Knee-Deep In The Undead: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:25, 9 January 2025

Only available when the unofficial expansion, Horn of the Abyss, is installed.

Campaigns

Restoration of Erathia

Armageddon's Blade

Shadow of Death

Horn of the Abyss

⏵ Under the Jolly Roger

⏵ Terror of the Seas

⏵ Horn of the Abyss

⏵ Forged in Fire

⏷ All In

1. A Friendly Visit

2. The Life Guard

3. The Tree Killer

4. Knee-Deep In The Undead

5. Chasing the Dream

Heroes Chronicles

Dargem travels to the heart of Deyja, the country of necromancers, to plunder Archibald Ironfist's library for clues about where the Horn of the Abyss might be.

Knee-Deep In The Undead

Scenario Description

To win, Dargem must capture the Doom Castle. The heroes' level is limited to 32. After winning, Dargem will proceed to the final scenario of the campaign, retaining all of his skills and spells.

Victory Condition

Capture Town Doom Castle.

Loss Condition

Lose All Your Towns and Heroes.

Allies:

Enemies:

Choose a bonus

2

1

10

Difficulty

Impossible

Carried to next scenario

Level cap

32

Prologue

Dargem: I have seen my share of wonders, and I am not easily impressed... but the sight of the monumental library struck me with awe. It is said that a thousand years ago, when the necromancers were banished from Bracada and settled in Deyja, it was already towering here, its vaults keeping innumerable secrets. None of the newer, rather tasteless amendments to its architecture—clearly the touch of those carrion lovers—could overshadow the true grandeur of the Ancients, still apparent in its shapes. Well, there is great honor in getting to touch something timeless. Better yet, to take a piece of it away. As a keepsake.

