Homecoming (HotA): Difference between revisions

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(pandora's boxes)
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | ''Note: Only applies to {{red}} AI player''<p><center>'''Contents:''' 10 [[Spell Points]], 65 {{Ps|Attack}}, 66 {{Ps|Defense}}, 71 {{Ps|Power}}, 64 {{Ps|Knowledge}}, {{An|Orb of Silt}}<p>70 {{Cn|Rust Dragon}}s, 590 {{Cn|Arch Devil}}s, 1240 {{Cn|Pit Lord}}s, 2100 {{Cn|Horned Demon}}s, 2500 {{Cn|Demon}}s, 4500 {{Cn|Magog}}s</center></p>
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | ''Note: Only applies to {{red}} AI player''<p><center>'''Contents:''' 10 [[Spell Points]], +65 {{Ps|Attack}}, +66 {{Ps|Defense}}, +71 {{Ps|Power}}, +64 {{Ps|Knowledge}}, {{An|Orb of Silt}}<p>70 {{Cn|Rust Dragon}}s, 590 {{Cn|Arch Devil}}s, 1240 {{Cn|Pit Lord}}s, 2100 {{Cn|Horned Demon}}s, 2500 {{Cn|Demon}}s, 4500 {{Cn|Magog}}s</center></p>
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==== Monsters ====
==== Seer's Huts ====
==== Quest Guards ====
==== Quest Gates ====
==== Pandora's Boxes ====
{| class="sortable wikitable" cellpadding=5px
{| class="sortable wikitable" cellpadding=5px
! Location
! Location
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! Message
! Message
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | {{Cn|Halfling (Factory)|name=Halflings}}
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | Monster Text
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 4 {{Ps|Power}}</center></p>
|-
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 2 {{Ps|Defense}}, 2 {{Ps|Knowledge}}</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 10000 {{Gold}} [[Gold]], +1 {{Ps|Attack}}, +1 {{Ps|Defense}}, +1 {{Ps|Power}}, +1 {{Ps|Knowledge}}</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 40 {{Crystal}} [[Crystal]], +3 {{Ps|Attack}}, {{An|Dragon Scale Shield}}</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 30000 {{Gold}} [[Gold]], 30 {{Wood}} [[Wood]], 30 {{Ore}} [[Ore]], 15 {{Mercury}} [[Mercury]], 15 {{Sulfur}} [[Sulfur]], 15 {{Crystal}} [[Crystal]], 15 {{Gem}} [[Gems]]<p>+12 {{Ps|Attack}}, +12 {{Ps|Defense}}, +12 {{Ps|Power}}, +12 {{Ps|Knowledge}}, {{An|Orb of Vulnerability}}, {{An|Orb of Vulnerability}}, {{Sn|Resurrection}}<p>10 {{Cn|Juggernaut}}s, 10 {{Cn|Crimson Couatl}}s, 30 {{Cn|Bounty Hunter}}s, 50 {{Cn|Olgoi-Khorkhoi}}, 70 {{Cn|Sentinel Automaton}}s, 125 {{Cn|Engineer}}s, 200 {{Cn|Halfling Grenadier}}s</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' 25000 {{Gold}} [[Gold]], 15 {{Crystal}} [[Crystal]], 15 {{Gem}} [[Gems]], +1 {{Ps|Attack}}, +1 {{Ps|Defense}}, +1 {{Ps|Power}}, +1 {{Ps|Knowledge}}, {{An|Endless Purse of Gold}}, {{An|Shackles of War}}</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' {{An|Plate of Dying Light}}, 12 {{Cn|Phoenix|name=Phoenixes}}</center></p>
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| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px; white-space: nowrap;" | [[File:Pandora's_Box.gif|link=Pandora's Box]] [[Pandora's Box]]
| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center><p>'''Contents:''' +2 {{Ps|Attack}}, +2 {{Ps|Defense}}, +2 {{Ps|Power}}, +2 {{Ps|Knowledge}}, 30 {{Cn|Magic Elemental}}s, 40 {{Cn|Enchanter}}s</center></p>
|}
|}
==== Seer's Huts ====
==== Quest Guards ====
==== Quest Gates ====
==== Artifacts ====


