Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Turn #37, Spring of Year 4
Treasures under the world.

Part 1 of 2

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

Rimdriva's Acashic Record ritual upon Ancyrna reveals a magical site, an entrance into The Underworld (3 earth gems). This valuable site permits me to recruit the excellent, tough, large (size 5) trampling Troglodytes, at 50g (and only 1r) apiece. (Unlike most tramplers in Dom, these have good morale, a 14!) The site will also permit me, once I erect a lab, to recruit Gnomes, which are nice earth/nature mages (2E + 2N) with glamour, stealth, and forestry. Gnomes will make great hit-n-run attackers, especially if accompanied by the proper summoned creatures.

(In the interest of speeding up the process of writing these turns, and to save myself some wear and tear, I'm not going to go into detail on battles fought by other nations against indies or each other. From this turn onwards, I'll just give a brief summary of what happened.)

Caelum attacks Vanheim in the Pillar of the World with Call of the Winds. The defending 3 PD beat off all of the birds, without a single loss.

Vanheim attacks my province of Herghendorf. Their force of 1 commander, 5 skin shifters, 2 hirdmen, 1 heavy infantry, 6 light infantry, 5 crossbowman, and 5 archers face my PD plus the bulk of my army (Bove, Grymis, et. al.). I suffer no irreplaceable (non-PD) losses and the Vans lose half of their attacking force, with 1 commander, 4 skin shifters, 1 light infantry, 4 crossbowman, 2 archers escaping back to Ivenmoor. Bove earns his third experience star.

Ulm attacks indies in Belmar (due north of my Well of All Waters). A diverse and tough Ulmish force of roughly 60 faces about a third their number of indies, a mix of cavalry and fanatics. The Ulms give much better than they receive, and the indy morale just isn't good enough for the indy heavy cavalry to press home their attack. Ulm wins with few losses.

Machaka attacks Abysia in the Yellow Mountains. A Machakan force of 20 bone fiends, 20 machakan archers, 2 spiders, a circle master, and the Machakan prophet attacks 4 Abysian PD. The prophet smites the PD leader and the battle ends before much else happens.

Pangaea attacks indies in Gaieta. The Pangaen Carrion Dragon pretender itself along with less than a score of assorted Pan units faces 2 knights (leaders), 7 knights, and 13 fanatics. The indy knights do considerable damage ... until the dragon closes into melee and terrifies the knights (with +15 fear). That pretty much ends the fight, except for routing knights, blocked by centaurs, being eaten from behind by the dragon.

A death match has been scheduled at the arena in Robber Home for next month.

My besieging Jotuns at Man breach the fortress gates with ease. The end of Man is nigh.

Atlantis has massed a significant force of spearmen and shamblers in Nifel that concerns me. I am fairly certain that Atlantis and Vanheim are not at war, so the only reason I can see for Atlantis to amass these troops is that they are considering a move upon Man.

The "red" wizard that was recruited at the Academy of High Magics in the Black Alps possesses skill in air (2A) and death magics (1D).

My researchers expect to achieve mastery of the seventh level of Evocation by the end of the month.

My realm has:

• ___9 Dominion max.
• __21 Temples
• __43 Provinces converted
• _978 Treasury.
• 1573 Income. (-21)
• _617 Upkeep. (+53)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=9, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=7, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=8, PD=17, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=8, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=2, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=7, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=12 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=8, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=4, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=2, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (19)
• +_2 Air (06)
• +10 Water (11)
• +_7 Earth (08)
• +22 Astral (30) (includes 15 Clams)
• +_3 Death (06)
• +_9 Nature (09)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 6-Evocation*
• 6-Construction*
• 6-Enchantment
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 292 RPs (of 367 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 04, 2004, 00:28: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

Turn #37, Spring of Year 4
Treasures under the world.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit 5 Troglodytes in Ancyrna and Seithkonas in Jotunheim, Pythium, and Ashikaga. Another "red" Wizard is recruited in the Black Alps, while a another Garnet Priestess is recruited at the Well. I raise the PD in Ancyna by 1 (to 18), and a new temple is to be built in Gwyrth. These preparations completely drain the treasury.

The Ivy King Thomm continues a monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem each month. The Norna Rimdriva prepares to invoke the ritual of Acashic Record upon the province of Zenthra, for which I allot 25 of the astral pearls in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne, using a Dwarven Hammer, forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of only 7 water gems. My three Garnet Priestesses each forge a Sceptre of Authority, using a total of 15 of the fire gems in the treasury. The Enchantress Petrona forges Winged Boots, for which I allot 5 precious air gems. A Seithkona forges an Endless Bag of Wine, expending 5 nature gems, while another Seithkona forges a Horror Helm, using 5 death gems.

My wyrm Jorgun will, alone, storm the Man fortress.

Rod the Firbolg, leading a company of 18 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, moves east from Man to attack Vanheim's province of Agenor.

