RBPBEM FfH #1 [SPOILERS] Sareln of the Svartalfar

[Sareln]

So now that I've spammed you all with 10 turns of *stuff*, my long term plan is to build up a military, get education, festivals and priesthood researched, get the elf civic, convert to RoK for 5 turns to get me to Neutral alignment, and then try to sneak in an Altar of the Lunnotar victory while helping Bob towards Domination and Selrahc towards ToM. Sound good?

[tscharlii]

Sound good?

I like your optimism.

At first I thought, you completely handed yourself over to Bob and he has control over your research. I remembered this from a letter to Bob:

This is not a partnership, it is a capitulation

But then I re-read the letter and saw this:

I am offering to subordinate the Svartalfar to the Calabim. A complete offering of my maps and recon each turn, whatever health and happiness resources you need, whichever mana you need from my capital (mind strikes me as particularly relevant with +3% to total research), a source of elven workers, and control over my diplomacy.

What do you need to win by the altar?

Some decent amount of research and a lot of great prophets?

Once you start spamming everyone's eventlog with prophets born in your cities and someone decides to interrupt your plans: Will Bob be obliged to help you as your patron? Or is it just the other way around. You need to help Bob with his miltary attacks and defense?
Or might Bob just say right before you finish the altar: "I enjoyed your tribute for all these turns, but I free you from vassalage", and declares on you?

Two more questions:
1) What's the idea of turning into netural? Preventing your land to be burned down by Hyborem?

2) When did you first anticipate a PoW rush? You didn't mention it a lot throughout your thread. What would you have done differently, if you knew earlier, what's coming towards you?

[Sareln]

Since Bob wasn't able to provide the initial city, we were forced to turn to Cull for temporary succor, ergo, the terms are not the exact ones given in that e-mail. We're treating it as a vassalage though, which means I'll be doing my darndest to facilitate his conquest/domination run. We may even sign a vassalage agreement at some point, if it makes sense.

Altar is another tech victory win, but does require GPP and Production instead of Mana Nodes and Production. The altar before it's finished is also quite useful, buffing your priest specialists, increasing the starting XP of your disciple units, and happiness - basically, if anyone asks what I'm doing I can always respond with: Getting the XP bonus for my priests and making my specialists (which I can run a-lot of with the leaves civic) more valuable.

I'll probably talk to Bob about it, set it up as a fall-back if we run into unexpected trouble taking on the world. Haven't really decided. It's a bit of a ways off there anyways.

Going neutral does 2 things for me: lets me build the altar and lets me train druids - and I still get to run Slavery if I want to!

WRT PoW Rush, I didn't really look that hard for it, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do much to stop it. Look at how well Cull did against those priests, even with Aggressive and Dwarf Defensive bonuses. Any sort of early aggression on my part against Selrahc (choking) would fall flat due to Stasis - and would set me back far behind. Basically I had to take the 50/50 on whether it was going to be me or PB and build like a normal builder game. Str. 7 priests, with the Axe and a GG just can't be stood against.

[Sciz]

RoK doesn't make anyone neutral does it? I thought it didn't do anything to the civ's alignment.

I know Order makes you good, octopus makes good->neutral, ashen veil makes you evil, kilmorph makes you neutral i think? But not RoK.

I'm unsure though.

[Dantski]

kilmorph makes you neutral i think? But not RoK.

facepalm

Empyrean makes evil civs neutral too, but I'm guessing that's what you were trying to say

[Sciz]

No actually i got RoK mixed up with Fellowship of Leaves

[Sareln]

Religions and their effect upon alignments:

Fellowship of Leaves: No Effect
Runes of Kilmorph: Evil becomes Neutral
Octopus Overlords: Good becomes Neutral
Ashen Veil: Non-evil becomes Evil
Order: Non-good becomes Good
Empyrean: (?) but likely Evil becomes Neutral
Council of Esus: (?) but likely Good becomes Neutral

[sunrise089]

Religions and their effect upon alignments:

Fellowship of Leaves: No Effect
Runes of Kilmorph: Evil becomes Neutral
Octopus Overlords: Good becomes Neutral
Ashen Veil: Non-evil becomes Evil
Order: Non-good becomes Good
Empyrean: (?) but likely Evil becomes Neutral
Council of Esus: (?) but likely Good becomes Neutral

You are correct, including the (?) items.

[Sareln]

More turn reports!

Turn 103:

Recovery work continues, I'll be keeping the number of combat units built to a minimum in favor of workers/elder coucils/other buildings which improve my economic output.





Turn 104:

Quiet turn, I finish the elder council at end of turn and will then start on a hunting lodge to bring my hunters online. The capital will continue to grow. Iskender contacted me about arranging a resource trade (one of my cotton for his ale) and I agreed, with the caveat that I would need to end the trade when my other trade networks were opened.



Turn 105:

Elder council finishes in the north, warrior finishes in the south, I start on a hunting lodge in the north and an elder council in the south. I have 4 warriors in the north, 2 in the south, and 2 workers.

I hire a scientist in the capital (doesn't impact growth rate) and will grow again next turn. FoL is due in 10/9 turns. Svartalfar research is now returned to pre-rush levels. Only one way to go from here (up!).

PB contacted me wondering if our previous deals stood, due to peace with Selrahc. I responded in the affirmative - I should be able to meet all obligations given a reasonable amount of time.

[Maksim]

I am an elf.

I was born in the year when the Fimbulwinter ended and we ventured out of our hideaways. I was a member of some of the earliest scouting parties. I travelled far and wide across the world. I have seen wondrous animals such as sheep and cows. I fought skirmishes with marauding lizardmen.

I am a member of the Winter Court.

They call us that in honor of surviving the wrath of the Winter God himself. We fled, leaving our burning cities behind. For years, we wandered, seeking temporary refuges with the dwarves and humans. So many have died back then that their faces blur together in my memory. But I survived, though not whole, my withered and ashen right hand a clear reminder of the battle... the ice elemental gripping my arm until I shattered his crystalline form with my shield.

I am old.

We are not immortal - the long wanderings have wasted our youth and our health. This place is bleak, with tundra and ice stretching into the horizon. I fear that I am not long for this world but I dream that one day, before I die, I will see forests spread across this land, making it habitable. I dream of seeing a strong and powerful new generation, one that will wrest its rightful place from the weak of this world, and reclaim our birthright as the elder race.

I am an elf, and that is all that matters.

So, will Veniaminus see his dreams realized? How are Svartalfar doing right now?