Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

My zip file did not contain my turn; could you please send it over again?

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

3/7 in, waiting for R'Lyeh, Man, Caelum, Pythium

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Still only 3/7 turns in, and almost 72 hours passed..

However, I have just arrived at the busiest week of past year at work, so I personally don't mind that we're a bit slow now. But if all turns come in I'll try and host anyway.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

turn hosted!
Sorry for the delay, was an exremely busy week for me.. But it's quiet now.. :-)

Unfortunately, we still had 1 stale...

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

4/7 turns in, waiting for Abysia, Arcoscephale and Pythium

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

I was at the Magic pro tour! I'm back now. No, I didn't win.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

ah nice! welcome back

Abysia & Pythium are about to play.. But it's bed time for me so perhaps I'll host in the morning

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

turn hosted!

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

My master, Agon Agogon, The Gorgogon of Gon, has allowed me to leave my padded cell to respond to this piece of devilish propaganda.

I leave to everyone else the judgement of wether the epithet "coward" you thought fit to qualify us with is apt, but it is worth while to remember that underwater is our home and that we have never left it to attack other nations. We mind our business (which you cannot hope to fathom), that is it. Our actions are not dictated by your misplaced notions of courage. And calling your offensive "trying to stop the growing menace of mind meddlers" is a joke, and a bad one at that. Do I have to paste here for all to read the menacing words you have hurled our way?

About elemental royalty, you forgot to add -- for the sake of fairness -- that one of the Water Queens was yours and you've lost it. And at that point you had 2 Earth Kings, 1 Air Queen, 1 Fire King and Antrax, the Banefire King. And this is just the royalty we spotted, I could go on mentioning the globals you have up, or the unique items you have forged or the powerful creatures like abominations you have summoned.

But this is all moot. What I would like to do is congratulate you on having Arcoscephale join your offensive. Most probably, we will not be able to fend off such a combined attack. We always have the Void to go to as a last home. By the look of things, the other nations prefer to sit quietly and leave Machaka to its own devices. Looking out for their best interests, I am sure. However things may turn out, my sojourn on this curious plane of existence was a happy one.

Master, I am coming. Thou art near. So close.

Ctalou, One Smeared Tear in the Ocean that Is the Eye of Agon.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

The ever-so-innocent R'Lyeh has spoken again. I will not deny that we, the Machakans, are the aggressor in this part. We simply cannot risk your armies to grow invincible, which they already seem to be while under water. Also, your false God would be a special one indeed, if it did not intend to be the Only One in the long run. It's the nature of Gods, is it not?

I would have welcomed Arcoscephales assistance, but I'll have you know that they have somewhat misjudged their own power, from the looks of it. At the same time they attacked R'Lyeh, they also assaulted my fortress with an enormous army, only to find it utterly annihilated soon after. R'Lyeh must have noticed that Arcoscephale did take one of my provinces nevertheless. They overstated their welcome, and my response was crystal clear: Their false God, a powerful being, slayer of hundreds, now lies dead, awaiting the sobbing call of his priests to revive him again.
So, both the people of R'Lyeh and those of Machaka have two enemies to fight. The world is drowning in water and blood. Future will tell what will come of this.

Machaka

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

2/7 turns in.
If all turns are in in about 7 hours I an still host today. Otherwise it's likely going to be Friday or Saturday!

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

5/7 turns in, waiting for R'Lyeh and Caelum. I will be hosting Sunday evening (+1 GMT) if nothing's heard.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Hmmm, I could have sworn I sent my turn thursday late night (GMT).

My appologies, resending it now.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Something came up, so I'll only be able to host tonight. Unfortunately, nothing's heard from Caelum, looks like he'll stale again..

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Ah, you're absolutely right!
Somehow, your email ended up in my spam filter, I have no idea why. It's the first ever 'spam' I got on this gmail account, so was not not used to checking the spam folder.. Sorry!

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

turn hosted, one stale..

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

2/7 turns in.

Caelum is not responding to my emails, I'm afraid we'll have to find a solution to this.

