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Author Topic: The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode  (Read 1230 times)

MDFification

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The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode
« on: August 30, 2014, 05:28:06 pm »

Hi! I'm bored today, and while trying out some minor modifications I made for my upcomming 40.10 Optimization Mod, browsed legends a bit. I thought I'd share a little something I found with you.

The War of Burning was a rapid conquest of the Helmed Drinks, and Elven civilization I can only assume suffered from severe beard-envy, by the Confederation of Mortals. The Confederation of Mortals is actually really quite interesting; it warred frequently with neighbouring Elven civilizations (who are immortal; I speculate that they had a religious belief that those who did not age did not possess a soul and weren't truly alive, and that was the cause of the wars, but that's just me adding lore where none exists) during the First Age of Myth, and spanned over two continents (mostly on coastlines, with some exceptions) plus multiple islands, forging a vast, Hanseatic League-esque trading empire.

Anyway, in 72, a new settlement, Strokesheltered, was founded by the Confederates. This marked the first incurision into elven territory in the south by the humans; they met with no resistance.
Perhaps emboldened by this, a human military leader named Mastrop Yountouched, accompanied by one of her many giant war animals (the woman had at least 6 throughout her life accompanying her in her journies) led her forces in the year 73 into the unprovoked attack (beyond the justification that elves ate corpses; a religious taboo) on the forest retreat of Tophides known as the Savage Onslaught. Outnumbered almost 2:1, the elvish garrison was massacred and Tophide pillaged with minimal losses. Among the Elves at Tophides was the current elvish Queen and her Princess; the realm was thrown into chaos, chaos the humans exploited.
Youngtouched clearly realized the potential for her war; there was much wealth to be had in slaves and pilfered livestock. Her lifelong goal of immortality could doubtless be sped up by fame and fortune; sacrifices to the gods aren't cheap, and at least her name could live on forever. Throughout the rest of 73, Youngtouched led 4 additional attacks, each of them a victory. Two resulted in conquests; one site was abandoned by the Elvens and taken without casualties, and another taken in the lengthy and bloody Steamy Siege. Notable casualties in these raids were the Helmed Drinks' Druid, the last remaining legitimate noble in the realm.
As the year 74 began, one of Youngtouched's soldiers (presumably a high-ranking Lieutenant) named Mucka Hushwhirl returned home from the fighting and became the Law-Giver of the Confederation. She gave Yountouched all the backing she needed for a further 14 raids on southern cities; each a success, each resulting in a conquest. By the end of the year, all elvish cities in the south had been burned except for one.

In two years, an entire civilization was reduced to a single settlement. The new Queen of the Elvish civilization lived in a human occupied settlement rather than in her people's free territories as a hostage; perhaps as a result of this, no further battles were fought between the two civilizations. Presumably the remaining settlement was ruled by decree as was in effect a tributary to the Confederacy. This state of affairs would last until 118, when a dragon brought an abrupt end to the Helmed Drinks. Oddly, the humans kept the queen on until her death in 908, when she was ceremoniously replaced by a child of another survivor of the war. Evidentially, within the new vast southern province of the Confederacy, the Elvish civilization lives on - only now they know their place beneath the human's armored boots.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 05:08:35 pm by MDFification »
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klefenz

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Re: The War of Burning
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2014, 09:02:11 pm »

This kind of stories are what makes DF so great. I wonder what kind of amazing thing happened in worlds that were discarded before anyone checked legends.

grisha5

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Re: The War of Burning
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2014, 09:02:30 pm »

nice story!
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MDFification

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Re: The War of Burning
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2014, 03:30:08 pm »

On the same world I found a continent which has historically been dominated by 3 coastal human states (the Confederation of Castles, Confederation of Seers and Empire of Jade) and a powerful inland goblin slaving empire (it's Dark Fortress has over 10000 goblins!) with a smattering of bandit camps in between. However, ever since 1020, large parts of the continent (seriously, about half the local hamlets/towns/dark pits) have been taken over by a plague of necromancers (there's around 16 towers; the only towers in the entire world), forming a dense network of small necromancer kingdoms. There have been a few successes on the goblins part in thwarting necromancer attacks and retaking sites, but in general they're fighting a loosing battle.

