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Hand of a Princess is the third scenario of the reworked Prithviraj campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It depict the elopement of Sanyogita with Prithviraj during her arranged marriage.

Intro[]

My king was in love with Sanyogita. The two would sneak away from their courts to meet in border towns and wooded groves, where they would embrace under the bright light of the moon.

But for all their secrecy, their romance could not be hidden from the powerful Jayachandra and his army of spies.

The mighty king would never approve of his daughter marrying his own rival. Instead, he ordered a swayamvara - a ceremony where Sanyogita would choose her husband from the men invited by her father. Jayachandra invited all the princes and kings of India to the ceremony, except for one.

Almost one. In mockery of Prithviraj, Jayachandra had a clay statue made in the young king's image to serve as the doorman to his court.

Scenario instructions[]

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Sanyogita and Prithviraj must survive.
  • Bring Sanyogita to the Wonder in Lal Kot.
  • (secondary) Win with at least 12 minutes remaining on the timer.

Hints[]

  1. A large army would be noticed by Jayachandra's spies. You are therefore restricted to a population limit of 50 and cannot construct new buildings.
  2. More units can be raised at friendly camps. The Chaulukyas will also provide help if you reach their two towns.
  3. Monks and siege weapons will make even a small force much more effective. Protect these vulnerable but helpful units.
  4. A king makes his own path. Do not forget that certain siege weapons can help clear forests and open up new routes of travel.
  5. According to legends, Prithviraj fought his way into Kannauj, but there may be a way to slip quietly into the city.

Scouts[]

  • Prithviraj intends to rescue Sanyogita before she is forced to wed. He must reach Kannuaj (3, Purple) and then bring the princess safely to Lal Kot (2, Green) before the season ends.
  • Jayachandra (5, Red) guards Kannauj and the paths to the city with a diverse army, but has no cavalry. Take advantage of the speed of Prithviraj's horsemen when fighting Jayachandra.
  • The Chaulukyas (6, Yellow) have two nearby towns and will aid Prithviraj in his quest with siege weapons and Elephant Archers.
  • The Yadavas (4, Orange), taking advantage of Rajput infighting, have invaded from the Deccan. Their elephants and fleet-footed infantry dominate the south.

Players[]

Player[]

  • Prithviraj ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): The player starts with Prithviraj and a small force, and needs to reach Kannauj to save Sanyogita and bring her to Lal Kot.

Allies[]

  • Lal Kot ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): The town of Lal Kot is the place where Prithviraj and Sanyogita must reach. Once Prithviraj enters, the town itself will turn over to the player.
  • Kannauj ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): Kannauj located in the east, where Sanyogita is about to married. The Player must sneak into Kannauj and rescue Sanyogita.
  • Chaulukyas ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): The Chalukyans have two towns, which will provide help to Prithiviraj.
  • Sanyogita ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): Sanyogita is waiting for Prithviraj. She is a must-survive unit.

Enemies[]

  • Yadavas ( Gurjaras, Malay before Dynasties of India): The Yadavas have a small town, but will constantly launch attacks on Lal Kot. They also have some units along the road to Kannauj.
  • Jayachandra ( Gurjaras, Indians before Dynasties of India): The most dangerous enemy. Jayachandra will do anything to stop Prithviraj and Sanyogita. His diverse but strong army is located in the city of Kannauj and the player will encounter his camp on the way to the city.

Dialogue[]

Kaimbasa: Many dangers await you, my raja, but love will conquer all. Though there are many paths on your journey, a king makes his own way.

After advancing to the Castle Age:

-- Castle Age research complete. --

Upon reaching Sanyogita:

Kaimbasa: She is as beautiful as the lotus flowering from a midnight pond. Protect her well, my raja.

After defeating Yadavas:

Kaimbasa: The Yadavas have been trounced. They will not dare to venture into Rajput lands again!

After bringing Sanyogita to the Wonder in Lal Kot

Kaimbasa: Fetch the musicians, the dancers! Make all preparations for the baraat! Our dear raja will be wed!

After bringing Sanyogita to the Wonder in Lal Kot with at least 12 minutes remaining:

Kaimbasa: So quick! I did not have enough time to prepare! Fetch the musicians! Jaldee karo! Our raja will be wed!

If Prithviraj is killed:

Kaimbasa: Our raja has fallen! All is lost!

If Sanyogita is killed:

Kaimbasa: Sanyogita has been killed! Our raja's heart is torn asunder!

Strategy[]

The scenario must be won in less than 60 minutes on Standard difficulty, 45 on Moderate, and 30 on Hard.

