DRAKO ISLAND Scenario for WARLORDS II Deluxe by Paul Fields DISCLAIMER. This scenario is a work of fiction. All characters (heroes, monsters, or otherwise) depicted in this scenario are purely fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or deceased, is purely coincidental. Place: Southeastern Europe Period: Circa 1,100 A.D. Scale: The map represents approximately 600,000 square kilometers. INTRODUCTION and SITUATION Around 1100-900 B.C., nomadic tribes moving south and following large herds of bison and deer, found a lush, fertile area in Southeastern Europe. Some nomads settled and established permanent encampments. These camps evolved into villages, the villages into towns. By the end of Rome's domination of most of Europe, a thriving, advanced civilization had taken roots in the region. The strongest nation to evolve grew along a peninsula in the northeast area of the region. It was peaceful and had, usually, enjoyed decade upon decade of economic growth, prosperity and calm. Occasionally, it annexed a small city state or duchy on its borders but was never an aggressive nation. It chose, instead, to employ diplomacy and promises of a better life for the citizenry of its new possessions. Thus, even though it held no lands off the peninsula, it called itself an empire and was governed by an aristocracy headed by an emperor and various members of his immediate and extended family. In this manner, the Benefic Empire had existed for hundreds of years. To the south and slightly west of the empire, Drako Island, almost large enough to be an island continent, rises up from the sea. A map of Drako Island shows it is shaped like a dragon standing and breathing fire, thus its name. Drako, like its neighbor to the north, has enjoyed peaceful times for centuries. It is populated by six clans who trace their cultural and linguistic heritage back to a common ancestry. Geography and topography have kept the clans fairly isolated. The occasional dispute between tribes, as they call themselves, has usually been settled through diplomacy or pitched battles with lots of rancor, shoving, and the like, but virtually no casualties have occurred. About 1,200 years earlier, the island was home to a nation of Eurasian peoples called the J'z (pronounced JAZZ). When the island was devastated by a plague, the survivors migrated to a land about 60 miles (100 kilometers) to the west. Now, however, holy men in J'z have convinced the king and his generals of the need to reclaim the sacred relics, holy places and burial sites of important ancestors left behind. To this end, the J'z have encamped south of Drako and are amassing an army to retake their homeland. Emperors of the Benefic Empire have never maintained routine relations with the J'z, although they have occasionally sent and received J'z emissaries. They have never trusted the J'z, for numerous reasons. Now, they stand ready to defend their humble neighbors to the south. They reason that should the J'z conquer and occupy Drako, they may just decide to take on Benefica. The J'z must be stopped. The peaceful environment of the region is about to be rent asunder. This, though, is not bad news to all involved. While the cultural norms dictate diplomacy and peaceful coexistence, there have always been minor chieftains who would have given anything to lead an army to take over other tribes. The coming war will give these men the opportunity to strive for glory and, perhaps, rule Drako. Similar men hold offices in Benefica, as well. Of course, they are dreaming of adding Drako to their empire or, perhaps, becoming emperor of Drako as a separate nation from Benefica. GAME DESIGN NOTES The army set is pretty much a clone of Erythea as regards values. The icons, on the other hand, bear only a slight similarity. Special units include: Ghost Riders - flying units you can purchase on the cheap. All "J'z" warriors can only be produced in J'z camps or nearby cities - they cannot be purchased. All units with a strength of one are considered indigenous forces in their locales - cannot be purchased. Certain royal units may only be produced in Benefic cities. PLACEMENT OF CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES. At the first of the game you will see real estate "gobbled" up fairly fast. Remember, each tribe is pretty much in control of all villages in their locale and we would not expect much resistance to bringing villages into the fray. HERO NAMES. To add local flavor to the scenario, ethnic naming conventions were used in the depiction of hero characters. Since the islanders all sprang from a common ancestry their names are similar. You'll notice dialectical differences here and in the city names. Benefica heroes, being descended from Roman citizens, have mostly Latin-based names. You'll find playing any of the sides stimulating and challenging. The least challenges will be experienced with either the Empire or the J'z since they are wealthiest. The north and south tribes seem to provide less of a challenge than their four neighbors. The toughest are the eastern and mariner tribes. THE LAST WORD This is the first fantasy scenario I have designed. It was a lot of fun and almost as much work as designing a realistic/historical scenario. Thanks for downloading this scenario. Please send any comments and/or suggestions via E- mail at bedbug@inlink.com ...or... visit our web page at: http://www.inlink.com/~bedbug/warlord/ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul's interest in wargaming goes back to the early 1960s. A career as a military officer for over 20 years afforded many opportunities to travel and visit many of history's most notable battlefields. Now he's self-employed and works as a consultant to small businesses and municipalities on a variety of issues from applying new technology to human resource management. Lately, when he's not working to make a living, he's working hard to research and try new ideas for Warlords II Deluxe scenarios. His first, "Rain War", has been downloaded by numerous AOL and CompuServe members and was published on the Warlords II Deluxe CD ROM. Other original scenarios are available on his web page. THIS IS THE FINAL VERSION OF "DRAKO". PLEASE ERASE ANY VERSION WITH A FILE DATE PRIOR TO 12/16/95. MY EMAIL ADDRESS: bedbug@inlink.com MY WEB PAGE: http://www.inlink.com/~bedbug/warlords/ Thank You! Paul Fields