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

[Mr. Yellow]

Nothing new happening, just Thoth choking me hard and denying me any possibility to build back up again. Right now i'm basically just passing the turn along and see what happens.




I got 8 warriors in the cap now. Should hold it for quite a time, but Thoth has Martok in position and will start chip away. In addition he has spread his forces and pillaged a bit, including several mines and the corn farm. The gems will go away next and i'm not sure if i can keep on producing warriors even at 2 turns each. Will have to revolt back to God King once it's availible again.
Maybe i should have left a small detachment on the hill east to protect my eastern improvements, might have been smart.

Anyway, i'll be having a net loss of one warrior each turn now, till it's low enough that Thoth will attempt an all-in assault and capture the city. Rather depressing to play really.



Not looking much better west either, with the copper mine gone as well. Once that eastern swordsman is in position Thoth might attempt an assault.

At least my economy is still going somewhat thanks to the eastern cities. One of my workers have started getting a road connection to the elves now, who just revolted to slavery. It really sounds like Nyktorion is dead serious about getting an army up and hold Thoth off.
Anyway, i'll post an update on my eastern locations next time.


And here's a pic of my eastern adventures.



...

I'm not even gonna comment about this land.

[icewolf34]

Thanks for keeping the updates coming. I don't understand why Nyk is still reluctant to lend you copper or troops if he's going to do it at all... I still feel like he might be stalling or something. I suppose there's really nothing to do at this point though besides pass the turns, as you said.

[icewolf34]

Thanks for keeping the updates coming. I don't understand why Nyk is still reluctant to lend you copper or troops if he's going to do it at all... I still feel like he might be stalling or something. Too bad no one has the tech for vassal yet, haha.

I suppose there's really nothing to do at this point though besides pass the turns, as you said.

[icewolf34]

Argh, double post.

[Mr. Yellow]

Triple post. :3

Yet to do my turn, which i'm about to do, but here the latest diplo exchanges.

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

please see attached the picture taken with the help of the hawk in Astrum this turn.
As you can see, Thoth has a Soldier of Kilmorph. The other 4 visible stacks consist of a single units each: either an unpromoted warrior (2x), or a worker (2x).

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

In other words, more units are approaching.

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Phnglui mglw nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah nagl fhtagn"

Those Who Dwell Beneath the Waves have spoken! All will perish! Some, who join us, may share the honor of being eaten first! Come, brothers, give up your helpless quest!

- Mardoc[/COLOR]

Which means he just discovered Octopus Overlords.

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]I'm really genuinely sorry to hear that (partly for my own selfish reasons
certainly, but not entirely). I'd offer you assistance, but I don't know of
any practical means of giving it from this distance. So I'll just have to wish
you the best of luck in holding out. Let me know you do think of something I
can do to help.

Irgy Arbandi[/COLOR]

Pretty expected answer. However, what can he really do here? The best way he could help me is to find a trade route by coast and lend me copper. But it would take waay too long before he can do that.
So i doubt i'll ever respond to this.

[Mr. Yellow]

While i'm being slowly ripped apart in the west, everything is looking nice and good in the east.



Both cities finished a market and elder council this turn and are producing warriors now. In addition the incense and corn have been improved. Gonna focus on getting more production in Trinity, while optimizing the road connection. Actually i just finished getting connected to Nyktorion this turn.

Looking at the screen, Nyktorion has surplus Silk that i could really use now. Thoth just pillaged my gems and the capital is unhappy.
Sadly, i don't have both cottons improved yet, which i'm about to do. So i asked Nyktorion for silk now and he'll get cotton later.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Thanks for the reports so far.

Anyway, we got a trade route up. However i don't have both cottons hooked up right now, which i'll do right next. But i just lost my gems resource and have a hard time keeping the capital running. So i ask for silk now and you'll get the cotton later. Think in 2-3 turns.

Also, Thoth's big stack just moved up on the hill south of the capital. This positions him to both pillage the rest of my improvements and send off an detachment to try conquer my eastern cities, while blocking off my garrison in the capital. I'll keep you updated on this. You can scout out the capital yourself to see how bad it currently looks.

- Sir Yellow[/COLOR]

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

seeing as you are currently under heavy pressure, it is no problem for me to give you the silk 2-3 turns in advance. Therefore, I just accepted your request ingame.

Based on your description, I took the liberty to start my hawk from Torrolerial this turn; I'm planning to get it back into Astrum next turn. Please see attached the result of the hawk's flight. Again, I see two single unupgraded warriors, and a stack of 2 workers south of Golden Yurt.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

Actually i care little of what's happening behind the lines currently. I wanted Nyktorion to see how it looks at the capital right now and hopefully it'll make him speed up.
However, i'm not sure how high priority it is to help me. He gained another city recently, a barbarian one so that's what he recently used him army on. Bah!
Well i can understand he doesn't want to fall behind the rest here, but he needs to speed up if i'm gonna survive here. Good to know i got silk though.

One thing i feel stupid for not realising is that i could avoided a lot of damage if i moved a unit from the group i sent west over to the pines! Would have bought me more time for sure.
Right now though it wouldn't be of much help. Capital is way to pillaged to stay strong and i'm miles away from gaining copper. Still it would help me to get Thoths units away for a brief time, so i'll move a warrior over there next turn.



Decided to not revolt to God King as i could get another warrior out this turn.
Nothing else to do though. Thoth moved his stack south of me on the hill, in prime position to pillage my eastern improvement (and disconnect the cap from the east), chip me and/or even move a detachment to threaten my eastern settlements. While i can only sit around being a lame duck unable to do anything, watching as my capital continues to rot from the insiOH GOD i need anti-depressants!!



