Here is the entire Myth III journal, and transcipts of the cutscenes and the Success/Failure notes.
Any errors or ommisions, eg wrong names, forgotten entries, misplaced Acts, Do tell me.
So in all its glory I present to you Myth III, the Wolf Age...
The Fallen Lords: Balor, Soulblighter, Shiver, the Deceiver. Their names stir in us the most primal of fears. Yet, the legends of our forefathers tell a different tale that these lords of the fallen were not always the terrifying horrors we remember. The ancient city of Muirthemne ? utterly destroyed by the war with Balor over a century ago. It was buried under a mountain of earth and its records and knowledge lay entombed beneath the crushing rock. I have spent most of my life delving into these decaying halls and dirt-crusted chambers? searching for the history of the Cath Bruig Empire? and the forgotten heritage of my people. And I have found it. A shrine. Laying hidden and undisturbed after a hundred years of war. It?s archaic construction dates back to the last days of the Wind Age. The murals carved into its walls depict scenes from ages past. When terrors known as Myrkridia hunted humanity like game. When the Trow Empire lusted for their precious iron, breaking the backs of their Oghre slaves. When an evil from unfathomable ages trod once again upon the lands of men. The arabesques also show a hero being born under the tail of a flaming comet? and I now realize who is honored in this shrine. Connacht the Wolf. The greatest hero in all legend. He whose deeds had saved humanity and transformed the world. This shrine holds the tale of his life? his battles and his sorrows? and tells of a time long forgotten by modern man. The story of Connacht? and the coming of the Wolf Age.
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The Comet Returns
Defense of Yürsgrad
August 8th, 1426 A.E.
the village of Yürsgrad, territory of Gower
Protect as many defenseless villagers as possible against the onslaught of Myrkridia.
This was known as ?The Dark Time? ? when living nightmares haunted the lands. With the falling of the sun, unearthly cries undulated from hidden caves as devils stalked out of their shadowy nests to feast upon beast and man alike. They were the Myrkridia. And they were slowly hunting humanity into extinction.
Two human settlements were all that remained in the known world. The splendid city of Llancarfan, and the humble territories of Gower. Llancarfan was the seat of the Cath Bruig Empire, and its towering walls, built in the Age of Reason, were too fortified for even the Myrkridia to scale. The lands of Gower, though, were a different matter.
The clansmen of Gower were hearty people, who worked a hostile and unforgiving land at the edge of the world. For hundreds of years, the Myrkridian devils made prey of the peoples of Gower; stalking from the Dire Marsh to raid their homes and villages. Although many stands were made against the Myrkridia, not a single town was saved. The devils were unstoppable.
On this day, the Myrkridian horde had slaughtered their way to the outskirts of the town of Yürsgrad ? the oldest and mightiest town in the territories. During the fore night, unholy wails drifted from the hills outlying the city. Yürsgrad was surrounded. It?s doom appeared imminent.
Clansmen who could fight gathered the people to the center of the town, making preparations for their last stand ? all the while watching the descending sun and waiting for the darkness to bring their doom.
Success
Against all hope, the Myrkridian horde was routed. For the first time in hundreds of years, humanity had stood toe to toe against the devils, and defeated them.
Failure
With the fall of Yürsgrad, the lands of Gower were left with no protection from the Myrkridian horde. Within a year Gower was overrun with devils, leaving no human alive.
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The Nest
May 23rd, 1430 A.E.
at the edge of the Dire Marsh
Find the Myrkridian lair and exterminate the beasts within.
The story of Yürsgrad spread throughout the Gower townships, and the bells of victory were sounded. Yürsgrad became a rallying cry for the townships. The young warrior who led his clansmen to victory was heralded as the Savior of Gower. The elders of Yürsgrad bestowed upon him the name Connacht?meaning 'deliverance'.
In the years that followed, other battles were fought and won against the Myrkridia. The name of Connacht the Devil Slayer spread throughout the lands, bringing hope with it. With this dream, the isolated clans of Gower began to unite for the common defense, and a unified Nation of Gower was born.
The clansmen, led by Connacht, decided to do the unthinkable. More than defending their villages from the Myrkridian horde, they would bring the battle to the Myrkridia themselves. Using daytime assaults, the men of Gower began a counter-attack that did eventually push the nightmarish devils back into the Dire Marsh from whence they came.
All of Gower rejoiced at their army?s victories. But, the Myrkridian threat was far from over. The murky lands of the Dire Marsh were dangerous enough to travel through, let alone wage battle in. The perpetual gloom of that cursed swamp meant that the regularly nocturnal devils were constantly active. The Myrkridia made their warren-like nests from the very rock and muck of that vile swamp. If left unmolested, they would repopulate their losses with terrible speed.
While marching along the outskirts of the marsh, a scout returned bearing news. He had laid eyes on a large cave, piled high with skulls, and adorned with pendants of rotting skin. The army had found their first Myrkridian nest. With great trepidation, a small force was dispatched to exterminate the devils from their lair. It would be the first time that the eyes of a living man were to look upon the horror of a Myrkridian lair.
Success
The Myrkridian nest was put to the torch. A triumphant cry bellowed from the Gower army as they marched deeper into the murky swamps, searching for other nests to raze.
Failure
The Myrkridia fought like devils defending their nest. The army of Gower was torn apart by their bestial ferocity and their remains fed to the Myrkridian young.
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Under Connacht?s leadership, the clansmen of Gower had pushed the Myrkridia back into their dark swamps. As word of this great deed spread across the land, it reached even the great city of Llancarfan. The Emperor Leitrim himself dispatched a contingent of royal Heron Guard to find this barbarian savior, and bid him audience. It was the emperor?s champion Damas who convinced Connacht to travel with him to Llancarfan, to aid in their battle with a common enemy.
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Journey to Llancarfan
July 16th, 1432 A.E.
on the road through the forest of Talwhyn
Get Connacht and Damas to the southern road?alive.
The Emperor?s fears were justified. Moagim, the faceless terror, had once again been reborn to this world. During the Age of Splendor, Moagim was the most powerful and wicked archmage in all the world. His insatiable lust for power brought war between the nations of humanity and his armies of undying. Even with his great powers, Moagim?s army was defeated?his body being drawn and quartered. Yet, even in his death, he was still triumphant. His curse brought forth the Myrkridia into the world, leading to the downfall of civilization, and the end of the Age of Reason.
A millennia of darkness later, Moagim had returned to wage war on the lands of humanity once again. The Avatara of Llancarfan were unsure if this new threat was indeed Moagim Reborn or just an imposter using his name. Some began calling Moagim ?the Leveler??a name that was understood by a very few at the time. Those that did know the true meaning of the term, shuddered at the very thought...
Traveling through the forested hills of Talwhyn, the contingent of Heron Guard escorted Connacht on their long journey towards the city of Llancarfan.
During the evenings around the camp fires, Damas would attempt to convey to Connacht the importance of his imperial summons. Connacht was always silent and dismissive; unimpressed by imperial titles or decrees. Damas became frustrated with the barbarian?s less than civil attitudes and demeanor.
During one night, a distant wolf howled its worship of the moon, and to the guardsmen?s surprise, Connacht answered the baying with a howl of his own. Incredulous, Damas stared at the wild man, doubting his sanity. Connacht, grinning a feral smile, only laughed at the astonished guardsmen and laid down to sleep.
A day later, not wishing to walk alongside a mad-man such as Connacht, Damas and a group of guardsmen scouted ahead of the contingent. The rain of the early day had stopped, and sun shined brightly on the forest. Strangely, there were no sounds of birds or animals that morning...
Success
Escaping from the ambush, Connacht led the retinue southwards towards Llancarfan. Damas, having witnessed Connacht?s battle prowess?and been saved from death by the man, swore his friendship and loyalty to the Wolf from Gower.
Failure
The Nation of Gower blamed the Cath Bruig for Connacht?s death, and never forgave them for the tragedy. War between the two nations was not far behind.
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[The Imperiel Throne Room]
Damas:My emperor.
Leitrim:Damas! Welcome back! I take it the wildlands were not too dangerous, eh?
Damas:Nothing we could not handle, my liege.
Leitrim:So this must be the barbarian we?ve heard so much about? Connacht is it?
Mjarin:Quite a savage, isn?t he? He doesn?t even know how to kneel.
Connacht:I do not kneel to any man.
Mjarin:Such insolence!
Leitrim:Hah! I see the two of you will get along splendidly. I am Emperor Leitrim. Your new friend over here is called Mjarin.
Mjarin:Imperial Advisor and High-Master of the Warlocks of Scholomance.
Connacht:You have called me here. Speak your questions.
Leitrim:To the heart of things. That is a good quality in a leader.
Mjarin:Or a dangerous one?
Leitrim:It appears that your countrymen have fought against the Myrkridia? and beat them back. As far as I know, no civilized nation has ever won such a fight. So I ask you: how did you accomplish this?
Connacht:You lose because you are fearful of them. They can smell it on you, and they will kill you for it. When the devils stare into your eyes, show them only your rage and your hate. Make them know that it is they who should be fearful of you.
