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Nuramor posted:You know, that defeat against the frostlings is the only real loss of your forces I can remember. Are you just not showing them, or is the AI really so bad at playing this game? I've lost a few small things every now and then, it's just not that common on the maps where there is really only one front. Also most of the time I can cast Town Gate first and get some heroes back in time to stop it. And as mentioned by the JJ, the tactical AI isn't all that smart. They go after weak targets with single-minded devotion such as with the fight against the Azrac king; about 2/3rds of the AI's force charged for Tirlas despite an angry Gorthak being in the way.
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Aug 20, 2013 14:26
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Do lizardmen spread or favor swampy terrain? It's kind of interesting that you're up against the snow guys and the desert guys on the same map.
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Aug 22, 2013 02:59
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Glazius posted:Do lizardmen spread or favor swampy terrain? It's kind of interesting that you're up against the snow guys and the desert guys on the same map. Now that I think about it, aren't the only terrain changing things either spells or abilities that certain units have?
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Aug 22, 2013 04:25
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The Cult of Storms Mission Nine: Wayward Sons, Week Three *****DAY SIXTEEN*****  The previous day was a day of hard riding, the four of us heading north through the forests at a pace that was edging into the unsafe. But in the end the reward was well worth the effort. Loran Tharic is now dead, though unlike his one brother his body will be a bit fresher for the scavengers. The spear that ended the traitor's foolish ambitions is still through him, pinning him to the ground as an offering to any creature that wishes to sup upon the flesh of betrayal.  With the capture of Ushner I learn more about the Frostling lands to the north. Of significant concern is the altar of ice to the north of us, something that I am unable to do anything about right now. We brace ourselves for that which we know is coming. *****DAY SEVENTEEN*****  I believe I shall kill some Frostlings. Yes, yes I will.  But first I must deal with a few of the Lizardmen stragglers in this area, then I shall ride north. *****DAY EIGHTEEN*****  The altar is mine now, I no longer will have to worry about its powerful chill. That great power belongs to me. *****DAY NINETEEN*****  The second puppet-master is known to me now. He is nearby, defending one of his larger settlements against my force, but I know it will not be enough. *****DAY TWENTY*****  Many of those that face us in this battle were responsible for the death of my riders earlier. Upon their hands is the blood of my kin as well as the Orcs that accompanied them.  Their severed lives demand justice. And justice will be done, efficiently, effectively, and without mercy. It is the way of my people and to do any less would be a sign of weakness. I am not a Keeper.  The slayer-king is dead, the puppetmaster's strings have been cut. Only one remains.  And the largest city of Frostlings is mine now. I have not yet decided what I will do with them, just as I have not yet decided what to do with the Azracs to the south. Me posted:As we are just evil and not TRUE EVIL, the Frostlings and other neutral races (Humans, Azracs, Lizardmen) have a neutral attitude towards us. Unless I start doing things to change their opinion of me I do not have to worry about them rebelling. *****DAY TWENTY-ONE*****   A scrying pool not far from the Frostling capitol gives me my first glimpse of the last puppetmaster. I know Galloc, I have heard about him before and he will likely be a greater threat than the two that I have defeated so far. A very competent wizard and a capable fighter, he will not go down easily, especially not with the forces that surround him.    Before I challenge him directly I must consolidate. The great True Elven warmachine must get going again. The coffers fill, the smiths are busy. I will have another army soon. Me posted:I'm upgrading the large cities constantly. Taerkar fucked around with this message at 14:33 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Aug 28, 2013 14:10
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Your update is kinda breaking the tables there. You might want to TIMG your pictures.
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Aug 28, 2013 14:29
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Yeah, I don't quite know why but this update the game finally decided to recognize I had the resolution set to 1360x768, not 1024x768.
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Aug 28, 2013 14:34
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The question is why did you set the resolution to 1360 for an LP? 
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Aug 28, 2013 18:09
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Because I'm normally playing this on a laptop that's connected to a 720p TV. For some reason it doesn't like 1366 v 768 and overstretches it.
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Aug 29, 2013 03:04
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So you dropped a fire storm on the Azracs and an ice storm on the Frostlings. I imagine it would have hurt more if you'd done it the other way around? Have the towers got the range to do that?
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Aug 29, 2013 06:37
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Taerkar posted:Because I'm normally playing this on a laptop that's connected to a 720p TV. For some reason it doesn't like 1366 v 768 and overstretches it. Glazius posted:So you dropped a fire storm on the Azracs and an ice storm on the Frostlings. I imagine it would have hurt more if you'd done it the other way around? Have the towers got the range to do that?
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Aug 29, 2013 11:18
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Glazius posted:I imagine it would have hurt more if you'd done it the other way around? Yes. Most Azrac units have Fire Resistance built in, and most Frostling units have Cold Resistance built on. There are exceptions (Azrac elephants, for example, I believe lack fire resistance), but all of the actual racial units, and most of their allies/monsters tend to share those perks.
