Conquest mode
- See also: Character creation
During the Conquest you will decide your character's actions during Kyros' invasion of the Tiers, shaping the world through which you will adventure over the course of the game. Each choice you make affects your character and how major factions of the Tiers respond to you. Your decisions matter - choose wisely.
428 TR[edit | edit source]
The Bastard City
The Bastard City stood on the northern border between Kyros' Empire and the Tiers. Built upon a natural harbor at the crossroads between realms, the city was a nexus of commerce. To the Tiers, it was the center of all wealth. To a northerner, it was little more than a backwater trading post. Its symbolic status as a gateway to the continent made it a natural first target in Kyros' military conquest. Circumstances were ideal for you to prove your worth as a soldier in Kyros' armies.
Taking this city would send a message to the rest of the Tiers: Kyros' will is insurmountable.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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 Continue.
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Gates of Judgment
The armies of Kyros took the battle to the Gates of Judgment - trumpeting the opening call of the Conquest of the Tiers. The two armies brought their distinctive sense of order and chaos to the assault. You went to battle alongside the army whose approach best suited your strengths.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Join battle alongside the Disfavored.
Join battle alongside the Scarlet Chorus.
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Infiltrate the Tiers
History would remember the Gates of Judgment as the first battle of the Conquest, but the real combat unfolded with advance units of both armies preparing for the coming war. The Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus each had a plan to infiltrate the capital city. Which army did you join?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Aid the Disfavored scouts.
Conscript enemy fighters for the Scarlet Chorus.
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Feeding the Host
Against the most optimistic projections, the Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus made short work of the local defenses. They did so well that the armies quickly outpaced their supply caravans. Troops were plentiful, but food was scarce. You only had time to execute one plan to secure provisions.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Confiscate merchant caravans.
Pillage farmlands.
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To Judge the Enemy
The soldiers of the Tiers fell by the hundreds, and Kyros' armies could not agree on how to handle what few survivors they dragged back to camp. Befitting your role, the commanders turned to you to decide the fate of those who occupied prison pens. There were only enough prisoners to support the plan of a single army.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Enslave the enemy.
Conscript the enemy.
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Containing the Fire
Your fiercest opponents in the Bastard City were the mages of the School of Wild Wrath. Too barbaric to use their power responsibly, the unbridled practitioners needed to be stopped. How did you trick the hot-tempered mages into their own undoing?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Lure them to a Disfavored ambush. A meeting with the Voices of Nerat. | |
Inside Agent
With the border garrison captured by your Disfavored allies, you traveled ahead of Kyros' armies and lurked in the shadows of the Bastard City. You decided that converting one of the locals to Kyros' side would help bring the city to its knees. After all, corruption starts from within.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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A well-informed Guard Captain.
A fast-talking smuggler.
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Betrayal of the Bastard City
Your tactics of infiltration placed you in the Bastard City ahead of the main armies. Your work softened the city defenses for the arrival of Kyros' forces, but you wanted a decisive gesture that would give your allies a meaningful advantage. How did you assist in the fall of the Bastard City?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Duel the City Marshal.
Incite a riot.
Spread fear through assassination.
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Taking the Bastard City
The armies of Kyros amassed around the Bastard City, the first bastion of the Tiers to fall. Both armies longed to storm the walled outpost - the Scarlet Chorus howling for plunder, and the Disfavored forming an unbreakable shield wall. Your prowess on the field of battle had carried them this far, but there was one more step before total victory.
Both of the armies had inspired schemes to take the Bastard City. Which did you support?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Assault on the main gates.
Burn the city.
Sabotage the city's defenses.
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The Bastard City, 428 TR
The Bastard City settled into a new state of normalcy, with every tower displaying Kyros' banner. Your name was whispered alongside rumors of a decorated career to come. The armies divided into two fronts and migrated south. Tunon sent word that you were to join the next frontier of Kyros' conquest - either as judge and overseer of the settlement of Lethian's Crossing or as a war advisor with the armies advancing into the realm of Apex.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Apex.
Lethian's Crossing.
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429 TR[edit | edit source]
Apex
The mountain nation of Apex, ruled for generations by the Queens of House Vendrien, stood at the heart of the Tiers. No army could bypass the landlocked realm without leaving their flank exposed to attack.
