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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 running 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 off your nape, followed by a sharp pain that spreads along your arm. Images of distant lands, people, and creatures you'd seen in the past flittering 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 your feet, 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, 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 tide of battle, 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 who are 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.)

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.

Trained to be deployed rapidly, your forces quickly spread out across the uneven snowy terrain, their boots sinking deep into the ground, and numbers barely a fraction of their enemies. However with the goblin hosts entirely distracted by the warriors at the lake, your army is able to form up easily, ready to commence their assault.

Fingers clenching the windowsill, you move back towards the doorway, when Coredan steps in to block your path. "Apologies again my lord, but it seems you misunderstand the purpose of the Tower."

With a nod of his head to indicate the obsidian desk behind you, you gaze behind and see that the blackened stone has changed color and shape to reveal the entire battlefield below in great detail, thousands of glowing balls of light spread out across the intricate battle map. Your own forces positioned to the east, glowing in blood red, while your enemies are painted a deep green, and your allies a pale blue. Each of the balls glowing with innate light that slowly dims and fade away from the map.

Quick to understand his meaning, you study the battle map, and see close to four hundred or more surviving blue balls nestled together, their numbers dwindling fast. And while every instinct screams at you to go down and fight alongside your army, you do see the wisdom in staying here to command your forces. A single blade, no matter how deadly would not have much of an impact on this battlefield, whereas a well positioned army could do some serious damage provided the enemy is slow enough not to realise the danger posed by your forces.

"How do I order my forces into position?"You ask.

Coredan smiled. "Why you have but to speak the words, my lord, and I shall relay your commands."

"Very well, have our mages fall back to act as support, while the demon blades lead an assault on the northern host from the rear, and guards lead an attack on the eastern block of goblins. The skirmishers will slide between the two forces to add their deadly fire to the mix."

As soon as the words escape your lips, you see a large group of deep crimson red lights veer off towards the north, while the main force continued onward supported by a whole host of summoned creatures which spread along the flanks of the slave guards.

With both forces attacking simultaneously to wedge the two goblin forces together, the battle soon becomes chaotic with the demon blades driving in from one side supported by skirmishers along the flanks, while the guards make slow gains against the eastern force, backed by the mages who rain down all hell upon the massed ranks of the enemy.

Eventually the goblin host, despite holding the greater numbers is soon crushed between the two advancing forces and sent running.

With only one goblin war host remaining, you order your forces to re-group together, and advance forward once more, when the third goblin army breaks off and withdraws, disappearing off the battle map.

The battle finally over, you slowly turn to face Coredan. "Have a messenger sent down to their camp. Tell them I would like to meet their commander." Hopefully the news that dark mages wanted to talk would be enough to entice them out of their camp where you could meet them on your own terms.

Trust was in short supply, and you do not think Lorna or Gorrack would appreciate you marching into their camp, even if you'd saved them. Plus you were uncertain how they'd react to your alliance with Lord Volemar.

Battlefield Results

-23 Demon Blades

-298 Slave Guards

-0 Dark Mages

-12 Goblin Skirmishers.

+285 Fire Warriors. (Followers of the pact of fire.)

Loot

As Commander of the Army of Darkness you get a portion of the loot collected in battle. The goblin hosts however offer very little in terms of gold. (+1,650 gold pieces.)