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| Thread: Campaign Writing Contest |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 06, 2007 02:57 PM |
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Campaign Writing Contest
In this contest, the competitors will write a series of campaigns for HOMM5.
There will be 5 rounds.
On the first round, the competitors can choose the theme of their campaign. It's an open round.
On the second round, the competitors will write a campaign that continues the first round winner's campaign.
On the third round, the competitors will write a campaign that continues the second round winner's campaign.
Etc.
Every campaign cannot be about the same facion of the one it continues. If the winner of the last round wrote about war between Sylvan and Necropolis, and you play Sylvan there, you can write your campaign from the Necromancers' point of view, or how the demons involve in the story, for example.
Every campaign should include 5 quests.
The competitors have to write an explanation of each quest (a simple one), to write the mission's objectives, and write the characters' text (if there is).
The winner of every round and I will choose the winner of the next round (unless he doesn't want to), so the winner will be pleased with the way his story continues.
I will gather the winners' campaigns, and we will have a continues story.
The first round was ended in the 27th of July.
The round's winner is Daystar.
For the second round, your mission is to continue his campaign (on the 9th post on this page).
Daystar and I will choose the winner of the second round.
It will be ended in the 17th of August.
Good luck. 
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DragonLord3000
Known Hero
Romanian flamethrower
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posted July 06, 2007 05:50 PM |
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How about continue the story where Dark Messiah left off.Question is if it should continue were The Demon Sovereing rules Ashan or they rule Ashan together?
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hot peppers are an ilusion.they do not exist.
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 06, 2007 05:53 PM |
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Quote:
How about continue the story where Dark Messiah left off.Question is if it should continue were The Demon Sovereing rules Ashan or they rule Ashan together?
Feel free to write your campaign about it.
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DragonLord3000
Known Hero
Romanian flamethrower
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posted July 06, 2007 06:23 PM |
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While The Demon Sovereign and his son Sareth begin their rule over the world of Ashan starting with the city of Stonehelm,whose inhabitants are being turned into slaves by the Sovereigns minions,the orcs from the island were Sareth has been,having lost their leader Aratrok and many other orcs onto Sareths blades decide to confront the demon sovereing and fulfill their destiny of "shock troops".Allied with former enemies,the goblins and orcs march to war with the demons.Meanwhile the other wizards descover of Phenrigs treachery and prevent him from doing anymore harm by imprisoning him in some sort of magic cell and torture him to find out the Demon Sovereigns plans.Conquering city after city the demons seem unstopable with their new allies,the humans of Stonehelm.Only the wizards stand before them and when hope fades the orcs arrive and try to settle the score with Sareth who is now the premiere general in Kha-Beleths army.
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hot peppers are an ilusion.they do not exist.
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Fofa
Famous Hero
Famous? Me?!
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posted July 08, 2007 01:59 AM |
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Edited by Fofa at 01:59, 08 Jul 2007.
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Sounds good. Most of the campaigns I've written so far are for my ICTC towns, but I think I might be able to write a campaign story for this round.
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Creator of the Guild and Prison towns for ICTC.
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dkolb
Promising
Known Hero
Nay Nay and Aslan Protector
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posted July 08, 2007 03:16 PM |
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Edited by dkolb at 15:53, 08 Jul 2007.
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a campaign huh?
hmmm ok I'll take a stab
The Revolt of the Unwanteds
2007 YSD 14th Eclipse -The Neutral's Revolt.
Instead of a total eclipse that normally brings demons, a solar eclipse occurs, and as a result the creatures not allied with any town begin acting rather odd. They begin to complain that they are unloved and ignored, and clamor for equal rights. Of course no hero would represent them so they were stuck guarding mines or stupid artifacts or other such rot and still posed no threat to anyone. But later that week a Hero DID come to their aid, and there was much rejoicing! But that rejoicing did indeed turn to anguish as it turned the hero was Orson, and that the only reason he was supporting them was because he was rather too stupid to know otherwise. Regardless Orson provided the neutrals with mobility something they had lacked until now. And in a bizarre turn of event the neutrals formed their unlikely army and turned to changed the course of history. This is a tale of their valiant efforts.
Description: This is going to be a single player RPG type of map where the odds are pretty heavy against you. You can have only one hero and he cannot retreat or surrender. Obviously the neutral units could be set to always join, and probably the enemies would have to stay in their castle to prevent killing your character completely. The absurdity of the hero being Orson I believe will add to the challenge.
But let's face it the guy doesn't get alot of love so let's have a campaign about him. People take HOMM too seriously, and the whole Demon getting loosed out of his prison to take over the world is frankly so banal I'm sick to death of it. This campaign give the player an opportunity to use units that are refreshing and fun to play with.
Mission 1: Puppy Dog Tales
Orson stats:
Basic Defense/ Vitality
Advanced Leadership
+1 wood
35 gold
Starting with only one Water Elemental (which Orson isn't quite sure how he got but he believe it had something to do with the ale he drank last night) and 1 skeleton Orson must unite the savage wolves under his ignoble banner if his neutral army is to stand a chance.
Orson limited to level 10 skills and artifacts will carry over.
Objective: Talk to the freakin wolves in front of you and if you don't click accept to let them join you won't win!!!!!
Objective: defeat the 4 different stacks of blade dancers who are intimidating the wolves to gain their trust.
Objective: The leader of the wolves is greedy and want you to give him the Armor of the forgotton hero....just great....
Objective: Turns out the artifact is guarded by a legion of arch devil's but the map maker stupidly put them too far away so sneak up and take it.
Objective: turn over the artifact and recruit all the wolves
Objective: Take on an unsuspecting Galib and take his city over for no reason.
Objective: Unfortunately Orson must survive.
