Return of the Fleet

The Rise of Wesnoth scenario
Return of the Fleet
Location: Western coast, Great Continent Result: Beachhead secured for human refugees to make landfall.
Belligerents
Stormvale refugees Bowmen Horsemen Magi Spearmen Wesfolk Footpads Poachers Thieves Thugs Clearwater refugees Peasants Typhon's mermen[a] Merman Fighters Merman Hunters	Jevyan's undead Skeletons Skeleton Archers Vampire Bats Revenants[b] Deathblades[b] Bone Shooters[b] Chocobones Jevyan's orcs Orcish Archers Orcish Assassins Orcish Grunts Wolf Riders Orcish Crossbowmen Goblin Pillagers Troll Whelps Goblin Knights Goblin Spearmen Orcish Slayers[b] Orcish Warriors[b] Trolls[b] Troll Rocklobbers[b] Troll Warriors[c] Goblin Imaplers[c] Saurians 1 Saurian Oracle 1 Saurian Soothsayer Saurian Skirmishers[b] Saurian Ambushers[c] Monsters Cuttle Fishes[d]
Leaders
Prince Haldric Lady Jessene Commander Aethyr	General Heravan † Tan-Halg † List of supporting characters from The Rise of Wesnoth#Tan-RinakTan-Rinak † Lich-Lord Jevyan Flixta ?
← The Vanguard
The Plan →

Return of the Fleet is the eighteenth scenario in The Rise of Wesnoth campaign.

Background

The humans of the Green Isle were forced to flee east across the Great Ocean to the Great Continent when they were invaded by the orcs. Their leader and wielder of the Ruby of Fire, Prince Haldric, agreed to send back ships from the Great Continent to search for remaining survivors. Before departing, however, the Lich-Lord Jevyan sensed Haldric had the Ruby of Fire. Upon arriving at the Great Continent, he sent back the ships as agreed, then negotiated with the elves to earn a section of land in which to settle. As part of the negotiations, Haldric and the Ka'lian agreed to a Pact of Mutual Aid, according to which they would help each other in times of trouble.

After the pact was made, Haldric discovered that he had been followed by the orcs from the Green Isle, and hurried to meet them while his companion, Lady Jessene, remained behind to spy on the elves. She discovered that the elves had become aware of the orcish threat, and were reconsidering whether they should uphold the Pact of Mutual Aid, eventually agreeing that if orcs continued to follow the humans, that they would let the humans fight it out, after which the elves would collaborate with the dwarves in dealing with the survivors.

Jessene returned to Haldric on the eve of battle and informed him of the elves' betrayal. She also implied that the orcs had been sent by Jevyan to retrieve the Ruby of Fire. He instructed her to hide the Ruby of Fire in the Brown Hills. When his lieutenant, Commander Aethyr, informed Haldric that the orcs had not arrived on the same ships that Haldric had sent back, Haldric realized that in order for the refugees still at sea to land, he would have to clear the Great Continent's western shoreline. As Jessene did as she'd been tasked, Haldric defeated the vanguard of Jevyan's army, before hastening west to the beach. He arrived at the shoreline where the orcs had encamped.

Scenario

Victory:	Defeat all enemy leaders
Defeat:	Death of Prince Haldric Death of Lady Jessene[e] Death of Aethyr Turns run out
Gold carryover:	Early finish bonus. 40% of gold carried over to the next scenario.

Once within eyesight of the beach, Aethyr noted that despite a number of ships having landed, most now remained at sea, prevented from landing by the orcs led by Tan-Halg and Tan-Rinak, and a contingent of undead led by General Heravan. Haldric determined himself to defeat Jevyan's forces before the fleet starved at sea or was captured. Aethyr also informed Haldric that the refugees who had landed had since fled south, but would be slaughtered if they failed to secure the beachland.

To make matters worse, as the fighting broke out, a group of saurians arrived, led by Flixta, and joined Jevyan's forces in order to take revenge on the humans, specifically for killing Shek'kahan and destroying their trade operations. Also, Jevyan made a brief appearance on the battlefield, and though he could no longer sense the Ruby of Fire, he reasoned that Haldric had learned to conceal its power. He cast a spell of darkness upon the humans, then left behind a group of chocobones. Finally, as the humans neared General Heravan's island from which he was stationed, they were attacked by cuttle fish.^[d]

Jessene returned, reporting that her mission to hide the Ruby of Fire had been successful, and joined the human efforts against Jevyan's forces. Eventually, once they had killed the orcish warlords and Heravan, Haldric swiftly had the ships disembark. He told Jessene that he intended to destroy Jevyan, but Jessene pointed out that even if they killed Jevyan, other Lich-Lords would follow in pursuit of the Ruby of Fire. Not wishing to discuss his plan in front of his men, he took Jessene aside to speak with her in private.

Notes

1. ^{^} Typhon's merfolk were recruitable only on easy difficulty. On other difficulties, only merfolk veterans could be recalled.
2. ^{^ a b c d e f g h} These units did not appear on easy difficulty.
3. ^{^ a b c} These units only appeared on hard difficulty.
4. ^{^ a b} Only one of this unit appeared on easy difficulty.
5. ^{^} This victory condition was only present once Jessene returned to the battlefield.