Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
"The tiny kingdom of Cilician Armenia lies between hostile empires, its ruling family in Byzantine captivity. When Prince Thoros escapes, he embarks on a dangerous campaign to liberate his homeland, but the vengeful Byzantines are not his only foes. The Seljuk Turks covet the region as well, and a ruthless Frankish crusader is pursuing his own schemes to the south..."
Campaign Intro
Thoros the Great is one of three campaigns introduced by the Age of Empires II DLC The Mountain Royals. It follows the eponymous hero on his way to liberate his homeland.
In this campaign, the player controls the Armenians, and they use the color Orange.
Scenarios
#1. Outlawed
#2. The Emperor's Revenge
#3. Caught in the Crossfire
#4. Bloody Crestwaves
#5. Of Turncoats and Traitors
The campaign shows examples of:
- Baseless Mission: "Outlawed" starts with just Thoros being controlled by the player.
- Commonality Connection: The narrator acknowledges in the outro of "Caught in the Crossfire" that he and Thoros share one thing in common:"If I am not given what I am due, I will take it by force. In that respect, Thoros and I were much alike."
- Cosmetic Award:
- "Lord of the Mountains" for completing the campaign.
- "Bounty Hunter" for converting at least three Byzantine generals in "The Emperor's Revenge".
- "Raiding Party!" for defeating all enemy Cypriot players in "Bloody Crestwaves".
- "Church Sanctuary" for preserving all Tarsos Villagers in "Of Turncoats and Traitors".
- Dented Iron: The narrator at the end of "Bloody Crestwaves" notes that, while they laughed after their victory and the riches they were surrounded on, Thoros began to tire after so many years of warring, and being worried that many years of warring are ahead of him."Despite our success, I noted a weariness in Thoros' eyes. He had seen decades of fighting, and it seemed as though he would see decades more. What would have been a blessing to a warrior like myself, weighed on him like a curse. I could not help but wonder if the strain would one day become too much for him to bear. "
- Escort Mission:
- "Caught in the Crossfire" has a sidequest that requires you to escort Simon de Raban to the Transport Ship that awaits him on the northern coast.
- "Bloody Crestwaves" has another sidequest where you must escort the Cypriot traitor to Alexandretta in order to obtain a map that reveals all of Cyprus.
- Face–Heel Turn:
- At the beginning of "The Emperor's Revenge", the narrator notes that many nobles who once sworn fealty to Thoros deserted and joined the Byzantine invaders.
- In the intro to "Of Turncoats and Traitors", both the narrator and Thoros's relatives turned after the Byzantine king paid them with gold.
- Foreshadowing: At one point in "Outlawed", when Thoros reaches Mleh's base, Mleh isn't pleased about Thoros being alive, and refers to the Byzantines as friends by mistake. Then comes "Of Turncoats and Traitors", where Mleh joins the Seljuks and betrays Thoros.
- In Love with Your Carnage: The narrator openly states his admiration for Thoros's army's ruthlessness in the outro of "Bloody Crestwaves":"For three weeks, Cyprus suffered under our blades and torches. Those who think me a ruthless tyrant should have seen Thoros' soldiers! Years of Byzantine misdeeds had forged these men into vengeful marauders who now took their vengeance on the emperor's Cypriot subjects."
- Morton's Fork:
- "The Emperor's Revenge" begins with a decision the player must make: pick up either Mleh or Stephan in order to lead your forces. Who you choose will determine the kind of strategies going forward: defensive and economy-based in the case of Mleh, and offensive in the case of Stephan.
- "Of Turncoats and Traitors" has a similar choice once Thoros is forced to run from the falling Tarsos. In this case, siding with Mleh has him abandoning his base in order to join the Selijuks, and granting the player a resourceful base located next to the bases of Reynald and the Selijuks, while siding with Stephan grants a safer and more fortified base but with less resources.
- Not So Similar: At the same time, at the end of "Of Turncoats and Traitors", the narrator notes that he doesn't particularly agree with Thoros's decision to abdicate the throne just after reconquering it, instead going to the mountains to seek peace, far from the battlefields and the political drama surrounding the crown."The strain that I had once seen in him had finally become too much. He walked away from his life’s accomplishments, discarding the crown for which he had fought so hard, and strode up into the mountains. From what I hear, he now lives among the monks in an isolated monastery, far from bustling courts and scream-filled battlefields. I have heard others applaud his wisdom in relinquishing earthly desires in the hope of finding peace. If that is wisdom, then I am no wise man, nor will I ever be. I was and will remain a restless warrior, a servant of shifting masters, behind whose ever-changing mask rests an opportunistic, ruthless mercenary. In that respect, Thoros and I are not alike..."