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Aug 29, 2013 13:12
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The Cult of Storms Mission Nine: Wayward Sons, Ending the MonthMe posted:A bit of a speed burst this time. Not much happening in one week to justify an update. Also I'm going to be very slow now with gradschool. *****DAY TWENTY-TWO*****  Interesting news reaches me this morning. My watchers in the Lizardman territory report that there has apparently been some disagreement between the sole surviving son and his puppetmaster. Apparently he saw his fate and is trying to avoid it, but the Lizardman king is not very appreciative of it. Me posted:This is happening because the AI nations get a relationship hit with the Dark Elves because I am playing them. Normally a neutral race could handle a DE hero, but the additional modifiers from me being in the game means that their mood will steadily worsen. They probably could have avoided this by giving each of the sons Bard Skills, but eh, whatever.  As useful as that information is, it's something I cannot act on right now. I still have to clean up the last of the Frostlings to the north, at least those that do not submit to my rule at least. *****DAY TWENTY-SIX*****  The lizardmen continue to be a significant nuisance, emerging in force from the tunnels under the land and striking at my undefended outlying towns. They will be put down, of course, but I do need to look into the underground situation. *****DAY TWENTY-SEVEN*****  I dispatch one of my eagles down into the caves, but my link with him is cut off after only a few moments of flying. Me posted:I got a little greedy here. The Great Eagle isn't exactly a good combat unit.  A second one is dispatched down a different tunnel but finds more of the Lizardmen awaiting below. *****DAY TWENTY-EIGHT*****   The Lizardmen that have caused trouble among my lands have been addressed and dealt with. The harvests of this land will be quite bountiful in the future, the scavengers feed well. *****DAY TWENTY-NINE****  The last son is now dead, but not by my hands. His former controller hunted him down and killed him. Even though his life was forfeit, the last son's death should have been by my hands, not this interloper. The puppetmaster will die in place of the puppet. *****DAY THIRTY*****  More annoying Lizardmen to deal with. But my forces have grown as well with the inclusion of a good number of fearsome executioners bolstering my ranks. It is nearly time to advance on the last puppetmaster. *****DAY THIRTY-ONE*****  Back in my lands a report comes to me of a great mass of water rising from the seas and advancing inland, but it apparently cannot overwhelm the walls that I have had built. Water Elemental posted:Water Elementals assume many forms, as they are composed entirely of water. They hide undetected in bodies of water. Due to their composition, these Elementals are nearly invulnerable to physical attack, but are vulnerable to various types of environmental damage including fire, cold, and lightning. They strike with great force of water bashing their enemies with the torrents of force and water. *****DAY THIRTY-THREE*****  The flow of magic was strange for a day. Why I do not yet know, but it is quite worrisome. Apparently that great mass of water in my lands has disappeared as well, perhaps disrupted by that event? Me posted:The AI did this a LOT. They get a higher mana income at higher levels but show no ability of properly budgeting their mana income.   Whatever that was, it will not distract me from our current task. While seeking a means to the Lizardman stronghold we happened across a dungeon still held by Frostling remnants. The guards were slaughtered and the prisoners released. Apparently they had first discovered the duplicity of the sons but were imprisoned before they could alert anyone else. The knowledge of the death of the sons gave them some relief, the knowledge of the deaths of the puppetmasters will avenge their imprisonment. *****DAY THIRTY-SEVEN*****  I am an unsurpassed master of the magical arts now. There are no spells among my domains that I do not know anymore, no one is beyond my competence now. *****DAY FORTY-ONE*****  The inability of my forces to find a land route to the Lizardmen stronghold requires other approaches. Fortunately I do have a spell that will help me with such matters. *****DAY FORTY-TWO*****  But first further additions to my magical knowledge is required. Another spell into my spellbooks, though I must confess I am not too sure about the usefulness of it.  A great challenge lies before me. The Lizardman numbers are impressive in quantity if nothing else. They will not go down as easily as the others have, but they are not unchallengeable.  To the north a sole outpost of goblins has been found and integrated into my forces. I do not know quite yet what to do with them, but it did boost Gorthak's spirits some to see his kin.  The frostling lands are quiet for the time being, the only action of note is the occasional movement of one of their strange northern lights to bolster my forces underground.  And in that underground I have made good effort to limit the progress of my foes. No longer can they move undetected and unhindered through the caves.  Unfortunately the south cannot claim the same. There have been a few incursions by Lizardmen troops that have swum across the great bay to reach my lands. Forces have been dispatched to deal with them.
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Sep 9, 2013 14:08
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Are the lizards trying to come in through the desert? That is not the angle I would have predicted.
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Sep 10, 2013 13:07
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Not exactly. I forgot to capture the watch tower down there after beating the Azracs and they swam a couple of units across the bay. All I have down there are the ballista's in the former Azrac capitol, which are too slow to catch them.
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Sep 10, 2013 14:49
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I will hopefully have the next part (likely the last part) of this mission up tomorrow.