Bonus Objectives: Give the crazy zealot 1 wood and recruit him
Bonus Objectives: defeat a couple Fire Elementals and then recruit the Water Elementals by the lake
Mission 2: Elementary
Orson limited to level 16 skills and artifacts carry over
Stupidly, the wolves ran off to build a stronghold somewhere and the water elemental just straight up evaporated do to you using it's magic to heat your coffee. Now the elementals are rightly pissed at you and you have to make amends because without the elementals your screwed. And yeah your starting army is that same unfortunate skeleton that you had last time.
I'll figure out the specific objective later but basically alot of this is running around doing quests to appease these elementals. The easiest ones are the air elementals and once they join you have somewhat of a chance in battle, but they are freaking air elementals so be careful. You eventually go through battles and when you have all 4 elements taken care off a group of wolves appear and join up and then you have to fight a "boss" hero to complete the map.
Mission 3: Mummies and Manticores
Hero not limited in level from here on out and all skills and arti's carry over and he needs all of em he can get!
The wolves happily report that they have build up a big fortress and that they need the Fire,Water, and Earth elementals guarding it. Unfortunately that leaves you with those damn Air Elementals and 1 skeleton again. You've heard that the neurotic mummies that live in the desert to the east are good spellcasters, and that the manticores are too ugly for any other faction including the necropolis to accept so it's time to make nice with them and plan your assault on the rest of the world!
I love defensive battles so one half of this map will be random heros assaulting your castle which has a fixed amount of units and the other half is you out exploring on your own.
Although the garrison force is just wolves, water fire and earth elementals, it is also a fortress with full castle/guard post built. The mummies will join without too much trouble but you need to kill alot of manticores. Fortunately the mummy is really good so you won't have too much trouble
Mission 4 Fire and Death
The Death Knights thirsts for blood and revenge against the necropolis. It just so happens you share a common goal. The Wolves have devised a strategy that will have you sneaking underground and sneaking up to the necromancer army before they are allowed to build up. This calls for an assault force of Fire/Water elementals, Mummies, Manticores, Wolves, and of course Death Knights. Once you take the necropolis it's time to deal with the dungeon down another subbterrean gate. you'll get a few reinforcements, but it won't be until you take the academy to the east that you'll find the phoenix. Meanwhile your town will be guarded by 1 skeleton, earth/air elementals. Good luck
Mission 5 The Ultimate Showdown
in a bizarre turn of events Galib has united a titanic allied force against you. The full might and rage of the Sylvan,Haven,Inferno, and Dwarf Towns are breathing down your neck and once you beat them you must defeat Galib himself!!!!
You start with one skeleton but it's actually a joke because all the neutrals you have befriended will be available on the map to join in huge stacks. It's really about you outsmarting your enemies and the last battle should be really epic!!!
edit: if this thing doesn't make it I'm making it for my own personal and twisted amusement.
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 08, 2007 04:26 PM |
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Quote:
Sounds good. Most of the campaigns I've written so far are for my ICTC towns, but I think I might be able to write a campaign story for this round.
Good luck.
By the way, you can write your campaign also about the orcs (although it might be a bit hard, since we don't know much about their background).
Great job, dkolb.
Carry on. 
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Fofa
Famous Hero
Famous? Me?!
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posted July 21, 2007 09:21 PM |
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Edited by Fofa at 01:31, 27 Jul 2007.
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After much procrastination, here's my entry:
Plot:
The year is 556 YSD. The War Under the Mountain has just begun. It goes well for the dark elves at first, as the dwarves are unfamiliar with their new enemies. After the dark elves successfully assassinate their king, the dwarves are now taking initiative to send the dark elves back. The king's son, Hathor Deepstrider Orlandsson is claimed as the successor and in charge of reclaiming the land that once belonged to the dwarves.
Key Heroes:
Hathor
Personal Specialty: Fighter: Deals extra damage to Dungeon troops depending on hero level.
Starting Skills: Basic Runelore, Basic Leadership
Bio: Although he is still a bit young to be taking on the dwarven throne, Hathor's desire to repel the dark elves who took the life of his father burn more than the flames of Arkath himself.
Tyr
Personal Specialty: Robe of Light: Every time an enemy creature attacks a Fortress creature belonging to Tyr, there is a chance that it could receive a light damage counterattack. Chance depends on hero level.
Starting Skills: Basic Runelore, Basic Light Magic
Bio: Tyr was an advisor to the late king, and acts like a second father to Hathor. While he hasn't spent much time in the battlefield, his strategies and abilities with light magic are second to none in comparison with other dwarves.
Note: Starts with the Righteous Might spell
Missions:
Fortress Mission 1: Rising from the Ashes
After the assassination of their king, the dwarves are now beginning to rise up from defense to offense to avenge their fallen king and to drive off the dark elves for good. Hathor, the late king's son and only heir, takes up the task to lead his fellow dwarves to defeat their common enemy.
Objectives:
1: Liberate the garrisons
2: Eliminate the dark elves in all Fortress towns
Minor:
1: Hathor must survive
Starting Bonuses:
1: 1500 gold
2: Golden Horseshoe
3: 25 Defenders
Map Size: Medium
Underground: Yes (the map is an underground)
Obelisk: None
Level Restrictions: 10
Starting Dialog
Tyr: So you made it. I didn't think you'd show up, Hathor.
Hathor: It's not just the fight for my fellow dwarven kin, Tyr, it's also my personal fight.
Tyr: (Sigh) If you're eager to avenge your father's death, I won't stop you, but I urge you to be cautious. If we were to lose you--
Hathor: Stop hypothesizing about events that will never happen. I'm going to send these 'dark elves,' or whatever else they call themselves back to the hell hole they came from!
