[quantum_mechani]

Pretender: Pangaea New Era, Medusa 9E4N, 3 order, 1 prod., 3 death, 3 misfortune, 3 magic, 80 point/40 admin castle

Research(86 points): Enchantment 2, Conj. 3, Thaum. 1
Gems: 44+6 nature, 2+1 water, 2+1 death
Income 481, upkeep 132
17 provinces

Though light on site searching, this setup could still work very well for a 2 person (or 1 person 1 AI game). While seeming somewhat weak later game, having a lot of provinces early means a great chance of finding indie mages (I found Amazons, Sages and Lizard Shamen). Also nature magic can branch off in a lot of directions with a bit of reseach.