Blind Hero Quest player helped

[Favre]

Hello there, I am blind and looking to play hero quest again by teaching my daughter to play.
I can manage some things pretty well such as the cards. I have an app on my iPhone that can turn small amounts of text into speech.
I have created my own tactile dice as well.
However there are a couple of things I need help with that I think this community could easily support.
My text reading app is not able to cope with the books.
Has anyone ever typed up the text from the instruction book, the rules of play book, or the text from the quest book?
I can use the voiceover on my iPad to read out text but I just need the text first.

The other thing I need is a blank map with really dark lines.
I am going to blow it up to A3 size so faint lines will not come out well.
Once blown up I will laminate it and place tactile markers on it to create a tactile version of the game board.
This is so I can lay out other tactile markings to create the doors objects and monsters, so I end up with a tactile version of the map in the quest book.

The game board already has tactile markers on it allowing me to play.

So can anyone help with those two things?

My overall plan is to get hold of another board but for now an A3 blow up will have to do.

Thanks for any help.

Favre

[knightkrawler]

It still amazes me sometimes how this game draws in people from all walks of life...
and what technology makes possible these days.
So, first, welcome to the forum! *insert orc icon saluting with a mug of ale here*

Had I the time, I would type the texts down, but unfortunately I haven't.
I sure hope you find someone who can help you.

[Nicodemus]

Welcome to the forum Favre. This is quite an undertaking you have on your hands and very exciting! I haven't been here as a member for very long yet but have spent a few years lurking as an anonymous viewer and have contributed to several other prominent Hero Quest forums, going back to the late 90s.

I will be more than happy to help. Is there a particular format that would be more useful for you? For the rules, would you want all of the text typed out into a single document that you can keyword search (assuming you can search by voice as some personal computers have)? Or would it be useful to have separate documents for each of the groups of rules, such as one document for spells, another document for rules relating to traps, and so on? For the image examples that are shown in the rules, I can certainly provide a text-based explanation of what is shown, so those parts are not an issue.

For the main Quest booklet would it be useful for you to have this broken down into separate documents for each quest? And following on from this, are the quest notes for each room. Is there a format that would help make retrieval of quest notes quicker for you? One option might be to make an HTML document for all of these, but I don't know how navigable plain-text webpages are for blind. If you had a webpage that just listed web links with text names, such as Quest 1, Quest 2, and so on, that allowed you to enter Quest 1 and then only have details for that Quest listed, would this be more useful than having a single sprawling document with everything listed in one place? I'm thinking that within Quest 1, for example, there could be a link for the introduction and another link for the collection of quest notes. Within the introduction would be all of the descriptive text for the player explaining the quest, and within the quest notes would be all the information for Zargon. As long as you know when quest note "A" needs to be read (as it sounds like you are very organized already) the quest notes could either list all of the notes for that quest on a single page or be further broken down with URLs linking to each lettered description.

At any rate, doing this for the starting Quests in the main box is very doable. Do you have a European or North American version of the game? This will be important for me to know as there are some differences between the two.

I can also hook you up with a blank version of the board map with thickened black lines.

I look forward to hearing from you.
All the best.
Nicodemus

[StratosVX]

Here is a link to a couple versions of the blank maps with darker and thicker lines. They are in PDF format and the vector data should have been maintained in the conversion, so you should be able to blow these up bigger than A3 without losing resolution if need be. Please let me know if these don't work for you.

[Favre]

Thanks for the welcome.

You may be able to help in other ways.
Do you have any advice for teaching this game to kids who have never seen anything like this before?
My daughter likes the Elf character, do you have any tips on playing him for new players?
It is a long time since I played so I can not remember, can a killed player be rebibed.

Thanks again.

Favre

It still amazes me sometimes how this game draws in people from all walks of life...
and what technology makes possible these days.
So, first, welcome to the forum! *insert orc icon saluting with a mug of ale here*

Had I the time, I would type the texts down, but unfortunately I haven't.
I sure hope you find someone who can help you.

