CampaignDialogue:UTBS

This is a transcription of all dialogue from Under the Burning Suns. It is meant as a resource for Wesnoth writers. If you don't want spoilers, leave this page now.

Death Dialogue

Kaleh

Kaleh: I'm too young to die. What will happen to my people?

Final Battle

Kaleh: To die on the cusp of victory. Oh the irony!

Nym

Nym: Save me, Kaleh, I'm dying...

Zhul

Zhul: Eloh protect us, I have fallen.

Garak

Garak: Aaaargh! Curse you!

Dwarf Ally

Ally: I go now to join my forefathers...

Dwarf Ally (Final Battle)

Ally: By Moradin, I have fallen!

Troll Ally

Ally: No, (ally) can't die now!

Ally must live

Kaleh: Without his guidance, how can we escape from these infernal caves? We are lost without him!

Ally can die

Kaleh: He was a brave warrior and a true ally. He will be missed.

Esanoo

Esanoo: Farewell Nym, I go to the sea god. You elves must go on without me.

Nym: Farewell Esanoo. You were my favorite of the merfolk.

Kromph

Kromph: Aaauurrrgghhh!!!

Elyssa

Elyssa: This can't be the end, I have too much left to see.

Kaleh: How could we have let her die? I've never seen fire magic like that before. She will be sorely missed.

Scenario 1: The Morning After

Story Text

Note: This campaign is probably not appropriate for beginners. It changes certain Wesnoth standards, such as the elves' stats and the day/night cycle. This campaign emphasizes role-playing elements and tends to have longer scenarios with objectives that change in the middle. For these reasons, we strongly suggest that you occasionally save your game mid-scenario, so you won't lose all your progress if you get stuck and have to start over.

This is the chronicle of the journey of the Quenoth elves from their homeland in the Great Southern Desert. I write this story so that our descendants may know of our travels, remember the sacrifices we made, and profit from the hard lessons we learned.

Chapter 1: I, Kaleh, grew up amid the shifting sands, under our two suns Sela and Naia. It was a land of hot dry days and cold nights, of roaming horrors, where water was more valuable than gold. We had lived among the sands ever since the forests fell uncounted years ago. It was a hard and savage land, but we were tougher still, and we managed to survive settled around a rare oasis. We had heavily fortified our village against marauders and were the largest encampment we knew of. My uncle, Tanuil, led us for many years, and trained us to be self-sufficient and strong against all enemies. A people struggling in an ocean of sand, we thought we were ready for anything. All that changed one fateful night, when the sky rained fire...

I remember that night as if it were yesterday. I was not prone to dreaming, but as I slept I had a strange vision. I didn't have long to ponder it though, because I was woken in the dark by the sound of deafening crashes, splintering wood and shouting elves. That night the sky rained flaming rocks, boulders bigger than you could imagine. They smote the landscape like lightning bolts, setting fire to whatever could burn and crushing houses, walls, and elves. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go for protection. I was terribly afraid, and I thought that if I tried to flee I would be smashed, so I hid and prayed to Eloh. I had never prayed before as fervently as I did that night. I heard cries and screams outside, but I could not force myself to move. Eventually the thin yellow tendrils of a sickly dawn stole over the horizon, as if Naia herself were shocked by the devastation she saw.

Introductory Dialogue

Nym: Hey Kaleh, are you in there?

Kaleh: Nym, is that you?

Nym: Yes, come on out already. The storm has passed. With the morning light Naia has ended the terrible night.

Kaleh Has the sky really stopped falling?

Nym: I already told you, the sky is clear and empty. Now come quickly, silly, others may need our help.

Kaleh: What's happened? Oh Eloh, the craters are everywhere, everything is gone, ruined. I can hardly recognize our village. I didn't think it could be this bad.

Nym: C'mon Kaleh, we have to go see if anyone is hurt or needs help. I think I hear people calling from the south. Now is not a time for fear, we must be strong. After all you are the nephew of Tanuil, our leader, and you must answer to the call of duty. Perhaps in the light of day things won't be as bad as you think. Let's explore the village and see who else has survived the night.

Kaleh: Wait, our keep is just to the east. Our leader Tanuil must surely be recruiting others to help deal with the devastation. Perhaps we should go to the keep, before we explore the rest of the village.

Kaleh and Nym See the Ruined Keep

Kaleh: Tanuil's keep, our beautiful fortress, it is destroyed. How will we summon our people to battle?

Nym: We must rally those survivors we can find amidst the rubble. It doesn't look like anyone survived, but at least we can thank Eloh it was a quick death. But come on, we can't dwell on the dead, we must help the living.

Kaleh: But if Tanuil is dead, who will lead us?

Nym: That's a question for another time. Let's keep exploring the wreckage.

Rescued Elves North

Vecnu: Kaleh, Nym, help us!

Nym: What in Uria's name is that?

Vecnu: They came with the stones that fell from the sky. I know not what they are, but more seem to be emerging from the craters. If we don't stop them there will be nothing left of our village or our people.

Kaleh: To battle, my friends! There are still those left who can fight. (only if mudcrawlers had nor been seen before)

Kaleh: There are more of our people fighting the mud monsters!

Nym: Then let's join the battle!

More Mudcrawlers are Seen

Kaleh More of these muddy crawlies, let's get rid of them with haste.

Training Ground Encounter

Moved Unit: This is our training ground. And look, there is Garak, the captain of the guard. He and his fighters have survived the night!

Mudcrawlers haven't been seen before

Garak: Kaleh, Nym, help us!

Nym: What in Uria's name is that?

Garak: They came with the stones that fell from the sky. I know not what they are, but more seem to be emerging from the craters. If we don't stop them there will be nothing left of our village or our people.

Kaleh: To battle, my friends! There are still those left who can fight.

Mudcrawlers have been seen before

Kaleh: But they are fighting many mud creatures. Quick, we must help them!

All training ground mudcrawlers die

Killing Unit: Ha! They're destroyed at last.

Garak: Thanks for the help. I am glad to see that so many have survived the night. But there's no time to talk, we must save the rest of our people and crush any other of these earthen abominations back into the earth.

Approaching the Bridge

Kaleh: This bridge leads to the holy island at the center of our lake.

Nym: Hmmmm. Some of the druids that worship on the island may still be alive. We should go check.

Kaleh: Be careful. The bridge is broken, so we'll have to wade through the shallow water.

Finding the Druids

Kaleh The great tree! It has been buried under the rocks. Our most holy sanctuary, defiled. Oh, Eloh, what shall we do?

Nym: Is anyone still alive?

Zhul: Finally! We were worried that no one else had survived.

Nym: Mother priestess, are you all right?

Zhul: There's no time to stand on ceremony. I'm fine. I'm afraid only a few of us survived, but we will lend you what skills we have. Show me to those who need healing.

Kaleh: But the great tree, it has been destroyed!

Zhul: All things of this world come to an end, but the power of Eloh endures. A new one shall grow in its place. Come now, let us see to the needs of our people.

Lake monster is seen

Narrator: The water of the lake suddenly goes dark and unsettled, only to erupt in a swarm of tentacles in the moment that the first elf put a foot outside the island.

Nym: What in Uria's name is that?

Zhul: I felt a great darkness in this lake, but I knew not what it was. The falling rocks must have woken it from its sleep.

Kaleh: Protect the priestesses, we shall send this monstrosity back to the depths it came from!

The Elves Approach the Stables

Kaleh: These fields seem strangely vacant. Where are the horses?

Nym: Maybe they're hiding in the stables. Let's go check.

First Elf is Discovered

Moved Unit: Hey, Nisa, the rocks have stopped falling. You can come out now!

Nisa: Oh, thank Eloh, I thought they would never stop.

Second Elf is Discovered

Naru: Is it safe to come out? I was so scared.

Kaleh: Where are all the other horses?

Naru: A hunting party left just yesterday, so unless the rocks fell all over the land, many of the horses have probably survived. The few that remained here were scared by the falling rocks and fled into the night. It took all my skill to calm Yasi and keep him from running.

Kaleh: We'll need your help in checking to see if the outer settlements survived. Who knows what kinds of damage they suffered in the night? And perhaps some of the people out in the desert have been able to round up some of the loose horses.

Nym: We can only hope that hunting party returns soon.

Elves find the encampment with survivors

If there are survivors

Moved Unit: Oh good, some elves have survived in this outer settlement. They've agreed to help us search for other survivors.

If there are no survivors

Moved Unit: The encampment is empty. I wonder what happened to the inhabitants?

If the undead have captured it

Moved Unit: This encampment has been abandoned. There are signs of a struggle and a few bloodstains but nothing else. I fear for those elves who lived out here.

Dark Sorcerer is revealed

Xanthos: This place reeks of death, I could smell it from miles away. Oh, how I love it, it is the smell of power, the inevitable triumph of death over life. Puny elves, I shall use the corpses of your families to create an army of undead! All shall bow down before Xanthos the Necromancer!

Nym: His timing couldn't be worse. I know that undead cultists often prey on small targets, but they haven't had the guts to attack us for years. Why has Eloh heaped so much misfortune upon us?

Zhul: Have some more faith, girl, the goddess does not send us more than we can handle. With Eloh's grace we shall yet triumph over this pretender.

Garak: Bah, I've fought these dark cultists before. They can be killed just like anyone else, and our elvish hunters can easily defeat their skeleton armies.

Kaleh: I have heard of your kind, foul necromancer. You travel the sands, daring to bring back and enslave those who have passed on. But we will prove to you that death is not all-powerful. You shall not desecrate the bodies of my kith and kin! You shall learn to fear the wrath of Eloh and the Quenoth elves!

Sorcerer dies

Not all of the elves have been rescued

Kaleh: The necromancer is dead, but I don't think we've explored the entire village. There may still be elves that need rescuing. We should go back and check.

All of the elves have been rescued

Kaleh: We've explored the village and I think we've rescued the last of the survivors.

Elves spawn the Dark Sorcerer

Moved Unit: Some of our people felt crowded in the village, and wanted to live out on the open sands. They thought they could flee to the safety of our walls if danger came. I shudder to imagine what may have become of them.

Xanthos: This place reeks of death, I could smell it from miles away. Oh, how I love it, it is the smell of power, the inevitable triumph of death over life. Puny elves, I shall use the corpses of your families to create an army of undead! All shall bow down before Xanthos the Necromancer!

Nym: His timing couldn't be worse. I know that undead cultists often prey on small targets, but they haven't had the guts to attack us for years. Why has Eloh heaped so much misfortune upon us?

Zhul: Have some more faith, girl, the goddess does not send us more than we can handle. With Eloh's grace we shall yet triumph over this pretender.

Garak: Bah, I've fought these dark cultists before. They can be killed just like anyone else, and our elvish hunters can easily defeat their skeleton armies.

Kaleh: I have heard of your kind, foul necromancer. You travel the sands, daring to bring back and enslave those who have passed on. But we will prove to you that death is not all-powerful. You shall not desecrate the bodies of my kith and kin! You shall learn to fear the wrath of Eloh and the Quenoth elves!

Elvish hunting party appears (turn 16)

Pythos: Hail, is anyone still alive?

Kaleh: Yes, and we could certainly use your help. A necromancer has been attacking us, he intends to use our fallen comrades as fodder for his evil magics. Where have you been?

Pythos: We were out far in the sands, searching for prey and roaming orcs. As soon as we saw the rock storm we raced back as fast as we could. I only wish we could have come sooner.

Nym: No use crying over spilt water. But we're sure glad you're here now.

Victory Dialogue

Nym: It seems that we finally have some peace. But what do we do now?

Garak: Where is Tanuil and his family?

Kaleh: The keep has been crushed by the rocks. We could find no survivors.

Zhul: Too many have died this night.

Nym: Our village is in ruins. The walls that were built by our ancestors over generations have been demolished in a space of hours. Most of our dwellings are destroyed. And the great tree itself is no more. One thing is obvious, we cannot stay here.

Garak: You are a fool to despair. This has always been our home. The water here is good, we know this land. We can rebuild; Eloh willing, we can thrive again.

Nym: Think for a moment. Who else has seen the rock storm? What other foes are coming to pick over the remains of our people? There is no mercy in the desert, and we have many enemies who would seek to gain in our time of weakness.

Garak: Impudent girl, you should not speak so to your elders, or to your betters.

Nym: I have a right to speak my mind!

Zhul Peace, please calm yourselves. In chaos there is nothing but death and destruction. Even in this time of trial we must show our fortitude, and follow our laws. Without laws we are like beasts in the desert, fighting over scraps of meat. Among the survivors Kaleh is by heritage the closest relative to Tanuil and thus our leader. What say you Kaleh?

Kaleh: Last night, before the rock storm, I heard a voice in my sleep. It sounded like sweet music, and somehow I knew it was Eloh. I still remember her exact words: 'You must be strong, young elf, for you enter a time of peril. The home you know will be destroyed, and you must lead your people to a new land. To the north you will find salvation and peace. Cross the desert and head to the mountains. Fear not, for I will guide you and protect you.' I'm not sure why I'm the one she chose to appeal to, but if this is her will, I will see it done. Our home is gone and the desert is a harsh place. If Eloh has prepared a new home for us, then I will lead us there.

Garak: I fear what dangers lurk in the harsh sands and beyond to the north, but because you are our leader, I will follow where you go.

Zhul: Then let us collect what supplies we can from the wreckage and head north with great haste. Our home is protection no longer, we must find a new haven for our people.

Nym: What about the bodies of the dead? We can't leave them to be torn by crows or desecrated by other dark mages.

Kaleh: I agree, we should not forget our dead. We should build a huge pyre and burn them with proper ceremony, so that the smoke may carry them on to the next realm.

Zhul: Kaleh, I don't want to tarry longer than necessary, but I agree that we must see to the dead before we leave. Garak, you and your men start collecting our dead. Nym, help me find oil and wood so that we may build a pyre.

Narrator: And so it was done. The dead were laid reverently on top of what little wood we could find. But the fire was big enough to burn the bodies to ashes and speed their souls to the hereafter. I remember at the time that the death of so many of our people was not the best omen for the start of such a large journey. They were the first of our people to die in this great endeavor, but they were to be far from the last.

Time Over

Kaleh: What's that to the north? It looks like even more undead! The rock storm must have attracted other necromancers. There's no way we can defeat them all. We've run out of time. There's no escape. Eloh save us!

Scenario 2: Across the Harsh Sands

Story Text

Chapter 2: When I was fifteen I went on my first raid, against an orcish incursion to the west. A large band of orcs under some new banner had come out of the northern foothills and were rampaging across the sands, killing anything they could get their filthy hands on.

Sneaking amongst the dunes we crept up to their camp and ambushed them at dawn. To a young boy the fighting was overwhelming: crashing blades, blood, battle cries, friend and foe struggling back and forth. The orcs rallied around their leader, their greater numbers countering our superior skill at combat. It was my father who finally fought his way to the foul orc leader and slew him on the bloodstained sand. The surviving orcs broke and fled from the battlefield, to be hunted down and slain as individuals and small groups by our trackers. It seemed a glorious victory, and I hardly noticed our elven brethren lying dead in the sand.

I was giddy on the journey back home, my heart pumping with elation and pride. I had fought my first battle; now I was a man like my father. Then one night during the long dark a harsh wind came up, moaning and howling around our tents. By dawn it had only gotten worse; I wondered if some dark god was trying to avenge the massacre of the orcs. I'd seen sandstorms before, but I had never experienced one like this. I hid in my tent praying to Eloh as if my life depended on it. The air grew thick with sand, and everything grew dark and hazy...

The next thing I remember, someone was bending over me shaking me awake. I was half buried in sand, and I felt weak but alive. Our equipment was scattered across the dunes or buried in the sand. Looking around I only saw a few of my companions, who were digging in the sand, fervently hoping to find other survivors. I dug furiously at the sand with my bare hands and yelled until I was hoarse, but try as I might, I could not find my father. They told me he had been swallowed by the sand, but I would not be consoled. In one instant my world crumbled; I never looked at the sands quite the same way again. I learned that day that the desert can be fickle and fierce, and death is always lurking just over the horizon.

Now I journeyed out again across the sands, but this time it was not just myself, but my entire people that I had to protect. They were depending on my judgment, and I was only too aware of the weight on my narrow shoulders. Thinking of the last time we had gone out in force, I made a silent prayer to my father to watch over us. There was nowhere to go but north.

Introductory Dialogue

Garak: Do you see that brown spot sticking up on the northern horizon? That's Pinnacle Rock. It's the highest land for miles around, and has a spring at its base, or did the last time I camped there. If we make it to Pinnacle Rock we will be just a few miles from the edge of the mountains.

But between here and there is a particularly barren stretch of the sands, with only a few oases and watering holes. Luckily I think there used to be an old caravan route leading north, which went from oasis to oasis. The oases aren't easy to find but occasionally the sands blow away, revealing old stone roads that lead from oasis to oasis. Once the path must have formed a great thoroughfare for commerce.

Zhul: I believe that there was once a great empire in these lands, long ago, before the sands came.

Garak: I've seen the ancient remains of stone castles and markers in the sands. The paths of the ancients may serve us yet again. If we follow the paths from oasis to oasis, we may be able to survive the thirst and heat of the desert. But there are worse dangers in these sands than thirst, we must be wary and scout our way carefully.

Nym: Unfortunately, because of our hasty flight from our village, we are short on water-skins and rations. We'll have enough if we move quickly and eat as little as possible, but we won't last long in the wastes if we can't find more sources of water. As it is, between the heat of the day and the cold of the night, this journey will be hard on our people.

Narrator: During the daytime (Dawn, Morning, Mid-day, Afternoon, and Dusk) at the beginning of each your turns, every unit in a sand, road, rubble or sand dune hex will suffer from thirst. Each turn of thirst reduces a unit's attack damage and causes $dehydration_loss hitpoints of damage. Only by being cared for by a healer or refreshing at an oasis (any shallow water hex) at the start of your turn will your units regain full attack strength.

Nym: Kaleh, be careful you don't recruit too many guards to go with us. I doubt we're going to find any other villages out in the sands, so the income that we have right now is all we're going to get. Remember that as our people get more experienced they often require more support, so we don't want to run out of supplies halfway across the desert.

Kaleh: Well, the sooner we reach Pinnacle Rock, the better. Onwards!

Scorpions are seen

If a scout has seen them

Moved Scout: Wait. I think I spotted something ahead of us...

Kaleh: What? I don't see a thing.

Moved Unit: See that shining speckles ahead? Scorpions. Large. Whole nest of them.

Garak: Do you want us to fight? We can still avoid them, but they are between us and the next oasis.

If a non-scout sees them

Moved Unit: Scorpions! We must have stumbled across a nest of them.

Scorpion death event

Kaleh: The scorpions were devouring some poor person's body. There doesn't seem to be much of him or her left, but wait...what's this? It looks like a tiny gold ring. I think I see elvish runes on the inside, but I can barely make them out. This seems to be a ring of travel! Those who wear it will not suffer from thirst or hunger, nor cold, nor heat. I've heard tales of such magical items, and we can certainly use it now.

Narrator: One unit wearing this ring is immune to any damage caused during the day by the heat of the desert.

Second oasis approached

Moved Unit: Look, an oasis! Its refreshing water will allow our people to regain strength and rest safely on the grass during the heat of the day.

Ogres seen by a scout

Moved Scout: Shh... Ogres ahead. Behind that dune there, we have to pass them if we want to reach the next oasis.

Ogre confrontation

Already seen by a scout

Ogre: Fresh meat!

Not having been seen by a scout

Kaleh: Ogre ambush!

Ogre: Fresh meat!

Moved Unit: Ugh, they smell as bad as they look. And they're huge! Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Ogre boss is killed

Kaleh: That's the last of them. This looks like a hunting party, they must have a camp around here somewhere.

Nym: Hey! Look there, they dropped something... A stone bottle, sealed. I wonder what's inside...

Zhul: Nym! No! Don't open...

Nym: Too late. And it's just sand inside. Not worth... Whoa! What's happening?!

Garak: It's a dust devil, but I have never seen one so small before.

Kaleh: It seems to like you, looks like you just got yourself a pet.

Zhul: Girl, I told you not to open it. Let's go, I'd really like to get to an oasis soon.

Elves advance near to the bandit patrol

Thug: And I thought it was going to be another boring patrol. You there! Elf! This is our oasis, and we will water it with your blood!

Kaleh: We need that water, and if we have to go through you to get it, so be it.

Elves advance very near to the bandit patrol

Black Lieutenant: We don't know who you are, and we don't much care. Tremble before the might of the Black Hand!

Kaleh: We need that water, and if we have to go through you to get it, so be it.

Elves encounter Elyssa and the undead

Elyssa: Back, you fiends! Or I'll kill you a second time!

Go'Hag: You have defied our master for the last time. Now you shall die! And I shall personally make it slow and painful, to thank you for that scorching you gave me.

You have defied our master for the last time. Now you shall die!

Elyssa: Stupid undead, they never listen. Then have a taste of my flame!

Kaleh: She looks like she's in trouble. We should help her.

Last of the undead die

Elyssa is alive

Nym: Whew! Looks like that's the last of them.

Elyssa: Thanks for the help! That was a little too close for comfort.

Kaleh: That was a lot of undead. Why were they coming after you?

Elyssa: I accidentally managed to anger a powerful necromancer a while ago...it's a long story. But who are you? You almost look like elves.

Kaleh: We are, we're the Quenoth Elves and we are traveling north. You look like you're a mage, but I thought your kind were all gone.

Elyssa: I am, I'm a fire mage. I've been traveling for quite a while now, exploring and learning. But these sands seem particularly inhospitable! I've been meaning to check out the northern mountains; mind if I join you for a while in your travels?

Zhul: We'd be glad to have the help of someone with the mastery of fire.

Elyssa is dead

Killing Unit: The undead are defeated, but we lost her in the fight as well. Darn, if only we could have saved her.

Vengeful Lord is seen (night time only)

Vengeful Lord: The most hated living in my castle! To me! To me stray souls of the deserts! Let's cleanse this pollution!

Elf with a bow, I remember you. You thought me defeated, but I am back even more powerful than before. Death reigns eternal, your scorched bones and lifeless body will join my host.

Garak: Still singing the same tune. We defeated you once before, we can do so again!

Vengeful Lord dies

Vengeful Lord: Nooo... (fades)

Killing Unit: Searching his castle, we found a chest filled with gold.

Castle of ogres seen (day time only)

Ogre: Elves! Kill them all!

Garak: This ruined castle must be where the ogres make their home. Well, if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get.

All the ogres die

Kaleh: That's the last of those stinking beasts. They should trouble us no more.

Garak: This ruin looks oddly familiar.

Nym: Yuck, there's still dried blood on the stones. It's kind of spooky.

Outlaw sign is encountered

Narrator: This land belongs to the Black Hand. Trespass and you will die.

Moved Unit: Bandits. If they get in our way, they're going to be sorry.

Kaleh: There's no way we can get all our people safely across the desert with outlaws harassing us. We must defeat them before we can continue.

Moved Unit: Did you see that? I think I just saw someone disappear behind that dune over there. I think we're being watched. I suspect there are more of these bandits lurking in these dunes than we originally thought.

Mirage

Moved Unit: Dang. I was sure I saw an oasis here. Must have been a mirage. I've been out in the sand for too long.

Pinnacle Rock is seen

Moved Unit: So, the outlaws have made a base around Pinnacle Rock. It's a good location, but we will drive them from it all the same.

Outlaw leader is defeated

On hard difficulty

Thorn: I surrender! I mean we surrender. Just please don't kill me.

Please, have mercy on us. We're just trying to survive in this horrible land.

Kaleh: I will not kill you in cold blood. But leave these lands, and never darken our path again. Or I will show you no mercy.

On normal and easy difficulty

Thorn: I surrender! I mean we surrender. Just please don't kill me.

Please, have mercy on us. We're just trying to survive in this horrible land.

Here, take this vial of holy water. You'll need it with all the undead around.

Kaleh: I will take this vial, in exchange for your life. But leave these lands, and never darken our path again. Or I will show you no mercy.

Zhul: It's Holy Water. When anointed on a weapon it makes it deadly to magical creatures. Vials such as these are rare and valuable. We should choose carefully who will use it.

Kaleh moves north without defeating the bandits

Kaleh: The Black Hand outlaws still threaten the others. While their leader still fights we won't be able to get all our people across the sands safely. We must deal with the Black Hand before we can progress further.

Victory Dialogue

Elyssa is Dead

Kaleh: The outlaws are defeated and we've made it across these blasted sands. The hills are just a few miles to the north. We should be able to find water and rest there.

Elyssa is Alive

Kaleh:Now that we have a moment of peace, I have to ask you, Elyssa, what were you really doing out in the middle of the desert? It's a rather barren place to be traveling.

Elyssa: I've been searching for secrets from the past. Did you know that this entire land used to be a huge empire? Apparently this used to all be great plains and farmland, before the sands came.

Nym: It's hard to imagine. There's barely enough rain here now to support these tiny cacti, let alone crops.

Garak: And yet the great ruins that I have seen scattered across these sands are a testament that something was here before us. Perhaps in a time long ago when the land was more forgiving.

Elyssa: Before the Great Fall, there were huge cities, with great schools of magery, libraries of books, vast repositories of knowledge. Most of it was destroyed in the ensuing chaos and years of decay, but I'm searching for the little fragments that are left. For example, have you ever heard of The Scepter of Fire?

Kaleh: No, I haven't. What is it?

Elyssa: I'm not sure. I've read various references to it, but nothing specific. I've been searching for it for a long time. All I know is that it was a very powerful magical wand and that it was some sort of symbol of royalty in the old empire, but I have no idea where it might be. So I scour the land, learning all I can about the olden days. I'm sure it must be somewhere.

Time Over

Kaleh: We've run out of provisions and our people are exhausted. We've taken too long crossing the desert, I fear we shall never reach the other side.

Wandering Ghosts

First appearance

Garak: The sands are haunted with the spirits of tortured souls long since dead. At dusk they rise again, and during the Long Dark they can be particularly nasty. They disappear again at dawn, but personally I prefer the heat of the day to the horrors of the night.

Zhul: The combination of the heat of the day and the rising undead make dusk a particularly dangerous time of day.

Second appearance

Kaleh: You come and rise again, spirits? Have we not defeated you before?

Zhul: These lost souls cannot hold onto anything but memories of lives long gone. They will rise to plague us again, night after night.

Lost Souls are defeated (3rd+ night)

Kaleh: What happened? The undead spirits all just disappeared.

Garak: These spirits are weak. They seek to prey on the helpless, but when they encounter strong resistance they flee.

Lost Souls are defeated (1st or 2nd night)

Kaleh: Flee, you craven spirits, and leave us in peace!

Scenario 3: Stirring in the Night

Story Text

Chapter 3: As we continued north through the desert, the looming hills and mountains promised blessed relief from the seemingly never-ending sand. Soon we got to the end of the foothills, and we decided to rest there for the night. As tired as I was of marching across the sand, I felt strangely afraid. I had lived my entire life in the sands; they were my home, and the rocky hills and white glistening mountaintops seemed foreign and foreboding.

I worried if I was doing the right thing, leading my people to strange lands. Despite Eloh's promises, I was not as confident as Zhul was that it would all end well. Looking back I thought it strange that I was the one that Eloh showed herself to. I was never particularly devout, always worried more about day to day matters than the other-worldly ones. But who was I to question a god?

That night, as I slept, I dreamt again, for the first time since that first fateful night. Eloh came to me again, and this time she appeared in a vision as a beautiful glowing figure, as bright as the suns. She said 'Have courage, for though soon you shall go through a time of darkness, all your trials shall be richly rewarded in the end. You must go under the northern mountains, not over them. You will find the ruins of an ancient watch tower made of black obsidian in the desert by the edge of the hills. By that tower you will find the entrance to the tunnels you seek. Follow the smooth ancient tunnel down under the mountains and when you again see the sky and my suns, I shall contact you. But beware those who lurk in the darkness, they hide from my light, and must not be trusted. I have no power in the dark, so you are my hand of justice. Punish the non-believers. Go now, and fear not the dark.' And again, just like before, I was woken up by a shout in the night.

Introductory Dialogue

Nym: Kaleh, wake up! Sentries report movement in the sands!

Kaleh: Orcs?

Nym: I don't ...

Azkotep: We meet again, Ystara.

Ystara: You think you can take me, Azkotep?

