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Torrannor posted:"Gonkeys" You don't have to go through all the shards. Each shard has 1-4 gates to other shards, leading to progressively more difficult shards until you eventually reach Ainadra. Ainadra is the Mirror Plane, Ardania's 'opposite' and the only place with a portal to it. The AI is pretty bad, but it seems less schizophrenic than in Warlock 1. As long as you aren't actively touching borders the other Great Mages tend to be fairly calm, especially if you manage to get to peace early on.
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Aug 13, 2014 21:43
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They better have fighter planes called Crows later on
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Aug 13, 2014 21:54
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Fun fact: Tendrel bears more than a passing resemblance to his father Vendrel, since Vendrel was also a completely lazy bastard after a few millenia of nigh-invulnerability. Back in Majesty 1 when you found yourself up against Vendrel he'd flap into town and start incinerating things(including in the first five minutes of the game), but eventually grow bored and fly off to his lair to nap for a week or so, leaving you time to build up your forces and seek out the magic sword that would break through his defenses. Of course you'd probably wind up sitting through several raids of his, which could prove costly to your heroes unless you used skeletons from Krypta to soak up his attacks (dragonbreath counted as a ranged attack in the first game, and Skeletons had something like 80% ranged resistance) or had a similar set of heroes from the other temples (high level paladins and monks from Dauros, for instance, or adepts from Lunord, though you already had solarii from Helia on that map). In the mean time you had to hope that he'd just stick to either going after buildings you could easily repair or peasants that were completely free to replace.wiegieman posted:I am looking forward to how you will overcome the soul-crushing grind that is the endgame. Godspeed, man. I haven't played the sequel yet, but I suspect it's something like going all-in on a heavily buffed Legendary Hero, preferably one with multiple AoEs like the one hero that's even more ridiculous than the demon lord thanks to the fact that he eats armies for breakfast and just doesn't die.
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Aug 14, 2014 02:16
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Warlock II has some even crazier heroes; there is at least one hero that is straight up immune to all forms of damage except life and elemental damage, and hes got base 100 elemental resist 
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Aug 14, 2014 03:50
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So in practice how many cities can a shard support? Or do they vary in size?
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Aug 15, 2014 01:32
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LightWarden posted:Lore Stuff It's nice to see that the devs are putting so much effort into referencing previous games, at least. Neruz posted:Warlock II has some even crazier heroes; there is at least one hero that is straight up immune to all forms of damage except life and elemental damage, and hes got base 100 elemental resist I sure hope I can get him. My playstyle is, usually, to minimize casualties via artillery and elite units, in every game. Exceptions would probably be "the ablative peasants" in Eador: Masters of the Broken World and peasants in my first ever (and non SA) LP of Medieval. Glazius posted:So in practice how many cities can a shard support? Or do they vary in size? No clue, so as much as you can cram while gaming the distance limitations. Shards are supposed to vary in size: all three so far have been classed as "tiny". I don't remember them getting much bigger later on, tho. Chapter 7: Taking the Land of The Dead   The troops were pushing on the renegade undead forces. The skeletons and “veteran” skeletons were hardy warriors (in part because they didn’t have any soft parts) but under the relentless onslaught of the Svarts they crumpled and re-died. Destroying the mysterious crypts that spawned the restless dead was also of paramount importance. The dwarves wondered if this Shard had been a part of word ruled by the undead before destruction at the claws of Dremers. No matter the truth, they had to kick over gravestones and collapse burial chambers.  “Aye, lads, don’t forget lootin’ an’ grave robbin’. Anythin’ shiny or magical goes to the Lich”.  While Svart axes drove the dead back, Svart hammers drove posts and nails down. A new fortress had been established, to keep watch on the largest crossing in the area. It would also support Silver Silks in defense of a narrow pass near the city.   Silver Silks was a city bustling with potential. With only other “real city” to contend with being Regret, it was in a prime position to make a most of the profits in Howling sorrows. It was in a prime transit spot for any sort of passing exiles that wanted to settle in Burnouts (and Burnouts didn’t have clouds like screaming skulls, making it a popular destination). It had a silver mine and a market that sprung up to capitalize on exiles, silver making, as well as a river that ran all the way to the Gate. In short, the wealth placated Svarts unhappy with the name of their city.  And a spell that helped resist elemental magic (originally made by a wizard who liked to roast his meats in a volcanic demiplane) would placate Svarts unhappy with fireballs.  Rurik’s Men had just pillaged and destroyed another cementary. But their work wasn’t done yet – there were still skeletons milling about. Rurik urged his men to chase them down:  “Forward, lads, the day isn’t done! There’s killing to be done!” And even more troops were pouring in from training facilities in Lichgrad. “I don’t know what I’m more afraid off beyond the gate: skeletons or Veremoud”  Veremoud was recovering in the new fortress. To aid both him and the people manning the fortress, King Lich transformed the surrounding countryside. Instead of barren planes, hills covered with gently swaying grass rolled as far as eye could see. This didn’t go unnoticed by Sir Hugue, who was traveling south on a mission:  “They should have placed the fortress on the hills, not at the foothills” “Vampirium, huh? Well, a knight’s duty is to kill vampires and save damsels. Unless those vampires are in his lord’s employ and damsels are extraplanar invaders”Sir Hugue sighed. “Being a knight in Ardania is confusing”And so he rode past the skeleton roadsign (it was a skeleton holding a plank) and towards the city in the distance.  At the same time, the campaign to take the west of the Shard had come to an end and the Svarts were camping out, dressing their wounds, repairing armor, waiting for reinforcements… …and a supply train full of pumpkinshine to wash away the grime of the fight.   “Lord!” “M’lord!” “Oh no” “M’lord, we should reestablish the tradition of Rune Warriors!” “Yes, Rune Warriors! Not as armored as Honorable Warriors, but clad in Runes!” “Ruuunes!” “Besides, the lads could use some magical assistance on the front, and you can’t be at all places at once!” “Well, we know you can, maybe not cast magic all the time, but…” “We event collected this sack of gold here to incentivize you!” “It’s somewhat smaller since Rune Warriors aren’t dragons nor that great when fighting dragons”  “Lichtower to Talon-1, anything to report? “Affirmative, Lichtower. Talon-4 pinged the gate to another shard” “Anything of note, Talon-1?”  “Yeah, whoever tries to cross it is hosed” “Can it, Talon-2. Lichtower, the gate is connected to the shard by a narrow strip of land. Hostile land, condition necro” “Rodger that, Talon-2” “Uh, wait, Lichtower, something is coming through…” “Another cursed gate? I am starting to think that Fire Elementals in portals to demiplanes were preferable to this” “Are you going to solve it, my lord?” “Not yet, master smith. Don’t want to risk curses while we’re still pacifying the Shard” Sir Hugue and his donkey, Sir Sumall, had just ridden down another bunch of skeleton troopers. The undead were slow to react to the rider and his compact steed, and thus were easy targets for the lance. Then, a glimpse of shining steel cought Sir Hugue’s eye. His got off his noble steed and went on his knees to sift through the rubble. After throwing away a few skeleton heads that still had some fight in them (and their jaws), he found a shield. An enchanted shield, no less, because it had retained its shining exterior after years of use by skeletons (not really known for cleaning their arms)? His new shield in (on) hand, Sir Hugue continued his one man siege of Vampirium.  It didn’t take long, for the city was defended only by skeletons, and those didn’t appear to be well organized. After slaying the last immediate defender, sir Hugue rode down the streets of Vampirium, but he didn’t find a living soul (or a dead one, for that matter). He felt that the answers he seeks could only be found in the huge manor overlooking the city.  “I hear your last alliance didn’t end well… for Sol and Amberon, at least” “Sol was tired from the fight against Dremer and Miralbus. As for Amberon, well, he was your prisoner” “I really didn’t think that a man who wasted the Arethi was worthy of better jailers than gnomes and goblins” “Still, the gods rescued me. Rescued me and sealed the United one in Ardania, that’s why we have to fight his proxies. And, lest we forget, you had a lot of help from both Helia and Krolm” “I will admit that they did their part” “And now we’ll do ours. Join me, and we’ll crush the United One, together!” “I am weary of alliances… but I will show you a small bit of faith. Let it be, we have an alliance” And while peace was finalized, preparations for other wars were still ongoing. On hall overlooking Lichgrad rose new barracks where drill sergeants (accustomed to command Svarts working with drills) had the unusual task of imparting some of the miner discipline and coordination into Svart exiles, renegades and burnouts that finally decided to join the military.  They used, of course “King Lich VI’s Approved Drill Manual For Svart and Non-Svart Auxiliary Forces”. Printing presses, huge and complex machines of steel and steam, were printing the manuals on best Svartish paper (actually, Planestriders were the ones who developed paper, Svarts just made it sturdier). The covers were all carved from the hide of Shadows of Vendral while the binding was done with large cast iron nails that Volundr forged himself. It was as Svart a book as it could get without being printed entirely on steel. Many copies of the book, loaded on sprocket donkeys, were sent to frontline units, where officers used them to drill their troops who were, at the time, enjoying downtime.   "The Rangers Guild suffered the most damage during the Troubles. Its Guildmeister and all senior masters perished; the Guild's very heart - the Emerald Glade Refuge - was laid waste by fire. Along with its flowing canopies, the guild's most precious possessions were destroyed -- including Ardania's map archive and all manner of prized treatises in cartography. Consequently, the Rangers have been unable to perform their annual land-mapping work. Thus they have been brought low, and are now known simple hunters, while Ardania has been plunged in to the darkness of the unknown." From "The Overall Description of Everything" by Master Alfus Bumblegate.  “Lichtower, this is Razor-1” “Come in, Razor-1” “We have spotted Krell’s forces, I repeat, Krell’s forces. They’re taking casualties, a company of ‘wing clippers’ was just wiped out by ‘double vets’ in a necro-marsh. “I read you, Razor-1. What’s the composition of forces?” “I read two companies of ‘pot heads’ and at least one other of ‘clippers’. “Any HQ elements in area?” "You will love Ardania, where you were born; You will never retreat before your enemies; You shall not lie, and will always be true to your words; You will be generous and work for the good of the people; At all times you will be a warrior for good and justice; You will be protector to the weak and the strong alike". (From "the vow of the Chosen Warrior") “Apparently the command element is one hero-class ‘pot head’.  Crows, however, weren’t the only means of gathering information. For example, a new craftsmen district sprang up in Uglin. It produced various Svart goods that were ‘safe’ to export. So not only Svarts, but other people wanted and were able to buy them. At first, there wasn’t much of a maket in outsiders, especially since Planestriders of Regret seemed to be mostly interested in shawing razors and hemp rope. But alliance with Krell opened the opportunity to trade with humans living on another shard.  And traders traveled, talked and watched. They saw Krell’s realm so fortuitously situated in Fading, a land of gentle perpetual autumn, with gentle colors that brought bittersweet calm to one’s heart. Krell had established several cities already. They might have been troubled by bears…  "What Mages lack in personal grooming skills, they more than make up for in explosive potential. The most powerful Mages are one-man wrecking crews, with the ability to flatten a town with just a few spells. Unfortunately, when they start going a bit dotty, they become a real hazard to anyone -- and anything -- that passes their gaze. That is why, in his infinite wisdom, Brashnard created Ardanias first retirement home for Mages. Thick iron walls, comfortable chairs, and exciting social activities for the retired wizards in your family!" (From a brochure discovered among the collected works of His Majesty's Advisor) …but Krell’s people had already established institutions for higher learning and attracted their first mages (who, like a more explosive version of scribes and scholars, were attracted by research funding). And such splendor was hardly surprising, seeing how the shard was blessed with various resources, like pumkins, wild domesticated pig…  …and iron.  Loads and loads…  ...of iron. “I hope the abundance of the stuff doesn’t bring any strange ideas to Krell’s head” But that was far from the mind of sir Hugue Dry Branch who had discovered why Vampirium seemed abandoned… JcDent fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Aug 15, 2014 |
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Aug 15, 2014 11:45
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Wow, Krell's shard is gorgeous! I take it building more cities on our home plane is not a priority, since we can settle these lands safely later? And also because they suck compared to the apparently neutral lands of Krell?
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Aug 15, 2014 12:53
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Is warlock 2 worth it or should I go with the first game if I had to choose one? Reception to this game seems overwhelmingly negative, but a lot of it is 'it's just an expansion pack wahhh'.
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Aug 15, 2014 16:54
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Drakenel posted:Is warlock 2 worth it or should I go with the first game if I had to choose one? Reception to this game seems overwhelmingly negative, but a lot of it is 'it's just an expansion pack wahhh'. This game is much better than Warlock but it is also actively infuriating because there are an obnoxious amount of ridiculously OP bullshit physical immune spirit magic shards/ancient bullshit gods/event enemies with hundreds of hitpoints/gold dragons in the very first shard you travel to and there isn't a decent guide for this game anywhere on the internet, so expect to get blindsided by it over and over again. That sort of thing doesn't actually kill you, though, and if you find it less infuriating it should be a good time.
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Aug 15, 2014 17:03
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Drakenel posted:Is warlock 2 worth it or should I go with the first game if I had to choose one? Reception to this game seems overwhelmingly negative, but a lot of it is 'it's just an expansion pack wahhh'. Everything UberJew said is true, but Warlock 2 - while looking expansion packey - is way better than Warlock 1. If you don't play shards mode (and go for the regular as random map campaign), you'll have superior experience to Warlock 1. Unless you want the Dremer invasion and there's no reason for that.
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Aug 15, 2014 17:19
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Good to know, thanks both of you. I do enjoy non-space 4x's that aren't civilization. (Though I've a soft spot for Alpha Centauri) and I figure it could be worth a bit of amusement.
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Aug 15, 2014 17:24
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Glazius posted:So in practice how many cities can a shard support? Or do they vary in size? They vary in size a bit, but it's not very noticeable except for the largest size which are pretty rare. Number of cities can vary pretty wildly depending on how you define 'support', though. If you want a full three-ring radius for each city, you can fit in three or four depending on terrain and chasms on a small shard, with an additional two or so for each size up. If you just pack in free cities/forts/temple cities, which never expand, you could fit in three times as many. Also, keep in mind there's a maximum number of regular cities you can support (the 4/5 in the top right corner); exceed that number and you start accumulating increasing gold and unhappiness penalties. The max can be raised with the right research, though, and you can also find treasures in monster lairs to further increase it, though they're pretty drat rare.
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Aug 15, 2014 23:34
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Wait, so we get a desert and a corpseworld and he gets Iron and nice orange hills? How do we compare to that guy and his cities? Powerwise?
