[Arryn]

Turn #27, Early Summer of Year 3
Stranglehold.

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

Rimdriva's Acashic Record ritual upon the Black Alps reveals 2 magical sites: an Academy of High Magics (1E and 1N gems) in which I can recruit wizards (3 random), and an Unholy Temple (1D gem). The ritual also reveals a normal laboratory and temple which are linked to the magical Academy and Temple sites, an added "bonus". I am most disappointed not to have found an air gem source. Doubling my meager death gem income will have to mollify me, somewhat, along with the knowledge that my astral income is sufficient to be able to continue scanning provinces every other month, expensive as this may be.

In Melma, my wyrm faces a senin master, a hatamoto, 9 samurai swordsmen, and 4 tribal cavalry. The battle is more of a feast than anything significant. After consuming eight samurai as appetizers, my avatar moves on to his favorite main course of horseflesh, chowing down on a trio of cavalry before the pair of leaders rout, taking the pair of surviving underlings with them. Jorgun adds 10 more kills and 11 more trophies to his fast-growing tally. This province contains a Hidden Gold Mine (50g) and Gem Deposits (40g). More gold is always useful.

Grymis and Bove, with just over a score of Jotuns, makes short work of the dozen Ashikagan samurai provincial defenders of Robber Home. Bove tallies 2 kills and 7 trophies in this battle, which completes the encirclement of the Ashikagan capital. The captured province contains an Arena (15g). This month has proven very profitable, at least in terms of gold. Alas, the Ashikagan hero Li T'ieh-Kuai has once again eluded me, moving to their capital. His fate is already determined, all he does is delay the inevitable.

As predicted, Ashikaga does attack my province of Saetica. And they do so with a stronger force than I had expected they might use. So much the better, as it will weaken them all the more. The enemy counts an impressive (and expensive) "punitive" force of 3 taisho daimyos, 8 samurai horsemen, 6 aoi standard warriors, 14 samurai bowmen, 15 ashigaru spearmen, and 7 yamabushi monks. Against this, my defenders consist of Rod the Firbolg, a Jotun Jarl (PD), a Jotun Herse (PD), 2 priests, 25 Jotun spearmen, and 20 Jotun militia (PD). The samurai bowmen fail to hurt any of the giants, but do manage to kill several of their monks. The Jotuns plow through the spearmen and aoi warriors like a juggernaut, barely slowing down as they advance. Unable to stem the relentless tide of giants, and with all three daimyos slain, the bowmen (mounted and foot) and a handful of spearmen escape back to the relative safety of their capital. My losses are nil, and the enemy has once again been bled of over two dozen troops that will be expensive, and take months, for them to replace.

Rod the Scout reports approximately 50 fanatics, archers, and heavy footmen in the independent farmlands of the Glimmering Fields. He also notes that R'leyh has penetrated through the First Forest (#165) and into the Old Man Mountains (#147). Bdvar spots about 8 trolls in the mountains of Cimri, and that Vanheim is in possession of the plains of Pnophia (#66) to the northwest. The plains of Namor (#69) appears to be the furthest western penetration of Atlantians onto land. Aole (#78) was recently conquered by Man, and it appears that Man is attempting to flank Atlantis from the west, as its efforts to push directly through in the Rim Mountains has been repeatedly repulsed by Atlantis. Jorgun discovers Vanheim's eastern extent in the mountain province of Gipha (#131), just northwest of Melma, and held by a half-dozen black hawks, likely remnants of a ritual summoning. Ashikaga controls the wastes of Kepess (#116), west of Melma and Robber Home, with an estimated force of 30 ashigaru spearmen. I am optimistic that this may be the Last province under their control outside of the capital itself.

My realm has:

• ___6 Dominion max.
• ___9 Temples
• __24 Provinces converted
• 1113 Treasury.
• 1088 Income. (+124)
• _350 Upkeep. (+17)
• _141 Resources in Jotunheim. (unchanged)
• _196 Resources in Pythium. (-3)

• 17 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=6, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=-1, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=-3, PD=0, Unr=10
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Feral Woods: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=2, PD=0, Unr=9
• Herghendorf: Dom=-1, PD=10, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_2 Fire (12)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_6 Water (06)
• +_3 Earth (07)
• +12 Astral (15) (includes 7 Clams)
• +_2 Death (05)
• +_7 Nature (42)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 0-Evocation
• 5-Construction*
• 3-Enchantment*
• 0-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 160 RPs (of 188 available at labs)

I recruit 1 Priest and another 6 Jotun spearman in Pythium, 1 Priest in Hoburgdorf, and 1 Priest in Saetica. I increase the provincial defense of Herghendorf by 10 (to 20). I also raise 20 provincial defenders each in Melma and Robber Home. These preparations drain the treasury of 905 coins.

Having eliminated the unrest in Herghendorf, I raise taxes there back to normal. I lower taxes to 80% in Melma and 90% in Robber Home to quell unrest in the newly-conquered lands.

The Norna Skade continues her monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem per month. I have two of the Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wine, for which I allot 10 nature gems, while a third Seithkona forges a Horror Helm at a cost of 5 death gems. I have Sade forge a Sceptre of Authority, which uses 5 of my fire gems, while Pladina forges a Charcoal Shield, expending 5 fire and 5 earth gems.

Geiserik, now in Herghendorf, begins building a temple. The newly-ordained priest Adaloald ferries the six equally-new Jotun spearmen and all the newly-forged magical items from Pythium to Hoburgdorf. Ualgo also moves to Hoburgdorf with 8 vine ogres. Tahmar heads back to Pythium to pick up the next batch of reinforcements. Erkeborn moves to Robber Home, with intentions of building a temple after he gets there, while the newly-ordained priest Gunderik in Hoburgdorf moves to Melma for similar reasons. In Saetica, the newly-ordained priest Clodomir takes over preaching duties at that temple. Albrecht continues to preach in Hoburgdorf. Bove begins a patrol of Robber Home as Grymis passes the time preaching. Bdvar heads into Namor, and Rod the Scout doubles back southwards into the farmlands of Summerlands (#123). Oedre is most useful keeping an eye on Atlantis and Man from his perch in the Rim Mountains. Assuming that Ashikaga may once again attempt to senselessly beat itself bloody against me, I send Rod the Firbolg and his army back to Hoburgdorf, the current "weak spot" bordering the Ashikagan capital. My wyrm, ever hungry, will move westwards into Kepess, in anticipation of acquiring both a fine meal and what I hope is Ashikaga's Last province besides its capital.