First Off, Many Thanks to $_ARTHAN for typing out the
cutscenes of TAK, for preserving the words of the game!
Now, I want to start a project: A while ago, I copied the cutscenes which ARTHAN provided the forum,
read that he wasn't a native english speaker, and I did find some parts that needed correcting. I have
provided my revised version of ARTHAN's work (many thanks to him again), and would ask that anyone
interested also edit my version, as I don't have full faith in my skills either.
Let's immortalize, if you will, The Book of Darien!
***Introduction: The Book of Darien
The magical violent land of Darien was once ruled by Garacaius, his mastery of magic made him immortal, but he found ruling an empire more challenging than conquering it, so he installed four monarchs of unquestioned loyalty into each of the four kingdoms of Darien These rulers were his own children:
"To my first-born son Elsin, I bequeath dominion over Aramon and the sigil of Earth. No more thriving or beauteous land exists, and this worthy son will build an ever greater kingdom, the marvel of the ages.
To my second-born Thirsha, I give Zhon of the sigil Wind. Wild Thirsha, born huntress, this is your fated home, a timeless unspoiled paradise of beasts and haunted echoes of Khandran wizardry!
And Lokken, third-born and evil-bent, I crown you master of Taros of the sigil Fire, a crown of thorns though this hard land might be, you will tame this dangerous realm or it will tame you.
Finally, fair Kirenna, sprite of the sea, you shall rule wave-washed Veruna of the sigil Water. Answer true, the water sigils call to brave horizons in ships of wide beam and billowed sails."
- Garacaius, Mage Emperor of Darien
Garacaius had one more legacy for his children, four Khandran artifacts. These gave each monarch mystic powers to rival his own as well as immortality. if used wisely, these powers could bring new prosperity to the land, but if the forces of manna were ever misused, it will slowly but surely bend and twist the children of Garacaius, and all that threshold will lay disaster, not just for one ruler or one land, but for all of Darien. Within a century, each had absolute rule of the respective land. A century later, Garacaius, the man who had united the known world, vanished without a trace.
***Mission 1 intro: All Hell Broken Loose
For fifteen-hundred years after the mage emperor's disappearance, the four kingdoms of Darien saw skirmishes and warfare, terrorism and piracy, but strict inherent of Garacaius’ magic discipline kept order secure, until an incident described by one eyewitness as 'all hell broken loose'. This was likely the end of the world. In the kingdom of Aramon, Emen the messenger approached the town of Abiad, accompanied by a small band of soldiers he encountered on the road. What happened next had sent shockwaves through the whole of Aramon. In a letter to his wife, Emen would write this:
"I could hardly have anticipated the unholy holocaust that was Abiad!"
***Mission 2 intro: Victims, Not Victors
For the first time in Darien's history, demonic forces had been unleashed. An undead army had been sent to wreak havoc in Aramon. Though Emen survives, time was running out for those left in Abiad, he must get word to the coast garrison. Emen tries to calm the panicked soldiers and townspeople:
"Friends, fear not the dead! Would you run from some abate crone, or a pausing infant? Such is the so-called army. These are victims, not victors! Now, bury your fears and get us to the garrison!"
- Emen the Messenger, Abiad
***Mission 3 intro: Order Overturned
From the walls of the garrison, Emen sent word of the invading horrors to the Lord-Commander of the eastern realm, who concluded an ancient prophecy had come to pass, he wrote to King Elsin:
"This Necromancer of Taros, King Lokken, has gained a new power. The dead walk at broad daylight, the natural order is overturned! This day was foretold in the Book of Darien, only one thing can protect us, the Heart of Thesh, a relic lost since the time of the Khandra. I have this day directed my most trusted soldier, Joreth of Heldain, to obtain a squadron of handpick volunteers and to mount a quest for the Heart of Thesh, wherever it may be in Darien..."
Scholars in the capital consulted ancient scrolls and tablets. Several references to the Heart place it in distant Veruna, in the city of Lothol. The expedition was soon under way, but Joreth escape was blocked, hordes of undead swarmed around the garrison.
***Mission 4 intro: The Wedge
Across the sea from Aramon, the seafaring land of Veruna was also under attack, the assailants were monsters of a size and nature never seen before. Behind these attacks was Zhon, a land of mystery ruled by Thirsha the Huntress. This was not a random event. It was Zhon's task to drive away within the two allies, Aramon and Veruna. Keeping the two powers separated was essential for the invasion on Aramon to succeed, creatures of the air descended on Veruna like angry bolts from a thunderhead.
