Fire-Forged Friends

[Zamael]

So um, hi.

I suppose I registered under the name Zamael, so you might as well call me such. I did so because I have a campaign for you. Now, the whole process of getting one of those known for you and ready to play seemed mighty complicated for a simple countryman such as me, and I have no patience for mighty complicated things. After all, I didn't even have a patience to make a few posts before the big one to introduce myself.

So instead of going through all that stuff, you know what I decided to do? I decided to post the whole bloody thing right here in your forums! Characters, dialogues, maps, everything. This introduction post will be immediately afterwards followed by a short introduction of the main characters, and without further ado, the very first mission they're thrown in. From there on, if I have enough motivation and determination, I should be able to update in a reasonably fast pace, perhaps even daily.

Any feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated - meanwhile, any artwork, of characters and cutscenes and such, would be beyond amazing, but I don't dare to build up hopes on that one. You're all so busy people, especially the artists.
Also, I'm not exactly all that learned in Wesnoth lore, so I can't exactly link this story to the rest of the game very well: I didn't even dare to name any important landmarks, even of my own design! Any help on this front, timelines and such (I think it's set a while after Heir to the Throne), tying it to the history and events and places of the rest of the country, would be pretty awesome.
(To my credit, I'm studying Wesnoth History as we speak. Still could use some help.)

I don't have very high hopes of ever actually being able to play this, but in case of such a wondrous thing ever occurring, the following will contain spoilers. So be warned.

And most of all, I hope you enjoy reading this! (And hope this whole post doesn't include any horrible mistakes I've forgotten to pay attention to.)

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So, the whole campaign centers upon three very different protagonists and their very unusual alliance, forged out of necessity in the midst of a massive orcish incursion. Initially distrustful or even hostile towards each other, you can be fairly sure their attitudes will slowly but inevitably change on the course of the campaign, the endless slaughter of orcs and some other things inevitably turning them into fire-forged friends! (That doesn't count as a spoiler.)

All three count as somewhat unique-ish characters, being modified from some regular kind of troops. "Regular" just won't do for them. Anyway:

Commander Cheska Kuhral:
Charged with defending the southeastern border of Wesnoth, Cheska is relatively inexperienced, but well-educated and rather talented, and very eager to do her duty in protecting her country and its innocent people. Unfortunately, an unusually large orcish force has breached through the lines and routed most of her army, sending her and her remaining forces fleeing (or "retreating", as she calls it) north. When the story begins, she's still doing exactly that, with a large bunch of orcs hot on her tail.
Being usually smaller and more agile than their male counterparts, warrior women tend to wear very light armor and weapons in battle, but Cheska would have none of that: she instead chose to clad herself in a heavy armor and wield a big sword in her hands! In game terms, she is a combination of a swordsman and a heavy infantryman, taking the speed and weapon of the former and combining it with the armor and the defensive capabilities of the latter - with a bit Leadership ability added up, and maybe a crossbow to hold her own in ranged combat. I don't know what to call her character class, though - Any ideas?
Physically, she's kinda pretty, with a darkish skin tone (but not too black), short, light brown hair, a yellow bandana, and blue eyes. Most of her body is covered in a heavy armor - indeed, if she only wore a helmet as well and maybe lowered her voice a bit (you only get my word on that since this game doesn't have voice actors), she would perfectly pass as a guy.

Silan Abner:
He's a secluded, travelling sort of fellow, who spends his days walking the earth and occasionally fighting orcs and undead whenever he faces some - and an occasional overaggressive human or elf or dwarf. To this end he utilizes the dark powers of necromancy, which really does absolutely nothing to help him with his problem of loneliness. Not that he minds much. Despite his horribly pragmatic view concerning the dead ("No sense letting good useful bodies just waste away"), he's a decent enough guy once you get to know him better: indeed, he shows up helping Cheska out with her orc problem with no incentive whatsoever, simply because he happened to be around and she looked like she could use a hand.
Having been a necromancer for practically all his life, and with a great deal of orcs and rivalling necromancer to practice upon, Silan has developed quite frightening skills with necromancy and undeath. Though physically weak, and armed with but a simple staff, his magical abilities are nothing to laugh at, their damage and accuracy outclassing anything any regular necromancer could dish out. He has slightly increased defense against magical attacks as well. His class goes by the name Loner, upgrading first into Hermit, and then Solitaire - this all reflects upon his past, instead of his deeds in the campaign, which are nothing but hermitish.
Externally he resembles a young man in his twenties, although his true age is unknown - even he himself has lost count. He has a pale skin and a long dark hair, and brown eyes, his face usually locked in a happy wide grin - with long sharp teeth in many places. None of the fancy frilly necromancer clothes or accessories for him: all he needs is a bunch of gray robes, sandals, and a simple staff.

Xel:
This little saurian came running from far east, way beyond the reach of men. A runaway from his own country for reasons unknown, meek and cowardly he may be, but he can still prove himself fairly dependable and trustworthy when he really wants, once stakes get big enough (if he had any friends, he would not leave them behind, no matter the odds). He may not be exactly fond of massive orc armies, but he certainly prefers them over what he's fleeing from, and stumbled upon the battleground of Cheska and Silan pretty much by accident and bad luck: surrounded by orcs, he quickly decided that joining forces with the two was his best chance at getting away alive.
Xel may not be the toughest little guy on the battlefield, but he is quick, cunning, and extremely opportunistic. He is close enough to a saurian skirmisher, with a bit of speed and avoidability added up, at the cost of being even smaller and more fragile than your average saurian. These qualities are further augmented in his upgraded versions, which also first learn to hide in any swamp or water terrain, and then to backstab. His class is Fugitive, upgrading first into Escapee, and then Unfettered.
He looks pretty much like your average saurian, perhaps slightly smaller, and possibly with a small scar or two to add up character. The shackles in his hands and feet, even without the chains that used to connect them and which he has now managed to get rid of, speak some grim words about the past he's running from, even if he himself absolutely refuses to talk about it.

(If I could draw even the slightest, there might be more portraits and less physical description. Sorry about that. As it is, now that I think about it, it might actually just be a subconscious attempt to make it easier for any artists to draw them, as if I ever got any. Pay no heed.)

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FIRE-FORGED FRIENDS
Chapter One: Rats of Different Color; All of them Cornered

At the age of eighteen, the newly knighted Cheska Kuhral, a noblewoman by birth and education, received her first position of command in the southeastern fringe of the kingdom of Wesnoth. It was a relatively peaceful age, and even more a peaceful corner of the earth: neither Cheska nor her employers expected the responsibility that had been given to her to bring all that much challenge.

