Enerjak, The Grandfather of All Monsters

Tani Coyote

Son of Huehuecoyotl
Joined
May 28, 2007
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There are 31 civs. 24 are ordinary AIs, one is myself, and the other 6... are the superpowers - Rome, Britain, Russia, America, Arabia, and China, the greatest civilisations known to man. These civilisations are superpowers because they enjoy all eight strengths while all other civs have 3. In other words: their cities grow faster(Agricultural), their workers work 50% faster(Industrious), they get 3 free techs by default(Scientific), they get extra commerce and less corruption(Commercial), they get naval supremacy pretty quickly(Seafaring), they suffer only one turn of anarchy and can become cultural giants easily(Religious), they get no negative effects from goody huts and can thus tech up easily(Expansionist), and finally, their armies are superb at building up(Militaristic). In addition, their special units have all been given a buff to make them more lethal.

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Map size is 170 x 170, Ocean Coverage 60%, Temperate Temperature, 5 billion years.

The game map is Rhye's Mod with random map. Corruption has been nuked to make this a more interesting conquest of the world. Some other rules:

-Obviously, the six superpowers have their abilities greatly amplified. Let's hope they all start in desert!

-All the luxuries and several of the bonus resources(Sugar turned into Strategic; Gold and Silver into luxury) have special buildings that can be built near sources of them that increase production and possibly happiness. Several strategic resources that can be mined can have mines built near them that improve production. Each of these produces a raw materials unit every 20 turns, which can be cashed in for 50 gold and 1 VP.

-Economic improvements improve production by one point, as do Universities.

-A barracks, due to both instilling fear and providing security, gives one happy face. The Capital automatically doubles as a Barracks.

-All the religious wonders give 2 happy faces in their city and +1 in all others.

-If you build enough(7 given the map's distribution) of the special improvements, you get a Small Wonder called the "Nat'l X Monopoly" or "Major X Exporter" building, with X being the resource. These small wonders: generally increase ship movement; add 50% tax revenue; add some production; and luxury sm. wonders increase Luxury Output 50%. Truly potent, but you need to get enough of the resource first!

-Roads grant 4 movement and not 3.

-The Special Units for the Superpowers have been given a boost; each one can enslave to create workers, each one is amphibious, and each one has +1 HP:

Rome's Legionaries can do everything a Worker can! Rome's Ballisate have a rate of fire of 2 rather than 1, and can lethal bombard.

Britain's Longbowmen now have a Rate of Fire of 2. The Man-O-War now has the ability to lethal bombard.

China's Firelancers can be produced at the cost of 30, rather than 40, shields. The Rider can blitz and has 4 moves rather than 3!

Arabia's Saracen Bowmen has been given an extra attack point and is cheaper. Ansars, like Riders, can blitz and move 4 squares rather than 3.

America's B-52 costs 100 shields rather than 110, has 20 bombard strength instead of 18, and can bomb 20 squares rather than 16 away. Marines can move 2 times per turn, can Blitz, and have +2 HP. In the hands of a human player, America would be superb at power projection.

Russia's Cossack can move 4 squares per turn and Blitz. Their T-34 is 70 shields rather than 80, has 3 movement points, and has +2 HP.

America and Russia's units, unable to enslave, get Stealth Attack. They may be late bloomers, but their capabilities will ensure the Cold War can happen.

The Turkish Janissary also has a bonus - it can enslave units and turn them into more Janissaries.

Privateers can bombard now, making them a threat to any nation's coastline.

Guerillas have hidden nationalities now so they can basically be modern, land-based privateers.

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I will play as the Mayans, who are good for growth(Agricultural), have good production and worker speed(Industrious), and also can become cultural titans(Religious). This also screws me over since their units are Ancient Age and kind of subpar.

Variants:

-No MPPs. The Great Enerjak alone determines foreign policy!

-Privilege. The allowed forms of government are only those with noble or monarchial trimmings: The various monarchies(including Constitutional) and Despotism. Fascism and Communism do not have a divinely-ordained leader, while democracies are just foolish! As a person who normally uses paid labor, this will handicap me most of the game!

-The country must mobilise before war at all times if applicable! The great Chaos God does not allow anything short of total commitment!

-Countries with female leaders must be destroyed first if they are known; the Echidna race, being all-male, doesn't quite understand how female governments work. Translation: I have to cut down Russia, Spain, Egypt, Britain, and the Byzantines before anyone else if I know them. ...Britain and Russia are superpowers so this will be extra fun.

-Furthermore, red nations must be destroyed before all others if no female nations are known. Rome and Britain, therefore, two superpowers. I am so screwed.

Chapter I in progress!
 
As compensation for my foes' bonuses, I get a humble extra worker. Hopefully, this will make the difference! Let us begin.

