Human Realm · The campaign
The Border of the Cold
The Barrowlands take a field a season, and the border needs to move back tonight.
The Gilded March
The Barrowlands are creeping south, a field a season. The border moves back tonight.
The road
Ten fields — the pilgrim road, from Gildenmark down to the cold. The Undead Dominion is the rival, and six kingdoms stand in the way.
Chapter I · The Muster
A border is a promise made to people who cannot defend themselves. We are the part of the promise that gets kept.
- 1
The Muster · Cull the ranks
Gildenmark
Reavers on the wrong side of the wall.
To win: 12 of their reavers down. Not a body count — a particular kind of body. Put down the ones named. Razing them ends it too.
Against: Orc Horde.
Terms: The standing works — A spawner is already raised and already yours.
Reavers inside the marker stones. Not a war yet - a lesson, delivered early, so it does not have to be delivered often.
- 2
First Blood · Burn the toll-houses
Shrine Road
The Dynasty has claimed the pilgrim road.
To win: 2 of their toll-houses burned. While one of their toll-houses stands, half your income is theirs. Burn every one. The keep can stand.
Against: Jade Dynasty.
The Dynasty has blessed our pilgrim road and hung a toll on the blessing. Take it back. Politely, and completely.
- 3
A Twist · Bring down the quarry
Hollowfell
Something wild has taken the outfarms.
To win: the marked one, in the ground. One of theirs is marked, and it holds the prize. Put it in the ground — it runs for its gate when it is hurt. Their keep falling ends it too.
Against: Mythic Beasts.
Terms: The empty chest — You march with nothing. Everything you field, you earn here.
Three outfarms gone quiet in a fortnight. Ride out and find what is doing it before the fourth.
Chapter II · The Rival
It knows our formations. It should - it drilled in them once, under a name somebody still remembers.
- 4
The Rival · Stop the wain
The Cold Marches
The Dominion, and the first field that answers back.
To win: their wain dragged back for 55s. Their wain rolls for your gate under their escort. Outnumber them at the axle and drag it back — if it reaches your gate, the field is theirs.
Against: Undead Dominion — the rival.
This is the border as it stands today. Look at it properly. Tomorrow it is a mile further south unless we stand here.
- 5
Adversity · Carry the torch
Ash Vigil
The Horde has come through behind you. Hold the line.
To win: 3 fires lit by the torch, kept for 40s. Only the torch lights these fires. It starts at your gate, passes hand to hand as bearers fall, and they can put out what it lit. Every fire burning at once, and kept.
Against: Orc Horde.
Terms: No walls of your own — Your keep cannot be fortified. Meet them in the field.
The Horde has crossed behind us while we faced the cold. Carry the torch and keep the vigil — every fire lit from one flame, and kept. The lake road goes at the thaw; be off it by then.
- 6
The Ally · Bring the wain through
Wyldwood Edge
The Court will let you pass, for a price in Elven works.
To win: the wain to their gate. The wain rolls only under escort. Outnumber them beside it and see it to their gate.
Against: Elven Court.
Terms: The war-chest — An ally has paid for this one. Spend it well.
The Court will let the column through their wood if it reaches their gate by dark. Walk it there. A distasteful bargain, and the road is worth it.
Chapter III · The Long War
This is the long part. Nobody writes songs about the long part.
- 7
The Siege · Raze the keep
Barrowgate
They have walled the dead in, and you out.
To win: Raze the keep. Bring their walls down. Nothing else ends it.
Against: Undead Dominion — the rival.
Terms: Walled against you — Their keep was fortified long before you came.
Barrowgate. They have walled our dead in with theirs. Everything we kill in front of it we will kill again. Begin anyway.
- 8
The Reversal · Get the column through
Frostcrag Pass
Hold the pass. The Clans will want it back.
To win: 22 of yours through their gate. Walk your soldiers into the ring at their gate. Every one that passes is off the field, and counted.
Against: Dwarven Clans.
Terms: The thin muster — Only your cheapest ranks answered the call.
The pass, until the column is through. The Clans will want it back tonight. They may have it tomorrow.
- 9
The Gathering · Take the toll · Eight commanders
The Gathering Fields
Every banner in the realm, and no more talking.
To win: 120 of their soldiers down. Put their soldiers in the ground. Their walls can wait — or fall, if you would rather.
Against: Mythic Beasts.
Every banner in the realm on one field and no more talking. It was always going to end up here.
Chapter IV · The Crown
Push it back to where it was drawn, and then stand there, which is the harder half.
- 10
The Crown · Close the book
The Cold Court
The Barrowlands’ seat, before the long night falls.
To win: their keep, losing fewer than 200. Raze their keep, and lose no more than the book allows. One body past the mark and the field is theirs.
Against: Undead Dominion — the rival.
Terms: Walled against you — Their keep was fortified long before you came.
The last field of it. Whatever gets written afterwards, the border is where we leave it tonight.
The rival
The Undead Dominion — Cold Court of the Barrowlands.
It is here on the second field. Whatever patience the dead were keeping, they have put it down.
They have a general, and it was somebody once. It knows our formations. It watched us learn them.
Barrowgate is shut and the ground in front of it is theirs twice over. Everything you kill here, you will kill again.
The Cold Court, and the thing that has been walking our fields south. End it properly.
How it ends
Crowned
The border stands where it was drawn. The dead are behind it, and they are only dead.
Broken
The line gave and the cold came through. Every field you took is theirs again by morning.
The Humans boons
The branch of the boon tree only the Human Realm can take:
| Boon | Cost | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| The Royal Charter | 1 | The realm pays for its own war, in writing. |
| The Guild Halls | 2 | The guilds will work your spawners up at cost. |
| The Levies Called | 2 | Three-quarters again in the chest before a shot is fired. |
| The Engineers | 3 | Everything you raise is raised properly. |
| The Crown's Order | 4 | Better plate, and a treasury that will pay for it. |