Mjarin:Reckless words, even for a savage.
Damas:My liege, I have seen the strength with which he fights ? he has a discipline that is rarely seen even in the ranks of the Heron Guard. I would gladly serve under his command.
Leitrim:Well spoke. Connacht, I am willing to give you command of a company of my finest soldiers. They will be yours to teach and lead into battle against our mutual enemies.
Connacht:And in return?
Leitrim:In return? What would you have from us then?
Connacht:Your word. If Gower is ever in danger of being attacked, by Moagim or any other, you will pledge to aid them. In return for this union, I will teach your men battle.
Mjarin:You do think highly of yourself! The aid of our armies for the teachings of one person? Why should we agree?
Connacht:Because you seek victory.
Letirm:Hah! Your offer is agreed to. The Cath Bruig empire will provide protection for the Nation of Gower in return for your tutelage. Let us hope that you are even half as good as you believe you are!
Mjarin:My Emperor? I believe the troops would object to being led by such a disheveled and unkempt wildman.
Leitrim:Hmm? you are right. You will need a civil appearance. Shave that face of hair and you can begin your training by the morrow.
Connacht:My appearance is my own.
Leitrim:Still, you need to earn the respect of your men.
Connacht:I will make them respect my command.
Mjarin:This obstinacy is intolerable!
Leitrim:Connacht, as a general in my army, you will have to obey my commands. So please, shave and dress appropriately for your charge, will you?
Connacht:I will do this? my emperor.
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The Pack-Mage
November 19th, 1432 A.E.
in the eastern Downs
Track down and slay the Myrkridian Pack-Mage.
Connacht shaved his head entirely. While this complied with the Emperor?s command, Connacht remained stubbornly defiant to his new liege. Yet, true to his word, Emperor Leitrim granted him charge of a company of Llancarfan soldiers two hundred strong.
For three long months Connacht trained his men; not a day went by that the company did not conduct their grueling exercises. When a soldier questioned why they trained on mental and physical conditioning over swordsmanship, Connacht merely uttered, ?When you fear death, your sword becomes useless. When you fear nothing, the world fears you.?
During marching drills outside the city walls, a fellow company was surprised by a horde of Myrkridia lurking about in the dusk. Panic stricken, the company dropped arms and fled. Hearing their cries, Connacht and his company raced to their aid; laying into the Myrkridia with fearless abandon. When the sword blows stopped falling, the field was littered with dead Myrkridia? and not one of Connacht's men had fallen. The word of their achievement spread, and the so called ?Devil-Slayers? were toasted by the Emperor at their imperial feast.
By grant of the Emperor, the Avatara enclave appointed one of their own as an observer to the Devil-Slayers. His name was Myrdred. Freshly initiated into the ranks of Avatara, this was his first command. Young and frail, he hardly resembled the adept sword-wielding sorcerers of the Avarata. Yet, flowing within his feeble body were powers merely dreamt of by the most powerful of his order. Myrdred?s astute assessment of battle strategy slowly earned him Connacht?s respect.
On the eve of Harvestide, a scout returned from the Downs with grave information. He had witnessed a group of Myrkridia far from their lairs, dragging fresh corpses into a pile. A strange-looking Myrkridia approached the mass of bodies, making arcane gestures and growls. Then the bodies began to move once again? but this time with a will not of their own.
Myrdred recognized that the necromancer must be a Myrkridian Pack-Mage; a beast only rumored to exist in tales from ancient times. If the Myrkridia were traveling in the open and had the ability to raise an army of thrall, they had to be found and destroyed before the full force of their army become ready. Connacht and his Devil-Slayers were sent into the Downs to search for and slay the Pack-Mage.
Success
With the death of the Pack-Mage, the Myrkridia fled their lairs for the safety of their vile swamps. In the den of the pack-mage itself, a large tome was found amidst the foul rubbish?
Failure
The Pack-Mage escaped Connacht?s forces and months were wasted in pursuit. Unbeknownst to all, their true threat continued to gather his forces in the North for a march on Llancarfan itself.
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Flight From the Dark
April 10th, 1433 A.E.
south-east of the Twelve Duns
Protect your fleeing army from Moagim?s pursuit. You must get your Warlocks to the southern arch and demolish it, buying time for Connacht?s forces to escape.
The tome found within the Pack-mages den was horrid to gaze upon. It was as if the malign knowledge it contained was somehow tangible, and that the mere act of thinking upon it allowed the soul to be tainted. The precise writing contained within could not be read by anyone save Myrdred?and he would require his library to translate it fully.
The return to Llancarfan was one of celebration. Connacht and his Devil-Slayers had lived up to their name, and the entire city rejoiced at their return. On the steps of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Leitrim presented Connacht with the ?Sigil Virtus??a medal of valor few had ever received. All of Llancarfan knew the name of Connacht and praised their new hero. Even Mjarin was silently complacent.
As the city held its festivities, Myrdred locked himself away in his dark study, and poured over the Pack-Mage's tome. So intense was his research, he refused to be disturbed or even eat. After several days, Myrdred emerged from his study, with a dead pallor about him?but bearing an exhausted smile. Immediately, Connacht, the Emperor, and the War Council were gathered in the Imperial War Room. Myrdred feverously told them about his translation of the tome.
The book was written by none other than Moagim himself. Its pages told of the blackest of necromantic sorceries?and it was intended to teach the Myrkridia these magics. It seemed that Moagim, the one responsible for bringing the Myrkridia into this world a thousand years previous, still held some sway over them. And he planned to use them to attack Llancarfan.
As the commanders began preparations for defense, Myrdred spoke of one other piece of information the book provided?the location of Moagim's main encampment, along the shores of the Deep. Connacht, realizing the potential for that information, boldly addressed the Emperor. An army of Llancarfan soldiers could march on Moagim?s encampment and attack him by surprise before he or his army could reach the city walls.
After long hours of discussion and planning, the Emperor finally agreed to give Connacht charge of a regiment of the empire?s finest soldiers. They would march north along the Dire Marsh, to the shores of the Deep, and attack Moagim by surprise. They hoped that a strike to Moagim?s heart would stop his evil plans before they could be started.
After a month of marching, the army of Llancarfan was poised for the assault on Moagim?s camp. There was no sign that they had been discovered. Connacht split his army into three groups: one to approach from the front, a second to give fire from a hilltop, and a third to flank the camp and prevent Moagim?s escape.
With all the troops in place, Connacht gave the order.
As the main force of the army converged on the encampment, a thin figure appeared from the shadows. With a gesture of his hands, the ground began to shake. Thousands of shambling thrall erupted from the landscape, heaving their bodies from the dirt among the feet of the advancing army. The shadowed figure was none other that Bahl?al, the Watcher ? the most powerful Necromancer to ever walk the face of Myth. Unsuspecting, outnumbered, and surrounded, the Llancarfan army fell to the Thrall?s unforgiving axes.
To his utter shock, Connacht suddenly realized the masterful trap that had been laid ? and the extents that it ensnared him.
Without the main army to threaten them, the Myrkridia from the encampment charged the archers stationed on the overlook. The beasts claws ripped through their ranks, and were blown apart from the fiery bolts of their pack-mages. As the flanking army to the north had advanced to the edge of the encampment, hope of a victory still remained. It was then that a thunder broke over the battlefield. A thunder of footfalls.
From behind, titanic figures clad in black iron lumbered into the camp. With a strength unmatched, their single hammer blows slew whole ranks of soldiers. They were the Trow. And somehow, Moagim had their allegiance. For the first time in his life, Connacht knew defeat.
Moagim, who had not so much as lifted a finger during the battle, threw back his head and laughed. It was a laugh of victory.
Success
Moagim?s trap was masterful. Much of the army of Llancarfan was decimated. If not for the sacrifices of a few heroes, none of the army would have survived.
Failure
Moagim and his Trow allies were unstoppable. After catching Connacht?s retreating forces, the army of Llancarfan was slain to the last.
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The tremendous defeat by Moagim?s army had crushed Connacht?s faith in his leadership. As he was preparing to return to Gower, he was halted by Damas and Myrdred. They told him that without his leadership, none of the army would have returned from Moagim?s deadly trap. Damas stated frankly that Llancarfan needs him? and that if its walls were to fall, Gower?s doom would be close behind. Still, Connacht was doubtful; never before had he fought against a tactician as devious and brilliant as Moagim.
It was then that Myrdred announced his plan. Since the Watcher had leagued himself with Moagim, they too need a powerful ally, and he suggested ? Mazzarin, the first Avatara.
Before the weight of the statement could set in, Damas was approached by Ravanna, an envoy from the Twelve Duns. She told him that he was needed for a meeting with the Herons, but he waved her off as he replied to Myrdred. Tales tell that Mazzarin was slain by the Watcher centuries ago, yet Myrdred believed that the Archmage still lived; it was just a matter of discovering his whereabouts. With a sorcerer the likes of Mazzarin on their side, the tables would be turned in their favor. Ravanna, overhearing the plan, became eager to join them on their journey. Damas began to dismiss her, saying that she would only slow them down, when she stated forcefully that she would pursue any means to rid the world of Moagim, the murderer of her clansmen. As the two quarreled, Connacht stated that she could accompany them ? as long as they could stop arguing like they were betrothed.
