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King of Dragon Pass is a game first published in 1999 by A-Sharp Games. It is a fairly unique approach to gameplay; the majority of play consists of responding to events, which is married to a lightweight simulator game. It has famously opaque mechanics, and it is possibly one of the best strategy games ever made.

Well golly gee I want to play this just from that little recommendation! Where can I get it?

For a long time, the only way you could get this game was through paying A-Sharp to burn a copy onto a CD and mail it to you for 20 bucks. Now, though, you can get it from the Apple App Store for half that price, and it's worth every penny.

I am one of the lucky few who already has this game/is going to buy it for Windows. How do I get it working on a modern operating system?

First of all, run the game in the smallest resolution your computer will support- it originally ran on 640x480 and does not scale at all. Secondly, running the Mtplay95.exe file in the mt subfolder and using it to select Opal.mfx should run the game without a hitch.

So how is this going to work?

Stark and I will be running rival clans against one another, seeking to become the first King of Dragon Pass (ps this is the ultimate goal of the game). We will alternate updates with one another to show off our differing perspectives on how the years went.

What about the music?

I'm glad I made up this question! The entire soundtrack of King Of Dragon Pass is available for free download and play here:
Click

All right then! Let's set the stage; the world is called Glorantha, and....

---------------

Children! It is time for lessons! No, not hunting lessons, nor weaving lessons, nor the lessons of cowherding. Those are all very good lessons, but these are special ones. It is time for you to learn who you are. What's that? Yes, you know your names, for sure. And you know your parent's names. How many know the names of your grandparents? Good. Your great-grandparents? Ah, your family has always been long-lived. But none of you know the names of your great-great-great-parents. Neither do I know mine. We cannot know their names, but we remember them in many ways. We remember them as the Ancestors to which we have a shrine. We remember them in our heritage as Heortlings. We remember them by following Orlanth and his clan. And we remember them by keeping the story of their deeds in our hearts. Settle down, children. It is time for a story.



Long, long ago, when gods and men walked the world together, there was a great war. The Gods War. Orlanth was one of many gods at the time, fighting to become great. He had only these two things: his sense of honor, and his family of other gods.



After many struggles and trials, Orlanth at last won the heart and the hand of Ernalda, the Earth Mother. They wedded, and all the clans that followed them came together for the wedding.



Each of the clans decided where they would stand for the wedding preparations. Many stood with Orlanth and partied and quaffed the Eight Known Drinks, and they grew closest of all to Orlanth. Some stood with Orlanth's loyal servant and companion Elmal, and guarded the wedding hall from Orlanth's many enemies. They grew closest to Elmal. We, along with many others, sent our women with Ernalda, where they drew apart and learned the Secret Names, which they must never tell. All you young girls will learn some of these names when you pass into adulthood. We grew close to Ernalda, and women pledged to her have often led us.



Following the grand celebration of the wedding, the new Gods Clan did many great deeds as they sought to remake the world. And we mortal clans stood alongside them and aided them as they did.



The greatest role we had in these deeds was when we aided Issaries the Talking God in Jested's Settlement. There he outwitted many strange and hostile deities to negotiate a great peace. Ernaldissa, it is a very long story. Come next Sacred Time, though, we will re-enact it for all to see, and if you like, you can ask me for the telling of it later.



At last Orlanth and Ernalda remade the world in their image. Thus began the Storm Age, a golden time for all the Orlanthi. Here Orlanth's son Vingkot became the first King of the Orlanthi, though he was not the last.



Under Vingkot we received into our clan the remnants of a defeated people we called the Stick Farmers, for their strange ways of tilling the earth. They became full and honored members of our clan, rather than the thralls that some other clans took.



Vingkot had many enemies on the earth that we fought alongside him.



Boztakang, a great warlord of the Trolls, was our greatest enemy among them, and trolls and we have never gotten along since.