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Sep 21, 2013 04:08
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The Cult of Storms Mission Nine: Wayward Sons - Endgame I am an incredibly bad person, but gradschool will do that to you. *****DAY FORTY-FOUR*****  Before the final push can be made, our southern lands must be secured. The Azracs remaining are properly cowed and submissive, but the Lizardmen tribals continue to intrude into our lands. The latest incursion has been dealt with thanks to our fearsome executioners. *****DAY FORTY-SIX*****  A desire to further secure the underground has drawn my men and I into a dark lair within the caverns, a lair full of spiderwebs.  A few spiders and a rogue spider queen lurked within those caves, but they were quickly dealt with.   Clearly others were far less fortunate when they encountered the spider queen. Tirlas has taken the shield for his own use but I gave the ring to Gorthak so that he could best utilize it. Me posted:Yeah, there's no way I'm not going to give him Regeneration. *****DAY FORTY-SEVEN*****  I have confirmation now as to how the Lizardmen were able to launch such incursions into our land. A teleporter near their capitol, not far from the ruins of one of their lost cities, transports their troops to my land.  While I had no forces immediately present to deal with them, that doesn't mean that I don't have a means of giving them a nice, warm welcome to my domain.  As the executioners ride north to deal with that threat, my band finds a small group of lizardmen that were causing trouble and deal with them in an appropriate manner. *****DAY FORTY-EIGHT*****  Ice Drake posted:The Ice Drake is one of the smaller members of the great race of Dragons. They make their homes in the icy mountaintops of the coldest regions of the land. As a result, they have learned to coexist with the frostlings, and will fight for them when it serves their interests The Frostlings have been very eager to show their worth to me, no doubt in hopes that I will spare them of the fate that their former leader had planned for me. I will admit that their most recent offering of usefulness has been better than some in the past. Me posted:Ice Drakes are one of the weaker Tier 4 units, if for no other reason than their rather poor damage and resistance stats. They're not bad, but they're not great either. But as untyped creatures, as long as you're not Pure Good/Pure Evil you can almost always use them. *****DAY FORTY-NINE*****  The Executioners have one final stop before they deal with the invading Lizardmen, a stop by the last remaining Azrac settlement that has not yet submitted to my rule. That situation no longer exists. *****DAY FIFTY-ONE*****  Interesting news is brought to my attention today. What I originally thought was just a large underground sea actually has a few islands on it. Islands that have been settled by the Lizardmen.  As the strange glows of the frostlings congregate, I receive word that the Executioners have finally caught up to and defeated the Lizardmen incursion, but they found the fight to be tougher than they initially expected. Me posted:The drat siege weapons got REALLY lucky and one-shot two of the three dead executioners.  This war of attrition is clearly having a negative effect upon the last remaining puppetmaster. What once was a horde is now only just a large army. Only. *****DAY FIFTY-TWO*****  The glows begin their assault on the island settlement, the defenders of the settlement quickly finding themselves to be woefully prepared for such a threat. Me posted:Since the Northern Glow has both Poison Immunity and Physical Protection it's REALLY good at capturing poorly defended cities. Against a normal archer it would take 7 hits to kill a full-health glow due to the physical protection reducing the per-arrow damage to 1. At 4 attack vs 5 defense, that means that it would take on average about 8 turns of shooting for one archer to kill the glow. And it's not likely that the glow won't kill the archer first. There's also a giant slug there, but since its ranged attack is pure poison damage it can't do anything but wait for them to attack it and that's a fight isn't likely to win   In the end there was no question as to the outcome. But that victory also brought attention to the likely presence of something more to the south of the island.  As the underground fight goes on we begin preparations above, readying the siege before the assault on the Lizardmen capitol. Both Tirlas and I begin the rituals to call down fire upon the fortress, though Tirlas will take much longer than me to prepare. *****DAY FIFTY-SIX*****  For days there is nothing but a bombardment of fire upon the fortress, but after another week the confirmation of a second island town underground is confirmed. Its defenses are even less prepared for the glows than the other settlement and it falls quickly. *****DAY FIFTY-SEVEN*****   Although I have been able to keep up a fairly regular torrent of flames upon the Lizardmen fortress, it wasn't until Tirlas was able to finish his spell that any significant damage was able to be inflicted upon their forces. As the last tongues of magical flame faded into the sky, the forces before us were reduced by a third, and what remained was not in good shape.  The Lizardmen forces were in complete disarray, allowing for us to sweep in and destroy almost half of what remained outside of the walls of the city. The victory was not complete, however, as not only did one of my Executioners fall (crushed by a boulder), a large number of Lizardmen priests crossed the river to the south and were able to tend to the survivors before I could press our advantage.   And there was more bad news for my unfortunate foe from below. The last of his forces have been recommitted to the great subterranean sea, though I do not think they will surface again. *****DAY FIFTY-EIGHT*****   The glows apparently found an old dungeon underground. From what one of my scouts reported he saw that odd, chilly glow emanating from its barred windows, but upon his own inspection after they left he only found the dead bodies of some Highmen and what appeared to be destroyed undead. *****DAY SIXTY-FOUR*****  The end began with another barrage of fire upon the Lizardmen fortress. What once was a great horde is now only rabble, and rabble that would fall to a stiff wind.   What once was a mission of justice has become a mission of mercy. Mercy delivered on the point of Gorthak's blade as he ran through the last puppetmaster. The strings had been long since cut and the master in the end lorded over none but himself, and was found wanting.   I am pleased to see that the lesson was properly received and understood. There is no question now among the Stormlords and our future is before us. A future that I shall lead the way to. ---------------------------------   They come to convert us, to sway us to their cause, to the cause of King Inioch, but he ceased to be king when he died. Though I honor Inioch and his memory, I do not honor that which now claims to be him. The undead are a threat to us and must be dealt with appropriately. Anyone who succumbs to their ways, willingly or not, will join them. ******************************************* After far too long it's time to play everyone's favorite game: "Who Do We Bring With Gorthak?"  That's a full 900 points to play with and I was careful enough to let us take both Gorthak and Tirlas, but that doesn't mean that's our only option. First, let's look at our heroes: (As before they have enchanted weapon on them, but since I no longer have anything to research there's no reason why they wouldn't have it.)  (Also Round Attack, Strike, Walking, and Wall Climbing) The Goblin, the Goliath, Gorthak. What can I say about him that his history has not yet? His only 'weakness' is that I'm running out of things to spend his points on. Such a terrible weakness to have.  Tirlas is progressing nicely and remember that we will have enough points going into the last mission to take two max-level heroes. I might go max spellcasting with him, or I might keep on hybridizing him and stopping at Spellcasting III.  And finally there's our good friend and (anti)hero Vhendor. More points for him now are going almost entirely into improving defenses/ranged combat. So that being said, here's our menu: 900 points to spend. Heroes Gorthak the Black: 537 points Tirlas Nightguard: 312 points Items Shield of the Bog: +1 Def, Poison Resistance, 10 points Chicken Shield: +3 Def, +3 Resistance, Fearless, 350 points Ring of Regeneration: Regeneration, 300 points Elven Chainmail: +1 Def, +2 Resistance, 10 points Units Veteran Ice Drake: 225 points Elite Dark Elf Executioner: 105 points Veteran Dark Elf Executioner: 105 points Veteran Northern Glow: 98 points 6x Regular Northern Glows: 98 points
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Oct 4, 2013 19:12
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Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. Crush all who oppose the might of Vhendor.
