1,000+ Great Games/1_1000 Games.iso/DOSGAMES/W2DIRLAN.ZIP/IRELAND.TXT

Text File | 1996-01-24 | 12.5 KB | 275 lines

                      "IRELAND - Circa 900-1,000 A.D."
                       A Scenario for Warlords II Deluxe
                            by Patrick Sweeney


DISCLAIMER. This scenario is a work of fiction. All characters (heroes,
monsters, or otherwise) depicted in this scenario are purely fictional
or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or deceased,
is purely coincidental.

                                CONTENTS
                                ========
                              Introduction
                          Historical Background
                               Geography
                             Designer Notes
                             The Combatants
                                 Armies
                                 Heroes
                           Items and Monsters
                          Playing the Scenario
                            Acknowledgements
                              Bibliography


                                INTRODUCTION

This scenario for WARLORDS II DELUXE depicts Ireland circa 900-1000, a time
when five Irish kingdoms vied with each other and Viking invaders for
dominion over the Emerald Isle.

This is a fascinating time in the history of Ireland, well-suited to a
Warlords II Deluxe scenario. Shifting alliances, smoldering hatreds, mighty
warrior kings and treacherous enemies play against the backdrop of a beautiful,
troubled land. Ancient ruins, their origins lost in the mists of time, dot the
verdant countryside, and pockets of nigh-forgotten pagan religions resist the
ever-expanding tide of Christianity.


                             HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

According to Irish legends, the first people of the Emerald Isle
were the Fomorians. Then came the Tuatha de Danaan, the children of Dana,
the magic people, masters of medicine and arcane arts.

The Tuatha de Danaan repelled an invasion by Firbolgs, but fell
before the Milesians. Some say the Tuatha de Danaan did not die out, but
instead went into hiding below the verdant hills of Ireland.

The Milesians and later Celtic migrations gave rise to the rich
culture of Ireland, a place of laws, druids, poets, storytellers and
craftsmen. In the 5th Century, St. Patrick brought Christianity to the
island, challenging the age-old power of the druids.

Monasteries, places of scholarship and reverence, arose across the
countryside, and many an Irish saint gained a place in church history.

In the 8th Century, Viking invaders from Norway and Denmark shattered
the relative peace of Ireland. Establishing coastal port cities, they raided
the villages of the Irish and demanded tribute from the kingdoms.

This scenario covers the time of Irish history when one man, Brian
mac Cennedi, rose to unify the warring peoples and break the Viking hold on
the Emerald Isle.

Born in 941 in Thomond, part of Munster now known as County Clare,
Brian mac Cennedi helped his brother Mahon seize the throne of Munster after
King Donogh died without an heir. When a rival prince murdered Mahon, Brian
took the crown.

He warred against his rivals and the Vikings, crushing everyone who
had a hand in the death of Mahon. Eventually, Brian became convinced that the
current Ard Ri, Malachi Mor, had failed to protect Ireland against the Viking
invaders, who had terrorized the countryside ever since their arrival in 795.

After several battles, he forced Malachi to share power with him,
making Brian king of southern Ireland and Malachi ruler of northern Ireland.
But in 1002, after unrest in the north, Brian marched to Tara with his army
and forced Malachi to relinquish his post as Ard Ri.

Brian, also known as Brian of Boruma or Brian Boru, quashed a number
of rebellions, and ushered in a brief golden age of peace and scholarship in
Ireland.

In 1014, King Maelmordha of Leinster, angered by perceived insults
and goaded by his venomous sister Gormlaith, whom Brian had married and then
set aside, allied with the Norse Vikings of Dublin and rebelled.

At the Battle of Clontarf, north of Dublin, the Irish army led by
Brian Boru defeated the armies of Leinster and the Northmen, breaking the
power of the Vikings forever. But Brian himself was slain in the battle, as
was his heir, Murrough.

Brian's dream of unified Ireland did not long outlive him, as his two
remaining sons warred over the throne, plunging the Emerald Isle back into
chaos and leaving it ripe for conquest by the English a few centuries later.

                                   GEOGRAPHY

The map of Ireland included in the scenario is about 75-85% accurate,
in my estimation. The coastline, mountains, rivers, lakes, cities, ruins and
roads are as accurate as possible to this time period.

I placed the swamps, some forests and some hills more haphazardly, since the
maps I used for reference were not detailed enough for complete accuracy of
these terrain types.

The descriptions of cities, ruins and temples are mostly drawn from the
travel guide listed in the bibliography.

                               DESIGNER'S NOTES

I decided to create a historical Ireland scenario after trying to
design a fantasy scenario and becoming frustrated at my lack of ideas for
ruins, heroes and items.

Instead of making up the background information needed to produce a
good fantasy scenario, I decided to turn to history for my inspiration. I
had read "Lion of Ireland" several years ago, and have always had an interest
in historical Ireland -- my father's side of the family came to the U.S. from
Ireland at some point in the distant past.

The scenario took about a month to create, including several trips to
the local library and a scrapped first attempt at a map. I uploaded the first
version of the scenario to The Gamer's Forum on CompuServe in early December.

After receiving some valuable feedback, I revised the scenario, adding
new units, adding the Danish side, deleting redundant units, fine-tuning the
artwork and adding other finishing touches, before uploading the final
version in mid-December.

Accordingly, few fantasy or a historical elements are needed to enliven
this scenario. The map, sides, heroes and armies are as realistic as possible,
while the items and monster listings are drawn from Celtic legends and Irish
history.

                                THE COMBATANTS

The scenario includes seven sides -- five Irish kingdoms and two Viking
realms. The Irish kingdoms are Meath, Munster, Connacht, Ulster and
Leinster. The Viking realms represent the Norse Vikings and Danish Vikings,
who were by no means unified.

