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''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the Heraldic Platform/PlayStation in 2001.

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''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the Heraldic Platform/PlayStation in 2001.
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''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the Heraldic Device/PlayStation in 2001.

to:

''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the Heraldic Device/PlayStation Platform/PlayStation in 2001.
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''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation in 2001.

to:

''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation Heraldic Device/PlayStation in 2001.
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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup


* DropTheHammer: The third weapon Melvin aquires is a war mace, which is swung vertically like a hammer. Later in the game, he gains a full-on war hammer, which is basically an upgraded version of the mace.

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* LizardFolk: The Shach are somewhere between this and {{Snake People}}, being generally reptilian humanoids characterized by a [[{{Sssssnaketalk}} hissing drawl at random points in their speech]]. Contrary to most portrayals of either fantasy species the Shach seem to embody, they are completely pacifistic and invariably engage in professional trade. Their culture seems to be semi-nomadic, as Melvin encounters several Shach going about their commerce business throughout Gothos, but they center around a subterranean town located on a volcano island, aptly called "Shachtown". Their facial features are mostly concealed by bags tied around their heads, which either serve cosmetic purposes in a world of distrustful humans or as respiratory aids away from their home climate.



* LizardFolk: The Shach are somewhere between this and {{Snake People}}, being generally reptilian humanoids characterized by a [[{{Sssssnaketalk}} hissing drawl at random points in their speech]]. Contrary to most portrayals of either fantasy species the Shach seem to embody, they are completely pacifistic and invariably engage in professional trade. Their culture seems to be semi-nomadic, as Melvin encounters several Shach going about their commerce business throughout Gothos, but they center around a subterranean town located on a volcano island, aptly called "Shachtown". Their facial features are mostly concealed by bags tied around their heads, which either serve cosmetic purposes in a world of distrustful humans or as respiratory aids away from their home climate.


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* OminousSavePrompt: Upon entering the arena of a boss, the game pops up the message "Something's wrong. Would you like to save now?". Considering that saving is not allowed in the actual fights, the offer is very much warranted.
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* ElementalPowers: Most of the spells learned throughout the game are elemental in nature.
** PlayingWithFire: The first spell is Fireball, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin which grants Melvin the ability to launch fireballs from his hand]].
** AnIcePerson: The second spell, Ice Claw, allows him to freeze his enemies solid.
** BlowYouAway: Viper's Vortex, the third spell, gives Mel [[TornadoMove the ability to summon a tornado]].
** ShockAndAwe: The spell Lightning is used by Mel to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin shoot lightning from his hand]].
** DishingOutDirt: The final spell is Earthquake, and Mel [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin uses it to cause earthquakes]].
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* FauxActionGirl: Talis ends up being one of these. The manual mentions her being [[SufferTheSlings a master of the sling]] and other weapons, and also having more developed mental faculties than Melvin does. She also does mention her sling in her introductory scene. Despite this, in the game itself, she's never seen using the sling or any other weapons, figuring out anything, or casting a spell, all of which Mel constantly does. While one could argue she did have some off screen action in the Canyon, she spends the majority of the final three worlds as a DamselInDistress, and after being rescued, stays out of the action regardless.
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* LizardFolk: The Shach are somewhere between this and {{Snake People}}, being generally reptilian humanoids characterized by a [[{{Sssssnaketalk}} hissing drawl at random points in their speech]]. Contrary to most portrayals of either fantasy species the Shach seem to embody, they are completely pacifistic and invariably engage in professional trade. Their culture seems to be semi-nomadic, as Melvin encounters several Shach going about their commerce business throughout Gothos, but they center around a subterranean town located on a volcano island, aptly called "Shachtown". Their facial features are mostly concealed by bags tied around their heads, which either serve cosmetic purposes in a world of distrustful humans or as respiratory aids away from their home climate.

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** There is also the gargantuan yet seemingly non-sapient Lindworm that is fought as the boss of the Volcano.]]

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** There [[spoiler:There is also the gargantuan yet seemingly non-sapient Lindworm that is fought as the boss of the Volcano.]]



* ShutUpHannibal: [[spoiler:Dagomar tries to bluff about having already subverted the shield generator to convince Melvin to give up, as well as mentioning his kidnapping of Talis. Mel responds by calling said bluff, and revealing that he had already rescued Talis while Dagomar was waiting in the Ruins, before declaring himself as the [[TitleDrop TechnoMage who will complete the Return of Eternity]], and offering Dagomar one last chance at mercy]].



* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Dagomar is]] first introduced as a mentor for Melvin, revealing what Melvin's heritage means and providing helpful items. He eventually turns out to be [[spoiler:the traitor from the past and]] the BigBad of the game.

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* TitleDrop: Throughout the latter half of the game, the [=TechnoMage=] title is used to refer to Melvin quite a few times, and books explain the process known as the Return of Eternity. Right before the final battle, both parts are dropped in quick succession, as Melvin declares himself to be the [=TechnoMage=] and states his intention to complete the Return of Eternity.
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Dagomar is]] first introduced as a mentor for Melvin, revealing what Melvin's heritage means and providing helpful items. He eventually turns out to be [[spoiler:the traitor from the past and]] the BigBad of the game.game.
* WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:Dagomar tries to offer this to Melvin. Melvin shoots it down instantly, not seeing any reason to trust him]].
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* BlackBlood: Most of the blood seen when an attack lands is green, even for humans and other creatures that should have red blood.


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* MagicIsRareHealthIsCheap: Zigzagged, mana potions are rarer than health potions, and Melvin does have much less mana points than hit points, but once the mysticism stat reaches 7 (something that can be achieved in four level ups minimum, seven maximum), Melvin will gain the power of RegeneratingMana, which makes it a lot easier to rely on spells, especially since the rate of regeneration will increase with each point in the stat.

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* {{Dracolich}}: At the top of the Tower, Melvin fights a skeletal dragon that breaths {{Cold Flames}}, as evidenced by a [[HumanPopsicle frozen dragon of flesh and blood]] at the back of the battleground. [[spoiler: The extensive background information the player can read in the in-game library of this level identify the victim as the good-natured Ar-Khan and the adversary as the traitorous Yor-Khan.]]



* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:The boss of the Canyon is a bizarre, spherical, floating machine with four blue "eyes" [[AmbiguousSituation (lenses?)]] that [[UncannyValley ''blink'']], along with [[MultiarmedAndDangerous four arms]] (three raptor-like claws connected via [[ShockAndAwe electrical tethers]] and [[FireBreathingWeapon one industrial flamethrower on a mechanical appendage]]). It constantly spews damage-inducing gears and is eventually reduced to a robotic disk before its destruction. [[NothingIsScarier Nothing ever hints at the nature of this thing]] (nor the {{HoverBoard}} that even allows Melvin to fight it in the mines) nor is it mentioned afterwards. With that being said, it is all but obvious to be one of the more active remnants of [[{{Precursors}} OldOne]] machinery.]]

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* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:The boss of the Canyon level is a bizarre, spherical, floating machine with four blue "eyes" [[AmbiguousSituation (lenses?)]] eye-like lenses that [[UncannyValley ''blink'']], blink]], along with [[MultiarmedAndDangerous four arms]] (three raptor-like claws connected via [[ShockAndAwe electrical tethers]] and [[FireBreathingWeapon one industrial flamethrower on a mechanical appendage]]). It constantly spews damage-inducing gears and is eventually reduced to a robotic disk before its destruction. [[NothingIsScarier Nothing ever hints at the nature or origins of this thing]] (nor (just like the {{HoverBoard}} that {{Hover Board}} which even allows Melvin to fight it in the mines) nor is it ever mentioned afterwards. With that being said, its location and looks strongly imply it is all but obvious to be one of the a more active remnants remnant of [[{{Precursors}} OldOne]] machinery.]]


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* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The game takes the route of intelligent and speaking quadrupeds with extra wings. [[spoiler:Their morality is as divided as that of the human beings in the setting, as portrayed by the benign Ar-Khan and the evil Yor-Khan. A third dragon called Yar-Khan is mentioned in the in-game lore, but since he was killed by the aforementioned evil dragon before the events of the game, [[PosthumousCharacter he is never seen]].]]
** There is also the gargantuan yet seemingly non-sapient Lindworm that is fought as the boss of the Volcano.]]
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* InterchangeableAntimatterKeys: There are four types of locks and keys in the game, steel, copper, silver, and gold, with each lock type responding only to a key of the same metal. The game itself is structured so there’s only one relevant lock/key combination of any given type at one time, but SequenceBreaking shows that they are treated as interchangeable for that type. (As one example, the speedrun route collects the gold key in Steamertown, but bypasses the gold lock there in order to use the key in the Fairy Forest, thereby skipping the quest to get that world’s gold key)
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* ChargedAttack: Once the Mysticism stat reaches 21, holding the attack key allows this to be done with melee weapons, with mana being expended to power the charge until releasing the key to launch the attack itself. The dagger and sword [[SwordBeam fire a projectile]], while other melee weapons are slammed down to cause a shockwave.