Research Forging and Scale Barding Armor at the Blacksmith immediately. Send units along path to capture two melee units and defeat small enemy group. Send the nearby Monks south to capture the two elephants. North of there, the player will find a Siege Onager. Kill enemy units near the Siege Onager while ignoring buildings. Use units to distract the enemy defending Siege Onager on the cliff face while the player's own Siege Onager rolls past. It can then cut down trees to go all the way to the bottom of the map, then east towards Sanyogita. As the hints imply, cutting through the forest makes the scenario easier.

Note: There is a Gaia base to the northwest containing a Barracks, a Stable, and an Archery Range, as well as a Monk and four Shrivamsha Riders. If the player reaches that base, they will advance to the Castle Age. However, the path there has several obstacles so it is probably not worth the time.

Send units to the south corner, then northeast across a bridge to the Transport Ship. Send the entire army slightly north on the Transport Ship, then send them near the enemy Gate to the northeast of map. Send Prithviraj along the edge of map, and into the secret entrance to steal his bride. Whilst doing this, send one unit slightly northwest to discover a Dock and build a Transport Ship. When the player finds the Dock, they will advance to the Castle Age, but this does not really matter to the scenario. Before the enemy attacks Prithviraj, send in a unit to "pull" their attacks out of the gate. Sneak Prithviraj and his wife back out through the secret entrance, and to the new Dock. As soon as the Transport Ship is complete, send the newlyweds up the river. After discovering another set of Docks, drop them off on the northern bank at next clearing. Send Sanyogita to the Wonder to complete the scenario.

Achievement[]

The achievement "Hopeless Romantic" can be obtained by finishing the scenario with at least 12 minutes remaining on the timer. To get this achievement, note that Prithviraj does not need to leave the starting area at all. Instead, send only the Shrivamsha Riders ahead, as they are the fastest units, while ignoring enemy units on the way. After passing through the first group of enemy units, the player will find Chand Bardai and a Gaia Monk. Move the Monk to the east and use him to convert the Heavy Camel Rider. Move the converted Heavy Camel Rider all the way to the east (while ignoring any enemy troops) and then north, where the player will find a Gaia Transport Ship. Load the Heavy Camel Rider in it and then land in the closest shore.

Before entering Kannauj, move west to find a Gaia Dock and train a Transport Ship. Then sneak the Heavy Camel Rider around the other corner of the city to rescue Sanyogita. After taking control of Sanyogita, use the Heavy Camel Rider to bait enemy troops away from Sanyogita, while Sanyogita leaves the city by sneaking around the corner. Then bring Sanyogita to the Transport Ship.

Note: if the player only finds the Dock after rescuing Sanyogita, Jayachandra's Elephant Archers will appear and kill Sanyogita before the Transport Ship is created, so finding the Dock first is essential.

Now sail through the river while ignoring enemy towers. After finding another Gaia Dock, unload Sanyogita and then simply right click her to the destination.

Following this strategy, the player can finish the scenario within the first 10 minutes.

Outro[]

Sanyogita was as headstrong as she was beautiful. With the infinite courage of a Rajput princess, she walked through the royal court carrying the ceremonial garland and ignoring the expectant gazes of her suitors. Coming to the door, she defiantly laid the garland around the neck of the clay statue of Prithviraj, declaring him her husband.

To her surprise, the young raja had braved the dangers of his rival's kingdom to slip into the ceremony. Emerging from behind the statue, Prithviraj embraced Sanyogita. The two rode to Ajmer as the furious Jayachandra vowed that his revenge would be felt to the ends of the earth.

Trivia[]

  • This scenario is very similar to The White Elephant, the fourth Bayinnaung scenario.
  • Changes in update 61321: The time limit is now changed to 60 (standard), 45 (moderate) and 30 (hard) minutes (instead of 700 years), with the secondary objectives requiring the player to win with 12 minutes remaining on the timer. This makes getting the "Hopeless Romantic" achievement substantially easier on lower difficulty levels.
  • The location of the Sanchi Stupa in comparison to Kannauj and Lal Kot is approximately accurate to its location in real life.
  • The similarly-named Chaulukya dynasty of Gurjaradesa, also known as the Solanki Dynasty, belongs to the Gurjara civilization. There is also a similarly-named Empire in southern India known as the Western Chalukya Empire, and is portrayed as one of the antagonist factions in the Rajendra campaign. Despite their being represented by the Gurjaras, the Chalukyas are a Kannada people, just like the Tamils (that the Chola dynasty belonged to). While the Kannada Chalukyan dynasty and the Chola Empire were at war, the Gurjaradesa Chaulukyan dynasty never had any contact with the southern kingdoms.