***Mission 5 intro: Black Peace
Back in Aramon, the Tarosian invaders pressed forward, though the element of surprise was no longer on their side. Aramon began to fight back, the army of undead and demons began to see their first losses. Their leader, the ruthless Zargolin, rallies the restless army:
"Death-monger, death-bringers, rise and offer black peace to the miserable breathers infesting this vile living land! Long live King Lokken, Prince of the Dead!"
-Zargolin, field commander of the Taros
A town would needed to be eradicated...
***Mission 6 intro: Jungle Screams
Veruna, angry with the recent occasion, sends an expeditionary force to the Zhon coast. In the past, few dare venture there, those who did seldom returned. This fact was not lost from the common sense of the sailors of the fleet, a Verunan sailor had wrote in his log:
"The coast of Zhon came out and we saw some flying beasties that scared some of the younger men! This is not weird, not one of us liked the place. 'The Zhon beasts may tear up your limbs', so we hear. The captain says not to be fearful! That's easy for him, he'll stay onboard!"
- Stark Tothiopin, Warship Veruna stern
On deck, thirst came as frozen terror and an awful sound from deep within the Zhon jungle, the tortured screams of living nightmares who lie and wait...
***Mission 7 intro: Cleansing
Zhon resists Veruna's incursion into her territory, as was the custom before any significant battle, a Zhon Shaman chiseled this totem glyph:
"Our warriors will crush the foul-smelling Veruna boatmen; fire Drakes will fill the sky! If these fools have a scrap of honor, they will co-operate and die quickly! We will sacrifice many beasts and, if the need be, our own lives to cleanse Zhon of these invaders!"
***Mission 8 intro: Without Mercy
Across the Edamothi Sea in Aramon, Tarosian forces prepare to surprise attack from their well-fortified encampment. The Taros commander notified King Lokken:
"The necessary defenses are in place. This land is disgustingly soft and filled with life! I hate the coil of almost sickly-sweet smell of the very air of this absurd land! I anticipate nothing stopping our progress toward the capital. A swift cut in the heart will rid us of these self-righteous sons of Aramon! I expect victory to be sudden and without mercy!"
- Zargolin, field commander, host of Taros
***Mission 9 intro: Unseen Hands
Taros learns of a devastating secret weapon the alchemist guild is developing for Aramon. King Lokken was adamant that the invasion force takes swift action:
"We direct our personal assassin, Mirazi Heket, to seek out the lord high-alchemist in the kingdom of Aramon, with pointed direction to his demise. I've sent an object you might find of some use: A ring of invisibility. Oh Belial, God of the Void, bring painful death to our enemies!"
- Lokken, Necromancer of Taros
***Mission 10 intro: Nightmare Legions
The nightmare legions of Taros continue to take their toll on Aramon. There appears to be nothing that can stop Lokken's hellish men rising from beyond the grave.
***Mission 11 intro: Unholy Quest
Taros appears invincible now and seeks a swift conclusion:
"Our senior warlocks have determined that a monument dedicated to Belial, built in a proper location would provide final certain victory for our unholy quest!"
-Cramandross, Wizard of Taros
But Aramon will meet this heretical construction on their sacred ground with a fevered resistance.
***Mission 12 intro: The Ether's Fury
On the beleaguered Aramon side, welcome news of hope! From the top of the gates of Kaluen, King Elsin himself shouted out the good news to the anxious thrall below:
"Men of Aramon, rejoice! The major weapon to win all wars is now ours! The Ether's fury has been tamed and the reins to control it are in our grateful hands! Citizens, even as the monsters of Taros stalk in Kiron's Basin, our forces await them with savage new instruments of destruction! We are saved!"
- Elsin, Mage King of Aramon
Aramon had discovered gunpowder!
***Mission 13 intro: Madness and Disease
Across the sea of Mannan in Veruna, Joreth, having disband from Aramon, continues his quest for the Heart of Thesh. The difficulties are mounted, the city of Lothol was already under attack by both Zhon and Taros:
"We must commandeer a tight new ship and supplies to continue. Having found Lothol under attack by beasties, we are hard pressed to avoid trouble. Madness and disease spread into the surrounding countryside, smoke from the many bonfires of corpses have sickened my men. We must reach the relative safety of the city walls before nightfall, or this quest is over!"