[Favre]

Thank you for offering to help.

In terms of format; I will be reading the text on an iPad using voiceover.
I read documents on ‘Pages’ which is apple’s version of word for windows.
So if you can write a plain text document on either Word or Pages I know that I can read it.

For the rules I think I would start with a single document.
What I do is put each heading or new piece of information on its own page even if it is short this often helps find things as I can page down to the bit I am looking for.
From there I can also create new documents to section things up if I need to.
As you suggest it is probably a good idea to have a document for Spells or traps but I am just not sure yet.
For text descriptions of pictures use your judgement how necessary they are to include. I can remember the basics of the game from playing back in the 90s so a picture of what the combat dice look like I can probably manage without.
Where to write things on a character sheet is handy to have described but where to read on the character card it says how many dice you use to move I think we can manage without for example.

The quest book is going to be difficult I think.
I definitely need each quest to have its own document.
The quest notes are going to take a bit of work.
As it has been so long I can not recall exactly all of the notes and how you enact them.
I think I need a link between the tactile map and the document.
So if the notes are numbered then I Place a marker with a Braille number on it in the right place to remind me to refer to the note on my iPad.
I think html and URLs are beyond me, so I would not want you to put in a massive effort creating a huge complicated resource that I would struggle with.

I have a plan for getting the maps of the quests described so I can make them tactile, so if you can create the texts of each quest and notes I can try and work it from there.

I am pretty sure that the version I bought on eBay was a European version.
Morcar is the name of the wizard dungeon master and the first quest is the trial.

Thank you very much for offering help.

Favre

Welcome to the forum Favre. This is quite an undertaking you have on your hands and very exciting! I haven't been here as a member for very long yet but have spent a few years lurking as an anonymous viewer and have contributed to several other prominent Hero Quest forums, going back to the late 90s.

I will be more than happy to help. Is there a particular format that would be more useful for you? For the rules, would you want all of the text typed out into a single document that you can keyword search (assuming you can search by voice as some personal computers have)? Or would it be useful to have separate documents for each of the groups of rules, such as one document for spells, another document for rules relating to traps, and so on? For the image examples that are shown in the rules, I can certainly provide a text-based explanation of what is shown, so those parts are not an issue.

For the main Quest booklet would it be useful for you to have this broken down into separate documents for each quest? And following on from this, are the quest notes for each room. Is there a format that would help make retrieval of quest notes quicker for you? One option might be to make an HTML document for all of these, but I don't know how navigable plain-text webpages are for blind. If you had a webpage that just listed web links with text names, such as Quest 1, Quest 2, and so on, that allowed you to enter Quest 1 and then only have details for that Quest listed, would this be more useful than having a single sprawling document with everything listed in one place? I'm thinking that within Quest 1, for example, there could be a link for the introduction and another link for the collection of quest notes. Within the introduction would be all of the descriptive text for the player explaining the quest, and within the quest notes would be all the information for Zargon. As long as you know when quest note "A" needs to be read (as it sounds like you are very organized already) the quest notes could either list all of the notes for that quest on a single page or be further broken down with URLs linking to each lettered description.

At any rate, doing this for the starting Quests in the main box is very doable. Do you have a European or North American version of the game? This will be important for me to know as there are some differences between the two.

I can also hook you up with a blank version of the board map with thickened black lines.

I look forward to hearing from you.
All the best.
Nicodemus

[Favre]

Thanks for the link.
It said there were two files but I can only find one that got downloaded on to my iPad so not sure I did it right.
I will try out the A3 version tomorrow.

Thanks for your help.

Favre

Here is a link to a couple versions of the blank maps with darker and thicker lines. They are in PDF format and the vector data should have been maintained in the conversion, so you should be able to blow these up bigger than A3 without losing resolution if need be. Please let me know if these don't work for you.

