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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
The floating horrors were slain with ease with Cernetu's help. It was a pleasure to watch him wield bane fire against the things, though I am annoyed at the losses they inflicted on the longdead.
Once that threat was eliminated, we parted ways. Cernetu will go south to eradicate the brigand lair and rejoin me later. That black charger of his can move much faster than anything on foot. At the cusp of summer, as spring was fading, the Colossus once more called my attention to its location, this time east of its pedestal. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...s_brigands.jpg It appears that the brigands I thought my rival had eliminated had instead escaped and are still a menace and the Colossus blundered into the midst of their camp on the plain. I left the giant to deal with these vermin on its own, but soon my stone servant called my attention back with insistent force, accompanied by an unfamiliar note: Distress! I linked with the statue just in time to receive an impression of resignation and failure. I felt the Colossus lose balance as its foot detached from the statue and the ground rushed forward. Impact...and the link that had been there for these years was...gone. Somehow these outlaws found a way to harm it and the Colossus is no more. It's ruined body lies on the plain less than a week's travel from the base on which it had stood for centuries beyond counting. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...sus_nomore.jpg I was not far north when this happened, at the site of the hamlet where that feathered priest met his end. We spotted the campfires of the brigands to the southeast and there are not quite as many left as there were before. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...t/brigands.jpg Soon there will be none left alive. If there is a way to snuff out their souls after death, that is what I will do to them! There would be an opportunity to reanimate more troops at this site, but I dare not do it at this time. It is time to focus the increase of my troops on summons. Cernetu, being an accomplished necromancer on his own, can reanimate things in an emergency and he will do so on his return from the south if it is necessary. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
It is the middle of summer and right now things are looking well. Cernetu has taken control of the brigand lair. His return route swings him out east past a lake to get him out of the forest and explore the surrounding environs.
He encountered a band of brigands on his way. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...s_brigands.jpg They obviously thought to ambush a lone knight and claim his equipment and horse, but bit off slightly more than they could chew.. It seems the woods down south are positively lousy with brigands. I also found another apprentice looking for work and this time I had the funds to hire him, even though it emptied the treasury. Then again, it was 74 gold coins well spent. Now I can have him make full use of the remains of the various large battles in and around my territory. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...gunthamund.jpg |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Most of late summer was spent eradicating pests. I slew two bands of brigand stragglers between midsummer and autumn and Cernetu himself ran into another large band of brigands.
http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...rigands_02.jpg He had already been wounded in the first battle and a group of nearly a dozen brigands attacked him from ambush. After slaying three, he managed to disengage long enough to call a band of longdead to his aid. The first few were cut down by the brigands but bought Cernetu time to call more and after that the result of the battle was a foregone conclusion. In the space of two months, Cernetu has singlehandedly slain 14 brigands and outlaws. However, he needs at least the entire autumn to heal from his injuries. Tough he may be, but not invulnerable. More's the pity... http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...tu_wounded.jpg The soulless I left defending the hamlet out west came under attack by more horrors like the ones we slew on the plain. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...imehorrors.jpg Fortunately, they prevailed with the loss of but one. However, being animated undead, soulless lack healing powers and their injuries are permanent. That group is in sad shape and needs reinforcements. The beginning of autumn also brings with it a surfeit of frustration: http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...den_wizard.jpg Having just hired a new apprentice, there is nothing but a gaping hole where my treasury used to be and THEN comes a wizard, hat in hand, asking if I have work for him. Yes, yes I bloody well do! Only not quite enough funds to pay him up front and the bastard doesn't accept payment in several installments! http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...rd_preview.jpg It's especially aggravating, since wizards of the Golden Order usually don't have anything good to say about those of my discipline, so I would dearly have loved to have him as part of my staff. They are very useful and Manvale could have used some help. (In this recruitment preview, the stats of the wizard can be seen, but his magic and item slots are obscured, since wizards do