Bearing the flag proudly, Sabathiel of the Bannors [SPOILERS]

[Mr. Yellow]

Lost Astrum this turn, meaning Thoths up to 9 cities.



Thoth lost just a warrior in the fights.
At least it'll free up my expenses and tech Warfare in 6 turns.

Well he's gathering up near the capital and it looks rather dire.



I really need those elven reinforcements if i'm gonna pull through.

This exhange was held over several turns.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Suggest you get your hawk out of Astrum, that city is about to fall.
Also i'd like to talk about extending the NAP to...lets say turn 120.

- Sir Yellow[/COLOR]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Dear Mr. Yellow,

thanks for the warning, I also saw General Martok moving towards Astrum during the last turns.

Please see attached another hawk photo from Torrolerial.

Concerning your NAP extension proposal: indeed, our initial NAP will be running out in about 5 turns, so now is a good time to negotiate an extension. However, I have not completely made up my mind myself on how to handle this extension. So, I'd like to return to you later today or tomorrow, when I have thought about this some more.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Cyan"]Yupp, he has started chipping on Astrum now.
There's around 17 enemy units around my lands now, most of them mobility promoted and a few even have City Raider III.
I've seen you're rise in power, but i wonder when you're actually coming. I have cats out in around 7 turns, but i'll need assistance if i'm gonna push Thoth off here.

Also, interrested in a map trade?

- Sir Yellow [/COLOR]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]I'm almost, but not completely finished with raising my power. As your C&D department has probably noticed, I got my priesthood tech this turn, as I announced. In the next 1-2 turns, I'll upgrade and whip out some priests of leaves, and then my troop will be moving towards your lands.

Concerning map trade: thanks for the offer, but I'm currently not interested in trading world maps.

Attached is another picture of your border lands with Thoth; it seems he has moved everything he had assembled during the last turns into your area of visibility now.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

This turn:

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]After hitting the end-of-turn button, I became #1 in soldier count, so I think my forces are now sufficient for what will come in the following turns. Next turn, I will start to move them, so they should enter your visible area in about 3 turns.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

Finally, hope this will turn the tide. Took his sweet time though. Still no words on the extension of the NAP, which expires in 3 turns.....

WAIT A SEC!!

[COLOR="Cyan"]3 turns...when the NAP ends.

I'll be honest here, i'll only feel safe if we extend the current NAP to turn 120. So far i've interpret your messages as willing to help me here, but if we can't extend this period of trust then i'm forced to abondon my capital and protect my eastern cities from what i'm assuming to be an eastern invasion if it doesn't get extended.

You said you needed a day or 2 to consider it, i say it's about time we do this now. Are we gonna extend the NAP and do this push against Thoth or is it simply a cover for something pretty sinister?[/COLOR]

He apparently slaved a lot to get the current army, but i have an eerie feeling that he feels confident enough to do it himself and take my cities in the process!

[icewolf34]

Those messages do sound suspiciously noncommittal. Especially since he wouldn't have much motivation to slave an army just to help you out...

Not sure what can be done at this point though. Spite pillaging? I guess there's no chance of copper coming through, is there?

[Mr. Yellow]

So far Nyktorion has been giving me the silent treatment.

Honestly this smells more and more shady the longer it continues. I can't play my turn yet cause i'm unsure what kind of action i should do until i get a proper response. Should i abondon my capital and protect my 2 remaining cities, stalling the elves for being such backstabbing bastards or keep fighting Thoth until "help" arrives?

If he does attack me them i'm done here. I was motivated to continue oppose Thoth on the reason that the rest would want to see him stopped. If the elves backstabs i'll quit this and sign peace with Thoth, then simply pile on Nyktorion for the rest of the game. Thoth then will simply be a factor i no longer care about.

If there's one thing i really hate it's backstabbers!

[Mr. Yellow]

Yupp, they've been planning to stab me all the time.

I'm done with this. I'm signing peace with Thoth this turn and concentrate on the elves only from here.

Doubt i'll live much longer.

Playing this turn now, i'll give a bigger update soon.

