[SPOILERS] Tales from the Enchanted Forest - Thessa of the Ljosalfar

[Nyktorion]

Turn 15

First, some scouting report:



So, as I said, the scout indeed lived for another day, but that was already it So Maksim, your answer was still partially correct, so here's a partial prize:



Back to Evermore:



Evermore has finished its first worker!

Now we have to decide whether to build a second warrior or a second worker first. Since the corn should be irrigated in a few turns (speeding both worker training and city growth) the turns until that happens are less relevant. So my gut feeling decided to train another warrior: the bonus from growing to size 3 kicks in earlier than the second worker's improvements (and the worker will be sped up by the improved corn, anyway), and we want no risks against those poison goblins roaming around out there. In the next turns, I want to fiddle around ith micromanagement such that both the growth of Evermore and the second warrior will be finished in 4-5 turns from now.

The worker will start by irrigating the corn. In order not to waste his first turn of working power, he spends that turn on building half of a road south of Evermore.

On to C&D: Sir Yellow and Irgy each got a tech this turn. For Yellow, this must be the first self-researched tech (fishing would fit in nicely with 10*16=160 beakers; this also suggests that Yellow is the one with 4 water tiles in his capital). For Irgy, it is the first non-starting tech at all (mysticism fits here for 16 turns of research with an average of somewhat more than 13 beakers per turn).

Here is the demo:



Rival GNP and food increased, which has to do with the city growths.
Total soldier count increased by 5k: 3k for the strongest rival (still Irgy? is he planning to warrior rush someone?), and 2k for the pop increases.

Diplo: Sir Yellow answered to us the following

Worry not about that. We have no plans for expansions through the mountain pass.
And the info does confirm the recklessness of the Elohim. Will be interresting to see how they will go on.
Sad to hear regarding the incident with the griffin.

Sir Yellow, Chief Advisor of the Bannor.

Good to hear that we don't plan too aggressive settling. Still, I wonder why he's so fixated on the Elohim's lack of military... does he want us to run against his sanctuary, putting both of us into a crippling war? Anyway, I did not answer anything further to this message.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 16

The worker started farming the corn. Also, the likely culprit in the death of our second scout has shown up:



Mardoc's capital has grown to size 4, as well. That currently leaves Irgy, Sciz, and Mardoc with size 4 capitals, and the rest with size 2 capitals.

The demo screen:



The GNP increase could be explained by Mardoc's growth. However, the massive increase in prod, and the decrease in food hint at tile rearrangements somewhere.

Total soldier count rose by 4k: another warrior got finished (not by Irgy, not by WK), and the last 1k was Mardoc's 4th pop.

Finally, three graphs:







So, WK has been working a 3/0/1 tile all along, upgrading to a second column tech after getting agriculture. At T14, his worker finished upgrading it into a 5/0/1 tile (so he seems to have riverside corn in the first ring; and that's why he grew in the same turn as Yellow even though he settled a turn later). His second citizen is now working a 1/1/2 tile.

Yellow has been working a 3/0/0 tile all the time. I'm not sure about his last turns: after researching fishing, he switched to a first column tech and a 3/0/1 tile, i.e. ocean fish? His second citizen seems to be working another ocean fish tile. Two ocean fish within 4 capital water tiles seems a bit much, but it's the only explanation I can find that makes everything fit together. Also, Yellow going worker first although that worker can only build roads seems strange to me.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 17

With all scouts dead and the worker busy, I just hit enter. Still, there's a goblin outside our borders - I hope he won't move towards our worker next turn.



C&D: No score changes this turn. The demo screen is this:



Small changes in GNP/Prod/Food. Also, one of Irgy's (if he is rival best in soldiers) warriors was killed. Also, the graphs indicate that the warrior created last turn was Sir Yellow's second warrior, and that he is working a 1/2/2 tile instead of one of the ocean fish tiles now. (speed-building a work boat?)

[Nyktorion]

I see some more things - the warrior created last turn by Sir Yellow was probably for free (Sir Yellow have finished a worker and a warrior would not add up with his production graph).
And last turn, WK created a warrior (rival worst rose to 4k), so not 1, but 2 other warrios died!

Oh, and I have another idea for a lurker quiz: what will the goblin next to the borders do this turn?
A) Move next to our innocent worker, cruelly threatening it
B) Invade another tile of our territory
C) Understand that this is our territory, and thus stay out

[Nyktorion]

Turn 18

Hmm, nobody wanted to guess what those goblins are up to - well, I'll show the solution, anyway:



The correct answer would have been B! Other than that, nothing happened in the elven lands, and I just hit enter.

