Legendary Campaign

The Legendary Campaign was a major military campaign waged in the Utter East late in the Bloodforge Wars (648–657 DR). It was a quest to unify the war-torn realms of the Utter East and bring peace to the land, albeit through yet more warfare. Notably, it was fought using basal golems mass-produced by bloodforges.

Causes
The bloodforges were discovered in the Year of the Dancing Daggers, 648 DR, first by King Grewe of Konigheim and within tendays by Ffolk across all the Five Kingdoms. These ancient devices of war could mass-produce entire armies of living golems, eliminating overnight the cost of mustering and maintaining armed forces. Losing all restraint, turning war-mad, the Ffolk rulers of the Five Kingdoms each manufactured great golem armies and marched them against one another, bursting into the Bloodforge Wars. They were drawn into battle by thoughts of conquest and revenge, rivalry and intrigue. The kingdoms throve on the arcane magic of the bloodforges and were governed by military might.

A number of conflicts large and small raged back and forth across the Utter East, with all sides commanding bloodforges and basal golem armies, the causes ranging from the serious to the frivolous. The power struggles were unending, kingdoms came and went, and their lands were devastated by war. In time, people at all levels of society hoped for a legendary leader who, regardless of whether their motives were virtuous, selfish, or immoral, could carry out the impossible quest of ending the wars, unifying the kingdoms, and bringing peace to the Utter East.

What they got… was someone.

Emerging from obscurity, this contender made a sovereign claim to rulership and swore to unify the realm and give mercy to anyone who recognized their claim. All the current rulers, of course, rejected it completely. Regardless, the new leader rallied their handful of basal golem followers and embarked on the Legendary Campaign. They engaged in bloodforge battles up and down the land, fighting rival claimants and warlords, challenging other bloodforge mages, aiding the needy, defeating the wicked, and attacking the good, and, in short, doing exactly the same as everyone else.

This leader would not be alone in this quest—there were others. For example, the mage Venar Orknal also made a claim to the realm and embarked on an identical campaign to win it, and would become a rival later in the conflict. Meanwhile, countless others opposed them and fought them in battles across the land.

First Round
The formerly powerful kingdom of Doegan fell into decline under the rule of Patric Fulgirth, an idle ruler who cared not for the needs of the people. The leader of the Legendary Campaign sought to depose Fulgirth by force at the Doegan Capital, and thought this would be an easy task.

The Serpent Valley was the hideout and mustering area of the infamous brigand Wenda Wildeye. Before they could make another raid, the leader came to put an end to the banditry.

Old Stone Keep was occupied by a mob of scavengers led by one Ebon Lefash. The leader of the Legendary Campaign believed the ruined city to be rightfully theirs and came to the ruins to defeat Lefash in a bloodforge battle.

In Edenvale, Edenvale Castle was ruled over by Timmis Taern, who was prideful but lacking in tactical ability. The leader lured Timmis beyond the castle walls through trickery before striking in a bloodforge battle.

Sean Mulhaven made his camp close to Herne's Wood, but harassed and insulted everyone who came past. Finally, the leader arrived and demanded Sean give it up. When Sean only hurled abuses, the leader decided to teach him courtesy, through bloodforge battle.

For a change, the leader took a peaceful journey through the Web Mountains, when Olgala Zug blocked them. They laid claim to the pass and extracted a toll from travelers. However, the leader elected to fight a bloodforge battle against Zug instead.

Wurt Dumire came to enslave the goblins of the Kingdom of Nix, putting them to work in a far-off mine. The leader of the Legendary Campaign felt unexpected sympathy for the goblins' plight and was compelled to act but unsure why, and tried to bring an end to Wurt's operation in Nix itself.

The leader passed through Vanesci Hamlet when an inhabitant, Hjerik Broadkin, provoked them to a duel. The leader could not ignore this public challenge, which took the form of a bloodforge battle, waged in and around Vanesci Hamlet.

Learning that Wulfgang Warts had a debilitating fear of such places as the Phantom Pass, the leader of the Legendary Campaign planned a ruse to lure him there. Wulfgang Warts apparently routed some Legendary Campaign forces and pursued them into the hills, and they led him into the Pass. There they rallied under their leader and faced Warts in bloodforge battle.

The Realm of Tides was in the grip of Dumar Sturmarik, a greedy tyrant focused on imposing tariffs on all seaborne merchants. The leader took advantage of this obsession and infiltrated the Realm of Tides, before attacking to topple Dumar.

The wandering bully Galen Addakal rampaged through the villages of the Realm of Lands, hurting people and raising complaints. The leader vowed to punish Galen in a bloodforge battle.

The Realm of Fire fell into the grip of the mage and notorious fraudster Amber Vikdotter, who posed as a ferocious and tyrannical ruler. Learning of her ruse, the leader determined to expose her, and so assaulted her realm in a bloodforge battle.

When a Festival of Talos was held in the city of Konigheim, a fire started in the heart of the city, spread swiftly to nearby buildings, then grew into a huge blaze that threatened to destroy all the city, again. The leader discovered the arsonist Illnar Dreth was the culprit and decided to punish them in a bloodforge battle amidst the burning city.

