Newbie game 2 [Started]

[WSzaboPeter]

I'm really loving the Newbie game hosted by Sheap. That's the reason I wish to host another one.
A few things I wish to concretize beforehand:

It will be an early age game.
You must consider yourself a newbie in Dominions 3.
You must not use heavy Bless strategy if you are using Niefelheim, Vanheim, Helheim or Mictlan. Anyone reported and found to violate this rule will be set to AI with master password.
It will be 24h quickhost.
All settings will be default, except the hall of fame, that will be set to 15.
All players must set a password.
The map will be decided after I we know how many are interested in joining.


Any ideas? I think I will make it PBEM, or better uploading the files to my server, so the players could download. This will keep the mailboxes clean. And I will write in here when a new turn is generated. Or if someone would help me, like hosting on a server... That would be the best. Please be patient with me, since this will be my very first D3 hosting.

[I would like to play Abysia, and I will not use heavy bless strategy with Burning Ones. - Since we will start 3.00 Burning One bless is not possible, since those poor burning guys got a huge fatigue due a bug.]

Nations and leaders:
Abysia - WSzaboPeter
Agartha - Zebion
Caelum - Shovah32
C'tissssss - RamsHead
Ermor - Saarud
Kailasa - Zrave
Pangaea - Foodstamp
Ryleh - Potatoman
Sauromatia - LeSquide
Ulm - Havis
Tien Chi - Faj
Atlantis - CharonJr

Substitutes:
1. Kydorias <-- if you wish you can join in AdrianP's place.
2. Hako
3. YellowCactus
4. Mind Elemental
5. <font color="#666666">Open</font>


Any ideas for the map? Anyone? I think AomOrc 3.00 (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=465570) by Ballbarian would be a great choice... Any o ther suggestion?

Sheap offered to host the game on his server. Thanks a lot.

Server details: ip: 66.171.171.25 port: 2002
Shortcut: dom3.exe -C --ipadr 66.171.171.25 --port 2002 --nocredits --nonationsel

[Zrave]

Hi, I'm interested in playing, with Kailasa if possible.

How many players are expected?

Can you be more specific on the "heavy bless" rule? Does that mean 2 or more level 9 blesses, or just a lot of bonus in total?

[Potatoman]

I am interested in joining. This would be my second MP dominions game.

[FAJ]

I am interested in playing. This is not VPs right?

[Foodstamp]

I am interested, I would like to play Pangaea please.

[Shovah32]

If im allowed in (im in the other newbie game so...) i would like caelum please.

[Havis]

Hey i would like to play too...im playing another MP game and have done only one blitz before this...im still undecided on the nation to choose

[RamsHead]

Ssssign me up for C'tissssss.

[LeSquide]

I would like to play with Sauromatia.

[Havis]

i would like to play Ulm

[Saarud]

Im a newbie indeed! Also I am really bad at this game and desperate need training against real humans.

I'd like to try out Abysia.

edit
Dang... you already claimed Abysia... hmm then I'd like Ermor instead.

[Saarud]

Also at what point is a bless strategy counted as heavy? Is it at two 9 ratings or what is people considering heavy?

[Shovah32]

well a dual van/hel would be heavy but e9n4 niefelheim would probably be considered heavy (they are giants i guess http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif)

[Potatoman]

I guess I'll take Ryleh.

[Zebion]

Give me argathia please.

[AdrianP]

I would like to take arco

[Saarud]

Well I'm new to Dominion (1, 2 or 3), kinda hard to know what is considered heavy. I'm surprised that gamebalance isn't better but perhaps the balance for Dom3 is balanced to bigger maps where good scale becomes more important?

[WSzaboPeter]

First of all, we play to have fun. I assume, that everyone can judge what is heavy/abuseing bless and what is not. If Van playes W9F9, that that is very heavy bless, and will not be allowed. In the other hand W9B4 for Mictland is more acceptable I think. Long story short: please use common sense in pretender creation.



This is not VPs right?



No, it is not, but if many players with VP, then VP shall be.

[thejeff]

That's just going to lead to arguments down the line. Someone will play something that someone else thinks is too heavy. Better to nail it down at the start.

[CharonJr]

If you still got that slot I would be interested http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

CharonJr

[WSzaboPeter]

Closed, all seats are taken. Thanks a lot.
Now I'm thinking on the map. Any suggestions?

[Sheap]

If you like I will host the game for you, hopefully there will not be any more power failures. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Kydorias]

Shucks, this one filled up fast! Oh well, if someone disappears or decides they need to bow out then please consider me as a sub!

This would be my 3rd MP game although the other two are both in the early turns for the most part. So I'm certainly no veteran.

--Kydorias

[WSzaboPeter]

Sheap, thanks a lot, that would be more than wonderfull... And if you wish to take part in it, in your special case (you are the host after all) I can make room for a 14th player. Please pick your race fast then. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Sheap]

I recommend the patch/mod situation be nailed down right away. Illwinter should soon release the 3.02 patch fixing the serious doom horror bug in 3.01. I therefore recommend the game either be started with 3.02 once it is available, or started with 3.00 and upgraded to 3.02. Based on past experiences with trying to fiddle around with mods to fix the 3.01 bug I think that path should just be avoided.

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, point taken, we will start with vanilla 3.00 and then upgrade to 3.02. Thanks again.
But Sheap, would you like to choose a nation and play? Thanks.

[Sheap]

Thank you, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to play in a newbie game... I'm not a newbie, after all. (I am playing in the other but since I started with such a disadvantage I think that makes up for it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif ) I may try to get an open-to-all game going in a week or so after the holiday.

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey Sheap, I will contact you as soon as all the settings (specially maps) will be clear. Thanks for the host again, it's really appreciated.

[FAJ]

Put me down for Tien Chi

[Sir_Dr_D]

This game is closed already. Too bad. Otherwise I would say I would play as Mictlan.

I don't like the rule of saying some nations can use heavy bless and some cannot.It is to hard to quantify. And it would make god creation for all nations less fun. How about instead a rule is made where every nation must take an awake pretender. Or else the game is played on a medium or large map, where bless vs non bless evens out.

[Yucky]

Someone start Newbie 3. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[CharonJr]

Hmm, since we need another water nation you can put me down as Atlantis http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

CharonJr

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, since Sheap offered to host, but he is busy right now the starting/uploading will be delayed until he cames back.
If noone has a better idea, please take a look at the map mentioned in the first post, and try to make good pretenders.
Sincs noone chosed Mictlan or one of the Heims, there are no limitations in pretender creation.

[CharonJr]

Hmm, bit land heavy for 2 (or more like 2.5) water nations IMO (about 22 land provinces per player, but "only" 13 water provinces per player).

Since water nations generally have an easier time moving to land than land nations moving into the water I have no idea if this really is an issue or just looks like one.

Any ideas ?

CharonJr

[WSzaboPeter]

Indeed, but if you take a closer look on the map you will see that the two water nations are separated by a huge landmass and very unlikely to confront each other, so if you are a water nation you will be theoretically unharmed for the first half of the game in those 13 water provinces, while the war will rage in the land.

[Potatoman]

I would suggest a random map, to allow re-naming, and to ban high bless rushes for all nations rather than just for the few mentioned.

Many nations have great blessables for which a high bless strategy is still incredibly powerful- TC, Pangaea, Ulm, Agartha and Abysia, for instance.
Re-naming is just fun. How else am I going to work the A-Team into Dominions 3?
The pseudo 3d style of that map appears very strange to me. I prefer the visual style of the random maps or silent seas more, but that's just me.

[Havis]

Excuse the noob question, but how the map and the blessing thing are related? Thank you

[Shovah32]

If there are few provinces per player then some-one with a powerful bless can quickly reach another nation and destroy them before they create any sort of counter-measure.

[WSzaboPeter]

Then again with Abysia I will not play high bless, and it is not possible in 3.00 since the Burning Ones are bugged (fatigue bug). Silent Seas is good too. If more people would love that we could run on that, so let's agree on something before the host returns home.
If there are more people who think high bless should be banned for all nations, please write, we could ban high bless then with excludeing inprisoned pretenders.

[FAJ]

I don't think there should be any house rules like that. I don't think anyone is going to waste their time, using high-bless to beat down on some noobs.

I think if someone goes for highbless, they run the risks of being ganged up on. I think everything eventually evens out.

[Saarud]

If we get a map of about 20 provinces/player then high bless lose some value. If you guys don't mind more houserules then a rule could say that it's not allowed to attack any nonindependent owned province for the first year or perhaps the first year and a half when the message about the awaking pretenders is announced.

Playing high bless is fun with some nation unless a someone is using it's to blitz and eliminate someone early.

[Foodstamp]

FAJ said:
I don't think there should be any house rules like that. I don't think anyone is going to waste their time, using high-bless to beat down on some noobs.

I think if someone goes for highbless, they run the risks of being ganged up on. I think everything eventually evens out.



The last noobie game proved otherwise.

[Shovah32]

I have to agree with foodstamp here.

[LeSquide]

I'm going to disagree about going unpatched. I think the fixed problems, like the transport spells, beat out the HoH problem.

Couldn't we just do the Light Infantry mod or something?

[WSzaboPeter]

If we use a mod, we need to use it in all the game, but patch 1.02 is very close.

[Zrave]

Is there a way to get the game back to 3.00 without reinstalling?

If not, what files do I need to save to keep my saved gods, etc?