[StratosVX]

Thanks for the link.
It said there were two files but I can only find one that got downloaded on to my iPad so not sure I did it right.
I will try out the A3 version tomorrow.

Thanks for your help.

Favre

Here is a link to a couple versions of the blank maps with darker and thicker lines. They are in PDF format and the vector data should have been maintained in the conversion, so you should be able to blow these up bigger than A3 without losing resolution if need be. Please let me know if these don't work for you.

My apologies. What you downloaded was a zip file with both pdf documents. Here are the links for the individual zip files:
dark_lines1.pdf
dark_lines2.pdf

Nicodemus,
I have Pages on my Mac. If you get the files converted to text files, I can copy and paste them into Pages for Favre.

[Favre]

Thanks for these.
I will check them out later.

Favre

Thanks for the link.
It said there were two files but I can only find one that got downloaded on to my iPad so not sure I did it right.
I will try out the A3 version tomorrow.

Thanks for your help.

Favre

Here is a link to a couple versions of the blank maps with darker and thicker lines. They are in PDF format and the vector data should have been maintained in the conversion, so you should be able to blow these up bigger than A3 without losing resolution if need be. Please let me know if these don't work for you.

My apologies. What you downloaded was a zip file with both pdf documents. Here are the links for the individual zip files:
dark_lines1.pdf
dark_lines2.pdf

Nicodemus,
I have Pages on my Mac. If you get the files converted to text files, I can copy and paste them into Pages for Favre.

[Nicodemus]

Attached to his post are the rules for the European Hero Quest Quests.

Here is the plain text if the Word document format is an issue:

Hero Quest, Quest Book

The fire burns warmly, but casts little light into Mentor's study. The flickering shadows only hint at the vast number of books and scrolls that fill the many shelves. Slowly Mentor walks over to the fire.
"Well my friends, your training is complete. You are not yet Heroes, you have yet to prove yourselves. But first, let me tell you of Morcar...
"Many centuries ago, Morcar was my apprentice. He worked hard and learned quickly. But impatience devoured him, and he wanted to learn more powerful magic. I told him of the dangers, and he should be patient, for in time he would become a great wizard. But Morcar could not wait: each night he broke into my study and read my spell books. The secrets that were held within them were great indeed. Once he had learnt these secrets, Morcar fled.
"When I caught up with him, I found him greatly changed. He had pledged his allegiance to the Great Powers of Chaos. Fool! He saw magic only as a short-cut to power and paid no heed to the terrible price he would have to pay. I tried to reason with him, but to no avail. He laughed in my face and then unleashed a terrible spell which I was hard-pressed to counter. For many days we battled, but Morcar had allies stronger even than I, and I could not defeat him. In the end, as we both weakened, he fled and sought refuge in the Northern Chaos Wastes. There he licked his wounds and honed his skills, conjuring ancient powers with which to overthrow the Empire. But he knows not what he has done. They will serve him while it suits their own dark purposes, but in time they will destroy him.
“I must watch Morcar and measure the strength of his magic. This I may do with the help of Loretome. The powers Morcar has called upon will destroy us all if I relax from this vigil. Morcar’s legions have threatened us once before. Then it was Rogar who aided me and defeated them. Now they are on the march again: already they have assailed the Borderlands. The Empire must again look for Heroes and to this end have I trained you.
“Each of you must complete three tasks. If you do this, you will be acclaimed as Champions of the Realm and dubbed Imperial Knights. Then will you truly be on the road to becoming a Hero. I shall speak with you again on your return – if you return …… “



Quest 1
The Trial
“You have learnt well, my friends. Now has come the time of your first trial. You are to travel east and enter the catacombs of Verag, a foul gargoyle. The catacombs guard the tomb of Fellmarg. The trial is not easy and some of you will not return. Those who do survive will continue their training. This is your first step on the road to becoming a hero… tread carefully, my friends.”
NOTES
A) If the character player asks to look inside the treasure chest, he will find 100 gold coins. He should record his on his character sheet.
B) This mummy is the guardian of Fellmarg’s tomb and was once a mighty warrior. He may roll four dice instead of three when attacking.
C) If a character player asks to look inside the treasure chest, he will find 150 gold coins. He should record his on his character sheet.
D) This treasure chest is empty.
Verag fights as a normal gargoyle.
There is no Wandering Monster for this Quest.



