MP Game - Yarnspinners [Archive]

Tuidjy

August 23rd, 2004, 11:55 PM

Caelum, Turn 0

�... the watchtower's gate came crashing down before the vine ogres' onslaught.
All that remained between the nation of Caelum and oblivion were two handfulls
of warriors under the command of an young storm general. They had little hope
they would see another dawn, but they wanted to die under the open sky, and
sallied out. Arrows did little to the creatures, and the general was about to
lead his spearmen into a final charge when he heard shouts from the enemy rear.

The concentration of the bloodhedge druids wavered as their escorts swarmed
around a hazy shape. The general saw his chance, flew over the disoriented
vine creatures and dove through a gap in the bodyguards� ranks. Only a moment
passed before the brightest of his men followed, and soon no enemy commander
lived. Deprived of magical leadership, the vine constructs stood in place,
and did nothing as they were taken apart by the vengeful warriors.

The general walked to the thickest cluster of vine ogres. He had to use his
blade to hack his way to the center of the pile-up, fully expecting to find
the mangled body of his unexpected ally...�

From �Reign of the Ghost King�

Caelum: Turn 1

I feel like a fraud. My only consolation is that, no matter how ridiculous
the whole charade seems to me, life in Caelum has gotten quite a bit better
in the past month. The lands near the watchtower are safe and orderly, the
serfs have stopped looking over their shoulders and jumping at their own
shadows... Hard as it may be to believe, they seem to be almost happy to be
paying taxes, or at least, that there is someone to actually collect them.

One has to wonder, how did things get so out of control? Do small folks
truely need leaders that are somehow different? Well, I cannot claim that I
understand exactly who or even what I am, but I am different enough. And that
officer from the watchtower is certainly eager enough to tell everyone how I
have returned to lead the nation of Caelum to glory and prosperity. He
certainly makes a better preacher than he is a general - people have started
calling him a prophet, and he has thrown together some silly shrine at the
site of that first battle. He took my lack of wings in stride, and to hear
him tell it, I used to serve as an elite temple guard, died heroically in some
great battle ages ago, and came back in this hour of hardship. I think he has
come to believe his own yarns.

I certainly don�t. My first memory is of finding myself in the middle of the
battle at the watchtower, and who knows what I would have done had the vine
ogres not taken away any choice I may have had. But even then, I knew a few
cantrips from wildly different magic paths � nothing truly impressive, but
also nothing a temple guard would know.

I have decided that it does not matter. People believe they need me, and I
hardly see myself looking for some forsaken ruin to haunt. I would much
rather spend some time in a well-lit library, and see whether the spellbooks
can stir my memory. I wonder whether I can find someone to help me with this.
After all, Caelum is supposed to have the best mages in the world. They have
obviously gone to ground in the recent troubles, but I�ll put the word out,
and maybe someone will show up.

I�ll have the storm general take care of this. I am sure that I will see him
in the library. He has been going through the old religious tomes, looking for
any references to male priests. I can�t see why it matters � as far as I�m
concerned, his priesthood, much like my supposed divinity, is mostly a matter
of belief. At least, while he�s reading, he is not embarassing me with his
prayers.

Speaking of embarassment and believers, some shady character has been hanging
around. He must have been in the watchtower when the vine ogres attacked,
and had the guts to pick up an ice blade and join the fray. I am pretty sure
that he used to be a thief, but now he has found religion, and wants to make
himself useful. I�ll send him to the nearby port in Mukhtadir and ask him to
keep his ears open. If the rumors are true, the recent troubles were not
confined to Caelum. While we may have secured the nearby lands, strife and
conflict have a way of boiling over and scalding everyone nearby.

Zapmeister

August 24th, 2004, 12:27 AM

Now that the first yarn has been submitted (thanks Tuidjy) it might be a good time to clarify what I had in mind for the yarns.

Firstly, I don't want to limit anyone. If you want to write an epic a la Tolstoy, go ahead. However, I won't allow anyone to submit yarns in advance so everything you write here before turn 1 executes counts only as your yarn for turn 1 (nothing was required for turn 0, pretender submission).

As a guide, if Tuidjy had broken his text (including "turn 0") into instalments, he had enough material for about 4 turns.

Sheap

August 24th, 2004, 01:01 AM

While maybe not required, I'm ok with having people write back story for their god and/or nation. I think it adds flavor and this game is all about flavor!

I like mine with a little garlic salt.

Cheezeninja

August 24th, 2004, 02:03 AM

Abysia turn 1:

Change was in the air, rolling over the dust and the sand, kicking up swirling devil's in its wake, touching and caressing the countryside. Lounging on the couch drowsing out the noonday heat Lillith felt the change and knew it for what it was. Long years had she spent in this place, living off the gold of those too weak to keep it, and the spiced and firey blood of the natives. Long years of boredom and leisure without a single challenge in any of the centuries of recent memory. But now that had changed, the power that had kept the world so wretchedly peaceful and stable for eons was gone. Utterly and untraceably gone.

Considering her options Lillith smiled, though these people were by any sort of measure many degrees too hot for her liking, their magicians were powerful, their hearts full of faith, their blood strong. They would do quite nicely as her conquering host as soon as she replaced the weakening king and sent her thralls out to the masses to preach word of her power. Looking around her she considered the sprawling metropolis that would soon be the center of her empire. She considered and her smile was certainly the coldest thing for leagues in any direction.

Cainehill

August 24th, 2004, 03:12 AM

Sent a message or two to Yellow Cactus - hopefully sie gets the game working right with the maps and all.

Failing that, if YC (don't eat the yellow cactus) bows out, I'll bow in with my first ever Mictlan game. If so, I may have to do a first tale slightly stale.

But hopefully, the Cactus is running right now, and I don't have to either bend a knee or collar a Lilith. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Karacan

August 24th, 2004, 11:23 AM

Ermor: Turn 1

There is a tomb in Kisir Dagri, sealed by powers long forgotten and dead. A hero's tomb it is, for a hero lies buried within, yet sealed it was in fear, for the noble hero was misunderstood, and fear of the unknown is ever the death of the wise.

This tomb is my home now for aeons, and the race that imprisoned me must have followed the path of all that is living long ago, the path I denied to guide my steps. And I know that my imprisonment is coming to an end, for I hear the sound of scraping and the mutter of incantations, and I know that my time has come.

The moonlight hurts what remains of my eyes, but the sight is a welcome one, for one not unlike me welcomes me to the world of the living. Angmar his name is, and I name him General of my armies to come. The ruined keep of an ancient civilization is seized and a hall of rituals and worship is erected, for in the tomb's silence I have pondered long upon the way of faith, and have deemed it a suitable weapon to have my revenge.

A nearby village provides pitiful taxes, and thus Angmar's first task is to wipe it out, looking for valuables with which to pay mortal followers, for those alive are easily seduced by greed or faith, and I intend to use both.

For I am Noth, the Terror of the Tomb, and I will bring the world the enlightenment I have discovered.

Yvelina

August 24th, 2004, 01:17 PM

Everyone's undead, and everyone's a writer. I understand that sitting in a tomb with nothing to do does that to an immortal. How am I to compete with this? But no worries, by turn 60, I'll have you all safely back in the grave! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

--- Vanheim I ---

The big weenie in the sky is gone, good riddance! Not a moment too soon, either� A few more years of peace and tedium, and I would have probably slit my own veins. Or more likely, I would have rode up to His Supreem Dullness, and stuck a spear in his enormous gut� a much classier way to end it all. But enough about the past! There is a bright and bloody future ahead of me. The people of Vanheim may have forgotten me, but there is nothing like being trod on by an giant, eight-legged horse to stir one�s memory.

It�s true that they have grown a bit too soft for my liking, and what the hell is up with the hummies no longer enslaved and even allowed to lead troops? The only Vanir I could root out has barely heard about air magic, and would not know a sacrificial virgin if she bled all over him. I may be able to use him for shuffling troops around, but first I will stick his nose inside a grimoire for a month or two, while I figure out whether his brain was missing at birth, or whether it atrophied from disuse.

It may take some time to hammer these slackers into a weapon I can use. But I have waited centuries for a chance to start a good gory war, and I�m not going to show up on the battelfield with an escort of under-educated fools and peace-loving sissies. I could brush up on some spells myself, come to think about it� But first, I think I will go trample some infidels. I�m back, and everyone better believe it!

jarenko

August 24th, 2004, 06:51 PM

--Atlantis--

In the northern seas, beneath the eternal song of the tranquil waves exists a pearl of a kingdom. Beyond the reach of the land dwellers, hiding in the shadows of R'yleh, the Atlantean kingdom flourishes.

Between magnificent buildings of rock and coral, citadels, towers and castles cometh the great Kraken, lord of all he surveys, master of Atlantis and holder of the royal sceptre.

From his perch atop the tallest tower in the city of Atlantis, he oversees the rule of the King. For now, the people of Atlantis will learn to serve their new master, and should he prove to be as powerful as he seems, they will be lead to great endeavors never before dreamed of by these humble people.

YellowCactus

August 24th, 2004, 10:38 PM

--Mictlan--

Far within the North-Horslund lay the valleys of Mictlan. An ancient people, fearful of the eternal, this empire has been thrown into chaos as it's devote priests turn upon citizens in grotesque blood sacrifices.

From village to walled-city, the peoples of North-Horslund find sanctuary within the dominion of Sethra, Lady of Fevor. Templerate orders begin to stir, forming fanatical units of faithful servants.

Old beyond time, the Lady Sethra courts priest and king alike. Many tribe take refuge here as the 'Age of Ascension' begins.
-Yc

Sheap

August 25th, 2004, 02:32 AM

Spring, Year 1.

I tell you what. Ten thousand years in the crypt will give you such a headache.

Seems like it was only Last millenium that I was out and about, playing with my ant farm, playing with my spider farm, and then there was that time when the spiders got into the ant farm... well, you can't win 'em all. Of course when you're the king, it's all life size.

I'm not going to get into just how I went from the Spider King, to TEN THOUSAND YEARS in a HARD STONE TOMB with NO PILLOWS. They think just because a guy's dead, more or less, he doesn't need the comforts of life any more. I'm going to have to give my followers a little education in ceremonial burial. I should have ruled C'tis. Now there's some lizards who really know how to lay a guy to rest, I tell you what.

Anyway, things don't move so fast, when you're in a tomb. And uncomfortable as it may have been, it does have some comforts. It's got a movie theater. You know I spent the Last thousand years, just watching Gigli?

Or maybe that only seemed like a thousand years.

Going to go out for a bit. Have to teach some witch doctors to read, and tell some bureaucrats not to take any wooden nickels. This could take a while.

Mark the Merciful

August 25th, 2004, 09:46 AM

In His House at R'lyeh dead Cthulu waits dreaming (1)

Aeons pass. We dream of many things. Of the home-that-was amongst the stars, and the home-that-will-be when this world is harnessed to Our will. Of things un-named, and Presences unnameable; inhabitants of the great Void. Of places that existed once, or that only exist within the compass of Our dreams. And of the Great Old Ones.

The spheres turn, the constellations change, and the old power returns. Our dreams grow strong. We break the bonds of the One who bound us to this dead form, then banish it from this world; Our world. The stars are right. Cthulu will return, clothed in new form, to walk the earth once more.

It is Our time.

...you know, you can't leave the Starspawn alone for five minutes. We come back from a quick nap and find the place overrun with Atlanteans. They make poor slaves, useless soldiers, and they don't even taste very nice. And what's this business about breeding with Humans? Yech. It's clearly time to clean house and get things organised. Our world awaits.

(1) For further source material please see Cthulu Returns! (http://www.logicalcreativity.com/jon/plush/01.html)

Mark the Merciful

August 25th, 2004, 02:38 PM

Out-of-character note: I'm competitively-minded enough to not feel comfortable posting about what I'm doing until after a turn's been executed. So all my story Posts are going to be about what happened Last turn. Is this what everyone's doing? Or will be reading a bunch of parallel out-of-sequence AARs? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Mark

Sheap

August 25th, 2004, 03:04 PM

I tend to agree with you on this point. But I'm not really playing this game to be competitive, so I'm satisfied either way.

puffyn

August 25th, 2004, 04:19 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 1 ----

Pandokos of Pagasae here displays his inquiry, so that human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvelous deeds may not be without their glory.

Spring, Year 12

The butter is missing again.

The locals in these parts insist that some mythical creature steals it away in the night, but I've found perfectly human footprints in the dirt around my stores on many mornings. When I catch the thief, he will pay. It is bad enough that I am thousands of miles from home in a muddy encampment at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by barbarians with no sense of propriety or reason. It is bad enough that our weapons, after years of campaigning, are dull, and that our armor is in such dire straits that yesterday I caught myself gazing enviously at the children in the street, clad in cooking pots too elderly to be trusted with the food anymore.

It is bad enough that I am forced to make do with these lousy local recruits, as the real soldiers, fellow citizens who have suffered together on this god-forsaken campaign, are stretched thin by the petty fighting we must do in order to keep the locals mollified with our continued presence.

But the worst of it - at least, that is how it seems now, facing my breakfast - is that instead of dining on fresh grapes and succulent olives, plucked from branches tossed in a sea breeze, I am forced to subsist on a diet of strange vegetables and rotten bread. And now I do not even have butter for it.

---

Karacan

August 25th, 2004, 04:25 PM

I'll be treating it as if writing a real AAR: While trying to maintain my plotline, I'll tell of things I intend to do, with a few brief descriptions of why I do so... since direct competition isn't exactly what the game is about, me thinks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif If this helps you exterminating my Ermor by turn 20, I was probably proven wrong, but so be it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

On a side note: Unfortunately, I might stale the next turn. I hope I won't, but the timelimit is nearly exactly the time I am gone for this prolonged weekend... So you know I don't drop out. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Alneyan

August 25th, 2004, 05:07 PM

The Kingdom of the Vale, Man: Early Spring

"As the zephyr comes, so does it leave, unexpected and uncaring."

A flicker of light, and the hussle of wings. It was all that hinted at the presence of Ilneoa within the camp, but the impression it made on the soldiers were strong enough. Thus did she inspected the army quickly gathered among commoners and green warriors; her army nonetheless, protecting her life and her lands. Precious few of her men had ever taken the life of a foe, but this would come, as surely as summer wanes when the circle of the year turns around.

The Lady of Avalon had rallied her forces, these children of springtime, as she was asked to by the voices of the wind. "Within the greater cycle, we are nearing the other end of the pendulum, where fates will be mingled and all previous orders will collapse," they claimed. "Against these tides of turmoil, you are to marshall your forces and establish a sanctuary of stability, wherein you will kept the ways of the Vale." And so she obeyed, and could not deny the truth contained in these words. The circles had been broken, and equilibrium was lost. Already the waves of change were coming near, carrying the power to reshape the world.

Alas, much would be lost within this surge of chaos. Another Dark Age could fall on the land, heralding the end of the days of Avalon. The isle was weakening moon after moon, and the numbers of its inhabitants dwindled cycle after cycle. Truly Ilneoa was not from the isle herself, but she came to love its people and eventually remained there, a guide for Avalon, a warden against future.

Few lords gathered to hear her pleas, and many of the shires formerly under the rulership of the Vale seized their independence and threw aside both the old ways and their bonds with Avalon. This thought brought much concern to Ilneoa; a diminished Avalon, divided into several smaller islands, could not survive the tide, but why would these earls and other peers of the realm secede from the cradle whence they come from? The army gathered under her windows would face the unfortunate tudy of bringing anew the might of the Vale, for division offered no hopes of survival. Already bowmen were practicing their craft, in expectation of the battles that woud follow. One of their arrows shot down a crimson leave from a tree, an omen of the tomorrows to come.

Tuidjy

August 25th, 2004, 08:00 PM

I'm with Karacan on this one. I will be writing reports for the current turn,
talking both about what happened at the beginning of the turn, and the orders
that I am giving. I may choose to omit some particularly important clue, like
'I'm cloud-trappezing seven Seraphs on top of Abysya's VQ', but there will be no
deliberate disinformation. By the way, even when I omit information, I will try
to explain it in game-universe terms the next turn. Don't you hate it when some
Seraphs fresh out of boot camp get drunk and decide to go to hunting?

puffyn

August 27th, 2004, 08:44 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 2 ----

I really hate this country.

I went to see the village leaders after the seventh dawn on which the butter had gone missing. In a diplomatic but (I thought) firm way, I recommended they teach their children some respect for the soldiers who defend them from occasional invaders, and muck out stables the rest of the time, and how if our foodstuffs continued to be stolen we would be forced to ask the Golanans (a hated neighboring tribe) if they desired a cheap band of soldiers. I expected them to vigorously deny everything, or plead with me to stay, or at least acknowledge my complaint.

But no: as soon as they understood what I was saying, a great cheer erupted from the onlookers, and the leaders began smiling and chattering excitedly, clapping me on my back as if I had just announced that a volcanic eruption had wiped out Golana.

"But what about my butter?" I asked Balachandra, a young man who as a boy had spent time in our camps and had recently become a local magician of sorts. He usually helped me make sense of local activities, but now he was as inscrutably enthused as the rest of his cursed countrymen. He grinned broadly, and announced to the crowd, "Pandokos wants more butter!" to which they responded with more cheering, and a bit of singing. Some maidens began to dance, and the mob descended into revelry.

Seeing that it was hopeless, and in no mood to join the festivities, I decided to go home and try again the next day. But they would not let me leave. An old lady rushed in front of Xanthos, startling him considerably, and fell to her knees, crying out loudly. The tight crowd forced me to dismount and walk around the old woman, but people kept pressing close to me and murmuring. A few milkmaids giggled about how the butter thief was welcome at their homes any time, and more than one mother pushed forward a screaming child, as if my armor were somehow blessed, and not smelling rather strongly of manure.

The next morning, I was awoken early by the sound of the murmuring. When I emerged, the crowd, several score strong, gave a great cheer. They came to catch the thief, I thought momentarily, pleased that I had gotten through after all. But no: my daily ration of butter was completely gone, and there were numerous buttery handprints all around my window.

"Did you at least see who it was?" I growled at the crowd, some of whom appeared to have been there since nightfall. Balachandra laughed, and said, "Of course, of course, didn't you?" and began leading the mob in a bizarre sort of chant.

At which point I decided that I would go back to sleep, in the hopes that when I woke up the world would make sense again.

---

Cheezeninja

August 27th, 2004, 10:40 PM

--Abysia turn 2--

The city was ever so slowly starting to wake up, like a drunk coming out of an overlong stupor. Mutterings and incantations could be heard from the wizards tower again, the smithy hammers were clanging again, the giant waterwheels of the mills were turning again, and men once more moved with a sense of purpose. And everywhere there was Vaphoron, telling anyone who would listen that their new Queen was no mere mortal, but the incarnation of the One Goddess herself! Vaphoron was truly one gifted with words and many a heart did he sway... though in darker circles it was sometimes said he was gifted with daggers as well. But one had only to be in the presence of the new Queen (who was swiftly elected by the council after the rather sudden retirement of the King... and do Kings really 'retire' anyway?) to feel that She was something beyond ordinary. The sight of Her lofting through the air towards the castle and the quiver of excitement, lust, and fear it sent through all who viewed it swayed even more hearts that Vaphoron's clever tounge.

deccan

August 27th, 2004, 11:36 PM

When is zapmeister going to award points? At the end of it all?

Zapmeister

August 28th, 2004, 02:49 AM

deccan said:
When is zapmeister going to award points? At the end of it all?

A running total of points for story text is maintained in the first post of this thread. Points for score graphs will be awarded at the end of the game.

YellowCactus

August 29th, 2004, 12:53 AM

---Mictlan 2---
(Accounts of a warrior-slave)

Three pillars, carved of ancient Oak, were sunken today. Planted deep into the barren salt flats near Bestula. For nearly a season we've labored here. Preparing the alter of Sethra 'the Lustful Mother of us all!' to recieve infernal courtship. So now we wait, shivering upon these cold plains for that which SHE calls 'Bune'. Tents stand against the salty sands, and supply wagons roll in weekly, bearing news of Mother Sethra's glorious Ascention. Sometimes I wander what a 'Bune' is....but Lord Templar Ninamous seems confident enough something will come through eventually.

Karacan

August 29th, 2004, 07:49 PM

Ermor: Turn 2

Angmar, my army's general, has returned successfully from the village near my tomb. A little bloodshed was required to part the villagers from their valuables, but noone who was not expendable was damaged, and the corpses will serve my purposes well. The surviving villagers are apparently unhappy, but they will soon see the wisdom of my way.

Already my wealth has attracted a band of willing followers. Magnus' Crossbows has arrived in front of my dark keep, willing to fight for me as long as I am willing to pay them.

Magnus brings with him rumours from distant lands, and they tell of the rising of false gods and the fools that worship them. In Abysia, Arcoscephale and Caelum, words of false faith are spread with enthusiasm by false and powerless prophets. Only I know what is good for the world, and the world hear only me.

My spies and scouts also finally deliver the reports of the nearby provinces' military strengths, and after some consideration I decide to send Angmar and the mercenaries into a rich farmland province, while I myself conduct a ritual of my ancient home, calling an elder spirit skilled in magic to my aid.

It is time for battle, for I am Noth, Lover of War.

Yvelina

August 30th, 2004, 02:54 PM

--- Vanheim II ---

One thing�s for sure. If I need the enemy thoroughly counted, I have the man for it. I sent a scout north to see how the local toughs feel about joining my glorious campaign� It seems that they were more interested in archery practice. My guy had to dodge some arrows, but he managed to get a good feel for the enemy�s numbers. Hell, he actually got an exact count. I would have preferred a few ears, and I would have settled for a lower count. Sixty seven men under arms, and even the archers are better armoured than anyone under my command. I am not sending troops in there. Green as my men are, they are bound to be decimated�

It�s a big cosmic joke. It seems that one of the things I taught them has stuck � everyone and his grandmother thinks he's a competant navigator. So, of course, every province near Vanheim has a port, and a sizable city that must have grown around it. Oh, and a sizable group of well-equipped, mounted mercenaries guarding it. As much as I hate to admit it, my own troops are a joke compared to what surrounds us.

I am not getting enough recruits, and news of my return are not spreading as fast as I would like it. The one decent wizard that showed up has a hard time bending the knee. I had hoped that he would become my prophet, but he remains unconvinced. I know one way, but then I would have to raise him, and frankly, I do not like undead. He spends all his time in the library, looking for who knows what.

This whole ascension business will be more challenging that I thought.

Tuidjy

August 30th, 2004, 06:57 PM

Caelum, Turn 2

I had hoped that I would find in Caelum the peace that I was denied in the
grave. It was not meant to be. Our little nation is an island of calm in the
middle of a sea of turmoil. As my self-proclaimed prophet spreads the word of
our achievements, pilgrims from the nearby provinces flock to the temple. They
bear grim news. Ruthless warlords, fanatic tribal chiefs, and hedge wizards
have gathered bands of brigands and unemployed mercenaries, and have
proclaimed themselves lords of nearby lands. They take anything they like from
the small folks, and drown any protests in blood.

