MP Game - Yarnspinners

[Karacan]

puffyn said:
I agree with Noth, writer of Posts.

Huh, I still don't know if I'll keep on cycling through his few existent titles, or if I'll invent new ones as we go along...

(...)but perhaps everyone could make screenshots (or just a copy of their turn) every five turns. Then, when the game is over, someone could make complete situation maps every 5 turns and edit them into the thread for posterity(...)

Good idea. I'll try to remember and screenshot the map every five turns. Someone should do the same for the score graphs.

[Cheezeninja]

-Abysia turn 4-

"Hail to thee, good neighbor! Warm tidings and good will, how goes your day?"

"By the by, my friend, I can say little except that it passes. Have you heard the news?"

"The news? My friend I had no idea there was news, let alone the nature of such news."

"Ahh, then i can assure you there is indeed news, news of such import as to arouse the interest of all who hear it."

"As to that, I can assure you it must be true, for you have not yet told me this news and already I feel my interest aroused to nearly unbearable levels."

"How, you wish to hear the news?"

"By the Horse yes! I wish very much to hear this news, as you can percieve i am listening very closely."

"I do indeed percieve that you are listening closely my good friend, and as such will undertake to impart to you the news immediately."

"Ahh, well do so then, and I would indeed be in your debt."

"As to that, I shall then immediatly pass to you the news you desire to hear."

"The shard! Yes i desire to hear it, it seems i have desired nothing less for the Last half of and hour!"

"The news then, is this. I do not know the significance of it, but I can report that a messenger has arrived and put the palace into something of an uproar."

"How, an uproar?"

"Well, that is, a subdued uproar."

"What precisely," The first Neighbor inquired, "is a subdued uproar? For you percieve I desire precision of all things."

"I will describe it as best I can," Said the Second neighbor.

"I await your description with all eagerness," Said the First.

"Here it is, then: A messenger arrived some two days ago, that is, the day after we Last met."

"Well?" Said the First neighbor. "Whence came this messenger?"

"That I cannot tell you, only-"

"Yes?"

"He was a Abysian, and he wore the livery of the Army."

"There is nothing remarkable in that," said the First neighbor. "Messengers for the Army are often Abysians, and it is only proper that they wear the Army livery under such circumstances."

"Oh, I agree, there is nothing remarkable in that. Only-"

"Well?"

"His message."

"What was it?"

"I assure you, I havn't the least idea in the world."

"How," Said the first neighbor. "You have no idea?"

"None at all, on my word of honor."

"And then?" Replied the first.

"All i know is this: The messenger spoke to the Queen our Goddess for some time, and then departed, and after he left-"

"Well? After he left?"

"There were unmistakable signs of agitation in the behaviour of the Queen."

"And yet," Said the first neighbor, "She gave no indication as to the cause of Her agitation?"

"Only this," Replied the second. "She was heard to mutter something about the worthlessness of the Army and how She would be better off doing things Herself, then she ordered all to continue with the day as if nothing had happened and stalked off and has not been seen since!"

"indeed, that does seem to be portentious news my friend, though i know not what it means."

"Oh! I nearly forgot, though i know not the import of it," Said the second neighbor. "The messenger was also observed to be wearing several bandages about his head and arms."

"The Horse! You know not the import of it," Replied the first. "Why that nearly explains it all, in my reckoning."

"How, it explains it all?"

"Indeed, by my figuring it would seem that the Army suffered an unsightly defeat and our Queen has gone off to rectify the situation Herself."

"Ah! I percieve that your idea would seem to fit the situation exactly, and bears much merit. Many thanks my friend, for you have cleared up some worry i did have on my part as to the nature of the message, surely our Queen will set all aright in the near future."

"Think nothing of it, and thanks to yourself as well, for sharing such an interesting morsel of information with me."

"Cha! And what kind of neighbor would i be if i didnt share such thought provoking information with a dear friend of mine. Now, I shall take my leave, and let you return to your gardening."