But the Storm Age could not last forever. It ended in catastrophe unthought of. Yelm, the Sun Emperor, was cast down from the sky and the world plunged into unending darkness. Blood rained from the sky, and the waters of the sea came to life, mocking us as they gnawed at the land. This was all due to Chaos, whose gods and champions and creatures slaughtered many gods and mortals. Others rose to prominence fighting Chaos. But in the end, Orlanth and many of his kindred had to flee for the Gods World, and left mortals behind. Only those gods and mortals who could hide survived. The world died in the Chaos Wars, and some say that we have never truly left them. This was our darkest hour. Few of us were left to wander the cold, dark world.



But there were some who stood up against Chaos.



Heort was a king who fought Chaos and won. He fought it not just in the ways of Orlanth or Urox, but in the ways of Issaries and Lhankor Mhy, and Chalana Arroy. Heort gathered many people together, and made the first Laws. With the Laws were Chaos forced to retreat, and in gratitude all the people who followed Heort called themselves the Heortlings. The Children of Heort.

Heort recognized that some clans were better at the ways of war, and some were better at the ways of peace, and some lay in between. We were one of these in-betweeners, what they call a Balanced Clan.



At last, through the efforts of Heort in the Mortal and Orlanth in the Gods World, the Sun arose again and light returned to the world. The First Priests established themselves to reawaken the ancient links between mortals and gods. Our clan aided in the awakening of Chalana Arroy, the Healing Goddess, and we have been linked to her ever since.



The Dawn took place 1300 years ago. Since then, the gods have lived in the Gods World, and we have lived in the Mortal World. Though we can cross over for visits, to reenact the great deeds and stories of our gods, and we can speak to them and they us, and occasionally shall a god walk among us, we are irretrievably separated. Thus did we come to settle in lands named after mortal heroes. We lived in Heortland, after our second great king.



Know, children, that there are Humans, the Young Race, and there are the many Elder Races, Aldryami, Mostali, Dragonewts, Uzko, to name a few, and there are the foul races of Chaos, which I shall not name here, and there are Dragons. Dragons are a thing apart. They come in the shapes of great winged lizards with burning breath, and they come in the shapes of men with dragon souls, but scholars and seers say that these are but their dreams and passing thoughts. The true dragons lie elsewhere. Some six hundred years ago, dragons came to Heortland, offering to teach their ways to us.



We accepted. We learned their speech, and we learned many secrets from them. Dragons had been our enemies in the past, but we shrugged, and said "No feud among the Heortlings lasts forever. Why should one outside the Heortlings do the same?" Others disagreed. They refused the dragon, or they politely declined, or they drove it away with violence. We learned much.



Many of those who welcomed the dragons went to Dragon Pass- yes, the place we are right now! We did not. They settled, and they seemed to thrive, until one day 200 years ago the dragons slaughtered all the humans that lived in the pass. They killed and ate all the dragonfriends, and we wept and tore our clothes at our foolishness. But regardless, we cannot go against our ancestors. If a dragon comes to speak with us, we will hear him out. We will listen, no matter what it brings. We will not be foolish, of course. If a dragon should tell us there is gold or iron in his mouth and opens wide, we will decline as politely as possible.



Trouble came to Heortland about a generation ago. A man calling himself the Pharaoh, an exile, came to usurp the throne of Heortland. He started a war over the throne, and our clan was divided. We decided to split ourselves rather than kinslay, and we who damned the Pharaoh as an upstart left for Dragon Pass.



Many other Heortlings decided to do the same, and so when we arrived, with our new clan, we found friends and enemies here to greet us. We arrived with little other than the livestock we drove with us, the personal belongings of our families, and a few other things here and there. We have but one temple, and our connection to the gods in this strange land is weak. But we will persevere, and grow strong. We are Orlanthi. We are descended from the love between the Storm and the Earth, and we have weathered far worse than this.



Our tula is a good one. The land is fertile, with plenty of pasturage for our animals. Much of it remains to be explored for the many secrets that all good land has.



When we arrived, we claimed more land than we needed, so that you children, and your children, should have room for your cows and your fields when you are ready. My story is nearly at an end, but the end of a story is always the most important part.



We are Orlanthi. We are Heortlings. We are the Lonisci Clan. Carry that with you always. No matter where life may take you, you will always be one of the Lonisci. And that is not a small thing to say. Go, children. Go, play, help, learn, and, most important of all, remember. For some day, one of you will be in my place, telling our history to the little ones.

