[Benevolance]

Summary:

Centuries ago, the world was overrun by a vast horde of monsters. One by one, the civilizations of the world
were destroyed by the invaders, who betrayed no motives beyond destruction and chaos. During this time the city-state of Pandessa was born, a stronghold in which the people of the world might survive.

Aiding the survival of the Pandessa people was a new weapon developed by a wizard called Vokoun: the Shield. The Shield dampened magical effects within a radius around the stone, lessening the advantages held by the magically-potent Outsiders.

The magicians scored the earth with their magic, flooded it and created islands at the center of the massive newborne sea. Sheltered by geography and the Shield, the Pandessans - as they now called themselves - endured.

The threat from Outsiders never abated. Over the years, the citizens learned better to defend themselves. New inventions - such as improved Shield stones - helped ensure greater security. But it was the advent of the Control collar that ushered in a new era of Pandessan prosperity.

The Collar was a bracelet that - when fastened around the throat of an Outsider - rendered the creature docile and agreeable. Though the early Collars were fraught with problems, later mitrhil models guaranteed absolute control of more and more powerful creatures.

Though expensive, Collars became a sign of status among the Pandessans. To possess an Outsider was to possess prestige. For the first time in centuries, Pandessans began roaming beyond the boundaries of their Shield as Hunters began seeking Outsiders for capture. As mithril began to grow in demand, it was clear that new sources of the mineral would be required.

In the Silverspike mountains, scouts discovered rich veins of mithril and Outsiders ripe for capture. Pandessa marshalled its strength and invaded.

[Benevolance]

The early reports suggested that the Outsiders living in the foothills were poorly organized and unlikely to offer resistance. Construction on a rail line for the new golem engines could begin immediately.

The reports were - in fact - quite wrong.

Upon arriving at the construction site, the Pandessan skycarts were besieged by explosions. Forced to the ground, the soldiers advanced into the foothills to clear out the pockets of kobold spell-casters and warriors. After a night of fierce fighting, the enemy withdrew and construction on a Pandessan base of operations began.

Of the existing engineers and work crews, there was no sign. New labourers and materials were necessary to begin the construction.

Torin Ironmaster and his squad had distinguished themselves during the initial skirmish. The unit was one of several sent out to scout the terrain and gather labour. Heading north in a transport skycart, the party located a herd of six-legged bison-like creatures.

Behror discerned the movements of the herd to identify the herd leaders, and the party assailed the lead creatures from the sky. The pack animals were demoralized without strong leadership, and the party was able to drive the creatures back to camp.

Despite the influx of strong beasts of burden and materials gathered by other scavenging parties, construction on the rail line continued to be hindered by constant guerilla raids from the enemy, now identified as members of the Goblin Oligarchy.

Unable to advance further into the hills until reinforcements arrived, several highly-skilled Pandessan commandos were sent into the mountains to disrupt enemy operations.

[Benevolance]