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Oct 4, 2013 21:58
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my dad posted:Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. Concur. One toy for each.
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Oct 4, 2013 22:31
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my dad posted:Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. Sounds like a plan.
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Oct 5, 2013 00:57
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my dad posted:Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. Beaten to the punch.
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Oct 5, 2013 02:36
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my dad posted:Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. This of course. There are only two mission left I think. I'm hoping for some sweet AoW2 updates later this year (or early next year). Speaking of early next year, Age of Wonders 3 is scheduled for the first quarter of 2014. I have read the dev diaries, there are some cool improvements, like monster lairs becoming income generating structures once you clear them, so you no longer have useless structures cluttering the landscape. I'm looking forward to it.
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Oct 6, 2013 08:59
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This was a rather quick mission due to what I think was the AI bugging out. It only took as long as it did because I felt like going fodder-town for the final battle. Also I continued right into the next mission. I figured that with 1000 points and Tirlas/Gorthak costing 999 there wasn't much to ask about. Goodbye broken 10 pt items, you served us well.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:35
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my dad posted:Both heroes, bog shield, chainmail. All sounds good.
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Oct 7, 2013 07:25
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The Cult of Storms Mission Ten: Inioch Touch Do you want to see a lightning blitz? Course you do!  Our next goal lies on the other side of the sea. While I would have liked to take more with me, our transport options are rather limited. For reasons I do not understand Gorthak's mount spent the entire time on the boat sticking its head over the bow. *****DAY ONE*****  It takes us the better part of two days to cross the sea and our arrival at the harbor is heralded by the two great lighthouses at the entrance. Oddly they appear to be abandoned, which does not set well with me.  Shortly after landfall we are attacked by the local garrison of humans. They looked a bit strange, gaunt without reason, and a fanatical zeal in their eyes. It is a look I have seen before, that of desperation fueled by hunger.  Crazed indeed they were, but they were very weak in body. None of us took any joy in the slaughter, it was almost pathetic.  The port itself fell to us shortly afterwards, but for the time being it would remain a human port. I do not have the capacity of moving my people across the water just yet. Me posted:Two notes here: The first is that since I don't have any other cities right now I can't change the population of the city, and that once you get your boats landed there's no reason to not disband them. There's nothing in the water for them to capture and between the two of them you're losing a good 18 or so gold a turn. *****DAY TWO*****  The initial reports of my scouts tell me that there is a dungeon to the east of the port. With the hope of finding allies or at least some answers of what is going on here we ride off to it, leaving a small garrison behind to hold the port. Inside we find.... things. A sizable number of the Pain Mistresses and numerous apparatuses that I would rather not describe. I do not want to think of why the entrance was not barred.  We left the... inhabitants be. They were of no use to us.  As we left the dungeon I decided to cast a spell of seeing, revealing the lands around us to me. What I found was a blasted wasteland, showing great traces of the corruption of the undead. As informative as this was I needed more, so I conjured up a great eagle and sent it deeper into the corruption.  What it found was unexpected but not unappreciated. The nexus of the undead was present just to our north and only the avatar of the blight was present at the time. This is something that we can deal with. *****DAY THREE*****  As we drew closer to the city a few of the undead from surrounding lands were called back to it, but they would not be enough to sway us. *****DAY FOUR*****  The day started with a noxious cloud settling upon our campsite, bringing pain to our throats but doing little to deter our quest. Only Gorthak was unaffected as we rode through the cloud, my magic unable to fully ward both Tirlas and I. But we all reached the Undead Hive and brought force upon our foe. It put up a decent fight, but in the end it was nothing more than another tally mark for Gorthak, just one more upon countless others that he can lay claim to now.  This land is blighted, but I can keep it under control with my understanding of the powers of death. With one threat handled, we will now turn our attention to the greater threat in this land, the Highmen. *****DAY FIVE*****  My arrival in this land was apparently noticed by them as I found a large siege force heading to the south. Oddly they dispersed towards the east upon me sighting them, allowing for us to reach the healers of the port while they laid waste to the undead holdings. They did not touch the conquered hive, however, before we were able to catch back up with them an defeat them. Me posted:Not shown: A bunch of small battles *****DAY NINE*****  After dealing with the Highmen we traveled north and finally found some rather welcome sights. The tall, pointed towers of my people greeted my eyes as we found a large stronghold nestled up against the mountains.   But before we could enter into the stronghold there were a few straggling remnants of the undead blight in the area. As we vanquished them I found among their number a couple of my own people who had been swayed to follow the cult of death. They received the traitor's mercy. *****DAY TEN*****  Rather oddly we encounter a lone Highman riding along the roads. Upon sight of us he makes no attempt to avoid us, but instead waits along the road for us to approach him. He remains there as Gorthak rides up to him and, oddly enough, the two exchange some words before the Highman bows his head. He says one last thing to Gorthak before holding still, allowing for the Goblin to strike him down with a clean blow. All that Gorthak says to me when he returns is that he granted Atam the atonement that he requested, nothing more. I don't even know how he knew the Highman's name. *****DAY SIXTEEN*****  After negotiations with the stronghold I turned my attentions to the west and the highmen forces there. For some odd reason they were clustered around an altar of light, but were making no move to control it. My scouts reported that they were instead deeply involved in prayer. Distracted as they may be, their numbers were still too great for me to take on directly, at least right now. *****DAY EIGHTEEN*****  For reasons unknown to me, they took no action as I claimed control of one of their cities to the south of me. They did not raise a single head from their prayers as I drove out their people from their homes, and the Highmen left those homes in an orderly fashion, not giving my men a single problem. *****DAY TWENTY*****  To further complicate my understanding of this situation one of my eagles found a large remnant force of the undead to the north of the Archon lands, led by one of the undead champions. They seemed to just be wandering the forests without any goal or cause. *****DAY TWENTY-ONE*****  As I pondered what to make of this situation I led my companions into a ruins we found to the west of the port. They were infested with Kobolds as well as a single troll, but such a group has long since ceased to be a threat to my party.   