[Spoilers] The Golem Factory: Beeri Bawl of the Luchuirp

[Sciz]

Ancient Chants arrives, and on we go to education.



Previously i've been thinking about going mysticism first here, to see if I can get RoK first, but i don't really think it's worth it now, should get to CoL asap. After CoL i'm gonna get Mysticism, and if RoK still hasn't been founded then I might go for it. No big trouble if it's already in though. Besides, the most likely civ to found it that's not me is the Malakim, so if I defeat them soon I'm gonna get the shrine anyways.

City #3, Mutanbo, is founded!



Work starts directly on a sculptor's studio, because the only thing this city will do is produce wood golems. A lot of time left until the studio is done, but Clay is on his way to farm some grassland and mine some mines, so the pace will pick up soon. One thing I noticed this turn is that i miscalculated a tad while worldbuilding. The tile to the west of the mana node in that pic is actually a grassland hill, I thought it was a plains hill. But it's only one hammer's difference, so it shouldn't be too bad. Still have two other plain hills that I will work first anyways, plus the engineers I will get from the world spell.

btw Selrahc, any comment on the military state plan? Do you think it's worth it to delay the guild of hammers with maybe 10 turns or so to get that extra production edge for the war against Ilios?

[Selrahc]

The war against Ilios is the most important short term goal. Mildly delaying a long term goal seems worth it in order to get the attack off properly. I'd say good job on optimizing this. It seems like you've really managed to get it to a good configuration, nearly doubling your initial results.

[Sciz]

Nothing special this turn. Warrior completed in Cotton Valley, named him Polykleitos. Work starts on a mud golem, which at current rate takes 34 turns

But after it grows in two turns and I switch to another tile that will sink to like 20 turns but still, Cotton Valley production is awful. I have to make it there though. Ithralia and Mutanbo don't have time to waste turns on a mud golem.

I also realized I forgot to named my newly created warrior in Ithralia, so he gets the name Kresilas. I've been starting on classical age sculptors, as you might have noticed.

[Sciz]

Not much to update right now i'm afraid! Three turns until Barnaxus is done, 21 (lol) until Mud Golem is done in cotton valley, mutanbo's growth and production is bad, but Clay just arrived so the city will start to get real good soon!

[Sciz]

So little to do while waiting for stuff to complete. I feel a bit dirty posting so little. Only one turn until Barnaxus is done but while we're waiting i'll post a demographics pic, which I havent for quite a long time now:



Not too great, but it should get better. Production is #1, which is good since i'm pretty much maxing production now. Both GNP and Crop Yield should get much better soon, when I get Code of Laws for aristocracy and when I start getting farms up for Mutanbo. Will get even better when I get my fourth city up, Ithralia will start producing a settler next turn when Barnaxus is complete.

[Sciz]

[SIZE="3"]Turn 59[/SIZE]

The turn in which our great hero Barnaxus is created!

Barnaxus

Barnaxus was beautiful, perfect. The pinnacle of years of work, of finding the right words to power him, of selecting just the right pieces, of lovingly sculpting every little detail of his joints and his features. Barnaxus was more nimble, more exact, more careful and more effective in everything he did than any of the other golems that were built in the empire of Khrad’Ke-zun. For many hundred years, this giant did as he was told, when he was told, and always did it better than anyone else, dwarven or golem. Barnaxus’s works were the pride of the Empire, and, when the ice sheets smothered the world, the name and reputation of Barnaxus passed into legend.

Perhaps it was this legendary status that meant that when, years after the Ice had pulled back and the Luchuirp embarked on their mission of rebuilding the Empire, a tall, weather-worn golem appeared at the gates of the capital, he was instantly recognized as the long-lost Barnaxus. For, surely, only a golem of such perfection and brilliance as Barnaxus could have survived so long without maintenance and protection?

It quickly became clear that Barnaxus was unlike any other golem. Barnaxus did not “take orders.” He cooperated, he discussed, and he made suggestions. Barnaxus was a thinking golem, a learning golem. No one could guess how he had managed to break the magical ties that bind a golem to the two-dimensional world of “order and execution,” and nobody really expected that they would ever find out. When asked, Barnaxus merely said: “A man spoke to me in the wastes and I awoke,” he would say no more.

True, Barnaxus could do what he wished, but what he wished was to help the Luchuirp. He wished to help them rebuild the Empire, to recall what was forgotten, and to perfect what was remembered. He appeared to harbor a love for the Luchuirp that mirrored that of a doting father, with a hint of a patronizing air to some of his advice. And the Luchuirp, amazingly, instead of rankling at being “taught” by a golem, loved him back. He was their link to the past and an amazing store of knowledge. Golems, after all, never forget. But most important of all, Barnaxus also taught the golems. What Barnaxus learned, the other golems soon copied.