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Aug 16, 2014 03:02
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Eyeballing it, it looks like he has more tech, and probably more income, being an AI, but we have control of an expansion shard which I don't think he does, and we haven't colonised our home shard much either. Still, all that iron is going to make his units a good bit tougher if he uses it on upgrades, and as an AI he probably has the money to field an army big enough to put all that iron on. Most of what we've fought up to now has been fairly run of the mill smashy enemies, which our heavily armored svarts will be quite resistant to, but those mages, if they're anything like their warlock 1 counterparts, will hurt like buggery if you get hit with them. For my money, I wouldn't want to fight him on open ground if I could avoid it, it'd be a long slog, and it should be quite simple to contain him on the shard with a fortress or two around his gate. He's tough, but closer to his maximum potential than we are, we have lots of room for expansion, and it would be better to simply eclipse him rather than waste time fighting him. OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Aug 16, 2014 |
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Aug 16, 2014 03:30
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Neruz posted:Warlock II has some even crazier heroes; there is at least one hero that is straight up immune to all forms of damage except life and elemental damage, and hes got base 100 elemental resist After smashing all but one cornered opponent in the first game, I decided to go mess around and farm demiplanes while I waited to see what other high level heroes show up. While not as defensively powerful as some units, Skeleton King cleaves adjacent foes on his regular attack, meaning I could buff him up with spells and stuff and just throw him into a high-level zone and watch him kill three dudes every turn.
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Aug 16, 2014 04:48
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Well, let's hope the next world has some neat stuff to mine.
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Aug 17, 2014 04:42
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Drakenel posted:Good to know, thanks both of you. I do enjoy non-space 4x's that aren't civilization. (Though I've a soft spot for Alpha Centauri) and I figure it could be worth a bit of amusement. Slytherin(e?) has released a poor man's Alpha Centauri, can't remember the name (Pandora something). It's edgy as gently caress, so you can LP it, all in honor of upcoming Beyond Earth. Chapter 7: Like Mages Are Wont To Do  With alliance secured, Svart forces began to move into the Southern Plains of Death (surprisingly many places wore the „of death” moniker). Caught between the hammer of the humans and anvil-sized hammers of the Svarts, the undead stood no chance.  Anticipating the crushing defeat of the unaligned undead (who were still a mystery to anyone well versed in Necromatic arts), Krell’s humans established Baytown, their first city outside fading. Situated in an area surrounded by dead swamps and bottomless chasms, it was a much less cheerful place than the name would suggest.  The dead were down to the last skeletons, so King Lich deemed it prudent to finally order something done about the gate. Mainly, sir Hugue was to read the inscription on the nearby monument.  Shock of all shocks, it worked, and the road to the rest of the shards (and, hopefully, Ardania) was open.  Unfortunately, the road itself was mostly tainted by the touch of death, so not entirely suitable for leisurely travel. In truth, it claimed many of the number of exiles that would come through the gates expecting dangers of the more mundane (and stabbable) nature. King Lich VI, however, had already shown himself as paragon of un-lichness, so he turned the death lands into pleasant rolling plains post haste.  Lands of death, however, were still being put to good use… in Regret.  “Used to be that Immaterials bathed in pools like that…” “Well, I don’t want them mucking up my mana” And places far removed from areas where ground itself wants to devour your life, Svarts were having their own issues. “Truly these are the lands of life. Look at the size of all that grain” “We’ll need bigger sprocket donkeys to carry it all to the barn!” “Forget the donkeys, how will we manage to drink away all that vodka?” “HEEELP, the pea wine got me!” “Oh, right, that. I’ll get the axe…” “Well, I don’t really have non-living troopers right about now, but Volundr keeps giving me strange looks and talking about Inscrutable Enjinns and steam stacks. Might be useful later on, and why not help an ally? Maybe this will delay the almost inevitable betrayal” “I agree to the trade, Krell. May we all prosper from it”.  Talon flight was the first one tasked with checking out the new gate. “Lichtower, Lichtower, this is Talon-1, doing a line check” “Reading you loud and clear, Talon-1” “Talon wing, translation successful, no casualties. Ground scanning radar indicates a tropical shard, fitting description of “Long Shores” “Rodger, marking “Long Shores”, Talon-1”CRASH “We heard something, Lichtower, everything alright?” “Just technical difficulties, Talon-1. Did not manage to get the quill and the inkpot dropped on the floor. Continue sweep” “Copy that” “Another day in the service” “Talon-2, I’m pretty sure you’re illiterate, so shut your beak” “Talon-2, Talon-3, clear the air, we’re on a mission” “Besides, I’m picking up a reading on a ‘jawsome’. Gonna have to prep the Navy, so it seems”Kari stared, incredulously, at the arrow in his chest. It wasn’t a metal bolt fired by a drunk prospector. It wasn’t a sinister barbed arrow launched a by an Archer of the Plains in ambush. Unhardened iron bodkin point, a simple wood shaft, a goose feather at the end – the most simple of human arrows, and here it was, stealing Kari’s life away.  “Ambush!”It was too little, too late. Human warriors with helmets not unlike metal platters fell on the Prospectors, and so did their blades. It was war. “Fervus take them, I knew it!” The response was immediate. Fresh troops that had just clearing the undead threat away from Silver Silks pass were sent to the front. Following them were veteran troops, Rurik’s and Veremoud’s Men, Grave Crushers and others, hardened in previous conflicts. Prospectors were flanking them to provide support. The entire Svart war machine was slowly turning its attention towards Baytown and the traitors.  The push for the Western hills had proven that the healing spell King Lich still remembered wasn’t nearly up to the task of serving the attacking forces well. As luck would have it, the king had started research into a new, more potent spell. “Kindrik’s Re-knitting” would suture wounds and re-set bones, and was very useful in Kindrik’s household, as serfs kept falling off the castle roof while cleaning them.  “M’lord, we’re pushing the enemy the enemy towards Baytown. We’re engaging hunters wherever we can, but the warriors are more difficult, especially with all the quality iron that the enemy has. The troops are also worry about the hero leading the troops.” “Ser Hugue is being retasked as we speak. How about recruitment numbers?” “We’ve increased the number of criers to drump up support, but the amount of new recruits barely changed…” “Ahem”Suddenly, all color drained from Rurik’s face. “Oh no” “My name is Haraldr Brour Invars, and I represent a group of concerned citizens…”What followed was a lengthy and confusing speech about freedom, trade, self determination, tyranny of monarchs and mages, trade, taxes, choice and a mishmash of other things. Apparently, some Svarts took the example of self-governing Fortress cities to heart and decided they wanted to have their own free cities. Trouble was that free cities usually got taken over by monarchs, mages or monsters. So they needed a patron, and while that was distasteful (and contrary to their wishes not to pay taxes), they had to swallow the pill. “…to sum it up, the city will not have obligations to your realm and your realm will not have obligations – nor rights – on the city, except those granted by the Mercenary Charter of Protection, according to which we’ll pay money for services of your armed forces” “And those aren’t taxes?” “No, no, no, no, “payment for services rendered”, a totally different thing” “Rurik, what should we do?” “I’d say we let that coot take what he wants. I know him and he has become a constant problem as of late. We can’t risk upheaval with war on our hands. Let him have the piece of desert that wants”And so the first free city was established.  The front of war was moving. Even though the surrounded Svarts weren't the most experienced of troops…  …they were still Svarts. They’d raise their shields, and charge, and crush anyone before them. Hunters, all but robbed of their advantage in range, were slaughtered easily.  “I must agree, that is a massive fist” “Krolm might not be the patron god of Svarts, but he’s still one our favorite. And the architecture of those devoted to him isn’t very subtle” “So what do those zealots do with an entire city devoted to their god?” “Well, these are devotees to Krolm, lord. They fight, they push a giant wheel, they solve riddles named after metals, they oil muscles, brew beer… basically everything that pleases Krolm” “The added benefit is all of that devotion can be barely contained and condenses on the fist into mana. The zealots have no use for it, so they put it into empty beer barrels and ship it to you” “Isn’t that dangerous for them?” “M’lord, these are people who use fire elementals to roast steaks. I don’t think mana can penetrate their grit”  “These creatures rock on the waves so quietly that you can easily mistake them for harmless sea cows, and unfortunately many people do. A fatal mistake”. (Notes from “Resorts of Other Worlds”, published in “King’s Voice In Exile” “Lichtower, we have noticed ‘floters’ and a reef’. “Rodger that, Talon-1. Keep your distance” “And now there’s a city devoted to Dauros?” “I guess they were inspired by Krolm’s followers. It is a magnificent statue, isn’t it?” “Almost wish we could have those on both sides of the gate, for symmetry”. Sir Hugue had arrived and Svarts – six companies of Honorable Warriors being present – were pushing humans against the mountains. They only needed to crush a what was left on the enemy soldiers.  Unfortunately, magic got in the way. The lands quaked gently as Krell’s magic lowered the mountains and created Regret pass for the hero and surviving Hero guild warriors to beeline into the territories controlled by King Lich. At the same time, wizards were spotted at the south and had to be chased down with extreme prejudice.  With the donkey easily navigating rocky ground, Sir Hugue caught up with the Chosen Warrior in Krell’s employ.  “Won’t you dismount and face me honorably, or have stubborn knights forgotten their wows?” “Vile cur! Don’t you dare speak of honor when actions of your master speak of treason! Defend yourself and die like a man!” “Ha! Be warned: I was an officer in King’s army!” “Then there’s little surprise why the army was lost. Charge!” The clash of heroes didn’t hold King Lich’s attention for long as random patches of ground became frozen for no apparent reason.  “Elpiritster! That damned ghastly fool! Should have known he’d be captured alive” “Rurik, send out the men! We need to dredge that spell out of somewhere and we need to do it now!” The war was trudging on. Yet it was the prospectors who bore the brunt of it. Ambushed by means both physical and magical, a lot of them were no longer in service. The survivors became very adept at spotting ambushes and any far away enemies, always keeping one eye on the horizon.  Not everyone was that lucky. One company of Honorable Warriors charged forward to besiege Baytown. But Baytown was a wretched town surrounded by swamps and marshes. Farms were barely eking out an existence there and peasants remembered the fruitful lands of Fading very fondly. This also made for bad battlefield terrain. Short and heavy, Svarts got bogged down in the mud, barely reaching the outer walls. And then, they didn’t have the strength nor freedom of movement to defend themselves from magic and arrows that fell on them. The swamp quickly claimed their armor clad bodies.  Another armor clad man was raging outside the walls of Dauheimur. Unable to cross the gate and wreak havoc in Burnouts and constantly peppered with arrows from the fortifications (manned by Rurik’s Men after they finished a forced march), he unleashed his rage by assaulting and destroying a Svart settler convoy.  At the same time, King Lich had done seething and come up with a plan to take Baytown. “You think your swamps will protect you and your frog farms? Not for long. Krell isn’t the only one who can twist land around and I’ve been doing for far longer”With a mighty crackle of magic the waters trained, muck turned into fertile soil, trees straightened and grew lush green leaves, and soft green grass spread as far as eye could see. Several companies of Svarts marched on Baytown, because even an open plain was a huge advantage to the disciplined and heavily armored troops.  Lancel was scared. Sir Hugue managed to chase him here, but his avenue of retreat was cut off by a marauding band of skeletons. He tried to lose the pursuing knight in the mountains, but…  …Grand Stubborn Master caught up with him as he tried to ford the river near Silver Silks. A company of hunters tried to provide cover with their arrows, but those just bounced off the plate that covered both knight and steed. “Stand fast, you coward!” And soon, Lanceles could stand no more.  With his hero dead, his forces in Sorrow crushed and his city on the brink of collapse, Krell begged for peace. King Lich, seeing the search of a unique spell a priority, agreed. *** A hooded man in an inn in Inver-on-Linn, cursed and slammed his mug of ale on the table.  “drat useless mages, can’t even fight their own king worth a drat…”
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Aug 17, 2014 07:29
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So can you barricade Krel in his own shard or does he have another outpost here you need to take care of? The tropical shard looks really neat. Are there races that can build on sea tiles? Also, does the amount of mana you get from a temple city depend on its size, or is it fixed?
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Aug 19, 2014 00:06
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Hmmm. Haven't played this one or the last, but the LP is making them look pretty interesting if they go on a good steam sale. Looks like a fantasy version of Civilization 5 with more emphasis on fighting than building and research.
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Aug 19, 2014 00:15
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Eek, I wouldn't have taken peace myself. Not before I could secure the gate anyway. He's going to send lots of annoying troops into your shard and then declare war again. I think building the Mage-inot line might be appropriate here.
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Aug 19, 2014 01:17
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Glazius posted:So can you barricade Krel in his own shard or does he have another outpost here you need to take care of? Shard blockading is tricky. eventually he'll fill up all the empty spaces, and the portal will teleport him in beyond the lines.
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Aug 19, 2014 02:14
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Last time I was playing on normal, and I had one or two fortresses overlooking the gate. Then again, it was on normal, so the enemy mage was his own biggest foe.
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Aug 20, 2014 06:22
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Chapter 8: Dead Tensions  "Runes used by the Svarts differ from, say, Elvish runes. If for the latter runes are just the embodiment of magic spells that require mana, the Svarts grasped the essence of the elements and learned how to make runes that are actual sources of energy. There are hundreds of varieties of such runes. Some make blades sharper, others can strengthen any armour, some reduce the weight of things, or radiate pure light." (from "Chronicles of New Worlds" written by Master Vardies Teleran) A new company was presented before King Lich VI in the square in front of his of his tower. Arrayed in serried ranks, before him stood… women. “Well, that’s something new. I’m more used to singular, well armed messengers of Krolm and angry gnome housewives…”Row upon row of Svart women stood there, clad in leather armor, faces hidden under heavy metal helmets. Their hands firmly gripped poleaxes. And axehead was inscribed with runes that gleamed with sinister fire.  “Svart women aren’t your puny human or elf waifs. Svart women are strong, strong in magic of the runes! Some are stronger than others, of course, but even those not as skilled in magic are more than a match for what others can field. So they make axes, inscribe them with runes, and go to war” “Their armor doesn’t look that safe…” “They’re not some squishy human princesses! All a Rune Warrior needs is her runes. See those pouches?”The king indeed saw small pouches hanging off the belts of women. “Rockworm blood mixed with metal dust. They use it to draw runes on the armor. Makes it very strong, before the rune burns off” “Now listen here and listen well: our women can break any line you want, but don’t you dare leave them unsupported. Lord or not, I’ll make you King Lich VII” King Lich paid little mind to Svart’s warnings – he felt certain that he had enough loyalists and magic to protect him – and went on to collect “the incentive” promised for drafting Rune Warriors.  “Cursed skeletons! How did they get a boat?” “Maybe they strapped some skins to some bones…” Ship engineering remained a mystery since the nearby garrison noticed it and sunk the skeletons with ballista fire.  “Lichgrad Herald reports: Our King casts spell on Uglin that will increase crop yelds! What does that mean to local denaturated alcohol production and local drunks? Also: is grain vodka cause of impotence? Experts claim: this is a curse of yamshine spirits!” And while King Lich was working to increase the life quality of his stunty subjects, random spell attacks continued, this time turning patches of ground into desert. This had the unforeseen consequences of sobering up a few drunks, who immediately flooded the usual haunts to restore status quo.  “My lord, the scouts have returned! They have found the spell we were looking for! Well, that and this here war hammer. Not sure where the found that” “So, where is that spell?” “There were some... Complications” “When is it ever easy…” “Er, an ogre came in and kidnapped the witch. Something about unrequited love. Our scouts have tracked it, and it wasn’t hard…” “Oh yes, I know very well how it is with ogres and maidens” “First, we’ll bombard the ogre with spells, and then, we’ll get the witch by force!” If only everything had been that easy. Krells troops had been seen sneaking around the borders and looking for a good way to get inside the lands.  