not reveal their secrets to anyone but those who hire them, nor do they advertise what treasures they may carry. This prevent min/maxing on the basis of what spells a wizard for hire may have and forces a serious consideration of whether to take advantage of an offer. Assuming one has the funds in the first place. Wizards often carry items and quite a few times the item may be more valuable than the wizard himself, depending on the circumstances.) http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ldenwizard.jpg There was also another scruffy goblin chieftain and his band of archers, who while useful, were given short shrift when there was the wizard to negotiate with. (The goblin archers appear in green because they are mercenaries who appear along with the chieftain. Mercenaries may only be recruited once, like commanders, even if you have several citadels. Once recruited, they disappear from the list.) I have planned a rendezvous with Manvale and Cernetu and Mavale is on his way. With all the various wildlife and brigands nearby exterminated, he should be safe enough on his own for this little stretch. Cernetu has taken refuge at a mountain where he can enjoy the advantage of defensive terrain if something should be foolish enough to attack him. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...rendezvous.jpg |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
I finally managed to meet with Manvale and take possession of the spell scroll he had. There were two spells inscribed on it, an apprentice level incantation and another, more powerful one. I have now mastered both. The first spell was meager and useless spell for summoning a single soulless in combat. The second...
http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._newspells.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...soulvortex.jpg Soul Vortex is a more powerful version of Life Drain and quite, quite useful in battle, far more so than many other spells in the Necromantic school, even though those others are nothing to roll one's eyes at either. I pronounce myself quite delighted with this turn of events! Also, it seems like with winter once more in the offing, the middle of autumn sees everyone and their dog scrambling to find shelter. I got two more offers of service, but once more, my treasury hold not nearly enough. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...d_assassin.jpg Not sure how much use a Hedge Wizard would be. Their magic has great variety and little focus, though they can provide one with a nasty surprise on occasion. The assassin, on the other hand, him I would very much like to hire, but the cost is prohibitive. A pity, because I would have found very, very many things for him to do. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...s_assassin.jpg (Assassins work as part of a regular army, but their assassination weapons are used at the start of combat before any other attacks take place. The only things that work before assassination are prebattle effects, which only things like demon lords and such possess. The strikes rear attribute means that the attack is made on a random target in the rearmost row of the enemy army, so it is quite possible to kill an enemy mage. Especially if there are no other things in the rearmost row.) However, there has been a most annoying setback. Apparently Cernetu didn't manage to eradicate every brigand from the south, since someone has retaken the brigand lair and I expect that sooner or later we will see more of them making a nuisance of themselves. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...dlair_lost.jpg |
Winter has arrived. The last days of autumn emptied my treasury literally to the dregs as I hired a squad of swordsmen to protect Gunthamund on his journey to reanimate the remnants of that savage Priest King's army and then added another scout for good measure so he isn't taken by surprise by sneaking things.
I had already moved northward on the eastern outskits of my territory when we got word of more of the savages coming from the south. This lot is lead by another priest type, this one with a headdress of red feathers. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._sunpriest.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._sunpriest.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._sunpriest.jpg And once more it's a race to the south and to destroy another invasion. Just as well, since there is absolutely bloody nothing up here in the north. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened in midwinter. My army was supposed to move south, but when late winter came around, I was still precisely where I had been at the end of early winter. The scout and spearman tell me that I acted erratically and refused to go anywhere. Most odd..
http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...t/insanity.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ty_message.jpg (Insane commanders appear pink when selected, deep red when not selected but viewed. They also appear in pale red text in the unit overview. They refuse any orders as long as they are insane.) The enemy savages destroyed the soulless garrisoning the farm where their king is serving as fertilizer and I can only hope that this unexpected delay does not prevent me from crushing this interloper. I must find a cure for my unexpected lapses as soon as possible. I need more Hands of Glory! |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Barras The Vampire?