Unfortunately, they could not have been more wrong. Barely a month had passed with the young Cheska in command, when the keeps and posts were assaulted by one of the largest orcish raiding bands in recent memory. To her credit it must be said that she put up a great fight, refusing to surrender for many days, but in the end, the orcs proved to be too much for her: the human outposts were invaded, most defending forces slaughtered, and the commander herself forced to retreat, along with what little was left of her forces.

Meanwhile, a lone wanderer is approaching her throughout the western mountain range. Wherever he goes, small orcish scout teams would vanish without a trace, failing to return to their camps and report their findings - and the said camps shortly afterwards face assaults of their own dead, walking corpses and incorporeal spirits cutting down the living, spreading panic and chaos among the ranks of those that survive. He went where the raid did, opposing it from shadows at every opportunity - and where the raid happened to go was where Cheska happened to be. The collision of two forces and one loner was inevitable.

And from the east, from far away, far and wide they have travelled, an even more insignificant force is closing in. Truly small, capable of sneaking past orcs and humans alike, the tiny band of lizards finally enters the human territory. Shackled, scarred, starving, and afraid: turning back every now and then to see if they are chased, not stopping even when the running hurts. They care not where they are going, only where they are running from, and how to get even more away from it. They care not that they are entering upon a scene of a great battle. They know not that they are approaching either an unlikely alliance... or death.

---

The map, spoilered to spare room:

(The player starts from the middle camps. The enemy occupies all three at the edges.)

Orc Warrior 1 (directly south): "Keep running, little man-girl! You make wonderful sport!"
Cheska Kuhral: *Hahh* "So tired... I really have to stop and... rest for a moment."
Sergeant Elric: "Forgive me Milady, but... there's not much time. We have a new problem."
Cheska: "What is it now? More orcs? Like we didn't have enough already!"
Elric: "Yes. It is... most unfortunate. You see, Milady... the orcs have circled around ahead of us. We are surrounded."
Cheska: "Wh-... What?"
Orc Warrior 2 (northwest): "Hello, humans? Weren't you expecting me?"
Orc Warrior 3 (northeast): "They're trapped now! Like rats in their hole!"
Orc Warrior 2: "Rats? Now I'm hungry."

Elric: "So... is this how it's going to end, then?"
Cheska: "I suppose. If I was any older, perhaps I would lament of how I failed in my duty, the only task I was ordered to... but right now, all I'm really lamenting of is the loss of my own life."
Elric: "Likewise."
Unknown: "Hm? Those are not orc voices I hear..."
Elric: "Huh?"
Cheska: "Who's there?"

(The unknown speaker shows up. He turns out to have been a young pale man, with a staff and loose gray robes.)
Robed man: "More humans? Wonderful! I thought I was going to die all alone here!"
Cheska: "Who are you?"
Robed man: "Yes, introductions! Where are my manners? My name is Silan. Silan Abner. I have been opposing the invading orcs at any possible moment, but now it looks like I have ended up biting a bit more I could chew. So I suppose we have both ended up in the same hopeless situation. A pleasure to meet you!"
Cheska: "Likewise... I suppose. My name is Cheska."
Elric: "My salutations to you as well, good sir."
Silan: "So, what do you say then? Alone we may have been doomed, but I believe together we might stand a chance, albeit slim, of escaping and living to fight again another day!"
Cheska: "We appreciate any help you can offer, although... I have to ask, what can a single man offer to us that truly gives us a significant edge? Are you perhaps a wizard?"
Silan: "Your assumptions would be correct: I often utilize magic on my travels. I believe I can be of just as great help to you as you can be to me."
Cheska: "I suppose it is settled, then. We will join our forces to make a stand against the orcish hor-"

(As she speaks, a single swordsman has strayed a bit from her group to the east, only to nearly walk into the spear of a saurian that appears from the woods. This cuts off Cheska's speech.)
Swordsman: "Woah!"
Elric: "Huh? What's going on over th-"
Saurian: "Who goes there? Friend or foe?"
Silan: "Saurians? Can we assume you are in this same pickle as well?"
Cheska: "Um. Let's suppose we are friends at the moment."
Silan: "More friends than those orcs over there, anyway."
Orc Warrior 3: "Hey, I caught a lizard!"
Orc Warrior 1: "How was it?"
Orc Warrior 3: "Crunchy on the outside, but chewy from the inside! Yum! I'll go look for more."
Saurian: "Yes, we... met some orcs on our way here. Most of us got through unharmed, but I reckon that way is shut for us now."
Silan: "That would mean you are surrounded as well."
Cheska: "You went through a different trap, perhaps, but the outcome is the same."
Saurian: "...I see."

Saurian: "Well, my name is Xel."
Silan: "Nice to meet you! I'm Silan."
Cheska: "Cheska."
Xel: "It's a pleasure."
Orc Warrior 2: "...See, you can't cook a lizard, since they can take fire really well. What you have to do is to take a really big hammer and then SMA-"
Orc Warrior 1: "OI! Enough talking, let's go get them already!"
Zeza: "Xel, they're coming!"
Xel: "Looks like the time for talking is over, then."
Cheska: "There was way too much time for that to begin with. Are you with us, then, Xel?"
Xel: "Act as one, or perish alone. And I want to get out of here alive."
Cheska: "That's reassuring. Perhaps we do have a chance."

---
And so begins the first mission proper. Cheska, occupying the very middle camp, gets to go first, then Silan on her left, then Xel on her right; then the orcs starting from the one to the south, then the one in the northwest, and finally the northeast one.
Cheska is the one controlled by the player. She starts with a human sergeant named Elric, as well as the nameless swordsman who stumbled upon Xel to begin with. Aside from them, she can recruit only spearmen, bowmen, and horsemen.
Silan begins all alone, and can recruit from among blood bats and the soulless. His AI is focused on the defensive: at first it tries to block the way for the southern orc warrior to approach and attack, and once his allies get to moving, the AI moves along with them and acts as a meatshield. He focuses far more on blood bats than soullesses. Silan himself tries to stay out from the worst of the fight, though, quickly following you to the north of the map.
Xel starts with a drake fighter named Zeza, but from other than that, he can only recruit saurians: either skirmishers or augurs. His AI is far more offensive than Silan's, and heads forward pretty much as quick as possible, at first. However, once he starts to get on the enemy reach, he stays just out of it, lets them make the first move, then assaults them with all he has. He recruits many skirmishers, with a couple augurs thrown in.
The orcs are all orc Warriors, level 2, and can recruit other orcs and goblins. The southern one is very aggressive, and likes to move forward with fast troops to try and catch the enemy. Silan's blood bats can probably stop him pretty well, though. The other two Warriors are more passive, only recruiting a few troops at first and sending them at the nearby cities, but they too become much more offensive once their enemy gets close.