Some even tried to buy silks at the new silk farm, but it was well known that spider silk had magical properties, and as such wasn’t sold to outsiders. There was no diplomatic way to of barring their entry, so King Lich VI was forced to just shuffle troops around, placing them to block avenues of advance and firmly turn the human troops away.  This was especially strange considering that Krell agreed to another Non-Agression treaty. Still, the mage had been treasonous before, attacking while ink was still on the paper.  “Let them come again. This time, there will no mercy for treacherous curs, false knights and breakers of oaths”.  “With my hammer I’ll crush them to pulp and dust!”  “Ladies, draw your runes, fire your axes, we go to war!”So they did. They assaulted the ogre just as he exited his hut. He was a formidable opponent, but the swings of his club only scattered Svart women around, magical proctection absorbing most of the harm. And flaming axes slowly but surely cut the giant down…   “Finally, the spell!” “I’m sorry to report, my liege, but there are complications…”King Lich VI started grinding teeth.  “The witch says that she wants compensation for moral damages, as well as funds to repair her house. That and something about the spell using a proprietary scroll technique, whatever that means” “Sigh… How much does she want to extort from us?” “A thousand pieces of gold?” “A THOUSAND?! Suddenly, I regret you Svarts not having talented torturers…” Howling Sorrows and Burnouts were lands preparing for war. Long Shores, however, were slowly scouted out by crow flights. They had barely left the shore when they ran into trouble:  "It appears that Sea Serpents are distant relatives to the native dragons of Ardania, which have been thought extinct since before the times of the Great Kings." From "The Overall Description of Everything" by Master Alfus Bumblegate. ‘Sausages’…   …and ‘kill swarms’, in addition to ten other kinds of nasty.  Krell’s dismissive attitude didn’t bode well, so preparations were getting done fast.  Like researching “Morlok’s Shield of Overprotection”. While it lacked the total immunity offered by Dauros’ spells, it also didn’t stunt the person who it was cast on. Some over protective mage parents thought it was actually a flaw in the spell, but other, more military minded wizards and witches found it useful in both offense and defense.  Impending war or not, but life went on. A new town was established to capitalize on nearby magical plains as well as whatever could be found in the nearby burrow.  “No, we don’t have the money and won’t have it for a long time, tell her to go away”.  Meanwhile, the trend of free cities far slowly catching up. Thankfully, it was mostly draining away deviants and other social detritus. The new city, situated dangerously close to the edge of the shard, was dedicated to free love, smoking cactus drugs and wild domesticated pig racing.   "Giant turtles are commonly used by Koatls as work animals, but they can easily be turned to unstoppable ravaging war beasts." (From "The Overall Description of Everything" by Master Alfus Bumblegate) “A turtle!” “A giant turtle!” “Leg it, boys!” “Ice, deserts, now plains of life… what’s next?” “Heeelp! A grape wine! Let go, you monstrous… wine! “Oh, right, this again…” “Two can play the mountain killing game.” “Not that I have mountains I really need to lower” “Krolmdamn” “That magic testing area dome… it sure is disturbing to see” “Screw your magic dome, the turtle is upon us, again!” “AAAARGH”And so did the last of Svart Prospectors that had pledged their crossbows to King Lich VI died.  To avenge their deaths, Sir Hugue was sent with orders to slay the beast. The burden of duty laid on his shoulders almost as heavily as the hammer.  “Lads, the war is not far away, I can smell it, you can smell it, and the King can smell it – and he doesn’t even have a nose” “What do we do, knyaz?” “You continue with your practice, lads. And pack in everything you need for healing. Try got get health potions, too. We’ll need everything we could get in the coming war”. “Trust me, you don’t want to find yourself underequipped once blood starts flowing”  “It seems they’re massing mages, and at an alarming rate, too” “One thing you must know about humans is that they’re quite hasty and callous when power is in question. More mage academy students end up as flaming corpses than mages, but it is a fast way to mage wizards” “How about goblins?” “Goblins are too stupid to understand that there might be something wrong about the amount of casualties they get”.  “This might come in useful if that daft ghost starts throwing more dangerous spells around. I don’t expect Dremer to be trouble anymore”.  “Lads, we will take Baytown this time. And mark my words, there will be fighting between those walls. You there, new guy, let me tell you something about fighting inside the city…” Training grounds were established between the Honorable and Rune Warrior guilds. Troops used it for training with heavier gear and more advanced tactics. The plains of life on the way to barracks were used for dangerous amounts of frolicking.   “Rurik, was is the aspiration of a honorable warrior?” “To become part of the Elite Guard” “And not death? I’m relieved” “Dying is for the enemy that faces us with inferior tactics and arms. Why do you ask, lord?” “This war… I feel it is inevitable. And it’s going to be brutal. I want the troops to know that I value their service. Just in case some of them don’t return” “My lord, they’re already honored to serve” “Never the less. Send the word to the veteran formations and get the forges started”  "Troops of Elite Guards are the pride and joy of the Svart army. Only the most experienced and strongest warriors from the Honourable Svarts are recruited into these units, because according to the tradition, in addition to other tasks, the Elite Guards are protecting the King-in-Stone, and therefore, armed only with shields and one-handed axes, they must prevail in a battle against any enemy, no matter what technologies or magic they use." (from "Chronicles of New Worlds" written by Master Vardies Teleran) “Honorable Warriors! You are the backbone and the iron fist of my kingdom. No man nor lich can expect to have troops as devoted and brave as you are. Truly, I am honored by your service and your achievement.” “And I want to show you my gratitude. Elite Guards served the King-in-Stone, but he failed you. I hope to meet your expectations and more. So when you kneel, today, as Honorable Warriors, you rise as Elite Guards!” Mages traveling to Gatehouse were met by sir Hugue.  “Hail, ser knight. What do you want with us this day? Taxes or maybe a document inspection? Or maybe you came to extol the virtues of serving the dead?” “I came for the only tax my lord needs from you” “And what is that?” “Your head” All along the border, Svarts surged from their positions and killed, killed, killed. Warriors and hunters fell under axe, crushed and cleaved into bloody pulp.  Mages were swept away as their spells, hurried out of surprise, failed to found purchase in Svart armor. The front was pushed all over. “I pray I did not doom them all…”
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Aug 20, 2014 16:21
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Crush that backstabbing bastard. Not our loyal Svart Prospectors! I think you should simply contain the humans on their shard and start cleaning up that nice tropical shard. A pruning of the wildlife seems in order.
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Aug 20, 2014 22:38
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King Lich's warm and fuzzy side really starts to shine when he's not surrounded by goblins 
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Aug 20, 2014 23:26
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Torrannor posted:
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Aug 20, 2014 23:28
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Wow, just found this LP and it's pure magic. Definitely going to pick up Warlock 2 - I really nejoyed the first, and this seems like more of the same goodness. Just started playing AoW 3 and this seems similar in nature which can't but be a great thing.
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Aug 21, 2014 01:56
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Dang. I guess there's no real penalty for breaking a non-aggression pact?
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Aug 21, 2014 03:33
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When I first tried out the campaign, the first Great Mage I came up against was King Lich actually. It was sort of ironic, because I had just recruited a Shaman hero that did Life damage and well with the majority of his forces being undead you can imagine how the rest of it went... And then I got a dracolich as a reward from clearing a monster lair.
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Aug 21, 2014 06:47
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HiKaizer posted:When I first tried out the campaign, the first Great Mage I came up against was King Lich actually. It was sort of ironic, because I had just recruited a Shaman hero that did Life damage and well with the majority of his forces being undead you can imagine how the rest of it went... That's nothing, I got that desert goddess unit, the big cat that whirlwinds at people from a monster lair once. Monster lairs very occasionally contain super powerful awesome megadudes and that is yet another reason why you should raid every one.
