Dominion NES

[LDiCesare]

It's becoming entertaining indeed

Regarding the amount of troops in Mictlan and decisiveness of the battle. I'll probably give some more specific info in the stats mails, but there are a few things that must be noted:
-There were more units than when you checked (some were built), in particular more wizard priests.
-Number of wizards and wizard priets is always difficult to know precisely.
-Magic is very powerful IF you have high levels fo magic researched. Conjurations helped Mictlan a bit. Construction too, although it was more useful for Jotunheim against Shinuyama. Marignon's evocations were partially countered by the fact the imps summoned by Mictlan didn't fear fire.
-Marignon army had a limited number of front line troops. More infantry to hold the line would have allowed the cavalry to be used more efficiently on the wings and could have sucked a lot of the imps and jaguar warriors attacks.

Anyhow, Mictlan troops outnumbered Marignon and had more wizards.

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

For the spies we've all overlooked the extremely obvious person, the one nation that has recently gotten a large amount of money from a mysterious source and stands to gain tremendously from Ulm being weakened and/or destroyed in a war. The nation that so far has proven itself dishonourable, slaughtering many of it's people rather than surrender them. A nation that has Ulmish worshipers that could easily pass as spies. The nation I'm referring to is, of course, Ermor.

 

[LDiCesare]

(assuming Kyzarc's comment was IC):

What do you mean, Ermor is untrustworthy?
Did Ermor ever attack anyone unprovoked? No.
Did we break deals? When our lands are invaded, we can no longer provide the resources we harvested or mined there, but that's not of our own will.
We don't have money to spare on hazardous spying operations.
If you have reasons to believe we are untrustworthy, please state them clearly and openly.

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

Ooc: sorry, it was Ic but I was using the eyebooks I've sent to several of the world leaders, Lord Thordai of Vanheim, the High Priest of the Monolith in Ulm, Celes of Pythium, Lord Shizen of Shinuyama, and the Obsidian Mantis of Mictlan. I'll make sure to say that next time.

edit: and I'm fairly sure who sent the 100g to ermor, a nation that has had, as the story said, 'prior disagreements' with Ermor. A nation that has recently proven that it is willing to do unprovoked attacks on neighbours (besides me, shinuyama, or Jotunheim) and would also benefit greatly from Ulm's weakening. (this is also written in the eyebooks)

 

[Immaculate]

Regarding your eyebook with Mictlan:

ask Ldi what happens when you try to use it.

 

[Diamondeye]

edit: and I'm fairly sure who sent the 100g to ermor, a nation that has had, as the story said, 'prior disagreements' with Ermor. A nation that has recently proven that it is willing to do unprovoked attacks on neighbours (besides me, shinuyama, or Jotunheim) and would also benefit greatly from Ulm's weakening. (this is also written in the eyebooks)

What are you insinuating? Like I would be stupid enough to provoke an attack from Ulm after starting an all-out war on my other front...

I say, you are coming with excuses and pointless accusations, mr. Kyzarc!

 

[Seon]

Actually I thought it was you too, DE.

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

I'm just pointing out people who would benefit or would be able to afford this kind of thing. In my opinion the people that could do this are me, pythium, marignon, and shinuyama but we've all got reasons as to why we wouldn't or couldn't actually do this. I don't have enough money and would have no benefit. Celes doesn't have enough money and probably wouldn't want Ermor to be strong. Marignon, as they said, are fighting Mictlan and probably can't afford such a war. Shizen is currently getting badly beaten by the giants and the monkeys so he wouldn't care about Ulm right now. None of the other nations have had the means and/or motive to do anything. There is the possibility that Ulm was merely trying to have peace with ermor with a gift and was betrayed but that seems very unlikely due to the story's wording and the recent history between them (and why would he bother to deny it, its not sneaky or anything). I honestly have no clue as to who did this. (still using eyebooks)

 

[Seon]

When are stats?

 

[Seon]

What are you insinuating? Like I would be stupid enough to provoke an attack from Ulm after starting an all-out war on my other front...

I say, you are coming with excuses and pointless accusations, mr. Kyzarc!

I don't know, DE. I think you managed to get Orange's attention on ME.

I think this is what happened, as I know, Orange and Immaculate are allied. If you attack Immaculate directly, Orange is not just gonna sit up and take it.
So, you devise a clever plan. You actually revealthat Ermor is being paid by someone in a story, which also looks as if it was written in your style, although that is not certain and go to war with Mictlan with a force you built in the prior turn all the while you pay the Ermor 100 chests of gold. Knowing this, Orange will go to war against someone else and pay no attention to you as you are already at war with Mictlan. You probably planned it so that while Orange is concerned with another nation, such as me, you would take out the Mictlan and leave the rest of the nations in a weakened condition.