[Mr. Yellow]

The rest of the exchange:

[COLOR="Cyan"]I'm not playing this turn till i get a real answer here.
As how i play the next turn depends on your choice. Are we extending the NAP. Yes or no?[/COLOR]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Very well, I think it's time to end this charade.

In order to match the recent growth of Thoth, I need more territory. The most readily available source of territory for me is currently your lands, and I think I currently have the military means to just take it.

There's one last offer I will make to you at this point in order to obtain a NAP extension: if you are ready to hand over Vallus and Trinity to me without a fight, I would be ready to extend our NAP, for a much longer duration than T120; this would in turn give you the opportunity to do fight for your capital against only one enemy...

-- Nyktorion[/COLOR]

ARGH! So all of this was just a fallacy to take my lands, it seems he wasn't even interrested in battling Thoth, even though he was pointing at him earlier!
Needless to say i got pretty angry, tried one more time to make him reconsider.

[COLOR="Cyan"]The only 2 cities that is keeping me in the game, that is impossible. I'd rather quit than do this.

I thought you were interrested in denting Thoth and that's why i've kept fighting to hold him off, hoping to gain enough time to turn around push him away. I would keep fighting him untill either he or i was gone. If the rest weren't interrested in holding off Thoth i'd sign peace with him long ago.

Last chance, we're extending this NAP and do this togheter without city gifting. I'll repay this somehow later, but this will not include those 2 cities.

Right now, i'd rather sign peace with Thoth, give him my capital that has less worth than my last 2 cities and instead holding off you. Thoth will simply no longer be a factor i care about then.
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Sorry, but your alternative suggestion does not really appeal to me. "Repay this somehow later" is not at all enough for me in return for doing without your territory, much less for actively entering a war far from home right now that only defends what you currently have, but does not really have much hope in taking cities away from the Malakim.

I would say that we will be at war at T106.

-- Nyktorion[/COLOR]

And thus, i feel the effort in stalling Thoth came to waste, so that he can easily snatch my rear cities.
With that i only got one more thing to do, to stall and annoy Nyktorion for the rest of the game. Screw Thoth, he's no longer a factor i care about. I'll attempt to sign peace with him and simply leave my capital to protect my more valuable eastern cities.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Hey, i'm interrested in ending this conflict.

My only motivations for continuing this was to wait for elven support and strike back. Sadly, there was more into this than initially seen and it included my eastern cities, which is right now the only things that helps me stay alive.

Well these farts will attack me once the NAP ends and so i have no more reason to continue this war.
You can have my capital, i'm done with this game. The only thing left for me is defending my last cities from the east.

Word of warning though, they've been slaving a lot to get the current largest military right now, which includes priest of leaves. The plan (or my plan) was to get catapults to support that army.

So for peace, i'll let you have my capital and you let the rest of my units go to defend against the elven invasion.

Good luck further on.

- Sir Yellow[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Yellow"]Hi Mr. Yellow,

Peace does not interest me at this time. I will have the forces in play to take your capital within the next few turns whether you defend it or not.

While I appreciate the fact that this has turned out to be a frustrating game for you and the next few turns are not going to be fun for you, I would urge you to fight it out to the bitter end in true RB spirit. While getting your capital for free would certainly be to my advantage, it strikes me as being unfair to the players not involved in our conflict.

I hope you have better results in the next game you play.

Sincerely,

Thoth.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Cyan"]Sorry, but it's abondoned now.

The big reason though, is that my eastern cities are poorly defended and that there's more value in defending 2 untouched productive cities than the ravaged capital surviving only on high population and God King.[/COLOR]

No peace? Ah well, see little reason to stay near the capital anyway, if Thoth decides to move further east for my final cities, i'll have to put a stand there.
But i rather want my units to fight the elves now.

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Sir Yellow,

My sympathies on the lost city last turn. I had hoped, when I saw Thoth's power plateau, that it meant he had no more offensive ability. Best of luck in the remaining war! Hopefully I can help at some point, although it appears there's a greater urgency than I had realized.

- Mardoc
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Cyan"]Actually i'll be signing peace with Thoth this turn. You can thank those backstabbing elven farts for that.