Quest 2
The Rescue of Sir Ragnar
“Sir Ragnar, one of the Emperor’s most powerful Knights, has been kidnapped. He is being held prisoner by Ulag, the Orc Warlord. You are to find Sir Ragnar and bring him back to safety. Prince Magnus will pay 200 gold coins to the character who rescues Sir Ragnar. The reward may be split between several adventurers, but no reward will be paid if Sir Ragnar is killed whilst escaping.”
NOTES
A) The treasure chest is a trap. Any player who opens the chest without searching for traps first will lose one Body point. The chest is empty.
B) This treasure chest contains a potion of Healing, which will restore up to four lost Body points, and 50 gold coins.
FINDING SIR RAGNAR
When Sir Ragnar is found, an alarm sounds. Place ALL remaining monsters, doors, and furniture on the board. All doors are now open. Sir Ragnar should be moved by the player who opened the door. When that player takes his turn he also rolls one die to move Sir Ragnar. He must be moved back to the starting tile to escape.
Sir Ragnar may not attack, but if he is attacked he may roll two dice for defence. Sir Ragnar has two Body points left.
Use the Evil Sorcerer figure to represent Sir Ragnar.
Wandering Monster: Orc



Quest 3
Lair of the Orc Warlord
“Prince Magnus has ordered that the Orc Warlord Ulag, who was responsible for the kidnapping of Sir Ragnar, should be sought out and killed. Whoever kills Ulag will be rewarded with 100 gold coins. Any treasure found in Ulag’s stronghold may also be kept.”
NOTES
A) The cupboard contains 30 gold coins and a portion of Healing, which will restore up to four lost Body points.
B) This Treasure chest contains a trap. Anyone who opens the chest without searching for traps will lose one Body Point. The chest contains 100 gold coins.
C) This is the Armoury. If a player searches for treasure, he will find a spear. The player may take a spear card from the Equipment pack.
ULAG
Use the Orc figure with the large notched sword to represent Ulag. Ulag rolls the following dice:
Attack 4 dice
Defend 5 dice
Move 10 squares
Mind 3
Body 1
Wandering Monster: Orc


Quest 4
Prince Magnus’ Gold
“Three treasure chests have been stolen whilst being taken to the Emperor. A reward of 200 gold coins has been offered to anyone who can return the chest and ALL the gold. The thieves are known to be a band of Orcs hiding in the Black Mountains. They are led by Gulthor, a Chaos Warrior.”
NOTES
A) These are the three chests, each containing 250 gold coins’ worth of treasure> Each character may carry one Treasure chest at a time. When carrying a Treasure chest, you may only roll one die for movement.
IF any character decides to keep Prince Magnus’ gold instead of returning it, he will be outlawed. This character may never become a Champion.
Wandering Monster: Fimir


Quest 5
Melar’s Maze
“Long ago, a powerful sorcerer by the name of Melar created a Talisman which would enhance the wearer’s understanding of magic. He kept the Talisman with him at all times, fearing it might be stolen and used by the allies of Morcar. If it said that he left the Talisman in his laboratory at the heart of his Maze. Melar’s Maze is guarded by many traps and magical guardians. It is also rumored to be haunted by those who have sought the Talisman and perished in the attempt … “
NOTES
A) If a player searchers for secret doors, he will find nothing. However, if a player searches for treasure, he will find Melar’s Key. Upon touching it the Key will disappear and the throne will slide sideways, revealing a secret door.
B) This room contains a Gargoyle. The Gargoyle may not be moved until one of the players has opened the door marked with the arrow (which connects to the adjoining room). The Gargoyle cannot e harmed until it has either moved or attacked another player.
C) Any player who searches for Treasure will find the Talisman of Lore. The Talisman is a Quest treasure and the player who found it should take the appropriate Quest treasure card.
Wandering Monster: Zombie