In history, the five Irish kingdoms fought several wars with each
other and the Viking invaders.

                                   ARMIES

Brief descriptions of the historical background and rationale for
the army units included in this scenario:

SCOUTS, MILITIA -- Self-explanatory.
PILGRIMS -- Monasteries and shrines were frequently encountered in
Ireland at this time, as were bands of pilgrims traveling to these holy
places.
SLINGERS, JAVELINS -- Slings and javelins were common weapons for
Irish troops.
INFANTRY -- Irish warriors used swords and spears in battle.
WARHOUNDS -- While I haven't found any indication that the Irish used
trained dogs in battle, there are several Irish legends about hounds who
fought beside their heroic masters.
LIGHT CAVALRY -- The Irish employed some light cavalry in battle, but
the Vikings rarely used mounted troops in combat. The Vikings sometimes used
horses to transport troops, however.
CHARIOTS -- Early Irish warriors used chariots in battle, but they
were used mainly for transportation by the time of this scenario.
Nevertheless, they have been included for variety's sake.
HEAVY CAVALRY -- Neither the Irish nor the Vikings made extensive use
of heavy cavalry, but these units were included for variety's sake.
SWORDSMEN, AXEMEN, SPEARMEN -- The staples of Viking troops. Viking
axes were particularly feared.
BOWMEN, CROSSBOWMEN -- Archers with bows and crossbows were sometimes
used by the Vikings.
SIEGE WEAPONS -- The Vikings made some use of siege engines, represented
here by ballistae and catapults.
VIKING RAIDERS -- The fierce raiders in their dragon ships struck
terror into the hearts of Irish villagers.
OUTLAWS -- Norse-Irish halfbreeds rejected by both societies often
turned to banditry to survive.
MONKS -- Monasteries covered Ireland at this time, and religious
leaders wielded considerable secular power, as well. The "strength" of these
units could be explained as benefits to the morale of other troops.
JARLS -- Viking generals, often esteemed warriors as well as
inspirational leaders.
CHIEFTAINS -- Irish tribal leaders.
DANISH MERCENARIES -- Danish troops often fought as mercenaries,
usually for other Viking leaders.
BERSERKERS -- Viking warriors, greatly feared, who worked themselves
into a (possibly drug-induced) battle fury.
DRUIDS -- Practitioners of the pagan, pre-Christian religion of the
Celts. Perhaps their flight abilities reflect dark arts, or merely the
superior woodcraft of skilled outdoorsmen.
SAINTS -- The history of Ireland is filled with saints, going back
to the legendary St. Patrick. Some saints were said to have powers of
levitation.

In any game of Warlords II Deluxe, armies become intermixed as new
cities are captured. But this does not drastically undermine the historical
accuracy of this scenario -- the Irish and Viking leaders were nothing if
not adaptable. For example, Brian Boru, king of Munster and later Ard Ri,
reportedly trained units of Irish soldiers with battle axes after seeing
firsthand the effectiveness of the Viking weapons.

                                   HEROES

Brian Boru and Murrough of Munster, King Maelmordha and Gormlaith
of Leinster, King Conor of Connacht and Malachi Mor of Meath are all
historical Irish figures of this time.

Sitric Silkbeard, Ivar, Harold Ivarson, Gluniarand, and Olaf Iron-Shoe
were real Norse Vikings in Ireland at the time, as was Svein Forkbeard of the
Danes.

Most of the rest of the hero names are drawn from "Lion of Ireland,"
a historical fiction novel describing the life of Brian Boru. The remainder
are drawn from traditional Irish, Norse or Danish names.

                              ITEMS and MONSTERS

The lists of items and monsters are drawn from Irish history and
Celtic legends. The origins of these items are far too voluminous to be
covered here. See the bibliography for books with more information on
the early history of Ireland, however.

                                PLAYING THE SCENARIO

I suggest playing the Ireland scenario with the full map visible --
the Irish knew their own island and didn't have to go exploring for enemy
cities. Also, with the relatively few roads, playing with the map partially
blacked-out produces an odd game of running battles up and down the roads.

The scenario seems fairly well-balanced; almost any side can be
played with a fair chance of success. The most challenging side seems to be
Leinster, which tends to get crushed between Munster and the Norse Vikings.
Munster also seems to have a difficult time, with Leinster on one side and
the Danes on the other.

                                ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Steve Fawkner and Gregor Whiley of SSG, Steve Strayer, Paul
Fields and Will Michael for their tips on scenario creation and playtesting.

                                  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Atlas of Medieval Europe, by Donald Matthew. Equinox, 1983.

Bard, The Odyssey of the Irish, by Morgan Lllywelyn. Tor Books, 1984.

Historical Atlas of Britain, by Malcolm Falkus & John Gillingham.
        Continuum, 1981.

Ireland, tourist guide. Michelin Tyre Public Limited Co., 1992.

Lion of Ireland, by Morgan Lllywelyn. Berkley Books, 1979.

Story of the Irish Race, by Seumas MacManus. The Devin-Adair Co., 1978.

The Story of the Irish People, by Sean O'Faolain. Avenel Books, 1982.

===========================================================================

This documentation file was edited and reorganized by Paul Fields.
Minor modifications to the army and city graphics were performed as well.

This scenario is available, along with other excellent user-designed
scenarios, at the first Warlords II DELUXE ONLY web site:

                http://www.inlink.com/~bedbug/warlords/

You can communicated with the scenario author, Patrick Sweeney, at
CompuServe:

                        70521,[e-mail]

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