And so the four heroes made preparations for their quest.
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The Forgotten Lands
October 4th, 1433 A.E.
in the southernmost tip of Forest Heart
The four heroes must locate the entrance into Mazzarin?s Crypt and gain entry.
Myrdred?s plan was an improbable one: finding the most powerful Archmage to ever live and coerce him to join their forces. Improbable if not desperate.
After a week of researching dozens of musty tomes, all claiming to be records of Mazzarin?s life, Myrdred narrowed his search to one fascinating book. Myrdred was assured that it was genuine. On the last page in its leather bound volume was a short scribbled passage:
?I shall go to a place where life is old and the world is as it was in the beginning.?
Only one place in all of the known world fit that description: The Forest Heart. The trees of Forest Heart have stood as they have since the world was created, or so the legends claim. The Forest Giants have made their home there for many millennia. Many civilizations, both human and other, have been born, aged, and ruined upon its tree covered lands.
The four heroes left Llancarfan, traveling across the autumn colored groves of the Downs, and into the desolate passes of the south-country. Within a few weeks, they came to the towering edges of the Forest Heart.
A damp shadow-embraced land grew beneath the colossal arbors. Many weeks passed, as the champions searched the dense forest for any signs of Mazzarin?s whereabouts.
In the nights, Myrdred studied the tomes he carried with him, searching for any possible clue to aid them. Damas and Ravanna?s constant quarreling became more playful, and Connacht spent most of his time hunting game and scouting the dense wilderness before them.
As despair of ever finding the Archmage began to settle in their minds, they entered a dark and ominous copse of trees. Crumbling ruins, all but completely enveloped in grass and foliage, jutted from the shadows beneath the arbors. They approached cautiously.
Success
The opening yawned before them?dark and threatening. A loathsome air rolled out from the catacombs?like a breath of ill-omen.
Failure
The great heroes of Llancarfan were not heard from again. Some believe that their souls still dwell within the darkest recesses of the Forest Heart.
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The Crypt of Mazzarin
October 4th, 1433 A.E.
in the Crypt of Mazzarin
Search through the ancient tomb and find the final resting place of Mazzarin.
The coolness of the forest air gave way to a cold stillness. The stillness of the grave. The smell of moist earth and dead vegetation permeated the dust shrouded crypt.
Without warning, there was the sound of grinding stone, followed by a roaring crash, and then darkness. The doors to the crypt had shut behind them. Damas and Connacht put their strength to the stone doors, but to no avail. Darkness was all about them.
With a soft spoken word, a dim light filled the air. Myrdred was staring at a mural etched into the stone wall. Passing his hands over the pictographs and runes, he began to smile? and just as quickly frowned.
It appeared that they had indeed found Mazzarin?s Crypt. The writing read:
?Within lies the final resting place of Mazzarin, the first Avatara. To enter this realm, is to forfeit one's life.?
As Ravanna stared ahead into the blackness, a low moaning sound rolled and echoed down the corridor?like the final breath in dying man?s throat.
Success
Connacht awoke several hours later. He was a changed man. All the strength and sorrow of ultimate knowledge burned in his eyes. He would hold the scars of Mazzarin?s fiery grip for the rest of his life.
Failure
The crypt of Mazzarin became the final resting place for the four champions of Llancarfan. Their souls join those, who to this day, still guard its dark chambers.
Mazzarin:Those who would defile my Cairn will forfeit their lives!
Myrdred:Mazzarin, First of the Avatara, Master of the Codex, Slain by Bahl?al, but undying in the Light! We are your disciples and wish no harm unto you.
Mazzarin:Hmm? Well spoken? Why have you invaded my home? disciple?
Myrdred:We have come to seek your aid. The faceless terror Moagim is reborn once again! His armies?
Mazzarin:?threaten your empire? Do you think I am unaware of the world above? I have read the Total Codex! I know what the Anvil of Fate forges for us.
Myrdred:Then you will help us?
Mazzarin:I will not.
Myrdred:Great One, we ask your aid in the battle against the Dark. We?
Mazzarin:That battle is over for me. I am no longer a slave to the tides of the Light and the Dark. This battle is yours to fight.
Connacht:Coward! Have you no soul left in that dried corpse of yours! Have you lost all concern for humankind?
Mazzarin:The concerns of your world are no longer mine, child.
Connacht:Then it seems as if the Watcher truly has taken your life.
Mazzarin:I should rend your flesh you for mentioning that name in my presence!
Connacht:Bahl?al marches with Moagim as we speak. And yet you stay here in your filthy grave while he destroys the world.
Mazzarin:You are a fool! Hmmm? but a powerful fool. Hah! You seek my aid, so shall I give it to you!
Damas:Connacht!
Myrdred:No Damas! It is alright?
Mazzarin:Now? take what you will and leave me be. And disciple? let the Watcher know who has aided you in his defeat?
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Mazzarin?s spell had changed Connacht. In his mind resided the history and future of the world. On the heroes? return to Llancarfan, Connacht went immediately to the city?s Main Forum and spoke to the dwarf Traval, Forgemaster of the Smiths of Muirthemne. Connacht described to them an ancient device that was capable of sweeping away and imprisoning whole groups of foes. The smiths could make such a device, but not without the mighty Unkarak Tomen, the Dwarven book of building, held within the great forge of Myrgard.
To their dismay, news from the badlands reported a horde of Ghôls laying siege to the very gates of Myrgard?
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The Tain
Battle to Myrgard
June 27th, 1434 A.E.
on the road to Myrgard
Isolate and destroy the bulk of the Ghôl army.
A day after their audience, Emperor Leitrim agreed to send a small army to Myrgard in hopes of giving aid to the dwarves battling for their homeland. Despite the recommendations of his advisor and generals, the Emperor appointed Connacht to lead the contingent into the badlands.
Before the assembled army was to leave Llancarfan, the Emperor spoke to Connacht. He said that he was putting a great deal of faith into him?and that if he were to fail, the loss of troops might be the doom of Llancarfan. Connacht?s only reply was, ?I cannot fail. It is already written.?
After weeks of marching, the army entered the badlands?dry plains of dust and stone where water was as scarce as game. The sun beat upon their brows like a hammer on an anvil. Several soldiers collapsed under the fatiguing weight of their armor and packs.
A distance ahead of the army, footprints were found in the soft sand?Ghôl footprints. They numbered in the thousands, and by their direction, they were headed for Myrgard.
Connacht ordered his contingent to march at double-time in pursuit of the Ghôl army. Although many thought him mad to rush headlong towards a vast army, they followed him with bleak resolution.
After more than four days of strenuous marching, the army crested a rise overlooking a sun-lit valley. And there they saw the enemy. A horde of Ghôls, at least a thousand strong, sprawled out before them. Weapons and carrion were strewn about their camp. The oily smoke from their fires clouded the sky. Fences of sharpened palisades formed pens for the hundreds of wights that lumbered and shuffled in the heat. In the center of the host, a great black boulder dominated the valley floor. Rounded and shaped vaguely like a Ghôl?s head, it was being worshiped by the mass of feral creatures.
They were making preparations for war.
Connacht immediately formed a plan for a surprise attack. A small group would attack, and get the Ghôl army to give chase. Then the remainder of the Llancarfan army would split?one half to attack the advancing Ghôls and the other to attack their flanks?crushing the beastly army from two sides.
It was a sound plan. They just hoped that it would stand the test of battle.
Success
The Ghôl forces were smashed and scattered to the arid winds. The army of Llancarfan continued its march toward Myrgard, in hopes that they will reach the besieged city in time.
Failure
The Ghôl army counter-attacked Connacht?s forces, delivering a crippling blow. With Llancarfan's forces split and injured, the great city of Myrgard was overrun by the savage Ghôls.
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The Gates of Myrgard
August 1st, 1434 A.E.
at the Gates of Myrgard
Hold off the Ghôl horde from the gates of Myrgard. The Ghôl must not break through the main gate.
With the Ghôl army defeated, the cowardly beasts abandoned their leaders and fled into the badland steppes. The main force of the Ghôl army had been routed, but valuable time had been spent in doing so. As soon as the wounded could walk, Connacht?s army was marching again towards Myrgard. They all hoped they would reach the Dwarves in time.
Had Connacht known the of the dire situation that befell the city of Myrgard, even he might have lost hope. For thirteen days the Ghôl hordes had attacked the very gates leading into the dwarves subterranean city. Hundreds of dwarves had given their lives in its defense, and five times as many Ghôl had spilt their blood upon its steps.
Hafgrim son of Horik, twelfth Ephor of Myrgard, had that morning looked out over the lands that his people once held. Now only weeds grew in the dry soil, between the bits of bone and iron and the blackened craters of earth. Twelve generations had his people roamed the above world. Now they stood on the cusp of retreating back into their stone carved chambers, not to see the light of the sun for many long years. If ever.