Nightwalk,blood sucker^^ |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
"rank: back" + "assassination, strikes fear" - reminds of good old disciples :)
Great AAR. Thank you. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
So healing is the same as in CoE2 in that it can take a few turns to fully heal a unit?
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
By the time I really realized where I was, which was exactly where I had been midwinter as well, it was already spring and my army had sat out in the cold, twiddling its thumbs and doing nothing. Or more precisely, the spearman and the scout had, the undead had just stood around, like frozen statues. I had, apparently, been investigating the differences between how the bark of various different trees behaved in the cold.
*shakes head* I have GOT to get a grip... In any case, having wasted two entire months, I spent the next three force marching southwest to meet the jungleborn threat. I left Cernetu behind, since he is more useful scouting the northern frontier. That area is currently tame enough that he can do it on his own without a lot of risk and I don't need to tie up troops up there. The death knight also took care of that annoying blue mushroom growing in the forest. Took him half a month to chop and burn it down, but at least it's gone. When I finally arrived south, there was more than one enemy army in place and I had my work cut out for me, even with the help of Manvale and Gunthamund. I would have to choose which one to engage first. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...an_choices.jpg In the end the choice was easy. The northern force was both weaker and poised to wreak havoc in my rear echelons and perhaps even threaten my citadel, necessitating a chase if left to its own devices. Crushing it first would give an opportunity to reanimate more troops both after the battle and again on the way south at the farm. Let us see how this self-styled jungle king and his army of slaves fares... http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...choicemade.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...tribalking.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...tribalking.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...tats_slave.jpg The battle went more or less as expected, though Manvale almost got himself killed in the opening exchange of blows. He is going to have to sit the next battle out, because I paid far to much for his services to lose him to carelessness. We lost a few more longdead, but apprentice mitigated things a bit by inspired and proficient use of the Bolt of Unlife spell. Excellent choice against unarmored targets, kills them and then reanimates them to serve the caster. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ltofunlife.jpg The second enemy army with that red-feathered priest tried to sneak around the mountain on the plain to rendezvous with his now deceased ally, which gives me an opportunity to crush him immediately afterward. With Manvale and his men staying out of this fight, Gunthamund will have to reanimate the fallen from the last battle, even though there are not quite as many as I had desired. Well, it cannot be helped. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...battleprep.jpg While Gunthamund reanimated half a dozen longdead and half again that many soulless, Manvale's men made a flanking maneuver back the way the savages had come and regained both the farm and the hamlet for us and denying vital resources to the enemy. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...le_circles.jpg And now it is time to engage! http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._sunpriest.jpg As soon as the battle began, I became painfully aware that this would be a dangerous affair indeed. The enemy priest has some kind of fire magic and wasted no time making good use of it. Fortunately he decided to target one of the soulless in the front rank. Had he aimed it at the back of my army... However, then it was my turn and I had been itching to test the efficacy of Soul Vortex in battle. and it was efficacious indeed! http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...soulvortex.jpg Nearly a third of his front line was killed outright or rendered near-dead from the lifedrain and my own energy and health surged in equal proportion. Half of his monsters lay dead after the first clash and it was our fortune again that the next incinerating strike from the sky found another soulless instead of worthier targets. Some few losses later the longdead ranks closed in and hacked the lone remaining winged jaguar and its master to pieces. Another invasion repelled, though recovering my forces to their previous levels of strength is once more going to take a while. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Quote:
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
So reading these AARs, one thing I noticed is Hit Points (and other stats in general) of units seem to be very low compared to Dominions 3 even for heroes. Is it really hard to keep your units alive? I mean do they even survive 2-3 battles?
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
The more units you have, the more the chances of each individual unit surviving increase, because the same units don't get hit all the time (since defender always goes first in battle). But if we're talking about the front line units like spearmen, my advice is not to get too attached to them.
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
After the enemy Sun Priest had been killed, it became obvious that he remains of his army were not worth animating. Too little reward for too high a price, so I sent Gunthamund to see what he could get from the site of the largest with the earlier priest.