-Joreth of Heldain
***Mission 14 intro: Unwelcome Guests
Over all the island kingdom of Veruna, beasts from Zhon were wreaking more havoc, but the hardy seafaring kingdom was ready to fight back:
"Zhon fire drakes and all the monsters continue to assault shippingly, the harass costs of villagers, despite best efforts.
Recommend construction of shipyards and warships, sufficient to launch assault on nearby islands. I should lead them myself with pleasure! It is time to teach those unwelcome guests some manners!"
- Solan Rixx, Commodore, Verunan Navy
***Mission 15 intro: Roiling Oceans
A mysterious roiling of the ocean and skies around Veruna, indicated a large group of Zhon beasts were headed for the bay, north of Lendra. This would be a critical area for the defense of their capital and their kingdom. Commodore Rixx was unimpressed:
"The commoners see of ending serpents of doom, foretold by legend. Every bravo or whoever cheated in cards thinks he brought these calamity abomination. I saw overgrown carp and canaries, food for cats! These creatures will soon be paraded through our streets!"
***Mission 16 intro: A New Fleet
Aramon has shared his revolutionary weapon with Veruna. In secret shipyards on the island of Athri, new warships have blistered with stave-off-the-time armaments:
"I have this day reviewed a magnificent new fleet! Verunan ship builders have fashioned such exquisitely glorious nautical juggernauts, such as to leave one without speech! The contagion of our sailors, having just arrived from a hurry, is caused into silence and awe, then brake out and reached shouty clear! The docks of Steel wreaking was in celebration!"
- Nordeel Jarthal, Aramon fleet commendant, Verunan Theatre
Mighty Man-o-Wars, battle larches, Trebuchet Ships, all were ready to force Zhon from the beleaguered shores of Veruna, once and for all...
***Mission 17 intro: Walking Towers
Veruna and Aramon, in a mood for revenge, have brought their warships to the shore of Zhon, but they have no intention of stopping there. A lone nomadic hunter from Zhon, Mishana, encounters a Verunan base under construction. There was little time to warn his people, Veruna will spill into the inter realm within days if they were not stopped now. This puts their monarch, Queen Thirsha, at risk! With his fine tracking skills and with a little luck, he seeks the lair of the stone giants.
A lone hunter stood no chance against the armored invaders, but with the legendary stone giants at his side there was hope. Only these walking towers of animated stone could withstand the Verunan weapons, and buy more time for Zhon.
***Mission 18 intro: War
The victory celebration was short-lived; Veruna remained highly resistant to Zhon attacks and began to arrive in greater numbers. It was clear that the smaller skirmishes and engagements were over. The war has now become an urgent, Zhon no longer fought to terrorize simple sailors, they now fought for their very existence...
***Mission 19 intro: One Sword
A war council of Zhon chiefs is stunned by the appearance of Queen Thirsha! She was rarely seen outside the hidden city of Ulasem. No outsider has seen her for almost one thousand years! She has transformed over the centuries into something less than human but more than animal. To outsiders, she was a mystery, a near-legendary figure never seen by civilized eyes. To the Zhon, she was no less than a Goddess:
"These schemes, these thieves who were once my brother and sister, they have encroached on us for centuries, pillaging in for artifacts here and dying out there! Now they come with force to take everything from us! We must fight like never before! Not as scattered tribes or creatures, but as one mind, one hand, one sword!
- Thirsha, Huntress of Zhon
The Jungle Orcs were thirsty for Verunan blood...
***Mission 20 intro: Landfall
Zhon had taken its toll on the weary Verunans. Back at the floating camp, plans are being laid to reclaim the beachhead on Zhon:
"It is shameful for a son of Veruna to save us, but an army needs land beneath its feet. Our only hope is to establish in a new foothold on this high-pathetic continent! The new ships have been promised for weeks, and the weather delays them again and again! We will never take out the greater target Taros without them! No one will live a Zhonian alive! Lihr will sent his calm seas soon..."
- Solan Rixx, Commodore of the Verunan Navy
***Mission 21 intro: Ships of Doom
Finally, the magnificent ships of doom, as Commodore Rixx of Veruna called them, arrived:
"These gun powdered filled death machines, the Trebuchet, the Man-o-War, shall make it straight through the straights of Giralion, clear to a landing safe of villians! The capital of Taros is thus within our grasp. With ships such as these, Zhon will pause no threat, and King Lokken will hear the roar of these mighty guns all the way through his precarious throat!"