Valarik, first Chosen of the Khugaurt Axemen, approached his Ephor. His news was grim. The demolitionists had scraped together the last of their explosive powders. After this day, they would have to rely on their axes alone.
?Our axes? and our bodies?, was the Ephor?s reply.
A horn trumpeted in the distance, echoing across the scarred plain. The Ghôl horde was upon them again. With grim determination, the dwarves made ready for the final defense of their kingdom.
Success
Caught off-guard between the Dwarven and Cath Bruig forces, the Ghôl horde was crushed into dust. The few Ghôls that remained after the massacre, fled to the south, swearing eternal revenge upon their ancient Dwarven enemies.
Failure
Even with the combined armies of the Humans and Dwarves, the mighty Myrgard fell to the Ghôl horde. With the Dwarves lost as allies, the Cath Bruig empire was lost as well?
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The forces of Llancarfan turned the tide of battle at the Gates of Myrgard. Without their aid, the Ghôl horde would have undoubtedly broken through Myrgard?s stout gates and defiled the dwarves ancient homeland.
The Dwarven Ephor, Hafgrim met with Connacht in the Great Smithy. It took no time to establish an alliance between the two nations? but convincing the dwarves to relinquish their most holy of relics was more difficult. Yet, in less than a week, Connacht?s army began their return to Llancarfan with a hundred Dwarven demolitionists in tow.
Returning to Llancarfan, Connacht strode directly to the Main Forum to meet with the Smiths of Muirthemne. Traval stared in disbelief as Connacht handed him the Unkarak Tomen. True to his word, Traval and the Smiths began construction of a Tain.
The complexities of such a potent magical device were almost too difficult to master, even for the Smiths of Muirthemne. There were many failures. Some more destructive than others. After months of sleepless work, the Smiths met with Connacht outside their Smithy.
There they delivered to him the most inescapable of prisons. One that could snatch away a foe and hold them indefinitely within its confines. A Tain. Now armed with the legendary device, Connacht left to gather his troops and lead them North? into the Dire Marsh.
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Imprisonment
February 11th, 1435 A.E.
the heart of the Dire Marsh
Battle your way to the black tower in the swamps.
Forging an alliance between the Dwarven kingdom and the Cath Bruig, it took little to convince the Emperor to let Connacht keep command of his forces from Myrgard.
The Dwarven Demolitionists, upon their arrival in Llancarfan, went about making barrels of their explosive powders. Disaster was narrowly avoided one night when a messenger entered the Dwarven camp carrying a lit torch. Soon after, the potency of the Dwarven satchel-charges were demonstrated before the Llancarfan troops. They were indeed stunned by the devastating potential of the Dwarven concoctions? and somewhat fearful upon seeing demolitionist's wide grins and gleaming eyes at every explosion?
Upon completion of the Tain, Connacht gathered his forces and made haste North into the Dire Marsh. His troops thought him mad to engage the Myrkridia on their own lands, but followed their general into the dark swamplands. Within only hours of travel, a pack of Myrkridia appeared out of the mist and charged the army. Connacht leaped to the front of his forces, holding only a small jeweled box in his outstretched hand. With the salivating Myrkridia only yards away from the army, a bright flash lit the haze and enveloped the devils. And then the light was gone? taking the Myrkridia with it. The army stood staring, dumbfounded. Connacht held aloft the device and spoke to his troops. ?This is a Tain. And with it, we will wipe the Myrkridia from the face of the world!?
With the power of the Tain, Connacht?s forces became unstoppable. Legions of the devil-beasts were imprisoned within the Tain?s hungry maw. Those few Myrkridia that escaped being trapped within the magical oubliette, were hunted down and slain.
As the army approached the northern extents of the marsh, they had spied a black spire jutting from the marshy landscape. Fortress walls surrounded its base and mobs of devils and undead lurked about its embattlements. Connacht, shaking himself from a daze of memories, pointed towards the spire and said to his men, ?The object of our mission lies within.?
Success
The walls of the ancient spire were breached. Connacht and his forces swept into the fortress, slaying the last of its defenders. The Pack-Mage, however, was nowhere to be found?
Failure
Connacht was overwhelmed by the ferocity of the cornered Myrkridia. The devils took revenge on the Llancarfan army, delivering Connacht and the Tain into the Dire Marsh.
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The Eye of Thalor
February 11th, 1435 A.E.
in the dungeon of Thalor?s black spire.
Find and destroy the Eye of Thalor.
Even without the power of the Tain, the walls of the dark spire were broken. The forces of Llancarfan swept into the fortress, laying sword to bone against Myrkridia and undead alike. Within minutes, the defenders of the keep lay dead or dying, and the army of Llancarfan stood victorious.
Connacht and his men searched the corpses strewn about the courtyard?yet, the Pack-Mage was not among them. An old and crumbling passage led into darkness beneath the spire. It was the only means of escape.
Connacht began gathering a small group of veterans at the archaic passage. They were to follow the Pack-Mage into the bowels of the keep?and make sure it never drew another breath.
A dwarf did suggest that they simply should destroy the spire, bringing it down upon the beast's cowering head. Connacht replied that they must be absolutely sure that this Pack-Mage was slain?not just buried alive.
One erudite scholar of the Heron Guard seemed to grasp Connacht's concern. He recalled an obscure legend dating back to the end of the Age of Reason. Moagim, having brought the Myrkridia into this world, began to teach them the ways of battle?and of sorcery. The most learned and powerful of his students was a Myrkridia who dubbed itself ?Thalor the Black?.
As the legend tells, so powerful was Thalor?s sorcerous abilities, that he could halt the workings of magical relics or even destroy them from afar. He created a powerful artifact known only as the ?Eye of Thalor??into which it infused its very soul. If its body were to meet death, the device could conjure a new body from it's ashes, granting the fell beast life eternal. If the Pack-Mage that held this spire was indeed Thalor the Black, his death would be the end of the Myrkridia.
Connacht merely nodded at the Heron.
With his force assembled, Connacht led them into the crumbling dungeons of the dark fortress?hunting for the most powerful Myrkridian sorcerer ever to live?
Success
As Thalor?s Eye was shattered, so was the soul of the accursed beast. With the Tain functioning once more, Connacht and his men strode into the black spires and exterminated the Myrkridia within.
Failure
Thalor?s powers proved to be too much for Connacht and his forces. It is said their bones still lie buried beneath the black spires of Thalor?s fortress.
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Three months after Connacht?s victory over the Myrkridia, Llancarfan still prepared for the inevitable battle with Moagim. Emperor Leitrim had gathered his generals into the Imperial War Room to discuss the plans for their defense.
Lietrim:So? how fares the Downs?
Guard 1:Our last report said that Moagim is still moving his army through the farmland. It looks as if he is systematically destroying villages from the outer reaches towards the capital.
Connacht:Undoubtedly he plans to cut off our food supply and attack us while we starve.
Leitrim:What on the refugees?
General 1We?re still finding places for all of them!
General 2:A few hundred we can handle, but several thousand families? Our food supply is already taxed!
Connacht:We must stockpile all the food we can now, while we are still free to so.
Leitrim:Where are Moagim?s forces now?
General 1:We? we?re not precisely sure, my Emperor. Our scouts from the Downs have not yet arrived.
Damas:Weren?t we supposed to get that information days ago?
General 1:Yes, but?
Scout:My Emperor! My Emperor!
Damas:What?? A battle horn?
Scout:Moagim! He is here!
Indeed Moagim?s forces had arrived. Enraged at the destruction of his precious Myrkridia, Moagim had ceased his attack on the farmland of the Downs and had marched his deathless armies day and night to reach the city.
Bahl?al the Watcher was with him, commanding an army of dead grown to the tens of thousands from the murder of nearby villages. Like a tidal wave of pestilence, they crashed upon the outskirts of Llancarfan, leaving only death and flames in their wake.
The titanic Trow warriors thundered unstoppable through the streets and buildings. Their Oghre slaves tore apart the armed and helpless alike, running down those who tried to flee.
And behind all the slaughter, Moagim strode ever forward? his hateful eyes trained on the very heart of Llancarfan.
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A Dream of Release
Siege of Llancarfan
July 20th, 1435 A.E.
the walls of Llancarfan
Keep Moagim?s army from breaching the city walls.
The forces of darkness were arrayed before the walls of Llancarfan. The very heart of the Cath Bruig Empire was under assault. If its mighty walls were to fall, so shortly would all of civilization.
The blazing fires of buildings lit up the night sky, turning the dark smoke-filled clouds red with glowing embers. From the city walls, the defenders watched the enemy move through the decimated outlaying towns.
Vast legions of Thrall marched through the streets, hunting for any living survivors. Massed Soulless drifted through fields of farmland, their miasma of pestilence leaving only poisonous and tainted crops in their wake. Hundreds of Oghre slaves searched through the ruined remains for materials for building the massive thrones their Trow masters would sit upon as they waited for the attack. The corpses of the townsfolk who did not reach the safety of Llancarfan gates were raised into Bahl?al?s ever growing army of undead.
