[Spoilers] Commodore is Kublai Khan of Greece...yeah.

[Commodore]

Game is up again! Not much having happened; killing off the barbarian swarms for easy xp, rattling spears threateningly against Pindicator and AT, building away. I think I'm sold on the stone plan, if nothing else, a quick Stonehenge would do wonders for stealing pigs and corn from the Mayans.




Pentos is making a barracks, and about to get a little hungry while working furs and gold to enable Volantis to 1t grow. This is still a good settle, I think...I just need to take care of the offending Mayans down south, but that's the plan anyway.




Volantis is about to finish her settler, then it's growing just a bit to set up for a massive amount of whip overflow into the pyramids. Working two hill mines, the copper, cows, wheat, and furs will net me 17hpt, enough to 4-turn the 'mids with whip overflow and the four Math chops.




Now just let everyone else avoid stupid crazy Mr. Itookaggresiveandthusamabouttorush for just a few more turns, and I'll be set up great for my builder game.

[Commodore]

Turn 42 In the days of the Oracle of Vultures, the Free Cities had frequent dealings with a numerous people from the hills of the northwest, the Roshi. The tribes were fractious, some offering trade, while others fought the soldiers of Volantis in raids. In every incursion, the raiders were repulsed with ease by the strong men of the city.

Among the nearer hills, moreover, where the culture of Volantis grew strong, the Roshi paid homage to the Free Cities and their artisans dwelt among the people, some number even settling among those thriving in the hamlet of Pape's Cot. These artisans were great masons, and they taught the people of the cities much about the use of stone.



Indeed, those days were a flowering of knowledge and culture among the Free Cities, for the libraries of Pentos and Volantis attracted great men of learning, while the new mines in the hills east of Pentos yielded a great sum of gold. Although the growing cities had neither the abundance of food nor metals that other nations did at the time, the wealth of the cities was well protected by the Free Citizen hoplites and ekdromoi.



And it was well, for the Commodore was preparing his people for another great conflict, this time with the people of Scooter. For among the peaks of Norvos there were valleys of stone and marble that would be put to use soon, for the making of ever great wonders in the Free Cities.

[Commodore]

Turn 43-45 In the year that Governor Saro died a great company of raiders arose out of the Roshi hills and came marauding among the friendly tribes near the mining camps of Stule. The Third Phalanx went up out of the river valley to meet them, and the company of Ahn went with them in support.

And behold, the report was heard that to the southwest in the Upper Pass of the Norvos Peaks that chariots of the Indians were seen. Indeed, scouts of the Third Phalanx saw the strong men of India making camp in Stone Valley just beyond the pass. Knowing that only in haste could the Indians be taken by surprise, the men of the Third Phalanx embarked on a forced march along the road in the woods, catching the chariotry of Scooter unawares.



The charioteers gave valiant fight in Stone Valley, and a great portion of the Third Phalanx fell that day on the slopes. The survivors are known to this day as the Stone Valley Phalanx, and their banners are seen among the hills of Norvos even now.

But that was not the only brave fight of that day. For even as the Third Phalanx marched south to glory, the raiders of Roshi marched north, seeking the pastures of the riverlands. Ahn's Company, although lightly equipped, gave chase and caught the raiders among the northern hills. The battle was very fierce, but after much fighting the Roshi at last broke and Ahn's Company stood yet, still barring the way into the riverlands.



The lush pastures and farms around Volantis needed still more labor to make the land settled in full, and the city's coffers went towards the hiring of workers to chop and mine and till the earth.



And in Stone Valley, the first colonists of the Free Cities arrived in the camps of the Stone Valley Phalanx, to establish a city there between the peaks. Stone for buildings, marble, silver, and sheep were to be the new city's chief exports.



In those days, a new uprising of the Lystari called for the raising of a Fourth Phalanx, and the men of the city stood ready once again to defend the borders against all foes, barbarian or civilized.