- Solan Rixx, Commodore of Verunan Navy
***Mission 22 intro: Target Practice
The island of Zakum, in sea of Tapas, seems a perfect stage for a Verunan invasion on the Taros mainland. However, Verunan spotters in observation balloons detected a large concentration of Tarosian troops. The Commodore's response: Target practice!
***Mission 23 intro: The Butcher of Zakum
In the Taros camp, the Aramon prisoners have been subjected to sacrifice and torture, all under the direction of Baron Leimar, the Butcher of Zakum! With the camp liberated, a great cry for revenge was heard, both from the former inmates and the horrifying invaders:
"We have seen some terrible things! Not one of us will shrink from killing the Baron with bare hands, given the chance."
- Confix, soldier of Aramon
Across the island, the Baron is barricaded in his fortress, intent on escaping the vengeance of his former prisoners.
***Mission 24 intro: Terrible Discovery
Back in the kingdom of Zhon, the quest for the Heart of Thesh has led Joreth to the ancient Khandran ruins of Lahun:
"The smoke of battle was still in the air, I encountered many dead, battle wreckages, catapults and other battle engines of some use. Also saggy monsters of a size tight to be avoided at all costs!"
Joreth was approaching a terrible discovery, the key to the Heart of Thresh mystery...
***Mission 25 intro: Betrayal
The best hope for Aramon and Veruna was gone, and the worst fear was realized. As a skilled sorcerer, Lokken was also aware of prophecy surrounding the Heart of Thesh. Like Joreth, his agents, both magical and mundane, had been scouring Darien for months in search for the Heart. Scant hours ahead of Joreth's arrival in Lahun, their quest met with success. Lokken now possesses the Heart of Thesh! Without it, the demons and undead inflicting Darien could never be sent back to their dark netherworld. Joreth writes to the lord commander:
"Time is short and I cannot await your council. In order to recover the Heart, we must proceed directly to Taros! There I would divine where the necromancer has hidden the thing! And take it from his boney hands directly if need be!"
-Joreth of Heldain
***Mission 26
Across Vanir's Breach from Zhon, Aramon had been betrayed by one of its own. Lord Buriash allied with Taros and allowed a massive force to enter via his province. His price, the crown of Aramon, once the invasion was complete. House Buriash had once ruled Aramon and with this alliance it hoped to regain its lost glory. Even his own soldiers were astonished at the boldness of his move:
"I've never seen such an army as we had! Quick corpses, banshee, beasts joined up with traitors and all matter of lost bastards! Towns were not taken, we were like equal. There's no doubting that the Buriash would put us back at the top before the year is out!"
With the Tarosian Black Knight and Dark Hand, not to mention the earth-based spells from his Acolytes of Anu, the traitorous Buriash shifts across Aramon unchecked like a poisonous wind from Hell...
***Mission 26 intro: We Are The Future
The Buriash-Lokken alliance army plunged forward without sleep or mercy, their target was the holy city of Narmer and the splendorous Temple of Anu:
"The ancient temple before us represents an evil past. Have you all feared the ways of Elsin? It has to die for us to live!
Join me in a quest of new, stronger Aramon, where the gift of manna is enjoyed by all, not just a distant, immortal king!
We are the future! We are the brave new order!"
- Lord Buriash, Salvator of Aramon
Narmer seemed helpless to resist the forces engulfing it...
***Mission 27 intro: A Land Not Fit For Humans
The two sides seemed to have a knife poised at each other throats. Back in Taros, Aramon's invasion is proceeding to plan. Under the leadership of the young lord Dernhest, preparations are being made for the siege of Shekelesh:
"We are all afraid at night; the enemy creatures make such odd noises. We have lost several of my troops to desertion.
It is not a land fit for humans!"
The first order of business was the pacification of the surrounding countryside. Dernhest army mounted on massive offensive to rid the area of opposition...
***Mission 28 intro: Bury The Dead
Young Dernhest presses on, pacesetting towards the key city of Shekelesh. The campaign continued smoothly, as the Tarosians scatter on the wake of Aramon's advance. Outriders and scouts report puzzling activity in the enemy camp:
"This Lokken, the great disturber, makes the strangest general! I pressed on a league, so I had our main force infiltrated a zombie contagion that adopted like garbed manna. If the soldiers of Aramon appeared in a place, we were instructed to quickly leave, leaving the invaders free reign."