Their treasures were of decent quality, but nothing too spectacular. *****DAY TWENTY-FOUR*****  I decided to make contact with that wandering group of undead and found that they were in a strange, listless state, but were easily swayed to follow us. Even the fearsome reaper among their number didn't look at any of us, almost like it was ashamed of its state of undeath. The former champion among them only said one word when addressed: "Release" *****DAY TWENTY-EIGHT*****  Something just greatly unsettles me about this land, the behavior of all those present unnerves me in a manner that I have never experienced before. As I guide my forces to surround the still-praying Archons I see them finally rise up from their prayers and prepare their weapons. But it is such a strange and mechanical thing, far too ordered for even their kind. In battle they moved and fought in that same mechanical manner, but a very dangerous mechanical manner as some of my forces found out. Those who slew them said that they gave a strange sigh when they were struck down, like letting go of one's breath.  My desire to leave this land grew as we rode out to engage the last of the Archons, including their leader. His eyes found mine across the battlefield and as I watched him he bowed to me. I have never seen anything like that before, and I was struck with the image of the condemned thanking his executioner in advance for making his death quick.  As with Atam, the killing stroke was delivered by Gorthak. Unlike with Atam, however, the condemned did fight back, but it was obvious that while the body moved, the soul was not in the fight. There was no question as to the outcome.  A worry fills me as I leave this land behind. Will I find more of this as we draw closer to the valley, or was this hopefully just a strange aberration?  Is victory only attainable through me and my forces? From what I hear from my agents and spies, that just may be true. I have always known that I was the only Stormlord with the will to carry out our goals, but am I the only one with the ability to as well?  I can now see one of the fabled entrances to the valley once more, a sight my eyes have not seen in many years. Our final goal is in our grasp, and I am told that Meandor is traveling to join with me for the final assault. Justice will be served soon.  Before we arrive we make one final stop, a thankfully undisturbed ancient gravesite of my people. I do not know who the former champion was, but I can still tell that he was once my kin. We lay him to rest in a new grave, an unknown hero of times past. My two companions and myself continue onward.  I known not which foes lie before us, only that they are surely numerous.
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Oct 7, 2013 15:42
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I enjoyed the oddly surreal tone you gave that mission. 
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Oct 9, 2013 13:06
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That was a crazy fast clear. This whole thing kind of feels like you're just coming in to the big Highmen-Undead war as a maverick and taking your own side.
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Oct 10, 2013 07:08
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The Cult of Storms Mission Eleven: The Storm, Month One Well, it was less than a month (barely) *****DAY ONE*****  Our initial position is deceptively secure. A wide river surrounds us, providing a defense far greater than any wall, at least for a time, but that security is compromised by the tunnels that run throughout these lands. But that works both ways, does it not?    We are not the first to be here, obviously, but unlike those that came before us, I will succeed. *****DAY THREE*****  Early exploration to the Northeast revealed that the large waterway that we were set up in hosts many other large islands as well, aside from the Lizardmen to our north, there is a sizable settlement of Orcs a bit further in, closer to the Valley. A flier has been dispatched to make contact with them and, hopefully, bring them under our banner without difficulty.  The waters are not calm, however, as the fighting spills over into its expanse. Although my people are not native sailors, they have the natural finesse and skill of any other of my kind and have triumphed over our foolish surface cousins, albeit with rather significant damage to the vessel. Not wanting to lose our primary means of naval transport I instructed them to avoid any further contact until they had finished their repairs. *****DAY FOUR*****  After traveling through the underground tunnels for many days we spotted a hint of daylight. Desiring to determine our location we emerged from the depths and found a rather unwelcome sight. The islet that we found ourselves on was devoid of anything of note save for a still-functioning magical sanctuary. Gorthak's keen eyes spotted a settlement of my kin on the eastern shore, but we had no simple means of reaching them, a very bothersome development as he also spotted Dwarven banners flying from the tall towers. *****DAY SIX*****     By now all of the players in this area have become known to me. It does not surprise me that the Keepers are her in force, with the Dwarves to the Southeast, the Halflings in the center, and the Elves to the Northeast, near the edge of the valley. The presence of the Highmen is of no surprise as well, but I am a bit surprised to learn that they are at war with the Keepers as well. Why I can only guess at, but that will no doubt at least partially distract the full might of the keepers for the time being, perhaps long enough for me to deal with the fringes. Me posted:Of particular note is that the Elf AI is set to King whereas the others are set to Lord. That's more bonuses to him to make him even stronger. *****DAY SEVEN*****  A few more days of travel through the underground allowed us to reach another opening to the surface, this one deep within the Dwarven lands. Their king was very close to us, and poorly escorted at that. With how many of their forces were spread out to the north of us, it provided an opportunity.  The closest help to the King was an Elven hero to his north, accompanied by a small siege force, but they were far too far away to assist his liege.  As we ride forth to deal with the Dwarven king, I receive word that the Orc settlement has finally agreed to submit to my banner. Though in the past I would have taken them by force, I cannot afford to split my forces and deal with them. Instead I dispatch a pair of Orc Assassins to negotiate in my stead, relying upon their intimidating presence to get a good result. *****DAY ELEVEN*****  The Dwarven king and his companion manage to reach the relative safety of the walls of his capitol, but that only delays his fate. The four of us ride forward, Gorthak's eyes already sizing up the defenses as he plans to infiltrate them and bring justice to our foes.  