Re: Turns 9-10
Turn 9
Shujaa arrives in Midkrona to find a succession struggle in progress, as all of the commanders have mysteriously turned up dead. He rapidly takes command, and converts the province to the service of Cirin. It turns out that one source of the town's discontent was that it has its own library, and resents the fact that Vatteskog University (which has just opened a Faculty of Earth Science) has drawn away all the top scholars. Shujaa promises to talk to Dean Ta'ar Bal about opening a branch as soon as possible, but is somewhat distracted to see a purple banner up over the horizon.
The ancient empire of Pythium yet lives! He had thought it only a story from old books. He rapidly organizes a provincial militia (defense 10), announces a one week tax holiday, and heads back to the capital to report.
In the meantime, Mjima the Eye of the Lord is taken off of his tax-collecting duties to bring the fresh troops from the capital (2 Black Hunters and 9 Hoplites) west, to join the rest of the army in an assault on Gulvidda. With him leaving, taxes are reduced back to normal.
Cirin, meanwhile, has been unable to find the source of the fire emanations he SWORE he could feel in Nordhamn somewhere. So he shifts to dragon form and flies off to Gulvidda, hoping a bit of destruction will make him feel better. Kimya, fresh from having found a Stone Circle (1 N/turn, can recruit Druid), heads north "just in case" his boss missed something.
Mashuhuri heads south to scout ("JUST to scout") the empire of Pythium. In addition to the legion, two new independent territories are visible. One to the east looks temptingly vulnerable: 30 Vaetti and wolf riders. But taking it might represent an unsupportable extension of the Cirinist empire's borders.
Recruits: an independent scout in Midkronia, a sage, a Black Hunter, a witch doctor.
Provinces 5
Income 408 - Upkeep 114
Research: 45, all in construction (54 for level 3)
Gems: F 9 (+1) E 9 (+2) D 3 (+1) N 14 (+3).
End turn. Host.
Turn 10
The battle for Gulvidda goes reasonably well - 1 hoplite and 1 precious Black Hunter lost to defeat an army of 60 or more. In retrospect, I should have positioned the two squads of Hunters next to each other, as the small group of 2 fresh from town found themselves surrounded out ahead of the infantry. They inflicted serious damage on the enemy infantry, but one of them didn't make it out.
Gulvidda is home to the Cedar Pillars - 2 N, 1 A, 30 Enchant bonus. NU may look into opening an experimental lab here. The army, now that it is organized and united once more, faces a choice of directions: north, to a group of 40 (unscouted) militia, archers and heavy foot, south, to the force of knights and longbows, or west into the mountains, where a tribe of wild Amazons has been training Griffin riders. The griffins look interesting, but I want to complete my conquest of the northern plains first. I think the current army could probably beat the knights, but it would be better to have a few extra Hunters and infantry (and maybe even, god forbid, some extra archers). So north it is.
Mjima the Tax Man of the Lord was going to go to Midkronia and help them organize their tax collection, but it turns out that Shujaa has gone a bit simple in the head and will not be capable of leading the reinforcements from town for the battle in Solhov (against the knights) in two turns. So Shujaa is sent west to make first contact with whoever lives north of the amazons. (Scouting flying creatures by the attack-and-retreat method is not highly recommended. It would be a way to get rid of a more-or-less useless commander, but I've grown attached to the little guy.)
Pythium has conquered the vaetti I mentioned last turn, but still only border one of my provinces. Scouts report that they must have come in from the east or south, as there is nothing but independents to the west of them.
Kimya is searching Nordhamn for magic sites. Various scouts are doing their scouty things. Researchers are researching. All is well and at peace, except where they're at war.
Recruits: a sage, a scout, a hunter, five more hoplites.
Provinces: 6
Income: 486, Upkeep 125
Research: 55 - 9 from Construction 3 (already have Evo 1 and Ench 1)
Gems: F 10 (+1) A 1 (+1) E 11 (+2) D 4 (+1) N 19 (+5)
My nature income is getting to the point that setting up a druid temple and starting Vine Ogre mass production seems like a good idea. Or I could just make Manikins (which it turns out take Con 3, not 1 like I thought.)
So far, a pretty good start, but I am nervous about not running into any other computer players yet. Though I guess that's also a good sign, in a sense.
(NEXT: An unforeseen setback forces me to commit fan fiction.)
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