Infernus and Primordia have been mortal enemies for as long as either can remember. Their enmity has built with every passing campaign, every injury, every insult, every defeat, every victory. The level of fury and hate has finally reached the point where both are willing to risk everything in a single duel to the death. This time there will be no ransom, no last minute flight, no prisoner exchange, no honoring of any of the rules of war the elemental wizards typically employ to limit the carnage and loss. The loser will face utter destruction, and even the winner will face an unknown but certainly severe sanction from the judgment of their masters of their respective spheres. Possibly even expulsion from their order.
The only place the two can meet to avoid the watchful gaze of the Chancellory of Death and the Council of Jade is here in this underdeveloped corner of existence. A place so poor in resources and martial skill that none of the Elemental Clans have bothered to notice it. This won't deter Infernus and Primordia, who know that even a dull sword can cut if there's rage behind the blow.
The map
First I must warn you that this is not a traditional RPG style single player map (I don't care for them.) Rather, I made this version of 'Dark Embrace' when I saw how disappointingly easy the standard (MP) map played in SP mode, (the AI expanded discouragingly slowly.) All this map seeks to do is raise the challenge level up to approximately that of an RMG generated map. Infernus gets a few bonus resources and Primordia has a bit more to deal with on her side.
The map has my standard pool of rhyming-description heroes with a few new faces included. I've departed a little from my usual practice of not locking the wizards, if it really bugs you then "unlock" the starting wizards in the editor; variable starting wizards shouldn't impact game play much (as long at the surrogate Primordia is good/neutral) but the story won't make sense, (no great loss?) The blocking terrain and the non-repeating teleporters should make the map play 'bigger' than most medium maps.
Acknowledgments
Thanks as always to The Sheik for the wonderful Wizard artwork.
Also thanks to Aquamote (gone but not forgotten,) for the tollbooth trick.
Thanks to Talon Thorn for the trigger/flag stuff in the Library - excellent info for the script challenged.
Finally, thanks to all those who have downloaded my previous maps, especially those audacious souls who've MP turn logged 'em here on Heaven Games.