Return of the King

King Roland and General Morgan Kendal are on the western shores of the Great Lake and must take a mixed Erathian-Conflux army deep into Kreegan territory. They must cross the lake and go through the mountains and prepare to make a push towards Catherine's army in the north, thus trapping the devils between the two forces.

Prologue

File:H3ABab5.png

Roland: Heroes from the Confluxes tell us the elemental gods have sent them to us, so together, we might destroy Lucifer Kreegan and his quest to set the world on fire. Catherine trusts these new allies. I am not as giving. However, we do not have a choice as support for the war wanes and our forces dwindle. If these elemental heroes are to be our allies, they will prove themselves in this forthcoming battle... under my command.

Scenario

Map description

Roland must defeat the demonic armies camped on the other side of the Great Lake. Without Roland, the men will go their separate ways. Roland will be allowed to attain 24th Level. All of his experience, skills, and spells will carry over to his next scenario.

Rumors

Black Market
Hidden away on an island in the middle of the Great Lake is a thieves haven for stolen goods of a magical variety.
Gold Mine
The near inexhaustible treasure of some Regnan pirates can be found on an island east of Faler-on-Sea.
Regnan Pirates 1
The Great Lake was once a hiding place for Regnan pirates escaping the Erathian Navy. Many a ship may yet still be there, awaiting plunder.
Regnan Pirates 2
Erathian Admiral Magnus Bonn cornered the dread female pirate Pirouette in this lake. Here she was defeated in battle and thus the Regnans ceased using this lake as a hiding place.
Halflings 1
I recently saw some Halflings and they looked mean, like they were getting ready for a fight or something.
Halflings 2
Eeofol used to be the homeland of the Halflings. That is, until the Night of Shooting Stars when the devils came.
Halflings 3
A Kreegan supply wagon was destroyed inexplicably last week and the only indication of who did it was a note carved in the wood that read "Tavin's Guerillas were here."
Xeron's Helper
Someone of great knowledge is helping the Kreegan general Xeron. I hear that he was once in contention for some arbiter post somewhere.