Chapter I: The Dawn of Echidna(4000 BCE - 3000 BCE)

Spoiler :
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In the year 4000 BC, the city of Echidnaopolis was founded. With seven decoys, the God-Emperor was quick to send them to voyage out into the world, so as to distract foes! They also revealed more of the world to the young Echidna Empire.

Before we continue, perhaps the echidna race and its origins need to be delved into.

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Biology

Firstly, the echidna race is quite unique. For one, they are all "male;" females are occassionally born, but for the most part, the race is all male. Now, this would sound like a perdicament, but it is not; echidna biology is interesting. Though they look male, they are technically hermaphrodites, producing male or female genetic components based on need. They do require a mate, however.

All echidna have the necessary biology to bear children, though they do not bear them for long; they lay eggs, one of the few mammals to do so. The egg grows for about one month, before hatching. The child will reach its prime within five years. With such a rapid growth cycle and an average lifespan on par with the rest of the planet's species - not to mention, being in their prime much longer than other species - it was no wonder they have had such a militaristic culture! Their ability to rapidly expand and spawn new generations, as well as integrate with other species, made them adaptable as much as lethal.

Physical Appearance

Echidnas come in a variety of appearances, but there are a few distinguishing characteristics: usually, their fur is of a red color. They normally are of an athletic or muscular build, it seeming as if mesomorphs alone survived to propogate their genes. Their upper body seems to naturally sprout dreadlocks, which are normally just ultra-elongated fur, but in some cases, are actually limbs in themselves. Their tails are crooked, it being said that Enerjak spanked the earliest echidnas so hard all tails became bent; it is also said Enerjak felt so bad afterward that he spanked himself until his own tail was crooked. Echidnas also can grow many quills along their back, but these are normally shaved consistently.

Some echidnas develop spikes on their fists; they are said to be blessed, having a bloodline closest to that of Enerjak himself. Indeed, echidnas who have spiked fists live far longer on average than their brethren.

Echidnas also possess a remarkable ability to interbreed with other races(though this is discouraged as being done more than once or twice so as to keep the race pure), and gain that race's appearance and abilities accordingly. These hybrids are also able to reproduce themselves.

Culture

The fact humans often treated echidnas with disgust, and the fact they have many superior qualities, has made the echidnas rather xenophobic and racist themselves. When in Rome, right?

Echidnas glorify the military, and as such, it is often seen as the best career one can have. Failing that, supplying the military is a suitable alternative. Physical fitness is part of this military cult, as is highly idealised.

The Echidna social hierarchy has fluctuated, but for the most part, it remains a constant:

-Enerjak is on top in his own category, being the father, ruler, and God of his people.

-His priests come next, responsible for carrying his word to the government and people.

-Military leaders, police leaders and politicians come next, with military and police leaders senior to politicians, as they are the raw power of Enerjak's will.

-Businessmen, merchants, and the nobility make up the next category, representing success without spiritual oversight.

-The middle class comes next, representing the educated individuals who are well-off but not quite super wealthy. Soldiers and policemen are considered in this category automatically.

-Miners, farmers, and factory workers come next.

-Unskilled laborers, being very disposable, are second from the bottom.

-Slaves and servants are at the very bottom. A society that prides itself on dominance naturally considers the individuals to be the most inferior.

All branches give seniority to the most physically and mentally fit. In any category, soldiers and policemen are also given seniority.

The echidna religion is monotheistic, with Enerjak being worshipped as the one true, living God of the planet and all its people. Echidnas believe themselves to be the chosen people of God, accordingly, with all other races being sinners by default unless they accept Enerjak's grace.

The echidna culture leaned chauvinistic for much of its history, due to females being seen as a) unnecessary and b) odd due to their rare births. As such, females tended to be at the bottom of the social ladder, though later generations would see females slowly accepted as equals. Intense militarism and pride is the norm to this day.

Many disputes are settled through physical duels, and as such, weaker individuals automatically submit to stronger ones in most situations.

Enerjak

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The father and ruler of the echidna race is Enerjak. It is not known if he is truly an immortal being, or engages in a special cloning no other echidna possesses; Enerjak's personality has remained mostly constant, and people have speculated that he is a god with mood-swings... said swings lasting decades or even centuries at times.

Enerjak is an echidna himself, albeit with power far above that of a common individual of any race: he never seems to age(then again, it could be very secretive self-reproduction) and has super strength, capable of taking on small armies all by himself. He also has supernatural capabilities, able to sense emotions and fight someone without even getting close. He is even able to channel the raw energy of the planet's life force itself. (It is said he chose to rule a nation the old fashioned way because doing everything himself would be boring) It is said he is capable of transforming individuals into echidnas if they earn it.

