The DARK ELVEN

Ultimately, the Second Cycle was so hotly contested that not only did one kingdom not prevail, but all were somewhat weakened. The Stone Giants, Trolls, and Witchlord have passed on either to diminished roles as Companions and not kingdoms, or have completely vanished.

The splintering of power was the signal that a new era was upon Alamaze: The Dawn of the 3rd Cycle, which has come to be known as The Choosing.

During a century of respite, many new kingdoms, and many previous fiefdoms have come into relative prominence. There are now recognized 24 full kingdoms who may vie for power, and we estimate 22 additional Companion races than can field brigades that may serve several potential masters. In any reality that may unfold, there are likely 12 sovereign kingdoms actively pursuing an agenda. Humans have increased their control of territory, now thought to control not only the cities, but likely a town and village in each region in the vacuum created by the chaos of the 2nd Cycle. Some PC’s never recovered from the destruction in 2nd Cycle, so overall population is reduced as well as Humans having more control.

Meanwhile magic capacity has increased. There seem to be many more spells and incantations rediscovered than were known in 2nd Cycle. Kingdoms have focused on their strengths and have become renowned through what is known as Traits that interpret these characteristics.

But military science has increased at pace. There are many more tactical doctrines available, and some few kingdoms have advanced military traits such as Military Tradition, Stalwart, or perhaps even Heroism. Dwarven Lords have begun fabricating War Machines, changing the nature of siege warfare.

Diplomats too have honed their skills, with Charisma being exploited by some, and the craft of deception and influence expressed through the ability called Stir Unrest.

The old tradition of generations of High Priestess emerging has been complicated. Now it is difficult to identify a potential High Priestess, more preparation is necessary in passing what is called The Test to become a High Priestess, yet they have learned additional abilities.

Find your path, choose your way, execute your strategy my Liege. Your court, military, agents and wizards await your commands. We are now in the 3rd Cycle of Alamaze!

The Dark Elven Onyx Imperium remains one of the most rigid and enduring feudal societies. Imperial succession, however, is often perilous, Sire: congratulations on having secured the throne without...mishap. The Onyx Imperium is well respected by friends and foes alike for having an array of strengths, including persuasive statesmen, impressive wizards, clever agents and a well-balanced military featuring black mailed and skilled medium cavalry. Our hatred of the pale ones, the High Elves of the so-called Golden Wood, is known to all. Our economy needs shoring up and our military is not among the largest. Both areas likely need to be addressed in order to expand greatly upon the frontiers of our Imperium.

The following traits provide special and unique bonuses for our kingdom. These effects are inherent and do not require specific action to enable unless otherwise specified in the section below.

