Re: Turns 7-8
Turn 7
The Battle of Norrslatt: Once again, the infantry takes it on the chin. This time, thanks to the prophet encouraging them, they stand and get slaughtered by the enemy cavalry, instead of routing immediately. The good news is, first, that I won, and second, that my Black Hunters came out of the fight unscathed. The (other) bad news is that the reason they came out unscathed was because they interpreted my "hold and attack" order as "stand there and watch the infantry get slaughtered", and only got into the attack after the infantry were basically all dead. I suppose I'll have to place them closer to the infantry next time.
Elsewhere: Kimya, unable to find the entrance to the steam tunnels, comes across an old battlefield instead, giving Machaka the death gem income to go with its death-obsessed sorcerers (and sorceresses, yes, Nayla). Kimya goes off to search the newly conquered province. Pythium proclaims that Faglius (no, really!) the Emerald Lord will be their prophet. The prophet Faglius. And Vatteskog University welcomes Manvale, Full Lecturer in Hydromancy, to the fold.
Mashuhuri, my new Bane Spider, heads off to Midkrona after first consulting with the spirit of his predecessor. Shujaa heads out to ask the Sorceress Satina for her phone number. And the much-diminished army continues on to the north, to take on an unscouted coastal province with some 40-odd heavy cavalry and heavy infantry. And, cheeseball that I am, I'm going to hold off and copy my savegame so I can come back if Cirin dies in this fight.
(And then I went and hosted before I reset my research priorities. Oops.)
I recruited another sage, a Black Hunter, and four more Hoplites.
Provinces 3, Income c. 370, upkeep less.
Research 26 (Construction 19, Evocation 7)
Gems: F 7 (+1) E 5 (+2) D 1 (+1) N 9 (+2)
Turn 8
The Battle of Nordhamn:
As it turns out, instead of 40 troops, there were only 20, so Cirin and his spiders were able to rout the cavalry (after killing half of them) before the infantry had gotten halfway across the field. Much chompage and stompage ensued.
Research in Construction is completed. It occurs to me that I can probably make Manikins. I wonder if I should.
Wow, Satina the Sorceress was totally out of Shujaa's class. F 2 E 4 S 3 D 3 N 3, wearing a robe she sewed herself that gives plus 1 in all sorcery spheres, as well as a poison ring and a lucky charm. She was hanging out with one of her sorceress girlfriends (F1 E1 S2 N1), her pet fall bear, a huge hulking crusher, and about forty Earth Gnomes (25 hp, regenerate). Oh, and a bunch of Hoburg Guards hanging around out back, pointing and laughing as Shujaa beat a hasty retreat.
In the meantime, Vatteskog U is pleased to welcome the eminent son of an eminent father, Ta'ar Bal Jr., to its faculty. He will head our new Center for Pyromantic Studies, the first such center to be located in a forest environment.
Mashuhuri the Bane Spider sets out to have a heart-to-heart (or possibly dagger-to-heart) discussion with the surviving commander in Midkrona, while Shujaa prepares to walk in and reap the benefits of this diplomacy (or possibly get slaughtered, if I miscounted and there's one commander left.) He looks forward to seeing a battle that he doesn't have to flee from headlong.
There's a bit of unrest in Nordhamn, so I bump the tax rate down to 80. I recruit a new sage, a new sorceress, a Black Hunter, and a few more hoplites. Kimya has arrived in Norrslatt and prepares to search. Cirin searches Nordhamn for sources of fire, while Most Holy takes the army south. Cirin will fly in to join in a combined invasion of Gulvidda with fresh troops from the main city next turn.
Provinces 4, income 398, Upkeep 95
Research 33 (33 Construction - Con 2 next turn! I'm headed for Con 4 because I need supplies if I'm going to lead much of an army into the mountains to the west of me).
Gems: F 8 (+1) E 7 (+2) D 2 (+1) N 11 (+2)
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