On their journey, the leader came across a town that had fallen prey to the swindler Moro Mitedigger, who sold malfunctioning devices. The leader heard their story, then went to the Hall of Wonder to stop Moro with force.

The gamester and hedonist Stivanu Pantel wasted a lot of time in the Puzzle Palace, forgetting work, home, and friends. The leader of the Legendary Campaign decided to force Stivanu out and face reality, with the two waging a bloodforge battle there.

Second Round
The cunning mage Gim Blacktongue used treachery to usurp the throne of Doegan. Although the kingdom prospered, it did so under an air of suspicion, and Doegan folk called for a new and trustworthy rule. The leader of the Legendary Campaign came to the Doegan Capital and attempted to remove Blacktongue from power by force.

For some reason, the leader was compelled to challenge Haden Stonehand of Serpent Valley in a contest of bloodforge warfare.

An opponent of the leader of the Legendary Campaign, Shandra Mystahr marched to Old Stone Keep, determined to uncover its magical secrets. However, the leader set an ambush here, and the two fought a bloodforge battle.

When a ruler of Edenvale passed away without an heir, the leader marched on Edenvale Castle to claim the throne. Madja Djiid contested this, and the two fought a bloodforge battle outside the castle.

Although warned to avoid Herne's Wood, the leader was forced to camp by its edge. The mage Darah Thorne marshalled forces against them, insisting on being given tribute, but the leader chose to fight instead.

Later, one Dawn MacDare made camp in the Web Mountains, from which they advanced on the Legendary Campaign forces, desiring to profit off of the campaign. Warned of the attack by the army's southern guard, the leader struck at MacDare's forces.

The leader was appointed emissary to the Kingdom of Nix, with the task of negotiating peace terms with the king of the goblins. However, in the midst of council, another ambassador, Adan Longstride, maligned the leader's good will in the Legendary Campaign. In accordance with goblin custom, they had to resolve their disagreement in trial by combat—predictably enough, through bloodforge battle.

When the leader of the Legendary Campaign returned to Vanesci Hamlet, with followers starving for food, the villagers had none to spare, having set it aside to pay off the bandit Niro Longtooth to avoid being raided. The leader surprised Longtooth, confronting the bandits in a bloodforge battle in the streets and fields of the town.

Later, whilst crossing the high mountains, the Legendary Campaign forces found themselves enveloped in a mysterious fog. As it lifted, they found themselves in the Phantom Pass and being threatened by one Korr Odahn, whom they faced in bloodforge battle.

The leader tried to corner Shari Lightfoot's forces against the shores of the Great Sea, but they quickly retreated to the Realm of Tides. However, the leader had laid a trap for them there, and the two clashed on the islands.

During this, the infamous hunter Wyrin Bloodclaw pursued the leader of the Legendary Campaign. Learning of this, the leader went to the Realm of Lands and there faced Wyrin in a bloodforge battle.

Based out of the Realm of Fire, Fegg Gnash raided the surface lands, forcing peasants to flee their homes in fear of the rumblings in the earth. Coming across a group of refugees, the leader ventured into the Realm of Fire to put a stop to it.

When the leader rested in Konigheim, the mage Gareth Gimorrin attacked with a rain of fire in an effort to stop the Legendary Campaign. Alerted by a watchman, the leader fought Gareth's forces through the once-again blazing city.

In the foothills of the Wu Pi Te Shao Mountains, the leader discovered a group of dwarf smiths in hiding after being forced out of the Hall of Wonder by Willem Warblade. The leader of the Legendary Campaign returned to the Hall of Wonder to evict Willem by force.

At one point, the leader chased their enemy Kala Danirith along a tunnel through the Wu Pi Te Shao Mountains, when it collapsed and dropped both of them in the Puzzle Palace. The two foes then fought a bloodforge battle there.

Third Round
Doegan had fallen into the safe hands of Hariah Highkin. The capital prospered, the borders held firm, and people were happy. Naturally, it had to go. The leader of the Legendary Campaign returned and tried to conquer Doegan, no matter the cost to the realm.

Newt Longscar mustered and trained a bloodforge army in the Serpent Valley to fight against the advancing forces of the Legendary Campaign. The leader tried to strike first before Newt was fully prepared and established.

Repeating an earlier battle of the Legendary Campaign, Turik Dumark attempted to ambush the forces on the road by Old Stone Keep. However, the leader captured one of Dumark's scouts and the trap was revealed. The leader quickly tried to hunt down out Dumark.

At one point, the leader was caught in a dragged-out conflict with Deliah Deguerre's forces. The two armies raced to Edenvale Castle for reinforcement, but ended their rivalry before its walls.

An itinerant bard told the leader about a great mage known as Tyranis Shagal, whose achievements were impressive. Seeking to win glory by defeating a worthy opponent, the leader went to Herne's Wood and issued a challenge to Shagal to fight a bloodforge battle.

The forces of the Legendary Campaign were harassed by those of Anson Darkeye, whom they pursued into the Web Mountains, but became lost. Darkeye turned the tables and turned back on the Legendary Campaign, forcing them into a defensive bloodforge battle.

