Editing A New Ally

{{campaign navigational box|hc=expanded|theswordoffrost=expanded}}

{{scenario

| description    = Tarnum seeks the help of the Azure Dragons when he realizes his enemy is much stronger than he first believed.  Tarnum and his two best Captains will carry over to the next scenario along with all their experience, skills, and spells.  All Heroes are limited to level 22.

| victory_hint  = 6 {{Cn|Azure Dragon|noname=}}

| loss_hint      = {{H|Tarnum|image=Tarnum Overlord|noname=}}

| allies        = {{teal}}

| enemies        = {{tan}}

| difficulty    = Normal

| bonus          = {{BonusArt|Boots of Speed|loc=Tarnum}}{{BonusArt|Equestrian's Gloves|loc=Tarnum}}

| carry          = {{Hn|Tarnum (Overlord)|noname=}}<br>{{carry|2}}

| max_lvl        = 22

| Cmap          = [[File:Cmap hota 4.png|400px|xxx]]

== Prologue ==

{{cvid|AB CD-Heroes3-DATA-Heroes3 vid-H3ABds1-smk-H3ABds1|src=HC-09|thumbtime=0:00|float=left}}

{{town|Neutral|noname=}} Unnamed male historian: [[Tarnum]] knew the [[Azure Dragon]]s, strongest of the all the [[Dragon]]s, would give him the edge he needed to defeat both [[Gelu]]'s Elves and [[Kija]]'s [[Barbarian]]s.  Convincing the Azure Dragons to join him, however, would cost him dearly.

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{{TErow| 1 |day 1|My battles with Kija's Barbarians slowed me down enough that I've lost Gelu.  We know he was heading north, but he is so far ahead of me now that I'm afraid I won't catch up to him in time.<p>I have to face the possibility that Gelu might beat me to the Sword of Frost.  But would that be such a bad thing?  Yes, the Ancestors told me that if the Sword of Frost and Armageddon's Blade should ever meet, it would bring about the destruction of the world.  But can Gelu be foolish enough to allow that to happen?<p>But no matter how good his intentions, Gelu cannot stop the unpredictable.  Kija's presence here in the north is evidence of that.  What would happen if she were to obtain the Sword of Frost?  Horror!<p>So, to strengthen my own forces I've decided to enlist the help of the Azure Dragons.  Some of these pompous, but supremely powerful creatures live in the region.  I need only to find them.}}

{{TErow| 5 |day 5|A Harpy scout returned to camp today with horrible news.  Kija's Barbarians are in the north.  Somehow, they circled around me and, once again, they block my path.}}

{{TErow| 9 |day 9|My Beholder spy, Neez, has somehow learned that Kija left the Barbarians in the north to delay me long enough for her to catch up to Gelu.  I've learned that it's best not to ask Neez how he gets his information.  I'm sure it came at the cost of several dead bodies.<p>"Try to learn where Kija and Gelu are headed," I ordered.<p>Then to Kilkik, I said, "We can't be wasting our time on these Barbarians!"<p>"Yes, I will begin looking for a weakness," Kilkik said.}}

{{TErow| 12 |loc={{teal}}|Day 12|freq=14|Knowing that my resources are going to be slim up here in the northern wastes, I've arranged for the Dungeons I've left behind to step up production and ship everything they can here to me in the north.  Every two weeks I should receive a huge shipment.<p>I just hope it will be enough.|effect=+3 {{w}} [[Wood]], +10 {{m}} [[Mercury]], +3 {{o}} [[Ore]], +2 {{s}} [[Sulfur]], +5 {{c}} [[Crystal]]s, +2 {{gem}} [[Gems]], +15000 {{g}} [[Gold]]}}

{{TErow| 17 |day 17|Kilkik entered my tent and immediately held out a large, red crystal shard in one of his ropey tentacles.<p>"What's this?" I asked.<p>"That is our enemy's strength and weakness, Overlord," Kilkik said.<p>"Explain."<p>"It seems that the Barbarian, Kija, is not a brainless savage.  She has somehow gained the ability to manufacture Crystal Dragons.  These powerful Dragons are stronger than anything we have at the moment, but it requires a lot of Crystal to build them.  They will be forced to focus their entire production toward Gold and Crystal - which means if we can control all their Crystal we will keep them weak."<p>I pace back and forth, tossing the single crystal in my hand.  I've faced Crystal Dragons before.  They are capable of tearing an army to pieces.  Now, I need the Azure Dragons more than ever!}}