By the second year of the war, the Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus had pushed deep into the Tiers. Elements of both armies were dispatched to conquer Apex. Tunon assigned you to accompany them, tasked with bringing Kyros' law to the territory as well as keeping an eye on both armies.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue.
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Denial of Strength
A school of water mages loyal to the Tiersmen posed a substantial threat. The Disfavored wished to annihilate the school, while the Scarlet Chorus insisted on capturing the mages, wishing to learn of their craft.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Slaughter the mages.
Capture the mages.
Can obtain the Emotion Sigil during chapter 2 speaking with Blood Mulch | |
The Battle of Edgering Pass
The Disfavored sent their most destructive ally to crush Edgering Fort. Cairn, Archon of Stone, buried the stronghold under an avalanche triggered from the surrounding mountains. The Scarlet Chorus were promised captured enemies for recruitment, yet none survived the onslaught. The Chorus demanded compensation.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Side with the Disfavored.
Side with the Scarlet Chorus.
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A Captive Captain
When Kyros' forces captured a celebrated enemy hero, the armies bickered over his fate. The Disfavored wanted him set free to convince his peers of Kyros' mercy. The Scarlet Chorus wanted him flayed and staked as an example.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Use the captain to send a message.
Use the captain's body as a grim warning.
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Poisoning the Well
Hoping to break the siege, Scarlet Chorus agents poisoned the Apex water supply in secret. Days later, uninformed Disfavored scouts died of illness. Outraged by the failure of communication, the Disfavored demanded that the Chorus agents be turned over to them for punishment.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Punish the saboteurs.
Deny the charges.
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Swords of the Fallen
Scarlet Chorus soldiers were seen wearing Disfavored gear - supposedly taken from those who fell in battle. The Disfavored were outraged, citing tradition that their armor passed only to next of kin within the army. In a debate of tradition versus practicality, you had to rule in favor of one army over another.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Punish the Scarlet Chorus soldiers.
Refute all charges.
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The Marriage Bed Armistice
The enemy readied for a peacetime festival as Kyros' forces armed for battle. The Disfavored paid no mind to the southern custom, and planned to attack the Vendrien forces during their annual celebration. The Scarlet Chorus insisted on a day of nonviolence. As former Tiersmen, many could grasp the decency of a temporary reprieve.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Choose the Disfavored plan.
Choose the Scarlet Chorus plan.
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The Fall of Apex
With the defeat of Apex an inevitability, the armies of Kyros met to discuss how to put an end to this stage of the Conquest. Both armies agreed to send an offer of parley. Along with their acceptance, the enemy requested that you appear at the meeting. Word of your fair dealings had apparently spread to their ranks.
How did you orchestrate the surrender of the Realm of Apex?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Negotiate surrender.
Challenge the Queen.
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Apex, 429 TR
The land of Apex finally rested in the hands of Kyros' forces. The Scarlet Chorus paused to revel in victory while the Disfavored prepared for the next fight - affording themselves but an evenings rest.
Kyros' armies radiated out from the conquered citadel and worked their way across the Tiers. The Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus aimed to dominate as much territory as possible in the coming year. Your distinguished reputation in Kyros' military left the choice of your next destination yours to make.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Azure.
Stalwart.
Vellum Citadel.
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Lethian's Crossing
Years ago, Lethian the Bold founded a small merchant town at the intersection of ancient Oldwalls. A pact between the settlers and a mercenary company meant that caravans were able to travel without fear of bandits or Bane, and the town thrived in modest insignificance.
Lethian’s Crossing drew Kyros’ attention for the iron deposits in the surrounding hills. With the region under Kyros’ control, the Northern smith-mages could set up workshops to refine ore and arm the Disfavored with the finest weapons in the known world.
The Archon of Secrets dismantled the mercenary support with a generous bribe, taking the Crossing in a bloodless victory. Tunon dispatched you to travel alongside Kyros' forces and bring order to the region.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue.
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The Cult of Sirin
Sirin, Archon of Song, used her arcane charm to lure locals into joining! Kyros' army. As a patroness of the Scarlet Chorus, her efforts were critical to the conscription of new recruits. When an enthralled Disfavored soldier joined her cult, his company feared that the Archon was growing out of control and needed to be stopped.
