Don't particularly like the settle in place. Furs are nice but no freshwater, coast at an awkward distance. I move the warrior to the desert hill and the scout east, and I see a fertile flood plain. I accept the 1 turn tax and loss of marble from the radius to settle there. I also considered settling on marble directly and doing a wonder gambit, but I didn't like the tiles my scout saw near the marble. Before settling I met Sofia, angling to get the free pathfinder CSes sometimes give before a first city; no luck, either they were met already from the other side or I'm just unlucky.
Considering the two nearby furs and large forest to the north, I go for trapping with a shrine working the fur tile. I figure trapping will show me my prospects in this forest, maybe hunt or renewal are in my future. Not going to shoot for a rank-1 wonder today. A turn after I settle my move had taken me in 3-range of a Lapiz desert hill, partially compensating me for lost marble.
I do some minor exploring with my warrior but a barb is troubling from the vicinity of my original start and I soon move the warrior back to control it, even with many turns to spare before the borders are violable. No huts to search for eases explore pressure and the XP is good, plus don't want to let it buildup to be a large problem. Scout finds Mt Kaliash and I wonder about rushing a settler there. Noticing many furs near it, I check fur monopoly and find it is 8, so 5 would fill it. Unfortunately not a particular strong early monopoly, but the resources themselves are strong, especially if I use Hunt or Renewal. As the shrine finishes I go monument; not having goodie huts makes the early game feel much slower and poorer, and I'm happy that I reached for a better spot.
My scout finds lots of very foresty lands to the north as my warrior kills the barb and decides to be a flanking warrior. Eventually the scout meets Portugal and finds her lands, not-too-worryingly close north. Could be a rush to Kaliash though. Trapping reveals only one near deer, so probably just renewal as a good option (would've taken many deer to sway me.) On turn 14, I make the decision to buy the foodier fur, and this syncs my pop 4 at 8 turns with pottery and monument finish, 6 turns earlier than it was destined without the tile buy. It was a greedy tile purchase, I admit but saving me ~6 turns on the settler for 50g must be right. On turn 22 it all comes together and my border also expands to the deer naturally, setting up a 9 turn settler. Hopefully the fur Kaliash spot will be mine.
This brings me to some hard choices though. I need a new tech to research now and a policy in 5 turns. Only pantheon taken is Purity in India style. Both Portugal and the Siam I met a while ago from the East have Tradition. No other neighbors lands seen by my scout, a lot of open goodish looking space. At this point I save and quit out because it's pretty late even by my standards, and resolve to think my options over a little.
Fishing is right out, not going for the sea now. Mining has little to offer founded on a river and no worker anytime too soon. Too many things to build before I need Wheel's Council. Animal Husbandry is a curious case; I think the resources are likely to spawn around the marble if anywhere, and I'll get that spot anyway but not right now. Low inflection from the information and low probability of return immediately. I resolve to go for Trade, for the Renewal Markets, and also because with the quick city I'm getting out I might want to granary in it and caravan back to the strong capital location before too long, or even the reverse.
Thinking over policies, Progress feels like it may struggle a bit to found even with Kaliash. Renewal with no help is going to require too much settler spam for it. Similarly, Tradition could found but would maybe hurt itself doing so. On the other hand Authority seems well suited to the situation; there is already one barb hut in my orbit, and tons will probably spawn in the jungles around, enough that Tradition or Progress would be delayed by them probably. Not many AIs or CSes around to clear them either. I feel like Authority with its quicker wide, easier hammers, and Kaliash + Renewal will found pretty easily.
Overall my plan is now Trade/Renewal/Authority. Longer term I think I want to make a Writing rush to get the free policy and see where that takes me, I have little needs for other tech at the moment, warrior/archer is a reasonable enough comp and my lux is basically lots of furs. The policy will also put a firm place where I'll definitely get Imperium by if things with Barbs and tributes go badly for my culture.
