Malakim getting empyrian early, way before Honor

[DirtyFinger]

This just happened in my game:

I found a prisoner while exploring a dungeon and he turned out to be a adept of the Empyrian. At this point I was ages away from researching Honor, which gives you empyrian religion, but I was quite close to priesthood, which is the prerequisite for the Malakim Worldspell.

So I spread emyrian in my capital, started research on priesthood while founding cities at a heightened rate. A whole lot of turns later (bloody Illians had to cast stasis) I cast Religious Fervor and boom, instant temples in every city and my capital was empyrian holy city. Without anyone ever having researched Empyrian (I can build priests, but not adepts ^_^).

Oddly, this fits perfectly with the Malakim Varn Gosam background story.

 

[cIV_khanh93]

they're not adepts, ti think they;re disciples.

 

[JonathanStrange]

A good reason to risk exploring dungeons and lairs!!

 

[DirtyFinger]

right, can't build disciples, but priests.

Second Great Prophet spawned a few turns later which means early Dies Dieri. Capital can feed and support 5 priest specialists thanks to flood plains and agrarianism, accelerating Greap Prophet no 3.

My Lightbringers (and priests) start with 10 XP, which isn't too bad for turn 163 on deity.
Especially since this means instant mages (for a small training fee). Skipping adepts totally.

 

[cIV_khanh93]

lightbringers can go to mage without AV? sweet.

 

[Corlis]

lightbringers can go to mage without AV? sweet.

...I suddenly have the urge to go and start a Malakim game now!

 

[DirtyFinger]

Yeah. Probably just because they can become AV disciples and those can become mages.
Once you get this rolling the Malakim are awesome:
* Build Lightbringer in a few turns (they cost 60)
* Upgrade to level 4 (Combat III is nice since the Sun III summon is pretty good and they get Summon Sand Lion for free. Or, if you have a level to spare, Combat III plus March for healing-on-the-go)
* Promote to Mage and enjoy the free Mobility I and Sentry I on your new mage.