The Iron Must Flow
Kyros' smith-mages worked day and night to create weapons. No one faulted their dedication, yet production was low. The plans that came to light proved divisive to the Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus. On one hand, any additional manpower was needed for fighters, not forges. On the other hand, the celebrated weaponry of Kyros' armies needed to be fiercely guarded.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Draw from the Scarlet Chorus recruits.
Conscript a tribe of Beastmen.
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A Red Anvil
One of Kyros' smith-mages swore allegiance to the Scarlet Chorus. Jealously hoarding the secret of iron forging, the Disfavored demanded the smith's immediate return. The Scarlet Chorus insisted that they were within their rights to take allegiance from any source. Tempers flared and the forges cooled as arguments stalled productivity.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Enslave the renegade mage.
Erase his mind.
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Ancient Threats
Drawn to the arcane energy around the forges, mystical predators from the nearby Oldwalls began to raid Lethian's Crossing at all hours. Both of Kyros' armies reserved their strength for the front lines of the war, and yet the city required protection. You had to delegate the responsibility somewhere.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Choose the Scarlet Chorus.
Choose the Disfavored.
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A Guardian's Due
Kyros' armies used Lethian's Crossing as a reprieve from the war. The city grew more crowded as a mercenary arm hired by the Archon of Secrets occupied the barracks, where they drained resources and escalated tensions. The Disfavored wanted nothing to do with the sellswords, but the Scarlet Chorus sought to invite them into the fold.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Segregate the mercenaries.
Challenge their worth.
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Pick of the Armory
Since you aided the production of weapons, commanders of both armies lobbied for additional arms. They offered all manner of bribes to be next in line for a fitting session with the masters of the forge. How did you sate the lust for iron?
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Choose the Disfavored.
Choose the Scarlet Chorus.
Remain neutral.
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Who Controlled the Crossing?
Tragedy struck when a mercenary hired by the Voices of Nerat injured a Forge-Bound artisan, leaving him unable to practice his craft. Tunon ordered the mercenaries to leave the city in the hands of Kyros' more responsible servants. Only a token garrison could be left behind while the armies returned to the front. As the Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus showed increasing tension and hostility toward each other, Tunon decreed it best that only one force control the Crossing.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Choose the Disfavored.
Choose the Scarlet Chorus.
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Lethian's Crossing, 429 TR
With the mercenaries expelled and Lethian's Crossing under new leadership, Kyros' forces congratulated themselves on bringing order to the settement and guaranteeing a productive flow of resources.
Over the course of this diversion, the army front advanced further into the Tiers. Your skills were needed in the Realm of Azure, Stalwart, or the Vellum Citadel.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Azure.
Stalwart.
Vellum Citadel.
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430 TR[edit | edit source]
Azure
The nation of Azure, once the richest settlement of the Tiers, sat on a verdant, fertile plain. As the Disfavored clashed with Azure's defenders, the Scarlet Chorus contended against the region's tribal Beastmen, who protected their ancestral lands with incredible fury. Kyros dispatched the Archon Cairn to break the stalemate and force Azure into submission. The colossal man of stone and flesh arrived as instructed, but earning his cooperation was a tall order, even for you.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue.
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Stalked by Shadows
After a roaming pack of Beastmen slaughtered a Disfavored patrol, the Scarlet Chorus responded by laying claim to the Beasts for their army while the Disfavored readied a company to enact vengeance. The Disfavored legion considered the Beasts beyond taming, and the butchers of their Northern brethren needed to be brought to justice.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Sanction the Disfavored's vengeance.
Allow the Chorus' conscription.
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The Destruction of Azure
Cairn, the Archon of Stone, carved a deadly path through Azure, using his powers to blight the land. The Scarlet Chorus complained that his tactics left no farmland to feed the growing army. Since Cairn marched with the Disfavored, the Scarlet Chorus held the legion responsible for the destruction and lost harvests.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Dismiss the Scarlet Chorus complaints.
Order the Disfavored to replace the destroyed farmland.
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Cairn's Tribe
A wounded Scarlet Chorus soldier claimed her gang was mauled by Beastmen loyal to the Archon of Stone, but Cairn could not be found. The Scarlet Chorus sought to capture the tribe. The Disfavored insisted the account was slander - the Archon was loyal to Kyros, and would never lend his strength to savages.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Send the Disfavored.
