mosehansen Faerun, again.

[Ygorl]

No problem for me either. I'll be visiting ye olde family soon...

[Alneyan]

Looks like the Old Bug is gone for the time being (I have just done my turn). And of course, I should not be able to do much more than surviving in the coming turns, so.

Well, I guess I will leave Arcoscephale in a pretty poor situation to the first player. At least, they have survived an offensive by two nations, including the most powerful one on this side of Faerun.

[Jurri]

Alright, a new turn is in. Do it at your leisure; I'll return us to normal schedule once everyone is back from merrymaking.

Oh, and Alneyan, admirable fighting in a sudden situation. Especially the attack on T'ien C'hi with a scout took me by surprise! Whatever did poor Soapy do to you... (Just asking so I could do it too )

[Alneyan]

Well, if you consider "putting up a Maginot Line" to be admirable fighting, then it is. I am hoping for some spells to try to turn the tides though; that, or merely wait for someone else to jump on C'tis. Or the rest of the world rather.

T'ien Ch'i (and my other neighbours) did nothing to bring my ire on them. I merely needed money, had scouts everywhere, and attacked every province not defended to capture it for one turn; 50 gold pieces go a long way to make both ends meet at the end of a turn. That, and the scouts were requiring upkeep, so good riddance if they happened to come upon an enemy army.

[Soapyfrog]

I figured it was just a cash grab and didnt take it to heart... my fault for not spending 1 gold on PD.

[Alneyan]

Did you make sure you put that point once you took back the province?

And it isn't as if I would mind if you decided to invade me. I would certainly welcome a change; that, and you would surely be weakened once (or if) you crush C'tis' armies, so that would make my own situation easier. What a world! You cannot irritate your neighbours, even when taking their provinces! *Grumbles*

[Jurri]

Alneyan said:
Well, if you consider "putting up a Maginot Line" to be admirable fighting, then it is.

Considering you were attacked on, what, turn two of your stewardship I'd say your fighting spirit is admirable. I had planned it for some time before, though, so don't think any less of me for pouncing on a sub!

I am hoping for some spells to try to turn the tides though; that, or merely wait for someone else to jump on C'tis. Or the rest of the world rather.

And here I was just waiting for you to die a natural death... Can't be helped, it's baboune's castle anyway. Or you could come out from behind your walls; what better way to live forever in legend than dying a futile death!

What a world! You cannot irritate your neighbours, even when taking their provinces!

Friends 4ever, you and me then?

[Alneyan]

Giving up would be counter-productive. I said I would take over that nation, and survive against mind bLasts, pestilence wind, and mean serpents; I meant it. The proud walls of Arcoscephale shall not fall to the treacherous nations of the world! One day, braves will eventually falter; but such is not our fate. Our fate is to survive without food, without the monthly pay, and with seventeen sermons a day to keep our Dominion high.

And more importantly, if I am known as someone leaving my nation alone when attacked, that would just make enemy offensives more likely. Now, you are aware I can be quite annoying, even when I have virtually nothing to throw against you; with any luck, that might deter you from attacking me when I actually have some poison left in my fangs.

Why should I want to leave the safe walls of my castles, when I have so many priestesses healing troops, and creating enough food to sustain a siege without any trouble? Arcoscephale is a nice nation to live through long sieges. Two nations went down this turn, so at that rate, I will rule over the world in eight turns. Dear people of Arcoscephale, time is playing in our favour! Hold them away from the bay long enough, and victory shall be ours! Well, perhaps.

Of course, when I complained about the patience of my neighbours, I merely spoke of T'ien Ch'i and Mictlan. You aren't irritating my people either. After all, their life force is better spent holding down the fort than throwing random curses at your people. Oh, and the morale might be lower after the sudden deaths of our Astrologers, who happened to be killed after a friendly journey into your lands. Still, don't expect us to die in our walls; a contigency Gateway is ready, should the need to flee arise.

Priam of Troy, Keeper of the Gates. "Take heart good people! We have been besieged for a mere few moons, while it has been heralded that the seven walls shall only fall after many a year under siege!"

[Jurri]

Oh, no, not giving up, certainly... Just gambling with very slim odds I mean, all the castles nearby are hardly defended at all: who knows if you could take them and keep them! One way to find out, oh yes. Indeed, it's not like your swell band of dudes is doing anything productive in your palace, now is it?

Where does the contingency Gateway lead to? I mean, you've only got two castles and one of them is surrounded by ol' squidhead. I'd say it's the classic "from the frying pan into the fire" situation.

Priam is my *****. Ride the lizard, baby!

(Of course I'm not really propagating surrender; in fact I have half a mind to keep you as a caged pet to see if you manage to do something that might disturb my peace of mind. That would also boost my image as the evil overlord nicely, torturing my fellow players by not ending their suffering... )

[Alneyan]

That was wishful thinking on your part. See, our good hoplites are busy setting up a welcome party for your people: trebuchets, onagers, ballistas, the odd bombard, boiling oil... If you can name it, we have it. Our soldiers are also spending their watches among our priestesses to be healed, and to keep a high morale.

We would have gladly launched a deadly counterstrike, but we have annoying recollections of what happened to our previous parties sent for this purpose. We had the firepower to take your petty castle without breaking a sweat, when your cavalry swarmed in and slaughtered our poor guys. Since our Pretender is more dead than not, and we cannot afford to keep mercenaries, we will have to postpone another offensive for a while.

Thanks for reminding me I should get the Gateway up and running before revealing its existence (I got confused with Astral Travel). So I will have to take one province from someone at the other end of the world, and prepare it for the run towards safety. So let it be known Arcoscephale offers intelligence about the serpents in exchange for a haven; a most fine offer.

Arcoscephale has refused to answer your Last comment. We shall merely say we are getting used to running for safety; in fact, I am doing pretty much the same in another game, with Arcoscephale again, but I actually started the war that led to my ruin in that other game (I had the wealthiest nation at the beginning of the hostilities. The key word is had). Here, at least, I can find half a dozen pretences to explain my defeat, and so a honourable death will await me.

Wait. I meant: a honourable strategic retreat to the most remote place in Faerun, where there are only a handful of asps. Of course, we will take up the arms later on, once we have recovered most of our strength. Later on.