Enerjak's personality is a complex one. On one hand, he is extremely cruel to his enemies. On the other, he is very kind to his children, and tends to formally "adopt" those of other races who desire to serve the echidna race. Enerjak, being the paternal figure of the echidna race, demands his decrees not be questioned, and is willing to discipline those who do not follow(though echidnas are very rarely executed; other races are on a case-by-case basis). However, his maternal side shows in his great compassion for echidnas, and even the downtrodden of other races. Enerjak ultimately believes he can do no wrong, even if he allows questioning of his policies - very rarely taking it into account of course.

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Now that you are sufficiently creeped out, let us get back to the story.

Circa 3900 BCE, a tribe known as the Cherokee submitted to Enerjak's grace and granted their knowledge of Writing.

Circa 3850 BCE, another tribe submitted, teaching the Echidna race the secrets of the Wheel.

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A tribe of militarists known as the Mongols were discovered. While they rejected Enerjak, the great God-Emperor in his wisdom reasoned that they could be valuable allies and thus, would be spared.

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3750 BCE, the Byzantine Empress was met. The idea of a female ruling a country was peculiar to an all-male race, and so it was reasoned they should be destroyed at first opportunity. In the meantime, a treaty of friendship was inked.

3750 BCE, the Navajo tribe taught the Echidnas the art of horseback riding.

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3400 BCE, the Dutch were contacted and agreed to sell the secrets of Pottery to the Echidnas. The Dutch were complimented on their courage in wearing fur clothes when they lived in the desert.

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3100 BCE, as the continent was increasingly explored, decoys roaming into the jungles of the south located the Germans. However, the Dutch were of more interesting. Hopelessly backward yet having a technology the Echidna Empire did not, it was decided to trade with them.

3050 BCE, the Russians were in contact, another race of female-dominated people.

After 1000 years of rule, let's recap the successes of Enerjak's leadership:

-There is a huge tech lead due to lucrative use of King units as Scouts, the closest rivals are the Dutch, Mongols, and Zulu, each of which are behind three techs.

-The treasury holds 106 gold, losing -3 a turn, as the Empire makes a beeline for Literature, which will allow a Philosophy slingshot.

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-A great deal of the world has been explored, and Enerjak's first foes are easily seen: Byzantium and Russia. Once Horse Archers are obtained, conquering Byzantium should come easily enough.

-The Echidna culture is 2x as large as any competitor's. Temples will definitely be a good investment!

-No state has a clear Power Bar advantage due to the fact nations are still forming. But Enerjak's might will put them in their place!

-The Echidna race has 3% of the world's population to Russia's 4%.
 
It is Rhye's, but with a random map rather than an Earth one
 
Chapter II: The Second Millennium (3000 BCE - 2000 BCE)

Spoiler :
The Lupacs were a very structured society, and so bestowed Code of Laws unto the Echidna people. An embassy was promptly built in the Mongol capital.

2700 BCE, news arrived that Mongolia's floodplains were carrying a huge disease, an influx of mosquitos and other ailments. This was actually good news; it nuked Mongolia's population base in such a way that it would take time for them to recover. In the meantime, the hills northwest of Mongolia would be ripe for the picking.

2600 BCE, the Zapotec tribe taught the Echidnas the secrets of Mesoamerican Cults.

2550 BCE, the Chanca tribe taught the Echidnas the secrets of Iron Working.

2150 BCE, Enerjak smiled with glee as the first Settler band of the Echidna Empire was completed. He sent them south to colonise the hills north of Mongolia, believing that the Empire required an outpost in hills and mountains, which were rich with resources from what his advisors told him. To celebrate, he devoured the bodies and souls alike of a seven maidens. Or would have, but since women were in short supply(hence why they were such a delicacy), he settled for effeminate men.

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2050 BCE, there was finally some action! The Germans paid tribute for a right of passage agreement. This was very useful, as the Germans were situated in a bottleneck that led to the narrow passes of grassland that went through the Great Southern Jungle.

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Circa 2050 BCE, the Green Hill Zone was established. The Echidna Empire was to be divided into many zones, focused on a city center. The luscious hills of the southwest were rich in silver, sugar and possibly other minerals(the God-Emperor approving an exploration accordingly), and their very noticeable hue gave the Zone its name.

2000 BCE, the Arabs were met, south of the Great Southern Jungle.

Recap:

-The Echidna Empire's cultural value is 136, with closest rivals having 60 culture to compete. Sugar plantations and temples in Green Hill will increase the disparity further.

-The tech lead has widened to 4 techs being the closest to the Empire.

-Having a second city is an advantage in and of itself. Zululand and Greece alone have second cities too.

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-The power bar is starting to show clear slants: the Echidna Empire, Arabia, and Zululand are at the top. Arabia has 6% of the population, Zululand a fair-sized army, and the Echidna Empire dominates culturally and scientifically.

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Chapter III: Blood for the Blood God! (2000 BCE - 1500 BCE)

Spoiler :
With turns cycling into the 25 year range, things will start picking up.

