Scarlet Sea [campaign storyline]

[battlestar]

Spoiler covered areas are gory, read with discretion. Various portraits by Wesnoth artists.

a

Appendix stories:



Music: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/412869

1. Origin of demons:

Origin of demons:

It all began with Armageddon, fire raining from the sky, followed by eternal winter, sundered ground, and legendary typhoons. Contraptions of science brought destruction to all but a few, and many among the few were mortified at the physical change forced upon them in such a short time. Many were dying, while we looked to magic for salvation. We caught a glimpse of the magic to our salvation, but it was making us weaker to all that’s around us above surface. So, we dug deep into earth and never returned.

Generations past, we dug deeper than the dwarven tunnels, deeper than underground cavers, and found our new home near the core of our world. Life there was difficult, but the location resonated without our magic, keeping us alive. We built a glorious civilization, at the depth of our world, cut off from our ancient brethrens on the surface. We are now troglodytes. As we became accustomed to our new home, our diversity also expanded. Many discovered new magics differing from our traditional magic, and these magic were quickly outlawed while their practitioners prosecuted. We, the minority who struggled for free practice of our variety of magic, found ourselves defeated in a civil war, and found ourselves locked away forever into an alternative dimension for imprisonment. Here, we discovered monsters of atrocity and terror, and we were their prey.

Generations passed, our perseverance won. We now lord over the domain that was once our prison, and we have found ways to expand our dimension to accommodate for growth. Our home is such a hellish environment, with uncanny similarity to legends of old, we thus simply named it “hell”, and we called ourselves “demons”, the proper inhabitants of hell. Now, our armies are vast, our hatred burning, and once the gates of hell opens, all in the mortal realm will suffer our wrath. They will learn what their long lost brethrens had endured.

==========================================================================
2. Story of dwarves and troglodytae:

story of dwarves and troglodytae

Resources near the surface dwindling, the dwarves had no choice but to dig deeper. A band of dwarven adventurers dug deep into the earth, and discovered mysterious hibernation chambers. A hideous monster lurked the dark chambers, and it lunged at the brave explorers. It took the dwarves by surprise, but the adventurers soon pinned the monster on the ground. To their surprise, the monster spoke to them with its last breath, a foreign tongue they could not understand. As it died, the dwarves saw the entirety of their assailant, under the flickering torch lights. The creature was tall, perhaps even as tall as the elves; its body is slim, but muscular; its skin pale, covered in black robe; its hands large, with clawed long fingers; its head large, completely bald; its eyes... Where are the eyes? Where the eyes should have been, there were two raised skin patches with color matching the rest of the body. To prepare for future hostile encounters, the dwarves dissected the creature for vital structures, and were surprised to find it similar to their own. Strange creature, the dwarves thought, and moved on. The dwarves discovered caverns full of mesmerizing crystals, and they decided to mine some to show their fellow dwarves of the new discovery. The crystals were harder than any materials encountered by the dwarves thus far, leaving the stubborn dwarves laboring over a single crystal for hours, finally making a crack in the crystalline structure. Before the dwarves could rejoice, the crystal exploded.

The monster that attacked the party of dwarves was a troglodyte keeper. Its mission was to watch over chambers full of his people, in hibernation. His death by the hands of dwarves magically triggered the awakening of his brethrens. From the smoldering chambers the awakened troglodytes discovered the charred bodies of their loved ones in hibernation along with several blackened corpses of alien beings. The new discovery tore the troglodyte society apart. Some desire isolation, claiming the incident to be ignorance of alien explorers. However, most regarded the alien race as a threat to their home, especially those who lost their family members during the incident, vowing revenge. In addition, all soon realized, the magical explosion of the crystal amplified the waking signal by the death of keeper, returning all troglodytes to livelihood. There are too many mouths to feed, and not enough resources. The isolationists dug deeper, in search of new resources, while the rest prepared for war.

The dwarves were taken by surprise. Magic rained from above, below, and all around them. Several strongholds were stormed before the dwarven kings gathered to make a stand against the troglodyte onslaught. In the midst of the war, a mysterious group appeared at the dwarven footstep.

==========================================================================
3. Legend of world creation from an ancient human tome:

human tome

At first, there was nothingness, then the gods were born and thus there was evil and good. The good and the evil battled, and each grew more powerful the longer they battled... and finally a gigantic explosion broke out from their clash, destroying them both. Their bodies entwined, then scattered, forming the stars, the sky, and the ground itself.

Millions of years passed, fire oceans became watery oceans, ocean floors became mountains, and mountains became deserts. Suddenly, a single voice appeared in the world, then another, then another. The gods were born from the heavens, spirits were born from the sky, and mortals were born from the earth. The world was once again in turmoil. Initially, the mortals practiced magic and science equally. With times changing, mortals abandoned knowledge and civilization, and became preoccupied with brutal wars between factions and races that nearly drove them to extinction.