Looking at the total battle deaths I also noticed a southern continent, a microcosm with civs of all races (except the dwarves), outweighs the entire world in sheer carnage (necromancer-land is a distant second). There's one forest retreat (appropriately named Bloodearth) which has seen 219 battles fought over it, with a total of 15843 deaths. It's right nextdoor to a forest retreat with 205 battles but only 6000 odd deaths. Oddly, to the north there exists a forest retreat (elves do not play nice with the hummies or gobbos it seems) with only 4 battles.... and over 14000 deaths.
Since the year 805, it seems, the elves and goblins have been fighting a never-ending war with over 2000 battles, over 2000 pillages, and over 20,000 dead elves/ 30,000+ dead goblins. It is known as the fierce war. This war alone accounts for almost half (gulp) of the deaths on the continent and is beyond doubt the largest war ever waged in this world. Neither side can achieve victory; the elves are on the defensive, but the goblins do not occupy elven sites and the elven birth rate seems to allow them an inexhaustible supply of guerilla fighters (a frequent and mysterious scenario is 6 elves managing to defeat 1000+ goblins before being massacred). I attribute the elves success to a seemingly inexhaustible amount of war animals, seeing as few of the defenders earn names before their deaths.

This world is epic and also horrifyingly violent.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 09:26:35 am by MDFification »
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Redzephyr01

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Re: The War of Burning
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2014, 03:44:17 pm »

That was epic.
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MDFification

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Re: The War of Burning
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2014, 05:08:19 pm »

It was inevitable.

I've started a new adventurer in Necromancerland. So far, all the villages I've been too (3 of them) have asked me to help them defeat necromancers they are skirmishing with.
I traced the original tower down; it was founded around the year 60. It's been just sitting there, biding its time and training hordes of necromancers who later strike out on their own, accumulate followers and build more towers, then somehow generate legendary generals who take over the surrounding towns.
Should I seek to become a necromancer and build my own empire or try to rid the continent of them?

EDIT: Just took over my first town. I've killed a few zombies near the towers, but they're impenetrable. So instead, I sought out towns administered by necromancers. The first one wasn't administered by a legendary, hundred year old general at the head of a legion of corpses, so I got lucky and killed him. Even before his death, I was acknowledged as the new lord of the village.
I think I'll conquer all the necromancer held towns, become a necromancer, and conquer all of the necromancer towers. Then I'll attempt the vault. All hail the Angelic Band!
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 06:11:24 pm by MDFification »
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Ironherald

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Re: The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2014, 07:26:10 pm »

These are amazing, keep up the good work transcribing these.

So many stories...Toady has created an engine capable of creating these brilliant worlds. It makes you think... is Toady a god in some parallel universe? Albeit a cruel god given what goes on in these places.

All hail Toady, father of the Dwarf Fortress dimensions.
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StupidElves

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Re: The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2014, 11:09:26 am »

Dude, either give us the world or the seed. I'm going to embark right in the middle of that island.
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Re: The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2014, 08:43:13 pm »

These are amazing, keep up the good work transcribing these.

So many stories...Toady has created an engine capable of creating these brilliant worlds. It makes you think... is Toady a god in some parallel universe? Albeit a cruel god given what goes on in these places.

All hail Toady, father of the Dwarf Fortress dimensions.

Theoretically there are infinite multi-verses. So yes, Toady is a god in one of those worlds. And also all the worlds we ever generate and how the scenarios play out? Theoretically they all could, and do, exist.
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Re: The War of Burning: Adventures in Legends Mode
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2014, 10:06:03 pm »

i always check the legends on my worlds,usually finding hilarious deaths,wars,megabeast rampages and epic stories
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