Not sure if we should find a replacement are just turn him AI..His position is not very hopeful it seems. Even though he does have a nice SC pretender flying around...

What do you guys think?

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

As the person who knows the most, I can tell you that his position is quite crummy at this point. And his SC pretender isn't looking so nice anymore under a large pile of afflictions including Diseased and Blind and Crippled.

So, I wouldn't want to inflict that nation on a new player.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Ok, if I have all turns in except Caelum's, I'm going to assume he's gone and put him to AI.

Currently 3/7 turns in, waiting for Man, Caelum, Pythium, R'Lyeh

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Just a quick note to say that I will submit my turn tonight (thursday) around 10-11pm (GMT time).

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

excellent, I'll wait for it

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

turn hosted..

Caelum has been put on AI.. It's a pity, but no word from him in 2 weeks is just too long

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

4/6 turns in, waiting for Pythium and R'Lyeh

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

turn hosted! .. .

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

I'm guessing the random seeking arrow that hit me was a product of AI Caelum's genius? If someone else cast it I'd love to know why, since I'm very, very confused (it was a single arrow tossed into a whole bunch of my 15 HP researchers, so it was very unlikely to do anything)

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Well, it wasn't me, I have much better targets for my air gems ;-)
AI Caelum indeed seems a plausible cause... But why on earth would AI do such a thing, it probably does not even have much intel in your lands.. Perhaps it 'knows' of your growing power and decided to make a crippling move...

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

The AI loves Seeking Arrow.

Anyway... a little bit of bragging from a not-so-capable leader: One Air Queen soul slain, and another is humbly part of the ranks of an elephant army! Only one more to go, unless the first got summoned again by Machaka. I suppose I should have advertised earlier.

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Grrr.. Arcoscephale knows his SC-defeating tricks indeed... Nice job.
My wars against Arco and R'Lyeh are extremely costly, but educational as well..

But Arcoscephale will soon wonder why they started a war with Machaka again with the world being such a dangerous place already!

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

Eh, I was bored. Man seemed like too easy pickings and the road to Pythium was blockaded by your ridiculous force of AQs, mages, and tarrasques (which is probably on its way to my capitol now.) Good thing to know that tactics learned on this board actually work from time to time!

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

well, we'll see where this goes!

by the way:
3/6 turns in, waiting for Man, Pythium, R'Lyeh

Re: Casual PBEM (looking for players)
 

hosted!

Rlyeh: Response to Machaka message.
 

Greetings, Allseeing, leader of Machaka.

We are responding to your peace proposal in public because, to put it plainly, we do not trust you. And until you have given us reasons to trust you, we will keep responding in public.

As always, you bend words and meanings to suit your propaganda, but this simply will not do. You say in your message and I quote: "But this war of attrition is not getting either of us anything." We are sorry to disappoint you, but for us this is surely *not* a war of attrition. You invaded us, so it is a war of defence and survival. And wouldn't you say that Rlyeh has been sucessful in staving off your attack? Besides, we have killed many mages and summons of yours and looted a decent number of useful war implements from their dead bodies. So I reckon we *are* getting something out of it. I do concede though, *you* are not getting anything out of it.

Since you seem to have a particularly selective memory, I will recapitulate the warning we gave you in our last exchange of words:

"More to the point, and let me couch this in a language that even you can understand: are you sure you want to turn your armies towards Rlyeh? Underwater is where we dwell, not Machaka's. And the war will not stay under the water. In fact, we will make it our mission that *your plans* of world domination will not succeed."

Your response was that we were your inferiors and a war declaration. So now, here you come and ask us for a truce? Maybe to buy some time off to wage a more profitable war somewhere else and then, in the future, to come attack and swallow us again? In your arrogance, you keep treating the Illithids as lobotomized fools. You want a truce? Be prepared to pay compensations.

1. Machaka will waiver *all* of its sea provinces. It will withdraw any armies it has in them or, if it cannot withdraw them, facilitate in every manner whatsoever for Rlyeh to take them, including furnishing any information needed and placing their armies in retreat mode.