- Unknown, Spy of Aramon
Lord Dernhest was disappointed at the ease of conquest the scattered zombie forces of Taros presented. "This great military undertaking", he complains, "had been just that! Bury the dead, bury the dead." These words will soon prove to have two meanings.
***Mission 29 intro: Empty Streets
The lord-mayor of Shekelesh defer to Aramon's overpowering force, and immediately surrendered to Lordling Dernhest. The forces of Aramon marched into a city nearly empty of inhabitants. Nevertheless, young Dernhest seize the opportunity to glorify his victory:
"By the silver hand of Anu, Lord of Light, I claim these blasted lands for Elsin, Mage King of Aramon, slayer of monsters, forgiver of heresies, shutter of calamity and collector of tribute!"
- Lord Dernhest, Noble of Aramon
But the empty
***Mission 30 intro: Death Squads
Taros has maneuvered the Aramon army into the confining walls of Shekelesh. Aramon pacification patrols begun scouring the ground outside the city walls:
"Our nobles were inside fishing and drinking and outside we could smell them out there! These things, it could be thousands, enough to make your skin crawl!"
Tarosian death squads, ringing the city now, moved silently to desolate these patrols. The attack, when it came, had to be a complete surprise...
***Mission 31 intro: Slaughter of Shekelesh
The Tarosians descend on Shekelesh with inhuman fury. There seems no end to their numbers, no limit to the carnage.
This day became known as 'The Slaughter of Shekelesh,” a day of celebration! Amid the smoking ruins, this letter from a weary soldier survives:
"Aside the walls of the city, I can hear death screams now and meddling monsters at full attack! I will not return from this one, that's sure! All-out surrounded, attempting to wound one man! It was a bad plan to coming through here like this..."
- Confix, soldier of Aramon
***Mission 32 intro: Bait
Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Zhon, the strife of Aramon and Taros has cut supply lines to the struggling Verunans. Patrols into the depth wilderness of Zhon seldom returned:
"We know what the boatmen think of us. They think we are only animals, each fighting to protect itself, but not a true army. But our tribes stand together now, Kinik and Ihom were once enemies, today one baits the snare, while the other draws tight the string! These northern people are angry and fearful! Who then is truly the animal?"
***Mission 33 intro: One Quiet Man
Zhon must now get the measure of the Verunan encampment’s defenses. The Uru tribe is legendary for their hunting abilities, of with the stealthy gain access to pray:
"One quiet man can see what a vast army cannot."
- Troiss, Uru Warrior
Once more the indigenous skills and resolution of the Zhon, are put to the test against the invaders from Veruna.
***Mission 34 intro: Vengeance
Zhon now moves on a massive scale to rid itself once and for all of the Verunan pests. The gun-burying warships are particular targets. The Verunan commander summed it up:
"This is cannons and steel versus animals and arrows! Why bother with strategy?"
He was about to learn why! Zhon's humanoid and beast army swept toward the coast isolation with vengeance...
***Mission 35 intro: Emen's Message
Back in Aramon, the traitorous Lord Buriash now demands unconditional surrender in the gates of the capital. For this, he will guarantee the safety of the population. A skeptical King Elsin will have none of it! He calls Emen the Messenger to his chamber:
"I, this hour, have been commissioned by the king! I am tasked to assassinate the traitorous Lord Buriash, by means of delivering a message with poison dagger in place of surrender. Be brave, and as much as I would be foolish enough to make the attemp! Your husband, Emen"
With dagger and diplomatic pouch, Emen enters the camp under the intense scrutiny of the traitor's bodyguards...
***Mission 36 intro: Common Folk
With Buriash dead, the Tarosian troops and creatures turned on their one-time allies. Towns and castles freshly conquered were once again awash with fire and blood. Back in Buriash's home province, the common folk have had enough! Angry and shame over their lord's co-operation with Taros, and the new attacks by wandering bands of undead, brought the common folk to take arms! A group of farmers led by a single determined woman, Elya Gos, are on the long march:
"Our lord betrayed Aramon, but shall we? We will not serve the dead, the demons, the yolk of evil that Buriash has put on! Let us storm the gates of house Buriash, and end this plague on our fair land!"
- Elya Gos
The wreck of armament, the brave insurgents hoped to swell their ranks and prevail through sheer numbers...
