Fall From Heaven NES

[Algeroth]

Does an artist pay for his show? Or is he paid, in plaudits and fame? What have we done wrong? It was timing, costumes, scene? Or it was something we have said?

Alas! The lover of things new and rare was turned to grumpy philistine. I'm crying out for such a waste. In cell shall now sleep a courtesan. The harlequin will pray the rosary. And the Greyface will get the abbacy.

We have done nothing wrong. We only bought meat and gristle and turned it into living people. If Perpentach envy this magic, I could show him how to do this trick. What was wrong with buying goods Balseraphs were offering? Have my merchants paid too little? Or the good started dream about better life? Tell me, mighty Perpentach, since when the Balseraphs can't bear the dreams and are afraid of fantasies?


Cardith Lorda, Emperor of Kuriotates

 

[loki1232]

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

A worthy response from a worthy foe. To create man out of simple flesh and blood is a godly feat. You have indeed done so, brilliantly, and shown the world what a man can be when brought up by goodness. At first I feared your actions, then I hated you for them. But now, I just laugh. You and I are gods among men, writers of the great stories men play out before us. You have done me a favor by buying slave, not by converting me, but simply by amusing me.

You lift up men's heads and give them hope. I plant dreams there instead. The dreams of my people are more honest than the hopes of yours. Even my slaves have dreams. Dreams of freedom. Oh, they dreamed of freedom long before your agents taught them to. Have no doubt, my slaves were greater men than most lords you'd find in other lands--because of their dreams. A slave dreams more strongly than a free man, and under the banner of The Laughing Man, dreams are strength.

And yet, I have freed all Balseraph slaves. They are free of the shackles and whips of their owners. You should rejoice. But still, these men and orcs are not yet free. They still have their shackles of mortality; their dreams are not yet fully grown. In time they might have turned to men without you wasting your money. Men mix with gold like oil with water. In time they will separate out again from your moneylenders and wish to return to my lands. Just you wait.

Or perhaps they will not. I may have learned something this day, taught by a boy of ten. A good story, undoubtedly, which old women will tell by campfires. A story of a courageous boy freeing a people. Ah, but who will be the villain of that story? A mad king? A slumbering god? A greedy priest? Or the creator himself? Only time shall tell, but in the meantime, I hope for an everlasting friendship between you and I, between the Momus and the Boy King.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

Perpentach, God King of the Balseraphs

 

[arcticnightwolf]

[..]

He is really insane ...
Nice RP

 

[Immaculate]

OOC: I thought it was an excellently worded response that showed a) good writing and b) excellent role-playing. In addition, i think it helped to alleviate a potentially explosive situation.

But yes, he is insane

 

[Algeroth]

Writer? This dream is the most distant and shimmering of them all. We are merely directors of a poor play full of sound and fury. We have no voice in chose of actors or properties, our showmen hate each other and no one can tell the difference between beholders and playwrights.

And Kuriotates know the power of dreams very well. But we try to forget the kind of dreams Balseraphs are dreaming. We could waltz across the whole Erebus chasing the Dragon. No one could stop us. Only the spectacle morning would bring will be past mortal bearing.

But this morning will bring free men sighting at grand palaces of Jubilee dazzed and confused after their birth. And I will toast with glass of emerald wine to their wise King. And until the Night of sword and axe will come, the Night of clefted shields that brings crimson dreams of tainted desires we will spend our time drenching in splendour of our cities.

To Uncle Perpy, the Patched King!

Cardith Lorda, Emperor of Kuriotates

 

[loki1232]

Perhaps you see through this mist more clearly than I, or perhaps we shall have to disagree. You call this play poor. I call it life. You say that the beholders and the playwrights that are one and the same. I say that the beholders are the playwrights and even the players themselves.

When I proclaim myself a writer, it rings true as a bell, but the bell of truth rings just as clearly when you call me a director. I am a writer, director, player, and groundling together. I write for myself if for no one else. I direct myself if no one else. I play myself if no one else. And I watch myself if no one else.

At times the smoke of my dreams obscures the other actors and i hear naught but their voices. Or are those my words? Is there a difference between the voices in my head and those coming out of the fog?

I rejoice in this new friendship between our people. May we cry and laugh together, and let our dreams mingle to become one. Your dreams of dragons are made richer by our dreams of madness. A dragon in this world? That is truly mad. A hermit in the ice would tell you that my dreams are sane by comparison. As sane as freeing my slaves, and as rewarding.

To Cardith Lorda, Wise Boy!