Azkotep: My champion, Zur shall slice you to shreds like the puny adept you once were.

Ystara: You always were an arrogant little bastard. Grak will swallow your soul, or what's left of it.

Azkotep: You spurned me once and I will make you pay. To battle, my minions! Become my wrath!

Nym: ... think so. You really know how to pick a campsite, Kaleh.

Kaleh: Where did they come from? I swear those castles weren't there at sunset.

Zhul: Many strange things can happen during the long dark. But despite their wraith-like forms, I have no doubt that their cold steel can still bite flesh.

Elyssa: Like I haven't killed enough undead recently. Why can't these guys just stay dead?

Garak: Our encampment is out of the direct line of attack, so we should be somewhat safe, at least.

Zhul: But if the battle spills around our people will be slaughtered by the undead hordes!

Kaleh: There's no way we can escape the battle in time. We must protect the camp from the undead.

Zhul: I fear that if we lose more than half of the tents we will not have the strength to go on. Garak, wake your men. We must hold off the undead until dawn.

Kaleh: To arms my people, to arms!

Undead capture an elven camp

Nym: They're raising the corpses of our fallen! What a horrible fate!

Elyssa: Then we shall have to give them a proper cremation.

Too many elven camps are captured

Kaleh: Too many of our people have been killed. We will surely be overwhelmed by the undead now. All is lost!

Garak Decies to Challenge the Champions

Garak: These champions... I will challenge them. Zhul, bless my weapons with light of Eloh.

Zhul: Garak, but the suns...

Kaleh: You will not do any such thing, anyone trying to fight these creeps singlehanded will surely die. We need you, we will not make it without you.

Garak: I had dreams this night Kaleh, full of gloom and darkness, my journey will end here one way or another.

Kaleh: No! That's not true, our future is what we make of it, stay behind for this fight and...

Garak: And what? You'll help me become a coward? I lived long, I'm not afraid of the end, just let me give it some meaning.

Zhul: I bless you champion with the light that will come, I bless you with the memory and the promise. Lay down your bow, champion, and let your sword shine in the dark.

Garak challenges a champion

Grak

Garak: You there! Creep! Stand and face me, shade! I challenge you!

Grak: So you destroyed Zur... Come mortal, let's cross our blades... It's time for you to take his place...

Grak: Foolish mortal... For daring to challenge me, I'll devour your soul and torment it for all eternity...

Zur

Garak: You there! Pile of bones! I challenge you, stand and face me!

Zur: Grak was weak... But still you deserve respect... Meet my axe and take his place...

Zur: Puny elf... Time to die...

Garak dies

Killed by a champion

Champion: And so it ends... Your champion is dead, elves... Come join him...

Killed by another undead unit

Kaleh: Where is Garak? Has anybody seen him?

Zhul: I saw him jumping into deep darkness pursuing a group of enemies. Let's hope nothing happened to him.

Garak is possessed (option 1)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Ystara: No! This contest is not over yet, Azkotep. I shall show you a taste of my true power.

Zhul: Eloh protect us, what has he done?

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Garak: I will... not... yield... I defeated... your... champion... I... will... overcome... you...

Possessed Garak: No, fool! Stop!

Garak: The dark lord... is no more...

Narrator: Garak collapses to the ground with his own blade sticking from his chest.

Azkotep: No! How dare you? I shall have my vengeance upon you for spoiling this contest! Darkness shall reign until I have triumphed!

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, he has even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy that abomination.

Garak is possessed (option 2)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Azkotep: No, I shall have my revenge. I shall show you that darkness is strongest just before dawn. Death and decay, grant me my vengeance!

Ystara: In this I shall support you, the darkness will not lift until one of us is victorious.

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Kaleh: Garak?

Possessed Garak: Hahahaha! Your puny friend is no more. With his body I shall crush you all. Arise again, my minions and feast on the slaughter!

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, they have even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy one of these abominations. Whether it be the thing that has taken our friend, or the spectral evil that remains, one of them must die for this battle to end. We have no choice.

Zhul: But to kill Garak? How can we?

Kaleh: That thing is not Garak. This night has lasted long enough, and too many of our people have died. How many more would you sacrifice for Garak's sake? Just protecting our encampments isn't enough, darkness and chaos will overwhelm us if we can't end this battle soon. We must destroy one of those two evils, whatever the cost. I do not intend to let that...thing keep control of the body of our friend.

Ystara: The stench of death is in the air.

Possessed Garak: Yes, let us end this once and for all.

Garak is possessed (option 3)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Azkotep: No, I shall have my revenge. I shall show you that darkness is strongest just before dawn. Death and decay, grant me my vengeance!

Ystara: In this I shall support you, the darkness will not lift until one of us is victorious.

Possessed Garak: Hahaha!..

Zhul: Eloh protect us, what has she done?

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Kaleh: Garak

Possessed Garak: Hahahaha! Your puny friend is no more. With his body I shall crush you all. Arise again, my minions and feast on the slaughter!

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, they have even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy one of these abominations. Whether it be the thing that has taken our friend, or the spectral evil that remains, one of them must die for this battle to end. We have no choice.

Zhul: But to kill Garak? How can we?

Kaleh: That thing is not Garak. This night has lasted long enough, and too many of our people have died. How many more would you sacrifice for Garak's sake? Just protecting our encampments isn't enough, darkness and chaos will overwhelm us if we can't end this battle soon. We must destroy one of those two evils, whatever the cost. I do not intend to let that...thing keep control of the body of our friend.

Ystara: The stench of death is in the air.

Possessed Garak: Yes, let us end this once and for all.

Garak is possessed (option 4)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Ystara: No! This contest is not over yet, Azkotep. I shall show you a taste of my true power.

Zhul: Eloh protect us, what has she done?

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Garak: I will... not... yield... I defeated... your... champion... I... will... overcome... you...

Possessed Garak: No fool! Stop!

Garak: The dark lord... is no more...

Narrator: Garak collapses to the ground with his own blade sticking from his chest.

Azkotep: No! How dare you! I shall have my vengeance upon you for spoiling this contest! Darkness shall reign until I have triumphed!

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, he has even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy that abomination.

Garak is possessed (option 5)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Kaleh: Garak?

Possessed Garak: Hahahaha! Your puny friend is no more. With his body I shall crush you all. Arise again my minions and feast in the slaughter!

I told you, I will be back, you fools! Now I shall have my vengeance upon you all. Darkness shall reign until I have triumphed!

Azkotep: In this I shall support you, the darkness shall not lift until one of us is victorious.

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, they have even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy one of these abominations. Whether it be the thing that has taken our friend, or the spectral evil that remains, one of them must die for this battle to end. We have no choice.

Zhul: But to kill Garak? How can we?

Kaleh: That thing is not Garak. This night has lasted long enough, and too many of our people have died. How many more would you sacrifice for Garak's sake? Just protecting our encampments isn't enough, darkness and chaos will overwhelm us if we can't end this battle soon. We must destroy one of those two evils, whatever the cost. I do not intend to let that...thing keep control of the body of our friend.

Azkotep: The stench of death is in the air.

Possessed Garak: Yes, let us end this once and for all.

Garak is possessed (option 6)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Azkotep: No, I shall have my revenge. I shall show you that darkness is strongest just before dawn. Death and decay, grant me my vengeance!

Zhul: Eloh protect us, what is happening?

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Garak: I will... not... yield... I defeated... your... champion... I... will... overcome... you...

Possessed Garak: No fool! Stop!

Garak: The dark lord... is no more...

Narrator: Garak collapses to the ground with his own blade sticking from his chest.

Ystara: No! How dare you! I shall have my vengeance upon you for spoiling this contest! Darkness shall reign until I have triumphed!

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, he has even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy that abomination.

Garak is possessed (option 7)

Nym: Look, dawn is nigh, our salvation is almost at hand. Even the long dark can't last forever, and with the light of the sun the undead power wanes and their dark magics unravel.

Possessed Garak: Hahaha!..

Zhul: Eloh protect us, what is happening?

Possessed Garak: I live again! I can feel!

Kaleh: Garak?

Possessed Garak: Hahahaha! Your puny friend is no more. With his body I shall crush you all. Arise again my minions and feast in the slaughter!

I told you, I will be back, you fools! Now I shall have my vengeance upon you all. Darkness shall reign until I have triumphed!

Ystara: In this I shall support you, the darkness shall not lift until one of us is victorious.

Nym: Maybe I spoke too soon. Curse Uria, they have even blotted out the stars, all is darkness. Kaleh, our course is clear, we must destroy one of these abominations. Whether it be the thing that has taken our friend, or the spectral evil that remains, one of them must die for this battle to end. We have no choice.

Zhul: But to kill Garak? How can we?

Kaleh: That thing is not Garak. This night has lasted long enough, and too many of our people have died. How many more would you sacrifice for Garak's sake? Just protecting our encampments isn't enough, darkness and chaos will overwhelm us if we can't end this battle soon. We must destroy one of those two evils, whatever the cost. I do not intend to let that...thing keep control of the body of our friend.

Ystara: The stench of death is in the air.

Possessed Garak: Yes, let us end this once and for all.

Orcish raiding party appears

Ganthos: What's this on our borders? Stinkin' elves and more undead? We'll teach them a lesson they won't soon forget. Attack!

Kaleh: If those raiders capture any of our encampments, I fear our people's fate will be just as bad as if it was captured by the undead.

Ganthos is killed

Killed by an elf

Ganthos: You got me, elf... But you won't be so lucky with the tribes of the hills... (cough)

I deeply regret... I won't be able to see that...

Nym: Look, he dropped something! I wonder what it is...

Killing Unit: It's some sort of a map. I think I recognize some of those hills ahead on it.

Nym: And these look like camps and patrol routes. A lot of camps and patrol routes. Kaleh, do you think we could sneak up between them?

Kaleh: Difficult, but worth a try I guess. But first we must try to survive this mess.

Nym: Right, sorry. Damn creeps.

Orc: Chief has fallen! Flee!

Goblin: Boss dead! Run!

Killed by the undead

Ganthos: Killed by a dead creep... (cough)

Nym: And now we'll never know what was on that parchment. Shame.

Orc: Chief has fallen! Flee!

Goblin: Boss dead! Run!

Victory Dialogue (an undead leader is killed)

Leader: You think you have defeated me, don't you? Foolish boy, I shall assume a new form more powerful and horrible than you could ever imagine!

Other Leader: How dare you interfere in our contest! I did not need your help. I shall teach you not to cross a lord of darkness.

Possessed Garak is Alive

Kaleh: Finally, it is over.

Possessed Garak: See, I told you I was more powerful. This game is over, now I can leave this shell of a body.

Zhul: He's...He's still breathing!

Garak: Protect the boy for me Zhul, (cough) I go to a better place.

Garak Died Defiantly

Nym: What about Garak?

Kaleh: I've asked and looked around, there is no sign of him or his body

Zhul: He's probably dead, then, but he died as a warrior. Let's respect his wishes and remember him for that.

Nym: What about Garak?

Zhul: He died as a hero. Remember that and tell the tale, for it's worth it.

Kaleh: From the sands he came, to the sands he will return. We remember and honor his sacrifice, and I vow that his death will not be in vain.

Zhul: Goodbye old friend, may Eloh shine her light eternal upon you.

Elyssa: He was as brave and valiant a fighter as I have ever seen in my travels.

Nym: He was a bastard at times.... But...but why did he have to die? It...it just doesn't make sense.

Garak Didn't Die Defiantly

Nym: What about Garak?

Zhul: He died as a hero. Remember that and tell the tale, for it's worth it.

Kaleh: From the sands he came, to the sands he will return. We remember and honor his sacrifice, and I vow that his death will not be in vain.

Zhul: Goodbye old friend, may Eloh shine her light eternal upon you.

Elyssa: He was as brave and valiant a fighter as I have ever seen in my travels.

Nym: He was a bastard at times.... But...but why did he have to die? It...it just doesn't make sense.

All Camps were Saved

Zhul: Miraculously, all of our encampments survived the night.

Nym: Though we saved almost all our people this time, we won't always be so lucky. While elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, if the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Not all Camps Remain

Zhul: Well, only x encampments remain, but we will survive.

Kaleh: Yes, but at what cost?

More than eight Camps Remain

Nym: Though we saved almost all our people this time, we won't always be so lucky. While elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

More than six Camps Remain

Nym: We have suffered losses, but we we are not broken yet. We have saved most of our people tonight. But while elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Less than six Camps Remain

Nym: We have suffered grievous losses, but we we are not broken yet. Long will this slaughter be remembered by our people. Where was Eloh during the darkness? And I'm afraid that while elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Kaleh: All this death and destruction. What were those shades arguing over? Was this all just some sort of demented game?

Zhul: The lords of the dead are powerful and twisted indeed. Only Eloh knows the truth of what happened tonight.

Nym: I don't want to be here tomorrow night to find out. The hills to the north are close. Let's be far away before another nightfall.

Both undead leaders are defeated before turn 12

Kaleh: The undead lords are defeated at last.

Ganthos: There's too many of them and the night is almost gone. Pull back you wretches, pull back!

Nym: I can see the first rays of Naia shining over the horizon. She never looked so beautiful. The undead forces have crumbled into dust and the remaining orcs are retreating with the dawn.

Zhul: That was a very brave thing you did, Kaleh, defeating both of those Undead Lords. It took great courage and strength. Because of your daring attack, we did not have to wait for the dawn to save us. You were our savior. And many fewer of our people died than would have if we had had to wait out the long night.

Nym: Though we saved almost all our people this time, we won't always be so lucky. While elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, if the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Ystara: You have triumphed for the moment, but think not that the dark lords can be so easily vanquished. We shall return, and shall rule long after your bones have crumbled to dust. This is our land, and none shall leave it unscathed.

Azkotep: You fought so hard to protect your precious people, young elf. No great deed should go unpunished.

Garak is alive

Ystara: A token to remember us by...

Garak: Aaaauuugggghhhh!

Zhul: He just collapsed!

Garak: Protect the boy for me Zhul, (cough) I go to a better place.

Ystara: You will never see your champion again. And we will torment his soul for the rest of the eternity.

Zhul: Don't listen to them, they are powerless in their defeat. Even if Garak fell in battle his soul went to a better place and they can't reach him there.

Kaleh: From the sands he came, to the sands he will return. We remember and honor his sacrifice, and I vow that his death will not be in vain.

Zhul: Goodbye old friend, may Eloh shine her light eternal upon you.

Elyssa: He was as brave and valiant a fighter as I have ever seen in my travels.

Nym: He was a bastard at times.... But...but why did he have to die? It...it just doesn't make sense.

Victory Dialogue (Possessed Garak is killed)

Azkotep: Hah, now you have learned the flesh is always weaker than the powers of the undead.

Ystara: My undead zombies shall always defeat the living.

Kaleh: Finally. It is over.

Zhul: He's...He's still breathing!

Garak: Protect the boy for me Zhul, (cough) I go to a better place.

Kaleh: From the sands he came, to the sands he will return. We remember and honor his sacrifice, and I vow that his death will not be in vain.

Zhul: Goodbye old friend, may Eloh shine her light eternal upon you.

Elyssa: He was as brave and valiant a fighter as I have ever seen in my travels.

Nym: He was a bastard at times.... But...but why did he have to die? It...it just doesn't make sense.

All Camps were Saved

Zhul: Miraculously, all of our encampments survived the night.

Nym: Though we saved almost all our people this time, we won't always be so lucky. While elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, if the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Not all Camps Remain

Zhul: Well, only x encampments remain, but we will survive.

Kaleh: Yes, but at what cost?

More than eight Camps Remain

Nym: Though we saved almost all our people this time, we won't always be so lucky. While elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

More than six Camps Remain

Nym: We have suffered losses, but we we are not broken yet. We have saved most of our people tonight. But while elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Less than six Camps Remain

Nym: We have suffered grievous losses, but we we are not broken yet. Long will this slaughter be remembered by our people. Where was Eloh during the darkness? And I'm afraid that while elves who have fought with you in the past will gladly return, as the numbers of our people dwindle, it's going to become more and more costly to recruit new warriors. It would be wise to stockpile gold against this eventuality.

Kaleh: All this death and destruction. What were those shades arguing over? Was this all just some sort of demented game?

Zhul: The lords of the dead are powerful and twisted indeed. Only Eloh knows the truth of what happened tonight.

Nym: I don't want to be here tomorrow night to find out. The hills to the north are close. Let's be far away before another nightfall.

Scenario 4: Descending into Darkness

Story Text

Chapter 4: We found the crumbling obsidian tower that Eloh had described, and we camped at the edge of the foothills before the mountains. I was still shocked by the loss of Garak and all the other elves who fell in the battle last night. There was so much death in this land, had it always this way? As we traveled I pondered what this world might have been like back before the Great Fall and I remembered the tale that had been told to me many times since I was a child:

A long, long time ago was the golden age among elves. Our people lived in harmony with nature in lands filled with trees, trees as far as the eye could see. There was peace among Elves and the other races such as Humans and Dwarves, and evil creatures were driven deep within the earth. The foul name of Uria was not yet known among our people, and our powers were so great that we raised another sun into the sky, so that the days were lengthened and dark hours were few. Happy indeed were our people during these long years, but it was not to last forever.

Eventually peace and prosperity fostered corruption and decadence. Through her powers of deception and guile, Uria cultivated secret groups of followers, promising to fulfill their darkest desires. She bided her time, and slowly stretched her black hands out across the world. At first, petty arguments between humans, elves and dwarves erupted into conflicts, embroiling our people in the first wars they had fought for ages. Then orcs and other foul creatures came back into the world and raided our settlements, razing villages and massacring hundreds. Uria's followers studied the necromantic arts and raised armies of undead. Our people had grown weak and soft in the time of peace and plenty and were ill-suited to cope with these new trials. Even nature herself seemed to quail under the onslaught: crops failed, the trees sickened and our forests began to die. Most disturbing was the way the nights lengthened, creating the long dark we suffer today. Many of our people despaired, and many embraced the oncoming darkness, worshiping Uria in hopes of saving themselves. Former friends fought over what few resources remained, and chaos threatened to overwhelm us all.

In this time of troubles Eloh first appeared to a select number of us, those few that still doggedly fought to preserve our homeland and our heritage. She told us that the old days had ended, and only through strict discipline and strength could we survive in the new world. She led us out of the few remaining forests, which were being logged and burned by the orcs, into the open plains where we could roam freely. She taught us that alone we are weak, but together we could still strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. We learned that the only way to survive in this new harsh world was to always value the needs of the many over the wants of the individual. We must all work together, for without each other we are nothing. Even as the plains dried up into deserts we follow her will and walk in her path, remembering our ancestors and the sacrifices they made that we might live, and always striving to create a better world for our children.

Had the golden age been just a story? What kind of world could I be able to create for future generations of our people? All I knew of the past were the ruins of great castles and tales of a time when life was more than just a struggle to survive. Life did not seem to have grown easier for my people in the last few generations--if anything the land had grown even more unforgiving. Was there anywhere left in this world that I could take my people which would be better than the land we were born into?

Introductory dialogue

Nym: Those mountains are huge! I never thought they would be so big. And what's that white stuff on the tops of the peaks?

Zhul: I wish Garak were here, he'd know more about these lands than I do. I've never been up here, but I heard stories from the few who have made the journey and returned. That white stuff is called snow, Nym, and the mountains are very cold. These smaller hills aren't as hard to cross, but they are filled with orcs and goblins. It may look peaceful now, but they hide in the many caves and tunnels beneath the surface.

Kaleh: I had another vision last night, Eloh told me that we had to continue north, but instead of trying to go over the mountains, she said that we had to go underneath them.

Nym: Underneath them? But how?

Zhul: Orcs and Goblins have been living here for hundreds of years and their network of tunnels and caves is more extensive than you might think. Who knows how far they go underground? We are ill-prepared for trekking over those frozen peaks. As much as I dislike those pitch-black caves, if we want to cross these mountains we may have no choice.

Elyssa: Other creatures besides orcs dig tunnels in the earth. Long ago dwarves mined mountains such as these, and huge trolls like to hide in the deep dark places under the earth. If your god is as omniscient as you seem to think, Kaleh, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a way to cross under these mountains. I fear no darkness, and you won't be lacking a source of fire or light.

Nym: Well if we are going to go under these mountains, we're certainly going to have our hands full fighting all those orcs and goblins.

Zhul: Indeed. I want to warn you again, Kaleh, this isn't the desert. The orcs love fighting in hills and caves, and we won't have the advantages of fighting on the open sands. And with our recent losses we don't have the numerical advantage we are used to. So we'd best be extra careful. Still if we can clear a path in the hills ahead of us, we should be able to escort our people into the tunnels. And hopefully underground it will be easier to protect them than out in the open.

Kaleh: Strike hard and fast and also be careful--right, this is going to be fun.

Goblins appear in nearby foothills

Goblin Scout: Attack!

Goblin Coward: Run away!

Zhul: Goblins are so predictable.

Orac and Scylla ambush

Orac: Come forth, creatures of the lake! Fulfill the oaths you have made and help us drive these hated creatures from our lands.

Scylla: Sssslay them all! In the name of the Ssscaled One!

Panok is seen

Panok: These elves are stronger than we thought. Send for more reinforcements!

Kaleh: How can he move that fast? He is faster than any goblin rider I have ever seen. It's almost unnatural.

Panok is killed

Panok: Gaagghhh!!!

Killing Unit: Wait a minute. He was wearing a silver ring on one of his fingers. I think the ring might be magical. Maybe that's why he was moving so fast.

Nym: I think, Kaleh, that you should take the ring.

Kaleh: Why me?

Nym: Because you tend to move slowly and if we're going into the caves you'll need all the speed you can get. And besides, we can't afford to lose you; you never know when being able to run a bit faster might be the difference between life and death.

Haven't been ambushed by Orac and Scylla

Orac: The elves have killed Panok the goblin! The other goblins may flee to the caves, but we will not give up these hills without a fight. Come forth, creatures of the lake! Fulfill the oaths you have made and help us drive these hated creatures from our lands.

Scylla: Sssslay them all! In the name of the Ssscaled One!

Elves first enter the caves

Moved Unit: Ugh! These tunnels are pitch black! It's as bad as fighting in a moonless night, and it stinks of orc filth. I can hardly think of a place I would less like to go into.

Kaleh: We have no choice. We cannot cross over these mountains, so we must go beneath them. If the orcs skulk in their tunnels and block our way, we must enter their dark places and fight them, no matter what the conditions.

Zhul: Remember, Kaleh, it's nasty fighting underground. Marksmen and Sharpshooters who can shoot well anywhere will be invaluable, as will Captains and Marshals who can inspire our people.

Elyssa: Also, any time you find a particularly tough orc blocking a passage, my fireballs can blast him quick enough.

Gold Chest in the northwest is seen

Greebo: Greebo keeps shinies safe from nasty orcses. And 'specially stinking elves.

Greebo's gold is seized

Moved Unit: Looks like he's been squirreling away his stolen loot in this cave. Not that he had much. Must be hard times.

Cold Bade is seen

Moved Unit: How odd. Someone has carved a crude fountain out of the stone at the end of the passage. The freezing water pours out into a large pool. At the bottom of the pool I can see a skeleton still gripping a sword. The blade seems to glow faintly blue. The pool isn't very deep, I could easily wade in and pick it up. But someone else has carved a crude message in the wall. 'If you dare to take this blade here, your greatest fear will surely appear' It looks like a nice sword, but do I dare chance it?

Cold Blade is taken

Moved Unit: I fear no creature, I will take the blade!

Moved Unit: The blade is chill to the touch and gives off a cold glow. I wonder how it came to be here.

Purple Abomination: I am an abomination, please kill me.

Moved Unit: I've seen some ugly creatures in my day, but that thing is just wrong.

Purple Abomination: The voices say I have no choice, I must attack!

Cold Blade is not taken

Moved Unit: I don't like the sound of this. I'm out of here.

Elves reach end of the underground river

Moved Unit: This is the end of the line. The water is too deep for me to continue any further. I'm freezing cold, wet, and I can't see a thing. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing up here. Some strange influence made me want to come up here, but I don't know what made me think it could be of any good.

Assassin/Cloaked Figure appears

Cloaked Figure: Kaleh, I am death incarnate.

And I shall avenge all those you have killed!

Assassin/Cloaked Figure is defeated

Cloaked Figure: I promise we shall meet again.

Kaleh: He just disappeared. That's odd.

Victory Dialogue

Kaleh: This passage seems different from the other tunnels and caves. It is wide and smooth and leads sharply downwards. I bet this was the way that Eloh was talking about.

Elyssa: This is no natural passage, and the walls are too well carved and smooth to be made by orcs. I wouldn't be surprised if this was once carved out by dwarves. I wonder if there are any still left in these mountains...

All enemy leaders were killed

Zhul: Having killed all the orc and goblin leaders in the immediate vicinity, we can take our time and should have no trouble bringing the rest of our people down this way. It's odd, I guess we're trading the dangers we know for the dangers we don't. We really are putting our lives in Eloh's palm; may she guide us as well as she has before.

Not all enemy leaders were killed

Zhul: Now that you've found the way we should be able to get the rest of our people past the orcs. It's odd, I guess we're trading the dangers we know for the dangers we don't. We really are putting our lives in Eloh's palm, may she guide as well as she has before.

Nym: I'll just be happy when I can breathe fresh air again and see the suns and stars. Still, who knows what we'll encounter deep under the earth?

Kaleh: Well, there's only one way to find out.

Time over

Kaleh: We've taken too long to get our people into the tunnels! Even more orcs are coming across the foothills from the east and west and flanking us. There's no way we can kill all these orcs and goblins. We'll never make it to safety now.

Scenario 5: A Subterranean Struggle

Story Text

Chapter 5: We plunged into the darkness, shepherding long lines of our people along the cramped passageway deeper and deeper beneath the roots of the mountains. We had brought along palm torches, and we had scavenged other torches from the orcs, so we had enough light sources, at least for the moment. Even so, the guttering torches shed little light, and shadows flickered everywhere. The walls were damp and clammy, the air seemed stale and the sound of our footsteps echoed up and down the passageway.

This seemed as alien an environment as we could ever imagine. We were a people of the open sands, and even during the long dark we could look up and orient ourselves by the stars glittering brightly in the deep sky. I knew logically that we could not go over those frozen mountains, and we could not go back, but I shivered at the thought of miles and miles of rock above me, and felt the weight of the mountain pressing down on me. The passage twisted and turned, and soon I lost all sense of direction, but since there were no side-passages, we had little choice but to keep going forward.

Looking back, I think the bravest thing that my people ever did was to follow me into the darkness solely on the promises of Eloh and their faith in my leadership. I had no idea how long we would be trapped underground, or even which way we should go. I but hoped Eloh would guide us somehow. Nym said that people whispered that I could lead them through anything, and it was true that when we left I had hardly imagined that we would fight outlaws, undead, orcs and goblins. My previous life seemed as a dream of years past, even though it had only been ten days since our village was demolished.

What lurked in the darkness? Who were the unbelievers that Eloh had so cryptically referred to? My heart beat loudly in my chest, everything seemed amplified down here. I felt a strong suspicion that this was not a place that my people were meant to be. I strode onwards grimly; considering everything we had gone through so far, Uria be damned if I was going to be frightened now.

Introductory dialogue

Elyssa is alive

Kaleh: You mentioned that Dwarves and Trolls often lived underground, Elyssa. I've only heard myths, have you ever met a Dwarf or a Troll?

Elyssa: No I haven't, I don't often explore underground unless I have to. There are lots of nasty things that lurk far away from the light of the suns. But I've read a bit about them, and have even met a few people who had dealings with Dwarves.

Nym: What are Dwarves like?

Elyssa: They're a proud people, and some would say greedy. They love their gold and fine metals, and forge many beautiful things. I should warn you, they have little liking for Elves. There was some betrayal many years ago, though I don't know what happened.

Kaleh: And what about Trolls? I'm not sure I'd want to meet one face to face.

Elyssa: Trolls and Dwarves are natural enemies, living so close together. And many would say trolls are little more than brutes and savages. Trolls are huge and very strong, with skin as hard as stone, and can be fearsome foes. But I knew one man long ago who traded with a group of trolls and said they were quite honorable, as long as you didn't try to cheat them.

Zhul: Well, with Eloh's guidance, I hope we find these tunnels deserted. I'll be happy if our biggest problem is not getting lost. I have little wish to meet either Dwarves or Trolls. But Eloh will watch over us.