• Acuity: Groups are never surprised, acts as entrenched. Agents have a reduced -10 points from being captured during missions. Political emissaries get +5 to their rebel/usurp die roll. Characters who are prisoners of this kingdom get 15 points added to their chance of escape.
• Archers: Kingdoms with the Archers trait get 50% of missile value at long range in the forest (normally 0%) and 100% at short range missile (normally 50%) in the forest. They get 50% long range missile fire in the mountains (normally 25%), also 75% in short range missile fire (normally 50%). They provide excellent rear-guard action, so their kingdom suffers only 50% of normal casualties in retreat (cumulative with other traits).
• Cunning: +15 point bonus to Incite Rebellion (#320) and Stir Unrest (#315). +3 levels to max agent training. Agent training reduced by -1,000 gold. Owned PC's get +10% to their defense due to the defenders use of traps, tricks, murder holes, boiling oil and fire.
• Feudal: The kingdom has a more developed societal and noble system that provides it with additional members of its noble court and additional influence. The kingdom begins with an additional Baron and Ambassador at the capital, and +1 Influence.
• Military Tradition: Adds a Marshal to the 1st group and a General to the 2nd group, leaders promote at +10 points, new leaders emerge at +10 points, and have 10 points better survivability in combat. Brigades advance in training level at 10 points greater than normal. Warriors, the soldier portion of a party's strength rating, are worth +3 in Unusual Encounters. PC's owned by the kingdom gain +10% to their defensive value due to the better training of the militia.
• Order: +2 to starting Influence. Controlled popcenters have 10 points intrinsic counter espionage in addition to any agent counter espionage, and intrinsic 2 points Maintain Status Quo (so the equivalent to a Provincial Governor maintaining status quo in a Tolerant region popcenter with 12 Influence). Magic research cost and agent training are +1,000 gold per level (i.e. a penalty due to the imposition of maintaining order).
• Riders: Patrols get 32 movement points. Cavalry values for these kingdoms are higher. +1 to emissary and agent ranges. Groups with brigades get +2 movement points, so 22 for normal movement and 27 for forced march. Intercept range is +1 (max 5 intercept range). Riders have access to the Flank tactic, but kingdoms with the Riders trait cannot be flanked in battle.
• Ruthless: Cause Fear (-10% to morale of opposing groups or to popcenter defense). +2 points intrinsic status quo to controlled popcenters so about a Provincial Governor Maintaining Status Quo in a tolerant region. +10 points to Threaten (#180).
• Spy Network: The kingdom has gone to lengths to establish a network of agents. Begins with an additional level 6 agent and level 3 agent at the capital. The cost for agent training is reduced by 20%.
• Trackers: Provides an intrinsic (no order required) level 4 agent recon of each active group area. Detects groups in ambush but not invisible groups. Can locate hidden sites if ending movement on them.

• Terrain Adeptness: Mastery in Forest and Swamp
• Magical Prowess: Mastery (Tier 2 of 7)
• Spells available earlier than prowess base: Summon Death, Augment Title, Infuriate Populace, Cold Darkness, Plague, Famine, Summon Spectres
• Flanking Tactic (use TAC 4). Group vs. group attack that requires the Riders Trait, a Marshal or better in the group (not stunned), and can only be done in Plains or Desert terrain. Cannot be used against a group with flying or a kingdom with the Riders Trait (reverts to Standard Battle Plan). Cannot be used against an enemy group with a Warlord who is healthy (not stunned). Charge phase combat value for the flanking force is at 200%. Enemy losses in retreat is x3. Changes enemy's Organized Withdrawal to Stand And Defend. Own group retreat as Standard Battle Plan. If Flanking group retreats, its own losses in retreat are 2x.

Your first group begins as your most powerful and important group. In addition, should you earn your Early Strategic Objective or qualify for an Appeal to the Gods (Epic Game only) there are possible awards that only go into your first group (see General Rules).

Enter your selections for the Early Strategic Objectives with your orders on turns 1 through 3. Use Order #991 and reference the instructions in the Official Rulebook. If you do not select any objectives, your kingdom will receive the default objectives listed below:

We are pursuing a MINOR ESO!

On turns 10 through 15, if our kingdom has achieved the above requirements to total 3 achievement points, we may claim awards worth 3 points!

This campaign is REX only!

Therefore a kingdom can only win via Rex (control 4+ regions) or by Lion's Share (most status points at end of the game).

The following skeletons, if revealed, will have detrimental impact on your influence and on regional reaction in some regions.

Proficiency: Mastery (Tier 2 of 7)

Maximum assured Power level attainable: 7

(Spellcasters may attempt to research beyond the assured level, but may fail about 50% of the time, and the gold cost is still consumed)

Gold cost per research level: 9,000

(Cost per Power level. For example, to increase a pwr-2 wizard to pwr-3, the cost is the gold-cost-per-research-level x attempted level, or 27,000 gold to research 3rd level)

Level 0: Self Invisible, Wizard Assist Encounter, Rite Of The Magi

Level 1: Protect Heroes and Wizards, Stun Leader, Shield, Lightning Attack, Fear, Valor, Light Of The Evening Star, Bridge Of Mist, Diplomacy, Create Food, Create Gold, Ward, Reveal King's Influence, Magic Research, Raven Familiar

