Tholal wonders what the hell he's doing! [SPOILERS]

[Tholal]

TURN 70 STATE OF THE EMPIRE:

Land overview

Enemy activity

Tain's Sinister Scout. If he moves north he could threaten a Worker and even take a chance of an attack of Avelorn. I have a single fortified Warrior in the city so his odds wont be great, but who knows what other players might do. Hopefully not everyone thinks that limited diplo means Always War. I have a couple of Scouts to the SW that are moving to try and capture a Bear. Decided to continue their mission rather than spend time being distracted by a single scout.



Barb warrior chooses to approach the city rather than pillage or fight my troops on the hill. Hopefully it will suicide into the city defenses next turn.

City details

Building a couple/few Scouts/Warriors depending on what happens the next couple of turns. Building a Tailor when I have enough troops


Finish the Market then building a Brewing House. Had to stop construction on the Cotton plantation to the north due to Barb activity, but will finish it soon as well as building Wineries. Naggarond is currently the biggest and best city in the world and I expect it




Avelorn still has 0 culture. I had planned on capturing a Bear much earlier but I diverted instead to grab the Gorilla and Griffon up north. Hopefully I'll have a Bear soon. Will begin building a Market here next turn.

Graphs & Demographics

Both Tasunke and Tain have 5 cities.

Scores

Lewwyn is maintaining his lead and I'm steadily falling behind everyone except DaveV.

General plans for near future:

• Capture Bear and settle it in Avelorn
  
• Finish scouting north coastline and pick spot for 4th city
  
• Build Tailor and Brewing House
  
• Plant 4th city and two settlements to grab the Metamagic nodes
  
• Scout over mountains to east
  
• Finish Horsebck Riding and Knowledge of Ether
  
• Begin super secret plan to screw over Tasunke
  

[Tholal]

Timeline Update:

Turn 69: Crafting discovered. Naggarond grows to size 11. Carnival completed at Naggarond. Wolf Pen, Gorilla Cage and Lion Cage built at Naggarond. Barbarian Warrior moves into the Cow Farm northeast of Naggarond.

Turn 70: Worker completed in Kwythellar. Barbarian Warrior crossed one river and moves into the farmland outside of Naggarond. Chief Tain's Scout spotted southeast of Avelorn.

Turn 71: Scout completed in Kwythellar. Avelorn grows to size 5. Elder Council completed in Avelorn. Barbarian Warrior pillages Farmland

[Tholal]

After realizing that he was moving into my lands, Chief Tain's scout immediately turned around and went back the way from whence he came. Barbarian warrior threw itself at the Naggarond defenders to no avail. Bear was captured at the expense of two scouts. 1st Tracker is currently escorting it back to Avelorn. My Combat III Griffon, who had spent ~5 turns healing before finally moving to scout over the mountains and water to the northeast, was slain by a lowly level 1 barbarian griffon.

More detailed updates later.

[Tholal]

Here are a couple of pictures with some word-stuff to go along with them.

Turn 72: Enclave

My first Enclave! Only took 72 turns...

Turn 74: Tain's scout

Here is my last sighting of the intruding Scout. The red arrows indicate the path he followed into and out of my area (near as I can guess). He wouldn't have been able to see anything (besides my scouts capturing the bear), until he reached the hilltop, where he would have seen Avelorn just inside the fog, and the outer border regions of Kwythellar to the west. His departure on realizing his intrusion bodes well for future contact with this civilization.

[Tholal]

Timeline Update:

Turn 71: Naggarond grows to size 12

Turn 72: Scout completed in Kwythellar. Winery completed near Naggarond. Scout slain by Polar Bear. Scout slain by Polar Bear. 1st Tracker captures Polar Bear.

Turn 73: Naggarond grows to size 13. Market completed at Naggarond. Barbarian Warrior slain by the 2nd Militia.

Turn 74: Scout completed in Kwythellar. Second Cotton Plantation and second Winery built outside of Naggarond. Last sighting of Chief Tain's Scout who heads back from whence it came.