Perpentach, God King of the Balseraphs

 

[Algeroth]

While some accountant could write down vast and populous empire as an asset, wise and able prince such as you should not make such a mistake. Even if my realm is vast, it can't ensure Kuriotates from another famine. This is what I view in fertile Grindstone Plains: The security of my people. And when you started talking about acts of hostility I offered you a trade: I will give up all of my claims on that province if you will finance another way to ensure food plenitude in my realm. What have you done? You have started talking about how much military regiment can you buy. And now, what should common Kuriotate do if famine strike again? Raise it? We don't have enough food for ourselves. Buy it? From who when the nation of Erebus are closing their markets for us? Don't you think that this won't make my efforts to acquire Grindstone Plains more...desperate?

But I want to solve this matter peacefully, without bloodshed. In polite manners, without undignified shouting in public. Let return back to negotiating table while we would respect our vested right to turn our lands to battleground.

Cardith Lorda, Emperor of Kuriotates

 

[Immaculate]

New map. Due to all the details, it has to be huge size. I don't know how big images CFC supports.

Spoiler :

How did you make this map? I looked at some online map-generating tools, and nothing looks as good as this.

I.

 

[LDiCesare]

While some accountant could write down vast and populous empire as an asset, wise and able prince such as you should not make such a mistake.

We Khazad know the value of gold, and accountants are very respected in our country. We also believe land is an asset. We also believe people are an asset. But we are probably unwise to believe that if you say so.

Even if my realm is vast, it can't ensure Kuriotates from another famine.

You still have got far more fertile land than we have.

This is what I view in fertile Grindstone Plains: The security of my people. And when you started talking about acts of hostility I offered you a trade: I will give up all of my claims on that province if you will finance another way to ensure food plenitude in my realm.

You want me to buy a land from you that you do not own. For all the honey you wrap your words in, this is what you are saying: You sell what you don't own.

What have you done? You have started talking about how much military regiment can you buy.

Of course! With what shall I take out the orcs in that region if not with regiments? Or did you think I'd throw my army at you? I'm just talking of getting rid of the orcs. I'd try to talk with them but they tend to answer with spears and clubs.

And now, what should common Kuriotate do if famine strike again?
Raise it? We don't have enough food for ourselves.

First, you don't seem to consider that you were not the only one to suffer from famine. Second, you seem to have enough food to welcome former slaves in your land, so you can't say you're seriously out of food. I suppose the average Kuriotate would look at his foreign neighbour and wonder why he's eating his bread if there was famine. Or did you welcome the slaves to have them starve? Or did you plan to send them against the orcs so you wouldn't shed the blood of your own people?

Buy it? From who when the nation of Erebus are closing their markets for us?

We will gladly sell you excess food at discount price.

Don't you think that this won't make my efforts to acquire Grindstone Plains more...desperate?

A silly accountant of mine is saying this is a threat. Of course, I'm wiser and abler so I don't believe him.

But I want to solve this matter peacefully, without bloodshed. In polite manners, without undignified shouting in public. Let return back to negotiating table while we would respect our vested right to turn our lands to battleground.

We have to shed blood to get rid of the orcs there first anyway. But then I agree we should keep this bloodshed limited to the orcs.

 

[Tyrs]

And so the silver tongued Kuriotate is shown as what he is. A common bully. I don't seem to have a problem feeding my people, slaves included. If the Boy King does, well, that's just poor management.

 

[TheJopa]

Hello all!

I'm writing this from college, just wanted to check whats going on. My DSL connection will be set up home soon, so we will be able to continue.

First off, I'm impressed, I really enjoyed in the last few pages. Good job, everyone! Captains assembly imposing embargo and claiming that slaves are criminals that must not be free yet, Calabim refusing Luchuirp golems as that would disrupt society, all brilliant. Keep up!

Now to address some issues.

Kol.7, no need to worry about orders, as I'm offline for few more days. Thats why I wasn't able to send you your stats. I'll send you them ASAP.

About slavery being overpowered - I'm trying to find a balance. But that being said, I do consider slavery most efficient economy base for the time, that being balanced with the slave revolt in your homeland when you least expect it and when your army is off to war, or enemy besieging you

Golems are fine, but Luchuirp are only ones producing them. There is also a limit on how many they can produce, especially with their city-states leaders furiously demanding combat golems. That does not stop anyone from arranging their golem trades. This could boost Luchuirp economy greatly, as entire nation could be up to this business.