Mission objective: Get Cheska to the signpost way in the north - imagine there's a signpost at the end of the road. Imagine!
Mission fails if either Cheska, Silan, or Xel perishes. Thankfully, neither of the ones you can't directly control will willingly throw themselves in - but you might still have to expect to protect them every now and then.
There is no time limit. The weather is clear.

Turn 1. Cheska's turn has no dialogue, but on Silan's turn, as soon as he recruits a soulless (and he always recruits at least one, even if he prefers blood bats), this dialogue is triggered:
Silan: "Hmph, such lousy corpses here. Can't make proper soldiers out of them..."
Cheska: "Wait. Is that..."
Xel: "It is a corpse that walks. You are a necromancer."
Silan: "...Why, yes. What of it?"
Cheska: "What of it...? What of it?! You practise the vilest of all brands of magic! You conspire with evil spirits, desecrate the dead and force them back to the world of the living, enslaving their souls for your own purpose!"
Silan: "...Which has so far been opposing the orcish hordes that murder and pillage our countryside, and as of now, to get you and your friends out of here alive. Besides, I use no humans, only orcs: they deserve it."
Cheska: "I think even orcs deserve the peace of death."
Silan: "And that they shall get, eventually. However, I see it a fair trade that they will first have to absolve some of their sins by helping out humans they have often opposed so much. Don't you think that's fair?"
Xel: "No. All sins are absolved by death. And, like Cheska here said, everyone should be allowed to rest in peace, be he a man, an orc, or a drake."
Zeza: "When a drake grows old and nears his end, he goes out to seek the most glorious death possible. And if he is brought back to life after single-handedly slaying seven gigantic trolls, then it makes mockery of all he ever accomplished!"
Silan: "Your point is acknowledged, friend lizards, but you will have to admit that you can't possibly get out of here alive without my help."
Xel: "...Yes. But that doesn't mean we have to like it."
Cheska: "I will let you be... for now."

Turn 2. Once Xel's turn comes by, Cheska opens her mouth:
Cheska: "So, Xel... What's your story?"
Xel: "I... do not wish to talk about it."
Cheska: "I understand. But do you at least want some help with those shackles?"
Xel: "I doubt there's anything you can do. You have no idea what we had to go through just to get the chains away and to free me."
Silan: "You were clearly held prisoner. Captive."
Xel: "No! I mean... don't make assumptions."

As soon as the first soulless in this mission dies:
Silan: "See? That could have been one of your people."
Cheska: "..."
Silan: "Every death of what is already dead means one less living casualty. I can always revive more dead, but the living are rare and limited, especially in this situation. Nothing of true value will ever be lost."
Cheska: "Hmph. I concede that point. But do not for once think that we will not have a thorough discussion about this, once the danger is over."
Silan: "I would never dream of it."

When Cheska claims her first personal kill during this mission: "Die! If you thought I would give up so easily, then you are sorely mistaken!"
Silan: "Hah! I remember how, before I arrived to help, you were indeed about to give up!"
Cheska: "Silence, necromancer. I will not hear such talk from someone like you."

As soon as Silan attacks someone: "Remain dust, foolish one!"

As soon as Xel attacks someone: "I cannot be caged!"

On event of sarge Elric's demise: "C-commander Cheska... it has been an honor... to fight alongside you..."

If Zeza ever dies: "Necromancer! If you ever bring me back... mark my words, I will kill you with my own hands...!"
Silan: "May you rest in peace, brave drake."

If Cheska dies: "For Wesnoth I gladly give my life!"

If Silan dies: "Savour this victory! I have become stronger than you could ever imagine!"

If Xel dies: "I... feel so... c-cold..."

---
On victory:
Xel: "We got through! We have broken past the blockade!"
Silan: "Well, that was not quite as difficult as I had thought! Now we should-"
Cheska: "Men! Seize the necromancer!"
(There is a sound effect of swords being drawn and shackles put on somebody.)
Silan: "What is this?"
Cheska: "You have been found guilty of the crime of necromancy: you have been proven to have studied the dark arts, brought dead back to the living, and performed many dark and twisted spells; as well as suspected upon conspiring against Wesnoth."
Silan: "What? That is simply plain unfair. Just because I wield darker magic than most, indicates absolutely nothing that I would wish to throw the good king Konrad from the throne!"
Cheska: "Your help here is greatly appreciated, however, and I will talk for your behalf in the court."
Silan: "Well, that is generous."
Cheska: "Even so, I fully expect you to be executed for this. I hope there will be no hard feelings."
Silan: "...Hmph. There will be none, I suppose. You could do no different."

Cheska: "What about you, then, Xel? What do you wish to do now?"
Xel: "..."
Xel: "...Would you mind if I came with you? I don't have anywhere to go to begin with, but you did help me out. I feel like I might as well stick with you."
Cheska: "I would not mind. Although I can be sure your and your friends' faces will cause some commotion in the human cities."
Xel: "Thank you. ...Still, I have to say I think you're being a bit too harsh to the necromancer. I'm no more fond of his dark magics, but he did help us out as well."
Cheska: "...Perhaps so. We shall see what happens."

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So that's that. I hope you liked reading it, and I hope I have managed to capture you so that you will come back for the second mission as well.

Miscellaneous notes about the mission and everything else:
- First of all, I have to say I find it rather silly that there hasn't been a single even remotely good necromancer ever in any campaign, and only one mission ever where there were a few orcs we allied with. I always thought we were all well past such black-and-white moralities. Besides, I've seen many times when so-called "good" races - men, elves, dwarves - have gone evil, so why couldn't "evil" ever do the same? It's ridiculous. (Okay I admit, all that "bringing the dead back to life and enslaving their souls" really doesn't sound as very goody-two-shoes, but even so. Just look at doctor Orpheus: he's a nice guy, necromancer or not.)
- Drakes and saurians really are way underplayed in the game. They only appear a few times, and don't get even a single campaign of their own in the vanilla version of the game - I ran through the custom campaign list as well, and even from there I only found a total two that even mentions them in the campaign description! I demand more love for drakes!
- The above is also the reason why both Xel and Zeza spoke pretty much normally: I just couldn't remember how drakes talk. And I will not do sssnakespeak, because it's just plain ridiculousss.
- Also, a fun fact: I actually wrote all orc warriors as warlords in the initial dialogue. They're pretty similar words, and I guess it's an easy mistake, but facing three warlords in the first mission would probably be a bit too much of a challenge, eh?
- I also almost had Elric's death speech to be "Two days until retirement...", but that'd've been stupid.
- Just judging from this first mission, this campaign is going to be very heavy with dialogue.
- The map editor needs a screenshot feature: I had to zoom out way more than I would have preferred in order to get the whole map fitting into a single screenshot. I hope you can make some sense out of it, as fuzzy as it turned out to be. Even now, I had to leave out a couple rows of tiles from the both ends - but there wasn't anything important in there anyway.
- I wish I had proper campaign tools.