Not a day goes by without some dust-covered traveler asking for our help. The
stories are similar, but every new one makes it harder for me to ignore the
pleas. I am not sure why, but I am starting to feel reponsible to those who
place their faith in me and my followers. The Prophet feels the same, I think.
He is preparing for a journey to the south � he hopes to sway the local warlord
into aligning himself with us. I am worried about the boy. He is taking only
a few warriors as an escort, fearing to give offense or to appear threatening.
He says that his faith will be his shield, but I know that I am no deity, and
am very glad he is taking his ice aegis with him.

While he is gone, his place in the library will be taken by an Arch Seraph that
recently joined us. He is very old, and remembers the glory days of Caelum. I
think he offered his services because he thought that we have a chance to
restore order and peace in the former imperial lands. Somehow, I appreciate
his trust a lot more than any blind belief, no matter how ardent. I am quite
impressed with the old guy. He is a master of air magic and quite comfortable
with water and nature. It is strange, though, that once he manages to teach me
any spell, I am able to cast it with less strain and more power than he does.
He is firmly convinced that I have great potential, and insists we concentrate
on Alteration spells. Supposedly, these will help keep me around long enough
to come into my power, which he insists is considerable.

Unfortunately, I am not the only one. All across the world, beings of unusual
power have arisen, and are expanding their spheres of influence. Liches,
vampires, ancient gods and ambitious titans, they all seek to forge empires.
Maybe I am worrying for nothing - they may be driven by their believers� best
interests, and yearn for peace and prosperity, just as I do.

I certainly hope so...

Sheap

August 30th, 2004, 07:53 PM

Late Spring, year 1.

One thing about spending a couple of millenia in the tomb, you develop a little different perspective on things.

This month my tax collectors did their best to fill the treasury with gold and silk. Here in Machaka, of course, we have plenty of silk. But gold is always in short supply.

A tribal queen, the Sorceress Nusurika, was enlisted to assist in this activity, as well as rituals of dark magics, dust and smoke and bones. But while preparing her kindling for some magical experiment, the tinderbox fell on the urn of incense, shattering it and spilling the magical essence across the floor.

Now, everyone knows the thing to do when you have a magical spill, or some other sort of spellcasting misfortune. And what you specifically do NOT do, is run out into the main market, making a scene, and berating the poor potter for his shoddy workmanship. Especially when it turns out that the urn in question was intended only for storage of incense of the ceremonial, not magical, variety. Over time the energies built up and it is no wonder the urn shattered at the slightest provocation. Remember, always store your spell components in the original container, use a child-proof cap, and read the label!

The next thing you know, the entire marketplace had heard of the magical blunder. And thus the word spread, throughout the province, that the wielders of magic in the capital could not tell the difference between ordinary pottery, and the thrice-fired, magic-resistant, ward-inscribed variety.

Back when I was alive, things like this would really get me worked up. But now they pass by. I expect many such things will occur in the future, but wish to expend no energy fighting them. Life, or lack thereof, goes on.

As a final note, the Fates have intervened. The Sorceress was cursed, as were her assistants, for failing to take heed of even basic magical precautions.

Sheap

August 31st, 2004, 12:46 AM

Early Summer, year 1.

The events of Last month have reminded me that matters of the spirit are just as important as matters of the arcane. Especially if, as it may happen, there's not much to you BUT spirit.

Those who believe in me have spread the news of my return far and wide, even over the water, and have encountered no believers in rival faiths. But my ravens and parrots have told me that, in fact, there are prophets of false gods afoot in the world, new ones rising every turn. To counter this, Oginga, Voice of the Lord, shall go forth to seek out these false prophets and defeat them by virtue of his eloquent preaching. Or, failing that, by virtue of his eloquent dagger.

This month's focus on religious studies has quieted the populace after the unfortunate events of Last month. However, a fight broke out among some of the more devout templegoers regarding how many Lammashtas can dance on the head of a pin, and whether they would want to. Unfortunately in the ensuing chaos, one of the participants was slain. But because of his great devotion, his spirit was reborn, and will fight to advance the cause. For the record, the answer is six. Hey, a god's got to entertain himself somehow, and it's not like they buried me with a Game Boy Abacus.

I am glad that the people in nearby provinces are so willing to accept the true religion. If only they were not so violent and well-armed.

Alneyan

August 31st, 2004, 05:19 AM

I know I am not exactly in advance. *Kicks silly connection*

The Kingdom of the Vale, Spring:

"All archers, draw!" Silbertain, the commander of the Vale forces yelled at his troops. His only merit in the eyes of Ilneoa was his mighty lungs, hardly enough to secure a position as officer by her standards. Still, she surmised his powerful voice would be more helpful to carry out orders or galvanise the troops than the wits he must have left in a cup of ale.

"Fire!" The first volley of arrows flew towards their intended target, but the bowmen were already busy reloading their weapons. "Draw! Fire!" Again the bows sang, but this time more than a few projectiles were off course. "Fire! Pull back! Draw! Fire!" More soldiers failed to send their arrows with any accuracy, and a few could not keep up with the hectic pace imposed by Silbertain. Truly, it did not bode well for the outcome of the battle.

As the archers finished emptying their quivers, Ilneoa came among her defenders. "This is your Last day in the Fair Land; at dusk, you are to move southwards, for the defence of the Vale requires your arms and your strength." Her crystalline voice rang clearly in the camp, but there was still a hint of worry in her words. "But today, you are free to rejoice. Let the feast fill your hearts with gaity, as you deserve no less." Her troops cheered at her proposal, and already drinks and meet were shared freely.

This evening, they would still be spring lads, but on the morrow they would have to face an unknown foe. The southern lands they were attacking were run by a minor lordling, a vassal of the Earl of Syzran. Rumour has it that his county had been overrun by the savage warriors thriving in these barren lands; either way, his estate was surely weakened and unable to repel a major offensive. Thus did her good hearted-men walked at twilight, leaving the bountyful Avalon for the hostile Kostroma.

Karacan

August 31st, 2004, 09:23 AM

Ermor: Turn 3

The attack on Gali went excepetionally well. Rolf Magnus and his mercenaries were worth the investment, as a crossbow bolt immediatley sent one of the defending captains to a wounded retreat. The heavy infantry was made up of braver men than expected, but my fearless followers held them long enough for the crossbowmen's work to be done.

The ritual I cast was a success, and a powerful elder mage named Simith has followed my call to service. He shares my conviction of bringing the ultimate enlightenment into the world, and I will have many a task for him before this is done. For now, he shares the library with me, for there is much lost knowledge to uncover.

Angmar obviously distinguished himself greatly during the battle in Gali, and is now feared in the whole world as a hero and slayer of such.

Seeing that my troops had little difficulty with the heavy infantry , I send them directly to the north, to conquer another promising looking farmland province defended by a mere few slingers. Sometimes I wish I had studied under the ancient forebears of Mictlan, for blood has a powerful attraction of its own, and blood and its otherwise useless vessels are plentiful in my newly formed realm.

Speaking of my realm, I have decided to raise the ancient flag of fallen Ermor as a symbol of fear and power. And so I announce to the world: Ermor has risen again in all its splendor, for I am Noth, Prince of Fever.

Cheezeninja

August 31st, 2004, 10:55 PM

-Abysia turn 3-

Well my military commanders tell me that they have achieved some sort of victory over a great army, no doubt a small group of rabble even more poorly organized than they. Small matter to me i suppose, i have been putting all my energies towards advancing my studies in the arcane arts so that i will no longer have to rely on the frail abilities of mortals to expand my empire. Already i have started forming a small cabal of hedge wizards and diabolists to aid me in my causes. Things go slowly, but they go well, and i posess more than enough patience for the task at hand.

-exerp from the personal writings of the Queen-

YellowCactus

August 31st, 2004, 11:16 PM

--Mictlan-- (3)
(Once a Prophet....)

The old god had many prophet. In point of fact Sethra the Lustful Mother was one for ages. Here in the Northern Forests of Mictlan there lay little in the way of Order. Devout cruisaders patrol the lands, bringing all within the yoke of Sethra. Some say the Lustful Mother asks nothing of those within HER dominion. Others feel this growing dominion of Mictlan's Goddess is simple nature at work. One thing is certain...blood pours upon the alters through night and day!
-Yc

Zapmeister

September 1st, 2004, 07:08 AM

Magnate has kindly offered to take over the administration and judging of this game. If no-one objects, I'll hand over the reins at the weekend.

magnate

September 1st, 2004, 07:55 AM

Zapmeister said:
Magnate has kindly offered to take over the administration and judging of this game. If no-one objects, I'll hand over the reins at the weekend.

If no-one objects, I'll happily take them.

So, scoring is 2 for a decent report, 1 for a report that is too short or long (or dull?!), and 0 for no report. I'll try to be as consistent as possible and not piss anybody off.

I won't actually mark down for errors in grammar or syntax, though the temptation to do so is strong! You'll just have to bear with me on that, it's my favourite subject. (In my country they suddenly stopped teaching grammar in most schools about 12-15 years ago, then they forbade examiners to dock marks for poor grammar or spelling in all subjects other than English Language, then .... [/i][ramble, drone ....][/i])

AFAIU, you've had marks for turns 1 & 2. So I'll be dishing out marks for turn 3 and on .... can somebody tell me which days of the week the turns run? I guess I ought to allow a couple of days for people to write up, and then award the points just before the next turn.

Let me know if that sounds ok ...

CC

Sheap

September 1st, 2004, 12:04 PM

Everyone is supposed to have their story for the current turn done by the time the turn hosts, currently set to twice a week (84 hours). Not sure exactly when the next generation is, I think it is tomorrow.

Currently we are on turn 3, and everyone should have their third chapter posted before the next turn generation.

Mark the Merciful

September 1st, 2004, 03:29 PM

R'lyeh - turn 2 (running late...)

...yet He shall rise and His kingdom shall cover the Earth.

You know, that human Lovecraft has a lot to answer for. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" indeed! The man couldn't come up with a working transliteration scheme to save his life. Not even when we gave him a second chance...

And while his publicity has attracted a larger number of cultists to Our cause, We do wonder about the type of people they are. When one of Our minions is sent to collect a Cultist who has inevitably meddled in Things he shouldn't have, and instead of running in gibbering fear according to tradition, he'll be found sitting at a desk frantically bashing away at a typewriter as his front door is smashed to flinders. When a tentacle grabs his foot and starts dragging him to certain doom, he will be holding onto the desk with one hand so that he can continue to type his account with the other. And as hungry jaws close about his body, the only vocalisation of the pain and horror he feels is to scrabble for the exclamation mark at the end of "arrrrrgh!" We can't help wondering about the effect on our minions when they are mostly eating the brains of terminally stupid people.

Anyway...

...the stars are right and Our time is here, but We find Our house poorly prepared. Atlantean slaves will not alone conquer the world that is Our right, and Our Starspawn cousins have grown weak and slothful as the aeons passed.

We call forth the power of the Spheres to bring down a flaming meteorite from the heavans. The impact is mighty, and many thousands of slaves die bringing back the molten star-stuff to the city. But what of them? In this We have the means to turn poor Atlantean slaves into invincibly armoured soldiers. We are certain to have need of them.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Illithid are called before Our presence. The strongest minds are selected for instruction. From their number we choose the first of those who will lead Our armies into battle and destroy the minds of Our enemies.

Having dreamed of blasphemous couplings between human and Illithid, We then demand an accounting of their actions while We slept. Hesitating and fearful - as is only right - one of them brings forward a small Illithid-child, strangely deformed-looking. Searching its guardian's memory, We find that the creature was indeed the issue of Illithid breeding with Man.

We are prepared to vent our wrath on the strange child and its perverted parent, but, well, its little tentacles are so cute!. Instead we send it out into the world; if it should prove its worth, the strange creature may be allowed to find its place as one of our minions.

puffyn

September 1st, 2004, 11:47 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 3 ----

Early summer, year 12 of my exile.

At Last, some good news. Three more hoplites came into town Last week, and I suspect more remnants of the broken taxis will continue to straggle in as they emerge from their winter shelters in a (futile) attempt to find civilization. This means that one-third of my foot soldiers are now non-barbarians, so I have decided that we are strong enough to take on a nearby nest of bandits that the villagers have been harping on us for weeks to attack. Reports indicate that there are almost as many bandit as I have troops under my command, but even my locals, I think, are worth more than these petty thugs, at least after the rigorous training I have put them through.

So there will be some honest fighting, a welcome change from the bizarre events of the Last few weeks, and also some money, because the citizens Skelde Henge have agreed to submit to the direction of the village leaders if we will rid them of the bandits. (Or at least so I have been told.) And there will be no one winking at me, or worse, bowing, no Balachandra or his brother Divakar to chant ridiculous rhymes about me and butter and who knows what else.

If I had known, when I left Pagasae for the Great Campaign so long ago, that one day I would be thousands of leagues from home, scratching battle plans in the mud, in breathless anticipation of a brawl with a bunch of ignorant peasants...

I should be back in a few months. I hope that Thymbre will have returned by then, and I may hear how her journey to learn of quaint local superstitions has fared.

---

deccan

September 2nd, 2004, 12:10 AM

Just my personal opinion, but I think this competition is being too "bland" if the judge(s) continue to refrain from judging the relative "quality" of the yarn. It's like you get 2 points automatically simply for handing in your homework, but there's no effort to differentiate those trying to be really entertaining and those just filling in something for every turn.

Zapmeister

September 2nd, 2004, 12:12 AM

deccan said:
Just my personal opinion, but I think this competition is being too "bland" if the judge(s) continue to refrain from judging the relative "quality" of the yarn. It's like you get 2 points automatically simply for handing in your homework, but there's no effort to differentiate those trying to be really entertaining and those just filling in something for every turn.

Yes, that's down to my laziness, really. I believe the new administrater, Magnate, plans to do a better job.

magnate

September 3rd, 2004, 10:26 AM

Zapmeister said:

deccan said:
Just my personal opinion, but I think this competition is being too "bland" if the judge(s) continue to refrain from judging the relative "quality" of the yarn. It's like you get 2 points automatically simply for handing in your homework, but there's no effort to differentiate those trying to be really entertaining and those just filling in something for every turn.

Yes, that's down to my laziness, really. I believe the new administrater, Magnate, plans to do a better job.

Interesting - I was very careful in my first post, in case people really didn't want me to judge relative quality. I'm quite happy to be a bit discerning (only 1 point for just filling it in, 2 points if it's good, maybe a rare 3rd point for outstanding) - but please, everybody chip in if they don't like this idea ....

CC

magnate

September 3rd, 2004, 10:28 AM

P.S. Please, somebody tell me the days on which the turns are run. I'm planning on giving points for turn 3 reports this weekend, on the assumption that turn 4 runs some time Saturday or Sunday. Then you have until the following run (Wed?) to write turn 4's pieces, etc. etc.

Karacan

September 3rd, 2004, 11:49 AM

Check here (https://www.mosehansen.dk/cgi-bin/dom2.pl?page=BrowseGamePage&game=Yarnspinners) on Mosehansen to see when the next hosting is due. I think it hosts thursday/monday. Make your own calculations for your timezone.

As for points, I am pretty certain that everyone included does it for the fun, not for points. That said, I don't mind any incentives for everyone to keep writing their stories... I can't wait until turn 60's culmination. Will puffyn locate the missing Holy Butter? Will Lillith the Damned get bored with her new playthings? Will the Ghost of the Wingless finally find the rest he doesn't deserve? Yeah, I read 'em. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Karacan

September 3rd, 2004, 12:06 PM

Ermor: Turn 4

Astara's invasion was a successful one, as well, despite heavy resistance. A group of mages was assisting the villagers in their province's defense, and accompanying them was a beast I thought long extinct, a man with a bull's head who cut through Angmar's legions like flies.

Yet my followers prevailed, for neither fear nor terror is known to them, and the man-beast was finally slain like his masters, though not without losses.

Still, I am confident that the remains of my troops are capable of handling the provincal resistance they will encounter further to the north, and there is no rest for my army of the fallen, for now that the failings of the flesh rot from their bones, they have surpassed the pitiful limitations of mere mortals.

Impressed by my general's efforts, Caractor, an ancient Censor of fallen Ermor has decided to join my crusade, for his cause is not unlike mine. He, too, seeks to bring the wisdom of the other side to mortals, albeit for his own reasons. As long as he follows my rule, though, I could not care less of his motives.

My coffers are spilling, and I decide to renew the contract with the mercenary Rolf Magnus who served me surprisingly well for a creature that still clings to this illusionary life. I think my offer is to his liking, and I would be very surprised should he rethink his allegiances. One day, his use for me will cease, but it isn't now, and when that day comes, the caste of clerics I intend to create will have further uses for his corpse.

For I am Noth, the Prince of Famine, and the hunger I arouse is of greed and blood.

puffyn

September 3rd, 2004, 10:13 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 4 ----

I think it is still summer... it has been hard, convalescing in this dark tent, to keep track of the days... it is painful to see my previous words of optimism and I would feel cursed by the gods had I not long since stopped believing in them. Perhaps I do not like to think what terrible deeds I am being punished for. So hard to think I was once an eager file leader... how bright Alexandros's armor was, his dream, and ours, of glorious victory in a far off land.

Poor Xanthos. I do not know what strange thoughts entered his mind as we approached the brigand lair. I saw their number was not great, and given my soldiers' skill knew we would prevail. My soldiers... my soldiers were brilliant... they kept their formation, and would have slain all our foe if only... But Xanthos, my faithful steed and companion... Perhaps he wanted to run free over the open plains -- it was such a fine summer day -- or perhaps he had simply tired of all this war and wanted to die with honor and glory. He would not hear my shouts to stay behind the hoplites, much as I begged him, and he rushed past the front file into the middle of the brigand mob.

What happened next is a blur... I recall one, perhaps two brigands fell beneath Xanthos' hooves (I had no time to draw my sword)... I recall a hail of javelins as my troops tried in vain to scare the brigands away from me and my wild steed. And a sword struck Xanthos, and again, and I fell into darkness.

My men thought I was dead. I heard later that a band of locals rushed out, and three died while the rest dragged me to safety. My hoplites held firm our retreat; they are Greeks. Would that they had a worthier commander... but they will not hear such talk from me. They regard my charge as heroic, and declare that fighting beside me raises their spirits.

It is odd to hear them talk this way, because the villagers have ceased their incessant bowing and butter songs, and once again ignore me. The talk these days is of a great battle that took place near the town of Bolfar. My soldiers swear that none of them went out there to fight, and yet the town pledges allegiance to us, and sends us gold and supplies. The villagers have come up with a new dance, in which they kick one leg and flail their arms. I doubt this would make sense even if I were well.

My butter has not been stolen once since I returned, but I do not have the stomach for it. I wonder what this means.

---

puffyn

September 3rd, 2004, 10:21 PM

I agree with Noth, writer of Posts.

This game is all about the stories, rather than "points" or "winning" or other linear, western concepts like having your narrator actually survive long enough to establish a consistent voice.

On a related note: I recently read this AAR (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB74&Number=289640&Forum=f74&Words=AAR&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=289640&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=w&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post289640) and thought that it would be nice to have some maps for our game. Obviously posting pictures of the maps while the game is in progress is a little too revealing, 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.

Karacan

September 4th, 2004, 05:08 AM

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. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Cheezeninja

September 4th, 2004, 06:32 PM

-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

September 6th, 2004, 03:53 PM

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

September 6th, 2004, 08:47 PM

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

September 6th, 2004, 09:27 PM

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

September 7th, 2004, 07:48 AM

Karacan said:

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.

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

September 7th, 2004, 11:02 AM

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

September 7th, 2004, 04:48 PM

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

September 7th, 2004, 05:35 PM

-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

September 7th, 2004, 07:24 PM

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

puffyn

September 7th, 2004, 08:15 PM

A reminder to everyone: please take a screen shot showing your empire at turn 5 (or simply save a backup copy of your .trn file, or even just write down which provinces you own) . Once the game is over, I'll edit this post to include a picture of the whole map with borders outlined for each nation, as well as a few interesting score graphs. It should add a lot for people reading this thread in the future.

I hope this works (Future-puffyn!)

http://yarnspinners.improbable.org/images/9/92/Turn06.jpg

puffyn

September 7th, 2004, 10:04 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 5 ----

I feel as if I have returned from the grave.

Today was my first day up since my injury. I wandered the camp, chatting with the local peltasts. I learnt that Amshula, Balachandra's little sister, convinced the hoplites to follow her back to Skelde Henge to avenge our earlier defeat. A bunch of local troops went too. No one has the full details, but apparently no-one died (on our side), and injuries were light.

It seems that otherwise, things have been quiet during my recuperation. There is word from Bolfar of a odd sign: milk held up to the mouth of a statue of Shiva (some local god of destruction) disappears. It is all nonsense of course, these people will believe anything, but apparently it has them rather worried, and they've cut back on their arm-flailing to catch up on sacrifices to Shiva. Balachandra and Divikar have stopped pouring through ancient texts and have taken to standing in the smoke in midst of the armory, getting in the way of the smiths, and chanting wordlessly. It's always sad to see a friend succumb to madness, but after years on the campaign you slowly get used to it. Thymbre is late returning from her trip; by Zeus, if anything has happened to her...

I'll have to cut this short. My quarter-master just arrived with the news that Amshula has abandoned the troops in Skelde Henge and gone off into the mountains searching for enlightenment. Although the villagers are relatively friendly, I must rush there as soon as possible to make sure my men are taken care of. My quarter-master feels just as protective about me apparently. I knew he collected spare pieces of fine armor after battles. but I didn't know that he had procured a complete set of Strategos armor, cleaned off the blood and grime, hammered out the dents, and polished the bronze to a gleam. I tried to refuse, but he said to me, "Pandokos, my friend, after a fool stunt like that, I'd feel a lot better if you had a bit more metal between you and the world." It's far too good for me, but my old armor is lying in the mud of Skelde Henge somewhere, and I must wear something as I set out on the road to take charge of my army again.

---

Sheap

September 10th, 2004, 04:52 AM

Late Summer, Year 1 (Turn 5)

It seems my lack of faith in Oginga the Prophet was well founded.

It's a little known fact that, during the off years, a god does some observing. After all, when you're dead, there's not much to do besides be mellow. So we can see the world, through the eyes of Prophets. We call it PropheTV. All the resting gods can do this - well, except for Old Scratch, who lost his remote control. Spent 200 years going through his sofa cushions looking for it. Turned out he left it in his other pants. It took him aeons to live that down. 'Course, he got the Last laugh, he's set up a similar torture for the dead mortals in the Third Circle. He shows them nothing but Hee-Haw reruns, and whenever they get up off the sofa to look for the remote, he kicks them. Once the mortals invent television, they'll even understand what's going on. Well, as much as anyone could.

Anyway, it's only once we come out into the world that we can only see through the eyes of our own prophet. And it makes me a little glad, because if any of these other deities could see this, I'd be the new laughingstock.