Throughout the night, the defenders stood at vigilance upon the walls of Llancarfan?waiting for the inevitable attack. Archers and dwarves arrayed on the tops of the walls readied their bows and their explosives. Soldiers and Heron Guard waited by the city gates, ready to give their lives to prevent the enemy from entering the city.
At the first rays of dawn, a panicked horn sounded. It was soon followed by another, and then a third.
The Siege of Llancarfan had begun.
Success
Against all hope, the forces of the Cath Bruig repelled both Moagim?s undead armies and the mighty Trow warriors. Cheers roared from the battlements as Moagim?s forces pulled back.
Failure
The great city of Llancarfan fell to Moagim?s forces after a titanic battle. Wasting no time, his forces spread over the world, plunging it into a new age of darkness.
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Rod of the Callieach
July 21st, 1435 A.E.
5 miles north of Llancarfan
Quietly reach Moagim?s Encampment and destroy the Rod of the Callieach with your Avatara.
Llancarfan?s victory over Moagim?s forces was short lived. The army of the Dark had indeed retreated, but it was only a matter of time before they would return again?
During the battle, Moagim himself appeared to command his forces at the besieged gates. Several times, a lone Heron Guard fought his way to face Moagim one on one. Each time the swordsman was cut down by the fiend. Many sharp-eyed Archers targeted the dark one from their high perches, sending barrages of arrows into his armored form. Moagim plucked the arrows from his body as if they were mere annoyances, and continued rallying his troops.
This invincibility did not escape Connacht?s keen perception. From the topmost battlement, Connacht used a spyglass to observe Moagim?s sinister form. Clutched in the fiend?s hand was a small gilded scepter which contained large gems on either of its ends. Connacht was suddenly overcome with a vision of the past?a history far before his birth?when a race of power incarnate walked the lands. The device held by Moagim was none other than a Rod of the Callieach.
As Llancarfan worked into the night to repair its defenses and give aid to the wounded, Connacht, Myrdred, and Damas spoke upon the battlements. When Connacht told Myrdred of his finding, the Avatara was stunned. The Rod of the Callieach was a legendary device, one that was thought to be mere fantasy. An elaborate ritual of great power was needed to attune the device to the user. But, once so focused, the Rod?s power would render the user immune to all harm. No blade would cut him, no arrow pierce him, no spell affect him. With the Rod in Moagim?s possession, he was literally immortal.
The Rod would have to be destroyed.
Damas? scouts reported spotting Moagim?s camp five miles to the North of the walls. The Avatara knew of a thing called a ?World Knot?, a magical device that allowed one to move without actually moving. The knot was located less than a mile from Moagim?s encampment, and odds are that he was unaware of its existence. Another knot was located inside the Avatara's Citadel, under the heaviest of magical guard.
The plan was a simple one?but one from which none would likely return. Sardonic, one of the oldest Avatara in the Citadel, chose to lead the mission. And with him, a group of the Empire?s most elite forces were assembled at the World Knot under the Avatara?s Citadel. They knew that they would not be returning to Llancarfan, but they carried no remorse. Only honor shone in their eyes as they stepped through the World Knot.
Success
Sardonac gave his life to destroy the Rod. But his sacrifice was not in vain. Moagim, fearing for his mortal life, fled with his troops into the Downs.
Failure
The Rod of Callieach was not destroyed. Only two days later, Moagim and his newly risen force of undead, assaulted Llancarfan once again? and this time its gilded walls were broken asunder by the might of Moagim?s army.
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Four days after the siege of Llancarfan, the Emperor assembled his generals once again. After the destruction of the Rod of the Callieach, Moagim had retreated back into the Downs. All knew that once he could swell his army with fresh corpses, he would undoubtedly return.
It was unanimously agreed that the Trow were the greatest threat they faced. Not only were the metal juggernauts all but unstoppable, but their Oghre slaves were massive brutes as well.
That was when Connacht revealed his plan. Speaking boldly, he stated that the only way to win the war was to eliminate the Trow. A great murmur rose from the assembled generals, who thought that waging a war against the Trow was utter madness. No force in the world had ever stood up to the Trow and survived? even the great Ents and the god-like Callieach.
Still, Connacht relayed his plan. During the siege, Myrdred had discovered an incredible fact? the Oghre were held in thrall to their Trow masters by the power of dream magic. It was a Dream of Subjugation that compelled the Oghre to fearlessly obey their master?s orders, not the threat of harm. The Oghre were once a proud and savage race ? if they were released from the power of this dream, the Trow would have a bloody rebellion in their midst.
Myrdred claimed that he had within his power a Dream of Release. If this spell was woven upon on an Oghre slave, they would become free of the Trow?s domination.
Though it would take time, Connacht was sure that with an incited Oghre rebellion, the Trow would have better things to do than to march with Moagim?s army. And so, Connacht was granted a small force to march into the Trowlands and attempt to achieve his improbable plan.
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Bonds of the Oghre
October 12th, 1435 A.E.
the temple complex at Rhi?ornin.
Use Myrdred?s Dream of Release to free enough Oghre to incite rebellion.
After a month of hard traveling, the small force from Llancarfan had reached its destination. A few miles south of the Trow temples of Avernus, Connacht?s troops made their way along the vast Gjol river. On the northern side of the river, a Trow Iron Temple stood as prodigious as a mountain. It was the first Trow settlement any of them had ever seen.
It was as magnificent as it was ominous. Rusting towers of angular shapes stretched to the heavens. Solid iron statues depicting scenes of Trow glories loomed over the canyon-like streets. Scaffolding surrounded many structures, making the Temple-complex look as if it is in a state of constant repair and grooming. Everything in the settlement was constructed solely by iron?huge slabs of it, many feet thick. All of them carved and welded through centuries of labor by Oghre slaves.
Connacht ordered the troop to make camp along the river. They would wait until the deep of night to make their infiltration.
Their plan was to catch the Trow by surprise: Myrdred and a small group of Heron Guard would stealth into the complex under cover of the night. There they would seek out a small group of Oghre slaves, and weave Myrdred?s dream of release upon them. With luck, the Oghres would throw off the mental shackles of the Trow? influence? and take revenge upon their masters.
Success
The temple complex at Avernus fell to the Oghre rebellion. For the first time in centuries, the mighty Oghre bellowed cries of war to their ancient gods.
Failure
The beginnings of the Oghre rebellion was smashed by the iron foot of the Trow. Connacht?s remaining force was run down by the pursuing Trow warriors.
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Rebellion
October 30th, 1435 A.E.
on the plane of Avernus
Lead the Oghres and defeat the Trow army.
Within mere hours, the Oghre of the Trow settlement were freed. They turned on their Trow overseers with a rage cultivated by centuries of tortured enslavement. The Trow, appeared to be perplexed at the swarming Oghre; as if so used to their flawless obedience, their minds would not believe what they beheld. The mighty Trow were dragged down by their many hands and beaten with the very iron tools made to sculpt their monuments. Only after the Trow of the settlement were reduced to so much dust, did the Oghre rejoice their freedom.
It took very little to persuade the Oghres to join their saviors. The fire for revenge burned as brightly as the desire to free the rest of their race.
Led by Connacht?s unfaltering visions, the Llancarfan force and the former slaves, conquered several Trow temples?freeing the Oghre?and leaving no Trow alive.
The largest Oghre in the bunch, calling himself Moghbragga, appeared to take charge of the ever growing mass of followers. He bullied and intimidated, keeping the rabble disciplined and following orders. It was this Moghbragga that suggested to Connacht their next target: The iron mines at Avernus.
Following the Oghre?s lead, the band made their way across the snow covered landscape and into Avernus. The face of this vast plane was gouged with deep pits and chasms as the result of millennia of ceaseless mining.
Just as Connacht?s troops entered into the broken land, Damas? keen eyes spotted groups of Trow amassing their slaves in battle formations. Their forces had either been spotted entering Avernus? or anticipated.
Success
The forces of Llancarfan led the Oghres to victory over their Trow slavers. The iron production at the mines had stopped. The Trow would have no choice but to deal with the Rebellion.
Failure
The colossal Trow crushed the petty uprising; smashing Connacht?s forces into the snow of Avernus. The human race would eventually become only a distant footnote in the history of the Trow.
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As the bitter cold of winter fell upon the Plains of Avernus, Connacht and his forces prepared to return to the city of Llancarfan.
Myrdred:You almost had it. Try it again.
Mogbragga:I Try?
Myrdred:Concentrate?
Mogbragga:WUAHA-HAH! I DO IT!
Myrdred:Good! Good!
Mogbragga:Mogbragga now have power!
Myrdred:That?s right. Now you can remove the Trow?s dream of subjugation by yourself.
Mogbragga:Mogbragga will free his kind! The Trow-masters will be destroyed!
Myrdred:But first, you?ll need to teach this dream to others.
Mogbragga:I will teach! They will learn! We will conquer! We give thanks to those who give us our freedom!
Myrdred:T-Thank you?
Damas:I don?t feel right about this.
Connacht:I know.
Damas:You know as well as I do that they don?t stand a chance against the Trow.
Connacht:I know, Damas.
Damas:Yet we send them off to die? so that the wrath of the Trow will be turned from Llancarfan.
Connacht:Without their rebellion, Damas, we would be destroyed within a year.
Damas:So our lives are bought with the blood of the Oghre?
Connacht:Destiny can be a cruel mistress.
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Returning from the Trowlands, Connacht once again traveled to the Main Forum to meet with the Smiths of Muirthemne. Again, Connacht described a device of great power? one that was capable of turning entire cities into fiery ruin. The ancient Callieach had called it a SunHammer. When Traval noted that such a device was beyond his power to create, Connacht held aloft a glowing gemstone? a Callieach Heart-Stone. Traval marveled. It was the very thing that they needed to create the SunHammer. Connacht had retrieved the gem from the remains of the Rod shattered by Sardonic. The instrument of Moagim?s defeat was delivered to them by the fiend himself.
Yet, even with the mighty powersource, the SunHammer would take many months to forge.
Before they parted ways, a peasant woman rushed from the crowd to Connacht. She babbled that her husband was taken by something called the Spider Cult. As guardsmen ushered the troubled woman away, Connacht asked about this Spider Cult. A band of ruffians who worshiped some kind of big spider was the guard?s reply. Only Traval realized the true danger the Spider Cult posed?
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Refugees
February 26th, 1439* A.E.
farm country, north of the Downs
Get the groups of refugees to the south bridge before the Watcher?s army overruns them.
Two* years had passed since the Oghre began their rebellion against the Trow. Moagim, having lost the aid of his most powerful forces, had not attempted another siege on Llancarfan. Still, his armies were not idle. Almost the whole of the fertile Downs had been laid to waste. As far north as the Twelve Duns did Moagim extend his deathly grip.
Thousands upon thousands of refugees swelled the city of Llancarfan to the breaking point. The destitute filled the streets and alleyways, living in squalor?yet thankful to be alive. Without home or wealth, they did what they needed to survive.
In the heart of winter, news came from the north that the Twelve Duns had fallen to Moagim?s army.
Ravanna, hearing the plight of her people, was crushed. She had planned to leave Llancarfan long ago, yet her ever-growing feelings towards Damas had kept her there. Now her people had lost their land.
Vowing to give aid to her surviving people, Ravanna packed to travel to the northlands?but Damas would not let her go alone. Together they planned to find the refugees of the Twelve Duns and give them what protection they could.
Soon, Ravanna and Damas, accompanied by fifty loyal soldiers, made their way northward across the snow covered landscape. After many weeks of marching through the wind-swept ice and snow, no sign of the refugees had been seen.
Then, one morning as the dawn broke, smoke from campfires were seen drifting on the horizon. Ravanna and Damas hurried their troops to reach the source?praying that they were indeed campfires?and not the fires of battle?
Success
Ravanna and the Llancarfan soldiers repelled the Watcher?s forces, giving her clansmen time to flee southward. The clansmen of the Twelve Duns swore allegiance to Ravanna and their Cath Bruig saviors.
Failure
The Watcher?s army slew the Twelve Dun clansmen to the last. Ravanna and Damas were hunted down as they fled in the thick snow. Their bodies were never found.
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The Sunhammer
The Smith's Forge
April 13th, 1439 A.E.
the Smiths Forge in the Main Forum, Llancarfan
Find the Forgemaster Traval and rescue any Smiths you can. Exterminate the Spider Cult from the forge.
Slowly the harsh winds of winter began their change into warm spring breezes as the world began to awake from its icy slumber.
Connacht was overseeing construction of the newest battlements along the city gates when he spied a small army approaching. As one soldier reached for his horn, Connacht steadied his hand. The army was not Moagim?s?Damas and Ravanna had returned. And with them, hundreds upon hundreds of northmen refugees from the Twelve Duns. Connacht raced to greet his returning friends. Damas and Ravanna told him of their journey and of their narrow escape from the Watcher.
From the gate, Heron Guards approached Damas, cutting their reunion short. The Emperor had demanded his presence. Damas was escorted to the Imperial Palace, followed by Connacht, Ravanna, and his troop of soldiers.
The Emperor was happy to see Damas return safely. Yet he was outraged that he would abandon his charge?and take a platoon of soldiers along with him. Damas merely held his head bowed in silence and stated that whatever punishment he was given, he would accept.
Ravanna and Connacht spoke in his defense, saying that by disregarding his charge, he had saved thousands of people and delivered over a hundred fighting men to the Llancarfan army.
The Emperor came to see the good that had come from such a reckless action, and decided upon leniency. Mjarin appeared angry at the Emperor?s clemency, but even his scowls could not hinder the shouts of rejoice from the soldiers. Damas and Ravanna embraced in celebration.
Connacht slipped away from the Imperial Chambers and made his way to the streets of Llancarfan. He had an appointment that nothing would keep him from. He had received a message from Traval of the Smiths of Muirthemne.
The SunHammer was finally completed.
Success
Connacht and the Dwarven smiths drove the remaining Spider-Cultists from their forge. But they were too late?all of the forge's artifacts were missing.
Failure
The Spider-Cultists had slain the mighty general Connacht. The Empire turned inward to fight a battle against itself.
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The Spider God
The night of April 14th, 1439 A.E.
halls of the Spider Temple
Recover the stolen Tain and SunHammer and put an end to the Spider Cult.
Soon after the battle, the city guardsmen arrived, but they were too late. All but a handful of the Smiths of Muirthemne lay dead in their forge. The survivors told of how the robed cultists and their giant spiders had entered their hearth?climbing up from the sewers, and attacking while the smiths slept. The dwarves had tried to mount a defense, but the monstrous spiders were too fast for them. The forge vaults were smashed open and their contents ransacked. Among the missing items were the Tain? and the SunHammer.
Connacht wasted no time. He immediately gathered the guardsmen and marched to the gates of the Spider Temple, demanding that the stolen artifacts be returned immediately. With sanctimonious words, the cultists ignored his request. The enraged guardsmen drew their blades and rushed past Connacht. Suddenly, from the shadowed recesses of the temple, dozens of shapes scuttled and descended upon the guardsmen. The huge spiders took them by complete surprise, laying them low with blinding speed. The cultists ignored the many bodies being dragged back into the shadowy crevices of the temple.
Connacht was shocked. He could not believe that a terror such as this had risen within the city walls. If the cultists realized the true powers of the artifacts stolen from the dwarves, the whole city could be devastated in the fiery holocaust. That night, hundreds of soldiers surrounded the temple grounds, letting nothing enter or leave. In the morning, Connacht planned to lead hundreds more soldiers into the Spider Temple?eradicating the malevolent cultists and their devil spiders therein.
But Connacht was unaware that the surviving Smiths of Muirthemne had plans of their own. Using the same route through the sewers the cultists had used to destroy their forge, the dwarves made their way into the depths of the Spider Temple?
Success
With great courage, the Smiths of Muirthemne saved the SunHammer and imprisoned the Spider-God Syrkrosh and her seed into the Tain.
Failure
The Spider-Cultists proved to be not-easily defeated. When the dust settled, and the bodies were counted, thousands of warriors and civilians lay dead. This loss of life made their defenses too weak to repel Moagim?s next assault.
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At dawn, Connacht and his soldiers stormed the barricades of the Spider Temple. To their surprise, they find no defenders within the vast temple. No bodies, alive or dead were to be found. Connacht reached the temple vault, and there upon an altar were the Tain and the SunHammer? along with a hastily written note.
?The Spider God and her spawn no longer infest this temple. As I write this, the big bug and her offspring are imprisoned within the Tain. When we were constructing the Tain, a few mistakes were made. Somehow, we brought something out from another world ? into this one. When we heard of the Spider Cultists, we feared the worst? and when they raided our forge, those fears were realized.
We were the ones responsible for bringing that Spider-thing into the world, so we were honor bound to take care of it. Yet, I think that the Spider God is somehow attuned to us. As long as we set foot in this world, it may be able to reach back into it. I ask you to take care of the Tain, as it will soon be our new home. Make sure this reaches general Connacht, as we believe he is the only one who can save Llancarfan.?
So wrote Traval, Forgemaster of the Smiths of Muirthemne.
On that same day, the Trow and the Oghre fought a battle that would be their last. Fleeing the Trow homeland, the Oghre reached the Valley of the Red Seal. The outraged Trow perused, and a month-long battle ensued. The Oghre had fought with valiant desperation, but they were finally overwhelmed by the mighty Trow and their iron weapons.
When the battle was through, not a single Oghre lived. The basin of the valley had been filled with their blood and bones. When the Trow looked upon the sight of this slaughter, they realized the cowardice with which they fought. They now understood what the Forest Giants had told them long ago ? They had corrupted the Soul of Iron. The Trow threw down their weapons and armor in disgust, deciding that iron was a tool best left for the younger races.
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Children of Bahl'al
May 28th, 1439 A.E.
at the edge of the Dire Marsh, along the Gjol river.
Make your way through the swamp and the Watcher's ambush.
