Turns 1-4
(There actually will be a bit of fiction later, but I went with a more-or-less conversational tone to start with).
Turn 1: I'm in the middle of the great plains (savannah?) on the northern peninsula. There's a forest to my northeast, the other 4 boundary countries are plains. Potential bummer for my hopes of producing 3+ spider knights a turn, eventually.
I recruit a black sorcerer, a black hunter, and 2 hoplites. I transfer as many of my soldiers as possible to Mjima the Eye of the Lord and send Shujaa the Machaka Chief off to make contact with the natives, with orders to retreat if met with hostility. Mjima is set to patrol in case anyone is upset over the 40% tax hike I'm instituting, and Cirin, in human form, goes to study magick, working on enchantment.
I recruit a Black Sorcerer, a Black Hunter, and a couple Machaka Hoplites.
Provinces 1
Income 352
Research 6
Gems: F 1 (+1) E 2 (+2) N 2 (+2)
End turn. Host.
Turn 2: There was a battle! Zounds! Looks like 25 or so archers, 20 heavy infantry, and maybe 40 light infantry plus 3 commanders. And they were not so pleased to see Shujaa arrive. So he scarpers.
Patrolling troops have killed 8 filthy insurrectionists. The land is now safe and orderly. Heh.
Looks like 80+ troops in all the surrounding plains, in various scary configurations - crossbowmen in one, heavy cavalry in another, and the traditional militia, longbowmen and knights to my southwest. The forest apparently has only 30 or so Vaetti and Wolf Riders, so my buddy Shujaa (who has apparently developed tough skin from dodging the previous volley of arrows) will go check it out.
I recruit a Bane Spider, a Black Hunter, and a hoplite. The Bane Spider will be in charge of conducting further negotiations, as it were, with the commanders of the force to the southeast.
Kimya, the Black Sorcerer, looks to be a good site-searcher down the road (2 F 2 E 1 N 1 D). For now, he can go help out in the lab. And by "help out", I mean "do the Dragon's homework for him".
Provinces 1
Income 350
Research 14 (Enchantment 1 next turn!)
Gems: F 2 (+1) E 4 (+2) N 4 (+2)
End turn. Host.
Turn 3:
Research in Enchantment is completed.
Proclamations from Ulm and Jotunheim. A commander of Ulm and a Jotun Herse have been named prophets of their respective Gods.
There are in fact 32 Vaettis and wolf riders, plus 2 commanders, in the creepy forest. 17 Vaetti and 15 wolves, to be precise. And no "oops - I forgot to mention the five trolls or the scary death mage" like I was expecting. Looks like I will be going into forestry.
Either Cirin or the troops could handle these luzers by themselves, but I want to give my Black Hunters a day out, so Cirin will take the heavy cavalry off with him. They're set up at the back of the field, Cirin in human form. Fire Shield, Fire Flies, Fire Flies, change shape, attack rear. 3 Black Hunters on Hold and Attack. Oops. Only 2 Black Hunters, so I send some Machaka Warriors and Hoplites along as well to back them up.
Mtoto the friendly neighborhood Bane Spider goes off to negotiate with the humans to the southeast. Shujaa goes off to open relations with the heavy inf, crossbowmen, and light inf to the west. I recruit a black hunter and alchemize an earth gem so I can afford a sorcerer.
Provinces 1
Income 336 (I may need to stop overtaxing my people).
Research 8 (Evocation)
Gems: F 3 (+1) E 5 (+2) N 6
End turn. Host.
Turn 4:
We are victorious in the forest of Voteskogg. I shouldn't have messed around with the fire flies spells - they do a bit of damage, but by the time the dragon has run through his script, the wolf riders have already arrived and fought two rounds of combat. Then three of my warriors, despite explicit orders to attack the enemy cavalry, decide to go for glory, break formation, and rush the mass of enemy infantry. They get killed immediately, which convinces the rest of the infantry that they've seen enough, and they run straight home. In the meantime, one of the Black Hunters has been pulled off of his Spider and is now wolf food.
Fortunately, by this time Cirin has assumed his true form and started snacking on wolves. He, the surviving Black Hunter and the dismounted Spider mop up.
The warriors are no great loss, but losing one of my Hunters is a pain, even though the spider is still a good troop. Next time, no messing around with puny magicks for me! Go in monstered up, fire shield, attack.
There is a library, of all things, in the forest. Cirin builds a lab while Kimya the black sorcerer comes over to search for secret doors. Mtumwa the sorcerer (who is also black, but is not so named, for some reason) takes over in the lab at home.
In the meantime, Shujaa has been chased away by 63 troops, including 21 crossbowmen. Mtoto prepares to open negotiations with the people to the southeast, and Shujaa goes off to the north to talk with the heavy cav, heavy inf and light cav there.
The two new provinces bordering the forest of Vateskogg are a coastal plains to the north, peopled by heavy cavalry and heavy infantry, and a forested mountain to the east peopled by Hoburg Guards, Earth Gnomes, a Crusher (!) and Satina the Sorceress (who radiates power). I just like saying "Satina the Sorceress". Where was she when they were handing out names?
Because of the expense of lab-building, I can't afford to recruit any Black Hunters or magicians, so I alchemize another earth gem and recruit a Voice of the Lord, who will be my prophet (and hopefully help keep the infantry from running away quite so soon). Unrest in the new forest is only 8, so I leave taxes at 100.
No sign of the computer players yet, although I do see black candles in both directions.
Provinces 2 (yay!)
Income 371 (upkeep 73)
Research 7 (Evocation)
Gems: F 4 (+1), E 6 (+2), N 8 (+2).
End turn. Host.
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