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

[Nyktorion]

Turn 64

We get the cow-painting advisor event. Since the 10 culture would only really benefit Bruti, which only needs 14 more hammers for its monument, and I can afford those 10g without hampering my tech plans, I took the second option. (the slightly lower inflation should be the better long-term benefit)



Bruti gets another cottage. Now our whole empire is only working improved tiles! However, this will change next turn because of Bruti grew to size 5 after hitting the end button. Also, it won't be long until Yonna is founded.

Speaking of Yonna, the settling troop has moved further. My plan right now is to found SW of the troop's current position.



Foreign news: Thoth founded a third city, and his second city grew to size 6. Sir Yellow got some land points, and Vallus grew to size 4.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 65

As a rather meaningless event, we get a golden age for FoL (that should have come about 15 turns later...). Speaking of events, my inflation remained unchanged at 1% - hmm, if it works the same for the inflation increase, I would have taken the culture last turn...

All workers get started on the next cottage for Bruti. The settling troop moves up to Yonna's prospective location, where it should be settling next turn. This is the first time I explore some new tiles for many turns!



A Bannor city is not what I wanted to find there! Judging from the shape of the cultural borders, this is not Torrolerial, and judging from the amount of improved tiles, it is not Trinity, so I assume this is Vallus.

So how does that change my settling plans? Not at all. The alternative to settling here would be to either go south (even further away from our core lands), or to backtrack (which would cost time, and even then give us the choice of running into the barbarian city in the south, or through the tundra in the north). Considering all that, I don't think I can afford to be nice to Mr. Yellow and refrain from planting Yonna here.

Also, I don't think that I have anything to fear from Mr. Yellow: his military currently only consists of 6 warriors and a scout, he only has ancient techs yet (i.e. no Bronze Working, but he probably already has Mining), and he finished another ancient tech this turn (i.e. he is not already in the process of researching Bronze). Also, Yonna will conveniently be located on a hill.

Still, I should think about some way to defend Yonna against a potential attack. Maybe I should beeline sorcery next for maelstrom (would be expensive, though)? Or I could just go for the rather cheap archery tech, giving me dexterous archers and my hero. Priesthood for tiger summoners (which double as terrain improvers) would be an option, too.

Foreign news: both Mr. Yellow and Sciz got an ancient tech. Mardoc's third city grew to size 2.Taking a quick look at Mr. Yellow's GNP numbers, I think that he got another tech around 200 beakers.

[Nyktorion]

I just got quite some reaction from Mr. Yellow concerning my settling party.

I have noticed your settling part near my eastern border and frankly it upsets me.

Though i have no wish to continue expanding east i will warn you not to settle on that hill or anywhere near the border, as i consider that river my territory.

This is my land and i will make an example of that. You may have noticed that i gained a bard in event logs, which i'm currently holding as i've yet to decide what to do with him. Though if you settle down i will culture bomb it!
Go back, less you see yourself with one city less or at least one at a much worse condition than initially thought.

Sir Yellow, having second thoughts of your true intentions

OK, maybe the outburst is unjustified and that you just saw my land right now.

I've had a little dispute regarding border agreements with Sciz/Though and had to give up valuable land because of it. Seeing you just appearing seemingly ready to grab the rest of the flood plains annoys me so damn hard.

So don't take it like we're enemies now, but i will not look kindly on you grabbing the rest of the river.

Well, I don't really feel with Mr. Yellow about his border agreements with Sciz/Thoth. Actually, I'm a little annoyed that he is giving up land to a potential runaway civ like that.

Also, I wonder how he plans to accomplish culture bombing my city. Is he growing a great sage for an academy? Does he have a great bard from a dungeon? His threat might just be a hollow one, too... Anyway, I'm surprised that he is using culture rather than military force to threaten me. Of course, the optimal case would be that Yonna becomes the FoL holy city...

Sorry, Mr. Yellow, but I have to found this city. I don't want to go back to the tundra (a city up there might have the deer as the only "good food" tile, depending on what's west of the deer), it will take some time until I can take that barb city in the south, and I don't want to move further southwest (even then, I'd have to found a city with sheep as the only "good food" tile, or move even further towards Cahir Abbey). You'll need a VERY good reason to change my mind about founding Yonna.

I have to think about my response to Mr. Yellow. In some way, I want him to understand my position (and hence retain peaceful relations), but I also don't want to tell him too much about my position (especially when our relations are likely to take a hit anyway).

[Nyktorion]

My answer to Mr. Yellow:

Indeed, last turn was the first time I saw your borders; I have to say that I am surprised, I would have expected you further away. Also, the current location of my settling party is where I wanted a city this turn.

To be direct: I would still prefer to found my city there. I hear that you are constrained by Thoth; however, I have constraints as well (Ocean, Mountains, Tundra and a barbarian city), which I don't even have the cance to negotiate with. These make it important for me to get this city, and with it, at least the two flood plains west of it.

I recall us talking about having a critical eye towards the Malakim's growth a bit more than 10 turns ago. So of course, I'd best like to see you give me that part of the river, and take more land in the runaway civ's direction instead. Having seen a taste of runaways in FFH PBEMs I and II, I would certainly be supportive of moves that shift the Bannor/Malakim land balance in your favor.

Another thing to note is that with this city, it should not take too long until we get a trade connection, maybe that can help in some way, as well (for instance, as mentioned earlier, we have a surplus silk up for trade)?

That being said, do you see any concrete peaceful way that would still make the line between the tiles 2W and 1W of my settling troop our border?