Kaeh: Will she? I got the impression she was powerless underground.

Zhul: Where did you get that idea? Certainly Eloh is strongest during the day, when the suns are shining down on us. But it is said that even in the darkest of nights she will protect her faithful. And back during the Golden Age holy elven warriors led great crusades against orcs and other foul things that hid underground, killing them with Eloh's aid. Faith is our shield, Kaleh. I think you should keep your doubts to yourself; it would not do to unduly worry our people. Eloh will always protect us, if we follow her path.

Kaleh: Then let us hope the rest of our journey may be as uneventful as it has been this far.

Elyssa is dead

Kaleh: I've heard of dwarves, but do you have any idea, Zhul, what kinds of creatures we might encounter underground?

Zhul: These tunnels are foreign to me; I know little more than you do. All I know about dwarves is from the few tales from the Golden Age.

Nym: What are they like?

Zhul: They lived deep under the earth, mining gold and fine metals and forging many beautiful things. We were once allies during the Golden Age, but in the strife and chaos of the fall we lost all contact. I don't know if any survived. But in the golden age they were very helpful in our wars against the orcs and trolls.

Kaleh: What are Trolls?

Zhul: Trolls were huge green creatures as big as giants and very strong. They were reclusive creatures, hiding underground. We never had much contact with them, though some fought with the orcs in the great wars. They were mighty warriors. I'm sure they have all died off; I certainly would never want to meet one face to face.

But with Eloh's guidance, I hope we find these tunnels deserted. I'd be happy if our biggest problem is not getting lost. Still, even underground Eloh will watch over us.

Kaleh: Will she? I got the impression she was powerless underground.

Zhul: Where did you get that idea? Certainly Eloh is strongest during the day, when the suns are shining down on us. But it is said that even in the darkest of nights she will protect her faithful. And back during the Golden Age holy elven warriors led great crusades against orcs and other foul things that hid underground, killing them with Eloh's aid. Faith is our shield, Kaleh. I think you should keep your doubts to yourself; it would not do to unduly worry our people. Eloh will always protect us, if we follow her path.

Kaleh: Then let us hope the rest of our journey may be as uneventful as it has been this far.

Ambushed by ants and spiders

Nym: All I'm saying is that these tunnels aren't as bad as I expected.

Kaleh: Ssshhhh, did you hear something?

(ants and spiders appear)

Zhul: Ants. Very big ants. Maybe they won't be hostile.

Kaleh: On the other hand, that spider probably is.

Nym: Caught between a spider and its prey. Not a good place to be.

Elves run away from the spider

Nym: Whoa! Did you see that? That huge stalactite just fell and crushed the spider. Aren't we lucky!

Zhul: Eloh must indeed be watching over us.

Dying Dwarf Appears

Nym: You know, if all we discover down here are insects, I'll be very disappointed.

Elyssa: Spiders aren't insects.

Nym: Thanks for the clarification.

Wounded Dwarf: Help! They're everywhere!

Kaleh: Nym, your timing is impeccable.

Elyssa: That's a dwarf, but it looks like he's been beaten to a pulp.

Zhul: Short and hairy, he must be a dwarf. But he's been beaten to a pulp. (if Elyssa is dead)

Kaleh: I don't know what 'they' are, but we can't go back. Prepare yourselves for anything, everyone.

Ally with either the Dwarves or Trolls

Moved Unit: Whoa.

Nym: I think I preferred the spider and the ants...

Dwarf Leader: Stand firm boys, here they come!

Troll Leader: You invade our tunnels, you slaughter our women and children, by Griknagh we will make you pay!

Dwarf Leader: Tenacious savages, aren't they? But these tunnels are rich in ore, and we won't let a couple of trolls keep them from us.

Troll Leader: Wait...What...Who are you?

Kaleh: Uh....

Dwarf Leader: What in Moradin's name are they?

Dwarf Defender: Wait a minute...blond hair, pointy ears, they must be Elves.

Dwarf Defender: Elves!?! What in the nine hells are Elves doing down here?

Dwarf Leader: Never mind that, who are you?

Kaleh: I am Kaleh, and we are the Quenoth elves. What in Eloh's name is going on here?

Troll Leader: They invade our land and kill our young. Dwarves always want more, always greedy for glittery rocks.

Dwarf Leader: Those monsters killed me boys. Kaleh, if you be of stout heart, help us drive these lummoxes from our tunnels.

Troll Leader: No, this is our home. Help us, little ones, and we will help you.

Zhul: There's too many of them for us to try to take them both on, and besides with all these branching tunnels we'll have no idea which way to go. I think we should take them up on their offer; ally ourselves with one of the factions so we can get their help in finding a way back to the surface.

Nym: But even if we do, what about all of our people? How can we safely escort them through this war zone?

Kaleh: We won't. If we keep the majority of our people hidden back up the passage we should be able to protect them, at least for a little while. In the meantime, we'll go ahead and try to sort out this mess. I think you're right Zhul, if we're lucky we may just be able to negotiate a safe passage out of here.

Moved Unit: But they both look evenly matched. Who should we ally with?

Ally with the dwarves

Option: Let's aid the Dwarves.

Troll Leader: Bah! Your kind all the same. Everyone turns on Trolls. But you'll see, Griknagh will smash you all.

Moved Unit: There seems to be an abandoned Dwarvish fortress right in front of us. If we can fight our way to the keep, we should be able to start rallying our warriors to help in the battle.

Ally with the trolls

Option: Let's aid the Trolls.

Dwarf Leader: I knew elves couldn't be trusted. Foolish boy, you will regret your betrayal. Taste dwarven steel!

Moved Unit: There seems to be an abandoned Dwarvish fortress right in front of us. If we can fight our way to the keep, we should be able to start rallying our warriors to help in the battle.

Enemy counter-attack (Battle Turn 3)

Allied with the dwarves

Troll Flamecaster: Burn, burn and die!

Dwarf Leader: Dive for cover!

Kaleh: Those new troll shamans are decimating the dwarves with blasts of fire! This doesn't look good.

(random number of units between 1 and 3 are killed)

Killed Unit: Aaauuuggghhhh!

Killed Unit: No!!!

Killed Unit: Help me!!!

Dwarf Leader: More accursed troll magic. Fall back!

I need to go back and rally more reinforcements. We're hurtin', Kaleh, I'll need your men to cover for us. Do you best, boy, and may Moradin watch over you.

Allied with the trolls

Dwarf Grenadier: Let's blast those monsters back to the pits they spawned from! Fire in the hole!

Troll Leader: More Dwarven trickery! Fall back!

Kaleh: Those new dwarves are lobbing explosives at the trolls with devastating effect! I don't think the trolls can take this much longer.

(random number of units between 1 and 3 are killed)

Killed Unit: Aaauuuggghhhh!

Killed Unit: No!!!

Killed Nnit: Gaggghhh!

Troll Leader: I must go back and find more trolls to fight. You must hold them back, Kaleh. Be strong like rock. Griknagh will be with you.

Reinforcements arrive

Allied with the trolls

Thu'lok: Our leader sent us to help you. We fight for you until all the dwarves are dead. We will avenge the deaths of our people!

Allied with the dwarves

Dwalim: Looks like we came just in time. Our chief told us we're to fight with you until all the trolls are dead. Tell us where to go, I want to kill me some troll!

Sighted leaders

NW dwarf

Allied with the dwarves

Fundin: What are you doing back here? The trolls hide in the southern tunnels, not this way.

Allied with the trolls

Fundin: Treacherous elves, how can you fight with such horrid creatures as Trolls. I will cleave all in two with my axe!

NE dwarf

Allied with the dwarves

Nori: What are you doing back here? The trolls hide in the southern tunnels, not this way.

Allied with the trolls

Nori: If you think you can take these caves from us, then you are fools. We are masters of fighting underground and we will die to defend our home. Fight on, my brothers!

SW troll

Allied with the dwarves

Thungar: Nasty Dwarves and Stinkin' Elves, we will smash you all!

Allied with the trolls

Thungar: What you doing back here? Nasty dwarves are to the north, no dwarves this way. Go back and fight bravely.

SE troll

Allied with the dwarves

Gnarl: Kill the elves! We must stop them here. This is our land, crush the intruders!

Allied with the trolls

Gnarl: What you doing back here? Nasty dwarves are to the north, no dwarves this way. Go back and fight bravely.

Cairns/totems are seen

Allied with the dwarves

Moved Unit: The trolls display the skulls of their enemies as a way of marking their territory. How barbaric.

Allied wit the trolls

Moved Unit: The dwarves use stone cairns to mark their territory. What a waste of good throwing stones.

Enemy leader's death

Allied with the trolls

Zurg: Congratulations! Some of trolls didn't think you strong enough to beat dwarves.

Kaeh: Where did you come from?

Zurg: There many secret tunnels that you sun dwellers not know of. Only troll know. We smarter than you think. Zurg would have killed dwarves himself, but he was just sent back from where real fighting is.

Zhul: The real fighting? I thought that was what we were waist-deep in?

Zurg: While you fighting, another clan of dwarves sneak around and flank us. They tricksy like that. We must leave you and run back to defend women and little trolls. Dwarves never give up, many trolls die today, very hard fighting. But dwarves make mistake, you stronger than dwarf or troll thought. You trolls' secret weapon.

Nym: How do you mean?

Zurg: Right before battle, we find secret passage just to the north leading straight to big dwarf stronghold. Hiding in stronghold is big important dwarf, directing the battle. Dwarves always think they best fighters around so they leave only a few dwarves guarding their stronghold. If you elves can break through dwarf defenses and kill dwarf chieftain, then it will do much damage to dwarves, make them afraid and confused, easy prey for trolls. You do this and we can drive them back. Then troll leader can help show you how to return to surface. You come with Zurg, he show you way to secret passage.

Elyssa: Their knowledge of these tunnels is uncanny. I could have sworn a minute ago that that wall was solid rock.

The assassin is present

Kaleh: Wait a moment Zurg, we must deal with this mysterious cloaked figure before we can follow you.

The assassin isn't present

Kaleh: It sounds like our work is not yet done. Very well, gather yourselves together, we must follow Zurg.

Allied with the dwarves

Grimnir: Congratulations, some of me boys didn't think you could beat the trolls.

Kaleh: Where did you come from?

Grimnir: Don't think you know all the tunnels and passages that twist through these caves, elf. I would have killed him myself, but I was just sent back from the main front of the battle.

Zhul: The front? I thought this was the front.

Grimnir: While you were fighting a separate clan of trolls sneaked around our sentries and flanked us, attacking our supply depots. There are more of those stinking buggers than we had originally thought. To tell you the truth, we are hard pressed. We're going to have to pull back all our forces in these caves to reinforce the back lines. But your victory here has produced a unexpected opportunity.

Nym: It has?

Grimnir: Right before the trolls overran this area of the mines, our scouts had found an old tunnel south of here that leads almost straight to the main lair of this tribe of trolls. We believe that protected in the lair is one of their main leaders who is directing the battle. We were going to try to sneak in and lead a surprise attack, but frankly we didn't have enough dwarves to spare. If by using this passage you can sneak past their front lines and kill him, then it will throw the trolls into disarray and relieve the pressure on our front lines. If you do this our King has promised to help you return your people to the sunlit lands. When you're ready I'll show you the way. It's not far.

Elyssa: Their knowledge of these tunnels is uncanny. I could have sworn a minute ago that that wall was solid rock.

The assassin is present

Kaleh: Wait a moment Grimnir, we must deal with this mysterious cloaked figure before we can follow you.

The assassin isn't present

Kaleh: It sounds like our work is not yet done. Very well, gather yourselves together, we must follow Grimnir.

Enemy leader death cries

Fundin: The rest is silent...

Nori: I go to my ancestors...

Thungar: Arrggg

Gnarl: I will be avenged...

The assassin appears again

Cloaked Figure: Did you think you escaped me Kaleh? I am your shadow, I will always be there until you pay for what you have done.

Kaleh: Ow!

Cloaked Figure: You want to flee, don't you? But you cannot. They couldn't escape her either. Even death could not save them. She will devour us all. But first I shall have my revenge. Do the dance of death for me, Kaleh! Dance! Dance!

The assassin is defeated

Kaleh: Where did he go? How does he disappear like that? And what in Uria's name was he ranting about? Whoever that is is starting to make me get edgy.

End of scenario

Kaleh: The cloaked figure is gone. Still, our work is not yet done. Gather yourselves together, we must follow (ally).

Time over

Kaleh: Oh no, we took too long and enemy reinforcements have arrived. We'll surely be overwhelmed now!

Scenario 6a: In the Tunnels of the Trolls

Story Text

Chapter 6: The dwarf Grimnir led us through a maze of twisting passages speaking scarcely a word. Finally, after what seemed like hours of marching, he stopped. He motioned us to be very quiet and we crept forward; all I could hear was the soft patter of feet and my heavy breathing. Even that little noise seemed to echo off the cramped walls of our rough-hewn passage. I was suddenly aware of the sheer mass of rock and earth above us and for a moment I despaired of ever seeing the sun again. Then I grabbed my sword with fresh determination and vowed to see this mission through.

Introductory dialogue

Grimnir: This passage leads very close to the trolls' main lair; you can hear them tromping back and forth just past the eastern wall. All that separates us from the trolls is a thin wall of stone. I've had me boys mine the end of the tunnel with explosives; when you move a unit adjacent to the final wall, I'll blow the charges and open the way. The troll leader should only be lightly defended; he's sent most of his best warriors to the front. You'll know the head troll when you see him, he's big, green and extra ugly.

Nym: I thought that's what all the trolls looked like. I suppose we'll just try to find the one that shouts the loudest.

Zhul: So you dug these tunnels all by yourselves?

Grimnir: Long ago, before the damned trolls invaded, we spent our days digging tunnels all through these mountains. Oh the ore and precious stones we mined! The mines were filled with the joyful sound of dwarven hammer and dwarven song and our jeweled halls glowed as brightly as the sun. Human and elf princes would pay us royally for the craftsmanship of our forges. But now the tunnels are silent and we spend our days hunting those accursed trolls. But there's no point dwelling on the past. There's more work to be done! Still, we have our honor and I promise you, do this for us and you will be rewarded handsomely.

Kaleh: It shall be done.

Grimnir blows up that wall and trolls arrive

Grimnir: Once you are done moving your people into position, I will blow the charges.

Grimnir: Fire in the hole!

Grimnir: My work here is done. I must report back to my King. I have many more things to do before the day is done, but I will once you finish your mission. Fight well!

Troll Guard: Intruders! Kill them!

Player Sees the Escape Passage (disabled)

Moved Unit: Grimnir must have collapsed the tunnel. Perhaps he didn't want to #give the trolls an easy access route if they defeated us. So much an an escape route, I guess we'll just have to be sure not to fail.

Troll interrogation

Troll Interrogator: Tell us where your leader is hiding!

Wounded Dwarf: Never!

Troll Assistant: Master, look!

Troll Interrogator: Hah! You think you can save your friends. You are wrong. Ulg, go kill the other prisoner. We will deal with these fools.

Ulg: Yes master, I'll make him suffer.

(Integrator attacks the wounded dwarf)

Wounded Dwarf: Aaahhhh!

Moved Unit: If we move fast we might be able to save the other prisoner before he gets killed too.

Ulg: I'm gonna make you squeal, dwarf!

Rogrimir is saved

Rogrimir: I owe you my life. I can't believe I was captured when those all around me died fighting gloriously. I'm so ashamed. I could not protect them...but I will guard you with my life, even if I have to follow you to the ends of the earth. Now lead me to the trolls and let me avenge my friends' deaths!

Troll lava maze is found

Moved Unit: Whoa. This place is hot.

This cavern is so hot it's stifling; I can already feel my armor heating up. If we tarry here too long we'll roast alive. I don't even want to think about what would happen if I tried to walk across the lava. On the other hand, the lava does light up the cavern nicely. I'm just thankful the trolls constructed a bridge across the lava.

Troll High Shaman: They have broken through the outer guard-line. Destroy the bridge, they must not pass!

(most of the bridge is destroyed)

Moved Unit: Uh, I take that back. Still, the trolls don't seem to be advancing. I guess they think the lava can hold us back. Well, we'll show them. It will take more than a little heat to stop us!

Narrator: Any unit that ends its turn on a lava hex, except the Desert Shyde and Star who can fly over the lava, will take 25 damage at the beginning of the next turn. This lava damage can kill units. Desert Shydes and Stars will just take $temp_damage damage per turn when flying over lava, though they too can die if they spend too much time over lava. Also because of the heat in the cavern, all units on cave floor hexes will take $temp_damage damage at the start of each turn. This heat damage can reduce a unit to 1 hit point, but it can't kill it.

Guardian Phoenixes are summoned

First time

Troll High Shaman: Arise! Arise and engulf the intruders in your holy fire!

Moved Unit: What the heck is that? It sure doesn't look good. The last thing we need in here is even more fire.

Second Time

Troll High Shaman: Arise, hallowed guardians, and destroy them!

Killing Unit: Look, more fire guardians!

Third Time (unit moves into the lava)

Troll High Shaman: Arise and attack them now, while they are vulnerable!

Moved Unit: Oh great, even more fire guardians. When I get through this inferno I'm going to kill those trolls.

Fire Guardian is killed (hitpoints reset to full)

Killing Unit: That thing just won't stay dead!

Pool of Water Heals the Player in the Lava

Moved Unit: There is a small pool of water here. It must come from some spring deep underground. The water is cool and refreshing. Let me bathe in it a while and recover from the heat of that blasted cavern.

Narrator: At the start of each turn, any unit currently in this pool will heal 10 hitpoints and will not be affected by the heat in the cavern. Of course, if the unit leaves this pool, it will suffer the standard $temp_damage damage each turn from the heat.

Elves get closer to the shaman

Troll High Shaman:' They must not be allowed to cross to the other side! Kill them!

Moved Unit: How surprising, more fire guardians. I'm going to be really glad to get out of this cavern.

Elves cross the cavern

Troll: Despite the fire guardians, the elves have almost crossed the lava!

Another Troll: They obviously weren't enough. You go alert the others and summon reinforcements. I will hold them off for as long as I can.

Troll: May Griknagh protect you. I'll be back soon!

Troll returns with reinforcements

High Advisor: Invade our most holy cavern at your peril. Long have we protected our sacred burial grounds from your foul kind, and we shall scatter your bones next to those of our ancestors.

Troll Chieftain: Destroy the invaders! Make them pay for their slaughter!

High Advisor: Arise, our brothers of ages past! Arise and destroy the intruders!

(walking corpses appear)

Victory Dialogue

Troll Chieftain: Argh! Curse you! May you never live to see daylight again!

Killing Unit: And so, at last, it ends.

Troll: Da big troll is dead. Run for your lives!

(Grimnir appears)

Grimnir: News travels fast. The chaos you have sown has caused the foul trolls to start retreating. And now the architect of our suffering is dead. This war is far from over, but with your help we won this battle. You have our gratitude. Our King has instructed us to bring you to him; he wants to talk with you and reward you. He waits in our most hallowed hall, a place that no elf has seen for generations upon generations. It is a great honor, but you have done great deeds this day. Elves killing a troll chieftain! We will tell this story for years.

Nym: With their knowledge of all these secret tunnels, you'd think they could have led us straight here instead of making us go through those 'light defenses'. It would have saved us a lot of unnecessary fighting in actually getting to the troll chieftain.

Zhul: Perhaps they wanted to further test our prowess in battle. And besides, every troll we kill is one they don't have to. Still, I think we caused a bigger distraction then they were expecting.

Kaleh: Shhhh, you two. Yes, of course, we would be honored to come and meet your King. But first, we left many of our people back up near the entrance to the great cave where you first met us and I fear that even now those caves aren't safe. Can you help us escort my people to safety?

Grimnir: Hmmmm, yes, after what you have done, I think I could arrange something. We have a few larger halls that should hold your people, a bit cramped, but safe. Since you first arrived, we've had a few lads watch over them; you hid your folk in a good defensive location, but you can never be too sure. I'll get them to help escort your people to safety. We certainly wouldn't want any surprises.

Kaleh: You are full of surprises. But I feel better knowing a few of your kind were watching out for the rest of my people. All right everyone, no celebrating yet, we still have work left to do!

Easter egg; The Emerald Wand of Poison

Dwarf Ghost is found

Dwarf Ghost: Hail, friend. Ages ago, I too fought the trolls and came to this place. But by ill luck I was burned to death by the lava and died nearby unblessed and unhonored. Find my body and grant me the peace I so dearly wish for. Do this and I will let you pass.

Dwarf's corpse is found

Moved Unit: Look, a crumbling skeleton. I think this might be the body of the dwarven ghost. It shouldn't take long to dig a shallow grave.

Moved Unit: May Eloh, or whatever god you worship, grant you peace and safe passage to the afterlife. We will avenge your death.

Dwarf Ghost: Thank you. You have done for me what all my dwarven kin never could. I will no longer block your way. May Moradin bless you and watch over you. I leave now for the halls of my ancestors...

Troll crypt guardian is found

Moved Unit: This looks like a troll crypt. Whoever it was must have been very important, because they have their own undead guardian.

Troll coffin is examined

Moved Unit: There is a chasm here cutting off the end of the crypt. It must be rather recent, it cuts off the path leading to a rather ornate stone coffin.

Troll coffin is ransacked

Moved Unit: For a troll this is quite an ornate tomb. The coffin itself is quite impressive. Inside, the skeleton has crumbled to dust and there are a few colored stones and trinkets, but what really sticks out is this emerald wand. I don't have much experience with magical items, but the asp with emerald eyes and large fangs carved around its shaft leave little doubt as to its power. We don't normally tolerate using poison, but extreme circumstances call for extreme measures and I have a feeling we may find this useful before our journey is over.

The wand is taken

Option: It might be useful, I'll take it.

Moved Unit: The wand fits comfortably in my hand. It doesn't seem to have much of a range, but in close combat it could be quite useful.

The wand isn't taken

Option: On second thought, it's better to leave the dead in peace.

Time over

Kaleh: Oh no, we took too long and enemy reinforcements have arrived. We'll surely be overwhelmed now!

Scenario 6b: In the Domain of the Dwarves

Story Text

Chapter 6: The troll Zurg led us through a maze of twisting passages speaking scarcely a word. Finally after what seemed like hours of marching he stopped. He motioned us to be very quiet and we crept forward; all I could hear was the soft patter of feet and my heavy breathing. Even that little noise seemed to echo off the cramped walls of our rough-hewn passage. I was suddenly aware of the sheer mass of of rock and earth above us and for a moment I despaired of ever seeing the sun again. Then I grabbed my sword with fresh determination and vowed to see this mission through.

Introductory dialogue

Zurg: This amazing tunnel, it leads very close to dwarves' main lair. You can hear their tiny footsteps just on other side of wall. All that separates us from the dwarves is a thin wall of stone. When you move a unit adjacent to the final wall, on your order Zurg will destroy it with fire magic. Dwarf chieftain is only lightly guarded, he send best warriors to hunt trolls. Heh, we give you easy task. You know dwarf chieftain when you see him, he shorter and uglier than most.

Zhul: Did you dig these tunnels all by yourselves?

Zurg: No, most are tiny dwarf tunnels. We like natural tunnels, big and tall enough for mighty trolls. When the world was young, Griknagh cut many tunnels and caverns into the rock far below us. We traveled deep deep down, following the trickle of ancient streams, far deeper than the puny dwarves. But now we come back up, great leader say there bad things now deep below. Bad for trolls. We come back up to reclaim ancient lands. But we find them filled with many many little stinky dwarves. All the beautiful stones are gone, greedy dwarves take them all. So we fight to reclaim our lands. But Zurg talk too much. We have job to do. Find dwarven leader and kill him and we will reward you well.

Kaleh: It shall be done.

Player moves next to wall

Zurg: Once you done moving into position, Zurg will destroy wall.

Zurg destroys the wall

Zurg: Fist and fire, crumble stone!

(wall is destroyed)

Zurg: My work here is done. Zurg must report back to Great Leader. Many things to do and dwarves to kill before rest. Zurg return later to see how little elves are doing. Fight well!

Dwarf Guard: Intruders! Sound the alarm!

Player Sees the Escape Tunnel (disabled)

Moved Unit: Zurg must have collapsed the tunnel. Perhaps he didn't want to give the dwarves an easy access route if they defeated us. So much for an escape route, I guess we'll just have to be sure not to fail.

Dwarf guards are seen

Seen by an elf (disabled)

Dwarf Conscript: No, it's an elf!

Dwarf Sergeant: What!?!.....Right...First task boys, kill the intruder!

Active event

Dwarf Sergeant: Do you know what the first task of any dwarven warrior is, runt?

Dwarf Conscript 1: Sir?

Dwarf Sergeant: Constant vigilance, boys; the enemy could be anywhere!

Dwarf Conscript 2: But Sir...

Dwarf Sergeant: Did I give you permissions to speak? Did I?

Dwarf Sergeant: I was killing trolls when you were in swaddling clothes. I wrote the book on killing trolls. And you're not going anywhere until I'm done with you.

Dwarf Conscript 1: But Sir, behind you...

Dwarf Sergeant: Oh let me guess, a big nasty troll, right? And when I turn around you flee like the cowards you are. Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall for that one?

Dwarf Conscript 2: I'm too young to die, save me!

Dwarf Sergeant: Oh grow a backbone...Huh? Hey, for once the runt was telling the truth. Come on boys, kill the intruder!

Dwarf Conscript dies, sergeant is alive

Dwarf Conscript: I love you, Sarge...

Grog is seen

Vengeful Dwarf: Ha, you're trapped. I've got you right where I want you, and this time no one is gonna save you.

Moved Unit: How did a troll get stuck all the way back here?

Grog is saved

Grog: Thank you. Grog got lost and there were so many smelly dwarves. If you hadn't come Grog would have been killed. Grog owes you his life.

Tunnel cave-ins

First Tunnel

Dwarf Scout: Here they come! Blow the charges!

Second Tunnel

Dwarf Scout: They're coming this way too! Blow the charges!

(charges don't detonate)

Dwarf Scout: What!?! Nothing happened! Who in Moradin's name rigged the darn charges anyway? I'm going to have to hold them off by myself.

Bridge challenge

Jorgi: It was a mistake to depend on trickery, we will defeat you fighting face to face. A true dwarf always looks his opponent in the eye when he kills him!

So I challenge you, man to man. If you are not cowards, step out onto these bridges and meet your fate!

Jorgi dies

Jorgi: I couldn't do it. Blow the backup charges! If we can't stop them then maybe the black lake will.

Player crosses the bridge before killing Jorgi

Jorgi: They've crossed the chasm! Blow the backup charges! If we can't stop them then maybe the black lake will.

Elves find the lake

Moved Unit: It's a huge underground lake. The water looks dark and deep and is cold to the touch. There also seems to be some glowing moss on the walls which illuminates the cavern, making it easier to see.

Tentacles seen

Moved Unit: The ledge just drops off here. The water might be shallow enough to wade across, but I think I vaguely see something moving underneath the surface. Maybe it's just fish, but I don't like the look of it.

Tentacles die

Killing Unit: The movement under the water has stopped. I think we killed the last of them. Whatever 'them' was.

Player Walks Around the Edge of the Cave

Smaller Tentacle: Splash! Splash!

Moved Unit: More tentacles?!? What, did that thing have a baby?

Elves see a bat

Sighting Unit: Incoming! Ugh, it's big, hairy, and nasty. I hate bats, I really hate bats.

Big Hairy Bat dies

Big Hairy Bat: Grrraaawwwkkk!

Killing Unit: Good riddance.

The chieftain is seen

Dwarf Chieftain: So you've come at last. Let it end, here and now!

Victory dialogue

Dwarf Chieftain: Faugh! Even in death I curse you! You will never escape these tunnels alive!

Killing Unit: And so, at last, it ends.

Killing Unit: The chieftain has fallen! Flee for your lives!

Zurg: Little elves fight good. Zurg impressed. With dwarf chieftain dead, cowardly dwarves flee before us. Our struggle not over, still much more fighting, but elf and troll have won this battle. We thank you. Great Leader has allowed you to come speak with him. Great honor, never has one of your kind been allowed in his presence. But he wishes to talk with you and reward you. Please come with me.