Gallery[]

Campaigns in Age of Empires II
The Age of Kings
William Wallace PC: Marching and Fighting ยท Feeding the Army ยท Training the Troops ยท Research and Technology ยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
Xbox: Preparing for Battleยท The Battle of Stirling ยท Forge an Alliance ยท The Battle of Falkirk
Joan of Arc An Unlikely Messiah ยท The Maid of Orleans ยท The Cleansing of the Loire ยท The Rising ยท The Siege of Paris ยท A Perfect Martyr
Saladin An Arabian Knight ยท Lord of Arabia ยท The Horns of Hattin ยท The Siege of Jerusalem ยท Jihad! ยท The Lion and the Demon
Genghis Khan Crucible ยท A Life of Revenge ยท Into China ยท The Horde Rides West ยท The Promise ยท Pax Mongolica
Barbarossa Holy Roman Emperor ยท Henry the Lion ยท Pope and Antipope ยท The Lombard League ยท Barbarossa's March ยท The Emperor Sleeping
Others E3 1998
* added with update 75350
The Conquerors
Attila the Hun The Scourge of God ยท The Great Ride ยท The Walls of Constantinople ยท A Barbarian Betrothal ยท The Catalaunian Fields ยท The Fall of Rome
El Cid Brother against Brother ยท The Enemy of my Enemy ยท The Exile of the Cid ยท Black Guards ยท King of Valencia ยท Reconquista
Montezuma Reign of Blood ยท The Triple Alliance ยท Quetzalcoatl ยท La Noche Triste ยท The Boiling Lake ยท Broken Spears
Battles of the Conquerors Tours ยท Vinlandsaga ยท Hastings ยท Manzikert ยท Agincourt ยท Lepanto ยท Kyoto ยท Noryang Point
Hidden scenario The Saxon Revolt
The Forgotten
Alaric HD: All Roads Lead to a Besieged City ยท Legionaries on the Horizon! ยท Emperor of the West ยท The Sack of Rome
DE: The Battle of the Frigidus ยท Razing Hellas ยท The Belly of the Beast ยท The Giant Falls ยท A Kingdom of Our Own
Vlad Dracula The Dragon Spreads His Wings ยท The Return of the Dragon ยท The Breath of the Dragon ยท The Moon Rises ยท The Night Falls
Bari HD: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท The Great Siege
DE: Arrival at Bari ยท The Rebellion of Melus ยท Loose Ends ยท The Best Laid Plans ยท The Onrushing Tide
Sforza HD: An End and a Beginning ยท O Fortuna ยท The Hand of a Daughter ยท The Ambrosian Republic ยท A New Duke of Milan
DE: Mercenaries and Masters ยท His Own Man ยท Prodigal Son ยท Blood and Betrayal ยท Viva Sforza!
El Dorado# (removed) Tales of La Canela ยท The Split ยท The Amazones ยท The Cannibals
Prithviraj* HD: A Promising Warrior ยท The Digvijaya ยท The Elopement ยท Battles of Tarain
DE: Born of Fire ยท The Digvijaya ยท Hand of a Princess ยท The Fate of India ยท The Legend of Prithviraj
Battles of the Forgotten@ Bukhara ยท Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Langshan Jiang ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Kaesong (cut)
# added with patch 3.3; * added with patch 3.5; @ added with patch 3.6
The African Kingdoms
Tariq ibn Ziyad The Battle of Guadalete ยท Consolidation and Subjugation ยท Divide and Conquer ยท Crossing the Pyrenees ยท Razzia
Sundjata Hunted ยท The Sting of the Scorpion ยท Djeriba Gold ยท Blood on the River Bank ยท The Lion's Den
Francisco de Almeida The Old World ยท Lion of Africa ยท Ruins of Empires ยท Estado da India ยท A Son's Blood
Yodit Path of Exile ยท The Right Partner ยท A Fallen Crown ยท Broken Stelae ยท Welcome Home
Rise of the Rajas
Gajah Mada The Story of Our Founders ยท Unconditional Loyalty ยท The Oath to Unify Nusantara ยท Serving the New King ยท The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy
Suryavarman I Usurpation ยท Quelling the Rebellion ยท A Dangerous Mission ยท Challenging a Thalassocracy ยท Nirvanapada
Bayinnaung The Burmese Tigers ยท The Mandalay Cobra ยท The Royal Peacock ยท The White Elephant ยท The Old Tiger
Le Loi The Dai Viet Uprising ยท The Mountain Siege ยท The Battle at Hanoi ยท Reaching South ยท A Three-Pronged Attack ยท The Final Fortress
Definitive Edition
The Art of War Early Economy ยท Booming ยท Rushing the Enemy ยท Fast Castle Age ยท Defending Against A Rush ยท Land Battle ยท Destroying a Castle ยท Naval Battle ยท Battle Formations
Pachacuti A New Power Arises ยท The Field of Blood ยท War of Brothers ยท The Falcon's Tent ยท Like Father, Like Son