1975 BCE, the Cherokee, right outside Germany's borders, taught the Echidnas Mathematics.

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1925 BCE, a group of people who sought answers, the Philosophers, set up shop in Echidnaopolis. The great Enerjak laughed at this pursuit but nonetheless entertained it, and Construction was yielded as a technology.

1925 BCE, a very similar culture, the Aztecs, was discovered. Enerjak smiled at finding a similar people, not to mention they were too far away to be of concern.

1850 BCE, the Cherokee west of the Netherlands gave to the Echidna Empire the secrets of Sailing.

1725 BCE, the Carthaginians, close neighbors of the Aztecs, were encountered.

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1700 BCE, Enerjak erected a glorious sacrificial temple to himself in Echidnaopolis, surging the Empire's cultural output, also triggering a golden age of learning and advancement.

1650 BCE, the Navajo of the great southern deserts taught the Echidna Empire the secrets of a formal legal system, which Enerjak seized upon; he was tired of having to mediate all cases. While he did not sleep, he was sick of having to decide every trial.

1500 BCE, a new Settler band was ready. They were sent southwest to a forest on the river delta. They were tasked with creating Nekronopolis, which would be Enerjak's country retreat. He had ruled for 2500 years, he said, and it was high time he got his pension!

Recap:

-The situation has greatly changed, with winners and losers growing apart. Byzantium and Carthage still have one city apiece, while Greece and Zululand have 3 cities and Russia has FOUR.

-The closest tech competitors are 5 techs behind.

-Russia is constructing the Great Library and the Arabs the Art of War. To compete, Echidnaopolis has also begun constructing the Art of War; we happily merged workers back into it to bring it to full productivity.

-Only one tech - currency - is required before the country can enter the Middle Ages, where we will make a beeline for Christianity to acquire a ton of wonders to improve our happiness and cultural strength. The Crusades will beef us up militarily.

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-There is a clear slant towards the Aztecs, who dominate the power bar. Hopefully they won't extort us too soon. Nekronopolis will pick up the slack of troops while Green Hill and Echidnaopolis focus on wonders, methinks.

-The Echidna Empire is in a Golden Age, which will give us an edge in wonder construction. This will last 13 more turns(it started on Turn 52 and it is turn 60; Golden Ages last 25 turns).

-Culturally, the Empire is by far supreme. Its total value is 346, and the closest rival is Germany with 100! Once our economy picks up and we get espionage, it will be far easier to start expanding.

-Militarily, we are average with everyone except the Zulu and Aztecs, who we are weak towards. We will have to remedy this. Ka-powing the weak Byzantines would probably help here.

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Chapter IV: The Seeds of Mobius(1500-1000 BCE)

Spoiler :
Enerjak is called the Granfather of All Monsters by humans for more than one reason - three in fact.

The title first came about when the Greeks discovered the echidna race, and named them echidnas. They were named after Echidna, who was the mother of all monsters in Greek legend. While this was hardly flattering, Enerjak adopted the title with pride and mandated his people - who called themselves the Enerjiche, after their God and Master - be known by this title. As he decreed, "If the superior are monsters, then, by my grace, we will be monsters." Logically, if he fathered the race that fathered all other monsters, than he was the grandfather of all monsters.

The second reason for his title was his supernatural powers, which many humans feared: "monster" was metaphorical in this sense, for how cruel he could be with his use of them. Echidna society was the very first to abolish the death penalty. Oh no. It's not what you're thinking! Not rotting in a cell until the end of one's days as punishment. They wish they could get that lucky.

One of his most infamous tactics was the "Condemnation," a technique that made all who knew of it quiver with fear. It was very good at enforcing discipline for all but the most foolish/brave/insane (depending on who you ask). Enerjak's ability to rip a person's very soul - their "Core" - from their body gave him plenty of applications. In particular, he'd contain them in a special chamber where they would be tormented for as long as he saw fit. Indeed, he'd wait until their body - now comatose - perished, leaving them with no fate other than this. This was generally reserved for murderers and traitors of the highest order.

The God-Emperor's logic was that, while he was not mortal, he was bound by many of the laws of the mortal world. This included the fact he could not bring people back from the dead, but he could remove their souls until he could create a new body for them, thus allowing him to prevent death altogether! Accordingly, the dead were gone for good, and murderers should suffer a fate far worse than that they inflicted, being ripped from their own body and given something that would make execution seem blissful.

The third and final reason was how he decided to be passive aggressive with regards to humanity. Sharing the planet with these furless, often disrespectful slimeballs, the God-Emperor was quick to pass judgement, believing they needed to be phased out, but not actively exterminated. Of course, making everyone echidnas wouldn't make for good politics; to be an echidna was to be superior to all. But upon finding a non-humanoid echidna, he came to a brilliant conclusion: he could humanise the animals of the planet to create superior races that would stamp out the humans over time.