[LeSquide]

I'm very much against going back to 3.00. The travel spells are neat, durn it, and the host of other oddities fixed are worth the occasional HoH visit.

[Sheap]

LI mod is the road to madness. In the other game I hosted it took more than a week to get it all worked out and a lot of work for everyone, especially me (the game was delayed more than a week, I had to restart the game twice, and the thread ran to 10 pages before a turn was actually played). The practical options are 3.00 or wait for 3.02. There are few improvements in 3.01 that affect the early part of the game (only Abysia's sacred units), but the Doom Horror can come and eat your prophet on turn 2 or 3.

I personally expect 3.02 to be out within 2 weeks, maybe 1 week. By the time anyone is ready to actually cast one of those travel spells, they'll be working. In fact, 3.02 might even come out before the game is even naturally ready to start, making the whole question moot.

If you do not have 3.00 still installed, you can play with 3.01. Your battle replays will not exactly match what actually happened, it is usually close, but not always. But only the replays are affected, the map position is always correct. Or, you can reinstall. It is possible to have 3.00 and 3.01 both installed at once in different directories. Unfortunately there is no "reverse patch" process. It's rare that a patch is broken as badly as 3.01, usually everyone just upgrades and things get better, not worse.

[Zebion]

I thought it was cause it took forever for someone to actually put up a server

[Sheap]

No, it only took me one day to put up the server, it took much longer for people to agree on which mod to use and how to install it.

[WSzaboPeter]

Well then hear the final words from Sheap and WSzaboPeter:
The game will be hosted on version 3.00 And upgraded as fast as possible when 3.02 comes out.
What about the map? Is there anyone else who has some problems with the map I suggested? Or any better suggestion? Thanks again...

[AdrianP]

I am dropping out

[WSzaboPeter]

Please be patient, sheep will host soon. (I hope.)
I'm really sorry that AdrianP is dropping out.

[hako]

I am still ready, can join anytime...

[Sheap]

Server is ready for uploads.

66.171.171.25 port 2002

[WSzaboPeter]

Indeed. That's the reason for substitutes... Thanks a lot again.

[Havis]

Thank you, ill upload my pretender tomorrow morning...now its 23.52 here and im sleepy :-))

[YellowCactus]

I'd like to join if you have room. message me here or at
athenspatch AT hotmail DOT com

Thanks
-yc

[Mind Elemental]

I'd like to be a substitute. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, thanks for interest, I added both of you to the waiting list.

[Zebion]

Great,I don't have to retype I.P for each game now. Agartha pretender uploaded

[Zrave]

Kailasa uploaded

[Havis]

Ulm on

[WSzaboPeter]

Waiting for 5 people...

[Foodstamp]

I will upload my pretender sometime this afternoon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Saarud]

E´rmor is uploaded and ready to take a beating. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Potatoman]

R'leyh is uploaded.

[Shovah32]

Zebion said:
Great,I don't have to retype I.P for each game now. Agartha pretender uploaded



I only have to change the IP for 1 of my 4 sever games http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Caelum uploaded btw

[WSzaboPeter]

We are waiting for C'Tis and Pangaea. If you are one of the beforementioned people, please write it in here is you have successfully uploaded or pretender or if you wish to drop. Thanks a lot.
DS

[Foodstamp]

Pangaea Pretender uploaded!

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, what about C'Tis?

[RamsHead]

I uploaded my pretender and started the game, but the screen just kept showing the sparkling background so I alt-tabbed out. I hope I did not do anything wrong.

[RamsHead]

Crap! I just remembered that I didn't put a password with my pretender. I am sorry guys.

[Sheap]

Never click start game on a network game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif The option should not have appeared, not sure what happened there, in any case don't do it.

I will go ahead and get the server running now.

[WSzaboPeter]

Thanks a lot. Sheap. There is a bug right now, that does not allows me to connect. I'm getting to the connecting to server part, and then my D3 stops responding.

[Sheap]

24 hour quickhost. As always with a new game, CHECK YOUR NATION and make sure it is correct.

WSzaboPeter: You were probably trying to connect while I was putting the server up. It took longer than usual because I had to download the map http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Restart dom3 and try to connect again, it should work better.

[WSzaboPeter]

Indeed. It does work. I'm loving it... First turn and started with a good starting position. Well, in fact all starting positions are kind of good in this map, IIRC. (By good I mean lots of neighboring provinces.)

[Zebion]

Well, in fact all starting positions are kind of good in this map, IIRC



I got a providence surrounded by wastes,one normal,and one mountain,I have no gold providences,not even nearby it seems..

[Ballbarian]

Good luck Zebion! You got the one rough start. To make something out of nothing, I would recommend trying to take advantage of potential gem income. (Hopefully you have a pretender that will be able to make use of it.) I see that you are playing Agartha, at least starvation shouldn't be an issue. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[RamsHead]

Purdy map. I am satisfied with my position, though I can forsee possible problems.

Sissassuss tip of the turn:
Get a comprehensive history on a used chariot. Nobody wants to buy a lemon.

[WSzaboPeter]

Only Sauromatia needs to make it's turn and we will roll.

[LeSquide]

Having problems with connection; have to download map-image on dialup. *sigh*

[LeSquide]

Ok! Got the map file, turn-files are tiny, turn taken, game hosted! Turn 2 is on!

[WSzaboPeter]

Turn 3, waiting for Agartha only.

[WSzaboPeter]

Turn 5, waiting for Tien'Chi.

[FAJ]

Sorry for the delay, I have 3 games on this server and I forgot to check this one http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif.

[UninspiredName]

I'm willing to substitute for anyone, but... I don't really know how online games work. The only multi-player I've ever played was on one computer.

[Sheap]

Online server games are easy. Instead of "play an existing game" you click "network" and put in an IP and port. That's it!

[UninspiredName]

Ooh, that is easy. Thanks much!

[WSzaboPeter]

Turn 6, waiting fou Caelum.

[Shovah32]

Turn 7, sorry for the delay (was feeling rather ill)

[Potatoman]

I notice that several gods have fallen in battle already. Any exciting stories to tell?

[WSzaboPeter]

Well if a god felt in battle chances are that there where super combatant (SC) Gods... This is a Dominions3 newbie game, and many dominons 2 players will learn that SC gods where nerfed in the hard way...

To King Kong... You could thank me spareing your pretender God. If you make a great sage it is very unwise to send him near a neutral nation's border. If that neutral nation happens to have an assassin FROM START... well... do the math.

[Sheap]

Or you could have been embarrassed when you try to assassinate that great sage and then he turns into a dragon...

[WSzaboPeter]

The cost of a lone assassin is worth the risk of killing a God.

[LeSquide]

I'd like to express my appreciation for the choice of battlefield; this really is a beautiful map.

I haven't seen the in-game message used for any smack-talking yet, but that could be because I've been relatively unaffecting/unaffected by any neighbors.

That being said: I was not aware there were Vampire Counts in the Early Age.

This was an unwelcome surprise.

[Potatoman]

If anyone wants to trade air gems for pearls, send your gems to R'yleh and I'll send an equal number of pearls back to you, + 1 for each 10 you trade.

[Sheap]

Server will be reset tomorrow (Saturday, December 2nd) so I can change the server's license key. This will reset the turn timer but no data will be lost.

Interestingly, I have discovered that posting the same message in more than one thread is a server error http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Zrave]

WszaboPeter, feel free to take advantage of any of my mistakes. That goes for everyone in fact.

I find I learn better that way http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[RamsHead]

Announcer: From the summit of Mount Hiron, this is Fen News.

Ningelsala: Greetings, I am Ningelsala...

Chuck: ...and I am Chuck.

N: And this is Fen News. Our first story for tonight is on the Pantocrator or lack there of. Where has He gone? Will He return? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know. One thing is for certain though, other powerful being are already rising up to replace our beloved Pantocrator. Many nations have claimed these beings as their god and have started expanding into independently owned territories trying to bring the word of the true god to barbarians. In fact, the nation whose capital we are overlooking right now, C’tis, has been expanding fervently. In a speech given earlier this year Dingir, the appointed prophet of C’tis, had this to say: "With the loss of the Supreme Being, independents will be lost themselves. Small groups with dastardly plans will rise up to the occasion and take control of the independents. These barbarian groups will then run amok, each with their own agenda. Inaction on our part will result in the destabilization of our great kingdom and the eventual collapse of all civilization. We must bring order, peace, and the word of Sissassuss to these unfortunate people, but peace can not be achieved without the loss of blood. Just know that we are preemptively fighting the barbarians on their lands, so we do not have to fight them on ours." While very few C’tissians have actually seen Sissassuss, it is believed that he is a formidable mage.

C: In related news, the C’tissian government has recently received some altering. Sissassuss has eliminated the positions of three hundred officials of the formerly five hundred seat Swamp Council and has renamed it the C’tis Council. Several protests erupted when the word of this broke. Originally, eliminating seats was something that only the Pantocrator had the power to do. Dingir later released a statement saying that Sissassuss was going to be the Pantocrator, and that eliminating those seats was essential to fighting the barbarians, as things could get done faster with fewer seats. Some C’tissians are still angry though, because it appears that a majority of the lost seats were those held by the Isolation Party, who prefers minimal intervention in domestic and foreign affairs, the Regression Party, who prefers to return to the time before C’tis had a central government, and the Stoner Party, who, well, frankly, no one is quite sure what they stood for; they were always in a haze and hungry for snacks. In any case, of the two hundred remaining seats, most of them are held by the Proactive Party, who believes that the government must take action for anything to get done.