The wait for the settler is long, and after Authority I fight the barbs a bit, killing one more and injuring another two, but then have to retreat my pathfinder and warrior back to heal. The Warrior keeps opposition with the barbs on the Eastern fur to prevent raiding, the pathfinder will accompany the settler to Kaliash. One injured barb follows me right over and tries to go around my warrior, my pathfinder flanks and helps him kill it just as the settler is built.
After the settler I notice Porto founded to the northwest, not near my spot luckily, so I should be in the clear. Tough production decision though of worker or archer. Part of me wants to push worker first but without the archer I will struggle to kill any camp, even the one next door. It's only a 5 turn delay, my tiles are very good (deer fur fur). Warrior is flanker 2 now. As my settler moves a pair of Persian scouts come to say hello, and Alex and the Mongols have come by recently too, all seemingly from the East. Alex is tradition as well but Persia and Genghis are Authority. I wonder if it'll be a 0 Progress game, a shame to miss the free wonder but Authority felt to necessary to me anyways. Stonehenge pops late, turn 35, and no Pyramids yet. Wonder racers probably were happy. I take Renewal as the final pantheon on turn 36, and pull trade on turn 38 just before settling. I don't wait the 3 extra turns for my policy.
Krakow is founded 1 tile away from Kaliash nominally in control of many good resources, on a freshwater hill 6 tiles from both porto and my capital and 3 tiles from the lake. Feels like a strong spot in general, leaves room south of itself for a conservative but strong city as well. I continue with my Writing rush plan and take wheel, go worker after archer in Warsaw. I take a small risk and go monument first in Krakow without buying the kaliash tile (as opposed to shrine kaliash buy), hoping to grow it to size 3 to make use of Renewal before working Kaliash and to get tribute bonuses. I will probably invest this monument when the time is closer. There are just too many good tiles around it to make it a tiny natural wonder slave. Due to the interaction with Kabul and the lake to the southeast I feel I have solid control over 5 furs now. Final Civ is Ghandi, of course he is Tradition; it's a 0 Progress game.
I eventually promote the Archer to Accuracy and finally kill the barb camp on turn 43, despite Austria camping there trying to steal it. Suck it Maria. Worker comes out the same day, moves one tile to furs. I have 4 citizens in Warsaw now working 4 forests in renewal and three of them are fur/fur/deer, this is kind of nuts. I consider granary/caravan types of ideas in my capital, and also consider settler, but ultimately go for the buffed market instead. Overall with no huts I feel so impoverished. I do invest the monument in Krakow with time to spare. I see some barb activity to the east across the lake and move my archer towards it as the warrior heals in place. Still no camps detected with Authority. I hope I wasn't overcautious here, Progress starts might be better.
The barbs chase my scout through forest and terrifyingly 2 axemen with forest mover come to chop at him. He retreats hoping to heal in Krakow. In Krakow I decide that Granary is best, since to get renewal there I must work a forest of each type and growth to size 3 will be too slow. The granary will come out fast and mostly coincide with natural border growth to kaliash, making a powerful size 3 city. I notice that there is a Petra mission now from Kabul; I'll consider that strongly after this market comes out in the capital.
My market pops out on turn 50 and I go in another big thonk. Petra would take 15 turns and be due on turn 65, not a bad time for it at all. The caravan would be immediately useful with the granary I'm building already. My military is weak and occupied with a brutal war on yet undiscovered barbs near Sophia. My scouting has fared horribly. But the allure of the Petra looms large; at turn 65 it's a guarantee if no AI settled on desert, and even if one did a strong possibility. It'll slow down going wide, but Imperium is here in 9 turns anyway, I can take a spot to the West and the area I have East is shielded by the lake mostly. I decide to go for it. Blame Kabul if I fail.
On turn 52, Krakow grows to size 3 with granary and becomes a power city, working 2 forests and kaliash for net 0 food; I start its shrine. Annoyingly the prophet will probably spawn here, but nothing for it. My scouting and army expedition discovers lots of Siam to the East and no barbarians; Siam probably killed them already. I'm getting worried for settling space, but nothing for it but to push through now. I sell my first furs to Genghis for 6gpt after being dumb for 2 turns, he looks fetching in them at least. Siam gets Artemis on turn 54, already has Pyramids, looks like an early tradition snowball to me.
