I have finally written down the introductions of each Iron Plague cutscene. Since I am not native English speaker, I was unable to 100% decipher all the words from the cutscenes, but I believe I got 90%, a great percentage if we consider the
difficult language TA:K cutscenes have. Whatever is in "{ARTHAN's note: ...}", it is just a comment I made and it is not part of the story.
***Introduction: The Iron Plague
In the aftermath of the great war, the people of Darien hoped for a swift return to normalcy. Bounty hunters continued to root out pockets of resistance, scouring into the remotest corners of Aramon. Our true story begins ages ago with the dissapearance of the Mage Emperor Garacaius, the great unifier of Darien who abdicated his throne to his children. Garacaius had grown weary of the deathless eternity that his life had become. In a stunning burst of magic, he traded immortality for one last mortal lifetime... Slipping around the palace guards, Garacaius departs Darien forever in a small fisping boat, he navigates the treacherous Kuvera Straits, eventually reaching the land of Creon far to the northwest:
"As ruler of Darien, my magic cheated death, yet it also rubbed my life of pleasure. I gave all for this right adventure leading to a happy end. And I shall make of this barren waste of Creon a fitting nation to build my burying tower. They have metal, I gave them metallurgy! They have alchemy, they will have chemistry! They have superstition, I'll give them sience! And I tremble for those magic-besotted children of mine when, with century's end, must gaze into the blazing commode of Creon's rise. But enough of things to come! Father time, father to us all, just see it all dust, and castles, and dust again..."
- Garacaius, former Mage Emperor of Darien
{ARTHAN's note: Hmm, so the land of Creon is somewhere northwest, far beyond the Kuvera Straits. That means the Sea Shadow has NOT reached the land of Creon, since it moved to the north, far beyond the Sea of Mannan. Interesting!}
***Mission 1 intro: Blood And Gold
The distant secret land of Creon was the true source of the gunpowder, that turned the tide of war against Lokken. But victory has a prise, paid in blood and in gold... Elsin of Aramon had shared the triumph over Lokken and agreed to pay for Creon's invention. But gold draws raiders, as blood draws sharks. No predator is more dangerous than a radical group of fanatical Tarosians, called The Cullt of Lokken, led by the fearsome wizard Helegrin:
"Our magic has divined Verunan ships burrying gold for Aramon. Lokken willing, our dark ships strike quickly and true, and the Verunan fleet shall bare crimson witness to the hungry sea!"
-Helegrin, Priest Captain, Cult of Lokken
{ARTHAN's note: Despite the fact Helegrin says he will attack with his dark ships, in this mission you controll just one very powerful Tarosian ship which is like a hero unit.}
***Mission 2 intro: Dark Hulls
The payment of gold from Veruna never reached Creon. Sent to investigate, captain Rezorash of Veruna found only wreckage and a captain's log noting the approach of unfamiliar black ships. Creon also decides to investigate the delay of their expected payment. With their flotilla of their dark hulls suddenly appearing in the horizon, Rezonrash responds swiftly:
"The fourth mast's man has spotted the enemy. I'm repeating to quarters of enganging them directly. The favor of Lihr may be with us."
- Captain Rezorash, her majesty ship, Pargus
Rezorash had unwittingly struck a spark that would ignite the war...
{ARTHAN's note: The Iron Clads really look like black ships. By the way, the captain's log says about many ships, despite the fact it was just a single one you had in the first mission.}
***Mission 3 intro: Join Us
Creon responded with outrage and an intimidating combat-hearted flotilla. Veruna's battle-wise leader Kirenna had no desire to confront the unknown strength of Creon so soon after a devastating war. She seeded the northwest island of Caora to Creon's control, insensibly as a gesture of peace. But the people of Caora rose up on spontanious rebellion against the iron hand of their new masters, even as the voice of their new colonial ruler was heard to the outer land:
"People of Caora, rejoice! Your bondage to the vile superstitions of magic is ended, and an age of reason and enlightment is begun! Join us, and the streets will be paved with Creon gold! Defy us, and they will be covered with bones..."
But the remnants will have none of it!
{ARTHAN's note: Rezorash and Kirenna are noobs here! They declared war with Creon for no reason!}
***Mission 4 intro: Sins Of State
Meanwhile, Elsin of Aramon was furious with Kirenna, all the morsel because Caora had in times being part of his kingdom. He sent her a message by spyhawk:
"Sister Kirenna, I would appraise you of my latest observer's report. The Aramon gold, entrusted to your care, was plundered away by privateers. Then your incompetent underlings compound your error with an attack on a great sovereign state with untested resources! At the least, you have stupidly put us all at the mercy of their gunpowder! And as the Aramonian protector of Caora, how dare you offer our land to atone for Veruna's sins of state!"