With times changing, the mortals rediscovered knowledge, but only of the science half, and discarded magic as superstition. Mortals lived in gigantic cities with elves and humans above ground while the dwarves underground. Preoccupied with science, they lost touch with nature around them, and apocalypse finally caught up with them when they unleashed powerful weapons of science upon each other.

Some survivors became terribly mutated and deathly ill. They turned to study magic, which kept them alive. The magic they practiced turned them weak against the sunlight, so they dug deep into the ground and was never heard from again. Some other survivors rose from the ashes and began the rebuilding of their homes. They have also turned to magic, despising science for what it has done to them.

Generations passed, magic is now powerful in the world, with science all but forgotten. At first, wars were not uncommon, but eventually the mortals learnt to live in peace. Peace was dreary. Mortals sought after ascension, and discovered the secret. Thus they defied the gods, and they battled the gods. The gods struck the mortals down and took their magic. By the will of the gods, fiery ocean once again consumed the land, with few lucky survivors continued on living, thus began our era.

(Scholars discovered this text at 215 YW, speculated to be over 2000 years old)

=========================================================



Disclaimer: spoiler covered areas are gory, read with discretion.

Chapter 1, part 1

part 1

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/229907

Stench of decay filled the air, while rotten corpses piled the streets. Flies and vultures patrolled the air, while rats and cockroaches scourged the earth. The grass and the trees, unaffected by the plague, shone like brilliant emeralds under morning sun, as if in mockery of the human suffering all around them. A terrible plague was rampant throughout the human realm, trampling a small village named Olmsa. Laughter and singing are no longer, replaced by weeps and deathly moans.

A remote mansion stood at the edge of the village.

“Daddy, it hurts.” A young girl whispered to her father. The father said nothing, and he tightened his gripped over his daughter’s hands. Her hands were burning, trembling. He did not know whether the tremble was from his daughter’s hands or his hands. He looked away, tear in eyes. Came into his view was painting of his deceased wife, her smile forever young and lovely. Long ago, yet as if it was yesterday, they were in love. They kissed passionately and embraced in each other’s arms.

Blood, blood, everywhere. He had never seen so much blood in his life. His wife bore him a daughter, but

Spoiler:

the new baby’s life line clang to the mother’s womb

. Blood, blood, everywhere. His daughter became all he had.

He looked back at his daughter, pink skinned, swollen nodules in her axilla, and traces of dry blood in her auditory meatus. Motionless, she stared at him, wide-eyed with terror. He stared back, praying. Suddenly, his heart skipped. The room wrinkled around him. Eyes widened as he stared at his daughter. When, when? She’s no longer drawing breath! The world around him grew darker.

With a flicker of the candles, the air rippled. A figure stood before him. Ruby eyes adorned its crimson skin, and its spiky horns echoed its razor teeth. Before him, there was a nauseating grin. Intense burning behind his throat and in his chest gnawed at him. Every fiber in his body screamed, run, run, RUN! Yet, he remained motionless, spellbound by an invisible force.

Mind focused, eyes cleared, he found no one in the room with him. He looked around, breathing heavily, confounded.

“I’m speaking to your mind, Terach.” He jumped at the voice in his head. “Who I am, and how I’m doing this, are of no importance.” The voice continued. “Your daughter is dead, and I know the way to bring her back into the world of the living.” Terach felt his stomach twist, as if the nauseating grin was once more before his eyes. “How?” muttered Terach. “Behind the altar of your deceased wife, there is a red gem. Insert it into your daughter’s heart, and she will rise.”

Behind Terach’s wife’s picture, there was a small box containing a wedding ring. On the ring was a small ruby. It was the symbol of their burning love. Terach held the ring in his hands and wept. “Insert it into your daughter’s heart, and she will rise.” The voice snapped the man back to what was left of his reality. “Insert?” Terach stared at the ring, confused. “What other way is there, you will

Spoiler:

cut open her chest with your scalpel

.” The voice continues, “For a surgeon of many years, you must already know how.”

Chapter 1, part 2

part 2

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/181056

I had a nightmare, and there was so much pain, so much pain and terror. I am relieved that they are only distant memories now that I am awake. I opened my eyes, seeking my father’s gentle smile, and found it. I smiled back. Father must have noticed my anxious night, and rescued me from it. I held out my arms towards my dear father, yearning for a hug to lift me from my drowsiness. Father paused, and then quickly motioned to return my hug.

My gentle hugging hands clenched over my father’s neck and tightened. He struggled, but could not break free. His face twisted while his eyes fixed on me. A thunder-clap pain erupted throughout every fiber of my being. A hurricane of terror burst free from my chest, wrapped me gently inside it, suffocating me. The nightmare was a paradise. Hate raged inside me. Oh, father, what have you done?

I found myself looking over my own shoulder. It was as if I was a bystander, yet I could feel my father’s flesh in my hands. I watched as my hands tore my father’s corpse into shreds. I screamed and struggled, but I was powerless to control my movements. It was too late when I returned to my body.

The pain was unbearable. I sat stunned in a pool of blood.

