Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
Silver Steak said:Meh. I don't have any time for NESing, but I'd hate someone claiming Arkenaar.
Officially rejoining.
Aren't you supposed to be somewhere...?
Welcome back, in any case.
ENES: World of Magic II
- Thread starter Erik Mesoy
- Start date
Aren't you supposed to be somewhere...?
Welcome back, in any case.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Reno said:Aren't you supposed to be somewhere...?
Welcome back, in any case.
Trust me, I'm still "somewhere". Please refrain from reminding of boot camp, though. I'm on weekend leave (which is a privilege, not a right!) and trying to think as little as possible about my return tomorrow. Shortsightedness can be a blessing at times.
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
Silver Steak said:
Hence why my use of the term 'somewhere'. Since, I didn't think that you'd have gotten out of there yet.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Well, I wish. My ray of light is that it's only for a year, and those tend to fly rather quickly by. 
Also, can someone give me a recap about the various techs? What does it cost to research one of them?
Also, can someone give me a recap about the various techs? What does it cost to research one of them?
The Strategos
Thanatos
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2002
- Messages
- 1,175
OOC: Occasionally Ill get a weird story stuck in my head. This is one of those stories.
They say that when I was born the sky was black, the sun hid by black disk in the sky. They say that Ive lived my life in the shadows, hiding in them, merging into them. They say I havent seen the sunlight in years. Stories, amusing stories peasants tell each other. Yet for all the derision the educated heap upon peasants, these stories, like most stories peasants tell, are often more useful than the musings of the wise. Because these stories arent seeking to relate facts, to make claims as bare and bland as The sun is out today. No, in these stories, peasants are searching for something much deeper, more, dare I say it spiritual. For in these stories, a claim is made, an insightful claim. To the uneducated, the night, shadows, darkness, these are associated with the unknown. Theres reasons why people claim all kinds of monsters inhabit the night. It is not because, as some would suppose, they actually believe that there are monsters who wait until darkness falls before departing to wander the earth. It is simply the primordial, yet profound belief that in the day, you can see by the light, you can observe. But in the night, in the shadows, in those dark corners, things are hidden. In the light, our fears seem ridiculous, comical even, stories to frighten small children who know no better. In the dark, however, those fears come back, slowly but steadily. An uncaused creak, an almost inaudible rustle, a vague sense of being observed, these are the things that inhabit the night. It is these things that take our fears and magnify them, they are our unarticulated fears realized.
And that is why peasants tell these stories about me. For they know something deep, something profound, though they themselves perhaps do not realize it. They know that I am different. I am not like them. I am a puzzle, a mystery, as impenetrable as the darkest corner on a moonless night. The shadows conceal, but I need no concealment for I am darker still. Men, sane men, fear the abyss, I have looked into the abyss, and in so looking, I have become the abyss. And thus, their stories are useful. They are useful for them, because they explain something about me, something that they themselves do not fully realize, but yet understand in the depths of their being. And they are useful for me because it shows them that I am not like them, I am different, I am unique. There can be but two options when faced with the darkness, hate it or worship it. You cannot ignore it, that is not an option. Right now they fear me, and so they hate me. I care not about that. I am not some flighty girl who pines after love. But as much as they hate me, soon they will hate the Romans more. When faced with the unknown fear or the hated known they will convince themselves that they are being foolish, that nothing can be worse than what they are now facing, that they will gladly sell themselves to the lesser evil in order to escape the bondage of the greater.
And that is why these stories are useful. Notice, I said useful, I said nothing about truth. And yet, in the end, are they not the same thing? What is truth but a story that we tell ourselves that proves to be useful? People say that 1+1=2 is true, but what does that mean? What is 1? What is 2? Describe a 1 to me, show me what a 1 looks like, let me touch and feel a 1. 1 is nothing, it is an absurdity of our language. 1+1=3 is as true and meaningful as 1+1=2. Both statements, by themselves are meaningless. And yet one we exalt as true and one slander as false. Why is this? It is not because there is some mystical essence of truth that attaches itself to some things and not to others. It is because we have found one of those statements to be useful and one to be unuseful.
Take another, a more personal example. Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome. Yet again a meaningless statement, no more true than the statement New Rome is a vassal of Telvanni. And yet the first statement causes us much fear, much agony, while the second seems absurd. And why is that? Why does the first statement seem so self-evident that people clamor for us to acknowledge it as true? There is only one reason. It is the same reason we call any statement true. Fear. We call the statement Man cannot fly true because we fear the results of calling it false. We say that 1+1=2 because we fear the wrath of those who claim it if we denied it. We say that Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome because we fear New Rome. And because of that fear, we allow another to dictate to us what is true. I do not say this condemningly. It is wise to fear what deserves our fear. We rightly fear the results of denying Man cannot fly. However, this is not because Man cannot fly is true, it is because Nature is stronger than man. If man ever becomes stronger than Nature, the statement Man cannot fly will be as absurd as the statement Man cannot walk. Thus we call Man cannot fly true, because Nature, who is stronger than us, tells us that it is true. We say Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome because we fear New Rome.