Nym: With their knowledge of all these secret tunnels, you'd think they could have led us straight here instead of making us go through those 'light defenses'. It would have saved us a lot of unnecessary fighting in actually getting to the dwarf chieftain.

Zhul: Perhaps they wanted to further test our prowess in battle. And besides, every dwarf we kill is one they don't have to. Still, I think we caused a bigger distraction then they were expecting.

Kaleh: Shhhh, you two. Yes, of course, we would be honored to come and meet the Great Leader. But first, we left many of our people back up near the entrance to the great cave where you first met us and I fear that even now those caves aren't safe. Can you help us escort my people to safety?

Zurg: Hmmmm, yes, yes we can help. We have a few big caves you little people can stay in, and I get some big trolls to help escort you there. The Great Leader wouldn't want any unpleasant surprises. Show me where your people are hiding and we will help you move them to our caves.

Kaleh: I thank you. Come on people, no celebrating yet, we still have work left to do!

Easter Egg: Dwarf Hermit is seen

Dwarf Hermit: They've come for my precious. It's mine, yes it is. They shan't have it, no they shan't. We shall kill them all, yes, yes we will.

The hermit is killed

Dwarf Hermit: Curse them! We hates them!

Killing Unit: What's this? His clothes were in rags, and yet he had this ancient jeweled amulet hanging around his neck. It contains a huge amethyst that seems to glow faintly with a strange purple light. I wonder where he got such a trinket?

Unit moves to the rune

Moved Unit: Hey wait a minute, that amulet glows the same color as this rune. Maybe if I put the amulet on and step into the rune...

(door opens)

Moved Unit: Whoa. That was pretty impressive. The amulet stopped glowing and the rune is gone, but what have they revealed?

Player doesn't have the amulet

Moved Unit: What in Eloh's name is this? Someone has carved a glowing purple rune in the floor at the end of this passage. It must be magical. And this passage ends suddenly in a smooth stone wall. This can't be a coincidence. But the wall seems quite solid. I wonder who carved that rune and why?

Repeat description of the rune

Moved Unit: The rune is still there, glowing mysteriously. I still have no idea why it was put here, but it's obviously powerful and magical, a combination of things which I am hesitant to mess with.

Dwarven tomb ransack

Moved Unit: Based on the runes covering the walls this must be the tomb of some ancient dwarf. The tomb seems empty except for this ornate stone coffin. The skeleton inside the coffin has long since vanished into dust. All that's left are a few ceremonial trinkets and this shining golden belt. Inscribed on this inside are the words: 'May you have the toughness to stay standing long after your enemies fall' Grave robbing is never a good thing to do, but this belt looks magical and its former owner certainly won't miss it.

The belt is taken

Option: I fear no ghosts, I'll take it.

Moved Unit: The belt fits perfectly! Somehow I feel stronger and tougher. This is too easy, there seem to have been no traps set upon the coffin. Today's my lucky day.

Angry Ghost: You who disturb my rest, come and join me in death!

Moved Unit: Then again, maybe I spoke too soon.

The belt isn't taken

Option: On second thought, it's better to leave the dead in peace.

Time over

Kaleh: Oh no, we took too long and enemy reinforcements have arrived. We'll surely be overwhelmed now!

Scenario 7a: Dealing with Dwarves

Story Text

Chapter 7: We returned quickly and found the rest of our people, safely hidden a few miles back from the fighting. Seeing Grimnir with us, a troop of dwarves silently appeared out of adjoining secret passages. Once we had assured the rest of the elves that they were friends, Grimnir led us silently and quickly through a maze of secret tunnels towards the Dwarves' home.

I do not know how long we tramped through those tiny dark passages; time seemed to flow differently down there, deep under the earth. But when we finally got to our destination, what I saw was breathtaking. We entered into a large cavern, where the dwarves had built a huge city out of stone. Protected by stone walls and gates that were bigger than I had ever seen, the place seemed virtually impregnable. As we entered I marveled at their stonework and I saw that the place was crawling with dwarves. It was bigger than any village I had ever seen.

The dwarves led us through to the far side of the city, where they let us stay in several auxiliary caverns, which normally served as store rooms. The accommodations were a bit cramped, but for the first time since I had plunged into the earth, I felt safe.

The dwarf king was away cleaning up after the recent battle, and would not be back for several days. I happily spent what little time I had learning as much as I could about these strange people. I was very impressed by their craftsmanship; they made weapons and armor of a quality I had never seen before. We were also quite the curiosity to the dwarves; I have no idea when they had last seen an elf. While some seemed suspicious or frightened of us, the dwarves overall were very polite and met our every need. Finally the summons came to meet with the dwarven king...

Introductory dialogue

Narrator: This chamber is beautifully decorated. Ornate frescoes and dwarven runes cover the walls, and the room is dominated by a large intricately-carved stone throne. Flanking the throne are two detailed statues of some sort of beast you aren't familiar with. The floor is covered in dark slate, and a path of smooth tiles directs visitors up to a small stone seat which faces the throne.

King Thurongar: Hail Kaleh, I am Thurongar, King of the Dwarves.

Kaleh: I am Kaleh, leader of the Quenoth Elves.

King Thurongar: I've heard of your recent exploits against the troll menace. They've been quite a thorn in our side for a while now. They used to be just an occasional pest, but now wherever we go we find another infestation. They've been getting smarter with their tactics; we've lost several of our outlying settlements to their attacks. Still, we're not done fighting and with your recent victory perhaps this battle is turning in our favor. But tell me, what are so many elves doing so deep under the earth?

Kaleh: It's a long story, but we come from the south, where we lived in the desert. Our village was destroyed, and I am leading my people on a journey to find a new home. Our god Eloh appeared to me in a vision, and told me to go north, but when we came to the mountains she said I should go under them instead of trying to cross the snowy peaks. So that's how several thousand of us ended up down here.

King Thurongar: Interesting. We'd offer to let you live with us, but I'm afraid we don't have much free space; this city is almost filled to capacity. And looking at you, I don't think that the under-realm is quite the place for your kind. I think your god may have somewhere else intended for you.

Kaleh: Indeed, although I admire this great city you have carved from the rock, I think many of my people find these tunnels scary and alien. All we really want to do is to find a way back to the surface on the northern side of the mountains.

King Thurongar: That I may be able to help you with. We haven't sent anyone to the surface in years, but we do know of a passage that leads to the ancient northern gate. Several generations ago we used to trade heavily with humans that lived north of the mountains, but then some new human came to power and decreed that all contact with us should be cut off. We sent messengers to find out why, but they never returned.

But dwarves are excellent delvers, and we keep meticulous maps of all the tunnels we have explored. We should still have maps of the tunnels leading back to the surface. Of course I doubt you would be able to understand them, so, (dwarf name) here has volunteered to lead you to the surface.

Rogrimir was seen

Rogrimir: You saved my life and my debt to you is still unpaid. Showing you the way to the surface and protecting you is the least I can do.

Jarl: You rescued my brother, and though he died fighting, he died a warrior's death instead of a coward's. For that I thank you. I will take his place and help you get to the surface.

Rogrimir wasn't seen

Jarl: You did a great service for my brothers. In exchange, as much as I hate the light, I am the one who knows the upper tunnels the best, so I'll be your guide.

Kaleh: Thank you very much for your help. We were worried about getting lost in all these twisting tunnels. And we would be honored to have you come with us, $dwarf_name .

Allies from scenario 5 are alive

King Thurongar: The dwarves who fought by your side have come to pay their respects as well.

Dwarf Ally: You helped us strike a huge blow against those savages and it was an honor to fight by your side. You are the bravest elves we have ever known. We'd like to come with you, but, well, we don't like going that close to the surface, and besides there's still lots of fighting to be done down here. Don't you worry, we won't rest until we have killed every one of trolls.

Kaleh: I understand. Thank you, you were a huge help to us. It was an honor to fight by your side.

Elyssa is alive

Elyssa: I'm afraid, Kaleh, that the time has come for our paths to separate.

Kaleh: What?!

Elyssa: I have learned a lot about the dwarves in my time here, and yet there's so much more to learn. Have you seen their forges? They really know how to work fire and use it in amazing ways. They have some interesting ideas about how they might improve their smithing with my magical fire. And have you seen their records? They have kept records of their dealings that go back generations upon generations. They even know of the dwarven clan who helped craft the scepter of fire. Imagine if I could find the dwarves who helped build such an artifact!

Nym: But we need you! What would we do without you?

Elyssa: With the help of the dwarves, I think you will do just fine. I don't know what home your god has planned for you, Kaleh, but I believe in you, and I know that you will find a place for your people. My place is here, with the dwarves. And you don't really need me, you have each other.

Kaleh: If your mind is set, then I won't try to convince you. But we will miss you.

Zhul: I thank Eloh for the brief time that she has let you spend with us.

Nym: You take care of yourself, and someday maybe we'll meet again.

Elyssa: Thank you. And I owe you so much for helping me meet the dwarves. I never would have come down here myself. With some help from the dwarves I have enchanted this fire blade for you. May its flames always light your path, and strike down your enemies. I give this to all of you as a token of my gratitude.

Kaleh: A flaming sword. That's amazing. I just don't know who should use it.

Elyssa: I will let you decide; use it in the best way that you see fit.

Narrator: You can choose which unit you want to take the flaming sword. If you want another unit to wield the sword, Kaleh can recruit or recall other units.

Elyssa is dead

King Thurongar: And now I think you should be off as soon as possible. The trolls have retreated back into their holes for the present, but who knows when they will strike again.

Nym: This is a marvelous city, but I for one can't wait to feel the sun upon my face again and the wind in my hair.

Taking the sword

Option: Should I take this sword?

Unit takes the sword

Moved Unit: I will wield this blade proudly, and whenever I look upon it I shall remember you, Elyssa.

King Thurongar: And now I think you should be off as soon as possible. The trolls have retreated back into their holes for the present, but who knows when they will strike again.

Nym: This is a marvelous city, but I for one can't wait to feel the sun upon my face again and the wind in my hair.

Unit doesn't take the sword

Moved Unit: No, I think someone else should wield it.

Scenario 7b: Talking with Trolls

Story text

Chapter 7: We returned quickly and found the rest of our people, safely hidden a few miles back from the fighting. Once we had assured the rest of the elves that the trolls were our allies, Zurg led us silently and quickly away from the front lines through a maze of secret tunnels.

I do not know how long we tramped through those tiny dark passages; time seemed to flow differently down there, deep under the earth. But finally we stepped out into a large cavern. Dominating the cavern were the remains of what must have originally been a dwarf city. The large stone walls were riddled with giant holes and the iron gates had been blasted asunder. As we entered through the gates, we saw dead dwarves and other more grisly signs of recent battle. All around us were many trolls, working hard to repair the walls and other defenses. Zurg led us through the chaos to several side caverns which had until recently been used as storerooms. There was sufficient space for us to bed down and stay out of the way, and the dwarves had left behind plenty of provisions.

Zurg told us that they had just captured this city from the dwarves, and that the Great Leader had moved here to set up his base of operations. They were clearly worried about a dwarf counterattack. Luckily the trolls were quite skilled at stonework and the walls were quickly repaired. The trolls didn't talk much, but seemed very intelligent and not the mere bloodthirsty savages they had been purported to be. Overall they actually seemed quite peaceful, except when provoked. I learned that the leadership was balanced between the warriors and the shamans. The troll's military leader was chosen and advised by a council of their shamans.

I wish I could have spent more time learning about these misunderstood creatures, but we could not tarry long. Even protected by the trolls, caught in the middle of this great war, I feared for the safety of my people. And so after waiting a few days, I was able to get an audience with the Great Leader.

Introductory dialogue

Narrator: It is clear that this chamber used to be quite ornately decorated, but almost all of it has been destroyed, revealing a stone and dirt floor. What remains is a large stone throne, which has been covered with skulls and animal skins and bright paint. The walls were once covered with frescoes and dwarven runes, but several trolls are busy chipping them off. The floor was once tiled in dark slate, but only two small patches of tiles remain around the two chairs in this chamber. You're surprised to see that small tile path running up the center of the chamber has been left untouched. It leads to a small stone chair facing the large throne.

Great Leader Darmog: I, Great Leader Darmog, greet you, Kaleh.

Kaleh: I Kaleh, leader of the Quenoth Elves, thank you for meeting with me.

Great Leader Darmog: On behalf of all trolls, Darmog thank you for great victory over the dwarves. You have helped drive back the nasty dwarves and given us time to strengthen our defenses. Us trolls not always enemies of dwarves. Until recently we not have much contact with small people. But dwarves invade our tunnels, defile our holy places and kill our women and young. Dwarf not care about anything except gold and pretty gems. The shamans say that the spirits of our kin cry out for vengeance and Darmog will not rest until every dwarf is dead!

Spiritual Advisor: But I am curious, we do not know of your kind. We thank you for your help, but who are you and why do you come down here with so many of your people?

Kaleh: It's a long story, but we come from the south, where we lived above ground in the desert. Our village was destroyed, and I am leading my people on a journey to find a new home. Our god Eloh appeared to me in a vision, and told me to go north, but when we came to the mountains she said I should go under them instead of trying to cross the snowy peaks. We do not want to live down here, we are just trying to find a way to the other side of the mountains.

Great Leader Darmog: Darmog has never been aboveground, but Darmog understand your story. A leader must protect and care for his people. Every people deserve to find their own home. If we can help you we will.

Spiritual Advisor: We may be able to help you find a way back to the sunlit lands. In our temples we do keep records of the past. We have not walked above the earth for many many generations, not since the darkness drove us underground. But we are masters of the underground lands, and we have explored many tunnels. Recently one of our scouts found a path that leads north back to the sunlit lands, I think it may be the way you are trying to go. In reward for your achievements, we will help you. $troll_name has volunteered to protect you and lead you back to the sunlight lands.

Grog was seen

Grog: You saved Grog's life. Grog still owe you a debt of thanks. In return Grog will protect little elves and show them the way back to lighted lands.

Nog: You rescued Nog's brother, and he died like a warrior in battle, not like a coward in chains. Nog is very grateful. You proved yourselves to be brave strong warriors, and Nog will help you find way back to lighted lands.

Grog wasn't seen

Nog: You did trolls big service. (name) like to wander in tunnels, and chief say that he knows the upper tunnels the best. (name) want to help elves so even though he not want to leave battle, he agrees to show elves way back to lighted lands.

Kaleh: Thank you very much for your help. We were worried about getting lost in all these twisting tunnels. And we would be honored to have you come with us, (name).

Allies from scenario 5 are Alive

Great Leader Darmog: The trolls who fought with you also want to thank you. They tell great tales of your valor.

Troll Ally: We thank you for all you have done for trolls. You are bravest small people we know. We will tell stories of your battles to all our families so that none will forget. We wish we could come with you and fight more, but Great Leader need us to protect this city. Many dwarves still left, much fighting still to do. Griknagh will protect us, may he watch over you too.

Kaleh: I understand. Thank you, you were a huge help to us. It was an honor to fight by your side.

Elyssa is alive

Elyssa: I'm afraid, Kaleh, that the time has come for our paths to separate.

Kaleh: What?!

Elyssa: I have learned a lot about the trolls in my time here, and yet there's so much more to learn. Their magic is amazing. Have you seen their shamans? They make fire with their bare hands. They are very interested in my magic and they have offered to teach me how they create fire. I thought I was one of the last people still practicing magic, who knew I would find trolls still teaching it deep under the earth? There is just so much that I can learn from them, I can't leave now.

Nym: But we need you! What would we do without you?

Elyssa: With the help of the trolls, I think you will do just fine. I don't know what home your god has planned for you, Kaleh, but I believe in you, and I know that you will find a place for your people. My place is here, with the trolls. And you don't really need me, you have each other.

Kaleh: If your mind is set, then I won't try to convince you. But we will miss you.

Zhul: I thank Eloh for the brief time that she has let you spend with us.

Nym: You take care of yourself, and someday maybe we'll meet again.

Elyssa: Thank you. And I owe you so much for helping me discover the trolls. I never would have come down here myself. I found this sword when we were fighting the dwarves and with some help from the trolls I have enchanted this fire blade for you. May its flames always light your path, and strike down your enemies. I give this to all of you as a token of my gratitude.

Kaleh: A flaming sword. That's amazing. I just don't know who should use it.

Elyssa: I will let you decide; use it in the best way that you see fit.

Narrator: You can choose which unit you want to take the flaming sword. If you want another unit to wield the sword, Kaleh can recruit or recall other units.

Elyssa is dead

Great Leader Darmog: And now Darmog think you should be off as soon as possible. The dwarves are sneaky, they retreat today but may attack again tomorrow. The sooner you leave the safer you will be.

Nym: I heartily agree, I for one can't wait to feel the sun upon my face again and the wind in my hair.

Taking the sword

Option Should I take this sword?

Unit takes the sword

Moved Unit: I will wield this blade proudly, and whenever I look upon it I shall remember you, Elyssa.

Great Leader Darmog: And now Darmog think you should be off as soon as possible. The dwarves are sneaky, they retreat today but may attack again tomorrow. The sooner you leave the safer you will be.

Nym: This is a marvelous city, but I for one can't wait to feel the sun upon my face again and the wind in my hair.

Unit doesn't take the sword

Moved Unit: No, I think someone else should wield it.

Scenario 8: Out of the Frying Pan

Story Text

Chapter 8: I set out with a lightened heart and quickened step; we were going back up and I was sure that soon this underground gauntlet would be over. With the help of our new allies, I felt much more confident than I had before. Oh, to feel the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. But for now we had many more miles to travel and in the monotony of the marching I let my mind wander to larger matters.

What kind of home had Eloh prepared for us on the other side of the mountains? Was there anywhere in the world that hadn't been plagued with war and destruction? I grew up in a land of 'kill or be killed'. Outlaws, ogres and other monsters preyed on the weak and helpless. Orcs and goblins raided any settlements they could find, and my people struggled to protect what little they had. And through it all crazed necromancers and undead spirits haunted the sands, feeding on the few survivors.

At first I thought that if we could just leave the desert, we could find a peaceful place away from all the bloodshed and death. But even underground the last remnants of the trolls and dwarves continue to fight a bloody struggle to the death. Is this what our world has become? And why did Eloh tell me to 'kill the unbelievers'? If we had attacked both the dwarves and the trolls we would not have made it even this far. Everywhere I look I see remains of once great empires. If we destroyed the last of these peoples, what would be left around us but a howling emptiness?

And yet, here in the dark, Eloh says she is powerless. Here she cannot help us, we must fend for ourselves. Though she is our god, I cannot just lie back and depend on her to always save us. These are my people too, and I have a responsibility to them as their leader. I must make my own decisions as I see best. And as Zhul told me when I was but a child, Eloh forgives all our sins. If I err in my judgment she will surely understand. Eloh may be our guide, but I am our leader and I will do what I must to protect my people during our journey.

And so, bolstered with a new resolve, I continued the march up out of the darkness and towards a new land.

Introductory Dialogue

Ally: We've come far and we're almost to the surface. But first we should stop and rest here for a while.

Kaleh: That's a big river; the water is really moving fast.

Dwarf Ally: Yes, this time of year the snow melts from the mountains, and rivers like this often go deep underground. Sometimes the rivers break through and flood caverns, a deadly accident that has occasionally befallen my kind.

Troll Ally: Deep and dark are the waters that flow in our caves. Sometimes raging waters flood tunnels without warning. A stream can sustain a village, a sudden flood can destroy it.

Nym: Well, the faster we get out of here, the happier I'll be.

Zhul: Wait, did you feel that?

Nym: What?

Zhul: It felt like a distant rumbling. And what's that roaring sound?

Troll Avenger: Foul elves, you not escaped us yet. The Great Leader shall be avenged! We have dammed the river and soon all shall drown in its dark waters. Come join us in death!

Dwarf Avenger: Foul elves, you have not escaped yet. Our chieftain shall be avenged! We have dammed the river and soon all shall drown in its dark waters. Come join us in death!

Kaleh: That sound must be the rushing water. We have to get our people out of here, and fast!

Ally: Quick, the southern passage!

Zhul: We haven't a moment to lose!

Confused Ants are Seen

Not seen by Nym

Moved Unit:' Hey look, more ants!

Nym: Are you sure there aren't any spiders?

Moved Unit: No, but the water is rising to the southeast as well. The river must have led to more tunnels than we first thought.

Zhul: The ants must be fleeing from the flood too.

Moved Unit: They seem confused, leaderless. I guess it's every ant for itself. Uh, oh. Some of them seem to have noticed us.

Kaleh: Well, we have to get out of here too. Looks like we don't have any choice but to fight our way through the chaos.

Nym: They seem confused, leaderless. I guess it's every ant for itself. Uh, oh. Some of them seem to have noticed us.

Kaleh: Well, we have to get out of here too. Looks like we don't have any choice but to fight our way through the chaos.

Seen by Nym

Nym: Hey look, more ants!

I don't see any spiders, but the water is rising to the southeast as well. The river must have lead to more tunnels than we first thought.

Zhul: The ants must be fleeing from the flood too.

Humans are seen

Durn: Huff, huff. First the boss tells us to patrol these caves, and then these durn caves start flooding. What next?

They see an elf

Bellerin: Shut up and keep running, or we'll be fish-bait for sure!

Othgar: Hey look! Those must be Elves!

Durth: Huh? Elves?

Bellerin: Yeah, just like my old grandmam used to tell us: pointy ears, pale hair, those shifty eyes, hearts as hard as a hermit crab's shell. It must be an invasion, they must have started the flood!

They see a Dwarf

Othgar: Hey look! It's a dwarf!

Durth: Huh? A dwarf?

Bellerin: Yeah, just like my old grandmam used to tell us: short and stocky, long beards, filthy bastards who are as sneaky as a cuttlefish. They lurk underground and only come up to steal whatever valuables they can get their hands on. This must part of their plot, the dwarves must have started the flood!

They see a Troll

Othgar: Hey look! It's a troll!

Durth: Huh? A troll?

Bellerin: Yeah, just like my old grandmam used to tell us: dark green skin, beady red eyes, hulking brutes with brains as small as a barnacle. They lurk deep in the earth and hate everything that lives above ground. This must be an invasion, the trolls must have started the flood!

Othgar: Then let's kill them!

Durth: Yeah!

Moved Unit: They're definitely of the 'attack first, ask questions later' variety.

Humans die

Saw an elf first

(If they drown Kaleh says this)

Killing Unit: Fish bait? Hermit Crabs? Who are these humans and what were they talking about?

Saw a troll first

Killing Unit: Fish bait? Barnacles? Who are these humans and what were they talking about?

Saw a dwarf first

Killing Unit: Fish bait? Cuttlefish? Who are these humans and what were they talking about?

Zhul: No time for questions now, the water shows no signs of stopping. We've got to get out of here while we still can!

Ally: Curses, the water is rising too fast. That tunnel those humans were fleeing down was the fastest way out of here, but it's already flooding.

Kaleh: There must be another way out. There must!

Ally: There might be, but I don't--

Nym: Then show us the way already! We're running out of time.

Ally: Fine. Just keep going west, but be careful.

Cultists Fort is Discovered

Generic Unit finds it

Moved Unit: Whoa, what is this place? It sure seems well protected.

Ally: This is an ancient fortress. Who lived here I do not know, but it has been long since abandoned.

Ally finds it

Ally: Behold, we come now to an ancient fortress. Who lived here I do not know, but it has been long since abandoned.

Dialogue Continues

Nym: You've been this way before?

Ally: Yes, but I didn't explore very far. This foul place is still protected by wards and guards. It reeks of dark magic.

Kaleh: I wish there was another path, but it seems we have no choice.

Ally: Wait. The chamber in front of us is probably trapped and well guarded. There is another way. When I explored here before, I found a secret passage that bypassed the main gate. Search along the southern wall of this cave and you should find it. The only problem is that the passage is long and windy, and it will cost us precious minutes. With the water rising that may be time we don't have to spend. I leave the final decision up to you, Kaleh.

Entrance to Secret Tunnel Discovered

Discovered by Ally

Ally: Hmmm, the entrance to the secret tunnel should be right around here somewhere.

Got it!

Discovered by anyone else

Moved Unit: I think I see a door-shaped crack in this wall.

Ally: Good, that should be the entrance to the secret tunnel. Now just push hard inwards.

Moved Unit: Got it!

Discover exit from Secret Tunnel

Discovered by Ally

Ally: Okay, this is the end of the tunnel. Which means the other secret door should be right here.

Hold on, I think I've found it.

Discovered by anyone else

Moved Unit: The passage just halts at a dead end.

Ally: You didn't expect the other end to be left wide open did you? There should be another secret door hidden right in front of you.

Moved Unit: Oh, right. Hold on, I think I've found it.

Enter Central Cave

Discovered by Ally

Ally: The many tracks left by countless feet clearly show that this fort must have once been heavily occupied, but now this area is empty, except for those two glowing runes in the center. When I last came this way I got scared by the runes and other things moving in the shadows and explored no further. I'm afraid I cannot advise you which way to go from here.

Discovered by anyone else

Moved Unit: This cave seems pretty empty, except for those two glowing runes in the center. This fort must have once been heavily occupied because countless feet have left well worn paths leading in several directions. $unittest.name which way should we go?

Ally: I don't know. When I last came this way I got scared by all the runes and things moving in the shadows, and I explored no further.

Nym: Well, we can't spend all day thinking about it. Pick a direction, Kaleh.

Zhul: Wait, those runes are giving off a cool blue light and for some reason they don't seem as threatening as the burning red ones we saw before. Perhaps some of the magic left behind here could help us, if someone was brave enough to step into them.

Healing Runes

Description: The user feels much better.

Healed Unit: I feel refreshed and rejuvenated!

Healed Unit: The rune is gone. I guess the magic only had limited uses.

Enter Dining Cavern

Moved Unit: There isn't much left of the furnishings of this room. I think it was some sort of storeroom, but it looks like scavengers have taken anything useful.

Curse Uria! The water is rising over here as well. Already the western end of this chamber is flooded. And I think I see shapes rising out of the water. Whatever they are, it can't be good.

Enter Training Hall

Moved Unit: This looks like a training hall. There are still a few old swords and spears lying in the corners. But otherwise it seems quite abandoned.

Blessed Kali: All right you runts, let's try this again. Pior, remember to swing your sword with your whole body, not just your arms.

Novice Pior: Yes Sir.

Blessed Kali: Dani, keep your feet moving. If you stand still you're a dead man.

Novice Dani: Right, Sir.

Blessed Kali: Iona, try to vary your attacks more, you're becoming too predictable.

Novice Iona: I'll try, Sir.

Blessed Kali: And remember, everyone, we're going to keep practicing until I'm satisfied. So, ready...attack!

Moved Unit: Wait a minute, I don't see any targets or practice dummies. Who are they supposed to be attacking?

Kaleh: I believe that would be us. But perhaps we can give them a few lessons in proper fighting style.

A Ghost Dies

Blessed Kali: Come on! I ain't going anywhere for the rest of the day, and unless you can fight better than that, neither are you. Now get your sorry behinds up off the ground and do it all over again. You numbskulls aren't getting the easy treatment on my watch, no sir!

Blessed Kali Dies

Novice Pior: Finally, we get to take a break. I am so sick of fighting practice.

Novice Dani: Kali's just a hardass because he's bitter that he never became a high priest.

Novice Iona: Hey, c'mon, maybe we can grab some food from the kitchen before we have to go to prayers.

Novice Pior: Good idea! I hope they let us go outside tomorrow; I so miss the sun.

Nym: Still lambasting those novices after all these years, that guy definitely had too much of a work ethic.

Zhul: Sniff, who were those children? Why did they die, in the dark, so many years ago? May Eloh shine her eternal light upon their souls.

Kaleh: The past is the past, and there's nothing we can do about it. Right now we have our own people to worry about.

Enter Sleeping Area

Moved Unit: This must have been the barracks. Remains of cots and beds litter the floor. Whatever happened here, it must have been sudden. Several skeletons still lie in their beds, sleeping for eternity.

Restless Dead: Revenge!

Nym: Well, so much for sleeping for eternity.

Easter Egg: Secret Door to Wizard's Lair

Moved Unit: Hey, what's this? There seems to be an outline of a door in this wall. Maybe if I give it a push...

Moved Unit: What do you know? A secret door!

Kaleh: Well, what's behind the door?

Moved Unit: Uh oh. The path is blocked by another of those red glowing runes. I'm not sure crossing it would be a good idea.