-Elsin, Mage King of Aramon
Elsin's fury with Kirenna and Veruna is an ill-kept secret and a popular sentiment. A commander in a hurry decided to seek his sovereign's approval with an attack upon Verunan ships at Anvil's port. One Verunan ship captured fought desperately to got passage to the open sea...
{ARTHAN's note: The fact King Elsin sends a message with a spyhawk reveals that the scouting birds were widely used as messengers in the land of Darien.}
***Mission 5 intro: Tin Gods
Ages earlier, Garacaius had viewed upon his intrenchous nature of his newly adopted nation:
"How these warriors of Creon remind me of my daughter Kirenna in her youth. Never far from righteous anger, ever confident she was in the right and willing to thrash anyone who disbelieved! With my guidance to temp their steely spirits, these Creonites upstarts will surely rule the western lands and seas in a few generations!"
- Garacaius, First Sage of Creon
These words were more prophetic than he dreamed. As this urgent dispatch from Veruna's monarch showed:
"People of Caora, know that Veruna is with you in this desperate hour. Together we will surely throw these tin gods back into the icy mother sea to rust and ruin! Stand together and resist as longer as you can! I will send aid as quickly as possible."
- Kirenna, Sea Mage of Veruna
{ARTHAN's note: Kirenna is "...willing to thrash anyone who disbelieved!", but she is considered a 'good child' along with her brother Elsin. Sorry, my sarcasm...}
***Mission 6 intro: Enemy Hands
In Taros, Helegrin, leader of the outlaw cult of Lokken, continues his plan to rebuild Taros to its former glory under Lokken. Drawn by urgent voices that he alone could hear, he and his band arrived at Crone's Crook to discover unfamiliar soldiers and strange creatures picking over the wreckage of the long-lost Sea Shadow, the ship that it carried a mysterious artifact created by Lokken himself, before his death:
"What matter of hell-hands are these? I fear the worst at this wreckage site. Our monarch's bottle must not fall into the hands of strangers! We will engage and subdue these ruckus vultures! Interrogative tools appplied to survivors might give us some advantage..."
- Helegrin, Priest Captain, Cult of Lokken
{ARTHAN's note: So the Sea Shadow's wreckage is in Taros after all. It seems they crushed during that storm (in the extra sea shadow cinematic) and the ship was pulled towards the Crone's Crook by the waves.}
***Mission 7 intro: Close Ranks
As it happened, the Cult of Lokken were too late to capture the precious bottle at the wreck and turned elsewhere their quest. Meanwhile, it looked clear that the Caora's resistance, against the forces of Creon, would collapse without massive support. Kirenna sent an urgent entry to Elsin:
"Elsin, my brother, perhaps we have showed less honor to Aramon's claims to Caora than was warranted. I purpose that, by joined decree, it will be made a free port and both our land shall prosper from the trade benefits that will provide. But first, as in the great war that just passed, we must close ranks again! We must wage a true war against the bescheming invaders from Creon! We must united against them, as we did against Lokken and, with the same resolve, achieve like result."
-Kirenna, Mage Queen of Veruna
"So be it, sister! The expediency overcomes discord. We are once again united in battle."
-Elsin, Mage King of Aramon
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Kirenna's monologue here if you ask me!}
***Mission 8 intro: Dark Tempest
Kirenna and Elsin gained a temporary advantage against their new enemy, but remained puzzled to their history and their hatred of all things magical. The solution lie far in the past, yet much closer to home than they could have imagined:
"Now we set forth on our greatest conquest! The first Sage of all warned us never to temper with the fabric of existence! These weirdos who harm reality with foul magics must be put down with honest blades and bullets!"
-Medalus, 27th Sage of Creon
Their odd-inspiring iron fleet was hidden just off-shore. The Creonites suddenly fall upon Caora in a dark tempest of steel, leaded by the arc lighting of cannonfall...
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Sage's monologue here!}
***Mission 9 intro: The Test
Creon's victorious forces proceeded to the mainland of Aramon, thus putting the adopted heirs of Garacaius against his natural-born son, a battle he foreshadowed centuries earlier in his journal:
"I have gained the respect of people of Creon and they have named me Sage, Ruler of the Land! I am proud of what they have accomplished with logic and reason, using mana only as a resource! I cannot help but speculate who would prevail, if these new-found principles of science are some day tested against the boundless forces of magic!"
-Garacaius, First Sage of Creon
That test was now at hand...