Too bad your assult on Mictlan failed.

 

[Immaculate]

The speaker from Mictlan would mention that the nation of Ulm and that of Mictlan are not allies. Our nations have friendly trade relations and we are not planning (that I know of) of attacking each other. The relationship of the Mictlan with the Ulm is much like the relationship we share with the Pythium. We trade, we communicate and occasionally we cooperate. It is silly to think that one nation would come to the defense of another for the sole sake of normal trade relations.
The speaker for the Pythium nation should not make comments or develop hypotheses based in ignorance. It does little to win the friendship or gratitude of its brother nations by doing so. Indeed, the posturing and accusations taking place between the northern nations should best not involve the southern nations who, for their part, have always acted responsibly and honorably and who’s aggression have always been acts of vengeance taken upon nations (C’tis) who first attacked them.

 

[Seon]

I did not accuse you yet, Immaculate . I don't think you would do it anyways.

The thing is that I am now out of ideas as to who did it. I know that it probably wasn't Arshnoc or Pythium, but who else is there?

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

The nation of Arshnoc would like to respectfully enquire as to how the assault of C'tis was honourably justified. To the full extent of our nation's knowledge C'tis had taken no aggressive actions towards you. We mean no offence to Mantis, we just wish to know.

edit: ooc: it could have been Jotunheim, they might be trying to cause a war between Ulm and you. You two both border them so if both of you fight each other then it's two less nations I could try to convince to invade them, not that either of you showed any interest on that front (meanies). But if we start going into that convoluted of logic then it could be anyone with the possible exception of Lanka and Abysia.

 

[Immaculate]

Four nations have shared the ‘southern kingdoms’. Each had expanded to assumed governance of its own lands and the barbarian tribes sourrounding it. This is similar to what we have all done.
Then one nation, in a fit of unprovoked and unexplained aggression and dishonorably without warning struck at its brother. The C’tis had marched upon the Abyssians.
The Abyssians had done no harm to its neighbors and were in danger of losing their lands, their livelihoods and their very lives. The Micltan acted; they could not allow such an aggressive and dishonorable neighbor on their doorstep. To look the other way would have given implicit approval, even protection of that nation. And so Mictlan did the only thing it could to save the Abyssian people and the peace-loving nations of the ‘Southern Kingdoms’. For the sake of safety and prosperity for those nations who had proven their capacity for peaceful co-existence, it marched to war.
We hope that this answer satisfies you though we would like to point out that any continued discussion of the subject is no doubt a meager and ill-conceived attempt to drive public attention and opinion away from the underhanded and nefarious actions perpetuated against the good nation of Ulm by one of its fellow northern nations.

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

Thank you for explaining, we weren't sure on how trustworthy you were until now. We look forward to a long and peaceful future between our nations.

 

[Immaculate]

This is great news. Our merchants will be in contact with you shortly to discuss mercenary services.

 

[Diamondeye]

Whatever, Seon, I'll let you handle your feverish guessing and odd assumptions while I try to rebuild after this disaster. I have no time nor money for caring any for the Ermor.

 

[LDiCesare]

The Abyssians had done no harm to its neighbors

Actually there was that matter about a C'tis emissary being sent back ffrom Abysia with his head not exactly in the same place as when he came, but nobody would mention it now.

Kyzarc, regarding your eyebook with Mictlan:

What you wrote therein suddenly turns to garbage and the pages turn black, as if the ink was flowing back as you wrote in it. Like it couldn't go where it was intended to. For some reason, the magic of this eyebook doesn't seem to work anymore.

 

[LDiCesare]

Oh, and stats are out. Do ask me questions if anything looks weird. I spotted a few mistakes in some population figures in last turn stats, you should have correct values now, but errors tend to creep around me.

 

[T_F]

Wa~, I go off to school, and so much!

I'm so glad Shinuyama isn't really involved much in this, besides comments and saying 'we didn't do it'.

For the record (since it's only been specifically mentioned that Arshnoc and Pythium are probably guiltless), it's quite obvious Shinuyama has no motivation for this - our conquests in that half of the world are quite done (except for Fomoria, which we're yet too busy to deal with), and we have other things - such as defending Arshnoc and our northern lands, and trying to finish off Lanka (which, before anyone says anything, WAS an unprovoked attack; we realize this).