Manvale and his spearmen and swordsmen were sent packing home, because I need someone to keep the area clear of pests. Something has AGAIN disrupted things up north, this time at the coal mine. Fortunately I don't exactly have a shortage of iron since I've been accumulating stores over time, but I would dearly like to have a catapult at the citadel. It would bolster the defenses nicely and there is nothing to brighten an invader's day like several hundred pound rocks falling from the sky before he can even get close. The problem with catapults is that while they don't cost a lot of gold, they more than make up for that in the cost in iron. I myself will be heading south on an exploration mission. It is time to find out where those savages are coming from and put a stop to their incursions. The south is positively lousy with bandits and undead. I hadn't gone more than a month out before my scout again spotted two bands of brigands, one of them big enough to pose a serious threat to anything short of a full army detachment of 10 men backed by archers. This is getting intolerable! The one piece of good news is that Cernetu has discovered a port town in the north! http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...overy_port.jpg The place is held by a rabble of bandits, but Cernetu will make short work of them and I will have finally gained a proper source for hands of glory. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Cernetu gained the port with comparatively little difficulty, though he took some injuries from the surprisingly determined defenders. They had the walls of the fort to protect them, but in the end it was a foregone conclusion.
Things are starting to get back under control now that Manvale has restored the northern mine. Gunthamund conquered another coal mine, taking it from the possession of strange, one-eyed manlike things that were pale as corpses. They look very imposing but turned out to be no real threat. Just before the onset of winter, there was a troubling new development. The southernmost coal mine was attacked by a joint force of brigands and some kind of manlike monsters like unto soulless but alive. They possess souls, though these are shredded, tattered things and they heal wounds at an incredible rate. They destroyed the soulless guarding the mine with little losses and I have no option but to turn back and eradicate this threat. I should have attacked those brigands on my way south, but didn't, which turned out to be a mistake. I shall not repeat it again. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...rn_bandits.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...s_soultorn.jpg |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
What exactly are Hands of Glory? It seems to be some kind of resource like production or so, but I'm not sure if I understood it right.
Combat preparation seems to be a bit easier than in Dom3, therefore you just set where they are located. I've seen back, mid, not sure if I've seen front exlicitly mentioned. Are there other ways to influence the fights? Something like the spells the mages should use? |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
*mutters curses*
Retaking the mine was just as costly as I expected it would be and my longdead forces are melting practically before my eyes! At least I managed to ship some soulless from the hamlet to guard it, so the places are again garrisoned, though I would like the garrisons to be beefier. At least midwinter has seen another new apprentice come to my door begging for instruction and this time I have enough resources to hire him and not be left staring at a lone copper coin at the bottom of the treasure chest. Cernetu has added another coastal fishing village to my realm a couple of months ago. You wouldn't think it, but over time the catch from fishing generates quite a bit of revenue. *late winter evening at camp* "Master look at the sky! I have never seen the foxfires in the sky that strong this far south!" I looked up from the tome I was studying to see that there was indeed a peculiar light in the sky. Only this was not the normal light that comes from the night sky in winter. I was still running the exercises of a minor summoning ritual through my head when suddenly I felt... *HUNGER! SOULS! FEED!* There was something right there next to me, waiting to pounce if given the slightest opportunity! I scrambled back and had the undead form a circle around me as I tried in vain to see the threat. The summoning ritual slipped from my mind and I felt the threat recede slowly and reluctantly, disappointed. Shaken, I glanced once more at the sky and saw at the same time how the face of the scout had turned ashen. The lights undulating in the sky had forms moving through them, a faint suggestion of long limbs and razor sharp claws as if glimpsed through a thick mist. The glow and wink of what might have been stars, but might as easily have been the gleam of malevolent eyes... "M-master..." "I see them, yes..." "What are they?" "I don't know. They feel like the things we saw at the ruins. Magic draws them, so we had best be careful about what we do. No summons for me for a good long while. We must do with what we have for now." http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...nt_horrors.jpg |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Quote:
Essentially they are the left hands of hanged murderers, dried and preserved. In CoE3, necromancers burn these hands as an offering to spirits of the Netherworld to gain the services of allies or knowledge (rituals of mastery). Yes, there are front ranks (e.g. spearmen), so units are placed according to the placement rank, melee units in front, archers in the middle and spellcasters in the back. As far as mages and spell use, you can select which spells to memorize if you have more spells than memory slots. The mage will then cast random spells from among those memorized, though not totally useless things (Frost against undead which are cold immune, fire against fire elementals or poison resistance against spearman, who have no poison attacks etc.). |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
All through early spring those lights in loomed over us in the sky. It was a tense time, but as the spring equinox approached, this ill-starred conjunction of the Realms of Power faded.