Send the Scarlet Chorus.
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Taming the Beasts
Disfavored scouts reported sightings of Beastman packs using arcane spells. After their mages captured and dissected a few Beasts for study, the aghast Scarlet Chorus demanded that all live Beasts be sent to them for conscription. They accused Cairn of introducing the Beasts to magic, and the Disfavored of complicity as they obscured this treasonous crime.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue the experiments.
Enslave any captive Beastmen.
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Cairn's Madness
The Archon of Stone refused to rejoin the war camp, loudly denying Kyros' claim over Azure. Nothing less than a full unit of soldiers could subdue the treasonous Archon, yet neither army was willing to risk lives tracking him down. You delivered the order that sent Kyros' forces marching after Cairn.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Send the Disfavored.
Send the Scarlet Chorus.
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Forced Into the Fray
The Archon of Stone went missing during the campaign. As Disfavored mages busied themselves with the search for Cairn, the Scarlet Chorus forced the mages into combat against their will, during which two were slain. Furious at the waste of trained specialists, the Disfavored demanded that the Scarlet Chorus be punished.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Free the mages.
Side with the Scarlet Chorus.
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The Edict of Stone
The Archon of Stone made brazen declarations that Kyros had no claim to rule the Tiers. Soon after, word arrived that Kyros would dispatch this rebellious minion with an Edict.
The Disfavored took solace in knowing the Edict was coming, and the commanders petitioned you to be the bearer of justice. Tunon selected you for the honor of proclaiming Kyros' Edict of Stone - a magical spell with the power to destroy the Archon.
As he sensed his approaching doom, Cairn began an assault on Plainsgate, the largest human settlement of the area. It fell to you to send Kyros' forces into a suicide mission to halt Cairn's destruction while you completed the proclamation of the Edict.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Send the Disfavored to delay Cairn.
Send the Scarlet Chorus to delay Cairn.
Send both armies to delay Cairn.
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Stalwart
The Realm of Stalwart was best known for its proud army - disciplined, courageous, and undefeated on their home soil. Skill and resolve made Stalwart a military power that Kyros' forces approached with due caution.
With its southern position, Stalwart had been largely safe from war - watching for two years as its neighbors fell to Kyros' forces. On the dawn of the third year of war, Kyros' forces were finally poised to invade the Stalwart peninsula, and subdue the Tier's most vaunted army.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue.
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A Contentious Setback
After a defeat at the hands of enemy defenders, the Scarlet Chorus accused the Disfavored of recklessness. The Disfavored claimed the Scarlet Chorus brought too few soldiers to cover their flanks. Both armies refused to march until you gave a ruling.
Marching on Empty
The Stalwart defenders burned their crops as they retreated, leaving the invaders little to forage. Starving, the Scarlet Chorus mob raided from the Disfavored's well-maintained supply lines, incurring casualties on both sides.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Punish the Scarlet Chorus.
Order the Disfavored to share supplies.
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Fall of the Regents
The armies of Kyros collaborated on the capture of an enemy leader. The Scarlet Chorus requested that she be interrogated by the Archon of Secrets. The Disfavored wished to display her corpse in battle. Since the Stalwart defenders refused to surrender, a gesture was needed to instill fear.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Execute her.
Interrogate her.
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Negative Conscription
Scarlet Chorus soldiers were spotted fighting alongside the Stalwart defenders. The Voices of Nerat insisted they were spies enlisted to gauge the army's weaknesses and sow discontent. The Disfavored accused the soldiers of treason, and demanded bloody reprisal. The contentious armies sought your ruling on the matter.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Execute the 'spies'.
Protect the spies.
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Better Dead than Red
Rather than submit to Scarlet Chorus conscription, conquered locals began committing suicide. Desperate to add more bodies to the Horde, the Scarlet Chorus demanded a portion of Disfavored prisoners. The Disfavored denied the right of recruitment, as the realm's population had taken a steep decline.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Deny the Scarlet Chorus their right to conscription.
Grant Disfavored slaves to the Scarlet Chorus.