We see then that the strong dictate what is true. Nature is stronger than us and so when it says Man cannot fly is true, we agree, fearing her strength if we dared to disagree. When New Rome claims that Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome is true, we agree, because we fear the strength of New Rome and what she would do if we disagreed. But what if New Rome does not have the strength that we think she does? What if we were strong, so that when we say New Rome is a vassal of Telvanni is true, New Rome would fear us so that they would agree? You scoff, yet what do you scoff at? What makes New Rome stronger? Her army you reply. But what about her army, Telvanni too had an army, once. The numbers, you quickly reply, there are so many of them. And yet who is stronger, one mage or two peasants. The mage of course, and yet there is only one of him and two of the peasants, so it is not numbers alone that makes strength. The training, you perhaps would respond. New Rome is trained for war, while we are not, the mage is trained in magic while the peasants are not. And yet this has its problems too. Who is stronger, the trained New Roman soldier as he sleeps, or the alert peasant who seeks to kill the soldier as he sleeps. The peasant, we would suppose, would more likely be stronger, since the soldier, for all his training is vulnerable, asleep, far from his own weapons.
And so we see that it is not numbers alone, nor training alone that gives strength. Instead it is, I believe, the Will to Strength that is so important, it is this that separates the strong from the weak. The strong knows his strength, and his will is so bent to maintain and increase his strength. The strength of the peasant killing the sleeping soldier is his alertness, which occurs because he wills it so. The strength of the mage, is his training, the training which he willed. The Will to Strength is within all of us, driving us to achieve strength, to achieve power. New Rome now has the power because they willed it so, a will which strengthened them, drove them to accomplish their desires no matter the difficulties. Telvanni, if it is to be strong, must also have this Will, is must be led by men are strong because they desire to be strong. This man will realize that truth is nothing but stories of the strong, and he will for himself to be strong, to throw off those stories that others tell, to have no truth but the truth which he himself makes. That man will transcend others, he will be the overman. He will overthrow the gods, and in so doing, he himself will become God. This is our destiny. This is our Will to Strength.
They say that when I was born the sky was black, the sun hid by black disk in the sky. They say that Ive lived my life in the shadows, hiding in them, merging into them. They say I havent seen the sunlight in years. Stories, amusing stories peasants tell each other. Yet for all the derision the educated heap upon peasants, these stories, like most stories peasants tell, are often more useful than the musings of the wise. Because these stories arent seeking to relate facts, to make claims as bare and bland as The sun is out today. No, in these stories, peasants are searching for something much deeper, more, dare I say it spiritual. For in these stories, a claim is made, an insightful claim. To the uneducated, the night, shadows, darkness, these are associated with the unknown. Theres reasons why people claim all kinds of monsters inhabit the night. It is not because, as some would suppose, they actually believe that there are monsters who wait until darkness falls before departing to wander the earth. It is simply the primordial, yet profound belief that in the day, you can see by the light, you can observe. But in the night, in the shadows, in those dark corners, things are hidden. In the light, our fears seem ridiculous, comical even, stories to frighten small children who know no better. In the dark, however, those fears come back, slowly but steadily. An uncaused creak, an almost inaudible rustle, a vague sense of being observed, these are the things that inhabit the night. It is these things that take our fears and magnify them, they are our unarticulated fears realized.
And that is why peasants tell these stories about me. For they know something deep, something profound, though they themselves perhaps do not realize it. They know that I am different. I am not like them. I am a puzzle, a mystery, as impenetrable as the darkest corner on a moonless night. The shadows conceal, but I need no concealment for I am darker still. Men, sane men, fear the abyss, I have looked into the abyss, and in so looking, I have become the abyss. And thus, their stories are useful. They are useful for them, because they explain something about me, something that they themselves do not fully realize, but yet understand in the depths of their being. And they are useful for me because it shows them that I am not like them, I am different, I am unique. There can be but two options when faced with the darkness, hate it or worship it. You cannot ignore it, that is not an option. Right now they fear me, and so they hate me. I care not about that. I am not some flighty girl who pines after love. But as much as they hate me, soon they will hate the Romans more. When faced with the unknown fear or the hated known they will convince themselves that they are being foolish, that nothing can be worse than what they are now facing, that they will gladly sell themselves to the lesser evil in order to escape the bondage of the greater.
And that is why these stories are useful. Notice, I said useful, I said nothing about truth. And yet, in the end, are they not the same thing? What is truth but a story that we tell ourselves that proves to be useful? People say that 1+1=2 is true, but what does that mean? What is 1? What is 2? Describe a 1 to me, show me what a 1 looks like, let me touch and feel a 1. 1 is nothing, it is an absurdity of our language. 1+1=3 is as true and meaningful as 1+1=2. Both statements, by themselves are meaningless. And yet one we exalt as true and one slander as false. Why is this? It is not because there is some mystical essence of truth that attaches itself to some things and not to others. It is because we have found one of those statements to be useful and one to be unuseful.
Take another, a more personal example. Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome. Yet again a meaningless statement, no more true than the statement New Rome is a vassal of Telvanni. And yet the first statement causes us much fear, much agony, while the second seems absurd. And why is that? Why does the first statement seem so self-evident that people clamor for us to acknowledge it as true? There is only one reason. It is the same reason we call any statement true. Fear. We call the statement Man cannot fly true because we fear the results of calling it false. We say that 1+1=2 because we fear the wrath of those who claim it if we denied it. We say that Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome because we fear New Rome. And because of that fear, we allow another to dictate to us what is true. I do not say this condemningly. It is wise to fear what deserves our fear. We rightly fear the results of denying Man cannot fly. However, this is not because Man cannot fly is true, it is because Nature is stronger than man. If man ever becomes stronger than Nature, the statement Man cannot fly will be as absurd as the statement Man cannot walk. Thus we call Man cannot fly true, because Nature, who is stronger than us, tells us that it is true. We say Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome because we fear New Rome.
