[chrispedersen]

rabelais:

MA-Man pretender design. Dormant Cyclops. +3,+1, -, +3, +1, -3.
Dom 7 iirc

Several concepts here.

First, growth to help offset the old age of your crones.
Second. Overtax. The idea is to build castles as fast as possible. You are going to use forresters (at some point) as necessary to patrol.
Third You are going to use your bards soothing song, plus the reinvig from the earth bless to have a competitive advantage in your dominion. You will be pushing drain, but your bards and reinvi will make you largely immune - which brings us to point four:
You have a unique position in that your mages have good military leadership - at least the mother of avalon does.
she will be your default military commander.
Fifth: Minor theme Foresters/bards have excellent precions especially as bards can selfbuff with eagle eye. Add a bow of bowtox, or similar to create missile thugs.
Sixth: Minor You will have very stealth capable commanders, and stealthy sacreds summons.
Seventh Minor theme. Consider fear items or with death access, terror. Your bards soothing songs will help.

I still hate MA man. But I ran a few tests of this and I was able to get three castles started in the first year without much difficulty. Late game is still your problem however, without access to death, blood, or significant astral.