<s>
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
:	I-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
,	O
or	O
shortened	O
to	O
Kingdoms	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
Cavedog	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Iron	I-Application
Plague	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
with	O
a	O
book	O
titled	O
The	O
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darien	I-Application
which	O
contained	O
the	O
storyline	O
,	O
rules	O
,	O
units	O
,	O
et	O
cetera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
bird	B-Application
's	I-Application
eye	I-Application
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
choose	O
between	O
four	O
factions	O
-	O
Aramon	O
,	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
Taros	O
and	O
Zhon	O
(	O
As	O
well	O
as	O
Creon	O
,	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Iron	I-Application
Plague	I-Application
expansion	O
)	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
start	O
with	O
a	O
monarch	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
initially	O
used	O
to	O
build	O
structures	O
and	O
form	O
an	O
army	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
,	O
players	O
utilize	O
a	O
single	O
resource	O
(	O
Mana	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
generated	O
and	O
increased	O
by	O
building	O
resource-gathering	O
Lodestones	O
in	O
special	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
like	O
in	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
,	O
players	O
can	O
recycle	O
debris/carcasses	O
of	O
fallen	O
units	O
and	O
structures	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
natural	O
objects	O
of	O
the	O
map	O
,	O
like	O
trees	O
and	O
stones	O
,	O
to	O
acquire	O
instant	O
amounts	O
of	O
mana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
:	I-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
is	O
the	O
second	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
neither	O
a	O
prequel	O
nor	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
,	O
comparisons	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
are	O
inevitable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
numerous	O
thematic	O
and	O
design	O
differences	O
between	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
and	O
Kingdoms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
original	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
has	O
players	O
playing	O
through	O
the	O
Core	O
or	O
Arm	O
campaigns	O
separately	O
,	O
Kingdoms	O
switches	O
between	O
the	O
four	O
groups	O
,	O
players	O
playing	O
each	O
side	O
as	O
the	O
levels	O
progress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
original	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
,	O
which	O
has	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
units	O
on	O
its	O
two	O
factions	O
virtually	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
other	O
than	O
in	O
appearance	O
,	O
Kingdoms	O
has	O
very	O
distinct	O
characteristics	O
between	O
factions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
:	I-Application
Kingdoms	I-Application
is	O
set	O
on	O
the	O
medieval	O
world	O
of	O
Darien	O
,	O
a	O
mystic	O
world	O
previously	O
ruled	O
by	O
the	O
Kandrian	O
,	O
a	O
civilization	O
with	O
incredible	O
mastery	O
of	O
magic	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
quickly	O
came	O
to	O
its	O
downfall	O
due	O
to	O
internal	O
power	O
struggles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
apex	O
of	O
his	O
power	O
,	O
and	O
following	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
his	O
wife	O
,	O
Lasha	O
,	O
he	O
divided	O
the	O
empire	O
's	O
administration	O
between	O
his	O
four	O
sons	O
and	O
daughters	O
:	O
Elsin	O
gained	O
the	O
rich	O
continent	O
of	O
Aramon	O
,	O
Kirenna	O
was	O
awarded	O
the	O
islands	O
of	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
Thirsha	O
was	O
delivered	O
the	O
jungles	O
of	O
Zhon	O
and	O
to	O
Lokken	O
was	O
remained	O
the	O
wastelands	O
of	O
Taros	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
in	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
tensions	O
escalate	O
to	O
open	O
warfare	O
when	O
Zhon	O
drakes	O
sent	O
by	O
Thirsha	O
attack	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
many	O
shipyards	O
,	O
forcing	O
Kirenna	O
to	O
send	O
an	O
expedition	O
to	O
contain	O
the	O
advance	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
expedition	O
never	O
returns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
Zhon	O
and	O
Taros	O
attempt	O
staging	O
sieges	O
against	O
Lendra	O
,	O
the	O
capital	O