[A-Red]

Neat. A loyalist/undead/saurian alliance sounds pretty interesting, and I'll look forward to seeing where all of this goes. Is there any major end goal besides repelling the orc invasion, or any major enemies besides orcs?

[Zamael]

Neat. A loyalist/undead/saurian alliance sounds pretty interesting, and I'll look forward to seeing where all of this goes.

Your verbal support is greatly appreciated.

Is there any major end goal besides repelling the orc invasion, or any major enemies besides orcs?

Hey now, that information is classified and counts as spoilers. I will not speak any more of it. Just follow and you will see.

Anyway, let us move on.

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Chapter Two: No More Running

And so, by managing to escape the orc warband, their immediate death was thus avoided. But as much as she would have wished for a necromancer to face justice, commander Cheska knew where her duties lied: having escaped the horde, and with reinforcements from the lizardfolk, she now chose to take the fight back to the orcs, only sending a messenger to the capitol to explain of what had happened and that she was in a dire need of reinforcements.
"Let's just hope there won't be as many orcs this time," Silan commented sardonically, but none paid attention to him.

They had received reports about more orc raids from further east, which is where Cheska chose to lead her troops next. Still hopelessly outnumbered, perhaps, at least now she had some idea of what to expect. Backed up by saurians, she intended to wage guerilla warfare against the invaders, liberate towns and villages that had been occupied, and perhaps recruit some more reinforcements.

---

We will wish to conserve space by hiding maps from you:

(The player begins from the top-left corner, while the orcs have the area in the south. Plenty of orcs occupying the castle ruins, and a few in the swamp: these are mostly grunts and archers, with a couple little goblins thrown in. The eastern swamp castle, however, is empty - at least at first.)

Orc Warrior: "You know, boys (Chew)... These humans, they're pretty weak and not much of a challenge in battle (Munch)... but I got to admit, their food is pretty okay."
Grunt: "Um... commander...?"
Warrior: "What?! How dare you interrupt my dinner time?!"
Grunt: "Yeah, sorry about that. But you see, we're being approached by a bunch of humans."
Warrior: "More humans looking for their doom? ...Are there many?"
Grunt: "By the looks of it, nope. They have a few of them weird lizard things, though. Little ones. Okay, one of them's pretty big." (The last part is only added if Zeza didn't perish in the first mission.)
Warrior: "Hmph, maybe they'll prove to be a bit of amusement. Prepare for battle!"

Cheska: "Well?"
Saurian Skirmisher (or an upgrade, if you got any from the last fight): "The orcs have the place locked up pretty well. There are remains of an old castle here, a large one, that's fallen into disuse and disrepair long ago: they're using that."
Cheska: "What of human population?"
Skirmisher: "Even though the castle's been like this for ages, a lot of humans would seem to have lived here until very recently. The orcs have changed matters, of course: we haven't got a clue how many still remain."
Silan: "Hmm. A large number of orcs, heavily fortified behind the walls of an ancient human fortress. I cannot help but wonder if you two can handle this without help?"
Cheska: "Silence, you."
Xel: "But he does have a point. Even if we can handle this by ourselves, the cost will be great."
Cheska: "But what of the cost if we DO let him away?"
Silan: "This is your duty as a battle commander: you must think of your own men as well, and if you can save many of their lives by taking the slim chance that a necromancer might run away from your grasp - and I can promise you I won't be running away - then you should seize that opportunity. Saving lives is more important than anything."
Cheska: "That... might be the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard."
Silan: "But it does make sense."
Xel: "I say we let him go. He was a great help the last time we fought together."
Cheska: "So... you promise to not run away or turn on us at the first opportunity?"
Silan: "Certainly! All I ever wished was to aid Wesnoth on its time of need, and here there is exactly such time. My duty is right here."
A short period of silence.
Cheska: "...Fine. But I will be watching you. Release him!"
Sounds of shackles being taken away.

Silan: "Right, thanks for that. Now then... how shall we do this?"
Cheska: "Well. We can expect the main force of the enemy directly from the south, so that is where most of the battle will be done."
Silan: "The two of us can probably handle that."
Cheska: "Xel, can I assume we can leave the swamp for you?"
Xel: "Yes. I will deal with the few orcs there, secure the villages, and flank the enemy."
Silan: "I can support him with a few ghosts. They can literally fly past anything that would slow down anybody else. A bit of swamp is smalltime."

Orc Grunt: "Sounds like they've got a plan. What about us?"
Warrior: "Plan? What plan?"
Grunt: "Boss, you're my favourite chief ever."

---
This time, all three main characters are directly under the player's control. In addition to them, both Zeza and Elric, provided they survived the last mission, are on the field as the mission begins, along with that one saurian skirmisher who talked a bit during the opening dialogue. In addition Silas can now recruit Ghouls n' Ghosts! (Wide grin)
The opponent is fairly aggressive, as orcs often are, recruiting many grunts and archers and attacking directly through the northern passage. Whatever sentries are occupying the ruins around his camp, however, mostly stay where they are. All cities on the map belong to the enemy by default. But he mostly ignores the eastern front, which is a great advantage for Xel and his saurians.

Mission objective: Kill the enemy commander. Mission will fail if Cheska, Silan, or Xel ever lose their lives. There is no time limit and the weather is clean.
This information will not be provided from this mission forward: it will simply all be automatically assumed to be true, and nothing is said about it unless exceptions are made.

Turn 2 opens with the following little piece of dialogue:
Silan: "You know, I have to say I am positively surprised by your attitude. Most people simply try to kill me on sight, no matter what the circumstances might be!"
Cheska: "I am still considering it. Don't push me."

Some more dialogue will ensue as soon as the player captures any one of the villages in the immediate vicinity of the map:
Peasant (that shows up from inside): "No! Noo! Stay away from me, monster, stay away from-"
Silan: "Hush! Relax, friend! I am not going to harm you.
Peasant: "...Oh...? You don't intend to stab me at night or anything like that...?"
Silan: "Rest assured, that is not my intention. My troops may look frightening, but all we are looking to do here is to liberate this area from orcs."
Peasant: "Oh, well... I suppose that's okay, then. It's about time for that, you know, we've been under their occupation for a week now! It has not been fun; many of us have died already, and the rest are utterly miserable."
Cheska: "Well, we are here to change that."
The peasant then joins your party. He won't do much by himself, but maybe you can keep him alive long enough to upgrade him to something stronger.

