MAGELLAN'S MAP SUBMISSION - SUMMER CONTEST 1998

Map Name:       Theseus  (thesprog.mx2)

Map Maker:      Sam Ventola

E-Mail Address: samuelv@ix.netcom.com

Map Type:       Multiplayer Cooperative (1H 1HC 3C) -
                1 Human (Green Barbarian),
                1 Human or Computer (Blue Wizard),
                3 Computer (Red Warlock, Orange Barbarian, Yellow Wizard).

Description:    Theseus and his father, Aegius King of Athens, must team up
to liberate Greece from the grip of Minos and the hated minotaurs.

Special Win:    Blue and Green vs. others

Special Loss:   Lose the hero "Theseus"

Special Other:  Cooperative

Narrative:      This map is based on the Greek legend of Theseus, slayer
of the Minotaur, conqueror of Crete, and King of Athens.  In particular, it
is also based on the retelling of the Theseus legend by Mary Renault in her
historical novel "The King Must Die," in which Ms. Renault offers a possible historical explanation for the Theseus legend.  A summary of the legend follows.  The Legend of Theseus can be read before playing the map, although you may wish to play the map out first so that the whole story will be a surprise.  Within the Spoilers section is a reconciliation of the map with the legend; this should not be read until after you finish the map.

All Human Sides
Completely
Play-Tested:    Yes

I am deeply indebted to The Western Wizard (Steven Lynch) for his assistance
and counsel.  Many of the good ideas you see on this map are his.  All of the
errors are mine.


THE LEGEND OF THESEUS

Theseus was born to the High Priestess of Troezen, a coastal town on the East
coast of the Pelops (the Peloponnesian peninsula) .  Theseus grew up not
knowing the identity of his father, his mother telling him that she had sworn
not to reveal it until Theseus could lift a huge stone in the forest, under
which his father had placed proof of his identity.  Many had speculated that 
Theseus father was actually the god Poseidon, in part because of Theseus
extraordinary strength and abilities.  Theseus was skilled with the bow and
the lyre, and was considered the inventor of scientific wrestling (the use of
complex holds and throws rather than brute force alone).

Theseus managed to lift the stone when he was only sixteen years old, as he
was already then a youth of towering size and strength.  Beneath the stone he
found the sword and sandals of Aegius, King of Athens.  His mother then told
Theseus that one night, while Aegius had stopped in Troezen on his way back
to Athens from Delphi, her father had sent Aegius to her where she waited in
the myrtle grove, so that she might conceive an heir to the Athenian throne.
Aegius had instructed her that if she bore a son, she should send him to
Athens when he could retrieve the sword and sandals, and display them to
Aegius as proof of his identity.

Rather than take the relatively short sea journey, Theseus chose to travel to
Athens over the isthmus road, in order to prove himself against the monsters
and highwaymen who preyed on travelers there.  Along the way, Theseus
defeated in single combat all the monsters that came against him, including
the giant Skiron, who beat travelers to death with his club and hoarded 
their possessions as treasure.

After surviving the isthmus, Theseus came upon the kingdom of Elyssus, where
its king, Kerkyon, was known to have killed countless travelers by wrestling
with them to the death.  Theseus defeated Kerkyon in single combat, and
thereby became King in Elyssus.

Theseus then finally made his way to Athens.  The witch Medea, Aegius
consort and High Priestess of Athens, had received word of his coming.
Hoping to secure the role of heir for her own sons, Medea convinced Aegius
that Theseus meant to murder him.  Medea prepared a cup of poisoned wine for
Aegius to give to Theseus.  However, Aegius saw that Theseus had the sword in
the nick of time, and knocked the poisoned cup from his hands.  Medea fled
from Athens in a chariot carried by four winged dragons.

Aegius declared Theseus his heir, which caused a rebellion by the former heir
Pallas.  Aegius led the armies of Athens, alongside Theseus leading the
armies of Elyssus, against Pallas and the Pallantids, eventually defeating
them at their stronghold at Sounion Head.  As a result, the size and
resources of Aegius kingdom were doubled.