Time passed, maybe days, maybe weeks. With me was the constant companion of the thunder-clap pain. I peeked out of the window, and envied at the living and their miseries. I hated them. A paralyzing fear came over me. I jerked, scanned across the room, and did not find the grim reaper. I feared death, and I hated the living.

My father was lying on my bed, bloated. Stitches run across his skin throughout his body, firmly holding his pieces together, my proud handiwork. With a gentle gesture and a soft word, I awoke my father from his slumber. He sat up, stared ahead at nothing. What strange knowledge and power I was reborn with.

Chapter 1, part 3

part3

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/296835

As we stepped outside, I once again shrieked at my father, “The pain, and the hatred! Oh, why father, what have you done, what have you done to me?” My father stared ahead at nothing, and moaned. “My hate for the living sets my heart ablaze, as is my love for you, dear father. Now that you have died by my hands” I continued. My father still stared ahead at nothing, and repeated his moan. “I will now invite our fair neighbors to join us.”

I came upon a household nearby where a lethargic man sat on the ground, staring into space, mumbling to himself. He paid no attention to me as I approached. With a raised staff, an item possessed by father, I materialized my despair in front of me, and then hurled it towards the man. He responded with a scream. Shocked, he looked up, only to find my father’s pair of claws swinging down. The man writhed on the ground, hanging onto his last breath. I delivered the final blow while my father trotted towards our next victim. The dead man before me twitched, and then stood up. “Glad you could join us,” I smiled at it.

It has been over a day now, 2 more neighbors joined me as walking dead. As we came upon the bridge leading to the center of the village, distant sounds of church bells rang.

There was a congregation before the church at town center. A man clad in white robes stood before them. “The great Lord test our faith, a new evil has befallen us! To arms my fellow men! Despite the plague sapping our strength, we have to fight!” Already tired and weak from the plague, the men responded with whatever strength they still had. “Roy, go seek help from the nearby garrison!” A young man stepped out of the crowd, rushed towards the stable, and rode off.

When we crossed the bridge, a mob of villagers confronted us. They resisted us with what they could, but one by one they fell, only to rise again, becoming my undead companions. All seemed lost to the villagers while potential reinforcements still far away. Their leader, the priest, charged at me in desperation, white magic gathering in his hand. As he hurled the magic towards me, one of my undead shifted itself in the path of the magic. The walking dead exploded as its body contacted the magic, leaving only a pile of dust. I turned and faced the priest while the air around me chilled. I threw a flurry of condensed cold air balls at the man, sending him to the ground, covered by a thin sheet of ice. He quickly found himself surrounded by his friends and relatives who are no longer living, looking down on him. Without a moment’s pause, his acquaintances turned their claws towards him. When the priest stood up, he has become a walking undead.

When the reinforcements arrived, they could only find a village in ruins, crawling with ghastly figures. The captain held his sword forward, and charged in with his courageous troops.

By dusk, the reinforcement and the villagers have all became walking dead, who will accompany me for eternity.

Chapter 1, part 4

part 4

image by JAP

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/275241

We wandered aimlessly, consuming village after village. The survivors from the attacks fled into fortified cities, and to my frustration, scaling their walls proved impossible for the walking dead. The refugees brought the knowledge of us to their neighbors and local lords, and soon enough, we could only find evacuated villages and constant harassment by bands of well-trained warriors and priests. Thus, our numbers dwindled. To replenish our forces, I was forced to raise bones and call spirits of the dead in graveyards we came across.

It seemed like a constant struggle for our existence. Until one day, the dying words of a warrior caught my interest. “Someday, we’ll turn you undead types into piles of bone shards. You, and all of your kinds in that whispering marshes,” he said, moments before a skeleton warrior drove its sword into his heart. Having obtained the details of the marshland from the warrior’s undead body, I led my companions on a journey for the swamp.

The vast swamp was before us. Familiar voices seeped through the stale air that was filled with such enticing putrid fragrance of decomposition. We treaded thick brown liquid as we entered the veil of fog. A thick layer of algae coated our legs every time we lifted our feet. Inside the swamp, we discovered more of its beauty. Poisonous vines dangled from dead tree branches, and corpses of animals decomposed in pits of sludge. Swarms of flies greeted us. They danced around us in frenzy, occasionally resting on us with offers of gentle kisses. Just beyond the veil of fog, a pair of frog sang the requiem with a choir of mosquitoes.

Mesmerized by the natural beauty, I did not notice the approach of a spirit until it was before me. It struggled for existence, its presence fading in and out, as it floated gracefully midair. I looked into its eyes, finding a familiar sense of pain and despair piercing through me, reminding me of myself. My soul is entrapped within a prison of constant pain worse than a thousand electrocutions. Madness was raging inside me from such constant torture while I desperately held onto my last bit of humanity.

Chapter 1, part 5

Scn 2

Music: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/225581

Valia: Oh, sweet scent in the air.
Valia: ...
Shadow: Whooo... goes there? ...goes there?
Valia: Greetings fine shadow. It is I, by the name Valia.
Valia: I wandered here, drawn by the fragrance of death.
Shadow: Deathsss... all around us. ...round us.
Shadow: Follow meee... I shall bring you to my master. ...master.

