Nicolas Gryphonheart was a major character in Heroes of Might and Magic series and a major antagonist in Heroes of Might and Magic III: Restoration of Erathia campaign. He was the last king of Erathia and after he is resurrected he became the lich king of the necromancers of Deyja.
Biography[]
Little is known about Nicolas Gryphonheart's early years. It is so certain that he was attacked once and most of his men were killed, but a man saved him alone. He was the legendary Sir Kentanie, who became the king's swordbearer. After this, Nicolas reigned in peace for a time, though he had many enemies. The necromancers from Deyja, the Kreegans from Eofol, the overlords of Nighon, and the mercenaries from Tatalia wanted to conquer territories from Erathia. A lich, Sandro, planned to kill the king. He made contact with a legendary knight, Lord Haart, who was able to enter Steadwick, the capital of Erathia. However, the leader and king of the necromancers, Finneas Vilmar who also knew about the plan, imprisoned Sandro, but the plan was successful. After the king's death, chaos and total war broke out in Earthia. The combined armies of the Kreegans and the overlords occupied several towns and the capital, capturing the castle's famous captain, General Morgan Kendal. Tatalia also launched an attack and occupied some smaller areas. And then came the attack on the necromancers, whose leader planned a special big thing.
Finneas Vilmar resurrects King Nicolas Gryphonheart.
After the forces of the undead defeated the groups of Erathia and their leader, Loynis, Vilmar found the tomb of Nicolas Gryphonheart and resurrected the dead king. However, the resurrected lich king could not be controlled and the undead killed his resurrector. He then took control of the necromancers and the very angry lich led the invasion of the dead against his former kingdom. First, a vampire knight, Vokial, and Sandro's disciple Vidomina gathered an army of 2,500 skeletons. In the area where the dead were resurrected by them, Sandro's prison was found and the infamous lich and hes minions were freed. After the army gathered, King Gryphonheart faced a problem. A death knight Mot rebelled against the new king. The problem was that the Dead Knight rejected the plan to attack Erathia. The lich therefore sent his undead followers to kill him. Mot tried to gather as much army as possible, but in the end he was defeated and died. Nicholas and the undead were then prepared to attack Erathia. The undead crossed the borders and stormed the garrisons. The undead were successful and occupied five cities after several fights. However, some of the necromancers were worried because Nicolas had become increasingly uncontrollable and thought it better to destroy the monster that Vilmar had created. A necromancer, Nimbus, wanted to contact Erathia's new queen, Nicolas' daughter Catherine Gryphonheart. Nicolas' minions tried to prevent the meeting, but were severely defeated. Nimbus wanted to show evidence and tell to Catherine some of Sanrod's and Vilmar's old plans, and that it was Lord Haart with whom the two lichs contacted and who poisoned the king. After the defeat of the overlords and the kreegans, the forces of Erathia, AvLee, Baracad, with Nimbus' undead army together launched an attack against the necromancers. After great battles, they captured four castles and destroyed a part of King Gryphonheart's army. They then prepared for the final attack, in which the Queen also participated. However, Catherine wanted to punish the traitor Lord Haart, but she did not want to kill him personally. She persuaded him to come to the final siege and take part in the siege of the castle of the undead lich king. However, he was prepared for the final battle. The remaining two castles were in a rocky valley, fortified with several garrisons. He used some of his remaining forces to defend, but launched a counterattack with most his minions. However, Catherine and Haart defeated the last armies of the undead and then broke forward. The garrison and other forces of the undead fell, and after the occupation of the first castle there remained only the second castle in which the king was. When Catherine and Haart were already in front of the throne room door, some skeleton warriors tried to hold them up, but the lich king already knew it was over and accepted the defeat. Catherine defeated the skeletons and then walked over to her undead father, who did not hurt her. The queen then revealed who the traitor was. Nicolas stood up to finish him off. Haart wanted to overtake him and he wanted to attack first, but the lich pierced his heart with his hand. Catherine then used a spell that freed her father's soul of Vilmar's curse.
Personality[]
After being resurrected, Nicolas became a very wrathful, murderous, ruthless lich. He killed anyone without mercy, and there was tremendous anger in his eyes beside the dark force. The only person who he didn't hurt was his daughter Catherine, but he only felt anger and hatred for everyone else.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In Heroes of Might and Magic IV, Sir Worton made a copy of his sword, lying that he was Nicolas' heir.
- Nicolas had several children. Two from his first wife Gwenllian, they were Catherine and Beatrice, and three of his second wife Iduna, they were Lysander, Wearjak and Gauldoth.