***Mission 37 intro: The Heart Of Thesh
Joreth reaches the vicinity of Elam, the capital of Taros. Through stealth and interrogation of a captive zealous trooper, he discovers the Heart of Thesh is kept in a heavily guarded compound, outside the city walls. This is the Temple of Belial:
"The objective is to penetrate the Temple's perimeter by means of stealth. This conversation could prove folly. Once inside, we may have a fair measure of battle."
- Joreth of Heldain
Joreth observes that the Temple's patrols are frequent but regular.
***Mission 38 intro: Weaving Into History
Joreth had succeeded! With the artifact in hand, he journeys back from the hellish land of Taros and, across the sea, to the island of Estoril, the ruined capital of the lost Khandra. It was here that a strange and dangerous ritual will be attempted. The priests of Anu, after shifting through many ancient tomes, discovered the true purpose of the Heart of Thesh. The Heart could summon the mighty sacred dragons of Anu! This was the means of their delivery, first the priest must attempt of weaving into forces that hasn't been attempted in over a thousand years. Even the Mage Emperor Garacaius had never mastered this treacherous spell! The gathered priests and mystics decided than where one mage had failed, a group might succeed:
"We will attempt a sacrifice of animals, in those sacred circles, in the presence of the Heart of Thesh. If we fail, our universe is forever in the hands of darkness..."
- Ivigul, High Priest of Anu
***Mission 39 intro: Splendorous Wings
The Sacred Dragons, summoned by the Heart of Thesh, begin to free Aramon from the black grip of Taros forever:
"The Dragons of Anu, carry on these splendorous wings with soaring hopes of good men everywhere! And where there are shadows cast, cast out our enemies and forever free Aramon to a kind of destiny than Lokken's black world!"
- Ivigul, High Priest of Anu
No one had ever seen dragons fighting on the side of righteousness before! The forces of Taros are scattered in terror...
***Mission 40 intro: Burning Into History
In Zhon, the beleaguered forces of Veruna looked to the sky. At first, they are terrified, thinking a new monster has arrived to desolate them. Then they hear a collective wail from the surrounding beasts and hunters, as if by instinct the Zhon know the great flying creatures have come for them! They will remember this day for generations in songs and hushed stories around their fires. The Dragons of Anu descend, burning their way into history...
***Mission 41 intro: Collapse
The dragons, the uprising of Aramon, and Elsin's appearance on the battlefield, has tipped the scales of battle in favor of the Aramon-Veruna alliance. Here in Zhon, all pretense of organized resistance faulters, and increasingly the tribes turn to a single desperate goal:
"One heart among us hold the spirit, voice, and blood of our ancestors. All tribes of Zhon must be the roots of one tree, and protect Queen Thirsha, as Tammuz, Goddess of the Hunt, protects us all!"
- Zhon Tribal Leader
The Zhon forces collapse around Queen Thirsha's royal standard and slowly retreat back to the jungle. Their taste of war has soured. Their only goal now is to protect their Queen and vanish into the enfolding safety of Zhon's interior.
***Mission 42 intro: Escape
Verunan aerial spotters are keeping close watch on the escaping Zhon forces, allowing ambushes to be set for them in clearings. As the Zhon warriors protecting the hunters make for the Haemus Mountains, they hope to snare Verunans into their own traps. The battle to protect the Queen grows more fierce...
***Mission 43 intro: Precious Cargo
Aramon and Veruna sweep across Darien. The remaining undead on Aramon are quickly dispatched! The few fanatics, still loyal to Buriash, are captured and soon put to work, rebuilding the cities they had helped to destroy. Zhon is in retreat and Veruna is once again the controller of the sea. Once final obstacle remains, Lokken the Necromancer, King of Taros, is waiting behind the walls of his capital, Elam! As the siege begins, Lokken's Chief Sorcerer, Dealos, passes a cryptic order to his elite squad of wizards:
"Our master has commanded us to convoy this precious cargo away from danger. Your lives, the very living essence of each of you, is as NOTHING to the safety of this!"
- Dealos, Chief Sorcerer of Lokken
A curious band of warriors, expert mages and their beastly minions prepare for the smuggling of a mysterious bottle, right through the iron grip of Elsin's army...
***Mission 44 intro: The Noose Draws Tighter
The leaders of the allied forces of Aramon and Veruna fear that Lokken has escaped their noose, but the sorcerers divine his presence still within the city of Elam. And so the noose draws even tighter, the walls of the city must be breached!