N: For our final story for today, just this month, a magic item was located in a province and taken to a nearby lab. Initial reports say that it is a Rod of the Phoenix, a powerful wand that can incinerate enemies from the inside out! Dingir has said that this was a magnificent find, and it will be put to use against the independents immediately. Several groups have questioned whether using such a weapon against people protecting their homeland is ethical. Dingir has refused to comment. Well, that's it for this year. Thank you for watching.

Announcer: This has been Fen News, mixing facts with opinions.

[Foodstamp]

Havis of Ulm,

Check your private messages!

[Sheap]

An unexpected event has occurred in Sheap's Server.

A system crash has reset the turn timer. 4 of your players have been cursed for the rest of their lives.

[WSzaboPeter]

Yep, waiting for Agartha to make his move and we will be in next turn.
Sheap, try setting your server's luck to 3 next time.

[LeSquide]

Sooo...anyone know what timezone Agartha's player is in?

[WSzaboPeter]

I hope he/she will not drop. I hate early drops. (And they are even worse when they are not close to your starting location. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif) )

[Sheap]

If Agartha has been staling I am sure a sub can be found.

[WSzaboPeter]

No, he is not. He needed only a bit more time.

[RamsHead]

Greetings fellow nations! C'tis is a peaceful nation and rewards loyalty. As such, it was decided by the C'tis Council to offer assist to nations who have shown no hostilities toward us. We will offer this assistance in the form of Thistle Maces and Skull Staves.

If a nation wants one of these items forged, just send the Swamp Kingdom the required gems to make it, and we will do the rest.

There are several things to take note of:
-only one item may be forged for each nation
-the nation must not have shown any hostilities toward C'tis
-you may not receive the item immediately as there may be a large influx of orders but we will try to get them out ASAP
-only Thistle Maces and Skull Staves will be forged
-C'tis will accept gems of any kind but they must be enough to forge your item ie. 40 fire gems for a Skull Staff
-gem payment must be received before any forging takes place
-a message must only be sent with the gems when they are not nature or death to clarify which item you want
-you do not need to get an item forged immediately, as long as you show no hostilities toward C'tis, you may send gems for a Thistle Mace or Skull Staff at any time throughout the game

There, I hope everything is clear.

Sincerely,
Dingir
Lizard King and Prophet of Sissassuss

[WSzaboPeter]

Dingir,
I'm touched by your offer. I will send 20 fire and 20 death gems for the Thistle Mace. Thanks a lot.

[Zebion]

I have just been bogged down lately with work,sorry for the stall and late turns

[Foodstamp]

Greetings to all leaders and subjects of the various nations of this world.

It has come to our attention that a strange new race has emerged from the depths of caverns that dot our landscape. These Agarthians as they call themselves seem to wield an unnatural power over time, causing our days to lengthen and bringing the pace of our world to a lethargic snail crawl.

Such power over time cannot be trusted with those who would abuse it. Therefore, Pangaea declares war on Agartha. With the aid of nature itself, these very unnatural beings shall be driven back into the ground from which they sprung!

-Cathbad, Master Druid and leader of Pangaea.

[LeSquide]

Now I'm noticing that it looked like Atlantis was the last to go last time...and they haven't taken this turn, yet. Are they staling out?

[RamsHead]

Wahhh! C'tis wants to play! Squishy squish squish!

[Potatoman]

Server appears to be down. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

It'd be a shame if Sijansur missed his daily feeds, got cranky, and started building me a death scale eating all and sundry.

[Sheap]

I will check the server situation.

edit: I have checked the server and it is fine.

[Potatoman]

Is anyone else having trouble connecting to the server today? I still can't reach it.

[Sheap]

Check the IP and port, also see if "ping" will reach the server. If necessary, I can email you the turn if you give me your email address.

[Potatoman]

Thanks Sheap, but the problem is resolved. My turn is uploaded.

[CharonJr]

Yup, chaos at work for Atlantis and a girlfriend down with the flu does not help, too, but while this may stall this pretender it can not stop him (did 2 turns this morning http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif )...

CharonJr

[CharonJr]

Any idea about if/when to patch to 3.04 ?

[WSzaboPeter]

I hope the upgrade will soon be put on the server.

[Sheap]

I will upgrade to 3.04 tonight.

[Sheap]

Server has been upgraded to 3.04. The turn timer has been reset.

[WSzaboPeter]

thanks, that's a relief...

[RamsHead]

It was a chilly night. He walked into his tent and looked around, thinking if there was anything left he had to do.

"Just one more task," he said to himself as he lied down. Soon he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
...
His eyes opened, nothing but darkness. He stood up and waited for it to happen as it always did. Suddenly light with no apparent origin illuminated his surroundings. He was standing in a large stone room connected to a hall consumed by shadow. Light could not pierce it.

He walked toward hall and stood before the darkness. A hissing sound emitted from the corridor and two yellow snake-like eyes appeared hovering in the blackness. The lizardman bowed.

"What do you want, my Lord?"

"How hasss the newsss idea been working?" hissed the darkness.

"The people seem to be genuinely pleased, but I must ask, why use the network of stone spheres to give them news that does not seem to be friendly to your cause?"

"Effectively giving information isss the firssst ssstep. Controlling that information comesss sssecond. We will deal with that later. For now, I want you to ssset up a new part of the counsssil. It will consssissst of twenty membersss, and they all will be Sssauromansssersss."

"Sauromancers! You trust Sauromancers!"

"They ressspect magic, of which I am ssskilled at. Ssso, yesss, I trussst them...enough. Thisss twenty Sssauromanssser group shall be called the Conclave, and they will be able to override anything the C’tisss Counsssil proposssesss."

"What!? The people are already unhappy. Doing this will result in even more protests."

"Let them protessst. The polissse will keep them in line."

"Maybe but the police don‘t seem very happy either."

"Irrelevant. I will sssoon be able to replassse them with more loyal sssubjectsss. Ssso, will you fulfill your dutiesss, or will I have to replassse you asss well?"

"Of course I will do your bidding."

"Very good, Dingir. We move clossser every month."

[Potatoman]

The Gorges of R'lyeh are alive with sound. Not with music, but with the ceaseless screaming of the Polypal mothers as they pay homage to the Great Race and to Sijansur, god of the Aboleths.

The screams carry well through the depths of R'lyeh, but there is one place, a lightless place beneath the fields of Polypal mothers and the sea floor itself, where the sound reverberates and is amplified immensely. Here, the stone itself vibrates. This is a holy place, where the proud Atlantean princes are taken to be broken and where Tsagosh, prophet of Sijansur, now awaits communion with the Master.

A rush of cool water behind the once-noble Atlantean indicates that the portal has opened; the seas are cold where the Master now hunts. The darkness itself seems to dim, and the screaming to become less distinct. He dares not turn, not to move, for the Master accepts no thought, nor impulse, that is not his own.

"Tsagosh. Pillar. Surface. Obey. Baracus. Hannibal. Gordius. Obey. Starlight. Doorway. Cliff. Obey. Sijansur. Airlife Rings. Obey. Soil. Sissassuss. A Light Rain. Obey. Tsagosh. Chutirel. Oil. Obey. Mord. Gordius. Apogee. 38. Obey. Obey. OBEY..."

After a time, the Master's voice fades to a mutter and is subsumed by the dim screeching of the Polypal Mothers. And abruptly, as if waking from a dream, the vibration of the screams again batter the inside of Tsagosh's skull. The water about him becomes temperate once more. The Master is no longer present, but Tsagoth cowers in stillness for a time before turning and gliding from the chamber. The Master must be obeyed.

[Foodstamp]

I am loving the roleplaying by ryleh and Ctis.

[Foodstamp]

To all the nations of the world,

Pangaea can now fashion greater magic items from every path of magic. If you would like to purchase a magic item, please send me a private message to negotiate a price for the item.

If you are an on neutral or good terms with Pangaea and are an immediate neighbor, you will receive an even better price on the item being forged.

[WSzaboPeter]

I greet you all, and announce that I'm in war with Kailasa. Since I was attacked by Ermor this turn that may mean that they are in league with Kailasa. Anyone who wishes to join the war effort on my side is very wellcome. I'm waiting messages. Thanks a lot,
DreamSlayer

[Foodstamp]

To all the people that sent me messages this turn with item requests, I have answered you your private messages in game.

If I was not able to forge your item at this time, I am going to focus on working mages towards that end specifically.

Goodluck and thanks for dealing with Pangaea =)

EDIT: Let me remind you as well to keep our dealings private as to not give your opponents an idea of what type of items your wanting, and therefore what your ingame goals could possibly be.

[WSzaboPeter]

Well, now Sauromatia attacked, so I'm in war with Kailasa, Ermor and Sauromatia. If I don't get any help I will be dead within a few turns... Well being ganged up this early in a newbie game is a bit harsh, but that's life.

[Foodstamp]

Pangaea appreciates the eagerness of the other nations to do business with us. We are currently backed up with orders that threaten to tie up some of our key mages.

Therefore, Pangaea will not be taking any crafting orders for the time being. Once the current orders are finished we will reopen our doors to crafting for the great nations of this world once again.

To clarify, if we have discussed forging items with you in private messages, those orders are considered valid even if not officially placed yet. Any new solicitations will not be accepted at this time.