== Epilogue ==
== Epilogue ==

Revision as of 00:42, 26 March 2024

Horn of the Abyss Only available when the unofficial expansion, Horn of the Abyss, is installed.
Campaigns
1 - Restoration of Erathia Restoration of Erathia 1 - Restoration of Erathia
1. Homecoming
2. Guardian Angels
3. Griffin Cliff
1. A Devilish Plan
2. Groundbreaking
3. Steadwick's Fall
1. Borderlands
2. Gold Rush
3. Greed
1. Steadwick's Liberation
2. Deal With the Devil
3. Neutral Affairs
4. Tunnels and Troglodytes
1. A Gryphon's Heart
2. Season of Harvest
3. Corporeal Punishment
4. From Day to Night
1. Safe Passage
2. United Front
3. For King and Country
1. The Grail
2. The Road Home
3. Independence
2 - Armageddon's Blade Armageddon's Blade 2 - Armageddon's Blade
1. Catherine's Charge
2. Shadows of the Forest
3. Seeking Armageddon
4. Maker of Sorrows
5. Return of the King
6. A Blade in the Back
7. To Kill A Hero
8. Oblivion's Edge
1. Culling the Weak
2. Savaging the Scavengers
3. Blood of the Dragon Father
4. Blood Thirsty
1. Crystal Dragons
2. Rust Dragons
3. Faerie Dragons
4. Azure Dragons
1. Razor Claw
2. Taming of the Wild
3. Clan War
4. For the Throne
1. Farming Towns
2. March of the Undead
3. Burning of Tatalia
1. Lost at Sea
2. Their End of the Bargain
3. Here There Be Pirates
4. Hurry Up and Wait
3 - Shadow of Death Shadow of Death 3 - Shadow of Death
1. Clearing the Border
2. After the Amulet
3. Retrieving the Cowl
4. Driving for the Boots
1. Graduation Exercise
2. Cutthroats
3. Valley of the Dragon Lords
4. A Thief in the Night
1. Bashing Skulls
2. Black Sheep
3. A Cage in the Hand
4. Grave Robber
1. On the Run
2. The Meeting
3. A Tough Start
4. Falor and Terwen
5. Returning to Bracada
1. Target
2. Master
3. Finneas Vilmar
4. Duke Alarice
1. Harvest
2. Gathering the Legion
3. Search for a Killer
4. Final Peace
5. Secrets Revealed
6. Agents of Vengeance
7. Wrath of Sandro
8. Invasion
9. To Strive, To Seek
10. Barbarian Brothers
11. Union
12. Fall of Sandro
1. Poison Fit for a King
2. To Build a Tunnel
3. Kreegan Alliance
4. With Blinders On
4 - Horn of the Abyss Horn of the Abyss 4 - Horn of the Abyss
1. Pirates and Palms
2. Master of the Island
3. Devil Sunrise
1. Prisoner of Doom
2. Evenmorn
3. The Shores of Hell
4. The Freedom of the Nix
5. In Search of the Horn
6. Treachery
1. Frontier
2. Heart of Water
3. Horn of the Abyss
4. All Hands on Board!
1. World on Fire
2. Beyond the Horizon
3. Dead or Alive
4. Tomb Raiders
5. Deus Ex Machina
6. Tarred and Feathered
7. New Order
8. Homecoming
5 - Heroes Chronicles Heroes Chronicles 5 - Heroes Chronicles
1. A Barbarian King
2. The Criminal King
3. Ultimatum
4. The War for the Mudlands
5. Siege of the Wallpeaks
6. Trapped!
7. Slash and Burn
8. Steelhorn
1. Cerberus Gate
2. The Boatman
3. Truth Within Nightmares
4. Twisted Tunnels
5. Jorm's Ambush
6. Old Wounds
7. The Queen's Command
8. Never Deal with a Demon
1. The Trouble with Magic
2. Walking on Clouds
3. Don't Drink the Water
4. Hard Place
5. The Secret in the Flames
6. The Magic that Binds
7. Birds of Fire
8. Masters of the Elements
1. The Dragontalker
2. Dragon's Blood
3. The Dragon Mothers
4. Dragons of Rust
5. Distrust
6. Dragons of Gossamer Wings
7. Dragons of Deepest Blue
8. Clash of the Dragons
1. A Distant Cry
2. Senseless Destruction
3. The World Within
4. The Roots of Life
5. Rebirth
1. The Endless Sands
2. The Nameless Land
3. The Sparkling Bridge
4. The Fiery Moon
5. Vorr, the Insane
1. Hopewielder
2. The First Law
3. By Royal Decree
4. The King's Son
5. The Ransom
6. Beyond the Borders
7. Naming a Nation
8. The First Tatalian War
1. Tarnum the Overlord
2. The Land of the Vori
3. A New Enemy
4. A New Ally
5. The Capture
6. Tunnels of Ice
7. The Barbarian's Wife
8. The Protectors of the Sword
Henrietta returns to her motherland with allies by her side. They are poised to drive the Kreegans away once and for all and retake the halflings' home. Homecoming Horn of the Abyss
4 Total Players / 1 Human Player
1
4
Size 3 (108×108) - L Underground enabled
Henrietta returns to homelands with her allies to banish the Kreegans forever and regain her home. Capture the town of Ullah to win the scenario, but the loss of your main town will lead you to defeat. The level of heroes is unlimited.
Victory condition:
Capture Town
Loss condition:
Lose Town
Allies: Green Enemies:       1:RedOrangePink
Choose a bonus:
 Start with Endless Sack of Gold on Wynona  Start with Orb of Silt on Wynona  Start with Crown of the Five Seas on Wynona 
Difficulty 4: Expert - The player starts with a handicap in resources, and the computer plays to the best of its ability.
Carried to next scenario:
(None)
Max level:

Prologue

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Dead earth. Lifeless water. Poisoned air. Only the fire reigns now in these lands; the fire the halflings had always feared so. It devoured all the living force of Eeofol and keeps spawning beasts. The scenery I saw from the skies was dire, but I knew it would be like that. Now I know for sure: it is my land, even if I had no love for it the way it once used to be. I will find those who kept fighting for it all these years, and together we will chase the devils through the gates of hell, or die trying.