Scenario

Timed events

Day	Title	Message
Day 1	Day 1	Dargem's diary. Entry 281: Dargem: I rarely receive guests, but for Stella, I was glad to make an exception. We were sitting in my living room. From the outside, my place is perfectly inconspicuous, but the interior is a different thing altogether. There's a lot to look at; I had brought most of things here all the way from Nighon, and the newer ones came from my travels. Sometimes, I jokingly refer to my living room as the "Museum of Dargem"—this tends to impress my guests, especially the female ones, rare as they are. However, Stella didn't seem to pay much mind to my dwelling's adornments. Stella: "I think it is high time you met my masters, Mister Dargem," she chirped. "If you don't mind, of course." Dargem: "Not at all," I said. It got colder for a moment, then the air shivered, and a window appeared next to us—only it was suspended right in the middle of the room. A rather attractive lady was looking at me from beyond it. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, but I knew better than to think about the actual age of women who could use magic. Casmetra: "My name is Casmetra. I represent the Noraston Sorceress Guild," she announced. Dargem: I rose and bowed. "Dargem Llywellyn. Surely, you already know my name." Casmetra: "Indeed," the sorceress nodded benevolently. "I intend to discuss the main issue at hand, Mister Dargem. My assistant has not filled you in yet, has she?" Dargem: "Alas! All I know is that you're in search of the Horn of the Abyss," I offered with guilt. Casmetra: "I see," Casmetra said, and sank into a chair on her side of the magic window. Dargem: I followed her example. The enchantress studied me intently, as if I were a curiosity. Stella, on the other hand, just sat there smiling, looking from me to her mistress. Casmetra: "Our guild searches for rare artifacts," Casmetra said softly. "I was assigned to organize an expedition for the Horn of the Abyss..." Dargem: "Wouldn't the Ironfist Royal Court help you with that? I know Noraston to be a faithful ally to the the Crown," I said. Casmetra: "Unfortunately, no! Ever since the Kreegan invasion, they care precious little about our research, so they we only have our own resources to rely upon. You have done us a great service in helping us build a fleet. Soon enought, the best craftsmen will be done working on the ships, and we will head for the Horn. There's one caveat, though," Casmetra said, sounding annoyed. "The location of the vault containing the artifact is unclear. We know of several possible places and are quite sure that one of them is correct, but we don't have the manpower or time to check each of the options. We need a reliable source of knowledge." Dargem: "Like what?" I asked warily. Casmetra: "Gavin Magnus' library," the sorceress sneered. Dargem: "Pardon me?" I turned pale. Casmetra: "A joke. That would surely be a source of knowledge for ages, but we are not up to the task. That leaves one more option: the library of Archibald Ironfist. Kastore, the new ruler of Deyja, ordered it to be transported to the Doom Castle, the country's central book depository. Tell me, sir, how do you feel about going on a quest to the land of necromancers?"
Day 1.5	Day 1.5	Dargem's diary. Entry 282: Dargem: This idea would have been completely insane, if luck hadn't struck. Gunnar, the minotaur Tor sent to slay me. The horned brute realized his mission had failed, and sent a messenger with an offer to negotiate. We met near a burned-down elven village. The place seemed to have once been big on wine-making, and judging by the thick smell the minotaur gave off almost a dozen paces away, he was loath to let the products of their work go to waste. Gunnar: "Kill me," said the huge creature. Dargem: "Why would I want to kill you?" I shrugged. Gunnar: "I failed my lord... I am disgraced." Dargem: "As far as I know, he didn't ask you for my head. Go back and claim that you actually killed me," I said calmly to the minotaur, "and I'll give you some personal item of mine to show as proof." Gunnar: "Why would you do that? What are you up to?" Gunnar bellowed, struggling to raise his eyebrows. Dargem: "You and your thugs can do me a favor. Let's help each other and part as two content men." Gunnar: "Cunning," said the minotaur. "What do you want?" Dargem: "I must go to Deyja. Storm their book depository. Are there any usable tunnels leading there?" Gunnar: "Of course. You're a Nighonian, so you should know it as well as I do; there are tunnels leading everywhere," the Minotaur put on the semblance of a smile—as far as a bull's face is capable of pulling one. Dargem: He held out a huge, shaggy paw, and we shook on it.
Day 2	Day 2	Dargem's diary. Entry 283: Dargem: It'd been a long time since I'd done underground operations... and there was something dear about it. I set up camp near Gunnar's. There were old tunnels here, dug by hell knows who or when. They must have been swarming with ancient, dangerous creatures. We should expect fierce resistance from necromancers, but the Horn of the Abyss was definitely worth the effort.
Day 3	Day 3	Dargem's diary. Entry 284: Dargem: Scouts report that necromancers are aware of these tunnels and have posted guard. That's bad news: they'll try to hold us off while they build up their own forces on the surface. On top of that, one troglodyte brought a note he'd found somewhere in the dungeon. Most likely, someone planted it there on purpose, knowing that sooner or later we would stumble upon it. The note read: Maximus: "I do not know who you are or who you work for, but I can hazard a guess. I'll admit it was a fairly clever idea to slither out of the ground right in the middle of our country, but we're not nearly as careless as the Erathians to be taken by surprise with such a trick. If you don't want to become walking dead, you will now leave here voluntarily and take your gang of thugs and monsters with you. My name is Maximus, advisor to Kastore, King of Deyja, and chief warlord, and I will not allow you to trample this land alive for long."