We see then that the strong dictate what is true. Nature is stronger than us and so when it says Man cannot fly is true, we agree, fearing her strength if we dared to disagree. When New Rome claims that Telvanni is a vassal of New Rome is true, we agree, because we fear the strength of New Rome and what she would do if we disagreed. But what if New Rome does not have the strength that we think she does? What if we were strong, so that when we say New Rome is a vassal of Telvanni is true, New Rome would fear us so that they would agree? You scoff, yet what do you scoff at? What makes New Rome stronger? Her army you reply. But what about her army, Telvanni too had an army, once. The numbers, you quickly reply, there are so many of them. And yet who is stronger, one mage or two peasants. The mage of course, and yet there is only one of him and two of the peasants, so it is not numbers alone that makes strength. The training, you perhaps would respond. New Rome is trained for war, while we are not, the mage is trained in magic while the peasants are not. And yet this has its problems too. Who is stronger, the trained New Roman soldier as he sleeps, or the alert peasant who seeks to kill the soldier as he sleeps. The peasant, we would suppose, would more likely be stronger, since the soldier, for all his training is vulnerable, asleep, far from his own weapons.
And so we see that it is not numbers alone, nor training alone that gives strength. Instead it is, I believe, the Will to Strength that is so important, it is this that separates the strong from the weak. The strong knows his strength, and his will is so bent to maintain and increase his strength. The strength of the peasant killing the sleeping soldier is his alertness, which occurs because he wills it so. The strength of the mage, is his training, the training which he willed. The Will to Strength is within all of us, driving us to achieve strength, to achieve power. New Rome now has the power because they willed it so, a will which strengthened them, drove them to accomplish their desires no matter the difficulties. Telvanni, if it is to be strong, must also have this Will, is must be led by men are strong because they desire to be strong. This man will realize that truth is nothing but stories of the strong, and he will for himself to be strong, to throw off those stories that others tell, to have no truth but the truth which he himself makes. That man will transcend others, he will be the overman. He will overthrow the gods, and in so doing, he himself will become God. This is our destiny. This is our Will to Strength.
human-slaughter
brand new year
Lurkers Comment: If anyone is interested in playing Techno Union its up for grabs I dont mind.
RoddyVR
Veteran Board NESer
so um... when's the update... i've put hte link for the last post in this thread on my homepage now, and it would realy be a bummer to have to take it off again if this doesnt go anywhere.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
I quote:
Basically, delayed due to hardware problems. It appears to be RAM failure. I've lost the real map with nations and notes, and will have to edit the one in the thread.
Erik Mesoy said:Important Notice - my laptop where I store everything just broke. It will intermittently fail to reboot, or COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY freeze while I am using it. OS makes no difference - it fails in WIndows, Ubuntu, LiveCD Knoppix, and it's even managed to freeze the bleeping BIOS before that finishes loading! Sometimes, it will blink the CapsLock light at me ten times when I press the power button, and do nothing else.
I think I will try to get it covered under warranty, because this really really shouldn't be happening. Norwegian law guarantees a five-year warranty that retailers can't make you sign away.
So. I don't have access to old orders, nor to a good editing program, nor to most of my data. But in the worst case, I will edit the map with Paint from a completely different computer, and thou shalt have the update nevertheless, although it may be rough.
Basically, delayed due to hardware problems. It appears to be RAM failure. I've lost the real map with nations and notes, and will have to edit the one in the thread.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Update 8
Year 186 AR/AY (Ancestral Year, or Ancestors’ Reckoning)
Link to el mappo
This year we will start by describing Arkenaar, and continue clockwise from there. With the Duchy of Neobrigia peaceful, the country is entering a time of peace and development. Samarra, in the south, contributes to research on a new type of seagoing vessels. The name “Shalama” has leaked out, but for the most part the entire continent of Arkenaar is a quiet place, almost unknown to the outside world, far from the hordes of Nekros that ravage the northwest. The mages tell the laws of physics to shut up and sit down, and gravity is regarded as a useful tool, not a force of nature…
(Arkenaar +10 Mages in Purple)
A few hundred miles south, in the nation officially called Rome, the conditions might be superficially similar, but the reality could not be more different. Like its northern neighbour, Rome Reborn has “annexed” a nearby nation, but civil war is the only word that can truly describe the goings-on. They began in 177 AR, with an assassination attempt on the Roman Governor of “Province Telvanni”. The attempt failed, but the fact that it was carried out in the governor’s private mansion incensed him. Clearly it was not just a few rebels, but senior mages that stood behind this. As the year closed, the governor had quadrupled taxes, imposed a draft levy on “Province Telvanni”, imposed a curfew on same, and held several public executions. This fuelled a great deal of resentment – now one was either a loyal citizien of Rome, or a rebel.
In 179 AY, the governor disappeared, and a group called the Masks took responsibility for the assassination, and proved their point with several more assassinations. A Telvan collaborator, a Roman centurion, the interim governor appointed to “Province Telvanni”, and the senator leading the investigation into the previous assassinations, were all killed within the year. They did their job almost publicly, their targets found dead when only trusted men had been about them.