Enter the Wizard's Lair

Crab Man (Failed Experiment): Grawww!

Yound Ogre (Failed Experiment): Make pain end!

The Magic Circle

Moved Unit: In the center of this circle is a huge creature, with surging muscles and bloodshot eyes. I would think it was just a very big man, except for the fine stitches that cover its entire body. In fact it seems to be composed of many body parts all sewn together. It seems to be floating asleep in the center of the glowing magical circle. I could scratch out part of the circle and break it, but I have no idea what the consequences would be. I'm not sure I want something with that kind of strength attacking me.

Break the Magic Circle

Option: Break the circle

Kromph: Master, what is your command?

Moved Unit: What?!?

Kromph: Kromph need command. Command me!

Nym: Follow us. Attack our enemies.

Kromph: Yes, mistress. Kromph follow you. Kill enemies.

Zhul: Quick thinking, Nym. It seems to be some sort of magical creation. Lucky that it thought we were its master.

Kaleh: Looks like you have your own rather large pet, Nym.

Nym: It wouldn't have been my first choice. But it could prove useful. I wonder what it likes to eat?

Don't Break the Magic Circle

Option: Leave that thing alone.

Enter Unholy Sanctuary

Moved Unit: All the paths lead to this chamber. Is this just a dead end? It seems to be some sort of temple, but it has obviously been abandoned for a long time. All that is left is that stone altar. What god they were worshiping I have no idea, but the dried blood and cracked bones on the altar do not bode well.

Ally: I don't like the smell of this place.

Zhul: I feel some sort of presence...ugh...it makes my skin crawl.

Nym: I though you said (ally), that you'd been here before? Where are we supposed to go from here?

Ally: I never explored this deep into the complex. But every lair has to have a back door somewhere.

Kaleh: Well I refuse to give up. There must be some way out. Search everywhere, people.

New Turn

Ancient Guardian: Zantoff tharqan yur glit zarf!

Ancient Guardian 2: Uqtor dunil olgluck vara nir!

Zhul: It seems that the temple had some power left in it after all.

Nym: I have no idea what they just said, but their meaning is quite clear.

Kaleh: Actions speak louder than words, and I intend to send them back to whatever stygian pits they came from!

Secret Lever in the Altar

Moved Unit: What's this? Hidden underneath the edge of the altar is an iron lever. It looks slightly rusted, but with some effort I could pull it. I have no idea what it will do, but we're running out of options.

Pull the Lever

Option: Pull the lever.

Moved Unit: What?!? Two secret passages? What do you think this once was, a trap? Or possibly a back door?

Zhul: I can't even begin to fathom what these cultists were up to. But more importantly, which way do we go?

Moved Unit: Look, the western passage is already flooding! It must connect back somehow to the other tunnels.

Nym: There's no time to ponder the history of this place. We've got to get out of here!

Kaleh: Right, the eastern passage it is. I have no idea where it goes, but with the water rising, soon anywhere will be better than here.

Don't Pull the Lever (Why not?)

Option: Leave it alone.

Enter Secret Crypt

Moved Unit: This looks like some kind of burial chamber.

Zhul: Crypts like these are often heavily guarded, we would do well not to disturb the sarcophagi.

Crypt Guardian (Spider Lich): I have long waited for fools such as yourselves to dare to disturb our rest, elf. Pay the price of all such defilers!

(Weirdly the Spider Lich uses an old graphic for the Ancient Lich)

Nym: Got any other timely advice, Zhul?

Ally: We're in luck, a fissure has opened up a crack in the northern wall. We may be able to escape that way.

The Assassin's Third and Final Appearance

Cloaked Figure: You run, but you shall not escape death!

Kaleh: In Eloh's name, not you again. Must I fight you a third time?

Cloaked Figure: You abandoned them, Kaleh, to eternal suffering and torment. And now you shall pay the price! You too shall watch the black waters consume those you love. Embrace the darkness, Kaleh, it is coming for you too.

Kaleh: Even you shall not stop me. You shall taste the might of the Quenoth elves!

The Assassin is vanquished at last!

Kaleh: Quick, grab him! Don't let him escape again.

Cloaked Figure: No, no, no more escaping. Please kill me, just make the pain end.

Kaleh: No, you have hounded me with your riddles for too long. I want some answers. Who are you? What's behind that black mask?

Cloaked Figure: Behold, Kaleh, your own worst enemy. Do you now see the irony?

Nym: Oh Eloh save us, it's...it's an elf.

Kaleh: Keratur, son of Tanuil. What in Eloh's name are you doing here? How could you do this? We thought you were dead.

Zhul: Kaleh, we don't have time for questions. The water is still rising and we must get our people to safety.

Kaleh: No matter what you have done, you are one of us, Keratur, and I will not leave you here to die in the darkness. I will carry you myself if I have to.

Keratur: So be it. I care not.

Move close to the cave exit

Moved Unit: Look, the tunnel slopes sharply downwards to the left. And it's big enough that it should divert most of the rising water.

And I think I see a faint light off to the right.

Zhul: Could it be? Could we actually be almost out of this seemingly never-ending darkness?

Move to the human outpost in the cave

Moved Unit: Look, daylight! I think we finally made it out of the caves!

What's this? Someone has built an outpost at the end of the cave. Where are its occupants?

Moved Unit: Kaleh, I think you should come up and see this.

Kaleh: Oh, Eloh. They're all dead. Butchered. Quick, we have to clean this up, we don't want the rest of our people to have to see such horror.

Now, Keratur, I will have my answers. Did you have a hand in this?

Keratur: They heard me and...and they got in the way. But they aren't even elves, what do they matter?

Nym: You idiot--

Kaleh: Quiet, Nym. But I still don't understand how you got here. We were sure you were dead. We searched and searched, but never found your body.

Keratur: Heh, heh, no you didn't find me. I awoke trapped under the rubble, and when I finally escaped the village was deserted. Just the stink of death and destruction. And then I saw them, hordes of undead pouring down from across the dunes. A cabal of necromancers... they found me and made me watch, they made me watch it all!

Kaleh: Watch what?

Keratur: They brought some humans, bound up tight. So beautiful...she had flaming red hair...they cut her...I can still hear her screaming. But that was only the beginning. They chanted words of power, and spilled the hot blood onto the sand and then I heard their screams of agony and pain...

Kaleh: From the humans?

Keratur: Faugh. No, I heard the screams of the dead, torn from their rest, their souls rose into the air howling in agony.

Zhul: But, but we burned the bodies so they couldn't be raised.

Keratur: Fool. That did not stop their dark power. Nothing could stop them. I felt the rush of flying spirits, and the unbearable cold, so cold. For a moment I felt their torment. But no, they wouldn't kill me. They let me go as a witness and laughed as I scrambled over the dunes.

I was able to follow your trail, and I slipped among your people. No one noticed me, no I was too sneaky. And you wondered how I managed to follow you through the tunnels? Hah, you escorted me.

Kaleh: But why, why did you want to kill us?

Keratur: You abandoned them! The pain, the agony, I still see their ghostly faces and hear their wails. And the necromancers kept chanting one name over and over: Yechnagoth, Yechnagoth, it reverberated in my ears. And every time I sleep I hear that name, and laughter, hideous laughter. She kept telling me it was your fault. And I believed her. Kaleh, forgive me, I just wanted to make the pain stop.

Kaleh: I...I forgive you.

Keratur: I do not fear death any more.

Kaleh: He's dead. Rest in peace. Oh, what have I done? All our dead kin, desecrated and tormented for eternity.

Zhul: As you said yourself, the past is the past, there is nothing you can do now.

Nym: Don't blame yourself. You didn't know. If we had stayed behind we too would have been killed by the undead; we could not have defended our village against so many. We had no choice.

Kaleh: That is small consolation. My deeds have turned to ashes in my mouth. Eloh forgive me. I did not know.

Nym: With your permission, Kaleh, I think I should go scout around a bit outside. We have no idea what lies out there. And I can sneak around unseen many places you can't.

Kaleh: Okay Nym, just be careful.

Nym: I'm always careful. I'll be back soon.

Kaleh: Well, at least we can use this outpost to rally our surviving troops. How many of our people made it out of the caves, Zhul?

Zhul: We're still trying to get a head count, but between the underground horrors and the water, we lost quite a few. Recruiting new warriors is going to be even more difficult. Still we should thank Eloh, and you, Kaleh, that so many of us did survive.

Nym: Well, Nym's right, we don't know what's out there. So we should set up a perimeter guard around the cave mouth and start discovering what this side of the mountains looks like.

Kaleh thanks the ally

Dwarf

Kaleh: (ally), I want to thank you so much for guiding us out of the caves. We never would have found our way without your help. But with the tunnels flooded, how are you going to find your way back to your people?

Allly: Och, it is I who should be congratulating you, laddie. I showed you the way, but it was you and your people who defeated the many perils and obstacles to your escape. In all my years such bravery and courage I have rarely seen.

But truly I cannot return the way I came and even if there are other tunnels which lead back down to my homeland, I do not know where to search for them. I know as little about the land above ground as you do.

But my king told me to protect you from all dangers, and I plan to keep that oath. I do not like the above ground, it is too open and exposed; I feel that I could be attacked from any direction. But an oath is an oath and so I will follow you and your people wherever you may go and protect you as best I can. The tunnels cannot stay flooded forever; later perhaps if am able to return this way, I may be able to find my way back to my homeland. But for now I am yours to command.

Kaleh: Your loyalty is a credit to your people. I am glad indeed to have you fighting by my side.

Troll

Kaleh: (ally), thank you so much for leading us out of the caves. We never would have found our way without your help. But with the tunnels flooded, how are you going to find your way back to your people?

Ally: (ally) proud of little elves too. He would not have made it this far without all your help. (ally) is surprised by your bravery and strength.

Truth is that (ally) not know much of sunlight lands. Sun and stars are scary, everything is open, exposed, no safe places to hide. But (ally) cannot go back through all that water. And (ally) doesn't know where to find other tunnels back to his home. He is as lost as elves are.

But (ally) not afraid. Great leader told (name) to guide and protect elves, and (ally) will keep his oath. (ally) will follow elves wherever they may go and protect them from danger as best he can. Maybe later, (ally) will find another way back down to the caves of his people. But for now, (ally) will continue to serve and protect you.

Kaleh: Your loyalty is a credit to your people. I am glad indeed to have you fighting by my side.

Elves find the humans' loot

Moved Unit: Looks like the guards at this outpost had been saving away a bit of loot. I don't suppose they're going to mind anymore if we made use of it.

Move outside, Eloh appears

Moved Unit: Praise Eloh, it is so good to be outside again. To see the sky stretching out above me, to feel the wind in my face...

Dwarf Ally: I think we finally made it outside. I'd forgotten how big the sky is and how windy it can be.

Troll Ally: We made it. Outside look strange to (ally), (ally) not used to big open spaces.

Kromph: Kromph is outside, but everything looks strange. What does mistress want Kromph to do?

Nym: Just stay where you are, I'll come up there myself

Nym: Praise Eloh, it is so good to be outside again. To see the sky stretching out above me, to feel the wind in my face...

Elf in the Cave: Can you see very far? Do you have any idea where we are?

Moved Unit: We've come out on the side of a mountain, overlooking a large valley. The land seems to be much the same as the foothills south of the mountains. The valley is filled with sand dunes, though the center is flat. There seems to be some sort of settlement in the center of the valley. And far to the north I can see something sparkling on the horizon, but I don't know what it is.

Kaleh isn't the 'Moved Unit'

Eloh: Kaleh, Kaleh, come to me.

Kaleh: What is the voice? It sounds so familiar.

Eloh: Come out so that I might see you. Your god calls to you.

Kaleh: Am I dreaming? Is this real? I'm coming, I'm coming.

Kaleh is the 'Moved Unit'

Eloh: Hail Kaleh, it is I, Eloh.

Kaleh: But I am not asleep? And yet I can see you? How is this possible?

Eloh: Do you doubt my powers? You have come out of the darkness, and I appear unto you to congratulate you.

Moved Unit: Kaleh, who are you talking to?

Zhul: Kaleh, who are you talking to?

Eloh: For now, I appear only to you, for you, Kaleh, are special, you are the Chosen One.

Kaleh: (name), be quiet, I'll explain it all later.

Eloh: Yes, I have chosen you as the one to lead my people out of danger and death and into a life of eternal salvation. Crossing under the mountains was a very important step, and your destruction of the unbelievers proves your-

Ally: Kaleh, a quick question-

Kaleh: Not now (ally), I'm busy.

Eloh: What's this? You did not kill the unbelievers?!

Kaleh: I am sorry I could not have fulfilled your command, but we found ourselves in the middle of a war. We were vastly outnumbered and we needed help. In fact the (race) have been very helpful. They helped protect us from the trolls and without their guidance we would not have made it out of the caves alive.

Eloh: You were weak and foolish, but I forgive you. You must remember, Kaleh, that without my guidance, your people would have died out years ago. I am your god, and you must follow my every command.

Now, in the valley live a group of humans who have also seen the light. They may seem strange, but they are my obedient followers. You must trust them, they will show you the way north. Follow them and they will lead you to me.

Kaleh: What do you mean 'lead you to me'? You are a god, don't you exist everywhere? I thought you were going to show us our new home.

Eloh: Of course I am. Oh, how little you understand. Do not worry yourself with all those tiny questions. Come to me and all will be made clear.

Sergeant Durstrag: I saw the distress signal from the outpost on the bluff. Who in the Dark Lady's name are you and what have you done with my men?

Kaleh: My name is Kaleh, and these are my people. We come from the south and unfortunately we found your men dead--

Sergeant Durstrag: Dead?! You 'found' them you say? You'll pardon me if I don't take you at your word. We haven't seen elves for generations, but we remember your ancient betrayal. What are elves doing sneaking up through the caves out onto our back doorstep?

Ally: Well, actually they were fleeing from--

Sergeant Durstrag: A troll! This just gets better and better. We haven't seen one of your kind up here for many years, but I have a long memory. I still remember the troll raids when I was a youth.

Sergeant Durstrag: A dwarf! This just gets better and better. We haven't seen one of your kind up here for many years, but we have a long memories. I remember how your 'traders' used to come up and cheat us out of our valuables. You'll find we're not so easy to fool this time.

Kaleh: Look, if you'll just let me explain--

Sergeant Durstrag: Oh there is no need to explain, it's pretty obvious what you're up to. Here we have a whole legion of elves, consorting with trolls, sneaking up behind our defenses. This looks an awful lot like an invasion to me.

Sergeant Durstrag: Oh they're no need to explain, it's pretty obvious what you're up to. Here we have a whole legion of elves, consorting with dwarves, sneaking up behind our defenses. This looks an awful lot like an invasion to me.

Kaleh: No, no. You don't understand! We were told you could help us.

Human Guard: Sir, remember the edict passed down by councilman Noblis? About any foreigners spotted on the borders?

Sergeant Durstrag: I have no idea what you're babbling about, elf, but you're just lucky you caught me on a good day. You get to explain everything to the Iron Council. Now you and your people just lay down your weapons and we will take you into custody to be judged. They'll deal with you as they see fit.

Eloh: Everything will be fine. Do as he says.

Kaleh: I am my own master. I will not be ordered around, not even by you, Eloh.

Sergeant Durstrag: What's that, boy? Are you talking back to me? This isn't a negotiation. You are on my land, and under my jurisdiction. Lay down your weapons and submit peacefully or I'll make you sorry you didn't.

Eloh: Kaleh, I am Eloh, bearer of the staff of Ishtar and slayer of the demon-god Zhangor. Do as I say! Submit to him or I will abandon your people to suffering and death. Your bones will litter the sand dunes, and vultures shall pick at your flesh. I am not a forgiving god, Kaleh.

(as in the goddess? a.k.a Astarte)

Kaleh: Then kill me if you must, but I will not give myself over to those who threaten me and my people. I have not come through peril and darkness just to surrender to a man such as you.

Sergeant Durstrag: Your dare defy me?!? All who refuse to submit to the authority of the Iron Council shall be killed. By the Dark Lady, I shall not put up with this bickering any longer. To battle men! Drive those heathens back into the caves!

Eloh: You disappoint me, Kaleh. You are weak, and not worthy of my guidance. Do what you will, but this is not over. You may be the appointed leader of your people but I am your god, and I will not let you usurp my authority.

Kaleh: You are not the god I grew up with. You may be all powerful, but I will not be your puppet. I am still their leader and as long as I draw breath I will do what I think is best for my people.

Zhul: Kaleh, would you mind telling me what in Uria's name is going on.

Kaleh: There's no time. Right now we have to prepare ourselves for another battle. I'd better head back to the outpost and rally our troops. I fear a whole lot of hurt is going to be coming up through those hills very soon.

Zhul: Well, now we're really in for it. I hope you know what you're doing, Kaleh.

Troll Ally: (Ally) no like humans either. They mean. But they sound great when they go squish.

Dwarf Ally: I never liked humans much anyway. I'll be glad to be fighting something besides undead.

Nym Returns

Nym: I'm back, Kaleh.

Kaleh: Ah! You scared me, Nym. I didn't hear you coming.

Nym: Of course you didn't. That's why it's called sneaking.

Anyway you've really gotten us into a mess. The good news is that the outpost isn't guarded as heavily as you might think. The garrison seems only half-manned. They obviously didn't expect any serious attack to come from this direction.

Kaleh: And what's the bad news?

Nym: The bad news is that I overheard the commander ordering a special group of his men to get ready to ride north and summon reinforcements. It seems that the humans have a bigger village to the north. This outpost is lightly guarded enough that we might be able to defeat them, but in our weakened state if they bring the full strength of their army against us I fear we may be crushed.

Kaleh: Then we'll just have to make sure that no messenger escapes this valley to summon reinforcements.

Nym: Great. So now we're fighting in a haunted valley.

Undead Emissary Appears

Undead Emissary: Cursed Elves, you tracked your filth through our halls and you defiled our sanctuary. You have besmirched our honor, and we will have our revenge. We are the Order of the Crimson Talon, and even death shall not stop us. You shall rue the day that you ever trespassed into our lair!

Nym: Can't the dead ever just stay dead? And aren't they trapped by the flooded tunnels and caves?

Zhul: Undead don't have to breathe and I don't think a little water is going to stop them. Besides, you saw how the ghost just flew through the rock; if they can move through walls then what do they care about flooded tunnels?

Converstation about the Humans

Kaleh: I don't understand. What are these humans doing here? I've never seen so many in one place before.

Zhul: Humans aren't just the bandits and outlaws you're familiar with from the deserts, Kaleh. Remember that long ago the great human empire of Wesnoth spread all across the known lands. Some of our people say that it was the humans who brought the Great Fall upon us. But to blame others is folly. Eloh says that it was not the darkness without, but the darkness within us that was the cause of our corruption and downfall.

But now is not a time for preaching. Humans once spread to many lands, and despite all the ravages of time, I have no doubt that at least a few of them have survived. They are a hardy people and quickly adapt to new conditions. I only wish that the same could be said of our brethren.

Nym: There might be other elves somewhere. We can't be sure.

Kaleh: No we can't. But for now we must deal with the problem at hand. Thank you for the information, Zhul; these humans are good fighters but they are no match for our speed and skill. I grew up fighting in dunes such as these, and I will not be bested by a bunch of ruffians.

Sending for Reinforcements

Sergeant Durstrag: Send forth the messenger and his escort. Go north and bring help as soon as possible!

Kaleh: If that messenger escapes the valley, we'll be in trouble. We have to stop him!

Messanger Dies

Human Messanger: No! I must get help!

Kaleh: Good. We're safe for now. We just have to defeat Durstrag before he sends another messenger for reinforcements.

Messanger Escapes

Kaleh: The messenger has escaped! He will surely return with reinforcements. We are doomed!

Victory Dialogue

Kaleh: Don't worry. We're not the monsters you seem to think we are. I will not kill you in cold blood.

Sergeant Durstrag: Faugh, boy, you know nothing! There are fates worse than death.

Nym: He killed himself rather then surrender to us!

Human: They killed Sergeant Durstrag! Run for your lives!

Zhul: The rest of the humans are fleeing.

Kaleh: Let them go. We have won this battle and I am weary of all this bloodshed.

Zhul: What was it that the human Durstrag was so afraid of?

Kaleh: I don't know, but I fear we may find out.

Zhul: You're being very cryptic, Kaleh. Now that the battle is over would you care to explain to us who you were talking to back when we first met the humans?

Kaleh: No, not yet.

Nym: What's wrong, Kaleh? Don't you trust us?

Kaleh: Yes, yes of course I do. But it's just a theory. I don't want to say more until I have proof. Give me until tomorrow night, then I'll tell you everything.

Zhul: Very well. I've trusted your decisions and your leadership so far; I'll wait a little longer.

Nym: So what do we do now? The land seems to be about the same on the northern side of the mountains as it was on the south. And we can't hang around here forever. The humans will be back with reinforcements eventually, and the valley is still haunted with undead.

Kaleh: Yes, I think the sooner we leave this valley the better. But we don't know anything about the surrounding terrain. Without anyone to guide us, we have no idea what perils may be nearby. I don't like sending our people across foreign lands when I don't know what's in front of us. We've lost too many people already. I don't want to lead us into a trap.

Nym: When I was scouting around I think I saw a small oasis near the entrance to this valley. If we move out there we should be out of range of the undead. I think it would be safe, at least for the short term.

Zhul: Indeed. Undead ghosts such as these are often bound to the places they died: the farther away they travel, the weaker they are. So if we move out of the immediate vicinity we should be pretty safe.

Kaleh: Good, we'll move our people out and camp by the oasis. Now, Nym, you know who our best scouts are; I want you to lead a few elves to do some reconnaissance. We'll send out small groups of scouts to the north, northeast and northwest. Don't go too far, try not to be seen, and please don't do anything dangerous. But I want to know what's out there.

Zhul: But hasn't Eloh told you where to go and what dangers you face?

Kaleh: She was ... rather vague. I know we're supposed to generally go north, but I want more information before I commit us to a direction.

Nym: Don't you worry about us, Kaleh. We'll be careful. I'll organize five bands to scout out the nearby lands. We should be back in about half a day.

Kaleh: Good, until then we'll settle around that oasis and set up as good a defense as we can. Until I know what's out there, I'm not taking any chances.

Narrator: Several hours pass...

(The Elves move to the oasis)

Zhul: In Eloh's name, Nym, you look terrible. Are you okay?

Nym: Yes. Just...let me...catch...my breath.

Esanoo (Merman Netcaster): Water. Sweet water. By the gods, I thought my scales would fall off.

Kaleh: What in Uria's name is that?

Nym: Relax, he's a friend. Just let me explain.

Kaleh: You're really beat up, Nym. Are you sure you're okay?

Ally: He looks like a half-man half-fish.

Esanoo: Indeed. I come from the ocean, and long have I been looking for you.

Kaleh: The Ocean? What are you talking about?

Nym: Don't try to explain, Esanoo. We'll have to show them instead.

Esanoo: It's not important. What's important is that I am an emissary from one who much desires to speak with you, Kaleh. Despite the danger, my master sent me and my brethren to scour the dry land searching for you.

Zhul: There are more of you? Where are the others?

Esanoo: They have been captured by the foul humans. I just barely managed to hide and escape, with the help of your friend.

Zhul: And why should we trust anything you say?

Esanoo: My master thought you might be suspicious. She said that what we must talk with you about concerns the fate of your people. Apparently it concerns 'Yechnagoth' and 'Zhangor'. She said that you would understand, Kaleh.

Kaleh: Hmmmm...yes, yes I think I do. I don't know why, but I trust you.

Esanoo: Thank you. Now I have a boon to ask of you. Our instructions were to find you and to bring you and your people to meet with my master. The problem is that I don't know where she is hiding.

Zhul: You don't know where to find your master?

Esanoo: It's complicated, and I don't know how much I am allowed to tell you. My people are fighting a desperate war against...against a powerful foe. Many times our enemy has tried to assassinate my master. My master worried that her presence was a danger to the rest of my kind. So right after she sent us on our mission she went into hiding. I am the youngest member of our group, and so I wasn't told the location. You must understand, there are spies everywhere. Only the leaders of our group knew, but the rest of them were all captured by those foul humans. They are being held in the settlement to the north. If we are to have any chance of finding my master, we must first rescue them. I would do it myself, but...

Nym: It would be suicide for you to try to rescue them alone. Of course we will help you.

Esanoo: Thank you. I am not very good at fighting on the dry ground.

Kaleh: All the other scouting parties have returned, except for one. Tanstafaal and his scouts haven't reported back yet. I'm starting to get worried.

Nym: They were sent due north. From Esanoo's description it sounds like they were headed right for the human settlement. I hope nothing bad has happened to them.

Kaleh: Things are coming to a head. I'm worried about Tanstafaal and your merfolk friends. Time is of the essence, so let's move out as soon as possible.

Flood outside the Valley is Seen

Moved Unit: Look, the water is pouring out the side tunnel into the valley! That's a lot of water: it's even creating a small river. I sure wouldn't want to be downstream of that deluge right now.

Moved Unit: Look, up there in the valley. The water has poured out of the side tunnel and created a small river and lake. I'm glad we weren't downstream of that deluge when the water came rushing out of the tunnel.

Time Over

Kaleh: I can see human reinforcements arriving on the horizon. We'll surely be overwhelmed now! If only we had moved faster.

Scenario 9: Blood is Thicker than Water

Story Text

Chapter 9: Nym and Esanoo led us north, across the sands and through the dunes, towards the human encampment where the merfolk were being held. I asked Nym where Esanoo had come from, but she wouldn't answer, she just said that I had to see for myself.

Just then we crested over the last dune and I indeed saw what she meant. Sparkling blue covered the entire horizon. I fell to my knees in awe, I had never seen so much water in one place. I cannot write down in words the shock and amazement I felt. To have grown up in a land where water was as precious as gold, and then see miles and miles of it. It was only then that I understood where the merfolk truly came from. I'd been to some strange places, high up in the mountains, deep down under thousands of tons of rock, but this world of water was the most alien of them all.

Which brings me to the other alien concept I was trying to comprehend: our goddess Eloh. What was her plan? Why did she want me to surrender to the humans? Do the humans worship her as well? The humans seem so brutish and vile, that I can't imagine them worshiping the same god as us. I thought Eloh was just our god, I don't remember Zhul mentioning any other races worshiping her after the Great Fall, though perhaps things had changed in the intervening years. Her commands don't make any sense; she doesn't seem at all like the goddess Zhul told me about. And what was Esanoo talking about? How did his master know about 'Yechnagoth' and 'Yanqui'? If Eloh won't help me, then I desperately need some answers. I pray to whatever gods may be left that I'm not leading my people into a trap...

Introductory Dialogue

Kaleh: Now that we're down off the hills, you can't even see all that water, it's hidden by the trees. I never thought I would see so many trees in one place.

Zhul: Compared to the desert it seems almost like a paradise. All this growth and vegetation, I can feel it pulsing with life.

Nym: And yet these trees seem different, the forest seems darker, somehow. I prefer to stay out in the open where I can see my enemies coming.

Dwarf Ally: It looks nice and dark under the trees, less exposed to that blazing sun. I'm exhausted after walking across all that harsh sand.

Troll Ally: Trees look big and strong, like trolls. Dark, too. (Ally) tired of walking under hot sun.

Esanoo:' This is where the human encampments lie, to the northwest. They have settled a chain of islands along the coast of the water. If you break through these trees you will soon see them. I think that's where they are holding the rest of my group.

My master wanted to make sure that if one of us was captured, we couldn't betray his location. So she didn't tell us where she was, but she taught us a simple spell to divine her hiding place. But it requires three merfolk to cast. So in order to find her, we must rescue at least two of my people. Though I hope we can save all of them.

Zhul: And you said that there are only five others in your group left?

Esanoo: We originally numbered much more, but we were ambushed by a band of naga on the way here. Half of our force held off the naga while the rest of us fled. By the time we got to these shores, only six of us were left. But for the grace of the Sea God I managed to hide when the rest of my group was ambushed and captured. I doubt that they have been broken yet, but I do not know how long they can last. Remember, without three of us, you will not be able to find my master.

Nym: Wait, did you hear that?

Kaleh: Someone's coming. Quick, hide!

Esanoo: What? Huh?

Human Scout: Hey, what do we have here?

Esanoo: Uh...Uh...