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Garacaius monologue, in my opinion always.}
***Mission 10 intro: War Toys
Creon successes against Aramon continued to put into use the weapons created through the scientific principles. Garacaius had fostered an incursion to this practice long ago:
"The engineering of my new subjects continues to surprise and impress me! Their experiements with arbalests and ballista have created engines capable of throwing canisters great distances! For ammunition, they have created a substance that burns hot and freezes on all it touches! Lately, I stand here and overlook, simply to watch them wreak havoc and maim amongst our enemies!"
- Garacaius, Sage of Creon
The ingenious and methodical war of Creon tore off the Mage Emperor's first domain like the blades of a slaughterhouse...
{ARTHAN's note: This is personally my worst mission. I died thousand times in orded to pass it!}
***Mission 11 intro: Kingsbarrow Hills
"Battle orders to the third royal command of Aramon. You shall make a brave stand at Kingsbarrow Hills! The setbacks had Narmer gone and cannot, must not be repeated on this hallowed ground! This metal juggernaut will be stopped and stopped here! Wherever free men shall gather on this day in Aramon, they shall suffer regret they did not witnessed the valor of season soldiers laying waste to the gunky junk hips of Creon! Aramon must prevail!"
- Elsin, Mage King of Aramon
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Elsin's monologue here!}
***Mission 12 intro: Secrets Unveiled
In Taros, a group of bounty hunters from Aramon, run into an astonishing site:
"The devil maggots of Taros and their sigil said to be banished from Darien forever. My company was there, at the siege of Elam and I recognised the flaming sign of Lokken on their robes-thing right off! All I was thinking, if I had the glory of the last plunder of the war, not to mention a snaggle fat bounty, as the locals were saying! "
-Battarol the Cleaver, Soldier of Fortune
The bounty would be proved fat indeed...
{ARTHAN's note: }
***Mission 13 intro: A Bold And Risky Plan
The bounty hunters recovered gold from the Cult, freshly stabbed by the royal exchequer in Kaluen. Once news of this reaches Elsin, he is stunned to realise that his gold payment to Creon for their gunpowder was intercepted by Tarosians still loyal to Lokken. The promise for war with Creon was false, yet how to mend defences now? Veruna had lost the gold and then mistakenly attacked Creonite ships, sealing their fate of the iron machines to the west. Only a bold risking plan might succeed to Aramon's game:
"By decree, generals of the Aramon's guard, I grand command of the home forces to you. As for me, I will personally lead an elite expenditionary force equal to four raider batallions into the caverns of Bliss, which, if the miner's guild can be trusted, will see us through the mountain to the very heart of Creon. But look to the lords of the north! I fear they will use my absence to bring heel to Aramon."
- Elsin, Mage King of Aramon
{ARTHAN's note: At last, Elsin sees how noob he and Kirenna are!}
***Mission 14 intro: Yellow Jackets
Elsin's worries proved to be well-founded. The lords of the north declared common cause with Creon and took the field against the remnants behind of the Aramon army and their regular loyalest units. Their common suit is in gold, epresenting to the liberty of their Creonite allies. They were quickly labeled Yellow Jackets, by the forces of Aramon:
"I reckon that going for glory into the caverns of Bliss was not but a rush into an open grave. My assigment back home seemed a dream for sure. But when these blasted Yellow Jackets swarmed upon us I had my doubts I have cheated fate. The around ground-deserters are bringing on a thick uncovered ground, that was one thing, but this, this was not right war... Brother against brother..."
- Patheral, Second Squad of Lord Elsin's Daggerers
{ARTHAN's note: My favorite Aramon mission in the whole game! An Aramon civil war mission!}
***Mission 15 intro: Alliance
Helegrin of the Cult of Lokken had ruthlessly interrogated the Creonites captured in the wreck of the Sea Shadow. From their agonised confession, he learned of the bottle and wrote to the next steps for his fanatical followers:
"The facts are simple. The object of our great quest is in the hands of the leader of these Iron Clad scavengers. However, we lack the great ships to either storm and cannon across the well-patroled seas of Darien. Thirsa of Zhon may agree to provide transport by air, but she is well-hidden within her thick jungles. We must first fight the weird tribes of Zhon to gain her audience."
- Helegrin, Priest Captain, Cult of Lokken
{ARTHAN's note: Very beautiful mission this one is...}
***Mission 16 intro: Nocturnal Horrors
Under the mountains, Elsin's forces make their way through fearsome gauntlets of nocturnal horrors, only to find a vast subterrain river blocking their path. But a chance discovery suggested the worst was yet to come:
"Just after we found the big river, I stumbled over a hunk of rock. It turned out to be a miner, or what it used to be. I informed the captain at once. There was not much left to claim it was human, eaten by a devil-jawed beast from the look of the pieces. Some coins were coming out of his pack, scattered around. Captain says it looked Creon, and all hell broke then, because he was spying for sure! It was known who the enemy is now!"
