Capria still was a little bemused by her advisors. They had a distinct tendency to disagree with each other and quarreled a lot, a far cry from what could be expected of when Sabathiel led them. On the other hand, they had a clear chain of command, though who was in command switched with some regularity.
Now it was the man with the red pen again, and as he was wont to do, he started with a detailed review of the empire and its cities.
The emphasis for most cities was to expand upwards, and add as many citizens as possible.
Bologna was ordered to fire its merchant and hire two priests. The reason was given that a holy shrine could only be built by a Great Prophet, not a lowly Merchant. Otherwise, the city was told to work its poor neglected cottages to the south.
Paris was set to grow in size and work cottages. The library could wait until
the Great Lighthouse was finished in Salamanca.
Oxford had one citizen sent away from the silk plantation to a cottage.
Salamanca worked as hard as possible to finish the Great Lighthouse. There was still jokes in the empire about the monument in Bologna, and she wondered what the jokesters would think about this!
Coimbra fired its specialists, and was told to finish the market quickly.
Prague caused the advisor to utter strange words like conundrum. He said it was the empire's best chance of a Great Prophet, but the lack of food was quite bothersome. For now, two priests were recruited to work in the city during the Golden Age.
Krakow continued to work on a settler to found a new city to our southwest. A site rich in silk, milk, and more pliable draft animals had been located.
In Wien the advisor took great exception to the public bathhouse that was being built by the river. Why spend time lounging in a salacious environment when the city could benefit from increased trade and be more welcoming to fishermen. Capria had to approve of the fervor of the advisor, though she admitted that she would probably visit the bathhouse soon.
Heidelberg was found good, though the advisor mentioned that there would be a short period soon in which the workers outside wouldn't be able to keep pace with the growth of the city.
St Andrews also passed muster, and the advisor thought the city would be ready to start the conversion to our main military centre soon. However, it was thought the road between St Andrews and the rest of the empire should have been of higher priority, instead of silk and incense plantations. Diane, that was found outside the city, quickly received a military escort.
Tlatleleco hired a merchant instead of working a bare plains tile. Lois was also told to stop working on the lumbermill, and build a cottage instead. A single forest was apparently not enough to improve the health of the city.
In Santo Domingo Michael was told to quit working on a cottage, and instead go to the hill to mine it. New cities were to emphasise production, not commerce.
In Basel (that had previously been known as Brown) the advisor said that new cities should probably receive a market first, not an Elder Council. Terms like "marginal benefit", "bankbeaker" and "weighted average" were mentioned.
In international news, it was noted that the Clan of Embers now had the knowledge of Sailing, and this meant that the settling of our southwest would have to take place at a quicker pace. It was more important to deny that area to the Clan than it was to settle anywhere else.
Flauros was willing to give us the knowledge of Way of the Forests in exchange for Code of Laws, but we declined for now.
Last the advisor wondered if there was any possible use that the captured
scorpion outside Tlatleleco could be put to, or if it was just a drain on our resources.
The spider that is clandestinely exploring the land of the Clan of Embers found an exposed Adept, and after sending a Hawk to explore the area, it performed an exemplary ambus.
But perhaps not like this.
On the 220th cycle since the emergence from hell, the joyous but still stern words of Sabathiel was again heard over the Bannor empire, as Orders from Heaven was founded in Heidelberg. The Acolyte immediately travelled to Bologna to spread the faith.
Our axe outside Delouc has recovered from his illness, and the advisor mentions that the promotion known as March is very valuable in keeping our forces fit and hale.
Lois chops the plains forest outside Tlatleleco. Michael mines the hill outside Santo Domingo. George builds a mine outside St Andrews. Katherine builds a road on the ivory outside Basel. Fred goes to the jungled hill north of Basel, and Charles and Harry goes to the hill just east of the proposed White spot, which will be founded soon.
Coimbra has finished its market and starts a settler for another city to found. It works a plains cottage over a grass cottage while doing this.
With Order in, our sages asked for a new field that could draw their attention. They talked about the benefits of Currency, and how it would improve our trade, but it was noted that we had a distinct lack of trading partners. The Clan of Embers are our main rivals, and we should rather pacify them with sword and steel instead of silk or gold. Instead, the advisor said that the research of Optics would mean that we could gain contact with other survivors of the Age of Ice, that could be of a more pleasant disposition towards us. The Calabim were there, and while thoroughly unpleasant, they were at least civilised.
The Golden Age ended on the 221th cycle, and Optics could still be finished in a timely manner, to coincide with the construction of the Great Lighthouse, with only a marginal deficit for the empire's finances.
Krakow finishes its settler, and starts to build a Market. Wien completes its harbor, markedly increasing the trade and the quality of fish in the city, and starts on a library. The plan is to make this city a centre not only for sages, but for accomplished merchants, bard, priests, and engineers.
The citizens of Oxford are quite transfixed by the lion that has been caged in the city, and the words of it spreads wide and far.
Our least experienced hunter in the west is sent towards Tlatleleco, so he can join the caravel under construction in Salamanca, and our spider has finally found its legs! It is markedly more mobile now.