Fortress Mission 2: Passage
Even though it is generally unacceptable for the dwarves to turn to underhand tactics to succeed in battle, against the dark elves it will be essential. Intelligence has gathered that a number of the dark elves forces will be heading for the dwarven capital, although Tyr spots a fatal flaw: most of their dwellings are left unguarded. A plan between Tyr and Hathor is devised: Tyr will hold off the warlocks while Hathor sneaks around to destroy the dwellings.
Objectives:
1: Keep the Dungeon forces occupied for 2 months
2: Make sure Hathor passes the border gates undetected
Minor:
1: Tyr and Hathor must survive
Starting Bonuses:
1: 5 Bear Riders
2: Rune of Flame
3: 15 Ore
Map Size: Medium
Underground: Yes
Obelisk: None
Level Restrictions: 15
Starting Dialog
Tyr: Uhh. .Hathor, I have a bad feeling about this. . .
Hathor: I don't like having to resort to the level of those scum either, but it's the best way to fight back.
Tyr: You do know that the routes back to their encampments are heavily guarded, right?
Hathor: I can get through as easily as a mouse in the kitchen!
Tyr: Without getting caught, I hope. . .
Hathor: (Sigh) Try not to be as sarcastic when you're stalling the dark elves from the towns, will you? (Leaves)
Fortress Mission 3: Liberation
While Tyr is stalling the dark elf forces attempting to occupy the dwarven cities, Hathor sneaks behind them and attempts to destroy their sources and dwellings.
Objectives:
1: Claim all Dungeon dwellings and towns
2: Defeat the warlocks (after objective 1 is completed)
Minor:
1: Hathor must survive
Starting Bonuses:
1: 2 Rune Priests
2: Boots of Magical Defense
3: City Hall
Map Size: Medium
Underground: Yes
Obelisk: None
Level Restrictions: 25
Starting Dialog:
Hathor: Heh heh. . .Just as we thought, these places are ripe for picking!
Skirmisher: Yes, it does, but what if the warlocks come back?
Hathor: We can just eliminate them as we please. After all, they'll likely to be low on forces as well. All right, let's get going!
Fortress Mission 4: Chased to the Surface
On the cold mountains of Grimheim, both the dwarves and the dark elves are ready to fight, away from their underground homes.
Objectives:
1: Eliminate all dark elves and their forces
Minor:
1: Hathor must survive
Starting Bonuses:
1: Dwarven Smithy Hammer
2: 5 Rune Priests
3: 5000 gold
Map Size: Medium
Underground: No
Obelisk: None
Level Restrictions: 30
Starting Dialog
Hathor: *Brr*. . .I don't like it on the surface here. It's too cold, and visibility is poor.
Tyr: But this could potentially be the final battle. Otherwise, the dark elves will never leave us, and this could go on for generations.
Hathor: I know that. . .Blow the war horns. It's time to settle this war for good.
Tyr: *Blows the war horn*
Fortress Mission 5: To the End
The war against the dark elves is almost at an end! The dark elves are scrambling to find the Tear of Asha, in hopes of gaining enough power to turn the tide of the battle in their favor. But if Hathor can reach it first, then the dark elves will truly face their end.
Objectives:
1: Find the Tear of Asha before the dark elves
2: Construct the Tear of Asha! (Town does not matter)
Minor:
1: Hathor and Tyr must survive
Starting Bonuses:
1: 5 Fire Dragons
2: Cuirass of the Dwarven Kings
3: Runic War Axe
Map Size: Medium
Underground: Yes
Obelisk: 6
Level Restrictions: 50
Starting Dialog
Tyr: If the dark elves are anything, they're more than persistent.
Hathor: Indeed, but we just have to find the Tear of Asha before they do. It's a sign of victory, and light for the good of the dwarves.
Tyr: True, true.
Hathor: . . .Let's go. Send troops to uncover the obelisks, and diggers with them.
Epilogue
The dark elves have successfully been driven off of the dwarven borders some time after the Tear of Asha had been constructed by the dwarves. There are still scare survivors of the conflicts on the perimeters, but they don't seem to show themselves. Regardless, Hathor takes on the throne while governing his people to prevent such similar events from happening again. However, he can't seem to shake a foreboding feeling surrounding him from day to day.
Edit: (7/26/07) I'll be leaving in a few hours and will be gone for the weekend, so I posted the starting dialog for the remaining missions, added the epilogue, and filled in the rest of the starting bonuses.
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Creator of the Guild and Prison towns for ICTC.
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted July 22, 2007 01:29 AM |
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Edited by Daystar at 04:43, 27 Jul 2007.
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WIP:
Campaign: The Ashes
Mission 1: Succession
The Mission starts out with Tuidhana being pretty much annoyed at everyone. She has good reason to be. Her subjects are pretty much all telling her that huge armies of humans are invading her territory, that recources are really critical so building housing for troops is pretty much not an option, and that if she had not made such a large objection to King Arniel, she would not be in this mess. Arniel refusing to send help, so Tuidhana leaves the empire. And then a messanger comes up and states that the humans have hired a new hero to lead their armies. This hero (Rowan) is known as a bigshot, good at hard hitting attacks. Tuidhana decides that the only logical course of action is to assasinate him.
The mission would play out like the general Defend -> Hold Back -> Come Halfway -> Take the Offensive -> Defeat Enemy hero. However, there would be a twist. During the day Tuidhana fights with normal units, but during the night (everyother week) the Assasins take off their disguises as Pixies/Sprites. The Player must defeat Rowan with Assasins in the army, and they will later kill him at the end of the scenario.
After finishing the scenario, one of the assasins makes disparaging remarks in relation to having to dress as girls. Tuidhana asks exactly is wrong with girls, and the assasin claims that men are better fighters. Tuidhana retaliates by stating she will be able to win the war without the help of menfolk.
Mission 2: Education
Following directly upon the events of Mission 1, Tuidhana is preparing a no-man army, much to the humor of the annoying assasin from the previous mission. He says he is going scouting, and walks away, crossbow over his shoulder.