{{TErow| 22 |day 22|Some of my scouts have uncovered a huge cache of Gold and Mercury in the far northwest.  Unfortunately, this treasure is guarded by a group of Green Dragons.  I assume this stash belongs to Gelu, something he left behind for an emergency.  Not only could I use those resources, but I also have to keep Gelu from getting them.}}

{{TErow| 25 |day 25|A single Medusa approached between the watchful gaze of Neez and Kilkik.  She prostrated herself before me.  Ever since her kind tried to kill me, the Medusas have been getting fewer rations and a smaller share of the treasure.  They've been trying to get back on my good side.  And now, one of them practically begged to talk to me.<p>"What do you want?" I asked.<p>"Once again, Overlord, we apologize for the behaviour of some of our sisters and hope that you can forgive us.  We have brought you some news.  Many of my sisters risked their lives and died to bring you this information," the Medusa said.<p>I reached out and grabbed a handful of the Medusa's wiggling tendrils of snake hair.<p>"One more is going to die if she doesn't spit it out!" I shouted.<p>"The Azure Dragons, Overlord!  We've found them!"<p>"Where?"<p>"Beyond a magic portal, one that glows with a teal light, but my sisters ran into one of those Dragons.  All were killed, but myself," she said.}}

{{TErow| 30 |day 30|"Not only will we have to battle the arrogant Azure Dragons before they will agree to join you," says Neez, who has been researching the creatures, "but they also require massive quantities of Gold and Mercury.  You might want to consider saving for them now."<p>"I'll think about it," I said, and since it had been a while since I've had one of my 'fits', I tore the shirt off my back and threw it at the Beholder.<p>"It hurts!" I shouted, scratching at my skin.<p>I ran outside and jumped half-naked into the snow, rolling around in it as if I were on fire.  By the time I finished, I had gathered quite a crowd.  I turned on Neez.<p>"Find the one who cast that spell on me," I ordered.<p>"Uh, what spell, Overlord?"<p>"The one that set my shirt on fire, of course!  Now, go!" I said and retired to my tent again.<p>Once I was in private, I chuckled to myself.  The expression on Neez's ugly face had been priceless.  The Beholder would spend hours trying to figure out a way to handle my insane orders.  In the end, he will come to me and lie, stating that he had found and killed the culprit.<p>My chuckle turns into a laugh when I think of my answer.<p>"What culprit?  I don't know what you're talking about," I will say.}}

{{TErow| 35 |day 35|Neez reported today that although he hasn't been able to track down anyone close enough to Gelu to know where the Elf was headed, he has learned much about my enemy's troops.<p>Apparently, Gelu confides only in two of his followers.  Both are loyal Rangers who joined the Forest Guard around the same time as Gelu.  The three are inseparable, but if Gelu's mission was suitably threatened one of them might attempt to stop us.<p>"One of Gelu's friends, a Dwarf named Ufretin, is prone to acts of bravery and sacrifice.  I believe we could capture this man," Neez said.<p>"Well, first we'll have to engage Gelu's troops.  Begin putting your plans in motion.  Soon as we get the Azure Dragons on our side, that should pose enough of a threat for us to lure this Dwarf away," I said.<p>Inside, I cringed.  I knew this Dwarf, Ufretin.  He was a brave fighter and a good person.  I'm not sure if I can allow Neez and Kilkik to torture the answers I need out of him.<p>Curse the Ancestors for this!  I thought I was supposed to save lives - not destroy them!}}

{{TErow| 38 |day 38|Neez presented his plan for the capture of the Dwarf, Ufretin, to me this morning and I accepted it.  Gelu and the others will never realize what hit them.<p>And then my two Beholder advisors informed me that their interrogations of Barbarian prisoners have turned up little information.  Kija is simply following Gelu as we are.  She hopes to snatch the Sword of Frost from Gelu the moment he finds it.<p>Now, I only need to find out what Gelu knows of the Sword of Frost.  Unfortunately, it looks like that information is going to cost the life of a good man.}}