At which point the two neighbors bade each other farewell and continued at their respective activities. Which in this case were walking towards ones own front door, and the digging up of a particularly truculent weed.


(I tried my best in this post to copy the dialogue of the incomparable Paarfi, under the pseudonym of Steven Brust. If you havn't read any Steven Brust then i suggest you do so immediately.)

[magnate]

Hi All,

Here's my first set of points, for turn 3 reports:

Abysia 1
Arco 2
Ermor 2
Machaka 2
Mictlan 1

plus 2 belated points to each of R'lyeh and Man, who didn't get them for turn 2. I know they were both late, but it seems a shame to discourage people from writing, when they were both good turn 2 reports. No turn 3 reports though!

I can't edit Zapmeister's first post, but the running totals are:

Abysia 5
Arco 6
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4 (shame about the turn 3 report - I was really looking forward to it!)
Ermor 6
Machaka 6
Man 4
Mictlan 5
R'lyeh 4
Vanheim 4

Hope that's ok - I have begun to be a bit discriminating in awarding only single points in some cases.

I see that turn 5 hosts tonight, so I'll award points for turn 4's reports tomorrow.

All the best,

CC

[Sheap]

Summer, year 1. (Turn 4)

This month a great mystery arose in the God Mountain. Oginga, Voice of the Lord, ventured into the caves in search of ancient wisdom. I don't understand the mortal obsession with ancient wisdom. It's always ancient this, ancient that. The mortals believe there is an ancient god, buried in the mountain, who teaches dark arts to those he deems worthy. Oginga, inspired by his new holy power, wished to seek this ancient wisdom. He and a party of three retainers went into the mountain.

Apparently, I'm not ancient enough for him.

Anyway, it's not true. None of it is. It's a fifty thousand year old translation error. In the Old Machakan language - and that's the Old Machakan language from my time, not now - nowadays they call it 'Really Old Machakan' - the word for spider is "reluz", and the word for god is "relozu." Of course they have a common root, because the ancient Machakans worshipped spiders, before they were tamed. It's actually just Spider Mountain. No gods, just spiders, and some unusual spider-human crossbreeds.

I'm going to let them keep calling it God Mountain, though. I always liked that name. Sounds like some sort of theme park attraction. But a mortal's holy site basically IS a divine theme park attraction.

Oginga, of course, returned without ancient wisdom. But he did pick up one of those half-spider men, whose magical knowledge requires sacrifices, which are not to be found in the caves. Azaan, the Black Sorcerer, has come out to see if those who dwell upon the surface might have more compatible magical energies.

In the dark caves all of Oginga's retainers were slain by God only knows what. Actually... God doesn't know what. And I speak from experience here. But only one of them was devout enough for his spirit to return to the surface. I am curious why Oginga cannot find better followers, nor trust his own deity's wisdom. My new prophet has gotten off to a slow start. Perhaps he will make more of a name for himself in the future.

[Karacan]

magnate said:
Hope that's ok - I have begun to be a bit discriminating in awarding only single points in some cases.

Fine with me. Some reasoning why you award one (or, when it comes, three) points would be appreciated, though.

[magnate]

Karacan said:

Fine with me. Some reasoning why you award one (or, when it comes, three) points would be appreciated, though.

Of course. In those two cases it was simply length - Abysia's and Mictlan's turn 3 reports were very very short. Better than nothing, and fun to read as far as they went, but not deserving of the same two points as the others.

CC

[Karacan]

Ermor: Turn 5

After being instrumental in a victory against the few defenders of West Achaku, Rolf Magnus and his decided to follow empty Machakan promises instead. I considered my offer enough to satisfy a mercenary's greed, yet somehow, Machaka managed to outbid me.