[Potatoman]

I see precipitous army graph dropoffs; the Mind Lords of R'lyeh are hungry for news of other nations. Surely there must be victories to boast of or defeats to share by this date. Interesting stories make the game far more engaging.

[Foodstamp]

Pretty embarrasing loss I just suffered to Agartha. I didn't realize there was a bug with the terrain when sieging a Cave fort and approximately 1/3rd of my army could not fight and instead just kinda hung out in the bottom of deep ravines until they were killed at range by mages.

Fortunetly it was a very cheap army consisting primarily of chaff, I would have hated to learn this lesson with a well built army!

[LeSquide]

It occurs to me that Abysia's bad luck came in picking a target who made made several mutual defense pacts.

This is bad luck, and not a mistake, because there's no way he could have known.

This is to Kailasa's credit; they scouted all the way across Abysia's entire territory to find out all his neighbors once they thought he might be a threat, and took appropriate action.

[Shovah32]

Folket, your lucky i didnt get my main plan inot action (i have over 30 mages, statistically 1 in 8 will have e2 and i have yet to get a single e2 mage)

[Foodstamp]

Sounds like you need to buy some earth boots from pangaea next round of item forging http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Shovah32]

lol no point, im too far gone to come back (although if pan can craft me some asap ill pay him 15 earth gems)

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, If I get no help I will declare this game lost due very bad luck for being ganged up in year 2 by 3 players...
DS
(P.S.: This means setting myself to AI soon.)

[Saarud]

I am really sorry that you are leaving WSzaboPeter. I do hate when I am being ganged up upon and I do try to avoid being one of the gang. However don't underestimate the power of diplomacy. I still haven't been contacted by you in or out of the game and Kailasa did contact me so it's really no wonder why I'm attacking you and not Kailasa.

Anyhow I'm truly sorry and I hope that in future games where we come in contact, we can establish a good relationship early.

[Zebion]

Pretty embarrasing loss I just suffered to Agartha. I didn't realize there was a bug with the terrain when sieging a Cave fort and approximately 1/3rd of my army could not fight and instead just kinda hung out in the bottom of deep ravines until they were killed at range by mages.




Can't say i'm to sad for that fact. In fact i'm highly glad http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Gives me a few more turns to live

[LeSquide]

Like I said; Kailasa was the first player to get in touch with me, and the mutual defense pact was the first agreement I made. Saarud's right; diplomacy played a huge part here.

[WSzaboPeter]

Okey, I quit. That's final. Thanks for the game, the first part was great, and I learnt a lot from it.
I wish I could say it was a nice game, but it was not. This was ment to be a fun newbie game. That's the reason why I wanted no bless rush or anything similar. One cannot prohibit ganking, but in other multiplayer games (TBS, RTS, RPG, anything) when 3 people attack one very early in a free-for-all game where only one winner can be it's usually called cheap play.

[Saarud]

I made an alliance with Kailasa and when you and him went to war I honored our alliance as anyone should.

[RamsHead]

Flames licked the night sky from the torches some of us were carrying, not me though. I was getting too old and weak to hold something like that for so long. These last few years had weighed heavily upon the others and me. The C’tis Council all looked a little older to be truthful.

We were going into some field on the outside of the capital. Dingir said he had some great news to tell us all but insisted that we had to go outside. I don’t know why, none of us did. We were all suspicious to say the least. Why would he want the Council outside? Oh well, we needed the fresh air and exercise.

We managed to make out a platform with a podium ahead. It was difficult to see though. It was a foggy night, and although there was a full moon, it was getting cloudy. The Council all gathered in front of the podium eagerly awaiting this “amazing” news.

Dingir appeared out of the fog along with a Lizard Lord, several Sauromancers, and a human. The Prophet walked up to the podium and spoke.

"I am glad you could all make it here tonight. You will be the first C‘tissians of the public that get to meet the God of C‘tis, Sissassuss. Here he is."

The crowd starting whispering to each other as Dingir motioned to the human to take the podium. The God was a human. How could this be possible? I felt the anger rise in me as I am sure it was in every other Council member.

"Greetingsss C‘tissssian Counsssil! I am delighted that we have finally had thisss meeting. I wish I could bring you good newsss, but I am afraid that isss jussst not possssible. I have desssided that the Conclave isss more that sssufficient to run thingsss. Dingir here will be taking charge of domessstic, foreign, and religiousss mattersss. Namchadnessssar the Lizard Lord will be in charge of military affairsss. Finally, Ama’ushumgalanna the Sssauromanssser will deal with mattersss of magical importanssse. Thusss, we no longer have any ussse for any of you. The C‘tisss Counsssil isss hereby disssbanded. Goodbye."

We suddenly burst into angry shouts and start waving our torches around as the human and the others just stood on the platform. Fury was in the Council’s eyes, and I was about to jump on the platform and strangle the “God” himself. Then reason snuck into my head, and I knew something was up. Why were they just standing there?

My old ears picked up on a faint rattling sound. What was that? It started getting louder. The shouts lowered as other members heard it. Soon everyone was listening to the noise and trying to figure out what it was and it’s origin. It seemed to be coming from all around. One the Council members moved a bit away from the group, staring out into the ever-increasing fog. I saw the human make a slight movement with one of his hands, and all of our torches went out. Dark and foggy, all we could do was wait and see what the rattling was.

All of the sudden, I heard a thump, a scream, and saw a body flying over me. Everybody starts running in all directions. Screams of terror are everywhere. A flying body almost knocks me down. Some of the members get run over in the stampede. I duck just in time to avoid being hit in the head by a torso. I look around quickly and can not see what is causing this. It is too dark and foggy, just like Sissassuss wanted. I started running again and managed to separate myself from the other members. I stopped and looked back. I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear the screams. They were awful. I caught by breath and decided that I would try to make it back to the city. I turned around and there was a white blur. I flew back several feet and landed hard. Then, everything went black.

[Potatoman]

I'm sorry to hear that you are dropping out so early. Others have stressed the importance of establishing relations with neighboring nations, but I'd like to suggest two other ways to encourage a fairer fight: playing a sea nation, and using bribery to split alliances.
If you plan on bribery, bribe heavy. If you die, you lose everything anyway.

[Foodstamp]

Peter, the same thing happened to Ermor last game, except you were the ganker instead of the gankee. Sorry to see you go http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif but I guess in this instance it might have possibly been karma.

[RamsHead]

Fellow nations, the Conclave has decided that it is time for another magic item offer. Some of the rules of the first offer remain, but there have been changes.

These are the rules for the new offer:
-we will forge as many items as a nation wants
-the nation must not have shown any hostilities toward C'tis (exceptions to this rule include Kailasa, Ermor, and Sauromatia, C'tis will not provide items to these nations)
-you may not receive the item immediately as there may be a large influx of orders but we will try to get them out ASAP
-any item up to very powerful magic item level requiring nature, astral, water, or death may be forged (this does not necessarily mean that we can forge all of those items, but we can forge some of them) note: we specialize in death items
-the Conclave will determine the number of gems we will require for an item
-gem payment must be received before any forging takes place

Now for those nations that have been specifically named, you might be curious as to why you have been singled out as none of you have been hostile to the Serpent Kingdom. The Conclave believes that empowering a triple alliance is one thing but empowering a triple alliance that will soon have nowhere to go except in the seas or over the mountain pass to reach the eastern lands is another. This is not a declaration of war. We are merely protecting the eastern nations' interests as well as our own. As the gatekeepers, we can not allow you to pass and will not enable you to do so.

Sincerely,
Dingir
Lizard King and Prophet of Sissassuss

[RamsHead]

Note that the rules regarding gem payment amounts have been altered.

[Zrave]

I'm sorry that things turned out as they did, Peter.

It was not my intention to get in a war this early in the game, so I set up a non-agression treaty with you and defense pacts with Ermor and Sauromatia. Of course you couldn't have known that when you sneak attacked me, but all the same the "ganking" was because of the treaties.

Also, I think that had you been able to quickly defeat me the treaties might have been forsaken (think Poland in WWII), but instead we had an attrition war costly for both sides.

[Havis]

I am sorry Peter, i did not have the possibility to help, otherwise i would have done it.

Havis of Ulm

[RamsHead]

I tried twice, but I can not seem to connect to the server.

[Sheap]

Server was down. In the future, use this thread (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=479072&amp;page=0&amp;view=collap sed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=&amp;vc=#Post479072) for server problems and information.

[Zebion]

The elders are growing old pangeae,let's not try to take to long in bringing down some walls

[RamsHead]

Just waiting for Caelum.

[Shovah32]

Sorry guys, have been away from computer for several days(construction work underway) and currently cant connect to the server.

[Zrave]

I can't connect either. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Havis]

Me neither

[Potatoman]

Most of washington state has been out of power for the past couple days. It could be a little while before Sheap gets the server back up, depending on where it is located.

[Sheap]

Power has been restored. Server should be available again tonight.

[Sheap]

Server is back up. Atlantis, Pangaea, Caelum, Ulm are out. Timer is running, 24h starting now.

[RamsHead]

The necromancer focused, putting all of his energy into keeping the beast moving. As it lumbered across the plains, the ground shook. Not only was the necromancer on the wicked thing’s back but so were several other beings. They were three lizardmen on one long seat strapped to the back of the creature and a human on another facing the lizardmen. The human looked at one of the lizardmen.

"Anything elssse?" the human asked.

"Nothing that I have not told you already, my lord" the lizardman answered.

"Very good, Dingir," replied Sissassuss. He turned his head toward the lizardman wearing gilded scale armor. "What isss new on your end, Namchadnessssar?"

"Ulm and R’lyeh are continuing to battle each, and there doesn’t appear to be a clear winner, yet. Agartha and Abysia are near death. Both of their months are numbered. The most important thing I have to report is that two Ermorian assassins have been found and killed in the mountains. I have given out orders to the various armies to step up their efforts in weeding out any more of these evil humans from our lands. Such a move by Ermor seems to indicate that they are preparing to invade. We must remain vigilant, my lord."

"Agreed." Sissassuss turned his head to the final lizardman. "Update, Ama’ushumgalanna?"

"We are still working on repairing the building, my lord. I believe we may require your magic to actually get it operational once everything is cleaned up."

"Very well, get it cleaned up quickly." Sissassuss looked out at the horizon. Flashing thunderheads were approaching the plains, and rumbles were heard in the distance. "A storm is coming."

Dingir looked in the direction of the storm. "You know, I often see the citizens of C‘tis commit the worst of crimes during a storm. Everybody is running for shelter. You walk down a street you normally wouldn’t, and you get robbed and murdered right there. It is all very disturbing."

Sissassuss squinted at Dingir, examining what he said. Then he looked out at the storm again, in deep thought.

[Shovah32]

Sounds like some-one is summoning behemoths http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Sheap]

An unexpected event has occurred in Sheap's Server.

A clumsy farm animal has reset the turn timer. Faith is increasing but the turns seem to go slower.

---

If Ulm doesn't play by the original time I will go ahead and force host. This is in about 12 hours from now. Say, 12:30 PM US Pacific time on the 21st.

[CharonJr]

Hello,

I might not be able to get in turns between the 23rd and 26th due to visiting my mother (who might or might not have access to the internet).

I will try to get the turns in, but can't promise anything.

CharonJr

[Sheap]

Forgot to force host the server at the appropriate time. Turn is up now. Sorry about that.

[LeSquide]

Charon: Could you get a temporary sub to keep your turns going? That way, you wouldn't fall behind quite as much.

[RamsHead]

I'm bored. Has anyone had a national hero show up yet? I have not.

[Potatoman]

I've gotten that big blue blob guy Auluudh, but then again I am playing with foolish Luck/Chaos scales.

This game has proven very educational so far on the merits of high morale troops. I'm starting to think that I'd be better off without buying PD or slave troops at all, just because their 8 morale causes me to rout as soon as somebody trips and gets an owie.

In other news, Ermor's gem income has really shot up during the past few turns! If I was a militant god I'd go investigate for some of these acashic-searched uber provinces! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif But I value our peace too highly! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[RamsHead]

Potatoman said:
I've gotten that big blue blob guy Auluudh, but then again I am playing with foolish Luck/Chaos scales.

This game has proven very educational so far on the merits of high morale troops. I'm starting to think that I'd be better off without buying PD or slave troops at all, just because their 8 morale causes me to rout as soon as somebody trips and gets an owie.

In other news, Ermor's gem income has really shot up during the past few turns! If I was a militant god I'd go investigate for some of these acashic-searched uber provinces! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif But I value our peace too highly! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Most of my C'tis troops have morale of 9! Of course I have access to high priests and lizard kings for sermon of courage.

Ermor makes me nervous. They are the only Western Alliance nation that borders the mountain pass, and their forces along the border grow every turn.

Which reminds me, I have seen some of your battles with Ulm, and I thought I saw an initiate of the deep or something like that in one of your armies but he didn't have commander status! Was I seeing things? Oh, and since C'tis has good relations with both you and Ulm, we have no intention to interfere with your war.

[Potatoman]

Aboleths start with enslave mind and, against independents, Fire Rear is a pretty effective order with that attack. Hence the enslaved, non-commander Initiates of the Deep.

[Saarud]

I can assure you guys that Ermor is a peaceful nation. We have always looked upon R'lyeh as our wet friends and C'tis as our friendly but mysterious neighbour.

I did had some luck with site searching (and capturing Abysias capital earns me 5 more fire gems) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif but with national heroes I am not as lucky... haven't got any national hero so far.

[RamsHead]

C'tis didn't realize that sending assassins into a neighbor's lands was considered friendly.

[Havis]

Exscuse me i will not still be able to play until jan 2 beacause, ill be out of town.
Happy new year!

Havis of Ulm

[RamsHead]

Ama’ushumgalanna opened the wooden door and closed it behind him. He was in an underground room. It had a pair of torches at the door he just walked though and another pair flanking Sissassuss’s chair. The circular room was large enough to allow shadows to dance on the edge of the room. The Sauromancer approached the God of C’tis, who seemed to be waiting calmly in his chair. The earthen floor was soggy and he could hear water dripping from the ceiling.

"You sent for me, my lord?"

"Yesss, Ama, I have two tasssksss for you," Sissassuss replied with his usual hiss. "Firssst, I want you to get the Conclave to ssset sssome ssslavesss to ssstart digging a hole jussst outssside the sssity."

"A hole?" asked Ama, clearly confused.

"Yesss. It doesss not matter where, just ssso long asss it isss outssside the sssity. I want it big and deep."

"Is there anything in particular that we are digging for?"

"Not really. The sssecond thing I want you to do isss deal with a rebel in the Conclave."

"There is a rebel in the Conclave?"

"Yesss, the Sssauromanssser isss attempting to sssow dissscord in the Conclave. He mussst be ssstopped. C’tisss isss at too a fragile posssition at thisss time to have dissssent amongssst high ranking officialsss."

"Who is he?"

"You may know him asss Ama’lishia."

"My brother?! You must be jesting! My brother has always been loyal to the nation!"

"Your brother hasss grown jealousss of you. He believesss that creating unhappinessss in the Conclave will resssult in you being forsssed to leave my ssside. He wantsss your posssition. Your brother’sss loyalty isss not to the nation but to himssself. He mussst be dealt with."

"I will talk to him."

"No! You will...," Sissassuss paused for a moment, trying to think of the right word, "passsify him."

Ama, looked at the ground, trying to make a decision. He kept staring and pondering. Certainly he was not going to do what he was thinking. He had no choice though. Or did he? Finally he raised his head and met Sissassuss’s gaze.

"Very well, my lord." Ama’s words came quickly. He immediately turned and left the room.

Dingir appeared from the shadows at the God’s side.

"Are you sure it was wise to send him to deal his brother?"

"We will find out sssoon enough. I mussst make sure that Ama will remain loyal to me and the nation. He hasss become powerful, and I would hate to have that power backfire."
----------
Ama’lishia had been working late that night. He was getting drowsy at his desk when he was startled by someone entering the room. He looked up and saw his brother.

"Ushum! What brings you to my office so late at night?" Ama’lishia stood up and extended his hand.

"I hear you have been trying to undermine the nation," Ama’ushumgalanna said with a somber look on his face.

Ama’lishia’s smile faded away, and he lowered his hand. "Sissassuss is doing the undermining. He is destroying C’tis, and you are helping him to do this."

"So you admit it?"

"What? Admit to trying to save the nation? Of course I admit it. Listen brother, you have to quit helping him."

"He is the God of C’tis."

"So says he! Open your eyes and ears. Do you not see the riots in the streets? Do you not hear the C’tissians cry for the lost Council? The evidence of our nation’s undoing is all around us! Sissassuss is destroying all that we hold dear about C’tis. Join me, Ushum, and we can bring peace and order back into the Swamp Kingdom."

"I will not betray Sissassuss."

"So instead you betray your nation?! Loyalty is nice, but blind loyalty is for fools. If you will not move from Sissassuss’s side, then I guess I will have to save C’tis myself."

"I can not allow you to do that."

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment. They both knew what was coming. Ama’lishia knew he could not overpower his brother.

"Guards!" Ama’lishia cried out, hoping they would scare his brother away. Ama’ushumgalanna just stood there though.

"They have already been dealt with," Ama’ushumgalanna said grimly.

Ama’lishia paused for a second, thinking about what he should do. Then he through a fist at his brother, hoping to knock him to the floor. Ama’ushumgalanna dodged the attack and grabbed his brother’s wrist. He quickly placed his other hand on Ama’lishia’s shoulder.

"Ahhh! What are you doing?!" Ama’lishia cried out in agony.

"The Hand of Death destroys all," replied Ama’ushumgalanna in a heartless voice.

Ama’lishia looked at his brother one last time and saw a void where there used to be a person. He had become a mere instrument of destruction for Sissassuss to use. Then, everything went dark.

[RamsHead]

Ulm, T'ien Ch'i, and Pangaea, you guys have about two hours left to take your turns.

[Potatoman]

It was raining in Minz, a steady drizzle that leaked from the leaden sky like sand from a broken hourglass. Beneath the rain and the sky lay the mountains and, beneath them, the plains of Minz spanned from horizon to horizon, lush, fertile, and full of life. Today, however, the plains of Minz had become a place full of death.

Arrows sped through the sky, thick as gnats on a rotten fruit, above bellowing Steel Warriors and into the chaos of the R'lyeh ranks. The glassy-eyed spawn of R'lyeh paid them no heed even as the shafts fell, wreaking unimaginable carnage amongst the melee. Nearly every arrow found its mark amidst the swarming R'lyeh host; hundreds of Slave Warriors and Lobo Guards flopped to the muddy ground, filled with more wood than most trees.

But the spawns of R'lyeh felt no fear, save for that of their terrible masters, and they pressed manically on, crashing into the Ulmish lines with overwhelming numbers. Though each Warrior of Ulm is tall, well equipped and skilled, the incredible numbers of their foe gave momentary pause to their blades and, for a moment, it seemed as if the lines would be broken.
But at that very moment, the Wizards of Ulm unleashed a terrible new weapon, summoning the Steel of the Earth to the surface and releasing it in geysers of razor-sharp blades into the sea of R'lyeh soldiers. The blades were not mortal to the Warriors of Ulm thanks to their might and thick armor, but they inflicted even more carnage upon the minions of R'lyeh than the flights of arrows, if that was possible. Even the prophet of Sijansur himself, the mighty Tsagosh, was overwhelmed by the onslaught of blades, arrows, and Ulm Warriors.

The sea of spawns, visibly reduced but still vast, receded from the battlefield, leaving behind their uncounted dead and an ankle-deep red mud that stank of rotting fish and seaweed.

There was a momentary peace, there in the rain, as the wounded gasped their last gasps and the living sucked in great lungfulls of the foul air, momentarily thankful for continued life.

But even as the once-numberless horde of spawns dwindled, dark shapes appeared behind their ranks; huge, tentacled, and horrible. From the flanks they slithered, sliding across trails made slick and traversable by the spilling of their minions blood. Behind them billowed a horrible dead-gray fog.

A murmur ran through the lines of Ulm: Sijansur, slayer of men, had appeared. But Mord himself, the godly titan of Ulm, was with his people that day and his command was to stand firm. The faith was strong. Warriors made ready, and volley after volley of arrows was fired at the approaching horrors or into the fog, but to no effect.

Then, with a crack of lightning, the Monsters reached the battlefield and all dissolved to chaos. Men hacked at tentacles and fins only to find their swords pass through the ethereal body of their foe, clank harmlessly against Iron-tough skin, or, worse yet, inflict some small injury only to watch the wound close itself immediately. And though the monsters were ungainly, even helpless-seeming, they proved quite deadly indeed. At last, with their army literally disolving around them, the generals of Ulm crossed their enchanted steel for an oath to Mord and sortied against Gordius, leader of the R'lyeh Mind Lords. Though each felt as if his mind were leaking from his ears (as, horribly, they may have been), each man was driven by a fanaticism for Mord that was beyond cognition. As one, they drove their steel through the four tentacles of Gordius' body, grounding it in the soggy earth before succumbing to the astral predator. And Mord was not blind to their sacrifice. With his remaining magic, Mord opened the sky and called down His Wrath upon the pinned Gordius, blasting its body with one Thunderstrike for each brave general. With it's highly conductive ironskinned flesh and steel grounding, Gordius writhed with electricity for an instant before bursting like a tomato squeezed a Jotuns fist, showing the field with smouldering tentacles and ichor.

Seeing the triumph of their faith, the Ulmsmen let out a raged cheer, and the remaining Aboleth Mind Lords trembled in sympathetic dread; thoughts of Mind Lord mortality, especially great ones such as Gordius, were anathema to the Great Race and shook them as the death of a million slaves would not.

But even as the Mind Lords faltered, the fog rose up as a great wave, blotting out the cowering monsters and hiding the fields of the dead. Silently, it crested and fell across the ranks of Ulm. And from the blood-drenched fields of Minz, only screaming was heard.

[Ballbarian]

Wonderful stories! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Foodstamp]

Bah sorry about the stale turn all, I was out of town. I should have no more stale turns for now on http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[FAJ]

Sorry about the stale turn(s) I dont remember the last time i checked this game. Tien'chi has proved a bit of a bore for me. If no one can be found to replace me, ill just set myself to ai.

[Havis]

I warned i was out of town

[Potatoman]

What news, elsewhere in the land?

Does the triple alliance of Kailasa, Ermor and Sauromatia still hold? What earth-shaking deeds have they gone on to accomplish?

Sauromatia has climbed to the top of many graphs, though I have neither heard nor seen any sign of their empire.

Atlantis seems to be growing.

Any other interesting events going down?

[RamsHead]

C'tis feels safe with the second largest military, and we are dominating in research.

[Foodstamp]

Things are exciting in the lands of Pangaea. We have eliminated Agartha and turned our attention to Tien Chi.

[LeSquide]

Sauromatia's empire is built upon the bloody fields of countless foolish independent nations, whose foolish opposition saw their rebellious leaders executed and skinned alive! The bodies of the Light Infantry of genericprovince #1 and the Light Cavalry of genericprovince #2 are piled high in skinless piles, in which they are piled without skin!

Then there were some troglodytes and some heroes in otherwise normal provinces! That took some more time! But now there are piles of very big and irregularly shaped skins, for glorious Sauromatia did defeat their foul forces and take trophies from their flayed hides!

And then there was a mutual defense pact that resulted in Abysia disappearing, and thus many wonderful fields of soot were made available for the mighty legions of Sauromatia to march over, waving banners made out of the skins of their enemies, which were piled in massive piles of skinlessness from previous skinnings!

[RamsHead]

The taskmaster cracked his whip at a slow moving slave.

"Work faster," he barked. Another taskmaster came up to him and started talking in a quiet whisper.

"So have you figured out why we are digging this hole?" One of the slaves overheard this and threw the taskmaster a nasty look. "Get back to work," he yelled, cracking his whip.

"No, not yet," replied the other taskmaster as the slave walked away. "I think that Sissassuss has lost his mind. I can’t believe that he replaced the C’tissian police with those pale riders."

"Well, at least the riots are down. A fact I am surprised by. I thought that after the public found out about Ama’lishia’s death, chaos would reign."

"I heard that all they found left of him were some ashes."

"Well, I heard that he was eliminated, because he was trying to build a resistance against Sissassuss."

"All I know is that it was a major loss. He was the only one in the Conclave who was ever against taking independent territories."

"Too bad there are not more peaceful Sauromancers like him."

"Quit fraternizing!" The two taskmasters quickly turned around and looked up to see Namchadnessar standing at the edge of the hole, glaring down at them. They immediately separated, walking in two different directions on the scaffolding. "I hate taskmasters. They’ve no sense of honor," he muttered to himself. Namchadnessar glanced at the sky. It was another hot and humid day, just the way he liked it. His gilded armor gleamed in the sunlight. His armor was a matter of pride to him. Namchadnessar had spent most his life climbing through the ranks. As a lizard lord, he was well known, but it was when he led the C’tissian army to victory after victory against the wild independent forces, that he became a hero. Unlike most commanders, Namchadnessar preferred fighting on the front lines alongside his troops. Such actions were impossible after he got stuck with a spear in his leg. He had a limp ever since then. Slowly, his heroic deeds got outclassed by more powerful beings, but he is still a hero to C’tis.

Namchadnessar looked down into the hole. It was large and deep. There was scaffolding everywhere. The predator lizardmen chipped away at rock with pickaxes. Taskmasters made certain that everything kept moving smoothly. This was the first day he actually saw the hole. Normally Ama’ushumgalanna would oversee the project, but Namchadnessar needed some air, and Ama, as Sissassuss would refer to him, looked like he could use a break. He suspected that Ama was behind his brother’s death, but that was a matter Namchadnessar would prefer to not talk about.

Namchadnessar saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw Sissassuss approaching him.

"Greetingsss Namchadnessssar. Where isss Ama?"

"I relieved him of his duties for today. It looked like he could use a rest. Should I go get him?"

"No, I jussst need you to get everyone out of the hole."

"Why? Are you not satisfied with the progress?"

"The progressss isss acssseptable, but it isss time for me to finish the job."

"Very well." Namchadnessar alerted some of the taskmasters to get the slaves out of the hole, and returned to Sissassuss’s side. "Is there anything else you want?"

"Return to the sssity with the diggersss. I wish to be alone."

"Very well."

[RamsHead]

Ama’ushumgalanna walked through the twisting tunnels. His feet caused the small amount of water that had collected on the floor to splash. Torches were placed periodically throughout the tunnels so that when the light of one had almost ended, the light of another began. The air was damp and warm, perfect for a lizardman. Ama’ushumgalanna finally reached the end. He pushed open the wooden door that stood in front of him. There sat Sissassuss in his chair. Ama’ushumgalanna looked at one area of the room and noticed a small well.

"So that is it?"

"Yessssss," Sissassuss drew out his hissing longer than normal. "I trussst you know what to do."

"Of course, my lord."

"Sssuperb. Let usss rid the world of sssome of it’sss illsss." Sissassuss rose out of his chair, walked past Ama’ushumgalanna, and closed the door behind him.

[Foodstamp]

I have received information from allies telling me I am at war with Ryleh, is this true? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Foodstamp]

Lord Cathbad,

This message is being sent as we siege the capital of Ulm. It seems a new pretender has usurped the throne of Ulm and that is the reason for the unexpected attacks against our people. He is now holed up in the last stronghold as our forces destroy what is left of the Ulmish kingdom. Everything goes as expected in our war verses the aggressors except for one thing my lord.

A messenger from Rlyeh has come and explained it is not our right to defend our people or be agressive towards those that would attack us. We have been given an ultimatum and our "friends" from the sea seem to have ambitions that are not in the best interests of Pangaea. Last month sir, a fight between our people was adverted by chance that some renegade Ulm rebels retook a province.

I am sure messengers will be sent from Rlyeh to our capital and I thought you should know the complete situation before negotiating. Also my lord, our closest ally has sent messengers to our force saying he will not help us if war is waged between us and Rlyeh. These are dangerous times and our neighbors grow envious of our success.

Haiphastos, Centaur Cohort Commander

[Potatoman]

Pangaea and R'lyeh have patched up their differences without bloodshed. Yay, fluffy bunnies!

[LeSquide]

Currently, Sauromatia finds itself attacked by two countries. It shouldn't be too hard to guess which two.

[RamsHead]

Only three hours left to go Potatoman.

[RamsHead]

It is time Ermor. It is time for destruction, chaos, and death. It is time for blood to be spilled and lives to be lost. For too long the Serpent Kingdom has stood by while your nation has enslaved our brothers and used them as pawns in your deadly game of chess. No more, we say! C'tis declares war upon the filthy nation of the Great City! May your rivers run red and your people burn! The fields of Ermor shall turn black, for death is upon you. It is time Ermor, it is time.

Very Sincerely,
Dingir
Lizard King and Prophet of Sissassuss

[Saarud]

Ermor was attacked by both Ctis and Rlyeh this turn and now we find ourself in a 3 front war. The attacks by both of these nations were performed in very similiar matter by just a few SC slaying my defenceless PD and some legions that was guarding against trespassers.

Ermor will now gather their strenght and fight back the invaders. Ermor calls for any nations bordering these aggressive nations to take action now. If Ermor and our allies Kailasa falls, the lizards of Ctis and the Mindlords of Rlyeh will for certain split the world between them and destroy all the other nations, this is your chance to take action.

[Potatoman]

Several months ago:

There was a sudden blast of light, and consiousness abruptly returned to Tsagosh. He tried to move, tried to blink, but could not. There was an upwelling of panic, and Tsagosh retreated into his memories.

He had been surrounded on the sopping battlefield of Minz, hewing down scores of Ulmish Steel Warriors, but their legion was too vast and his position too exposed. He notched his blade taking the head off a warrior's maul, lost his shield to the constant shower of arrows, and lost his leg to a Ulmish greatsword. The victorious warrior stabbed through one of Tsagosh's hearts and charged off to the front, where the Mind Lords had just taken the field, leaving him to die. And then he had been somewhere else, back in Atlantis. It was as though he had returned to time before his adbuction, before his torture and enslavement at the tentacles of the Mind Lords. It was freedom. Then, suddenly, he was here. Paralyzed, helpless, and once again enslaved.

A wave of panic rose again, but Tsagosh drew strength from the memory of Atlantis, and forced himself to look about his surroundings. The room was large and well lit by candles, and the plumes of warm smoke issuing from them pooled beneath the thatch ceiling like the tentacles of a great gray jellyfish. The candles were placed around a dozen or so giant clay figures, laying upon slabs and attended by a wizened old slave witch.

"Ah, Prophet," said the slave "you're awake. I am Xi, the Golem crafter, your servant. Do not be alarmed. You probably have many questions; unfortunately, I may only answer two. The rest, you should save them for your communion with our master, Sijansur."

"Firstly, I know how you got here. Prophets of the true God aren't easy to come by and, fighting at the front lines like you do, the Mind Lords foresaw that his valuable property might become damaged. So he placed a subtle spell upon you- whenever your body dies, your brain reappears here in my lab. In this very jar, in fact." the slave gestured towards a distressingly small glass jar, similar to the kind fishermen use to store bait.

"Whereupon," the slave continued "this humble servant" a curtsy "is ordered to place it within a new body, a fresh engine of destruction for the heathen. And so I have Obeyed."

Tsagosh tried to reply but could not move his lips.

The mage chuckled. "Secondly, do not be worried. It will take time for your brain to adapt to its new vessel. You shall gain full use of your new body in a few weeks, but it will be necessary to re-train it for combat. I am sure that your master can tell you more than I of His plans for you, but he has hired a strange warrior from T'ien Ch'i to train you in their manner of bare-handed fighting. It sounds exciting."

She grinned, then glanced back towards the other unfinished giants.

"But I have my own tasks to accomplish, and my timetable is short. Try to rest, your holiness, if you can."

As the golem crafter returned to her work, Tsagosh returned to the memories of Atlantis. Someday, he would return.

[RamsHead]

Hey Ermor, got enough longdead archers? I mean, my God!

[LeSquide]

I would have already pointed that out, but I was too busy rapidly decaying into nothing.

Also, the weather forecast for anyone near Kailasa can best be described as 'dark, the sun blotted out by the masses of trolls, with a constant howling gale of bladewind.'

[RamsHead]

Umm, Mr. Kailasa, sir? Yes, umm, what does the glhf mean in your message?

[Zrave]

good luck have fun

[Potatoman]

... And welcome back to the Dominions News Network. As the world's only secular news network, DNN is your number 1 choice for unbiased ascension coverage, 2 years running.

Tonight, we join our Field Reporter Dennis Hardbody in Troll Land, where he has exlusive coverage of the ongoing cataclysm that has gripped the southwestern populace tightly in icy tentacles of fear. Dennis?

Thank you Jon. The scene here in Troll Land is one of unfettered desolation, and from what I've learned, the nations of R'lyeh and Kailasa are both responsible. It's like a moonscape now, Jon. I need a special helmet just to survive out here.

What happened Dennis? Are there any survivors?

Yes Jon. Fortunately, anyone that was able to burrow down more than a mile beneath the Earth's crust was able to survive the battle's collateral damage. Otherwise, well, it would have been a good time to invest in a Crystal Heart or really hope for the success of your pretender.
As for the cause, Jon, eye-witnesses tell us that both the Kailasan and R'lyeh armies were spamming the same spell- Gifts from Heaven. For those not versed in high level battle magic, this spell grabs giant chunks of rock from outer space, some weighing more than an Earth Mother, and hurls them down at our defenseless Earth. This is an Extraordinarily deadly Spell, Jon. There really is no defense after you have been hit with a piece of rock the size of a tropical island, some of which are radioactive, or on fire.

How many times was this spell cast at Troll Land, Dennis?

Reports are sketchy, Jon. A mole that we interviewed via Gift of Reason was not willing to comment and the other witnessess have marched on with their army or passed on to the Celestial Sphere, a place that has denied entrance to this foreign correspondent. The one thing I'm sure they all agree on is that there were certaintly enough gifts from heaven to go around. Our experts estimate that almost 50% of the earth's kuiper belt "got lost" sometime last night. With this kind of destructive power as the plaything of pretending gods, this reporter can only hope that the R'lyeh and Kailasan armies learn from the lesson of Troll Land, or their eventually victory will be pyrrhic at best. Jon?

Thank you Dennis. Now if you've been counting days obsessively, wondering "Is this a good time to enroll my child in a youth Frungy league?" you're not alone. Our reporter Greg Manslab investigates the sordid underside of youth Frungy; the details may suprise you. Story at 11.

[RamsHead]

A bloody month in the Abysian capital.

[Saarud]

Damn you Ramshead... I truly suck at this game or else I say you are no Newbie Ramshead... I choose to beleive the latter. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Sorry to destroy this game by being so sucky... next game I'm in I will ensure that everyone is not a milestone better than me. He has whopped me more in this game than I been whopped in my other games even though some of them are hosting experianced players.

Though all this whopping has given me alot of experiance that I will use in my future game, it also has made me realize that the game might not be for me. I want big armies slashing it out and not one man armies killing thousands of men. Hmm

Anyhow... very good playing Ramshead and ofcourse Potatoman aswell. Next time I think you are not eligable for a newbie game... ehh? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Potatoman]

Ermor can counter SCs in many ways... Most of them involve battle magic.

MR saving throw spells like Paralyze, soul slay, Enslave Mind and opposition will eventually cause a SC to miss his save... then he's as good as dead.

Against undead SCs Dust to Dust does great damage and is unresistable. Shadow bolt automatically feebleminds people around where it strikes, which can mess SCs up. Another way to fight SCs is via thugs- tough characters geared up for maximum damage rather than survivability.

It might be too late (I don't know what happened in Abysia, no scout coverage there), but it can pay to basicly look through the dominions spell list with a specific purpose in mind (say, countering a King of Elemental Earth) and check which spells (even summons) can work for that goal.

[RamsHead]

Saarud, don't make me smack you! You are not a sucky player, and you didn't ruin the game by any means. I hope you learned that national troops, while good for expanding and the mid-game, are ineffective against a late-game SC. Potatoman already pointed out alot of the things one can do to counter SCs. Also, against large undead armies, astral, fire, and death magic are all useful. Very few, if any, undead are immune to fire, and fire has quite a few spells that damage a large area. Astral has a number of spells that do increased damage to undead. Death has access to dust to dust, a high damage, unresistable spell, and it's bigger, badder brother, wither bones.

Oh, and don't be discouraged about what happened at the capital. Kailasa gave me a good whoopin' after our big battle, as you probably saw. Oh course that was because I was out of gems. Also, I brought the hammer down on you really hard in our battle. Who would have thought that undead mastery, master enslave, antimagic, and will of the fates would be such a great combination.

