We build our capital, and start to build Youmu. Each civ in the Touhou mod has access to 5 or 6 heroes, though these heroes start out in Standby mode and have to be upgraded to be in fighting mode. Each hero has three spellcards, one normal, one extra, and one phantasm. The Extra and Phantasm spellcards require the appropriate promotions. The Netherworld (my civ) also includes the Yakumo clan.
Everyone else goes for heroes too.
My northward bound warrior encounters Hina Kagiyama of Youkai Mountain. Each leader in this mod has two standard traits as well as a third unique trait. Youmu is Aggressive and Industrious, with the unique trait Hakugyoukorou Gardener, which grants the Direct Control promotion to your melee units, giving a 10% strength bonus. Hina is Expansive and Protective, with the unique trait Curse Goddess, which maximizes her anarchy at 1 Turn. Youkai Mountain includes everyone on Youkai Mountain - Kappa, Tengu, the Moriya Shrine, and even Bhava-Agra.
We discover fishing, and our borders pop, getting a goody hut that nets some gold. I set the capital to work on work boats.
The next decision is what tech to research. Mysticism is replaced with Natural Liquors, and religion as a whole in this mod is replaced with alcohol. In addition, each civ starts with a unique tech, and most of them can go further down a unique line of techs. The Human Village doesn't get a tech line, though they do get a few unique buildings and a unique unit.
Hina discovers and converts to Mead Sect (Buddhism), while I discover Mining. Onward to BW.
Our warriors attack some lions. No problem.
We meet Flandre Scarlet. Potentially big problem. Flandre's quite the warmonger. Her traits are Sorcerous and Aggressive. Sorcerous is a new trait, which gives boss units the Extra mode promotion for free, effectively giving them their second spellcard right when they're upgraded. It also speeds up production of the Replay Museum (which grants Boss units more experience) and the Danmaku Courses (which make standard units more powerful against bosses). Flandre's unique trait is Forbidden Play, which allows her to destroy her own cities, though you get resistance. It thus seems very situational.
I get Bronze Working. Next tech: Nekomata. I quickly go to Slavery.
The warriors encounter and kill some Panthers. They get promo'd to Combat 2.
Nekomata is discovered, which allows me to upgrade my hero and also grants me the ability to build the Cat's Paw wonder, which reduces hurry cost by 20%.
I also discover Black Pearls. Hooray!
After upgrading, I give Youmu Th Combat I and II. Like the standard versions, they increase her strength, but they also give benefits to the entire stack Youmu is in. The red promotion increases the Operational Range of the boss, and leads to several other promotions. The card promotion gives additional Power (distinct from strength), the pentagram is Border of Life, which allows the unit to revive, though at the cost of power. The final promotion is Easy Mode, which leads to higher modes as well as Extra and Phantasm mode. These promotions increase the strength of your spellcards and grant spell evasion to your stack. The Cover, Shock, and Charge promotions are simply souped-up equivalents of the standard versions.
My warriors encounter those of Reimu Hakurei. Reimu herself is Financial and Charismatic, and her unique trait is Miko of Hakurei Shrine, which gives her faster production of the Hakurei Shrine project (it's the Internet, only now unique to the Hakurei Shrine. It won't be something to worry about for a while though.) The Hakurei Shrine faction also includes the Forest of Magic and its denizens.
Some additional info on Cat's Paw. I set the capital to work on a worker.
Pottery is discover. Onward to writing.
Worker is built, now for a granary.
I meet Keine. Keine Kamishirasawa is Philosophical and Expansive, and her unique trait is Historical Knowledge, granting her a 20% bonus to building wonders. The Human Village faction is the closest thing to an "other" faction the Touhou mod has, as it not only includes the Human Village, but also the Garden of the Sun, Ministry of Right and Wrong, and Maribel and Renko. The Human Village lacks a unique techline, only getting the Keine's Request they start the game with. They make up for it with a plethora of unique stuff: The Fast Worker, Ger, Seowon, Madrassa, Research Institute, Ziggurat, Mausoleum, and Dike.
I discover Writing, and then go for Math.
The Worker finishes the Cornfarm, and is sent to build a Ricefarm.
Keine offers Open Borders. I accept.
Christ, woman, those eyes!
I mean, Byakuran's traits are Sorcerous and Charismatic. Byakuran herself also seems to lack a Unique Trait, or rather, she has one, but it doesn't seem to do anything. The Star-Lotus Ship is basically the bosses of Game 12, minus Kogasa (she's with the fairy alliance).
And here's the nation at Turn 50. Preparing to get a second city up to the south.