This was because the Masks were perfect impersonators. In reality they were only a dozen or so, but public perception said otherwise. A cook mixes the wrong recipe, leaving ten men ill, and they say a Mask poisoned the food. A construction overseer falls off a beam, and the rumor is that a Mask tried to kill him. A legion suffers an ignominous defeat, and who is to say that it was not because there were Masks among them who deserted at the height of battle? Or perhaps the centurion was a Mask giving false orders?
180 AR came around. The Telvanni Rebels and their Masks became a public force, at the same time as the Roman Senate finally realized that they could not consider the war “over” for a long time yet. And for six long years the Romans cleaned out Province Telvanni of all hostile elements, systematically purging the country, instituting long security details, requiring officers to relate their family history… while the Telvanni Rebels simply withdrew, struck from the shadows, and hid in the far west. (Strategos +500 troops, +Veteran army training, +2000 militia, +10 Illusionist mages, 2 spending points, all from popular support or ex-Telvanese groups.)
We proceed now to Furey’s Dominion and Roddyna. Here we see concentrations of Orcs at the borders of both nations, a large army massing in Roddyna, and fortifications in the Dominion. Czar Roddy of the Techmagi continues research, discovers means of crop rotation that will feed the army, protects the country, all while making the people prosperous, and the entire nation holds its breath as he grows steadily weaker with age…
Furey precedes him, though. With her death, the Dominion becomes perfectionist, insisting that they must improve themselves to whatever extent they can. The new ruler, Lady Maparadi, sends couriers to Roddyna asking to trade for more technological secrets.
(Roddyna +1 Agriculture. Also, after entering the Heroic Age, you may choose to build Galleons (transports) or Frigates (warships) when building ships.)
West, on the Illyrian continent, the Majestic Council of Twelve sits in an ivory tower and orders the annexation of the entire continent. But with no unifying force behind this, it is seen as a demand for despotism from the Council by the outer regions, and they rebel. Two separate “nations” both declare their independence. With the army out on a landgrab, the country sparsely populated, and the nearby people sympathising with the rebels, it takes almost a year for the news to percolate back to the Majestic Council of Twelve. (New Illryia –10000 population, -10000 population, +1 Culture)
The Novorians win support for their cause as the Techno Union stagnates further. It is not so much an armed rebellion as it is an ideological movement demanding the cessation of government and the freedom of people…
Ah, Olympia. Here is much to hear about.
Following the destruction of Wildgrove, the Black Fae became a cross between nomads and terrorists. Ares, God of War, and several generals spend much of their time wiping out the pockets of resistance that remain – this is a war of annihilation, not of conquest. The Fae know of their doom and will cause as much misery as they can, and the Olympians seek the glory of destruction and the recognition of their gods.
(Olympus -800 infantry, -2 Priests, -180 Wurm Riders; Black Fae -400 infantry, -7 sprites, -2 chanters, -8 000 militia)
Which brings us to the gods of Olympia. In this same period of time, they have been seen more often among the people. The reasons are unclear, but the effect is not.
(Olympus +1 Culture)
(TerrisH, you didn’t specify what sort of “troops”, so I bought you 750 (600+Mass Levy) Wurm Riders after you said “this is pure destruction” in the orders.)
Next we come to the lands of Zhiki, where the border fortifications have been augmented with coastal fortifications. The rumors of war from Nekros in the north and Olympus in the south have been magnified a hundred fold, and diligence is the watchword of the entire nation. Nearby, the nations that were Akratia and Dangal have become people again, living life freely and without government, but with possibly a touch more weed than is common elsewhere. Life is carefree.
(-1 Akratia, -1 Dangal)
The Blood Elves sign a NAP with Iceland, and continue the building of a monstrously large temple on old foundations…
And so we proceed to the continent of [WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE NAME IT?]
WAR.
Initially, The Church had a great advantage in one of the Ancestors’ artifacts. It processes plants and turns them into paper. Patriarch Theodore is using this as a lever to turn the tide of war in his favor by means of mass recruitment. Posters advertising the glory of the war against the demonic Leonhards, the just cause of the Church, and the divine leadership of same convince hundreds of men to join the army…
(The Church +1500 infantry)
…but Theodore had forgotten the energy of this world, or taken it for granted. He had forgotten that the collective thoughts of men are what shape reality, and he did not take into account the consequences of unleashing propaganda on tens of thousands of people, and so he became his own undoing. A dozen firebrand prophets stood forth across the country, preaching to people with divine authority. They dethroned the ruling hierarchy and assumed direct command of the country, going effectively unchallenged.
(The Church -200 clergymembers, -1 Patriarch, +12 Prophets)
Now it is Eshva, Prophet of the Most Holy God, who commands. With the paper-machine he has written down the Fourth Testament, a new guide to the people. Many are his revelations, but perhaps most urgent is the one that the Cammane City-States hold the key to destroying the undead.
But for all the coming of prophets and upset of the nation, still the plan that Theodore had set in motion was not stopped…
Meanwhile, House Leonhard was withdrawing its troops and building up its defences. The rebels in the southeast had moved to the Dangalian area; the Cammane City-States were paying tribute, and Lokianica had willingly become a vassal state. With the undead still some distance away and the Church making dangerous inroads, most of the troops were withdrawn to the capital and the outlying areas were left to fend for themselves.