Some of the defenders charge out from the safety of their walls, but such foolish heroism gains them nothing but their deaths. The most they have to show for their effort is a rather nasty would to the Executioner accompanying us. As the last of the dwarves fall Gorthak approaches the King and, with a great sweep of his blade, removes one of the obstacles between me and the Valley.  The Dwarven capitol is quite a prize, one that will soon be put to good use supporting my efforts to push into the valley.  And in the center of the capitol is the corpse of the former ruler, the latest of the many monuments to my progress that I have left behind us.  While I oversee the next step in my eventual conquest of these lands I use my magical talents to check on the progress of my scouts. One has long since stopped responding, but the second one is off to the north, raiding the productive farmland of the Highmen. He also informs me that he's seen a great number of Highmen and Elven troops fighting each other to little overall effect. *****DAY TWELVE*****  Who better to move into the former Dwarven stronghold than the Orcs, their eternal enemies? The great forges will blaze with fire once more, but it shall be to outfit a great host of Orcs, not Dwarves. I am a bit dismayed to learn that the settlement of my kin to the north is gone, their homes now occupied by the Lizardmen of all things. *****DAY THIRTEEN*****  The day started with a bit of concern as I received word from the sailors that their sip was being attacked again before they managed to complete their repairs, but that concern was alleviated as a second message came a few hours later with word of their success against a second Galleon, this one not flying any flag of loyalty. I am rather pleased with the competence of my fellow kin as they prove that we are as superior on the seas as we are on land.  Earlier in the tunnels we had discovered a teleporter ring with no indication as to its nature. Finding this to be a rather strange discovery I made a note to investigate it later, being unable to spend the time then with my quest to defeat the Dwarves. With time now I dispatched one of my magical eagles to investigate it. What it discovered made me rather thankful that we bypassed it before. It opened up a dozen feet above the river without any land in sight. Were it not for the eagle's wings it would have surely disappeared beneath the rushing waters. *****DAY FOURTEEN*****  Exploration into the Halfling lands revealed the presence of another Wizards' Tower. A preliminary investigation into it showed that they had a spell of the domain of death to offer us. It seems that even when the undead are not presence they still have some influence upon us. The spell is weaker than those that will have a lasting effect, and the results of it are temporary animations as best, nothing like the abominations that we have encountered. I will consider this further. *****DAY SEVENTEEN*****  Further scouting into the Halfling lands provided me with the identity of their leader, a rather competent mage by the name of Olwyn. He was traveling with a rather large pack of his fellows, including a pair of siege engines. But as dangerous as they might be, we were far more dangerous.  Another message from the Galley crew came to me as we rode forth, a rather hurried one stating that they were being attacked by the elves again and had not managed to complete their repairs. But unlike before there was no concern in that message, simply the briskness of someone who has a task to perform. As such I was unsurprised when a second message came an hour later regretfully informing me that their repairs had been delayed due to complications. *****DAY TWENTY*****  An unwelcome surprise greeted us today, a pack of Dwarven stragglers tried to ambush us as we pushed into the Halfling lands. Unlike their cousins, this group was able to cause harm to me before they were struck down. They received no mercy. *****DAY TWENTY-ONE*****  Before we could engage the Halfling king directly I decided to chip away at his holdings in an attempt to attack his normally cheerful self before dealing with him. I suppose that I am drawing things out a little, but the wound from the dwarves has put me in a rather foul mood. *****DAY TWENTY-THREE*****  Surprising news reaches me today as I learn from one of my spies that the Elves, along with some Dwarven survivors, have assaulted the Highmen stronghold. I must admit that I am more than a little upset that the Highmen are being attacked by the elves, but as more reports come in that feeling diminishes. They are simply not as strong as they have been made out to be and thus what little challenge they may have represented is insignificant compared to the Elves. Me posted:Of interesting note is that the game actually forcibly popped this battle up on me. Never seen it do that before.  Now only two remain, but I take solace in knowing that my foolish cousins will no doubt spend many days to tend to the dead, both their own and the Highmen, before they move on. *****DAY TWENTY-NINE*****  My efforts to unnerve the Halfling leader has finally born fruit. He rides out from his walls with his party, leaving the majority of his forces behind. Perhaps he is not aware of our presence nearby, or perhaps he simply doesn't care. Whatever the reason we engage him out in the fields beyond those walls.  That.... vas very clcse.... Were it nut.... fur my steed.... I wuuld... be ded.... I did nut see it... the bult... Even nuw... I trenble.... everyhing wasled... Stilll hurt  But... Is dune.... Halfing dead... I live... *****DAY THIRTY*****  Must rest. The waters healed my body, now I must recover.
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Oct 29, 2013 21:20
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Wow, that Mace of Power and the Enchanted Plate Mail were lucky finds, some of the best equipment in the game at the start of the map! Now you control one bank of the river, while your surface dwelling cousins control the other. There can be only one! (Cue Highlander music)
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Oct 29, 2013 23:26
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Actually their home city is on the northernmost tip of the side I'm on.
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Oct 29, 2013 23:29
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Glad to see this is still around, it's been one of my favorite LPs to follow 
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Oct 29, 2013 23:30
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Weird that the Highmen start off at war with everyone. Or maybe that's vice-versa, in which case it's less surprising.
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Nov 1, 2013 22:01
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Glazius posted:Weird that the Highmen start off at war with everyone. Spoilers for the Keeper campaign. The High Men and Keepers oppose each other. The Keepers want to preserve the world as it currently exist. The High Men want to purge and remake the world for the humans.
