The RED DRAGON

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!

Great Rex of The Reign of Terror of the Red Dragons, all tremble before you! Great thanks Oh Rex for honoring me with the title of being your Chief Thrall and overseeing all your human minions and ensuring they perform their tasks as you demand. Your Red Dragons will strike terror into the hearts of all enemies. They are uncontested as the mightiest warriors, but they are not great in number and must not be spent needlessly - forgive me Great Rex. They have incredible mobility, and amazing special abilities. Our early concerns will revolve around how often to risk these most elite of all brigade types. Certainly, you will want to ensure that each of your groups is accompanied by brigades of wyverns to help buffer the dragons against losses. We should use the intimidation factor you unquestionably possess to aid diplomacy with other kingdoms, probably via the "speak softly but carry a big stick" approach. Or roar fire! Developing your political strength will take some pressure off the Red Dragons. Consider avoiding lengthy wars with the wizard kingdoms as their magic is a vulnerability to us. If you must fight them, be decisive and quick.

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 of this kingdom that become prisoners get 15 points added to their chance of escape.
• Evil: Only Evil kingdoms may summon undead if in spell lists. Undead brigades cannot become Elite. Undead brigades have a floor morale of 80 and cannot raise above 120. Damned, Skeletons, and Zombies may be summoned from pop center areas (not in wild only). Only Evil kingdoms may recruit Trolls. Brigade maintenance is -25% for Evil kingdoms. Only Evil kingdoms may have Nazgul, Wraith, or Lich figures. Evil kingdoms gain a pop center's full production value in food and gold (not reduced by seasonal effects) when conquered. Rule of Law has cost of 0 for Evil kingdoms. Evil kingdoms start Hostile in all regions except for capital and second town regions. When an Evil kingdom first controls a particular region, all non-Evil kingdoms have their regional reactions changed to Hostile. If an Evil kingdom has control in a region with Loyal reactions, non-Evil kingdoms cannot improve their regional reaction there. An Evil kingdom may not enamor a region that is Loyal to any non-Evil kingdom. Agent training is -1,000 gold to a minimum of 1,000. Maximum agent training is +2 levels.
• Magic Resist Death: Kingdom is 33% resistant to magical death effects. This consists of the kill leader/wizard spell, death spell, and the summon imp/demon/high demon spells. If successful, no damage will be taken.
• Magic Resist Sleep: Kingdom is 33% resistant to sleep effects.
• Rich: Increases starting treasury by 30,000 gold, and increases starting capital gold production by 4,000.
• 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).
• Stalwart: Immune to Fear and Chaos. 25% reduction to harmful magic (4,000 magic damage would become 3,000). +15 points leader promotion and emergence, -15 points leader and wizard death (improved survivability to combat damage and kill leader / kill wizard).

• Terrain Adeptness: Flight, Adversity in Forest (combat only)
• Magical Prowess: Disadvantaged (Tier 6 of 7)
• Spells available earlier than prowess base: Firestrike, Hidden Ore, True Seeing
• Phoenix (Order #565 Recruit Companions) may be recruited at one of the volcano locations on the map (KH, KS, ZV). Phoenix are flying creatures that have regenerative powers. A group that contains a Phoenix brigade may issue their special regenerate order (#236 Regenerate) once per turn. This ability will heal up to 5% attrition (double during an Ice Age).
• Flanking Tactic (use TAC 4). Group vs. group attack (special exemption for our kingdom, others require 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 175%. 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.
• Fight To The Last Man (use TAC 7). Defensive group vs. group tactic. Requires Stalwart, no Green brigades, at least two Veteran Kingdom brigades, and a Marshal or higher (not stunned). This is a defensive only tactic (does not initiate combat). Provides an additional +15% to defense over normal defensive bonus, and retreat becomes 90% (which means our troops will continue fighting until nearly completely destroyed).
• Create Dragon's Lair (Order #650), specified map area must be a Mountain location without a pop center (pillaged or a magic-destroyed pc frees the map area of a pc so the area is valid for a lair). May only have one Dragon's Lair on the map. May only issue order on turn 4 or later. A Dragon's Lair produces 20,000 gold each month (does not decrease due to seasonal effects).
• Red Dragons cannot use sea power or buy ships, and therefore cannot use Orders #710 and 715. Use the normal land movement order #720 to cross sea areas. Flying groups may land on water.
• Our ruler starts the game as being Immortal.

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: Disadvantage (Tier 6 of 7)

Maximum assured Power level attainable: 7 (includes +2 levels from Immortal)

(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: 12,000

(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 46,000 gold. To reach 5th level, the cost is 90,000 gold. To reach 7th level, the cost is 144,000 gold.)

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

Level 1: Create Food, Light Of The Evening Star, Magic Research, Raven Familiar, Stun Leader

Level 2: Bridge Of Mist, Create Gold, Fear, Firestrike, Hidden Ore, Lightning Attack, Protect Heroes and Wizards, Shield, Speed, Valor, Ward

Level 3: Bridge Of Mist (Intrinsic), Diplomacy, Guarded Attack, Kill Leader/Wizard, Lesser Masking, Light Of The Evening Star (Intrinsic), Presence (Intrinsic), Reveal King's Influence, Sleep, Strengthen Walls, Wind Storm

Level 4: Chaos, Conceal Emissary, Dispel Magic, Dispel Storm at Sea, Flash Flood, Invisible Patrol, Mirror Image, Ship of Mist, Teleport Patrol, Teleport Self, True Seeing

Level 5: Command Tornado, Create Magical Item, Dispel Dome of Invulnerability, Dispel Regional Effect, Greater Masking, Instant Self Teleport, Invisible Brigade, Protection from Regional Effect, Storm at Sea, Wall of Flame, Ward Population Center

Level 6: Destroy Undead, Imp Familiar, Invisible Division, Teleport Brigade, True Seeing (Intrinsic)

Level 7: Cold Darkness (Regional Effect), Curse, Earthquake, Invisible Army, Revelation, Sacrifice, Teleport Division, Unveil Group Locations, Unveil Population Centers

Level 8: Augment Title, Charm Region, Conjure Prestige, Conjure Scandal, Demonic Visions (Regional Effect), Dome of Invulnerability, Enhance King's Aura, Famine (Regional Effect), Ice Torrent, Infuriate Populace, Meteor Strike, Plague (Regional Effect), Project Image Of Group, Raise Regional Census (Regional Effect), Teleport Army

Level 9: Chain Lightning, Summon Death, Summon Demon, Teleport Army Group

Here there be dragons! A Red Dragon brigade has only a handful of Red Dragons, but is more powerful than any other brigade. They breathes fire in the missile phases, swoop down with huge claws in the charge phase, throwing victims into the air or crushing them (which may be the most lethal attack of any brigade in any phase), and then land and attack with jaws and tail in melee phases. Their flight gives them a good advantage attacking population centers as their walls do not provide the same advantages. In general, battles in the forest should be avoided.

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 5 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.