Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 1 of 2

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

The Gift of Health cures ten of my afflicted Jotuns this month.

Vanheim, with 1 herse, 8 skin shifters, 2 hirdmen, 6 huskarls, 4 barbarians, 1 heavy infantry, 9 light infantry, and 5 archers attacks Man's capital (before my wyrm arrives), who defend with 1 castellan (PD), 1 bard, 1 monk (PD), 31 fanatics, and 25 slingers (PD). Late in the battle, after considerable losses to both sides, with all the Van troops retreating save for a handful of archers and a lone herse, and with Man's only remaining soldiers being slingers, Man goes into a general rout, narrowly winning the field for Vanheim.

Vanheim's Pyrrhic victory leaves them with just a herse and five archers to face my mighty wyrm. The battle ends with the herse becoming a very light snack that hardly begins to satisfy the wyrm's vast appetite. Still, the experience is worth 1 kill and 5 trophies to my avatar. Unsurprisingly, even my huge wyrm is unequal to the task of tearing down the gates to the fortress of Man. But he is more than strong enough to fend off the counterattacks I expect will soon be coming from both Man and Vanheim, and to maintain the seige until my Jotuns arrive there in a few months.

Bdvar observes a battle in Koromoo between Mictlan and Vanheim. Mictlan attacks with 1 tribal king, 1 mounted commander, 3 eagle warriors, 5 jaguar warriors, 6 sun warriors, 40 warriors, 5 heavy infantry, and 1 slave. Van defends with 1 herse, 1 black hawk (leader), 5 black hawks, 1 vine ogre, 4 lamia, 3 hirdmen, 9 huskarls, and 1 light infantry. The affair is very bloody for both sides. With the Van forces reduced to just 1 herse, 2 black serpents, 2 hirdmen, and 7 rapidly fleeing huskarls, the army of Mictlan's morale breaks and they rout, despite still possessing over half their starting force. Van is very fortunate and holds on to the province with just 3, injured, units.

A scout, suspected to be from Vanheim, is killed by the Jotun militia (PD) of Kepess.

My researchers achieve mastery of the fifth level of Thaumaturgy, and the addition of more temples has strengthened the faith.

(Note that dom in Ashikaga went from 0 to 3 in one turn of concentrated preaching, and that dom has risen in many of my provinces since Last month. The mere presence of my pretender in Man has reduced Man's dom from -3 to -1 in their home province. I may very well be able to kill their pretender by my presence alone!)

My realm has:

• ___8 Dominion max.
• __15 Temples
• __37 Provinces converted
• _982 Treasury.
• 1505 Income. (+129)
• _449 Upkeep. (unchanged)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=5, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=-1, PD=0, Unr=14 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=2, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (08)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_9 Water (18)
• +_3 Earth (10)
• +16 Astral (35) (includes 10 Clams)
• +_3 Death (04)
• +_8 Nature (20)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 174 RPs (of 232 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:04: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit another a Priest and 2 Jotun spearmen in Ashikaga, and a Seithkona and 6 Jotun spearmen in Pythium. Temples are to be built in Barra, Ancyrna, and Zenthra. These preparations drain the treasury of 980 coins.

Having elminated the unrest in the Rim Mountains, I raise taxes there back to normal.

The Norna Rimdriva prepares to invoke the ritual of Acashic Record upon the province of Barra, for which I allot 25 of the astral pearls in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of 10 water gems. Four of my Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wines, expending all 20 of my nature gems. (I will need plenty of supplies so that my troops do not starve as they pass through the mountains south of Man.)

Tahmar heads back to Pythium. The commander Stark, with 10 assorted Jotuns and 4 vine ogres, moves from Ancyrna to Ashikaga, while commander Theag returns to Jotunheim.

Rod the Firbolg, leading my army's vanguard of 21 healthy Jotun spearmen and a bodyguard of 5 vine ogres, along with 4 priests carrying Sceptres of Authority and with one vine ogre apiece as bodyguards, head westwards from Ashikaga to The Promised Land, the first step on their 3-month march to the seige at Man. Bove remains in Ashikaga with the rest of my Jotun army, to bask another month in the Gift of Health within a province where the faith is moderately strong. Grymis remains as well, preaching, to further raise the strength of the faith.

My wyrm Jorgun will single-handedly maintain the seige of the capital of Man.

Turn #33 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 01, 2004, 20:58: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #34 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Arcoscephale, Atlantis, Machaka, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm (capital is now visible), and Vanheim. You can now see the east-west wrap of the map at this zoom level by looking at Vanheim's Valgaard province (at the extreme left and right map sides). The north-south wrap is also, barely, visible.

(Nation names in boldface are newly-visible this month.)

[Arryn]

Turn #34, Winter of Year 3
A fat and happy wyrm.

Part 1 of 2

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

The Gift of Health cures just four of my afflicted Jotuns this month. (Bove, plus seven Jotuns, remain wounded, as does my wyrm.)