Awwwwwwwww.

[Mr. Yellow]

Nothing much happening. Thoth still choking me.



I revolted to both God King and Nationhood this turn. This will cost me an extra 6 gold pr. turn, but i can live with that.
Moved the warrior in Trinity to protect the workers for now and and moved the garrison in Vallus towards Trinity to protect it from goblins. The other worker is currently roading the other cotton.

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

please see attached what my hawk in Astrum was seeing this turn. Besides the highlighted stack of 2 warriors, the other stacks visible in the south west are a single warrior and a single swordsman (in the very south west of the visible area), both unpromoted.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

9-10 warriors in the capital should be enough, don't want to spend much more money on army upkeep. Next thing to be built are walls.

[Mr. Yellow]

Not really sure what Thoth is attempting here.



He's still sitting around near the capital, not doing much expect pillaging the sheep. He has even let me keep the road and several improvements for now.

Secondly why hasn't he even attempted to chip with the axe guy?! Dunno how the odds look like, but i believe they must be highly in favor...or is he too afraid to lose him? Either way i'm using that moment now to get the walls up. He might think i'll lose a lot over time due to the choking and he's right about that, but what matters to me now is to buy time till i can get outside help and i'm getting time in spades.



And here is an oppurtunity.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Just sent cotton now.

I've also asked WK for a possible trade connecttion through you. I believe you just took the nearby barb city yes? It isn't far between that and WKs land and he could supply me with copper. I'll even send a few workers to get a connection up if WK is positive to this.[/COLOR]

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

please see attached the usual hawk report picture. This turn, I decided to scout further west rather than south for a change, revealing Thoth's capital in the process. The highlighted warrior is the one on the pool of tears, the warrior south of it and the warrior in Golden Lean To are both alone and unpromoted.

The idea with the connection to WarriorKnight is an interesting one. Thanks for your offer to send your own workers, but I think you can use them better in your own lands. I currently have six workers, and I think I'll get two slaves on top of that through a follow-up event next turn. Therefore, I think I'll be able to spare some working force when I see WarriorKnight's border city founded.

best regards,
Nyktorion[/COLOR]

Thoth is clearly hiding his 2nd army away. Either he's building up for Mardoc or to finish me off.
Also curious to what it looks like up north. Greens and a river...would like to see that spot.

Anyway, sounds like Nyktorion is up for this.

[COLOR="Cyan"]Hey, is there any chance that you could get connected to the elves? I'm in dire need of copper and i just got connected to them. I believe they just took the nearby barbarian city.

Could you get a road up to that city? I'm willing to make a good deal for the copper (lost my only way of getting copper myself).

- Sir Yellow
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Hmmm, building a road to the elves is going to take quite a few worker turns. I'm a bit short on workers at the moment so I doubt I can spare the force required to build a road up to the elves.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just ask for copper from the elves? Surely the elves have a native source somewhere that they can lend to you (if not then the map maker is rather cruel). It would sure be a lot quicker for you to ask from them compared to me building a trade route to them.

WK[/COLOR]

*facepalm*

Of course i wouldn't ask you if the elves had it! Or are you trying to stay neutral here? Have to ask some more.

[Mr. Yellow]

2 things here that i'm worried about now. First is the warrior far to the right there. With mobility I he can easily speed through the desert doing whatever the heck he likes. I'll need 2 or even 3 warrior to take that guy out and hopefully be in position to do that.

Second is the small group apparently being sent to pillage my cottage. I decided to send out a small group to threaten him, but when i think about it might have been better to stick inside or send a bigger group.
3 warriors (2 bronze) isn't gonna do much (well, anything), but i'm rather tired of getting choked here and wanted to do something, even if that something could mean stupid losses.
At least they are on terrain having almost the same amount of defence as when inside the city.



WK got Order this turn, which i myself aimed for earlier in the game. Wonder what he'll do with it though. Or maybe did he get an acolyte from a dungeon?

Speaking of him, his last message was rather puzzling, so lets approach this differently!

*continuation from last exchange*

[COLOR="Cyan"](Awkward silence)

Of course i'd ask the elves for copper if they had it, else i wouldn't have asked you earlier!

Or was that a vaguely hidden attempt to stay neutral here?
If that's the case then how about this.
Irgy is positive to help me with the war here and i'm pretty sure that includes copper. It would be possible to trade with him through you if you could get road connections to both him and the elves. That way Thoth wouldn't see that it's you supplying with resources if we went this far.

Either way Nyktorion said he could spare workers to get a road over to you, i believe your borders are around 3 tiles away from each other.
Oh and congrats on getting Order.

- Sir Yellow[/COLOR]

Some time later and score!

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Yeah, I don't want to give Thoth the impression that I'm aiding you, hence my reluctance to send you copper. Saying that though, if the Sheaim are the ones that supply copper and nyktorion is helping then I would be willing to help provided the Malakim don't learn about this.

I'll start roading from my latest city to the elven border shortly. If nyktorion could start from the barb city and road towards my latest city (he knows where it is) it shouldn't be too long before we're connected.

WK[/COLOR]

Bit sad he's reluctant to supply me, but now i will actually have an oppurtunity to ask for aid from Irgy!


Finally, it's time to say goodbye to our eastern scout.


He's been scouting out pretty fertile land and has finally encountered our first spider. He shall be missed dearly.

Oh and Nyktorion keeps scouting out with the hawk, but there's hardly anything interresting going on there, expect that one of his workers are roading towards Astrum.

[icewolf34]

Thanks for keeping the updates coming and informative! Wish things were going better.

Good luck with the trade routes!