2. Rlyeh will send a slave collar to Machaka and it's leader, the so-called Allseeing, will wear it. And to provide evidence that it is wearing said collar, it will attack one of Rlyeh's provinces. Alone and with no bodyguards. Machaka can choose the province to attack and Allseeing can do whatever it wants, including retreating or even win the war and take the province.

3. Machaka will pay war compensations in the form of a quantity of magic gems to be communicated in the future.

Of all the above 3 conditions, only 2. is negotiable. Our intent is not to humiliate Machaka, so, if you present reasonable alternatives we are willing to consider them. Unless you are prepared to pay these compensations, we will keep true to our goal to foil *your* plans of world-domination.

Ctalou, The Agonic Word of Agon.

Re: Rlyeh: Response to Machaka message.
 

Buah ha ha ha!! Awesome.

Re: Rlyeh: Response to Machaka message.
 

Naturally, a god wearing a slave collar for another god is unthinkable. Such submission is a fate worse than annihilation by battle or faith. The mere rumour of it must be stopped right here, lest my followers will start acting on their own through their uncontrollable rage of humiliation. This will not help either of us.

The other points will be further negotiated in private conversation, from my part.

Re: Rlyeh: Response to Machaka message.
 

OOC: Pretty nasty indeed! ;-)

Pretender Hall of Fame
 

What ever happened to Caelums god. The lost I saw it, it was horror marked, cursed and diseased. It had about 7 or 8 afflications including crippled, and lost an arm. Because of the lost an arm it couldn't use the champions trident and had to use its fist. Because of being crippled it only had 2 ap. I saw it trying to take the PD in a province. It moved very slowly, and missed most of the time as it tried to punch enemies with its fist.

If there is any pretender that is worth going into some hall of fame it is that one. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif Yo can't help but cheer that guy on.

Re: Pretender Hall of Fame
 

That is what happens when you mess with the copious mages of Avalon... That pretender was pushing us around a lot in the early-mid game, but things turned around nicely after we gave it a horror mark, curse, and disease. The Caelians tried to pull him back, to hide him from our armies, but the disease worked its delicious way over the months. That poor thing has recently been put out of its misery, at long last!

Re: Pretender Hall of Fame
 

Let it be known to all that the nation of Machaka has negotiated a truce with the nation of R'Lyeh.

The Allseeing

Re: Pretender Hall of Fame
 

5/6 turns are in, waiting for Arcoscephale

Re: Pretender Hall of Fame
 

turn hosted! . ..

hosting
 

3/6 turns in, waiting for R'Lyeh, Pythium and Abysia.

Shall we try to enable hosting on Friday afternoon (+1 GMT) again?
If I get the turns in tonight, I could host tonight or Thursday morning, but I'll not be home the rest of the Thursday.

Re: hosting
 

I'm pretty sure I didn't include a turn in that email I sent you http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif But that's because I always like to double-check things, I could have mine in tonight.

Re: hosting
 

Ahh, you're right!
I interpreted an 'attachment paperclip' the wrong way somewhere ;-)
So,
2/6 turns in, waiting for R'Lyeh, Pythium, Abysia, and Man.

Re: hosting
 

Turn hosted . . . .!

An ill warning
 

Behold!
A source of tremendous power has been claimed. A shift of power, beyond neglecting! It was foreseen...

Soon, the armies of Abysia, already the largest and richest nation of the world, will be unstoppable, his magic will dominate the world, multitudes of virgins will be sacrificed for every wish they make, allowing more demons to enter this world. The river of fire and blood will swell to a lake, ready to burst the dam and flood all nations.
Unless, perhaps, we drop our current affairs and unite against them. Abysia lands are rich indeed, so whoever gets there first my find himself at an advantage.

Machaka is preparing for war, but is bound by an oath of peace for but a few months more. But soon enough, we shall strike, ready for the battles of legend my warriors were longing for.
I already hear the thunder of hundreds of armoured boots and the clapping of demonoid wings nearing my strongholds. We shall see.

