Return of the King

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Campaigns
1 - Restoration of Erathia Restoration of Erathia 1 - Restoration of Erathia
1. Homecoming
2. Guardian Angels
3. Griffin Cliff
1. A Devilish Plan
2. Groundbreaking
3. Steadwick's Fall
1. Borderlands
2. Gold Rush
3. Greed
1. Steadwick's Liberation
2. Deal With the Devil
3. Neutral Affairs
4. Tunnels and Troglodytes
1. A Gryphon's Heart
2. Season of Harvest
3. Corporeal Punishment
4. From Day to Night
1. Safe Passage
2. United Front
3. For King and Country
1. The Grail
2. The Road Home
3. Independence
2 - Armageddon's Blade Armageddon's Blade 2 - Armageddon's Blade
1. Catherine's Charge
2. Shadows of the Forest
3. Seeking Armageddon
4. Maker of Sorrows
5. Return of the King
6. A Blade in the Back
7. To Kill A Hero
8. Oblivion's Edge
1. Culling the Weak
2. Savaging the Scavengers
3. Blood of the Dragon Father
4. Blood Thirsty
1. Crystal Dragons
2. Rust Dragons
3. Faerie Dragons
4. Azure Dragons
1. Razor Claw
2. Taming of the Wild
3. Clan War
4. For the Throne
1. Farming Towns
2. March of the Undead
3. Burning of Tatalia
1. Lost at Sea
2. Their End of the Bargain
3. Here There Be Pirates
4. Hurry Up and Wait
3 - Shadow of Death Shadow of Death 3 - Shadow of Death
1. Clearing the Border
2. After the Amulet
3. Retrieving the Cowl
4. Driving for the Boots
1. Graduation Exercise
2. Cutthroats
3. Valley of the Dragon Lords
4. A Thief in the Night
1. Bashing Skulls
2. Black Sheep
3. A Cage in the Hand
4. Grave Robber
1. On the Run
2. The Meeting
3. A Tough Start
4. Falor and Terwen
5. Returning to Bracada
1. Target
2. Master
3. Finneas Vilmar
4. Duke Alarice
1. Harvest
2. Gathering the Legion
3. Search for a Killer
4. Final Peace
5. Secrets Revealed
6. Agents of Vengeance
7. Wrath of Sandro
8. Invasion
9. To Strive, To Seek
10. Barbarian Brothers
11. Union
12. Fall of Sandro
1. Poison Fit for a King
2. To Build a Tunnel
3. Kreegan Alliance
4. With Blinders On
4 - Horn of the Abyss Horn of the Abyss 4 - Horn of the Abyss
1. Pirates and Palms
2. Master of the Island
3. Devil Sunrise
1. Prisoner of Doom
2. Evenmorn
3. The Shores of Hell
4. The Freedom of the Nix
5. In Search of the Horn
6. Treachery
1. Frontier
2. Heart of Water
3. Horn of the Abyss
4. All Hands on Board!
1. World on Fire
2. Beyond the Horizon
3. Dead or Alive
4. Tomb Raiders
5. Deus Ex Machina
6. Tarred and Feathered
7. New Order
8. Homecoming
5 - Heroes Chronicles Heroes Chronicles 5 - Heroes Chronicles
1. A Barbarian King
2. The Criminal King
3. Ultimatum
4. The War for the Mudlands
5. Siege of the Wallpeaks
6. Trapped!
7. Slash and Burn
8. Steelhorn
1. Cerberus Gate
2. The Boatman
3. Truth Within Nightmares
4. Twisted Tunnels
5. Jorm's Ambush
6. Old Wounds
7. The Queen's Command
8. Never Deal with a Demon
1. The Trouble with Magic
2. Walking on Clouds
3. Don't Drink the Water
4. Hard Place
5. The Secret in the Flames
6. The Magic that Binds
7. Birds of Fire
8. Masters of the Elements
1. The Dragontalker
2. Dragon's Blood
3. The Dragon Mothers
4. Dragons of Rust
5. Distrust
6. Dragons of Gossamer Wings
7. Dragons of Deepest Blue
8. Clash of the Dragons
1. A Distant Cry
2. Senseless Destruction
3. The World Within
4. The Roots of Life
5. Rebirth
1. The Endless Sands
2. The Nameless Land
3. The Sparkling Bridge
4. The Fiery Moon
5. Vorr, the Insane
1. Hopewielder
2. The First Law
3. By Royal Decree
4. The King's Son
5. The Ransom
6. Beyond the Borders
7. Naming a Nation
8. The First Tatalian War
1. Tarnum the Overlord
2. The Land of the Vori
3. A New Enemy
4. A New Ally
5. The Capture
6. Tunnels of Ice
7. The Barbarian's Wife
8. The Protectors of the Sword
King Roland and General Morgan Kendal are on the western shores of the Great Lake and must take a mixed Erathian-Conflux army deep into Kreegan territory. They must cross the lake and go through the mountains and prepare to make a push towards Catherine's army in the north, thus trapping the devils between the two forces. Return of the King Armageddon's Blade
2 Total Players / 1 Human Player
1
2
Size 2 (72×72) - M Underground disabled
Roland must defeat the demonic armies camped on the other side of the Great Lake. Without Roland, the men will go their separate ways. Roland will be allowed to attain 24th Level. All of his experience, skills, and spells will carry over to his next scenario.
Victory condition:
Defeat All Enemies.png Defeat All Enemies
Loss condition:
Lose Hero.png Lose Hero: RolandRoland
Allies: Blue Enemies: Red
Choose a bonus:
Start with 5 Zealot(s)
5
 Start with Torso of Legion  Start with Upg. Monastery 
Difficulty 4: Expert - The player starts with a handicap in resources, and the computer plays to the best of its ability.
Carried to next scenario:
RolandRoland
Max level:
Exp2.gif24
Return of the King map auto.png
Return of the King minimap.png

