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This page contains spoilers to the plots of Age of Mythology. |
The Folstag Flag Bearer is a hero unit in the Fall of the Trident campaign of Age of Mythology. He is a Norse Huskarl who bears a flag that supposedly belongs to old man Skult's village.
Overview[]
Generally speaking, both scenarios involving the Flag Bearer are escort scenarios, as the Flag Bearer lacks an attack. In the campaign scenarios where he is involved he might be revived just like any other campaign Heroes in case he falls unconscious.
Nonetheless, this unit is very tough, regenerates like other heroes, and also has surprisingly high Line of Sight, meaning that he can be used a scout (especially useful in the Not From Around Here scenario).
Appearance in the campaign[]
Not From Around Here[]
The Folstag Flag Bearer first appears in Not From Around Here, the twenty-fourth scenario of the Fall of the Trident campaign. Skult meets the heroes in a canyon filled with Giants, as they travel through Midgard to pursuit Gargarensis, and he offers them a way to stop the local clans from infighting, long enough that they may convince them to fight back against the Giants and Gargarensis. He offers them with a flag that he claims to belong to his village, that can be used to draw their attention from fighting. A Huskarl immediately grabs the flag and the scenario begins.
Welcoming Committee[]
Flag Bearer is in Welcoming Committee, the twenty-fifth scenario of the Fall of the Trident campaign. After they manage to clear a boulder blockade and to escape from an enormous army of Giants, the heroes try to approach three clans that happen to fight with each other on top of a frozen lake. The Flag Bearer waves the flag, and indeed, manages to draw their attention. They cease fighting, with three Norse warriors, each from a prominent clan of the region, approaching him. Bewildered, they comment on King Folstag, and enraged, they quickly turn on the player.
In this scenario, the Flag Bearer also has in-game utility. The player must kill three enemy chieftains (represented by Hersirs), each inside a walled village. As they or their clansmen won't go on the offensive without provocation, the Flag Bearer must be used to lure them outside the walls, where they can be ambushed in the central hill. When a chieftain dies, their clansmen immediately join the player in recognition of the heroes' might.
Once this scenario is completed, Arkantos tries to ask Skult about the reason the infighting clansmen hated his flag, only for Skult (who turns out to be a form of the trickster god Loki) to burst into laughter, mock the heroes and scatter in the form of Ravens. After that, Reginleif, a Valkyrie heroine, arrives to explain to the heroes about Loki's manipulations; the flag belonged to Folstag, a Frost Giant warlord who terrorized the human inhabitants in the region. This was just one of many machinations of Loki, to keep the Norse scattered and fighting with each other.
Rampage[]
Flag Bearer makes a minor appearance in Rampage, the ninth scenario of The New Atlantis campaign. The Flag Bearer is seen walking next to King Folstag as he makes his way to Kastor to introduce himself. After King Folstag offers his help, the Flag Bearer starts walking East until he reaches the edge of the map and disappears.
Mythology[]
| “ | This Norseman carries the flag of Skult's village. Severed hands and eyes decorate the flag and on the whole it is quite gruesome. When asked abut the flag's grisly imagery Skult said, "Well the Norse are a violent people." The infamous raiding, or viking, that the Norse are known for started late in the 8th century AD, though it is likely that the raids started within their own waters before extending to England, Ireland and Europe. | ” |
| —In-game mythology section | ||
Trivia[]
- The Flag model used by the Bearers was originally slated for the Greek, Egyptian and Norse "General" hero units from 2001 alpha builds. After they were removed, the flag model found itself repurposed for the flag bearer.
- According to files in the Multiplayer Alpha, Folstag Flag Bearers used to be able to attack, however, the now cut model lacks a cape and uses a different unused flag texture.
- Ironically, this animation still exists to include in the file. However, he still has his alpha appearance.
- The Folstag Flag Bearer is one of four revivable heroes that cannot fight. The others are Athena, Skult, and the Golden Fleece. The latter is a semi-hero.
- Although the Folstag Banner Bearer is revivable and has regeneration, he has neither Hero Glow nor Hero Soul and the message "A Hero Has Fallen" when he falls.
- The Folstag Banner Bearer and Skult are the only revivable heroes that the player can kill.
Gallery[]
