FFHOTM 01: Valledia the Even
Welcome to the second attempt at the first fall from heaven game of the month!
Similar settings as before, speed has been changed to normal.
Please don’t use any other xml modifications if you wish to play under the same rules as everyone else.
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Game settings:
Civilization: Amurites (Leader: Valledia the Even; Traits: Arcane Organized)
Rivals: 5
Difficulty: Prince/Monarch/Emperor (depending on game class chosen)
Map: Continents
Map size: Small
Climate: Temperate
Water level: Low
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: normal
Options: Aggressive AI, Raging Barbarians
Victory Conditions: All enabled
Valledia the Even :
Valledia the Even is Arcane and Organised;
The Amurites have no ancient history, no glorious empire in the Age of Magic to harken back to or trace their lineage from. In terms of civilizations, the Amurites are new comers on the world stage. Nevertheless, they are a force to be reckoned with, feared by some, and respected by all. Part of that respect stems from the tremendous magical power the Amurite armies command, but no small part of it stems from the incredible story of their genesis.
The Amurites call themselves the Children of Kyorlin. According to their own legends, the arrival of the archmage Kyorlin saved the Amurite people from obscurity or possibly extinction during the Age of Ice. Not even the Amurites know exactly why Kyolrin picked these people as his chosen folk, but they maintain that it was because of a particular strength of character.
Whatever the reason, when Kyorlin appeared he changed the fortunes of the tiny, struggling clan that had been the Amurites. For years he lived in their midst, taking new wives as his old ones died of old age or in childbirth, leading the Amurites to a level of organisation and advancement unrivalled by any other nation in the Age of Ice. Generations came and went, but Kyorlin remained a constant, working towards some arcane goal with the Amurites as his willing and joyous tools. Whether through magic or sheer force of will, he remained young throughout.
Until the day Kyorlin strode out of his home. His face had aged many years, terrible purpose shone in his once soft and kindly eyes, and a magnificent blade hung faintly glowing by his side. With no farewells and no apologies, he went forth into the icy wastes and never came back. Soon after, the Thaw began.
He had, however, left behind a powerful gift: his children. Through the years there had been quite a few, and they all carried latent magical abilities. Though the advancement made during the guardianship of the immortal starting leaking away during the Thaw, Kyorlin’s powers remained. Throughout the years, the children of Kyorlin intermarried with the rest of the Amurites, and the abilities spread, making the Amurites the civilization that is most magnificently in touch with the magical currents of Erebus.
This link has effected every aspect of Amurite life. They run their nation like a great magical school, training as many of their young as possible in, at the very least, basic magic skills. Their schools are so famous, they even attract those with magical abilities from other corners of the globe to join their ranks. The Archmages and Head Masters of the Schools and Universities act like an aristocracy in a nation that does not really have one, wielding great political power beyond the walls of their institutions.
As with any larged collection of scholars, the Amurites are mired in scholarly bureaucracy, the most insipid form of administrative quagmire known to man. The Archmages, like professors, are frequently involved in petty squabbles over obscure matters that develop into personal feuds. Positions and knowledge are jealously guarded and hard to obtain; potential rivals are stonewalled at every turn. It is easy to become a mage in the service of the Amurites, but it takes a shrewd, powerful and unscrupulous practitioner of magic to rise to the apex of magical power.
Above all, the Amurites have come to worship magic for its own sake. Their fascination with all aspects of magic is so deep that they do not feel hindered by petty alignments and concepts of "good" and "evil". Any avenue of magic can be explored, but some branches, like necromancy, are governed by strict laws and regulations, in order to prevent abuse and disasters. Justice for a mage who ignores these laws and starts dabbling in the regulated branches without obtaining the necessary permission is merciless, final, and in keeping with their fascination with the uses of magic, rather spectacular. No possibility is left for repeat offence.
Since the Amurites do not feel themselves confined by the alignments most nations follow, they are treated with a healthy amount of distrust by good and evil civilizations. Evil civilizations dislike the regulation of the dark and chaotic spheres, good civilisations are worried that they are not forbidden entirely. While not specifically hated by any, they have trouble making truly close allies. However, they don't feel they need any. As long as they are left in peace to conduct their magical experiments, they are happy, and wise rulers respect that. Those few who have crossed the Amurites and felt the fire of their arcane might have no desire to repeat the experience. Many have not been left the option.
Unique units:
Wizard: Has the Spellstaff ability for twice as many spells as a mage
Firebow: Replacement of longbow with flaming arrows, sorcery, channeling 1, channeling 2, and fire. Time for some fireballs!
Hero:
Govannon: Str 4, Sorcery, Channeling 1,2,3, Trainer.
He is a master trainer, and can train other units to cast spells.
Unique buildings:
Cave of Ancestors: gives +1 xp per mana to adepts created in the city
Note: Some map features have been modified from a standard computer generated map, eg Acheron has already been inserted into the map to ensure identical spawning position for all games. These changes will be consistent for all games so everyone will have to deal with the same situation, hence reducing the randomness between games. I have also checked that he doesn’t spawn a second time.
The starting screenshot is here
And here is a settler view of the local area.
Hopefully we’ll have more luck with this game.