http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...orrors_end.jpg I can finally breathe easily again. Gunthamund and I have headed south after leaving a squad of soulless at that pestilential brigand lair to make sure that nobody else takes it over and begins preying on my southern settlements again. We have discovered signs of the jungle savages and a farm that previously belonged to them is now in my hands. Gunthamund is moving toward the battlefield that Childerik's scrying revealed so long ago. He will take control of the village next to it, then defeat the undead on the field and reanimate some more troops for us. At this rate, there will soon be enough hands of glory that I should be able to perform a ritual of mastery to increase my knowledge of the Necromantic Arts to entirely new heights. Up north, Cernetu has been exploring the wilderness. There was a tense moment when he encountered a horde of goblins accompanied by two trolls that were looking for victims. A single troll would be a challenge to even a death knight, let alone two of them. Accompanied by more than a score of goblins? Cernetu took the wiser course of action and got out while the getting was good. Fortunately he seems to have found another battlefield, which will provide him with enough troops that if he should run into that horde again, he will be able to defeat it. Normally, I would send an apprentice to take care of the reanimation, but I only have Gunthamund and it's too far away in any case, so the death knight simply must bear the cost of reanimation himself. (Note: Undead are NOT immune to insanity, apart from the lich) |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Your AAR makes me think - is CoE3 mostly about chasing indies around?- Sounds like a frustrating prospect :eek:
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
No, it's not mostly about chasing indies around, but when you play large maps, it is going to be a part of the game.
The reasons why making this AAR has been rather frustrating are: 1) An absolutely hideous start location 2) Consequent lack of resources 3) Consequent lack of troops to garrison important things 4) Three prolific monster lairs in close proximity to important locations - Ancient Forest - Brigand Lair - Haunted Capitol, which actually counts as 4 monster lairs because each square spawns things 5) Distance from home fortress to many places 6) Dismal luck in terms of hands of glory generators (this is actually changing, which the next installment will touch on) So yes, this one has been uphill all the way. If you have bad luck, you will be spending a lot of time fighting independents, but it's not as bad as it was in CoE2. And believe it or not, the independent spawn rate has been significantly reduced from what it was when the beta started. I don't think anybody would mind if it was reduced another 10% or 20%. Just compare the start I had for the restarted AAR and the one I had for the first one. If I had had that start for the restarted too, the game would look very different right now. As it is, this AAR should see lichdom attained in another 20 to 30 turns (plus possible travel on top of that). |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
I should also add something which is not apparent from my previous post: This AAR game is now progressing somewhere around turn 80 or so, well over six years into the game. Most of this time I have had a rather tenuous control over the monster lairs, especially the brigand lair, which proved so troublesome.