Following the Shadow, Valia came before a necromancer’s lair. It was a simple place without many decorations. Valia walked to the door and knocked. A man clad in black opened the door and slouched over the girl. He was a necromancer, by the name of Bloodsin, a name no one spoke of for a very long time.

Bloodsin: Little girl, are you lost?
Valia: The dead shall be free, when the livings are dead!
Bloodsin: What random nonsense is this?
Bloodsin: The undead do not speak, and they do not think. Their existence are sustained by the wills of us necromancers, how can they be free?
Valia: Tis untrue. The undead do speak, yet you are deaf to their voices. The living will never understand. You will never understand.
Bloodsin: Why do I even argue with a little girl about her fantasy? I must be bored out of my mind.
Bloodsin: Now go, shoo. I care not where you came from or where you will go, but bother me no longer.

As the necromancer turned away and started closing the door, Valia spoke.

Valia: Pardon me, good sir, the undead yearn to be freed from your shackles. It is time for you to die. Quick and painless, I promise.
Valia: Then you will hear the undead. Then you will understand.
Necromancer: Heh. A little girl threatening my life, I must be dreaming.

Before the necromancer could pull himself from thoughts of mockery, a sheet of ice formed over his skin, followed by a flurry of cold blast. Finally realizing his life in danger, the necromancer focused his own energy to deflect some of the incoming magic, and then retaliated with dark bolts of his own. The necromancer was surprised that he was losing the battle of magic. He quickly turned to his minions for help.

Necromancer: Come my minions, off with her head!

However, Valia delivered the final blow to Bloodsin before his undead minions could reach her. Then she spoke to the undead who were under Bloodsin’s control.

Valia: You are enslaved no more, so join me to fight for the freedom of our brethrens!
Minion of Bloodsin: Free at last from the wretched binding by the living! The lust to kill is now free, free! We offer service to you.
Several ghosts whispers in the wind: The dead shall be free, when the livings are dead!
Valia: With death of other necromancers, I will be able to free more minions, and convince more wandering ghosts to join me.

With a gesture and spoken words, the fallen necromancer’s body moved. He was transformed into a lich, now under Valia’s control.

Somewhere deeper in the swamp...

Deathand: Necromancer sense tingling...
Gravemore: Our brother is dead! Murdered by a little girl!
Gravemore: Pathetic!
Deathand: He was always the weakest of us three.
Deathand: Nevertheless, we must avenge our brother.

Armies of undead clashed. Skeletons traded blows while ghosts exchanged wailings. Valia was too powerful, another necromancer soon found himself dying at the feet of the little girl.

Valia: Join us! Our true enemy is the living!
Minion of Gravemore: Thoughts in chaos... Appetite for destruction overwhelming! May I take your orders?
Ghost: The undead shall be free, when the livings are dead!

Again, Valia transformed the dead necromancer into a lich.

Deathand: In brightest day, in blackest night, no enemy shall escape my sight! My brother’s murderers beware my power, necromancer’s might! Rise! Lich of ancients!

When the third necromancer was killed, he too was raised as a lich.

Valia: The necromancers enslaved you! Let us unite, and bring death to the living!
Minion of Deathhand: Free at last! The living will pay for their insolence.
Ghosts: The undead shall be free, when the livings are dead!

Chapter 1, part 6

part 6

Music: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/395314

The undead rampaged with me. All living necromancers who dwelled in the swamp either fled or forfeited their lives, and all undead liches who inhabited the marshes were convinced to join my cause. My influence quickly grew far beyond this single swamp.

Undead throughout the known world stirred. Our time has arrived.

Town after town and city after city fell before us. We slaughtered every living thing in our path, and our losses replenished by their fallen. Not before long, the undead army stood before the strongest fortress in the human realm, the Maelyss Abyss.

Realizing the threat of annihilation, an unprecedented alliance has been forged. Humans, dwarves, merfolks, drakes, and even the orcs joined force against us. Only the elves refused membership with belief that their defenses were impenetrable.

Chapter 1, part 7
(note: most situational dependent messages are omitted)
by vonHalenbach
Music: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/259956

Valia: The living cowers behind their petty walls. They cannot escape our wrath!
Pikeman: Majesty! The enemy approaches!
King Absalon: So it begins.
King Absalon: General Vanderspool, ready the men.
General Vanderspool: As you wish, majesty.

(Vanderspool goes to the walls)

General Vanderspool: Look alive, men! The enemy is at our footstep. But fear not! Our fortress is stronger than steel, protected by canyons on all sides. I say let them come!
Solders: Ahhhoh!
General Vanderspool: Now, I’m interested to meet this rumored queen of the undead. You two, come with me.

(Vanderspool goes before Valia with two cavalry guards)

General Vanderspool: So the legend is true, a little girl leads the army of undead. Pah! I could poke a hole in you with just one finger.
Valia: Your delusions of adequacy amuse me. I am no helpless little child as I appear to be. No matter, you will all be dead soon.
General Vanderspool: Let’s go, men.

