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

[GreyWolf]

This maneuver caused me to delurk.

[Commodore]

I think we might have broken Scooter.



He's been hit hard, and with Railroad up...yeah, brutal.

[AutomatedTeller]

in the banter thread, scooter said he wasn't going to be back till mon/tues, so thought this was an opportune time to take a break.

[Commodore]

in the banter thread, scooter said he wasn't going to be back till mon/tues, so thought this was an opportune time to take a break.

Oh yeah, I did see that, and it's perfectly reasonable given this has to be one of the most demoralizing blows, ever. Actually, going from me to Pindicator, this was most likely the worst turn of a PBEM we're had here; looks like Scooter lost his front city northwards too.


Weirdly enough, Norvos is back up to being an awesome city, and might be worth growing a little more to work that village. The Awesome Power of railroad mines and SP workshops means with the Heroic Epic in there I'm maxing out at 44 hpt into military units. Glad I kept the city.


Scooter and Pindicator are definitely behind now. When I turn on my tech I'll be bringing in at least 700bpt, and I'm making a decent rate even here at 0%. Scooter, running full-out, could still beat me to Assembly Line given his head start, but not enough to bring his factories online faster...that MFG of mine is only going to improve.


Basically, I can still lose...but only if I'm pressured hard right now, and I think both my foes are demoralized and reeling. I'll start thumping Pindicator too, now, if I can...my rail line will be empire-wide in three turns and that will get me a huge number of freed hitters.

[Commodore]

Turns 179 and 180After the lightning Fall of Abed at the end of the Long Western Campaign, the vast lands and armies of India looked inward, demoralized and sore oppressed. A substantial force of cavalry roamed the vast interior of India, but not a man sat in saddle who did not nurse many grievous wounds. The hosts of India let the companies near Norvos pass unmolested into their hills and largely-abandoned towns.


Moving swiftly on the new steam trains, the main strength of the Free Citizen cavalry rode eastward. Taking the garrison unawares, they burned the Indian city of Chang, and although another Indian Great General arose from the doomed defense, the loss of the city was another hammer-blow to the hopes of the shattered nation, now with only four Great Cities remaining.


Free Citizen infantry pillaged and plundered the lands where Abed once loomed great, driving most of the land's remaining people south to the bastions of Britta and Troy. The plunder from the towns, and the city of Chang, was all used by the Free Cities' fiduciary to fund greater researches towards better and new means of industry.


In the cool lands of Maya, a great many riflemen gathered, perhaps to try once again to invade. As the machine guns of the manufacturies were deployed upon the border the greater portion of the Free Cities' grenadier forces gathered to strike along and axis, ready to travel across the whole of the empire in mere days thanks to the railroads.


And of course, should the opportunity arise, the Free Cities might also strike against the barbaric Mayans of Pindicator.

[Commodore]

Turn 181, this is where it starts to get silly. A fully online SP workshop/watermill/railroad mine MFG is just utterly broken. Scooter and Pindicator are actually researching at decent clips, although on a good turn my Abed-town pillaging nets me half a turn's worth of gold, which is a boost. Assembly Line is only eight or nine turns away, and then this will get really really silly. Although that life expectancy means I might need aqueducts before factories here. Still...


New Tyrosh is an example. The levee will boost her to even better levels, but as it is, this little town is pumping out any unit I want every other turn. I could pave over the towns, but I do need some GNP...even so, this place is nuts.


The only city I'm really worried about is Braavos in the jungle, which is actually a pretty important city at that. The MGs mean that it can tax a heavy toll from any attacking Pindicanians, but cavalry will sweep them aside if he brings enough. I need to push back more, which is why the Taoist Temple, I'm probably going to plunk a pagoda there too when I unlock it.


'tis a good game now. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, which is why I'm definitely going to need to pump out more rifles...need to keep Scooter and Pindicator on the defensive.

[Qgqqqqq]

How many troops in Pindicater 14?