The ancient forest near my starting citadel has been notably quiescent for monster lair and the occasional stack that has emerged from there has generally either wandered off or been slain before it had a chance to do much damage. Going into completely unexplored areas where there are ancient forests, brigand lairs etc. after such a long time, one would be far more likely to run into multiple armies of independents and one would expect a fairly intensive stretch of combat until the area was cleared. The easiest way to prevent big problems with independents is to act aggressively against monster lairs and flag them, then leave a sufficient garrison that it can't be casually swept away. In case of ancient forests, if you can't flag them, either acquire a pyromancer or a fire breathing monster and burn them down. Enchanters can also turn them into golems, which will likewise destroy it. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
No more updates?
Now I have followed this AAR everyday, I really hope you continue it :) |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Today, in fact. I had a very busy end of the week and most of my CoE3 related doings had to focus on the manual and map editor guide. Yesterday I had work and other things to do after that. Today and tomorrow I can concentrate on this.
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
It is once more late summer and the winds of autumn will soon blow the leaves from the trees.
I spent a considerable part of my treasury in midsummer to hire a tribe of goblins, because I simply need enough bodies to hold the walls of my citadel and they came cheap. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi..._chieftain.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...n_spearman.jpg Hrimner and his goblin spearmen aren't much, but put them behind walls and they'll be able to survive quite well at least in the opening stages of a battle. This frees up Manvale to to take the more experienced spearmen and swordsmen and clear the countryside, so some housekeeping and perhaps even explore a bit. He was just about ready to set out when an old friend of his by the name of Sethan showed up. Given the caliber of person in question, I hired him though the treasury now only stands at about a hundred gold coins. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ero_sethan.jpg Sethan has an interesting sword, enchanted and sharper and better balanced than a regular broadsword. Upon closer examination it explains rather handily why Manvale has always called Sethan a lucky bastard when the subject came up in a conversation. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...m_faithful.jpg |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Elsewhere things look grim. It seems Pantariste's apprentice Andromedeia managed to repel the barbarian invasion or the enemy simply bypassed her, but I am afraid she will no longer be so lucky.
http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ndrodameia.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...odameia_02.jpg The Tower of the Androphags has fallen and the young apprentice has only a secondary tower to fall back on. For one of her skills, she has managed to amass a surprisingly formidable force, but her enemy is approaching with a troop of creatures not native to Elysium. Summonings of some sort, most certainly. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...r_vs_witch.jpg I fear that my ally may soon be no more. ***** Elsewhere, Cernetu has been busy in the northeast. After reanimating the dead from the battlefield he discovered, he used them to conquer a mine from a bunch of dwarves. He has continued to take over a nearby hamlet, but going east, he seems to have run into another ambush. The northeast seems to be a vey wild and untamed area and I must have Manvale and Sethan search for a more direct route so that Cernetu can be more easily reinforced. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...st_cernetu.jpg Myself and Gunthamund, we have explored the southern areas close to the village and battlefield. Gunthamund is slowed down by the soulless he gathered at the battlefield, but he must have protection if he is not to share Childerik's fate. He has discovered a library of magical learning, but it is heavily guarded by a detachment of mercenary soldiers. I discovered a watchtower, which allowed me to gain a better idea of my surroundings. Now that I have finally managed to amss sufficient hands of glory, the tower is also the perfect spot for my Ritual of Mastery, because it provides a defensive position. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ic_library.jpg The preparations for the ritual were elaborate. Nearly twice as many hands of glory as for the summoning that brought me Cernetu. In this, the tower itself was an invaluable help. Instead of a flat pattern on the ground, it was possible to place the hands of glory in a spiraling funnel that would better focus the power of the ritual on myself. Once the arduous checking and rechecking had been completed, I waited for the dead hours of another moonless night, with only the stars shining down from a cloudless sky. I began the chants I had learned through long study and knew by heart. One by one the candles held by the hands of glory were lit and the power began to build. I climbed the tower, touching flame to each wick in turn and when I reached the