Tuidhana prepares an army composed of all female units. (Blood Maidens replacing Blade Dancers, Heavily modded Witches replacing Hunters with no spells, but still shooting) but since they come in small numbers, Tuidhana must capture and hold a lot of mines and dwellings from the annoying invading humans. However, a huge army shows up and Tuidhana makes a show of retreating, leaving the Human army sitting stupidly in an abandoned city, while she slips off, setting up a few new cities deep in the caves of the nearby mountains.
Afterwards, Tuidhana's scout comes back, laughingly asking if she was able to cobble together an army while he was gone. She responds by showing him a huge cavern, where her massive all girl forces are training. Open mouthed, the Scout reports that a huge army sent by Arniel is heading down to crush the Human Armies. However, this means that the civilians still living in the forest will be caught in the crossfire.
Mission 3: Home
Desperate to find somewhere to house her people, Tuidhana retreats further into the caves, bringing her people with her. However, on one exceursion through the caves, she runs into something she thought was dead. A faceless. One of the last of its kind. Desperate for help, Tuidhana makes a deal: She will give the faceless and his kin breathing room if the Faceless will let them use the caverns. The Faceless pushes it further: Tuidhana's elves worship Malassa, and the Faceless endow them with powers.
During the mission, the available lineup is as follows: Assasin, Blood Maidens, Dark Hunters, Dark Riders, (unavailable), Witches, (unavailable). The player must conquer any and all garrisons of demons, and for each garrison Tuidhana enters an empty space, and founds a new city. Meanwhile, the Faceless is trying to find it's mate. The Faceless is another hero with terrible movement points, and must go all the way across the map without being taken down by the Demon heroes that show up every two weeks, or Human heroes that show up every three. Anyway, once the faceless makes it to the other side, the player gets faceless trainable from the main city in place of Black Dragons. Also, after 3 months (should the scenario last that long) a message comes that the Hydras are pledging alligiance. (in other words, you can buy them in your cities)
No matter what happens, you will be able to buy Assasin, Blood Maidens, Dark Hunters, Dark Riders, Hydras, Witches, and Facelesses in the next mission, but the mission ends when Tuidhana builds 4 new cities in the open spaces (7 total)
Mission 4: Search
10 years later: Tuidhanna is back to be in a grumpy mood. There are several sets of Minotaur Mining operations, run by the Irollan Elves, which encroaches on Tuidhanna's Domain. Sklafledk, the Faceless from the previous mission, along with his wife Lelethrysa, takes an army of their children to try to take out one of the Wizarding mining operations. However, during the opening battle (that the player plays and must win) Lelethrysa is killed, and Ledlei, the responsible Ranger, escapes. Sklafledk goes into a rampage, shreiking for vengance.
As the Mission plays out, Sklafledk (Blue Team) goes around on a rampage, destroying every Elven Castle (Green Team) in the caves in the hopes of finding Ledlei. As this means wasting a great deal of recources, Tuidhanna (Purple Team) must capture Elven Cities in order to perserve them. There are at least 9 minor elven cities in the caverns, and Tuidhanna must capture at least 5 cities before Sklafledk destroys 5.
Upon defeating the 5fth, Sklafledk shows up and attempts to destroy the city. Tuidhanna stops him, stating that there are many innocent elves there. Sklafledk grabs her throat, growling, "Do not forget who harbors you." Tuidhanna responds with "Do not forget who can conjure light." They glare for a moment, and Sklafledk releases her, then lumbers off into the darkness.
Screenshot: Destruction of a Sylvan City, with Sklafledk standing before it.
Ascending
Tuidhanna recieves a heavily guarded messanger from Irollan, stating that Ledlei has dissapeared. Unless returned within a month, the mountains above Tuidhanna's domain will be collapsed, destroying the fragile new nation. Tuidhanna asks what will happen if he turns out to be dead. The messanger responds "If so, you should start moving your civilians out now."
The mission gives the player one month to try to find and, if possible, rescue Ledlei. Thinking that if anyone knows where Ledlei is, Sklafledk would, so Tuidhanna heads to his citadel to inquire. However, once there it is revealed that Sklafledk is holding Ledlei captive on the surface in a dark part of the forest where no harmful sunlight penetrates enough to destroy him. The easy access to the surface that Sklafledk used is blocked by a Faceless Garrison, so Tuidhanna must race through the long way. Blocking her are armies of Wood Elves and a Demon army just to complicate things. Eventually Tuidhanna reaches the Dark Grove, and wins the scenario.
In the cutscene, Tuidhanna walks into the Dark Grove. Sklafledk is torturing Ledlei for pleasure. As Tuidhanna enters, Sklafledk growls out, "Go away, this does not concern you!"
Tuidhanna responds, "Why not? I have as much reason to hate him and his nation as you do."
Sklafledk pauses for a moment, then says "Fine. You may watch," and returns to gently slicing his arm with a knife.
After a moment, Tuidhanna sighs, and says, "Sklafledk, enough of this, try something that will actually hurt!"
"Such as?" he says.
"These elves love these trees. Why not make him watch them die?" Tuidhanna asks, starting a fire in her hands an passing it back and forth.
"Excellent idea!" Sklafledk says, starting a bit of fire himself.
"No, allow me!" Tuidhanna says, and sets all the trees ablaze, barring the one Ledlei is tied to. Ledlei watches in horror as at least four acres of trees burn. Sklafledk laughs, reveling in the conflugration as all leaves are oblitered. Then Tuidhanna says, "Sklafledk, you're not the brightest shadow in the forest, are you?" Slkafledk gives her a quizzical expression, and then realizes his mistake. Tuidhanna, with one motion, dispells the fire. Light streams in, no longer obstructed by leaves. Sklafledk is caught in the beams of light, and with a scream of pain, he turns to Ashes. The Garrison below is also flooded with light, and the faceless fade away.
