Mainline in: 1.5.6 and after
Created by: Spiros, George and Alexander Alexiou (Santi/fnaek); adapted for mainline by Eric S. Raymond (esr) and Fabi/fendrin
Year of events: 19—93 YW
Created by: Spiros, George and Alexander Alexiou (Santi/fnaek); adapted for mainline by Eric S. Raymond (esr) and Fabi/fendrin
Year of events: 19—93 YW
Not long after humans and orcs arrived to the Great Continent, elves's years of peace are disturbed by an orcish invasion. Young but wise elf Kalenz and his brash friend Landar travel from their home in Lintanir Forest to the elves capital Kali'an in Wesmere Forest in order to get help. Soon, they realize that they can't rely on Kali'an council and must find their own way to stop the orcs.
This campaign provides examples of:
- Cincinnatus: In the epilogue, Kalenz is given the High Lord title by all the remaining elves since the council is dead. Kalenz does all the necessary reformation and retires after that.
- Co-Op Multiplayer: The only campaign in mainline that allows this. Unfortunately, scenarios after "Costly Revenge" just don't work well in multiplayer because Landar suffers from a Face–Heel Turn.
- Enemy Civil War: Since the orcs are too strong once united by a sovereign, Kalenz and Landar assasinate the sovereign in order to incite civil war between the orcs, stopping their invasion against the elves at least until they get a new sovereign.
- Face–Heel Turn: Landar. Initially Hot-Blooded, though still willing to listen to reason, he starts going off the deep end after drinking Crelanu's potion, as he (probably) murders some of his dwarven allies in their camp, leads the massacre of the saurians at Saurgrath, and eventually massacres the Ka'lian and declares himself High Lord, spreading xenophobic sentiments among the elves and kickstarting a long, costly Civil War between his faction and Kalenz's.
- Guest-Star Party Member: Galtrid and his Ka'lian forces are only playable in a total of three scenarios, while Olurf and his dwarves are only there for the middle part of the campaign. Finally, Landar and roughly two thirds of the player's Fighter and Archer-type units become your foes after "Costly Revenge".
- Hold the Line: In "Human Alliance", Kalenz's elves helps the humans of Wesnoth to defend Tath from the orcs until turns run out. Once turns run out, King Haldric II arrives with reinforcement and makes the orcs retreat. In a lesser example, in "Ka'lian Under Attack", Galtrid has to hold the Ka'lian until Kalenz arrives to help him push the orcs back.
- Killed Offscreen: The Elven Council are killed by Landar sometime after their last appearance and before "Elvish Assassins".
- Klingon Promotion: In the last few chapters, Landar takes control of the elvish army by killing the Ka'lian.
- Love at First Sight: Kalenz and Cleodil. It's even reflected in gameplay - having Cleodil adjacent to Kalenz not only gives him a damage bonus, it also causes Cleodil to heal him for 12 HP per turn (while normally she heals for 8).
- Psycho Serum: Crelanu's invisibility potion, made with the eyes of a lich. It grants the drinker invisibility, but has the nasty side effect of corrupting them as well. Kalenz is able to conquer the growing darkness inside him thanks to Cleodil's love and support, but Landar is not so fortunate, as his Anti-Hero tendencies evolve into full-blown villainous ones. Didn't help that he sneaked an extra dose of the potion, just to be safe.
- Start of Darkness: Drinking Crelanu's potion caused inner darkness inside both Kalenz and Landar to grow immensely. Kalenz got through it since he had Cleodil to help him, while Landar, unfortunately, didn't.
- Time Skip: The final war goes on for years, allowing a time skip between the penultimate and the last scenario.
- Wham Episode: "Council Ruling", where Kalenz is trialed for insubordination and forced into retirement because of it, which is immediately followed by "Elvish Assassins", where we find out that Landar "took care" of the Ka'lian and is now coming for Kalenz.
