Iron Heroes: Fortunes of War Episode 1

The Great Empire is in turmoil. The western provinces rebel and foreign kingdoms make trouble along the borders. General Xin, a renowned tactician, was charged with suppressing a rebellion in Jing Province, the farthest and wildest province of the twelve. Xin was forced to recruit mercenaries, who were common in Jing province, as it was the center of trade between the Empire and many other foreign kingdoms. A horde of the Warriors of the Grey Sky used the rebellion to launch their own invasion of the Great Empire and routed both Xin's army and the rebellion. The last rebel officer alive, a man named Sheng, did not want to see the Great Empire fall to the horde so he told a few remaining mercenaries of a secret exit out of the valley, on the condition that they warn the Great Empire. Sheng made each mercenary swear a blood oath to each other to keep each other alive in order to make sure the normally selfish mercenaries would work as a team.  In order to keep the horde from killing them, the mercenaries posed as merchants. A few weeks later, they arrived at the capital and dutifully told the army of the horde. The nobles and bureaucrats of the Great Empire do not like hearing bad news, especially from mercenaries. Furthermore, the court soothsayers declared Xin and all who served under him as cursed. No army would take the mercenaries now, even General Tzu’s new army, which is tasked with defeating the Grey Sky Horde.  This tale concerns the fate of Xin’s Crows – the cursed remnants of his army.  Their only chance of fulfilling their destinies is to become traveling merchants, selling to Tzu’s army.  So begins the saga of a group of foreign warriors who would change the fate of the Great Empire forever. Read more about the campaign on the RPPR forums.