Day 7	Day 7	Dargem's diary. Entry 285: Dargem: The Horn of the Abyss... This artifact is considered to be little more than a myth. For pirates, this Horn is akin to the Holy Grail for the knights. Everyone knows that it exists and that it is worth searching for, but no one possesses any proven or precise information about where it is or what it is good for. If Lady Casmetra is right, then I will have a priceless opportunity to touch this wonder... but it depresses me to think about giving a unique thing like that to a convent... Noraston, that is. I wouldn't mind keeping it for myself! So much effort spent on my part—it simply wouldn't be fair if Casmetra got her hands on it. I don't really believe that the Horn, if it does exist, has any arcane powers, but many in Regna do trust it to be the case... so if I bring it there, I can set up an auction and take home a bigger jackpot than Silverflint himself, the greatest of all Regnan adventurers, ever dreamed of! All right, get a grip on yourself, old sport. The Horn is not yet within reach, so it's better to focus on more pressing matters.
Day 10	Day 10	Dargem's diary. Entry 286: Dargem: Anything other than the walking dead and goblins is a rare sight on the surface of Deyja. Still, there are occasional wild harpies]—but these flying rats seem to live wherever you can find ordinary rats. Everywhere, that is. Perhaps Gunnar can persuade some of them to join his host.
Day 12	Day 12	From a letter by Gunnar, sent but never arrived after being dropped by a drunken harpy into the waters of the Nighon Strait: Gunnar: Esteemed Master Anwyn, I am pleased to inform you that your assignment is almost (crossed out) ninety (blot) ten (blot) one hundred percent completed! Everything went exactly as you ordered, down to the very last minute in your plan! Just got a little confused in the maze (crossed out) tired, so excuse me for scribbling. I swear by my horns and the brand that my grandfather put on the butt (crossed out) thigh of the largest Black Dragon in all of Nighon: your little problem of a certain Dargem is almost solved! My sheer (crossed out so energetically that the paper got torn and the old text becane unreadable) appearance and your name on my lips made him faint. And here's the trouble: when he fainted, he fell through a crack to the lower level of tunnels where I met him. Now I'll have to get him out of there, as I promised to bring you proof of work done. That will take some time. Yours sincerely, faithful Gunnar.
Day 14	Day 14	Dargem's diary. Entry 287: Dargem: The depths of the sea hide dreadful carnivorous creatures that look like giant snakes. Fishermen call them "eels", but the correct term for them is "haspids." These haspids spend most of their time at the bottom, hiding in burrows and the hulls of sunken ships. Only during mating and hunting do they rise to the surface, posing a huge threat to navigators. A haspid can swallow a young whale whole—compared to that, a ship's crew put together is a mere snack! The good news is that these sea colossi don't have to feed often. A handful of sophisticated mages and beastmasters know how to tame haspids, but only the wealthiest and most powerful of the pirate lords can afford their services. This is hardly a surprise in itself; the black dragons of Nighon are no less dangerous, but this has never stopped warlocks from using these creatures liberally in their wars.
Day 17	Day 17	Dargem's diary. Entry 288: Dargem: Gunnar's scouts report that there is only one exit from the tunnels to the surface. This is good news. One should never underestimate necromancers, though. There is a very serious resistance waiting for me at the Doom Castle, led by Maximus (what a stupid name!) himself, so we should prepare accordingly. I also think it makes sense to first defeat the armies of the local Deyjan lords so that they don't get in the way. We should do it first before they muster their strength and head into the caves to get our hides.
Day 23	Day 23	Dargem's diary. Entry 289: Dargem: Some people wonder about the fundamental differences between the wizards of Bracada, the warlocks of Nighon and the necromancers of Deyja. The answer is simple: there are none. We use the same powers, and the only thing that sets us apart is certain moral limitations. We warlocks stop at nothing to find the truth. Some of my colleagues even practice necromancy. The Bracadans, on the other hand, avoid harming living beings as much as possible, and therefore their magical science is hopelessly lagging behind. They hide their inferiority behind intricate inventions like golems, gargoyles, and titans... Take gunpowder, for one: they invented it, but they only ever use it for fireworks. What a joke! Necromancers, on their part, are stuck on their study of death and are terribly reluctant to expand their horizons. Some of them even believe that a true necromancer should get rid of emotions and feelings, getting closer in his way of thinking to a walking corpse. Fools.
Day 33	Day 33	Dargem's diary. Entry 290: Dargem: Our men found another note today. Apparently, this Cactusis fellow is using vampires to plant these messages unnoticed. In the latest one, he wrote: Maximus: "I can see you're fools, and you're stubborn, too—but I expected as much. Good old Mister Mustache wouldn't have sent any other. You'd rather die than fail the mission. That much I understand! Then prepare for war. The longer you mess around, the more reinforcements will I receive. We also have our own secret passages. You will all die at the walls of my fortress. Maximus." Dargem: It's probably time to answer him. I hate being insulted while forcedly remaining silent. I feel vulnerable at times like this! I must always have the last word. I also don't know who he's talking about. What Mister Mustache? Apparently, our fine Cactusis has developed paranoia.
Day 40	Day 40	Dargem's diary. Entry 291: Dargem: Finally, it was time for me to come up with a reply! I was losing sleep, mulling over my imaginary dialogues with this creep Maximus. Here's what I wrote: "My disrespected Cactusis! I have no idea what things go inside your head after giving in to your love for cactus and zombie spleen tincture. However, I would be remiss not to give you a fair warning: you stand in the way of the best mercenary that ever graced this world. You'd better gather up your walking bones and run. I suggest Krewlod, where green cactus lovers like you are well received." Imagining Maximus' rage at reading this, I gave the note to a harpy.