Celebrations of this victory were short-lived, as soon thereafter the Cretan
tribute vessel arrived.  Years before the Cretan king, Minos, had attacked
Athens.  Although the fortress of Athens never fell, famine and starvation
forced Aegius to agree to a truce.  In addition to tribute, Aegius agreed to
provide 14 Athenian youths each year, 7 boys and 7 girls, to be sent to the
Cretan palace, The House of the Ax, to be devoured by the Minotaur.  This
time, Theseus was one of the captives - according to most versions of the
legend by his own choice but according to some chosen by the lot.

Theseus was held in captivity for several months before he could devise a
plan to free himself and his fellow captives.  Frescos uncovered in Knossos suggest a historical basis for the legend of sacrifice to the Minotaur. The frescos show youths participating in the "bull dance", where they are forced into an enclosed pen with a bull, and avoid being gored by leaping over the bull.  According to the legend, however, the Minotaur was a horrible creature - with the body of a man and the head of a bull.  Poseidon had granted Minos a huge bull for sacrifice, but Minos went back on his vow to sacrifice the beast and kept if for himself.  As punishment, the goddess Aphrodite gave Minos queen, Pasiphae, a consuming passion for the bull, and the Minotaur was conceived by this union.  Minos built the labyrinth below the House of the Ax to conceal the Minotaur and seal its victims therein.

Minos daughter Ariadne, high priestess of Crete and goddess-on-earth, fell
in love with Theseus after he retrieved from the sea a ring Minos had thrown
there to test him, and at the same time retrieved a golden crown.  Ariadne
gave Theseus a ball of thread to find his way through the labyrinth, and a
sword with which to kill the Minotaur.  After slaying the Minotaur, as well 
as Minos and his son Asterion, Theseus escaped from Crete all of the 14 who
were taken from Athens.  

Upon returning to Athens, Theseus had forgotten his fathers request to
change the sail of the tribute vessel from black to white to show that he
still lived.  On seeing the black sail and thinking Theseus dead, Aegius
threw himself into the sea, which to this day is still known as the Aegean
Sea.  Theseus succeeded to the throne, and thereafter returned to Crete at
the head of an army to conquer it.  Now, Theseus was king in both Athens and Crete, and Crete paid tribute to Athens.

Theseus thereafter united Attica under his rule, occasionally by conquest but
mostly through diplomacy.  Theseus extended the protection of the law, for
the first time, to lowly artisans, serfs, and even servants.  He was
universally recognized as a protector of the downtrodden and oppressed among
his people.  Theseus also traveled widely on adventures, and emulated the
feats of Hercules.  While helping his friend Pirithoos attempt to abduct
Persephone, Theseus was confined in the underworld for four years.  Upon his
return to Athens he found the land in lawlessness and disorder, and he left
in disgust for Crete.  After stopping in Skyros, he fell from a high cliff and
died - some say as a result of his hosts treachery, though others say he
leapt to his death as his father had done.

Hundreds of years and many generations after Theseus death, in the year
490 BC, Athens was a fledgling democracy.  A small army of Athens faced an
overwhelmingly huge invasion force from Persia at Marathon.  Although a
request had been sent to other city-states for help, none of their armies
arrived on time, and the Athenians faced the Persians alone against
incredible odds.  In what was arguably the most significant and unexpected
victory in military history, the small Athenian army managed to defeat and
throw back the much larger Persian force.  Just as the armies were closing on
each other, numerous veterans of the battle reported seeing a vision of
Theseus, leading the attack into the Persian lines and swinging the Cretan
war ax over his head.  Recognizing the role the spirit of Theseus had played in their victory, the Athenians thereafter demanded the return of Theseus bones from Skyros, and eventually obtained them by force in the year 475 B.C.