Rimdriva's Acashic Record ritual upon Barra reveals 2 magical sites: a Totem Collection (1 nature gem and 1 astral pearl, and increases the luck of the province), and a Water Filled Cave (1 water and 1 earth gems). I am once again disappointed in failing to locate even a single site with air gems. At least I am certain that the fortress of Man conceals air magics, given the presence of Dark Skies in their dominion, what little remains of it.

A vengeful witch attempts to curse my troops in Pythium for having destroyed her home and taken five nature gems from her. However, she is unable to catch the vandals. I suspect that one, or both, of my Seithkona in Pythium must have run afoul of the witch, while taking a break from their researches in the city's lab, and decided to exact revenge. Hell hath no fury as a woman ...

My faithful followers in the Rim Mountains, of their own accord, raise a temple in my honor. I am truly touched by their devotion to me.

As expected, my wyrm beseiging Man is attacked by forces from both Man and Vanheim. Man sallies forth from the fortress first, with 1 castellan (PD), 1 commander, 1 monk (PD), 2 knights, 1 cu sidhe, 7 fanatics, 2 archers, and 25 slingers (PD). First to arrive, and get eaten, is one of the knights. The other knight promptly flees in abject horror. The slingers close to short range while the foolish, suicidally brave castellan rushes forward to meet the huge oncoming wyrm. He, too, gets gulped down in one bite. After eating seven of the slingers, with a half-dozen more unconscious from being bLasted by my wyrm's Astral Shield, the forces of Man go into a general rout. Jorgun finishes consuming the appetizer of slingers and prepares for the main course of Vans.

Vanheim, with their vanjarl prophet (with an Enchanted Sword, heroic strength, and 3 stars), 8 skin shifters, 7 hirdmen, 5 huskarls, 1 barbarian, 1 light infantry, and 8 archers attacks next. A much more substantive, albeit somewhat numerically smaller, force than what Man mustered. Regardless, the outcome of this battle, too, was never in doubt long before Vanheim began their march. Attacking my avatar is a mistake on their part, hubris born of the ease with which they have conquered other, smaller opponents. But they had not faced the might of Jotuns and the One True God ... until now. I shall teach them a lesson they shall not soon forget.

The Vans begin the battle with almost all of their units starving, and with almost all bearing one or more afflictions. Once my wyrm completes the preparatory spellcasting, he moves to engage this walking wounded "Pride of Vanheim". In a few moments, two skin shifters, all seven hirdmen, and three huskarls rout despite their prophet's two exhortations of Fanaticism. By this time, my wyrm has eaten four skin shifters, and two more skin shifters, two huskarls, the barbarian, and the light infantryman lay unconscious from striking my Astral Shield. The archers, quite stupidly, decide to charge and engage in melee. After eating two of them, and striking a third one senseless, their prophet's "unshakeable" morale breaks and he takes what's left of his troops with him. These back-to-back battles accrue 25 kills and 28 trophies to my avatar's tallies, as well as being a filling repast for my ever-ravenous wyrm.

Arcoscephale attacks the independent province of Fas Dir with 1 hoplite commander, 4 elephants, 6 light cavalry, 8 heart companions, 2 hoplites, 10 flagellants, 7 archers, and 28 slingers versus defenders mustering 2 knights (leaders), 8 knights, and 14 fanatics. The elephants quickly trample 4 of the knights, and the rest of the chivalric riders immediately turn tail and gallop away in fright. The knight leaders, with no sense whatsoever, gallantly charge the bulk of the Arco force, only to be surrounded and killed in short order. A very educational battle ... for my observant scout. I shall remember to be wary of these big 'elephant' beasts so that the knight's fate does not befall my Jotuns.

My researchers expect to achieve mastery of the sixth level of Evocation by the end of the month.

(The mere presence of my pretender in Man has eradicated Man's dom from their home province and replaced it with my own!)

My realm has:

• ___8 Dominion max.
• __19 Temples
• __38 Provinces converted
• 1032 Treasury.
• 1550 Income. (+45)
• _472 Upkeep. (+23)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=7, PD=17, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=8, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-2, PD=20, Unr=1
• Robber Home: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=5, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=1, PD=0, Unr=16 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=3, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (12)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +10 Water (18)
• +_4 Earth (14)
• +18 Astral (27) (includes 11 Clams)
• +_3 Death (07)
• +_9 Nature (14)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment*
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 218 RPs (of 239 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:03: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Sand]

The Vans begin the battle with almost all of their units starving, and with almost all bearing one or more afflictions.

Is there an easy way to discern this, or did you pause the battle and click on each unit?

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Sand:
did you pause the battle and click on each unit?

Yes, I actually did ...

[Scott Hebert]

Hi. I've been reading this _very educational_ AAR, and I actually had a few questions about your not-so-early research.

First, it appears you rushed to Conjuration 6 and Construction 4. While I understand the Construction 4 (first path enhancers, and the Clams), I'm not exactly sure why you went all the way to Conjuration 6 so fast. I don't have the full game yet, so I may be missing a vital spell you were going for. IIRC, Acashic Record is 5. I think my main confusion stems from the fact that I don't see you summoning anything that would require Conjuration 6.

Anyway, love your AAR, keep it coming, and when I get the full game, I plan to do AARs using yours as a model.

Bayushi Tasogare