Editing The First Tatalian War

{{inhc}}
{{campaign navigational box|hc=expanded|revoltofthebeastmasters=expanded}}
{{scenario
| scenario       = {{PAGENAME}}
| description    = Prince Niven joins Tarnum to free both the Mudlanders and Erathia from Mad King Gryphonheart's brutal reign.
| underground    = disabled
| num_play       = 2/1
| size           = M
| source         = hc
| victory        = def_hero
| victory_hint   = <br>{{---}}{{H|Gryphonheart|hero_link=Mad King Gryphonheart|image=Roland|noname=}} Gryphonheart the Knight
| loss           = hero
| loss_hint      = {{H|Tarnum|image=Tarnum (Beastmaster)|noname=}}
| allies         = {{orange}}
| enemies        = {{red}}
| difficulty     = Normal
| bonus          = {{BonusCr|Archer|20|loc=Tarnum}}{{BonusCr|Lizard Warrior|25|loc=most powerful campaign hero}}
| Cmap           = [[File:Cmap hc rotb all.png|400px|{{PAGENAME}}]]
}}

== Prologue ==
{{cvid|AB CD-Heroes3-DATA-Heroes3 vid-H3ABfw4-smk-H3ABfw4|src=HC-09|thumbtime=0:00|float=left}}
{{town|Neutral|noname=}} Unnamed male historian: [[Erathia]] had crowned [[Niven]] the new King of [[Erathia]], leaving [[Mad King Gryphonheart|King Gryphonheart]] without any support.  The [[Mad King]] would be at his most dangerous now that he had nothing to lose.