On turn 3, the circumstances change a bit, when the eastern swamp castle is suddenly occupied by drakes. All swamp and water villages (minus the westernmost one, the one very close to your starting location) immediately go to their possession. They are led by a drake warrior called Gak, and they are considered an enemy by both the player and the orcs.

Xel reacts strongly upon seeing them:
Xel: "Oh, no. No. No!"
Gak: "Oh, hello there! You must be the one we're looking for."
Cheska: "Xel? Do you know them?"
Gak: "The name's Gak, human lady, and I seek to bring this little fugitive back home, dead or alive. They're offering quite a bit of money for his head!"
Xel: "They... do? Why? I am not that important!"
Gak: "Not a clue. I think they were explaining something about the whole thing, but to be honest, I didn't much listen. I only want the money."
Xel: "Oh..."
He looks obviously relieved - whether it's because these people are just mercenaries instead of a real force of justice, or because they know not of his past, is unknown at the present.
Cheska: "Are you sure you can handle this guy? I could help you."
Gak: "Do not interfere! I have no business with you, and you have no business with this cretin!"
Cheska: "I might have."
Xel: "No. This is my fight. And your troops don't fare well at the swamp anyway."
...
Xel: "But... Cheska?"
Cheska: "Yes?"
Xel: "I really appreciate the notion. Thanks."
Cheska: "Think nothing of it."

Despite having just invaded a bunch of cities from his immediate vicinity, Gak doesn't have all that much in terms of money, and will not do very much recruitment. He and his troops will focus primarily upon saurians, but are willing to attack just about anything else if there's none of them around.

Updated mission objective: Kill both enemy commanders.

If/when Xel makes contact with the enemy drakes:
Gak: "Oho, little lizard comes to the fight himself! Have you done running away?"
Xel: "I will not run away from filth like you!"

And when Gak finally falls, he has this to say:
Xel: "You were killed for the sake of money. Was it really worth it?"
Gak: "Dying... is never worth... it..."
Silan: "I beg to differ."
Cheska: "I'm sure you would."
Silan: "I did not mean it like that! For your information, I have no intention of coming back to this world when I finally snuff it. I simply meant that yes, there are indeed causes worth dying for."
Cheska: "I suppose there are."

---
On victory:
Cheska: "Both orcs and drakes have been routed. The victory is ours!"
Silan: "So..."
Cheska: "Yes? What?"
Silan: "Have I earned your trust yet?"
Cheska: "Hmm... perhaps not quite. But I think I will trust you enough to not put you back in chains."
Silan: "Many thanks! I know how hard it is for a loyal Wesnothian human to trust a necromancer, and rest assured, I have no intention to betray that trust."
Cheska: "See that you don't."
Silan: "Furthermore, are you thinking what I am thinking? About this place?"
Cheska: "If what you are thinking is that it might make a good base of operations to our war against orcs, then yes, we are on the same carriage of thought."
Silan: "Oh, indeed! Perhaps we might also recruit a few peasants? They do not seem to be as frightened of me here as they would be in the heart of the nation."
Cheska: "Perhaps so. Although I do think they could use a bit of that fear. It would keep them wary."

Xel: "Um, Cheska? Can we talk?"
Cheska: "Certainly. What's in your mind?"
Xel: "I... While I really appreciate what you did just now, with your offer of help... I really don't think it was all that appropriate."
Cheska: "Why is that?"
Xel: "We have only known each other for a few days. It is such a little time. You know nothing of me, and even less of the circumstances between me and the rest of my kind. I do not deserve your help."
Silan: "Oh, don't be such a fool. Cheska offered her aid because she wanted to help you, that's all. None of us would wish to see a little guy like you getting bullied by big mean lizards such as that Gak fellow. Mighty good job you did with him, by the way."
Xel: "...Thank you."

***********************************

Mission notes:
- Yup, it sure sounds like Cheska intended to lug around a POW for the whole war, possibly months of travelling across Wesnoth and beating up orcs. Does not sound very sensible to me. Maybe she intended to execute him herself at some point, or something. I dunno.
- This city, and its ruined fortress, are in my personal and humble opinion way too large to not have a history. Unfortunately, I'd never dare to interfere with the glorious past of Wesnoth myself.
- Also, from what I've read about drakes, it'd seem like most of them would disagree with Gak's opinion about dying as well: glorious death is the best way to go, they think. Although I'm not sure if they still reckon it's worth it, or if they would rather live to fight (and die) for another day. (Also Gak's opinion may have been compromised because he was pretty much killed by an angry midget with a pointy stick. There's no glory in that, even if small people can be bloody vicious from time to time.)
- Orcs in this campaign would seem to have been reduced to comic relief. I suppose it's logical: after all, if you have huge, ugly, fearsome, screaming warriors who attack you with giant swords and make you soil your pants of fear before they kill you - there really isn't any other choice for them than to be comic relief!
- Once again, I was forced to cut a few unnecesary lines out of the map to fit it into a single screenshot.

[Zamael]

My readers seem to be somewhat more silent bunch than I had hoped. Just viewing it for a while and then leaving is rude. Don't be shy: tell me what you think of my work. Even some small words of encouragement greatly swell my ego, let alone detailed explanations of your thoughts of my campaign and how it could be further improved!

Regardless, we shall move on to chapter 3. I'm getting these out in a pretty fast pace.

***********************************

Chapter Three: The Valley of Early Winter

And so it came to be that this city, and especially the abandoned fortress, became their base of operations, from which they ran several counter-raids against the orcish forces, helped defending some more nearby cities, and spent their free time repairing the fortress and training recruited citizens. Weeks passed.

Cheska sent further messages to the inner country, detailing her struggle against the orcs, hearing news about the battle elsewhere as well as eventually gaining some reinforcements. These, unfortunately, were not as accustomed to the presence of a necromancer, forcing Silan to relocate his own business lest he would bring unwanted attention towards him and his companions. As Silan left north to deal with some disturbance among elves living there, Cheska and Xel sailed east, upriver, in order to investigate rumours of undead activities thereat.

The first snowflakes were falling, as fall was bringing way to winter...

---

The map in question, hidden for your viewing pleasure:

(Imagine a thick fog covering this whole map and obstructing your view. Then imagine you could see through the fog, that the whole place is pretty full of all kinds of undead. Gets pretty confusing, huh?)