I held off Thoth motivated by the fact that i had the support of other sides in the conflict, including you and the elves. I've waited for the moment to actually strike back, having the manpower to do it and that meant waiting for elven reinforcement to push Thoth away.

Well it was all a charade to take my eastern lands, which is the only thing left that keeps me in this.
I'm done with this game, NAP with elves runs out in 3 turns and i'll be focusing all my efforts on them, who right now have been slaving away the current largest military at the moment. Thoth will sadly be a factor i no longer care about.

I'll do one last thing i'd like to do before i go all military and that's a map deal with you, which have pretty much been the only contact that i now fully trust (even though the far distance between us attributes to that). I got pretty much the whole continent drawn out.
I'll also keep your true motivations a secret.

- Sir Yellow[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]I am, frankly, surprised; I would have thought the elves, of all people, would have preferred a balance of power until the late game, and not to share a border with someone who's already demonstrated a willingness to fight for land. I mean, I don't claim to be entirely altruistic, but I certainly wanted you to win.

I'm also a bit surprised Thoth is willing to sign peace, and hope that doesn't mean that it's my turn to fight Malakim swords in the desert. It's unfortunate that the distance meant I wasn't able to do any more for you than one and a half turns of copper, but I certainly won't turn down your map if you're inclined to share. Scouting has been one of the weaker points in my game, although I'm not terribly thrilled with my position in any event.

If it's really that close to your end, feel free to drop by my lurker thread when you're out of the game. Although I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can hold on and at least see one of them die before you do :-).

- Mardoc[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Cyan"]Hah, i really doubt someone else will be the first out, in that case i have to be very lucky on my rolls.

Anyway, situation is that i'm forced to abondon my capital, which is a ravaged husk compared to the 2 untouched yet poorly defended cities in the east. Abondoning it really hurts, but i have more to gain on defending my other 2 cities.

Oh and i should have said "attempt to sign peace". Thoth isn't interrested, having the army solely made to whipe me out.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Ah, I see. I had thought you'd have a chance, given the assumption that Thoth was signing peace with you. That not actually being the case, yeah, you're in for some pain.

I still don't think I understand Nyktorion's choice here, but that's got nothing to do with the likely results. If I'm lucky, he's willing to treat Thoth the way he treated you, and turns out to regret it.

On a wholly personal level, thanks for sticking with the game and being so quick to turn around saves, despite your position in it. I think I'd have had trouble staying motivated in your shoes. Maybe next game, you play the Clan and bash their pointy ears in? ;-)

- Mardoc
[/COLOR]

And i sent him a map trade this turn.

Anyway, time to prepare.

Opening the save i get this:

Fellowship, pffffffffff. Even the game is mocking me! No thanks!



augh, aug, AAUGH. Abondoning it like that really hurt (and still haven't recovered from that). But again, i'd rather use that stack to defend my eastern city than the pillaged capital.

Anyway, 3 turns till NAP ends. I won't have the time to reach Vallus which will fall easily, but i should have enough time to gather up at Trinity and make a stand there. In addition i'm building a fort nearby for the str. bonus as well as sending one warior towards the pines for forced peace. Combined with the huge culture in the city, that sure is gonna annoy Nyktorion to no end, who is probably paying up in the ears for that army.

I had 2 options to do at Trinity. I can stop all research and get a lot of money for swordmen upgrades, after building a possible Training Yard in 4 turns or get cats at 4 turns each. I decided to go for the cats, as i want to to actually hurt that incoming stack of elves rather than succumbing to expandable tigers.

That, will be my final action.

[icewolf34]

Arghh.

I never did trust that guy. I would guess that Nyk has been communicating with Thoth anyways, otherwise Thoth wouldn't be reacting so calmly to the idea of him taking your cities. Probably the only thing left to do is communicate what happened to the other players so they'll know where they stand with those two. What are your chances of making it to the Pines?

I will lurk to the bitter end.

[Bobchillingworth]

At least the flag you proudly bear isn't a white one

[Mr. Yellow]

I may be on my way out of the game, but i shall post until the bitter end, no matter how hard it can be to swallow.