Theseus is remembered not only as a great hero capable of defeating monsters in single combat, but also as a great war leader, an accomplished diplomat, and an honorable and compassionate ruler.  The ancient Greek historian, Plutarch, gives the following epitaph for Theseus:  "His tomb is a sanctuary and refuge for fleeing slaves, and all men of low estate who fear the mighty; in memory that Theseus while he lived defended the oppressed, and heard the supplicants prayers with kindness."


SPOILERS:   WARNING!!!  SPOILER INFORMATION FOLLOWS PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS:   WARNING!!!  SPOILER INFORMATION FOLLOWS PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS:   WARNING!!!  SPOILER INFORMATION FOLLOWS PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS:   WARNING!!!  SPOILER INFORMATION FOLLOWS PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!








RECONCILIATION OF THE MAP WITH THE THESEUS LEGEND.

Although the map is as true to the legend as possible, obviously some changes
had to be made to bring the legend to the HOMM2 universe.  Part of the purpose in creating a map true to the Theseus legend was to introduce the legend to HOMM2 players who may not have already been familiar with it.  Because some changes to the legend were necessary to make a playable map, the following is intended to dispel any misconception of the legend which may have been caused by the map:

There was only one Minotaur of course, not a legion of them.  Furthermore,
many of Theseus battles, such as those along the isthmus road, with Kerkyon,
and with the Minotaur, were single combats.  Although Theseus did lead armies against Pallas, against Crete on his return, and against some cities in Attica, even in the legends his army consisted of everyday swordsmen, spearmen and archers - he was never said to have led titans or other magical creatures.

The map is as true to the topography and location of towns that your author,
not a cartographer, could make it.  The distance between Greece and Crete is not to scale, since to do so would have made the map mostly water.  Shoals have been added to appropriately lengthen the sea journey.

Although Theseus charioteer friend Dexios appears in "The King Must Die", I
have not seen mention of him in the ancient legends.  Even in Mary Renaults
book, there is no mention of Dexios having been captured by centaurs; this
was added to give Theseus an early quest.  Similarly, although the Cretan sea captain Lukos appears in Ms. Renault's novel, I have not seen him mentioned elsewhere.

The map includes several other optional sub-quests which are not part of the Theseus legend.  Olympus did not figure into the Theseus legend, nor do the various artifact quests and appearances of Athena on the map.  These optional quests and goals were all added to enhance play and make the scenario less linear.

The kingdoms on either side of the isthmus road, Megara and Corinth, were
relocated in the case of Megara, and changed to a Xanadu in the case of Corinth.  This was done to ensure that Theseus establishes his first kingdom at Elyssus in accordance with the legend.  On Crete, Knossos, the Labyrinth, and the House of the Ax were not separate locations; the House of the Ax was the royal palace within Knossos (although this palace itself was said to be the size of a large city) and the Labyrinth was the dungeon beneath the House of the Axe.

Most significantly, Aegius never rebelled against paying tribute to Crete or
tried to expand his kingdom, and in fact Aegius reluctantly allowed Theseus
to go off to Crete with the other captives.  Giving Aegius a little
ahistorical backbone was necessary to make it possible for him to be an
active computer or human ally.

OTHER TIPS - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.  DO NOT READ UNLESS ABSOLUTELY STUCK.

1.  The map is much easier if played cooperatively - with two humans or in
hotseat, as a computer ally cannot provide the same level of assistance.

2.  Pay careful attention to the tavern rumors (other than the ones which are
obviously unhelpful).

3.  The artifact quests given by the witch need not be pursued in the order
she gives them to you.  In fact, it would help to pursue the second quest
first.

4.  The tavern rumor regarding Olympus is true - you should be able to find
the artifact mentioned quite easily if you think about it.

5.  To take on Minos, you will need a very large army in the hands of a
powerful hero.  This means that the hero who will take on Minos must have
access to a large income, and as many recruits from as many castles as
possible.