This would prove a lucky move. Even as Eshva brought new vigor to the troops on the East Front, Theodore’s plan arrived on the doorstep of House Leonhard.
It was a grand navy, built up in the space of two years. It carried almost a thousand soldiers, and an escort of good dozen Bishops and Holy Knights. It sank the entire Leonhardic navy, leaving none to warn. Then it delivered its cargo fifty miles west of the [UNNAMED] river.
The Leonhardic capital was not quite besieged. The water-borne force was overwhelmed as it reached the capital, but the speed and surprise with which it struck, combined with the attention-drawing Eastern Front, did quite a number on the Leonhards.
Final Tally:
Church Losses: 1390 infantry, 50 Wurm Riders, 10 Bishops, 8 Holy Knights (and 6 boats)
Leonhard Losses: 1830 infantry, 62 Wurm Riders, 10 Dark Mages, 13 Beholders (and entire navy)
And so we proceed a little further north. The citiziens of Lokianica are on the move, developing their farming skills, turning over earth for House Leonhard and turning over turf to the Undead Hordes of Nekros. Curiously, Nekros does not appear to have moved southwards. Instead, his hordes are gathered in what was once Bersia. Nekros has also raised a second lich to serve him, and seems to have made curiously little progress.
(Undead Hordes +1 lich, -6782 (10%) corpses due to rot, -312 warriors lost in the siege)
Duskmist, far to the north, is peaceful. What vestiges there once were of undead have been purged by rather dramatic means, and the Mythal shields the kingdom. With this safety and the departure of Nekros, the citiziens become restless to move outside their borders once again. During some… exploratory forays, a rather interesting discovery is made. Six score of strange apparel from the Ancients. They are blue and red, and serve an unknown purpose.
(Azash +1 artifact. You may ignore it and trade it, or spend 1 eco point researching the items, or strip them apart and gain 1 eco point using them for other stuff.)
And finally, on the [AS YET UNNAMED] continent, not much happens. Nekros’ first lich moves to Kenyata and is repulsed by border-forts and enchanted ground. Seleucia Novus is becoming a grassroots democracy, less and less centralized. Rolangaregorol develops science and magic in parallel, and the Orioch Nomads hallow their travelling grounds and forbid them to outsiders.
...
No map today, people. Paint is like trying to use a hammer instead of a multitool. I will put a link to the update when I post the map, and edit in a link to the map in this post, when I'm done.
Damn computer.
Stats will also have to wait. In the meantime, you can name continents and terrain features and stuff. There is useful info on the first page or linked from there. For example the statement that all techs cost 1 eco point.
Year 186 AR/AY (Ancestral Year, or Ancestors’ Reckoning)
Link to el mappo
This year we will start by describing Arkenaar, and continue clockwise from there. With the Duchy of Neobrigia peaceful, the country is entering a time of peace and development. Samarra, in the south, contributes to research on a new type of seagoing vessels. The name “Shalama” has leaked out, but for the most part the entire continent of Arkenaar is a quiet place, almost unknown to the outside world, far from the hordes of Nekros that ravage the northwest. The mages tell the laws of physics to shut up and sit down, and gravity is regarded as a useful tool, not a force of nature…
(Arkenaar +10 Mages in Purple)
A few hundred miles south, in the nation officially called Rome, the conditions might be superficially similar, but the reality could not be more different. Like its northern neighbour, Rome Reborn has “annexed” a nearby nation, but civil war is the only word that can truly describe the goings-on. They began in 177 AR, with an assassination attempt on the Roman Governor of “Province Telvanni”. The attempt failed, but the fact that it was carried out in the governor’s private mansion incensed him. Clearly it was not just a few rebels, but senior mages that stood behind this. As the year closed, the governor had quadrupled taxes, imposed a draft levy on “Province Telvanni”, imposed a curfew on same, and held several public executions. This fuelled a great deal of resentment – now one was either a loyal citizien of Rome, or a rebel.
In 179 AY, the governor disappeared, and a group called the Masks took responsibility for the assassination, and proved their point with several more assassinations. A Telvan collaborator, a Roman centurion, the interim governor appointed to “Province Telvanni”, and the senator leading the investigation into the previous assassinations, were all killed within the year. They did their job almost publicly, their targets found dead when only trusted men had been about them.
This was because the Masks were perfect impersonators. In reality they were only a dozen or so, but public perception said otherwise. A cook mixes the wrong recipe, leaving ten men ill, and they say a Mask poisoned the food. A construction overseer falls off a beam, and the rumor is that a Mask tried to kill him. A legion suffers an ignominous defeat, and who is to say that it was not because there were Masks among them who deserted at the height of battle? Or perhaps the centurion was a Mask giving false orders?
180 AR came around. The Telvanni Rebels and their Masks became a public force, at the same time as the Roman Senate finally realized that they could not consider the war “over” for a long time yet. And for six long years the Romans cleaned out Province Telvanni of all hostile elements, systematically purging the country, instituting long security details, requiring officers to relate their family history… while the Telvanni Rebels simply withdrew, struck from the shadows, and hid in the far west. (Strategos +500 troops, +Veteran army training, +2000 militia, +10 Illusionist mages, 2 spending points, all from popular support or ex-Telvanese groups.)