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* LifeDrain: The final skill unlocked by Mysticism, when the stat is at 28, is to have Melvin regain health when hitting an enemy, the menu itself outright saying that he’s draining their life energy.


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* SwordBeam: The dagger and sword can launch one of these when the ChargedAttack is unlocked.
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* AmphibianAtLarge: The Fairy Forest is poisoned by what is eventually revealed to be a gigantic frog or toad, [[WalkingWasteland which is battled on an island in a particularly infested swamp]]. [[NoOntologicalInertia Killing it heals the forest immediately]].


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* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:The boss of the Canyon is a bizarre, spherical, floating machine with four blue "eyes" [[AmbiguousSituation (lenses?)]] that [[UncannyValley ''blink'']], along with [[MultiarmedAndDangerous four arms]] (three raptor-like claws connected via [[ShockAndAwe electrical tethers]] and [[FireBreathingWeapon one industrial flamethrower on a mechanical appendage]]). It constantly spews damage-inducing gears and is eventually reduced to a robotic disk before its destruction. [[NothingIsScarier Nothing ever hints at the nature of this thing]] (nor the {{HoverBoard}} that even allows Melvin to fight it in the mines) nor is it mentioned afterwards. With that being said, it is all but obvious to be one of the more active remnants of [[{{Precursors}} OldOne]] machinery.]]
* GiantSpider: At the end of the [[BeneathTheEarth Hive]], Melvin encounters such a specimen, [[ThresholdGuardian which he needs to kill in order to proceed to the next level]].


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* RodentsOfUnusualSize: The very first enemies of the game are [[YouDirtyRat aggressive rats]] which plague Dreamertown. Melvin eliminates the horde by tracking the source to the basement of his Uncle Rissen, [[spoiler: where he fights and defeats a [[DireBeast man-sized]], [[DarkIsEvil black-furred]], [[RedEyesTakeWarning red-eyed]] {{Monster Progenitor}} called the [[MotherOfAThousandYoung "Mother Rat"]].]]
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* BenevolentPrecursors: [[spoiler:The [=OldOnes=] used to be a proud civilization in the distant past, before their inadvertently self-imposed collapse. Unlike most examples of fallen {{Precursors}}, however, they actively used their power to protect the world, by forming a shield around Gothos to ward off the evils from the underworld. Judging by the various remnants of their existence Melvin discovers during his adventure, [[{{Pride}} their only sin can be considered hubris]].]]


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* ElvesVersusDwarves: Though arguably short of outright racism, the passive conflict between the pointy-eared, light-skinned, slender-bodied magic-users (Dreamers) and the swarthy, squat, corpulent engineers (Steamers) has noticeable shades of this. [[spoiler:Ironically, these two humble cultures used to be a single civilization in the first place, before the aversion to magic-technology fusions resulting from their fall led to a distinguished co-evolution into the two polarised peoples we see in the present day.]]


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* MagicVersusScience: The initial premise of the game revolves around the outspoken yet ultimately harmless enmity between the magical Dreamers and the scientific Steamers. [[spoiler:This rivalry turns out to be the subconscious segregation resulting from a not-so-harmless implosion of a {{Precursor}} civilization, brought about by their tampering with a mixture of magic and technology which eventually spiraled out of control.]]
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''[=TechnoMage=]: Return of Eternity'' is an ActionRPG by German developer Sunflowers Interactive that was released on PC in 2000, and later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation in 2001.

The game takes place in the world of Gothos, a fantasy world that overcame a war against evil many centuries ago, at the cost of the [=OldOnes=], an ancient race of humans, becoming divided between two races, a group of magic users called the Dreamers, and a group who believe in the power of technology known as the Steamers. The two races chose to minimalise interaction with each other, due to a belief that the mixing of magic with technology is dangerous.

The game has you take control of Melvin, the son of a Steamer-Dreamer couple, a union that is traditionally prohibited. Melvin grew up in Dreamertown with his mother, taking lessons in herbalism from Rissen, his druid uncle. Due to a disaster, Melvin soon finds himself embarking on a journey across Gothos, and ends up fighting with the forces of evil across the world, meeting Talis, a girl born of a similar union to his own parents, and learning the truth of the past along the way.