Scenario

Notes: one of the Quest Guards wants the Orb of Silt, which doesn't seem to be available in the level other than through the bonus choice. It gives access to gold, an artifact, and a Seer's Hut.

Another of the quest guards requires a combination artifact whose component parts can only be acquired by defeating powerful heroes that will only appear towards the end of Month 3. The objective of the map lies beyond this quest guard.

A quest guard near your starting city requires 3000 gems. On month 4, an event triggers "reinforcements" which give you these 3000 gems as well as other resources and a large amount of creatures in your city's fort. Behind this quest guard lies 5000000 gold, enough to recruit everything you could possibly want, so as to launch the final assault.

Timed events

Day Title Message
Day 1 Red AI - resource control (Repeats every 1 days)
Note: Only applies to Red AI player.
-90000 Gold Gold, -500 Wood Wood, -500 Ore Ore, -500 Mercury Mercury, -500 Sulfur Sulfur, +150 Crystal Crystal, +150 Gem Gems
Day 1 Orange AI - resource control (Repeats every 1 days)
Note: Only applies to Orange AI player.
-90000 Gold Gold, -500 Wood Wood, -500 Ore Ore, -500 Mercury Mercury, -500 Sulfur Sulfur, +100 Crystal Crystal, -500 Gem Gems
Day 1 Pink AI - resource control (Repeats every 1 days)
Note: Only applies to Pink AI player.
-90000 Gold Gold, -500 Wood Wood, -500 Ore Ore, -500 Mercury Mercury, -500 Sulfur Sulfur, -500 Crystal Crystal, -500 Gem Gems
Day 1 Henrietta - Home HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Home. We go home. I kept repeating these words as I looked forward from aboard the airship. This trip to Eeofol was uneventful and smooth—the opposite of the long, arduous flight to Jadame… so many years ago.

We were not alone. A few hours before we left, armed men in hats appeared in Rotwang—we first assumed them to be a new group of bounty hunters hired by Kastore. It turned out, however, that not all gunslingers and adventurers liked the new ruler. Some were not satisfied with the new, lower rates for their challenging work, some did not like the vain elf, who considered all in Terra Nova as mere pawns in his game. There were a thousand other reasons to desert his army, and those gunslingers had made that decision. They were now willing to go with us to Eeofol and never return to Jadame. There was a rather high-ranking commander, Colonel Lee, among the deserters. He brought not only his own men, but also the Dreadnoughts that we already knew so well.

Admittedly, I had my doubts about these new traveling companions. Some of them could have been Kastore's spies, or worse. However, I had long ago learned not to turn my back to those who I distrust…

And then the volcanoes and mountain ranges appeared on the horizon. Yes, here it is, Eeofol—but not the Eeofol we knew when we left it.

Whatever it is—it's our home, and we're back.

Day 1 Tavin - War Diary Entry Tavin's war diary, entry 11.

I can't believe it: the Lords of Erathia are actually withdrawing their support for Queen Catherine! At first I believed that our new allies, the elementals, would come in and crush the devils like rotten pumpkins, but I guess I just wanted it to be that way too much. The war proved things like that never come easy. A messenger from the Forest Guard reported that elementalist Ciele had fallen into a trap, and now the devils were holding her in a prison somewhere on the border with Eeofol.

When we heard this, we stopped dreaming of smooth sailing. It became clear: even getting the sorceress out of her imprisonment will be a bear of a job. A large Kreegan detachment was guarding the prison, and what's more, they spotted us on the way up, as if they knew we'd be there.

Retreat back through the mountains? Too late, we've been cut off. We need to run deep into the Land of the Giants. There's a camp of Forest Guard archers nearby, where that messenger came from, so we should go there.

Day 2 Land of the Giants HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: We camped in the barren hills of Land of the Giants, the eastern part of Eeofol. I had never been here before. Sure, I could call myself a seasoned traveler now, but back when living in Eeofol, a journey of a dozen miles from home seemed a daring feat! I had heard that dragons, giants, and other monsters abounded here, and the halflings had always been wary of these dangerous lands.

The day before, I had sent out a party to scout the vicinity of our camp. It returned with troubling news: a fortress of devils was found not so far away to the west.

Besides, it is inconceivable that our arrival could have gone unnoticed.

Day 4 Halfling HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Yesterday, a halfling appeared in our camp. Only then I finally came to believe the late Kett's words... The stranger was skinny as a stick and barely able to stand on his feet, so we put him in the hastily set up infirmary immediately. He recovered quicker than I thought—the very next day. Strong men, these...