***Mission 45 intro: Beset With Danger
The combined forces of Aramon and Veruna hold the land and passes near the coast. And it is up to the escort, carrying Lokken's precious secret cargo, to find a way through the enemy lines. Rantel, a royal sorceress escorting the wagon, speculates on the mission in her journal:
"The journey from Elam was beset with dangers! Our powers are taxed to the limit to defend this mysterious cargo. What can it be that Lokken values so high? I would attempt divination but I am not so sure that the others would detect it and throw at me. We have no choice but to push onwards to the sea."
- Rantel, sorceress to the crown of Taros
The smugglers must create a diversion for the fleet blocking the road to their ship.
***Mission 46 intro: The Heart of Elam
The central forces of the Aramon-Verunan alliance continue to press forward to very heart of Elam. Now they must breach the inner fortress. Victory is in their grasp, but the besiegers are wary. What tricks did Lokken have installed for them?
***Mission 47 intro: Sea Shadow
Meanwhile, the mage brigade bearing the mysterious bottle, that Lokken had sacrificed so much to protect, draws near the ship of a smuggler. The captain sees only a wealthy client with contraband to be moved, never realizing the magnitude of his cargo. Captain's log:
"We'll remain cloaked, yet we will be quickly spotted if drawn too closely to the ships of Aramon and Veruna. This cargo arriving, this strange Lokken-crafted bottle, upsets the whole crew. They fear it is an evil thing that can bring only ill seas and serpents to our voyage! Even our destination is unknown, the bottle is to hold that key as well"
-Captain Beltac, RTS Sea Shadow
***Mission 48 intro: The Heavens Will Quake
Lokken's defenses were melting away, but he had preserved a truly terrifying host of allies for his final confrontation with his brother and his sister, King Elsin and Queen Kirenna. When commanded by them to surrender, Lokken replies with his customary confidence:
"Elsin, Kirenna, the good children, still following the useless law of a long-forgotten king? I have discarded the superstitions of the old-man. I have gained power and wisdom beyond your comprehension. I will soon throw off the shackles of this backward land and even the heavens will quake at my command! A pity you have wasted your immortality seeking the praise, adulation of these pathetic mortals! You could have casted them off like some many flees, and join me into a higher plain of consciousness! You have wasted your lives! I will therefore take them from you..."
***Ending: The Book of Darien
"Word got `round that the necromancer was dead! That set off such a drinking and carousing you will never see the equal! Men like me with a home and wife just started back, for there was no more army or need of one! I saw some undead returning to the ground, looks like the fight is gone out of them. I’ll figure it out when I go to the next port..."
-Confix, soldier of Aramon
"With the fleet returned to the harbor of Lendra, it seemed like all Veruna was there to welcome us home! Banners were hung on every wall, people filled every rooftop and pier. Each warship fired a fuselage, as they cleared the lighthouse. Common People have yet to see these new weapons and were quite entertained! We all felt like heroes that day!"
-Solan Rixx, Commondore of Verunan Navy
"Narmer astounded all who returned. The devastation was beyond belief! It seems no two bricks previously joined had remained together, yet there in the rubble, will be draggled shopkeepers with their wear on making shift tables, two alchemist sat on the top of a statue arguing about chemicals and compounds. We people of Aramon are tough! A battalion of mage masons were soon to arrive. Hope has returned to Narmer!"
- Andrhak Hankaran, Historian of Narmer
Fifteen hundred years of strife amongst the four monarchs conclude with the triumph of righteousness. The criers shout it from every rampart from every kingdom, celebratory bonfires line every shore from Lendra to Kaluen, the heroic dead are mourned and what it was broken it is repaired. Taros is now called “Taros Free Land.” Its surviving people, scattered by war and calamity, begin to return. Life would be never be soft in this harsh, forbidding land, but with the Shadow of Lokken lifted and his demonic minions fled, the land will heal, life begins anew...
***Extra Cinematic: The Journey of the Sea Shadow
And to the north, in the sea of Molkanna, an icy gale drives the lone scooter Sea Shadow to the end of the world. To the end of the old world...
"The pilot swears the very stars themselves are shifting! The magnetic stone spins like a dervish! Many good sailors have gone mad and stepped overboard for curing! The wheel spins with its own mind now and steers for strange black clouds of the north horizon! Except for my captaincy, I would follow my men and seek the mercy of those black waves."
-Captain Beltac, RTS Sea Shadow
Subject: Edit & Perfect the Book of Darien! 