As Tuidhanna turns to go, Ledlei shouts a "Thank you!" to Tuidhanna. Without turning, she says, "I didn't do it for you. It was either save your life or lose my people. And nothing is more important than my people," and walks off through the dead forest.
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 22, 2007 03:31 PM |
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Thanks for your participation.
I will add feedback later.
The first round will be over in 5 days.
Edit: Fofa, your campaign is very good.
Just try to develop the introduction story.
Daystar: Great story!
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Cepheus
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
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posted July 25, 2007 07:29 PM |
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Wrath of the Kreegans
Well, this is my idea for a campaign. Unlike the normal Heroes V campaigns, it's eight maps long, and is set within the old *cough*proper*cough* world of Might and Magic, Axeoth. The star of the show is the Kreegan General from Heroes III, Xeron, and this campaign details his rise to power over a new kingdom in Axeoth, the Kreegan Empire of Chargalor. I hope you like the campaign. Coincidentially, it's also my hundredth post.
Scenario 1. Advent of Darkness
Xeron the Terrible. Tales have been spoken of his name, this sinister and fear-invoking Demon Lord, a monstrous Half-Devil who once served as the staunch defender of King Lucifer, the last ruler of the Kreegans. Long rumoured to have perished in one of the final battles for Eeofol, he instead went into hiding for years and made his way to Axeoth, awaiting his chance to lead the Kreegans to glorious dominance over this young world. Now, with Kreegan numbers rising and the defenders of Nekross waning in their duties in King Gauldoth's absence, that chance has finally come. Rising from the Inferno of Azaeriel, he will muster the demonic race together and lead them away from this morbid kingdom of death and decay, to a land of their own from which they can plot new ways to dominate Axeoth. And Xeron will not make the same mistakes as his deceased predecessors. His rule will not be kind.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
As the first map, this one isn't very large or drawn out compared to the others, but provides a fresh challenge to newcomers. Xeron begins his quest in the Inferno of Azaeriel, in the northwest corner of the map, and must slowly make his way along the beaten trail southeast, flagging all of the Inferno-based dwellings on the map. Every so often, a split in the road will require some backtracking, and all Kreegan creatures must be removed from the map (one way or another) before victory can be attained. The map takes place in Nekross, so it's only fitting that a Necromancer arrive at the start of the second month to try and prevent Xeron's escape. Tactful players will already be halfway through the map at that stage, so victory here will be easy, unlike the upcoming scenarios.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Flag all of the Kreegan dwellings on the map.
+ Add all Kreegan creatures on the map to your army (you may also fight them).
+ Reach the southeast corner of the map within two months.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Keep as many troops alive as possible, as they will carry over to the next scenario.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 8.
Scenario 2. In the Name of Erebus
With a new leader to guide them, the Kreegans are making massive progress in the dissent from Nekross. Having made their way southeast to the territories which lie between Palaedra and Great Arcan, they have established a kingdom of their own, naming it Chargalor, the Ashen Empire. Xeron has named himself the Emperor of this newborn realm, and a formidable Demon Lord named Suraze has joined their cause. The kingdom prospers in its disruption of harmony, but there is one obstruction to this Kreegan rule. In terms of breeding, the Kreegans are somewhat of an insectoid race. They cannot survive for long without a major Hive to sustain them. Small hives in Nekross formerly kept them alive, but Xeron is much more ambitious. He plans to create a massive Hive, the like of which has not been seen since the Night of Shooting Stars. The materials to create such an enormous living entity will surely require many sacrifices, especially with the encroaching attack from the Necromancers who plan to force the Kreegans back into subservience. But Emperor Xeron will rise to meet their challenge, and will name this new source of life the Erebus Hive, in the name of their God of Darkness and Destruction.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
In this map, the Kreegans have already reached the plains far southeast of Nekross and are already gaining a foothold in these lands. Populated mainly by non-Palaedran Haven towns, this peaceful region is about to be disturbed. Xeron, with the help of the demonic Duke Suraze, needs to ransack these towns in order to gain enough gold and artefacts to summon a new hive. He is planted into the middle of the four Havens, and must take over all of them to achieve his first victory. After doing so, he must scour the countryside for the conveniently-placed artefacts he happens to need for the construction process.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Gain 500000 Gold and 100 of every resource.
+ Ransack the four Palaedran towns.
+ Obtain the four artefacts needed to construct the Hive and return them to your starting Inferno.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 14.
Scenario 3. Revelation and Reward
Barely alive, a wounded Kreegan scout has made it back to the Erebus Hive with grave tidings for the Emperor. According to a coded message, a close friend of Emilia Nighthaven, the ancient Genie Wizard Solmyr, plans to "delve into the core of a ruined earth and awaken a sleeping titan." The meaning behind this is unclear, but Xeron finds the idea of a sleeping titan in his armies too intriguing to resist. If he were to beat Solmyr to his goal, he would surely foil one of Great Arcan's master plans while reinforcing his own kingdom with whatever is to be uncovered. The only soul outside of the Genie's army itself that comes to mind who could provide Xeron with the nature of Solmyr's plan is the elderly sage of the now-destroyed kingdom of Bracada, Judge Fairweather. In the past, Xeron has had experience with intimidating Bracadan Judges, and while Fairweather was once the wisest sage in Antagarich, the events of the Reckoning should certainly have caused his faith in justice to wane somewhat. Capturing the Judge is essential to Xeron's success.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This is the first of the maps to feature Academy troops, and takes place in western Chargalor on the Great Arcan border. The newly crowned Emperor Xeron and his loyal general, Suraze, must capture Judge Fairweather (from Might and Magic VII and Armageddon's Blade) without ransacking more than one of the Great Arcanian towns (doing so would trigger a major war, and lead to the Judge's escape deeper into the kingdom). Though spells have been previously scarce, the heroes can now learn second and third level spells from the enemy Academy they capture. At Chargalor's southeastern border, six Sphinxes can be found. They each give riddles, the answers of which must be found throughout the map, and answering them correctly will reveal Fairweather's location. Doing so is not necessary, but is advisable because of the large armies that guard each Academy's garrison.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Locate Judge Fairweather and capture him.