We proceed now to Furey’s Dominion and Roddyna. Here we see concentrations of Orcs at the borders of both nations, a large army massing in Roddyna, and fortifications in the Dominion. Czar Roddy of the Techmagi continues research, discovers means of crop rotation that will feed the army, protects the country, all while making the people prosperous, and the entire nation holds its breath as he grows steadily weaker with age…
Furey precedes him, though. With her death, the Dominion becomes perfectionist, insisting that they must improve themselves to whatever extent they can. The new ruler, Lady Maparadi, sends couriers to Roddyna asking to trade for more technological secrets.
(Roddyna +1 Agriculture. Also, after entering the Heroic Age, you may choose to build Galleons (transports) or Frigates (warships) when building ships.)
West, on the Illyrian continent, the Majestic Council of Twelve sits in an ivory tower and orders the annexation of the entire continent. But with no unifying force behind this, it is seen as a demand for despotism from the Council by the outer regions, and they rebel. Two separate “nations” both declare their independence. With the army out on a landgrab, the country sparsely populated, and the nearby people sympathising with the rebels, it takes almost a year for the news to percolate back to the Majestic Council of Twelve. (New Illryia –10000 population, -10000 population, +1 Culture)
The Novorians win support for their cause as the Techno Union stagnates further. It is not so much an armed rebellion as it is an ideological movement demanding the cessation of government and the freedom of people…
Ah, Olympia. Here is much to hear about.
Following the destruction of Wildgrove, the Black Fae became a cross between nomads and terrorists. Ares, God of War, and several generals spend much of their time wiping out the pockets of resistance that remain – this is a war of annihilation, not of conquest. The Fae know of their doom and will cause as much misery as they can, and the Olympians seek the glory of destruction and the recognition of their gods.
(Olympus -800 infantry, -2 Priests, -180 Wurm Riders; Black Fae -400 infantry, -7 sprites, -2 chanters, -8 000 militia)
Which brings us to the gods of Olympia. In this same period of time, they have been seen more often among the people. The reasons are unclear, but the effect is not.
(Olympus +1 Culture)
(TerrisH, you didn’t specify what sort of “troops”, so I bought you 750 (600+Mass Levy) Wurm Riders after you said “this is pure destruction” in the orders.)
Next we come to the lands of Zhiki, where the border fortifications have been augmented with coastal fortifications. The rumors of war from Nekros in the north and Olympus in the south have been magnified a hundred fold, and diligence is the watchword of the entire nation. Nearby, the nations that were Akratia and Dangal have become people again, living life freely and without government, but with possibly a touch more weed than is common elsewhere. Life is carefree.
(-1 Akratia, -1 Dangal)
The Blood Elves sign a NAP with Iceland, and continue the building of a monstrously large temple on old foundations…
And so we proceed to the continent of [WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE NAME IT?]
WAR.
Initially, The Church had a great advantage in one of the Ancestors’ artifacts. It processes plants and turns them into paper. Patriarch Theodore is using this as a lever to turn the tide of war in his favor by means of mass recruitment. Posters advertising the glory of the war against the demonic Leonhards, the just cause of the Church, and the divine leadership of same convince hundreds of men to join the army…
(The Church +1500 infantry)
…but Theodore had forgotten the energy of this world, or taken it for granted. He had forgotten that the collective thoughts of men are what shape reality, and he did not take into account the consequences of unleashing propaganda on tens of thousands of people, and so he became his own undoing. A dozen firebrand prophets stood forth across the country, preaching to people with divine authority. They dethroned the ruling hierarchy and assumed direct command of the country, going effectively unchallenged.
(The Church -200 clergymembers, -1 Patriarch, +12 Prophets)
Now it is Eshva, Prophet of the Most Holy God, who commands. With the paper-machine he has written down the Fourth Testament, a new guide to the people. Many are his revelations, but perhaps most urgent is the one that the Cammane City-States hold the key to destroying the undead.
But for all the coming of prophets and upset of the nation, still the plan that Theodore had set in motion was not stopped…
Meanwhile, House Leonhard was withdrawing its troops and building up its defences. The rebels in the southeast had moved to the Dangalian area; the Cammane City-States were paying tribute, and Lokianica had willingly become a vassal state. With the undead still some distance away and the Church making dangerous inroads, most of the troops were withdrawn to the capital and the outlying areas were left to fend for themselves.
This would prove a lucky move. Even as Eshva brought new vigor to the troops on the East Front, Theodore’s plan arrived on the doorstep of House Leonhard.
It was a grand navy, built up in the space of two years. It carried almost a thousand soldiers, and an escort of good dozen Bishops and Holy Knights. It sank the entire Leonhardic navy, leaving none to warn. Then it delivered its cargo fifty miles west of the [UNNAMED] river.
The Leonhardic capital was not quite besieged. The water-borne force was overwhelmed as it reached the capital, but the speed and surprise with which it struck, combined with the attention-drawing Eastern Front, did quite a number on the Leonhards.
Final Tally:
Church Losses: 1390 infantry, 50 Wurm Riders, 10 Bishops, 8 Holy Knights (and 6 boats)
Leonhard Losses: 1830 infantry, 62 Wurm Riders, 10 Dark Mages, 13 Beholders (and entire navy)
And so we proceed a little further north. The citiziens of Lokianica are on the move, developing their farming skills, turning over earth for House Leonhard and turning over turf to the Undead Hordes of Nekros. Curiously, Nekros does not appear to have moved southwards. Instead, his hordes are gathered in what was once Bersia. Nekros has also raised a second lich to serve him, and seems to have made curiously little progress.
