CLASH OF SPEARS... PREPARE FOR GLORY!

 THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE DOOMED, IS NO HOPE AT ALL...

Earlier this year, I rediscovered Mortal Gods, after it had been sat forlornly on a shelf in the back of the garage for ages, and set too preparing a game using the Greeks I had painted for my Clash of Spears Syracusan army and a load of skeletons from Wargames Atlantic. Having got quite excited about the game beforehand, I was left feeling quite deflated afterwards! The game just didn't click for me and I went back to the drawing board with the rule set, to see if I had missed something essential which had impacted so negatively on the game. Having failed to see just what I could do differently, the thought occurred to me that it might be better to try using Clash of Spears to continue my venture into the world of Greek Mythology. A quick post on the Facebook page brought a reply from one of the game authors, Alvaro Erize, suggesting the Arcane Companion, which the guys at Fighting Hedgehog had produced to add a fantasy element to the Clash of Spears brand. Eureka! The perfect combination... the game I enjoy playing the most and stories like Jason and the Argonauts, to inspire a whole chronicle of adventures for heroes and villains alike.

It is more than 200 years since King Xerxes of Persia launched his fateful invasion of Greece and a detachment of his army arrived to conduct the conquest of the island of Hemoroides. The people of the northern provinces of the island armed themselves and marched out to repel the invaders, on the understanding that the men of the relatively wealthy southern city state of Hallitosos would join them in their onerous endeavour. The greatly outnumbered army of the north met the Persians at the Battle of Miocardium and, being betrayed and abandoned by the Hallitosians, were massacred by the victorious invaders.

The Aneamians betrayed and defeated at the Battle of Miocardium.

Following the defeat of Xerxes, the Persian invaders of Hemoroides were themselves left abandoned and isolated in the province of Odaros and have continued to live according to  their own laws and customs since that time. The self-seeking Greeks of Hallitosos maintain an uneasy peace with the Persians which, occasionally, erupts into brief spells of violence. Meanwhile, in the distant north-west of the island, the ancestors of the Defeated have spent the past two hundred years barely eking out an existence in their remote and barren wilderness.

In recent times, dark and mysterious forces have stealthily begun to take hold of the province of Aneamia, feeding upon the fears and despair of the downtrodden population, bringing hope that a long overdue vengeance may be served upon the reviled people of Hallitosos. Hidden deep within the wastes of the province lies a monstrous secret, known only to the followers of the unspeakable Lord of the Underworld; the entrance to the land of the spirits of the dead, from whence came Heinos, the Necromancer, servant of Hades and guardian and overlord of the Souls of the Defeated of Miocardium...

Heinos the Necromancer appeared, as if from nowhere, many years ago and has patiently, yet irresistibly, built up a loyal following amongst the benighted and ignorant peasant folk of Aneamia. He beguiles them with promises of power and wealth and, above all, revenge upon the Betrayers of Hallitosos. "Prepare for Glory!", he tells them, "Your days in the wilderness are to become a memory. The Legion of the Damned are awakening to lead you to Hallitosos!"

Once living mundane lives of privation, hunger and shame, the peasant folk of Aneamia flock to the banner of Heinos the Necromancer, prepared to sell their souls in his name. These zealots know no fear, not even of death, and they dream of the day when they will march south to avenge their long dead ancestors... The Defeated...