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Stilled by his words, you stand there utterly dumbfounded, your eyes gradually adjusting to the gloom and find yourself at the top of an ancient Tower. The chamber's walls furnished with rows of bookshelves, glowing bulbs of floating orange lights, a single window that peered out to sea, and a desk made of pure obsidian stone with the words, "Eattrang hozha eehat" inscribed upon the black stone tablet.

Dazed and numb at the same time, you try to wrap your mind around the sudden and strange turn of events, when a voice speaks to you from behind, your hand instantly summoning a blade, head whipping around ready to spring forward. (-10 Mana.)

Stumbling backwards from you in fear, you see a short pudgy faced mage look up at you through a thin fringe of waspish black hair, his pale skin streaked with runnels of sweat, and emerald green eyes filled with terror as he croaked out, "Apologies Lord, I had not meant to startle you. I am Coredan, Reeve of the Tower. Lord Volemar has instructed me to offer you my services as the new guardian of the Tower, and to act as your conduit."

Mind a swirl with untold possibilities, you try to speak before swallowing and trying again. "Where am I?"

Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Coredan shoots you a strange look. "Why you're in the Tower of my Lord Volemar. Are you well, lord? Shall I send for the healer?"

Shaking your head in reply, you stare around the room again as if seeing it for the very first time, when a small smile begins to creep across your face, a mixture of awe, excitement, and anticipation bubbling through you as you realise your moment had finally arrived. With Daedalus soul out of reach, and the former mage unnaturally quiet, you believe now was the perfect opportunity to re-join your companions and put an end to the Bloodstorm, a thought that should have terrified you, but instead fills you with immense relief that your journey was finally nearing it's end.

Grinning you ask, "How far, and how fast can this Tower travel?"

"Why you can travel anywhere you wish my lord, though I would need to guide the Tower to a location that is not broken up by rough terrain or buildings. Otherwise we can be anywhere in a single heartbeat,"replied Coredan with a toothy grin, "Was there a particular place you had in mind, my lord? It has been many years since we've seen true battle, and the warriors have been quite restless."

"Not a place, a person. I need you to take me to Lorna."

Confusion briefly flashes across the dark mage's face making you wonder if it were even possible to locate her, when Coredan's expression darkens and he lets out a wry chuckle, the mage's eyes lighting up with malicious delight. "As you wish my lord, if you'll place your hand upon the desk. I shall find this elf."

With no time to correct the misunderstanding, you place your hand upon the cold surface of the desk, and immediately feel a rush of heat pour into your palm, sweat dripping down the nape of your neck, followed by a sharp pain that spreads along your arm. Images of distant lands, people, and creatures you'd seen in the past flitter through the back of your mind before settling upon the image of Lorna. Her face glistening with sweat, clothing torn, and hair caked in dirt. (-50 Health points.)

Burnt into your memory like a freshly made scar, you stare into those eyes you'd become so familiar with, until she is all that you can think about, the world vanishing away beneath you in a cloud of fog, and then just like that she was gone. Replaced by the sound of Coredan's voice rising higher and higher in pitch as he intoned ancient words, the very air shaking with raw magical energy. "Eattrang hozha eehat, eattrang hozha eehat, eattrang hozha eehat, eattrang hozha eehat, eattrang hozha eehat."

Bellows of white fog pour in through the tower's window, filling the chamber, blinding you in the thick mist, Coredan's words repeated again and again, when with a loud clap of his hands the mist parts, the ground stops shaking, and the whole world becomes still again.(-50 Health points.)

Heart aching with unexpected longing, you pull your weakened arm away from the desk, rush towards the open window, and stare down at the windswept slopes of the icey cold tundra, the ground capped in a thick layer of snow, blizzards gusting across the wide open expanse.

Stretching for thousands of miles with snow laden forests in all directions, the place is quite beautiful in it's own way, though you cannot see any signs of Lorna or Gorrack, at least not from this distance.

You open your mouth to question to Coredan as to their whereabouts, when you spot wisps of smoke rising up on the horizon, the tail's end leading you toward a large sea of tents camped by a frozen lake, their frosted pearly tips camouflaged by it's surroundings.

Unsurprised that your companions had managed to gather an army of their own, you harden yourself for what comes next when you catch hold of something else from the corner of your eye that makes you look back.

There amidst the densely packed forest that encloses the lake, you glimpse the briefest flash of what you imagine to be spear points, when the ground erupts in a flurry of motion. Thousands upon thousands of goblins emerging out from the forest to swarm the encampment, their ululating warcries, and hoots loud enough even for you to hear.

Awakened to the threat you watch as a frail line quickly tries to form and stem the growing tide of goblins, but already you can see the element of surprise having a devastating effect upon your allies with much of their camp overrun, and the few survivors pressed up against the lake.

With precious little time to act, you swing round to face Coredan, and snap, "Have our forces assemble immediately! I want them ready to march as soon as possible!"

(A short guide to help better understand the forces under your command.)

Army of Darkness

Demon Blades (1,000 Shock Troops)- Elite orcish warriors, the Demon Blades are made up of veteran fighters selected from the ranks of the slave guards. Equipped with thick obsidian plate armor, and given demon blades that allow them to fight at both ranged and close combat, they often act as the vanguard for any assault, able to absorb any attack with relative ease. (Added side note: Hidden among the ranks of the demon blades are the berserkers, warriors blessed by Lord Sezarath.)

Dark Mages (500 Spell Casters)- Taught the basics of combat, most mages can handle physical confrontation, however their true potential lies in their destructive spells which can blast apart armies at a distance or summon the undead to join the battlefield.

Slave Guards (3,000 Regular Grunts)- Captured in raids all across Coroleya, and bound with dark magic, slave guards are equipped with standard equipment such as hook blades and chainmail. While not the finest troops in the army, they do provide the necessary numbers to hold the lines, and will most certainly fight to the death.

Goblin Skirmishers (500 Light Infantry)- Born into servitude, these goblins are chosen for both their speed, agility, and ferocious devotion to their masters. Equipped with enchanted bows that can deal out damage at long range, and born with the ability to see in the dark, these goblins are ideal for scouting ahead or skirmishing. Unfortunately due to their diminutive size, there is little chance of them being able to withstand close quarters combat.

(To succeed in the coming scenarios you will need at least 200 fighters to survive. If your forces dip below 200, you may need to begin again.)

1. Deployment phase option 1: Have your skirmishers swing wide to the right, hitting the enemy from behind, while your shock troops, grunts and spell casters hit them hard on the flank.

2. Deployment phase option 2: Send your shock troops to hammer the left side of the enemy, supported by spell casters, while your grunts and skirmishers swing wide to the left, allowing the goblins to use the lake as a buffer, and the slave guards as the wedge.

3. Deployment phase option 3: Have your shock troops and grunts lead the way into battle, followed by your skirmishers and dark mages.

4. Deployment phase option 4: Have your spell casters act as support for all of your forces, while your shock troops lead a flanking maneuver to the right, and grunts take the brunt of the assault in the center backed by your skirmishers on the wing.

5. Deployment phase option 5: Attempt to lure the goblins into an ambush by using your spell casters to strike and fall back, before your grunts and shock troops hit them from all sides, supported by light infantry.