Rumors

Title	Message
Flying Minotaurs	Can you imagine minotaurs flying? That's crazy talk!
Goblin Women	Deyjan goblins have prettier women than elves do! Did you know that?
Kastore	They say Kastore is so much into mechanisms now, he gave up necromancy for good!
Maximus	Maximus became the leader of the goblins and orcs who remained in Deyja.

Objects

Events

Location	Message
0, 8, 0	Entry from Dargem's diary: Dargem: Necromancers have captured a powerful elemental. Most likely, they are putting it to some experiments. I hope the elemental hasn't gone mad from the torture; he might agree to help us. Can a rock even feel pain anyway?
5, 3, 0	Entry from Dargem's diary: Dargem: We finally made it to the surface. Out of habit, I was about to tie a handkerchief over my eyes so I wouldn't get blinded, but Deyja's sun was barely breaking through a thick sheet of gray clouds. It was much brighter in the torchlit dungeons than under that sickly-colored sky. Is that how they live here? Not all necromancers and death knights are undead; some are still living creatures. Back when I lived in Nighon, I liked to go out to the surface every now and then, touch the grass, smile at the sun. This place, however... looks like staying in caves would be a lot better for one's peace of mind than going outside. It's all the same for Gunnar—he doesn't think much anyway, and he's plastered all the time these days, unable to come to terms with himself about his failure. But what about me? What can I do to sort out the disorder in my soul? Contents: -1 Morale
6, 38, 0	Entry from Dargem's diary: Dargem: The strangest things are going on here! I can smell heavy stench of burning oil, and ahead of me, there loom buildings that look like golem factories; I've seen thoce in Bracada. Have necromancers started mass-producing golems too, or something? Of course, I've heard of such creatures made of bones and dead flesh, but there never used to be more than a handful of them in the world, mostly museum exhibits. Why do that if you can just make a corpse walk as it is? I don't know what this place is or what's going on here!
1, 63, 1	Entry from Dargem's diary: Dargem: It seems that mercenaries and crusaders are resting in this quiet corner of the cave, safe from the undead. Perhaps I can persuade them to join us for some money
9, 10, 1	This might come in handy in a fight against Nagash! Contents: Pendant of Dispassion
9, 62, 0	Note: ONLY applies to AI player on expert and impossible difficulties. Units for high difficulty Contents: 5 Bone Dragons
58, 13, 0	Note: ONLY applies to AI player on hard, expert, and impossible difficulties. Resources for high difficulty Contents: +50 Wood, +50 Ore, +20 Mercury, +20 Sulfur, +20 Crystal, +20 Gems
63, 67, 0	Note: ONLY applies to AI player on expert and impossible difficulties. Units for high difficulty Contents: 5 Dread Knights
38, 61, 1 38, 64, 1 39, 67, 1	Note: ONLY applies to AI player on normal, hard, expert, and impossible difficulties. AI attack on peasants, skeleton bonus Guardians: 25 Scorpicores Contents: Nullify Movement points

Towns

Location	Type	Name
67, 51, 1	Dungeon	Shademaze
69, 68, 1	Cove	L'Reh
7, 61, 0	Necropolis	Shadetown
30, 32, 0	Necropolis	Doom Castle
58, 12, 0	Necropolis	Tumulus
65, 65, 0	Necropolis	Ostopolis
16, 10, 0	Necropolis	Specterwood
63, 26, 1	Dungeon	-

Heroes

Location	Player	Hero
67, 52, 1		Gunnar the Overlord
67, 69, 1		Murdoch the Mercenary
69, 69, 1		Dargem the Navigator
0, 7, 0		Thunar the Planeswalker
7, 62, 0		Septienna the Necromancer
30, 32, 0		Maximus the Death Knight
58, 14, 0		Tamika the Death Knight
65, 66, 0		Ranloo the Death Knight
7, 4, 1		Nagash the Necromancer
34, 71, 1		Galthran the Death Knight
49, 42, 1		Nimbus the Necromancer
56, 1, 1		Isra the Death Knight

Monsters

Location	Type	Result
3, 68, 0	Gunslingers	"Hey man, might you have any use for a few trusty barrels? Nothing works better for drilling holes in rotten skulls!"
5, 68, 0	Crusaders	"Crusading is costly business, good sir! Cover our expenses, and we'll be willing to go with you and vanquish the evil spirits."

