Hi;
  This scenario is based on an old role playing campaign world of mine.
The area represented is called the Southlands or Civilized Lands (the
latter by its inhabitants only).  The descendants of the original
inhabitants of the area people Suhor and Malinor.  And the offspring
of the barbarian tribes that displaced them in The Nan, Great Nhalor,
Thure, Arnisea, and The City States.  Dwarves, elves, and Harpies
(more bird-men than traditional harpies) also dwell in the Southlands.
Orcs, goblins, giants and trolls can be found in the wilder areas.

  In creating the terrain I used 'marsh' to represent small rivers
that would hinder movement but were not navigable.  Which I found to
work pretty well.

  The army set is intended to represent these peoples and includes few
powerful units.  It still needs some work.  Particularly on production
and new purchase costs.  Magic in the Southlands is not strong and is
best if used with subtlety and patience.  So wizards aren't dominant.
Orcs are represented by the normal army units.  Trolls, giants,
dragons, and griffins all exist.  But are too rare, and usually too
wild, to be much used in warfare.
  Here are a few brief comments on the units-
    'Rabble' are mobs, goblins, and seamen.  This unit is great for
	building navies.  That's supposed to be a bottle is the guys
	left hand.
    'Militia' are poorly trained soldiers.  Quick and cheap to build.
    'Scouts' represent both foot and horsed soldiers.  Very useful for
	for a large army.  But also tend to get whacked.
    'Light Inf' units are regular soldiers.  They are typically armed
	with spears and wooden shields.  Armor is usually hardened
	leather.
    'Heavy Inf' differ from 'Light Inf' in that they have better
	shields, armor, weapons and training.
    'Smugglers' are just that.  Merchants and thieves who now all the
	secret paths and passes.  All but useless in combat.  The
	computer likes to build them - I don't.
    'Crossbowmen' are excellent are fine city troops.  Usually armed
	with a short sword, hand axe, or mace and well armored.
    'Archers' are just that.  I gave them a woods movement bonus even
    	though they probably shouldn't have it.  Lightly armored and
	possessed of little hand-to-hand combat skill.  But these
	specialists can pour down a terrifying rain upon an enemy.
    'Pikemen' represent trained regiments of soldiers equipped with
    	pole arms.  I gave them the fortify bonus because I wanted
	some unit to have it.  If you wish to replace a unit in this
	army set this would be the one.
    'Light Cav' are unarmored troops who use spears, javelins, and
	swords, They can be very effective in the open.
    'Heavy Cav' wear chain mail.  And use lances, long swords, and
    	maces.  Devastating shock troops when given room to maneuver.
    'Sappers' units trained breaking into fortifications.  This unit
	also includes a small force of light infantry.
    'Catapults' represent catapults, mangonels, ballistae and other
	engines used for city defense and assault.  But not heavy
	pieces like trebuchet and siege towers (see below).  They
	are protect by light infantry.
    'Siege Towers' represent heavy siege engines.  Trebuchet, siege
	towers and the like.  Defended by heavy infantry or sometimes
	light cavalry.
    'Physicians' are army medics, surgeons, and clerks.  These highly
	skilled guildsmen are accompanied by professional guards.
    'Priests' represent religious leaders of all types.  The travel
	with a small troop of well armed guards.
    'Spies' are informants, subversives, and traitors.  They can be
	just about anywhere.  Be careful or one might just open the
	sally port while your not looking.
    'Rangers' represent the Rangers of Thure and other similar units.
	They are taught to fight with bow, sword, and spear.  All are
	excellent trackers.  And posses an esprit de corps that can
	inspire others.  Though fine horsemen they are not trained
	to fight in mounted formations.
    'Raiders' represent the Nan light cavalry and elite light horsemen
	of the barbarians.  The Rhovanni in particular.  They use
	spears, scimitars or sabres, and light bows.  They do not fight
	in formations but make up for that with their ferocity.
    'Dwarven Eng', yep dwarves will work for anyone who pays them.
	Well, almost anyone.  They are peerless engineers and miners.
	And pretty fine heavy infantry.  Armored in fine mail and
	wielding axes and hammers.
    'Harpies' are bird-men.  They are light and fragile.  Which makes
	them timid and cautious.  But they are also inquisitive and
	like the crafted metal items that other races make.  So they
	will work for jewels or light steel tools.  Their light
	missiles and cries from above can be very disconcerting.
    'Elves' represent the warrior-mages of Elvenkind.  They are
	quite similar to Rangers but more skilled and fewer.  They
	use magic to befuddle and mislead their foes.
    'Seneschal' units represent a hero's right-hand man and the horse
	he rode in on.  Along with a troop of heavy cavalry.
    'Wizards' units in this scheme represent one or more mages and
	their attendant lackeys and guards.  They have little direct
	affect on combat.  But can create smoke screens, breach walls,
	and generally mess with an opponents' mind.
    'Paladins' are mighty knights with a troop of fanatical heavy
	cavalry.
    'Elephants' are kind of a catch all unit.  Not many elephants
    	exist in the Southlands.  Just in Suhor and a few in the Nan
	plains.  But they can be domesticated and trained for war.
	Elephant units in the employ of other nations could represent
	a company of trolls or giants.  Or even a dragon that for one
	reason or another decided to fight for that nation.
    'Royalty' represent princes of the blood and their elite guards.
	They ability to hire boats, guides, and informants is modeled
	as the ability to fly.

