The Kreegan

[MMXAlamar]

Summary of an entry on the Kreegan from a Might and Magic Lore Bible I'm working on. Everything here has been thoroughly researched.

Kreegan

Their origins and purpose shrouded in mystery, the Kreegan are devilish creatures from the stars with a society build as hive-mind. At the bottom of the Kreegan hierarchy are sheep-like, obedient workers and soldiers, and then there are the slightly more advanced unit commanders who are usually Devil Captains. At the top of the Kreegan hierarchy are the Queens, followed by the Kings, who are incredibly intelligent, highly educated, physically and magically powerful, free-thinking beings. For many millennia, ever since the Wire was severed, the Kreegan have been deadlocked in an intergalactic war with the Ancients. The Kreegan have been travelling across the void to the worlds seeded by the Ancients, and launching conquest campaigns to conquer and destroy their worlds. No one knows why they hate us so, but there are answers out there hidden in the depths of creation.

[ywhtptgtfo]

Hi Alamar, hows 420 Desire?

I suspect your description of Kreegan ecology is largely non-canon. If you want that to be your own MM10 canon, then that's fine. But it is, by no means, an NWC canon.

There is an important aspect you left out by the way, the Kreegans tend to suck out the resources of the worlds they conquered leaving swaths of wasteland behind. The all-consuming/destruction motif is usually accompanied with these entities.

[MMXAlamar]

Yeah, I intentionally exaggerated the ecology for kings and queens in Kreegan lore to differentiate them from the workers and soldiers. Maybe it's too far to say they're highly educated. The truth is their ecology is pretty much ant-like, but there are some intelligent Kreegan who have reached positions of power in the Kreegan societies on Enroth and Axeoth.

This article is really good for more info on the Ancients and Kreegan: http://heroesofmightandmagic.wikia.com/wiki/Kreegan

[Copper God]

I think it is worth to note that the main forces of kreegans are located in the Fiery Realm a.k.a. Kreegan Realm (mentioned in CoMM). Also possibly that kreegans are creations of the Creators and Elemental Lords.

[MMXAlamar]

I think it is worth to note that the main forces of kreegans are located in the Fiery Realm a.k.a. Kreegan Realm (mentioned in CoMM). Also possibly that kreegans are creations of the Creators and Elemental Lords.

Yeah you're right !! I have no clue where you get the Elemental Lords from though, I haven't played Heroes Chronicles. The Kreegan Realm is called the Fiery Realm, and I'm not sure if it has any connection with the Fiery Moon or not. The Fiery Realm is mentioned in Heroes 4 I believe, so there are connections to Axeoth. This is where Necros might be chillin?

[BoardGuest808888]

These be what I think about the Kreegans;

1. Their society wasn't really as hive-minded or ant-like as what you might thought. It only seems that way because once they appeared in Antagarich, no one have any real good idea about them, so they just assumed. Furthermore, the first armies the Erathian encountered were not actually the Kreegans themselves, but rather creatures subjected/controlled/in-alignment with them, thus the seemingly lack of freedom.

In Axeoth only, when more in-depth bio of various Kreegans/devils were revealed they are as free minded as anyone else, their ranks and files could rise and falter along with personal merit of their individuals (Surazee, Gargareen, Grok, etc).

When I compared the Kreegans with various alien races like found in Master of Orion, I can identify them better with the Sakkras (over-population, planet consuming, feudal, internecine) than the Klackons (hive-colony, highly efficient, no free-thought).

2. The Kreegans were admittedly regarded as 'advanced' in comparison to people in Antagarich by the Destroyer. However this didn't seem any indication of having more intelligence, education or magical prowess than say, an Erathian of similar stature. The 'advanced' thing might refer to something vastly different here.

3. While it had been noted by various characters in Antagarich/Axeoth that the Kreegans hate others, this didn't seems any real case. Again, some bio for the devils in H 4 gave revelations. This was only the point of view of humans/elves/native inhabitants of whatever world the Kreegans happened to be. Their waging wars after wars over everyone only because those being their easiest choice at any given time. They want to take the land, and war was the least costly option for them. Simple as that.

[GreatEmerald]

In Axeoth only, when more in-depth bio of various Kreegans/devils were revealed they are as free minded as anyone else, their ranks and files could rise and falter along with personal merit of their individuals (Surazee, Gargareen, Grok, etc).

2. The Kreegans were admittedly regarded as 'advanced' in comparison to people in Antagarich by the Destroyer. However this didn't seem any indication of having more intelligence, education or magical prowess than say, an Erathian of similar stature. The 'advanced' thing might refer to something vastly different here.

Are you sure they were Kreegans, and not just ordinary devils? They are quite different.

"Advanced" obviously refers to their technological prowess (starships, technology inside them, etc.) and that implies either intelligence or a good backing.

[XEL II]

They were the Kreegan. And they aren't really different, complexion is still the same shown in MM 6-7 and HoMM3. After all, Kreegans are hivemind, not identical copies. Individual devils don't look the same, just like humans and other races

[EnrothandErathia]

Did anyone else noticed the Kreegan from MM6 - MM7 were much more different thant those in Homm3? In Homm3 they were more like devils and in MM6 and MM7 like monkeys. And the Queen of the Kreegan in MM6 was like I can't even describe her. Anyway, I remember in Enroth when the Kreegan first arrived the people tought they were Devils. I wonder were there actual devils in the planet of Antagarich?