Level 2: Wind Storm, Dispel Magic, Kill Leader/Wizard, Guarded Attack, Firestrike, Light Of The Evening Star (Intrinsic), Bridge Of Mist (Intrinsic), Sleep, Ship of Mist, Speed, Lesser Masking, Teleport Self, Locate Character or Group

Level 3: Presence (Intrinsic), Instant Self Teleport, Flash Flood, Wall of Flame, Chaos, Raise Zombies, Mirror Image, Dire Wolf Familiar, Conceal Emissary, Strengthen Walls, Fertile Fields, Hidden Ore, Raise Population Center Census, Dispel Storm at Sea, Greater Masking, Eagle Familiar

Level 4: Destroy Undead, Instant Summon Phantoms, Command Tornado, Ward Population Center, Dispel Dome of Invulnerability, Storm at Sea, Protection from Regional Effect, Dispel Regional Effect, Cold Darkness (Regional Effect), Heal, Invisible Brigade, True Seeing

Level 5: Earthquake, Dire Wolf Familiar (Intrinsic), Curse, Infuriate Populace, Unveil Population Centers, Plague (Regional Effect), Invisible Division, Teleport Brigade, Unveil Group Locations, Summon Minotaurs, Summon Skeletons, Summon Rock Golems, Sacrifice, Project Image Of Group, Imp Familiar

Level 6: Summon Death, Dome of Invulnerability, Meteor Strike, Augment Title, Conjure Scandal, Conjure Prestige, Enhance King's Aura, Summon Kraken, Demonic Visions (Regional Effect), Famine (Regional Effect), Bounty (Regional Effect), Raise Regional Census (Regional Effect), Invisible Army, Teleport Division, Summon Ghouls, Summon Specters, Transform to Nazgul, True Seeing (Intrinsic)

Level 7: Charm Region, Teleport Army, Summon Wights, Wraith Form

Level 8: Crack The Sky, Teleport Army Group, Transform to Lich, Summon Demon

Level 9: Summon High Demon

Known chiefly for their expert archery, the archers and infantry usually wear black leather and black helmets, while the cavalry component wears black ring mail and adorns their mounts with various intimidating headgear.

Note: Recruited (Order #560), Companion (Order #565), or magically summoned brigades fight at their respective values for all kingdoms. They move according to the kingdom’s movement table. They consume food and gold at their respective rates. Groups at sea fight according to the fleet quantity and quality in the given sea.

Your intercept radius is 4 areas (for Order #732).

Over fifty criteria which comprise the characteristics of each Kingdom have been evaluated in designing and balancing the Second Cycle. Exactly where your Kingdom falls along many of these lines will be divulged below. Much of the work which went into the second cycle involved balancing the potential of each Kingdom. The ratings will be broken down into several elements of play, with a numeric rating converted into a subjective phrase. These rating phrases were arrived at by establishing a mean and standard deviation for each criteria, and then assigning the appropriate phrase. Throughout, the following scale is used:

What this is intended to relate to you is that there is no puffing of any ratings: if you have a SUPERIOR rating in some area, another King almost certainly has a VERY POOR rating there. On the other hand, if you think your Kingdom looks horrible in a certain area, yet it's evaluation is BELOW AVERAGE (rather than VERY POOR), then you should be clued to reevaluate your perception of the strength of other Kingdoms in this area (ie, they probably are not as strong as you suspected).

For each area, take the rating for Summary with a grain of salt. It will involve some weighting of the factors in that category, but could give a misleading final evaluation. For example, in the military section, a Kingdom whose troops are quite good in combat may be summarized as only average militarily because of poor movement capabilities and light reinforcements. In any case, the evaluations are only intended to allow you to frame your Kingdom's beginning characteristics against those of the other Kings.