This aligns with my priorities: my unnegotiable top priority is not to fall back in the growth race. Still, if possible without violating that top priority, I would prefer good relations with the Bannor. So I'll try for a peaceful soltuion before making my move. I already hinted at two things that I could offer in order to obtain a peaceful solution.

Support against Thoth (even if this would have to be support of a military nature at some point) would be fine with me: it is in my interest to stop any other civ from running, as well, and I'll son build a few troops anyway for attacking that pesky barb city and protecting my back (or should I say front?) against Mr. Yellow himself.

Also, giving up the second silk for some time wouldn't hurt me, either. Maybe these two ideas are already enough to appease Mr. Yellow? Let's see what answer he comes up with.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 66

I have finally settled Yonna. I configured it for max hammers for now, erecting a monument as fast as possible. Now, I hope that THIS is really the last monument I have to build.



Mr. Yellow has a Combat I warrior in Vallus, which is located on a hill. A closer look into Vallus reveals an elder council in the center of the town.

Meanwhile, the workers have finished another cottage for Bruti, and are now starting to work on the road to Yonna. Hyll got me worker #5, and is now producing yet another warrior.

Foreign news: Last turn, I forgot that Irgy's soldier count rose by 3k. This is interesting, since I'd rather expect 6k increases at this point. This turn, Torrolerial grew to size 7. Just before hitting EOT, I also noticed this bit of information:



Where is Mr. Yellow's extra culture coming from? That's even more culture per turn than WarriorKnight is getting with his academy, though it seems not enough for a great bard. At least, it cannot be the culture bomb he threatened me with, otherwise Vallus would already have claimed its second ring...

[Nyktorion]

Turn 67

Seems like there is no diplomatic solution to my conflict with Mr. Yellow:

Really, suprised? Remember the 2nd message i sent you? I wanted then to border the area we met on, cause i was planning then to take that western area.
Secondly, those flood plains were what made this 2nd city location good in the first place. You just going on and grab them anyway without really thinking what the neighbour (who's been there many turns now) thinks of that, makes me consider it an act of aggression.

So no, i refuse to go into any agreements regarding that river.

I answer basically what I'm really thinking here. Of course, I won't go into too much detail when explaining my "lack of settling space"; even if he'll understand my problem, he still won't be happy about me taking something that's obviously essential to him, as well. Also, I don't concretely spell out what I imagine to be the optimal scenario: me getting everything I want without any contest by him (though if a stalemate should happen, I really hope it not to be too resource intensive).

Yes, I am surprised; I was rather imagining the desert as what you wish to be your long-term border, rather than it being already an essential ingredient of your second city.

Anyway, I am afraid that there is no immediate solution for our conflict then. You need the river for your second city, and I need it to have settling space. We both need the site and neither of us wants to give it up, so we have a conflict here.

However this conflict will finally be resolved, I hope that it will be in a way that won't make both of us losers and the scoreboard leader (i.e. Thoth) its true winner.

Still, I am seriously considering to getting Archery for my hero before Way of the Forests now. Gilden Silveric (especially if he gets some shock promotions) will of course improve my military standing against the Bannor, but considering the barbarian city in the south, I expect the investment into him to pay off domestically, as well.

[uberfish]

Watching your radically different early game strategy from mine in PBEM2 with interest btw

[Nyktorion]

Turn 67

The road is in progress. Evermore finished an elder council, gets out worker #6 now. Bruti got its monument, and is now getting another elder council. I'll go for a bit of vertical development now as settling space is getting scarce, at least until Archery.



Foreign news: Mardic got another classical tech, and Irgy's second city grew to size 4. Oh, and a look into Vallus reveals something that wasn't there last turn, and might be Mr. Yellow's "culture bomb". Can you spot it?

[Nyktorion]

Turn 68

Blitz session is on!

Hyll finished a warrior and is getting an elder council, too. Workers continue working on the road to Yonna. Also, two workers are moving towards the furs and already road it in anticipation of the Hunting tech.



Foreign news: Cahir abbey is now size 7, and Mr. Yellow founded Tentatio-onis, his fourth city! That is an interesting context for his complaints that he had to give land to Thoth, and his consequent frustration about Yonna...
Somebody got a warrior this turn (Mr. Yellow? we'll see next turn).
Finally, I found this graph interesting:



Considering that this is not coming from production bonuses (he doesn't have lighthouses or courthouses yet), this might mean that he is up for some warrior spam now...

[Nyktorion]

As traditional for blitz sessions, I was also chatting with WarriorKnight a bit. We covered the following topics:

• He congratulated me on my fourth city, I congratulated him for aristocracy. We both mentioned that we should actually rather be worried about each other for these reasons
  
• He asked me how soon I reach FoL, and I told him it will still take some time (but that I think nobody has Hunting yet). He told me he is getting Hunting soon, but he has no interest in taking FoL himself (that's nice to hear)
  
• Since I deem our relations to be good, I inform him that my fourth city caused tensions with Mr. Yellow. I mentioned the three-tile distance, and the culture bomb threat.
  
• Concerning his own news, WarriorKnight informed me that is has not reached the Sheaim borders yet. Also, there is another desert to his west, where Irgy sent one of his scouts "to find the remaining 2", but the scout got eaten.
  
• He mentions he wants to build some hawks to make scouting easier
  
• We mentioned the Sheaim pyre zombies. WarriorKnight confirmed that Irgy already has some of them. Still, there is the sanctuary defence, and according to WarriorKnight, Irgy still doesn't have any other contacts yet.