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Aug 21, 2014 06:59
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My apologies, I had a small anniversary to take care of yesterday, and that could have gone better Chapter 9: The Second War of Howling Sorrow  The humble fireball was the first spell that King Lich learned after the start of the war. Unfortunately, that didn‘t change one horrible thing: Rurik‘s Men (sans Rurik), the most veteran company in the realm, was the first one lost in hostilities, a victim of combined mage attack. The King locked himself in the library, ordering everyone to stay away, and promising to emerge only for war sorcery.   "Senior Prospectors have seen so much in their lifetime that for them nothing is impossible. Start a fire under tropical rain, find gold in the desert or win a battle against all odds? Piece of cake!" (from "Chronicles of New Worlds" written by Master Vardies Teleran) With the death of Rurik‘s Men, someone else had to step up and lift the spirits of the people (without the use of spirits). To that end, senior prospectors, most of them retired to tech in Prospector Guild, donned their prospector armor and gear, took their Doppelxbows, and went to war. These were grim men who knew their chances of survival were low, but went non the less.  „Magic Speed! No, I don‘t need to move faster... I need to read faster... think faster... This doesn‘t help... Faster, faster...“ The enemy had been forced back to Baytown. Unfortunately, that enemy consisted of a core of mages, with mages on flanks and mage support at the back. One heroic company, making their camp in the nearby foothills, made daring attempts to strike at the enemy.  The enemy responded by a daring attempt to build a fort right under their noses. Peasants and craftsmen and masons worked day and night, hauling stones, cutting timber, making food, while a company of mages held Svart warriors in check.  Another company of mages was in great trouble. Either by tradition or by rote, mages wore great long coats of fine (and heavy) fabrics, as well as other lavish and colorful luxury clothing. They likely felt the clothing apt recompense for all the hardship in mage academies. Unfotunately, that clothing was less apt for dead marches, and the mages, driven into the swamps by an advance of Svarts that didn’t seem to mind their spells, were bogged down and waiting for their deaths.  Death, however, was busy elsewhere. A field near regret had some curious glistening things scattered about. A monocle there, a prospecting helm there. A Doppelxbow cluched in the hands of a burnt corpse. A prospecting array near a brook, it’s cracked lenses half submerged in the dead water. Climbing hooks standing like a strange skeleton of a metallic beast. Senior prospectors had done their part in holding the line… and paid the price.  “Emerah knew how to fly… No, she had a broom… This war would be faster with Emerah… But she’s dead. Dead, dead, dead. Just like Rurik’s Men…” While King was cursing throwing lightning inside the library, loyal (and still alive) Svarts were pushing on Baytown. One company was nearing a fort that held one of the roads to the Gate of Fading. A little more to the north, ser Hugue had separated mages from Baytown and was leading the siege, along with a few other companies of troops. “Honor Guard! Remember that we’re fighting against treasonous people and to avenge the honor of our fallen! In our righteous bloodlust we should not forget that, and we should not lower ourselves to the level of the enemy! Remember that when walls fall and peasants start begging for mercy!” Mages, cut off from Baytown, had the strangest idea – or at least that what advance scouts could say. They decided to bee line towards the Gate to Burnouts. Much like the previous attempt at invasion, they forgot that Dauheimur was in their way…  And the fight agaist Krell’s forces was taking its toll on the land. Constantly assaulted by spells that either aimed to weaken or strengthen (depends of who was casting) the Svart farces encamped there, the fabric of the plain itself twisted and turned into a poisonous, mana infused landscape. The Honor Guard didn’t seem to mind. Truth be said, enjoyed the fact that going to the loo at night was that much easier with the ambient lighting.  A crack of light pierced the relative darkness of the library. “What... What is happening?”As the light fell on King Lich, he started to hear a distant howling…  “...listen well, m’lord” “I guess this means you and your men are dead” “We are alive in the eternal light of Helia. And she, our mistress, has a task…” “I am at war, among other things, can’t this wait…” “Our mistress helped you win the last war… at the cost of our lives, even. Now, you will help her… Kill the trespasser!” "He is the last dusk. He is the reaper of dreams. He is the silent killer. He is the terror whose wings flap in the knight. He is the Dark Rider." - From the "Servants of truth" by High Keeper Teyaran the Rigorous “I guess… I guess that warrants our attention…” “So, what is this?” “It’s... It’s a mana yard, sir” “I know that, you lanky imbecile. What does it do?” “It collect mana run-off. You know, from mana collectors, and mana pools… basically, any use of mana. Apparently, we’re not very efficient at using it. Every time a great mage casts a spell, a hedge wizard tries to hex someone… a maiden reads a love incantation correctly… there’s a runoff of mana. And so it’s stored here” “Huh. You Planestrider lot might be useful after all. Good thing we didn’t throw you over the edge like we planned” “Thank you…er…what?” There was a hill near Serne Vary, a hill engulfed in tents. There was a reason to this madness, and that reason was that the hill was no hill, but a barrow. A barrow, unlike a crypt, wasn’t likely to raise its inhabitants to make more inhabitants for other crypts. A barrow was well protected from graverobbers and whelps that worshiped Krypta out of rebellious lark. Therefore, barrows held magical secrets and treasures… and there was some profit to be made from that.  Baytown wasn’t in the best position. The mages had gone away to Krolm knows where (and mostly dead due to unhealthy proximity to Svart fortresses). The city was completely surrounded by Svarts from one side and a crazy knight from the other. And what’s worse, the reinforcements they were getting were plain human…  Elspritsters reign of random spells continued. The last one resulted in a cloud of miasma that turned lands near Daurosian into a swamp. Rumors abounded about a fotress in the middle of it, guarded by gnolls and flying serpents and lizardmen, and of Warriors of Dauros fighting wyverns on the edges of the swamp. The worshipers of Dauros remained silent on this matter. Then again, worshipers of Dauros remained eerily silent on many matters.  “Ah, cold wind… I remember freezing a part of Dremer realm… I remember having sent friends there. Likely dead now, just like those poor Svarts” The situation near Baytown was changing from bad to worse… for humans. Svarts, weakened by Krell’s magic, but nearly impervious due to magic of King Lich, made one last assault on the fortress and tore down the walls. Some Guard smuggled pouches of raw magical earth to grow potent tabacco, while one who smuggled some of it in hopes of growing potent yams had his bag confiscated and his pay cut.   Nature might abhor vacuum, but it abhorred unclaimed land even more. Snow Maidens made camp near one of the cities. Unfortunately, their camp was within arrow shot from city walls…  …and Svarts were very angry – wrathful even - at human-like creatures that were likely to shoot other Svarts.  “Raise the land… if only it would raise the dead with it… no, raising the dead is not enough, I need to raise the living. Concentrate, drat it” Dauheimur, coordinating attacks with the garrison of Silver Silks, finally managed to kill the Spirit of Darkness. It fell to the ground that was already covered with corpses of mages, arrows pincushions all of them.  “...go with the sun, my liege” This was it. After gruelling hours of combat and death, and bloodshed, the walls of Baytown were a ruin, and the gates lay broken. They only needed to step in…”  “King Lich promises honorable treatment to anyone who swears allegiance here and know, and serves their new master. Citizens of Baytown need not fear the fate of Alexiri, for your sins are not your own, but of your master”And so they bowed their heads, and swore allegiance. This had the fortunate effect of placing a fort within shooting distance of the gate to fading and a Warrior company cut off from ways to retreat.  There were a few stragglers that had to be hunted down in the hills…  …and one mage, who avoided the death at the hands of Svarts and Spirit of Darkness, who made an arduous treck over the dead plains of Howling Sorrows, who saw his best friend choke on his own blood as a Svart arrow pierced his neck… that made stepped through the gates of Burnouts and was immediately roasted by a ball of fire that came from the tower in the distance. “I wish I had time for proper torture, but this will do”The burn fetal form that used to be a mage could not comment on that.  The last of Snow Maidens fell to the axes of ‘Graverobbers’ (the company bore many names, all of them had something to do with desecrating tombs), their finely made fur coats no match for Svart steel.  The war might have been winding down at this point, but there were other troubles still. For example, two turtles now blocked the entrance to Long Shores.  And another swamp miraculously appeared in the middle of Howling Sorrow. “Let me share some experience with you, lad. If there’s one thing that this campaign under the Skull Banner taught me, is that ground changing under your feet is the last of your worries”.  “Still not what I need… But it will serve, so that I wouldn’t have to raise more friends in the future”.   “M...M’lord knight, might I beg your attention?” “Yes, what is it that you want?” “M’lord, I represent a small silver mining and crafting guild, in the Drassen mines. We’re located in the hills nearby. I…we wanted to show our loyalty to King Lich” “Are you trying to bribe me?” “Bbb-bribe?” The man went white “No, sir, we’re just humble craftsmen. And we want to help, really. Here, if you wouldn’t mind taking a look…”And there it was, a fine silvery sword. Making silver swords wasn’t easy (for one, you can’t just hammer silver till you get a sword) and required great craftsmanship. And silver weapons were very potent, able to cut, easily, many of Ardania’s (and Shards’) fiercest creatures. “Well, this sort of help will be greatly appreciated by all of your king’s subjects” “Our lord says that you will bleed some more before there’s a peace. Take this to your master!”And so the messenger did. However, he kept the kick that sent him flying through the Gate secret.  “I can’t have wildlife troubling my subjects. Something has to be done…”  “Expect axes in your future, foul critter”  Great news came from Gatehouse! Rune Witche’s Guild was established on the highest hill surrounding the city. There was little question as to why they chose this remote city.  Along with Rune Bedchambers (situated on a lower hill), a mana collector and a magic testing area, Gatehouse became home to Gatehouse Academy of Higher Rune and Magic Studies. There was enough mana to supply even the most ambitious of rune experiments… and a zone expecialy built to contain the results of the more volatile ones. Even if magic was not science, it was still possible to observe it scientifically. After all, spells were magical effects with reproducible results, no matter how little sense their source made. And Svarts were extremely interesting in reproducing all sorts of effects in the shape of runes. Rune Witches were training diligently behind those tall walls on the hill… and eventually the most ambitious ones would find their way into King’s employ.  But before that, a new magic tower – a king of miniaturized copy of the one in Lichgrad – was erected near the gate. Its purpose was to sling magical lighting and kill invading troops, a task it did wonderfully.  Another free city was established – and this was the first one outside Burnouts. Svarts, Planestriders and regular humans who felt more in tune with the grim aspects of the world flooded there to share their pain and poetry, and to escape the punches of their peers.  On the other side of the spectrum, Plain of Blood was established in the Fields of Honor, surrounded by swamps and lands of death. Worshippers of Krolm gathered there, to commemorate the deeds of Svarts fallen in the fight against Krell and maybe punch some undead swamp monstrosities into pulp.  “Maybe… maybe I’ll turn Fading into a giant wasteland… But later, later on…” For now, a small and inexplicable invasion had to be turned back. A great opportunity for fresh recruits to bloody the axes.  “I can’t help but feel that we’re doomed, somehow”
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Aug 23, 2014 12:58
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Aww, King Lich VI cares for his Svart subjects  After we have dealt with this lunatic Great Mage we definitely have to do something about the wildlife invasion. Claiming a tropical shards sounds like it would be a nice change of scenery, after the dying lands of... whatever the second shard is called.
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Aug 23, 2014 13:45
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JcDent posted:The last one resulted in a cloud of miasma that turned lands near Daurosian into a swamp. Rumors abounded about a fotress in the middle of it, guarded by gnolls and flying serpents and lizardmen, and of Warriors of Dauros fighting wyverns on the edges of the swamp.  Elspiritster can be a real pain. He doesn't seem like that much of a problem at first so you don't worry too much about piling up the resources to deal with him, especially if you've got bigger fish to fry in the form of antagonistic neighbours, but next thing you know he's turned your beautiful realm into an ugly patchwork of swamp, snow and lava. I bitterly resent the amount of mana and casting time it takes to put everything neat again but I can't not do it.
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Aug 23, 2014 14:31
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On the bright side the reward you get for defeating him is rather nice.
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Aug 23, 2014 14:33
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Turtles are the worst! Well, best, if you count the buckets of free experience, but it takes so long to kill them if you don't have the right damage type.
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Aug 23, 2014 14:43
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I love having my own turtles, but the opportunity cost is sort of sizeable since it takes 3 buildings in a town with Koatl Village to actually recruit turtles. Tough as nails, though.
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Aug 23, 2014 15:40
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Ooohhh, tropics. Norse doesn't have a lot of tropic terms, strangely enough, but strönd (beach), might be nice. Let's see, 'Sólarströnd' is just a general term for any sunny beachy place, while 'Hitabelti' would be Tropics or literally 'heat belt'. 'Svitakóf' would be something like 'Sweating like mad' because they keep wearing that armour even in the sun. 'Sumarfrí' would be 'Summer Vacation', 'Sunnustaður' would just be a nice name meaning 'Sun Place'. Tempted to dip into the Múspellsheim names but might be we find a lava shard later. And don't worry about using the names or not, just thought them up as I read the last 2 updates.
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Aug 24, 2014 00:01
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King Lich, you know what you need? Goblins! You're under no obligation to care about them dying, it's great!
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Aug 24, 2014 00:24
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Deceitful Penguin posted:Tempted to dip into the Múspellsheim names but might be we find a lava shard later. And don't worry about using the names or not, just thought them up as I read the last 2 updates. There is almost definitely at least one lava shard out there so yeah don't open the Múspellsheimr barrel just yet.