Brumin map

*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 1o 6w rs 0 0 18 -5k 1g -54 1g -4g 1o -3k 1o -2g 1g -1s 18
@-g 10 2w s 40 c 54 -k 6w *s -1 1g o rs 0 0 1g o 1g 0 s -o *s -1
@2c 28 rs 0 0 2c 28 1w 1k 1o w 1o g 1w 0 1o -o 18 -w 18 -1k 10
@-28 *s a 56 6q rs 0 *s a 59 5b rs 0 *s a 58 60 rs 0 *s h 2o 3s
@rs 0 *s h 4z 3r rs 0 *s h 2g 7e rs 0 *s h 4g 8a rs 0 *s -1 2c 1w
@rs 0 0 k 1w 2c 1w *s -1 24 44 rs 0 0 k 3g 24 44 *s -1 1c 3k rs 0
@0 1c g 14 3k *s h 75 7b rs 0 *s h 71 55 rs 0 *s -1 2w 44 rs 0 0
@1s 44 2w 44 *s -1 3f 2i rs 0 0 1w 1c 3g 2g *s -1 3k 3k rs 0 0 3k
@1w 3k 3g *s h 63 88 rs 0 *s -1 3f 41 rs 0 0 30 40 3g 3k *s f 5b
@7q rs 0 *s f 65 7a rs 0 *s f 6e 5j rs 0 *s f 5w 4t rs 0 *s f 5a
@4d rs 0 *s h 9s 89 rs 0 *s h 9r 4q rs 0 *s h by 2s rs 0 *s h c8
@a2 rs 0 *s h el a4 rs 0 *s h el 2r rs 0 *s -1 74 1c rs 0 0 74 1c
@54 1c *s -1 5w 28 rs 0 0 5w o 44 28 *s -1 4w 3w rs 0 0 4w 18 4w
@3w *s -1 60 50 rs 0 0 40 3g 60 50 *s -1 74 50 rs 0 0 5c 50 74 50
@*s h 6w 1z rs 0 *s h 9a 1x rs 0 *s -1 3c 1s rs 0 0 20 1s 3c g *s
@-1 4g 10 rs 0 0 2w 10 4g 10 *s -1 5s 1c rs 0 0 40 o 5s 1c *s -1
@2w 40 rs 0 0 1s g 20 o 2g w 2o 14 2w 1k 2w 1s 2o 20 2o 28 2o 2o
@2o 34 2g 3c 1s 3k 1k 40 *s -1 28 6w rs 0 0 20 1k 20 2g 28 3c 28
@4w 1s 68 1s 6w *s f 5n 9a rs 0 *s f 5n 9w rs 0 *s f 5n aj rs 0 *s
@f 5n b4 rs 0 *s f 5o bq rs 0 *s f 6g 99 rs 0 *s f 6g 9x rs 0 *s
@f 6f aj rs 0 *s f 6e b5 rs 0 *s f 6f bq rs 0 *s f 76 9a rs 0 *s
@f 76 9x rs 0 *s f 76 ak rs 0 *s f 75 b4 rs 0 *s f 75 bq rs 0 *s
@h c8 5f rs 0 *s h c7 6y rs 0 *s h e0 5f rs 0 *s h e0 6z rs 0 *s
@-1 64 3c rs 0 0 64 2g 64 3c *s -1 6w 2s rs 0 0 5k 2s 6w 2s *s -1
@70 3c rs 0 0 70 2g 70 3c *s -1 6s 3g rs 0 0 5w 3g 6s 3g *s f aw
@85 rs 0 *s f bk 8v rs 0 *s f cn 99 rs 0 *s f dz 9e rs 0 *s f dx
@3j rs 0 *s f cy 3h rs 0 *s f bx 3u rs 0 *s f b2 4i rs 0 *s f ap
@5f rs 0 *s f ao 77 rs 0 *s f bv 81 rs 0 *s f d2 8k rs 0 *s f dy
@8j rs 0 *s f cw 4o rs 0 *s f du 4k rs 0 *s f 9r 9c rs 0 *s f 9r
@a5 rs 0 *s f 9r as rs 0 *s f 9r bd rs 0 *s f 9s by rs 0 *s f aj
@by rs 0 *s f ai ba rs 0 *s f ai al rs 0 *s f ag a1 rs 0 *s f b7
@am rs 0 *s f b7 bc rs 0 *s f ba c1 rs 0 *s f by b9 rs 0 *s f c1
@by rs 0 *s f cl bb rs 0 *s f co by rs 0 *s f d8 bb rs 0 *s f di
@by rs 0 *s f dv bd rs 0 *s f e9 c0 rs 0 *s f 5r cd rs 0 *s f 6i
@cf rs 0 *s f 74 cd rs 0 *s f 7x cd rs 0 *s f 7x br rs 0 *s f 7x
@b5 rs 0 *s f 7v ah rs 0 *s f 7u 9v rs 0 *s f 7v 9a rs 0 *s f 7w
@8l rs 0 *s f 76 8l rs 0 *s f 7v 7x rs 0 *s f 9s cm rs 0 *s f am
@co rs 0 *s f bc cr rs 0 *s f c2 co rs 0 *s f cr co rs 0 *s f dh
@cm rs 0 *s f e6 cn rs 0 *s f 6g 3o rs 0 *s f 72 38 rs 0 *s f 76
@41 rs 0 *s f 99 2r rs 0 *s f 99 3g rs 0 *s f 99 45 rs 0 *s f a0
@31 rs 0 *s f a0 3q rs 0 *s g 7n 35 rs 0 *s g 7n 3j rs 0 *s g 7n
@3z rs 0 *s g 7m 4i rs 0 *s g al 2w rs 0 *s g ak 3a rs 0 *s g b3
@31 rs 0 *s g 9y 2j rs 0 *s g by aq rs 0 *s g cl aq rs 0 *s g d5
@ar rs 0 *s g dn ar rs 0 *s g 4p cc rs 0 *s g 4w by rs 0 *s g 4t
@bc rs 0 *s g 4r af rs 0 *s g 4o 9n rs 0 *s g 4j 92 rs 0 *s g 50
@8p rs 0 *s g 5n 8o rs 0 *s g 71 7y rs 0 *s g 6e 31 rs 0 *s g 71
@2l rs 0 *s j 82 1x 111 17n *s j 9q 6c rs 0 *s j c7 6b rs 0 *s j
@72 6b rs 0 *s j 2j 5n rs 0
*END -yh94aj

This post has been edited by Benevolance: 14 November 2007 - 01:24 PM