I'm not sure if I'll need to purchase military back home yet and am saving the money, I could also invest in that shrine. Ultimately I invest in the shrine and delay other purchases, getting late in the day and I feel slow. On finishing it Krakow goes market. Imperium comes a little before I can buy a new troop, but I havent heard much about Barbs to the West recently so I'm a little bold with my settler. I buy a warrior to back it up ASAP though. Portugal completes the GL in size 9 Porto of all places on turn 59, before my writing rush even reaches writing lol. Terrified for my petra. Alex gives me 6 for my second furs. Worker heads to the deer but might only do it partially and time a move to the furs of Krakow right as they're grown into. Krakow and Warsaw BOTH demand coffee now, I'll keep an eye if any appears for cheap.
I founded Lodz with no issue blocking off the West from Portugal, investing a shrine, and did get my Petra on turn 64. Religion looks super sketchy, I undestimated the speed I needed to found in this situation, but I can still try. I'll pop out a settler from the capital now. Trade Route options are many, but I pick the immediate mission to Kuala Lumpur for 80 food and a bunch of influence, and also passage through to get my two warriors to fight its camp and try to ally it. Lodz goes monument second. Meanwhile my archer is watching the east against settler incursions by Siam, for all the good it'll do.
Writing pops classical era and a free policy, and I go back in the tank. It's not totally unreasonable to go Tradition into Sovergnity here, would it help me found? I'd get Sov in 12- turns if I rush the monument. Also Tradition would prevent settlers in Warsaw from dropping me below 6 worked forests ever. Founding seems so sketchy. Alambra will be hard to get with 2 other Authority civs. Right now founding is projected hilariously late at turn 94 (Writing also gave Kaliash +2 faith), but with a little help that will tick down into the 80s. No huts means founding may be slower on Deity than I have come to expect, at least a little. I definitely felt the pinch. Even if I do two policies in Tradition, I can then get Dominance as my 6th and either finish Authority or move on immediately to a middle tree with 6 strong policies and the border interaction going.
Ultimately I convince myself to do it, selecting to open Tradition. Missing religion just is too much of a spectre. May the good people of Kabul pray for my wayward soul. After this, I need to make the relatively casual decision of my next tech. My worker schedule is hilariously too overloaded with mines and I have only one possible well and my sea city won't be settled till 5th, so I pick Animal Husbandry. Time to learn if horses were anywhere after all. My pathfinder eyes a barb camp with 3 targets on its back (far to the East, way too far for my army), and I wonder if it should stay around to try to steal it from an AI. Lodz goes to size 2 and I immediately switch from marsh to forest/forest.
Later there is serious crowding at Kuala and I can't get through, I contemplate switching to fishing and decide might as well finish AH first. My science is lightning with Renewal it feels like I'm Portugal or something. Krakow finishes its market but is obviously still size 3. I contemplate my options there and decide to go Caravan instead of worker (my lone worker has already migrated there to improve the first furs, didn't make much progress on the deer.) I immediately slam in another settler in Warsaw; it's only 6 turns and I need those shrines yesterday. Imperium and investing will help them go up fast. The first religion goes to Siam on turn 69 and I'm living in fear. I get through the crowding at Kuala but I'm sick of the inconvenience and go for fishing now. 4 horses pop at my settler destination and some other fun resources show up as well. Money is everywhere now, so I buy a worker in Warsaw knowing I'll still have enough for those shrines in time. I do kill the camp finally and ally Kuala.