Oginga led his merry troop of followers into the Great Expanse, with nary a care in the world. What sort of a prophet has nary a care? Talk about irresponsible. Does anyone ever use nary to measure anything other than the level of care?

Suddenly, he ran into a band of enemy horsemen. The horsemen cut his followers down like so much chaff, and Oginga - say what you will about his intelligence, he was brave - charged right in. And then they cut him down too. A prophet looks much like an ordinary footsoldier, through the eye slits of a suit of full plate.

'Course, maybe they were doing me a favor. I've never seen such an inept prophet in my life, as that term applies to me. I can see now that if I am to spread my authority away from the sacred mountains and forests, I will have to do it myself.

On the positive side, the Crossbowmen led by Rolf Magnus seem to have tired of the cold land of death where they toiled, and will now toil for me in a glaring land of heat. It'll be like a vacation for them.

YellowCactus

September 10th, 2004, 11:32 AM

Mictlan (Turn 6)

Within the Dominion of Sethra screams of birth began to drown out screams of sufferage. The templerate, cloaked in thick robes of cotton, have created the Jaguar Brigades. Quiet and noctural, these mystical warriors are seldom seen. Rumors circulate of a demonic origin, yet the peoples dare not protest.
-Yc

Cheezeninja

September 10th, 2004, 06:48 PM

-Abysia turn 6-

It seems that all are not happy with the way i have determined things shall be, especially those who feel I am muscling in on their livestock. While i was off conquering peasants Frithigern, a Vampire Count of modest ability actually got up enough courage to oppose me and after raising up a small army of militia, thralls, and vampire whelps, he has dared to lay siege to my own castle. In ancient days Frithigern and I fought beside each other against those who would not recognize the right and power of the vampire, and though he has gotten older and gained much power since then he must have a poor memory indeed to think he can stand against one of The First. Well, a setback it may be, but i will savour his destruction.

Luckily, my Cabalists left before the siege and are now on their way to setting up a functioning circle. Eventually they will aquire for me the blood I need to begin the rites of power and summoning, and enable me to truly attain the glory I deserve, and my power shall be as great as the one who came before and now is gone. This is how I want it, and this is how it shall come to pass, for I am Lillith, of the First.

magnate

September 12th, 2004, 02:15 PM

Well it looks like it's between four or five regular yarnspinners - welcome back Alneyan. Two points this turn to each of Abysia, Arco, Ermor, Machaka and Man. Totals after turn 5 are as follows:

Abysia 9
Arco 10
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 10
Machaka 10
Man 6
Mictlan 5
R'lyeh 4
Vanheim 4

Points for turn 6 yarns on Wednesday.

Regards,

CC

puffyn

September 12th, 2004, 08:09 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 6 ----

Star gazers. I confess I was, well, pleased that one of their inscrutable ilk cared enough to avenge the honor of a hired sword, even if it was only some fool girl who had barely gotten her mystical robes and just wanted to impress her siblings with her courage. When I heard that she had led the troops to victory I was even a little impressed. But all it took was a word with my hoplites to realize that there was another reason why she wanted to come, and it didn't concern me in the slightest.

She was after gems. This is, my hoplites inform me, the reason we were sent to this dreadful little province in the first place: there has long been a legend in our village that this province is the site of some mystical wonder, which, I have learned, really means that it has good gem deposits. And I would be surprised -- nay, shocked -- to learn that the practitioners of the local religious and philosophic arts are really in it for the money if I had not passed nearly a dozen years with their sort. (Apologies, Thymbre, I do not mean you.) I think I prefer my religion the way it is: far, far away. The term "godforsaken lands" has altogether too undeserved an ill reputation...

I had been in town for a few days when Amshula came down out of the mountains, wandering into the village as if she had had every right to abandon my troops in a town that had been liberated mere hours earlier. We exchanged words.

"Out for a bit of a stroll?" I said in greeting.

"There was hardly anything for me to do when I got here," she retorted. "The rabble were unworthy of my attentions. Certainly nothing to fall off my horse about."

Unfortunately she has Balachandra's way with words. I had heard that she tried to cast a few ineffectual sparks toward the enemy, with roughly zero impact on the battle, but I wasn't about to argue over who had contributed more to the campaign. "Perhaps you didn't stop to consider that the villagers were as likely to slit my hoplites' throats in the night as provide them with food and shelter."

"As it turns out, Pandokos, they have been given the finest fruits of the harvest, and I hear they do not want for young maidens," she responded, unperturbed. "And besides, would you have rather that I had my throat slit too?"

"Of course you had more important concerns than the safety of the men who fight your wars," I said. "At least you shall get some shiny stones for your trouble."

At this she frowned, and turned away. Aha, I thought. She didn't find anything. The thought cheered me.

---

Cheezeninja

September 13th, 2004, 01:10 AM

Karacan, by way of his girlfriend, has requested that we suspend Yarnspinners until wednsday because he's in the hospital getting his appendix out. I for one don't have a problem with it, and a couple others have expressed the same feelings in the post about his hospitalization.

magnate

September 13th, 2004, 03:56 AM

Fine with me. Do I have to do something on the server to stop the game hosting?

Alneyan

September 13th, 2004, 09:51 AM

I *think* you need to log in on Mosehansen and change the options there (postpone the next turn hosting for example). I am not sure if you can disable all automated turns though, or anything along these lines.

magnate

September 13th, 2004, 05:08 PM

Well, I logged in to Esben's server and clicked "stop game". It said hosting in 240 minutes (which is odd, because I thought it hosted on Wednesday), so I thought it best. Someone let me know when Karacan is back and I'll restart it. Turns are in from Alneyan, YellowCactus, Cheezeninja, Petar, Puffyn and Yvelina. Still waiting for turns from Jarenko, Mark and Sheap - and Karacan, of course.

CC

Zapmeister

September 13th, 2004, 08:12 PM

magnate said:
Someone let me know when Karacan is back and I'll restart it. Turns are in from Alneyan, YellowCactus, Cheezeninja, Petar, Puffyn and Yvelina.

I think you'll find that, when you restart the server, all orders submitted for the current turn will be lost. Everyone will need to resubmit.

Alneyan

September 14th, 2004, 11:04 AM

Man, turn 6:

�... and thus was how the assistance of the Vale saved Man in her early days. All the arcana known only to the Daughters of the Isle was unleashed on the foe, who came to destroy the cradle of higher knowledge and civilisation; the Kingdom of the Summer Lands, Man. On this fateful day, numerous enemy cataphracts had been gathered, followed by an host of swordsmen and hired swords. An army several thousand men strong; all of them were killed at the end of the day.

Much has been lost since this era, and little is known of the enchantments used in this battle. Our Mother herself struck down the invaders, whilst the skies cast their baneful wrath on the mortals below; or so our lore tells, as such rituals are well beyond the abilities of even the most skilled living Daughter. As the mists conceal our Isle, so did they cover the unearthly powers of the days of yore.

However the war was won, the Summer Land prevailed, and no other enemy attempted to strike her down afterwards. And so the endless cycle went by, while Avalon lost much of her sway over her Kingdom. Still, we remained, advisers for lords and the power enabling Man to exist. Thus our fates were entwined; alas, the mortal men did slowly forget the mutual bond, eventually weakening both peoples. The dusk of our kind is upon us; may the Mother allow us to live through the endless night to come.�

Such were the words of the Daughter Y'gael, who had passed away many a tide ago. Her depiction of Avalon alas applied too well to the current time; only a handful of Daughters were still living in the Isle, and most of them were but the shadows of their late sisters. As the saviours of Man, these otherworldly beings whose very names had been forgotten, so shall Avalon vanish from the land. This fate Y'gael had foreseen for her kind, and it was nigh upon the Isle.

Nonetheless, there was little else to do but attempt to thwart such a baleful future. Under the capable rule of Melivane, the Mistress of Avalon, the city had been fully restored and the earthquake was becoming a mere memory. The most skilled warriors of Man were resuming their offensive against the rebel forces of the Earl of Valogda. Her own spiritual powers were growing with each passing day, and most had acknowledge her divine nature.

A single cloud was present in her azure sky, and this was enough to concern her. The few men left at the Stone Sisters spotted enemy movement afar, and their first reports were all but encouraging. Lurking in the waters of Kaspus were strange creatures able to live beneath the seas. Very little could be inferred about these beings, but such a threat so close to the Isle did not bode well. Still, a diplomat would have to be sent to parley with... them. That lowly officer, Silvas, who forced most of her men to flee at the Stone Sisters, would certainly be adequate for the task. And Ilneoa would not shed any tear if he happened to be killed during this mission.

Karacan

September 15th, 2004, 08:05 PM

As long as the game is stopped, can't seem to submit turn. Would be nice if the timespan would be set to 24h or so after restart... currently it's down on 240 minutes, which might be a bit harsh for a timewindow.

Thanks for stopping, by the way. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Alneyan

September 15th, 2004, 08:23 PM

Speaking of which, may I send you my player file Magnate? I cannot connect to the other TCP/IP game I am currently playing in (as a replacement player; notice the irony), and I strongly suspect the matter is directly linked with my computer.

I am not sure whether I can download turns or not though, but by the time next turn is due, the problem might have been solved of its own (as it happened in the past). Thanks in advance!

magnate

September 16th, 2004, 09:42 AM

Ok. First - yes, you can send me your file Alneyan, but what do I do with it? Fire up Dom2 and connect to Esben's server myself and submit your turn? I'm not sure I'm using the same Version as the server! Anyway, if you let me know what to do I'll do it.

Second, welcome back Karacan! I guess I can restart the game now, but how do I set the host time to more than 240 minutes? I agree that I need to set at least 24 hours to allow everyone to notice that it's been restarted and (re)submit their turns.

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense on both counts ...

CC

Alneyan

September 16th, 2004, 09:49 AM

There should be an option on Mosehansen about the time until next hosting. I do not know where it is though, as I have never hosted a game on Mosehansen.

If you are using 2.12 or above (2.12 being the server's Version if memory serves), my turn file will work for you. It was done under 2.13, so there will be boggus combat replays, but it is much better than staling the turn.

You should create a Yarnspinners directory, put the two Man files I will send in this directory, connect to the game as Man and put my password. The game should then upload the .2h file automatically. Hopefully. I will send the needed files/password as soon as I finish writing a nice message to Atlantis.

Alneyan

September 16th, 2004, 10:02 AM

Since I do not have your mail, I will be attaching my files in the thread. The actual password will be sent via a PM.

puffyn

September 16th, 2004, 11:24 PM

Hey Magnate,

Any luck with figuring out how to restart the game?

P.S.
Welcome back Karacan

magnate

September 17th, 2004, 04:09 AM

Oh dear, how ironic - Esben's server is now full, so it won't let me restart the game. I'll keep an eye on it and restart as soon as I can. I can't see any obvious way to reset the 240 minute deadline, but maybe one will appear when it lets me restart the game. Please stay tuned folks!

Alneyan, I downloaded your file successfully. I'll PM you as soon as I know whether it will connect or not.

All the best,

CC

Alneyan

September 17th, 2004, 04:18 AM

Well, going back to PBEM might be a solution in this case. We are a slow game, and so PBEM should not be too difficult to run in this case. In fact, it is so easy to do that even *I* can run a PBEM game! I think you would have to ask the admin the fatherland file though if you wanted to go this way.

Karacan

September 19th, 2004, 05:58 PM

Before this game drops from the participants' consciousness, would anyone be willing to host it as a pbem? I am pretty sure that Esben will send out the fatherland file on request.

I am notoriously unreliable for hosting larger games, I am afraid, but if there is really noone else, I'll do it. magnate would be the best bet for that, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Alneyan

September 19th, 2004, 06:10 PM

If needed, I am also able and willing to take care of the hosting part. I would be the one benefiting the most from going the PBEM road (since I cannot be expected to be able to do TCP/IP), and so it might be fair to make me work for that advantage. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Hosting would be a matter of minutes though, especially as this game runs twice a week. And am I the only one who finds the hosting part to be almost fun to do?

puffyn

September 19th, 2004, 09:39 PM

PBEM is fine. It would be nice to keep this game going. I'd have no problem hosting either, but since we should reach some sort of consensus I think Alneyan should do it.

I suppose most game participants can be counted on to check this thread, but is there any other way to make sure everyone is aware of this change?

Alneyan

September 19th, 2004, 09:49 PM

Emailing and/or PMs might do the trick for players not checking this thread. Players not having send their turns again would be nagged through these means; hopefully they would all be reached by emails/PMs.

Speaking of which, how much time should be given if/when the switch to PBEM happens? In other words, how much time would be considered "reasonable" for players to send in their turn files?

Karacan

September 19th, 2004, 09:54 PM

Karacan

September 19th, 2004, 09:57 PM

First of all, get Esben to send you the respective files. I think if we can switch to Pbem until end of next week, we're good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

PMing people sounds like a good solution. I'll PM you my email address.

And yes, at least to my knowledge, you're the only one thinking hosting is fun. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I don't like organizing, sending out the right files to the right people, counting if everything's in, answering questions... yuck. I did enough customer support jobs, thanks...

magnate

September 20th, 2004, 05:08 AM

Since there's still no room on Esben's server to restart the game, I think I agree with you all that PBEM is the way to go. Since I'm about to go on holiday for two weeks (yippee!), it's better that Alneyan hosts. I'll still award points for the stories (though there will be a short break after next weekend, unless I find an e-cafe in Madagascar!).

All the best,

CC

Alneyan

September 20th, 2004, 08:31 PM

I have sent a request to Esben for having the files earlier today. In the meantime, I guess we can start getting back on track, and so feel free to email me your turn files for turn 6. My address is alneyan[AT]yahoo[DOT]fr (replace with @ and .), though it should be displayed in my profile.

Do you want to make the switch to the latest patch (2.14) when next turn runs, or would you rather wait until everyone is settled? Using the wrong Version should only result in incorrect combat replays, but avoiding this may be better if possible.

On a side note, I have never done any kind of tech support job, or anything along these lines. That might be why I am still not shivering at the very thought of hosting anything.

Karacan

September 20th, 2004, 10:29 PM

Well, me at least, I don't have my turnfile for turn 6 yet...

And I am all for changing to 2.14. I doubt that anyone managed to build a fetish/clam economy yet.

puffyn

September 20th, 2004, 11:08 PM

Yes, I imagine those who didn't log into the server before the game stopped will need to get their .trn files.

I too support going to 2.14 at the end of this turn.

Alneyan

September 21st, 2004, 05:24 AM

*Coughs* Yes, I had forgotten the little detail that some players might not have their turn files.

If someone else besides Karacan did not get her turn file, please drop me a mail so that I can send it to you as soon as I get it.

Karacan

September 21st, 2004, 10:03 AM

According to Esben's game page, neither Sheap, Mark nor me took their turns yet. It's safe to assume that the rest received their turnfiles from the server.

Alneyan

September 21st, 2004, 05:50 PM

I have just received the files, and will be sending them to the players not having downloaded the files from the server.

Sheap has been unavailable for the past ten days due to a "problem" (I am not sure why; real life?), and so he will unlikely have the opportunity to play this turn. Does anyone know more about his absence? Should we wait for him once all other players have sent in their turns?

Edit: Esben's files also included all the turn files for the current turn, so if you had already sent your turn to the server, you do not need to send it back to me. You should still give me your mail for next turn, and/or send the turn file again if you have made changes to your player file.

I am assuming these player files are indeed the ones for turn 6, which isn't a given (it was the same for Arcoscephale, but the dates of some of the player files are too old to be for turn 6). So sending back your turn file would likely be better if we want to play it safe.

Karacan

September 22nd, 2004, 11:09 AM

Ermor: Turn 6

An excellent month. Attracted by greed, the mercenary knight Arnaud has joined my ranks with his longbowmen. These shall be a fine addition to the host of my legions of the damned.

Caractor, Angmar and the Sonnenkinder managed to capture the Achaku Plains without any losses, with the exception of a single mercenary, which does not really account for being a loss.
Shortly after capturing the province, my general communicated with me that there was a famous library in the province, which could be used to attract sages from all over the world. While none of the living sages could match my knowledge, I am certain they will be able to provide useful information from time to time, and thus I send the dead mage Simith towards the library's site, to build a laboratory there. However, he is to take a few of my freshly risen followers, and lead the mercenary Arnaud into a nearby battle first. I do not trust the archers alone to win the battle, and while I could not care less about the living, I still have need for them. Maybe my coffers will attract more greedy mercenaries that I can send out with the archers.

The ritual of calling an ancient Ermorian priest has had an interesting albeit unexpected effect. Not a holy man followed my calling, but a twisted creature more aligned with Death than Life. I nevertheless intend to declare it my Prophet, to increase its notable spiritual powers for the world to see. I have no doubt it will perform as well in my plans if not better than a holy man of faith. At least it does not question me.

For I am Noth, the Unquestionable.

Alneyan

September 24th, 2004, 07:37 PM

A gentle bump to give my third mail address in five days (hello Murphy). Turns should be sent to alneyan[AT]fastmail[DOT]co.uk from now on.

Unlike the previous two, this mail should actually be reliable, and works very well. But then, I fully expect Murphy to resolve that matter very soon.

Hopefully, it will be the Last time I have to give yet another mail address. Key word is hopefully.

Alneyan

September 24th, 2004, 09:10 PM

On another matter, both Sheap and Jarenko (Machaka and Atlantis) seem to have been AWOL for the past two weeks, and I did not hear anything about their absence on the forums. Should we wait for them or attempt to find a replacement, assuming there was a master password for this game?

I will be asking Zapmeister about the master password; since we are going PBEM, the players themselves can have this password, as you will only be able to access your own nation. If there is no master password, is there any way to access the password-protected nations? I guess it is not possible, but I hope I am wrong here.

Karacan

September 24th, 2004, 09:30 PM

If you don't have a master password, and the nations are password protected, there is nothing you can do apart from terrorizing Sheap and Jarenko to show up and hand over the passwords, unless you manage a few lucky guesses.

I'm fine with either waiting, finding replacements or turning them to AI.

Which turn files are you currently missing?

Alneyan

September 24th, 2004, 09:40 PM

Mark's, Sheap's and Jarenko's. I sent another PM to Mark, but he is still on the Boards, so that will make matters easier.

Dominions is able to see if the turn files are valid or not, and so it allowed me to make sure the files from Esben were actually from this turn (except for the four players who did not get the turn from the server), and not from the previous one (as in the case of these four players).

Well, I guess we should start attempting the lucky guesses then, just in case. (Let's see: their own nicknames, towns, colours, and the like)

Alneyan

September 25th, 2004, 04:44 AM

We do have a master password. Rejoice! Erh, perhaps not. I will be advertising on the general Boards for these nations, either as temporary replacing or permanent.

magnate

September 25th, 2004, 12:15 PM

Hi folks,

Just to let you know I have been following progress. I won't award points for turn 6 until the absence of Mark, Sheap & Jarenko has been resolved (they return, get replaced or go AI).

I'll be away for the next two weeks and probably won't get to an internet cafe, so I'll catch up when I bet back.

All the best,

CC

Alneyan

September 26th, 2004, 09:00 AM

Jarenko for Atlantis has been replaced; I am currently advertising for Machaka, and likely for R'lyeh as well (I sent two PMs to Mark, but did not get an answer, even if he has posted to the forum since then, and played in other games).

If no replacing player steps in, I will be running the turn with basic turn orders for the missing players. The turn will run either this evening (GMT), if we find at least one of the players, or Monday in the evening otherwise.

Calistas

September 26th, 2004, 10:03 AM

I'm playing Atlantis http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Cal

Karacan

September 30th, 2004, 10:22 AM

Ermor: Turn 7

I reread the scouts' battlereports with something approaching indifference. Two battles initiated, two battles won. Though one with an unexpected loss.

A miscalculation of the opposing strength and speed caused the heavy cavalry of the provincal defense to smash into Arnaud's archers before my troops could reach them, causing heavy losses and the subsequent death of the mercenary captain, who charged the oncoming knights only backed up by a few skeletons in an undoubtedly valiant yet foolish attempt to save his men's life. The bards of old might have made a song out of his heroism, yet I have no time to waste for this. It was only for the fear-inspiring presence of Simith, first of my Elders, that turned the tide.

Angmar, Caractor and the Sonnenkinder however managed to defeat their opposition with few losses, as expected. I see that the Sonnenkinder's treaty will run out next season, and since their use for them for me has nearly expired, intend to use the troops as cannonfodder for the next battle.

My wealth is growing, and apparently so is my reputation, for another mercenary band has decided to join my growing armies. Grom Bravebreaker and his men are now at my disposal, and as such, I will use them. There is a province filled with longbowmen near me which acts as a thorn in my side for some seasons now, and I will see if the Bravebreakers' shields are capable of protecting their owners long enough to close into the archers.

The ritual declaring Knucklebones my prophet had the desired effect. The creature is entirely under my command, and I order it to reanimate a large army for my uses.

Myself, I decide to call another Dusk Elder to assist me in my studies. Simith, first of Elders, finally heads towards the library I uncovered Last season, to construct a place for researching there.

In the Achaku Plains, my taxcollectors did excellent work, returning with more gold than I expected. Well, it was the peasants' decision to spite me, after all.

I am satisfied how my plans are working out, and I eagerly await meeting a more formidable foe than those provincial guards to test the battleskills of my generals against.

For I am Noth, who is both Lover and Prince of War.

puffyn

October 2nd, 2004, 12:50 AM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 7 ----

All good things must come to an end.

I've enjoyed having Thymbre back. Her presence brings so much warmth, and so many memories of home. She is taciturn about her trip though, saying that she is not yet ready to talk about everything she saw.

In this quiet time we took many walks late at night. Somewhere in the space between the grass and the stars, she tried to introduce me to her world of priestesses, oracles, and signs of nature. For a moment, looking into her eyes, I could almost believe that the gods were real.

We've been training hard. Several Silver Shields have made it to our lowly village, and placed themselves under my command. Although they too have suffered great attrition since being abandoned at the Hydaspes River, those who lost their heart companion have re-partnered, and their prowess has lifted the morale of all my troops.

Thymbre has been using her healing skill on some local hero who now claims to have been the one who convinced Bolfar to join forces with us. His name in Limmy, and he's a bit of a pompous jerk, but one must forgive a man some of the things he says as he stands at death's door, and from the blue tinge of this man's skin it is clear he may not be with us long. The locals bring him gifts of butter, which is generous of them, but unlikely to speed the healing process.

But now we march north, into the mountains. Rumors (as always) tell of strange creatures in the hills, and there will probably be barbarian tribes to pacify along the way. My phalanx is at nearly full strength, and Thymbre will be accompanying us to tend to Limmy, who is coming along at the insistence of the locals, but against my better judgment.

If we are still in the mountains when winter comes, he will certainly finish his slow process of turning blue and freezing to death. I hope the rest of us may escape his fate.

---

Alneyan

October 2nd, 2004, 12:33 PM

Man, turn 7.

�And so it ends.� Ilneoa chuckled. Squire Ligriot did not seem to share her amusement; it might be because of these bonds which held him prisoner. �What happened to your talkative ways? You were renowned for your sarcastic wit at court after all; I certainly hope the taste of defeat has not diminished your love of mockery.�

Ilneoa's troops had taken the city of Merleister the day before, without meeting any determined resistance. A few commoners and Ligriot's personal guard did threaten the Avalonian army, but they ran away once the first deadly arrows fell within their ranks. A craven lot, Ilneoa thought, well matched with their master. And so another county came under her rule, with barely a casualty among her own soldiers.

The soft fool posing as Lord Protector of Merleister, that Ligriot, was the only warrior taken alive during the skirmish. An odd notion of chivalry prevented him from running like the winds, as so many of his men-at-arms did. And here he was, a captive of Avalon, though what use this lordling would have for the Kingdom was anyone's guess.

�I will not repeat myself again� , Ilneoa informed him, all traces of gaiety gone from her voice. �What do you know about the moves of the rebel Earl, that Valogda spawn, and his ilk?� The idea that the rebel Valogda, a seasoned warlord, would have a youngster courtier as commander was laughable; yet, they were too close to the rebel Earldom for Ligriot not to have any involvement within the revolt. When you stood by the shore, you could not expect the tide to avoid you.

Yet, Ligriot denied having any connection with the rebels, his proximity with their holdings notwithstanding. Such stubbornness tried Ilneoa's patience, but the worst came when Ligriot burst out laughing. �Magnificent Virtue of the Isle, my pitiful self holds nothing of value for you. Why waste your time?� Ligriot had recovered some of his lost bravado, but none of his wits. To mock Ilneoa thus, in front of half her army, was more than foolish.

Ilneoa made a wry face, and ordered her troops to move along. A public display of her wrath would cause unrest among the local populace, and so she would have to be content with a more discrete... handling of the matter. The army would hear of this incident, and there was no mistaking her look of fury; her soldiers would think twice before crossing her. And so the commoners of Man say Ligriot is still alive, locked in some forgotten cell.

Alneyan

October 2nd, 2004, 12:35 PM

Turn 8 will be running this evening (GMT). Neither Machaka nor R'lyeh have been replaced, and I am considering turning them AI.

The biggest problem with setting them AI is that it may help their neighbours (Atlantis for R'lyeh, and myself for Machaka, which is quite close to Man). Because of this, a replacment player would be best, but it seems like none can be found.

Sedna

October 2nd, 2004, 03:10 PM

I'd like to take over R'lyeh. I've already e-mailed Alneyan. If you can wait for me to play this turn it would be much appreciated.

Sedna

October 2nd, 2004, 04:50 PM

Turn 7, R'lyeh

Now that's annoying. There I was, settling in for my afternoon lurk in this nice, cozy cave I had found, all full of beautiful little tentacled things, brightly colored fish with lots of eyes, and the cutest little sea horse civilization I've ever seen. They were having some kind of group meeting that seemed to involve choosing who was going to be their leader for that week, and they just got the nicest looks of pain and shock on their face when I ate them all. And, mmmmm, were they tasty... well, anyhow, there was no call for them to also be mildly poisonous. I mean really... what were they thinking, mutating into existence this close to *my* crater, and then going and giving me indigestion?

But the next thing I know, I'm waking up with a splitting headache, and several months have passed, and my minions haven't even succeeded in enslaving one little province for me. Not one. They'll have to go. All of them.

I was about to get to devouring them (got to have standards), when I saw my old friend Cthugul! I haven't seen him in, well, aeons. And here he is, trying to summon up dark and forboding creatures to spread the word about my return. I was so touched that I forgot about slaughtering everyone, and instead sent them off to conquer new lands. I mean, it's a bit of a waste, letting other critters eat them, but you should've seen the look of relief on their faces when I told them I was merely sending them out to the sharks.

Besides, I'm still a bit full.

puffyn

October 3rd, 2004, 10:17 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 8 ----

I would feel a lot better about continuing on into the mountains if Thymbre were coming with. She can be so stubborn sometimes.

Fortunately, nothing is wrong - quite the contrary. Though we were outnumbered nearly two to one, and under substantial archer fire, not a man faltered, and we quickly routed them. Thymbre stood right in the center of the phalanx, besides me, shouting words of courage to all, and causing all who could here her to smile and redouble their efforts. The only thing to mar my satisfaction that day was Limmy, of course. For most of the battle, he sensibly stayed at the rear, muttering useless charms and incantations against harm, but then he got it in his head to charge the retreating archers. If he had not been followed by my hoplites and Silver Shields, I am certain he would've been badly hurt, or perhaps killed. (Not that I care; but Thymbre seems to think well of him...)

I told him as much afterwards, but he laughed it off. "You are worried, Pandokos, that I -- I -- could have been hurt, by mere archers?" he scoffed, when were sitting in a tavern in the town of Braegen, as Thymbre tended to his badly infected eye and other wounds left over from the Last time he thought to kick around a few archers. He looked, if anything, even more sickly blue than before. "You worry too much. I could have defeated ten times the number of men we faced today, for I am Limmy, He Who is at the Center..."

It's useless to try to talk to him when he starts spouting off like that. It depresses me how many of my soldiers, even men who travelled all the way from Hellas with me, looked admiringly at him. Nobody seemed to notice (or care) that while he was talking he was also quietly taking food off the plates of everyone around him; his arms just seemed to be everywhere. I nearly lost a piece of buttered bread to his wandering hands.

We stayed in the town, a large village perched between wide open plains and towering mountains, for a fortnight. Unfortunately, the day before we were to head off into the mountains for the next province we had been ordered to liberate, Thymbre found It.

"Oh Pandokos, there's no need for me to come with," she said.

"But think of how the morale of the soldiers will suffer," I protested. "Think of my morale."

She laughed, but was not about to give in. "But Pandokos, really. It's a library." And she got that look in her eyes... I really had no chance of convincing her. She claims she will try to catch up with us.

---

Sedna

October 4th, 2004, 08:12 PM

Turn 8, R'lyeh

Oh, the power! The infinite power! I reach out my hand and take. My tentacle moves and the world dies into chaos.

Go forth my starchildren: slaughter the human heroes and fry the fish fools. Let the world shake. Release the Otherness and bring darkness to the sunlit lands! Drive the slaves before you like chattel, heedless as they scream, fall upon the poisoned spears, and tumble into the abyss. Turn teeth upon shark hide, rip and tear- with my power behind you these ancient lords are mere playthings. This is my divine will and the deep places of the world shall run red!

Wha...? Where was I? Ah, now I remember... studying the ancient text, learning how to slip into the unreal void between the hard places of this world. The scout reports have been all good news; my empire added two new provinces, a much welcome addition of gold, and in one, the locals promised to provide us with shark warriors in return for their pitiful lives. This is excellent news, since shark fin soup is so hard to come by in the void.

Already I see signs of mighty deeds on the shore: heat, and eternal night. My time of peace under the waves may be near an end... the fuzzy pufferfish... the crunchy dolphin. It has been so long since land animals entered my maw. Now I sleep again, and let my assassins work their will upon an unsuspecting world. Cut of their leader's heads, and they will all run away. It is a subtle strategy, and Cthulu does not normally resort to such things, but... my main army continues into an aptly named, and weakly defended province.

Mr Flibble is very cross. They shouldn't have run away from Mr. Flibble, should they? What are we going to do with them?

No, we can't possibly do that. Who would clean up the mess?

Karacan

October 5th, 2004, 12:12 PM

Ermor: Turn 8

If there is one thing I despise about mortality, it is their unpredictability on the field of battle. The mercenaries under Gynter Blukraft - which I sent into the midst of an enemy garrison consisting of barbarians and archers to be slaughtered since they ran out of use for me - showed unprecedented valor, and though taking heavy losses in the process, managed to rout the enemy army.
On the other hand, Grom Bravebreaker's fresh troops fled for their lives when a single knight charged them.

I feel something like relief that those of my subjects who follow my path and guidance to ultimate enlightenment show no such fickleness. They do what they are ordered to, or are destroyed in the attempt. It makes life after death so much simpler.

The summoning of another Elder was a success. Gravechill followed my calling, and he comes brings with him some interesting powers I will certainly make use of.

Simith, first of my Elders, will finally build that laboratory to bait some sages out of that library my troops found earlier.

Another mercenary has decided to follow his greed, a renegade atlantian consort named Y'gologna. This is a welcome addition to my troops, for an army of treacherous R'lyeh was seen at the shores. I am not afraid of it, for my scouts report that it consists mainly of neglible cannon fodder my undead legions should have no true problems defeating.

My scouts also report sightings of Lillith, the infamous vampire queen of Abysia. An undead being not on my side. And likely helpless against my hordes of the dead, and yet, as long as she is in her own dominion, the battle I long for will be meaningless in result, no matter the outcome.

However, a small part of me wishes they would recklessly attack. That would be the simplest way of converting them to my cause.

For I am Noth, and I will tolerate no opposition.

Cheezeninja

October 5th, 2004, 04:36 PM

Abysia turn 7:

Well it seems that perhaps I have been remiss in keeping my journal in its proper state of upkeep, but if any excuse is warranted then let it be that I have been rather busy. I continue to fly forth from my domicile to bring new lands under my sway and to scout out the inhabitants of these lands to see how suitable they are for my ...needs. The Vampire Count Frithigern was torn to pieces upon my claws and I took nourishement from his throat. I did not quite completely kill him, to do that I would have to burn him entirely and spread his ashes far into my domain, instead I chose to have one of my apprentices weave his spine and nervous system into the rug oppositte my doorway. I'm not sure quite how much he is aware of, but it is a source of much amusement on my part regardless, its been ages since i've been this well entertained.

-exerp from the diary of The Queen-

Cheezeninja

October 5th, 2004, 04:53 PM

Abysia turn 8:

Royal Historians notes, page 1.

Today marked the first day in which chained slaves were brought to our dungeons like so much cattle. The Queen declared their blood to be of the most delictable type and declared where they must be stored and in what manner, leaving much of the court in confusion as to what they are for, perhaps She is planning a large banquet for herself, who knows, She is the Queen.

The Queen also brought back reports of the sightings of enemy forces from Her recent foray to Locmar, evidently the lands across the small waterway are populated by the massed hordes of undead. Far from being pleased by this sighting of fellow undead the Queen was quite upset (nt: 3 guards, 2 maids palace replacement). She declared the lands to the south to be populated by unforgivably unimaginative and brainless undead who's worst crime was completely lacking the forsight to keep any livestock alive. Fortunately our scouts report the lands to our north to be quite rich in farmland and peasants, so She set off immediately to further enlarge our kingdom.

Alneyan

October 5th, 2004, 06:11 PM

I did not get your turn file Cheezeninja: is it the Mail Fairy again? (Where mails are received one, two or three days later) Or did you simply not send the turn in yet?

Sedna

October 7th, 2004, 08:18 PM

Turn 9, R'lyeh

I believe I've come up with a winning business plan:

Step 1: Prophet
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Rule the world

puffyn

October 7th, 2004, 09:22 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 9 ----

The first snows of winter cover the graves of the fallen� men who have traipsed half-way across the world to die alone and be buried without honor. Still we head further into the mountains. Limmy seems, if possible, to be weaker every day. In the battle yesterday, when we were ambushed by nearly three score of bandits, he merely ran around behind the troops, bumping into them occasionally. Only after the bandits had fled did Limmy do anything, chasing after and slaying the fleeing foe with disturbing enthusiasm. Tonight, he sits by himself by the campfire, perhaps regretting the innocent blood he has spilled, or perhaps continuing to obsess about the name of mountain range we are in. The local expression roughly translates to "God's grave", and this bothers a superstitious man such as Limmy.

A scout has returned, bringing wild tales of a powerful kingdom on the other side of these mountains: a giant astride a many-legged horse, fantastical warriors with powerful magic preventing you from seeing them directly, and others who can control the winds. It's clear that this poor individual has been out in the wilds by himself for too long, but our need for information is keen, so as soon as he stopped gibbering over Limmy I sent him back out into the night.

The campfire tonight and scant (I suppose I can call it) food, is courtesy of the locals who greeted us as liberators from the bandits. A handful of young men have volunteered to come with us, and I welcome their aid. It is a long way home now, and we lose men in every battle. Those who survive are slowly accumulating wounds. We need Thymbre's gentle healing hands.

Limmy has stirred himself at Last. I heard him tell the sentry that he is going to search for sites of mystical power. The man is insane, and will probably be killed by a wolf before daybreak, but I haven't the energy to stop him.

I suppose, while he is gone, no-one will notice if I help myself to his stash of butter. It'll make this burnt vermin carcass a little less dry and pungent.

---

deccan

October 7th, 2004, 09:23 PM

Heh, that's supposed to be a yarn? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Karacan

October 9th, 2004, 12:33 PM

Ermor: Turn 9

There was a witch in Astara which cursed a few of my undead troops when they acquired a few of her gems as taxes. I give orders for her to be killed.

The aquarian mercenaries who joined me previous season have proven their worth already. It is important to secure an underwater foothold as early as possible. This was successfully accomplished, but I have new orders for Y'gologna - there is more to conquer, more to bring under my guiding.

Unfortunately, neither the aquatian race in front of my coast nor the Vampire on the other side of the sea decided to show aggression towards the lands under my control. Well, that gives me the time to use my armies elsewhere.

I am finally able to lure wise men to me with the promise of gold. Apparently, gold is a much more useful tool than faith in securing the worship of living followers. I shall see to aquire more from newly conquered provinces.

For I am Noth, the tempter of men.

Alneyan

October 12th, 2004, 09:36 AM

Yellow Cactus has withdrawn from the game, leaving Mictlan waiting for a replacing player. I will play them for the next few turns; if nobody steps in, they will go AI.

Curious Cat has joined as Machaka. Welcome aboard!

puffyn

October 12th, 2004, 10:00 AM

A reminder and announcement for new players:

Please take a screenshot of your empire during turn 10, or save the turn file itself. After the game is over, I'll come back and edit this post to include a composite map of everyone's positions at turn 10. This should increase the enjoyment of this thread as a story for future readers not involved in the game.

Finally, a big welcome/thank-you to all the replacement players. It's good to have you with us, allowing this game to continue.

Alneyan

October 12th, 2004, 11:10 AM

I am saving all turn files for reference purposes, but may forget to do so for one turn. Still, if you need other turns, and/or have players forgetting to save their Empire states, these archives will be available for you to take screenshots.

Karacan

October 13th, 2004, 08:31 AM

Ermor: Turn 10

A rather cryptic message from the starspawns of R'lyeh was brought to me. Upon some studying, it appears to be an ancient cipher of some sort, in the form of an archaic rhyme once named Haiku. The meaning of the message was not yet deciphered, however I will ponder it some more.

Another sage recruited to fill my researching ranks, another battle won by my proclaimed general. However, the jade amazon tribe of Ordu has successfully repelled my attack there, slaughtering the remaining mercenaries under my command and destroying a few undeads sent their way. I will meet them in greater force next time.

Valg�mu, second priest of newly risen Ermor, will stay at the recent battlefield, trying to get a use out of the fallen soldiers while Caractor and [/i]Angmar[/i] are ordered to plunder the pitiful remains of the once vast farmlands.

For I am Noth, and this money will fuel the warmachine needed to liberate this land from its shackles of life.

deccan

October 13th, 2004, 08:55 AM

Hmm, can someone post the latest point total, or is there no one doing any judging?

Alneyan

October 13th, 2004, 01:10 PM

Magnate is currently away, but should get back soon (by the end of the week I guess).

One day, I will write my own yarns. Hopefully.

Alneyan

October 13th, 2004, 04:32 PM

The game is currently on hold while attempting to solve a problem with one player file (the problem is likely either my fault or a technical glitch). Once this matter has been resolved, next turn will run.

magnate

October 13th, 2004, 07:09 PM

Hi folks - I'm back. I'll award points for turns 7 & 8 tomorrow, and give you all a point total.

Hope you're all well. I got food poisoning on holiday! Yuck.

CC

CuriousCat

October 14th, 2004, 02:06 AM

Machaka Turn 10

---------------

Slowly awareness returned. It was as if a mist was slowly receding from his mind. Since his mind basically was mist, Cetawayo found the sensation more than a bit disturbing. As he became aware of his surroundings he grew even more disturbed. He was standing in the middle of his tent, the one that he used when traveling into the countryside. This would be fairly inconsequential, if he could remember getting into the tent, if he could remember leaving Balakavo. He also felt somehow different...

At that moment, a young man Cetawayo didn't recognize entered the tent. He was attired as an acolyte of the order of the Voice. Cetawayo was shocked that such a junior priest would enter his presence with such... confidence? As Cetawayo started to ask this brash young man to explain himself, the acolyte gasped and quickly assumed the proper attitude of obeisance.

"My Lord, I await your pleasure." the priest said with more fervor than Cetawayo would have expected. Cetawayo began to analyze the situation. Something was very wrong, but it was something that he would defeat. Confidence began to return, he had bested death after all. He would defeat this, whatever it was. The first step was to figure out what had happened. This would be quickly followed by who or what had caused it. However, he had to tread lightly. He was a god to be, more powerful than most any other being in the land. He could still sense others much like himself in power, those who would steal his destiny - if they could. Could one of them have done this? What of the priesthood? They were powerful men and like most powerful men, many wanted more power. If they could rule in his stead, some would take any chance... Could they possibly have managed such a feat?

But first, more information. "What is the state of the land?" he asked the priest.

"My Lord, little has changed." answered the priest.

Cetawayo was impressed by this careful answer. Now to see how much this man could be trusted. Cetawayo focused his power, his presence on the priest. "Look at me." he commanded. It was a calculated risk. To experience such full force of divinity could leave the victim a feebleminded wretch. Of course, that generally happened to those who were strong willed and attempted to resist and to hide their true nature. That would not happen here. He could sense that this one was a true believer, completely devoted, and could be relied upon. Such were rare and to be highly valued. "Why are you in attendance upon me?" he queried.

"Master, when you... went away... the ranking priests returned to Balakavo in order to manage the empire. I volunteered to stay here and attend you." replied the priest. "I knew that you would return to us!" he joyfully exclaimed.

"How long was I... gone?" asked Cetawayo.

"Three months." replied the priest tremulously.

Three months had passed! This was unwelcome news. There was indeed much work to do. Now that he was assured of the young man's devotion he quickly gathered the details of his... illness. He also learned a bit more about the political situation among his priesthood. Impressed with the young man's knowledge and insight as well as his devotion, he quickly summoned the scribes and messengers that his one loyal priest had retained. His will would flow! He quickly ordered an increase in the levies in the capital. He also ordered the young priest to help him perform the rituals that would allow them to sense if any sources of magical power were located here on the plains.

Things were moving forward once more. He was recruiting an army and would soon, with any luck, find a additional sources of magic for his land. All that remained was a leader for the armies and perhaps a prophet. He also needed to put the priesthood back into their proper place. "Hmm... perhaps two birds with one stone." he pondered.

magnate

October 14th, 2004, 04:28 PM

Ok, I've caught up. Congratulations to Arco and Ermor for submitting yarns consistently. Just to remind everyone, the scores after turn 5 were as follows:

Abysia 9
Arco 10
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 10
Machaka 10
Man 6
Mictlan 5
R'lyeh 4
Vanheim 4

Here are some points for turns 6-8:

Turn 6 - Abysia 2, Arco 2, Ermor 2, Man 2, Mictlan 1

Turn 7 - Abysia 1, Arco 2, Ermor 2, Man 2, R'lyeh 2

Turn 8 - Abysia 2, Arco 2, Ermor 2, R'lyeh 2

Which leaves the scores after turn 8 looking like this:

Abysia 14
Arco 16
Atlantis 2 (presumably dead or AI now?)
Caelum 4 (ditto?)
Ermor 16
Machaka 10
Man 10
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 8
Vanheim 4 (also dead?)

I can see some turn 10 reports already, so I'll award points for turn 9 yarns tomorrow (Last call!). After that I'll revert to awarding points just as the subsequent turn is run (ie. you have one whole turn to write a piece about the previous turn). Alneyan, are you still hosting 2x per week, Wed and Sat?

Glad you're all still enjoying it,

CC

Alneyan

October 14th, 2004, 04:34 PM

All nations except Mictlan are still alive and kicking. Atlantis has just been taken over fairly recently, and both Vanheim and Caelum lack time to submit yarns.

I will, one of these days, submit my own yarns, but it has been fairly hectic for me as well. The current schedule in on Thursday evening and Monday afternoons, due to a delay during Last turn. I will put notices when a turn runs on this thread for your own convenience (or simply send you a mail).

So turn 11 has been sent one hour ago, and turn 12 will be sent on Monday afternoon.

Sedna

October 14th, 2004, 09:47 PM

deccan said:
Heh, that's supposed to be a yarn? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

It adequately describes what happened during my turn.

Sedna

October 14th, 2004, 09:48 PM

Turn 10, R'lyeh.

The funniest thing is they never think they need a bodyguard, until suddenly it's -tht- with the daggers and a look of terminal surprise, and then the province is all ripe for the eating. Sometimes, of course, it's -swish-swish- and there's a startled looking purple cloak lying tattered on the ground, but there's always another one waiting to try their skill with the knife. Pretty much it's just one feast after another.

Stupid fishies, they always run away, and then you have to waste time collecting them, when you could be eating, isn't that the worst? Mr. Flibbles says that's the worst. That, and micrometeorites. I mean, what kind of rock wants to fall to the earth without even a teensy-weensy little crater?

...i was in the caverns the other day and there were all these people and i asked what they were doing and they said we are learning of the past days of glory for our people are so dumb they never say anything to me they just scuttle around like jellyfish no spine no tasty bones to crush although jellyfish are pretty good too give me teeth and jaws and biting and tearing and tentacled death anytime like this story i heard it made me happy so i will tell it to you so you can have happy dreams like the one with the cheese...

There once was a school of pirhannas
Who wanted to eat some sultanas
So they crawled onto land
And were et by a band
Of pescetarian bananas.

I think I'm going to go eat someone.

puffyn

October 14th, 2004, 11:11 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 10 ----

Last night, Thymbe woke shivering in my arms. In the dull, terrible pre-dawn light, she whispered that she had dreamt of death. I held her, and reassured her that it was just a nightmare, which could never hurt her.

This afternoon she took me aside:

"Pandokos..." she began, "Do you still believe in the old gods back home, now that you've seen this one in the flesh? Are the oracles gifted to see the future? Is Elysium just a foolish hope, or do we just end?"

One thing I've learnt in this country is that it's often best to just smile and continue the conversation as best you can when people start talking crazy. I resorted to Plan B: address a portion of the conversation that makes sense.

"I don't really think the oracles can predict the future," I confided. "I know you're a priestess, and believe in that stuff, but the poems are so cryptic that people just interpret them generously afterward."

