Ghôl

Overview

Hailing from the same eastern region of hills and mountains occupied by the dwarves, the Ghôls have been at war with the inhabitants of Myrgard and Stoneheim for as long as they have been in contact with one another. Though the genesis of this conflict may be lost to time, what is not ambiguous is that the Ghôls take nothing so seriously as the defeat of their dwarven neighbors. This animosity may at least partially explain their involvement with Balor during the Great War (as well as their support of Soulblighter some sixty years later), as joining the Dark's armies provided ample opportunity for the Ghôls to slay their perennial nemeses and bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal of total dwarven subjugation.

Many speculate that the Ghôls' alignment with the Dark was more a result of ignorance and trickery than of any truly evil intent on their part. Although most do not believe the Ghôls to be inherently evil creatures, they are known to venerate one or more evil deity, as it is stated in Myth: The Fallen Lords that the Ghôls alone "remember the names of the dark gods", a fact that Balor and Soulblighter may have been able to exploit to their own ends. Evil or not, there is no disputing that the Ghôls are a savage, brutish, and sadistic race, fond of such barbarous practices as disrespectfully gathering the entrails of fallen soldiers in order to use them later on as projectiles.

Racial Characteristics

In terms of appearance, Ghôls most closely resemble apes, though they have a distinctively grim visage characterized by a large skinless area around their mouths which leaves their fangs constantly exposed. Whether moving or still, Ghôls are almost always hunched over; for this reason, even though they are essentially bipedal, their lengthy arms are usually touching the ground, and they frequently utilize their arms while running, which gives them a distinctive loping gait. Their poor posture also makes them appear shorter than they really are, as a fully grown Ghôl is actually within four inches of the height of an average human when standing upright. Their weapons of choice are typically large, vicious cleavers that are longer than their own arms. Furthermore, their incredible upper body strength makes it possible for them to hurl objects great distances at their foes, and most Ghôls in fact carry pouches with them in order to store choice items for this very purpose.

Unlike most races, Ghôl names are not assigned at birth. Instead, individuals are allowed to choose names for themselves should they survive long enough to do so. In most cases, the name a particular Ghôl settles upon is intended to both illustrate their prowess and act as a means of intimidating others, both within and outside of their culture. This impulse leads to grisly names such as Eviscerator, Mangler, Severer, and Mutilator, just to name a few. Perhaps the most infamous of Ghôls chose for himself the name Fang-Grinder, though he was also known as the Black Dog of the Hill Lands and King of the Ghôls. Fang-Grinder's brutality and depravity was legendary, even for a Ghôl; his reputation was such that he kept his minions in line through fear alone, and he was even rumored to have cannibalistic tendencies.

Role in the Series

As a unit, the Ghôl is one of the fastest within the Myth franchise, so it serves as an excellent scout. While weak individually, a duo of Ghôls could easily sneak up a hill and hack apart a small detachment of archers or dwarves. In this way they are extremely useful for flanking attacks and drawing out and separating a larger armed force. As a special ability, Ghôls may pick up and store various items that have fallen to the ground on the battlefield. These items can be used as improvised projectiles, so it is not unusual to see a Ghôl throw a fallen sword, skull, rock, satchel charge, or dud grenade.

Throwing unexploded Wight tumors became a popular online Ghôl tactic, as the nimble Ghôl stands a far better chance of getting close to an enemy than the sluggish Wight. Many other devious stratagems are possible with Ghôls; for instance, a Ghôl carrying a satchel charge could be used as an impromtu suicide bomber when combined with Fetch or dwarven molotovs. Since it is never possible to tell what a Ghôl is carrying before it is thrown, there is also a significant psychological aspect to Ghôl usage, as most players will be hesitant to allow them anywhere within throwing distance.