The Oghre?s rebellion had come to its inevitable end. Unfortunately, in the years of battle, the Trow had learned that humans had been the catalyst for that rebellion. Now that their former slaves were dealt with, the full fury of the Trow was focused on the Cath Bruig Empire.
And so, merely a day after the destruction of the Spider Cult, Connacht walked the steps of the Imperial Palace and into the Throne Room of the Emperor. As Connacht addressed the Emperor, he was interrupted by advisor Mjarin. Connacht told them of the SunHammer he now held in his hands, and that with a small army, the Trow Empire could be crushed once and for all.
Emperor Leitrim seemed not to hear Connacht?s words. He appeared much older than usual, in a confused stupor mirroring senility. The Emperor merely said in a small voice, ?what Mjarin orders, so shall it be so.?
Mjarin then repeated that one hundred soldiers were all that Connacht would receive for his ?ill-conceived plan?.
Connacht was enraged. Yet, knowing that any words spoken in haste would harm his plans, held his tongue and accepted the allotment.
After weeks of marching his company of soldiers Northwards, they were still weeks away from the borders of the Trow Empire. They traveled along the Gjol river, along the edge of the Dire Marsh. With the Myrkridia gone, all the army had to contend with was the biting flies that swarmed over the shallow swamps.
By midday, the sky was brooding with dark clouds. A misty vapor had risen from the fens and billowed through the gnarled trees. The scouting party that was due hours previous, had still not reported in. It was then that the aching bellow of a horn echoed in the mist shrouded bog; ending in a sudden silence.
They marched ahead with caution.
Success
Surprised by the might of the Watcher?s army, Connacht's forces had narrowly escaped to the North.
Failure
Caught off guard by this ambush, the Watcher?s forces crushed Connacht?s army.
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The SunHammer
July 17th, 1439 A.E.
the Trow temple complex at Di?zeron
Obliterate the five Trow temples with the might of the SunHammer.
Having broken through the Watcher?s ambush, Connacht and his company of soldiers fled to the North?Bahl?al?s deathless army in close pursuit. The soldiers marched solid for three days, trying to distance themselves from the army of the dead who knew no sleep. Through the march, Connacht wore a grim expression. He knew of only one way the Watcher could have learned the location of his troops. They had been betrayed. But he did not know by who.
After many more days of trudging through the boggy marsh, they had finally lost sight of Bahl?al?s army as the marshlands abruptly changed to rugged hills and mountains. They had reached the border of the Trow Empire. After scaling a short mountain range, the Trow temple complex of Di?zeron lay below them.
It was comparable to the temple complex at Avernus?massive structures built out of the blackened mountainside. Minarets of solid iron reached to the sky in praise of their god Nyx.
But that was where the similarity ended. Unlike Avernus, this complex looked all but deserted. Having no Oghre slaves to upkeep their temples, they had fallen into rusted ruination. Dozens of Trow could be seen in the temples, but not a single one of them wore their impenetrable iron armor or massive hammers. Damas? sharp eyes noticed a rank of soulless hovering about the temple walls. Since the Trow had no mastery of Necromancy, Moagim was obviously using Di?zeron as a staging area for his troops.
Connacht had yet to use the SunHammer in battle. Now it was time to see if it was as powerful as the legends claimed? for if it was not? their attack on the Trow homeland would end here.
Success
The mighty SunHammer laid low the Trow temple. Many of the Trow were engulfed by the waves of white-hot iron slag.
Failure
Even the power of the SunHammer could not stop the formidable Trow. No race had ever come so close to threatening the dominance of the Trow? and none ever would.
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The Heartstone of Nyx
August 14th, 1439 A.E.
the center of Rhi?anon
Find and Destroy the Heartstone of Nyx before Myrdred?s spell is undone.
The SunHammer proved to be the implement of the Trow?s destruction. After months of systematic annihilation, a score of Trow cities had been turned into lakes of molten iron.
Connacht and his remaining forces had made their way to the edge of Rhi?Anon, the Trow?s most ancient city and the center of all Trow civilization. Arrayed upon a hill overlooking the colossal structures, Connacht held aloft the SunHammer and activated its power. A column of light shot from the heavens, but when it dissipated, the iron temple stood unscathed. Myrdred quickly approached Connacht, explaining that somehow Rhi?Anon was shielded from their attacks.
Connacht looked out over the vast Trow city, his eyes came to rest on the Great Temple of Rhi?Anon?taller than any mountain, it towered over the rest of the temples. In a flash of memory that was not his, Connacht remembered what that temple contained: The Heartstone of Nyx.
The brilliant rays from the SunHammer had alerted the Trow to the army?s presence. A multitude of Trow gathered along the edge of their city, making ready to charge the Cath Bruig army.
Connacht selected the most proficient veterans in his force and told them of his plan. As he did so, Myrdred prepared for a massive spell. As the group of heroes made their way towards the Great Temple, the Trow legion spilled out of the city to smash the humans that had dared to threaten them. Myrdred spread his arms and held aloft his dreaming-staff. As he did, a wind rushed over the hill tops and roared into the city. Those Trow in the path of the gale froze mid-stride, held in place by the powerful magics. A wall of quivering statues now stood along the outskirts of the city. Myrdred, in ultimate concentration, prayed that he could hold the spell long enough for the group to reach the Heartstone of Nyx? and destroy it.
Success
With the destruction of the Heartstone, the SunHammer engulfed Rhi?Anon in columns of searing light. Those Trow that did not die outright were drowned within the lake of molten iron.
Failure
With the Heartstone protecting their city, the Trow could not be attacked. When Myrdred?s spell broke, Connacht?s forces were assaulted by the surrounding horde of Trow and smashed into the cold earth.
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The Leveller
Dream Duel
July 2nd, 1440 A.E.
the ruins of the Downs
Defeat the Watcher and his undead army.
Upon his triumphant return, Connacht the Wolf had become Grand General of the armies of the Cath Bruig. The conqueror of the Myrkridia and the destroyer of the Trow?to the people, Connacht became a god given flesh. The Northmen, who he had saved from the bitter nights of winter, became his devoted followers, pledging their lives to his name. Where he went, their swords followed.
As the frosts of winter once again receded into warmer skies, the mighty walls of Llancarfan stood untouched by the hands of the Dark. Grand General Connacht assembled the whole of the Cath Bruig armies. He said that he planned to lead the Llancarfan army into the West?to hunt down Moagim and the remnants of his army?that until his evil was snuffed from the world, the Cath Bruig would never know peace.
On the eve of the army?s departure from the city gates, Connacht was summoned by the Emperor. He told Connacht that he wished to personally lead the army of Llancarfan into battle. Connacht, surprised at the Emperor?s sudden change of mind, asked if his idea was a sound one. Mjarin stated that the bidding of the Emperor would be followed. Before Connacht could rebuke the Advisor, Emperor Leitrim gently asked Connacht if he would let an old man lead his people to their greatest glory. Connacht could not bring himself to refuse his wishes.
And so, the host of Llancarfan marched from the city gates in high spirits. Not only were they commanded by the Grand General Connacht, but they were led by the Emperor himself.
After merely a few days travel, the mirth of the troops faded as they witnessed the destruction brought upon the Downs. What was once green farmland was now scarred and blackened lands?flattened by the weight of battling armies.
Yet, no bodies could be found.
After many weeks of travel, they had entered the remains of Helsford. It was then that they heard the thunder of footfalls, and knew that they had found the enemy.
Success
The Dream Duel between Myrdred and Bahl?al had ended in the Watcher?s defeat. Moagim, having his force smashed by the Cath Bruig army, fled into the West.
Failure
The might of Bahl?al?s undead armies crushed the Cath Bruig, sending them fleeing in disarray. By winter, Llancarfan itself had fallen.
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Fall of the Crown
September 25th, 1440 A.E.
near the Nornpass of the Cloudspine
Regroup your forces and survive Moagim?s Attack.
The battle at Helsford was a turning point. Moagim?s army, being crippled by Connacht?s forces, fled westward towards the Cloudspine.
As soon as they could tend to the wounded, the army was once again in the pursuit of Moagim?s forces. They were marching into mountainous terrain, and Connacht feared that they were heading towards the Nornpass. If Moagim?s forces were to cross the Cloudspine and into the western lands of the Provinces, he might not ever be stopped.
The army marched for weeks trying to close the distance between Moagim?s army.
One night, as the leaders of the army made plans for their travel, an Avatara remarked at Myrdred?s extraordinary powers. He stated that not even the most accomplished of Avatara could weave the Dream spells at his disposal. When asked where he had learned these great spells, Myrdred was strangely silent.
As the army reached the base of the Nornpass, they were less than a day from Moagim?s legion. The fierce weather along the Cloudspine made the journey a hard and soggy endeavor. At the mouth of the mountain passage, the army made camp. At the break of dawn, they would move into the pass and stop Moagim from entering the lands to the west.
Success
Even as the dawn rose and the last of the undead were slain, the battle had been lost. The Cath Bruig Empire has lost its Emperor.
Failure
As Moagim murdered the Emperor, so did he murder the soldiers of the Empire.