Human Scout 2: It's another one of those fish creatures. It must have come back to try to rescue its friends.

Human Scout: Ha, stupid creature. But we're in luck, the council was looking for the last of these spies.

Human Scout 2: We'd better get him back to the base. They're going to sacrifice them all in some big holy ceremony at dawn just two days from now.

Human Scout: Yeah, we'll be heroes!

Kaleh: Not if we gut you first. Attack!

Human Scout: The Dark Lady protect us, they're elves!

Human Scout 2: There's tons of them! Flee, we must warn the others!

Nym: Well, so much for the element of surprise.

Esanoo: Thank you. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. They just jumped out of nowhere.

Nym: It's okay, you're not used to being on dry ground, and you've been through a lot. Even if the humans know we're coming, we can still take them. Just be careful and stay in the back until we reach the water again.

Esanoo: I sure will look forward to that. I'm afraid my scales have all dried out again. It itches something terrible.

Kaleh: Well if we're going to save those merfolk, then we don't have any time to lose. The humans said they would be sacrificed in just two days. We'd better set up camp here and push on north west as soon as possible. I just hope we can make it in time.

First Merman Freed

Esanoo is Alive

Urruga (an imprisoned merman): Free at last. Thanks be to the Sea God. But wait a minute, you're elves!?!

Esanoo: I have returned with the elves we sought. They have agreed to help me rescue the rest of our group from the foul humans.

Saved Unit: Indeed you have done well, far better than I could have hoped. We shall talk more later, but for now we have to free the rest of our brethren.

Esanoo is Dead

Kaleh: Greetings. Esanoo told us that you were looking for us, and he bravely led us here. Though he has fallen in combat, we have come to rescue the rest of your kind.

Saved Unit: Yes, I recognize your face, young elf. We will remember Esanoo's sacrifice. But for now we must rescue the rest of my brethren before they too are slain by the foul humans.

Nym: How could he recognize your face? We've never seen him before.

Kaleh: We'll ask later, for now we've got to keep fighting.

Other Mermen Freed

Urruga: Thank you for rescuing me. We'll show those humans the true fury of the merfolk!

Nuvassa: Thank you for rescuing me. You elves are very skilled at fighting on the dry land. I envy you.

Moved Unit: As I envy your kind's prowess when fighting in the water.

Yantili: Thank you for rescuing me. I never imagined that we would actually be able to find you elves. Our master was right after all. But more of that later...

Il-tian: Thank you for rescuing me. May the Sea God's bounty bless you and protect you. If you have any wounded I can help heal them. The blades of the vile humans are terrible indeed.

Cave in the North is Seen (hidden mermaid)

Moved Unit: What a dark nasty place. Something smells horrible.

We-jial is Saved (no Mermen sacrificed)

We-jial: Thank you for rescuing me. How did you manage to escape?

Moved Unit: Esanoo found the elves that we were searching for. He brought them back and they helped free us. I can't believe the humans imprisoned you in such a horrible place. To be stuck in the darkness with those undead. We will make them pay for what they have done!

We-jial: Do not worry yourself, now that I am free all will be set to rights. It is not our mission to defeat all the evil in this world. Protecting the elves is most important. We must bring them to our master; all else is secondary.

Moved Unit: Yes, you are right, of course. Pardon me.

Merfolk are Sacrificed

Defeat

Kaleh: No, too many merfolk have died! There are not enough of them left to divine the location of their master. We should have protected the merfolk more carefully. Now our search is hopeless.

Kaleh: Too many merfolk have died! Even if we save the rest, there will not be enough for them to divine the location of their master. We should have protected the merfolk more carefully. Now our search is hopeless.

Elves discover Salt Water

Moved Unit: Whoa, this water is warm. Imagine if we had this back home, more water than I could drink in a lifetime! Hey...wait a minute. Faugh! This water is salty! It tastes terrible, I can't drink this! What use is all this water if you can't drink it?

Easter Egg: Unit is at the End of the Island Chain

Elves with Eloh Present

Moved Unit: It really is beautiful out here, looking out over the sparkling water. If I didn't have vile humans and traitorous elves at my back I could spend all day just sitting out here. But I really should get back to the battle. Ah, it's a hard knock life.

Elves without Eloh

Moved Unit: It really is beautiful out here, looking out over the sparkling water. If I didn't have vile humans and Eloh knows what else at my back I could spend all day just sitting out here. But I really should get back to the battle. Ah, it's a hard knock life.

Merfolk

Moved Unit: If I was a landwalker, I might think the view from this sandbar to be amazing. But I am a creature of the sea and I see views like this every day.

Elves Encounter Human Leaders

Zelgant

Zelgant: You trespass upon our land at your own peril. All who oppose the will of the Iron Council shall be crushed!

Alastra

Alastra: Foolish elves. We have heard of your pitiful kind. You are but worms compared to the might of the Dark Lady. Coming here shall be your undoing.

Darius

Darius: She said you would come. You may be able to defeat us, but none can defy her. You will bow down in the end. It is your destiny.

Time Runs Out

All Merfolk are Saved

Esanoo is Alive

Esanoo: Wonderful! We have rescued all of my band from the humans. I cannot thank you enough.

Merfolk: Indeed, we owe you a great debt. You have done well Esanoo, better than I could have hoped.

Esanoo is Dead

Nym: Esanoo said there were five merfolk left in his band. I think we have rescued them all!

Merfolk: Indeed, I think you have now freed all of us. We owe you a great debt. We are sorry that Esanoo has fallen, but we will honor him and tell everyone the story of his great deeds. Glad are we that he found you and brought you to us. Even the smallest fish can change the course of the sea.

Not all Merfolk Are Saved

Darius: The time has come. On this most holy day, let us sacrifice these infidels unto the Dark Lady. Their suffering shall be a testament to her power and glory!

Hekuba: The time has come, my brethren. On this most holy day, let us sacrifice these infidels unto The Dark Lady. Their suffering shall be a testament to her power and glory!

Mermaid in The Cave is Dead

Esanoo is Alive

Esanoo: Oh no! Our enchantress, We-jial. Where did they hide her? What horrible fate has befallen her? If only we could have saved her in time.

Merfolk: The Sea God will carry her soul out to sea and bear it to the deeps. May he watch over her until the day we are all together again.

Esanoo is Dead

Zhul: Esanoo said there were five merfolk captured. We only found four. Where did they hide the last one? What horrible fate has befallen her?

Merfolk: They took We-jial, our enchantress, away from us. But she is at peace now. The Sea God will carry her soul out to sea and bear it to the deeps. May he watch over her until the day we are all together again.

Mermaid in the Cave is Alive

Kaleh: The bars of the cages are smoking and glowing red hot!

Esanoo is Alive

Esanoo: May the Sea God protect us. They are being burnt alive! It's terrible, I can't bear to watch.

Merfolk: The Sea God will carry their souls out to sea and bear them to the deeps. May he watch over them until the day we are all together again.

Esanoo is Dead

Zhul: Eloh protect us. They are being burnt alive! I do not know what the purpose of the unholy sacrifice is, but it is sickening to watch.

Merfolk: The Sea God will carry their souls out to sea and bear them to the deeps. May he watch over them until the day we are all together again.

Defeat

Esanoo: They are all dead. We were too late. Forgive me master.

Kaleh: We couldn't save enough of the merfolk. We have failed. Now we shall never be able to meet the merfolk's leader!

Not Defeat

Esanoo: Oh Master, forgive me. I could not save them all in time. Vile humans, you shall pay twice over for what you have done!

Darius: The stinkin' elves have freed some of the merfolk. And still they fight on. Execute plan B. And kill those merfolk!

Darius: Curse them! The elves have freed the merfolk. We will be have our vengeance. Keep fighting, and execute plan C!

I must go report to the Iron Council. Keep fighting!

Hekuba: Curse them! The elves have stolen our offering to the Lady. We will have our vengeance. Keep fighting and execute plan C! (if Darius is dead)

Nym: Who was that?

Merfolk: That was one of the Iron Triad. Rarely do they leave their sanctuary. They prefer to let their minions do the dirty work.

Human Retreat (living leaders can speak)

Zelgant: I go to marshal reinforcements. Do not lose heart, we will crush these puny elves.

Alastra: I must leave for now, fight on in my stead.

Alastra: I must go report to the Iron Council. Keep fighting! (Darius is dead)

Eloh Returns

Tanstafaal: Hail, my brothers, I have returned!

Kaleh: Tanstafaal, where have you been? We have been looking for you.

Tanstafaal: I have gone on a journey and I have seen the light. No longer will I blindly follow in your footsteps, Kaleh. I have come back to lead our people on the true path. She has spoken to me, and I am but an implement of her divine will.

Nym: Who has spoken to you?

Tanstafaal: Behold, our goddess has returned to us. All bow down to Eloh, our savior!

Elf: The Goddess!

Archer: Forgive me my sins!

Zhul: That I am so blessed to gaze upon Eloh herself...

Eloh: Hail my people. In your time of trial I appear to you, to save you yet again.

I come to you with dire news: one of you has betrayed me, and is a traitor to your cause.

Fighter: What?

Hunter: No!

Archer: Who?

Eloh: Did I not say that I would deliver you from evil and bring you to the promised land? I have shepherded you out of the harsh deserts and under the mountains. And your salvation was almost at hand.

But there was one who grew corrupted by his power and rejected my divine plan. He sought to usurp my authority. He had no faith and believed that he knew better than me, I who have watched over you for generations. He wanted to lead you astray. In these perilous lands, the fate of your journey stands upon the edge of a knife, falter once and all shall fail.

Yes, I speak of your so-called leader, Kaleh. I did call out to him initially because I thought he was one of the faithful, but he betrayed my trust. The humans you are slaughtering wanted to help you, until Kaleh foolishly attacked them. And now Kaleh has you serving the evil merfolk and their insidious plans. Follow his path and he would have you bow down and serve the merfolk's foul god.

That is why I called out to Tanstafaal, one of my loyal followers. All is not yet lost. Follow him and I can still deliver you from your peril. But first, come back to me, stop fighting these humans, and kill this heretic Kaleh and his cronies.

Kaleh: Wait, my people, do not be deceived. This thing that appears by Tanstafaal's side is not our god. I too was fooled at first, but I have come to realize by her actions that she is an impostor. When she appeared to me the night before Garak died, she told me to kill all that lived under the mountains, even the dwarves who ended up helping us. Likewise when we escaped from the caves, she appeared to me again, and told me to bow down to the humans, else she would destroy me. Never has Eloh threatened one of us or dictated our actions.

Elf: Why should we trust you? We have not heard Eloh's words directly. Only now that you have led us into this folly has Eloh appeared to us.

Kaleh: She claims to be the one who has shepherded us during his journey, but who protected you across the harsh sands, who fought the orcs and led you under the mountains, who led you out again, against all odds? I did. I have bled for you, every step of the way. If you will not trust me based on my words, then trust me based on my actions. I have done the best I could for my people, and I stand by my actions. I believe that the merfolk are our friends, as the (race) were. I refuse to bow down to harsh words and threats; we elves have always been free to make our own choices. We are not slaves, and will not blindly follow either humans or some false god.

Tanstafaal: Your words are meaningless, Kaleh. My brethren, Eloh has appeared to you. She has spoken. Defy her at your own peril. I declare all who oppose Eloh heretics. All who are faithful, join me and let us kill the usurpers!

Kaleh: Eloh would never ask elf to kill elf. But it seems I have little choice. My people, I have led you this far, join with me and help me crush this new rebellion!

Nym: I have followed you this far Kaleh, I will not abandon you now. But I admit that my faith is shaken. If that is not our god, than what is it?

Kaleh: I do not know, but given what I have seen of the humans, I think following her would lead us down a dark road indeed. One that I personally do not want to discover the end of.

Dwarf Ally: The chieftain told me to serve you, and it will take more than this to shatter my confidence in you, lad. But those elves must be out on a different island, how will we cross the deep water?

Troll Ally: Great Leader told (ally) to serve you, and so (ally) will still follow your command. But other elves must be out on a separate island. How will we cross deep water?

Merfolk: I believe that in this we can help. We are very grateful for all you have done for us Kaleh, and though we assure that we mean you no harm, you are right that actions speak louder than words. We are more familiar with the waters than you are, and we noticed that there are two shallow paths leading to the island where the other elves must be. We can show you these paths and help you across so that you may put down this rebellion.

Kaleh: Thank you, I'm sure you will be very useful in the shallow waters. All right people, I don't want to kill any more than I have to. Too much blood has been spilled already. Knock 'em out, wound them, kill them only if you must. But we must stop Tanstafaal in his lunacy before he destroys us entirely.

Nym: We who have fought by your side before will stand with you Kaleh, but many of our people are fleeing and joining Tanstafaal. I'm afraid that while you can recall past warriors, you won't be able to recruit any new ones.

Kaleh: Then we will make do with those few that we have.

Zhul and Eloh Converse

Zhul: I'm sorry Kaleh, I cannot let our people slaughter each other. There must be a way to stop this.

Kaleh: No, don't...

Zhul: I have no choice, goodbye.

Oh Eloh, you know how long I have faithfully served you. I ask you now a boon in return. Do not kill the boy Kaleh, he is just doing what his heart tells him to do. Did you not say: 'to err is elven, but to forgive divine'?

Eloh: You dare to lecture me? I am a god and you are but a mortal. You of all people should know that your position is to enforce my will, not question it!

Zhul: But you yourself can see that many of our people's faith is wavering. You cannot gain their loyalty by slaughtering the boy and his friends. Be merciful and kind, as you have always been, and there may be no need for this self-annihilating conflict.

Eloh: Times have changed, mercy is a sign of weakness. Let this be a lesson to everyone, absolute loyalty is absolute strength. It is clear that you do not understand this concept, Zhul. My people, now is a time to tear down the old guard and create a new empire of strength, fealty and glory! I shall grant those who are loyal eternal life and we will triumph over all enemies!

Zhul: No, I...

Eloh: No, I don't think you shall pester me any more. You shall be as a statue, forced to watch events unfold and helpless to interfere. Yes, I think this will be an appropriate punishment. Then perhaps you will learn not to question my divine will.

Kromph gets controlled by Eloh

Kromph: Aaarrrgggh! Voices in my head, make them stop!

Nym: What? What do you hear?

Kromph: Must...Can't...Must...Help me!

Six Turns After Eloh's Appearance

Kromph: Must obey...Can't resist...I...Yes, Mistress, I am yours.

Pretty lady say elves bad. Kill elves. Kill!

Crabmen Attack Elves

Angry Crab: Aaaargh! Fresh meat!

Moved Unit: Where did those things come from? They look dangerous.

Angry Crab: Gaaaggghhh! Kill!

Moved Unit: What are those things? They looked like ticked off giant crabs.

Meeting Eloh

Eloh: You think you can strike me down. This is just a small part of my true power.

Kaleh: Small part or no, if it is mortally possible to destroy you, I shall. Your hands are stained in our blood, you are not our god.

Death of Eloh

Eloh: Don't worry Kaleh, we will see each other again...I promise.

Nym: She freaks me out, but at least it seems that she can be destroyed.

Kaleh: That was just an apparition, but if we meet again I will make her pay for all that she has done.

Kromph: Mistress gone, must follow commands, but Nym master too, Nym say must protect elves, but mistress say must kill elves, but must protect, must kill, protect, kill, protect, kill, aauuggghhhhh!!!

Kaleh: He just collapsed, the conflicting orders must have been too much for him.

Nym: Poor Kromph, at least he's finally at rest.

Zhul: I'm sorry, Kaleh. My faith clouded my reason. But I wanted so very much to believe.

Kaleh: You do not need to apologize. What you did was very brave. I wish to...to whatever god still watches over us, that this bloodshed was not necessary. But I could not let half my people be co-opted by that thing. As horrible as it sounds, even death is a better fate.

Zhul: So when you had the strange encounter with that human Durstrag and his guards, just after we escaped the caves, you were talking to Eloh, or whatever she is?

Kaleh: Yes, she appeared only to me and demanded that I surrender to the humans. When I refused she threatened me, saying she would kill me if I refused. That's when I really started to get suspicious.

Zhul: It is clear that that thing was not our god. I do not know what it was, but I have to keep believing that Eloh is out there somewhere. Without our faith, what do we have left?

Nym: We have each other.

Zhul: That's not enough. Look, you're a wonderful girl Nym, and Kaleh, you've shown yourself to be a great leader, but our actions have to mean something more than just our day-to-day survival. There has to be a higher purpose, Eloh must have some sort of plan for us. We have to keep believing.

Kaleh: Peace Zhul, we can discuss theology later. We still have work to do.

Meeting Tanstafaal

Tanstafaal: You cannot defeat me, I am protected by the goddess now. Finally, Kaleh, I will show everyone who is stronger!

Kaleh: Oh Tanstafaal, I pity you. This battle was never about you.

Death of Tanstafaal

Kaleh: No, do not kill him. He may deserve it, but he will not die at my hands.

Tanstafaal: Never Kaleh. I will not be your lackey again!

Kaleh: Why did he have to kill himself? Oh poor misguided Tanstafaal. We have lost too many elves today.

Nym: Do not blame yourself too much, it is Eloh who persuaded him to rebel.

Kaleh: Yes, she too will pay for her part in all of this.

Tanstafaal and Eloh Gone

Kaleh: It is finished. See, my people, Tanstafaal has been killed by his own hand, and the thing pretending to be our god is gone.

You who call yourself Eloh, I challenge you, if you are truly our god, then show yourself, and strike me down where I stand!

Nothing. Eloh may still watch over us, but that thing was not her. And yet, I do not hold a grudge against all of you who rebelled. I too was deceived at first, and unlike the pretender, I am merciful. For there are too few of us left for us to slaughter each other over minor grievances. Let us declare a general amnesty and unite again, going forward hand in hand, for, god or no god, I will help us find a better land, or die trying.

Former Rebel: I think I speak for all of us when I say that we accept your offer of amnesty and will follow you again. You have proved yourself capable as a leader and we too tire of this bloodshed. In hindsight perhaps we were wrong about Eloh and Tanstafaal; we shall have to think about this long and hard.

Kaleh: Thank you. And I have also not forgotten the pledge I made to our merfolk friends. If it is possible, I would like to meet with your master. Your conduct is a testament to your people, and I, at least, trust you.

Merfolk: Than you.

Hekuba: And what about us, little elf, did you forget about us?

Kaleh: I could never forget what you did to those merfolk.

Hekuba: Good, for that is just a taste. You are fools to interfere with our affairs, and the Iron Council does not tolerate fools. The Dark Lady shall swallow your souls and you shall writhe in eternal torment. Arise my brethren, by her power those who have died shall rise up and join us! The very rocks too shall rise up out of the water to aid our crossing. Like a plague we shall pour forth and drive the non-believers before us!

Nym: Gosh, just when things were starting to calm down.

Zhul: Our people are scattered and exhausted, where will we go now Kaleh? Shall we retreat back into the dunes?

Kaleh: Before I decide, I have just one question: How did you merfolk plan on bringing us to meet your master, if she dwells far beneath the sea?

Merfolk: Actually we prefer to dwell in the shallow waters, where we may frolic in the great coral reefs under the sun and moon. But I digress, we realize that you people cannot swim like us, and I believe I may have a solution.

The humans of the Iron Council dwell in a large island to the northwest; I was taken there several times for interrogation. It is a fearsome place, full of black rock and tall peaks, but in the center is a lagoon. In the lagoon, I saw several ships anchored, which we might be able to use to transport your people across the waves.

Zhul: Across the waves!?! We are a people of the desert, we know nothing of piloting such vessels. And I do not like the idea of putting my life at the mercy of some human-built ship.

Merfolk: We have often spied on the humans and have picked up some knowledge of piloting. We also have some magical skills that allow us to control the winds and thus we can easily propel the ships in the right direction. Once out on the open sea we should be safe from danger. Besides our master lives far out in the waters, trying to find her and bearing her back here would take too long and there is no other way to get you to her.

Kaleh: We have already gone to many strange places and survived. I trust the merfolk, if they believe that they can transport us safely across the waters, then I will put my life in their hands.

Nym: Wherever you go Kaleh, I will follow.

Zhul: Very well. You have not led us astray so far, I will not leave you now.

Dwarf Ally: Ouch, being stuck between the water and the sun is a terrible place to be, but where you go I will follow.

Troll Ally: (Ally) scared of big water and bright sun, but (Ally) will not dishonor Great Leader. Great Leader say follow Kaleh, and (ally) will do so.

Merfolk: We have attacked the humans in the past, when their boats trespass in our waters, and so they fear us greatly. Their dark mages have cast protective spells upon their boats, preventing any of our kind from boarding them. I am afraid that we cannot capture the boats for you. We will, of course, help you hold off the humans. Later, once we escape, with your help I think we can dispel the protections, but for now you must seize them yourselves.

There are four boats in the lagoon. Once you have captured each of the four then we can help you steer them out into the open water and to freedom. Then we can pilot them to shore, safely away from the humans, and load the rest of your people on board. But we will need all four boats to fit all of your remaining people.

Nym: Truly, there are not as many of us as there once were.

Kaleh: Though the cost be high, we do what we must. Come let us go capture those boats.

Time Over

Kaleh: We've run out of time. The humans are gaining strength and will surely overwhelm us now.

Victory Dialogue

Nym: We've captured all four boats!

Kaleh: Good, then let's get out of here. The merfolk will help you guide the ships. I'll muster the rest of our people and retreat from this bloody battlefield. We'll meet you along the coastline west of here. Don't worry about losing us, we'll stick to the coast and the merfolk will help us keep in contact. Once we've escaped and are out of range of any counterattacks by the humans, we can load the rest of our people onto the ships.

Merfolk: Then by the Sea God's hand I call forth the winds. May they confound our enemies and blow these ships to safety!

Scenario 10: Speaking with the Fishes

Story Text

Chapter 10: The merfolk helped us pilot our ships far into the ocean. Some of the younger elves were actually quite adept at climbing the rigging and steering the ships. Myself, I mostly stayed in the captain's quarters and tried to avoid getting seasick. The sea reminded me of being out in the vast desert, with only the stars at night to guide my way. But without the merfolk's help we would have been hopelessly lost.

That afternoon three of the merfolk sat in a circle and performed their ritual to determine the location of their master. Apparently it was a success, for they steered us straight towards the setting sun.

The next morning we reached our destination. It wasn't even an island, just a sandbar sticking out above the water. We lowered down a longboat and the merfolk pulled us to shore, none of us being very skilled with the oars.

In the water around the sand bar were a large number of merfolk guards. Standing alone on top of the sand was one of the oldest merfolk I have ever seen. She beckoned to us and we approached...

Introductory Dialogue

Melusand: Hail Kaleh, long have I waited to see you in person.

Kaleh: Greetings. I'm afraid I am at a disadvantage, for you know my name and I do not know yours.

Melusand: I am known as Melusand. I am what you might call a high priest among my people.

Kaleh: This is--

Ally is alive

Melusand: No, you don't have to introduce yourselves. I already know who you are and why you have been journeying all this way. And I must say, (ally), that your recent actions and indeed your presence with these fine folk is a credit to your race.

Dwarf: Thank you for your kindness.

Troll: (Ally) says thank you

Ally is dead

Melusand: No, you don't have to introduce yourselves. I already know who you are and why you have been journeying all this way.

Nym: If you know so much why did you drag us all the way out here?

Melusand: Patience, young lady. All will be revealed in good time.

I have been watching your progress with great interest, but I could not contact you directly. That is why I sent out my most trusted followers to find you. I apologize for the difficulty of arranging a meeting. Oh, and I hope you do not mind my guards. But her spies are everywhere and I had to be certain that we could converse without being overheard. Besides, it never hurts to be too careful.

Zhul: Whose spies?

Melusand: Perhaps I should start at the beginning. Make yourselves comfortable, for this may take a while. I want to tell you a tale, it is a story of the fall of what you refer to as 'The Golden Age'.

A long time ago there was a great empire of humans known as the Empire of Wesnoth. They lived peacefully alongside elves and dwarves, and drove the dark powers deep under the earth. It was a time of peace, light, and prosperity for all.

Zhul: Yes, we know about this age.

Melusand: This will go much faster if you don't interrupt me. Now, as I was saying the Empire of Wesnoth was very learned in the magical arts and had vast repositories of knowledge. Back then there was only one sun in the sky, the sun you call Sela. But the king decreed that he would raise a second sun into the heavens, to lengthen their days and shorten the darkness. All the mages, sorcerers and wise men came together and cast a mountain into the sky and made it glow as bright as the sun. They sent this second sun, who you call Naia, hurling through the sky so that there was only a few hours of dark each night. Though some had called the attempt foolish, it was a resounding success and stood as a tribute to the power and might of the humans. The golden age glowed brighter than ever and the many believed that they had dispelled evil and darkness forever.

But with their prosperity and power, over the generations the humans grew arrogant. One day a young descendant of the original king decreed that darkness should be abolished altogether from the land, so that light and goodness would shine forth everywhere. But the people had grown lazy and complacent and the ranks of mages who still trained hard to harness the magical arts had decreased greatly. Still the king believed he was all-powerful and would not listen to the mages' protests. So, seeking to duplicate their ancestors' previous success, the mages tried to lift a second mountain into the sky. But a great evil befell them that day; their power failed and the mountain crashed down onto the humans capital, crushing all within it. In an instant the center of the Empire of Wesnoth was utterly destroyed.

The king and his family were all killed, and soon petty warlords tore apart the empire as all the known lands fell into chaos. Elves and Dwarves were drawn into the conflicts, Orcs and Trolls spread forth from the dark places, and chaos and darkness swallowed the lands.

The two suns, a monument to the power and hubris of the fallen Empire of Wesnoth, scorched the earth. The fields dried up, forests died, and swamps turned into mud-cracked plains. Since then the path of the second sun has shifted in the sky, creating the long dark that you are so familiar with every other night. And much evil has spread forth across the lands. The mages of the Empire of Wesnoth still haunt their domains as the undead lords that plague your sands. The surviving humans have descended into barbarity and squalor. Orcs cover the lands killing each other and any that fall into their grasp. The dwarves and trolls hide in their tunnels, in the dark, fighting an endless war. I do not mean to offend your friend, but the majority of them care little for the fate of the surface dwellers. And without their forests the elves have mostly died out, another victim of the chaos and evil that dominates our lands.

What can we merfolk do? We see much with our magics, but we do not have the numbers, nor the power, to bring back order to the domains of the land dwellers. And even the sea is not free from the darkness; we struggle to survive against the naga and far worse things that have crept forth from the dark places. We are barely holding our own in the waters, but you saw how ill-suited we were when we went ashore.

You are probably wondering why I know all this history. Far out in the sea is a string of islands that was once colonized by some humans from the Empire of Wesnoth. During the Golden Age ships traveled often to the mainland carrying trade goods and news. Apparently the colony was led by a group of mages who wanted a safe place to perform their experiments. Protected by their magic and their isolation, these colonists held out longer than most after the fall of the empire. What happened to them we do not know for certain, but many years ago my people discovered the ruins of their settlements. While exploring the ruins we found a library full of letters and several journals. With our magics and knowledge we were able to decipher the writings and thus we could piece together the history of the end of the Golden Age.

The islands seemed lush and bountiful so we decided to settle in the shallow waters. But we discovered that the largest island was a strange and sinister place. The interior of the island was choked with a thick jungle, and at the center we could see several tall rocky peaks. On the tallest peak was build some sort of stronghold and occasionally at night we saw strange lights emanating from it. We sent several expeditions into the jungle to explore the building, but none ever returned. Soon afterwards merfolk sleeping on the shores would disappear at night, leaving only bloody trails leading into the dense jungle. It was clear that something was lurking in the jungle, but we knew not what. Our priests felt a strange presence that they could not understand, and darkness clouded our attempts at scrying.

The island was declared cursed, and we stayed as far away from it as we could. Some said we should flee the islands, but the waters were great for hunting, and the cursed naga who often raided our settlements did not trouble us here. So we remained and told ourselves that if we kept our distance everything would be okay.

But then that night came, I still remember it, as if it was yesterday. As the sun set a darkness spread forth from the tower, blotting out the moon and stars. From the sea came harsh battle cries and a great host of naga appeared from out of the depths. Even worse, from that large island the bodies of long-dead humans rose again and marched through the water, killing soundlessly. We were not prepared for such a powerful assault, and we were forced to flee for our lives. Indeed we were lucky to save as many as we did.

