Aion: Assault on Balaurea is the first expansion for the MMORPG Aion. It is a free expansion for existing users and relies on the same subscription system as the original game. It was however also sold in retail with a pack pet (Speckled Ailu) and one month of game time. Assault on Balaurea also replaces the original version of the game, both for new and existing users.
It expands the world established in the original Aion, expanding the storyline as the player characters war for their survival. The expansion is set in Balaurea, the homeland of the evil Balaur, a race of dragonlike beings bent on the destruction of the Elyos and Asmodians alike. Players assault and counterassault the Balaur and their allies and each other, capturing territory between their two fortresses: the Elyos’ Ingisson, and the Asmodian’s Gelkmaros. The expansion also adds new questlines for each race, new boss fights, new flight mechanics via “windstreams”, and functional pets that can assist with crafting and storage. The expansion also increases the level cap to level 55, allowing player characters to further increase their skills.