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The Beasts of Stalwart
Scarlet Chorus mages discovered a spell to turn Beastmen slaves against their handlers. The army prepared to deploy this tactic elsewhere, but the Disfavored protested. The use of unsanctioned magical practices ran contrary to Kyros' law, and Beastmen were considered too erratic to be relied upon, even as shock troops.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Agree with the Disfavored.
Agree with the Scarlet Chorus.
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The Edict of Storms
The Disfavored carved a slow, steady path into the heart of Stalwart and surrounded the enemy's massive fortress. With the main bulk of their forces defeated, the enemy leadership retreated to their mighty fortress, content to wait out the war.
The Overlord answered this impudence with an Edict of Storms on the peninsula - a devastating spell that would endure for as long as the cowardly hearts of Stalwart's leaders persisted in beating.
Knowing you had the trust of Graven Ashe, Tunon deemed you the proper representative to deliver Kyros' Edict.
Aside from being given a three day window to read the Edict, you received no other instructions.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Give no warning.
Warn the people.
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Vellum Citadel
The Vellum Citadel was an archive and library of massive scale. Its inhabitants were known as the School of Ink and Quill, a circle of mages that, centuries ago, carved out their own mountainous refuge on lands unsettled by the other major realms.
Legends said that the Citadel housed a treasure trove of arcane knowledge. The Overlord's spies infiltrated the school and confirmed as much. The time was ripe to send a detachment to the great library fortress, and force the scholars to yield to Kyros.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Continue.
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Chain of Command
A detachment of Kyros' army marched on the Vellum Citadel expecting an orderly surrender. As they neared the main gates, a blast of arcane energy struck the commanders dead. Suddenly the highest ranking officer alive, Kyros' forces looked to you for the next steps. The call weighed on your mind, as it had an immediate influence on soldier losses.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Order the Scarlet Chorus to attack.
Order the Disfavored to advance.
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Song of Ensnarement
Sirin, Archon of Song, used her power to enthrall enemy mages who crept beyond the Citadel walls. After Kyros' forces rounded up the arcane practitioners, the Disfavored began executing the new captives before they could share dangerous knowledge - a crime under Kyros' law - with the Scarlet Chorus.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Muzzle the mages.
Punish the Disfavored.
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Lost to the Mountains
The Disfavored learned of a hidden enemy enclave, and sent scouts to locate it. They never returned from their mission. The remaining Disfavored soldiers demanded that you send the Scarlet Chorus to retrieve their scouts, but the Scarlet Chorus flatly refused to fall into the same trap. They recommended that the scouts be treated as wartime casualties.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Send the Scarlet Chorus to rescue the lost scouts.
Abandon the lost Disfavored.
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Plunder of Parchment
The army captured a supply caravan overflowing with arcane books. When the Disfavored started a bonfire of forbidden texts, the Scarlet Chorus rescued the tomes from the flames and attacked.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Destroy the texts.
Grant half of the scrolls to the Scarlet Chorus.
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Right of Command
The Archon of Song incited Scarlet Chorus recruits to fight their leaders. Bosses were killed and supplanted left and right. The Disfavored demanded an end to the practice for the good of the Conquest.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Put an end to the contests.
Honor the Right of Challenge.
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The Spymaster's Agents?
A group of enemy mages surrendered to the Disfavored, claiming to be spies loyal to the Voices of Nerat. No one in the army could verify the claim. The Disfavored readied to interrogate the mages, but the Scarlet Chorus protested, demanding that the prisoners be given to their custody. They couldn't risk the Voices of Nerat's secrets falling into the wrong hands.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Leave the mages in Disfavored custody.
Release the mages to the Scarlet Chorus.
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The Edict of Fire
Crestfallen by the preferential treatment you showed the Disfavored, the Scarlet Chorus retreated deeper into the mountains - leaving your detachment with a skeleton crew.
Tunon sent word that Kyros' patience had run thin - the Overlord would cast an Edict of Fire on the enemy.
The parchment arrived in a slender case of engraved iron. Written on it, the words of a spell powerful enough to destroy the Vellum Citadel.
You had the choice of when to read the Edict. Reading it at sunrise would offer your enemies no warning of the devastation to come. You could also wait until sunset, giving them ample time to flee or make amends.
Trigger conditions
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Is triggered only by
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Give no warning.
Give one day's warning.
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References[edit | edit source]
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