Prologue[edit | edit source]

H3ABab5 RolandRoland Roland: Heroes from the Confluxes tell us the elemental gods have sent them to us, so together, we might destroy Lucifer Kreegan and his quest to set the world on fire. Catherine trusts these new allies. I am not as giving. However, we do not have a choice as support for the war wanes and our forces dwindle. If these elemental heroes are to be our allies, they will prove themselves in this forthcoming battle... under my command.

Scenario[edit | edit source]

Timed events[edit | edit source]

Day Title Message
Day 1 Opening Standing on the edge of the Great Lake, you, the King of Enroth, contemplate the situation. Your army stands on the western shores looking out over the smoldering fields of the Eeofol controlled regions to the east. Yours and General Kendal's forces have arrived recently on a mission of great import.

Here you have met with your new allies from the Elemental Conflux to cut off the Kreegan supply routes and push the Eeofol army back from the Erathia/Eeofol border right into Catherine and Gelu's troops. If successful, the Kreegans from Eeofol will be forced to wage a defensive war.

You must keep this alliance together, for Erathian support is growing increasingly difficult to maintain. Even Catherine herself is facing increasing pressure to end the conflict quickly. It is obvious those fools truly have no idea of the gravity of consequences of failure. Should you be ineffective in stopping King Lucifer in his mad campaign of terror and destruction, not just Erathia will suffer his wrath, but all of Antagarich. Perhaps even your beloved Enroth may fall under the flames of this accursed demon king.

Shuddering at that dark thought, you compose yourself, straighten your tunic, and stride back to your officers. Mounting your powerful Erathian-bred stallion, you shout the order to move out. There is a war to be waged and a world to be won.

Day 5 Letter from Catherine A letter arrived in your encampment last night from Catherine. You lit up like a child at Solstice time. The note smelled of many things, the most important being her special perfume, the one you loved so much for her to wear.

"My dearest Roland, I write you to bring you bad news. My spies have reported the Kreegan hero called Xeron has achieved the unthinkable, he has built Armageddon's Blade. Be warned, for I hear he is sending a great force to your position. Come back safe to me and give my best to General Kendal. I know you will succeed, for I have faith in you both." -- Catherine.

Day 11 Spies Find Gold A message came in late last night that some scouts located an island east of Faler-on-Sea that was unapproachable. The glitter of gold could be seen on its shores. Perhaps this is where the dreaded Regnan Pirates' treasure troves are kept. The trouble is how does one get to the island? There must be some way, either a tunnel or monolith.
Day 13 The Farmer As General Kendal prepares to address his troops for the morning, a timid farmer is brought before him. This farmer tells the noble General of the encroachment by these wicked devilkin and how he feels they are the ones responsible for stealing his cattle.

General Kendal, being the diplomat that he is, made the farmer feel that he personally was going to see that this man's cattle was returned or avenged. The farmer leaves, contented and assured, as he knows that Morgan Kendal is a man of his word.

Day 22 Centaur Messenger A young centaur messenger arrives this morning just after breakfast was being cleared up, presenting you a message from Gelu. You thank the young scout and the centaur trots off to return to his master. You open the letter and read it's contents.

"My lord and husband of my Queen, I have sent Hrisleagh here with this message to report on our status. Our guerilla actions are proceeding well and the enemy is feeling the sting of loss due to our attacks. He has been pulling back steadily, but I have lost a great many men doing it. I have begun integrating the troops from our new allies and have found them to be very effective. They fight hard and well. You would do well to trust them, for they are loyal and fierce. Good fortune be with you my lord. May the Light always shine upon thee." -- Gelu, Captain of the Forest Guard.

Day 33 Roland's Nightmare Images and sounds swirl through your mind as you sleep; terrible images brought forth from your damaged soul which cries out for peace of mind. You had been held captive for nearly seven years and the torture inflicted upon you was unimaginable. Now you suffer the ill effects of those seven years.

