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I am releasing a corrected version of this epic scenario for the "Tribes of the East" version 3.1. The map was obviously made for version 3.0, and in 3.1 the combat script does not work as intended by the author due to an error. I have also fixed several annoying bugs.

What has been fixed:

• Fixed the combat script (setATB for summoned mage assistants was not triggering). Now on "Veteran" and "Hero" difficulty, mage assistants always start the battle instead of having a 1-turn delay as before. This will make the already difficult start on "Hero" slightly harder.
• Fixed Annabelle's specialization description (it said: "Spell Breaker", but it is actually "Swiftfoot"). For experts, this was obvious given the presence of the "Teleport" spell for 4 mana in her book.
• Annabelle's home castle is now Sylvan (as it should be) instead of Inferno (as it was). Now Annabelle will not have such huge problems with morale, and you can play with "Empathy". The start for Annabelle will become slightly easier.
• Fixed a bug where weekly elven reinforcements (archers/ents) did not appear in the castle if the peasant gang leader Emelyan was killed. This won't significantly affect the game, as by the time the reinforcement quests are completed, these reinforcements aren't really needed anymore.
• Updated the internal date of the artifacts file (the map date is earlier than patch 3.1, so special artifacts didn't work; for example, "Novice's Magic Wand" did not reduce defense by -1, and the "Sword of Your Ancestors" artifact, obtained after an epic half-hour/one-hour battle in the Warrior's Grave, gave no bonuses). By the way, for some reason the author made all weak artifacts strong (perhaps so that an artifact isn't given at the start, but then this option could simply be blocked). So it's better to choose resources at the start.
• For Archangels, who are casters in this scenario, "cast" animation and an icon for the "Resurrect Allies" ability have been added. Now Archangels won't stand like a "cross" while casting.

Enjoy the game!

Huge thanks for the 3.1 version. But Annabelle doesn't start with her home castle, but rather a Haven town! You can choose an artifact at the start, and it is given to both heroes simultaneously and is identical — it's a wedding ring (health +2).
P.S. Regarding the Pyramid Riddle quest: the description says you will find many valuable artifacts there and the most valuable will be the Town Portal Scroll, but I didn't get the scroll! So I had to cheat with teleport in some places when the castle was attacked (it was hanging next to a necropolis in the dungeon — I couldn't get in). In the pyramid, there was a tunic of flesh and a horseshoe; that's how it is, kids. It can be taken without losses by 2 stacks of paladins and a ballista on machines, which we use first to take out the plague tent. Zoltan doesn't attack with melee or cast, but will constantly raise a dragon using all his mana. Between choosing the side of ents or mages, mages are better (even if you lose elven reinforcements later, it's not critical — 50 Titans are better)!
Two things remained (in the screenshots) that I didn't understand how to visit: this necropolis and the blood temple. There are bugs on the map, but they won't affect completing the scenario. For a successful run, I recommend reading the messages here; there is also a Remix stream, if of course you don't mind his mouth full of food during the stream and smacking + 2 "funny" friends with the IQ of a stool. Further: angels in this game turned out to be completely useless (I didn't even build them up, as in the toughest battles without magic they are total zeros, considering their number since I rushed). Everything else is broken through by a leveled-up Talanar in light (storm is mandatory) with empathy and a bow. I didn't use Berserkers or Subjugators at all (forgot about them🙃). Mostly mass slow, haste, and inspiration (tip: don't take defense for anyone — in this scenario, you shouldn't be hit at all!). For some reason, the recruited Nura at the end was completely without OP (maybe it's intended, I don't know, she already provides many spells through scholar/mentorship and fifty titans); apparently, the author considered this sufficient. Some stacks will have to be broken through a dozen times (Grave), and ghosts only after getting Holy Sandals on the galley; don't fall for the comment above regarding spikes and simultaneous casting on everyone! That is only useful for the galley — then just kill the respawning stack three times. The two hardest spots are the garrison at the human castle (meat is not realistic + lack of magic) and the guards at the entrance to the dwarf dungeon (archangels need to be killed 4 times with a constant arithmetic progression of the stack. Among the difficult ones: Grave (Hero is not scary — he kills phantoms with melee), the wolf trap (because it's a surprise), the last stack of furies (their initiative and excessive number), Dragon Utopia (initiative script + unexpected Armageddon, which overall isn't scary because of magic) and only because there's little meat of your own. The map only seems difficult at first glance due to the complex scenario; in reality, it's a medium difficulty level if you understand what the author wanted from you. Overall, very long in terms of real time and short in terms of game time. Stable on the Buka repack.

But Annabelle doesn't start with her native town — it's a Haven town!

I meant that in the original version, even though Annabelle was a Ranger with the Ranger's racial ability, her internal hero properties listed Inferno as her native town, i.e., her native troops were demons. Therefore, when playing with a mix of human and elven troops, the morale of the units went deep into the negative.

The starting artifact can be chosen and it's given to both heroes simultaneously, and it's the same one — it's a wedding ring (+2 health).

The wedding rings are given regardless, even if you choose resources. So choosing an artifact at the start effectively means no bonus — it's like an optional difficulty increase for those who want it.

The Pyramid Riddle quest says in its description that you'll find many valuable artifacts there, and the most valuable will be a Town Portal scroll, but I didn't get the scroll!

At the start of the game, there are two possible paths home: to the left (easier but a long passage through the dungeon) or to the right across the river (harder but a fast way that gives you the chance to get the portal scroll). If you go left, then upon returning home the boat for crossing the river disappears, and you can only reach the right part of the desert much later by another route, but capturing the pyramid will no longer give the scroll. If you sail right first, the boat disappears almost immediately after landing, and you can reach the left part of the desert later, but having obtained the scroll, you can immediately teleport home and the rest of the game becomes easier. Accordingly, different quests will be available depending on your initial path choice.