Turn 75: Warrior trained in Kwythellar.

Turn 76: Naggarond grows to size 14. Warrior trained in Kwythellar. Horseback Riding discovered. Pig Farm completed outside of Naggarond. Farm completed outside of Avelorn.

Turns 72 - 78 Cottages are built on the outskirts of Kythellar, Naggarond and Avelorn. The booming population of all 3 metropolises quickly fills the homes and begins enjoying their life in the suburbs.

Turn 79: Naggarond grows to size 15. Centaur trained in Kwythellar. Dancing Bear installed at Avelorn.

[Tholal]

I just noticed something strange...



5 food grassland plots! I was wondering how that barb city was at size 6 so quickly! And yes, I do realize that I'm probably the last player to notice this.

I guess that also explains these insane food production totals.




Hmmm... looks like maybe this map was built to encourage Aristo-grarianism. I still think I need to stick with my Cottage/Specialist approach. With my limited number of cities, I simply cant make use of as many farms as everyone else can, even with the 3rd ring. However, I can still benefit from the super grasslands. My 4th city will be somewhere in that area, and being able to quickly grow it in size to match the others will be a nice economic boost.

[Tholal]

Things are heating up in game. Arendel has been rapidly climbing in score and has also founded Fellowship of the Leaves. Another Barbarian city has been discovered in the Marshes along the northern coast. It may be an acceptable site for a Settlement.

Here's a quick city overview.

Kwythellar:

Lita the Witch is born here at the end of this turn. Hopefully I'll be able to use her to found RoK (which would be a nice coup but I have a sinking feeling that someone is going to snag the Holy City from my grasp. I'm actually kind of surprised that it hasn't been founded already!), otherwise I may just settle in the city to help get some production going. Mining is also discovered at the end of this turn, revealing a copper source 1 spot south of the city proper. Some residents will have to be displaced, but the extra production from that mine should allow me to train Centaurs every 2 turns. The two specialists will be put to work on the farm. Naggarond will take over the duty of creating Great People.

Naggarond:

Settler finishing up at the end of this turn. I need to raze Spilan so these Settlers can found a proper city.

I'll let Naggarond grow to size 16 while putting production into the Brewing House. After that I'll switch back to another Worker and Settler. I already have a good jump on the next Great Person here. Should be another 20 turns or so. Would love to get a Great Sage for an Academy in Avelorn.

Avelorn:

Just now expanding into its rightful space. We have 5 workers setting up Pastures and Plantations here, though two will be rerouted to build the Copper Mine at Kwythellar. Once the Granary is complete, I will try to have Avelorn relieve some of the production burden from Kwythellar. I still need Centaurs, a Mage Guild, a few Adepts and a Tailor between the two cities. With the Improvements and Granary, Avelorn should be able to grow a size every 3 turns or so.

[Tholal]

Lita the Witch is born here at the end of this turn. Hopefully I'll be able to use her to found RoK (which would be a nice coup but I have a sinking feeling that someone is going to snag the Holy City from my grasp. I'm actually kind of surprised that it hasn't been founded already!)

Eureka!



And so Lita the Witch (who was known for her long flowing, white beard) was given the opportunity to be the first to divine the ways of worshiping the Earth and all the wonderful gold that flows forth from it, which she did. The initial adherents to this new belief system gathered in Naggarond and established it as the Official Holy Site.

Someone else must have been researching WotE. I expect there will be some disappointment and perhaps even cries of anguish as this next turn makes the rounds.

[Tholal]

Timeline Update:

Turn 80: Banana Plantation built. Avelorn grows to size 6. Scout defeated by Giant Spider. Scout defeated by Giant Spider (Baby Spider created). 1st Tracker (now poisoned) defeats and captures Giant Spider. Scout defeats Baby Spider and is promoted to 2nd Tracker (now poisoned).

