The ELEMENTALIST

Two centuries after the advent of The 3rd Cycle, explorers from various seafaring races sailed west over what became known as The Endless Sea in hopes of finding a land not embroiled in endless wars. Though the sea was treacherous and some missions encountered kraken to their demise, the efforts eventually succeeded in discovering an entirely new continent. They established colonies there, and merchants returned to their old homes with rare metals, jewels, spices and stories of dragons and other creatures there. Knowledge of this new world and the navigation of safer passages became known to all peoples of Alamaze, and each sent its own expeditionary missions to establish their own colonies in the new land.

The discovered country was large enough that each found a region to settle and grow. Denizens of the continent have been encountered as well. Rumors of a Giant Ant race; of an undead uprising led by a powerful being called The Night King, and the establishment of a society called the Lycans: breathing men and beasts but not like normal mortals.

Borders were established. Cultivating this new territory and making use of ample materials combined with new construction technologies developed in the last two centuries led to rapid development of whole ranges of structures, including castles. Peace was found and endured for the next two generations, but then the old rivalries and jealousies reemerged. Discourse has become tinged with aggression and innuendo. It is clear the innate desire to establish empire has reemerged in all the kingdoms.

It seems to the sages that the outbreak of war is inevitable and only a few months away. Each kingdom is preparing in their own best way: militarily, economically, covertly and magically, all using the new sciences of steel and construction and the advantages they provide to their desired ends. It is a frenzy of development and preparation.

The time, and so the land as well, in this intense swirl of activity in a world still with many unknowns has come to be called The Maelstrom, and The 4th Cycle of Alamaze!

TO ARMS!

Master of Elements, we are fortunate to have unique access to the Elemental Planes of Existence. Vast knowledge of the elements has provided us with more powerful versions of combat spells that involve the elements. No one is at our level of arcane superiority. The Summoned troops from the various Elemental Planes are unique to our kingdom, and should be utilized to augment our middling kingdom brigades when the economy allows for it. All things considered, Master of the Elements, your opportunity for control over the realm is imminent.

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.

• Adventurers: +10 points to group strength in Unusual Sighting encounters. Automatic entry to encounters that require a wizard to cast Light Of The Evening Star or Bridge Of Mist for access. +10 points to leadership promotion and -10% to leader and wizard death in unusual encounters. +10 points to agent rescue and emissary escape attempts. Warriors, the soldier portion of a party's strength rating, are worth +5 in Unusual Encounters.

• Terrain Adeptness: Standard
• Magical Prowess: Supremacy (Tier 1 of 7)
• Spells available earlier than prowess base: Crack The Sky, Flash Flood, Storm at Sea, Wall of Flame, Wind Storm
• Our kingdom has access to the full set of Summon Monster I-IX spells. These creatures are of standard caliber without any special abilities, though they are quite useful in combat.
• Unique spells that are only available to our wizards: Summon Air Elemental, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental
• Attuned to the Elemental Planes of existence, we have access to unique troops for our kingdom that will enhance our military capabilities. Air Elementals provide +10% morale bonus when fighting in Plains terrain as well as providing an ever present 10% reduction against enemy missiles (as wind storm). Earth Elementals provide +10% morale bonus when fighting in Mountainous terrain as well as providing a constant 10% bonus to group defense (as shield). Fire Elementals provide 10% morale bonus when fighting in Desert terrain and offer a 10% bonus to combat group strength (as valor). Water Elementals provide a 10% morale bonus when fighting in Marsh terrain as well as provide a 25% reduction against charge attacks (as flash flood).
• Due to being masters of the elements, Elementalist wizards receive a +25% damage bonus to these combat spells: Lightning, Firestrike, Tornado, Earthquake, and Wall of Flame.
• Wizard capitals start with a significant boost to their defense than normal.

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 has NORMAL victory conditions.

Therefore a kingdom may win via Rex (control 5+ 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: Supremacy (Tier 1 of 7)

Maximum assured Power level attainable: 9

(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: 7,000

(Plateau levels have additional cost. At 3rd level, +10,000 gold. At 5th level, +30,000 gold. At 7th level, +60,000 gold. For example, to increase a pwr-2 wizard to pwr-3, the cost is the gold-cost-per-research-level x level + plateau cost, or 31,000 gold. To reach 5th level, the cost is 65,000 gold. To reach 7th level, the cost is 109,000 gold.)

