Following the swift completion of Setup and both Rounds 1 and 2, the end of Round 3 signaled not just the conclusion of the hottest campaign round yet but also marked the end of the first season in our campaign.

Hungerford and his Minions had successfully pushed back the Cryxian surprise attack at Ironhead Station, but his forces had been caught unprepared for the sudden Retribution flank attack that claimed the Rimmocksdale Lake from him. The loss of the lake was a critical blow to Hungerford and a major boon for Plummer, whose Retribution forces were a bit on the ropes following the aggressive actions against him by Charles Agel and his Convergence army.

All in all, the events of Round 3 shook up the map quite nicely and showed the players that this campaign will be far from predictable.

Below is the wrap-up I sent to everyone following the end of our first season and the beginning of Round 4 following the Orders Phase.

Following the close of the first season of the campaign, the area around the Wrymwalls is poised for the beginning of all-out war between the rival factions, as each has received critical orders from High Command that must be achieved in order to secure victory.

While Season 1 saw several secret alliances and deals among the various commanders, it also saw plenty of bold and aggressive offensives. None were more heated than the rapid assault by Circle Orboros against the Trollkin to the north. While the druids moved quickly, the canny trollkin realized the danger and were able to quickly move a sizable force to defend their home kriel from the blackclad assault, turning what would have been a certain last stand for the brave defenders into a grueling meat grinder that saw the Circle repulsed by the slimmest of margins.

The Circle gambit failed, and both factions stood on the precipice of mutual destruction, until, in an unlikely turn of events, the two commanders decided to set aside their animosity following their season of brutal conflict to declare a formal alliance. The druids, ever keen to capitalize on the fruits of their political machinations, established a new Forward Operating Base, giving them a solid launching point for their next phase of expansion.

Following an early victory, the Retribution saw its efforts in the initial stages of the campaign flounder, as their forces were ill equipped to conquer territory. In danger of being left behind by the other factions, the Retribution commander enacted a bold strategy. He sent a flanking force to make use of the faction’s near preternatural skill at infiltration by circumventing the other factions and striking at the Rimmocksdale Lake from an unguarded corner. Though the tactic was a success, the question remains as to whether or not the strategy will prove wise—the Retribution has now run afoul of both the Convergence and Khadorans in the region, who have declared a formal alliance seemingly under the auspice of removing the Iosan threat.

Now, as the new season dawns, hostilities begin anew across the land. The Retribution and Cryx forces have come to clash in the North once more while the Minions seek to reclaim the Rimmocksdale Lake from the Retribution.

At the same time, the Retribution has launched a counteroffensive to reclaim land lost to the Convergence of Cyriss. The Iosans, however, are sure to have a tough fight ahead. But in a stroke of luck, missives from the Khadoran and Convergence commanders seem to have led to confusion when both commanders, despite their formal alliance, try to move their banners into the same tile! While battle is unlikely (though betrayal is a constantly looming threat), the resulting collision means neither will be able to support the battle in the adjacent tile.

So, what are these secret orders? As I’ve mentioned before, one of the best factors of a GMed campaign for me is the asymmetry it allows the campaign to have—not just in individual games but in ultimate win conditions as well. In my opinion, the best campaigns are the ones where players are each racing to complete their own unique paths to victory while contending with the shared ultimate goal of the campaign. Not only does this play off the strengths of the campaign format, but it’s also another way to tie the narrative and play experiences together. While one player may be trying to assassinate a high-value enemy character, another may be tasked with capturing ground deemed particularly important to the goals of his faction.

The secret orders each player received will net them a healthy sum of campaign victory points if they can complete it within certain time frames. Of course, those orders are only the first of more to come, so achieving them quickly will be of utmost importance or else a player could find himself overstretched between the demands of High Command, the chase for the athanc, and the realities of the unfolding conflict.

While completion of a player’s secret orders will net that player a nice sum of VPs, it will not be the only venue by which those points are available. The players were warned that special “hot spots” that will also award VPs to the player who manages to claim their bounty will appear on the map. When and where these will appear, however, no one knows. It will be up to their skills as commanders to ensure they develop a winning strategy and wrest victory from the chaos of war.

How will our players respond to this new turn of events? Tune in next time to find out!