1330: Our First Full Year in Dragon Pass

Sacred Time is the beginning of every year, when we gather 'round to retell and reenact the stories of gods and heroes. It is a time of festival and joy, as the world turns green again. But it is also a serious time.



We are fresh to Dragon Pass. All we have is a shrine to our Ancestors, a shrine to Ernalda, our special protector, and a shrine to Chalana Arroy, who we awoke. We have enemies in this land, but we have friends as well.



At the beginning of every year, our ancestors give us magic, which we spend to cast spells upon our clan and tula. Our Clan Ring is seven in number: the Clan Chieftainess, Enerin, whose patron is Chalana Arroy, and her six councilors.

Heortarl worships Orlanth, and doesn't do much- he claims he trains the thanes and carls in war, but...

Colymar worships Barntar, Orlanth's son, who made the first plow. He represents the farming cottars and carls.

Vastyr worships Lhankor Mhy the Knowing God, and serves as Lawspeaker for the clan, carrying in his head and scrolls and books the customs and laws of our kind.

Estavos worships Issaries the Talking God, and he is our Trader, who speaks for us to other clans.

Onelisin worships Ernalda, but does little. She is however a good candidate for our next chief, since our magic will be stronger with her in charge and she has good stats.

Fantarl leads our warriors. He worships Humakt, god of death, who is a common warrior's god.

Many of these people will be changed around come next Sacred Time.



It is usually a good idea to keep a little magic in reserve in case we need it. Our magic was split between Health, to keep us strong, Crops and Herds, to keep us fed, Mysteries, so that we might learn the secrets of the gods, and Trade, so that we could hopefully make connections with some other clans.



The Sea Season is a time of planting and grazing. We spent our first one in Dragon Pass increasing the number of crafters and thanes in our clan.



We still had a number of farmers left over to tend the fields and cattle, so we were safe to do this.



However, our new thanes were struck by a strange sickness. Some thought it due to overexercise of the musculature. Others feared it to be a blow struck by an enemy. We spent our reserve magic conducting a divination with the ancestors, who told us the Wildcat Clan, who we had been feuding with back in Heortland, had called upon shamans to afflict our thanes. Some said we should hire our own shamans to get back at them.



However, why should we abandon the Goddess we ourselves awoke in the Dawn, for some creeps who live in the forest and probably consort with elves? We made sacrifices to Chalana Arroy, hoping that she might protect us.



And she did indeed.



In the season of Fire, when the air is hot and Yelm beats down upon we Orlanthi all the harder, the Chief of the Wildcats himself came to visit us. It is no wonder that the Wildcats elected to use shamans, for they elect mad leaders traditionally, in hopes that their visions will show the right path. Their Chief offered to forgive the feud for a token gift, as he was getting bored of it.



We gave him the very worst of our cattle, and didn't bother to reduce our patrols any. We would remain cautious to see if he returned with an offering of peace instead of "Look at these free cattle I picked up!", and if he did, then we would open up. Certainly we did not get raided by them that year.



That left only the Elkenvali feuding with us. They live well to the south of our lands.



We are Orlanthi. We love a good feud now and again, especially if it gives us an excuse to raid!



Ah, but if only we could feud with neighbors instead! Well, we'll raid them eventually. We offered to do the Hiord a good turn later.



At which point he remembered a favor we owed them, and his weaponthanes escorted us in honor.



We had more thanes than them, and as many common fighters with the aid of the Zethnorings. What could possibly go wrong?



We underestimated their magic, and while we had a terrific fight, we still lost twice as many with not a rustled cow or bit of silver to show for it.



The Ernaldori, who we owed a favor, called it in by asking us to help them in a raid. We decided to send only a few warriors, so that our mighty swords and spears did not humiliate the Ernaldori who asked for us. They came back whooping and hollering, but with no plunder.



Earth is the harvest season, when we gather grain from the ground and grind it for our bread. We sacrificed to Orlanth in hopes of learning his mysteries. He taught our godspeakers how to use the Thunderstone blessing, so that our hunters might call upon Orlanth's thunderbolts when hurling slingstones in battle.