The War is Over
 

Micah, Lord of Fever, Lord of Flames, Lord of Terror, Enemy of Man, The Warrior Against the Sun has cast the spell to end all wars, so that he may take his rightful place as the one true god of this world. The very struggles against him will give him yet more power with which to strike down his enemies, as they feed power into the nexus that he is the center of.

You cannot hope to stand before the might of Abysia. We control the power of the stars as well as the power of blood. The legions of the Inferno and Cocytos are bound to serve our will. The people of Abysia are the Chosen of Micah, and we shall not falter now that his time is at hand.

Bow down before your lord, and know his mercy, bend knee to Abysia and your people shall be spared. Refuse, and all that shall be left are ashes.

Arcane Nexus
 

To all nations. Do not be concerned. Pythium is able to deal with that Arcane Nexus. It had been Pythiums initial goal from the start to research straight to Arcane Nexus. To meet that goal we collected astral gems while refraining from using them. Our capital produces 5 astral gems a turn alone. Our initial conquest was Bandar Log which is also an Astral nation, and we have been very lucky in finding astral sites. In the end I decided against casting it because after looking i felt it was too powerfull of a spell, too game imbalacing, and I wouldn't have had any fun winning because of it.

But the result is Pythium still has the ability to cast that spell, and probably has more astral gems then Abysia put into that spell. We are confident we can replace Abysia's Nexus with our own. But we want to make certain that we have enough gems. We would like to ask each nation to submit some of their astral pearls to us. If you each give a hundred that should be enough.

What I will do with the Arcane Nexus is:
- pay each of you back double the contrubution you made (this is regardless if we happen to be currently fighting or not.)
- make sure that any global that Abysia casts will get dispelled.
- replenish the gems that I used to cast the spell to begin with.
- Any gems after that will only be used for spells against Abysia.
- Once Abysia is defeated I will send the mage who cast the spell on a 'vacsaion' to one of your lands. This will automatically end the spell.

Again I would like each of you to send at least 100 pearls. If you don't have the pearls send gems that can be alchemized and we can privatly work out ways for compensation.

I hope what I presented above is acceptable. Deatils and any trust issues can be discussed privatly.

Re: Arcane Nexus
 

OOC: I figured I had the game won before I cast it, so I wasn't trying to unbalance anything. If I do end up losing it will be because I decided to cast it (it's powerful, but Pythium's claim that he didn't cast it because it was overpowered rings false, as it is not powerful enough to compensate for having every other nation gang up on you without a decided lead going into it...I guarantee Pythium's casting it would have gone badly for him). I thought it'd be more fun than slowly grinding through one nation at a time.

So, I took the pearls I had lying around and decided to spice things up a bit.

That being said, expecting Pythium to fall on his sword after having the nexus up for 20+ turns and pulling in 100+ gems per turn seems a bit...optimistic to me. There's plenty of opportunity and temptation to pocket a few pearls each turn. Plus I'd imagine that he could argue that the army of 50 abominations that suddenly popped up in his capital was intended as a "spell against Abysia."

He who holds the Nexus controls the game, don't make the mistake of trading one overlord for another. A dispel instead of an overwrite would be in the best interest of everyone except for Pythium. And I include myself in that, for I would much prefer to have a fighting chance even if my global goes down.

Note that Pythium was content to not cast the spell before I did, as he knew he would draw the wrath of the other nations, but now that everyone is concentrated on me (and rightly so) he is more than happy to have it under his control, since he can have it without drawing the fury that comes with it.

Take your chances with a dispel if it pleases you, but know that overwriting the nexus will do nothing to save you, you will merely have a different master at the end of the day.

turn status
 

3/6 turns in.. Waiting for R'Lyeh, Pythium, Man

Guess we're still contemplating the fate of the world?

I am a bit tied up at work currently, so I don't think I'l be able to host before Wednesday anyways..

hosting
 

5/6 turns in, waiting for Pythium

I'll be hosting tonight