(Vancerspool leaves)

(Back in king’s chamber)

Absalon: Reginald, my advisor, how goes the destruction of nearby catacombs?
Advisor Reginald: My utmost apologies, your majesty. The men are working as fast as they could. The city has accumulated vast numbers of dead bodies over its long history, hidden away in numerous catacombs. In addition, the cleansing process itself is an enormous task. Presently, we have already destroyed dead bodies in most burial sites and catacombs. There are only two catacombs and a few burials sites remaining.
Absalon: The undead is already upon us. The remaining catacombs must be destroyed before they are discovered by the enemy. If the dead in those catacombs were to be raised, it will surely be our doom.
Reginald: I agree with your assessment, your majesty. I shall personally go to this task, so their destruction may be hastened.

(Dwarves arrive)

Vanderspool: I am impressed! The dwarves made it before all others? Who would have thought their short legs would be so swift?
We should leave you to your deaths for your mockery.
Vanderspool: You misunderstand me. Nonetheless, with you and help from our other allies, we will grind those puny undead to dust, once and for all!
Well done is better than well said, let’s have at it!

(Human reinforcements led by Justin)

Justin: My brave men, with my enlightened leadership, victory shall be ours! Our skill and valor will win us this day!
Justin: We are their harbingers. We bring true death to the undead! Death!
Roy: Death! Death! Death to the undead!

(orc reinforcements led by Skarbod)

Fear no death, fear no darkness! Arise, arise! Orcs of Draegra! We are their doom, we are their destruction! Charge! Charge! We shall celebrate victory atop the crushed bones of our enemies!

(Attempted assassination of Skarbod, the assassin was captured and did not give up any information before dying)

(Valia’s forces cross the castle bridge)

King Absalon: The enemy knocks at our gate. Look at my soldiers. Their courage hangs by a thread.
King Absalon: Warriors of Absalon, this is our last stand! If this is to be our end, then we shall have it to be one worthy of remembrance!
Soldier: Fight to the death!
King Absalon: Engineer, make preparations to destroy the main bridges. I pray that this would destroy any undead on the bridges and near the bombs.
Engineer: Protect me! I will be ready by 2 turns.

(The bombs go off, bridges shatter)

Engineer: Success! That should hold them off for a while.
Valia: Now our only option is the northern bridge.

(Justin defeated)

Justin: I will fight to the death, but I dare not leaving my body behind. We must escape to fight another day.
Valia: That Justin, not only a coward himself but also the cause of cowardice in others.
Vanderpool: The king is dead! The army is breaking, all is lost. We were mere mortals caught in a tempest of unholy hate.
Skarbod: Cowards, every one of them. We orcs fight to the death!

(Skarbod defeated)

Valia: Stop! Spare his life.
Valia: Something about this orc strangely resonates with the gem embedded in my heart. We shall keep him as a prisoner, for now.

(Victory)

Valia: Victory is ours. Now only the elves remain a threat to us.

[battlestar]

Any thoughts/suggestions so far?

Spoiler:

Prologue release progress:
New Faction: None
Campaign art: Not necessary, patch with later releases
Spells:
• fire, 3/3 coded
• cold, 3/3 coded
• thunder, 0/3 coded
• battle, 0/3 coded
• unholy, 0/3 coded
Skills:
• Valia, 4/4 coded
• Skarbod 0/4 coded
AMLA: In progress
Scenarios:
-Scn1
• Story, done
• Dialogues, done
• Map, done
• WML embellishments, not done
• WML events, not done
• WML dialogues, not done
-Scn2
• Story, done
• Dialogues, done
• Map, done
• WML embellishments, not done
• WML events, not done
• WML dialogues, not done
-Scn3
• Story, done
• Dialogues, in progress
• Map, done
• WML embellishments, not done
• WML events, not done
• WML dialogues, not done
-Scn4
• Story, in progress
• Dialogues, not done
• Map, not done
• WML embellishments, not done
• WML events, not done
• WML dialogues, not done
Sprites:
-merchant, skarbod, icy stalagmites

-blood stain, broken cart
-climbing skeletons animation, bone pit floor, falling rock bits animation, spider nets, bones, rockslide, scorpion nest, skeletons against wall, poison cloud puff animation, king's corpse, undead king unit, chained necromancer unit
-mage towers, blue crystal
-Totem, leprechaun/recolor to mad hatter, lever (grounded), lever with legs, lever with claw tied to it, river over bridge, lightning bounce from lever, worm meat on a stick over campfire, snake fangs, big rock, wooden bucket, eroded rock, half buried amphora, underground fish, thorns,

Spoiler:

scn1.jpg (65.7 KiB) Viewed 11445 times

Spoiler:

[Konrad2]

do you want to write a book or what?

[averyimaginativename]

This sounds like an excellent story...for an Arcanum module.

The gist of the story is a bit hammy - the quality is in the detail, but to carry that detail into a campaign would be too wordy and wouldn't fit the game style.