{{clear|both}}

== Scenario ==
=== Timed events ===
{{TEheader}}
{{TErow| 1 |day 1|I met briefly with [[Niven]] when I arrived in this region.  He had grown a moustache since I last saw him - probably an attempt to make himself appear a little older.  He was, after all, a young king.<p>[[Droglo]] rode next to him, still dressed in his mud-stained leather tunic.  A few smudges of dirt and the angry pink scar on his jaw marred his otherwise perfect face.  [[Droglo]] couldn't grow a moustache if he spent the next three years trying.  He would always look young when standing next to his friend.<p>"Well, I guess I should call you King now," I said, taking [[Niven]]'s hand.<p>"It's only a title, [[Tarnum]]," [[Niven]] said.<p>As much as we wanted to continue joking to keep this pleasant moment alive, we had serious work ahead of us.<p>"Your father's armies are in the south.  Unfortunately, we took heavy losses driving him there and need to rebuild our forces," I said.<p>[[Niven]] nodded his understanding.<p>"I've taken some losses of my own.  When we first arrived, we suffered heavy losses to ambushes from the natives of these swamps.  I tried to reason with them, but they would not believe we were allies until [[Droglo]] convinced them to stop their attacks," [[Niven]] stated.<p>"So, we're both having trouble.  The only good news is your father has lost his support from home.  He's alone, except for the thieves and mercenaries he's been hiring.  Are you prepared to keep this war going until he is defeated?"<p>"Absolutely!  I have sworn it," [[King Niven]] said.}}
{{TErow| 6 |Day 6|Today we captured some [[Rogue]]s when they tried to ambush our supply wagons.  When we searched them, however, we discovered a note bearing [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s royal seal.<p>"It's a bounty on the head of his own son, [[Niven]]," I said aloud.<p>"How much?" asked [[Adamina]], who was always at my side these days, perhaps to make sure I didn't make any decisions without the consent of the wisewomen.<p>"Twice as much as he has offered for my head - 20,000 Gold."<p>"[[King Niven]] must've really angered him," [[Adamina]] said.<p>"Yeah," I said, crumpling the paper, "and if I know anything about [[Mad King Gryphonheart|Gryphonheart]], he'll do anything to get his way."<p>Turning to the nearest soldier, I said, "Hurry!  Get me our fastest runner."}}
{{TErow| 15 |Day 15|Just as I suspected, [[Mad King Gryphonheart]] sent an assassin after his own son.<p>I received word from [[Niven]] this morning that someone recently tried to kill him, and if not for the messenger I sent to warn him, the assassin might have succeeded.  The killer came in the middle of the night disguised as a [[Monk]] loyal to [[Niven]]'s cause.  By the time he slipped into [[Niven]]'s tent, [[Droglo]] had already spotted him.<p>As [[Niven]] described it, the Monk drew a long blade from the folds of his robes but before he could attack, [[Droglo]] jumped on the killer's back and dragged him to the ground.  There was a brief struggle ending with the assassin's death.}}
{{TErow| 22 |Day 22|Today [[Droglo]] (representing [[Tatalia]]) and [[Niven]] (representing [[Erathia]]) signed a treaty stating that no man, woman, or creature can hold another as slave.<p>[[Niven]] has a difficult task ahead of him restructuring [[Erathia]]'s economy now that he's freed all the slaves, but I think the boy is up to the task.  Perhaps this bold agreement will spread to other nations as well.}}
{{TErow| 27 |Day 27|I asked [[Droglo]] to rejoin my army now that we're getting closer to defeating [[Mad King Gryphonheart]].  It's good to have the boy around again.  There are still a few things I want to teach him before I have to leave, and as long as he's at my side I can protect him from harm.<p>[[Droglo]] doesn't know it yet, but he's the future of [[Tatalia]].  If these creatures of the swamp are ever going to build a nation, they'll need a strong leader.}}
{{TErow| 36 |loc={{orange}}|Day 36|A fire set by [[Mad King Gryphonheart|Gryphonheart's]] [[Rogue]]s spread through most of the camp last night.  Thankfully, no one was killed.  There were, however, numerous injuries and several of our supply wagons burned up as well.|effect=-13 {{w}} [[Wood]], -4 {{m}} [[Mercury]], -9 {{o}} [[Ore]], -4 {{c}} [[Crystal]], -2350 {{g}} [[Gold]]}}
{{TErow| 42 |Day 42|[[Mad King Gryphonheart|Gryphonheart]] has been using our own tactics against us, ambushing our column as we march through the swamp.<p>Today, they came close to killing me.  A crossbow bolt hit me in the shoulder before we even knew we were under attack.  A few inches lower and it would have pierced my heart.<p>[[Droglo]] saw me slump in the saddle and shouted, "Ambush!"<p>And then he charged the ambushers.  That was the only way to break an ambush - charge directly at them.<p>After the initial shock, I snapped off the shaft of the arrow in case the head was barbed and chased after [[Droglo]] to make sure the boy didn't get into trouble.  I came to the spot where most of the [[Rogue]]s had been killed, but there was no sign of [[Droglo]].<p>To one of the [[Gnoll]]s, I demanded, "Where is [[Droglo]]?"<p>"He went running off after one of them who escaped.  He was plenty mad!" the [[Gnoll]] said.<p>I raced off after the foolish boy.  What did he think he was doing?  What if he ran right into another trap?  [[Droglo]] should know better.}}
{{TErow| 42 |Day 42-b|But there was no trap.<p>I found [[Droglo]] standing over the body of the leader of the bandits.  He didn't seem to notice my approach.  Instead, he just stared off into a nearby mound of vegetation.  I drew my sword in case [[Droglo]] had spotted another enemy, but when I realized what the boy was looking at I nearly dropped it.<p>I looked around at the swamp, spotting the signs that we were standing in the middle of what had once been a busy town.  Abandoned for who knows how many years, nature had reclaimed the land.  But what I thought had been a mound turned out to be the cracked head and torso of a giant statue of a man.  It had fallen on its side.  Vines hugged it tightly like a dying child.<p>[[Droglo]] turned slowly to stare at me.<p>"It's you!"<p>"Yes," I said.}}
{{TErow| 43 |Day 43|"Let me explain," I said, entering [[Droglo]]'s tent.<p>The boy hadn't said a word to me since we saw the statue yesterday.  I knew he had asked [[Adamina]] about the statue, and perhaps about the past as well.<p>How much did [[Droglo]] know?  Did he know that the [[Barbarian Tyrant]] once dominated this land and its people?  Did he know that, in his arrogance, the [[Barbarian Tyrant]] had statues of himself erected all over the continent?  Did he know that I had been the [[Barbarian Tyrant]]?<p>"Explain?" [[Droglo]] asked.  "Can you explain why you have the face of the [[Tyrant]]?  I don't see how.  You can't be the [[Tyrant]] - he's been dead for a very long time.  So, it must be coincidence, right?"<p>I could tell by the tears in [[Droglo]]'s eyes that he didn't believe his own words.<p>"That's right," I said.  If [[Droglo]] didn't want to talk about it, I had to accept that, but he deserved some kind of explanation.<p>I asked, "If a man - a King - made many terrible mistakes, do you think he should have the chance to redeem himself?"<p>"Depends on the man, I think," [[Droglo]] said.  "Take [[Mad King Gryphonheart]], for instance.  His crimes are too great!  He deserves only to rot in a pit for all eternity!"<p>If only the boy knew [[Mad King Gryphonheart|Gryphonheart's]] crimes were nothing compared to my own.<p>"Well, if that man got the chance to make things right, he would probably look for someone who was nothing like he used to be - someone fair and good - to take over when he was gone."<p>I left the tent knowing that this revolt would be over soon and I would never see [[Droglo]] again.  But I smiled.  [[Erathia]] was in good hands with [[Niven]] as their King, and [[Droglo]] would protect the people of [[Tatalia]] for as long as he lived.<p>And one day soon that statue of the [[Barbarian Tyrant]] would vanish into the swamp forever.  Finally, the wounds of old will have a chance to heal.}}
|}