+ Xeron and Suraze must survive.
+ Do not attack any Academy except the one where Judge Fairweather is to be found.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Solve the Sphinx riddles to discover the Judge's location.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 20.
Scenario 4. Gates of Hell
According to the Judge, it appears that the old world of Colony is not utterly destroyed. The planet itself, while scorched irreversably and charred beyond recognition, wanders the cosmos still. This 'core of a ruined earth' refers to a peculiar though impeccably precious artefact called a 'Core Module', though the identity of the sleeping titan has yet to be revealed. Nevertheless, Xeron is hugely interested in whatever this strange secret has to offer. In the wake of Solmyr's attack on Nekross to reach an interdimensional Nexus Portal, Xeron must also lead his forces through this land of death and decay. From the portal, he can pursue Solmyr to the ruins of Colony. However, he also needs to obtain a magical rune called the Hellish Wardstone in order to survive the utterly destructive atmosphere of the destroyed world.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This map features Suraze as an ally, with Xeron as the player's hero. Suraze defends Chargalor while Xeron heads northwest to Nekross to locate the Nexus Portal which will lead him to the ruinworld of Colony (you may have heard of it, it's the planet where the first three Heroes games, Heroes Chronicles, three Might and Magic games and numerous expansion packs take place). The Nexus Portal was previously used by Solmyr to reach Colony, and a battle between his residual Academy forces and King Gauldoth's Necromancers is taking place. While King Gauldoth is not present at this battle, his trusted lieutenant, the spectre Mardor, is commanding some of his forces. Xeron needs to lead his forces through the chaotic battlegrounds and reach the Portal which Gauldoth activated in Heroes IV. From there, he can reach Colony and complete the scenario. Unluckily for him, the Nexus Portal is heavily guarded by Necropolis armies who seek to stop anyone from entering, having been stationed there following Solmyr's defeat of the original guards. In addition, he will require a special artefact from the Erebus Hive known as a Hellish Wardstone to protect his army from the utterly noxious and destructive atmosphere of Colony, but such an artefact requires a minimum of four months to create.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Reach the Nexus Portal with the Hellish Wardstone.
+ Outlast the enemy for four months to receive the Hellish Wardstone.
+ Xeron must survive.
+ The Hellish Wardstone must not fall into enemy hands.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Defeat Mardor's armies to gain the Black Border Gate key.
+ Gain the treasures beyond the Black Border Gate deep in Nekross territory.
+ Prevent Suraze from being defeated for an army boost in the next scenario.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 24.
Scenario 5. The Core of One's Being
Xeron's arrival shows that the old world of Colony is not utterly destroyed. The planet itself, while scorched irreversably and charred beyond recognition, wanders the cosmos still. Solmyr leads his wizardly troops on the old world, and is seeking an arcane device called a Core Module, created by the Ancients. Xeron needs to obtain it before the Genie can do so. Obelisks scattered throughout southern Antagarich and much of Enroth have risen from the planet's destruction, most likely relics of the Ancients' technology. Designed to shroud the arcane technologies of the forgotten civilisation from magics, they must be destroyed before Solmyr can lay his hands on the so-called 'Core Module'. However, terrors worse than the armies of Solmyr and Xeron stalk this wounded land...
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This map will bring players back to the world of Colony (aside from the fact that it is now a burning wreckage of fire and lava). It is yet another very large map, taking place over two continents - Enroth and Antagarich. Xeron begins on Enroth and must pursue Solmyr's forces west to Antagarich, but must also find a means of crafting a ship which can outlast the lava and flame of the ashen seas. In order to complete the mission, he needs to locate the Obelisks scattered around the map to reveal the elusive Core Module he seeks. Loss of the Hellish Wardstone means instant loss of the mission. Academy troops are all over this map, alongside Kreegan armies galore. Victory is made even more difficult by the presence of Solmyr himself, who is scripted to seek out the Obelisks and the Core Module afterwards.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Build a ship that can traverse the burning seas of Colony.
+ Destroy all of the Obelisks in Antagarich and Enroth to reveal the Core Module's location.
+ Obtain the Core Module before Solmyr can do so.
+ Xeron must survive.
+ The Hellish Wardstone must not fall into enemy hands.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Destroy Solmyr's portal back to Axeoth to delay his escape.
+ Find the ruins of Kreelah in Antagarich to retrieve the Armageddon spell.
+ Capture the ruins of the Enrothian Kreegan Hive to increase troop generation.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 28.
Scenario 6. Destroyer of Worlds
With the mysterious Core Module within his grasp, Xeron's plans will soon come to fruition. Using a forgotten gateway in the ruin-world of Colony, where a Crystal Conflux once stood, he must travel to the enigmatic Plane Between Planes to discover the mystery behind the Module's origins. From there, he will need to combat huge numbers of otherworldly beings before finally making his way to the ruins of Escaton's Palace, where the secrets of this Ancient technology will undoubtedly unfold.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This is another very large map, placing Xeron at the northeastern edge of Antagarich from where he can take an Burning Vessel to reach Jadame in the far northeast of the map. A huge portion of the map is composed of lava oceans and ashen terrain, and loss of the Hellish Wardstone once again means instant defeat. There are two levels - one is Colony, the other is the Elemental Plane Between Planes, which is where Escaton's Palace once stood. Judge Fairweather has revealed that the Palace is Xeron's destination: he must travel there to unlock the secrets of the Core Module. Jadame is once again guarded by Academies and the like, while the Plane Between Planes is populated by elementals of all kinds, undead, even hostile demons. Upon reaching the ruined Palace safely, Xeron will use the corrupted Core Module to revive its former owner, the fallen 'cyborg' Planeswalker and mighty servant of the Ancients, Escaton (from Might and Magic VIII), thus corrupting him and bringing him under Kreegan control. With this mighty being under his command, victory over Xeron's enemies is practically imminent.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Travel to the charred continent of Jadame and reach the Crystal Conflux portal.