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Aug 24, 2014 04:37
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Chapter 10: Tools of War and Peace “War! War still rages in our realm! Or, thanks to the ingenuity of our lord, war stops at our borders!” “The great defensive curtain at Baytown sees enemy advances daily! What pushes them back? Arrows! Magical towers! And good old Svart resolve! Wave after wave of human warriors have perished against the indomitable bulwark of our defenses! “In fact, the enemy is so beaten, they have to push corpses of their fellows over the edge to advance!” “Rurik and Veremoud ensures us that King Lich does everything to stop the enemy. “The loyalty and sacrifice of Rurik’s Men…” “...they say...” “...will not be forgotten!” “And while the enemy toils day and night to undo us, brave Svarts grit their teeth and work for the war effort!” “Uglin, the breadbasket of the empire, sees that our troops are well fed and never lack for drink. Svart farmers use the most advanced farming techniques. Smart planning as well as sprocket donkeys and ploughtomatons make the sweat of on a Svarts brow count for more!” “And the land gives back for all the toil! Fertile ground come from the dead sands, all through the magic of our king! The same magic, combined with Svart effort and mastery, makes pumkins grow large and wheat fields rise tall!” “Wines again! Heeelp!” “So much food! More than Svarts can eat, actually! What do we do with this overflowing bounty?” “We take it to the granary!” “We take it to the granary! Tall and strong Svart granary! Here, foodstuff are distributed via a smart system of carts and pulleys! Look at that wheat go!” “To help with the preservation, local Svarts use ice and snow from those mysterious, frequently appearing patches of land! There’s even talk of asking the king to make the air colder!” “But the air is not the only issue! The fragrant smells of quality Svart foods attracts rats and mice! And who will fight rats and mice?” “Meow!” “That is right: Gib-cats! Gleipnir is the leader of the pack! These hardy felines prowl the granaries, always on the lookout for mice and rats! And they are no mere mousers! Before getting this position, each had to be tested in the Cat-gauntlet!” “Meow!” “You heard it right, folks! Gleipnir is the unsurpassed champion of the Cat-gauntlet! They even had to replace the sprocket mice! Why, he had torn them to pieces!” “And here, on the edge of the shard, a new mill rises! Bigger, more efficient, more productive! Using the most advanced sprocket technology and magic – both rune and regular – it allows four Svarts to the job of twenty men and five mills!” “The grain from the granary come via a new smart invention – sprocket road! Here, a metal track is laid under a mountain. On it – a cart full of wheat! The overseer just pulls a lever – and off it goes, pulled by new high capacity sprocket mules!” “And near the mill, a new industry rises. A new industry that will deliver pumpkins products wherever you are!” “I call this thing a ‘can’, because it CAN preserve food” “But work doesn’t end with food!” “The citizens of Serne Vary work tirelessly to exploit the burrows! Tent after tent rises on the hills north of the city! Svart after Svart goes there to brave the dangers and uncover long lost secrets! What magical artefacts will they find?” “But magic for our King is not the only thing taken from the depths of the graves! Shiny baubles of ancient craftsmanship found by many! Shining magical stones are uncovered! Old pottery still stands intact! All of these things are off little interest for our benevolent king!” “You can still bring magic to your home, say the Svarts in the market! And so stalls upon stall is laden with precious artefacts taken from the burrows! Svarts and other countrymen from all over came to buy something special for their home” “Flowers don’t rightly grow in this place… might as well hang an ancient broadsword over the fireplace” “But the market is not limited to ancient goods! Craftsmen work and toil in their district to produce new jewelry and swords and goblets and many other things – all inspired by these gifts from the past!” “In fact, the goods produced in Serne Vary are so popular, the local Svarts had to build a harbor! Small steamers float in Deadlin lake before making their way up the East Undead River!” “Where do they go? To Silver Silks, of course, the financial heart of the empire! A city established to exploit silver mines and spider silk, it could have hardly gone any other way!” “Not surprising that the first Svart bank has established itself in the city, just on the banks of North Undead river. Financing businesses and holding money for traveling Svarts, it is the most trusted Svart institution in all of the shards” “Loyalty to our liege and our people ensures that Gulleifr and Svagne is the most honest of banks” “I am also extremely afraid of shadowbolts launched by undead mages who have risen from the grave multiple times” “And near the bank – a new mint! Automaton presses are churning out our majesty’s coin” “Nearby North Undead River makes it easy to transport money both to Burnouts and Serne Vary, all important trade centers of the realm” “Even the disgraced Planestriders of Regret are pulling their weight. Mana is put into barrels and even a new magic smithy opened up.” “With such wonders of production under our command, who know what fantastic deeds the realm will accomplish!” For now, the realm was trying to accomplish making a beachhead into the lands of Long Shores. Three full companies of Svart elites lead by Sir Hugue were lining up to breach the gate and kill some turtles.  Espritster’s magical teraformation shenanigans continued. Since they effected a “free city”, King Lich was not extremely concerned with fixing the damage.  Of more concern were the lands between Baytown and Silver Silks. The mountain ranges had been deformed by Krel’s magic and the resulting passes were really uncomfortable since all of them meant fording the river. A plan was drawn up to shift the mountains and make a road from Baytown to Dauheimur, to easy possible future deployments of troops.  Current deployment of troops was enjoying the biggest turtle soup fest they could have ever imagined.  “Try to curse my troops with weakness again, Krel… Just try…” “Cecinia the Saint... Our lord would welcome you to the court, but he is currently ill in spirit and lost in work. Please excuse him. You are ordered to go to Baytown. I am sure the troops will appreciate your healing powers”.  “What the Dremer is happening?” “Deserts now?” “At least the Krolm worshipers are happy. I heard one shouting something about going to beat up leaving dog headed warriors with scythes for hands and crocodiles that shoot beams of light from their heads” “I think they should put less basilisk into their swampshine” “I think whoever is doing this to our realm should just lay off drink. The map makes my head hurt” At least there were small mercies and King Lich took time to refreeze craft and merchant districts. The leading theory as to why they wanted it was that they wanted their surroundings to match the temperature of their hearts.  “If I just can get a system… a system for spells… Maybe I could remember them faster… Faster.” “Wise? Bankrupt seems more likely. Very well, we’ll have peace… until I have to slaughter your mean again” “Death itself?” “’Death itself’ would not be afraid of United One. She’s just a necromantic witch that jumps far above her station” “And her Lich Mirrors?” “They have nothing to do with lichdom and only share the shape with mirrors. They’re portals that are supposed to be scary. In truth… well, no mirror can withstand a Svart axe, can it?” “We’ll see about that, m’lord” Cecinia the Saint was rerouted: with no war to be waged, her healing powers were of little use to hardy Svarts (and skeletons were of little danger). However, her magical skill was required to destroy some of the wayward undead near Dauheimur… an order that she was more than ready to fulfill with... fiery results.  “Unfortunately, we can’t afford any more lords, especially if we want our lands to look at least somewhat uniform” “And your name is unpronounceable”  With the first mirror down (turns out it was very susceptible to axes), some over eager criers started announcing that the mirror threat was over. It was quite far from the truth, since two remained, near Dauheimur and Serne Vary, vexing garrison archers to no end.  Yet even then, an elite company of Honor Guard was chasing skeletons down and causing disruption in flow of merchandise.   “Death..., well, more death to imperialist lich pig!” “What’s this?” “Crush the rebels, lads! Traitors die in infamy!” “And pools of their own blood! Chaaarge!”A hooded figure watched the fratricide from a distant hill, and smiled.  Svart might have been killing Svart far away, but Rune Warriors had more pressing matters. Like hauling a new glyph out of the shards of a “Lich” “Mirror”.  On Long Shores, Honor Guard stood watch on at the sea side, ready to defend the new settlement from any attacks of sea borne monsters. While the original idea was to build a harbor and wrest control of the seas through the more usual means of ships, these were reconsidered in light of King Liche’s previous experiences in Ardania.  There was a theory proposed, one that explained how Snow Maidens got to places that didn’t really have snow. It assumed that the snowy archers were lured by patches of snow left by elemental havoc caused by a certain mage. A more popular theory held that snow maidens were just really, really dense.  Port construction at Solarstrond came under attack by a smaller, less impressive turtle. The attack was beaten off, but even the sturdiest of Svart and engineer felt uneasy about the prospect of going out to the seas held in control by monsters. Luckily, two new options presented themselves.  “Is that a bleedin’ flyin’ ship?” “A bleedin’ HAUNTED flyin’ ship” “I’m really sorry and I promise not to break any more ship-in-bottle bottles with death glyphs carved over them or any sort of arcane and sinister looking containers” "Heretic spells and modern occult technology have enabled undead mages to raise entire naval fleets into the air. It is of great concern that their Flying Galleuses do not fall apart in strong wind, as we had hoped. On the contrary, these ships harness the power of the wind to reach their destination at great speed and they leave trails of death and destruction wherever they go." - From "The Overall Description of Everything" by Master Alfus Bumblegate “Mighty interesting use of spell weave there… This… This might actually work! TO THE FORGE, LADS” *sigh* “Where there’s a smith...” The second option was, of course, teleportation. “Oh, yes!”
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Aug 25, 2014 05:05
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