=== Objects ===
==== Events ====
{| class="sortable wikitable" cellpadding=5px
! Location
! Message
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 8, 23, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 10 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 10, 69, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 20 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 13, 36, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 10 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 26, 42, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 10 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 29, 18, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 10 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 49, 22, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 10 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 53, 48, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 45 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 25 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 45 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 58, 71, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 45 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 30 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 45 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{orange}} 69, 42, 0
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Another ambush from [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s [[Rogue]]s!<p><center>'''Guardians:''' 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}, 25 {{Cn|Archer|name=Archers}}, 25 {{Cn|Rogue|name=Rogues}}</center></p>
|}

==== Towns ====
{{Town header}}
{{Town row|6, 6, 0|orange|Fortress}}
{{Town row|57, 10, 0|orange|Castle}}
{{Town row|33, 66, 0|red|Castle}}
{{Town row|63, 49, 0|red|Castle}}
{{Town row|13, 35, 0||Fortress}}
{{Town row|37, 43, 0||Castle}}
|}

==== Heroes ====
{{hero header}}
{{hero row|2, 8, 0|orange|mph={{mph|1|Naming a Nation}}}}
{{hero row|6, 7, 0|orange|Tarnum|image=Tarnum (Beastmaster)|Beastmaster}}
{{hero row|8, 13, 0|orange|mph={{mph|1|Naming a Nation}}}}
{{hero row|33, 66, 0|red|Cuthbert|Cleric}}
{{hero row|57, 12, 0|orange|Niven|image=Christian|Knight}}
{{hero row|63, 50, 0|red|Mad King Gryphonheart|name=Gryphonheart|image=Roland|Knight}}
|}
''Note: Your two most powerful heroes are carried over despite the map specifying your most powerful hero twice.''

=== Epilogue ===
{{cvid|AB CD-Heroes3-DATA-Heroes3 vid-H3ABab1-smk-H3ABab1|src=HC-09|thumbtime=0:00|float=left}}
{{town|Neutral|noname=}} Unnamed male historian: [[Mad King Gryphonheart]]'s army fought to the last man.  In all the chaos, [[Tarnum]] faced [[Mad King Gryphonheart|Gryphonheart]] himself, but although the [[Immortal Hero]] was a far better swordsman, the two leaders dealt each other a mortal blow.  That night, before the [[Tatalia]]ns could bury him, [[Tarnum]]'s body disappeared.

[[Category:Campaign scenarios]]