Is it better to serve in Heaven or to reign in Hell? You smirk as this thought crosses your mind. This city could pass for Hell, you think as you ride on horseback through the city's dirt roads, flanked by the Wolf's elite bodyguards. You look with disgust upon the filthy peasants. Their skin stretched over their bones, staring at you blankly through their sunken eyes. Your horse sidesteps the body of an old man in the road. You cover your nose as the smell passes.
You reach the entrance to the Wolf's stronghold, and your rank as a general in his army allows you to cross the threshold between Hell and Heaven. You smile at the sight of luxury all around. Guards in bright, shiny armor salute you as you pass. Servant girls glance at you flirtatiously and you smile back. This will soon all be yours if you play your cards right. But now is not yet the time. You've only been recently promoted to general, and you mist first gain the Wolf's trust, not an easy feat to accomplish.
You step into the massive throne room of the Wolf and he rises out of his throne and motions for you to approach him.
"Welcome." he says, smiling though his voice remains cold as ever. "I would like to congratulate you on your victory against the Rat's army."
"It is an honor, your majesty." you respond.
"There will be no time to rest, though." he says, the smile vanishing so quickly as to leave you wondering if you imagined it. "The Pig has been massing his armies in the east. I believe he intends to invade within the year. This forces me to spread my forces thin by defending that border. Luckily there is a fortress there which was abandoned five years ago. It is on a man-made island in the middle of a lake."
"I shall leave at once." you say, hoping that he doesn't become suspicious of your eagerness. The Wolf turns away from you without a word. After a moment of awkwardness you step out of his throne room.
This will be your chance to gain the trust of the Wolf, to put you in a better position to seize the throne. You have no idea how at this moment, but your resolve is firm.
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In this map, the fortress itself is fairly easy to defend. However, there is not enough room inside the fortress for all your food and resource production, forcing you to defend the river crossing in the south as well. Also note that there is no suitable location for a stone quarry, so a marketplace is necessary to get stone to improve your defenses.