Historical Battles
Tours ยท Vinlandsaga ยท Hastings ยท Manzikert ยท Agincourt ยท Kyoto ยท Noryang Point
Bukhara ยท Kurikara ยท Cyprus ยท Bapheus ยท Lepanto
Dos Pilas ยท York ยท Honfoglalรกs ยท Lake Poyang
Event scenarios E3 2019 Demo ยท Mongol Raiders ยท Barbarossa Brawl ยท Mangudai Madness ยท The Siege (co-op) ยท Ayn Jalut
The Last Khans
Tamerlane Amir of Transoxiana ยท Gurkhan of Persia ยท Harbinger of Destruction ยท Sultan of Hindustan ยท Scourge of the Levant ยท A Titan Amongst Mortals
Ivaylo A Most Unlikely Man ยท An Unlikely Alliance ยท Tsar of the Bulgars ยท Echoes of Heroes ยท Where the One-Eyed Man is King
Kotyan Khan Raising the Banners ยท The Battle at the Kalka River ยท Saving the Huts ยท Blood for Blood ยท A New Home
Lords of the West
Edward Longshanks Vain Ambition ยท A Man of God ยท Of Castles and Kings ยท Toom Tabard ยท Hammer of the Scots
Grand Dukes A Kingdom Divided ยท The Wolf and the Lion ยท The Cleansing of Paris ยท Unholy Marriage ยท The Hook and Cod Wars ยท The Maid Falls
The Hautevilles Guiscard Arrives ยท Roger in Sicily ยท Bohemond and the Emperor ยท Bohemond in the East ยท Wonder of the World
Dawn of the Dukes
Algirdas and Kestutis Family Affairs ยท No Man's Land ยท The Tatar Yoke ยท A Worthy Opponent ยท In the Shadow of the Throne
Jadwiga The Matter of the Crown ยท Star of the Poles ยท Duel of the Dukes ยท The Siege of Vilnius ยท Vytautas' Crusade ยท The Fruits of Her Labor
Jan Zizka The One-Eyed Wanderer ยท Courage and Coin ยท The Iron Lords ยท The Golden City ยท The Emperor's Fury ยท Warrior of God
Dynasties of India
Babur Pearl of the East ยท The Last Timurids ยท Into India ยท The Battle of Panipat ยท The Rajputs
Rajendra The Successor ยท Deeds of the Father ยท Rising Star ยท Sacred Waters ยท Slaying the Vritra
Devapala Dissatisfaction ยท Desire ยท Renunciation ยท Liberation? ยท Enlightenment
The Mountain Royals
Ismail The Red Hats ยท Road to Royalty ยท Alexander Safavi ยท The Fallen Amir ยท Khata'i
Thoros II Outlawed ยท The Emperor's Revenge ยท Caught in the Crossfire ยท Bloody Crestwaves ยท Of Turncoats and Traitors
Tamar Takeover ยท Yury's Revenge ยท The Protectorate ยท Tamar the Builder ยท The Queen in the Panther's Skin
Victors and Vanquished
Victors and Vanquished
Charlemagne ยท Finehair ยท Ironside ยท Nobunaga
Drake ยท Fetih ยท Gaiseric ยท Robert ยท Temujin ยท Xie An*
Constantine XI ยท Karlsefni ยท Komnenos ยท Mstislav ยท Otto ยท Ragnar ยท Seljuk ยท Shimazu ยท Stephen ยท Vortigern
* added with update 141935
The Three Kingdoms
Liu Bei The Oath of the Peach Garden ยท Heroes of the Realm ยท The Scholar and the Sandal Maker ยท The Great Escape ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs
Cao Cao The Yellow Turban Rebellion ยท Emperor In All But Name ยท The Battle of Guandu ยท Lord of the North ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs
Sun Clan The Imperial Seal ยท The Conquest of Jiangdong ยท The White Tiger ยท The Avenger ยท The Battle of Red Cliffs