- Company's Comment, Douser Hawk, Footsoldier of Aramon
{ARTHAN's note: The Creonite spy's dead body reveals that Creon was already planning to invade Darien sometime in the future, since they wouldn't spy them otherwise. So, the non-payment of their gunpowder was only an excuse to start a war that was planned by Creon in advance!}
***Mission 17 intro: Science Above Magic
Creon now was poised to invade the main alley of Vidara, at the very heart of Veruna. A desperate Queen Kirenna
sends an envoy to the Sage of Creon to swore for peace:
"Kirenna, your emotional arguments hold no sway with those who reveal logic and science above magic and superstition. We need no such primitive belief systems, no crunches to advance our superior civilisation across Darien. We shall, however, grand you swift return of your envoy, as soon as the glaciers bearers are done with her. The remaining portions will be served you cold, as you unconditionally surrender, on tray."
- Medalus, 27th Sage of Creon
{ARTHAN's note: LOL! The Creon Mechanics had frozen Kirenna's envoy and sent them back as frozen statues. Wicked!}
***Mission 18 intro: Shining Hope
The fleet of Verura is desolated in its final attempt to break the Creonite supply chain. Now Kirenna summons her deepest powers and conjures a magical vision of her brother Elsin on his dangerous quest in the Caverns of Blyss. In this revealation, she sees her only hope lies in joining forces with Elsin in Creon, to strike a magical deathblow to the very heart of their common enemy. She issues a fairwell decree to her people:
"Beloved children of Veruna, I have only one hope. I must combine my power with that of my brother, Elsin. Lihr grants that we brake the grip of this metal fist before it crushes us all. I go now to find a breaking in this wall of iron that surrounds me. From there, I will find my way to Elsin and seek a shining hope for us all!"
- Kirenna, Mage Queen of Veruna
{ARTHAN's note: Here Kirenna is using divination magic to learn things she couldn't know otherwise.}
***Mission 19 intro: Treacherous Updrafts
Helegrin's mission to Thirsa was a success. The mysterious Queen of the Air agrees to provide winged transport to Creon. Thirsa and members of the Cult of Lokken now diverge their treacherous updrafts over Ullin's Fingers. Even the most fervent cultist find a reason to doubt their quest and their enigmatic leader. One part of these voices has its givings:
"Many of us secretly whisper of doubt about Helegrin's sanity. This lavra chased through the passes has no point! Why don't we merely summon great clouds of black mana and be done with this foolish ant! But Helegrin will have none of it! He claims to hear our deceased monarch and seek council with that mysterious beast Thirsa, the very one who failed our lord at the great war! Would ever Helegrin hear the voices of his own kind?"
- Beyasor, Weather Witch of Taros
{ARTHAN's note: The lavra Weather Witch Bayasor is talking about is actually the Medalus, the Sage of Creon. Bayasor doesn't believe that Lokken can be raised from the dead, so she thinks they must strike now Sage, 'that foolish ant'.}
***Mission 20 intro: Monstrous Violations
Thirsa and the Cult of Lokken now reached the commendation of their quest, and behold a vast Creon research facility filling the heart of an extinct volcano! Thirsa at last confides at Helegrin, as he recounts later in his memoirs:
"Thirsa turned to me and admitted she knew well of my quest for the bottle. Before the end of the great war, Lokken himself gave her his artifact, Angvir's Flame, a golden scepter with a Mogrite Stone in its center. But then, she informs me that the scepter, if placed against the soul bottle, actually has the power to restore Lokken from the dark place where he dwells!
A thunderstorm! The voices of my head are rioting! My long quest for King Lokken must be nearly done!"
- Helegrin, Priest Captain, Cult of Lokken
Revivication without the presence of the original body was considered a dangerous and heretical practice, even amonst the most evil mage pirests of Taros. But first, Thirsa and the Cult must reach the bottom of the heart of the bizzare Creonite facility.
{ARTHAN's note: Lokken comes alive in the end of this quest!}
***Mission 21 intro: The Necromancer Returns
The Cult of Lokken fullfilled their dark quest and their sovereign walked once more in this world. Averse from the bar of Elam, recounts Lokken's first words upon his return to the living:
"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!!! All is lost and all may gained again! In faith, this iron bane of Taros and all Darien, upon this stormy ressurection day, shall suffer gravely for its policy. An end so like death, as if never was..."
- Lokken, Necromancer of Taros
Lokken has rejoined the living! But surrounded from Creonite enemies, for how long...