In hindsight I blame the humans. With their experiments I think they woke something, something evil. Years later, we still suffer from the legacy of their cursed arrogance and hubris. Something festers on that island, corrupting all that it touches. Since we fled, those islands have become a haven to dark and terrible things. Naga prowl the seas, and undead and other horrors lurk in that twisted jungle. The few creatures that we have captured alive speak of a dark goddess, one they serve blindly unto death. It seems that she has taken control of the humans you saw as well.

Nym: Does she have a name?

Melusand: She has many names. We call her the Eater of Souls. But in the old tongue her name is Yechnagoth.

Zhul: No!

Melusand: Yes, I thought that name would be familiar to you. Always is she looking for new followers. I believe that it is she who appeared unto your people in the guise of your god. But her lust for even greater power may be her undoing. For she underestimated your strength of will; you are not as easily controlled as those she dominated before. She brought you here to be her followers, but I believe that you may be just the ones who can destroy her.

Nym: You seem powerful, why can't you destroy her yourselves?

Melusand: Years of battle have taken their toll; my people are few in number and have not the strength to strike at her alone. But I see in you a strength and determination that gives me hope. With your help we may have a chance.

You must realize that if she is not stopped, who knows how far her pestilence might spread? I have scryed far and wide and there are few that have the strength to stand up to such a force. If we do not, who will?

Zhul: How can we trust you? How do we know you aren't servants of Yechnagoth, sent to trick us?

Melusand: If you knew anything about us you would not ask such a question! The idea is an anathema to all that we stand for! You saw how my brethren risked life and limb to find you and protect you and your kind against the humans. You saw how the humans treated us in return. Are not our actions proof enough?

Because in the end, I'm afraid you just have to trust us. If we wanted to capture you we could have already. But we are not here to force you to do anything. Feel free to leave if you want, we can take you back to land. But you will find few friends among the wilds north of the mountains, and the humans will be searching for you. Eloh's reach is long and her vengeance is terrible.

Indeed, that is what she is expecting. Like the few others that have resisted her for a time, she expects you to flee from her, to run away as far as you can. Long has it been since she has been seriously attacked; it is the one thing she not will be anticipating. I doubt that she even considers your kind a threat, but we have a real chance here to show her that there is still power in the known lands that she does not control.

Kaleh: You have given us much to think about. But we cannot make such an important decision in an instant. Please give us time to talk among ourselves and discuss this matter.

Melusand: Of course. We will withdraw to the shallows and give you some privacy. But do not ponder for too long, for we do not have a lot of time. I will return ere long.

Kaleh: Well, what do you all think?

Nym: It's a heck of a story.

Zhul: I'm not sure what to think. It's all so much information.

Dwarf: I'm still not sure I trust her. What if she's just trying to get you all to fight her war for her?

Troll: (Ally) not sure if he trust fish lady. What if she just want you elves to fight her war for her?

Kaleh: The point is, it's not her fight, it's our fight too. I for one believe her tale. With all the power that Melusand says Yechnagoth has, how do we know that Yechnagoth wasn't the one who rained those rocks down upon our village all those weeks ago? What if this is all just part of a plot to turn our people into a group of mindless followers?

Zhul: Whether this was all planned or not, what's important is what should we do with ourselves now? We have a duty to protect our people.

Kaleh: No, no, no! Too much blood has been spilled. This has gone on way too far for us to just end it now and walk away. You saw what she did to Keratur and Tanstafaal, their blood is on my hands and I will have vengeance!

Nym: Even if we turn around and leave now, where will we go?

Zhul: I admit that Melusand does have a point. We cannot return under the mountains the way we came, the humans will be heavily guarding that path for sure by now. We could ask the merfolk to return us back to the coasts to the north or south of where we came, but I do not know these lands at all. We would be wandering aimlessly through the wilderness. Oh, if only we did have Eloh to guide us. We need her now more than ever.

Nym: This entire journey has been based on a lie--

Kaleh: I know! I know! Would you like me to kill myself as punishment, or step down as leader? Imagine how I feel. I heard her voice, it was just as you had told us since we were children, Zhul. The voice of our god, speaking to us for the first time since the olden days. And I believed, I wanted to believe so badly, that I could take our people away from the horror and the death. I see them now whenever I sleep, I see their faces, all of our brethren who have died on the accursed journey. Oh, I wish none of this had ever happened!

Nym: No, no, no one is blaming you, Kaleh.

Zhul: Many who have seen dark times wish they could go back and remake the past. But that is not in our power, all we can do now is do what seems right in the time that is allotted to us. Do not succumb to despair Kaleh, or else Yechnagoth has already won.

Dwarf: Yes, remember boy, the fight is not yet lost while we still draw breath.

Troll: Do not give up yet, little one. The battle is not yet lost while we still fight.

Kaleh: You are right. I believe Melusand, strange as her tale sounds. From all I have seen Yechnagoth truly is a scourge on this earth, and I would gladly give up my life for a chance to destroy her once and for all. But this is not a choice that I can make for all of our people.

Nym: She should be made to pay for all that she has done to our people, and if I should die in the attempt, then so be it. I will not leave your side now, Kaleh.

Zhul: As strange as it may sound, there are some things in this world that are more important than the fate of our people. Years from now the suns shall rise anew, a seed will grow into a flower, a child will be born. And I believe that if Yechnagoth is victorious then all that is good and beautiful will be corrupted and twisted and destroyed. This is a harsh world that we live in, but there is beauty and goodness in it, and no matter what may happen to us, I would gladly give my life to see that beauty and goodness survive.

Dwarf: Even in the deepest tunnels underground we could not forever escape Yechnagoth's power if she remains unchecked. Against such evil I am sure my king would give you a whole army of dwarves, but I am afraid you only have me. Still, I will do what I can to see her destroyed.

Troll: Even in deepest tunnels my people could not escape Yechnagoth's power forever if she is not stopped. Against such evil I am sure the Great Leader would give you whole army of trolls, but I am afraid you only have (ally). Still, (ally) will do what he can to see her destroyed.

Kaleh: Then it is decided. Still in this matter we cannot speak for all our people. Those who go on this quest may never return, and this battle is certainly no place for the young or the elderly. Let all who are afraid or cannot fight stay behind with the merfolk. I will ask Melusand to arrange that if we fail, they be taken far away from here, that they might live out their lives in what peace they can find.

Zhul: That is very compassionate of you, but I doubt that many of our surviving people will wish to stay behind. You are our leader Kaleh, and where you go, we will follow.

Narrator: Time passes.

Melusand: Have you come to a decision?

Kaleh: Yes we have. Yechnagoth has played us like fools. We have all lost loved ones because of her machinations. Her arrogance will not go unchallenged; we will aid you in your cause.

Melusand: Excellent. Due to our limited numbers, we cannot mount a full frontal assault against all her forces. Instead a sneak attack may allow us to bypass her defenses and strike at her heart. There are many among my people who yearn to strike against the Eater of Souls. I will help orchestrate an attack on one of the outermost northern islands to create a diversion. I also want to thank you for rescuing my brethren from the humans. They owe you their lives and they wish to return their debt of gratitude. They have volunteered to guide and escort you to your destination.

Although her magic has clouded the isles from my scrying, it is the largest island, which we call Zocthanol Isle, where I sense the strongest power.

Nym: Why is it called Zocthanol Isle?

Melusand: Because Zocthanol means accursed in our tongue. Anyway, it is there that I think you will find the source of the corruption. We will not be able to continue our attack for long, but it should give you enough time to slip through the outer defenses and reach Zocthanol Isle. You must explore the island, find the source of the darkness that infests it and destroy it before the rest of Yechnagoth's minions have time to return.

And on a related subject I can offer you a glimmer of hope in this dark time. I know that you have been searching for a home for your people. These corrupted islands were once rich and bountiful. If this darkness can truly be destroyed, then such a place might be the home you have been looking for. And I promise you that if you help us, we will help you adapt to these new lands. But that is talk for another day.

Before you go I have one thing to give you. I'm afraid that where you are going my magical power will be of little help. However I want you to have these brooches. They are made from the rarest shells that are found in our waters and I have blessed them with the power of the Sea God. As long as you wear them I will be able to track your progress. You may find that they protect you in other ways as well.

Kaleh: We thank you for such beautiful gifts. We will wear them with honor.

We have one favor to ask of you.

Melusand: We go into this darkness knowing that perhaps none of us will return alive. But I cannot ask all my people to go with me against their will. This battle is also no place for our children or our elders. I ask that you protect those that we leave behind, and should the fight go ill, please take them as far away from here as possible. At the least perhaps they can get some peace and happiness in the distant wilds.

Melusand: I will do as you ask. It is only fair. But if if this battle goes ill I do not think there will be many safe places left in the known lands.

Nym: Before we leave, there's one thing I don't understand. When he first met Kaleh, Esanoo said this all concerned Yechnagoth and Zhangor. We know about Yechnagoth, but who is Zhangor?

Kaleh: I remember when Yechnagoth was posing as Eloh, she said she was the slayer of the demon lord Zhangor.

Zhul: It all started in the years before the Great Fall. The elves of Wesmere Forest were masters of the arcane magics. They valued knowledge above all else and specialized in divination, seeking to scry out the secrets of the other races. In their scrying they attracted the notice of the demon Zhangor.

Zhangor appeared to them in the guise of a beautiful elven youth and told them that a great darkness was coming, which would destroy all the knowledge that they had collected. He said if they worshiped him as a god he would protect them and reveal unto them knowledge and magics that they could only dream of. But he wanted more; he demanded a blood sacrifice of one elf a month. Some of the elves were revolted, but most were tempted by the prospect of even greater power, and so they bowed down and worshiped him as their god. Those few who protested his ascendancy were the first to be thrown into jails and sacrificed.

And so as the rest of the lands succumbed to darkness and chaos, Wesmere Forest was one of the few islands of peace and safety. But Zhangor played upon the elves' fears and demanded more from his followers. He declared that all other elves were heretics and did not deserve life. So the Wesmere elves gave sanctuary to refugees, and then they turned them over to their dark priests, who sacrificed them on Zhangor's bloody altars. Zhangor feasted on these sacrifices and grew stronger and more powerful. He wanted even more. When no more refugees came, the priests ordered raiding parties to go out and bring back any poor souls they could find. When no more elves could be found they preyed upon humans, dwarves, orcs, anyone they could find in the nearby lands.

By this point most of the other forests had been burned, and Eloh was leading our people south across the plains. We were surprised to find the Wesmere Forest still standing, and even more surprised when an elvish raiding party came out of the forest and attacked us at night, stealing several of our children. Eloh, in her wisdom, revealed in a dream the terrible things that happened in that dark forest. We were appalled at the depths to which our brethren had sunk, and though we were loath to attack our own kind, we decided that we could not let these abominable practices continue. We vowed to avenge the sacrifice of our children, and we attacked with all our might.

By this point most of the other forests had been burned, and Eloh was leading our people south across the plains. We were surprised to find the Wesmere Forest still standing, and even more surprised when an elvish raiding party came out of the forest and attacked us at night, stealing several of our children. Eloh, in her wisdom, revealed in a dream the terrible things that happened in that dark forest. We were appalled at the depths to which our brethren had sunk, and though we were loath to attack our own kind, we decided that we could not let these abominable practices continue. We vowed to avenge the sacrifice of our children, and we attacked with all our might.

Driven on by their dark priests and by their fear of Zhangor's wrath, the Wesmere elves fought stubbornly against our superior numbers. The fighting was horrible indeed; that once beautiful forest was drenched in blood, and corpses littered the sunny glades. The battle culminated with Zhangor himself appearing in his true form above the forest. He flew over the land, raining down fire on defenders and attackers alike, delighting in the death and destruction. We had not the power to combat one as strong as him, and we called out to Eloh to save us in our hour of need. In a great avatar of light she appeared and they battled back and forth above the burning forest. In the end she beheaded him and smote his body down upon the earth.

By this point the entire forest was being engulfed by flame, and friend and foe alike fled from the inferno. With the death of their god the Wesmere elves surrendered and begged for forgiveness, telling us the entire sorry story. We took pity on them and cared for them as best we could, but we were afraid that some of the devout priests might try to secretly continue the worship of Zhangor. For Eloh told us that she had not killed Zhangor, but merely banished him from this world. We did not want to risk Zhangor ever dividing our people again. So we decided that the dark priests who organized the sacrifices must be executed, but that all others who renounced Zhangor might be saved.

Our priests also declared that Zhangor's name and his story were forbidden knowledge, to speak of him meant death. Their constant vigilance was rewarded; in a few generations only the high priests knew of the tale, and so it was passed down to me. Though these measures may seem harsh, I believe they were justified. If Zhangor was ever summoned back I don't think we could have survived another schism. And so the story of Zhangor was passed down from generation to generation to remind us guardians of knowledge of the folly of valuing knowledge higher than the welfare of our people.

Nym: I wonder what other forbidden lore you've been taught.

Zhul: Foolish girl! Do not ask such a question. Trust me, it is better not to know. Knowledge can be a terrible weight, and not one that I would want a youth such as yourself to bear. Treasure the beautiful things in this life and pry not into the darker secrets. Eloh forgive me, I have probably told you too much already, but in these dark times I felt that you should know a little bit of the truth.

Melusand: That is very interesting. In truth, I'd never heard of Zhangor before when I told Esanoo to mention him to you, Kaleh. Let me explain. When Eloh appeared to you, I was able to use my powers to eavesdrop on your conversation. I did not know how much you suspected, but I did not want to cause panic by openly revealing who was actually speaking to you. I had hoped to convince you to come here so I could reveal the truth to you in person. That's why I made those elusive references to Yechnagoth and Zhangor, hoping that Kaleh would make the connection between Eloh and Yechnagoth, and be curious enough to seek me out. My mistake was that I did not realize that Yechnagoth would move so fast. I am sorry that discovering her true identity carried such a high price for your people.

And now I must bid you farewell. The merfolk you rescued will help show you the path to the island, and I must go orchestrate our diversion. We will begin our attack at the end of the next long night, so by dawn the large island should be left relatively unguarded. I will pray for our success, with luck we shall all meet again.

Scenario 11: Battle for Zocthanol Island

Story Text

Chapter 11: Our boats slipped softly through the water, shrouded in the pre-dawn darkness. At this moment the merfolk would be launching their diversionary attack, but the fact that we had not encountered any resistance was still eerily disturbing. Ahead of us, the large island loomed, dark and menacing.

In the end, almost all of my people decided to join in this final battle. I was surprised. They had gone through so much, and yet they still had faith in me. Looking around at them, I could not help noticing how many familiar faces were missing. Barely a fourth of those who set out with us on our journey had survived. If I had known it would be this bad would I have ever left in the first place? I thought Eloh was protecting us and guiding our steps, but in truth it was all me. For better or for worse I have no one to blame but myself.

But Zhul is right, if we had come all this way just for a chance to help the merfolk defeat Yechnagoth then our journey was not in vain. We were searching for a new home, safe from all the horrors and death of the desert, but now this struggle seems more important. Could these islands possibly become a home for my people? It is a prospect too wonderful to dare to hope for. But in the end that is not what is driving me. All I care about is vengeance upon her that did this to us. Garak, Keratur, Tanstafaal, all those poor souls we left behind in our village and the many who have marked our path with their blood, they all shall be avenged.

This conflict is greater than just us. These lands were once places of beauty and hope. The great empires may be gone, but still people struggle to survive. As grim as it all seems, there is still some beauty and light left, hidden away. I will not let it all be swallowed by a second darkness. I do not care what happens to me, but I pray to Eloh (if she is even listening) that if I die, then I die making these lands a better place. Please may this not all be in vain...

Introductory Dialogue

Nym: Where did this fog come from? I can't see a thing!

Merfolk: Fog and darkness cloud this place, but we can use it to our advantage. The other ships will be safe hidden out in the deep water.

Kaleh: We should find a fort before we land the rest of our people. I do not like the idea of landing everyone without a fort to protect us. Shrouded by the fog, they will be safe for the moment. Once we find a place to rally our people, we can bring the rest of them in and start fighting in earnest.

Merfolk: I think there were some human ruins in the southwestern part of the island. If you explore the land to the west, then we will swim through the shallows and see what we can find.

Kaleh: That is a good plan. First find a fort, then we can explore the rest of the island.

Jungle Warning

Zhul: Ugh. That jungle seems dark and foreboding. Do you see those eyes? There are things staring at us from the depths of the jungle, but I can't tell what they are. As much as I love plants and trees, I don't like the look of it.

Kaleh: Indeed. It seems much more open to the south. The merfolk mentioned that there were human ruins to the southwest. Maybe we should explore there first. I don't think I want to hack through the jungle until we have more elves at our side.

Silence and Suspense

Nym: I don't get it. All we see are ruins, bones, some sand and patches of grass. I thought we would be attacked the moment we set foot on this island. Where is everybody?

Kaleh: That's what worries me. I keep thinking that something is going to jump out from behind the next rock or stone wall and attack, but everything is silent. Too silent.

Encountering the Saurians

Boyicht: You trespass on holy ground, The One says you must die!

Nym: Faugh! Little one, you are not worth our time. We are the Quenoth Elves! Flee and trouble us no longer or we will squash you like a bug.

Boyicht: No, you are not The One. You no command Boyicht. Attack!

Boyicht Dies

Boyicht: My death matters not. The One will kill you all. None can resist her.

Killing Unit: I say good riddance. He creeped me out.

Capturing the Castle

Kaleh: I have captured the keep. This castle is somewhat ruined, but it will serve our purposes. Now, I wonder where the merfolk are?

Merfolk: Fear not, here we are! We have explored the southern half of the island. And except for those lizards you found, and some abandoned villages, it seem to be empty. We captured those villages for you, to help support your troops.

Nym: Thanks, I think we're going to need all the support we can get.

Merfolk: Now that you have found a fortress to protect your people, we can bring in the other ships.

Zhul: Good, now we can start recruiting and recalling our warriors. Of course with so few people left, training new warriors will be very difficult and expensive. But if we lose this battle, then what use will gold be to us?

Kaleh: Now that we've set up a base of operations we should make our way to the black citadel in the mountains at the center of the island. I bet it's somewhere in the middle of that dark jungle.

Merfolk: In our exploration we found a group of reinforcements, who were sent to help you, compliments of Melusand. You can recruit them into service at your base, if you wish. We may not be much use to you on land, but we will protect you against any threats from the water.

Kaleh: Thank you. I'm sure the reinforcements will be very useful.

Encounter the Undead Leader

Kelur: Feel the cold touch of death!

Encounter the Orc Leader

Graghht: I will slaughter you all and bathe in your blood!

Encounter Stone Citadel

Moved Unit: We've reached what looks like the citadel, but it is surrounded by a huge perfectly smooth obsidian wall. I can't find any way to get in.

Kaleh: Are you sure? Search carefully. The orc and skeleton must have been guarding some sort of entrance.

Moved Unit: Wait a minute. There's a tiny outline of a door in the stone. But there's no way to open it. All I see are what look like two tiny keyholes in the stone. Now I wonder where we might find the right keys?

Kaleh: Hey, what about the two keys that we found on the bodies of the undead and orc leaders?

Kaleh: I have an idea. I bet Eloh has given them to those she trusts most. And one orc and one skeleton were guarding the door. The keys must be being held by one of each faction. I bet the leaders would be in charge of such valuable objects.

Kaleh Finds the Citadel

Kaleh: We've reached what looks like the citadel, but it is surrounded by a huge perfectly smooth obsidian wall. I can't find any entrances or exits.

There's got to be something here. The orc and skeleton must have been guarding some sort of entrance.

Wait a minute. There's a tiny outline of a door in the stone. But there's no way to open it. All I see are what look like two tiny keyholes in the stone. Now I wonder where we might find the right keys?

I have an idea. I bet Eloh has given them to those she trusts most. And one orc and one skeleton were guarding the door. The keys must be being held by one of each faction. I bet the leaders would be in charge of such valuable objects.

Both Keys are Found

Kaleh: We've found both keys. Now we just have to take them and open the door to the black citadel. I tire of all this bloodshed. Wherever Yechnagoth hides, we will find her and make her pay for all she has done.

Death of the Undead Leader

Kelur: Aaaargh!

Killing Unit: Look, I found a gold key on a chain around his neck. This must be one of the keys needed to enter the black citadel.

Killing Unit: Look, I found a gold key on a chain around his neck. I wonder what this key is for? I bet it will become useful eventually. I'll keep it just in case.

Death of the Orc Leader

Graghht: Nooooo!!!

Killing Unit: Look, I found an iron key on a chain around his neck. This must be one of the keys needed to enter the black citadel.

Killing Unit: Look, I found an iron key on a chain around his neck. I wonder what this key is for? I bet it will become useful eventually. I'll keep it just in case.

Player Gets close to Trapped Merman

Trapped Merman: Help me...

Moved Unit: A merman! He looks like he's in bad shape.

Player Gets close to the Wrecked Ship

Sea Serpent: Raurrgghhh!!

Moved Unit: A sea serpent! That thing must be 20 cubits long! It must have been living among the wreckage of that ship. I shudder to think what it was feasting on.

The Merman is Rescued

Grateful Merman: Thank you. I got captured by the naga and have been trapped here for ages, I don't know how long. So close to the water, but so far. I don't think I could have lasted much longer. It was horrible.

Moved Unit: Well, help us get revenge on the naga. We are here to destroy Yechnagoth.

Grateful Merman: Gladly. Just let me recover my strength first.

Treasure in the Ship!

Moved Unit: I found a chest in the hold of this wrecked ship. It looks like sunken treasure!

Victory Dialogue

Eloh: So I see that you have finally slain both of my lieutenants. I wondered how long it would take you.

Nym: We have your keys. You cannot hide from us now.

Eloh: Did you really think something as simple as a pair of keys was needed to enter and leave my sanctum? The entire thing was just a charade to see how much trouble you would go through on your pathetic little quest.

Sigh, you elves are so predictable.

Zhul: Talk all you want, we will have our vengeance!

Eloh: Is that what you want? I suppose I do owe Kaleh a personal audience, after all I have put him through. Well here's your chance. Come to me boy, and prove that you have what it takes. All you others, stay away unless you want a slow and painful death. I will deal with you later.

Kaleh: I must go and end this. But first I want to thank you all for your faith in me throughout this long journey. If I do not prevail than please flee this place with the merfolk and find somewhere where you can have peace and safety. My last wish is that no matter what happens you all live long and fruitful lives. Don't let our sacrifices be forgotten...

Nym: Kaleh, you can't just go in there alone. She'll kill you!

Kaleh: I must. Too many others have died because of my actions. I couldn't face losing you, Nym. Now it is time for me to finish it, alone.

Zhul: May Eloh protect you.

Kaleh: Her will be done.

Zhul: Well, now we just have to wait...

Nym: You aren't actually going to let him face her alone!?!

Zhul: Yes I am. In the end it is his decision.

Nym: I've saved his sorry ass all this way, I'm not going to let him go and let himself get killed now.

Zhul: Nymphtessa, my darling, you have always been a rebel. But eventually you must learn to respect your leaders' decisions. Kaleh has made his choice, and if Eloh wills it he will prevail. You see how all our losses weigh upon him. He would not want us to disobey him and sacrifice our lives too.

Nym: I don't care! Do you think I'm going to let him go in there and fight alone? He'll be slaughtered! He needs our help. Without us he never would have even made it out of the desert. The rest of you can just sit on your hands and pray, but I'm going in there!

Zhul: Curse that girl! She'll be the death of me. But still she doesn't stand a chance without me. Kaleh is one thing, but Nym needs my protection. All right, I'm going in. The rest of you stand guard, if we don't come out in half a hour then flee the island with the merfolk.

Dwarf Ally: I've followed that boy this far, I'm not going to just let him march in there without me. Besides, whoever heard of a dwarf being afraid of going underground? I just hope they save some of the fighting for me.

Troll Ally: (Ally) not going to just sit here while Kaleh does all the fighting. Kaleh will need strong fighter like (ally). Other elves may be scared, but (ally) fear no dark place. (Ally) just hope there still something to smash when he gets there.

Time Over

Kaleh: We've run out of time! The forces that the merfolk helped distract have returned and will surely kill us all.

Bats Appear

Kaleh: What's that strange screeching sound coming from the jungle?

Bats Retreat

Nym: That's odd. Why did those bats suddenly fly off?

Zhul: They must be nocturnal.

Scenario 12: The Final Confrontation

Story Text

Chapter 12: True strength is not measured in might or knowledge, but in what you can do for those you love.

Introductory Dialogue

Nym: Kaleh! No!

Zhul: He's still breathing. Eloh, what grace I have, give unto him.

Nym: He's stirring

Dwarf: Aye, there's still life in the boy. But where is the foul creature that did this to him?

Troll: The little one is not dead yet. But where is evil lady that did this to him?

Eloh: So, the elf's puny friends think they can save him. But you are too late. He is already mine!

Zhul: Nym, Zhul, (ally), you shouldn't have.

Eloh: Your struggles were mildly entertaining, but futile in the end. For I am powerful beyond your imagining, and this is the seat of my power!

Zhul: You are not Eloh. You are but a pitiful mockery of her power and glory!

Eloh: Is that what you think? I shall prove you wrong. Look out upon your people and despair!

Anarion: All hail Eloh!

Zylea: Death to the heretics!

Eloh: They worship their true god.

Come and bow down before your true master, boy.

Kaleh: Your wish is my command.

Eloh: Argh, you stabbed me!

Kaleh: I have crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans and watched my people bleed every step of the way. I did not come all this way to give up now. I am tired of being called boy; I am Kalehssar, the leader of my people and I will fight you until my dying breath!

Eloh: I command you to stop this foolishness!

Kaleh: Never!

Nym: The shell brooches Melusand gave us, they're glowing!

Kaleh: You will never dominate us, not while hope survives!

Eloh: So be it. You choose death? Then you shall receive it from those you hold most dear. Kill the unbelievers, let none survive!

Anarion: Yes mistress.

Kaleh: Ignore our brethren, we must destroy her!

The Avatar is Killed

Eloh: You think you killed me? You have no idea what you are facing.

Nym: Who is she really? Could it be Zhangor, back to avenge his imprisonment?

Eloh: Nonsense. Unlike that fool, I do not care about petty things like revenge. Nor do I depend on mortals to enact my will. No, I shall destroy you myself!

Elf: Huh? What happened?

Zhul: Her spell has been broken. But I don't think we have won yet. Come aid us!

Elf: Yes priestess.

The Central Body appears

Nym: What is that thing!?!

Zhul: Eloh protect us!

Alien bugs appear

Zhul: Curse Uria, more abominations!

Nym: Is it even possible to kill this thing? It's huge!

Kaleh: It must have some sort of weak point. Look at those pulsing spires, I thought they were stone, but they seem to be alive. Maybe if we destroy them it will weaken the creature. No matter what horrors appear, we must keep attacking it. We can't stop now!

The Central body heals

Kaleh: That central body is healing faster than we can damage it. It's almost as if our attacks are doing no damage at all. We got to try another tactic, and fast!

The Central Body Attacks

Hit by Slime attack

Attacked Unit: What the heck? That central creature just hit me with some sort of slime. It hurts and I, I'm stuck!

Normal attack

Attacked Unit: Ow, I'm stuck!

Pulsing Spires are killed

Narrator: Aaaauuurrrggghhhh!!!

Kaleh: I think we're finally doing some damage. We must attack the central body, while it remains vulnerable!

Weakened Central Body dies

Crawling Horror: Aiiieeee!!!

Kaleh: At last. It is finished.

Nym is alive

Nym: Is Yechnagoth really dead?

Kaleh: Yes, she's dead Nym.

Nym: I almost can't believe it.

Zhul is alive

Zhul: Behold, the pretender has been defeated. Eloh's might has prevailed.

Dwarf ally is alive

Dwarf Ally: Ugh. I'm covered in blood and guts, and this nasty blue stuff. I don't know what in the nine hells we were fighting, but she doesn't smell any better dead than she did alive.

Troll ally is alive

Troll Ally: Ugh. (name) is covered in blood and guts and nasty blue goo. Whatever creature was, she doesn't smell any better dead than she did alive.

Nym, Zhul or the ally is alive

Kaleh: Let's get out of here.