+ Locate the ruins of Escaton's Palace.
+ Xeron must survive.
+ The Core Module must not fall into enemy hands.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 32.
Scenario 7. Insurgence
With the now-corrupted Destroyer, Escaton, under his control, Xeron has led his forces out of the Plane Between Planes, out of Colony's scorched earth, and toward a victorious homecoming in Chargalor. Upon his arrival, however, he discovers that Judge Fairweather has escaped to Great Arcan, and has reported events to Solmyr, who has not been idle. Much of Chargalor, including the Erebus Hive, has been conquered by the benevolent Genie, and General Suraze has been captured. However, Solmyr is no fool. He is aware that the destruction of a Kreegan Hive signals the destruction of an entire world, so he will take great caution in disarming its arcane defences. Within four months, his mages will have developed a means to destroy the Erebus Hive safely. It must not be under their control by that time.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This map is not as epic as the forthcoming one, as it is a race against time to reclaim the Erebus Hive before its influence is severed from Axeoth's Kreegan races. It takes place at the Nekross/Chargalor/Great Arcan borderline. Speed is crucial, as four months is a tight amount of time to oppose Solmyr's formidable army. To make matters even more difficult, the four Academies on the map where Solmyr's magi are working on a Ritual of the Void spell must also be conquered before victory can be achieved. While the Erebus Hive is actually open to attack, it is protected by a huge Academy army. Suraze from the previous scenarios has been captured in the taking of the Hive, and may be rescued from a western garrison. Perfectionist players will find this map extremely difficult: rescuing Suraze and retaking the Erebus Hive within three months, thus completing all of the subquests, is nigh on impossible.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Retake the Erebus Hive within four months.
+ Defeat the four Academy cities to prevent Solmyr's research.
+ Xeron and Escaton must survive.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Retake the Erebus Hive within three months for a large resource boost in the next scenario.
+ Defeat Solmyr's formidable army to weaken him in the next scenario.
+ Rescue General Suraze from the Academies in the west.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 36.
Scenario 8. Portents of Obliteration
Retaking the Erebus Hive was the most difficult part of the return to Chargalor. Now that it is once again under the Emperor Xeron's control, a strong offensive can be unleashed. The borderlands of Great Arcan and Palaedra are ripe for invasion, though Solmyr, with the aid of his ally, Lord Reed of Great Arcan, will strive to stop the reborn Kreegan Empire at any cost. The Kreegan clans anticipate a lengthy war, the tides swaying in their favour with the addition of the mighty Escaton to their ranks. Xeron will not disappoint them.
MAP DESCRIPTION:
The final map of this campaign places Xeron at the Erebus Hive, and Escaton at Chargalor's western borderline, near Great Arcan. If Suraze was rescued from Solmyr's holdings in the previous scenario, he will appear at the southwestern edge of the map with a large army, where he can lead the assault on Palaedra. The enemy armies are massive, and huge numbers guard each of the borders (luckily, the enemy cannot remove them from their posts). Solmyr and Lord Reed (from Heroes IV) both command forces from Great Arcan's Academies, while Palaedra is relatively unguarded by strong heroes. The Erebus Hive is initially safe from attack, but when reinforcements arrive for Palaedra in the second month, they adopt a much more offensive strategy. Escaton will be the deciding hero in this battle: he begins the map at the campaign's maximum level, and has a huge Spell Power attribute with numerous Destructive spells. When Solmyr and/or Lord Reed are defeated, they will retreat east to Arcania and return with a redoubled army. This second, colossal force must be overcome before either hero will retreat for good. At the beginning of the second month, a one-way monolith from Palaedra to the Erebus Hive is activated and defending the Erebus Hive becomes more difficult for the player, but if they succeed they will be rewarded with a huge army. Upon capturing the Palaedran Havens, the player is allowed to transform them into Infernoes for a large sum of resources. When Solmyr and Reed have been defeated, the Palaedran and Great Arcanian garrisons have been overcome and all towns are under Xeron's control, the final map in the Kreegan campaign has been completed.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Defeat Solmyr and Lord Reed, and the Academies under their control.
+ Breach the garrisons of Palaedra and take the borderland Havens.
+ Repel the redoubled force from Great Arcan.
+ Xeron and Escaton (and Suraze, if rescued) must survive.
+ If the Erebus Hive is taken by the enemy, it must be taken back within 7 days.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
+ Defend the Erebus Hive for two months straight to summon a large army of reinforcements.
+ Malform the Palaedran Havens into Infernoes to expand Chargalor.
+ Defeat Solmyr's armies with an Armageddon spell to receive a boost to Spell Power.
+ Achieve the map's maximum experience: Level 40.
Epilogue:
In the wake of the fall of the borders of Palaedra and Great Arcan, the newly established Kreegan Empire of Chargalor is on a quick rise. The Emperor Xeron and his Kreegan army has managed to maintain a strong foothold on the surrounding realms, and with the sheer power of his newest general, the revived Escaton, his dominance over the nearby kingdoms seems inexorable. Solmyr and his allies have returned to Great Arcan, in the hopes of rallying Queen Emilia's forces and attempting to stopping that which they have failed to prevent. Weakened from the dissent of the Kreegans, Nekross remains relatively neutral, and Lord Lysander of Palaedra has yet to respond to the lightning assaults across his borders, but he will need to do so quickly if he wishes to hold his domains together. How the menace of Emperor Xeron is to be combated remains a mystery...