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Nov 1, 2013 22:08
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Yeah, the storyline is interesting in how it only kind of matches up with the racial standings, though that's more for MP than anything else. Highmen are True Good, so they have okay relations with all of the Good races and bad with everyone else, save for the humans whom they also have good relations with. I think the other neutrals are 'Wary' of them to begin with? Undead are True Evil, so like Highmen they have okay relations with the evil races and bad with everything else (Wary with neutrals?), they don't get a special case unlike the Highmen. If you play as Humans, then you have at least calm relations with every race in the game save for the Undead. These standings are modified by actions in the game and, I believe, just by fighting a player of any given race. It's why the Wayward Sons scenario should work but doesn't. Though you're facing neutral factions (Azracs, Lizardmen, Frostlings), they start to take a diplomacy hit with the Dark Elves the longer the game goes on, causing the eventual revolt of the sons.
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Nov 6, 2013 15:00
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Well, considering how the Highmen are harping about the "special destiny" of the humans all the time, it would be weird if those two did not have a special relatinship. And in the end, just like the goals of the undead do not match the goals of the Cult of Storms at all, the Highmen have a different agenda than the Keepers, with the same amount of conflict arising out of that.
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Nov 6, 2013 15:19
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A little teaser for the rest of the mission: Caspar hasn't been feeling himself lately.
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Nov 9, 2013 16:55
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Taerkar posted:A little teaser for the rest of the mission:  Great wordplay, I approve. I love the lvl4 unit of the dark elves.
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Nov 9, 2013 18:16
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Its, so, broken. So hilariously broken. 
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Nov 10, 2013 00:34
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The Cult of Storms Mission Eleven: The Storm, Crescendo Because Month Two and a Half just isn't as neat *****DAY THIRTY-ONE*****  The day starts out with some bad news as a small but potent force of Elves and their allies overrun the Goblins underground, removing my eyes down there.  The war on the seas, however, continues to go in my favor. Yet another Elven ship slips beneath the waters at the hands of their superior kin.  A Spider Priestess has joined my cause as well. Acara arrived underground right as the Goblin defenses fell and wisely withdrew herself into the shadows to join us. *****DAY THIRTY-TWO*****  Another victory at sea, this time with the dispatching of a rogue vessel that was seen with a crew of Halflings upon it. Me posted:Naval combat very much is a matter of having the bigger ship and you start out with the biggest one in this map. As long as it survives the opponent's big ones at the beginning (something you can help with the fliers you have at the beginning) and gains a rank, it'll just chew through the smaller dragon ships the AI loves to build. The extra +1 defense and Marksmanship rank really helps to make the imbalance even more severe. *****DAY THIRTY-THREE*****  No doubt flush from their conquest of the Goblins below, the Elves and their allies emerge from the underground and seek to threaten my lands. The irony of such a situation is not lost on me, but I will also demonstrate to them how to properly conduct such an operation.  Highmen, Dwarves, and Elves oppose Dark Elves and Goblin. Why the Highmen work with the Elves after being defeated by them, I do not understand, but then again, I don't think anyone could ever understand the true intent of the Highmen.  Paladins charge into our ranks, but their holy fervor cannot equal our martial prowess and soon all of their number lies dead. But they delayed us long enough for some Dwarven berserkers to make it among us. Not that they're really all that much of a threat anymore.  Acara gets a taste of the fighting herself, and while her blade does not taste enemy blood, she uses her magic and special talents to help us out. Me posted:I hid her in the back and just tossed off a spell to get some XP. She's just too fragile right now compared to everyone else, and the AI knows that.  This is not the site of a glorious battle, this is the sight of slaughter. One more warning among many to those that might dare to oppose me. *****DAY THIRTY-FIVE*****  vAnother day, another dead brace of halflings. I think Gorthak is making a stew right now. *****DAY THIRTY-SIX*****  Me posted:No IC comment for this. Just a note that it can be important to get a rank into your incarnates just so that they have a better chance of surviving before they possess something. And boats are a nice thing to beat up. *****DAY FORTY*****  A special treat has been prepared for the former Highmen lands. The lands will not be haunted... They will be possessed.  Word comes of a strange madness that takes over the inhabitants of the land and causes them to strike at their fellows. Some whisper that it is the work of the spirits of the Highmen, striking at those that slew them or turned their back on the brothers. *****DAY FORTY-ONE*****  A patrol happens upon one of their fellows, cut and bruised and seemingly aimless in his wanderings.  Questions may be asked about what happened, someone may try to approach the lone wanderer, only to have him go berserk. Then the patrol starts to turn on each other, cutting friend down with crazed eyes until only another wanderer remains. *****DAY FORTY-FOUR*****  And then that process repeats itself, the only hint of what transpired are the bodies of the former allies lying among each other, felled by friendly steel.  Such are the whispered stories of fools, scared souls hiding behind their ales in taverns, afraid to speak too loud. A concern that I and my fellows are not bothered with as we set upon more of our foes below ground. Another group of Elves, Dwarves, and Highmen seek to challenge us from below, but this time we set upon them from the rear rather than lay in wait above. They cannot flee to the surface in time. Me posted:A chance to see the OTHER special map associated with the cave transitions. We've seen the inter-tunnel fight, but here's the fight below ground, shaped by the walls of the caves.  Among their number is some foolish and hapless Elf by the name of Lingolas, a rather foolish name of my kin. Apparently he spent a good amount of time among the frostlings and learned some of their ways. Something that would not help him much here.  