Scenario 13: Epilogue

Story Text

Epilogue:

Introductory Dialogue

Kaleh: I stumbled out into the daylight, scarcely believing that we were victorious. Looking out over the island it took me a moment to realize what had changed. The fetid darkness had lifted from the land and I saw the suns shining brightly for what seemed like the first time in ages. Gazing across the bright green trees and sparkling ocean I realized that once this had been a place of beauty. Several of our brethren were waiting for me and I was overjoyed to discover that they were no longer the mindless slaves I had seen before. They too had broken free from their enchantment.

Indeed with Yechnagoth's death it seems that all of her minions reverted to their original chaotic tendencies. Luckily we had already destroyed most of the island's foul inhabitants, and lacking their former discipline we had no trouble exterminating the remaining orcs and undead. The naga too fled before us, and they have not bothered us since. For once we seemed to be safe from imminent danger.

A few days later Melusand herself appeared and she declared the cleansing of this island a miracle. We made a pact between elf and merfolk and vowed to live together in peace and prosperity. Melusand blessed the island, and named it 'Quenoth Isle' in honor of our people. The merfolk have been very helpful in teaching us how to adapt to this strange land, though I still have trouble getting used to being surrounded by water. It used to be more precious than gold. Still, I could hardly imagine a better home for my people. Between the bounty of the sea and the many fruits of the jungle there is no shortage of food. We are isolated from the chaos on the mainland and the merfolk guard the waters. Melusand says now is a time for peace and prosperity. Part of me didn't think we would survive our journey, there were so many close calls. Coming here almost does seem like a miracle. If only I could forget the price we paid...

Everyone survives the Final Battle

Kaleh: If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. And it is only through Eloh's grace and a good bit of luck that none of them died in that bloody battle. But so many others that I grew up with were not so lucky. Why did so many of us have to die? I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. And it is only through Eloh's grace and a good bit of luck that none of them died in that bloody battle. But so many others that I grew up with were not so lucky. Why did so many of us have to die? I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Only Nym is dead

Kaleh: If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. But I would gladly give up my life today if I could bring Nym back. She followed me faithfully and fought by my side for so long, to lose her at the end... I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Although I believe that our battle in the black citadel was our finest hour, I am still haunted by Nym's death in that dark place. And so every morning at sunrise I come out to the southeastern tip of the island and look out upon the waters, upon the world that we sacrificed so much to preserve. I remind myself what Zhul said, and they all believed, that despite all the death and fighting we saw in our journey, this world was a beautiful and good enough place that Nym was willing to sacrifice her life to save it. Looking out over the waters, and back upon the prosperity of my people, I tell myself it was worth it. But sometimes that seems a small consolation.

We carried Nym to a small island to the north which had a single peak with a beautiful view of the surrounding islands. It seemed to me to be a lookout that Nym would appreciate. So I and a few others climbed to the top of the peak and dug a grave for Nym so that she might always look down upon us and see all that we accomplished with her gift. For she gave us the gift of life, and every day I strive to make the most use of it I can. I will always remember her. Nym, who was with me ever since I was a child and during every step of the journey, who was always faithful, but never hesitated to speak her mind, who managed to crack a joke no matter how grim the situation. How I miss her laugh, her smile, her...

Only Zhul is dead

Kaleh: If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. But I would gladly give up my life today if I could bring Zhul back. She followed me faithfully and fought by my side for so long, to lose her at the end... I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Although I believe that our battle in the black citadel was our finest hour, I am still haunted by Zhul's death in that dark place. And so every morning at sunrise I come out to the southeastern tip of the island and look out upon the waters, upon the world that we sacrificed so much to preserve. I remind myself what Zhul said, and they all believed, that despite all the death and fighting we saw in our journey, this world was a beautiful and good enough place that Zhul was willing to sacrifice her life to save it. Looking out over the waters, and back upon the prosperity of my people, I tell myself it was worth it. But sometimes that seems a small consolation.

Zhul's funeral was a huge ceremony, like those she told us about from ages ago. I led a procession of our few remaining priestesses and all of the faithful around the entire island, so that she might see all that she had given to us. Being a priestess of the desert sands we buried her in one of the large beaches at the northwest end of the island. At the final battle she was one of the oldest elves left and I suppose I should thank Eloh that she did not die during our journey. She was my guide and my faith and my link to the past. I am sorry that she did not live to see the fruits of her labors, but I hope that she is with Eloh now, in a better place.

Only the Ally is dead

Kaleh: If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. But I would gladly give up my life today if I could bring (ally). He left his homeland to fight faithfully by my side, and then to lose him at the end... I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Although I believe that our battle in the black citadel was our finest hour, I am still haunted by the death of (ally) in that dark place. And so every morning at sunrise I come out to the southeastern tip of the island and look out upon the waters, upon the world that we sacrificed so much to preserve. I remind myself what Zhul said, and they all believed, that despite all the death and fighting we saw in our journey, this world was a beautiful and good enough place that (ally) was willing to sacrifice his life to save it. Looking out over the waters, and back upon the prosperity of my people, I tell myself it was worth it. But when I think of the desperate war that his people are probably still fighting underground, it seems a small consolation.

Dwarf Ally is Dead

Kaleh: I am saddened by the death of (ally), but by saving my life in the end he did fulfill his life debt to me. I think he also would have been glad to have died in battle. I considered leading an expedition to go back and return his body to his people, but my fellow elves have been weakened by our long journey and I do not want to risk losing any more. Instead I searched all across the islands and at last in the rocky outcroppings to the northwest I found a series of caves. They were not as deep as his homeland but I thought (ally) would have appreciated being laid to rest under some solid rock. And so we buried him with much honor and will long remember the service that his kind has done for our people.

Troll Ally is Dead

Kaleh: I am saddened by the death of (ally), but by saving my life in the end he did fulfill his life debt to me. I think he also would have been glad to have died in battle. I considered leading an expedition to go back and return his body to his people, but my fellow elves have been weakened by our long journey and I do not want to risk losing any more. Instead I searched all across the islands and at last in the rocky outcroppings to the northwest I found a series of caves. They were not as deep as his homeland but I thought (ally) would have appreciated being laid to rest under some solid rock. And so we buried him with much honor and will long remember the service that his kind has done for our people.

More than one Death in the Final Battle

Kaleh: If you had told me at the start of our journey the price I was to pay in blood, I do not know if I would have had the strength to take that first step. I suppose I should have known that my friends would not let me confront Yechnagoth alone. But I would gladly give up my life today if I could bring any one of them back. They followed me faithfully and fought by my side for so long, to lose them at the end... I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Although I believe that our battle in the black citadel was our finest hour, I am still haunted by my friends' deaths in that dark place. And so every morning at sunrise I come out to the southeastern tip of the island and look out upon the waters, upon the world that we sacrificed so much to preserve. I remind myself what Zhul said, and they all believed, that despite all the death and fighting we saw in our journey, this world was a beautiful and good enough place that they were willing to sacrifice their lives to save it. Looking out over the waters, and back upon the prosperity of my people, I tell myself it was worth it. But I still miss each one of them horribly.

Nym is alive

Kaleh: Although I am not as devout as Zhul is, I thank Eloh every day that Nym survived that horrible battle in the Black Citadel. No one has been more enthusiastic than she in embracing our life among the islands. She delights in swimming and sailing among the shallows and spends so much time in the water that sometimes I think she is half mermaid herself. Her sparkling laugh and quick wit are a daily gift to us. She entertains the children with thrilling (though often slightly embellished) tales of our great journey, and at times when I get moody, she reminds me what a joy it is to be alive in this great land. She is a living testament to the fact that even though we were born among the sands we can thrive anywhere we have the will to live.

Zhul is alive

Kaleh: The oldest of the surviving elves, Zhul is moving slower now, but she still has that sparkle in her eye. Despite the hardships of our journey and Yechnagoth's deceptions, our victory has only strengthened her faith. She will be as quick as always to correct the error of your ways if you ever express a disbelief in the powers of Eloh. She told me recently that all the trials and triumphs of our journey were but parts of Eloh's great plan for us, and this new home is our reward. She is spending her time now teaching a whole new generation of priestesses and telling all the old stories to the children so that they won't be forgotten. She has started designing a sacred grove in the jungle for Eloh, as our people did in the olden times. I am still not quite used to seeing so many trees, but perhaps, as some people say, it is a sign that the peace and prosperity of old has come again.

Dwarf ally is alive =

Kaleh: By saving my life, (ally) fulfilled his life debt to me, but we convinced him to hang around for a while and revel in the celebrations that we held after our great victory. We celebrated for days and days, thanking Eloh and the merfolk's god, and delighting in the bounty and beauty of our new home. Afterwards we set to work building new dwellings for our people. (ally) stayed to help us with the construction, he was the hardest worker among us. But after a while he came to me and told me that he had to return to his own people. (ally) said his time with us had been like a wonderful dream, and he promised he would remember us always, but his people needed him and he had to go back home. He said that someday he would return and visit us again, but I doubt I shall ever see him again in life. All the same I treasure the memory of him and his kind, and I will long remember his steadfast loyalty and all that he did to aid us in our struggle.

Troll ally is alive

Kaleh: By saving my life, (ally) fulfilled his life debt to me, but we convinced him to hang around for a while and revel in the celebrations that we held after our great victory. We celebrated for days and days, thanking Eloh and the merfolk's god, and delighting in the bounty and beauty of our new home. And afterwards we set to work building new dwellings for our people. (ally) stayed to help us with the construction, he was the hardest worker among us. But after a while he came to me and told me that he had to return to his own people. (ally) said his time with us had been like a wonderful dream, and he promised he would remember us always, but his people needed him and he had to go back home. He said that someday he would return and visit us again, but I doubt I shall ever see him again in life. All the same I treasure the memory of him and his kind, and I will long remember his steadfast loyalty and all that he did to aid us in our struggle.

Ally died before Final Battle

Kaleh: And I will always remember (ally) who died along our journey. A braver warrior I have never seen, and though he was taken from us too soon, I am glad for the short time that I knew him.

Kaleh: So much has happened since we left the desert, but looking back upon our journey I do not want to forget Garak and his sacrifice. I doubt that we would have made it out of the sands alive if it was not for his strength and guidance. I remember how he used to smile when charging into battle, and how he would pray over the bodies of his fallen friends afterwards. I think of him sometimes, buried in the sands with his fellow warriors. I think he would have been proud of us. He was both a great warrior and a great teacher. He will be remembered.

As for the Black Citadel, after much discussion we decided to go back to the ancient rituals for purifying unclean land, with fire. We filled the entire structure with wood and oil and set the place ablaze to make sure that any remnants of Yechnagoth's infestation would be purged by holy fire. We then tore the citadel down, stone by stone. I was tempted to save the stones for construction in the future, but I did not know what foul magics might still linger in them, and I did not want to take any chances. So with the help of the merfolk, we carried the stones far out into the water and cast them down to the bottom of the ocean. Once the last stone had been removed, we decided that no matter what we built or grew around it, that area would be left bare as a reminder of the evil that once dwelt here and all those who gave their lives to destroy it.

It has been several years since the events that I chronicle here, and I'm not quite as spry and limber as I used to be, so I decided it was about time that I write this all down lest something happen to me. My one wish is that our descendants do not forget all those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that there might be a future for our people. Looking at the ruins of the ancient empires, I know that time erases all things. We have forgotten so much about the Golden Age. Do not let our story suffer the same fate. For as long as the tales of those now departed are still told, in some sense they are still alive and still with us. Honor those who have died. Remember our mistakes so you will not repeat them. And most of all, treasure every day, for it is a gift, from us to you.

Nym and Zhul are Alive

Nym: Hey Kaleh, how's the writing going?

Kaleh: Actually, I just finished.

Nym: You've been working on that thing for months. I'm impressed.

Kaleh: Yes, it feels good to finally be done.

Nym: Well, your timing was perfect. Zhul is dedicating the new grove to Eloh, and you know there'll be one heck of a celebration afterwards.

Kaleh: I suppose we wouldn't want to miss that. I wonder if they will still have any of that wine left from last year?

Nym: We'll just have to find out. Come on!

THE END

UtBS-Specific Descriptions

Elves

Dark Assassin: Lvl 1-3

The Dark Assassin appears and disappears at a moment's notice. No one knows where he came from or why he acts the way he does, but the trail of death he leaves in his wake is unmistakeable.

Desert Archer: Lvl 1

Desert Archers are trained from youth in archery, and so skilled in long-range combat. Though their bows are cruder and their arrows less plentiful than their elvish ancestors, they fight with ferocity that does credit to their race.

Desert Avenger: Lvl 3

Desert Avengers are extremely skillful and extremely quick, powerful in all forms of combat. Like their kin, they prefer the sword to the bow and are adept at sneaking around and backstabbing their enemies.

Desert Captain: Lvl 2

Skilled in commanding other elves, Desert Captains provide a bonus to all level 1 units on adjacent hexes. Desert Captains prefer engaging the enemy in melee combat, but are trained in archery as well.

Desert Champion: Lvl 3

Desert Champions are awesome masters of swordsmanship, inflicting grievous wounds in close combat. Master fighters, they are also skilled with the bow, able to inflict damage on their enemies from both near and far.

Desert Druid: Lvl 2

Desert Druids are powerful masters of the sands. Brilliant at ensnaring unwary opponents, they use their vast knowledge of the plants of the desert to heal allies. Druids are excellent supporting units in any group of elves.

Desert Fighter: Lvl 1

Desert Fighters make up the bulk of the Quenoth warriors. They are trained in both sword and bow, though like most of their kin, they prefer swordplay to archery. These Elves are deft of foot, and fight best in the open sands.

Desert Hero: Lvl 2

Desert Heroes focus on individual performance on the battlefield, having tweaked their combat skills to the very maximum. Desert Heroes prefer fighting at close range with the sword, but also have some skill with the bow.

Desert Horseman: Lvl 2

Trading speed for heavier arms and armament, Elvish Horsemen delight in riding into danger instead of away from it. The open sands are much more suited towards mounted combat than their old forests were, and through the generations the Elves have greatly increased their equestrian skills.

Desert Hunter: Lvl 1

Desert Hunters are trained to scour the sands for prey and enemies. They can quickly entangle others with their bolas and then finish them off with their swords.

Desert Marksman: Lvl 2

Desert Marksman are expert in use of the bow. Though their bows and arrows are not as fine as those of their ancestors, they continue to hone their skill. This great skill with the bow compensates for their lack of skill in melee combat.

Desert Marshal: Lvl 3

Desert Marshals are master commanders, able to inspire confidence in any level 1 or 2 unit in adjacent hexes, causing them to fight with increased skill. Desert Marshals prefer engaging the enemy in melee combat, but are trained in archery as well.

Desert Outrider: Lvl 3

Riding like the wind, Desert Outriders breeze across the sands to strike at weaker units and exposed flanks. Skilled in the sword, and trained in the bow, they strike hard before flying off into the sands to evade response.

Desert Prowler: Lvl 3

Desert Prowlers sneak across the sands, searching out enemies and protecting their people. They are trained to slip past enemies unnoticed and flank them. The combination of their bolas and blades allows them to cripple and kill opponents with alarming ease.

Desert Ranger: Lvl 2

Desert Rangers are quick and powerful. Skilled in both short and long-range combat, Rangers are truly all-round fighters. Like their kin, they prefer the sword to the bow and are adept at sneaking around and backstabbing their enemies.

Desert Rider: Lvl 2

Swift riders, Desert Riders are fast in the open desert. They can use a bow from horseback, but prefer to engage in melee combat when necessary.

Desert Scout: Lvl 1

Desert Scouts move swiftly across the sands. Their skill on horseback is virtually unmatched, although they do lack power in combat.

Desert Sentinel: Lvl 2

Desert Sentinels patrol the sands; they are trained to avoid enemies when it is advantageous. They can cripple opponents with their bolas and are deadly with their swords.

The skirmish ability allows the rogue to ignore enemy units' zones of control and thus move unhindered around them.

Desert Shaman: Lvl 1

Desert Shamans focus on less violent ways to hinder the enemy. Their entangling attack slows enemies down and reduces by one the number of times they may attack. Shamans also possess basic healing abilities.

Desert Sharpshooter: Lvl 3

The most elite archers among the elves, Desert Sharpshooters use the best bows and arrows available, which makes them just as deadly as their ancestors. Desert Sharpshooters are incredibly accurate, even when firing very quickly, which makes them excellent at picking off entrenched enemies.

Desert Shyde: Lvl 3

Desert Shydes are elves that are devoted to nature and their faerie side. Dragonfly wings sprout from their backs and change them into beautiful creatures. They are capable of gliding unencumbered across almost any terrain.

Desert Star: Lvl 4

Desert Stars are Shydes that have becomes so powerful and holy that they shine forth the light of Eloh, even in the darkest places. They are living testaments to the power and glory of Eloh. Like Shydes, they are capable of gliding unencumbered across almost any terrain. Eloh's power also reduces the wounds that Desert Stars suffer when attacked.

Kaleh: Lvl 1-3

Kaleh is still a young Elf of the Quenoth, on the verge of adulthood. He trained with his father with the bow and sword, joining him in lighter expeditions and raids. When his father was lost, Kaleh became more serious and solemn than is usual for those who walk under the two suns. He turned inwards for answers and guidance, not knowing how much his people would look towards him for guidance in times to come.

Nym: Lvl 1-3

Nym is Kaleh's childhood friend who follows the tradition of a family of Desert Hunters, as much as that can be said about a young, rebellious lady with quick wits and strong will. Her high spirits are a great boon in dark times.

Monsters

Deep One

The Deep Ones are gigantic aquatic monsters that lurk in the dark places of the world. Rarely do they come to the surface, and when they do the best way to survive an encounter with these monsters is to remain ashore. They can grab their opponents with strong tentacles, or spit a poisonous black ink from a distance.

Alien Body/Central Body: Lvl 3

This thing is impossible to describe, no one has seen anything like it before.

Alien Minion/Crawling Horror: Lvl 0

This thing is impossible to describe, no one has seen anything like it before.

Alien Spire/Pulsing Spire: Lvl 0

This thing is impossible to describe, no one has seen anything like it before.

Giant Ant: Lvl 1

Giant Ants are common in almost any environment, from caverns deep under the earth to the tops of tall mountains. Though normally not hostile, they can bite at close range.

Cave Spider: Lvl 3

Cave Spiders roam deep under the earth, devouring many victims. They can bite at close range, thereby poisoning their enemies, and also can attack with a web at long range, slowing their foes down.

Confused Ant: Lvl 1

Giant Ants are common in almost any environment, from caverns deep under the earth to the tops of tall mountains. Though normally not hostile, they can bite at close range. When they don't have a Queen Ant to lead them, they can often become confused.

Crab Man: Lvl 1

The Crab Men are part crab, part humanoid, and are certainly one of the most twisted monsters ever recorded by the sages of Wesnoth. Probably the creation of some twisted mage, these monstrosities have spread into the wild and prefer to live around coastal waters, preying on both humans and animals.

Dawarf: Lvl 1

Don't ask where the Dawarf came from. You really don't want to know. It is a secret well guarded by the great lore-masters of Wesnoth. And it's isn't pretty. Hint: it involves lots of sherbet.

Dust Devil: Lvl 1

A swirl of dust and desert sand, quick as a wind, impossible to spot when resting and as dangerous as sand storm when riled.

Flesh Golem: Lvl 2

Incredibly strong constructs, flesh golems are created by powerful necromancers from the bodies of fallen warriors. Though these golems dutifully follow every command, and attack their enemies with ceaseless rage, the madness that possesses them has occasionally caused them to turn on their masters.

Ixthala Demon: Lvl 2

Very few people who have every faced an Ixthala Demon have survived to tell the tale. Some believe that they come from some other plane of existence, others believe that they were some demented creation of a fire mage. But whatever they are they are, all agree that they are extremely dangerous.

Lava Monster/Fire Guardian: Lvl 1

Fire Guardians are spirits of smoke and flame. No one is exactly sure where they come from, but they are occasionally summoned by powerful mages. When not being ordered around, they like to frolic in pools of lava and take great delight in burning anything they can reach.

Small Mudcrawler: Lvl 0

Small Mudcrawlers are beings of soil and water. They attack by spraying boiling water on their foes, or by punching with their fists.

Undead

Ethereal Ghost: Lvl 1

It is one of the greater mercies of creation that a human soul is immutable, and cannot be destroyed. However, the many things a necromancer can do, despite this, are entirely horrifying.

Trapped within a shroud of vile enchantments, a spirit likens unto the wind in the sails of a ship. The contrivance that results from this prison is an unfailing servant, which can be bound to whatever task their master sees fit.

Ethereal Nightgaunt: Lvl 3

The purpose of the masks that these creatures wear is unknown, as is the countenance that they obscure. These terrible forms are rarely seen by the living, and those who live to speak of them had no leisure to study their foe.

Ethereal Shadow: Lvl 2

When light came into the world and gave form to the unknown, fear was forced to retreat into darkness. Since that day, the shadows of the world have held terror for humanity, though it knows not why.

That is a question which is easily answered by a necromancer.

Ethereal Spectre: Lvl 3

Sometimes called the 'hollow men', spectres form the right arm of their master's power. These abominations are a rightful terror to the living, and keep a sleepless vigil over their master's domain.

The creation of these is no mean feat; the real danger in encountering one is that it is likely only the harbinger of a much more dangerous force that will follow in its wake.

Ethereal Wraith: Lvl 2

These tortured forms of what were once warriors are among the most terrifying things a necromancer can create, for a sword will cleave right through them, as through air itself. What inspires such fear is the thought that these beasts are invincible, a belief that is actually far from the truth.

Because of this, a means was made by which the enchantments that drive these creatures could renew themselves through the very thing which threatened them.

Corrupted Elf: Lvl 3

Imbued with a dark spirit these corrupted elves combine unhuman strength with potent magics to create formidable opponents. Though the elvish body often decays quickly, these abominations are potent weapons of the undead lords.

Haunt: Lvl 1

Haunts are the tortured souls of those who have died suddenly and never been laid to rest. Paralyzed by the shock of their death, they are cursed to forever haunt the place of their death and relive their final moments over and over and over.

Spider Lich: Lvl 2

No one is quite sure how spider liches are created, but they are horrific sight to behold. Crawling around on huge skeletal legs, and wielding huge magical staves, these abominations are fearsome undead foes.

Skeleton Rider: Lvl 1

Once great warriors across the plains, these mounted riders atop their skeletal horses were raised from the sands by unholy magic to spread fear and destruction.

Other

Divine Avatar: Lvl 2

Divine Avatars only appear in time of great need. Forms of the Gods themselves, made real in this world for a time, blessed are those who are lucky enough to view such images of power and perfection.

Divine Incarnation: Lvl 3

Divine Incarnations are said to be the closest thing to a god's actual presence in this world. They can be both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Human Commander: Lvl 3

In this new harsh world, might often makes right and these commanders are strong enough to rise to positions of leadership. Leading small groups of warriors, commanders rally their troops around them and show no mercy to their enemies, striking fiercely with both sword and bow.

Naga Guardian: Lvl 1

These heavy fighters are the elite guards of the naga. They are slower and more heavily armored than most naga and wield huge maces which they use to crush their enemies. They mostly guard naga outposts, but occasionally participate in offensive raids.

Naga Hunter: Lvl 1

Naga Hunters are Naga who are skilled at hunting with a bow. Since the naga are naturally resistant to poison, they have no qualms about hunting with poisoned arrows. These two foot long shafts, tipped with a potent poison, have been known to slay many kinds of prey.

Naga Warden/Sentinel: Lvl 2/3

The heavy fighters are the elite guards of the naga. They are slower and more heavily armored than most naga and wield huge maces which they use to crush their enemies. They mostly guard naga outposts, but occasionally participate in offensive raids.

Artifacts

Pure Water

This water will make your melee weapons arcane, and thus especially powerful against the undead.

Cold Blade

The unit who wields this blade will deal cold damage with its melee attack.

Emerald Wand of Poison

This wand makes this unit's melee attacks deal poison damage.

Dwarven Belt

The maximum hit points of the unit who wears this belt will increase by 12.

Flaming Sword

This sword will make all your melee attacks do fire damage.

UtBS' Specified Unit Names

Quenoth Elves

• Tanuil
• Kaleh
• Nym
• Zhul
• Garak
• Lrea
• Piyru
• Frea
• Danu
• Hamuil
• Anioh
• Vemuil
• Taliu
• Vecnu
• Eranor
• Seela
• Eloshi
• Illuvia
• Raynor
• Jorazan
• Zyara
• Ryoko
• Yuni
• Naru
• Nisa
• Pythos
• Shea
• Narn
• Jokli
• Lyia
• Cloaked Figure
• Nantheos
• Sylestria
• Rygar
• Keratur
• Tanstafaal
• Lycea
• Larea
• Nonthar
• Ulothanir
• Elonea
• Elvish Rebel
• Eagath
• Alusan
• Anarion
• Zylea

Dwarves

• Wounded Dwarf
• Fundin
• Nori
• Dwarf Defender
• Dwarf Leader
• Dwarf Skirmisher
• Dwarf Thunderer
• Dwarf Grenadier
• Dwalim
• Moin
• Nordi
• Byorn
• Runin
• Grimnir
• Rogrimir
• Dwarf Ghost
• Dwarf Sergeant
• Vengeful Dwarf
• Dwarf Scout
• Dwarf Guard
• Dwarf Conscript
• Jorgi
• Dwarf High Guard
• Dwarf Hermit
• Dwarf Chieftain
• King Thurongar
• Jarl
• Dwarf Avenger

Trolls

• Thungar
• Gnarl
• Troll Defender
• Troll Leader (Shaman)
• Troll Skirmisher
• Troll Flamecaster
• Thu'lok
• Harpo
• Groucho
• Chico
• Groo
• Zurg
• Troll Interrogator
• Troll Assistant
• Ulg
• Troll High Shaman
• Troll Brute
• Troll Guard
• Thrud?
• Troll Reinforcements
• Troll Chieftain
• High Advisor (Shaman)
• Crypt Guardian (Soulless)
• Grog
• Great Leader Darmog
• Nog
• Spiritual Advisor (Shaman)
• Troll Avenger

Humans

• Bellerin
• Durth
• Othgar
• Sergeant Durstrag
• Human Guard
• Noblis
• Human Messanger
• Human Escort
• Human Scout
• Human Soldier
• Darius
• Zeigant
• Alastra

Bandits

• Black Lieutenant
• Black Hand Bandit
• Thorn

The Iron Triad (Necromancers)

• Hekuba
• Zilchis
• Sultaria

Full-blooded Orcs

• Ganthos
• Turg
• Ug'Lok
• Graghht
• Orcish High Guard

Half-Orcs

• Orac

Goblins

• Panok
• Goblin Scout
• Goblin Coward
• Greebo

Merfolk

• Esanoo
• Urruga
• Nuvassa
• Yantili
• Il-tian
• We-jial
• Melusand
• Merfolk Guard
• Trapped Merman
• Grateful Merman

Nagas

• Scylla
• Lake Naga
• Naga Leader

Saurians

• Boyicht
• Fanatical Saurian

Undead

Generic

• Undead Raider
• Gate Guard
• Restless Dead
• Undead Warden
• Arisen Warrior
• Undead High Guard

Humans

• Xanthos

Skeletons

• Go'Hag
• Undead Raider
• Zur
• Kelur

Haunts

• Blessed Kali

Ghosts

• Honor Guard
• Vengeful Lord
• Lost Soul
• Ystara
• Grak
• Angry Ghost
• Novice Pior
• Novice Iona
• Novice Dani
• Undead Emissary
• Undead Leader

Liches

• Azkotep

Soulless

• Bloated Corpse

Ixthala Demons

• Ancient Guardian

Spider Liches

• Crypt Guardian

Monsters/Animals

Scorpions

• Scorpion

Mudcrawlers

Rocky Horror

Cuttle Fish

• Deep One

Ogres

• Hunting Ogre
• Ogre Nomad
• Failed Experiment

Dawarf

• Purple Abomination

Crab Men

• Failed Experiment
• Angry Crab

Lava Monsters

• Guardian Phoenix
• Fire Guardian

Bats

• Extra Hairy Bat
• Big Hairy Bat
• Nocturnal Pest

Tentacles of the Deep

• Giant Tentacle
• Smaller Tentacle

Flesh Golems

• Kromph

Divine Avatars

• Eloh

Sea Serpents

• Sea Serpent