The dream is the same every time. You are locked in a cell; the walls made of some dank, cool gray stone, with a single door the only egress. You are chained to a bed, your flesh crawling with bugs of some sort, and forced to listen to the screams of the tortured souls that accompany you on your road to hell. The sickening sounds of a whip cracking on flesh tear at your very being with each snap and wail from the lash's victims. You struggle to be free of this terrible nightmare, but are instead dragged down even further.

As the sounds of suffering continue, your door is opened and several grotesque figures enter the cell, unchain you, and drag your near useless body out into a courtyard. There you are placed in the stocks and have your skin slowly peeled away. You try desperately not to cry out, but can only hold out for so long. While you are being flayed alive, you catch a glimpse of the demons' lords, all of who are laughing at the helpless king. You grit your teeth at the pain and hold back the tears that want to flow heavily.

After finishing their fun, they throw you back in your cell, healed of the wounds, but not relieved of the pain. Unable to move from the sheer agony of your injuries, you simply lie there, writhing in a near fetal position. Lifting your head from the cold stone floor, you peer through eyes swollen shut from fists and see the spectral face of your twisted brother laughing at you. Archibald's dreamghost points at you and laughs a chilling laugh, one that angers you beyond your knowing. You have never been so helpless as then. Not since your banishment during the Succession Wars have you felt so alone.

You want to die, to simply cease to exist, but the devils come again and whisk you away to be beaten once more. As they reach for your arms your eyes shoot open and you curl deeper into your bedding. This is not the first night that this nightmare has visited you, but is the first time in many weeks. You must find a way to quiet these inner demons, something to chase away the nightmares once and for all.
Day 40 Nicolai's Birthday You stand atop a small rise and look out over the Great Lake, eyes filled with tears, for today is the 16th anniversary of your son Nicolai's birth and here you are, far away fighting a war. The pang of loss and the grief of missing your son fuels your depression even more, what with the nightmares returning and now this. Life did not seem very fair.

In a far off land your son is becoming a man while you stay here to battle these accursed demons once more. You hope this time will be the last. You have had enough of war.

Rumors[edit | edit source]

Title Message
Black Market Hidden away on an island in the middle of the Great Lake is a thieves haven for stolen goods of a magical variety.
Gold Mine The near inexhaustible treasure of some Regnan pirates can be found on an island east of Faler-on-Sea.
Regnan Pirates 1 The Great Lake was once a hiding place for Regnan pirates escaping the Erathian Navy. Many a ship may yet still be there, awaiting plunder.
Regnan Pirates 2 Erathian Admiral Magnus Bonn cornered the dread female pirate Pirouette in this lake. Here she was defeated in battle and thus the Regnans ceased using this lake as a hiding place.
Halflings 1 I recently saw some Halflings and they looked mean, like they were getting ready for a fight or something.
Halflings 2 Eeofol used to be the homeland of the Halflings. That is, until the Night of Shooting Stars when the devils came.
Halflings 3 A Kreegan supply wagon was destroyed inexplicably last week and the only indication of who did it was a note carved in the wood that read "Tavin's Guerillas were here."
Xeron's Helper Someone of great knowledge is helping the Kreegan general Xeron. I hear that he was once in contention for some arbiter post somewhere.

Objects[edit | edit source]

Events[edit | edit source]

Location Message
17, 56, 0 This small tidal pool is in fact the resting place of a powerful Aquamancer. Upon disturbing his final resting place, the guardians he ensorcelled into protecting his body commence their brutal attack.

Guardians: Magic Elemental 20 Magic Elementals, Storm Elemental 50 Storm Elementals, Ice Elemental 50 Ice Elementals

Towns[edit | edit source]

Location Player Type Name
3, 7, 0 Blue Town portrait Castle small.png Castle Highcastle
5, 68, 0 Blue Town portrait Castle small.png Castle Faler-on-Sea
8, 33, 0 Blue Town portrait Castle small.png Castle Keventry
18, 44, 0 Blue Town portrait Conflux small.png Conflux Shaynda
22, 4, 0 Blue Town portrait Conflux small.png Conflux Gelliston
34, 44, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Chillwater
37, 4, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Bane Bridge
54, 53, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Reaver Cove
58, 29, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Death's Gate
65, 7, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Doom's Crest
66, 67, 0 Red Town portrait Inferno small.png Inferno Sorrow Glen

Heroes[edit | edit source]

Location Player Hero
1, 67, 0 Blue RolandRoland Roland the Knight
4, 8, 0 Blue Gen. KendalGen. Kendal Gen. Kendal the Knight
35, 46, 0 Red AshAsh Ash the Heretic
60, 30, 0 Red FionaFiona Fiona the Demoniac

User commentary

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Some may find the information in this section subjective or irrelevant.

The cutscene appears to have been intended for the original Armageddon's Blade plot. The structures across the lake and metal pipes going into the water resemble Forge more than Inferno.