Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
"In the war-torn highlands of Persia, the orphaned prodigy leading the mysterious Safavid Order has returned from exile and galvanized his followers into an unstoppable conquering force. Will this charismatic visionary lay the groundwork for one of the most illustrious empires of the Islamic world, or will his delusions of grandeur be his ultimate undoing?"
Campaign Intro
Ismail is one of three campaigns introduced by the Age of Empires II DLC The Mountain Royals. It follows the eponymous hero, as he struggles between his own ambitions and that of his own empire.
In this campaign, the player controls the Persians, and they use the color Yellow.
Scenarios
#1. The Red Hats
#2. Road to Royalty
#3. Alexander Safavi
#4. The Fallen Amir
#5. Khata'i
The campaign shows examples of:
- Children Forced to Kill: Ismail was 12 years old when the narrator finds him to finish the quest for revenge, as told in the intro to "The Red Hats".
- Cosmetic Award:
- "Call Me Ismail" for completing the campaign.
- "Sneak Attack", for killing Farrukh Yasar before he reaches his fortress in "The Red Hats".
- "Landslide Election", for capturing all Tabriz noblemen in "Road to Royalty".
- "I Ain't 'Fraid of No Guns", for defeating the Ottomans in "Khata'i".
- Full-Circle Revolution: The narrator notes that, much in the same way Ismail inspired his followers to depose the Aq Qoyonlu, it was now them who were planning on depose Ismail after power got over his head."Ismail’s demise began not in Persia, but in the ever-growing Ottoman Empire. A man named Sahkulu attempted a coup against the ruling dynasty, much like Ismail had rallied his own followers to depose the Aq Qoyunlu."
- A God Am I: Ismail (at least from the narrator's perspective) seemed to think of himself that way."One day, a visitor arrived from the east, seeking aid and shelter. His master was the Timurid leader Babur, who hoped to reclaim his homeland of Transoxiana from the rapacious Uzbek warlord Shaybani Khan. As Babur and Ismail both were avid lovers of poetry, the Timurid was confident that our shah would happily answer the call. Yet for all of their similarities, Ismail loathed the thought of being compared to this... mortal, as he described him."
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: The Georgians in "Road to Royalty" start as an enemy, but can be made allies by garrisoning a Relic in their castle... for a short time, as they latter begin to suspect Ismail of treason and will become enemies again.
