[PvK]

That's hilarious!

Does it happen again each time if you back up the save position and try it again and again?

I've been using blood magic for about 80 turns, and haven't seen any of my slaves turn into units yet. My blood priests often kill their whole supply during combat, though not always.

As for the AI cheating to know about your movements: not only does it know about astral spying, but it also seems to send out an awful lot of scouts and other stealthy units all over the place. When I turn up the patrols and provincial defense, I frequently catch one or two nearly every turn.

That still wouldn't explain reacting to provincial defense raised during the same turn.

PvK