For a whole week, the ding of battle was heard all around the main trade routes of the Empire. But in the heat of fighting, and dizzy from the string of victories, few paid attention to the smugglers’ strange behavior. Many caravans seemed underprotected, and all too often the cargoes captured were of little or no value. Something about this whole operation felt wrong – something that had escaped the attention of imperial intelligence.
Meanwhile, while the Empire was preparing to celebrate another victory, somewhere beyond its borders several caravans, accompanied by an army of robbers, arrived at the entrance to a mountain cave. The massive gate made of roughly hewn logs opened with a rumble as one of the buffalo carts and a small detachment continued their journey, disappearing in the dark quickly. However, just a hundred feet later, the smugglers were met by a group of robbers. One stood out among others, dressed in dark leather armour with a black cape around his shoulders, his face was decorated with a carelessly trimmed black goatee which combined perfectly with his disheveled hair. Squinting at the approaching cart, the robber stepped forward and questioned the approaching group.
“How did it go?” he demanded, his voice commanding and blunt.
“Swell, boss!” the nomad shouted back, getting off his horse. "Lots of casualties, but she kept her word. The imperial dogs clung to the bone we threw them, and lost sight of us”.
“Well done. I was beginning to doubt the old witch's loyalty to our cause," the bandit leader replied in a slightly calmer tone as he watched the two brutes pull one of the boxes down from the cart and bring it to his feet.
Removing the battle axe from his belt, the robber forced the box lid open and then ripped it off in one swift movement. Rays of dim bluish light surrounded him.
“What the ...?” he muttered, perplexed, and picked up one of the bluish crystals that filled the box. Shaking off a few straws off the strange object glowing in the dark, the robber spun it in his hands, and then stared at the nomad quizzically. “What’s this, some kind of gems?”
“I don't know, boss," he replied. “I’m thinking… to hell with the fanatics! Let’s just find some fences and load these goods off for a pretty penny. Whaddaya say?”
Before the ringleader could properly process the nomad's words, another robber seemed to appear out of nowhere. Clothed in a long cloak with a low hood which revealed only the tip of his grey beard, he had been the least conspicuous one in the whole lot – until now. As soon as he approached the leader and whispered something to him, a grin appeared on the boss’s face.
“You’re speaking sense, my man," the leader said, evidently pleased, as he tossed the crystal back into the box. “Seal the cargo, deliver it to the customer and charge double! Risk premiums, exotic goods surcharges and all that. Those nutcases must have a lot of extra trinkets stocked up. Move it!”
“Yes, boss!” replied the nomad, gesturing to the others to get on with the task.
Lords and Ladies! The smugglers’ main forces are broken and we’ve put an end to their illegal trafficking. Warlord Grammith thanks all those who have contributed to the overall success. Everyone who successfully intercepted a caravan of level 10 or higher will be awarded with a trophy artifact and an achievement. (The durability of the artifact depends on the maximum level of difficulty beaten).
The Empire also celebrates the top 50 military clans. Just rewards, as well as the loyalty of new followers, await all those who earned 10 points or more for their clan:
| Clan seat | An award | Glory | | | 1 | | 1,500 | | | 4 | | 1,000 | | | 5 - 7 | | 900 | | | 8 - 10 | | 800 | | | 11 - 15 | | 600 | | | 16 - 20 | | 500 | | | 21 - 30 | | 400 | | 21. | #88 |   Гильдия Героев | 5,740 | | 22. | #1597 |  Гвардия Солнца | 5,414 | | 23. | #7490 |  European Foreign Legion | 4,495 | | 24. | #5722 |  Галерея Теней | 4,055 | | 25. | #3975 |  Степное Братство | 3,983 | | 26. | #3695 |  Бездельники | 3,691 | | 27. | #1317 |  Запорожская Сечь | 3,602 | | 28. | #2303 |  III legion of Elfius | 3,584 | | 29. | #249 |  Белая Русь | 3,580 | | 30. | #5063 |  Midgard | 3,574 |
| | 31 - 40 | | 250 | | 31. | #476 |  "Путь Воина" | 3,539 | | 32. | #10177 |  Империя ОС | 3,077 | | 33. | #1787 |  Scorpion | 3,046 | | 34. | #8026 |  < Три Богатыря > | 2,949 | | 35. | #5169 |  Белые волки | 2,871 | | 36. | #1488 |  Тёмная лига Некромантов | 2,726 | | 37. | #407 |  Первородные | 2,489 | | 38. | #4260 |  Легион Ордена Тамплиеров | 2,473 | | 39. | #15 |  Destiny | 2,427 | | 40. | #2230 |  Агенты Хаоса | 2,370 |
| | 41 - 50 | | 100 | | 41. | #728 |  Улей | 2,238 | | 42. | #7705 |  † Angels & Demons Ψ | 2,159 | | 43. | #9426 |  Орден Рыцарей - меченосцев | 2,137 | | 44. | #1535 |  Russian Forces | 2,134 | | 45. | #8502 |  ~Orden of snow leopards~ | 1,866 | | 46. | #2735 |  Ангелы смерти | 1,822 | | 47. | #644 |  Гвардия Grail Keepers | 1,762 | | 48. | #346 |  Свои | 1,644 | | 49. | #1271 |  Братство Героев | 1,617 | | 50. | #825 |  Matrix of Worlds | 1,613 |
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