The guest was completely shocked to see me—though we didn't know each other, as he hailed from a different place. He was even more shocked by my traveling companions. The halfling—his name was Thull—had been walking around the camp for a long time, gawking at the huge dreadnoughts and the amazing Couatls, trying to talk to the gunslingers, but the mercenaries were in no mood for conversations. Eventually he came to me. I told him about our journey to Jadame, the battles against Zog’s ogres of and Dargem’s pirates, and many other things we'd been through over the past nine years. The halfling just nodded, staring sternly and occasionally frowning.

Finally, I called out to him:

“I heard Tavin was still alive and fighting with our people against the devils. Have you any news of him?”

Thull: “Of course,” he answered, “I am one of his squad myself”.

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: I asked him a hundred questions about Tavin immediately, but Thull only shook his head with sorrow.

Thull: “I wish I knew where he was now. We were going to break into the demons’ prison, but we got jumped on the way. Tavin and the others had retreated toward the lake; I was on a distant lookout and couldn't catch up with them. So, I waddled here.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: The halfling tried to explain to me where the lake was, but I couldn't get anything decisive out of his story.

Thull: “...and while I was walking here, I noticed an odd town in the woods. I thought that your fortress was the same—light brick walls, shining domes... but now I look closer and I see that town over there was quite different. It's a city of elementals, I guess. Their army must be around here somewhere.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Elementals? I remembered at once: long ago, back in Eeofol, in Frederick's laboratory, I had seen several tiny, seemingly incorporeal creatures in tightly corked bottles and vials. I stared at one of these strange creatures for a long time; it seemed as if it were made of nothing but air and glittering lightning. Frederick explained that it was a lesser air elemental. Later, in Jadame, of course, I had seen elementals being summoned by Warlocks for their own use; however, those were much more powerful and imposing creatures. But I had never heard of an entire army of elementals, let alone their cities. Let alone here, in Eeofol!

Thull: “Oh, yes,” Thull nodded. “You don't know anything. Now listen, Erathia is not fighting the demons alone. They have a whole army of elementals on their side! I don't know where they came from or what they want, but they're backing us now! I've seen this army with my own eyes, just like I see you now. Them demons are pups compared to them!”

Day 8 Tor Anwyn is concerned about Kreegans HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Old Kosta ran past my tent in the camp. He was pounding his stick on a kettle and yelling:

Kosta: “Again! Again! They're attacking again!”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Who? The devils?” I drew my sword, preparing to fend off the attack.

Kosta: “There”, the old halfling pointed toward the hills with a trembling hand.

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Up ahead, at the foot of the hill, I could see a few gunslingers from my squad cleaning their blunderbusses. The smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air.

“Who attacked this time? Devils? Efreeti?”

Gunslinger: “Certainly not,” one of the gunners said hoarsely. “Look, here. Floating eyes. And the harpies and the minotaurs.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: It was not the first time these days that we'd had to clash—not with demons, but with these harpies, minotaurs, even manticores.

Halfling: “I know who they are,” said one of the local halflings. Over recent days, once our arrival became known, we had been receiving a trickle of fighters from various guerrilla groups who’d come to join us. Unfortunately, we didn't meet any of Tavin's comrades—everyone knew the daring commander, but no one could tell us anything useful about him. - “They're from Nighon. They've been here for years. They dug their own tunnels under Eeofol. Why are they attacking us now, I wonder?”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: “I don't think they were attacking anyone,” I responded. “I think they were heading somewhere else. But where?”

The answer came naturally. One of the gunners called out to me as he found something on the body of one of the slain minotaurs, a giant brute in rich, gilded armor.

Gunslinger: “Looks like a scroll," the mercenary hissed.

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: I took the scroll carefully and unrolled it. It was hard to make out what was written on it at first, as the handwriting style was unfamiliar; back in Jadame we used to write in a much simpler manner. However, back in the day, Frederick taught me to read and write using scrolls from the Bracadian Academy, where calligraphy was regarded to be one of the most important subjects. A high-brow style with many curls and lines of perfect thickness. This letter is clearly part of correspondence between very important people.

“I must inform you that Lucifer Kreegan had requested military support from Nighon. Even though there is infighting in the country, our king decided to send forces to aid this mad beast. Keep a close eye on the movement of our troops and report me the news. We cannot afford to waste our forces at such a difficult hour for Nighon.

Tor Anwyn."

The name Anwyn sounded vaguely familiar to me… I think Frederick had mentioned him before? No, can't recall for sure. What really matters is the news that Nighon is sending troops to aid Eeofol. The Queen of Erathia and the Conflux forces must be informed at the earliest opportunity. They must not be taken by surprise by the arrival of the Dungeon Overlords’ army.

Day 16 Forest Guard camp and devil fortresses HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: A scout on a mission from Gelu, the half-elf commander of the Forest Guard, visited us. He absorbed my account of our landing, the Nighon beasts, and the recent devil attacks and promised to pass it all on to his commander. Then he told me that there was a camp of the Guard in the forests to the southeast. The commander, he said, was Stilbon himself, one of the most experienced officers in the Forest Guard, but there had been no news from him in weeks, and Gelu feared the worst.