When the goblin king of the Kingdom of Nix was slain, a political disaster rocked the land. Opportunists both devious and aggressive gathered around the dead king's throne like flies, the most dangerous of which was Ibin Stormrider. In order that a goblin might claim the throne, the leader of the Legendary Campaign returned to Nix to attempt to drive away Ibin and the rest in another bloodforge battle.

Jesse Hearthe, a popular and politically influential mage who had retired to Vanesci Hamlet, later denounced the Legendary Campaign. To defend their honor, the leader faced Hearthe in a bloodforge battle.

Deciding to deal with Moria Chantel, who kidnapped travelers near the Phantom Pass to use in a ceremony to acquire immortality, the leader timed an arrival in the Phantom Pass and disguised themselves as suitable victims, only to confront the mage in bloodforge battle.

Snatching a surprise opportunity, the leader established a foothold on the Realm of Tides, and used it as base to strike at Drago Dreadloch, a strong foe who was supported via the Great Sea.

The Realm of Lands came to be ruled over by Brigitte Bannal, who understood how to use the terrain to her strategic advantage. The leader came to the Realm of Lands to overcome these defenses and defeat her in bloodforge battle.

The mage Raven Remahr settled in the Realm of Fire and sought to master the powerful flame that burned there. The Legendary Campaign leader could not allow this, and faced Raven in a bloodforge battle.

Towards the end of the Bloodforge Wars, Konigheim was watched over by a benevolent order headed by Saja Stillwater. They were capable combatants and nigh invulnerable whilst occupying the keep. However, yet another catastrophic fire swept through the city, drawing Stillwater's order out into the streets. The Legendary Campaign leader seized the opportunity to strike.

For months, the Legendary Campaign leader and their rival Venar Orknal had outwitted each other with no victory. Finally, they agreed to a contest of skill and bloodforge battle prowess within the Puzzle Palace, with the loser to give up their mission and claim to the realm for all time.

Meanwhile, the great inventor Eldura Moreen worked tirelessly within the Hall of Wonder to discover the essence of the bloodforge. But the leader of the Legendary Campaign resolved that no-one should know the secret of what the gods had wrought, and went there to put an end to Eldura's quest.

Reign
When the last of the bloodforge mages was defeated and humbled, all conflicts came to an end and all the rival factions of the Utter East capitulated to the leader. The campaign had become a legend.

Thereafter, the leader of the Legendary Campaign ruled alone over one unified realm, in a manner said to be always true and diligent, with the title of "overlord". However, they stood ready for a time when the bloodforges would be needed in battle once more.

Legend Immortal
Finally, at the end of their reign, the leader was destined to fight another great battle, this time at the Gate of Immortals.

The Gate was protected by four lesser gates and flanked by thick and impenetrable "wind walls" that blocked flight over them, and it was well defended by an opposing bloodforge army that could also use portals to summon reinforcements directly from the realm of Immortals beyond the Gate. These included the Guardians, giant warriors of bronze who hurled holy fire. They barred the way to all but the most worthy of battle-hardened warriors. And there was only one to test this.

In a lengthy bloodforge battle, the leader of the Legendary Campaign defeated the opposing army, breached all the lesser gates one by one, and defeated all the Guardians. Finally, they broke through the Gate of Immortals into the Hall of Legends, and became an Immortal themselves.

Aftermath
However, a decade of unending warfare had devastated the Utter East, leaving the defenses of the Five Kingdoms wrecked, the cities lying in ruins or rubble, and the lands despoiled. The Ffolk were at last growing weary of warfare, and utterly unprepared for what happened next.

It transpired that every use of a bloodforge had steadily weakened ancient prisons binding fiends and undead beneath the lands of the Utter East. Finally, in the Year of the Nine Stars, 657 DR, the horde of antediluvian horrors escaped and rampaged across the ruins of the land, killing without regard for kingdom or race. This was the Plague of Fiends.

Background
For this campaign, the player can set their own name (or choose from a list of preset names), gender (Man, Woman, or Other, but this just opens monstrous options), species (via faces), and appearance (attire), or have it all randomly generated, so few details about the leader of the Legendary Campaign are fixed. However, the accompanying artwork shows the silhouette of a masculine warrior or paladin unit, such as the basal golems may be transformed into.

Despite this customization, the player-characters are restricted to lawful good, and appear this way in the in-game "Hall of Legends" scorecards when accessed through the main menu. However, in a strange bug, when the Hall of Legends is accessed between battles, the player-characters all become neutral evil. The narration "Such a leader could champion causes of virtue, or serve some selfish or questionable end." suggests these alternatives, but only a lawful good alignment and unifying backstory appear. Thus, it's possible that different alignments and alternative backstories were attempted but canned during development. Regardless, a neutral evil alignment is very fitting for the character's turn toward toppling good and stable rulers in the third round of the campaign.

The player-character is also given a rank based on score and completion suggestive of their in-world standing: novice, mercenary, apprentice, adventurer, veteran, champion, battle mage, patrician, high noble, great mage, overlord, and, after winning, immortal.

Appearances

 * Games:
 * Blood & Magic