So... what happened around us? Cahir Abbey grew to size 3, and Sciz got another tech, 5 turns after mysticism. With 18-19bpt (as rival best GNP 28-29 indicates over the last turns, minus 6 gold for great merchant, minus 4 for culture, that would just fit for agriculture (or exploration) with some overflow - but how would he get that much GNP without any 20% bonuses, and any worker techs to improve commerce resources? So, I'd rather guess the tech was a free one (but him researching a 20% bonus tech would mean he's already going for KotE or Philosophy).

In other news, global and rival best soldier count decreased by 2k, so Irgy lost his scout.

[Maksim]

Sorry, but considering that my gloomy prognosis came true last time, didn't want to be the bearer of the bad news again. Also, cookies are fattening.

Anyway, are you considering adopting Agrarianism once Calendar comes in? What tech are you going for then? Have you got a dotmap in mind?

[Nyktorion]

Turn 19

Second warrior is finished. I microed Evermore to grow to size 3 already next turn. Oh, and there's some more goblin news:



We've got a real goblin infestation here
Well, I think our two warriors can handle that. They should just nicely stay away from our worker (luckily, goblins can't pillage)...

In foreign news, another scout was killed, Torrolerial grew to size 3, and Mardoc got another tech.

Sorry, but considering that my gloomy prognosis came true last time, didn't want to be the bearer of the bad news again. Also, cookies are fattening.

Hmm, maybe the Elves should start making their own cookies. I'm sure they can come up with some nice natural and healthy recipe there

Anyway, are you considering adopting Agrarianism once Calendar comes in? What tech are you going for then? Have you got a dotmap in mind?

My current plan is to go for Education for Cottages next (that will give my workers - I plan to have two workers by then), and then probably Animal Husbandry 3 additional foodhammers from those cows, and the sheep in Hyll.

Speaking of Hyll, I want to get a second settler very soon, and settle it next to the sheep (after I get the third capital ring, that should be possible to do just 1 tile outside the cultural borders, and thus be completely safe from those veteran griffons). Apart from that, I don't have concrete city spots in mind yet.

I want to get Agrarianism as soon as it's available. The loss in foodhammers from the anarchy will already be almost amortised by the extra food from the corn farm by the time the settler comes out (not completely amortised, but at least, the settler should come out in the same turn as it would without anarchy), and the one food per turn should then outweigh the 10 beakers we lose from the turn of anarchy quickly enough.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 20

About the goblins:



Sadly, these beasts are showing some intelligence, and are building up their power instead of just crashing their heads into our capital. Still, I think we can handle this assault.

Also, growth to size 3 is finished. Since growing further does not make much sense at this time (apart from farming riverside forests, we can't really improve anything but the corn and the silks yet), and even our first worker alone will get finished with these three improvements until we get Education, this is the perfect time for the second settler. We are currently building the settler with 5f+2*4h, so the expansive trait improves its production speed by almost 50% (and that's with a relatively hammer-light capital)!

In foreign matters: we have lots of score increases this turn, but all of them are due to the land settled in T0 finally getting accounted for. Also, both WK and Sir Yellow significantly increased their produced food last turn; WarriorKnight's food even increased by 5, without his city growing at that turn (and he just lost 2c for it, and even got an additional +1h)!

[Nyktorion]

Turn 21

We have finished researching Calendar!

We are also hit by a bad event, costing us 2 worker turns



If the goblins decide to move up to our worker now, there's nothing good we can do about it. Speaking of the goblins, one of them attacked, not wounding our defending warrior too much:



I decided to immediately revolt to Agrarianism, and hit enter.

In foreign news, WarriorKnight and Sciz got points for their first and second capital ring, respectively. Torrolerial grew to size 4. Also, somebody built another warrior (total soldier count grew by 4k), and that somebody must be WK (rival worst is not 4k anymore).

[Nyktorion]

Turn 22

We get our next event, but it's just a GA for Ashen Veil followers. The next goblin attacked the caitpal, without any success at all:



Since I'm not at all afraid of the last goblin, the warrior saved its promotion for later.

In foreign news, the second capital rings for Irgy, Sir Yellow, and Mardoc are now coming in point-wise. Additionally, the Lanun capital grew to size 5, and Cahir Abbey is size 4 now.

Global soldier count rose by another 3k, 1k of that is WK's fourth pop point. So... somebody built a scout?