It turned out that the Forest Guard had been studying the land for months, looking for weaknesses in the Kreegan defenses. The appearance of our base had not gone unnoticed, but the elementals could summon their cities out of thin air, so at first the Kreegans were not particularly interested in us, believing us to be just another outpost of those guests from other planes. According to the scout, there were two large Kreegan fortresses in the south and northwest, and another, Ullah, far to the west, but it was impossible to get to it; the path to it went lay through Kreegan portals, magical barriers, and garrisons packed to the brim with the infernal beasts...

Day 32 Situation is getting worse HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Day after day passed, but it didn't get any easier—the Kreegan numbers were getting bigger and bigger. I put the scroll with the latest scouting report aside in frustration. They're being pounded by humans and elves! How do they even afford having the troops to fight back against us, too? Yet they do.

All our scouting parties have been trying to figure out how to get to the Kreegan fortress of Ullah over the last few days, but it looks like things are about to get very heated right here.

There's no point in mounting an attack on Ullah now—there's another pressing matter to deal with. The matter of survival.

Day 57 Warning about reinforcements HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: A messenger from Gelu brings troubling news: the combined forces of the Forest Guard and Catherine’s troops have been forced to redeploy. A very important plan requires them—the fate of the war and perhaps the entire world will depend on its success. Taking advantage of the subsided action in the west, the Kreegans are amassing a huge force to stop us from taking their strongholds. Their two bastions to the south and northwest must be captured, and that’s to be done before the month ends; otherwise it will be too late for us.
Day 85 Untranslated Russian text (Repeats every 1 days)
Note: Only applies to Red AI player.
99999 Gold Gold
Day 86 Todd's story HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: We spent the next day unloading airships, building new workshops, and engaging in endless chatter—mostly questions on my part. Most of all, of course, I was interested in Frederick's fate. Here, Todd took up the story:

ToddTodd Todd: “I met Frederick just once, at the time when Floribert and I were put in charge of another, completely insane project of Kastore’s. Hand prostheses outfitted with ripsaws, so that cripples could keep on fighting... Victoria refused to do it, even though it was precisely her area of expertise. She said such primitive, crude devices were offensive to the very... Er, where was I? Oh, yes. If invention and knowledge weren't in our common bloodline, I would have thought Frederick was spellbound—so immersed in his thoughts. It's like a trance, when you don't notice anything around you and surrender completely to the muse of inspiration. I know this state very well, unlike certain long-bearded, thick-skinned... No wonder Frederick didn't notice any of our hidden messages. And yet I am sure he is perceptive enough to recognize the pretense sooner or later and tell the difference between true friends and false ones.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: It was as if some deep-lying muscle inside me, long under incredible tension, had relaxed. I whispered for the hundredth, maybe even thousandth, time:

“Thank you, guys!”

When the sentimentality fit passed, I reassessed our chances. Within a day, the fortress was bristling with weapons of every kind; molten iron bubbled behind the walls, taking the form of mechanical warriors, and the hope and desire to drive the Kreegans back to the desolate hulk in the sky from they'd fallen off had been rekindled in our hearts.

Day 99 News about Armageddon's Blade HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: A messenger from Gelu showed up at our camp, unnoticed by the guards, as he always did.

Messenger: “Gelu sends word: The Armageddon’s Blade is now in our hands, and its creator Khazandar is dead. Xeron has retreated. The ranks of the demons have been shaken; the battle for Kreelah draws near. Queen Catherine asks you to launch all your forces into attack. Our victory is at hand!”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: The elf spoke in his usual manner, in choppy, dry phrases, but his burning eyes told me that this report was the most important and the best news in the long darkness of the war. I had heard rumors about this Armageddon’s Blade, but it was hard to believe that such a thing could have been created by a man, even a genius of unprecedented caliber. If what they say about it is true, then I am very glad that the blade is now in the hands of our allies. As for Khazandar... I'd heard that name from Frederick a long time ago, but I couldn't remember who he was to my friend. Sam interrupted my thoughts:

SamSam Sam: “Commander. Should we prepare for the battle?”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: “We should.”

