Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Turn #26, Late Spring of Year 3
A near-death experience.

Travellers from afar bring word that another Storm General has been named as the false prophet of the Caelumite pretender Gina. Caelum must be at war with someone else besides my nation (you may recall that they declared war on me a score of years ago) for them to have lost their prophet. In the Rim Mountains, my scout Oedre observes an Atlantian army of some 70 atlantian spearmen, reef warriors, war shamblers, and wolf riders utterly crush a handful of troops from Man.

A market gathers in Ancyrna and the extra commerce boosts my tax revenues this month by 100g. In neighboring Zenthra, over 1300 peasants, almost 30% of the provincial population, leave to find better land.

In Herghendorf, an Ashikagan force of 1 chunin, 1 hatamoto, 8 yamabushi monks, 4 ashigaru spearmen, 1 samurai swordsman, and 1 crossbowman attack the independents (composed of 1 priest, 7 knights, 18 fanatics, and 15 longbowmen) before my avatar arrives in the same province. The indy knights take care of all the Ashikagans excepting the crossbowman, who falls to massed fire from the longbowmen.

In the subsequent battle between Jorgun and the Herghendorf defenders (who are twice as strong as I had estimated), the wyrm completes his defensive spell preparations just as the lead half-dozen knights' charge reaches him (the seventh knight is acting as a bodyguard for the priest). None of the lances harm Jorgun, and 3 of the knights are instantly paralyzed by the wyrm's Astral Shield. While Jorgun feasts on stiff horseflesh, the fanatics close in and they, too, soon become bite-sized snacks to complement the equine main course. Behind the fanatics, though, the longbowmen also close in to point-blank firing range and begin to rain down a hail of hurtful arrows on my avatar as it finishes the Last few fanatics. In three volleys the wyrm, already weak from being in hostile dominion (starting with just 97HPs here, about half normal), takes many hits and loses almost 80% of his health. But his aura of fear, boosted by a Horror Helm, comes to his aid just in time and the longbowmen break morale and flee. Had they not routed, one more good volley would very likely have won the day for them. Jorgun calmly finishes gorging on the third paralyzed knight (the others long since having fled) as the longbowmen make a hasty retreat, leaving me the victory and control of the province. My avatar ends the battle with no new wounds, 11 more kills (98 total), 15 more trophies (172 total), and a lesson in how to be a pincushion.

Rod the Scout reports approximately 50 fanatics, and light and heavy footmen in the farmlands of Gol Phalas. He also discovers that the river delta of Durheim (#174) to the north is controlled by R'leyh. Bdvar observes roughly three-score independent ichtyid warriors and ichtyids in the river delta of Solam. Jorgun discovers that Ulm controls the forest-covered mountains to the north of Herghendorf, and that Man's control extends to the plains of Ivenmoor (#135) just to the northwest of Herghendorf. The Ashikagan-controlled mountain province of Melma (#119) southwest of Herghendorf contains just seven tribal cavalries. Robber Home appears to contain just a score of ashigaru spearmen under the command of the hero Li T'ieh-Kuai, while the Ashikagan capital appears to contain roughly 50 assorted national troops.

My researchers achieve the fifth circle of power in Construction.

My realm has:

• __6 Dominion max.
• __8 Temples
• _23 Provinces converted
• 942 Treasury.
• 964 Income. (+47)
• 333 Upkeep. (+12)
• 141 Resources in Jotunheim. (unchanged)
• 199 Resources in Pythium. (unchanged)

• 15 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=6, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=5, PD=3, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=2, PD=7, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=-3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Feral Woods: Dom=1, PD=3, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=-1, PD=0, Unr=19

Gem income is:

• +_2 Fire (20)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_6 Water (10)
• +_2 Earth (04)
• +11 Astral (29) (includes 6 Clams)
• +_1 Death (08)
• +_6 Nature (46)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 0-Evocation
• 5-Construction*
• 3-Enchantment
• 0-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 120 RPs (of 179 available at labs)

I recruit 1 Priest and another 6 Jotun spearman in Pythium, 1 Priest in Hoburgdorf, and 1 Priest in Saetica. I increase the provincial defense of Herghendorf to 10. I also increase the PD of Bel by 3 (to 10), and in the Feral Woods and Black Alps by 7 (to 10). These preparations drain the treasury of 510 coins.

I lower taxes in Herghendorf to 40% to quell unrest in the newly-conquered province.

I have the Skratti Tunne forge another Clam of Pearls and I allot 10 water gems for the task. The Norna Skade continues her monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem per month. I have two of the Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wine, for which I allot 10 nature gems, while a third Seithkona forges a Horror Helm at a cost of 5 death gems. I have both of the Enchantresses with fire paths each forge a Sceptre of Authority, which uses half (10) of my fire gems. The Norna Rimdriva prepares the ritual of Acashic Record for the Black Alps, expending 25 astral pearls. (I need air gem income and Black Alps is the only mountain province I control with a reasonable chance of having some.)

Bdvar heads inland, north, into the mountains of Cimri (#56), Rod the Scout moves east into the farmlands of the Glimmering Fields (#149), and Oedre continues to keep an eye on Atlantis and Man. Tahmar ferries a half-dozen fresh Jotun spearmen to Hoburgdorf. Ualgo departs Jotunheim for Ancyrna with eight vine ogres in tow. Erkeborn continues to preach at the temple in Saetica, while Albrecht does so in Hoburgdorf. Geiserik moves to Herghendorf, where he will build a temple in the following month. The Seithkona Sigrdriva returns to Pythium. Grymis, commanding roughly half of the Jotun army (21 Jotuns and a pair of vine ogres), heads into the woods of Robber Home. Rod the Firbolg hands his magical items to Bove, who also heads into Robber Home, while Rod takes command of the remaining 25 Jotuns and moves to Saetica. (Since Saetica should now appear to be weakly defended compared to other targets that Ashikaga might strike back at, this is the logical place for me to try another ambush.) Finally, my wyrm Jorgun will head into the Ashikagan mountains of Melma.

[ February 22, 2004, 05:47: Message edited by: Arryn ]