Ragnar sat at his throne restlessly. He had been accused of many things in his life, but unfairness was not one of them. Ruthless, may be, but not merciless. The people of Russia were not slaves. The people of Portugal were granted the chance at autonomy. He had liberated America from their barbaric overlords, and had left them under their own rule. Everywhere, the people loved him. He had even spared Joao, once he learned of his survival and flight into exile.
Yet outside the barriers, he was loathed. Willem, once a great ally, had been tainted by the promise of power from the Runner. Perhaps, he wondered, was the Runner's religion so bad? Their chosen, Hannibal, prospered unendingly. Even now, their culture seeped into the Viking States, and it almost threatened to swallow Arabia. Carthaginian influence was everywhere - from their religion to their technology.
Ragnar shrugged it off. If it became too much of a problem, he would deal with it then.
It became obvious that it was time to fully invade the Netherlands. Ragnar knew that knowledge was power; he ramped up an Intelligence campaign to thwart Dutch spies and gather information. The results were incredibly successful.
----------------------------
"WHERE HAS THE TEMPLE GONE!?" roared Ragnar, standing on an open plot of land in downtown Eldarion.
Several priests, bewildered, could only wince and cower. Only one was brave enough to speak. "We do not know. Scholars claim that it was plucked from the earth during the night - there was no debris or wreckage. Some claim a giant Whale ate it."
"Damn that Digit!" Ragnar swore under his breath, before turning to the priests. "You!" he pointed to the man speaking, and then to all of them. "All of you! This is a message from our Lord Eldarion! Go far and wide and spread the word of the Storm to our people! All will know the glory of the Eldar Storm!"
(3 Nations with Nation Religion of Taoism: Portugal, America, and Viking.)
(6 Nations with Taoism present: Portugal, America, Viking, Carthage, Arabia, Netherlands)
The crowd parted as a scout galloped into the square, blood dripping down his side as he cradled his gun with a cast arm. "My Lord!," he yelled, and the Viking Warrior-King looked up. "Fort National has fallen! Saladin rides!"
---------------------------------
Lancelot stood amongst the wreckage, her helmet tucked underneath her arm. All around her, the burnt remains of Etrusca still smoked. This was the Isle de Liberi?
You have thoughts...? Thanatos seethed, as his form surged forward, hovering next to Lancelot.
"Why did these people have to die?"
Death is the most base of all things. Everyone demands death. My master leaves the choice up to yours.
Shaking her head, she rehelmed, mounting. "This is not my master's way. He seeks not death, only authority."
You speak words of hypocrisy the being seethed again, a spectral spear lowered at a nearby corpse. It screamed, morphed, and it reached out, assuming the form of Catherine. Lancelot stumbled, and her horse reared back, threatening to buck her free. A gunshot rang through the air, and Raynor ended the creature for a second time.
"Death is neither a sin, nor permanent. The Plague Lord has taught me this."
You are an instrument of death. Do not fear it; take pride in it.
(Isle de Liberi Razed)
---------------------------------
"Pick up the sails!" screamed the Captain, as the three ships cruised near the coast of Durostad. Two Frigates chased the small Viking fleet, a pair of Galleons (The
H.S.S. Lancet, and the
V.S.S. Maxwell) and his majesty's flagship (
H.S.S. Mjolnir) and a third threatened to cut them off. Pulling hard to port, the
Mjolnir opened it's cannons, sending a crippling volley into one of the dutch ships. As they both began moving to engage the
Mjolnir, the third moved within range of the Galleons.
"Ha! the
Lancet's the fastest ship in the sea!" Captain Zol roared, and it was true; the Lancet ripped through the water, passing the Dutch Frigate without time for rebuttal.
The
Maxwell, however, was not so lucky. That day, only one ship breached the blockade to the America's.
(Distant Missionaries dropped off - Elona's Daughter and Javaneer picked up. Didn't grab a screenshot - sorry! - but she was taken through the capitol and then to New Elona. The Holy City was already founded, so I just settled her there. In addition,
I cut off a Dutch source of whales.)
-----------------------------------
With a stalemate in the fighting with Saladin forcing a shaky ceasefire, the Dutch invasion began - and it moved quickly. With devastating force his new weapon - the cannon - devastated the backwards Dutch armies.
But he was distracted. The beast from his dreams was haunting him in his waking hours, and he knew that he must figure something out soon.
Or else it would be too late.
(Several cities razed; Islam is now only 45% of the world, Taoism spread explosively. Isle de Liberi taken. I did well this 50 turns. Cut off Dutch Wales.)
--Recap: