Turn #20, Late Fall of Year 2
Pleasant surprises.
This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.
My suspicions bear fruit, well beyond my expectations, when the Norna Rimdriva, casting Acashic Record on the Well of All Waters not only discovers a hidden fire site, the Bronze Pillar (1F gem), but also finds the Forest of a Thousand Streams (1W & 1N gems). In addition to the new gem income, especially of fire gems from the Pillar, the Forest allows the recruitment of Enchantresses (1N & 3 random picks for 180g) who are "trained in elemental magics". I very much look forward to being able to buy, rather than summon, the air and earth mages I presently lack.
The priest Albrecht completes the temple in Ultima Typhia, and Urd completes the lab in the Well of All Waters (just in time to be able to recruit the newly-discovered Enchantresses). Ualgo arrives in Ultima Typhia with his half-score of fresh Jotun spearmen, which replenishes half of my army's recent casualties. Bdvar reports that (independent) Polgrave has roughly two-score amazons and a pair of gryphon riders. Oedre reports from Robber Home that Ashikaga has a mixed force there of about two-score yamabushi monks, light footmen, and aoi standard warriors, plus a light provincial defense. It appears that Ashikaga has concentrated most of its expansion to the mountains to their northwest. I am much relieved when Ashikaga elects to absorb the independent province of Saetica, and they may have lost as much as half of that army in the attack, which is doubly welcome news.
The number of dissenters declines by one in Eribon, Iron Range, and Bel (which has no more unrest). It declines by two in the Feral Woods.
The presence of my avatar in the Iron Range, along with the recent spate of temple construction in my realm, brings new inspiration so that the strength of the faithful rises to 60% in both the Iron Range and Jotunheim. Faith increases to 30% in Pythium and (independent) Saeborea, and 20% in Eribon, the Well of All Waters, and Ultima Typhia.
My magic researchers expect to achieve the sixth rank in 'Conjuration' magics next month. Research continues in the school.
My realm has:
- __6 Dominion max.
- __5 Temples
- _17 Provinces converted
- _10 Provinces controlled
- 451 Treasury.
- 692 Income. (+30)
- 212 Upkeep. (unchanged)
- 134 Resources in Jotunheim. (+1)
- 172 Resources in Pythium. (+10)
- 105 RPs (of 125 available at labs)
Gem income is:
- +1 Fire (16)
- +0 Air (--)
- +6 Water (14)
- +0 Earth (01)
- +5 Astral (05) (includes 2 Clams)
- +1 Death (07)
- +6 Nature (30)
I recruit a Seithkona and 3 Jotun spearman in Pythium, a Seithkona in Jotunheim, and my first Enchantress in the Well of All Waters. These preparations cost 450 coins.
I lower the tax rate in Eribon to 70% in order to appease the remaining ten dissenters there.
I have the Skratti Tunne forge another Clam of Pearls and I allot 10 water gems for the task. I have the Norna Skade begin a monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem per month. I feel that I can now both spare the nature gem and her RPs in order to bolster my forces with a pair of zero-supply (and zero-upkeep?) ogres per month, which are very useful as frontline fodder, and will save some wear and tear on my now-depleted Jotuns.
I send Oedre southwest from Robber Home to the independent coastal province of the Promised Land (#91), directly west of Ashikaga. I am curious as to why this forest/farmlands has yet to be annexed by them. I decide to send Bdvar northeast into Lake Crescent (#33, another VP spot), rather than continue his sweep southeast of Marignon. In Eribon, the priest Erkeborn continues to preach to the masses, as does Geiserik at the Well of All Waters. Bove, along with 33 Jotuns, will patrol Ultima Typhia this month to quell the remaining unrest there, while my prophet Grymis, along with Albrecht, will preach the faith. Ualgo is to return to the Alps, and then on to Jotunheim. Finally, my avatar will move into independent Zenthra on the coast just west of my capital, and where I already have strong dominion, and annex this Last bit of the Jotun Peninsula. Reports say that I may face roughly 50 light and heavy footmen, but it is my belief that the information is exaggerated.