Newbie Questions

[Tuskerlove]

Okay, I've been pining to play this game for over 6 months now and I finally broke down and purchased it.

Some questions for the experienced players:

#1 How do I find, recruit or summon more elite leaders. It looks like you get one automatically after a few turns but I've run into problems fighting with my pretender god (battle afflictions that can't be healed) so I've been trying to use other leaders as generals and use my pretender god as a source of finding magic sites form province ot province. Is this a good or bad tactic?

#2 How do I create these artifactss and uber gear everyone is talking about. I have research all branches of magic equally for the 1st 75 turns and now have lvl 5 in all branches of magic. I'm uncertain what needs to be done to create the better equipment.

#3 If I have over 600 of each of the gems in the game does that mean I'm doing something wrong? I really haven't empowered anyone but my pretender god and I'm not certain if that is a good or bad idea.

#4 Why can't I build fortresses and raise province defense in the water?

#5 Re: Fortresses should I build them in every province or only in strategic areas? I have the Castle as a choice but I'm not certain how multiple fortresses benefit or hurt you when placed close together.

#6 Most annoying problem: How can I lose a battle with 100 troops against a neutral territory holding 4 units. One territory holds a mage and some other elite troops and I can't defeat them with my fully equipped pretnder god with over 100 troops (how can this be possible?)

Thanks for any tips/advice you might give me here

JD