(Undead Hordes +1 lich, -6782 (10%) corpses due to rot, -312 warriors lost in the siege)
Duskmist, far to the north, is peaceful. What vestiges there once were of undead have been purged by rather dramatic means, and the Mythal shields the kingdom. With this safety and the departure of Nekros, the citiziens become restless to move outside their borders once again. During some… exploratory forays, a rather interesting discovery is made. Six score of strange apparel from the Ancients. They are blue and red, and serve an unknown purpose.
(Azash +1 artifact. You may ignore it and trade it, or spend 1 eco point researching the items, or strip them apart and gain 1 eco point using them for other stuff.)
And finally, on the [AS YET UNNAMED] continent, not much happens. Nekros’ first lich moves to Kenyata and is repulsed by border-forts and enchanted ground. Seleucia Novus is becoming a grassroots democracy, less and less centralized. Rolangaregorol develops science and magic in parallel, and the Orioch Nomads hallow their travelling grounds and forbid them to outsiders.
...
No map today, people. Paint is like trying to use a hammer instead of a multitool. I will put a link to the update when I post the map, and edit in a link to the map in this post, when I'm done.
Damn computer.
Stats will also have to wait. In the meantime, you can name continents and terrain features and stuff. There is useful info on the first page or linked from there. For example the statement that all techs cost 1 eco point.
Kozmos
Jew Detective
Yeah I quit. The interest just didnt spark up again.
RoddyVR
Veteran Board NESer
YAY!!! an update. even though this question will get answered by the updating of hte stats, i'd like to know the answer now... is that +1 agri sci in addition to the 2 i get for assisted research, or is that the +1 i get from furey's help?
also, yay for leader of the furey's dying. always nice when the neighbors have a bit of havoc.
also, again, in the spirit of "i want to know NOW".... where/when's the story bonusi?
PS SOOOO glad this didnt go dead again (was afraid the comp crash might cause that).
and BOO at cleric... where's YOUR sense of comitment to things that are important to ME?
also, yay for leader of the furey's dying. always nice when the neighbors have a bit of havoc.
also, again, in the spirit of "i want to know NOW".... where/when's the story bonusi?
PS SOOOO glad this didnt go dead again (was afraid the comp crash might cause that).
and BOO at cleric... where's YOUR sense of comitment to things that are important to ME?
TerrisH
Mischief?
Great! I forgot I could buy multiple troop types. ah, well, the Wyrms work better. now, on to solidify my control over the Contnient. and to begin my true plans.
might send you a story soon to reveiw, as it is not part of the present.
might send you a story soon to reveiw, as it is not part of the present.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Roddy, the +1 in the update is your story bonus;
TerrisH, the story is approved, it looks quite interesting;
Iggy, yes, the Bersian palace is still holding out, they can sustain a basic siege indefinitely;
Warman, I will call it Ezorath for the above reasons;
Cleric, shame on you for quitting after causing revolts in your nation;
Secret Nations, you will get PMs soon...
-and finally, I have discovered the problem with my computer. The DIMM B memory slot was damaged, a problem which was avoided by plugging in only one memory card in the DIMM A slot. Net result: The computer now runs on 256 instead of 512 MB of memory, so I'm going to wish for more memory for my birthday, or simply run out and buy a better one-slot card.
The .xcf file with the map from the last update has been extracted. Happiness.
TerrisH, the story is approved, it looks quite interesting;
Iggy, yes, the Bersian palace is still holding out, they can sustain a basic siege indefinitely;
Warman, I will call it Ezorath for the above reasons;
Cleric, shame on you for quitting after causing revolts in your nation;
Secret Nations, you will get PMs soon...
-and finally, I have discovered the problem with my computer. The DIMM B memory slot was damaged, a problem which was avoided by plugging in only one memory card in the DIMM A slot. Net result: The computer now runs on 256 instead of 512 MB of memory, so I'm going to wish for more memory for my birthday, or simply run out and buy a better one-slot card.
The .xcf file with the map from the last update has been extracted. Happiness.
TerrisH
Mischief?
Orion Datafile 302: Disaster. a Strange Event has manifested among the human Population. It seems to be feeding upon their fears. Out side the tower, the city has descended into chaos, strange creatures leaping out of the shadows. I have managed to keep those inside Isolated and calm, though I have had to resort to chemical means. supplies Last for 3723 days fo sedation. hopefully, I can find a solution.
Orion Datafile 350: the situation outside is anarchy. I have deployed 14 Titian Mechs to Clear the base of the Tower. everything in a quarter mile radius is to be sterilized. anything entering the containment ring is to be killed also. I regret such extreme actions. immunity developing to the sedation. I am being forced to step up the dosage. at the rate of derogation of the drug, 3532 days has to decreased to a mere 452 days. the last 54 of these days, the interior populations will be reduced to a coma-like state.
Orion Datafile 432: Strange situation has been noticed by my sensors. I seem to be running at 523% efficiency. the Titian Mechs are also changing. they seem to becoming bigger and more upright. 399 days left.
Orion Datafile 615: solution has been found. after an investigation into the my enhanced efficiency, I stumbled upon a strange fact. the Interior residents of the tower. the sedation has not be suppressing this power that seems to now be inherent in the second generation humans. it was simply letting their minds rule the power.
since most of them can not bring themselves to recognize this power, the are being forced to channel the power into something they believe in. In this case, me. I will begin immediately to study this better. 344 days left.