Seer's Huts

Location	Quest	Reward	Messages
54, 25, 0	Be: Thunar the Planeswalker	180 Magma Elementals	Proposal: There is a large group of elementals hiding in this dead forest. "Our leader, Thunar, is a prisoner of the necromancers. We're afraid we'll end up in their clutches, too, but we can't do anything while the Older One is not here. Free our Lady, humans!" Progress: "Without Thunar, we will not dare to go anywhere." Completion: "Lady Thunar, at last! We are glad to be traveling with you again."
33, 20, 1	Return with: Orb of the Firmament Orb of Silt Orb of Tempestuous Fire Orb of Driving Rain	14 Crystal Dragons	Proposal: A powerful ancient dragon seeks the four elemental spheres. He promises to handsomely reward whoever brings him these artifacts. Progress: The dragon as raging: he wants all four spheres! Completion: It looks as though the ancient creature is content now. It offers you the services of its cubs.
33, 20, 1	(repeatable)	Return with: 20000 Gold 10 Crystal	1 Crystal Dragon	Proposal: I am researching a way to turn base metals into gold, but I am short of materials for my workshop. If you could bring me 10 Crystal and 20000 Gold, I would be most grateful. Progress: Oh my, that's simply not enough. I need 10 Crystal and 20000 Gold. I'll never complete it with what you have. Completion: Finally! Here, give the 10 Crystal and 20000 Gold to me, and I'll give you this in return.
53, 36, 1	Return with: Tome of Air	7 Black Dragons	Proposal: This powerful warlock is looking for a legendary spell book. He believes that the necromancers have a copy of this compendium, and is ready to reward anyone who delivers him the valuable tome. Progress: The owner of the house advises you to look for the book in the mountains to the west. Completion: You have completed the task, and a grateful warlock is willing to give you a dozen Black Dragons.

Quest Guards

Location	Quest	Reward	Messages
0, 10, 0 30, 46, 0 41, 64, 0	Be: player	(remove)	Proposal: The guards here will only let those who fly the tan flag pass. Progress: The guards here will only let those who fly the tan flag pass. Completion: The guards note your tan flag and offer to let you pass. Do you accept?
2, 4, 0	Return with: 5 Vampires	(remove)	Proposal: There's a powerful vampire lurking here. He says that for some reason he lost contact with his kin, and a respected ancient vampire is supposed to have his own pack and retinue. He'll let me through if I help him reconnect with the others. Progress: I need to find five vampires to get through. Completion: The vampire is happy to see his kin and offers to let me pass.
30, 35, 0	Return with: Orb of Vulnerability	(remove)	Proposal: To my great regret, the path to the library is blocked by a conjured barrier. I need something that weakens magic... Do I have an idea? It seems that an Orb of Vulnerability should work! Progress: Alas, without the Orb of Vulnerability, the barrier won't budge! Completion: I brought the Orb near the magic barrier, and it began flickering! This proves my hypothesis! I learned sorcery from Tor Anwyn himself, after all. Should I break the barrier now, or come back later?
61, 46, 0	Return with: Tome of Water	(remove)	Proposal: A powerful wizard owns this tower. He refuses to let you pass unless you bring him the Tome of Water Magic. Progress: The wizard is adamant. Without the Tome of Water Magic, none will pass. Completion: The wizard agrees to let you by in exchange for the Tome of Water Magic. Do wish to pass at this time?
2, 62, 1	Return with: Pendant of Holiness	(remove)	Proposal: Only one who bears the symbol being free from corruption can pass through here. Progress: You are unclean! You shall not pass! Completion: You are pure from black magic. You can go through.
37, 69, 1	Return after: Month 1, Week 1, Day 5	(remove)	Proposal: Closed till month 1, week 1, day 5. Progress: Closed till month 1, week 1, day 5. Completion: You are free to go through now. Do you wish to pass?
50, 27, 1	Return with: Pendant of Life	(remove)	Proposal: A powerful wizard owns this tower. He refuses to let you pass unless you bring him the Pendant of Life. Progress: The wizard is adamant. Without the Pendant of Life, none will pass. Completion: The wizard agrees to let you by in exchange for the Pendant of Life. Do wish to pass at this time?
66, 8, 1	Return with: 20000 Gold	(remove)	Proposal: The guards here are charging a toll of all travelers. They will let you pass for 20000 Gold. Progress: Since you have not brought 20000 Gold, the guards forbid you passage. Completion: The guards here are charging a toll of all travelers. They will let you pass for 20000 Gold. Do you wish to pay the toll?