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

Level 1: Bridge Of Mist, Create Food, Create Gold, Diplomacy, Light Of The Evening Star, Lightning Attack, Magic Research, Protect Heroes and Wizards, Raven Familiar, Reveal King's Influence, Shield, Speed, Stun Leader, Summon Monster I (Troglodyte), Ward

Level 2: Bridge Of Mist (Intrinsic), Dispel Magic, Dispel Storm at Sea, Fear, Fertile Fields, Firestrike, Flash Flood, Guarded Attack, Heal, Kill Leader/Wizard, Lesser Masking, Light Of The Evening Star (Intrinsic), Ship of Mist, Storm at Sea, Summon Monster II (Gnoll), Teleport Self, Valor, Wall of Flame, Wind Storm

Level 3: Command Tornado, Conceal Emissary, Dispel Dome of Invulnerability, Dispel Regional Effect, Eagle Familiar, Hidden Ore, Instant Self Teleport, Invisible Brigade, Mirror Image, Presence (Intrinsic), Protection from Regional Effect, Raise Population Center Census, Sleep, Strengthen Walls, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Monster III (Owlbear), Teleport Patrol, True Seeing

Level 4: Chaos, Destroy Undead, Earthquake, Greater Masking, Instant Summon Phantasmal Forces, Invisible Division, Project Image Of Group, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Minotaurs, Summon Monster IV (Gargoyle), Teleport Brigade

Level 5: Bounty (Regional Effect), Conjure Prestige, Create Magical Item, Ice Torrent, Infuriate Populace, Invisible Army, Meteor Strike, Raise Regional Census (Regional Effect), Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Kraken, Summon Monster V (Manticore), Summon Rock Golems, Teleport Division, True Seeing (Intrinsic), Unveil Group Locations, Unveil Population Centers, Ward Population Center

Level 6: Augment Title, Blinding Light (Regional Effect), Chain Lightning, Charm Region, Conjure Scandal, Dome of Invulnerability, Enhance King's Aura, Revelation, Simulacrum, Summon Death, Summon Monster VI (Ettin), Summon Water Elemental, Teleport Army

Level 7: Crack The Sky, Power Word Stun, Prismatic Rays, Summon Leviathan, Summon Monster VII (Umber Hulk), Teleport Army Group

Level 8: Incendiary Cloud, Summon Iron Golem, Summon Monster VIII (Gelatinous Cube)

Level 9: Arcane Disjunction, Disintegrate, Summon Monster IX (Shambling Mound)

A balanced brigade, not heavily armed or armored. A good allotment of short bowmen, medium infantry equipped with spears and leather protection that have been trained to charge, a company of light horse. All in all, the Elementalist brigades would be considered average, and the kingdom is best served by adding its wide assortment of available Companions as well as summoned brigades.

Recruit Troops (Order #560), Recruit Companions (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.

Special Note: Flyers may be available for your kingdom through the Recruit Companions (Order #565) or as a Wizard Summoning Spell. All flying groups, either as natural flyers like Dragons or groups enhanced with special brigades/artifacts that bestow flying capabilities, are considered flying at all times. When specifying the group's movement, all terrain costs are calculated as normally in your movement order (including when flying over water areas). However, flying groups whether they are all-natural flyers (e.g., all brigades of Griffons) or non-natural flyers (ground-based troops that gain flying by acquiring an artifact or by recruiting Giant Eagles) are checked throughout the turn if their situation changes. Flying status may be lost if the group no longer meets certain criteria such as losing division-sized status required by certain artifacts due to transferring troops between groups, combining groups together, or gaining additional troops through battle as what may occur with special troops like Zombies that eat the dead and grow in number. Or Lycanthrope that spreads among the injured on the battlefield and the group acquires new Lycan brigades. Another possibility to consider is if the group will receive any troop reinforcements, which occurs at certain intervals throughout the game. So, even though a ground-based, non-natural flying group may start the turn as a flyer, its status may change throughout the course of the game. A flying group that flys over or lands upon a water area may be issued any movement order (e.g., 720 and not required a sea movement order like 710).

Natural flyers are: Black/Red Dragons, Great Bats, Phoenixes, Specters, and Wyverns, as well as the new troop types of Air Elementals, Beholders, Chimeras, Cockatrices, Fairy Folk, Gargoyles, Giant Eagles, Griffons, Manticores, Mephits, Pixies, Rocs, and Sprites. Giant Eagles and Rocs are the only natural flyers capable of bestowing flight to ground-based troops. Artifacts that are capable of bestowing flight to others are: Great Red Bats of the Lost Caves, Green Dragon Mates, and the Last Herd of Winged Stallions. If a group consists of only natural-flyers or ground-based troops that become capable of flying, the following flight bonuses apply: +20% attack bonus vs pop centers, immune to Earthquake, Flash Flood, and Wall of Flame spells, patrol-sized groups have 32 (rather than 20) movement points (only for patrols of the Black Dragon, Red Dragon, and Fairy Folk kingdoms), may fly over water without a naval fleet being involved (may finish movement upon a water area), automatically performs a reconnaissance of the group's location as a level 1 agent, and the flying group may not be flanked in battle (a special attack maneuver that certain kingdoms may perform).

Your intercept radius is 3 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.