And so it was that Barnaxus went from being the "King of the Golems" to being a true leader of golems and of dwarves.

That's his back story!

So, Barnaxus is an important part of our war machine. Not because he's very powerful by himself, but because for every combat promotion he gets, every golem we have get an empowered promotion, which is 10% strength per promotion. So at combat V all our golems have +50% strength, which really helps since they can't get other promotions. Barnaxus doesn't get exp like a normal hero though, so he has to kill stuff to level up instead of just waiting for the exp to come to him. Which is why I move Barnaxus a tile west towards the skeleton barrow. I was pretty sure I took a pic of him but apparently not. Also if Barnaxus dies, he drops his broken pieces, and if you pick them up like a normal item, you can revive him in one of your cities, which is good. However the best is to have Barnaxus in the background, at least later on when other units are stronger. He is way too important to get killed by some random 2% warrior hit.

So after his completion, Ithralia starts working on a settler.



9 turns, but after some shuffling around of tiles, I get it down to 8. After that Ithralia will create a siege workshop and mage guild and create some catapults and adepts. Clay is currently farming a grassland river tile near Mutanbo, so it can start growing. There are two barb skeletons up there too, and I was thinking of sending Barnaxus there instead of the barrow to the west, but I figured he'd take too long to get there, they would already be dead then. That lower skeleton on the left got killed by Michelangelo. I wanted it to stay alive until Barnaxus arrived, but he was getting close to pillaging stuff, so I attacked instead with my strongest warrior. Michelangelo will go up towards the skeletons now with Barnaxus to provide a little support if needed. He has two promotions in hand, so if things turn out bad he can easily kill any skeleton.

[Sciz]

And because I can, i'll also post the mud and wood golem entries:

Mud Golem
Being small is perfect for living in caverns and surviving a harsh unending winter. Upon leaving their burrows to reclaim their place on the surface, however, the first project the Luchuirp engineers and enchanters began was constructing their mud golem workers. Taller than dwarves, and even elves and men, these constructs are able to labor day and night without complaint, with the strength of several men allowing for grand projects.

Wood Golem
The novice Luchuirp crafters at the start of the Age of Rebirth tried working the exotic materials that their ancestors used, but found they needed more practice to get useful forms for their enchanting process. The wood golems produced by this practice turned out to make decent fighters, and could be found filling out the ranks amidst their sturdier relatives throughout the age.

Taken from the FFH Lore Compendium that someone posted somewhere.

So basically Mud Golems are bums and Wood Golems are the meat shields of the Luchuirp army. I also read in another section of the Lore compendium that Mud Golems are sculpted to look like famous thieves and murderers The more "classy" golems like Iron Golems are sculpted to look like famous and rich dwarves.

[Sciz]

And by sculpted to look like I mean only their faces. Otherwise it would be pretty pointless to have golems if they were as small as the dwarves that create them.

[Selrahc]

The turn in which our great hero Barnaxus is created!

Woo!

Now we get the quest portion of the Luchuirp game. Hunting down and destroying barbarians to level him up. The skeletons shouldn't be any trouble, but if we're going after tougher foes he'll need an honour guard to avoid mishaps. You got any dwarves or golems spare for the duty?

I'm sure you know, but it's probably worth pointing out that if Barnaxus dies and is rebuilt he loses all of his experience.

That's his back story!

It's also implied that the reason for his awakening is the divine essence of Mulcarn being infused into him. In the scenarios Barnaxus is destroyed by Auric in his quest for ascension, to recover that divine spark.

[Sciz]

Actually i've never gotten Barnaxus dead before, but it makes sense that he would lose his exp.

And I don't have that many warriors to spare. No golems are complete yet obviously, and I have 3 warriors in Cotton Valley, 2 in Ithralia and 3 in Mutanbo. I'm taking one of them from Cotton Valley with Barnaxus, he should do pretty well as he's already got combat I and shock I plus one or two more available promotions. I could build more warriors but not atm, CV is busy on its mud golem, though when it is complete it will make some warriors. Ithralia and Mutanbo don't have time for other stuff right now. Ithralia is making a settler, and then will be busy with siege workshops, mage guilds, catapults and adepts. Mutanbo is making its Sculptor's Studio (a few turns left) and then just churning out Wood Golems. Maybe the first one will be complete in time for Barnaxus needing to look for new targets, if so it can tag along.