Honestly, I really do think you've got something here that could be used and used well, but I think you're doing it for the wrong game. Or as Konrad said - maybe a fan fiction.

[battlestar]

Thank you for reading.

This whole thing began with some sprites I made of a Demon faction, which this story will be revolving around. Since there has never been a reference in Wesnoth before, I figured it wouldn't make sense if they just appeared out of no-where casually. So that's the reason I made the story larger than life.

As for having a heavy reading, I do plan on having the player the option of reading short or long version of the stories. In addition, I don't plan to have the textual story being the high-light of this campaign. Heaviest readings will be in the pre-scn story panels which the players can skip altogether, if they wish.

The focus will be on building an army to fight armies, with player's decisions influencing many aspects of play, and varying game play. And eventually, if I get to it, I might illustrate the story with paintings.

If you think the story could be made less "hammy", please make more specific suggestions, they will be welcomed.

[averyimaginativename]

I think maybe I wasn't very clear originally, I'll try to be more verbose...

As for having a heavy reading, I do plan on having the player the option of reading short or long version of the stories. In addition, I don't plan to have the textual story being the high-light of this campaign. Heaviest readings will be in the pre-scn story panels which the players can skip altogether, if they wish.

What I was trying to get at was that a compromise, well, compromises things.

On the one hand the story as you have it is good enough that it could be the highlight of the campaign. Having it somewhat secondary to the gameplay is almost an injustice to the work. On the other hand, in add-on feedback, people start to complain about "walls of text" after ~3 paragraphs, and after ~5 those complaints start getting common, which limits what you can do with the story within a campaign.

Maybe your long version/short version options will be sufficient. Personally, I like heavy text in games (in terms of both content and amount), but I'm also aware I'm in a minority.

If you think the story could be made less "hammy", please make more specific suggestions, they will be welcomed.

I'm not sure hammy was quite the right word. Consider these four points:

1) Holy white mage proves a problem.
2) Ravage a few weak villages to gather troops.
3) Bitter soldiers last words are a threat to the demons, then he becomes one.
4) Arrogant necromancer needs to be destroyed so the undead can be free.

Each of these things have been done before in various campaigns. In fact, there's already one campaign does all these things in the same order.

The story as it is laid out in this thread is excellent, and the quality of the writing hides the formula (that's no bad thing - Stephen King has made millions obfuscating the same formula again and again) I just fear when abbreviated for a scenario the formula may become transparent, unless you added some kind of twist to each. The demon not being vulnerable to arcane, a willing solider, a Victor Frankenstein instead of an arrogant necromancer (these aren't great suggestions, they just demonstrate the point).

with player's decisions influencing many aspects of play, and varying game play.

This sounds interesting. I look forward to the development thread to hear more.



Is it your intention to make a prelude campaign from Origin of Demons, and Story of Dwarves and Troglodytae?

[battlestar]

The white mage and necromancers were meant to be fleeting characters of no importance, but I'll see what I can do to improve them. I'm counting on the game play being the biggest distraction. Do you want to try the first two scn to see what it's like?

Bitter soldiers last words are a threat to the demons, then he becomes one.

This one I don't quite understand...

And the entire Chapter 1 is more of a prologue, the origin of the main character. It's meant to give the feel of [acronym="Counting the appendix, at the end of the story the world would've ended 4 times over... Nukes, gods, undead, and demons"]the end[/acronym] when the actual story is just beginning. So the general plan for her was to be very evil, though not to her own fault, grow big really fast, kill a lot of ppl, then start from scratch (Which I will make clear from the start so ppl don't get mad about losing units, hopefully). I'm hoping the player will forget about the demons by the end of chapter 1. The actual army building starts on Chapter 2, and it wouldn't be the player doing the ravaging anymore. That's when demons will actually make first appearance.

So far counting 44 scenarios, 5 from Chapter 1, with player able to see at most 38 scenarios in one play through, less if picking certain actions.

I don't yet have intention to make scenarios based on the appendix stories. Origin of Demons and origin of the world may simply be a book item the player unintentionally finds, them being legends only. Story of the dwarves would have to be explained to the player as the player gets between those two factions.

Spoiler:

cephalo's stuff

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utils.zip

5-24-12

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obviously from core folder

[Konrad2]

maybe you just make the first part of the campaign if you can and wait for feedbacks?
i would like to play this campaign

[battlestar]

I don't think I can get it done any time soon. All this has been done over a fair bit of time, so I'm not in a hurry for anything right now.

[averyimaginativename]

Bitter soldiers last words are a threat to the demons, then he becomes one.

This one I don't quite understand...

I was referring to this bit.

the dying words of a warrior caught my interest. “Someday, we’ll turn you undead types into piles of bone shards. You, and all of your kinds in that whispering marshes,” he said, moments before a skeleton warrior drove its sword into his heart. “Too bad you’ll be one of us undead types when that happens,”

Anyway, I'm mostly nit-picking. If I didn't think the story was good to begin with, I wouldn't have commented at all.

I don't yet have intention to make scenarios based on the appendix stories

I asked because I feel these two stories would make a good prologue done in the same style as Part One of Bad Moon Rising.