One day, he found the mongooses. Granting them human form, he made them settle in Mongolia, appropriately. Shortly after, dingoes and hyenas, far more ferocious, were captured, forcefully evolved, and introduced to the region. While Mongolia protested, the humans were gradually exterminated or phased out, until dingos, hyenas and mongooses made up 90% of the population. Taking over the government, the Echidnas now had non-human company, and it fostered the close relationship ever more. While the Mongolian Despotate would grow independent, they would nonetheless remain tied to Echidna society, Enerjak having fathered them as much as his own people.

These new races could all interbreed with eachother and produce hybrids that could themselves reproduce, part of the Echidna DNA having been encrypted into their systems. Particularly worthy individuals would be invited to breed with the echidna population to strengthen it, and should they decline, often were kidnapped.

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1475 BCE, Enerjak rejoiced upon hearing that his new personal resort, Nekronopolis, was complete. Established further down the same river that fed the fields of Echidnaopolis, it was rather dark and foreboding in appearance, though he insisted this was just to test one's courage. It quickly became a popular tourist attraction, as it was full of fright and tests of one's personal valor.

1450 BCE, Green Hill's Silver deposits were finally linked, and the new luxury greatly stimulated happiness for all citizens.

1375 BCE, the Saxon tribe, far far to the South, taught the secrets of a hereditary Monarchy to the Empire. The God-Emperor pondered and reasoned that the trappings of a theocracy should be formalised once the time was right.

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1325 BCE, the Temple of the Sun was completed in the Green Hill Zone, placing Temples in all cities! This was the means of paving the road to theocracy, sponsored by the Great God-Emperor.

Seeing the Arabs hot on the toes of the Echidna Empire, the God-Emperor decided to try a risky maneuver, a quick conversion to Theocratic Monarchy. Doing so would lift the Despotate's economic penalties, even if it wouldn't be much better. In turn, this would allow greater commerce and productivity, making up for the time lost to Anarchy.

1300 BCE, during the Transitionary Period, the Indians were encountered.

The decision proved wise! The annual surplus doubled, and Sun Tzu's was way ahead of schedule!

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....come 1250 BCE, somebody known as the "French" managed to finish it, however! :mad: Enerjak was not happy and spent some time manually torturing souls. It was decided to instead build a Great Library so as to keep Russia from obtaining it.

1225 BCE, an era known as the "Middle Ages" was entered by Echidna kind.

1225 BCE, the "English" completed the Great Library! The "Incans" completed the Colossus.

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1200 BCE, the Oracle of Echidnaopolis was completed. In this structure, Enerjak would make predictions of the future, saying that they came from his own parent, Auror. Auror was the gender-neutral of Aurorus(male) and Aurora(female), a legendary deity that Enerjak claimed was his own genetic origin, and who sent him down to guide and lead the echidnas - and indeed, all races - to greatness. Given his power, everyone swallowed the bait like fish.

1075 BCE, the Golden Age finally ended...

1025 BCE, a lucrative deal with the Russians gave 500 gold as a lump sum and +1 gpt in exchange for Mounted Combat.

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Better yet, diplomats in Mecca stole the Republic from the Arabs cheaply, scoring an enormous profit.

As a Settler neared completion, the God-Emperor hoped to seize the source of Elephants not too far from the capital, which would give the Empire a much needed edge: Elephant units. Would the God-Emperor succeed in his gambit?

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Recap:

-Echidnas control 5% of the world's population to India's 4%! Echidnaopolis is size 9 and working on a Settler.

-The entire civ cultural value is 817 to Russia's 237.

-Mass recruitment of slingers has pushed the Echidna Empire higher up on the food chain. The major powers are now the Echidnas, Russians, Zulu, and Aztecs. It is speculated that the Echidna Empire's power derives from culture, tech, and gold, rather than raw might, however.

-The Echidna Empire now is in the Middle Ages, making a beeline for Christianity, which will enable a slew of cultural, happiness, and army-boosting wonders. It also appears Islam and other faiths can be stolen... :mischief:

-Russia controls 4 cities and has Horses. They will be the Big Bad most likely.

-Byzantium still has only 1 city. :rotfl:

-Most of the continent has been mapped out it would seem. Once we have Espionage, we can actively pursue flipping of coastal settlements, which will compound our culture further.
 
I've been doing 20-turn updates, but maybe I could bump it to 25...
 
Just remember, comments are appreciated; they make me feel like people actually care about this. :p

Chapter V: Growing Dominion and Growing Threats(1000 - 450 BCE)

Spoiler :
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Echidna civilisation rejoiced as the Grand Conservatory was constructed in the Marble Garden zone in 878 BCE. The Marble Garden was named for the fact it was a "garden" of ruins made of marble, to try and hide the city's real purpose. The Grand Conservatory itself was a structure that housed many of the Echidna Empire's weapons. In particular, Elephants were kept there in earlier generations, far towards the Plains of War (named because Enerjak predicted that competition would trigger a war over the central lands of the continent, wedged between the many peoples) so they could readily attack anybody.