top, I stood at the apex of a funnel that would channel the power through me. When the wicks burned down and lit the hands themselves, all one hundred and fifty of them at the same time, the spirits that had been gathering rushed in to consume smoke of the burnt offering and whispered the secrets of power to my ears, the price extracted in return for their feast. It was hours later that the hands had burnt to ash, the swirl of Netherworld spirits gone with it. I closed my eyes and called forth the new knowledge given to me. No mere Necromancer anymore, but a master of my craft! I spoke the words the spirits had branded on my mind and felt the tingle of my flesh, then drew my knife and stabbed it through my hand, yet all that I accomplished was a dull thwack, the point unable to pierce the skin. Another incantation sent a rime of frost running across the beams and planks of the wooden tower, spreading far and wide and giving off a chill as if of death itself. Great tools indeed, but no gift these, but a purchase paid in full... http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...cer_barras.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...nerability.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...f-the-dead.jpg Now, it is time to begin the next step on my journey. The knowledge of a necromancer gives the tools to turn oneself into a blooddrinking immortal being, a vampire, a mighty warrior in addition to the necromantic powers. However, there are other, superior options for the kind of master necromancer I have become. To become a lich, to leave behind the fetters of mortality and realize the full power of the necromantic arts, that goal is now within my reach! It will be a long and arduous process, more so than this trial has been, but it is a step that not only asks to be taken, but MUST be taken! http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ecromancer.jpg The cost, though, it almost beggars belief... |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
I see that you can still do a ritual of mastery while already a master necromancer. What does it do at this level ? Give you another spell ? Or is it that there are still other upgrade options above master necromancer that the lich ?
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Lets you learn new spells. You get something random, could be level 1, could be level 3.
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
What's the benefit of becoming a vampire instead of a Lich?
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Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
From the journal of Cernetu, Death Knight and Second in Command to Grand Necromancer Barras:
It has been a year since the ascension of Master Barras to the title of Grand Necromancer. Since that time, things have become...confused is the word I would use. There have been setbacks, but also gains. In the Master's absence, I have been forced to take command to prevent things from devolving to a disaster. With the help of Sethan and Manvale I have consolidated our position and can now begin to restore order. Our situation currently stands thusly: http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...-lost-east.jpg The eastern expedition ended in failure. It seems there is a considerable unexplored landmass even beyond the easternmost limits of my journey, and though none of our enemies seem to have a presence in that direction, the land is not uninhabited. The forces of lesser undead I reanimated at the old battlefield have been annihilated by the The red markers on this map indicate holdings that were once in our possession. The greatest loss is the port town to the north, which was overrun by trolls and their goblin followers I saw briefly two years ago. The place could be used to trade for hands of glory from merchants who had access to them in other markets. The other places were in our possession but briefly, for there were not enough troops to garrison them properly. The blue markers indicate desirable resources or other strongpoints discovered by Manvale and Sethan. The area has a wealth of possibilities, but venturing east is simply not possible without a large, well armed force that can absorb losses. There are very large bands of goblins, groups of giant ants and less numerous greater bakemono roaming those territories. It is doubly important because the port and villages together would increase our harvest of hands by more than half. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...h_homeland.jpg Here in the north, around the citadel and the port of the Void cultists, everything is more or less in hand. The first order of business, second to none, is to hire a pyromancer, a mage versed in the art of fire magic. When we can contract the services of such a one, the older forests here shall burn until there are nothing but stumps and ash left. In the south, the situation is fluid. The Forest of Cutthroats and its northern environs are under control and have been for years now. We have no real intelligence on what lies south of it, given that the explorations of my master and his apprentice focused on the southeast. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...cutthroats.