The Elkenvali, curs that they are, held two of our fallen warriors as hostages. We sent a party to hopefully capture some Elkenvali for a prisoner exchange.



Eonislara, a worshipper of Vinga, was selected to lead the raid. She failed, and we paid the ransom shame-facedly.



To make up for her failures, she volunteered to explore the odd corners of the tula. She set off with a fair-sized company.



The Ernaldori called in another favor, asking for some cows. We decided to be generous, in hopes that the word would spread. Despite this, the carls grumbled about "wasting valuable cattle" and "they don't grow on trees you know." We gave out plenty of gifts to them, and they were mollified.





The end of Earth Season saw the disappointing news that our crafts are thought ugly and our crops benefited little from our rituals in Sacred Time. Ill omens for us.

The cold Dark Season saw little happen worth mentioning. We sat around the fires and shared stories.



Come the wet Storm Season, horrifying news came to us one day. The Elkenvali kidnapped the Chieftainess' daughter. There could clearly be no peace with these fiends.



We sent forth many raiders and called in a favor from the Badger Clan, hoping against hope to find her and bring her home.



We slipped in unnoticed until it was too late, facing only a handful of Elkenvali scum.



We drove them from the battlefield with scare a clash of swords, such was our fury. We stormed through their tula, taking the finest animals and the richest goods, but...

We couldn't find little Jerenalda anywhere.



We tried to put our mind on other things by sending out a caravan to open trading with one of the richer tribes. They would not return until next Sea Season.



The Elkenvali told us that Jerenalda had died from a fever, and while the Chief was distraught, many others were suspicious. Could we trust kidnappers to tell us the truth? What did they have in mind? What scheme were they pursuing?



In any case, they raided us soon enough, in the latter half of Storm. We called upon Orlanth to preserve us, for we had but a few of our fyrd and thanes ready to defend us.



Orlanth was with us that day, for although they charged us in the middle of sacrifices, still we rallied and drove them off, taking seven captives and slaying 15 of them, for only one of the fyrd wounded.



We were magnanimous with the captives, leaving them to go free, as our ancestors would have it.



This infuriated the Elkenvali so that they spread lies about our impiety about.

And that was the whole of the year 1330. May our next year be a better one.

No Trickster on the council makes Eurmal a sad god

Can you buy stuff from the app store that works on PC or is it all stuff for iPhones?

EDIT:
Are either of you coming into this blind or do you already have some foreknowledge?

2000AD wrote:No Trickster on the council makes Eurmal a sad god

Can you buy stuff from the app store that works on PC or is it all stuff for iPhones?

EDIT:
Are either of you coming into this blind or do you already have some foreknowledge?

No tricksters are candidates for the ring, alas. I'd love to get an Uraldan too for help in building up plenty of cows, but no such luck.

Both of us have foreknowledge. The app store only sells the game, no extras or anything.

THE ELKENVALI SAGA BEGINS!



The Elkenvali are a bold clan of warriors - our greatest god is Elmal, the Loyal Thane, the warrior. In the past we hunted with Orlanth himself, we fought the plant-people, and we fought the dragonkin. After our people in Dragon Pass were destroyed many years ago, we knew we were right!



We returned to Dragon Pass around the same time as many of our people, and took much more land than we needed. However, the journey was long and hard. Our hated rivals, the Lonisci, took land on the other side of the Quivin mountains - so we knew there would be trouble.



Many of our warriors were lost. The Elkenvali would need to rely on trickery to defend themselves for some time!



Almost as soon as we were settled some of our neighbours came stirring up trouble. Our chief knew how to deal with agitators of that sort!

Our ring has ruled our clan for some time, and will soon need new blood to lead our new warriors.

Our chief is Ernaldness. She has led us to Dragon Pass, but she worships other than Elmal, which will weaken our magic.
The clan's man of words is Brangbane - one of our youngest nobles. He is an excellent negotiator and (obviously) a worshipper of Issaries.
We have an older Issaries representative still on our ring; poor Temertain will be retired soon, for he can serve us no longer.
Hend is our Barntar representative; he cares for the herds and the crops. He is too young for anything more important.
Hofstaring is our greatest war leader, and of course a man of Elmal the Thane.
At 61, Farnan the Trickster has annoyed us and kept us sane during a long journey. He can bargain for us, but is too unreliable to entrust with any serious work.
Old Onegerin brings us both magic and healing from Chalanna Arroy. We have no way to replace her strength with the gods.