Anyway, Thoth took the capital as expected. In addition he converted to OO and popped his world spell (Religious Fervor), netting him 10 cultists!



Now why did he do that? Only answer in the long run that i see is he will be focusing on Mardoc next. He has the army to do that as well.

Short term? Well one of those priests is in pursuit of my stack, so escaping by the coast isn't an option.
Anyway, we got a cultists, a decent stack south as well as Martok creeping out nearby, all Mobility I. What worries me though is that southern stack can reach Trinity in just 3 turns, meaning my rear stack can't reach it in time.



West stack will sadly be vulnerable to attacks from behind (including Martok), but should have pretty good odds overall.

Trinity became the new capital with Torrolerial gone, letting me churn out cats in 2-3 turns each. Question though was whether to get a fort up nearby or chop some trees to get cats out faster.
It might have been better to go chop some wood, but decided to wait till the nearby goblin to suicide, then get a fort out (although it's highly possible that the nearby Thoth stack would prevent me from doing that).

Meanwhile a warrior was sent to reach the pines. There's 3 problems i'm facing however.
First is distance, it will take around 4 turns to reach it, enough time for both Nyktorion and Thoth to do some serious damage.
Second is the fact that Nyktorion has a hawk and will see me attempting to reach it, i'll likely see one of his units be there before me.
Thirdly...



Where did that goblin come from?!

[Bobchillingworth]

Will the Pines be in your cultural borders by the time the warrior reaches them? You can't use that feature unless it lies within your culture.

[Mr. Yellow]

Oh.



Yeah i should have checked the pedia more.

As for when the next border pop is.



I'm pulling the warrior back.



I sent a message to Thoth asking if he could stay away from attacking me at least a few turns, as i'd like to focus my attention on the elves. No response though and the way he moved the southern stack, it's pretty clear he doesn't want to give me any breaks.

The main question is, has Thoth and Nyktorion been working togheter all the time?
Well there's 2 things telling me they haven't. The first is that he named 2 of his warriors "All your base are belong to us" several turns ago. Meaning that he won't be negotiating any peace treaty and possibly that he wants all my territory. Secondly is the huge stack Nyktorion has and what the heck he is going to use it at. If he really wanted my lands he could easily have built up a smaller one and get the same result.
I can understand that he would have made the illusion of getting the units to assist me, but you don't slave THAT much for it. And who else is he gonna use it on, WK? Pffff, Sanctuary would have made it a real pain and forced him to spend more money doing nothing.

There's something else that points to cooperation between Thoth and Nyktorion and that's the fact he spent his world spell summoning cultists, which is most fit against the Lanun, meaning he has targeted his next opponent. Then again this might be a neutral occation.

Either way, if there is a deal in the air i'll be watching who that gets Trinity. Thoth is closer to the city than Nyktorion so it's possible he'll grab it first. I'm quite curious to if he will gift that city to the elves if he does take it.

Anyway, i can't let that stack stay. It's in prime position to threaten Trinity and so i'm forced to eliminate it. Thoth clearly didn't want the military build up go to waste and would like to fight me properly.

Ok then, if it's a fight you want it's a fight you get.
Time for another BATTLE TIME!

First in is Jackpot at pretty good odds.



And wins it!

Sadly the rest has around 20 to next to zero odds at fighting this, so expectedly there were losses. In the end i lost 6 warriors in eliminating the stack, leaving me with 2 healthy warriors and 4 damaged ones, one outside the main stack. A pretty even trade, but that was quite possibly a pyrrhic victory.




A lot of these were Gurilla promoted too, which was a wasted promo for such a situation (then again i expected to make my fight in the capital).



Now the rest of the stack is in a situation to be eliminated as well. There's Martok and 2 cultists right nearby that can easily screw me over, not to mention whatever units that might be hiding in the old capital. Hope i get lucky here and that the units who nabbed a lot of experience survive.


Turn finished and something else other than a warrior showed up.



Now i have a catapult, HO HO HO!



Oh and this message popped up start. Irgy found AV last turn and recently converted to it, pushing the AC above 10.



This world can go to hell for all i care.