city	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
threat	O
is	O
countered	O
thanks	O
to	O
two	O
interventions	O
:	O
The	O
first	O
coming	O
from	O
Joreth	O
,	O
who	O
shipwrecks	O
at	O
Veruna	B-Application
and	O
seeks	O
a	O
new	O
transport	O
ship	O
,	O
helping	O
counter	O
an	O
assault	O
at	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Lothol	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
,	O
and	O
Aramon	O
,	O
who	O
arrives	O
with	O
the	O
power	O
of	O
gunpowder	O
,	O
quickly	O
adapted	O
to	O
the	O
navy	O
by	O
the	O
efforts	O
of	O
Kirenna	O
's	O
second-in-command	O
,	O
Commodore	O
Solan	O
Rixx	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
driven	O
Zhon	O
and	O
Taros	O
from	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
Kirenna	O
presses	O
her	O
advantage	O
by	O
directly	O
assaulting	O
Zhon	O
,	O
but	O
underestimates	O
both	O
the	O
zeal	O
of	O
Zhon	O
's	O
inhabitants	O
,	O
the	O
dense	O
jungles	O
and	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
Thirsha	O
,	O
who	O
rallies	O
the	O
tribes	O
around	O
her	O
and	O
summons	O
Stone	O
Giants	O
and	O
Kraken	O
to	O
deal	O
severe	O
damage	O
to	O
Veruna	B-Application
's	O
forces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Veruna	B-Application
intensifies	O
military	O
presence	O
in	O
Zhon	O
,	O
bringing	O
the	O
conflict	O
to	O
a	O
stalemate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Veruna	B-Application
also	O
attempts	O
to	O
contribute	O
,	O
sending	O
a	O
task	O
force	O
to	O
the	O
Taros	O
controlled	O
islands	O
of	O
Zakum	O
to	O
establish	O
a	O
beachhead	O
,	O
provoking	O
a	O
prison	O
break	O
and	O
executing	O
the	O
island	O
's	O
ruler	O
,	O
Baron	O
Leimar	O
,	O
but	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
released	O
prisoners	O
succumb	O
to	O
prolonged	O
disease	O
from	O
the	O
island	O
's	O
precarious	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
dragon	O
is	O
then	O
sent	O
to	O
Veruna	B-Application
,	O
where	O
it	O
cleanses	O
the	O
islands	O
of	O
both	O
Taros	O
and	O
Zhon	O
presence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Taros	O
manages	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
enemy	O
at	O
bay	O
long	O
enough	O
to	O
transport	O
a	O
mysterious	O
cargo	O
(	O
Revealed	O
in	O
'	O
The	B-Application
Iron	I-Application
Plague	I-Application
 '	O
to	O
be	O
Lokken	O
's	O
essence	O
)	O
to	O
a	O
merchant	O
ship	O
that	O
breaches	O
the	O
Veruna	B-Application
naval	O
blockade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Veruna	B-Application
and	O
Aramon	O
's	O
armies	O
return	O
to	O
their	O
respective	O
lands	O
,	O
preparing	O
to	O
rebuild	O
,	O
as	O
Zhon	O
remains	O
secluded	O
in	O
their	O
fortress	O
planning	O
their	O
next	O
move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Veruna	B-Application
dispatches	O
a	O
fleet	O
to	O
investigate	O
,	O
they	O
unexpectedly	O
meet	O
Creon	O
's	O
ironclad	O
armada	O
that	O
also	O
was	O
sent	O
to	O
investigate	O
the	O
payment	O
's	O
disappearance	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
hot-headed	O
Verunan	O
fleet	O
captain	O
Rattenbrass	O
readily	O
engages	O
the	O
Creon	O
navy	O
,	O
provoking	O
an	O
incident	O
that	O
forces	O
Kirenna	O
to	O
forfeit	O
the	O
isle	O
of	O
Caora	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
maintain	O
peace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Veruna	B-Application
's	O
navy	O
is	O
almost	O
decimated	O
attempting	O
to	O
defeat	O
Creon	O
's	O
armada	O
and	O
break	O
its	O
supply	O
chain	O
,	O
Kirenna	O
beholds	O
a	O
vision	O
of	O
Elsin	O
's	O
expedition	O
and	O
equally	O
departs	O
Veruna	B-Application
with	O
a	O
force	O
towards	O
Creon	O
,	O
in	O
hopes	O
that	O
striking	O
down	O
their	O
Sage	O
,	O
Menelos	O
,	O
will	O
halt	O
Creon	O
's	O
invasion	O
of	O
Darien	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Back	O
in	O
Darien	O
,	O
the	O
monarchs	O
go	O
their	O
separate	O
ways	O
-	O
Kirenna	O
starts	O
rebuilding	O
Veruna	B-Application
and	O
attempts	O
to	O
reforge	O
relationships	O
with	O
Creon	O
,	O
Lokken	O
returns	O
to	O
Taros	O
,	O
but	O
under	O
heavy	O
watch	O
of	O
both	O
his	O
siblings	O
and	O
even	O
his	O
loyal	O
subjects	O
,	O
as	O
resurrection	O
without	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
body	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
Lokken	O
's	O
case	O
,	O
is	O
considered	O
a	O
heretical	O
practice	O
even	O
by	O
Taros	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
shortly	O
before	O
Cavedog	O
's	O
collapse	O
,	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
titled	O
The	B-Application
Iron	I-Application
Plague	I-Application
.	O
</s>