In sad news, our Acolyte in Bologna was driven out of the city in much anger, probably caused by the many priests of Kilmorph that were present in the city. In hindsight the advisor admitted that the action of hiring the priests had been a mistake, and that it would have been better to simply work the mines.
In international news, it is found that the Clan can research Deception, and thus like us has the knowledge of Trade.
With the Golden Age ended, the Empire adopted the civics of Religion, Arete, and Agrarianism. The production benefit from Arete was good, and martial valor was not as important in Archers or Priests than it was for Horsemen or Axemen. In the end, food, production, and culture generation was deemed most important for now.
Bologna had its priests fired with extreme prejudice. The empire would have to put its faith in the citizens of Praha instead to provide it with a Great Prophet.
With a settler being built in Coimbra, the citizens are told to abandon the reagents, and instead work a mine. The reagents are instead assigned to citizens from Praha. The settler would be built faster, and Praha would enjoy a higher food surplus, at a slight loss of commerce in our empire.
One of our most experienced hunters makes an attempt to capture a Mammoth outside Tlatleleco, as the great woolly beasts are being called. However, he perishes in the attempt. The younger hunter nearby however manages to capture the beast, before he continues on towards Salamanca.
With the market finished in Heidelberg, and the failure of spreading the words of Junil in Bologna, Heidelberg sets out to complete a Temple of the Order as
quickly as possible, working mines and receiving woods from the forests. Once the Temple is built, the city will train several Acolytes.
St Andrews finishes its market, and starts an archery range. Isaac has finished a mine between Prague and Basel, and joins Katherine, but before the road had been truly finished.
The bear in Heidelberg is sent southwards.
The Great Lighthouse is built, and the knowledge of Optics arrive on the 223rd cycle. Salamanca starts to build a caravel, but switches the worked land with Paris too, so the library there can be finished quickly.
Uppsala (formerly known as Yellow) is founded, and starts to build a market. Tlatleleco has finished its Elder Council, and starts a Courthouse. The advisor
mentions that from now on, libraries will provide greater benefit in our cities, especially if they can work cottages or other commerce-rich tiles.
The newly captured Mammoth is sent north towards St Andrews, where the mighty beast should be a good candidate for training as a War Elephant. The main tech choices under consideration are Honor, Stirrups, and Currency. Since there is hope for for trade contacts soon, the decision falls on Currency.
Order spreads in Uppsala, but no volunteer Acolyte appears, and the Empyrean in Basel. Bologna trains our first Stonewarden, a welcome addition to our forces, and starts to construct a courthouse. A bear now dances in Uppsala, and the city immediately starts construction of a Temple of the Order, where it can direct the first missionary efforts to the south.
Our forces outside Delouc had prepared well, and managed to kill all the defenders of the barbarian city with no losses to themselves, crushing the city, driving its inhabitants before them, and hearing the lamentation of their women.
What is best in life?
Our Stonewarden is on the way to St Andrews, where the preparations for an assault of Domir is underway. He carries with him the Great Commander that had devised our new Military Strategy.
The Calabim again asks for the knowledge of Code of Laws, and a lizardman outside St Andrews is killed by an experienced axeman, assisted by a great commander.
Heidelberg finishes its temple, and starts training an Acolyte. Krakow starts a courthouse. Our fleet-footed scout in the south goes out in the southwest
peninsula, to clear it for our advancing forces, and finds a frostling by the mountain. He retreats and will try to lure the frostling into an ambush. Our exploring Spider manages to find the Pyre of the Seraphic, which we had rumours of long ago.
The preparation for an assault of Domir has been finished, and the majority of the forces in St Andrews leave.
The bookkeepers of the empire suddenly starts to give uncharacteristic shouts of joy. Apparently, the empire now can sustain half of its focus on new knowledge long-term. They are quickly silenced when the citizens of St Andrews are told to work a newly built mine instead of the incense.
The sages of our empire now flock to Paris again, where a Library finally has been constructed. Scholarly rivalry between the cities of Bologna and Paris makes them both strive for new heights. A courthouse is started, and the city prepares itself for welcoming more citizens.
Bologna can thus focus on production and food, and starts the construction of an Aquae Sucellus, to further channel the Life mana in our empire, until Order is spread in the city. A little later, it is noted that a settler might have been of larger benefit. This also means that Salamanca can focus on production, and finish the caravel quickly.
Wien starts construction of a granary after the library. Santo Domingo starts a lighthouse, and Coimbra has finished a settler, and starts training our third
Stonewarden. It is thought that three of them will be sufficient for our military.
Finally, on the 229 cycle, we have knowledge of Currency. Amelanchier offers 340 gold for our knowledge of Way of the Earthmother, but I decline for now. Order also continues to spread, but sadly enough in the nearby Illian city of Sopor!
White is in the only sensible spot, I think, what with all the marshland. I think my Green and Cyan are the best spots, and the most defensible against sea assault, but for some reason I can't feel quite comfortable with it.