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{{SorQrow|seer=2|loc=29, 50, 0|quest=Achieve:<br>{{exp2|0=}} Level 22</br>|rew=50 {{s}} [[Sulfur]]|prop=This small hut reeks of rotten eggs, so you cover your nose and mouth with your cloak as you approach.  When you open the door, however, even your cloak doesn't help.<p>Sitting at a table - the room's only piece of furniture - is an old man weighing piles of Sulphur.  The rest of the hut is filled with countless sacks of what could only be Sulphur.  He looks up at you and smiles.<p>"Greetings!" he says.<p>"Greetings," you respond.  "How can you stand the smell?"<p>"What smell?" he asks.<p>"I see.  So, how did you come by so much Sulphur?"<p>"I make it.  I'm an alchemist, actually, and I've discovered the secret of transforming snow into Sulphur.  It's really quite brilliant, but I've run into a problem."<p>"What kind of problem?" you ask.<p>"I don't know what to do with it all.  I'd give it away, but I can't give it away to just anyone.  So, I've decided to give 50 bags of Sulphur to anyone of 22nd level."|prog="Ha!  You're not experienced enough to fulfil my criteria, young hero.  Come back when you're 22nd level!"|comp=The old man in the smelly house agrees that you have enough experience to fulfil his criteria, so he tells you to help yourself to 50 bags of Sulphur.}}

{{SorQrow|seer=1|loc=57, 70, 0|quest=Return with:<br>{{SmCost|vert=y|w=50|o=50|g=3000}}|rew=60 {{c}} [[Crystal]]s|prop=You see an old Wizard crouched over a table covered by countless scrolls.  You wait for him to notice you before you speak.<p>"Those are blue-prints for a tower, are they not?" you say.<p>"Yes, yes they are.  I'd like to build my very own Wizard's tower, but I just don't have the materials!"<p>"What kind of resources do you need?"<p>"Oh, let me see," the Wizard says, consulting one of his scrolls.  "That would be 50 Wood, 50 Ore, and perhaps 3000 Gold to pay the labourers."<p>"I see.  And what would you be willing to offer me if I could come up with those supplies for you?" you ask in your best business-like voice.<p>The Wizard seems to ponder the question for a moment, and then grins.<p>"I happen to know you're searching for some Azure Dragons, but before they join you, you're going to have to defeat some of them.  Now, the only creature I can think of that will give it a challenge is the Crystal Dragon - and to make Crystal Dragons you'll need Crystals.  I'll give you 60 Crystals in exchange for those supplies."|prog=You ask the Wizard again exactly what resources he needs to build his tower.  This time he gives you a list.<p>50 Wood<br>50 Ore<br>3000 Gold<p>No more, no less!|comp=You lead wagonloads of Wood and Ore up to the Wizard's hut and hand over several sacks of Gold directly to the old man.<p>"Here's all the supplies you need for your tower," you say.<p>"I thank you!  Would you like to make the trade now?"}}

{{SorQrow|seer=2|loc=59, 29, 0|quest=Return with:<br>6 {{Cn|Black Dragon}}s</br>|rew=2 {{Cn|Crystal Dragon}}s|prop=You approach this lonely hut alone, and you begin to think it was a bad idea when a pair of Crystal Dragons jump out from behind it and loom over you.<p>"Stop!" someone shouts a moment before they end your life.<p>A well-dressed young man with a friendly smile steps out of the hut.<p>"I apologize for the fright, but these are my guardians - at least until I get replacements," he says.<p>"What kind of replacements are you looking for?" you ask.<p>"Flying Dragons would help, actually.  I need six Black Dragons to get my things and me back across the sea.  You wouldn't know how I could come across any, would you?  I'd be willing to trade these Crystal ones for them."<p>You think that perhaps you do.|prog=You've had no luck getting those six Black Dragons yet, and considering what happened the last time you came to this hut, you decide not to visit today.|comp=The young man steps from the hut to inspect the six Black Dragons you're offering him.<p>"I take it they're loyal and healthy?" he asks.<p>"Yes, of course!"<p>"Good.  I'll take them. Would you like to trade now?"}}

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{{SorQrow|guard=1|loc=3, 1, 0|quest=Be:<br>{{teal}}</br>|prop="Show us what flag you march under!" demands the guard in the tower.<p>You order the standing bearer forward.<p>"We'll only let someone flying the Teal flag pass," says the guard, "So, let's see what you got?"|prog="Go away, you fool!  We'll only let someone who flies the Teal flag through!"|comp=The guards smile and cheer when they see the colour of your flag, agreeing to allow you to pass.  Do you wish to pass through now?}}

{{SorQrow|guard=1|loc=40, 27, 0|quest=Ben:<br>{{H|Tarnum|image=Tarnum Overlord|Overlord}}</br>}}

[[Category:Campaign scenarios]]