Truly Machiavelian Renaissance Games

Secret Victory:
Beltelephon: King of Atholl

By Otto Schmidt

The War has not gone well. Legolam, son of Ltihium, self-styled “King of the Elves” has once again revolted in the north, and while your main armies are fighting there, the Salacious Empire has attacked in the south. You have cobbled up a hodge-podge army of mercenaries and what troops you could spare and gone to meet them. Yet, the Swinns, (of Swinnland) your old allies have proven cranky and unwilling, no doubt because of divisions in the Swinnish court which question continued help to your dynasty and these interminable civil wars. The regiments you did get were the most radical in the army, filled with Levellers, Diggers, extreme iconoclasts, millenialists, and wild-eyed fanatics, social revolutionaries, and extreme communists on the one hand, and the other regiment was of the most hard-bitten greedy, grasping, voracious, lecherous, and quarrelsome mercenaries of all, and believe largely in no God but Gold. Granted, fierce fighters all, and the best troops in the army to be sure, but still a royal pain in your royal ass!

Worse, Prince Lanolin your lout of a brother is proving more than his usual pig-headed and stupid self. He has opposed every attempt you have made to modernize the army and copy modern methods. He continues to intrigue with the noble houses and limit your power. He wants to be king. The only problem is that he is even more of an idiot than Legolam. However, two days ago, word has come to you (and you alone) that Legolam is willing to treat for terms, and you have given Councillor Silvathin full power to do so. The war may soon be over and if the revolt collapses the Salacians will go away of their own accord. This is doubly important for if you can win now it will be the first time your dynasty has stood the test of revolt on its own, and this will be a signal to Legolam and the world that your days of weakness are over. All you have to do is hold on this day.

1. You have three wagon trains with your war chest in them. Each carries 100,000 florins. You get 1 victory point for each wagon you have at the end of the game.

2. You get four victory points if you hold the three redoubts and the village of Mortadella by the end of the game.

3. You get four Victory points if Prince Lanolin is killed in the battle (Mother always liked him best anyway, so small loss!).

4. You get one Victory point if the Prince of Belgravia is killed (He’s your other brother and he is very loyal to you, but he’s just so fawning and adoring of you it makes you sick! He’s like a pet puppy that just keeps getting under foot. You keep looking for a bucket of water.)

5. You get two Victory points if the Swinnish regiments and two more if the Black Legion are still are aligned with you at game end. 5. You get two Victory points if the Emir Benelux ( a former contender for the throne of the Elves, now a general with the Salacians. His Elvish name is Lactaid) is killed. He is your cousin and while brave, is another contender for the throne and you got enough of them already!

More Truly Machiavelian Renaissance Games Elvish Civil Wars

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