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...rn-salient.jpg The southeastern front has been quiet, but more of the jungle-born interlopers of the Hungry God have been spotted, led by yet another sort of priest we have not seen before. Gunthamund is retreating as fast as the pace of his shambling soulless followers permits. Any threat from the priest himself is at least a year, probably two years in coming, by which time the current situation should be more than resolved. As for my master, based on our spiritual bond, I can surmise that he is traveling northwest, but no word has been heard from him since his elevation. He has been completely unreachable for months at a time, the mindlink erratic and garbled. These chaotic spells have become more frequent, possible indications that his transactions with the Netherworld have left him unsettled. I do know that one of the clearer images I got from our contact was of the temple on the outskirts of the Capitol. Probably he aims to achieve immortality there. We have also had new reinforcements who have been working for us for some time now. I hired an assassin called Qesban several months ago. A southern name, but already he has proven himself useful, which is all that I or the master care about. There is another apprentice offering his services, and I am going to accept. Someone is required to reanimate the dead littering the eastern reaches. We shall see how this Karl works out. After that, there will be no hiring until the treasure has at least three hundred gold coins or equivalent in it. http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...apprentice.jpg http://koti.welho.com/ehalttun/publi...ntice_karl.jpg We have an excess of iron, so in the interim some catapults will be bought instead. Hopefully the master will return soon, because if and when things go as planned, we will be unstoppable. In the meanwhile, I will be heading back out and directly into combat. I had a little conversation with Sethan, which ended with him giving me the use of his sword. Even with the blade, he can't survive against numerous enemies, being as fragile as he is, like most mortals. The blade will be of better service in my hands. He was loath to give it up, but when offered the choice of loot when we find other things and the choice of settling our disagreement in a duel, he chose the first option. Wise of him. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Quote:
As a vampire, you can attack enemies without any consideration for losses. If the vampire dies, it will simply reform at the home citadel, stay out of action for a month or two and then go straight back to the fight. The vampire regenerates, so it heals at the end of every combat and if it suffers afflictions, those too will go away on their own (immortality also does the same, so increased chances of quicker recovery). As the cherry on top, the vampire flies, so his movement is not restricted by terrain even in winter. The only terrain he can't enter is water (which the lich can do). |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Androdameia has been defeated and Pantariste's realm is no more. The Rain Priest of the jungle savages has raced north and invaded our lands, but he has not nearly enough troops and even his flying witch assassins (tlahuelpuchi) are not enough to save him when attacked (assassination is available only to attacker).
However, much as I would like to continue this AAR and demonstrate lichdom in another 15 turns, it is sadly no longer possible. The jump from 2.96 to 3.00 broke savegame compatibility and the fate of Barras the Grand Necromancer (soon to become a lich) must be left to the reader's imagination. :( Perhaps Barras will return in another incarnation if I wish to do another Fallen Empire AAR, but unfortunately that must be another time. I hope everyone enjoyed this story while it lasted. There is time for yet one last teaser, though: When you do get the game and explore things, pay attention and somewhere you may find two names that have appeared here... ;) |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
Well perhaps its good the new version breaks save games, its always more fun when you experience new things in games yourself. If I hadn't already decided to support my local void and play as the cultists I would be aiming to turn into a lich to see what happens. Lots and lots of raising the dead I imagine :)
Great AAR. On a side note, I was listening to an old Three Moves Ahead podcast which had the author of the Dominions 3 manual on it, is that you? |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
No, that's not me. The Dom3 manual was written by Bruce Geryk, who was also part of the beta test group, though we did not see a whole lot of him.
When the CoE3 beta began, I knew we needed a manual, so I just took that bit for myself to do. I have always been able to write instructions clearly and in an organized fashion, so it was a natural fit. By the time Bruce showed up, there was already a manual draft that was fairly well along. |
Re: CoE3 AAR: A Chronicle of the Interregnum
It was a great AAR, thanks for taking the time to do it. :)
That really kept my interest in the game growing and I'm eager awaiting the release now. Therefore I'll definitely buy the game. BTW, judging from your AAR you're a very talented writer. It almost felt like reading a real book sometimes. It would be nice if the manual would also contain some more 'colourful' descriptions. It makes reading manuals much for fun if they don't just stick to a toaster-style manual. |
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