However, my coffers have attracted another greedy mortal, with fresh troops no less. Gynter Blukraft and his Sonnenkinder decided to offer his services to me, and intend to use them as the spearhead to an invasion into the Achaku Plains, which appears to be heavily defended and unlikely to join my newly risen nation of their free will, joined by Caractor and a newly risen legion of servants, and the remains of Angmar's army.

Though much of the time of existance was spent studying the cycle of death among mortals, it is highly unlikely that I will ever fully understand them. I was informed that there was a festival of faith held in my honor, and the remaining villagers apparently revelled and feasted well into the night. Which was a fortunate occasion, as Caractor had to kill fewer of them to aquire their remaining valuables, which I require to attract more skilled soldiers. It is for their own good, after all, and their miserable lives only end in pain and death anyway.

Also, a trader's guild has set up in Astara. I certainly do not mind them, as they agreed to pay a good amount of taxes each month.

I have finally decided to ask Simthi to conjure a being of faith. I hear that the old theurgs of Ermor were skilled in the reviving of the fallen, and I feel it will further my studies to see one practicing his fascinating arts.

For I am Noth, and I will end the pain of this world.

[Alneyan]

A somewhat longer yarn for this turn; I did not write anything for the past two turns, so I have to at least sum up what happened in the meantime. I find mWithout any further ado:



The Kingdom of the Vale, Summer:

A sort of routine eventually came to the Avalonian army after their first dismal training. The soldiers were growing into an effective group instead of fighting as individuals, and they were galvanised by their victories over the barbarians. These battles turned out to be slaughters, as the enemy did not adopt any kind of discernible tactics. Instead, they charged one after the other, making them easy prey for the longbowmen waiting behind. The roars they gave while rushing to their death were certainly impressive, but they availed little, and all tribesmen were either killed or routed in a matter of minutes.

While Ilneoa rejoiced after such easy victories, she could not help having an eerie feeling about what would brought the next tide for her. Had the old ways been so forgotten that hordes of barbarians were the most threatening army of the Vale? Surely there should be something left of the past grandeur of Avalon; all these years cannot have vanished from the surface of the land so swiftly.

Her troops were nearing the Stone Sisters, these mountains used by farseers to spot enemy soldiers roaming in the Lands Beyond. As Ilneoa's army came into view, the watchmen sent word for their guard. Nearly as many men as Ilneoa had herself rushed at the commands, mostly peasants given swords and a few archers. Their blazon was the moon and the crimson blade, the symbol of the Earls of Valogda.

Silence reigned when the Virtue, Lady of the Avalon, gave her signal for “Fire at will”. A few commoners were hurt in this initial volley, but it achieved little as they were intended to be a diVersion and not an actual threat. In the meantime, the trained infantry of the Sisters' Guard came to the battlefield and started its march against the Avalonian archers. Few arrows did much damage, and the sight of several comrades dead was not enough to deter the foe.

Chaos erupted shortly afterwards as the own bodyguards of Ilneoa entered the fray, a few feet before the line made by the bowmen. This Last defence was enough to keep most of the enemy men-at-arms at bay, although a few of them managed to attack the archers themselves. While the situation was more or less under the control of Avalon, the cowardly leader of the longbowmen ordered a retreat of his troops, even if they were more than able to use their knives in close combat. Thankfully, Ilneoa's infantry was brave enough not to panic, and they were able to chase down the remains of the much weakened enemy army.

While this battle for the Stone Sisters has been a success for the Vale, Ilneoa could not tolerate such displays of insubordination within her ranks. Retribution would have to wait until the craven and his troops could be found, however. Several warriors were killed because of his behaviour, and a few more injured; this would not do, and would have to be... taken care of.

A messenger from the Fair Land broke her musings. He was a young lad, hardly more than sixteen, a squire at best; a seasoned knight should have been entrusted with the task of delivering this missive. His work done, the boy hurried away without a word, which seemed to mean he did not relinquish to be remember as the one who brought bad news. Ilneoa opened the letter, half expecting news of an upcoming disaster to reach her.