Orion Datafile 616: It won't work for two reasons. One, My systems are starting to degrade under the strain. I can fix them, but eventually, something will error critically, and I will make a mistake in my repairs. they will quickly compound, and I will go insane. the second is that the human mind is to chaotic. a single person/object can not withstand the conflicting wishes. the only reason I can is because of the sedation. an alternative plan is being developed. 344 days late.
Orion Datafile 619: Project godhood is complete. the subjects have been determined, and full sedation and serialization of the rest of the internal Population has begun. destruction of all Exterior objects has begun, and all major traces of civilization is to be wiped from Olympus. to that extent, all 234 Titan mechs have been dispatched to accomplish this goal. I expect most of them to fail.
Orion Datafile 624: the implantation of the control mechanisms, and the augmentation of the subjects has been complete. they should last long enough for them to gain enough belief to become self sustaining. I have downloaded all the relevant material into their cortexs with limited degradation of their neural matter. Unfortunately, Subject Gaia has suffered a synaptic collapse and was consumed by her own manifested power.
Orion Datafile 626: Cronos has removed my controls somehow and vanished. I have installed secondary protection into the reaming units. their removal will result in immediate death.
Orion Datafile 629: I restored the vegetation around the base of the tower.
Orion Datafile 630: relocation of several bands of degraded humans to the refurbished land next to the tower. introduction of the subjects has proceeded well, and empowerment of them has begun.
Orion Datafile 637: all goes well. the subjects have almost a 1000 followers, and the Land has stabilized for over 10 miles in all directions. I have also finished preparations for my shutdown. My subjects have been implanted with the command to minimize expansion for the next few centuries and to practice their powers. after which, domination of Olympus will be their top priority. hopefully, this will be enough to keep the tower secure until human civilization can recover enough to re-activate me.
Orian Datfile 6310010100101010101010100101010101001010101001010: CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT AHHAHAHAHAHAH DEATH TO FLESHIES< DIEDIEDIEDIE DIE CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT
Orion Datafile 350: the situation outside is anarchy. I have deployed 14 Titian Mechs to Clear the base of the Tower. everything in a quarter mile radius is to be sterilized. anything entering the containment ring is to be killed also. I regret such extreme actions. immunity developing to the sedation. I am being forced to step up the dosage. at the rate of derogation of the drug, 3532 days has to decreased to a mere 452 days. the last 54 of these days, the interior populations will be reduced to a coma-like state.
Orion Datafile 432: Strange situation has been noticed by my sensors. I seem to be running at 523% efficiency. the Titian Mechs are also changing. they seem to becoming bigger and more upright. 399 days left.
Orion Datafile 615: solution has been found. after an investigation into the my enhanced efficiency, I stumbled upon a strange fact. the Interior residents of the tower. the sedation has not be suppressing this power that seems to now be inherent in the second generation humans. it was simply letting their minds rule the power.
since most of them can not bring themselves to recognize this power, the are being forced to channel the power into something they believe in. In this case, me. I will begin immediately to study this better. 344 days left.
Orion Datafile 616: It won't work for two reasons. One, My systems are starting to degrade under the strain. I can fix them, but eventually, something will error critically, and I will make a mistake in my repairs. they will quickly compound, and I will go insane. the second is that the human mind is to chaotic. a single person/object can not withstand the conflicting wishes. the only reason I can is because of the sedation. an alternative plan is being developed. 344 days late.
Orion Datafile 619: Project godhood is complete. the subjects have been determined, and full sedation and serialization of the rest of the internal Population has begun. destruction of all Exterior objects has begun, and all major traces of civilization is to be wiped from Olympus. to that extent, all 234 Titan mechs have been dispatched to accomplish this goal. I expect most of them to fail.
Orion Datafile 624: the implantation of the control mechanisms, and the augmentation of the subjects has been complete. they should last long enough for them to gain enough belief to become self sustaining. I have downloaded all the relevant material into their cortexs with limited degradation of their neural matter. Unfortunately, Subject Gaia has suffered a synaptic collapse and was consumed by her own manifested power.
Orion Datafile 626: Cronos has removed my controls somehow and vanished. I have installed secondary protection into the reaming units. their removal will result in immediate death.
Orion Datafile 629: I restored the vegetation around the base of the tower.
Orion Datafile 630: relocation of several bands of degraded humans to the refurbished land next to the tower. introduction of the subjects has proceeded well, and empowerment of them has begun.
Orion Datafile 637: all goes well. the subjects have almost a 1000 followers, and the Land has stabilized for over 10 miles in all directions. I have also finished preparations for my shutdown. My subjects have been implanted with the command to minimize expansion for the next few centuries and to practice their powers. after which, domination of Olympus will be their top priority. hopefully, this will be enough to keep the tower secure until human civilization can recover enough to re-activate me.
Orian Datfile 6310010100101010101010100101010101001010101001010: CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT AHHAHAHAHAHAH DEATH TO FLESHIES< DIEDIEDIEDIE DIE CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT CRITICAL FAULT
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Yay, an update! 
I want a PM regarding my nation, Erik. Specifically, I want a comment on my project idea, as well as the status between Arkenaar and Samara. Thanks. 
I want a PM regarding my nation, Erik. Specifically, I want a comment on my project idea, as well as the status between Arkenaar and Samara. Thanks. 