This mission begins with a ship arriving from the west, unloading Cheska, Xel, and what named characters still are alive within your party. They set a base camp upon the place shown on the map.
Cheska: "Now this is peculiar. It's... not supposed to be quite this cold yet, at the time of the year."
Xel: "At the time of the year? Are you saying... for your country, at some point of the year, this kind of weather is normal?
Cheska: "Actually, I'm afraid it will get even worse."
Xel: "...I think me and my people might need some warmer clothing."

Xel: "Still, you mentioned such cold weather was not normal this early."
Cheska: "Yes."
Xel: "Any ideas?"
Cheska: "When enough mages with sufficient power and knowledge get together and make some deliberate attempt, they are capable of bending, slightly, the weather conditions around them. Usually that would mean necromancers creating winter: it has been known to happen, once or twice in the history of Wesnoth."
Xel: "...Or it might just be of abnormal weather."
Cheska: "I admire your optimism."
Xel: "I'm simply observing all possibilities of the situation."

---
Thanks to the reinforcements Cheska has received in the past couple weeks, she is now capable of recruiting cavalrymen and mages. Xel, meanwhile, managed to hire services of whatever was left of Gak's mercenary group, allowing him to recruit drake fighters and gliders.
The enemy is, this time around, the undead. They start out in a fairly passive manner, the bunch they've got hidden within the mist (skeletons and skeleton archers, and a couple wraiths and shadows) simply waiting for the enemy to arrive - but once the player makes contact, they become much more aggressive. They start the scenario with all the villages already in their control (with one notable exception, detailed below), allowing them to belch out even more undead in a reasonably fast pace.

Mission objective, at first, is to investigate the valley that is the battleground in question. As mentioned, fog is present, obstructing the view for most of the field. As soon as it does become clear there is undead there (i.e. when one is seen), dialogue follows:
Xel: "All right, so the valley is infested with living dead. I suppose it was rather obvious, in hindsight."
Cheska: "Indeed. Our duty is now clear: we must clear the path of any trace of undead or necromancer filth, then press on forwards."
Xel: "Roger that. I only wish it was warmer..."

Now, see that one house surrounded by woods, a little bit to the left from the very center of the map? This house is in fact the only one that has not fallen into the hands of the undead, and they will avoid it no matter what. Investigating the matter will trigger this piece of dialogue:
White mage: "Who is it out there now? More of the accursed undead?"
Cheska: "No, ma'am. We are quite alive and well. My name is Cheska Kuhral, and this is my associate, Xel."
Xel: "Hello."
Cheska: "We are here, initially, to investigate some strange rumours concerning the place as of late: once those rumours turned out to be completely true, our task turned into that of purging the valley of necromancers."
White mage: "And I am Dorothy Salminen, the resident retired white mage of the area. It is a pleasure to make acquaintance with you all, and I wish you best of luck. I might have dealt with the problem myself, if I was a few decades younger, but with my age, unfortunately, I am barely enough to defend my own cottage."
Xel: "Impressive work, even so, from an old woman such as you. No offense or anything."
Dorothy: "None taken."
Cheska: "Well, the issue was that you were all alone, was it not? Even if you were no match to the legions of the undead alone, I believe you would still be significant aid to us. Would you consider lending us your aid?"
Dorothy: "It would be a pleasure."
Cheska: "Much appreciated."

If Dorothy is ever attacked: "Oh, so you are evil enough to attack a frail, helpless old woman? Well I happen to have a few surprises in store, reserved for exactly the rotten cretins of your kind!"

If she ever dies: "I... I can see the light. You shall not be following me."

---
On victory:
Xel: "Ah-choo! (Sneeze) Oh, wonderful."
Cheska: "Are you sure you will be all right?"
Xel: "Just a bit of cold I caught. I'll be fine."
Cheska: "No, really... it might develop into something nasty. You should probably head back to camp and get some rest."
Xel: "I told you, I'll be fi- and no cuddling! (Cough)"
Cheska: "...What? I was not going to cuddle you."
Xel: "I saw it in your eyes. You think I'm a cute little lizard who has- (Sneeze) who has gotten ill and requires your care and affection. Well let me tell you I'm not! I am a warrior, and such thoughts are demeaning to my status!"
Cheska: "Forgive me. I did not intend you to think that way of me. I was merely trying to help."
Xel: "..."
Cheska: "Would you at least accept this blanket, to help keep you warm? No unfortunate implications attached."
Xel: "...(Muttering) I suppose."

The following dialogue will only occur if Dorothy the white mage is still alive:
Xel: "...Why are you looking at me like that? (Sniff)"
Dorothy: "Oh, do pardon my manners. It is simply that I do not often see saurians in these parts, especially at winter, especially accompanying a human army."
Xel: "You do see a lot of weird things in this world, right?"
Dorothy: "Indeed."
Xel: "Say, could you possibl- (hack) possibly be capable of doing something for this condition I'm in?"
Dorothy: "I am afraid not. A common cold is simply one of those nuisances every human - and saurian - must occasionally endure. I can perhaps protect you from developing anything worse, or make some tea, but that is all the help you can expect from me."
Xel: "...Well, bummer."

Cheska: "Ma'am, if you intend to accompany me on my travels out of your home, then I feel there is something you should know, about a companion of mine..."
Dorothy: "Indeed? Is this one as curious as your lizard friend?"
Cheska: "He is a necromancer."
Dorothy: "...I beg your pardon?"
Xel: "Just like you heard (sniffle). He isn't that bad of a guy, all things considered - he only uses orc bodies and- (hack) and doesn't seem to have much interest in taking over the country or anything."
Cheska: "I am still somewhat cautious of him myself, but I would not wish him to be smited by your righteous fury unless he deserved it. He has been a great help."
Dorothy: "Hmm. You travel with a saurian and what seems to be a necromancer of somewhat benevolent nature? I am most definitely going to continue my travels with you! This sounds interesting!"
Cheska: "Is it just me, or did you just get younger?"
Dorothy: "'Tis my desire for adventure that is renewing me!"

Cheska: "..."
Cheska: "...No, I do not believe this was the source of the cold - merely a forward outpost."
Dorothy: "It may have done its part in the freezing process, however, if only small."
(If Dorothy has died, the above comment goes to Xel instead.)
Cheska: "Indeed, but to discover the main culprit, we must press on further east. Onward!"

***********************************

- All the heroes ever talk about in other campaigns is war stuff and all kinds of things relevant to it. There's never any personal issues - such as one of them catching a cold. I have to say it's one of the reasons I love the dialogue in Baldur's Gate so much.
(By the way, cold weather doesn't actually increase the risk of getting ill, but I decided to use it nonetheless for the sake of storytelling.)
- So, of course Cheska's messages have included information about a necromancer she caught, therefore whoever sent her reinforcements must have had knowledge about him: thus, why didn't they ever question his total absence? Maybe she told them she executed him herself.

