三国从演

Setting:

It was a time of troubles and wars. The Han Dynasty was well past its nadir and declining rapidly. In actual fact, the Emperor wielded little power, instead, merely serving as a symbol and excuse under which the various warlords waged war and sought to further their own ambitions.

The suffering of the people were furthered by a group of blood magic practitioners. They formed an army and named themselves the Yellow Turbans. They summoned demons from the Festering Lands of the south and enlisted barbarians from the steppes of the north. Working covertly to undermine many of the Imperial institutions, they declared a rebellion to end the Dynasty. The Yellow Turbans secretly identified a section of the Great Wall which was poorly manned; assassinated the guard commander, disabled the retinue posted there and opened a gate to let in the barbarians of the Liao tribes through the Great Wall.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion began in 180 and heroes from all across the land answered the call of the Emperor Ling and strove to put down the forces of the Yellow Turbans.

One by one, the warlords were eliminated until three remained.

Cao Cao boasts the largest armies and had many able lieutenants. He commands the kingdom of Wei. Currently, he has appointed himself the regent of the Empire and holds the Emperor Xian hostage in Xu Chang. He is known to be a man of many talents, who ruthless streak has earned much enmity, and yet treats the generals and officials under him as family. A brilliant tactician and opportunist, he has risen from a low ranking official to hold sway over the north of the Empire, defeating warlords with greater resources at their disposal.

Liu Bei claims to have imperial blood relations with the current Emperor and works to restore the Han Dynasty, failing which he would declare himself the rightful Emperor in order that the Dynasty may continue. His mountainous base is easily defensible. His strength is the result of some of the most valiant warriors in the Empire serving under him, as well the advice of the brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang (Kong Ming). The kingdom of Shu owes much to the man.

Wu is in rich and fertile lands with a thriving commercial sector. As well as capable generals and officials, Sun Quan possesses the love and respect of his subjects. Ruling over the land of Wu for three generations, Sun Quan has nominally declared his loyalty to the Empire. He possess the Royal Jade Seal which is the token of Imperial Authority. With his powerful navy, Sun Quan keeps his territories safe from the incursions of powerful Wei and has entered into a tentative alliance with Shu to oppose Wei.

In AD208, Cao Cao amassed an army and invaded Jingzhou. After swiftly gaining victory, he proceeded south without respite in order to press Wu.

(From Wikipedia)

When Jing fell, Liu Bei quickly fled south, accompanied by a refugee population of civilians and soldiers. This disorganised exodus was pursued by Cao Cao's elite cavalry, and was surrounded and decisively beaten at the Battle of Changban (near the modern-day city of Dangyang in Hubei). Liu Bei escaped, however, and fled further east to Xiakou, where he liaised with Sun Quan's emissary Lu Su. At this point historical accounts are inconsistent; Lu Su may have successfully encouraged Liu Bei to move even further east, to Fankou (樊口).^[2] In either case, Liu Bei was later joined by Liu Qi and levies from Jiangxia. Liu Bei's main advisor, Zhuge Liang, was sent to Chaisang (柴桑) to negotiate forming a mutual front against Cao Cao with the state of Wu.

By the time Zhuge Liang arrived, Cao Cao had already sent Sun Quan a letter boasting of commanding 800,000 men and demanding Sun Quan's surrender. The faction led by Sun Quan's Chief Clerk, Zhang Zhao, advocated surrender, citing Cao Cao's overwhelming numerical advantage. However, on separate occasions, Lu Su, Zhuge Liang, and Wu's chief commander, Zhou Yu, all presented arguments to persuade Sun Quan to agree to the alliance against the northerners. Sun Quan finally decided upon war, chopping off a corner of his desk during an assembly and stating: "Anyone who still dares argue for surrender will be [treated] the same as this desk." He then assigned Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and Lu Su with 30,000 men to aid Liu Bei against Cao Cao.

Through strategy, superior naval skill, and bravery. Zhou Yu's well rested and trained marines bested Wei's fleet and they were forced into a rout with Cao Cao only narrowly escaping capture.

The story for players begin in the Spring of 209 AD, when Jing Province is occupied by Liu Bei's troops and garrisoned by the General Guan Yu. Wu had agreed to loan Jing Province but now see that Shu has no intention of surrendering this rich and strategic point. Tensions flare between the two fromer allies but are kept in check due to the realisation that the threat of Cao Cao has only been kept in abeyance temporarily. And neither sides wishes to over exert their resources to squabble over Jing Province.

Remnants of the Yellow Turbans still persist in small numbers causing demonic disturbances throughout China. Bandits take advantage of the chaos to form bands that strike at targets of opportunity. Swordsmen and puglists roam the lands, lending aid to those in need. The gentry take up arms or employ their guiles for their lords.For it is in times of chaos that heroes emerge aplenty.

You are one of them.