During the planting season, we were reminded why Tricksters cannot be trusted with negotiations of importance to the clan.



Prudently we refused her, but she was extremely unhappy. Luckily our clan is strong in Issaries and doesn't need such itinerants!



A delegation from a distant clan arrived, to end a feud. We knew the Oaks had a reputation for insane, lunatic chiefs, but given our weakness accepted this dubious peace. To protect ourselves from raids, we raised a watch-tower, so that our forces should always be alert.

We tested their peace by an immediate raid to expose their intentions. Our boldness made up for our numbers, and we captured 30 cows.



Later in fire season - the season we should be raiding more, but lack the strength - a troubling political issue emerged. While we need all our warriors - even the pensive Grivton does his part - we cannot afford to begin any new feuds, and rely on our herds for life. The Ring sent Grivton away to the Zethnorings, to the disappointment of our noble thanes.

A strange warrior visited our tula early in the harvest season.



Our warriors are the strongest in the land, and the lure of his treasure was strong. We needed strength!



However, it was not to be. The wanderer was an even match for our warrior, and in the end won the field. Another Loyal Thane lost, and the loot from our earlier raid gambled away with his life.

As morale among our warriors began to fall, more peaceful quests took up our cold Dark time.




We have discovered a number of valuable trade goods on our land, which will make us the victims of any stronger clan if we cannot raise our strength!

In the closing weeks of the year, we recieved a further blow.



This could be a disaster, and the only way to restore faith in our arms is WAR!



In our first year, we seem to have done reasonably well, regardless of our failures. However, the blows to morale, the very spirits speaking against us and the failure of our stratagems against other clans bodes ill for the Elkenvali.

Mini-Update: More Lore Than You Can Shake A Stick At

So here is the background information found in-game. Some of it is helpful for understanding, some of it's just cool.























Following that, we have some more detailed history.









Next up, we have the myths. These serve a very important gameplay purpose that you'll find out in a couple of updates, but the ones we have right now are pretty sparse on details.

Question here: A quick google showed that the original setting of Glorantha was started in 1966 and published in the seventies. The whole chaos thing, is that a Moorecock concept or did he lift it from Glorantha?

Tasoth wrote:Question here: A quick google showed that the original setting of Glorantha was started in 1966 and published in the seventies. The whole chaos thing, is that a Moorecock concept or did he lift it from Glorantha?

Uhm? Does not compute. Greg Stafford who created Glorantha also helped in creating KoDP which takes place in Glorantha. The chaos thing is more mesopotamian.

Edit
Please note that the tribes are losely based on the teutonics and the norse including the trickster etc. Also this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth
With lots of shamanistic influence since Greg was into that when he was ýoung.

Apparently it's set in the same universe as Hero Quest, which I thought mean Hero Quest the classic boardgame associated with Games Workshop and Milton Bradley, but apparently meant a completely different RPG also called Hero Quest. But the robot of doom and the the dwarf machines indicate it's at least as metal as the GW HQ universe.

Set backs aside, Stark is ahead in my book just for having a Trickster on the clan ring, though I hope there's a young up and comer for Eurmal because 61 is damn old.

Tasoth wrote:Question here: A quick google showed that the original setting of Glorantha was started in 1966 and published in the seventies. The whole chaos thing, is that a Moorecock concept or did he lift it from Glorantha?

Chaos is explicitly a completely negative force that intruded upon the world, so it's nowhere near Moorcock's conception of the Cosmic Balance or even Warhammer's idea of Chaos as negative but everpresent.

Glorantha also has a ridiculous amount of fluff written for it. This entire game takes place in one small corner of the world that's relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

There have been five RPGs set in Glorantha; Runequest 1, published by Chaosium, Runequest 2, published by Mongoose, Hero Wars, Heroquest 1e, and Heroquest 2e, all of which have been written by Issaries, Inc. and published by Steve Jackson Games. One particular problem is that a lot of the systems haven't been all that good. Heroquest 1e is probably the best, and it's still a little incoherent at parts and rather lacking in guidance for the GM.

