A millennium ago, in the bloody battle that ended a lengthy rebellion, the forces of the deity Zaramoth faced a company of crusaders led by Azunai. As the god struck a mighty final blow through his foe's broken shield, the ground trembled. At that very moment, a supernatural energy was released, one so potent it consumed both the armies in a blinding, radiant cataclysm that extended for leagues across the Plain of Tears, leaving only a devastated wasteland as a reminder of the First Age of Man. Since that time, this magic flowed freely, spreading throughout the world. But now, driven by the clarion call of an ancient legacy, the tide has turned. At the scene of the long-ago battle, a new heir beckons, gaining strength with each day and drawing ever nearer to the renewal of a past age.

A generation ago, you vanquished a malevolence that threatened the realm of Ehb. However, such victories don't always endure. Evil may be bested, but it often returns anew or is simply replaced by another. So it is that in Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege II, you'll be called upon to employ both strength of arms and the forces of magic against a new threat posed by an emergent menace, an abomination a thousand years in the making. The fate of the Second Age of Man will be told in the action RPG sequel, which seeks to fuse its predecessor's strengths with intriguing new features like Hero Powers that can turn the tide of battles if used wisely. As the team prepares for the game to ship this month, we had the chance to question three members about some key elements.