Cool! We've got two replacement players already - Vikings and People's Empire of Night taken.
If the players agree, I think the time might be ripe to bring some excitement to this game and have a war. We've got six players with established empires now, and we could have another 3-4 if we get more players. Maybe after a few turns of players getting their bearings, we could choose sides for a two-sided team war.
Just an idea...
PvK