Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

As some of you may have noticed, I've split up the turn Posts into a Part 1, for end-of-turn results and realm overview, and a Part 2, for plotted moves, forging, and recruitment. This allows me to get the juicy bits of turns (part #1) posted a bit faster while I think about what I want to do for the next turn, which sometimes I may ponder for hours or after a sleep break.

Some significant things have been happening in the game over the past 3 turns. Maybe it's just the weekend, but it's sort of surprising no one's had any comments whatsoever about the events, my reactions to them, or the direction my nation is going in ...

Is there anything you would have done differently (and why)? Is there something I'm overlooking (besides Blood magic)? Any comments at all are welcome. (Hey, it's getting lonely in the thread again )

[Ctennyson]

I tend to read, but keep my thoughts to myself, unless something is glaring. Call me a lurker.

[Arryn]

Turn #32, Late Fall of Year 3
The curtain has fallen.

Part 2 of 2

A temple is to be built in Ashikaga. I raise 20 provincial defenders in Ashikaga and the Rim Mountains, and increase the PD of Ancyrna, Zenthra, and Gwyrth by 7 each (to 17). These preparations drain the treasury of 914 coins. (Atlantis has amassed a particularly strong army numbering three-score assorted shamblers in the Wailwind Waters and I'm, ah, encouraging them to leave me alone by raising PDs in the weaker coastal provinces.)

Having elminated most of the unrest in Barra, I raise taxes there back to normal, while lowering the taxes in the Rim Mountains to zero to quell he unrest caused by this most recent battle.

The Norna Lit forges a Skull Staff, at a cost of 10 death gems. Astral pearls are being horded for an Acashic record, and nature gems for a Treelord's Staff.

Ualgo moves to Kepess (where I am considering having a castle built). Tahmar and his dozen fresh Jotun recruits moves to Ashikaga from Hoburgdorf. The commander Theag, with 4 vine ogres and 5 assorted Jotuns, moves from Jotunheim to Ancyrna. The commander Stark, with 5 Jotun spearmen, moves from Pythium to rendezvous in Ancyrna. The priests in Saetica, their work complete, move to Ancyrna and Zenthra (where I intend to build temples to push my dominion into the Atlantian realm). Likewise, the priests in Herghendorf move to Ashikaga. One of the priests in Robber Home moves to Barra, in preparation for temple-building there.

Bove and Rod the Firbolg will patrol the disorderly province of Ashikaga, while Grymis, along with 2 priests, preach in order to firmly establish my rule there. (Actually, patrolling is a secondary reason for keeping the troops in Ashikaga. More importantly, I am awaiting replacements plus letting the Gift of Health have a couple of months to cure some of the afflictions affecting 21 of my troops, one in three.)

My wyrm Jorgun will attack the capital of Man, having no fear of the mere three-score slingers and fanatics he sees milling about the province.

Turn #32 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 01, 2004, 01:40: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #33 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Atlantis, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm, and Vanheim.

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 1 of 2

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

The Gift of Health cures ten of my afflicted Jotuns this month.

Vanheim, with 1 herse, 8 skin shifters, 2 hirdmen, 6 huskarls, 4 barbarians, 1 heavy infantry, 9 light infantry, and 5 archers attacks Man's capital (before my wyrm arrives), who defend with 1 castellan (PD), 1 bard, 1 monk (PD), 31 fanatics, and 25 slingers (PD). Late in the battle, after considerable losses to both sides, with all the Van troops retreating save for a handful of archers and a lone herse, and with Man's only remaining soldiers being slingers, Man goes into a general rout, narrowly winning the field for Vanheim.

Vanheim's Pyrrhic victory leaves them with just a herse and five archers to face my mighty wyrm. The battle ends with the herse becoming a very light snack that hardly begins to satisfy the wyrm's vast appetite. Still, the experience is worth 1 kill and 5 trophies to my avatar. Unsurprisingly, even my huge wyrm is unequal to the task of tearing down the gates to the fortress of Man. But he is more than strong enough to fend off the counterattacks I expect will soon be coming from both Man and Vanheim, and to maintain the seige until my Jotuns arrive there in a few months.

Bdvar observes a battle in Koromoo between Mictlan and Vanheim. Mictlan attacks with 1 tribal king, 1 mounted commander, 3 eagle warriors, 5 jaguar warriors, 6 sun warriors, 40 warriors, 5 heavy infantry, and 1 slave. Van defends with 1 herse, 1 black hawk (leader), 5 black hawks, 1 vine ogre, 4 lamia, 3 hirdmen, 9 huskarls, and 1 light infantry. The affair is very bloody for both sides. With the Van forces reduced to just 1 herse, 2 black serpents, 2 hirdmen, and 7 rapidly fleeing huskarls, the army of Mictlan's morale breaks and they rout, despite still possessing over half their starting force. Van is very fortunate and holds on to the province with just 3, injured, units.

A scout, suspected to be from Vanheim, is killed by the Jotun militia (PD) of Kepess.

My researchers achieve mastery of the fifth level of Thaumaturgy, and the addition of more temples has strengthened the faith.

(Note that dom in Ashikaga went from 0 to 3 in one turn of concentrated preaching, and that dom has risen in many of my provinces since Last month. The mere presence of my pretender in Man has reduced Man's dom from -3 to -1 in their home province. I may very well be able to kill their pretender by my presence alone!)

My realm has:

• ___8 Dominion max.
• __15 Temples
• __37 Provinces converted
• _982 Treasury.
• 1505 Income. (+129)
• _449 Upkeep. (unchanged)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=5, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=-1, PD=0, Unr=14 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=2, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (08)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_9 Water (18)
• +_3 Earth (10)
• +16 Astral (35) (includes 10 Clams)
• +_3 Death (04)
• +_8 Nature (20)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 174 RPs (of 232 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:04: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit another a Priest and 2 Jotun spearmen in Ashikaga, and a Seithkona and 6 Jotun spearmen in Pythium. Temples are to be built in Barra, Ancyrna, and Zenthra. These preparations drain the treasury of 980 coins.

Having elminated the unrest in the Rim Mountains, I raise taxes there back to normal.

The Norna Rimdriva prepares to invoke the ritual of Acashic Record upon the province of Barra, for which I allot 25 of the astral pearls in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of 10 water gems. Four of my Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wines, expending all 20 of my nature gems. (I will need plenty of supplies so that my troops do not starve as they pass through the mountains south of Man.)

Tahmar heads back to Pythium. The commander Stark, with 10 assorted Jotuns and 4 vine ogres, moves from Ancyrna to Ashikaga, while commander Theag returns to Jotunheim.

Rod the Firbolg, leading my army's vanguard of 21 healthy Jotun spearmen and a bodyguard of 5 vine ogres, along with 4 priests carrying Sceptres of Authority and with one vine ogre apiece as bodyguards, head westwards from Ashikaga to The Promised Land, the first step on their 3-month march to the seige at Man. Bove remains in Ashikaga with the rest of my Jotun army, to bask another month in the Gift of Health within a province where the faith is moderately strong. Grymis remains as well, preaching, to further raise the strength of the faith.

My wyrm Jorgun will single-handedly maintain the seige of the capital of Man.

Turn #33 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 01, 2004, 20:58: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #34 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Arcoscephale, Atlantis, Machaka, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm (capital is now visible), and Vanheim. You can now see the east-west wrap of the map at this zoom level by looking at Vanheim's Valgaard province (at the extreme left and right map sides). The north-south wrap is also, barely, visible.

(Nation names in boldface are newly-visible this month.)