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Vengeance
September 26th, 1440 A.E.
Moagim?s camp in the Nornpass
Track down Moagim and put an end to the fiend.
As the rain fell upon the quieted battlefield, a great sorrow befell the ranks. The Emperor of the Cath Bruig, their beloved Emperor Leitrim lay dead?struck down by Moagim?s blade.
A mournful gathering formed around the Emperor?s body. Damas and Connacht knelt at his side, saying soft prayers in his honor. In a nearby grove of trees, Connacht and Damas laid the Emperor to rest. Damas, holding the Emperor?s royal sword, set it down gently upon his chest. A line of Heron Guard made their way to their fallen Emperor. Each in turn snatched off their crane-emblazoned pendants and laid them upon the sword. Their lives now became devoted to one thing: the death of he who murdered their lord.
Through all their confrontations and arguments, Connacht had learned great respected for the Emperor. Even with all the knowledge he had gained from Mazzarin?s Codex, he muttered to himself, ?This was not written of.?
They returned to the ruined encampment in the light of the spreading dawn. Connacht assembled the remains of the army and bid them to avenge the death of their Emperor. To the man, each offered his sword to the task. Even the wounded and incapacitated volunteered, but Connacht chose only a few battle-hardened survivors to accompany him.
Before the sun cleared the eastern ground, they were underway. Connacht, Damas, the Heron Guard, and a handful of veterans climbed the treacherous Nornpass with the fire of vengeance in burning in their hearts.
Success
Moagim the Faceless Terror was put down by the might and skill of Connacht the Wolf.
Failure
Moagim?s skill proved to be too much even for Connacht. With his corrupt blade, Moagim ended the life of the great hero.
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The Traitor
September 26th, 1440 A.E.
the heart of the Nornpass
Hunt down the Traitor Mjarin, and cut him down.
Upon finding Moagim?s force, the band of heroes fought like wolves, cutting their way to the form of Moagim. There, Connacht and the Faceless Terror squared off as the battle raged around them. After a sword battle the likes of which had never been seen, Moagim clutched his final wound and dropped into the snow and mud. The undead in his army began to shiver, collapsing into piles as the magic that held them together was no more.
The war had been won, but at a terrible price. First the Smiths of Muirthemne and the people of the Downs, then the Oghre and the Twelve Duns had perished. Even the Emperor himself had given his life to this conflict.
But now, finally, the terror of Moagim?s war was over.
With Moagim?s blood still wet on his sword, Connacht lead his battered force back down the Nornpass?
Connacht:Mjarin. So now you make your move.
Mjarin:Hah! You are not quite as stupid as I thought.
Connacht: knew that you were the traitor to the Empire! Connacht:That you are responsible for bring Moagim to flesh again!
Mjarin:Clever. You have it all figured out, do you?
Connacht:No. I did not realize that Myrdred was your puppet as well.
Damas:Myrdred! Of all the scheming?
Myrdred:You don?t understand! I never meant to...
Mjarin:You would do anything for the powers I have taught you. Keeping your eye on this barbarian was a simple task.
Damas:You? You are the one responsible for the death of the Emperor!
Mjarin:Quite true. And now the Empire of the Cath Bruig is rightfully mine.
Mjarin:You can join me, if you like. I need a warrior of your status and skill to lead my armies. Connacht:All you will get from me is the edge of my axe, traitor!
Mjarin:Phah! Perhaps you are the ignorant savage I thought you were.
Connacht:Enough talk, Murderer!
Mjarin:Kill them!
Success
Mjarin?s body lay in the cold snow as Connacht held aloft the traitor?s severed, yet still-screaming head.
Failure
Connacht and Damas were never seen again. Emperor Mjarin said that they died while killing Moagim, giving their lives for the glory of the Empire. They would be remembered as great heroes. Soon, Emperor Mjarin led his newly formed armies North to conquer the Trow?s former homeland and the decimated lands of the Twelve Duns. Even the Dwarven kingdoms fell to the might of his army. Only the Nation of Gower resisted the might of the Emperor. But in time, they too fell.
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The Leveler Mjarin had been exposed and ultimately defeated.
During the final battle, Connacht?s axe had severed the head of Mjarin. Yet, through some dark sorcery, the head refused to die, continuing to spit vulgar curses at Connacht. Mjarin?s dream powers had ended, but not his life.
Myrdred, who had aided them so much in the war, had in the end revealed himself as a traitor. Desiring the vast powers known only to the Leveler, he had offered his soul in return for that knowledge. Connacht and Damas could not bring themselves to kill the traitor they had once counted as their close friend. Connacht spared him from death, but told him to flee and never to return. From now on he would be known as ?The Deceiver?.
To ensure that the being known as Moagim would never again be resurrected, his body was incinerated. Those ashes were then mixed with sea salt and placed in a metal urn. That Urn was then buried beneath the Mountain of Kor, never again to see the light of day.
Bahl?al the Watcher had survived the war. Having fled from the pursuing Avatara, he was eventually hunted down and captured in a silver mine on the western side of the Cloudspine. Believing a swift killing was too merciful for such a beast, the Watcher was imprisoned by a powerful spell, permanently sealing his body to the very rock of the mountain.
No one can recall the fate of Mjarin?s living head?
After a long period of morning for their much-loved Emperor Leitrim, Connacht was crowned as the new Emperor of the Cath Bruig Empire. At his coronation, Emperor Connacht issued three commands.
Firstly, the city of Llancarfan was to be renamed to Muirthemne?to honor the brave Dwarven smiths who had given their lives to save it.
Secondly, for the honor of the Northmen of the Twelve Duns who had fallen in battle, they were to be interned in the Mausoleum of Clovis, the first Emperor of the Cath Bruig.
And finally, the mountain pass where Emperor Leitrim fell to Moagim?s blade, was to be renamed ?The Stair of Grief?.
And with that, Emperor Connacht began the rebuilding of the great city of Muirthemne. It was the end of the Wind Age, and the beginning? of the Wolf Age.
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Many years after the close of the Wind Age, Emperor Connacht called Damas into the Imperial Chamber.
Connacht:Damas. How run the armies of the empire?
Damas:Very well, my Emperor. It has been a long time since we last spoke.
Connacht:Too long, my friend. How fares Ravanna?
Damas:She?s busy teaching Finn how to fight.
Connacht:He has his father's skill I bet.
Damas:And his mother?s temper. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Connacht:Hah! You have a good family, Damas.
Damas:Thank you, my Emperor.
Connacht:Damas, I have a quest for you.
Damas:A quest!? That?ll solve any boredom I?ve gained by training the troops!
Connacht:The quest is a serious one, my friend. I bid you to gather the items of power left in the world.Items like the Tain, the SunHammer, the Eblis Stones, the Trabist?s Mirror.
Gather together all the items of power remaining in the hands of man and bring them here.
Damas:I shall bring them to you, my Emperor.
Connacht:No! Do not bring them to me! When you gather them, you are to hide them from me! Burn those that will burn and bury those that will not! And never tell me where you have hidden them! Never!
Damas:Y-Yes, my Emperor. I will do as you wish. But answer me why you ask this? You could use these things for the benefit of the Cath Bruig. Why destroy them?
Connacht:Ever since we met with the shade Mazzarin have I known the future. Not everything, mind you, but the major events. I knew that there was a traitor among us. I knew that I would become Emperor. But it is the future that concerns me.
Damas:How so?
Connacht:The world, my friend, has a nature to it. A cycle of light and dark that controls the very destiny of mankind. We have surfaced from an age of darkness into a new age of light. But the world will not always be so. I know that the darkness will return? that I will return, and bring in the new age of darkness.
Damas:Preposterous! You cannot mean that.
Connacht:If only it were a lie. But I cannot believe that it is. That is why I bid you to destroy the artifacts of power. When the darkness resurfaces, I do not want it to have access to those items of destruction. You will humor an old man, won't you?
Damas:Though I do not completely understand, I will do this for you.
Connacht:I pray that you never do understand. You are a good general, Damas. And the closest of friends.
Damas:And you mine, my Emperor.
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** With the armies of Moagim destroyed, and the Myrkridia and Trow defeated, peace flourished over the lands of man. Conncaht proved himself to be a strong and just Emperor. Reuniting the scattered remnants of the Twelve Duns, he gave aid to the rebuilding of their once great nation. The Dwarven Kingdoms would eventually come to think of the Empire of the Cath Bruig as brothers. Emperor Connacht began a dynasty that would last for hundreds of years.
It is said that in Connacht?s hundredth year, he left the mighty city of Muirthemne alone and on foot. Eventually, he traveled to his beloved Nation of Gower, and saw and how his people had prospered. From there, legends say that the Emperor Connacht disappeared into the unknown east, not to be seen again for a thousand years.
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*The Dates given by the Journal and the Pre-game are different by two years. I suspect that they changed their minds to 4 years instead of the shorter 2. And were unable to change the prerecorded journal. Since all other dates suggest 4 years, I believe that is what should be used.
**This piece was in the tags and the recording is on the CD. However it is never used in-game.