She was not disappointed. “It is my hope the present missive finds out in a good health, with the laurels of victory over your magnificent head, Ilneoa of the Lake. Alas, the tidings I bring therein are none too good.

A fortnight after your departure, the earth quivered in Avalon, an occurrence almost never heard of in our records. This earthquake happened shortly before sunset, four days after Beltaine. Many a house collapsed on itself, and most dwellings still have insecure foundations. To the best of our knowledge, nearly one thousand inhabitants were killed, most of them trapped in their own homes; the Tower Guards were hard put to bring succour to all of them.

This disaster also destroyed several granaries, and we have been facing a dearth for the past two moons. A minor riot occurred as poor commoners begged to have something to eat, but we had little food left to give them. We would believe the aftermath of the earthquake claimed the lives of another thousand people, but hopefully the famine should come to an end with next month's harvests.”

Such incompetence, Ilneoa mused. Was it not the purpose of the Castellans to handle crises without worsening their impact? But Castellan De'nalis was clearly not finished yet.

“The earthquake has also claimed the Temple to your Glory, as the sacred trees of your grove had been uprooted. Two of your servants that were singing your praises there have also disappeared; we fear the worst for their fates. Baleful omens have been spreading through the population, and some even dared to think the very essence of Earth was rejecting you and your people. Truly, this is a troubled time for the Vale.

Because of this, I had but the choice to anoint a Guide to bring faith to the population. Flacal the Lightbearer was chosen to be the receptacle of your word, and she currently stands as the High Druidess of Avalon. She has been trained at the Isle herself, and should prove to be a talented priestess at your service. Your grove has been restored to its former state, as majestic as ever I daresay.

May the Glory of Avalon be with you, O Ilneoa Princess of the Winds,
Castellan De'nalis of the City of Avalon.”

For all answer, Ilneoa teared the missive and gave curt orders to her camp followers. She would go back to Avalon through the Open Road, for pressing matters requested her attention in the city. The time of Castellans and petty lordlings was coming to an end; the Isle of Avalon would have to step out of her mists and take her place once more, the silvery hand behind the Crown of Man.

[Cheezeninja]

-Abysia turn 5-

The day to day business of being Queen can be so tedious sometimes, why some people still refuse to worship and swear fealty to Me I cannot understand. Always it goes the same way; I send a messenger demanding their immediate surrender and forfiture of gold and wartime commodities, My messenger returns with their refusal, or is returned dead, or is not returned at all. I am forced to descend on their village kill all who take up arms against Me and execute every tenth male of age for their impertinence. While this can sometimes be quite entertaining, eventually it becomes such a bore to destroy the ill-equipped rabble they send against me. But i suppose it must be done, if I am to have the power I am now entitled too, then countless peasants must bend the knee ere i meet up with a true challenge.

The true challenges are out there as well, other powers rising out of a long period of enforced dormancy, flexing their long untested powers and moving out to enforce their will upon the world. I can sense them, and I welcome them. Long has it been since I tasted the blood of one who was truly worthy, and their presence tickles the back of my mind like the electric tension of a lightning bolt waiting to discharge its fury upon the world. I can sense another presence as well, as if the Great One has been replaced by another force, one so very far removed from our existence as to be almost undetectable. But its out there, I can feel it watching us, chronicling our struggles..... judging us?

-exerp from the Diary of the Queen-

[magnate]

Only four people submitted yarns for turn 4, but they were all good. Points:

Abysia 2
Arco 2
Ermor 2
Machaka 2

(I'm assuming that Man's long report is for turn 5, and that Cheezeninja really means turn 5 too!)

Running totals:

Abysia 7
Arco 8
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 8
Machaka 8
Man 4
Mictlan 5
R'lyeh 4
Vanheim 4

Is everyone still playing? I hope so. Looking forward to the rest of the turn 5 reports - points at the weekend. Please feel free to submit extra reports to fill in the gaps ...

All the best,

CC