TO BE CONTINUED...
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted July 26, 2007 11:34 PM |
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My entry is updated!
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 27, 2007 07:14 PM |
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Summarizing Post - First Round
This is the end of the first round in our contest, which is actually the basic. On the next rounds, the competitors' mission will be to continue the first round's winner's campaign.
There are some very interesting campaigns here, even some I would like to play.
I'm rating the campaigns according to five categories:
1. Innovation: How innovative is the campaign's idea, elements in the campaign, new points of view, etc.
2. Plot: How interesting is the story.
3. Enjoyment: How fun would it be to play on this campign.
4. Stategy: Are there any interesting stategy aspects?
5. Miscellaneous: Heroes, objectives, talks, etc.
Every rating is from 1 to 10. The average is the final score.
The Revolt of the Unwanteds, by dkolb:
The idea is very innovative: War of the kingdoms against the Neutral creatures. Excellent idea.
You show here really other kind of stategic. Something smaller was on Necropolis campaign, and it's really enjoyable.
Innovation: Wonderful! 10
Plot: Average. The introduction could be better. 5
Enjoyment: Very good! 8
Stategy: Very good! 8
Miscellaneous: Below average 4
Final score: 7
Fofa:
This campaign is well built. Good objectives, talks, and you really built your heroes' personalities.
However, the theme of war between Fortress and Dungeon isn't interesting at all, the story and the introduction is too simple, and that's can make the difference between enjoyable campaign to a boring campaign.
Innovation: Average 5
Plot: Average 5
Enjoyment: Medium 6
Strategy: Medium 6
Miscellaneous: Wonderful! 10
Final score: 6.4
The Ashes, by Daystar:
Excellent campaign. Good and interesting plot, it would be enjoyable, and you leave a space for continue. Sometimes (like in the beginning) I feel that you can phrase what you write in a better way, but I'm not an expert.
You could built it better, and clear objetives would add a lot.
Innovation: Good 7
Plot: Very good! 8
Enjoyment: Excellent! 9
Strategy: Excellent! 9
Miscellaneous: Average 5
Final score: 7.6
Wrath of the Kreegans, by Cepheus:
This is a good campaign, but I have a few issues with it. First of all, it's not about Ashan, and we are talking about HOMM5 here. Sadly, not many people would like to get back to Axeoth.
Innovation: Poor 3
Plot: Medium 6
Enjoyment: It would be a matter of personal taste. Can't rate it.
Strategy: Very good! 8
Miscellaneous: Excellent! 9
Final score: 6.5
So our winner is Daystar.
For the second round, your mission is to continue his campaign.
Daystar and I will choose the winner of the second round.
It will be ended in the 17th of August. Good luck.
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Cepheus
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
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posted July 27, 2007 08:40 PM |
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Edited by Cepheus at 20:41, 27 Jul 2007.
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Well then, I suppose my entry is not to be continued after all. Gods, I've been having a bad day today... But congratulations, Daystar, well done and good luck picking a winner for the next round.
And absolutely no offence, but I have to disagree with you, GenieLord. I know a lot of people who want to get back to Axeoth, sad though it may be that it has been thrown to the winds by Nival. I think I'll take a break from this place... so don't expect to see me around here for another week at least.
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted July 27, 2007 09:11 PM |
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Sorry Cepheus. Your campaign was good, really, I thought it would win!
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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Cepheus
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
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posted July 27, 2007 09:17 PM |
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Thanks a lot, Daystar. But honestly, your campaign was better. I loved your screenshot, maybe I'd have stood a better chance if I'd included a few. The story was great too, except I couldn't pronounce the name Sklafledk, but that's trivial. I might enter the second round, now that I have a better idea of how to proceed. But as for now, I'm signing off. Goodbye!
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted July 27, 2007 10:43 PM |
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Quote:
Well then, I suppose my entry is not to be continued after all. Gods, I've been having a bad day today... But congratulations, Daystar, well done and good luck picking a winner for the next round.
And absolutely no offence, but I have to disagree with you, GenieLord. I know a lot of people who want to get back to Axeoth, sad though it may be that it has been thrown to the winds by Nival. I think I'll take a break from this place... so don't expect to see me around here for another week at least.
First of all, well done for the positive attitude.
And I don't have anything against Axeoth. The problem is that sadly, people just hate H4. |= The story is pretty good, but try to find people that will continue it. I'm sorry.
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Cepheus
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
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posted July 27, 2007 11:04 PM |
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Quote:
First of all, well done for the positive attitude.
Thank you. Positivity is always far better than the alternative. And in this case, Daystar deserves his victory. Thanks for the chance to show off my story for Axeoth too.
Quote:
And I don't have anything against Axeoth. The problem is that sadly, people just hate H4.
That's cool.  It would be cool if you did hate Axeoth as well. I agree that the story is pretty good, however people do hate Heroes IV. It's a shame, really - such potential.
Quote:
The story is pretty good, but try to find people that will continue it.
http://lota.celestialheavens.com/ 
Quote:
I'm sorry.
Don't be sorry. It's quite alright.
Now, seriously, goodbye. I mean it. No more posts for a week.
No, really. I mean it.
Really.
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted July 28, 2007 05:44 AM |
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yeah, but celestialheavens is for HIV lvrs, and HC is mostly HI-III lvrs.
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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Cepheus
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Far-flung Keeper
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posted July 29, 2007 01:24 PM |
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Okay, I'm back. (Sorry, I just couldn't keep away) 
@Daystar - I see where you're coming from, but the link isn't for Celestial Heavens. It leads to the Legends of the Ancients site.
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