The second religion goes to Ghandi on 72. We all knew that was coming. Anyone's game now. I adopt Sov on turn 74; religion now due on turn 90 before either of my 4/5 city shrines. Immediately after I found city 4 in a hyper-defensive position behind the lake, claiming horses. I shrine invest as an immediate action and work the sheep instead of lake for additional fractional speed. I go construction next, due to marble next to fifth city spot Ill be at soon. After that settler finishes I go granary, and plan to go herbalist next to get some powerful capital growth. Ill work the artist when I hit back to pop 7. I buy coffee from Genghis for 7 a little after the settler finishes, I want those WLTKD foods.
Turn 78, still no 3rd religion but Alex declares on Genghis. I saw he had a massive hoplite army when my pathfinder was there so he might be onto something. Wish he'd declared against tradition though. Caravan in Krakow completes and I run it as food back to Warsaw, starts council, will probably go into library. Need to grow that half-tradition capital something awful. Capital buys another worker, still ready to invest 5th shrine. Greece founds with Expanse on turn 79. No free religions so far at least but I feel doomed. I'm feeling vulnerable so I go for math in case we need a ton of longbows when this religion race is done. Persia is hostile and Portugal has crowded into me. I'm a dollar short of investing the monument in city 4, I cook it by working the market for a turn before its done then invest and switch back. Newer workers now connecting horses and marble. L let Ghandi rip me off on furs for 4 gpt but no other people to sell to. Capital reaches back to 7 and I put in the artist as promised.
The shrine finishes on 82 and the founding turn will now be 88. The dice have been cast. Still two religions left. I feel I was too slow, but is crippling the Kaliash city going to be the only way anyone ever founds? We'll see. Persia taunts my lame army and I resolve to build a wall in Krakow next delaying the library. Oh Writing, at least you got me a free policy (no quests either sadly.) Mongolia founds with Ancestor worship on 83. Only 1 religion left. Maria somehow completes the Oracle already, and Persia denounces Portugal; the last bit of news is quite good, he hasn't denounced me yet. Turn 86 comes and I'm still alive. Two turns left. Most cities having a progression of Shrine->Monument->Market->Council as their start. I've sent a warrior to watch the one awkward hex portugal is allowed to forward settle me on; buying a tile would prevent it forever. My scout found a barb camp in the south a while ago, but its a spear and my army is trash so I can't handle it now. I start an archer in capital; I could do a chariot instead but with Persia as the big scary right now and tons of rough terrain everywhere it feels a little too bad.
Turn 87 and I'm 12 Faith short. I wonder if I could've optimized harder and got it this turn somehow. The triple target camp from before gets killed, way off in the distance. My first caravan finishes its Kuala route and I have what is likely my last big decision. While Im considering I notice I left my 5th city on max production; annoying but not a huge deal; it was building a monument. Then I consider; a food route there would carry 10x29 = 290 food, enough to grow to size... 5 or 6 maybe? On the other hand trade with Siam would get me 4 spt 1 cpt and 6gpt. I am behind everyone by 6+ techs already, ugh. Ultimately I decide on the food route, a coastal city isn't allowed to permanently lag behind, it's going to have to be strong, it has a hard life ahead.
I hit space, Austria steals religion the turn before I would found, Math comes in and I screenshot and save, but this one feels like a near miss. Sorry guys.
, it doesn't feel like that's quite enough. Therefore, I looked to settle on the desert hill left of that spot so I get access to potentially more growth in flood plains and maybe other luxuries if I'm lucky in the southwest. I also didn't get a good feeling when I saw India being in the game because that means one less religion to fight for. I'm starting to doubt that I can find a religion but we'll see.
Culture is quite a bit this early on. After some exploration, I found Portugal to my north with some land between us. Considering that most of that land has Furs, my monopoly luxury, this could get ugly very quickly. It wasn't until Turn 21 that I discovered Mt. Kailash and I felt that I'm liking my odds of finding a religion, even if it's very slight.
Production is certainly amazing, it feels lacking in that I have no reliable source of 
Science and tributes feel very bad. Poland also doesn't have the tools for early wars that really shines and I'm expecting to fall behind in tech pretty quickly. Progress seems the most logical as it can potentially help me eventually catch up in tech due to a better focus in the mid and long term. Therefore, I went Progress.