LINES-World of Magic

[Warman17]

Name: Indus Empire
Capital: Mohenjo-Daro
Ruler: Firelord Deependra, the Lightgiver
Government: Council of Firelords
Population: 2000
Economy: Stable (3/3/4
Education: Average
Technology: Bronze age
Loyalty: Tolerating
Army: 100 infantry
Navy: 10 galleys
Magic: 10 Fire Lords + Pyromancy
UU: Pheonix: A large mystical bird capable of rising from its own ashes to fight again. Has been tamed by the Indus firelords, who use the phoenixs' powers to burn enemy ground forces to dust.
Projects:
Description: After the fall of Ur in the region, their old cities became new centers of power in western India. Among the most wealthy was that of Mohenjo-Daro. Over the past few generations, the former Ur wizards in the area have mastered the control of fire. Using this to it's advantage Mohenjo-Daro led a war to unite the region, however a coalition of cities, led by the Wizard Hridaynath the Beloved were able to defeat the Firelords of Mohenjo-Daro. The firelords, ever searching for new power have been able to tame the rare Indian Pheonix, and hope to use them to their advantage and conquer all of India, perhaps even rival Ur itself.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Welcome to LINES Warman!

 

[das]

Hmm, pardon me for my absence... Don't worry, I'm still in.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

@Cleric: Grab some fantasy books and get reading. No, I don't suggest you start with LOTR. For something dark, short and modern, see if your local library has a copy of Raymond E. Feist's Faerie Tale. It's an excellent book for getting started on that genre.
Get reading.
end /

OOC: Why did my project suddenly bump from 5 to 6 turns?

The Expansion of Elgovia
Tall-Walker-Seer, second Danshar of Elgovia, approaches the construction site of the Logrus Vault. A huge pit has been quarried out of the ground here. Mages are binding spells into the very earth, craftsmen smooth the clay and add alchemical substances to keep it stable, and soldiers keep everything running smoothly.
Four months ago, he had been working here as an artisan.
Eight months ago, he had been part of a nearby tribe.
How had this come to be?
Tall-Walker-Seer began reminiscing.

Spoiler :

Sightings
Tall-Walker-Seer and two others are scouting for their tribe. Their elders say magic is arising to the west. Tall-Walker-Seer goes in front, he has the sharpest eyes. Bone-Neck is covering their tracks. Tall-Walker-Seer mimics the cry of a bird, he sees something. The three others look where he is pointing, and agree that something is there. Six-Toes offers to look, he is the shortest and the fastest. He stalks towards the faraway sighting, his pale yellow coat granting him excellent camouflage in the savannah. Coming closer, he begins to scream, thinking that he must have gone mad. Twelve men are sauntering (for marching is certianly the wrong word for such a motley group) in his direction. Their bearing indicates that they are warriors, but no two look quite the same. In front of them, the ground is oozing, shaping itself into limbs that rise up from the ground and flail at the air.
Bone-Neck hears the scream. He and Tall-Walker-Seer have been circling around, so that they would be sighted instead of Six-Toes. They run to help their comrade.

Introductions
One of the strange men, a hunchback, calls out. The rippling earth stands still, but a green smoke begins to emanate from the ground. Now that Tall-Walker-Seer is closer, he thinks he sees a man-like shape within the smoke. He sees Six-Toes lying on the ground, screaming, and assumes the men to be hostile. Acting as one, he and Bone-Neck notch arrows to their bows. His is a venomous one, aimed a the foremost of the men; Bone-Neck has a signal arrow aimed at they sky. When fired, it will whistle loudly enough to be heard a mile away.
"Lower your weapons. We are peaceful, and I can assure you they are useless," says one of the strange men. Their dialect changes pitch rapidly, but is certainly intelligible.
Tall-Walker-Seer makes a hand signal to Bone-Neck, signaling 'wait'. He lowers his own bow, asking snappily "What have you done to Six-Toes?"
"Nothing," answers a soldier truthfully. "He is seized with fear. Calm him."
Tall-Walker-Seer flashes another hand signal at Bone-Neck, this one indicating 'get' or 'fetch'. Tall-Walker-Seer lifts his own bow, covering Bone-Neck as he goes to comfort the panicked Six-Toes. At the sight of his tribesman, Six-Toes quickly calms himself. The lack of flailing ground is possibly a factor in this.
"Now, explain yourself." Bone-Neck knows very well that he can release a signal arrow in the blink of an eye and aim a venomous one at the intruders befoer they can reach him. Two have javelins, but neither of them have readied them. He feels confident enough to make threats.
"It is simple," says a man carrying a quarterstaff, "we are the forerunners of the nation of Elgovia. I am Chaosier Melgan, my associate," he indicates the hunchback, "is Chaosier Renze, these are our soldiers, and the Ripple," (he indicates the cloud of green smoke, which is now darkening and taking on a distinctly snakelike appearance) answers to Weaver. We ask you to join us. If you do not, our magic will sweep you away. If you do, all positions will be open to you, even ours. We are not a nation of rulership, but one of brotherhood."

Decisions
Bone-Neck looks dour for a moment. Without warning, he releases his signal arrow, then swiftly fires another one at the column of green smoke.
Tall-Walker-Seer winces. The negotiations are going sour. Then he gapes as the man calling himself Chaosier Melgan flings his staff skywards; it catches Bone-Neck's signal arrow just as begins to whistle. The venomous arrow fares no better, it curves upwards and hangs motionless for a moment. There it crumbles, and the pieces fall to earth.
Tall-Walker-Seer realises that they are trapped. Even if the Elgovian forerunners are benevolent, they still have Tall-Walker-Seer and his comrades trapped without hope of escape.
"We ask that one of you come with us, to see our capital. Once you have seen Dashiv, I feel sure that you will be convinced to join us. Inform your ruler that we give you one moon to decide." The hunchback, Chaosier Renze, is speaking. His voice is deep and resounding.
Tall-Walker-Seer makes his decision. Whatever powers these strangers hold, he will seek them for himself. If the Chaosiers are telling the truth, he can rise above the caste-curse imposed on him by a malicious shaman. It only applies to his tribe, after all. And if they are lying, he will have no qualms about hunting them down and killing them.
"I will come with you." He turns to Bone-Neck and Six-Toes. "Go. Tell all you have seen. I will go with these and" -here he makes the hand signal for 'spy'- "see what they can offer us.


Scarcely a week later, Tall-Walker-Seer has found a position as journeyman clayworker in Elgovia, and seen the substance called Trafe for the first time. The memories of his tribe are disappearing. His master has promised him a formal recommendation to a mage once he completes his training.

To be continued...

SPENDING ORDERS:
<sent by PM>

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Seeing as I have writer's prism (can't write about what I want to write about), can I ask for specicif story bonii, or do I have to accept what I get from stories, or is it random?

Also, I BEG YOU ON MY KNEES TO USE A MAP FORMAT THAT DOES NOT F*** UP THE MAP COLORS!!

The white-like background color is a strange shade of pink. Worse, it isn't anywhere near consistent. Here's what happens when I use Flood Fill, and it sucks:

 

[Disenfrancised]

Seeing as I have writer's prism (can't write about what I want to write about)

Ha! never heard it call that before . Whats your problem with writing? Mine is I've got two plus stories already written for later on when my empire is more developed..but how to get to that stage eludes me

 

[Kal'thzar]

To absyinnia.
From Khemri

Turn over your colony to us, it will prevent a war,

a civil one that is.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Also, I BEG YOU ON MY KNEES TO USE A MAP FORMAT THAT DOES NOT F*** UP THE MAP COLORS!!

The white-like background color is a strange shade of pink. Worse, it isn't anywhere near consistent. Here's what happens when I use Flood Fill, and it sucks:

That's wierd. Do you use PSP?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

To: Tripolye
From: Scythia

Need we continue this war? Our barbarian bretheren thirst for blood, but we wish for peace and prosperity. Will you accept?

To: Antarctica
From: Penguin Kingdom of Ross

NAP?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

And you can ask for specific story bonuses, but the story has to be somewhat related. Example: If you want more loyalty or troops, write about military success. A story about your great project will get you a bonus turn of production.

 

[das]

From: Tripolye
To: Scythia

Peace? Gladly, if you agree to migrate from these lands you currently occupy far, far away and leave them to us. Then you can prosper all you want, as long as you don't try to expand towards our borders.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I have writer's prism

Ha! never heard it call that before . Whats your problem with writing? Mine is I've got two plus stories already written for later on when my empire is more developed..but how to get to that stage eludes me

Well, I invented the term right now And I want to write about major recruiting of mages, but I can't think of anything.

And you can ask for specific story bonuses, but the story has to be somewhat related. Example: If you want more loyalty or troops, write about military success. A story about your great project will get you a bonus turn of production.

Ok, I want loyalty and/or expansion bonuses, depending on what you think is appropriate.
I'll save my next bit of story for later.

The white-like background color is a strange shade of pink. Worse, it isn't anywhere near consistent. Here's what happens when I use Flood Fill, and it sucks:

That's wierd. Do you use PSP?

I don't have a PSP, I don't know how it relates to this, and stop trying to foist the problem off on me. I've checked it at home and on two school computers.
Suggest you grab a clean map. Right now, the map is pink and smudged. Look what happens when I use the Eraser tool in paint to create a white area:

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Sorry, with PSP I meant Paint Shop Pro.

But the map is all white on my computer. Maybe it changes when I upload it.

To: Tripolye
From: Scythia

We will not leave our ancestral lands. Our people will not flee on the whim of another race!

 

[The Strategos]

In the twilight, a fleet of ships slipped silently through the waters. Fog swirled around them as wraith-like they resolutely sailed towards their destination. The water was calm and peaceful. It was destined to be the only peaceful thing around this morning…

Hicetas rushed to keep up with the aquamancer striding ahead of him. Normally this wouldn’t be a difficult task, the aquamancer was in the declining years of his life while Hicetas was still in his prime, muscles honed from years serving on the galley on the Karthaginian warship. Now however, he was slowed by the weight of the large wooden tub he was helping to carry.