Timed events

Day 1 - Opening
Standing on the edge of the Great Lake, you, the King of Enroth, contemplate the situation. Your army stands on the western shores looking out over the smoldering fields of the Eeofol controlled regions to the east. Yours and General Kendal's forces have arrived recently on a mission of great import. Here you have met with your new allies from the Elemental Conflux to cut off the Kreegan supply routes and push the Eeofol army back from the Erathia/Eeofol border right into Catherine and Gelu's troops. If successful, the Kreegans from Eeofol will be forced to wage a defensive war. You must keep this alliance together, for Erathian support is growing increasingly difficult to maintain. Even Catherine herself is facing increasing pressure to end the conflict quickly. It is obvious those fools truly have no idea of the gravity of consequences of failure. Should you be ineffective in stopping King Lucifer in his mad campaign of terror and destruction, not just Erathia will suffer his wrath, but all of Antagarich. Perhaps even your beloved Enroth may fall under the flames of this accursed demon king. Shuddering at that dark thought, you compose yourself, straighten your tunic, and stride back to your officers. Mounting your powerful Erathian-bred stallion, you shout the order to move out. There is a war to be waged and a world to be won.
Day 5 - Letter from Catherine
A letter arrived in your encampment last night from Catherine. You lit up like a child at Solstice time. The note smelled of many things, the most important being her special perfume, the one you loved so much for her to wear. "My dearest Roland, I write you to bring you bad news. My spies have reported the Kreegan hero called Xeron has achieved the unthinkable, he has built Armageddon's Blade. Be warned, for I hear he is sending a great force to your position. Come back safe to me and give my best to General Kendal. I know you will succeed, for I have faith in you both." -- Catherine.
Day 11 - Spies Find Gold
A message came in late last night that some scouts located an island east of Faler-on-Sea that was unapproachable. The glitter of gold could be seen on its shores. Perhaps this is where the dreaded Regnan Pirates' treasure troves are kept. The trouble is how does one get to the island? There must be some way, either a tunnel or monolith.
Day 13 - The Farmer
As General Kendal prepares to address his troops for the morning, a timid farmer is brought before him. This farmer tells the noble General of the encroachment by these wicked devilkin and how he feels they are the ones responsible for stealing his cattle. General Kendal, being the diplomat that he is, made the farmer feel that he personally was going to see that this man's cattle was returned or avenged. The farmer leaves, contented and assured, as he knows that Morgan Kendal is a man of his word.
Day 22 - Centaur Messenger
A young centaur messenger arrives this morning just after breakfast was being cleared up, presenting you a message from Gelu. You thank the young scout and the centaur trots off to return to his master. You open the letter and read it's contents. "My lord and husband of my Queen, I have sent Hrisleagh here with this message to report on our status. Our guerilla actions are proceeding well and the enemy is feeling the sting of loss due to our attacks. He has been pulling back steadily, but I have lost a great many men doing it. I have begun integrating the troops from our new allies and have found them to be very effective. They fight hard and well. You would do well to trust them, for they are loyal and fierce. Good fortune be with you my lord. May the Light always shine upon thee." -- Gelu, Captain of the Forest Guard.
Day 33 - Roland's Nightmare
Images and sounds swirl through your mind as you sleep; terrible images brought forth from your damaged soul which cries out for peace of mind. You had been held captive for nearly seven years and the torture inflicted upon you was unimaginable. Now you suffer the ill effects of those seven years. The dream is the same every time. You are locked in a cell; the walls made of some dank, cool gray stone, with a single door the only egress. You are chained to a bed, your flesh crawling with bugs of some sort, and forced to listen to the screams of the tortured souls that accompany you on your road to hell. The sickening sounds of a whip cracking on flesh tear at your very being with each snap and wail from the lash's victims. You struggle to be free of this terrible nightmare, but are instead dragged down even further. As the sounds of suffering continue, your door is opened and several grotesque figures enter the cell, unchain you, and drag your near useless body out into a courtyard. There you are placed in the stocks and have your skin slowly peeled away. You try desperately not to cry out, but can only hold out for so long. While you are being flayed alive, you catch a glimpse of the demons' lords, all of who are laughing at the helpless king. You grit your teeth at the pain and hold back the tears that want to flow heavily. After finishing their fun, they throw you back in your cell, healed of the wounds, but not relieved of the pain. Unable to move from the sheer agony of your injuries, you simply lie there, writhing in a near fetal position. Lifting your head from the cold stone floor, you peer through eyes swollen shut from fists and see the spectral face of your twisted brother laughing at you. Archibald's dreamghost points at you and laughs a chilling laugh, one that angers you beyond your knowing. You have never been so helpless as then. Not since your banishment during the Succession Wars have you felt so alone. You want to die, to simply cease to exist, but the devils come again and whisk you away to be beaten once more. As they reach for your arms your eyes shoot open and you curl deeper into your bedding. This is not the first night that this nightmare has visited you, but is the first time in many weeks. You must find a way to quiet these inner demons, something to chase away the nightmares once and for all.
Day 40 - Nicolai's Birthday
You stand atop a small rise and look out over the Great Lake, eyes filled with tears, for today is the 16th anniversary of your son Nicolai's birth and here you are, far away fighting a war. The pang of loss and the grief of missing your son fuels your depression even more, what with the nightmares returning and now this. Life did not seem very fair. In a far off land your son is becoming a man while you stay here to battle these accursed demons once more. You hope this time will be the last. You have had enough of war.

Objects

Events

Location	Message
17, 56, 0	This small tidal pool is in fact the resting place of a powerful Aquamancer. Upon disturbing his final resting place, the guardians he ensorcelled into protecting his body commence their brutal attack. Guardians: 20 Magic Elementals, 50 Storm Elementals, 50 Ice Elementals

Towns

Location	Type	Name
3, 7, 0	Castle	Highcastle
5, 68, 0	Castle	Faler-on-Sea
8, 33, 0	Castle	Keventry
18, 44, 0	Conflux	Shaynda
22, 4, 0	Conflux	Gelliston
34, 44, 0	Inferno	Chillwater
37, 4, 0	Inferno	Bane Bridge
54, 53, 0	Inferno	Reaver Cove
58, 29, 0	Inferno	Death's Gate
65, 7, 0	Inferno	Doom's Crest
66, 67, 0	Inferno	Sorrow Glen