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 {{TErow| 14 | Day 14 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 287:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: The depths of the sea hide dreadful carnivorous creatures that look like giant snakes. Fishermen call them "eels", but the correct term for them is "[[haspid]]s."<p>These [[haspid]]s spend most of their time at the bottom, hiding in burrows and the hulls of sunken ships. Only during mating and hunting do they rise to the surface, posing a huge threat to navigators. A [[haspid]] can swallow a young whale whole—compared to that, a ship's crew put together is a mere snack! The good news is that these sea colossi don't have to feed often.<p>A handful of sophisticated mages and [[beastmaster]]s know how to tame [[haspid]]s, but only the wealthiest and most powerful of the pirate lords can afford their services. This is hardly a surprise in itself; the [[black dragon]]s of [[Nighon]] are no less dangerous, but this has never stopped [[warlock]]s from using these creatures liberally in their wars.}}
 {{TErow| 17 | Day 17 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 288:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: [[Gunnar]]'s scouts report that there is only one exit from the tunnels to the surface. This is good news. One should never underestimate [[necromancer]]s, though. There is a very serious resistance waiting for me at the [[Doom Castle]], led by [[Maximus]] (what a stupid name!) himself, so we should prepare accordingly. I also think it makes sense to first defeat the armies of the local [[Deyja]]n lords so that they don't get in the way. We should do it first before they muster their strength and head into the caves to get our hides.}}
-{{TErow| 23 | Day 23 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 289:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: Some people wonder about the fundamental differences between the [[wizard]]s of [[Bracada]], the [[warlock]]s of [[Nighon]] and the [[necromancer]]s of [[Deyja]]. The answer is simple: there are none.<p>We use the same powers, and the only thing that sets us apart is certain moral limitations. We [[warlock]]s stop at nothing to find the truth. Some of my colleagues even practice [[necromanc]]y. The [[Bracada]]ns, on the other hand, avoid harming living beings as much as possible, and therefore their magical science is hopelessly lagging behind. They hide their inferiority behind intricate inventions like [[golem]]s, [[gargoyle]]s, and [[titan]]s... Take gunpowder, for one: they invented it, but they only ever use it for fireworks. What a joke!<p>[[Necromancer]]s, on their part, are stuck on their study of death and are terribly reluctant to expand their horizons. Some of them even believe that a true [[necromancer]] should get rid of emotions and feelings, getting closer in his way of thinking to a [[walking dead|walking corpse]]. Fools.}}
+{{TErow| 23 | Day 23 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 289:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: Some people wonder about the fundamental differences between the [[wizard]]s of [[Bracada]], the [[warlock]]s of [[Nighon]] and the [[necromancer]]s of [[Deyja]]. The answer is simple: there are none.<p>We use the same powers, and the only thing that sets us apart is certain moral limitations. We [[warlock]]s stop at nothing to find the truth. Some of my colleagues even practice [[necromancy]]. The [[Bracada]]ns, on the other hand, avoid harming living beings as much as possible, and therefore their magical science is hopelessly lagging behind. They hide their inferiority behind intricate inventions like [[golem]]s, [[gargoyle]]s, and [[titan]]s... Take gunpowder, for one: they invented it, but they only ever use it for fireworks. What a joke!<p>[[Necromancer]]s, on their part, are stuck on their study of death and are terribly reluctant to expand their horizons. Some of them even believe that a true [[necromancer]] should get rid of emotions and feelings, getting closer in his way of thinking to a [[walking dead|walking corpse]]. Fools.}}
 {{TErow| 33 | Day 33 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 290:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: Our men found another note today. Apparently, this [[Cactusis]] fellow is using vampires to plant these messages unnoticed.<p>In the latest one, he wrote:<p>{{H|Maximus|0=}}: "I can see you're fools, and you're stubborn, too—but I expected as much. Good old [[General Kendal|Mister Mustache]] wouldn't have sent any other. You'd rather die than fail the mission. That much I understand! Then prepare for war. The longer you mess around, the more reinforcements will I receive. We also have our own secret passages. You will all die at the walls of my fortress. [[Maximus]]."<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: It's probably time to answer him. I hate being insulted while forcedly remaining silent. I feel vulnerable at times like this! I must always have the last word. I also don't know who he's talking about. What [[General Kendal|Mister Mustache]]? Apparently, our fine [[Cactusis]] has developed paranoia.}}
 {{TErow| 40 | Day 40 | [[Dargem]]'s diary. Entry 291:<p>{{H|Dargem|0=}}: Finally, it was time for me to come up with a reply! I was losing sleep, mulling over my imaginary dialogues with this creep [[Maximus]].<p>Here's what I wrote:<p>"My disrespected [[Cactusis]]! I have no idea what things go inside your head after giving in to your love for cactus and zombie spleen tincture. However, I would be remiss not to give you a fair warning: you stand in the way of the best mercenary that ever graced this world. You'd better gather up your walking bones and run. I suggest [[Krewlod]], where green cactus lovers like you are well received." Imagining [[Maximus]]' rage at reading this, I gave the note to a [[harpy]].}}