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Lokken's monologue!}
***Mission 22 intro: Son Of Garacaius
Centuries earlier Garacaius had been in an unusually comptemptible mood:
"My adopted country has been victorious in battle and grow strong. I am not pleased yet! For all their fractious quarelling, I miss my children. Perhaps someday they will come to visit my new home..."
- Garacaius, First Sage of Creon
Inside the walls of his capital, the current Sage of Creon went frantic:
"Fire Wagons to flames! Where's the third trooper regiment? And where's the enemy? Curse these mage-soul deamons! They're using their superstitious pact to cloak themselves from view!"
-Medalus, 27th Sage of Creon
The first of the childen of Garacaius had come at last to Creon...
{ARTHAN's note: Don't worry, Garacaius! All your children will soon pay a visit to Creon...}
***Mission 23 intro: March At Dawn
Creon's early victories were disheartening to Elsin. But reinforcements arrived through the caverns of Bliss and poured into the vicinity of Atys, the capital of Creon, in ever-increasing numbers. That evening, an unknown rasp approached that would give Elsin great relief:
"Elsin, rejoice! I have arrived at last in the hour of need, even as you aided me at Caora! Let us cause into the defeat of our common enemy!"
- Kirenna, Mage Queen of Veruna
The mermaid was soul-lit, brother and sister retried to plan the final siege of Atys, soldiers who march at dawn...
{ARTHAN's note: By the way, Atys is the new capital of Creon. The old capital of Creon was Avenar.}
***Mission 24 intro: A Sage Determined
The outer shell of Creon's defences was cracking, but the core remained resolutely defied. But then, a new force arrived by air to join forces with Elsin and Kirenna, one totally unexpected and unforetold:
"The tense smells of civilization. An putrid mixture of perfumes, soups and overseasoned brochures... The Lord of Arrogance and the Queen of Seaweed make no attempt to hide their contempt of me, nor I them! But since I found that this new Iron Plague was even worse than their pretentious prattle, I pledged with their purpose and Lokken's efforts as well. The rest, as they say, is history."
- Thirsa, huntress of Zhon
The united armies of Aramon, Veruna and Zhon were arranged against a solely, yet determined Sage of Creon:
"Now they fly at me as well with this host of winged horrors? So be it! We will be scrubbing them off the wings of our flying machines, like the overgrown sauropods they are!"
- Medalus, 27th Sage of Creon
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC Thirsa's monologue!!!}
***Mission 25 intro: Perilous Balance
And so the family reunited for the final assault...
Elsin:"So we are hold together once again under the irresistable magnet of self-interest. Under my direction, you'll..."
Thirsa:"Your direction!? Do not forget that it was your own meddling that brought these invaders!"
Kirenna:"Thirsa, had you not sided with Lokken in the great war, we never would have needed the gunpowder the Creon provided!"
Lokken:"Hah, hah, hah! Yes, that turned out quite well, did it not? Now, let us pinch tight our noses and enter the fray all joined in familiar bliss! A touching portrait for father Garacaius!!"
The future of the world now hangs at perilous balance. War's end will come not cheaply, nor quickly, no mercifully...
{ARTHAN's note: EPIC dialogues, EPIC FINAL MISSION!}
***Ending: The Iron Plague
Creon was broken! The four monarchs cautiously approached an elaborately granite crypt. The Creonites realised their founder was once a major wizard, the rulers of Darien discovered they have almost been destroyed by the final ambition of their own father.
Creonites became more isolated and less certain about carrying their religious science to the unenlightened. They withdrew their expenditionary force from Darien and destroyed the Creonite entrance in the cavern of Bliss in a titanic explosion.
Back in Darien, the four monarchs had much to do. Kirenna, chasing whatever regal for a chance of profit, began to regulate the trade with the wrestling, brutish land of Creon.
Lokken returned to Taros, but none of his siblings believed that death has soften his nature.
Thirsa melted back into the wilds of Zhon and raised up even more nightmare creatures to guard her privacy.
And Elsin returned to put down the remnants of rebellion, outer unchanged but innerly shaken, wondering whether Garacaius would ever trully be gone from his life. The words found carved in the crypt of Creon gave him cold comfort:
"At last I lie beneath stone and forced to rest,
A rotten magic and an iron two mighty lands,
Who in the end all vanishes beneath time sands,
In life anew the equality shall be redressed."
- Garacaius, Mage Emperor of Darien, First Sage of Creon!
{ARTHAN's note: That's all folks, the story of Kingdoms has finally ended... nostalgia...ahhh, what an epic storyline!}
Subject: Cutscenes Dialogues Written: The Iron Plague 