Objects

Events

Location Message
27, 99, 0 HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Survivors... not even that. Languishing creatures. That's how slaves of the devils looked like. Gaunt, gray with all the ash and dust, the halflings looked more like gremlins or goblins. There were no chains on them—just an ounce of metal on each of them would render them unable to move. I glimpsed their living conditions: filthy shacks that had seen better days. Roofs hastily patched with garbage. And the gardens... I couldn't believe my eyes. The gardens! What was that, growing there? No, surely not flowers... those were shriveled mushrooms of a disgusting hue. Had a halfling come across one like that in the woods in the old days, he would have spat in anger at the mere thought of eating such an abomination. The poor things did not seem to notice that their torturers were lying breathless on the ground. The slaves kept dragging around buckets of something stinky. An icy sweat broke over me: the buckets were filled to the brim with severed limbs and other body parts. Human, demon, you couldn't tell which one they came from. The halflings were emptying the tubs into a huge vat near the corral. And then I heard a screech or a growl—a profoundly vile, sickening sound. The creatures I saw next were thick, red, with horns all over their bodies—I thought first they were armadillos, but then I got it. Huge. Demonic. Boars. That’s what they were. A perverse mix of pigs and demons. They greedily devoured flesh and gre bigger as I watched. It wasn't easy to tear my gaze away from the disgusting feast, but where I looked next, the sight was no less ugly. Next to the stable, there was a slaughterhouse, with pig demon carcasses hanging from hooks, bones and scraps of rotting meat scattered around. So this is how the devils feed their multiplying legions. I'd always thought they were like locusts, devouring everything in their path, and once done with one village, country, continent... planet, they went looking for the next one. Apparently, the resistance and being confined to Eeofol forced the Kreegans to take up animal breeding, which, in turn, saved the lives of some of my brethen. Hadn't I chanced to be near Frederick's lab back then, I might be carrying those buckets now.

“Brothers! Sisters! Your suffering is over!”

103, 45, 0 HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: “Tavin is alive!”

That thought was keeping me awake all night. Now I knew it for sure: a guerilla from his squad had finally reached us. Do I need to describe how much I was looking forward to this meeting! In the dawn, it was difficult to make out the features of the traveler. I strained my eyes all I could: a small figure riding a... pony? Yes! It was definitely a halfling!

“Tavin! Tavin, is that you?” I shouted and rushed toward the short rider, forgetting all caution.

The rider reared up in the saddle and hesitated a moment. Then, apparently recognizing me, he dismounted and ran toward me, hunching on one leg, waving his short, strong arms awkwardly. It was him.

I almost ran the tired traveler into the ground, for I was so glad to see him. Only then did I realize what a toll the years had taken on him. Scars, burns, gray stubble... Yet his eye—the only eye, the other was a hideous reddish hole—looked at me boldly and with keen interest, as if it was saying: “Well, girl, let's see what kind of a beast you grew into”.

Interrupting each other, we began to trade stories about the journey each of us had taken. I learned how, on the day of our departure, Tavin had single-handedly led the Kreegans’ chasing party on a false trail, making them believe there was a full squad of grenadiers lurking in the woods. How, at first, he invested all strength he had into surviving on his own, tormented by the fact that he couldn't help his people. Later, he found his first companions and began to mount small raids against the Kreegans—they managed to free a slave or two here and there and get them out of Eeofol, or ambush a devil and slit his throat.

TavinTavin Tavin: “But it was all a drop in the ocean. Our faith was beginning to fail us. Despair is a poison worse than stinking Kreegan blood,” Tavin muttered, as if reliving the pain of those days.

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: In their darkest hour, when things in Eeofol seemed to be going as badly as they could, the guerrillas learned of Erathia's victory in the Restoration War. Since that time, the Kreegans, who had been dealt a severe blow, had lost their grip. The guerrillas were becoming bolder, and many of the freed slaves began to join them. Naturally, they didn't think they'd really be able to drive the devils away, not until the elementals showed up in Eeofol...

Tavin was impressed by what I had told him of my adventures, and of the forces that had come with me from Jadame - but there was nothing I could show him right now. Wynona was my only companion at the meeting, and the old guerilla kept sneaking glances at the Dark Elf, eyeing up her long sword and lightweight breastplate of bluish steel, and coughing into his fist.

“One thing bothers me, Tavin. Maybe you’ll be bold enough to tell me the truth? I can't figure out why they call me Moonchild. No matter how hard I tried to find out, everyone I asked seemed scared. If they didn't run away, they’d just change the subject. I can't take it anymore... Something’s up here: it feels as though my whole life had gone wrong because of it, ever since I couldn't even remember.”

Tavin took a good swig from his travel flask, lit his short spigot pipe, sighed heavily a few times, and began:

TavinTavin Tavin: “Well, listen. Here’s what it’s about... I had just joined the Border Guard as a new recruit, and a hard time that was! I heard a lot of things that the villagers kept silent about—terrible things had happened a few years earlier. Giants came down from the mountains into the valley. Why, you think, everyone around thinks us halflings lucky? That’s because no one has ever heard of our troubles—we do not talk about them, even with neighbors. And if someone finds out about something, they keep silent like fishes. Superstitious folk! They believe that if you mention a sorrow, it will hear that and return, ten times more sorrowful. And how can one not go mad with grief, if there’s no way to defend oneself? I couldn't stand it all, so I joined the guards. I was tired of superstition. That’s how it was... Many villages were trampled into the ground by giants. What a disaster! And only in one village, in the bright light of the full moon, we found a living baby. The whole house around was ruined, but the cradle was intact. So the saviors called her a moonchild. What you gonna do! The babe was alive, but once you looked at her, you could feel the rumbling feet of giants again. So we all swore to keep silent about the matter; not a word, so as not to bring on a new misfortune.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: I froze. For years, Frederick had been trying to get this foolishness out of me, scolding me, trying to explain things, prove something—but I still believed in omens. A little bit, out of habit, as if I were holding on to something. And now—had the devils fallen on Eeofol just because I was... alive?

