Family Feuds is the first chapter of the Golden Realms in Age of Wonders 3.
Prelude[]
Athla Map from "Family Feuds"
"Day 3 of the Thicket Moon, the 57th year since the Heartwood Massacre. My name is Ernest and I am a Thistlewood of Ampost, one of the last refuges of the Halflings of Athla. I start this journal on the day that war has found us again. Refugees have washed up on our shores; our village is flooded with scared, war-battered people. Among them is Ham Binger, the legendary Halfling hero, and the news he has brought will change everything." - Ernest Thistlewood
Introduction[]
Leadership[]
Ernest and Ham
New Heartwood is gone. The refugees bring wild tales of rampaging Orcs and Goblins. I cannot imagine what they must have been through. The refugees hoped to find a safe haven with us, but our Ampost colony is deeply divided along old family lines. With no central leadership and with thousands of extra people to shelter, we will be unable to withstand the attack many fear is coming.
Among the refugees is the legendary hero, Ham Binger, of he Order of Keepers. He calls for a council, hoping to find a suitable leader to unite us.
The Peacocks, an old family respected for their quiet devotion to the Allfather, were the first to present a leader; the pious Roger Peacock. The Moonflower family, who made their riches through trade, argued that they had more experience in the ways of the world, and put forward the calculating Camille.
I represent our family, the Thistlewoods. We are builders, farmers and watchmen, and I believe we need more than just an army. We need to change our ways, to stop sipping tea in our gardens while we gossip about the other families. The time has come for a new kind of Halfling: a race of fighters.
With three such conflicting personalities, the council quickly descended into chaos, with arguments and recriminations coming from all sides. Fearing that our squabbling could erupt into civil unrest, Ham Binger proposed a contest; the first family to successfully settle the mouth of the Serpentine River and build a realm large enough to protect our people, shall lead the three united Halfling families.
Overview[]
Leaders[]
| Leader | Ernest Thistlewood | Camille Moonflower | Roger Peacock | Malzua of Shyndra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Thistlewood - Halfling Warlord (Player, Green/yellow) | Neutral | Neutral | War | |
| Camille Moonflower - Halfling Rogue (Purple/orange) | Neural | No contact | Neutral | |
| Roger Peacock - Halfling Theocrat (Yellow/maroon) | Neutral | No contact | War | |
| Malzua of Shyndra - Draconian Sorcerer (Black/red) | War | Neutral | War |
Heroes[]
- Ernest Thistlewood - Halfling Warlord (Player)
- Allie Thistlewood - Halfling Sorcerer (Player)
- Clarissa Forges-Smythe - Halfling Dreadnought (Player)
- Camille Moonflower - Halfling Rogue (Camille)
- Roger Peacock - Halfling Theocrat (Roger)
- Malzua of Shyndra - Draconian Sorcerer (Maluza)
Cities[]
- Ernest Thistlewood
- New Aldor - Halfling Outpost (Ernst's Throne)
- Camille Moonflower
- Crescendale - Halfling Outpost (Camille's Throne)
- Tombelston - Halfling Outpost
- Shunshire - Halfling Town
- Roger Peacock
- Civille - Halfling Village (Roger's Throne)
- Erthaan - Halfling Outpost
- Bolmington - Halfling Outpost
- Malzua of Shyndra
- Malzur - Draconian Metropolis (Maluza's Throne)
- Xinax - Draconian Outpost
- Ress Xi - Draconian Outpost
- Uarr Hin - Draconian Village
- Lactor - Draconian Outpost
- Quir-Nas - Draconian Outpost
- Independents
- Dway Felling - Fey Dwelling
- Fan Bel'enn - Fey Dwelling
Fortresses[]
- Malzua of Shyndra
- Brana Orti
- Vilfush
- Kish
Outro[]
The Path of the Serpent[]
The Halfling battle the Naga
With Roger and his Nagas defeated and Camille's concession, I have become the ruler of the Halflings of Ampost, but I have little time to celebrate my victory. Ham and my sister have travelled southeast along the Serpentine River to investigate troubling rumors that Karl Hushwick, another member of the Order of Keepers, is attempting to unlock the Seals of Power.
I'd heard tales of the Seals before of course, all Halfling children had. Mysterious structures constructed by Merlin to hold back a great and terrible evil. They turned up in so many children's stories, that everyone had thought that's what they were: stories. That they could be real, could actually exist and be on this Isle? It is unthinkable, but think on it I must.
Could the old rumors have been true? The Heartwood Massacre all those years ago, were they really looking for the Seals? Was my entire race brought to the brink of extinction for a fairy tale?
I will know the truth of this. I will raise an army, and move to offer support. The Halfings* have stood isolated for long enough, it is time for us to take back our place in the world, before one of our own plunges it into chaos.
* "Halfings" is a mistake in the text, it should have been "Halflings"