824 BCE, the Iroquois of the far southwest were encountered.

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672 BCE, the Papacy - derived from the Italian world for father, referring to Enerjak's role - was established as an international organisation to supervise the cult of Enerjak around the world. It was becoming increasingly more common, and a formal church Hierarchy was needed to ensure the interests and orthodoxy of all Enerjak worshippers.

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655 BCE, the Holy See's recommendation that a military order be formed to protect adherents worldwide - and convert more - was finally granted by the God-Emperor, with the Brotherhood of Guardians - pejoratively referred to as Crusaders by those who disagreed with them - being formed in Green Hill Zone. Later on, the Guardians would get their own city to train in, Haven, with Green Hill being their place of graduation as a formal member of the Brotherhood.

590 BCE, Russia tried to extort Sailing out of the God-Emperor's nation. They were rebuffed, but it did highlight the need for more armed forces!

550 BCE, the first class of Guardians graduated, and were sent to block roads leading to Mongolia, to keep the Mongols from utilising them to settle northward.

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530 BCE, the Zulu decided to attack when Enerjak turned down their generous offer of Philosophy being handed over for free. Knowing a defensive war could be lucrative, Enerjak made plans for all cities to militarise once they finished their projects. The road system, quite developed, would facilitate rapid transportation to the frontlines.

After being paid 1 GPT, the Mongols decided to declare war on the Zulu. This would hinder Mongol expansion and give the Zulu someone else to focus on.

The Byzantines had a fairly-sized army inside their city-state - and several Settlers :confused: - and it was decided to get them to declare war on the Zulu to weaken them and draw Zulu resources into something else. This was also part of a wider PR campaign; the Byzantines seemed to hate the Echidna race for being successful(Enerjak suspected them of being left-wing :mischief:). Unfortunately, the Byzies somehow did not know of the Zulu, and so no war was to be had. However, the Zulu were isolated enough.

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490 BCE, the Green Forest Zone was founded in the many woodlands of the South.

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470 BCE, a huge shrine to Aurora, the Hagia Sophia, was erected in the Green Hill Zone.

Come 450 BCE, a Javelin Thrower was being produced every turn and an Elephant Archer every other turn. Whenever the Zulu arrived, they'd be in for a rude awakening.

Recap:

-The Zulu have bawwwwed at us and declared war

-We've hogged most of the Christian wonders, exploding our culture.

-We now have 5 cities; the Zulu have 6, but 1 of them is in the desert.

-Culturally, we are worth 2077 to Russia's 797. We are losing our lead! However, we dwarf any individual power.

-Production is very good, with units being able to be produced once per turn in Green Hill and Echidnaopolis if necessary. We are cutting research and upping military spending a bit to deter people like the Zulu in the future.

-...the Byzantines are STILL at one city, 105 turns in. :crazyeye:

-Our closest competitor is Russia, who we have a lead of 2 techs on; they are in the Middle Ages. We may lose our lead to them eventually, but we will be dominant for a long time.

-We know most or all of the civs on our continent - 13 are known. The Mongols are our allies against the Zulu.

-We have 1% of the world's land and 6% of its population to Russia's 2% and 5%.
 
Chapter VI: Shakin' Shaka(450 BCE - 10 CE)

Spoiler :
Enerjak devised a grand strategy. Once the initial assault was repelled, hordes of Javelin Archers would begin making their way east, with workers accomplanying them. These workers would build a road east the Javelins would guard, thus allowing the Echidnas to use it but not the Zulu's ilk.

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409 BCE, the Kassites invaded the Echidna Empire near Green Forest. It was decided to let them enter flat terrain - which was roaded - before attacking, both to reduce their defensive bonuses and to make a quick move back to Marble Garden.

While only 1600 Kassites had showed up in 4 units, the Arabs had to deal with 3200 Parthians!

The Kassites were purged with no losses, and a slave group was even formed from some of them.

352 BCE, the military might of the Brotherhood was shown when they slaughtered a group of Zulu Archers. Perhaps the death of 600 men would make them rethink this little war?

The Arabs were also traded with, giving some gold while Invention and Siegecraft traded hands. The Arabs were now able to match the Empire.

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331 BCE, the Great Lighthouse was completed in the Green Hill Zone, topped with a giant statue of Enerjak, to guide merchants into the harbor.

313 BCE, the English completed St. Peter's Basilica, so Enerjak knew they'd be a cultural foe. The Indians were sold Mathematics for several hundred gold, so as to fund the war effort.

The Kassites sent another raiding force, this time composed of 1600 men, who were all slaughtered, with some being enslaved. It was reasoned to leave the barbarian camp intact; they would be a steady stream of new slaves/sacrifices.