[m0ta]

The descriptions, dialogues and maps are really interesting so far. Have you done any coding? It should be much more fun to read your witty lines in-game.

[lostnumber]

The descriptions, dialogues and maps are really interesting so far. Have you done any coding? It should be much more fun to read your witty lines in-game.

Yeah, dialogue generally reads a lot better when its performed then when you just look at it. If that makes sense

I mean, I'm a big movie guy, but I dont sit at home reading screenplays.


I think if you actually got this stuff into a campaign that people could experience you'd get a lot more feedback

As way of encouragement though, I will say that it looks like you have quite a good start, and the writing here is far better then most mainline campaigns, which are more focused on historical lore and combat then character development.

[Zamael]

Your kind words are greatly appreciated.

I would be excited to see my campaign in the actual game as well, but unfortunately, I can't do any coding. I have absolutely no talents aside from writing, and even that is of questionable quality, despite an occasional word of encouragement. This means that if I am ever to get this stuff in game, I'm going to need help with it.

At some point I intend to approach one of the coders or other people with actual power over the game, to see if they could do anything about it.

[Zamael]

Chapter Four: The Day Autumn Came Back

They did not need to travel for long before they found the headquarters of the necromancers. Indeed, even with their power, they could not have spread their tainted winter too far.

---

This was supposed to be big and high-quality, but MSPaint failed me. I guess:

(The fog is present once again, preventing you to see the details. But if you could see them, you'd see a bunch of undead wandering about: ghosts, wraiths, and shadows, mainly, very little made of tangible matter.)

Cheska: "This looks like an old dwarven mining camp."
Dorothy (assuming she lives): "You would be correct. I used to come here many times when I was a young girl: the dwarves used to be so friendly, still here at the time, mining their precious metals from the ground. They are long gone now, of course."
Xel: "Something else must have (sniffle) taken over. (Sneeze)"
Cheska: "And we are here to pry it out."

---
The undead already on the field mostly walk around pretty randomly, but focus upon the player if they ever see them.
One of the enemy generals, stationed on the bottom base, is a Lich: it will be enough to defeat him to win the scenario. He plays defensively, sticks in his base, occasionally recruits something or two for protection, letting his necromancer ally to do most of the menial work. The Lich's minions are all of second level, but thankfully they are not many; the living necromancer's weaker undead bunch are far more numerous and aggressive here.
Like with the last map, fog obscures vision here.

(On another note, the cold Xel is having does not affect his battle prowess at all. It does, however, make him feel absolutely miserable. Poor guy.)

Once the Lich finally comes to sight, plot happens:
Lich: "Ssss! Living ones! What do you want of me?!"
Cheska: "We seek answers, foul Lich! What are you doing here? For what purpose do you freeze the land?"
Lich: "Freeze the land? I do not do such a thing."
Cheska: "Wait. ...What? You do not?"
Lich: "Indeed I do not. Your hearing is truly impeccable. The decreased temperature is simply a side effect for the project I am running here."
Xel: "Side effect...? For what?"
Lich: "I do not intend to tell you this. Prepare to meet your end, and beyond!"

When the Lich finally goes down, he has this to say: "NO! I was... so close...!"

---
On victory:
Cheska: "So close to what, I wonder?"
Xel: "Look! (Sniffle) They have been excavating over here. And... Brrr! It suddenly got so cold!"
Dorothy (or Cheska if Dorothy's been killed): "It would seem as if this hole is the source of the cold. The Lich had been digging something up."
A random soldier in your command: "Ma'am! It is impossible for us to investigate further due to extreme cold!"
Cheska: "The undead can withstand freezing temperatures far better than anything living. I suspect that is what allowed them to do this in the first place."
Xel: "If only Silan was here right now. He could- (hack) check that place out with those minions of his."
Cheska: "This is correct. We will ask him to delve further into this once we meet again. But for now, let us seal this hole."

Xel: "Am I- (sneeze) Is my presence required anymore...?"
Cheska: "No. You can go back to the camp now."
Xel: "That is what I intended. I will bury myself under the bedsheets and (cough) not come out until spring!"

If Dorothy is alive, the following is added:
Dorothy: "I think he is rather cute, in his own special way. Would you agree?"
Cheska: "I... I suppose."
Xel: "I am not cute! Children are cute. Pets are cute. Like (sniffle)... hamsters, and other adorable fuzzy little things. But I am not!"

***********************************

- This chapter was a short one. I suppose they just don't have so much stuff to talk about with Silan away.
- Which of course inevitably leads into an even shorter chapter: as you might have guessed, we're going to check out what Silan's been doing for this time, and he is all alone, with only the dead to talk to.
Actually, let's do that right away:

Chapter 5:
Silan: "...I'm bored."
The end

There, wasn't that just epic? Brace for chapter 6 which will hopefully be up tomorrow! It sure promises to be an epic one!
- By the way... this is supposed to be an isolated, empty area. Even dwarves left a long time ago. So why are there so damn many villages around here? Why are there always villages everywhere you go in Wesnoth, even at the edge of the earth where no man has ever gone before? This really bugs me.
- I'm also slightly wary about using a Lich in this mission. In my experience, they're supposed to be really rare and usually the final bosses of campaigns. I'm trying to conserve my Liches in the future.

[Elvish_Hunter]

Ok, until now your campaign seem interesting (it's funny to see a saurian with a cold) and I don't yet see anything in contrast with mainline. However I have some questions for you:
1) How many scenarios will have your campaign? I hope that this doesn't count as spoiler...
2) I suggest that, when Xel manages to get rid of his shackles (perhaps with the help of Dorothy, given that those shackles seem magical to me)

Cheska: "I understand. But do you at least want some help with those shackles?"
Xel: "I doubt there's anything you can do. You have no idea what we had to go through just to get the chains away and to free me."

having less kilograms of iron on him, and thus being lighter, he gains an additional movement point (this means 8 MP for the rest of the campaign, instead of 7 for the first scenarios, just for example).
3) Any hope that you put somewhere a loyal Elvish Hunter to help our heroes?

[Zamael]

Ok, until now your campaign seem interesting (it's funny to see a saurian with a cold) and I don't yet see anything in contrast with mainline.

That's very nice of you. Thanks.

However I have some questions for you:
1) How many scenarios will have your campaign? I hope that this doesn't count as spoiler...

I'm not entirely sure of the exact amount, but I expect it to be around twenty, give or take a few.

2) I suggest that, when Xel manages to get rid of his shackles (perhaps with the help of Dorothy, given that those shackles seem magical to me)
having less kilograms of iron on him, and thus being lighter, he gains an additional movement point (this means 8 MP for the rest of the campaign, instead of 7 for the first scenarios, just for example).