Turn 81: Knowledge of the Ether discovered. Market completed in Avelorn. Giant Spider promoted to Mobility I. 2nd Tracker promoted to Combat I and Subdue Animals. 1st Tracker promoted to Combat IV. All 3 units move into or near Avelorn to heal their wounds. A size 1 Barbarian city, Sludgehome, is discovered Northeast of Avelorn, deep in the marshy coastland

Turn 82: Centaur trained in Kwythellar. Silk Plantation built outside of Avelorn.

Turn 83: Avelorn grows to size 7.

Turn 84: Settler completed at Naggarond. Mining discovered. Lita the Witch (Great Prophet) born in Kwythellar. Lita the Witch discovers Way of the Earthmother and Runes of Kilmorph is founded in Naggarond. The Kuriotate Empire goes into a brief period of instability as RoK is installed as the official state religion.

[Tholal]

Despite my founding of the Runes of Kilmorph, things are not really looking up.



I'm dead last in score and Arendel (Ichabod) and Lewwyn seem to be steadily pulling ahead of the rest of us.

My Spider is fully healed and has begun exploring the polar regions, discovering that it is abundant in resources.



Though I wonder if the game will last long enough for anyone to actually colonize those areas, especially with nasties like this lurking around!



Think I forgot to mention this before but there also appears to be something going on just past the Northern Marshes.



Between my Griffon being killed and the two barb cities, I haven't been able to properly explore up that way but we can see that there is a Volcano and a sign of some sort. Perhaps a region of Fire to complement the region of Ice to the south?

And speaking of Barbarians, those making encampment in Spilan are a pain in my ass. I finally assembled a strike force and find that they've brought in Warrior reinforcements!



My Centaurs could tear up the Archers, but the Warriors defend first against them, making things much more difficult. I have all my forces pull back from the city gates, leaving only the 5th Militia out as bait. I'm hoping that one or both of the Barb Warriors sally forth, leaving both themselves and the city vulnerable.

I'm already way behind on founding my 4th and final true city. I was hoping to raze Spilan this turn, but now it will be at least another turn, perhaps even more. I have two more Centaurs in production, but it will be ~ 5 turns before they are both finished and in place for an assault.

Demographics:


Civics:


Chief Tain of the Svarts is running a pretty standard Aristo-grarianism along with Nationhood and Apprenticeship. Tasunke of the Sheaim is running a more military civ - City States, Religion, Military State and Conquest. His most recent trait switches were to Financial, Organized and Raiders! He's definitely built for building a nasty army and he seems prepared to do so, especially with the latest news...

Recent Events:


Tasunke built Form of the Titan! So with his current civics, any troops he builds get +6 XP and a free Raiders promo! That sounds like some Pyre Zombies I do not want to see.

In other news we see that Octopus Overlords was founded, presumably with the Prophet that was born the turn before? However, noone has yet adopted the religion. Chief Tain enters a Golden Age, seemingly started with a Great Sage, and he also converts to Fellowship of the Leaves.

I switched Civics myself, switching from Pacifism to Religion and adopting Apprenticeship so my mighty Centaurs can receive an initial promotion. I think they are going to need all the withdrawal points they can get.

Mage guild has been completed in Kwythellar though I'm going to train another Centaur there before beginning work on Adepts. Avelorn will produce troops for the time being, Centaurs mostly, while Naggarond will finish up a Temple of Kilmorph in a few turns and begin spreading the religion to the rest of my cities. Still need to finish the Brewing House and also build a Tailor. Maybe I'll do the Tailor first. Production potential is increasing as mines begin to go up on every available hill. Writing completes at end of turn. I was considering going for Trade next to get Centaur Chargers, but then I realized that I also need Construction. So now I'm thinking either Archery (lumber mills for more production and archers for stronger defense while my Centaurs prowl the fields), Cartography (I'll need to switch to City States in the near future, and noone has yet built the Pact of the Nilhorn), or Philosophy-> Priesthood (Priests are pretty awesome in general, but one of their best features from a Kuriotate perspective is their ability to build Temples, even in Settlements. Slap a Temple of Kilmorph in every Settlement and suddenly they become no-maintenance profit centers).