287 BCE, the Zulu tried to use Elephant Archers against the forces outside Bapedi(the southwestern border town of the Zulu Empire), but failed. Already, citizens were fleeing, as evidenced by the city's drop from level 5 to level 4.

By 253 BCE, the Zulu had suffered 1000 more losses of men. An assault on Bapedi made that 1000 more! From this battle, a leader, Steppenwolf, emerged to lead the Brotherhood. Steppenwolf formed an army, which was to be stocked with fellow Guardians.

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1500 more Zulu losses, and Bapedi fell. One group of Javelin Throwers was lost, and a moment of silence held in their honor. They were killed fighting a decoy of the Zulu King! 4 slave workers were carried off to the Echidna homeland.

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232 BCE, the Intelligence Agency was completed. The Echidna Empire could now use a variety of methods against the Zulu Empire. Speaking of the Zulu, they lost 500 men when they sent a group of Ibutho against Bapedi.

211 BCE, an agent was planted in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the Zulu Theocracy made Propaganda impossible!

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Enerjak convinced the Hague to switch sides. The city became the capital of the Seaside Hill Zone. It was an expensive acquisition, at 400 gold, but Enerjak cited the extra 2 gpt freed from unit maintenance, new Crossbowmen, and and 4 gpt the city granted as making it a good investment over time. Having more cities would also make the world fear Echidna power.

149 BCE, Mangudai were making their way across the Echidna Empire towards Zululand. It had taken a while, but the Mongols were finally ready to devote resources to the conflict!

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113 BCE, the Mazuri Zone was founded in the plains to the southeast.

The intel collected by agents in Zimbabwe found 32 units to be servicing the Zulu realm; 34 serviced the Echidna Empire and that included an army of 1 Elephant Archer(health/defense) and 2 Crusaders.

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89 BCE, the Greek city of Delphi was convinced to defect. The beautiful coastal resort was ordered to build a Harbor to connect to the fatherland, while the city itself was renamed Apotos.

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88 BCE, Thermopylae - "the Hot Gates," named for their position at the end of a desert - also defected in the North. It was rechristened the Sandopolis Zone.

Of course, while all these new cities were nice, they weren't generating culture due to the Theocracy's insistence on cohesion. So, Enerjak abolished the theocracy and instead started to give more power to the local elites, transferring the Echidnas to a feudal society, so as to strengthen society more. The abundance of small towns also fed more support into the military budget as compensation for less decision making power. As a bonus, local direction would let workers work faster!

Outside Bapedi, which was now thoroughly Echidnised, the Zulu lost 2000 men to skirmishes.

0 CE, Enerjak saw that Echidna kind's dominance of the culture bar was slowly slipping. It was also to recognise his growing consciousness towards non-echidnas, as he began to review his thoughts of racial supremacy privately. He celebrated by turning all dingoes in Mongolia into mongooses or hyenas, and turning most of the Zulu people into Dingoes, thinking they should have an appaerance befitting of their behavior.

This gave the God-Emperor an idea. Shortly afterward, Enerjak reasoned that most humans were inevitably corrupt, and so, raising his hand into the air, countless shots of energy ricocheted around the world. Those pure of heart were spared his punishment, but unfortunately, purity was very narrow. Enerjak's Human Extinction Attack transformed 97% of all humans into Mobians, or, failing that, ordinary animals into Mobians. India was quite happy, as vegetarianism became common worldwide. He decided to formalise this species shift by ushering in the "Common Era."

9 CE, the Zulu Elephant Archer band was attacked and slaughtered, taking 800 troops to the Underworld.

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10 CE, Enerjak's "Back Door" strategy could finally be tested. Having built a road across the wilderness to Zulu Isandhlwana, it would now be possible to strike the city directly without going through the forests. The strategy would also facilitate the growth of Echidna cities along the route constructed.

Recap:

-Arabia has 7 cities to Enerjak's 8.

-Enerjak has 2% of the land's are and 7% of its population, while Arabia has 2% of the land and Russia 5% of the population

-The tech lead seems to be narrowing, with closest competitors being 1 or 2 techs behind.

-Culture is slipping too. Total value is 3832 to Arabia's 1786. Hopefully the new Feudal government's stimulation of culture in the conquered/defected cities will balance this out. Leonardo's Workshop is also in the works, as is a new Settler, so things should start evening out.

-Some Kings of our rivals have been killed off; the Dutch have 6 Kings, Zulu 6, Greeks 5.

-Free Artistry is due in one turn; we will use it to make Echidnaopolis a Metro.

-Current surplus is ~24 per turn.

-We have 3 sugar-producing cities now. 7 are required to build the Major Sugar Exporter SW.

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-We keep having a steady flux on the power bar, but it is increasing.
 
Too late, Mano. The Zulu are toast. ;) ...mostly.
 