I don't think she was really listening to me anyway, and my only reply was a thoughtful hum. She reached into her saddlebag, and pulled out a small, leather-bound book, improbably smelling strongly of butter.

"I found this at the library," she said shyly. "I guess the locals have decided... Pandokos, promise me that you'll live up to their expectations, that you'll set a good example for them. All their past gods have been so cruel to them, and they're such a good-hearted people. Promise me that you'll take care of him. Promise me..."

She was really getting worked up, so I said, "I promise" although it was all non-Greek to me. Silently she handed me the book: "The Collected Sayings of Pandokos the Prophet," with the extremely odd subtitle: "In his first incarnation."

Plan C is to pretend that you're suddenly very busy and exit the conversation with crazy-person as soon as you're sure they aren't going to stab you in the back. Grabbing the proffered book, I muttered some excuse and set about readying my troops to storm Godsgrave mountain.

---

magnate

October 16th, 2004, 05:04 AM

Ok, points for turn 9 yarns: Arco 2, Ermor 1, R'lyeh 1

Scores after turn 9:
Abysia 14
Arco 18
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 17
Machaka 10
Man 10
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 9
Vanheim 4

Glad to hear that people are still playing, even if they aren't writing every turn. Plenty of scope to resume yarns at any point.

Points for turn 10 yarns on Monday.

Best,

CC

Alneyan

October 16th, 2004, 09:40 AM

A not-so great yarn, as I made the mistake of confusing "Save changes" with "Discard changes" when saving the first edition of that yarn.

Man - Turn 10:

�And by the shade of Avalon, I bless these woods, the Grove of Ilneoa.� The voice of Flacal, the Prophetess, had the eerie tone of the ones immersed in the trance. Her mind between the earthly world and these lands of Beyond, the Priestess communed with both her Goddess of the Tempest and the older powers of the Kingdom. The blood of the Fae-touched was still running strong in the veins of many of her Sisters, and traces of their heritage could be seen in the land. A ruined castle wall here, fragments of pottery in a cottage, cumbersome blades made of fabled cold iron; such were the presents of the Old Folk. Only in lore did their name remain, fading away as the ways of Man changed.

�Deep within the Grove are a haven from the outside world, where the peacefulness of the land allows you to reflect upon your own actions. Ilneoa cares little for empty boasts and idle claims; only acts do matter, for they reveal the contents of your hearth. A place to meditate in harmony with Earth; such is the gift of Ilneoa.� Slowly Flacal left the divine world behind her, awakening in the grove she had blessed. It was filled with the typical yew trees of Man, dotted by the Last crimson leaves of autumn. Only the occasional flight of birds and the rustle of wind in the trees disturbed the peacefulness of the woods; a place to meditate away from the world.

Such a bucolic land, so different from the turmoil surrounding Ilneoa. A handful of knights in glittering armour stood before her, the Last defenders of the rebel Earl of Valogda. They were accompanied by their squires and overeager lads, a ill-suited army to stop her advance. Shielded in their pride and honour, they charged against her, lances twinkling in the sun. How graceful they were, until they broke away once her fury was unleashed. Ilneoa herself landed in their midst, her hands spreading thunder to all foolish enough to stand close to her. The few knights not having taken leave of their senses attempted to flee; too late for them. Not one warrior left the battlefield alive.

A satisfactory victory, but the Earl himself was nowhere to be found. Surely one of her soldiers had too free a tongue over a mug of ale, or a merchant's purse had grown fatter overnight. The display of her might should act as a reminder of what happens to rebels and traitors alike; who would dare to challenge such a powerful being as herself? And once the Earl had fallen in her custody, another example would be made, for the common good.

Her Tempest was rising in the east, with both her own arm striking down her foes, and her armies securing the borders of the Realm. The days when Avalon would remain a mere observer of the world were gone; only supremacy will be adequate for her purposes.

Tuidjy

October 16th, 2004, 03:44 PM

Caelum is not dead... It's just that I ran out of time/inspiration. But I
will keep playing.

Sedna

October 16th, 2004, 10:19 PM

Turn 11, R'lyeh

At Last a decent meal. As I sucked life from the faces of the hastily gathered militia who had gathered in the fog, I felt my own mind returning. I have wandered, I fear, these past months, through the dark paths of madness and semi-awareness. Now I am well again, and I have a foothold above the waves. I shall fortify one of these sunlit shores, but perhaps not this one. It still reeks of humans.

To my west, there are hordes of undead, waiting to be dead again. They will not provide as full a meal as these militia, but 'tis enough. Perhaps I can find some sites of dark magic power, pitiful in comparison to my own, but still... I will move to take one, and send my lackeys against the other. There, ah, it pains me to think on it, but we were rebuffed by the shuffling hordes in our first attempt, and my warriors fled. They will not fail again.

My scouts wander the waterways throughout the world, bringing me tidings of distant things. Fire and Death cling to my shores, but I have seen the pitiful remnants of the Atlantian empire in the shallow seas. They seek a place for themselves in the world�it is under my thrall.

Far to the east, my scout has chanced upon a strong race of humans who, in their foolishness, appear to worship trees and the air. Perhaps I will sit in this shallow lake and watch their efforts, for they are numerous.

Cthugul sends word that his summoning has been successful again. Monsters, never before seen in this world, will soon be running amok, terrorizing these mortals in broad daylight rather than confined to the world of dreams.

Karacan

October 17th, 2004, 10:16 AM

Ermor: Turn 11

The citizens of the haven of Bandar-Kadek apparently are very unruly. A minor uprising has destroyed some valuable equipment and depleted my treasury with repairs. This will not be tolerated. I will increase my efforts to turn them to the blissful oblivion already shared by their brothers, there will be no more dissent.

I assume that the closeness to the fiery wastelands is the reason for their unruliness. On this, I will ponder. First, however, other tasks take priority. I finally have the manpower to allow Simith, first of my Elders, to cease his endless searching through tomes to magically search for sites of power and death. It is about time, the land around my tomb seems to be depleted of magic. This I intend to change.

Angmar's army is ready again. The priest accompanying them has brought true existance to a sufficent number of farmers again, swelling the ranks a hundredfold. He is to move slowly towards a site of immense magical power and securing it. While I do not yet know what the site's power is exactly, I have no doubt that it will be of great use to me.

For I am Noth, and I shall wield the true power.

Karacan

October 17th, 2004, 10:18 AM

Okay, I am off for the Spiel 2004 and back next week. Cainehill will take over my turns for me, though I'll catch up with the Yarns when I am back. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Oh, and a big welcome to the newlings here. Great writing, Sedna!

puffyn

October 17th, 2004, 09:56 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 11 ----

I am an image in stone.

There was a storm in the mountains, and we had wandered for several days. I think we were all hoping someone else would suggest we turn around, explain to the village elders back home that we just couldn't find the maurauders, try again next spring? Our orders had been to secure the mountain from a tiny band of masons and a knight-major, or so said the runner who had heard it from another man who had spoken with our scout in these parts, only half a year ago.

"Perhaps they have already frozen to death," I heard one man mutter to another, through chattering lips. But no one breathed a word of returning home.

A nightmare put me here

Thymbre was speaking while gazing on the mountainside with an inscrutable look, and I could barely hear her voice, though the wind had died down. "The rocks the smell of death..." Comprehension dawned on her face, a small flicker of terror rose in her eyes, and set. "You must turn everyone back now." But it was too late. There was a shout from the forward ranks. They had been spotted.

where I am forever, the symbol of eternal remembrance

After that, it is a slow blur. The scout report was wrong. Over a score of horseman ("horsewomen", Thymbre corrected me) bore down on us, and many foot soldiers, and it was clear that we had erred badly. Our new recruits fell, and my hoplites and silver shields fell, and our line broke as we raced madly back toward rough terrain where even their spectrally thin and supernaturally fast horses could not follow us. As we were nearly to safety, Thymbre turned to me. "There are so many stranger beings than these, Pandokos, it will take all your skepticism to keep them all at bay. I think you will soon see them for what they really are. But now I think it is just about time..."

I sensed it, rather than saw it - as if from nowhere it came - and the image of that moment is now etched in blood on my eyelids.

Shine, as long as you live; do not be sad.

I do not know how we carried her body back through the mountains, tired and broken as we were. I do not know where we found the stone to mark her grave, or many other things these past days. I only know that she is gone.

Cause life is surely too short

She knew. She knew, and I thought she was babbling, but she was only trying to tell me, and yet she went anyways, willingly. And of all the things in this world, I will never see her again.

and time demands its toll.

---

magnate

October 18th, 2004, 07:18 PM

Points for turn 10 yarns: Arco 2, Ermor 1, Machaka 2, Man 2, R'lyeh 2. In case anyone is interested in the precision of this extremely blunt scoring instrument, this turn provides two excellent examples of borderline cases, over which I agonised for some minutes. Ermor is *just* shy of the normal 2 points, and R'lyeh is nanometres away from only 1 point. The line has to be drawn somewhere, and if anybody gives a damn, that's it. Still waiting for my first three-pointer ....

Totals after turn 10:
Abysia 14
Arco 20
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 18
Machaka 12
Man 12
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 11
Vanheim 4

Points for turn 11 yarns on Thursday.

Rgds,

CC

Sedna

October 18th, 2004, 07:34 PM

Not to sound like a freak with nothing better to do, but...

Was there a delay in hosting? I was under the impression that the turn was going to run today.

Alneyan

October 19th, 2004, 08:48 AM

There has been an annoying delay (involving my computer and a crash), and so the turn will only be executed in a few minutes.

After that, the next turn will run on Friday evening (and not Thursday evening, due to this delay), GMT. My apologises for this problem.

Alneyan

October 19th, 2004, 09:00 AM

Abysia has missed the two Last (or possibly three) turns; does anyone know if the player for Abysia is away, or has left the game? (Abysia itself is not doing too badly)

CuriousCat

October 21st, 2004, 12:11 AM

Machaka: Turn 11

---------------

Cetewayo had many concerns. Primary among these, expanding his territory and with it his power. The recent search for magic in the plains had mixed results. No new source of magic was found. However, a valuable, if mundane, gem mine was found at the edge of the plains. In the short term, this was actually good news. Increased income would quickly result in improved ability to purchase weapons and recruit new units for the army. But would it be enough? During his... illness... squabbling and power plays among the various factions of the Priesthood had resulted in very little progress. The army was too small, there weren't enough people in the research cabals... So many demands.

Well, he was making progress, the army would soon be large enough to consider further territorial expansion. Now, to reassert control WITHIN his empire. This was a thorny problem. He had to assert his power, to seem unassailable. He could not, however, afford to become the rabid lion which would motivate the various factions of the priesthood to unite against him. Especially difficult was the possibility that one or another of these factions was responsible for his "illness". They had a great deal of magical ability and power... but that much? He had to drive home the point that they were HIS priests - that much of their power had its source in HIM. To that end...

At that moment the young priest, Babu, entered. "Master, you summoned me." the priest humbly stated.

Cetewayo smiled and said, "Yes, indeed, I want you to know that I am very pleased and impressed with you." He then hesitated to see what the young man's response would be. To his great pleasure there was no visible response. "Yes, this one would do quite well." he thought to himself. Aloud, he continued, "You are to return to the capital, and be promoted to senior Voice of the Lord."

Shocked, Babu objected, "Master, the leadership will be extremely unhappy - they will not allow me to assume such authority. I am not even a full priest yet. How can I leap from such a low position to one of the highest?"

Cetewayo responded, "You will assume the position on MY authority. The priesthood will be notified of my wishes in their dreams. You will use all of your talents to observe the reactions of your fellow priests. You will find any of your fellows who are... untrustworthy and report them to me."

"Yes, master," Babu tremulously replied. He realized that the next weeks could be the most difficult of his life, as well as possibly his Last. "Master I have further news." Travelers from across the river have arrived in camp. They claim that the ice fairies have come down from their mountains and occupied their homeland."

"They cannot be allowed to cross the river. Babu, after achieving rank, you will assume control of the army and march on the river province west of the capital. I will meet you there. We must cut off the ice fairies approach to the capital." Cetewayo forcefully stated.

After Babu was dismissed Cetewayo again pondered the current state of the world. He was in a deep hole. The presence of Caelum on the border was the worst piece of news he had received since emerging from the crypt. The cold that Caelum brought with them would be very difficult to deal with, and make even a temporary alliance... difficult for both sides. Well, they would have to stay on the other side of the river or they would face the heat of Machaka. On the other front, if Babu survived the dangers of both the capital and the battlefield, he would be a good candidate to become the official Prophet of the Lord. THAT would send a message to the priests. Of course, if he died at the capital Cetewayo would learn a great deal from what happened and from what quarter. Either way, his ends would be served.

Sedna

October 21st, 2004, 08:20 PM

Turn 12, R'lyeh

Undead are so mealy-tasting. Ghouls at least have a little texture, a hint of artificial flavoring. Soulless? Gah! And they never break, so after a while it's just chomp, chomp, chomp. Yet another minion from the beyond the grave, come to devour my brains. As if they could survive that experience. But they never really fill me up, I just get so tired and depressed. God... Yes? Sorry, little joke there.

But, for the greater glory of me, I am called upon to do unpleasant things every once in a while. For next month I've sighted a nice coastal province defended by not-too-crunchy humans. I expect sun-tanned, perfect limbs, with just a hint of salt, and maybe some tropical fruit flavors in there somewhere.

I see so many neighbors now. I'll try to communicate with them, but relying on dolphins to carry Messages has its drawbacks. Our minds have such different ways of handling syntax and meaning. And the brains of the smartest ones are like delicate little flowers of flavor... so I end up sending the dumb ones with Messages.

I really shouldn't carve these ritual history pillars on an empty stomach.

The rest is pretty much just shuffling minions; regrouping my forces to push further onto land into heavily defended provinces, where men dress in giant metal cans and ride tiny little herbivores. It sullies me even to contend with their kind- I've seen worlds snuffed out at a word, C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate...

puffyn

October 22nd, 2004, 09:37 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 12 ----

Perhaps now I understand.

Whispers come from the furthest corners of this strange country. Men claim that the gods have returned, and flock to their side, forging empires out of what used to be quiet hamlets and backwaters. Thym... Thymbre knew that these madmen with delusions of god-hood had to be put in their place, or the light of human reason would forever be subdued to the darkness of religious slavery. To stop this descent requires a charismatic leader (Limmy), and a base of power, an empire (which is mine to forge).

This month we march south against Golana, the Last province bordering our home village which has not pledged allegiance to us. The locals describe the Golanites with all sorts of vile slurs, most commonly calling them "lizards" in the local dialect. I look forward to bringing these people together, by the sword if need be.

My new weapon is the mighty elephant. These beasts, far larger than any animal native to Greece, make fearsome weapons of war when properly trained by the locals. They have a tendency to startle easily, crushing our own men, but I am sure the valor of a full phalanx of Silver Shields will give all our troops courage.

Spring has come to these lands, and the slow trek up the mountains, and mad retreat back (in which Limmy was my constant, annoying companion) seem like a bad dream. When... I try not dwell on it, and realize what happened there... it is a bad dream from which I know I shall never awake.

If death awaits me in the swamps of Golana, I shall not cheat it again.
---

magnate

October 24th, 2004, 07:22 PM

Many thanks to Puffyn for proving that it doesn't all have to be about length - I really felt for Pandokos!

Points for turn 11 yarns: Arco 3, Ermor 2, Machaka 2, R'lyeh 2

Totals after turn 11:
Abysia 14
Arco 23
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 20
Machaka 14
Man 12
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 13
Vanheim 4

Points for turn 12 yarns on .... I dunno - when's turn 13 running? Some time in the next few days, anyway.

Rgds,

CC

CuriousCat

October 25th, 2004, 12:47 AM

Machaka: Turn 12

Babu entered the capital, Balakayo showing what he hoped was considerably more confidence than he felt. Of course, he knew that his god was with him... in spirit anyway, but it would have been much nicer if Cetewayo was present in the not quite flesh. The minor irony of wishing for the physical presence of a ghost managed to distract him for a moment from the greater concerns of dealing with the established priestly hierarchies and overcoming any obstacles that might be put before him.

He went directly to the high temple and was surprised to find a convocation of senior priests awaiting him there. They were already aware of his mission and of the fact that Cetewayo had given him authority. Babu was pleased that the primary emotions he could sense were relief and gratitude. Of course, those with other feelings would never have achieved this level of influence without considerable talent at choosing what emotions they would display. Babu was happy, nevertheless, that the dreaded confrontation had not occurred. He quickly gathered the local reserves and moved, as ordered, to attack the rich province of Syzran. He decided to take one of the most powerful sorcerers from the capital to ensure victory.

Success. Finally. Cetewayo had observed Babu and his performance on the battlefield, but had not interfered. The priest had led well and had used his powers in battle to maintain the morale of the his troops. Indeed, that was what had won the day. The losses were significant on both sides, however the locals had no higher purpose, no divine inspiration. In the end, they broke and ran. Cetewayo noted that Babu had followed his orders quite precisely. However, he also made note of the addition - Azaan the sorcerer. One decision remained, was Babu's initiative a good thing?

Sedna

October 25th, 2004, 12:55 AM

Turn 13, R'lyeh

The sun-kissed residents of my latest conquest were everything I look for in a meal, but I hate it when they run away before I'm done. I cornered the Last one in the deepest stacks of the local library and sucked out his brain (very quietly).

Unfortunately I quarreled with Mr. Flibbles. His reports from the front have become so boring and lifeless that I shouted at him. And now he doesn't hear my voice anymore, and I just don't know where he has gone. Poor Mr. Flibbles... out of the sea...

I guess I didn't expect god-hood to be so much work. As a god, should I concern myself with adjusting tax rates in every province I own, every month? I've mustered my army to help with the whole conquering thing. They're attacking a strong province this month. If they don't all die, I'll hurl them against a city next.

Cthugul hasn't summoned anything cool in ages. I got a new Starspawn, but he really is quite stupid, and doesn't know any of the really nasty spells. My home province was hit by a "bad omen", and now one of my Illithids is cursed for the rest of his life. I mean, "a bad omen"? I can see how the slaves might be a little upset by that, but lifetime trauma? What's next, I get sued for not providing adequate emotional support or something? Gah. It's just too hard to eat everyone who deserves it.

The fire humans have done nothing for many months now. Some leadership crisis perhaps? It would be rather un-sporting to attack them in their current state, but perhaps that is all I need, food with a little more heat. The only other option are the dead lands. Powerful, yes, worthy? unlikely... but ugh. The taste. It makes me shudder.

I have ever been waiting thus. Dreaming...

Alneyan

October 26th, 2004, 01:31 PM

Turn 13 has just run (meaning turn 14 has been sent).

There has been no news from Abysia for at least a few turns, and so I will start advertising for their position.

puffyn

October 26th, 2004, 09:02 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 13 ----

I really thought it was just a slur. Ever since we got here, the villagers have been calling Golana "a den of vipers," "a snakepit," "full of cold-blooded lizards," and so forth. It turns out, though, that the residents of Golana really are lizards. It's so hard to know what to believe... though I'm trying.

Fortunately, as it turns out, the Golanoids are (oops, were) very weak lizards, certainly no match for the havoc wrought by our elephants. Alas, in their retreat they were able to kill the two mighty creatures, which left me a little sad, because I had grown attached to the beasts. I couldn't help but notice that their handlers seemed almost relieved.

The elders back home have signed a non-aggression pact with the Vans, a race of people living beyond the western mountains who have recently been expanding their territory. Apparently we gave up claim to Godsgrave Mountain as part of the peace treaty. Just like that� what was once worth dying for is traded away for a scrap of paper.

There is something... refreshing about being on this campaign. The phalanx that I now lead arrived in Oast Hills while I was gone, and some of them are old friends, from the long journey out to this excessively god-filled land. Sometimes it almost feels like we are all ten years younger, and I have had perhaps half an hour steal by without thinking at all about... more recent events. Ah, Thymbre... I can picture the way you would have laughed at me, just so, when I insisted on inspecting the corpses myself, just to be sure they were really lizards.

There is another province nearby, weakly defended, that we march toward. Hopefully by then, the men will have stopped teasing me with their odes to lizards, which are, if anything, even more ludicrous than the previous spate of butter songs. Those who have seen them in person insist that the Vans are sometimes impossible to see even if you're looking straight at them. Good men, I have no reason to doubt their word, and there are certainly strange things in this world. But when the men insist that Limmy is a huge blue giant for four arms, I know they're just playing one of these odd mind games men often play with their commanders. I mean, really, I've met the guy.

---

puffyn

October 26th, 2004, 09:14 PM

I just wanted to say keep up the good Posts, Curious Cat... nice to have you on board.

Even for those of you who have decided you don't have enough time to write a yarn every turn, it would be nice to hear from you on occasion. You know, once in a while give a brief state of the empire summary, so we don't have to keep guessing what you're up to just from the score graphs... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

CuriousCat

October 27th, 2004, 11:35 PM

Machaka: Turn 13

Cetewayo looked up as the messenger entered.

"Master, a messenger has arrived from Caelum."

"Show him in," Cetewayo replied. He would prefer to host the first messenger of his new reign in the capital. There he could have properly impressed this emissary with his nation's culture and power. Here, in the field, he would have to settle for a display of military power. He was a bit concerned. He had just taken a valuable province which bordered the Caelum Magocracy as well as other, unclaimed provinces on the opposite bank of the river. His nation was not in a powerful position, but he had to recover from this less than auspicious beginning. In order to do that he needed to expand considerably. From the information his intelligence services had gathered he suspected that his was on of the smallest nations in the world. The only way to obtain the resources required to build a viable nation was to expand the borders of the nation. A war with another powerful, united nation would not serve to advance this goal, especially when so many unaligned provinces remained ripe for the picking.

Entering the tent once more, the functionary announced, "The representative of the Caelum Magocracy, the emissary, Chako."

The "man" entered. Of course the word man was not quite appropriate. The "being" was quite tall and rather thin, though not quite skeletal. Of course, the most unusual feature were the wings. The messenger performed the most minimal and perfunctory acknowledgement of Cetewayo's position as the God-King of Machaka.

"Chako is not a Caelumite name," stated Cetewayo.

"It is the Machakan name that I took when I studied your language. I do not expect those who do not speak my tongue to attempt to pronounce my name," replied 'Chako' with more that a little arrogance. He had been instructed not to hide his disdain for these 'people' and their 'culture'.

Cetewayo read the situation properly. He knew that he was being 'put in his place' by this emissary on direct orders from his leader. Such a low level functionary would never dare show such disrespect without explicit direction to do so.

He decided to respond with a bit of irritation himself. "Would you be interested in some Kaf?" he asked.

Chako could not suppress a slight shudder. Kaf was a hot drink that these Machakans drank on a regular basis. Something hot to drink was the opposite of what he wanted. These lands were unbearably hot without imbibing a heated beverage. He could not wait to leave this hell and return to the thin cold air of his homeland. "Thank you, but I would prefer to proceed with our business if you find that acceptable," he replied.