That was the author's intention, as I understand it. However, with sufficient luck in leveling within the allotted time for returning home, you can manage to go both left and right and get the scroll. To do this, on Hero difficulty you need to achieve such a leveling (roll at the start): basic Machines + Ballista from the very first levels, then basic Logistics + Pathfinding (without it you won't make it in time, and there won't be enough levels for advanced Logistics — you can't sacrifice Machines, otherwise you won't break through the necromancer in the pyramid), then Tent and Flaming Arrows. At the start, go left, clear the desert as much as possible, descend into the dungeon, run down, trying not to go into deep corners (except maybe the secret corner through the wall with the needed resources), emerge to the surface, meet your elven wife, take some of the reinforcements, and rush headlong back through the dungeon, get on the boat, clear the right part of the desert as much as you can, capture the Paladin dwellings, take the quest from the shamans, and on the last day attack the pyramid.

Two things remained (in the screenshots) that I didn't understand how to visit — the necro castle and the blood temple.

The necro castle is most likely a placeholder so that the script redirects the pyramid attack to an attack on this castle. You can't get there.

The blood temple (which kills you with a Game Over lightning bolt) can be visited if you secure the support of the dark elves. I think you first need to complete the quest where the two sisters share power. But then you can't take the dubious wand with Resurrection from them.

the angels in this game turned out to be completely useless

For me, on the contrary, they were the most useful, even in small numbers. I guess we have different play styles. The Archangel has 100 mana, the spells advanced Phantom Forces and expert Arcane Armor (with Light Magic secrets — that's 10 casts) plus 5 charges of Resurrection for allies. Against the Forsaken Bride, I fielded one big stack of Paladins and several small stacks of Archangels. First, cast shields on all the Archangels to halve the damage from Mana Burst, the Paladins heal the Archangels, and the Phantom Paladins kill the enemy, and at the end we resurrect. Since the map is old, there are no new spells like "Regeneration" here.

Of course, in the battle against 5000 Seraphim, our 30 accumulated Archangels won't decide the outcome, given the mana reset of the hero and casters. Here, of course, a big stack of Arbalests + 6 single Peasants + Inspiration + luck.

The Nur joined at the end somehow had no movement points at all

Yes, Nur's movement points are reset to zero by script every turn — she's immobile. You could, of course, give her a portal scroll — she'll teleport to town and defend there, but you won't be able to get her out of there afterward.

Let me share some tips and little secrets from Zhivaya Zakuska that don't seem to have appeared in guides or Remix's streams.

In the tavern quest, where you get hit over the head and thrown into the basement, you need to escape through the whirlpool, keeping 1 Blood Maiden (to save the mermaid's sister). But as it turns out, that Blood Maiden is the weakest link, and the whirlpool kills her. So you have to dismiss all units except that Blood Maiden. But it's a shame to lose 1 High Druid. Well, you can save him in 2 ways.

1) Let the whirlpool kill the Blood Maiden. Later you'll have the chance to buy a Blood Maiden in the dwelling. The bought Blood Maiden will also pass for the mermaid's sister.

2) Level up "Luck of the Road" in advance. Everyone knows this skill lets you collect more resources and gold from chests, but few know what "the hero becomes generally luckier" means — even the manual doesn't say anything. I discovered two such things. First, "Luck of the Road" reduces the whirlpool's throw-overboard chance from 50% of the weakest stack to 25% (rounded down). So if the weakest stack is a single unit, no one dies. You can even travel through whirlpools with only 7th-level creatures without losses. Second, the Well of Luck, which gives -1, +1, +2, or +3 to Luck, stops rolling the "-1" option when you have "Luck of the Road". Maybe you can discover other secrets.

In the battle with the Seraphim, it's desirable to have +5 Luck from artifacts and map objects. If you don't mind the strongest cheat "Load/Save", you can roll +3 Luck from the well this way. The "random" result depends on the coordinates of all your heroes on the map, including the one approaching the well. So it matters from which side you approach the well. If you move secondary heroes around, the value will change. Similarly, you can roll the desired hero in the tavern at the start of the next week by moving secondary heroes around at the end of the week.

Spell scrolls say "advanced level" in their descriptions, but that's an error in the description and the manual. In fact, scrolls cast spells at the level of no skill — more precisely, at the level of the hero's skill, just like Magic Tomes. But the wand always casts at advanced level with Sorcery 8, regardless of the hero's Sorcery and skill (even if he has expert).

How to roll your leveling at the start is known (enable_cheats, add_exp ...). But how do you roll the needed spells in the town?

@UpgradeTownBuilding(GetObjectNamesByType("TOWN")[0], 6)

0 = this is the town number, 6 = the mage guild (change 0 sequentially to 1, 2, 3, etc. until you find the level of our town increasing, and repeat the command 4 more times to raise the guild to level 5).

If these squiggles are unclear to you, you probably don't need them anyway. All this matters for ultra-hard maps (or having Dodge, of course 😊).

Here, I agree, it's medium difficulty, but the start is very harsh. And the first playthrough is something else. It grabs you with full immersion.

Added after 4 hours 22 minutes
About the blood temple, I think I remembered. You need to take a quest from both sisters to eliminate the rival, but not kill her. Then go to the blood temple, and the great something will judge that the younger sister should be the ruler. Then return to the sisters. I remember the reward is so-so. And the sisters glitch a bit too.