I have given this a bit of thought. However, upon the off-chance that he's ever going to get any art or sprites of his own (ha-ha, fat chance), those shackles are going to be a prominent part of his appearance: removing them would require another set of artwork for him, which would add some extra work for the artist.

I can guarantee, however, that he will get them removed at some point of his life, if not during the actual campaign - supposed he gets through it all alive.

3) Any hope that you put somewhere a loyal Elvish Hunter to help our heroes?

Maybe.

[Kenpachi]

very nice

[Zamael]

Chapter Five: Phantoms in the Forest

The southeastern areas of Wesnoth were not the only ones with a problem with orcs. Having heard rumours of them assaulting the eastern elven towns, and after being forced to depart from his companions for the time being, Silan had decided to investigate upon the matter. Unfortunately, elves were no less hostile towards necromancy than humans were...

---

Spoiler:

(The fog surrounds the area, hiding from your vision such things as elven and orcish combatants locked in a deadly battle. There are far more orcs than elves, though.)

For obvious reasons, Silan wishes to remain very much hidden during this battle. Therefore, as soon as he arrives on the battlefield, he summons a thick fog to cover his intentions from the elves as well as orcs.
Silan: "Sometimes, justice is as dark as the evil it is fighting, and must remain hidden, lest it would be misunderstood by the forces of good and attacked with the same prejudice than those genuinely evil."
An undead minion: "Lurking in the darkness of fear of death, we have come to exact justice upon the wicked. How shall we do this, master?"
Silan: "Well, obviously we will have to hide from the elves. If everything goes well, we will be able to remove the orcs without them ever realizing we even were here."
Minion: "And if everything does not go well...?"
Silan: "..."
Silan: "Then we may be forced to defend ourselves from both sides of the conflict. Regardless of how it goes, we must try and keep the elvish casualties at the bare minimum."

---
With the addition of skeletons and skeleton archers, Silan now has the full list of undead recruits in his possession.
All orcs concentrate entirely upon the elves, only turning on the undead when they're seen, and not going to actively look for the player.
There are some elves fighting in the northern front, but they are hopelessly outnumbered by the orcs. Most elves are in the west and southwest, where they are faring much better, but will also be eventually defeated and driven back to their city.

The prime concern of this mission is elves and their attitude. They will start neutral and only attack the orcs, but if the player's forces are ever seen - i.e. any undead is caught at the elf's vision range - they all turn hostile, go looking for the player, and have the following dialogue:
Elf: "An undead! The necromancers are aiding orcs against us?"
Silan: "Um, it's not actually like that. I am here to help y-"
Elf: "Cease your slithering tongue, villain! We will come deal with you now!"
Silan: "Augh. Why don't they ever listen?"

If the elves do turn hostile, however the mission is still beatable by finishing off the orcs. The only way to be defeated is to either lose Silan or have the elvish chief killed, which will come with this bit of word:
Silan: "Oh, no. The elves have been routed."
An undead minion: "We have no more purpose here, master, do we?"
Silan: "No. I suppose we could defeat the remaining orcs, but the primary purpose of the act has been lost. We have been defeated here."

---
On victory:
Minion: "Master, the orcs have been routed. Our task is finished."
Silan: "You are right, as usual! Let us withdraw!"

If the player was seen during the mission:
Elf: "Look, sir. The mist is withdrawing. The undead are nowhere to be seen, either: we assume they conjured it in the first place, and it vanished along with them."
Elfish Marshal: "Cowards, fleeing as soon as we had finished with their orcish allies. They should have come here and met our blades!"
Elf: "But sir, there is something else. If you look at the scene, you see many, many dead orcs. Even without the undead, they should have been able to defeat us all with ease - let alone when they had necromancers as their allies."

If the player wasn't seen, this dialogue is played instead:
Marshal: "The mist is finally clearing. I cannot help but wonder where it came from."
Elf: "Sir? We have discovered something interesting."
Marshal: "What of?"
Elf: "Well, first of all... there are many orcs on the battleground now. There was far more than any of our warriors could ever have slain - perhaps even enough to wipe us all out."

Regardless of whether the player was seen or not, this will be said next:
Marshal: "Indeed, I can see what you mean. What else?"
Elf: "Sir, take a closer look at this body."
...
Marshal: "But... this is..."
Elf: "Indeed. It was not killed by an elfish weapon..."
Marshal: "...But by an orc."
Elf: "But why? Were they infighting? A power struggle, perhaps?"
Marshal: "No, I do not think so. I am not saying the orcs don't have such habits, but... take a look."
Elf: "Sir?"
Marshal: "The weapons that were used to slay this orc are old. Very, very old, and rusty."
Elf: "But... that might not mean anything. Orcs are not well known for their weapon maintenance, and often pass on swords and other equipment to their young, instead of making new ones."
Marshal: "...Yes. Whatever it was, an infighting or a mysterious ally, it most likely saved our lives.
Elf: "Intentionally or not."
Marshal: "The entire case is most peculiar."

***********************************

This mission would seem to have plenty of potential for branching campaign, depending on whether Silan was seen or not. But I'm not a talented enough writer to make such things without turning the whole campaign into an overly complicated snarl.

[Huston]

so if you have no skills at coding, learn them. it is not that difficult to do. look at the mainline campaigns and add-ons you like to see how to code.
once you have your first scenario file done and working you can just copy and paste the completed scenario file, rename the copy and go in and modify it. (i programmed my first campaign consisting of 2 dialog only scenarios and 10 combat/adventure scenarios in only 1 month's time this way. and i only worked on it for 3 hours a day) Of course there will be things you need help fixing and coding but that is what the WML Workshop is for.


Give it a try. you'll never be able to code if you don't even try to learn. there is a saying IRL, "If you want something done right, Do it yourself" which i seem applies here most of the time, cause ideas are a dime a dozen. if you ever want to see this done start learning to code.

Sorry if i'm being quite frank with you but, most people won't code your idea for you, they'll help you by answering your questions but they won't code it. and it all comes back to people being lazy.

[Zamael]

Augh, but this all seems so complicated!

And yes, I am lazy. And this could take like forever. And when I look at those files, all I see is a great big bunch of horrible text I can't understand, and it seriously intimidates me. I sure could use an adult tutorial.

I guess it can't be helped. If I can overcome my sloth and do something, I will tell you. Although it'd still be awesome if someone else could do all the work for a lazy git.

Edit: Where are custom maps saved, anyway? I can't find mine.

[Huston]

tutorials:

http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/BuildingScenarios

http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/BuildingCampaigns

http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/ReferenceWML


as for where the custom maps are saved, what Operating system do you use?