[Saarud]

Yeah sorry about that... please don't smack me Ramshead. I was just abit angry with myself because it feels that I let Kailasa down. I feel like I am a lousy ally. Ofcourse I have learned alot from this game and will use that in future games, but that doesn't help me now... does it? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Both you and Potatoman are very good players...

[Potatoman]

Ow, my *** hurts!

[Shovah32]

Im really not sure if i should ask why... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Potatoman]

Devas have twice as many hands to spank with...

[RamsHead]

I saw the action in Wynanna or whatever it is called, but I didn't notice any Devas. I assume what you are referring to happened elsewhere?

[Zrave]

Saarud, don't worry, its only a Newbie game http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Foodstamp]

Has Ermor been staling the past week?

[Sheap]

Sorry for all the timer resets lately. Let me know if the game is being impeded.

[Foodstamp]

I am pretty sure Ermor has dropped out without notice. He was losing his war and I don't think he has played a turn in well over a week.

[LeSquide]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that he play a -little- more recently than that, due to all the assassins that visited me.

It rather looks like I'm going down; whoever spammed those spells in my direction, my hat's off to you. I don't think I would have lasted particularly long in any event, but my glorious last stand was rather reduced to a petulant sitting after the Earth Elementals started inviting themselves over to visit.

So, who -was- visiting stoney doom upon my capital? I'd assumed Atlantis...but that would be a lot of Earth magic for the fishy folks to be throwing around. Kailasa?

[CharonJr]

Hmm, does it not show on the battle-screen who is the controller/summoner of the earth elementals ? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Well, I had to change tactics since my spells of mass destruction proved to be fairly inefficient (but at least I learned that using those tends just to be wasteful for the effect it has).

[LeSquide]

Damn that fiend Special Monsters! What did I ever do to him! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[CharonJr]

Well, for starters just take a look at your name... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Zrave]

hmm I cant seem to connect to the server, anyone else having trouble?

[Foodstamp]

I cannot either, but do not be alarmed, I was able to connect a few hours ago when I was checking to see if the new turn was generated. Looks like Ermor is staling again!

[Sheap]

Server is down due to needing to patch. Someone connected with 3.06 and that always hangs the server. Since the 3.06 patch is now out officially, I'll go ahead and upgrade the server and all current &amp; future turns should be played with 3.06 version.

[Potatoman]

Yeah, Ermor has been staling for quite some time. Can we get him set to AI, unless there any objections?

[RamsHead]

If Ermor gets set to AI, I want a one turn notice so I can act accordingly since I currently am the only one who would be affected by such a change.

[Sheap]

I will set ermor to AI after this current turn generation.

[RamsHead]

Gotcha

[Sheap]

Huh, the ermor to AI seems to not have taken.

???

I will try again.

[LeSquide]

Well, I'm finally out. Out-out, not just effectively out. Good show, all. Things I've learned:

Get one's diplomatic nonsense firmly figured out quickly.

Bane Lords.

Take nothing for granted, ever.

More Bane Lords.

Dome up. This would have prevented, or at least mitigated, a lot of the later problems I had.

Wraith Lords!

I need to take advantage of national strengths more; earlier Blood Magic might have changed a lot.

Also: Do Not Build Useless Castles.

[Foodstamp]

Was nice playing with you Lesquide http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Shovah32]

Just a small note: caelum is selling air items including boosters, storm staffs, flying carpets, dancing tridents, spirit helms, chainmails of displacements and various other air(also some lower level earth/water) items at 100% of the cost for air items and 110% of the cost for others. PM me on these forums.

[RamsHead]

The Ermorians have lost faith in their Sphinx god, Saarud. Without believe the only thing a god can do is wither away. Ermor had to be destroyed, though. Our Sauromancers had forseen future events in Ermor, and they were not good. Hopefully, with the elimination of their god, Ermor will not turn down that dark path in the future. Only time will tell, but C'tis has done it's best to right it's wrongs and avert a bleak future for both Ermor and the entire world.

[Foodstamp]

Shovah32 said:
Just a small note: pangaea is selling air items including boosters, storm staffs, flying carpets, dancing tridents, spirit helms, chainmails of displacements and various other air(also some lower level earth/water) items at 100% of the cost for air items and 110% of the cost for others. PM me on these forums.



I was not aware Pangaea was offering such a generous deal http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Shovah32]

Silence, migraines do things to people :p(playing as pangaea in another game dosnt help either)

[Potatoman]

Wow, another crushing defeat at the hands of Kailasa! Nice going Zrave.

The nation of R'lyeh will not rest until even the smouldering rubble of Kailasa is destroyed! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

[Shovah32]

Am I the only one who feels threatened by that arcane nexus?

[Foodstamp]

The message I got when the enchantment was cast told me I should feel threatened.

[Potatoman]

The spice must flow!

[Foodstamp]

Cathbad leaned forward, elbows on the alchemist table, fingers rubbing his temples. "This time...something felt different."

He had been working from this same laboratory for the past few months, trying to shore up the defense of Eastern Pangaea, casting rituals day in and day out, but something this time was out of place.

As he rubbed his head, Cathbad became lost in thought. A moment of rest, a moment to day dream, a luxury not had in many years for the master druid. Cathbad thought back to the days of the Sidhe in his homeland, the mighty Tuatha had ruled then, before the Pantokrator destroyed everything.

Day dreaming turned to meditation. "Ah yes, there is indeed something different." Cathbad walked over to a scrying pool near the center of the room. He peered into the water, and caught his own reflection for a moment, startled by the many wrinkles that had settled on his face in the past few years.

With a wave of his hand, he casted his own reflection aside and the surface of the water began to glow, translucent. A moment in time captured in the ripples of the water, a thin white strand could be seen against a black background. Energies swirled around this strand before they inevitably became absorbed.

"The Arcane Nexus." Cathbad whispered, as if speaking those words would attract the attention of the Eater of Gods himself.

"It would seem Rlyeh wishes to dominate us all with the casting of one single spell." Shaking his head, with a slight smile, Cathbad wondered what the leaders of the other nations were thinking right now, or if they even knew the spell had been cast.

Cathbad walked to the lone window of the laboratory and looked out upon the swamp to the west, and the sun setting behind the massive cyprus trees. "Everything moves so rapidly now, in the blink of an eye, a friend can become an enemy...or even an enemy can turn into a friend."

[Foodstamp]

Pangaea is now trading for Nature gems! I have several hundred gems of various shapes and sizes to trade for nature gems. My primary stockpiles include air gems, fire gems and earth gems.
I am willing to trade these gems for nature gems on a 1 to 1 basis. Send me a private message if you are interested in trading http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Zrave]

I've ran out of gold, gems, armies, and land, so I am going AI the turn after this one.

gg all, I learned a lot http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Foodstamp]

Zrave,

Judging by the graphs, and the bit of scrying I did during your war, you put up a stellar defense. Watching how you used your mages inspired me to try kailasa in another MP game. Very well played, I hope we meet again in another MP game, maybe in a little closer proximity so we can wage war against one another!

[Potatoman]

Very well played Zrave, I learned a lot battling you!

[RamsHead]

I suggest that we incease the time to 48 hour quickhost.

Unrelated to the above, yay, I finally got a national hero!

[Potatoman]

In the sky above Wynna, below the glaring eyes of seven cursed stars, a shroud of gray smoke is rising. Beneath that smoke lies Mount Kailasa, the famed celestial mountain and last butress of the Devata, which burns under an arcane fire that cannot be quenched and that inexorably chars the very stones of the mountain to ash. The soul of the mountain was shattered along with the power of its master; only the husk remains to burn beneath R'yleh's spell.

The people who venerated Kailasa, too, are gone. Their cities sit abandoned beneath the burning mountain, being slowly reclaimed by the hungry forests. Occasionally a Mind Lord of R'yleh may slither through the ruins, going about it's inscrutable buisness, but even members of the Great Race are reluctant to stay long beneath the shadow of the burning mountain. Evil Stars still hang in the sky above that place, and the Horrors visit frequently. The time of the Devata is past and the last vestiges of their presence on this world are being consumed by the forces which gave them birth.

But for the few in this land who survived the endless attrition of the war between R'yleh and Kailasa, the constant famine and leprosy, the pillaging undead, and the final, terrible cataclysm, there is hope. Forces are gathering, alliances are squaring off, and apotheosis draws near. When the new pantheon ascends, peace will finally come and the true gods will, at last, have reason to repair this world that have brought so close to destruction.

[CharonJr]

Hmm, I am sorry to have to drop out og this game, too.

I have (more or less) been able to post my turns in time, but now with a war vs. Atlantis at hand I will not be able to spend nearly enough time for my turns here at the moment.

Due to this I will switch myself to AI.

It has been a nice game, I hope to see you in another game when I have more time again.

CharonJr

[Shovah32]

Darn, now atlantis is attacking me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Foodstamp]

Shovah32 said:
Darn, now atlantis is attacking me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif



I will save you &lt;3

[RamsHead]

Mental note: Do not begin invasions with C'tis during winter. +12 encumbrance is not not fun.

[Foodstamp]

Ouch!

Well if all goes as planned, the bulk of Atlantis's army including his Dagon should become deceased next turn http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Potatoman]

Ach, stale turn. No idea how that happened.

[Foodstamp]

I blame it on that Arcane Nexus, an evil thing indeed.

[Potatoman]

The arcane nexus makes many things possible. Behold the wonder of... Spockamus Prime!