"Ah, yes, your people are not fond of the heat here on the plains are you?" Cetewayo responded, knowing that having this weakness openly discussed would irritate Chako.

"As your own people are not fond of the Cold of my homeland," replied Chako. He continued, "It is to that end that my Lord sends the following message: 'I hope you do not plan on crossing the straights. They would make a great natural border between our nations.'"

Cetewayo was taken aback. He knew that this was the opening salvo in a negotiation, but it was a rather extreme demand. Assenting to such an agreement would constrain his empire to a thin strip and leave his nation absolutely at the mercy of the nation occupying the opposite bank of the river. This would take some thought. "Thank you for the message," he stated dismissively. He continued, "You may return to your icy lands. I will send a messenger with my reply after due consideration."

After the messenger left he pondered the situation. His current position could be seen as threatening. His forces were in a territory that would provide direct access to the Caelumite province of Mukhtadir. Of course, he had no designs on the province. He was much more interested in absorbing the unaligned lands.He would send scouts into the surrounding territories to gain more information. He would take Babu and his army and expand the empire himself. If things went well there, Babu could receive further authority.

Sedna

October 28th, 2004, 08:09 PM

Turn 14, R'lyeh

Well, gosh, if that didn't just ruin my whole month. And it was going so well... There's nothing quite like the taste of archer in the morning, and their bows are really useful for picking things out of your teeth, or, you know, dislodging bits of limbs that got stuck in your tentacles... anyhow, it was a really good meal. And just next door, my worthless chattel fought a force that outnumbered them, and they actually managed to defeat it. And nobody died. Well, nobody important.

So life was really going well, and I was in a great mood, 'cause of all the money and the food. Forest people just have this delightful hickory smoked taste to them, I think. And I swear there were some hints of maple, too, and some really subtle flavors...

But I tried to talk to Mr. Flibbles, but he wasn't there, and then I tried again, but he still wasn't there, and now he's gone... all gone... nobody left to talk to, they're all so scared of me, but Mr. Flibbles wasn't, he was my friend, but then he got mad at me, and now he's not my friend anymore, he's not anyone's friend, and why couldn't he have let me eat him if he wanted to die so much? I would've done it, for him.

So what do I care if someone found some air gems in Minto Strait? I don't even know where that is. I think I'll just send them to other people. It's not like they'll make Mr. Flibbles come back. Ever ever ever again.

Not many fishies left, not many fishies...

So, I think I'll go attack this province, and, you know, kill everyone there with horrible sucking death. But I won't enjoy it.

Alneyan

October 30th, 2004, 12:14 PM

As usual, I have forgotten to post the notice that turn 14 has run (we are now playing turn 15).

I cannot manage to write anything these days (related to Dominions or not; an attempt at writing someting for Space Empires does not seem to have much success either), and so you should not expect Man to produce some yarns in the foreseeable future. If someone needs to know something about Man (R'lyeh?), do ask me and I will give the details.

On another matter, Atlantis seems to have gone AWOL. Does anyone have news about them?

puffyn

October 30th, 2004, 04:34 PM

Alneyan,

That's a pity. I was hoping to find out what happened to Ilneoa... but so long as you keep hosting the game, I'll be happy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

puffyn

October 30th, 2004, 04:37 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 14 ----

Late spring in the southern marshes

The news recently has been all good.

Lussan fell easily beneath the spears of my Silver Shields. To celebrate the victory, I will raise a temple to Apollo, patron of the intellect, leader of the Muses, and source of the Oracle at Delphi which Thymbre loved so much. Over its arches I will etch her name, and there it shall remain while this world remains unbroken.

Balachandra and his siblings have finally gotten around to doing some useful research on construction techniques. It's not science exactly, but it's probably the best I can expect out of these unenlightened folks. I'm sure Balachandra is wise, and Amshula gained some valuable experience leading the attack on Skelde Henge (in fact, she is bringing some newly trained elephants to swell my ranks this turn), but they're still all basically crazy. Balachandra has plans to "project his astral self in an attempt to locate sites of Astral power". Fine, whatever he does in his spare time is his own look-out. But apparently this nonsensical ritual takes a full month, during which he won't be pursuing his very interesting thoughts about the construction of light-weight armor.

Divikar, always the copy-cat younger brother, plans to do a similar thing, pouring oil on a sample of soil brought back from Golana to see "hidden sites of fiery powers". I must be misunderstanding the ritual somehow, because I know it does not take a full month for a small oil fire to burn.

And finally, Limmy apparently finally lost his mind completely and attempted to attack Skeldmarsh all by himself. Needless to say, he died. I guess I'll miss the blue freak, but this will certainly quell the campfire rumors that he's the "8th incarnation of the immortal Vishnu", or whatever the locals think this week.

My butter supply is undisturbed tonight for the first time in a long while. Tonight I will go sit on the high flat rock which will soon be consecrated to Apollo, spread butter on freshly fired bread, and watch the stars.

---

Alneyan

October 30th, 2004, 06:46 PM

puffyn said:
Alneyan,

That's a pity. I was hoping to find out what happened to Ilneoa... but so long as you keep hosting the game, I'll be happy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

She has just won the prize at the Pretenders' lottery: a single ticket to the otherworld, as a few arrows have just killed her. I guess that will remind me why Air-5 isn't quite the same thing as Air-9 when you want to fight half the world on your own. Oh well, she will just come back eventually, slightly more bitter and overeager to share her experience of death.

magnate

October 31st, 2004, 07:47 PM

Sorry folks, been away for a few days. Will catch up with the scores tomorrow. Hope you're all having fun ...

CC

Sedna

October 31st, 2004, 11:19 PM

Turn 15, R'lyeh

My little corner of this world is slowly taking shape. I am unbounded to the north, and can expand there for some time without interference from others. I've become quite confident in my ability to eat and rout these measly humans. My next attack will be on a heavily defended province, but Death doesn't scare me, I met him at this party on Epsilon Eridani one time... a very dry sense of humor.

I was told by lunch that the other would-be-gods are outpacing me in magical research now that I've left my dark undersea lab to feast. I'll summon some brains, but I don't really expect them to discover much without my brilliant tentacle guiding them.

I've chosen a site for my first coastal province. It is a good site, with moderately useful human crossbows, a library for sages, and a pleasant little path running down the cliffs to tide-pools where humans often bring their children to play. I anticipate many good spawns....

My first task force is going to spend a few seasons regrouping. Meteorite guards have an annoying habit of scattering in battle, and some sort of fodder is necessary to protect my precious, nummy, Illithids. I'll... "volunteer" a few humans to replace them, and collect some of the less pathetic runaways. They deserve death, not a second chance at glory, so I'll be sure to put them at the front of my formations with orders to attack the k-nig-its. A second task force is slowly making their way upriver through the mud to Red Lake, where they shall burst forth upon the witless inhabitants, spewing death.

CuriousCat

November 1st, 2004, 01:14 AM

Machaka: Turn 14

Cetewayo was livid. The only good news he had received in the month was a few nature gems being found in one of his territories. As if he had a use for them at the moment... At least none of the other pretenders in the world had attacked. Of course, it didn't seem that there was a need since his useless subjects couldn't deal with a handful of independents. Killing a few villagers calmed him a bit... but only a bit. He felt a little guilty. He could hardly afford to loose anyone from his domain. He was a little confused by the upset his little diVersion caused. Wasn't he not quite living proof that there was life after dead?

He had plenty of pressing concerns to get his mind off of the army's failure. Man was to the North, a large and intimidating presence. Across the river, the nation of Caelum was attempting to complete the box that would make it impossible for Machaka to flourish...

He had to put the bad news behind him and salvage what he could. Babu would become prophet. He might not be the best possible choice, but he was the best available choice. Hopefully a prophet would help bolster the domain while it recovered from recent setbacks.

magnate

November 1st, 2004, 12:02 PM

Ok, looks like we're down to three regular yarnspinners:

Turn 12: R'lyeh 2, Arco 2, Machaka 2
Turn 13: R'lyeh 2, Arco 2, Machaka 3

Totals after turn 13:
Abysia 14
Arco 27
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 20
Machaka 19
Man 12
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 17
Vanheim 4

Hope the rest of you are still enjoying it,

CC

CuriousCat

November 2nd, 2004, 02:20 AM

Machaka: Turn 15

"Master, a messenger from Man has arrived," nervously stated the messenger. He recalled the previous messenger from Caelum and the foul mood Cetewayo had displayed as a result. After the past months' military failures, the messenger was justifiably concerned that being near the god could soon become dangerous to one's health.

"Yes, show him in." Cetewayo again wished for the splendor of the Capital. After the military failures, the camp wasn't terribly impressive as an example of imposing military might. Of course, rumors reported that Man may have had a few stumbles recently, even, if rumor were to be believed, to the loss of their false god. Of course, that would only be temporary. Even the pitifully weak priests of Man would see that their deity returned.

Cetewayo was, again, concerned. Man was rumored to be the most powerful faction in the world. Even with the temporary loss of their leader... it would not do to 'upset' them. Diplomacy was so - distasteful. However, in this case it was more than necessary. It might be the only hope for survival. Regardless, he would not be a beggar. His nation was not without resources. Hopefully, allies could yet be found and the current situation remedied. In the mean time though, enemies would be most unfortunate.

The man entered. He was indeed a man. However, there was something almost imperceptibly subtle that hinted at something else. Cetewayo knew that few others in the world at this time would notice these slight differences. An even smaller number would have the necessary experience to know the fact to which these differences hinted. Cetewayo, however, was from a time long past and had seen the Tuatha himself. Indeed, he remembered the potency of their magic. Thankfully, their time had passed. However, these men had inherited more than a little of that magic, along with an air of otherness and an oh so slight exotic cast to their features.

The herald announced, "The honored emissary, Olwin of the Vale, representative of the faction of Man." Olwin performed an acceptable obeisance, nothing extravagant, yet not disrespectful.

"Welcome to our lands Olwin." stated Cetewayo as he observed the young man. Olwin was obviously a bit warm. The lands of the Machaka were uncomfortable for most races. However, this man was not suffering as the emissary from Caelum had suffered. Olwin did betray some arrogance as well. However, it was more the condescension of the 'Civilized' toward the tribal 'primitive' instead of the disdain for an inferior form of life the winged messenger had evidenced. Again, Cetewayo wished to be in the Capital. Balakavo would have driven such assumptions of superiority out of this one. Indeed, these were cross-breed woodsmen! Cetewayo forced himself to control his temper before anything unfortunate could happen. This man did represent the most powerful nation in the region, if not the world, after all. He continued, "Would you care for some refreshment?" as he gestured to a tray bearing an assortment of libations.

The selection included the native Kaf, heated of course, as well as a variety of chilled drinks, some imported from the Vale itself. To Cetewayo's surprise Olwin reached out and lifted the cup of Kaf. He inhaled the aroma and displayed obvious pleasure. Either the man was an accomplished actor or he enjoyed the smell. Olwin then replaced the cup. "Kaf is a rare treat that is indeed a welcome refreshment during the winter in my homeland. However, in this heat it would not be so refreshing. Instead, if you would not think less of me, I will partake of this excellent vintage." stated Olwin as he selected the best of the chilled wine from the Vale.

The two continued rather meaningless pleasantries until finally arriving at their business. "My mistress does not desire war at this time," stated Olwin, "However, if you commit an offense against our dominion, such offense will bring swift retribution from the Vale."

"Indeed, I would expect nothing less," responded Cetewayo.

An eon of meaningless formalities and pleasantries later Cetewayo was again alone with his thoughts. Reconstituting the army was first priority. However, gathering more intelligence about the world situation had to remain a high priority as well. Rumor could only tell him so much. More concrete information would be required.

Alneyan

November 2nd, 2004, 10:11 AM

Since I have received only two turn files for the current turn (Machaka and R'lyeh), I will take the liberty of postponing the turn for an undetermined period of time. Having more than half the players stale does not simply look like a good idea.

Incidentally Magnate, can I interest you in actually playing in the game? Three nations are currently virtually leaderless, so I suppose you could play one or two among them (they are Atlantis, Abysia and Mictlan). A typical turn is very fast for them, and would not take more than a few minutes, receiving and sending the turn included.

puffyn

November 2nd, 2004, 10:27 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 15 ----

On the one hand, I now have five more glorious elephants. On the other hand, I had forgotten what it was like to be around Amshula.

"So this is your shrine, is it?" she said in lieu of the pleasantries exchanged by normal people on first meeting. "I thought you were going for something a little more, you know, grand." She ran a finger over a slightly uneven section of wall. "But the rustic look kind of works, too."

I breathed in and out, carefully. Think of the elephants, I thought to myself. We leave tomorrow to fight an unknown and potentially powerful force, headed by some self-styled Queen Unu'ishimma, and I do not know what to expect there. I am even open to the idea that reports of numerous horned serpents among her troops must be taken at face value. And Amshula, for some reason, commands respect among the troops as someone who would be helpful in this fight.

But why, I really couldn't say.

"Thymbre always felt that simple was better than ornate and overdone," I replied. If she proceeded to be contrary, then perhaps I would have an excuse to... but no. Mustn't give her an excuse to run off into the fens looking for mystical midges or some sort. Not before I got the elephants under my command, that is. I settled for a small jab.

"After all, what's the point of fancy and ornate month-long ceremonies if they don't, you know, find anything?"

---

magnate

November 4th, 2004, 07:41 AM

Alneyan - thanks for the offer, that's very kind. Sadly my video card has just died so I have no access from home at the moment.

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable in any case, but at least I have an excuse for the time being!

I guess there aren't going to be any more yarns for turn 14, so I'll put the scores up as soon as I get a breather here.

CC

Alneyan

November 4th, 2004, 02:22 PM

I will start writing a yarn on tomorrow (our time), but that will be for turn 15.

Oh, and to go on with the fun, Karacan seems to be AWOL at the moment, and I haven't heard anything from Caelum and Vanheim for the Last few days. Of course, Abysia and Atlantis are still leaderless, so that means only Arcoscephale, Machaka, Man and R'lyeh are being played.

Should we wait a little while longer, while attempting once more to find a replacing player or three? The only other option I can think of would be "everybody plays two nations, and we ask a kind third party to check for things such as gems gifts and the like".

I see no problem with your playing Magnate; the only matter would be if you submitted yarns, as rating them would be a bit hard. Maybe the other players could do the rating, or we would simply follow some sort of guideline, or another benevolent player outside the game.

Alneyan

November 5th, 2004, 09:35 AM

Here goes a double post. I will be attempting to lure in a few French players to this game, and hopefully one or two will be interested enough to step in.

Otherwise, another drastic solution would be for me to withdraw as Man, to find a player for this nation, and to take care of all the others.

Yvelina

November 5th, 2004, 03:51 PM

I play Vanheim. I am really having trouble getting into this game. It is just too long between turns when you are not 'yarning', and I keep forgetting about them. And then my Last turn got lost (the Last I sent, I just forgot about the very Last one)

Vanheim is doing JUST fine. I am still in the running... It's just that I cannot get myself to run. And we really chose poorly in beginning the yarn. My boyfriend and I tried to write as if we were writing about each other. I.e. I was imitating his style of thinking, and he mine. What a mess, really.

CuriousCat

November 5th, 2004, 07:29 PM

I was afraid that the slow pace was a factor in losing some of the non-writing players. However, I don't think that increasing the pace is really an option for those who are writing.

If you mean turn 15 by 'the very Last one', then I think that you can go ahead and send it to Alneyan since the turn hasn't been hosted. I'm sure that Alneyan will correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, in my (albeit completely newbie) opinion, it would be quite acceptable to completely change the writing style / personality of characters in your story. I took over for Machaka and didn't try to imitate what had been written previously so there is definitely a precedent. Explaining the change in story would be completely optional. Just a thought.

Alneyan

November 5th, 2004, 08:08 PM

Some news about the actual administrating part (a.k.a. all the fun you are missing): I have lured two players to take over as Atlantis and Ermor. Hurray! The replacing player for Ermor might need to leave the game later on due to a lack of time, but it will not happen right now, so.

I have asked another player (Deccan, who was interested in joining a few weeks ago) if he would be interested by any of the nations currently available. One way or another, you should expect the game to start again once I have received his answer.

I concur with CuriousCat about the game pace (but I am a slow writer myself, so), and you are correct about the current turn. It has been stopped, and will only resume once most nations have found someone to lord them.

puffyn

November 6th, 2004, 02:31 AM

We might also make some allowance for new players taking over for empires with few story-points to date. While there is still plenty of time to score lots of yarn-points, it may not feel that way to a player who takes over, and it seems a little unfair that they should be punished because their predecessor was not writing regularly. Ideally, we would find replacements who are in it for the pleasure of creating the stories, but the point system is a good motivational tool...

Perhaps for new players we could boost their yarn-point-totals so that they have at least 1 point per turn, thus allowing them to start roughly competitive.

Alneyan

November 6th, 2004, 06:48 AM

As a player, I like your suggestion Puffyn, but the decision will fall in the hands of Magnate.

If no replacing player can be found yet, would anyone object to giving the remaining nations to players already in the game? They would be the players as far away from the nations in question, and I guess I would unfortunately have to check the Messages about gifts and the like (or finding someone able to do so, as such checks would give me more outside-the-game information)

This solution would be only temporary, but would avoid having too many AIs or five nations under my custody. It would go as follow:
* Mictlan: going AI, since they are the weakest of all.
* Abysia: Machaka would seem the best solution here.
* Vanheim: I believe I am the farthest away from them, with Ermor perhaps (but Ermor does not really have much time on their hand, so).
* Caelum: I do not know where you are Puffyn, but from what I can infer, you would be quite far away from Caelum.

I cannot say I am too fond of such situations, but it seems the lesser evil in this case.

Alneyan

November 6th, 2004, 11:53 AM

It looks like the local situation will be more interesting now, as the past few turns only saw the conquest of provinces, without any unexpected surprise (few independents can stand against a horde of longbowmen). So, without further addendum:

Man - Turn 15:

The void. Ornate figures were swelling, only to disappear moments later. Echoes from the world came, shrill voices crying their despair. And the void, this feeling of emptiness, surrounding her. Memories slowly returned; a lucky arrow hit her, somehow finding its way through the whirling winds protecting her. A meagre weapon, yet sufficient to destroy her. The recollection of the pain that followed, her wiggles as the cold embrace of death came upon here.

But there was more, much more, to her plight. Voices should have risen in unison to call her back among the livings. Thousands of faithful believed in her; only a few muttered prayers now reached her. The chillness of dying seized her again, as she realised she would not see the sunlight for a long while, if ever. She wept.

Spring was nearing its end in the streets of Man, and the air was filled with the fragrance of blossoming flowers. Harvests were bountiful, the famines of Last year a simple unpleasant memory. The Fair Land was once more prosperous, the wealthiest realm of the known world as rumours had it. The bickering Earls, who had divided the kingdom, had been brought under control, and Man was once more a united power, confident of its ability to grow.

A glance at the city below the Castle brought Velimaine such thoughts. Power was now in the hands of Avalon, and so she naturally became Lady Warden of the realm, being the Daughter Superior of the Isle. All of Man under her rule; such responsibilities almost overwhelmed her, despite the customary involvement of Avalon in political matters. But she would have the time to reflect; there was no threat to Man, with its borders securely held by the royal host. The only pressing matter was to ensure the stability of the Summer Lands.

To this end, she summoned the Earl of Sjkomen, the lands surrounding Avalon proper. Sjkomen was now in charge of the administration of Avalon, a concession made to placate the Earls. Sjkomen himself was a not too ambitious nobleman, and talented to apply rulings, so long as he did not have to take decisions on his own; all that Velimaine required. She handed him an innocent, ordinary letter, to be copied and displayed in all parts of Man. Even the usually serene Earl paled while reading the contents of the missive:

�I, Velimaine of Avalon, in the name of my Sisters and Mother, hereby declare that Man is to be ruled under the custody of Avalon. The crown of Man will henceforth be detained by the Daughter Superior, or any Daughter chosen by her Sisters, and will no longer be transferred by the virtues of heredity. Be it also enacted that the current heir, the child Leonid, therefore loses all his rights, titles and duties as king, given his birth, which was not from the marriage between his father and mother, as it is widely known. His cousins do not have a claim strong enough to warrant their accession to the Crown, as per our customs and traditions.

The incarnation known as Ilneoa, whose divine nature led to erring on mortals, had disappear several moons past. Her divine nature whereby she claimed the Crown has been thus disproved, and her pretensions should similarly be dispelled. All citizens of the land are urged to step aside from her cult, and to return to our ancient rites, whereof only good thoughts can be given. Putting power in the hands of a creature full of exigencies was not the best notion to cross the minds of the believers; this shall not happen again.�

Alneyan

November 8th, 2004, 10:02 AM

Turn 15 has run at Last, and the game will hopefully be back on track now.

If you happen to be interested in joining the game, there are still three nations left for picks: Abysia, Caelum and Vanheim (they are currently being played by the players farthest away from them).

puffyn

November 9th, 2004, 11:22 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 16 ----

Now that was an interesting fight. Huge fanged serpents -- wolves pouring in from the forests -- women soldiers turning into serpents instead of dying -- the trumpeting of many elephants as they trample same. Most intriguing was this one woman who occupied my Silver Shields for some while (truth be told, they had little need to fight while the elephants were on their merry trample). She wore an enormous pelt which made her hard to kill, and was quite mad. This woman, called Ninhadi, was apparently a devotee of the cult of Fenris, some really powerful local wolf-god, or so I gathered when talking to locals after we had taken the village.

One of them provided me with the following page torn out of a book of lore; it seems a rather grisly way to honor a god. There was a curious scrawled footnote noting that it was prophesied that the pelt would be lost "in the time of the great butter wars", but then it is all smudged. More mystical nonsense, I am sure...

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/309948-fenris.jpg

As usual, Amshula was quite ineffective, though she did manage to give this one snake something of a headache, and more importantly not injure anyone on our side. Now, once again, she has disappeared in search of gods only know what. I hear that yet another mystical ritual back home has failed to turn up anything; I think she and her siblings are getting a little desperate. I, for one, am simply glad for the respite from her incessant barbs.

We are pausing here for some time to wait for Divikar to arrive before proceeding. And I've been thinking... after all this time around Amshula, I really miss Limmy. At least ol' blue was contrite when he failed to contribute meaningfully to battles.

---

puffyn

November 10th, 2004, 10:33 PM

--- Caelum, turn 16 ---

I have not had time to write this year past. My kingdom has greatly expanded, from the Nidzh River all the way to the deep port at Muktadir, and some part of this has been my doing. After many months of study, aided by the Seraphs, I was presented with a lucky amulet and an evil-looking sword, and went forth to expand my reach northward.

The storm general prophet has been crusading up and down in the east, carving a place. He still insists on my divinity, of course, claiming that all he does is in my name, but he's become quite a hero himself among the Caelians. Sometimes I wonder. The Seraphs back home are loyal enough, though, perhaps too much so. As they have slowly come back down from the mountains, they have all taken new names, denoting their magic skills. It's convenient, but also very disconcerting.