I had just noticed the passing reference towards Chaos worshipers being mutated by Chaos and the beastman thing and it reminded me a bit of warhammer. I was just pondering if there was a connection between the two systems.

You don't read much, do you?

Bakustra dude, it's your turn. Stop laughing at cretins on HPCA and play!

Stark wrote:You don't read much, do you?

Bakustra dude, it's your turn. Stop laughing at cretins on HPCA and play!

I just watched Lion King in 3D! I'll have something tomorrow.

1331: A Tulan Odyssey



The year started up with ill omens. We ate more food than we grew, and the harvest this year would be sparse. Our expedition with Eonislara had not yet returned, and we feared for her. We distributed our magic much the same way this year, putting it in Herds, Crops, Mysteries, and Trade, leaving one spare.



Estavos returned, telling us of bandits on the roads between here and the Namoldings. They ran before an armed caravan, but we would be sure to keep our children and herds safe.



Estavos failed to establish a permanent connection, but he did bring back some important intelligence for future raiding.



A party of carls out hunting discovered neighbors we hadn't known existed- a group of strange duck-people calling themselves the Thunder Ducks. While many in the clan argued in favor of raiding them or demanding tribute, others cautiously warned against such hastiness. After all, though these Thunder Ducks look harmless, indeed comical, they are nevertheless one of the Elder Races. Aldryami look nonthreatening too- right up until the thorns come bursting up through your skin.



Therefore, we greeted them with open arms. They were quite effusive little bird-people, granting us a place of honor in our songs and commending us to their kinfolk in the marshes. Their customs are much like ours, as we discovered quickly, though the only Orlanthi god we saw worshipped there was Humakt.



While the clan ring had served us well in coming to Dragon Pass, it needed to be shaken up. Our chief was aging, and not a follower of our clan patron. We had no magician, trickster, or Uraldan on the ring.



Onelisin became our new clan chief. At 31 years of age, she would serve well for many years. Her stats were good overall, and she worshipped Ernalda. Placing her on the ring would give us a bonus magic.



We selected an Ernaldan magician, a Odaylan hunter, and a younger representative of Barntar before events caught up with us.



Going behind our back, one of our thanes swore sisterhood with a Elkenvali thane, declaring that they would fight to the death for one another. The pressure was on to work out a peace between the clans. And we went with what the clan wanted.



We would simply make them an offer they couldn't accept.



We cannot give up our traditions so easily.



I love the smell of political maneuvering in the morning. It tastes... like decades of war and mistrust. But the two blood-sisters were happy, and that was what mattered.



The hunter was replaced with a follower of Chalana Arroy, and then a group of Humakti warriors came to us. They asked for warriors to help them return the restless dead to their graves and barrows. We sent six of our weaponthanes to aid them. In retrospect, that may have been a slight mistake.



We sacrificed to Orlanth, and learned a few secrets of the myth of Orlanth and Aroka, which I will post when we start heroquesting.



Estavos set out, hoping to open a permanent trade route with the Thunder Ducks.



The Fire Quartz came, bearing gifts, which we graciously accepted with intent to pay them back someday when we weren't desperately rationing our grain and our cheese.



We sent out a young Odaylan to explore our tula.



With a year since we last heard from Eonislara and her expedition, we held a funeral in absentia for all of them, toasting their memory.



Estavos returned and told us that the Thunder Ducks, though they traded freely, would not open a full route. They apparently have about ten feathered thanes among them.



The expedition returned having discovered a ready source of iron with which to make jewels. Iron, king of metals! Only the Mostali hold the secret of forging thee. We young ones must make do with hammers and anvils.



No sooner had Estavos returned than he left again, going on a two season-long trip to recruit thanes for our clan. He was told to at least bring back seven.



The harvest was slim. The omens had made their full presence known.



Another young thane, Rangoron, told us of his romantic troubles. He fell in love with Ostlana, a clever young woman of the Namolding. But her mother had set a challenge as dowry- steal the treasured plow of the Isoltings. He came to us, the clan ring, for help.