Quest 6
Legacy of the Orc Warlord
“Ulag’s foul offspring, Grak, has sworn revenge on those who killed his father. Although it has taken him several months, he has finally tracked you down and captured you in an ambush. Now you are held prisoner in his dungeons while he racks his brains to devise a terrible punishment for you. While the guard sleeps, however, you manage to pick the lock of your cell with an old rat bone. You must find your equipment and escape.”
NOTES
Because the players have had all their equipment taken, they may not use any equipment that they may have from previous games. Neither the Wizard or the Elf may cast spells until they have found the room where all the equipment has been stored.
X) This is the cell where the players start (2x3 room).
A) This is where the players’ equipment is stored. When one of the players opens the door, you must tell him that this is where the equipment is. When a player enters the room he may regain all the equipment, Quest treasure, and spell card. Other players may regain their equipment by being in the same room or passage as the player who collected everything. That player may decide to keep some, or all, items of equipment for himself, but may not keep or use the spells, unless he is the Wizard or Elf.
B) These stairs lead out of the dungeon to freedom. Any character who manages to move into the stairway tile has escaped.
GRAK
Use an Orc piece for Grak. He rolls the following dice:
Attack 4 dice
Defend 4 dice
Movement 8 squares
Mind 3
Body 1
Wandering Monster: Fimir



Quest 7
The Stone Hunter
“The Emperor’s personal Wizard, Karlen, has disappeared. He Emperor fears that either he has been murdered or has succumbed to the lures of Chaos magic. You are to find what has happened to Karlen and, if he is alive, bring him to safety. You will be paid 100 gold coins each upon returning.”
NOTES
A) All the Chaos Warriors in this adventure are made of stone and may roll an extra defence die
B) This is the weapons room. Any player who searches for treasure will find Borin’s armour. This is a Quest Treasure and the player takes the appropriate card, which he may keep.
C) Karlen’s treasure chest contains 200 gold coins. The Zombie in this room is Karlen. Whilst working on a Chaos spell he was consumed by the magic he created and was turned into a mindless Zombie.
Wandering Monster: Mummy



Quest 8
The Fire Mage
The Orcs of the Black Mountains have been using Fire magic in their raids. Blaur, the Fire Mage, is thought to be responsible for helping them. No Fire magic can hard him, and the Emperor’s Wizards are unable to counter his spells. You have therefore been chosen to enter his lair, deep beneath Black Fire Crag. The Emperor will reward you with 150 gold coins each for Balur’s destruction.
NOTES
Use the Chaos Sorcerer model for Balur.
A) The treasure chest contains 150 gold coins and the Wand of Recall. This is a Quest Treasure, the player who finds it takes the appropriate card, which he may keep.
BALUR
Balur has the following values:
Attack 2 dice
Defend 5 dice
Move 8 squares
Mind 7
Body 1
Balur has the three Fire spells, which he may use during the game. The players may not choose Fire spells for this game. They must choose their spells from the remaining sets.
Balur also has the special ability of being able to run through any wall once during the game. When he does this, he is placed on the space marked “X” in the middle room. If the furniture in this room has not been put out yet, wait until the room is seen before placing Balur on the marked square.

Wandering Monster: Fimir



Quest 9
Race Against Time
“A guide has led you into a dungeon that is rumored to hold a great secret. He has led you down many dark corridors and finally you find yourself in a room with three doors. Suddenly the guide puts out his torch and in the darkness you hear him laugh. ‘Farewell my Heroes’ he sneers as he makes his escape. You realize to your horror that it is a trap! You must escape or perish in this dark forgotten hole.”
The character players must attempt to find their way to the stairway tile.
NOTES
A) This is the room where the players start.
B) These treasure chests each contain 100 gold coins.