  Interestingly enough I noticed that many of the same ideas I used to
create this army set were used in the Europa set that came with the
scenario builder.  I wish I'd checked it out first; it would have saved
a few hours of play-testing.
  I changed the 'Elves' unit to an ally so that this entire army set
would be usable in other scenarios.  As a non-ally it would be beyond
the last unit that shows up in the unit purchase screen and would not
be available in the scenario (though such units might be if you allow
cities to produce allies - I don't know).
  If you have the scenario builder I would suggest that you turn off
their ally status.  As elves would not be found allied to such nations
as Suhor, Great Nhalor, or The Nan.  They should retain all of their
other abilities.

  Unfortunately I'm not much at drawing so I didn't include a new city
set.  If someone has a city set that includes ca. 1000-1200 AD style
cities and castles (only, no weird stuff) I would be very interested
in using it in this and several other scenarios.  With proper
accreditation, of course.
  I did not have a suitable picture to import for the "cover".

  The sides are-
    'Dwarves' represents the Dwarven King.  The dwarves are clannish
	and the king has little control over those outside of his own
	clan.  In reality not expansionistic.  For the proper "feel"
	from the computer player set the AI to the 'Knight" level
	and choose 'Morgan' as the character.
    'City States' is a league of several wealthy towns of freemen.
	They vary considerably.  Beck is a very militant city that
	guards the western approach to the Southland against barbarian
	raiders.  Eldingel is the nominal capitol and food production
	center of the northern area.
    'Great Nhalor' is a kingdom in the west.  The cities of Nhalor
    	and Nhartok are two of the most important in the Southlands.
	The Nhalorians are a martial people who believe in the
	code of chivalry.  They tend to be loud and inflexible.
    'Thure' is young and active kingdom.  A love of liberty and
	adventure characterizes these people.  The Principality of
	Arnisea to the south is a weathercock swinging from Thure
	to the Nan to Malinor to the Elven Princes.
    'Elven Princes'.  The Elven Princes don't mix with the human or
	dwarven kingdoms.  And probably shouldn't be considered a
	side.  They start with a very difficult position.  The best
	race to play if you want a challenge.
    'Malinor' is an ancient kingdom that predates its neighbors.  Magic
	has kept these people free.  The Malinoreans are learned and
	urbane.  They foster Arnisean independence and unity.
    'The Nan' are a union of tribes.  Many of the people of the Nan
    	still lead a nomadic existence.  But 3 powerful tribes (Taq,
	Masai, and Kher) have established thriving cities.  The Demon-
	priests of Nan wield considerable influence with the tribes.
	The Nan are vicious, superstitious, and self-important.
    'Suhor' is a jungle nation hidden behind the Demonmist Mountains
	in the southernmost reaches of the Southlands.  Su are clever,
	subtle, and somewhat decadent.  Spying is a national pastime.
	And slavery a way of life.

  To best simulate the feel and flow of the campaign you should set
each races as follows-
  Dwarves		Knight-Morgan OR Not Used
  City States		Lord-Rebecca
  Great Nhalor		Warlord-Hand
  Thure			Warlord-Steven
  Elven Princes		Not Used OR Knight-Robin
  Malinor		Knight-Simon OR Not Used
  The Nan		Warlord-Attila
  Suhor			Lord-Raymond

  Of course you probably don't care if a side acts out of character.
So this is just for fun.

  For one human player I recommend-
    Beginner		City States, Nhalor, The Nan, or Suhor with
			the Elven Princes, Dwarves, and Malinor off
    Veteran		City States or Thure with all sides on
    Shark		Elven Princes with all others as Warlord

  For more than one human player use the settings described above and
choose sides as follows-
     2 players		Great Nhalor vs. The Nan
     3 players		add Thure
     4 players		add Suhor or the City States
     5 players		add the other of those above
     6 players		add Malinor
     7 players		add the Dwarves
     8 players		add the Elven Princes

  Options-
    Razing		'On Capture', though 'Not Allowed' would also
			be appropriate.  Strongholds are too valuable
			to raze.  Though the Nan might destroy a small
			keep if they felt they couldn't hold it.
    Hidden Map		It should be 'Off' but doesn't make much
			difference.  The feeling of discovery you get
			with the hidden map makes up for the lack of
			realism.
    Quests		I designed the scenario with the idea that this
			option would be 'On' because I like quests.  but
			it really doesn't fit the campaign.
    Others		Whatever.

  In conclusion I'd have to say this scenario works best with at least
2 human players.  The computer plays the Nan poorly.  Ignoring the
cities to the west and going right after Malinor.  Leaving Nan-Kher
for Suhor and Nan-Masai for Nhalor.  Though Nhalor often ignores the
twin jewels of Nhartok and Nan-Masai as well.  Both the Nan and Great
Nhalor suffer to some extent from the fact that most of their cities
are well defended.  The AI does well with Suhor and the City States.
Though sometimes leaves Beck (the only port city in the north) for
Nhalor or the Dwarves.
  The computer AI doesn't recognize the value of reacting to invaders
before they reach your main cities.  And so does not look to take
frontier castles.  Or to establish armies in those it does have.
Secure borders are one of the keys to victory in this campaign.  As
movement is severely curtailed.  A strong navy with a strategic base
can also be quite useful.  Tira could be very important to Thure or
the Elven Princes.


Cory Ridgway