Well more accurately Enerjak vaporises the Zulu leader but... sure, that too. o.o
 
Shaka goes into Time Machine, and stops people from being born.
:yup::beer::sniper:
 
The mighty Enerjak is eternal. :p

Chapter VII: Return to Normality(10 - 210 CE)

Spoiler :
While Zululand's capital continued to be called Zimbabwe by humans, it was now known as Cavem Canus - also called the Dingo City - by practically all Mobians, as the anthropomorphic inhabitants of the planet quickly became known.

Enerjak was quick to use PR to make the Dingos hostēs mobiani generis - enemies of all Mobian kind. Indeed, he was quick to ensure anybody the Dingozulu could meet would make sure they met with spears.

"So long as the wretched Dingos have their own state to control, they will seek to control all else." The God-Emperor had spoken...

29 CE, 700 Javelin Throwers were lost to an Elephant Archer.

31 CE, as if a miracle, the weakened Elephant Archers of the Bapedi garrison spawned a new Army, which was quickly repurposed to use defensive units. This would keep the city safe.

32 CE, 1500 Zulu units were purged, including one of the High Chief's decoys, thus bringing Isandhlwana into the Echidna Empire. They dared not resist.

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51 CE, it was decided to end the War. The Zulu had destroyed many improvements, and rather than have to rebuild, the God-Emperor decided he'd recoup his losses and and destroy the Zulu at a later date. The Dingo scum parted with a city, a Worker, and surrendered some gold to the greater Echidna Empire. Having gained three cities, it was obvious who the dominant power was now. The Dingos would be destroyed at a later date, when convenient.

With the war's end, the cities were rechristened. Bapedi was named Haven, and became the training center for all Guardians, appropriate given its proximity to the Dingo foes. Mpondo became the beautiful city of Albion. Isandhlwana became Victory Point.

72 CE, Enerjak sold the secrets of a Legal System to the Zulu for much of their gold. This would weaken the Zulu further as the tech was worthless to the war effort, and the lack of gold would make it harder for the Zulu to advance. Shortly after, he sacrificed a Zulu worker band in Mazuri to expand its borders; the loud "GULP!" sound heard was obviously Enerjak swallowing each of them whole. (Seriously, what the hell is the logic behind that? :confused:)

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90 CE, to keep the people in check, Enerjak signed a deal for incense with the Dutch.

109 CE, the Zulu and Mongols finally made peace, after the Mongols had butchered many Dingo troops.

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111 CE, Leonidas, a famous Greek artist, set up shop in the Green Hill Zone.

133 CE, Saltpeter deposits were discovered, and the God-Emperor was overjoyed to see multiple sources at Echidnaopolis' disposal. The Greeks and Mongols lacked it, so it was reasoned they'd be excellent targets, or, failing that, vassals.

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147 CE, a new town was finally built: the Savannah Citadel northeast of Axum. Its purpose was to absorb the Axumite sugar colony and solidify the border. One more town along the route built during the First Zulu War would allow the Echidnas to boast an empire that stretched from coast to coast without interruption!

With a treasury of 2000+ gold, it was decided to build embassies the world over.

165 CE, the Russian Czar tried to extort Banking, but Enerjak showed them that he had something between his fist-spikes.

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193 CE, the Greek city of Sparta was convinced to defect after 300 gold was spent. The fall of the city left Greece with 2 cities and 4 King units. Sparta, with its many windmills, became Windmile Isle Zone, the "Isle" referring to its isolation.

200 years had passed, with trade deals being signed, war being ended, strength increasing across the board. The Arabs and Russians could have their Magellan's voyage, for echidnakind was busy building an empire that would outlast them.

-There are now 14 cities in the empire, with more settlers on the way. Arabia and Russia, the apparent rivals, have only 7 each. Mongolia has 5, Zululand 4, and Axum has 7; Axum's are tightly-spaced.

-The Culture Bar is still strong, but Arabia has boomed and has reached the status of being half as potent.

-The surplus is still fair, but is shrinking with more troops. Ah well.

-We can get most techs within 5 turns at about 70% research rate. We have 3 techs our rivals don't, and they have 3 techs we don't. Obviously, Arabia and Russia will be our cultural and technological rivals for some time. Tripolar world!

((Random related factoids: Check out how an alternate Knuckles became Enerjak, the tyrant of the Fractured Mirror Zone -

http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/sonic_universe/2011/05/dark-mobius---knuckles-descent-15.html
http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/sonic_universe/2011/05/dark-mobius---knuckles-descent-25.html
http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/sonic_universe/2011/05/dark-mobius---knuckles-descent-35.html
http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/sonic_universe/2011/05/dark-mobius---knuckles-descent-45.html
http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/sonic_universe/2011/05/dark-mobius---knuckles-descent-55.html ))
 
What a wonderfully.... complex... story. I like how the tribal colors are reassigned; that would keep me guessing about who I'm running into.
 
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