Little is known about the invasions that took place during Aeli's time, other than the fact that the great god managed to fend off the invasions in space, before the menacing shadows of enemy ships would ever appear in the skies above Aelion. It has been so, until the day Aeli disappeared.

His disappearance is still shrouded in mystery and even though the last invasion took place nearly 100 years ago, gods from outer worlds have yet to abandon their plans of conquering Aelion. Just what draws them to our world?

Encyclopaedia of Asterius

Without its protector, the elder god Aeli, who disappeared centuries ago, Aelion has been left vulnerable to the threat of alien invasions. With the ships of the Mechanoid armies beginning to appear in the skies, another war is undoubtedly on the horizon and the only ones who can stop it are Aelion's young gods - heroes ready to fight for their home's, their follower's and the survival world.

In today's Dev Diary, Alexander Pankov and Aidan Karabaich will talk about enemy invasions, their significance, frequency, and their rewards.

The first stage of any invasion is "preparatory": with the flagship of the cybernetic army approaching the planet, filled with the initial waves of invading forces. A couple of months later, the harbinger of the great god of the invading Mechanoids will arrive on Aelion expecting to find destruction and ruin where there was once a prosperous land.

Because of this he’ll expect to find the moral spirits of the citizens of Aelion broken – ready to follow him, bringing additional power to the harbinger and its master with their faith. For this reason, the immortals of Aelion must be prepared to face both the initial invasions and the following arrival of the invading forces’ God!

Many players in the beta and those who’ve watched the official Live Streams are already familiar with Mechanoids, having encountered remnants of previous invasions in adventures throughout the world and have even explored the wreckage of some of their ships. But these creatures were weakened, having been cut off from their source of power. This time you'll be facing empowered Mechanoids in unfamiliar territory, including on their invading ships, where you’ll be tasked with defeating their leader.

For the first two months of the invasion, you'll need to defend the peaceful lands of Aelion against these forces, collect valuable trophies and study the enemies you’ve defeated. The materials gained from defeating and studying these enemies can then be brought to your Pantheon’s laboratory – providing the player with invaluable stats called resistances. These resistances are pivotal in ensuring your survival during the battle against the harbinger of the great Mechanoid god.

The atmosphere on the invading forces ships are toxic to residents of Aelion - over time player’s resistance to the invading forces increases, and once they’ve reached a certain point, the hostile environments present in the invading ships will no longer prove deadly, allowing players to take the fight directly to the enemy.

It is worth noting that the Mechanoid army isn’t the only force on its way to Aelion. Thanks to local prophets, who are capable of sensing what other ships are closing in on the planet, we already know the Phytonide army is on its way to Aelion. Phytonide's plants that can transform the environment around them bringing it to life. The Phytonide ships are living organisms, not inorganic vessels. However, their presence is just as alien and deadly to Aelion as the fully technological and mechanized ships of the Mechanoids.

Invading armies are made up of several distinct types of creatures, including humanoid and nonhuman, and even completely artificial beings. This comes from the fact that Aelion is under attack by roaming civilizations, hostile armies of greater gods, which have already conquered other worlds - claiming new followers to grow their power. The resulting armies of these civilizations are comprised of a variety of creatures, many of which are from entirely different worlds than the greater gods and avatar's leading them..

Each Invasion is divided into stages, and only the strongest immortals will be able to take part in the final battle against the avatar of the great god. However, any and all defenders of Aelion across the globe are entrusted to take part in the battles against the invading forces. Valliant young gods must organize and make plans to sabotage the invading ships and offer resistance against the landing troops attempting to invade settlements and claim followers across the planet.

Gameplay-wise, invasions include special adventures for 3-5 participants in which you’re tasked with preventing a territory from being overtaken, and 10-man raids, all which offer different levels of difficulty. Only by joining forces and working together can the immortals of Aelion repel incoming invasions in Aeli's absence.

Each invasion is a huge event in Aelion’s ongoing timeline and one that could change the face of the game world. The consequences of an Invasion will even affect the immortals that have yet to reach their divine form and who haven't had a chance to partake in these decisive battles.

Victory brings with it a period of prosperity for Aelion, providing bonuses to rewards for all players. But a defeat spells disaster for the settlements of Aelion and as a result, they will find themselves occupied by invading forces, Aelion' will be thrown into a "dark age".

While global rewards are great, players are understandably curious to know what participating in the invasion brings to each individual player, and to the brave few who face the avatars of great gods? In short, there are a lot of exclusive rewards.

On top of receiving additional resistance resources, players earn sparks that unlock divine nodes, “epic” quality equipment, rewards and bonuses which are not counted towards the weekly limits, along with exclusive outfits and accessories, both for your ordinary and divine incarnations.

As a unique and global high-end adventure, fighting off an invasion may also glorify you - placing you at the top of the leaderboards and causing you to become the topic of discussion on Aelinet.

Battling through each stage of invasions and defeating their Avatars will allow you to make significant progress through the Divine Atlas.

At some point, your initial god form (whose appearance is akin to those of antiquity) will turn into something more powerful and with greater influence – opening up new opportunities for you to participate in unimaginable adventures!