Our advice was simple. Sever Break off the suit. Love is love, and not fade away, but do you really want to be part of a treacherous, backstabbing clan for the rest of your life, we said. Rangoron shed a tear, but agreed with us in the end.



We decided to rustle a few cattle from the Wildcat clan. It turned into a disaster, and we decided to run like hell but- carefully.



Or that's what we were supposed to do. Instead, we charged them and lost a weaponthane to them.



The thanes who went with the Humakti returned, wiser and happier but with no treasure to show. Tomb robbing is a serious crime.



A group of Elmali came to bless our horses. They would need a trickster, some alcohol, and a little alone time with the horses. We trusted them to do what was right, and we decided to give a little reciprocal gift in return.



A few hours later, the trickster they borrowed came out complaining of a headache. Oh, how we laughed and laughed to see the shoe on the other foot for once.



Estaavooos! Seven, not six! Still, we had plenty of thanes to defend us if need be. And that was all that mattered I suppose.



Good timing, too, as the nefarious Elkenvali raided us shortly thereafter.



There was only one thing an experienced warrior could do.



Short the circuit.

Even though we slew one of their champions, they still made off with a horse and a couple cows, the bastards! But with the end of that raid, came the end of a year.

The new year opened with dubious omens; our crops would not perform well, and our hunters needed the support of their god. These distractions would obstruct all our attempts to gather strength and boost the spirit of the clan.



Early in the year Ernaldess decided to step down - she believed she had completed her task in bringing the clan to Dragon Pass, and could no longer serve the clan. Many grumbled that she was simply incapable of resolving the current crisis.

The ring took on new blood from our young nobles and our greatest Elmali noble, Hofstaring, was made chief. This would surely boost our clan magic and the spirit of our precious thanes. Many, however, remebered how a woman chief boosted our standing last year, and hoped Hofstaring could prove himself.





During the planting season, the clan had yet more misfortune. A representative of a neighbouring clan came to call in a favour we owed them. Sadly, they requested magic, of which we have precious little. Seeing the benefits militarily, Hofstaring agreed, while also making our most promising carls full weaponthanes in a magnificent ceremony.





The irritating Undaroli appeared in an attempt to buy off the iron we found. As if we would be so foolish!



To prevent offence we offered preferential trade agreements, but they refused. No doubt, they will try something underhanded soon.

Our women thanes were unhappy with the change to a male chief, and several scandals came out around this time.

Morale amoung our thanes was so poor during this period that they actually complained that the carls were held above them! This surely represents a terrible crisis in their ranks.



We responded by satirising the carls in a brilliant poem. The carls grumbled, but who did we rely on for victory?



We met a clan of bizarre duck-creatures nearby. We could not dominate them as we would have liked, so we settled for a tacit agreement of subservience. Hopefully they can shield us from some of the stronger Orlanthi clans.



We made trade overtures to the Orlundi clan nearby, but even after seeing off bandits could not secure their presence in our market.

Our greatest challenge yet appeared at our very walls - the dragonkin had found us! Our ancestors had been wise enough to fight when they came to seduce our people and betray them, and we were not fooled by the magical trappings the creature wore.



We saw it off from the edge of our tula, having exchanged few words. If only we had enough warriors to have slain it!

Politically, this may have created a crisis. Hofstaring was seen as weak in his dealings with the dragon beast, and faced opposition in the hall during the dark time.



Attempts to discover the root of this discontent failed, but the women reaffirmed their loyalty after voicing their views. Some felt this was inevitable, given the clan's poor performance in battle and against traditional enemies, but others saw the loss of our female chief as the real issue behind the discontent.

As a bold chief should, Hofstaring responded with immediate action, and raided our enemies, the Lonisci! It was a bloody battle in which one of our greatest warriors was defeated, but the victory boosted morale before the end of the year, and gave the clan hope that the procephy of 'failure for six years' was nothing but smoke.

I'm liking this please keep it moving...

Greatly enjoying the PC version of this game. I only found out about it thanks to this thread

Sooooooooooooooooo .... dead already?

2000AD wrote:Sooooooooooooooooo .... dead already?

5 times over!
THen I won the game :0