangers and obstacles before you can reach Hades’ palace and confront him, Eris, and Tartarus - the primordial god of darkness and chaos who lies beneath everything.