Wandering Monster: Fimir



Quest 10
Castle of Mystery
“Long ago a crazy wizard, Ollar, discovered the entrance to a gold mine. Using his great powers he built a magic castle above the mine to protect it. The castle had many magic portals and was guarded by a host of monsters who were trapped in time. Cam you find the entrance? Others have tried, but the castle has thwarted them every time.”
NOTES
Whenever a character moves through a door, he rolls two standard dice. He will then be teleported to the square with the same number as the dice total. If that square is already occupied, he will land o the character or monster on it. The character or monster will lose 1 Body point and, if still alive, must room two dice to see where he is teleported. The first character remains on the square. If a character or monster rolls the number of the square on which he is currently standing he rolls the dice again.
Characters may only pass through one portal per turn.
A) This is the entrance to the mine. Any player who enters this room may take 5000 gold pieces. However, as long as he is carrying the gold, he may not attack or defend himself. If the character puts the gold down, it will disappear back to the mine.
When the game is over, tell the players that all the gold found in the mine is fool’s gold. Any other Treasure that is found, however, is real.
Wandering Monster: Tell the players the ghost of Ollar appears, chuckles madly and disappears.



Quest 11
Bastion of Chaos
“The lands to the east have been plagued by marauding Orcs and Goblins. The Emperor has ordered that a band of worthy Heroes should be sent forth to destroy them. The Orcs are well protected in a strong underground fortress known as the Bastion of Chaos. They are led by a small group of Chaos Warriors. You must fight your way in and kill all the monsters you find. You will be paid a bounty of:
10 gold coins for each Goblin killed
20 gold coins for each Orc killed
30 Gold coins for each Fimir or Chaos Warrior killed.”
NOTES
A) This is the Armoury. There are many weapons here by they are unusable. However, if a player searches for Treasure, he will find a shield. That player takes a shield card from the Equipment cards.
B) The treasure chest is a trap. IF any player opens the chest with Gargoyle will spring to life and immediately attack. If a player searches for traps he will discover what would happen if he opened the chest. The Gargoyle cannot be harmed until it has either moved or attacked another player.
C) The Chaos Warrior has a magic sword. Whoever kills the Chaos Warrior may take the sword as a prize. The sword is Orcs Bane. This is a Quest treasure and the player should take the appropriate card, which he may keep.
Wandering Monster: Fimir



Quest 12
Barak Tor – Barrow of the Witch Lord
“War with the eastern Orcs is brewing and the Emperor needs to unit the lesser kingdoms for the conflict to come. To do this, he must find the ancient Star of the West, as worn by the Kings of Legend and by Rogar when he battled with Morcar in ages past. Anyone who finds the gem will be given 200 gold coins. The gem lies in Barak Tor, the resting place of the Witch Lord. He was also known as the King of the Dead, a powerful servant of Morcar, and was destroyed by the Spirit Blade long ago. The Spirit Blade is the only weapon that can harm him.”
NOTES
X) Use the Chaos Sorcerer model for the Witch Lord. Place it on the spot marked ‘X’ when the Witch Lord is released.
A) These are false doors and cannot be opened at all.
B) The Star of the West is in the Zombie’s hand.
C) This rock fall trap will collapse after the last player to pass under it, thus blocking the way back.
D) This is the tomb of the Witch Lord. The Witch Lord will be release from his imprisonment when the players enter the room. Place the Witch Lord where shown. Read the following text to the players:
“You have broken the magic seal that kept the Witch Lord imprisoned. Now he has awoken and you must run. Only the Spirit Blade can arm him.”
THE WITCH LORD
The Witch Lord is not affected by any weapon other than the Spirit Blade; neither is he affected by any spell. The Witch Lord rolls the following dice:
Attack 2 dice
Defend 6 Dice
Movement 1 square
Mind 4
Body 1

Wandering Monster: Skeleton




Quest 13
Quest for the Spirit Blade
“You have awoken the Witch Lord. He will pose a most serious threat to the Emperor in the coming war. The Witch Lord must be destroyed before he can bring his army of Undead to attack the Emperor’s forces. You must first find the Spirit Blade, for only this ancient weapon can harm him. The Spirit Blade was forged by the Dwarves of the World Edge Mountains and cooled in the Elven fountain of Lebin. The sword now lies in an ancient, ruined temple and you must recover it.”