Last month I received an odd gift from a people called Vanheim in the north. They sent a magical dwarven hammer and some water gems, but if the messenger was supposed to bring a message also, the long trek had addled his brain, and I could not get any sense out of him. Until I better know the strengths of those rising around me, it seems like a poor idea to alienate a potential friend, so I had Wizard (W) (I told you the names were odd) forge a magic clam which produces a magical pearl each month. I shall send it back to Vanheim, in payment for the sturdy hammer.

That hammer will swing in the forge again this month, fashioning one of the most feared weapons of the ancients: the staff of storms. With this twisting, sparking thing of raw might and beauty bringing storm clouds wherever it goes, my seraphs will become even more formidable in battle. In a month or so, enough will have gathered to strike south against the rabble of knights and religious fanatics who have too long held that land in defiance of Caelum. The very skies will open and strike them all in anger.

I am at a bit of a loss for what to do next. I must continue to expand my power base but how is that best accomplished? Magic is key, but lately I have also become concerned that the people have insufficient faith in me. It is perhaps hypocritical to be upset that they don't venerate me, when I am no divine being, but the benefits of a strong belief are so great. The people live more happy, productive lives, and my own strength is supported by their chanting. As such, it is clear that I need to encourage more men to enter the priesthood. Yes, men. To be honest, I do not trust the Seraphines, high-priestesses of Caelum. They are so fanatical, that if they ever suspected I am but a pretender to god-hood... the outcome would be painful. It is best to keep their number small, and encourage religion among the humans and other lesser races.

magnate

November 11th, 2004, 02:24 PM

Hi folks - sorry about the long absence - I still have no video card at home, and have been v busy at work. Will try to catch up asap, but glad I haven't missed too many turns!

I take the point about replacement players possibly being put off by low point totals. I have a suggestion: instead of 1 point per turn, how about 2 points per turn for which no .trn file was received? That way, the empires who have missed several turns (and suffered accordingly) will at least have a few point in compensation.

I don't know the shape of the game though, so this may not be appropriate (if eg. Atlantis played a lot of turns without writing yarns). Giving 14 or 15 points to a replacement player seems a bit harsh on those of you who have been diligently yarnspinning!

CC

Sedna

November 12th, 2004, 09:53 AM

Turn 16, R'lyeh

... Sleep between death ...

Gods have a thousand names, but they are always the same.

The other day, upon the stair,
I met a man, who wasn't there.

I wandered, empty, through trackless wastes. In the middle of a swirling void we caught sight of each other: a fellow god, a spinner like ourselves, and even more so. A still place in this world of dreams, and a glass table, with the world apportioned on it, and 10 obsidian figurines, robed in light. We talked for eons... a day. I saw his world, far away, as if I stood on a hill next to him, and surveyed his whole dominion from horizon to horizon. I turned to speak to him, but his eyes dissolved into a hail of arrows...

He wasn't there again today,
I wish that man would go away.

... and then it was another battle against frightened peasants to sate my starving, maddened brain, most of their number disappearing into the wold.

I received word that the kingdom of Man is responsible for the late Mr. Flibbles. Can a thousand airs gems bring him back? Knit his cold, fishy soul back together from the snowflakes of him now swirling forever in void? It is a kind offer, but there is no way I could accept.

A Star Child brings tidings of Lilith, the Vampire who imagines herself lord of the fiery humans. Her magical power is formidable, and she chewed through the humans like a hot knife.

From the void, the stargazer has pulled a double brace of Lesser Othernesses, strange beings of lime-flavored goo. Apart from seasoning for Atlantian tacos (or burritos, maybe with some deliciously picante fire-human spread on top), I'm not sure what good they are, since they're too small to crush even humans. Maybe if I had some midgets I needed to crush... Still, one has to respect the survivability of these suckers. Spawned in the void, they can withstand most of the damage pitiful earth-bound mages can spew at them: 100% shock immunity, 100% fire immunity, 100% cold immunity, 100% purple immunity, 100% poison immunity. In the dark final days of this terrible war, against the magic death-throes of this world, these shall form a deliciously wobbly corps of shock troopers.

The Panther

November 12th, 2004, 11:51 AM

Just my opinion, but I believe the people who would want to join this and write yarns will not be turned off by a lack of points for whatever nation they take over. I suspect that they are doing it mostly for fun, not points.

I have been writing a fan fic that started over a year ago and is up to about 700,000 words. I am not getting any points or money or anything else for it, yet I continue to write regularly on my story. It is just a fun thing to do with my spare time in the evenings. I think most of the folks still writing in this thread are the exact same way, they are not really doing this for the points or because they want to win the game or anything like that.

In fact, it is obvious the folks like Puffyn are clearly doing this because they enjoy the writing. Just as those lurkers (like me) who have been reading them and enjoying the yarns. I have been concerned recently about the fact that this game might die.

I did read with amusement about the free dwarven hammer and gems from Vanheim to Caelum. Those two races were originally begun by boyfriend and girlfriend and that is the way they always play on those occasions when they both join the same game. They are always allied on day 1, they never attack each other, they give gems, money and artifacts freely between each other, and they will assist one another as needed throughout the course of the game. It is kind of sad that they felt the need to do that in a game that is supposedly for fun only.

Of course, aren't ALL games supposed to be for fun only??? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Now, I can either go to work on my day off or write Chapter 276 in my story. What will it be???

Ugh - work! I have some things that I must get done today in the office to prepare for a business trip on Monday morning...

Alneyan

November 12th, 2004, 05:03 PM

Man - Turn 16:

An endless plain appeared in her mind, a land where even colours were long gone. Whirling shapes could be seen, the shades of the dead and the forgotten. The howling wind added its plaintive note to the desolation. The twisted bodies of skeletons surrounded her, sometimes throwing a bony arm around her. And everywhere were the maniac grins of the ghosts, as if they rejoiced of her presence in their midst.

The Otherworld faded away, bringing sights of the abominations, these things coming from beyond, so far away from her land. Swirling tentacles seized her, and all the eyes of these things, far too many of them, were sneering at her. She could almost hear their whispers: �Come wish us, come...�. They were invading her mind, their ram echoing loudly, as her mental defences collapsed.

A Daughter was insistently knocking at the order, shouting something about an urgent message from the North. Velimaine shook the remnants of her nightmare, her head still reeling from that apercu of these unearthly creatures. She could almost understand the desperate course Ilneoa had initiated; almost. Man would need to grow in power to save this land they loved, but could not keep its traditions while being involved in the deification madness. Mortals should not imperil the world thus by their petty conflicts on godhood, not in this moment of great need.

That missive from the Northern reaches was a wonder of curtness: �Fishes threatening the land, and their ilk complaining about their death. Not like the Atlantian Courts.� So they would be the ones considering an attack against the Vale; how fool these foul creatures were. The fabled longbowmen of Man would simply repel their advance, should they dare to walk on the soil. Their power would be no more so far from their lands of emptiness from where they stem.

But all the might of the Summer Land might not be enough against this age of sundering. The Roaming Dead still thrive � or they would had they kept their lives and their souls � far in the South, and darker rumours could be heard in the taverns. Everything from Dragons to Demons and sapient serpents were loosed on the land, or so the commoners thought, and they might have had the truth of it for once. Nonetheless, an alliance of the peoples of the earth would not be unwelcome, if only the bickering of the Pretenders did not interfere.

Velimaine thought she would do well to bring Ilneoa back from her ashes as well. A figurehead would not hurt her efforts, and the Virtue had probably lost her hubris along with her life, and most of her grace. Her mastery of the winds would be of a great assistance; until she taught her knowledge to another Daughter. And if Ilneoa were to remain impossible to restrain, her life would simply be forfeit once more. After all, what has been done can happen once more at will. Velimaine was smirking when she sent her first prayer in months to the Virtue, Last of all her pantheon of deities.

CuriousCat

November 13th, 2004, 12:41 AM

Machaka: Turn 16

While his retinue prepared the ritual space, Cetewayo considered his situation. His realm was not in the position he would prefer. His nation was small and almost surrounded by larger, intimidating powers. The few unaligned chaos lands that remained nearby were home to large, heavily armed and armored forces. While the magic schools in Balakavo were slowly beginning to show some results, without sources of magical power the great spells would stay an academic exercise. Thus, here he was in the wilds. Sometimes if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself. Together with his retinue, he would search for magic to power the researchers discoveries.

First though, he had time to consider other options. He lacked knowledge of the world. He was trapped here in this small corner with only a small alley through which he might expand without war. Gaining additional knowledge was a priority. True he had sent out a spy, but that was slow, limited information. He could sense other Powers similar to his abroad in the world. Perhaps he could use this connection, however tenuous, to communicate with others who might be in a similar position. After all, he could communicate his will with his priests via their dreams and their connection to him. It was possible that using similar techniques he could contact some other leader. Perhaps this other leader would be willing to exchange information. One think that gave him pause was the recent strange, disquieting disturbance that seemed connected to this new sense. Thinking about it made him remember the cold of the grave. He was unsure what the disturbance indicated. Regardless, he was determined to pursue this possibility. But who to attempt to contact?

Cetewayo then remembered a recent gift he had received. One of the other powers had sent him an air gem. He quickly retrieved the gem in question and studied it. The gem had been sent with little fanfare and no real message from the mysterious R'lyeh. These were beings that one would definitely NOT call men. Rumor had it that they ate the brains of the humans that they captured. They were also rumored to have strange mental powers. The Last fact gave him another pause. It might actually be dangerous to attempt this contact. He had no knowledge of the power this being might command. He could not let fear rule him. He would try it! These were times for taking risks. Indeed, he was not without power himself. Using the resonance of the gem with its previous owner together with his own ability to sense these other semi-divine beings, he would forge a connection, for better or worse.

He settled himself into a deep trance focusing his awareness through the gem in a way both outward and inward toward the other. He searched farther, and then he felt a faint contact. Yes, there was something there. He struggled harder and felt the connection deepen. Suddenly he was overwhelmed by a kaleidescope of strange images. It was overwhelming. Nothing made sense. Dizzying and disorienting. Flashes. Bright. Dark. Angles, structures that could not be. Water. He tried to project his desire to exchange information. He tried to put his wishes into words but he couldn't tell if he was succeeding. He kept trying and there were brief flashes of images that he could almost make sense of. Suddenly he was standing by a table in the midst of a great void. On the table was a blank piece of parchment. Somehow he knew that it was supposed to be a map. He tried to alter it and to his surprise succeeded. Suddenly the map had his nation and something of the surrounding area outlined. As he began celebrating he felt a more concrete presence of something OTHER. He held himself in the connection by a force of will. Everything in him was telling him that he should flee. He had to get a return of information. Yes! He could see it. He focused on the map and saw stretches of the world filled in. At that, he let the connection go. To his horror, the connection did not fade. Instead it continued and he felt himself being drawn deeper. An intense flood of images so fast that he could not decipher them, even consciously register their content. He then forcibly severed the connection.

As he emerged with a shudder from the trance he quickly sketched out the map he had seen. It had been a disturbing experience, but one well worth the risk. He had not sensed animosity directed at him. Though, to be honest, he was unsure about his ability to decipher much that he had sensed, indeed his senses were still reeling from the experience. However, he had gained vital information and, if he could tolerate the connection again, more might yet be gained. He had hoped to gain insight into the mind of the other leader. However, the other had been so... alien... that he had no idea of what 'it' might be thinking. Even now, his own thoughts were following strange paths, the angles in his tent seemed somehow off, and why was he thinking about climbing stairs?

"climbing up the stair,
the wind moans,
the sound of despair..."

The thought drifted through Cetewayo's mind, almost without him realizing it. He determined to ignore these strange, wayward thoughts. There were no stairs in the camp... Then he realized that exposure to this alien presence was not without cost. Well, he had recovered from death... He felt his mind drifting into that strange mode again and realized that he did NOT want to think about death in that way. He would just have to deal with this as well. He Had Conquered Death. He paused, and felt none of the strange thoughts forming. More confident, he decided that a few strange thoughts after exposure to such an unusual being was to be expected and dismissed it as unimportant. On to more important things, he had a sudden craving for a rare steak... and maybe something crunchy...

puffyn

November 14th, 2004, 02:24 PM

Panther,

Glad to hear you appreciate the yarns. I definitely am in this game mainly for the narrative aspects, not anything so crass as "winning". (And this has nothing - nothing! - to do with the score graphs, no sir.)

Still, the point system helps keep me writing every turn, even when I'm not particularly inspired. If we are going to find replacements for some of these races who aren't leading, it might be a not-insignificant incentive to provide them with the points to allow them to remain competitive in scoring.

On a somewhat related note, Caelum actually *is* doing quite well (*sniff* better than Arco), and would be a good choice for someone who wanted to take over a race and have to worry more about coming up with a good narrative then about surviving the next few turns. Of course, I'm more than happy to keep playing them, but it's fun to have new stories to read... (Panther...?)

Puffyn

puffyn

November 14th, 2004, 02:25 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 17 ----

It was not long ago that I marched by the side of the great Alexander, learnt battle formations and strategy from his cunning hand. Now, abandoned by the same, I am forced to listen to a local crazy woman about how to arrange my troops.

The hoplite formation was designed to fight as one unit, the spears and weight of the rear ranks lending support to the front line. Stacked sixteen rows deep, this dread formation is nearly unbreakable in battle. I was there at Cunaxa, when the entire wing of the Persian army fled merely at our approach. Imagine if you were dressed in light cloth, armed with a short sword, and, with a rabble of your companions, you looked up to see the sun glinting off a thousand Greek shields, a thousand Greek spearheads blackening the sky. Only insanity or superhuman bravery would compel you to stand your ground, much less fling yourself onto their lines to have your body broken and trampled forever into the dust.

Nowhere on earth has anyone been able to withstand the phalanx. A hundred, a thousand years from now, men will still march out in this formation; it is the ultimate, definitive, triumphant Last word in warfare.

But, no, heaven forbid we go with what works. I know, let's divide the strength of the phalanx into tiny little two and three man squads, cluster each of them around a bloody mystic, and, what's more, test this formation in battle, not against a light rabble, but a strongly defended province reputed to be guarded by women who are renowned for their battle progress. But Divikar carries orders from the village elders that Amshula should try this new tactic, and so we are all going to die.

A scout from the eastern marches has sent word that a disturbing race dwells north of this warrior-women province. Their practices are rumored to be quite barbaric, and I hope they have been somewhat exaggerated. On the other hand... sacrificing female virgins. I mean, it's wrong and despicable, an affront to civilization. But I cannot help thinking that Amshula has never been married...

Divikar also brings word of another failed attack upon Skeldmarsh. Apparently a few locals decided to steal some hoplite armor and go avenge Limmy's death. They were scattered like leaves, but some people cannot get enough punishment, and so they are preparing yet another attack. Apparently all the semi-intelligent people on the council have been overruled by the Limmy fanatics, who spend all their time wandering around, wailing his name.

---

Sedna

November 14th, 2004, 09:36 PM

Turn 17, R'lyeh

Owie.

Such nasty little men on their horses, oh, we hates them, nasty sharp pointy lances... and too clever by far. I didn't see -- ha ha, little joke there -- the one who skewered me, though when I sucked the brains out of the closest one I could find the memory of his malice was still fresh. Such a waste -- his mind was riddled with all these unpleasant tasting tumors -- but by the time I could clear the taste out of my mind the horses were gone, and I was surrounded by chattel. It's like filling up on the bread before you can get to the main course: by the time I consumed all of the weak troops, the good meat had fled already.

And bLasted cancer-boy had to go weaken my claw-arm, on top of it all.

The rest of my little empire goes well. Someone finally managed to persuade a local lad that the "giant sucking monster of death", as I am affectionately known in the local parlance, was far enough away that he could take up academic studies, and he shall be finished with his training soon. One of my cowardly Ilithid Lords has also sent word that he has secured Red Lake for me, and I go now toward him with visions of freshwater trout. I also hear that one of my Starspawn is working on a heavenly clam sauce that he can't wait to share with me. Good minions.

At least there are no nasty horses at my next meal stop.

Do you realize that there is unconquered sea still to the south of me? I swear, nothing, nothing gets done without me. What have my followers been doing back home? Could they not have delivered into my empire a couple provinces defended by a few fish? I'll kill them, kill them all.

Oh, and it's probably time to send another dolphin messenger to my neighbors. It's such an obvious prelude to killing them all. Oh, the Messages will be peaceable enough. But... mwhahahahaha. I'm such a sneaky god. They'll never see it coming.

CuriousCat

November 18th, 2004, 12:12 AM

Machaka: Turn 17

Cetewayo and his retinue performed the rituals which would sensitise them to the existence of magical power began to search. Cetewayo had been very disappointed with the dearth of magic in the lands he had conquered. However, he was sure that this time the search would pay off. He could feel the presence of magic. If only he could find it! They had been walking through the forest for hours when Cetewayo began to notice a change. The trees were becoming strange. It was not yet Autumn, but more of the leaves on the trees were yellow, orange and red. However, none of them had fallen from the trees. It was as if these brilliant colors were their natural state. Soon all of the leaves were the color of flame. Cetewayo could sense the presence of magic so very close. He relaxed and allowed the magic to call him. Soon he heard superstitious mutterings from his retinue. He brought himself out of the partial trance into which he had sunk and was surprised by what he saw. They had come to a small grove of trees. Like all of the trees in sight, their leaves were a combination of yellow, orange and red. However, these trees didn't just look like flame, their leaves were burning, yet not consumed. There was a tangible heat being given off by the trees ahead. The heat wasn't unpleasant, especially for a Machakan. In the center of the grove was a circle of trees and there, in the middle Cetewayo found it. Now he understood the difficulty he had experienced identifying the magic. Laying there on the ground was the answer to the puzzle. There were two magical gems. One was the deep red of a fire gem. The other gem was the lustrous green of nature magic. This flaming forest would be a source of both nature and fire magic. This find was very good news. Most of his magicians used nature and fire gems for their magic.

That evening there was a celebration in the camp. They had found a new, reliable source of magic. Alone it wasn't enough to ensure the health of the nation, but it helped and they had been a part of it. Cetewayo relaxed and observed the festivities. As he relaxed he felt the presence of magic. This was not the flaming growth he had found earlier. This magic felt colder, darker. It felt appropriate to seek this site at night. He quickly left the party behind. They had camped in the ruins of an old city. As he walked he began to feel the magic more strongly. The further from the living he got the stronger the magic seemed. He entered a large ruin and sensed the magic was very near. He was surprised. He was sure that he was sensing death magic. Thus, he had anticipated a cemetery or prison. However, from the little that remained, this seemed to be some sort of hotel or mansion. As he continued he realized that the magic was originating from beneath him. Luckily, he could simply choose to pass through the ground. He emerged into an underground crypt. He realized his mistake. The wealthy among these people had buried their dead in underground crypts under their homes. This one was quite impressive. He could sense powerful magic here. It would be a source of considerable power. This was very welcome news. Well, the workers that would have to excavate the site probably wouldn't be celebrating while they were digging. Death magic frightened most people, however there were those among his magicians who knew how to use it. This would enable them to do so.

magnate

November 19th, 2004, 06:51 PM

Hi folks,

Sorry to be so absent. Running on an old 2MB S3 card at the moment, while my RadeOn9600 crosses the atlantic for RMA. Also stupendously busy at work, and likely to remain so until xmas. I'll try and update scores at least once a week from now on.

Well done on the yarns, they're really getting very interesting and entertaining. I would urge the non-spinning players to come out of the woodwork and join the fun!

Turn 14: Arco 2, Machaka 2, R'lyeh 2
Turn 15: Arco 2, Machaka 3, Man 3, R'lyeh 2
Turn 16: Arco 2, Caelum 2, Machaka 2, Man 2, R'lyeh 2

Totals after turn 16:
Abysia 14
Arco 33
Atlantis 2
Caelum 6
Ermor 20
Machaka 26
Man 17
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 23
Vanheim 4

All the best,

CC

puffyn

November 20th, 2004, 05:19 PM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 18 ----

Early fall.

The other night I dreamt of home. It was early evening on the docks, and I was watching the sails turn orange. A cool breeze blew, carrying the smell of distant rain, and I turned slightly to see Thymbre standing next to me. I knew that she had actually never been to Pagasae, having left her tiny mountainous village as a small child to serve in the temple at Delphi, and then to join the great campaign, but we stood together and watched the ships glow for a while, then fade to dark. There was no moon that evening, and gradually everything disappeared except for the distant stars. She never spoke.

When I awoke, it was hot and muggy, as it has been every morning for months, and swamp-stench filled the air, along with the sounds of soldiers banging out their armor and preparing for battle. Thymbre was gone, of course, further from reach even than distant Pagasae which I doubt I shall ever see again. Perhaps while I have been away fighting wars in lands I care nothing for it too has disappeared forever, and that is why I dreamt of them both.

The battle that morning reminded me so much of that other terrible day of cold, hard death: fearless women with spears, some mounted upon strange beasts (lizards this time; I am getting so sick of swamps and their lizards and snakes and other scaly beasts), led by sorceresses who dabbled in unnatural forces, and a sickly evil feeling to the land. Our few light troops fell almost at once to the advancing lizard-warriors, or scattered, and the first volleys between the magicians on both sides traded ineffectual beams of light for useless sparks of fire, as a dozen riders bore down upon us. I felt an odd queasy sensation, as if the world were about to turn very wrong again.

But my silver shields have been through much, and were not about to fail this time; the death of some only emboldened the rest to fight harder. I had joined my men at this point (I could not stand at the rear, not this time), and I saw many strange things brought against us, like vines rising from the ground to entangle our feet. But what really made my blood boil was when I heard the cries of the small figures in white at the far end of the battle field, and saw the bloody knives being taken to them, and I realized then what great evil I had been sensing. At this point, Amshula unexpectedly did something incredibly useful, killing several enemy foot soldiers with a giant ball of flame, and I silently apologized for wishing such a bloody fate upon her.

It was a bloody battle -- over half of my silver shields lay dead on the ground -- but we prevailed, and the enemy turned and fled. I made sure that neither of the evil women in charge left that field, though sadly many of the innocent sacrificial victims were also killed in the retreat. The rest begged us to kill them, claiming that if we let them go they would only be caught again by the dread kingdom to the north, where even more unspeakably evil things would be done to them. I plan to send them back toward Thymbre's temple, where perhaps they will have a chance to heal.

When I saw Amshula afterwards, I thanked her and her brother for helping in the fight, particularly for stunning the fleeing enemy mages so that we could catch up with them, and gave her permission to go off and look for her magic sites (as if forbidding her would have stopped her, but it felt good to pretend). She replied, cryptically, "I was only following what is written." When I looked at her quizzically, she said, "Try reading your book for a change, perhaps it will keep you from being so confused all the time," and strode off.

