Magic & Mayhem

About Magic & Mayhem

Magic and Mayhem was designed by Gollop as the next incarnation of his successful Chaos video game concept, involving the same mythical wizard combat. Like in Chaos, the player assumes the role of a wizard that can cast spells and summon creatures in order to defeat the other wizards in the battle.

In the single-player campaign, the player assumes the role of Cornelius, a young magician who yearns to become his uncle Lucan's apprentice. He arrives at Lucan's home shortly after graduation from the Hermetic Academy and eager to begin his study, only to find his uncle gone and the home in ruins.

Magic and Mayhem is set in three mythological/historical realms; Albion, Greece and Avalon, covering Arthurian, Greek, and Celtic themes respectively. In the campaign, the player journeys their way through each realm in order, with map designs and terrain corresponding to the current realm. For example, maps set in Albion may include medieval gothic castles, whereas Greek maps contain classical mediterranean architecture.

Geographically, each realm is not strictly adherent to their historic counterparts; for instance, the "Greek" realm is modified slightly, with Colchis and Crete separated from Greece by only a thin stretch of ocean channel. Myths, such as Jason and the Golden Fleece, are also modified slightly, with Cornelius rather than Jason retrieving the artefact.

The game's introductory movie presents Cornelius as he visits his uncle's magical laboratory, only to find it in ruins. He deduces that something bad must have befallen the absent Lucan, as his flying machine is primed and ready for a trip. Cornelius decides to undertake the journey his uncle was planning. A raven, soon after introduced as Hermes, accompanies Cornelius from thereon throughout the game; Cornelius decides this must be Lucan's familiar.