NOTES
The spaces marked with falling blocks show where the ceiling is dangerous. Any play who moves onto one of these squares must roll a die. If he rolls a 5 or 6, he will lose one Body point from falling masonry. If the player is wearing a helmet, and has a helmet card, then my will only lose a Body point on the roll of a 6. Monsters are not affected by the falling block squares, as they are familiar with the passages. Do not place the falling block tiles onto the gameboard.
A) The Spirit Blade is in the centre of the room, bathed in a cool blue light. This is a Quest treasure and the player should take the appropriate card, which he may keep.
B) The Treasure chest contains 200 gold coins.

Wandering Monster: Chaos Warrior




Quest 14
Return to Barak Tor
“Now that you have found the Spirit Blade, you must return to Barak Tor and defeat the Witch Lord. The Emperor has ridden forth to meet the Eastern Orcs at Blackfire Pass. If you fail, the Witch Lord will lead his army of Undead and attack the Emperor’s forces from the rear. Then nothing will remain to prevent the Forces of Chaos overrunning the land …”

NOTES
WL) Use the Chaos Sorcerer model for the Witch Lord
A) The Tomb is now empty

THE WITCH LORD
The Witch Lord is not affected by any weapon other than the Spirit Blade; neither is he affected by any spell. The Witch Lord has grown stronger and now rolls the following dice:
Attack 5 dice
Defend 6 Dice
Movement 10 squares
Mind 4
Body 1

Wandering Monster: Mummy: with Mind 6, Body 1



“You have done well. And yet it seems your task is hardly begun. Dark clouds gather at the Empire’s borders…
“The Emperor rode with his army towards Black Fire Pass, that perilous mountain route linking the Empire and the Borderlands. No such army has ever been raised in living memory. Greater even that Rogar’s host it was. They drew up their battle lines on the grassy plains at the foot of the mountain road and waited. ‘Ere nightfall, the sky darkened and a great wind arose. Spine-chilling shrieks and howls echoed from the mountain tops, terrifying the horses and filing man and elf alike with fear.
“Then came the first assault. Pouring down the mountainside as through it were a gentle slope rather than an almost vertical cliff, the hordes of Morcar fell upon the Empire’s defenders. Like a black wave they came; but the lines held and it seemed we should win the day.
“But I had not reckoned with Morcar’s magic. He stood high on a ridge overlooking the battlefield and unleashed this terrible magic. Lightning flashed from his fingertips and great gouts of flame exploded among the defenders. Our lines were breached in a dozen places at once and the enemy howled in delight.
“Then came the Doomguard – Morcar’s elite force of Chaos Knights. Our army broke and ran. Only the Emperor’s personal guard held their ground and many sacrificed themselves to ensure his safe retreat.
“The remnants of the army are not holed by in Karak Varn – the ancient dwarven stronghold. They do not have provisions for a long siege, however, so we must act swiftly if we are to save the Emperor and his army.
“Yet there is another evil to be confronted. The Witch Lord lives. He too had magic I had not foreseen and was protected from the Spirit Blade. He was sorely wounded, however, and fled to his ancient retreat in the Black Mountains. But soon he will have recovered enough to lead the Legion of the Damned once more.
“The Empire has great need of you. I myself cannot act against these dangers, for I must move against Morcar and strive to weaken his power. Until we meet again, take car, my friends. Farewell… “