More blood of fools water the under ground. The mushroom crop will be quite prosperous this year. *****DAY FORTY-FIVE*****  Another day, another Elven ship slipping beneath the waves. *****DAY FORTY-SEVEN*****   My spies bring to me more rumors from my foes. Apparently they are finding cause to question the Highmen among their ranks as tales have come of many of the Highmen suddenly turning upon their allies and cutting them down, especially the titans that walk among them.  Supposedly a wandering hermit of the Highmen, who did not participate in the fighting from before, sought out the source of these tales, only to fall victim himself.  Or perhaps, some whisper, he joined with those traitors. He may have even been the source of them. *****DAY FIFTY-TWO*****  How much of a hero is the soul, and how much is the body? The potential answer to that question is something that I find to be rather disturbing. Or perhaps the soul is trapped within the body, which I find far less disturbing. Me posted:Yes, he is still a hero unit and levels as such. It's SOOOO broken ****DAY FIFTY-FOUR*****  The Elves make another attempt to break the blockade without any success. The crew does inform me though that they will need to withdraw for repairs soon if this pressure continues. With that in mind I set in motion a plan to relieve that pressure. *****DAY FIFTY-FIVE*****  Even more fantastic tales come from the north. A few Halflings straggle into a town, speaking in frenzied tones about how the very shadows around their hamlet suddenly moved one night and slaughtered so many of them. Only a few survived to flee into the night, and many of those were never seen again. *****DAY FIFTY-NINE*****  Other reports come of a strange rot that has started to infest the siege weapons of the north. Once stout and formidable machines would suddenly splinter and shatter, torn apart by the great forces that each one harnessed, leaving only pieces behind. *****DAY SIXTY-THREE*****  The new month brings no end to the blockade of the Elven lands, though my vessel will soon need to withdraw and repair if my side-plan does not bear fruit soon. *****DAY SIXTY-SIX*****  Fortunately for my crew it does. We are able to secure the magical bridge inside the Elven stronghold, bypassing the accursed forests of light that ring their home. A great host of Elves remains there, but they, like so many others, cower behind their walls, afraid of my presence. *****DAY SEVENTY*****  Any hunter will tell you that the way to get your prey out of whatever hole they hide in is to smoke them out. And indeed such a method can be used with those hiding behind walls.  Or rather to make those that hide behind those walls cry out in pain and agony as those same walls become their tomb with the homes and towers that they seek refuge their funeral pyre. Me posted:So many fire storms. *****DAY SEVENTY TWO*****  How fitting it is for my weak cousins to die with the valley just beyond the hills, the tips of the fabled towers visible to their eyes as the light fades from them.  The last of the Keeper before me and Julia is behind those walls. Aymer is a very capable individual, no doubt my equal in many ways. But unlike me his destiny is to die here.  Orcish siege engines blast a hole in the walls, allowing for their great Warlords to charge into their foes, only to find that a vast majority of the defenders are already dead, cut down by spell, Goblin blade, or Draconic Claw. As such their rage is vented on one individual.  I care not for this city. Its lands are too blighted by the light to be of use to me. I order it razed, the most generous ending I will give to one of my foes.  Nothing stands between me and the Valley now. I will see it once more, and I will make it mine.  Meandor has joined me today and we will ride into the Valley together, paving the way for the future of our people, the Superior people of these lands. ****************************************** And here we are once more, right at the Valley, but this time with nothing but foes before us. I believe, but I'm not positive, that we will have to kill everyone else to win. Remember that when we were the Highmen the Human Air Galleys basically hosed over everyone else. A fate we cannot share. But anyways, it's time for the last round of our favorite game: "What will we spend our points on?" And the choices are quite a doozy!  Yeah, just look at that glorious set of options. 1500 points to spend and so many ways to spend it. First we have our Heroes:  Our main man Vhendor. Without any bonuses he's got 8's in everything, but Enchanted Weapon is a given so that's 9's for Attack and Damage. The only skill he probably could use is Unholy Champion or Extra strike, but whatever.  Gorthak of course comes next, Without spells he's got 9 attack (He always gets the +1 Attack from his leadership), defense, and resistance along with an 8 in damage. The last map has a good number of exploration sites to get stuff from and he's basically run out of skills to pick up. It's quite likely I'll be getting spellcasting for him because why not?  Tirlas has become a very good hybrid character and without spells and Gorthak he's got a 7 Attack and 8s in everything else. He'll likely get a bit more rounded stats and then more spellcasting because really, why not?  The first of our two new heroes is Acara the Spider. She possesses both the Web ability and Life Stealing, the later of which makes getting Extra Strike on a very high priority. Her stats are pretty middling, but she's only lvl 8 right now.  Ahhh Caspar, Caspar the Not Here Anymore. He's actually a bit funny in that he's a hero unit with a tier 4 unit inside of him, so he's a steal in that sense. But to take advantage of that you have to let him die and really, why would you do that? He'll be useful for fighting the undead, but we're most of the evil forces on the map so his other traits won't help in that regard. So... The points: 1500 points total Heroes Gorthak the Black: 662 points Tirlas Nightguard: 537 points Caspar the Not Himself (Incarnate Inside!): 312 points Acara the Spider: 237 points Magic Items Mace of Power, +2 Attack, +2 Damage, +1 Resistance, Magic Strike: 356 points Silver Sickle, +1 Attack, Magic Strike: 85 points Enchanted Plate Mail, +2 Defense, +1 Resistance: 120 points (All magic items will be given to the weakest hero) Units Veteran Dwarven First Born (Incarnate Inside!): 205 points 2x Regular Red Dragons: 235 points each Regular Nature Elemental (Incarnate Inside!): 210 points Regular Basilisk: 203 points 2x Regular Incarnate: 200 points 2x Regular Karagh, 195 points each Regular Shadow: 95 points Spend those points! After this we'll be starting on Age of Wonders 2.
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Nov 15, 2013 21:38
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Gorthak the Black Tirlas the Bland Spend the rest as you see fit.  DEATH TO THE HUMAN SCOURGEedit: Me count good.  my dad fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Nov 15, 2013 |
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Nov 15, 2013 22:12
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 13:25 |
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Goon Incarnate?
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Nov 15, 2013 22:50
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