Lineage dark era arrives

NCsoft, the developer and publisher behind the globally successful Lineage online role-playing game, has announced the start of Lineage: Dark Conquest, a series of six new episodes that will be released over the next three years. The first episode, entitled "Light and Shadow," will be available on North American servers today.

Dark Conquest introduces a new character class, the dark elves, who have assassin abilities and can see in the dark. Dark elf characters start out in Silent Cavern, where they can create new items and weapons exclusive to the dark elf race. The episodes also introduce a new location, the Island of Dreams, which floats above Aden. Players can teleport to the island to find elixirs that can permanently increase stats, but they'll have to deal with new boss monsters aligned with the four elements.

Lineage has more than 3 million active subscribers worldwide, and it is free to download and play for the first 30 days. After the trial period, the monthly fee is $15 or $11.50 per month for a four-month package.