[Commodore]

From the temp forum:

Turn 182: On the year when the 16th Grenadiers captured the wheat farmland southwest of the ruins of Abed, Free Citizen scouts reported about the city of Troy for the first time. The massive city was the economic and social heart of the remnant of India, although the political center remained at Britta. A vast army was stationed in Troy, enough, perhaps, to wipe out all the Free Cities had they moved directly towards them. However, the demoralized and leaderless India did nothing, for their Parliament remained in disarray and Scooter wandered unhappy along the roads of the heartland.


In mighty Volantis that year, the great Taoist cathedral of Notre Dame was completed, encouraging and inspiring the populace of each Free City. It was well that the great edifice had been erected, for another wave of war-weariness swept the cities after the losses in the Campaign of Pindicator IX.


Pindicator IX and Pentos had been at odds for centuries. Back in the First Era of Expansion, the archers of Maya covered settlers upon the hills east of the river and they founded the city in the teeth of Pentos' might.


In the Penultimate Era of War, railroads were constructed throughout the Free Cities and swiftly, so swiftly, the strength of Volantis, Pentos, and Braavos struck out against the garrison of Pindicator IX. Cannon and then grenadiers went in first, destroying earthworks and berms, and killing the first ranks of drafted riflemen guarding the city. Then, the rifles of Pentos struck the ancient regiments of archers that had guarded Pindicator IX for an age.


The city of Pindicator IX fell then, and was utterly razed by guerrillas from Pentos, who then retreated back under the protection of the main army's Volantian machine guns. A force of Mayan cavalry in the south was drawing near, but far too late to safe the fired city.


Pentos stood, still the southernmost of the Free Cities, awaiting as ever the hungry swarms of Maya striking towards its own walls. It stood ready to receive a great host of horsemen and cannon, as indeed all the Free Cities did.

The Last Era of Peace



After the last great battle of Pindicator IX,, the elder brother Pindicator grew sick and weary of war. He looked upon the teeming cities of warm Maya and quailed at the thought of more great violence inflicted upon them. For though the rifles of Maya were many, the power of the Free Cities rose ever higher.

And so in those days, the eldest of the Four Immortals bent the knee, proclaiming to all that Shadow's future should be led by Commodore and his people. The Maya disarmed and returned to their cities and towns, and among their farms and pastures, they learned the arts of contentment and peace.

Scooter, still clad in the opulence of India but with a heartsick look, made homage also to the Free Cities' representatives, trekking over the wastelands of the former Heart of India.

The last cities of India stood intact and accepted the aegis of Commodore, but the Ashen Heartland stood unsettled, and jungles claimed its rusted glories. Beyond the Stone Valley and Norvos' borderlands, a great wilderness grew.

In the wooded mountains north of his once-great VultureLand, the exiled immortal Automated Teller nodded peacefully when news of the surrenders reached him. He had lived in peace for centuries already, and he would welcome his brothers once more to his beautiful valley in peace. He took comfort in his philosophy, knowing that out among the myriad worlds an alternate version of himself had conquered a green version of Shadow. For now, he was content.

As for the Free Cities themselves, freed from the burdens of war, they grew and thrived in contentment. The city of Braavos in the jungle was appointed as the administration center of Shadow, and from its heart a great rail network spanned the whole of the world.

In the wooded vales near the city, a small town known only as Memorial was founded, amidst the farms and forests where the three nations met.

Along the quiet streets of Memorial, statues commemorate the heroes from all peoples of civilization, for all four peoples of the four brothers fought the forces of barbarism that had tormented Shadow for untold eons.

The Last Lonely Wonder was the Taoist Cathedral of Notre Dame, built on the year of the Battle of Pindicator IX. The wonder was celebrated in the Free Cities as the monument to their victory. Commodore appeared before the Free Citizens there to make his farewell speech, for he knew that the Free Cities would need his guidance no more.

Indeed, Shadow itself was now being guided by the Free Cities, and their culture, conquests, and technologies would feed the world for eons.

And for Commodore and his three foemen and kinsmen? They made their way about the world and after a time pass beyond memory, to conquer, contest, and guide other worlds. For the cosmos are infinite...and the opportunities, endless.

[Commodore]

Okay, just mass-fixed all the image links! Should be a complete set now.