004 The Princess Adventure

Despite the best efforts of the surviving Karnian Royal Family, The Resistance against General Morin and his Regime would be nearly helpless without the aid of powerful allies. Many of these allies trace their fidelity back to ages past while others are recent friends and peers of the late King Alfin and Queen Peria.   One such ally, the highland kingdom of Augustford has been particularly vocal and expansive in their support. They have pursued an aggressive intervention, pursuing diplomatic responses, funneling funds to the Resistance and even directly loaning some of the famed Augustfordian elite archery units for Resistance operations. All of these actions have earned them the particular ire of General Morin and his subordinates. To attempt to cut off this support, Morin provided support to a puppet tyrant on the neighboring island of Albimonte. This leader, the violent and megalomaniacal George Thunderlord, eagerly accepted the arrangement.   With Theia Commerce Group funding and equipment secured by Morin, Thunderlord was easily able to take over and consolidate his rule. With his newfound power he enacted a violent kidnapping, stealing away Princess Aurora during an extended journey. With her life as a bargaining chip, Thunderlord was able to pressure Augustford and its royal family to withdraw support. Simultaneously, his forces raided the lair of Albimonte's Guardian Dragon stealing her egg mere days before it was due to hatch.   Rather than give in to the tyrannical Thunderlord and abandon their allies, King Harold III and Queen Elizabeth secretly sought aid from the Resistance. A detachment of adventurers, Alex the Hinterlands soldier, Azmir the Ifrit fire-wielder and the young gold Dragon Hedraig, were dispatched in complete secrecy to Albimonte.   With stolen Thunderbird magic provided by Augustford, the three were able to break through the dangerous storm barrier which Thunderlord had erected around the island. After an incredibly lethal landing sortie against local soldiers, the three set off to disrupt the storm barrier by destroying the three anchoring towers scattered around the island. Through overwhelming strength and the occasional mysterious fire, the three were able to successfully bring down the towers and defeat or free the lightning charged creatures powering the devices, including a fully grown Thunderbird. With information gathered from defeated soldiers they were also able to recover the Guardian Dragon egg, freeing the powerful creature to assist them.   In a valiant castle raid aided by rebellious locals, the Thunderbird and the Guardian Dragon, the three were able to chase Thunderlord to the heights of his own stolen castle, finally defeating him in epic combat atop a tall arcane tower. With Thunderlord defeated they were able to free Princess Aurora and return the island to peaceful self-rule. With their daughter safely rescued, Augustford unleashed a series of devastating retaliatory attacks, destroying Theia Commerce Group and Morin Regime installations across Karnes.