Chapter 1: The Petty Lord

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In his last moments of sanity, King Poaman penned a living will. Once the madness overtook him, if there was no recovery for one hundred days, then rule would pass to his eldest son, Antonio. For that one hundred days the kingdom would be ruled interim by King Poaman's closest advisor, Lord Cowen.

As the one hundredth day came, Antonio's claim to rule was usurped by his jealous brother, Aerik. This treachery catches Antonio entirely off guard, and he is forced to flee the castle with his few surviving retainers. Determined to win back his claim, Antonio and his small party head east toward Fort Gigan, which shares a border with the Rymin Republic. En route, he hopes to find loyal men of Dalrson who will bolster his number.

Yet, unbeknownst to Antonio, the eastern countryside of Dalrson is already embroiled in fresh conflict, stirred from movements inside Rymin…

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Kingdom of Dalrson – Eastern Countryside

[There are two friendly units with several enemy units around them.]

Russell: …How have we suddenly found ourselves surrounded?

Grover: They must have stolen a day's march on us in the night. We should have made camp further from the road, as I cautioned.

Russell: If only you had insisted. Now we find ourselves cornered by Lord Dale's tireless men.

Grover: They are very tenacious.

Russell: Yes. Perhaps the petty lord pays them by the bounty.

Mercenary: Give yourselves up! Surrender, and you will be put in Lord Dale's care. Knights of Dalrson will be treated with goodwill and dignity.

Russell: And a knife in the back. Hang your petty lord's care!

[Enemy boss, Cradley, approaches.]

Cradley: My Lord offers mercy, and yet the king's knights repay him with only stubborn, suicidal pride. Captain Grover, perhaps you are more sensible. What say you drop your lance and give yourself over so that no more men have to die?

Russell: Sensible, he says.

Grover: No good, I'm afraid. All my senses tell me to fight.

Cradley: Then they are as dull as this land you upstart wretches call your home. If you spurn my lord's quarter, the price is death. Take them!

• • • • •

1st Player Turn

Antonio: What? That noise…

Asyrm: A battle, Prince Antonio.

Kurt: One we ought to bypass whilst we still can.

James: I think not! Look, see who fights?

Asyrm: Sir Russell… and Captain Grover.

Kurt: But why are they alone?

James: Does it matter? We must join the fray before they're overwhelmed!

Asyrm: …Your Highness? What shall we do?

Antonio: We fight. Hit their flank, hard, and they'll scatter like leaves. Sweep them off our land and save those men of Dalrson!

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1st Enemy Turn

Cradley: They're fools! I offered them a chance to live, yet they spat in my face! They think they can win, outnumbered eight to one?

Mercenary: Sir, to the west. Enemy reinforcements.

Cradley: What? How many?

Mercenary: Still less than half our number. More knights from Eretou, I believe.

Cradley: That means nothing to me! Kill them all!

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2nd Player Turn

Grover: I believe we may be spared our heroic deaths.

Russell: …What? Reinforcements? From the capital?

Grover: We'll know soon enough. For now, we must simply hold out.

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[Asyrm speaks with Grover.]

Grover: General. Your appearance is most timely.

Asyrm: Mm. It's the Prince to whom you owe thanks.

Grover: Yes, but… what brings you here?

Asyrm: There will be time to explain. Until then—Hyaaah!

[Asyrm leaves, presumably to fight approaching enemies.]

Grover: …

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[Asyrm speaks with Russell.]

Russell: General! I've killed five… no, six already!

Asyrm: Then you must be weary. Allow me to handle the rest.

Russell: N-no, that's not what I… General, wait!

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[James speaks with Russell.]

Russell: James! I see you've come to steal my glory.

James: It was either that or stand by to watch the sellswords kill you and loot your corpse.

Russell: Tch. As if these ponderous halfwits could land even a single blow on me.

James: Yet you bleed. Captain Grover's work, I suppose? Or was the wound self-inflicted?

Russell: Why you—!

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[Russell, fighting anyone.]

Russell: Ha! How many of you dime-a-dozen sellswords have fought a true knight of Dalrson? I'll give each of you one quick, painful lesson.

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[Russell, fighting Cradely.]

Russell: It seems to me that the odds have evened some.

Cradely: Hardly! You still have me to contend with. I was handpicked by Lord Dale himself to command these men.

Russell: Truly? Then your master must have been sorely lacking in options. Lords of Dalrson could pick better things from their noses.

Cradely: Augh! Die, you arrogant cur!

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[Antonio, fighting Cradely.]

Cradely: B-but you're… Prince Antonio! Why…?

Antonio: Why am I on the battlefield? Or why am I still alive?

Cradely: I-it doesn't matter! If I kill you here…

Antonio: If you kill me here, then my men will cut down whatever remains of you. And, to be frank, I doubt they will do so kindly.

Cradely: Th-that… ah…!

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[Fighting Cradely]

Cradely: For Lord Dale! I will see you all dead!

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[Cradely dies.]

Cradely: Lord Dale… for…forgive… me…

[The battle ends.]

• • • • •

Asyrm: Prince.

Antonio: I'm fine, Asyrm. How fare Sir Russell and Captain Grover?

Russell: We fare well, my prince.

Grover: We owe you our deepest and humblest gratitude for saving our lives.

Antonio: No, I must thank you. For surviving.

Russell: Ha ha ha. Well, it's our pleasure, Prince.

Antonio: It's more than that. I have found myself… in need of every man still loyal to the crown.

Grover: …Did something happen?

Asyrm: Yes, unfortunatlely…

[Cut forward, after explanation.]

Grover: I see. So that's what drove you out here.

Russell: Prince Aerik… to think, that he was breeding such treachery.

Grover: What of General Condote?

Antonio: When my brother ordered his man to kill me, the general stepped in to take the blow. He still fought when I left the throne room. I wish I could have stayed, to know what became of him.

Grover: You mustn't think—

Antonio: I know. If I stayed, I would have been killed. My father and the Kingdom of Dalrson still need me alive.

Russell: Even so, Prince, there's a chance that General Condote lives. He is a fierce fighter, one of the best our kingdom has ever seen.

Asyrm: Sir Russell is correct. We sparred often, and even I could hardly touch General Condote while he fought me at full strength. He could have easily escaped.

Antonio: If that's so, then I hope he can find us. In the meantime…

Asyrm: The mercenaries we fought were under the employ of a man called Lord Dale, correct?

Grover: That's right. He's one Rymin's so-called "petty lords," and holds most of the land along our eastern borders.

Antonio: Lord Jardan has mentioned them. If he tells true, the petty lords keep the senate in a constant squabble. They've spent a century or two losing power, land and influence to the merchant lords, who represent the new wealth.

Grover: Petty or no, Lord Dale boasts a considerable host. After storming the brigand hideout, we set off to Fort Gigan as planned. Yet when we arrived, Lord Dale's men had already taken it.

Russell: They caught us with our britches down. They drove us from the fort and they've been hunting us down ever since. Captain Grover and I may be the only ones left. We were separated from the main force not long after our initial retreat.

Antonio: I see. So with Fort Gigan taken, Lord Dale intends to expand his reach into Dalrson territory. And with my brother on the throne, we've no means to resist. We can no longer travel east, in any case.

Asyrm: Agreed.

Antonio: …Let's make camp and rest. We need some time to weigh our options.