[spoilers]Oh Canada! Victoria has a Commodore, eh?

[Commodore]

Me now:


...which means I'm in contact with a fair few new people now. Finarry and Mackoti both offered me OB; if you think I took the Finarry offer...

...you'd be wrong. Look fellahs, I don't know how it works on your podunk side of the world, but the Pope has options and you're just being insulting.

[Commodore]

Okay, quite a bit of interest diplomatically here; first a fly in the ointment in Greenerland. WilliamLP asked me about what our turn split is so I seriously doubt this is just a scouting expedition. Lovely.


Retep gifted me his map, so here's an update on the local situation. WilliamLP is definitely the regional power, but to his own east he's got a bloated Ichabod (another GG born with the fall of another Mongolian city) so he's not going to be able to fight 100% on any island campaign. This is a naval playground, so if I can get and maintain local dominance in the naval arena I should be able to hold Greenerland. Hell of a logistics pipeline.


Here's the global situation, with added spice of Dtay's tech status and mack's lack-of-Paper status. Dtay just recently bore a Great Artist, so the Education bulb isn't going to be as easy. Question for the day: Could I burn through Philo(or Divine Right) to Nationalism before Dtay gets Education/Liberalism->Nationalism and marble-builds the Taj? Not sure.


I think if I went all-out, the gating function would the capital engineer. Let's see where it looks in five turns with the academy online. Mackoti is getting a mild boost from my giant city here I am sure, but I do love how nice Ottawa's trade is looking right now. MC for a forge first, then let's look at Machinery vs. Nationalism.

[Commodore]

My dearest Catherine,
All praise to the Lord! I am well here and finally able to write, for it has been a great trial to procure parchment and ink in this forgotten corner of the world. Indeed, I could scarcely find the time to write either until now, for we have been sore pressed on all sides by adversity and trial. This land is very beautiful, but wild and cold, and we have been beset by many dangers under these perfect skies.

The new Baron of this land is a rash and impatient man, full of the folly of youth and the pride of wealth. Ignoring the pleas of our garrison commander, in the spring Baron Moore ordered the settlement of our city of Victoria high in the hills overlooking the Bay of Storms. The bows of Commander Katon still had more than a season to make it to our ramparts, for the overland route is rocky and perilous. Ignoring the danger, barely after the foundations of the town hall were lain did the baron and his armsmen march north to the tribal lands, demanding tribute from them as new subjects of Canada.

Although the elders of the villages were overawed by the gleaming arms and armor of the baron and his men and gave him a very great tribute, the hunters of the tribes were less impressed by the slow and awkward progress made through their harsh and hilly land by the baron. The warriors of the tribe declared themselves independent, and gathered in their rude hunting camps in companies hundreds strong.

Baron Moore panicked then and demanded Katon hasten to the town to defend us; the warriors of the tribes of the north are very skilled and brave, although undisciplined and at times such comical characters as to be dismissed.

But Captain Katon had more courage both physical and moral; he would not risk the warriors striking west through the rough pass and threatening the defenseless cities beyond. So he took his small company and struck north against the warriors in their own land, having faith in the forces within the Bay of Storms to protect us. It was a fierce fight by all accounts, but he routed the barbarians and scattered all of them We were protected by the Almighty's Strong Hand, through the indomidable captain.

You have no idea how fiercely I miss you and the children, my darling. I am laboring night and day to prepare this place for you all; ships from Ottawa will soon around here every spring and fall, enriching the city and our firm. I will send for you in the spring, I think, for the winters here are terrible and hard; but with faith and perseverance, I believe this city shall someday become the jewel of the east.

As ever I am your devoted husband,
-Bartholomew Smith

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

[Commodore]

We're now at eighteen cities! Welcome Axel Heiberg, a fine but completely unremarkable fishing village. Let's take a tour through the Upper Canadian Islands, eh?

More solid is Greenland to the east. Banks is clearly the rockstar, but Devon and Victoria are both excellent cities too. The Ringnes cities are clearly just fillers, but once I get a Forbidden Palace in Vicky they'll be pure money.

A bit more cautiously, Greenerland. I'm moving ahead now to Bathurst which I'll settle hard; Somerset needs to be down soon too. The other half is a bit more of a question, so we're going to have to see.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

How does your 18 cities stack up with the competition?

[Commodore]

How does your 18 cities stack up with the competition?

Pretty good, actually. Mack's got 21, Ichabod has 20, but I'm in third place I believe. Particularly now that Bacchus took a city from Plako (took back, actually, but still). Dtay is scary-advanced, now able to research Liberalism. So I'm ignoring Nationalism and going to tussle my way up to 24 cities...


He's makin' a list,
He's checkin' it twice!
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

Canada-Pope is coming, to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've made bows or knights,

So send them south for goodness' sake!

[Ceiliazul]

So send them south for goodness' sake!

[Thoth]

[Mardoc]

If I'm interpreting your votes correctly, that's somewhere between 9 and 11 foreign spreads, entirely passively?

I also like your song.