[Arret]

Well remember there were multiple types of devils (purple, green, red, yellow) in MM6-7 and only red ones (top level) in Heroes 3, and they wear armor in Heroes 3. It seems reasonable that in Heroes 3 you only control higher tier devils.

[GreatEmerald]

Also that's due to real life. MM players are used to aliens, HoMM players seem to be deathly afraid of them, so that's what you get.

[XEL II]

Did anyone else noticed the Kreegan from MM6 - MM7 were much more different thant those in Homm3?

Once again, not much more. Compare their complexion. The legs are virtually identical. The general body (limbs, body complexion, skin tones, etc.) structure is also the same. Glowing eyes, some of them burning when dying. Bodies sporting various spikes and horns. Their demonic look are also "in the same style", so to speak.

They are quite similar, and the difference between different in-game models (6 in MM6, 3-6 in MM7, 2 in HoMM3, 1 in HoMM4) of the Kreegan is basically just like that between different humans or different goblins, elves etc.

And in MM6-7 they aren't like monkeys, their moving animation only gives such a fleeting impression of it, and that's only in MM7.

[Avonu]

The Kreegan is a race of "space ants". They have castes and clans. Each caste has different purpose: workers, warriors, captains and masters... and leaders (and king and queen). Workers and warriors are simple creatures which do their jobs and don't ask questions. They even don't speak (I think that devils from HoMMs are just warriors - apart from characters in stories).
Captains, masters and leaders are more intelligent - they can write, speak and create plots. Lucifer Kreegan III and Xenofex were leaders (I assume that Xeron and Xex were masters or captains).
There was also another caste which MM6 describe as "upper echelon breed" (not name of them itself but I will use it anyway). These creature were immune to magic or normal weapon, only ancient weapon could harm them. They were guards for their queen. We never see them in games (well, winged devils from MM6 could be them but they are not immune to steel or magic ).
And yes, queen - her "job" was to "produce" more and more Kreegans, she didn't reign over the Kreegan - it was king job (Xenofex and later Lucifer). And she looks like Alien Queen from Aliens so you can guess how new Kreegans are birth.

Now about Fiery Moon. First I think that these devils from Heroes Chronicles weren't the Kreegan but other race. But even if they were the Kreegan, Fiery Moon from HC:FM or Fiery Realm from HIV wasn't Kreegans world/planet. They live cycle forces them to breed, consume worlds and their resources and then send spaceships to another planets to repeat this cycle. So these places from Heroes are just nameless planets which fell to Kreegan forces. They aren't origin of their race. They are just temporary strongholds which would be abandon when planets resources will deplayed.

[GreatEmerald]

But even if they were the Kreegan, Fiery Moon from HC:FM or Fiery Realm from HIV wasn't Kreegans world/planet.

We have a Corak situation here. The Fiery Realm is not the Kreegan planet, it's a Kreegan planet.

[MMXAlamar]

Isn't the Fiery Realm a dimension, not a planet?

Also the Queen only shows up in MM6, meaning that there is only one Queen per Kreegan fleet...and the devil kings probably place her above them, like a queen bee or ant, while their roles are different...

[XEL II]

-deleted-

[BoardGuest808888]

Are you sure they were Kreegans, and not just ordinary devils? They are quite different.

"Advanced" obviously refers to their technological prowess (starships, technology inside them, etc.) and that implies either intelligence or a good backing.

IIRC there be some devil who in his bio was said to keep a list of others need to be eliminated before their Kreegan empire can be restored somehow. Seems they be quite related here, devils in H 4 & the Kreegans.

Also It's unclear if their 'advanced' status means higher intelligence or somewhat. It seems the Kreegans heroes did not have that much advantage over their Erathian counterparts. They still need to rely upon allies such as warlocks, heretics, and other monsters like efreeti many of whom were non-Kreegans, and even that Xeron guy was consulting to some lost Erathian sage when constructing Armageddon's Blade. If their main advantage were their technology and intelligence, surely they wouldn't need to do that ? I mean, if u already have something like, laser-cannon tanks, do u still need to ally with those who fights with nothing but spears ?

[MMXAlamar]

@ BoardGuest808888

Even Kings and Queens in the mortal world have their advisers and sages.

[BoardGuest808888]

Does not automatically means they would intentionally always hear/do what them advisers got to say in the first place.

Regarding the Kreegans, this of course raise question as to how far their 'advanced' status actually extends ? I guess that wouldn't much, regarding intelligence etc. Otherwise, they wouldn't need others in the first place. After all, u'll only want advice from someone at least equal (or even better) than u, yes ?

[GreatEmerald]

Well, you should also not discount the effect of magic. People on Enroth can use it, some of them very effectively. And you can use laser cannons as much as you want, if there is a cleric casting raise dead all the time, you won't get all that far. The Kreegan numbers simply weren't enough to make a direct assault a viable approach. But being able to do things like casting meteor shower looks like something they can achieve via technology.