[battlestar]

I like nit-picking, that's why I posted this stuff.

I was referring to this bit.

the dying words of a warrior caught my interest. “Someday, we’ll turn you undead types into piles of bone shards. You, and all of your kinds in that whispering marshes,” he said, moments before a skeleton warrior drove its sword into his heart. “Too bad you’ll be one of us undead types when that happens,”

I see... I was having a lot of trouble with this part. I just needed some way to explain why Valia's undead all the sudden went to a swamp. Then I threw in a sentence that reflected on what happened in scn1, but I think it reads better without it. “Too bad you’ll be one of us undead types when that happens,” said I to the warrior as he gagged on his own blood.

I'll keep thinking and planning on those two prologues.

[Boldek]

I agree with averyimaginativename, the story doesn't have much to it, though you sure wrote alot. I don't think playing "kill the enemy leader" for the sixth time with wc's is gonna lift the story line that much. the story just seems to be: "then the ninja girl killed some more people, and then she killed some more people, and then she killed some more people." the idea of "undead chick beats up everyh body", is well, interesting, I must say, but any "beats up every body" gets more than a little repetitive. questions: in chapter four, or maybe five, why does the white mage go down so fast? and shouldn't his body be blessed, untouched? why does the humans go down so fast to wc's? and where is all the mages? how come nobody has blasted valia with a simple fireball? and what is all this babble about undeadies talking? maybe ghosts, and possibly skelies, but all?....

[battlestar]

It's part 3, all of the narrative in this section doesn't appear anywhere in the campaign. It was a narrative of the way I saw how the scenario played out during play-testing. It was a remote village, the priest is also a village folk, not the best of the best. It's not easy to take the priest down in Hard, I was playing on Easy and got lucky. Being remote, it took them a while to even send the news to a small nearby garrison, they can't get powerful mages involved fast enough. Most of the enemy are peasants, WC can kill them fast, but peasants kill WC fairly fast too.

The story turns after the elven city. I have planned the rough draft, most of it may be hard to read yet because it's an outline with some detailed still needing to be smoothed out.

Spoiler:

An old man stumbling around the elven city, asking for bread crumbs. He claims to be a powerful wizard, while mumbling nonsense. Panic was in every corner, the undead army was coming. At last, the undead came upon the capitol of the elven kingdom, gates barricaded, bows drawn. An old man slumbering below the walls came into attention, still speaking of nonsense, claiming to be a powerful wizard. The undead attacked, the old man started fleeing. A flash of light came from the heavens and vaporized the undead army in an instant. When the girl came to, the demon prince (Skarbod) was carrying her away. The elven hunting party was at their tail.
1. attack on the elven city
2. Escape from the elves
The pair eventually came upon a hut in a remote village, where they came upon an old ruin where the old man hid them in safety from the elven pursuers while they wondered how the old man reached this place so quickly. Dead of night, the girl killed the old man in cold blood and turned him undead. Astonished and disgusted, the demon prince left alone. The girl was also shocked to find her necromancy skills banished. Traveling with the undead wizard, they came upon a castle of wizards and witches. Outside the village she saw a shadowy figure. Posing as an interviewee for apprenticeship, she entered the castle alone. Darknigh, she snuck into the magic library for answer to why she lost her powers, only to find the inner doors magically sealed. Disappointed, she was attempting to slip back to her quarters when a giant explosion rocked the castle. A sinister laugh sounded through the air waking everyone. An assassin has been hired by one of the jealous mages against his colleagues competing for a position on the magic counsel. The victim was on the verge of discovery of a novel magic. The wizard victim was absorbed in his magic circle activation as the assassin closed in on him. He never saw the man who slit his throat from his behind. As the wizard dropped dead on the ground, his magic circle glowed red and green, followed by mad hissing noises. Every hair on the assassin stood on end, and he made for the escape. In his confusion, he ran straight into the girl as the tower exploded. A great demon had stepped through a torn rift in space. Seeing the girl young, the assassin grabbed her along for the escape. They made it to the village outside when space all around them tore apart and demons spewed out. Mages and villagers alike, with some stood their ground and were slaughtered while other fled and mauled down. A few barely escaped with their lives.
3. Escape from demons with villagers, assassin, and mages. (optional search and rescue)
Because the assassin unintentionally saved her, she followed him despite his protest. “I needn’t be saved, but you tried to save me.” “No I didn’t.” The assassin is among the highest ranking in his organization, and he is hurrying to the nearest coven to evacuate his fellow assassins (fencer, ruffian, thief, a few rogue, orcish assassin). The demons were quick, and carnage was everywhere. The demons were upon the assassin coven soon after the two reached it. Following the assassin guild on their escape, they found a group of mages, surrounded by demons. One group of peasant will join if rescued, one group of warrior will join if rescued, one group of warrior will fight despite being rescued, and reason for Valia to rescue the living people are to see them suffer more. Elves to the west will kill anyone trying to flee in their borders. As long as the mage leader lives, you can recruit apprentices, same for human leaders and same for assassin coven. The group defends itself from the elves after entering elven lands, but soon the demons arrived and everyone join forces to fend off the demons.
4. Flight to the Coven from demons
5. Flight of the Coven to western elven lands (with elves blocking the way so can’t get too close, demons chasing, survive turns for a guide to show up for alternative route)
6. Fight elves in their forests then help them defend against demons
The elves grant you passage and you travel south at the suggestion of orcish assassins (if you have one, otherwise alternative of continuing west and meeting merfolks who are in conflict with naga, which you can choose either side, meeting demon prince and a band of orcs who are seeking the holy fountain along the way). The orcs are suffering from blight and drought, blight from the not yet arrived demons and drought from human settlements that dammed up the rivers from southeast. Orcs offer you a hefty sum to help them overtake the humans. The demon prince arrives and is surprised to see you, and he treats you with distrust and disgust. He protests against attacking the humans reasoning the blight from arriving demons being far worse. He is advocating for relocation. Most orcs don’t believe his high tales of the demons. (Alternative: If you don’t attack the humans, you will leave with demon prince and some orcs north, seeking refuge overseas). Human leaders will decide to leave and travel straight west) The group accepts and destroys the human settlement, as the deed is done, demons descend upon them. They flee back to the orcish kingdom, only to discover ruins and demons, and no second half of reward orcs promised of course. A dying orc tells you of the demon prince’s trip north, seeking the holy fountain. You decide to follow his footsteps. You find the demon prince hot at battle with elves, you either defeat both or help prince defeat elves or help elves defeat prince then defeat elves, and the prince will join you or be taken with you either way. The elven prisoners are tortured for whereabouts of the fountain. The elves laugh at your naivety for believing a high tale. Demon trumpets sound and you travel west.
7. Destroy dams made by humans, human leaders other than assassins will leave at this point (enemy has reinforcements as long as dams stand)
8. defeat demons at orcish kingdom (defend and rescue)
9. attack the elves for information on the fountain (choice of attack the leader or attack the library)
The demons seem to not care for the oceans, as they don’t pursue them to the shoreline. The group is seeking ferries across the sea for safe havens. They are stopped by merfolks and elves. There has been a recent conflict between merfolks and naga for a fleeing band of humans (people you met while destroying their dam) drove the naga out of their own domain. The merfolks defended their homeland with help of the elves. With your atrocity against the elves, you find hostilities. If you find the hiding spot of the nagas, they will join and aid you. You will keep the naga you train this scn but you can’t train more later on because the naga will stay in their new domain. The group ride away to the west, leaving your home behind. During the trip, they encounter sea monsters, cut through cavern waterways, and encounter the humans who drove out the naga, also traveling west in boats. The humans were led by Justin, and once again Justin slipped away mid-battle.
10. defeat merfolks and elves, construct ships
11. travel through monster infested waters
12. travel through cavern waterways (fight against naga, only if no naga in recall), first activate switch to overflow lava, making water level drop, shallow areas become beach sand, one turn later the ice melts making water level rise, making all sandy beach become shallow for boat passage.
13. beating the humans led by Justin
Across the ocean, the group arrived at a distant western part of the continent. This new land seems prosperous, peaceful. The party discovered a shoreline village, and disembarked there. Something was strange about the village, as it seems freshly abandoned, as if fleeing from something horrible. Half eaten breads on the table, doorways unlocked. The party speculate on what horror these villagers fled from, and if it was about to fall upon them. They quickly scavenged the village for whatever provision its previous owners left behind, and headed out of town. The party was soon met with a well built army. The party speculated the army could be the reason the villagers fled, or that this army was sent to defend the village from some monster. Valia approached the strangers and greeted them. She stated that her group traveled from a far away land, weary, and seeking only safe haven. Peaceful, you must take me a fool, the army general said sneeringly, just look at you lot, thugs and assassins, orcs and undead, all creatures of evil. A young man has already warned us of your arrival, he added, and our scouts reported that you plundered one of our shore villages, your actions speak against you, and there is no denying it. The general proclaims that, your evil ends here.

[Boldek]

wait, the only undead at this point is the gal, and why is the assasin helping the most feared person in the land?
why does such unholy things as demons and unded want holy fountain? how come the orcs or thugs didn't just kill valia?

[battlestar]

I don't remember writing him as the most feared in the land. He's just the highest ranking assassin in that one hideout at that time.

The demon prince didn't know he was a demon at that point, and he perceived the other demons to be enemies, so he actively pursued a rumor for a potential weapon to destroy the demons. While the demons were destroying everything in their path, Valia also sought after the fountain for its rumored property to restore life, she doesn't really enjoy being undead. What the fountain actually do and play in the whole picture isn't yet determined.

The thugs didn't think of killing Valia because the demons were at their throat, being villains themselves they never cared about the dead ravaging the land. Orcs would gladly pike Valia's head but they were preoccupied with a famine, thus cooperating with anyone as long as they are willing to help. It's hard to have principles on an empty stomach.