As the aquamancer reached the side of a boat he motioned to Hicetas to set the wooden tub down. “See those buckets over there? Fill them up with sea water until that tub is full.” Obediently Hicetas lowered the bucket and started filling the tub. Looking out at the rest of the fleet, he noticed that all of them had varying numbers of sailors engaged in the same task.

“Big magic going down lad.” The aquamancer had noticed Hicetas’ gaze. “The seawater acts as a conduit for us. Once you fill that tub, I’m going to immerse myself in it. The seawater in the tub will help me funnel my magic to the seawater in the sea, making it easier to do my magic.”

Once the tub was filled, the aquamancer quickly divested himself of his clothes. Carefully, he folded them in a pile and placed them to the side. Gingerly he lowered his body into the tub, giving a hiss. “D*** that’s cold.” He motioned Hicetas over to him. “When I nod at you, grab my head and push it underwater. Then hold me there. Don’t worry about drowning me, just keep my head underwater.” Snapping his fingers he continued, “I almost forgot, rub this on your hands, its sand from the bottom of the sea, it will help lower the interference that your presence will cause.” At his nod, Hicetas pushed the aquamancer underwater, completely submerging him.

At that moment, the ships rounded a bend in the coast. There, in a sheltered cove was the pirate fleet. Around him the captain was bellowing orders to prepare the ship for combat. Hicetas stayed where he was. The water around his arms became hot, at first barely perceptible but rapidly increasing in intensity. The temperature was now becoming painful, but Hicetas didn’t take his arms out of the water. If the old aquamancer, completely submerged, could stand the temperature, then Hicetas wasn’t going to flinch.

With a whoosh, the water in the tub suddenly shot up in a geyser, drenching Hicetas with hot water. Staggering back cursing, he let go off the aquamancer’s head. The aquamancer popped up, gasping for breath. Turning he looked towards the pirate’s ships. Curious, Hicetas followed his gaze. There, in the water, were currents so strong they were easily visible. These currents pushed at the pirate’s ships, forcing them towards land. With a flash of insight, Hicetas understood the plan. With the pirate ships grounded, they would be unable to escape the Karthaginian fleets. In addition, the pirates would be forced to fight on land, putting them at a severe disadvantage to the better armored, better trained Karthaginian infantry whose transports were even now surging forward to land. Caught of guard by the sudden events, the pirates milled around, unsure of whether to fight or flee. The foremost Karthaginian infantry units quickly disembarked and threw themselves against the demoralized pirates. The fighting was sharp and fierce, but as more and more Karthaginian infantry disembarked, the battle quickly became a rout. The pirates scattered like a handful of dust thrown in the wind.

The aquamancer nodded to himself. “There's a diversionary army that we sent out from Hegesta* to attack overland. These pirates will quckly find themselves trapped between them and these forces, far from their ships or any water. I don't like their chances then, not at all.” Giving a short bark of laughter, he turned to Hicetas. “Remember this day lad, for you’ve just witnessed the end of the pirate threat on Sicily.”

*Hegesta: The Karthaginian city located on southwest Sicily.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

@Erik Mesoy: You know that projects cost spending points to continue, right?

 

[Warman17]

redo the map, as in redraw the borders etc on a normal blank map, but save it as a .png file. That should solve the problem of the colors mixing and such.

 

[Israelite9191]

Lord Iggy: Once again,can you post another map? For some reason two of the three maps you have psted so far have only the northern most parts showing. I can't even see my own country!
********
To Khemri
From Abyssinia
This is unacceptable. Land belonging to Abssinia shall not be turned over to another nation, no matter how far away that land is.

 

[Kal'thzar]

To Absyninnia
From Khemri

We only wish to releive your from a burden that will sap your resources.

 

[Kentharu]

From Gorin
To Atlantic (or which ever atlantis is directly underneath me)
our leader Merzan has seen what the New Atlantis (or whoever they are fighting at the moment) have done to your great nation and are schocked, next turn will would like to give you 1 point so you may replenish your ranks and also, perhaps you, as geomancries, could create a land brdge between us, so that we may trade, and also so we might aid you next turn, in your efforts against the New Atlantis people(or whoever they are fighting)

ooc can this be done by the way? it would be kinda like hiring some of their magic guys for 1 turn to do my biding which in this case would be to make a land route to europe, since my guys are fire, and water isn't all that good for them

 

[Disenfrancised]

@Lord Iggy: I've tried seveal programs with the maps; Paint (XP edition has the same problems Erik does), Paint shop pro (or at least the version I've got) has less problems but you still get blocky crap near the rivers, The only way I could get to edit it cleanly is by using photoshop and getting my flatmate to do some sort of hocus pocus involving filters.
Try saving it as a GIF or PNG file instead of a JPEG.
Edit:beaten by Warman