The only book I had was the silly one Thymbre had given me, The Collected Sayings of Pandokos the Prophet... but sure enough, on page 3, it contained a conversation I had had with my quartermaster in a tavern in Oast Hills years ago. I had said -- sorry, let me just quote it here, for I am, if anything, even more confused:

"And Pandokos of the odd smell of horse spoke thusly, saying: 'And you know what would be great? If giant balls of flame poured down from the sky and killed everyone, so we didn't have to risk getting our armor dented.' And the men did laugh, but Balachandra, first of the wise, came to the elders, and said: 'Let us make it so.' And they set to work..."

---

Yvelina

November 20th, 2004, 06:59 PM

I did read with amusement about the free dwarven hammer and gems from Vanheim to Caelum. Those two races were originally begun by boyfriend and girlfriend and that is the way they always play on those occasions when they both join the same game. They are always allied on day 1, they never attack each other, they give gems, money and artifacts freely between each other, and they will assist one another as needed throughout the course of the game. It is kind of sad that they felt the need to do that in a game that is supposedly for fun only.

Panther, I think you are missing a big part of what a multiplayer game of Dominions II is about. There is something called 'diplomacy'. It involves setting common goals, making common decisions, and implementing coordinated plans... all of this for a common benefit.

I know that you think that me and Petar are cheating by 'allying on turn one'. I have written more than I care to admit trying to explain exactly what our non-agression pact entails, how much weaker than an alliance it is, and that I cooperate less with Petar than with any other ally of mine.

Still, you continue to slander us, any little chance you get. You and Cohen, two of a lousy kind. You both have suffered humiliating defeats, and you will go to any extents to somehow explain your pathetic showing with anything but lack of skill. I am really tired of you dragging our names through the mud. Petar and I no longer play MP games together but there is no shutting you up, is there?

Let me tell you about the Last game I played... as an example of the kind of diplomatic relationships I often enter.

I found C'tis capital early on. There still was a three province indy layer between us. I messaged him and offered a fair division of all the indy provinces between us. We agreed on a non-agression pact and started trading at once.

Soon afterwards, we pooled our death gems, in order to forge path boosters and throw a 'Well of Misery' up. We shared the death income from the global until it was dispelled. We coordinated our globals, for example he let me keep a Gift of Health until my pretender was healed, and then I left the slot open when he needed to heal his Tartarians.

When the nearby world war about produce a clear, powerful winner, we coordinated an attack on Jotunheim, and split him among ourselves. This forcibly pacified everyone else, as the leading nation stopped rolling its enemies over, and brought the troops home in case we kept going beyond Jotunheim's borders.

Afterward, we exchanged spy information, coordinated our covert sabotage of Abysia, while, of course, maintaining our trade. Eventually, the cold war became hot, and when Abysia was pressing C'tis pretty hard, I was supplying him with air gems, staff of Storms, and anything that he could use to turn the tide... at a time he could not afford to pay me at once. When he handed the main devil army a sound defeat, I like to think it was at least partly because of my help.

Well, I was not sitting idle at the time - I had taken over Arcocephales, and then in two or three turns left Pythium with nothing but besiged castles.

At that time, C'tis realized that I was the one to beat, and allied the surviving nations against me... but until that time, we were communicating daily, coordinating our moves and we were stronger for it. And, I assure you, C'tis was not being played by my boyfriend.

In another game, which I am playing right now, I have just a strong an alliance with another nation. We agreed on common borders before turn ten, we trade extensively, we are crushing a common enemy, and we have coordinated pretty much every attack since the beginning of the war. It has happened that one of us was late in a trade, and it is ok. And again, this is a third player, not my boyfriend, and not the C'tis player from 'Live and Learn'.

This, dear Panther, is diplomacy. It helps two nations become stronger by negating each other's weaknesses. Unless diplomacy is expressely forbidden by house rules, it is madness not to trade and coordinate as much as possible. I play Vanheim, and I have found that being the friendly smith is a great way to smooth the bumps in the road to victory. I scout extensively and try to draw borders that are mutually agreeable. I hate early wars, and unless an agressive player like Cohen inflicts them on me, I stay out of them...

And you constant harping annoys me a lot. I do not mind it when people are wary of me because of my victories. I do very much hate it when someone tries to dismiss my successes with 'oh, her boyfriend helped her'.

Sedna

November 20th, 2004, 09:13 PM

Turn 18, R'lyeh

Sometimes visions float into my head, unbidden; "They love me in Shreveport, and I've never even shreved."

I saw a temple, twisted in form, dark in color, with a gaping, tortured hole at the center, raised up by a hundred peasant hands. On those sat the building itself, glistening in sweat and seaweed, and reflecting the light of a million dead stars. The locals danced and sang, and tried in vain to clap along with the music.

In the inner court, there stood a thousand foot statue of me: horrible sacrifices were offered into my tentacle and blood poured out and down over the bronze, forming a lake at my feet. Seven priests were in constant attendance, guarding the gate, polishing my bronze, and rendering fat for the thousand candles that flickered in the grotto. In the outer courts, throngs of waif-like worshipers, so caught up in their love of me they do not eat, pressed against one another and the razor-sharp lichens which infested the walls. In amongst them, merchants had set up stands, selling sacrificial animals, dark vials of spice, and the cutest little cthulhu plush dolls.

Ah... my people love me. For their spontaneous dedication of this temple to me, I shall award the good people of North Hengewood the privilege to be the first of my subjects eaten when I am grown large enough to devour the world.

For my part, this month saw yet another battle. A score of crossbow bolts flittered in the air and then I was upon them, and it was all sucking and little splotches of blood. Next month will be an exciting one. My army from the south will secure the bridge of crows, I will move north towards the lake, and I shall control all points of access to the lands between the Red River and the setting sun.

Construction of my coastal fortress continues apace. Soon my dedicated scholars will have their own offices (with windows) in which to contemplate the ways of the world. Work faster sages of time! Mmmm... sage and thyme.

My tummy is all growly. Off to eat something...

puffyn

November 22nd, 2004, 12:25 AM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 19 ----

There is war coming to this land, yet I am traveling away from it.

We were attacked Last week, by a band of villains, who were trying to sneak past our camp, to what evil ends I do not know, since none are left alive. Fortunately, I had begun training the locals -- with so few of my soldiers unhurt, and reinforcements weeks away, we needed some help to defend our lands -- and one of them spied the band as it crossed an open field. The cowards quickly ran away, but their commander collapsed as they fled, and we were able to round up everyone else and kill them. Divikar claims that he caused the commander to die, though since I didn't notice any fire or beams of light I'm not sure how he expects me to believe him.

What I did notice was a slight queasy feeling again, and then I had the most bizarre impression of being able to see through four of my silver shields as they charged toward the villains. I turned to face Divikar, and I could see through him, too, and he laughed at the look on my face. "What did you do to my soldiers?" I demanded. "Pandokos, look at yourself," he said, and laughed again. And sure enough, my hands had that same ethereal shimmer to them. "What, you didn't notice you were like that all of the Last battle?" said Amshula, as she mumbled words of protection under her breath.

"I was?"

"Why do you think you didn't get touched even though you were in the thick of the battle?" she continued. "For that matter, why more of you spear-throwers didn't get your fool selves killed, rushing in to the battle instead of remaining sensibly at the back, fighting with your heads."

For one thing, of course, we don't throw our spears, I was about to say, but was distracted by the odd sight of a bug crawling on the back side of my hand. Perhaps there's something to be said for this...

It was only while interrogating the captive villains that I learned that they were not just a band of brigands harassing the countryside, but rather had been hired by the bloody kingdom to the north to test our weaknesses. I suspect that more of them shall follow, though for the moment there is little sign of troops on our borders. Divikar claims to have heard from home (though how he is in communication with them, I do not know, since no runners have entered this land in weeks) that there is a sizable force coming from home toward the Last village we rescued, and that I am to proceed there to join them in "liberating" another nearby land. ("In a swamp?" I asked, expecting the answer. "A swamp," he grinned.)

I worry about leaving the two mystics alone here with only their local troops, but Amshula claims that she will build up defenses, so that by the time I have returned we shall be ready to fight. I hope that they can keep their minds on military matters, and not get distracted, as so often happens. (Gods only know what they'd do if they actually found one of these sites of mystical power they keep looking for...) I wonder if they are up to something, though; Last night, just before Divikar gave me my new orders, I caught them chattering excitedly, but though they smiled broadly at me they refused to tell me why.

Perhaps it is just as well that I am leaving.

---

Alneyan

November 22nd, 2004, 11:45 AM

My apologises for not spinning of late. Various other games (namely Stars), lack of focus and some papers to produce for school have resulted in no yarn for a while. But then, it isn't that unusual for me, so.

Incidentally, if anyone has advice on how to have some sort of focus on a single task, I would be more than interested in hearing about it. (The only way I can make myself do something, even something I actually like, being to take a rope and to make sure I cannot escape until said task is finished)

magnate

November 22nd, 2004, 06:57 PM

Yvelina said:

I did read with amusement about the free dwarven hammer and gems from Vanheim to Caelum. Those two races were originally begun by boyfriend and girlfriend and that is the way they always play on those occasions when they both join the same game. They are always allied on day 1, they never attack each other, they give gems, money and artifacts freely between each other, and they will assist one another as needed throughout the course of the game. It is kind of sad that they felt the need to do that in a game that is supposedly for fun only.

Panther, I think you are missing a big part of what a multiplayer game of Dominions II is about. There is something called 'diplomacy'. It involves setting common goals, making common decisions, and implementing coordinated plans... all of this for a common benefit.

I know that you think that me and Petar are cheating by 'allying on turn one'. I have written more than I care to admit trying to explain exactly what our non-agression pact entails, how much weaker than an alliance it is, and that I cooperate less with Petar than with any other ally of mine.

[snip]

And you constant harping annoys me a lot. I do not mind it when people are wary of me because of my victories. I do very much hate it when someone tries to dismiss my successes with 'oh, her boyfriend helped her'.

Yvelina, you are free to say this is none of my business, because I don't know about the history of any other games, but, I'd like to offer an objective (never been involved) view.

There is a difference between two independent players forming a pact or alliance, and two players essentially playing as a single force with twice the resources (and brainpower!) as everyone else.

It is easy for other people to see any couple as the latter rather than the former - there is a clear instinctive reluctance to believe that they will actually compete against each other, possibly backstab each other etc. etc.

Of course, there are couples who play against each other very competitively, and don't always ally with each other etc. - but there are plenty enough couples who do always play together that they fall into the Category of effectively being a single player with an unfair advantage.

If you and Petar have that kind of reputation, however undeserved it may be, it's probably a good idea that you don't play in the same game, unless you know all the other players very well and are sure that they won't distrust you both!

Having said all that, most people seem to have agreed that this game isn't really about winning as much as spinning good yarns (if you won the yarn points but don't win the score-graph points, would that matter?!). So I hope nobody is too bothered either way.

Keep spinning,

CC

Sedna

November 22nd, 2004, 11:03 PM

Turn 19, R'lyeh

Great Iron Mines Batman! It was such a lightly guarded mountain village. I seized the high ground, and laughed to myself as the locals frantically grabbed spears, sticks, and hunting knives and struggled up-hill against the snow, giving me loads of time to prepare the familiar rituals which make me invincible: Quickness, Ethereal, Luck, Twist Fate. I have become so used to these spells I could cast them with my eyes closed, if I had any.

After the Last crunchy village baby, I noticed the mounds of iron slag sitting outside the town, only barely covered with a light dusting of snow. Beyond them, a well beaten mud path led me to the mine. It is good that minors are so tasty, because these miners will be necessary to continue digging the iron and shipping it down to the bottom of Red Lake, where my Illithids have been rounding up many volunteer Atlantians, who hope for a better life for them and their families. I shall gird them in steel and send them out to redden the seas.

As for batman? I knew that the Count of Katak-Ukon was going to be trouble the moment I first met him after that battle. He seemed... less cowered than most of the humans I appoint as puppet dictators. (In Takini I actually appointed a puppet as their new lord. That actually worked remarkably well until Last month, when the puppet inexplicably failed to deal with some brigands who had taken up residence there, forcing me to intervene. Needless to say, that puppet's head now rests in my display case, and another, more competent, piece of fabric is now in charge).

Sorry, I was talking about Folke, who now styles himself as a vampire. Apparently, the humans of this land are scared of such puny creatures, mainly because they suck the life out of their fellows (which is odd, as I do pretty much the same thing, and yet my citizens do nothing except praise me all day). At some point I'll have to send someone to deal with this usurper and his rabble.

Sammy, my first brave little sage, has uncovered a few valuable secrets. In an ancient tome he found the mystical incantations needed to re-arrange huge masses in the heavens, forming a giant lens which focuses the light of nearby O stars onto the surface of this planet. The effect should, in theory, be devastating. If the mass could be moved precisely enough, it would mean the destruction of this pathetic rock in a cataclysm of fire. Without such fine control (which I do not expect my servants to master) it will merely burn my enemies on the battle-field. Furthermore, Sammy has found a way to project his self into distant lands, and see the men and warriors contained therein. A useful skill, but I hope he did not discover it in an attempt to flee my service. The commander of the local construction crew, one Farol by name, says he often discovers Sammy wandering far from his office. Sammy claims to be sleep walking, but it is a mite suspicious that he always seems to have all his worldly possessions strapped to his back. I know, I shall volunteer a young lady into the sage-line. Then Sammy will have a friend, and maybe he won't leave me.

CuriousCat

November 23rd, 2004, 02:24 AM

Machaka: Turn 18

Cetewayo returned to the surface with some relief. He would never admit it to anyone, in fact he barely admitted it to himself, but after being trapped in his own tomb for such a long time he had something of an aVersion to tombs and mausoleums in general. It was ironic, but it would remain a private irony. He made his silent way back to the camp to resume his observations of the celebration. Morning would be soon enough to organize a party to excavate the newest cause for rejoicing.

Meanwhile, soon after Cetewayo left the tent to go on his private search, Karo the Machaka Hoplite acting as Cetewayo's chief body guard this evening noticed that the King was gone. "Not again!" he thought to himself. He was going to get into trouble again! It seemed like the King, blessed be his name, blah, blah, yada, yada was always sneaking away from his guards. Of course, Karo wasn't sure what he was supposed to protect the King from... he was already dead... sort of. Anyway, he had seen the King in battle and he knew that anything that would cause the King pause would destroy him and his men easily. That fact didn't change the fact he and his men had been ordered, along with the other guards, to maintain a constant guard on the King. The orders had come from the High Priests of all three Priestly Orders. It would not be a good thing for those very powerful men to decide that he had disobeyed their orders. Karo immediately passed the word for the guards to begin their search. Hopefully they would find the King before anyone else noticed his absence.

As Cetewayo approached the camp he noticed his "guards" resuming formation around him. He found their presence mildly amusing. Did they really think that they were guarding him? If so, against what? He was fairly certain that some, if not all, were in the employ of the High Priests. He was unsure of the High Priests' motivations. Especially after his recent "illness" he had his suspicions. Until he had significantly more than suspicions he would have to act as though they were above reproach.

Doing things himself had turned out well. Cetewayo decided to try it again. He would gather his army and lead it himself. He sank deep into a trance and communicated his commands to the priests in the capital as well as his prophet Babu. He emerged from the trance confident that his forces would meet him to prepare the invasion of the rich coastal province that had repulsed his armies once already.

CuriousCat

November 24th, 2004, 01:39 AM

Machaka: Turn 19

The time was right. His forces were ready. Cetewayo was pleased that the High Priests in the capital had managed to recruit this large force. He had a mixture of heavily armored hoplites combined with a large number of lightly armed archers. Hopefully the combination would prove strong enough. He decided that he would be prepared to become the deciding factor himself should it prove necessary.

Day began to lighten the field. Karo faced the coming battle with mixed feelings. He looked forward to the battle, but dreaded it as well as all experienced warriors did. However, his mind was further divided. It had finally happened. The King, The God, had given him orders in direct conflict with those given by the High Priests. The High Priests had given absolute orders for a constant retinue of guards for the King. There had been times when the King had disappeared. Karo knew he would be held responsible for those disappearances that had occurred while he was on duty. However, now he was leaving the King's side to fight a battle. Of course, he was doing it on direct orders of the King. He was very unsure what the High Priests would do. They were very... direct with those who disobeyed their orders for whatever reason. But he HAD to obey the God didn't he?!? Surely they would agree, after all they were HIS High Priests... weren't they?

Cetewayo could tell that his orders had caused considerable consternation among the guards who had been scheduled to attend him that day. He had been very careful not to challenge the High Priests' power directly. However, the immediate victory was more important than some petty political posturing. The response would also give him valuable insight into the motivations and intentions of the High Priests. Some might think him paranoid, but they did not have his finely honed political sense, that ability to feel the currents of power and influence. It was possible that the High Priests had not been behind his recent illness, but he was not willing to take that sort of naive risk.

The battle began slowly, as did most. The defenders began the battle. They had one of those deluded mortals who claimed to be a priest. Cetewayo was amused. What god did this priest worship? Cetewayo could sense the other quasi-divine beings in the world and he could tell that this priest worshiped none of them. This creature would prove to be ineffective, his powers weak. Cetewayo hoped to be able to eviscerate the fool himself. The defenders launched a full flight of arrows at extreme range. They were very lucky and actually killed a couple of the Machakan soldiers. Babu the Prophet began the response by shouting a prayer for vengeance upon The God's enemies. Cetewayo was pleased that Babu was so enthusiastic, but he thought that Babu could surely do something a bit more practical. As for himself, Cetewayo decided that he would prepare to take part in the battle should it become necessary. He focused his powers and suddenly everything seemed to slow. Everything was moving at half speed. His own archers fired arrows to darken the sky. They caused damage, but killed no one. Cetewayo hoped that things would improve. More incoming arrows proved completely harmless, not even bouncing off of a shield. To Cetewayo's great approval, Babu began a rousing prayer that seemed to instill an almost mindless fanaticism among the troops. Cetewayo further cast Mistform and Protection as his archers released once more. This time they created havoc among the enemy, killing a number of his archers and wounding that stupid priest.

After casting Ironskin and Mirror Image Cetewayo decided that he would join in the fight immediately rather than wait for dire need. He quickly approached the lightly armed militias. As he approached them he noticed that the enemy priest had fallen under a hail of arrows. His visage was frightening indeed as he laughed his way into battle. He fought alongside his hoplites. The archers proved almost too effective, mowing down the militia men before Cetewayo and the hoplites could engage them. There were plenty more heavily armed infantry men behind them though. The battle degenerated into a bloody fray.

That night around the camp there was much celebration. The men were happy to have survived, although there were some wounded. Cetewayo was pleased. This province was a wealthy one. It was a rich farmland and the trade along the river was an additional bounty. Losses had been light. Soon it would be time to further expand the Machaka nation.

magnate

November 26th, 2004, 09:22 PM

Turn 17: Arco 2, R'lyeh 2, Machaka 2
Turn 18: Arco 3, R'lyeh 2, Machaka 2

Totals after turn 18:
Abysia 14
Arco 38
Atlantis 2
Caelum 6
Ermor 20
Machaka 30
Man 17
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 27
Vanheim 4

CC

CuriousCat

November 29th, 2004, 12:46 AM

Machaka: Turn 20

The battle had been a great success. Cetewayo was quite pleased with the outcome. Perhaps he should have taken a more personal role earlier. He sent word to the capital for reinforcements to meet him in route to his next conquest.

The march was hot and dry as the army crossed the plains. Karo and the other guards had resumed their duty to constantly accompany the King. He still disappeared from time to time, but they had not again voluntarily left him alone. Of course, after the battle few of the men believed that they could do much to defend the King that he could not accomplish more easily himself. During the battle he had moved like a blur and had seemed to be many places at once. He had killed a large number of the enemy and had never received a wound. Before the King had been respected because of his secular position and his obvious supernatural nature. However, now the superstitious dread was beginning to change into a more genuine respect for his abilities. Before the Priests had declared Cetewayo's divinity and everyone had acknowledged him as such. However, for most people this acknowledgement was simply mouthing the words that they were told to repeat. Now, however, the army was beginning to believe in the King's divinity on a much more visceral level.

Cetewayo noticed the more profound respect with which the soldiers had begun treating him. Their awe was now based on his battle prowess. In time they would realize his divinity with the entirety of their souls. He simply had to continue his success, expand the empire and make their lives better. A simple matter for a god. But could he do it?

puffyn

November 29th, 2004, 01:59 AM

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 20 ----

Military life is hostile to butter. I served under the great Alexander as he cut through the kingdoms of the world. We spent many seasons under the scorching Egyptian desert sun, where my butter turned to soup, and many more in the mountains of Medea, when my butter was rock hard in the bitter mornings. Yet somehow these swamps spoil butter faster than anywhere else in the known world. Every morning I stumble over to my saddle-bags and withdraw the precious day's ration, and every morning it is the consistency of sludge and smells of brackish water�barely worth putting on my moldy bread at all.

It is said that when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept that there were no more worlds to conquer. This morning, I wept, for spoilt as it may be, I still need my butter every morning. But today it was gone from my bags.

Around the hottest, most insect-filled part of the day, Balachandra arrived at the camp, with a small contingent of horsemen, a few more hoplites, and... My heart beat quickly for a moment when I saw the green robes of Apollo, the chestnut brown locks... but of course it was not my Thymbre. Stories spin false hopes in man. It is hard not to lie awake at night, thinking of Orpheus, the greatest singer this world will ever know, who descended into the Underworld, and would have won the release of his love, Eurydice, had he not looked back at the Last moment. It is foolishness. I have seen many strange things in this land, but the river is deep and cold, and those who pass it will never return.

I later had a chance to talk with this priestess of Apollo. She was called Andromache, and her familiar appearance was no accident, for in fact she was one of the slaves I had rescued from the evil warrior-women some months ago. She had fled the site of her torment, and arrived at Thymbre's temple, there entering into the divine mysteries. We wandered along the edge of the bog, helping pull each other out of the deadly quicksand. It was strange seeing a local woman in the Greek religious garb, but she had learned only enough during her short training at the temple to make her fairly burst with ridiculous questions:

"Is it true that Apollo raced with Hermes at the first Pythian Games at Delphi?"

"No... well, it depends. The stories we tell about the gods are really stories about ourselves. No one has ever actually seen one of the gods, but by believing in their stories, we become more like the gods ourselves."

"Wow, Apollo must have raced really fast if no one saw him!"

How could I explain to this girl that I had competed for the bay-leaf crown in the hoplite race many years ago. The gods were honored at the races, it was true, but they were not there. It was just men, the hot sun, and a will to win. Luckily, the conversation was interrupted by Balachandra, who carried new orders from the village council.

It should come as no great surprise that their missive nonsensically ordered us to turn back around and trudge back to the village of the warrior-women. There, to do... who knows what? Balachandra was certainly no help; all he cared about (I swear by Zeus I am not making this up) was whether my butter ration had disappeared that morning. When I assured him that it had, he face split in a ridiculous grin.

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