It was as if the old guerilla had read my mind:

TavinTavin Tavin: “No, child. He who intends to do evil takes a while to prepare, then goes and does it. What are omens to him? It’s the other way ‘round, Henrietta. If it were not for you, your bravery, your friendship with that lanky wizard... we would not exist now. You are our good fortune. Back then, when I wasn’t sure if there was any hope left in the world, and I was wandering through these burnt forests like a dead man who just forgot to go lie in the ground, I learned that halflings had been seen somewhere beyond the distant seas. I rejoiced like a boy! I knew our root was not lost, and it would sprout again. You saved us once, and now you've come back to save us again! If you like bad omens so much, then, I guess, all the Kreegans’ mirrors shattered, scared of their ugly kissers. Now tell me, who overcame fear? Who called you Moonchild?”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: “Uncle Kett did. He died in my arms."

Tavin grew sulky and sighed.

TavinTavin Tavin: “Ole Kett, then. A good soldier he was, wish I'd saved him. I thought he'd flown with you back then, but two years later he showed up at my squad. We fought together until... Ah, may he rest in peace. I'm happy to know that before he died, he saw your face and not those red mugs. Not everyone gets so lucky in Eeofol these days.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: “What about Auna? Have you heard of her?”

TavinTavin Tavin: “No. I've never known anyone by that name.”

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: Tears rolled from my eyes. To find out you lost everything before you even realized you had it. And now all that's left is a name. Why is knowing it more painful than not knowing anything?

She's a Moonchild
Gathering the flowers in a garden.
Lovely Moonchild
Drifting on the echoes of the hours.
Sailing on the wind in a milk white gown,
Dropping circle stones on a sun dial,
Playing hide and seek with the ghosts of dawn,
Waiting for a smile from a sunchild.

I heard the voice, and it felt like I was following it out of the dark night woods—a little, lost girl. I opened my eyes and felt Wynona's warm arms around me as she squatted down, and I felt Tavin's stiff palm on my shoulder.

4, 6, 0
37, 101, 0
42, 7, 0
Note: Only applies to AI players

Contents: Nullify Movement Movement points

11, 72, 0
12, 71, 0
Note: Only applies to Green player

Contents: -999 Spell Points

12, 70, 0 Note: Only applies to Green player

With huge effort, you manage to regain some of your lost power. You've heard of the Kreegans' ability to suppress magic before, but you've never experienced it firsthand. No doubt this is one of the traps the devils have prepared to protect their fortress.

Contents: 150 Spell Points

31, 48, 0 Note: Only applies to Pink AI player

Contents: Nullify Movement Movement points

69, 11, 0
25, 98, 1
Note: Only applies to Pink AI player

(None)

0, 36, 1 Note: Only applies to Red AI player

Contents: 10 Spell Points, +65  Attack skill, +66  Defense skill, +71  Power skill, +64  Knowledge skill, Orb of SiltOrb of Silt

70 Rust Dragon Rust Dragons, 590 Arch Devil Arch Devils, 1240 Pit Lord Pit Lords, 2100 Horned Demon Horned Demons, 2500 Demon Demons, 4500 Magog Magogs

27, 92, 1 Note: Only applies to AI players Bug?

The other shore of the underground lake looks completely overgrown. It seems impossible to land there from a boat.

83, 46, 1 Note: Only applies to Pink AI player

Contents: 1700 Movement Movement points

Towns

Location Player Type Name
84, 58, 0 Green Factory Kergar
9, 53, 0 Red Inferno Ullah
18, 16, 0 Red Inferno -
36, 91, 0 Red Inferno -
45, 58, 0 Red Inferno -
70, 24, 1 Orange Dungeon -
85, 66, 1 Orange Dungeon -
103, 1, 1 Orange Dungeon -
4, 38, 1 Pink Necropolis Darkness
107, 1, 1 Pink Dungeon -
64, 32, 0   Rampart -
94, 87, 0   Conflux -
99, 29, 0   Conflux -