Bove, commanding the rest of my Jotun army, along with Grymis and a two priests, moves northwest from Herghendorf to attack Vanheim's province of Ivenmoor. Commander Ualgo, with six afflicted Jotuns from Bove's army, remains patrolling in Herghendorf so that the giants can receive the Gift of Health.

The priest in Ultima Typhia moves to Ashikaga, while the priest in Robber Home moves to The Promised Land, and two of the six spare priests at Man move south to the Rim Mountains. I send a Seithkona from Pythium to Ancyrna so that she may build a lab in that province next month. Ashsoul the Bane Lord returns to Jotunheim. Tahmar, with a dozen Jotuns, moves from Pythium to the Black Alps to rendezvous with Swanuth the Firbolg.

Turn #37 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #38 ...

overview (1280x1024)

[CharonJr]

Hmm, looks like Atlantis prepared to grab the indie province of Ministra opening up a total of 3 undefended provinces with temples that would be razed by a successful attack if they should decide to attack you.

While your PDs are fairly formidable I doubt that they could repell a determinded attack unless Atlantis is only using fodder troops.

Well, maybe Atlantis has some easier indie targets left somewhere, but otherwise this troop buildup in the sea looks threatening IMO. Well there is Saeborsa with some connected indie provinces...

CharonJr

[Arryn]

Originally posted by CharonJr:
Hmm, looks like Atlantis prepared to grab the indie province of Ministra opening up a total of 3 undefended provinces with temples that would be razed by a successful attack if they should decide to attack you.

All my provinces have temples, except for the just-captured Man. Getting hit anywhere would hurt some. I agree with your assessment on Ministra but there's not much that I can do about it without provoking a war with Atlantis. If I Teleport there with my pretender, and capture the province (in the magic phase) ahead of Atlantis, that will cause the same situation I had with Vanheim: an "accidental" conflict that starts a war.

Like Norfleet's issue with Ulm, Atlantis could take those coastal indies anytime they wanted to. I did have the power to take them myself several months ago, but Man was, by far, a much higher priority for me. The way I've been ignoring the AIs on my borders would not be viable in any MP game, even an MP game with AIs. But as a SP game, I am relying on the "diplomacy" of the AI to "leave me alone if I leave them alone". I didn't want a war with Vanheim, but I got one, and if I slack off against Vanheim to devote attention to indies I'll only make things harder for myself in the long run. I plan to take the indies, whichever ones the various AIs on my borders don't take first, with a second (and third) army I'm assembling. I think I still have 4-8 months before the AIs near me run out of easy prey and start to look at me with greed.

While your PDs are fairly formidable I doubt that they could repell a determinded attack unless Atlantis is only using fodder troops.

Alas, no. Atlantians in Nifel (~80) are mixed spearmen (fodder) and shamblers (okay). In Atlantis (~170) they are shamblers (okay), reef warriors (okay), tritons (dangerous to leaders), and spearmen (fodder). When the bulk of the Atlantian army is non-fodder (bulk is the first listed troop type), I have cause to be concerned.

Well, maybe Atlantis has some easier indie targets left somewhere, but otherwise this troop buildup in the sea looks threatening IMO. Well there is Saeborsa with some connected indie provinces...

I'm hoping this is what they'll go for after Ministra.

I also have suspicions, as yet unconfirmed, that Atlantis may be at war with one or more of: Vanheim, R'leyh, and Arco.

Thanks for the comments/observations.

[ March 04, 2004, 10:15: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Norfleet]

As I predicted, Ulm is now imminently planning to seize that independent province. As Charon as pointed out, you're soon to be facing a similar situation with Atlantis. In Atlantis's case, since you can ill afford a war with them, given the absolutely huge number of provinces exposed to attack from the sea, and your somewhat limited ability to mount a retaliation, you may just be stuck with it. Best not to antagonize them prior to developing an aquatic force. If the opportunity presents itself and Atlantis continues its state of paralysis, you might wish to close off that problem, though: It's possible that the large force in Atlantis is only that may make it somewhat crucial province to them, plus the fact that being underwater limits partially land-capable and is being retained as the capitol garrison: Given that I recall a fair number of Atlantean troop types are capitol-only,their vulnerability to airstrikes and allows them to mass with comparative impunity.

And I wouldn't say that dealing with indies is "slacking off" against Vanheim, necessarily. In my multiplayer campaigns, I've noticed that, oftentimes, a player who gets overly fixated on a single war against a single opponent will often suffer even more as he neglects to attend to his own internal affairs, thus causing great self-inflicted harm upon his own empire as expansion and construction falter due to inattention.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
As I predicted, Ulm is now imminently planning to seize that independent province.

You're like a dog with a bone on that, aren't you? Fixated on the "evil, perfidious, and nefarious" Ulms. Give it a rest, will ya? Isn't going to happen. God says so. Remember that God is All-knowing, if not yet All-powerful.

OTOH, with regards to Atlantis, I'm just out of luck.