[Carkaton]

If the skull mentors were not needed it was hardly a brilliant gesture. If my post was an excellent example of my skill, why is it so transparent?

I wanted to keep us closer to parity when I was ahead, knowing that if I did not I could not count on you as an ally. That was my clear intention, not just a stopgap gesture to insure my northern frontier wouldn't be invaded by you in the next few turns.

When you surpassed me however, it was not in your intrest to keep it close. Throwing up the nexus with Abysia still alive, you effectively gained half of both of our non astral gem incomes(if he is going to come back and spend them that is) while getting half price discount on every one you spend. That is so far out of parity that I can not compete. Well of misery is not in the same ballpark as nexus. And utterdark was never going to be cast by me as I do not want to draw the ire of both you and abysia, which would be the natural reaction. Even if I cast it now, you'll have a good idea of how many gems I used to cast it from nexus and it will be dispelled by your massive gem income almost immediately.

Add in the fact that Ulm is still alive and doing an excellent job holding out while I am going to be forced to play whack-a-mole with his flying pretender. This gives your army a chance to sweep through Abysia's lands and take much of everything while I am bogged down.

I had talked to Edi, begging him to surrender his lands to Abysia to keep a chance at a balance of power in this game alive, but he wants you to win. Rightly so, since you were friendly to him, but it drives a further shift from parity from us.

Finally, I agree the game is far from over, but the outcome cannot be denied unless Abysia comes back. Even though I doubt he has the incentive to see this through, since I would most likely win if you don't. Chances are he is not too fond of me because I had a firm chance to ally with him turns ago. He was more fearful of your astral magic than my death magic, but I could not break our previous alliance in good conscience and had to take my chances. When those chances turned to 0 this last turn, I could not stay in alliance in good conscience.

I'm not trying to act like you are an ***, I know that I am the guy who backed out of my word here. But parity, at least an illusion of it, in a temporary alliance in a zero sum game is absolutely necessary, or the alliance will naturally fall apart. I'm not playing for you to win, as you aren't playing for me to win.