[spoilers]Commodore is Tokugawa of Zulu, or, playing for second place.

[Commodore]

Tragic lack of updates, and I am sorry my friends. Unfortunately, the situation now, turn 141, isn't much different from turn 121. I have brand new war tech, but although it's helped me win the skirmishes, Cyneheard's hill city of Xenia still is held securely.



Yuri has used the war to claim a lot of the southern jungles, which at least is better than Rego or CN grabbing them. I might wedge in a no-food claimer, but that's a fraught proposition. In any case, Yuri's status is Best Friend Ever:



The long term plan to get a Great Spy is still ongoing, with CoL about decrease the time. A courthouse running a spy will help me actually get what I need for infiltration, the only question is who.



Thanks to the spy being as far along as it is I finally can start running scientists in Brilig to net myself a Golden Age later. The MoM would be lovely but I have nowhere to build it, alas. This tundra rock better have iron.



An Academy would be even worse than usual with In-the-Wabe. I could grow to take on three more plains villages, I guess. Miserable little place still would take forever to actually get a full-blown town surround.



My economy is...great for how cramped I am, I guess. No clear plan for where to go next, either up to OR/HR or over to Literature...actually having both Epics would be lovely, maybe even yielding a second Great Spy if that plan ever comes a cropper.



Militarily, we're fairly secure, although CN will probably begin pushing out cats soon. An all-in might take Xenia, but then...well, I have Xenia, an isolated city crushed by grey culture. I might try something if he doesn't reinforce anyway.



Sea battles have been noncomital, to say the least. in the harsh north, CN and I play cat-and-mouse with galleys and dream of Optics. I'd love to be able to burn Colombus, with silver and whales accounting for a lot of his happies, but that's iffy. The two northern whipping places are just whipping out impi and HA.



Zululand core is looking very nice, just very very tiny, sadly. I'm still in the market for something to sell my extra spice for, ideally stone but anything would do. I'm milling about, honestly, without a clear-cut path to victory or even better lands.



Internationally, Scooter is eating Brick out there somewhere, Krill is still waxing huge, and Ceil is a solid third. Neighbors are all doing pretty marginally, with Yuri having the best long-term prospect, followed by Regopin, followed by Cyneheard. I'm crunched and soon munched.

[Commodore]

So news! News that everyone but Gaspar knows already because come on its Rego! Krill took an extortionary bite out of Pingo, note the SNL name of that city list. I'm assuming it was extortion, heck, it could have been a normal purchase but darned if I know why. Also, Krill is generous with his captured resources.



My terrible event luck continues to be terrible!



Beyond that, still massing.

[Commodore]

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"



He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!



One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.



"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.



'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

[Ichabod]

Yeah, Go, Jabberwocky!

Or is it the other way around?

Wouldn't that mean they cut his tail, not his head?

[Merovech]

Well, that doesn't look as surrounded by Cyneheard's culture as I expected. Could be a useful city with those floodplains and pre-built villages(hamlets?).

[Commodore]

Pro at keeping cities.



Need more military in general.



The new Zululand.



Whew, now let's capture the rest of Byzantium.

[NobleHelium]

So what's up with those roaded forests in the far east?

[Commodore]

So what's up with those roaded forests in the far east?

Bored worker, captured excess from Byzantium. He's roading for potential defensive or offensive movement around the corn. Meanwhile, west...



Good luck fair elephants.

[NobleHelium]

I don't see any corn in the far east.

[Commodore]

Erm, horn. That ugly little jut of land is responsible for a turn's delay in hitting Ethiopia back a long while ago. Another way of looking at it, the borders are about to pop...that's 53 banked hammers for a rainy day.