Heroes

Location Player Hero
46, 6, 0 Green TavinTavin Tavin the Mercenary
77, 60, 0 Green KhevasarKhevasar Khevasar the Druid
81, 62, 0 Green AdelaideAdelaide Adelaide the Cleric
85, 60, 0 Green WynonaWynona Wynona the Mercenary
88, 61, 0 Green HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta the Mercenary
92, 59, 0 Green BalindarBalindar Balindar the Wizard
12, 43, 0 Red NixieNixie Nixie the Demoniac
18, 16, 0 Red AxsisAxsis Axsis the Heretic
35, 4, 0 Red PhrikePhrike Phrike the Heretic
36, 91, 0 Red XarfaxXarfax Xarfax the Heretic
45, 58, 0 Red NymusNymus Nymus the Heretic
9, 37, 1 Red XexXex Xex the Demoniac
17, 37, 1 Red OlemaOlema Olema the Heretic
3, 34, 1 Red   Imprisoned HorkosHorkos Horkos the Heretic
6, 34, 1 Red   Imprisoned AydenAyden Ayden the Heretic
11, 34, 1 Red   Imprisoned XyronXyron Xyron the Heretic
14, 34, 1 Red   Imprisoned AshAsh Ash the Heretic
20, 60, 1 Orange InsaneosInsaneos Insaneos the Overlord
23, 99, 1 Orange LuedroLuedro Luedro the Overlord
52, 58, 1 Orange LoreleiLorelei Lorelei the Overlord
64, 10, 1 Orange DarkstornDarkstorn Darkstorn the Warlock
70, 25, 1 Orange DaceDace Dace the Overlord
85, 66, 1 Orange GunnarGunnar Gunnar the Overlord
95, 36, 1 Orange GeonGeon Geon the Warlock
104, 101, 1 Orange BroulgBroulg Broulg the Overlord
2, 40, 1 Pink RashkaRashka Rashka the Demoniac
2, 42, 1 Pink FionaFiona Fiona the Demoniac
7, 40, 1 Pink PyrePyre Pyre the Demoniac
7, 42, 1 Pink PolemosPolemos Polemos the Demoniac
12, 40, 1 Pink IgnatiusIgnatius Ignatius the Demoniac
12, 42, 1 Pink OctaviaOctavia Octavia the Demoniac
17, 42, 1 Pink SephinrothSephinroth Sephinroth the Warlock
70, 40, 1 Pink JedditeJeddite Jeddite the Warlock
1, 27, 1 Pink   Imprisoned AtheAthe Athe the Warlock
3, 27, 1 Pink   Imprisoned KydoimosKydoimos Kydoimos the Overlord
5, 27, 1 Pink   Imprisoned MiseriaMiseria Miseria the Warlock
17, 44, 1 Pink   Imprisoned DeemerDeemer Deemer the Warlock
29, 56, 0 Imprisoned StilbonStilbon Stilbon the Ranger - has bio
33, 2, 0 Imprisoned CieleCiele Ciele the Elementalist
100, 62, 1 Imprisoned TyrisTyris Tyris the Knight

Seer's Huts

Quest Guards

Quest Gates

Pandora's Boxes

Location Type Message
35, 35, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 4  Power skill

49, 88, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 2  Defense skill, 2  Knowledge skill

78, 13, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 10000 Gold Gold, +1  Attack skill, +1  Defense skill, +1  Power skill, +1  Knowledge skill

90, 0, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 40 Crystal Crystal, +3  Attack skill, Dragon Scale ShieldDragon Scale Shield

94, 64, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 30000 Gold Gold, 30 Wood Wood, 30 Ore Ore, 15 Mercury Mercury, 15 Sulfur Sulfur, 15 Crystal Crystal, 15 Gem Gems

+12  Attack skill, +12  Defense skill, +12  Power skill, +12  Knowledge skill, Orb of VulnerabilityOrb of Vulnerability, Orb of VulnerabilityOrb of Vulnerability,  Resurrection

10 Juggernaut Juggernauts, 10 Crimson Couatl Crimson Couatls, 30 Bounty Hunter Bounty Hunters, 50 Olgoi-Khorkhoi Olgoi-Khorkhoi, 70 Sentinel Automaton Sentinel Automatons, 125 Engineer Engineers, 200 Halfling Grenadier Halfling Grenadiers

106, 67, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: 25000 Gold Gold, 15 Crystal Crystal, 15 Gem Gems, +1  Attack skill, +1  Defense skill, +1  Power skill, +1  Knowledge skill, Endless Purse of GoldEndless Purse of Gold, Shackles of WarShackles of War

107, 89, 0 Pandora's Box

Contents: Plate of Dying LightPlate of Dying Light, 12 Phoenix Phoenixes

22, 98, 1 Pandora's Box

Contents: +2  Attack skill, +2  Defense skill, +2  Power skill, +2  Knowledge skill, 30 Magic Elemental Magic Elementals, 40 Enchanter Enchanters

Epilogue

HenriettaHenrietta Henrietta: A land that just wants to live in peace has no time for heroes. I switched my sword out for a hoe, and it was the first time my back felt the tax such work takes out of those doing it since their childhood. The refugees who spent a long decade in faraway lands are now returning to Eeofol. They are looking for the remains of their farmsteads and tilling up the ash-strewn fields. They plan on a good harvest, and rightly so; the soil is always generous after big fires. I love you, Eeofol. I’ve given you everything I had in me, and I don’t expect anything in return, but it won’t be long until you become yourself again… Once my people recover and grow irked by my care for them, I will give changing the world another try… somewhere else.