The gameplay is done from a top-down perspective, not unlike ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series, with 3D environments mixed with 2D sprites. Weapons and spells are the primary way to combat with enemies, along with tools for utility purposes and defensive equipment to help withstand enemy attacks. Across the eight worlds of Gothos, gameplay features combat with various enemies, meeting various [=NPC=]s and helping them out, and solving puzzles scattered throughout.
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!![=TechnoMage=] contains examples of:
* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Throughout Gothos, silver runes can be seen in the locales. If Melvin falls from a great height or into a BottomlessPit, he'll respawn at the rune he most recently touched.
* ArrowsOnFire: Played straight and inverted. Early into the Tower, Melvin finds a set of fire and water arrows, which can inflict extra damage, unless hitting a foe that resists it.
* CartoonBomb: The bomb tool is the classic black ball with fuse, though the popular writing on the side is replaced with a picture of a skull.
* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Both Melvin and Talis are both children of Steamer and Dreamer couples, two races that are forbidden to marry due to the FantasticRacism between them.
* DamselInDistress: Talis falls victim to this twice. At the start of the Tower, a bridge collapses under her, leaving her trapped in a ravine until Melvin [[spoiler:frees Ar-Khan]] and heads to her rescue. Early into the Volcano, [[spoiler:Dagomar shows up to kidnap her, planning to use her to activate the shield generator. Melvin is able to rescue her just outside TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon]].
* DropTheHammer: The third weapon Melvin aquires is a war mace, which is swung vertically like a hammer. Later in the game, he gains a full-on war hammer, which is basically an upgraded version of the mace.
* FallDamage: Played with, while falling great heights is an obstacle in the game, it doesn't actually cause damage and simply sends you back to the last silver rune.
* HalfBreedDiscrimination: In Dreamertown, some characters will make comments on Melvin's mixed race status, and a book in the library says that Steamer-Dreamer children are believed to become agents of evil. After a messenger from Steamertown discusses the damage the earthquake inflicted there, the Dreamers are quick to turn Mel into their scapegoat, which leads to him leaving town. Talis' parents chose to live in the remote Canyon so that their daughter wouldn't suffer from this sort of treatment.
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: Quite a lot of Dreamertown has this sort of tutorial dialogue. Mel's first line in the game has him telling you that you can advance dialogue with the "action button", and turn the camera with the "appropriate buttons". The chairman of the council tells Mel that the councillers can assist him with "the operation of the game", and Danny's quest ends with him saying he's rewarding Mel with experience points. Early spells and tools will also be introduced by the character granting them saying to use the "spell button" and "tool button" respectively.
* InterfaceSpoiler: [[spoiler:The visions of the shield generator show it's powered by]] four Crystals of Eternity, and Melvin assumes he has them all once he collects the fourth one. The inventory however shows an empty slot in the area the Crytals are displayed, spoiling the existence of a fifth Crystal.
* MacGuffinDeliveryService: [[spoiler:Dagomar intends to use the Crystals of Eternity to TakeOverTheWorld, and allows Melvin to collect them with the plan of stealng them afterwards. Part of the reason he kidnaps Talis is to lure Mel to the Ruins and take the Crystals before he can use them to power the shield generator]].
* MagicKnight: Melvin develops into this over the course of the game, coming to wield a variety of weapons and having access to an assortment of magic spells.
* {{Magitek}}: [[spoiler:The [=OldOnes=] used a combination of magic and technology together, most noticably being the usage of enchanted magma to power a machine that generates a magical shield to protect Gothos from the forces of the underworld]].
* PlotCoupon: The Crystals of Eternity are collected throughout the game, [[spoiler:giving Melvin visions about their purpose, which is to power a shield generator created by the [=OldOnes=], except for the final crystal, which was used to imprison Dagomar in a stasis field]]. The final battle has Mel put the crystals back in their place [[spoiler:to reactivate the shield generator and imprison Dagomar again]].
* SdrawkcabAlias: As Melvin starts to learn more about the past, [[spoiler:including the war that Dagomar fought in, it's revealed there was a traitor named Ramogad, who is soon revealed to be Dagomar himself]].
* SufferTheSlings: Talis mentions that she fights with a sling in her introduction, though she's never seen wielding it on screen.
* {{Steampunk}}: The Steamers are a race that are effectively all about this, with Steamertown having steam pipes running through the town, powering up their machines.
* SwordLines: Melee weapons leave a white trail when swung.
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The Ruins are the final area visited, and are said in the manual to be an area steeped in legend, with it being said whoever finds them will gain immeasurable power.
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Dagomar is]] first introduced as a mentor for Melvin, revealing what Melvin's heritage means and providing helpful items. He eventually turns out to be [[spoiler:the traitor from the past and]] the BigBad of the game.

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