

            DRAKO ISLAND

            A Scenario for WARLORDS II Deluxe

            by Paul Fields

            DISCLAIMER. This scenario is a work of fiction. All
            characters (heroes, monsters, or otherwise) depicted in this
            scenario are purely fictional or used fictitiously. Any
            resemblance to any person, living or deceased, is purely
            coincidental.

            Place: Southeastern Europe
            Period:  Circa 1,100 A.D.
            Scale: The map represents approximately 600,000 square
            kilometers.

            INTRODUCTION and SITUATION

            Around 1100-900 B.C., nomadic tribes moving south and
            following large herds of bison and deer, found a lush,
            fertile area in Southeastern Europe.  Some nomads settled
            and established permanent encampments.  These camps evolved
            into villages, the villages into towns. By the end of Rome's
            domination of most of Europe, a thriving, advanced
            civilization had taken roots in the region.

            The strongest nation to evolve grew along a peninsula in the
            northeast area of the region.  It was peaceful and had,
            usually, enjoyed decade upon decade of economic growth,
            prosperity and calm.  Occasionally, it annexed a small city
            state or duchy on its borders but was never an aggressive
            nation. It chose, instead, to employ diplomacy and promises
            of a better life for the citizenry of its new possessions.
            Thus, even though it held no lands off the peninsula, it
            called itself an empire and was governed by an aristocracy
            headed by an emperor and various members of his immediate
            and extended family.  In this manner, the Benefic Empire had
            existed for hundreds of years.

            To the south and slightly west of the empire, Drako Island,
            almost large enough to be an island continent, rises up from
            the sea.  A map of Drako Island shows it is shaped like a
            dragon standing and breathing fire, thus its name.

            Drako, like its neighbor to the north, has enjoyed peaceful
            times for centuries.  It is populated by six clans who trace
            their cultural and linguistic heritage back to a common
            ancestry.  Geography and topography have kept the clans
            fairly isolated.  The occasional dispute between tribes, as
            they call themselves, has usually been settled through
            diplomacy or pitched battles with lots of rancor, shoving,
            and the like, but virtually no casualties have occurred.

            About 1,200 years earlier, the island was home to a nation
            of Eurasian peoples called the J'z (pronounced JAZZ).  When
            the island was devastated by a plague, the survivors
            migrated to a land about 60 miles (100 kilometers) to the
            west.  Now, however, holy men in J'z have convinced the king
            and his generals of the need to reclaim the sacred relics,
            holy places and burial sites of important ancestors left
            behind.  To this end, the J'z have encamped south of Drako
            and are amassing an army to retake their homeland.

            Emperors of the Benefic Empire have never maintained routine
            relations with the J'z, although they have occasionally sent
            and received J'z emissaries.  They have never trusted the
            J'z, for numerous reasons.  Now, they stand ready to defend
            their humble neighbors to the south.  They reason that
            should the J'z conquer and occupy Drako, they may just
            decide to take on Benefica.  The J'z must be stopped.

            The peaceful environment of the region is about to be rent
            asunder.  This, though, is not bad news to all involved.
            While the cultural norms dictate diplomacy and peaceful
            coexistence, there have always been minor chieftains who
            would have given anything to lead an army to take over other
            tribes.  The coming war will give these men the opportunity
            to strive for glory and, perhaps, rule Drako.  Similar men
            hold offices in Benefica, as well. Of course, they are
            dreaming of adding Drako to their empire or, perhaps,
            becoming emperor of Drako as a separate nation from
            Benefica.

            GAME DESIGN NOTES

            The army set is pretty much a clone of Erythea as regards
            values.  The icons, on the other hand, bear only a slight
            similarity. Special units include:

            Ghost Riders - flying units you can purchase on the cheap.
            
            All "J'z" warriors can only be produced in J'z camps or
            nearby cities - they cannot be purchased.
            
            All units with a strength of one are considered indigenous
            forces in their locales - cannot be purchased.
            Certain royal units may only be produced in Benefic cities.

            PLACEMENT OF CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES. At the first of the
            game you will see real estate "gobbled" up fairly fast.
            Remember, each tribe is pretty much in control of all
            villages in their locale and we would not expect much
            resistance to bringing villages into the fray.

            HERO NAMES.  To add local flavor to the scenario, ethnic
            naming conventions were used in the depiction of hero
            characters.  Since the islanders all sprang from a common
            ancestry their names are similar.  You'll notice dialectical
            differences here and in the city names.  Benefica heroes,
            being descended from Roman citizens, have mostly Latin-based
            names.

            You'll find playing any of the sides stimulating and
            challenging.  The least challenges will be experienced with
            either the Empire or the J'z since they are wealthiest.  The
            north and south tribes seem to provide less of a challenge
            than their four neighbors.  The toughest are the eastern and
            mariner tribes.

            THE LAST WORD

            This is the first fantasy scenario I have designed.  It was
            a lot of fun and almost as much work as designing a
            realistic/historical scenario.  Thanks for downloading this
            scenario. Please send any comments and/or suggestions via E-
            mail at   bedbug@inlink.com   ...or... visit our web page
            at:  http://www.inlink.com/~bedbug/warlord/

            ABOUT THE AUTHOR

            Paul's interest in wargaming goes back to the early 1960s. A
            career as a military officer for over 20 years afforded many
            opportunities to travel and visit many of history's most
            notable battlefields.

            Now he's self-employed and works as a consultant to small
            businesses and municipalities on a variety of issues from
            applying new technology to human resource management.
            Lately, when he's not working to make a living, he's working
            hard to research and try new ideas for Warlords II Deluxe
            scenarios.

            His first, "Rain War", has been downloaded by numerous AOL
            and  CompuServe members and was published on the Warlords II
            Deluxe CD ROM. Other original scenarios are available on his
            web page.