For next update I'll send a full list of provinces and stats to every player. Since I was offline for a long time, there might be some mistakes. I'll need everyone to verify if their stats are correct, in case they notice something wrong.

Also, from next turn, I will need orders to be sent in a special mail called (Civ Name) Final Orders. You can ask and send mails just as you want to, no stress, just like before, but I'll carry out only orders sent in the last Final Orders mail or PM. That is because I get many mails and when it comes down to making an update it is possible to oversee something that was ordered for the same turn, but in the some old mail from the same player, separate from the rest. This measure will make it easier for me and you. Feel free to ask anything in any other mail, just put different subject.

Also, I haven't replied to the few last PM's and mails, but will do so when I get internet.

 

[TheJopa]

And to Immac:

I found map somewhere on net, but I edited it and added rivers, towns, places and the like. I'm planning on adding roads and villages. If someone has a flavourful name for some place or such, post it or mail me and I'll update map.

Also, for all those skilled in Photoshop: How to add borders using Magnetic Lasso?
For last update I used copy layer, then stroke effect, but there must be a better way.

Amount of trade routes is an average state of your economy, taking in account overage of your owned resources, buildings, improvements and diversity of improvements etc. No hard limits, it is also relative to other civs so even if you develop, if others develop faster you might not gain new trade route. I might make a little details about each civ exports and such, and I'll definitely update first post with update labor and economy and hidden stability and gold.

 

[Immaculate]

Ahh… thank you.
I’m glad you are back. I was very excited to get playing. I hope you are well settled into your classes. What year are you in? You are an undergrad right?

 

[TheJopa]

First year Faculty of Civil Engineering. Not sure what's education system in USA or elsewhere, but actually it's University of Zagreb, not college. Either way, it's highest possible education you can go on after high school. After completing it you can go for magistrate and PhD.

 

[Marksman77]

Good for us that you still find time to GM this game!

"magistrate" - they call it master degree elsewhere.
In my country we use the Latin term "magister" as is apparently the case also in Croatia


Edit: For sake of justice, Balseraphs and Svartalfar were first in imposing slave trade embargo.

 

[Algeroth]

OOC: Balseraphs impose slave trade embargo? Where?

 

[arcticnightwolf]

what effect has this embargo (except blocking TC's) ?

 

[TheJopa]

1) Yeah, it's probably magister
2) I found a way to deal with photoshop issue with borders, yay
3) Embargo is on slaves only so far, not on all goods as far as I understand. And slaves were not main trade good between these civs anyway. So effect is only diplomacy so far. But it will stop Kurios from trying this again.
4) I'll try to update post with players.

 

[TheJopa]

Third post (applications) is updated.

It now contains exports and needs. You always export your resources, and also some other stuff based on what improvements you have and other factors. It's pretty cute, actually. Mine-heavy civs produce lesser metals, farms food and herbs, villages refined stuff like tools or clothes or sculptures. Libraries books and scrolls etc. Your civ also has effect on what you produce.

Your products determine what you need (gems for jewels, for example), also your civ flavor, and what you build (taverns increase need for booze) or do (education efforts increase need for books) or your situation (farm short civs need food). In general you always need everything though some stuff you need more than others (and some not at all)

Before the salve of questions:
1) You can change what you produce, with some effort. Exporting raw tin does you little good, but some villages to boost craftsmen, and effort can make you produce tools instead. Instead of raw marble, you can produce sculptures, with enough level of culture and development. This changes slowly as your trade route grow, but good story or two can boost this.

2) Supply and demand never have bad effect for trade (for now). At worst case, trade remains as it was.

3) Nation sending trade route is exporting. Your goal is to lure other civ to sell you what you need. This is tough sometimes as good trade routes are already established. No special need to claim what you import, just normal trade route with civ which produces what you need.

4) I'm not sure if I'll add a constant gold bonus for importing what you need, but establishing a trade route you need gives gold and stability, and some benefit for exporter as well, breaking it means shock.

5) If you can't get what you need, like wool, thats because livestock resource with sheeps is not yet discovered

6) I'll add some resources to the map as well. And some new sources of existing resources.

7) You can express need for some resources, if it fits character I'll add it to the need list, same way is with supplies, but these are changed either slowly with time or by larger investment. If you think your Wax of Herrenplains would fare well on Amurites market for candlemakers, as Amurites like to read in dark, thats what I like to hear.

 

[TheJopa]

Also I'll revise some rules to keep it more simple. I.e. transport ships will be cut, instead you use civilian boats that are available always, you just need safe waterways so you're not intercepted.