[Commodore]

Turn 46 And the Fourth Phalanx ran north to the rills, where a host of Lystari raiders swarmed down upon the city. The men of Volantis hesitated not, nor did they quail, but rather turned first to the east to receive the onslaught from that quarter, and then wheeled swiftly and forded the river to strike down the second host before they pillaged the pastures.


 

The continual threat of attack caused Commodore great concern, and so he authorized the settlement of the new Free City of Norvos, nestled in the hard-won Stone Valley. Masons in all of the Free Cities used stones from the quarries beneath the city in building walls and other constructions.


 

The Stone Valley is high and little grows therein, although some sheep and goats are raised by the local tribesmen. Nevertheless Norvos will never be a large city, nor a prosperous one. However, and great many mines and lumber camps are within its culture, and it is a solid rock against the cruel Indians in the west. The looming threat of the axes and swords of India remains always in the forefront of the Citizens minds therein.

[Commodore]

Turn 47 Make that a three turn build.



Wish me luck...

[mackoti]

i just wanna say very good play until now.

[Commodore]

i just wanna say very good play until now.

Thanks Mack, it's going to be interesting to see how well all of this pays off. There is a very real cost to all this; I think I was first to three cities, but Norvos isn't as good as some of the other spots hereabouts. Its strong hammer output, combined with the Pyramids push, has me taking top MFG right now, but at the cost of pitifully low crop. Good real GNP is about to be inflated ridiculously by culture, of course.



 

The key, of course, is to always ensure that power number stays high. Agg Phalanx are ugly-strong defenders. I'll be using them now to push out the ICS grid.

[Commodore]

In the year that the walls of Norvos were finished the governor ordered a review of the region, for upon Shadow not all points are the same as others. Indeed, while to the men of Volantis the sons of the Teller dwelt in the northeast, the newest settlements of the Springsteens could be seen northwest of Norvos' borders. Indeed, there was a battalion of spears menacing prospectors of silver in the fields below the city in that year.


 

The land of Shadow knew peace for a little while, as the Free Cities grew and the forces of the brothers each stood within their own lands. The Lystari tribe would soon send raiders again, and in the jungles a new tribe was sending forth its men into the lands around Pentos, but for just a brief year, there was neither fighting nor death.

[Commodore]

Turn 49:




A winner is me!

[Commodore]

So, turn fifty was pretty inauspicious, given it was spent in anarchy. Right now the net benefit of the Pyramids is a single happy citizen in Volantis. Still, nice to have them. After EoT, things are much clearer: My empire is small and highly militarized, with a lot of potential and in real need of expansion.


 

The capital of Volantis is due for some growth, capping out at 13 once the silver is online and the odeon is built. She's a pretty nice place, like all capitals in this mirror, although until Pentos can wrest corn and pigs from Pindicator south, the crabs are on loan. Overall, the whipping days of this lady are mostly over as Representation specialists will fill out things at cap.




The Freshmaker Pentos is a pretty marginal "sharer" spot that will someday come into its own if by culture or sword Pin can be relieved of his tiles. Be that as it may, the gold, awesome shared power tiles, and cottage riverland still make this a pretty sweet city.




Last and least of my cities is Norvos here, subsisting on lamb and not much else. For all that...1E of the sheep is iron, and so at the tiny size of four Norvos will stagnate on sheep, iron, silver, and marble for an impressive 13hpt and 10cpt. That'll do. Plus, she's pushing against Scooter's capital itself.




In the top cities, not too much interesting has happened yet. Stonehenge for failgold, AT in first place with his Ind forges Oracled, and Pin whipping like mad. Ought to be fun to see where we go from here.




The scores tell the story pretty well. Pin is doing fin, but a little lacking in pizzaz. I'm alright, a lot depends on how much of a dogpile forms. AT's been using his leader and UU well, and probably needs hurting, while Scooter is rocking the Fast Worker to demo domination.




Military, military. The soldier number is a little deceptive, actually, Agg Phalanxes mean I have the best army in the world by a good measure...but I'm rubbing borders with Pin and Scooter, while I've seen more and more indications of AT militarizing in my direction.




Going pretty good. Let's see how the next phase goes, eh? Anyone have a question or comment, please, fire away.