Kev
Hired Goon
Part I
1700
The turn of the century brought a great many things with it.
Mostly war.
By not giving in to demands for hard-earned technology, for not paying cash in what amounted to extortion, for our settlers looking to build cities this is what has caused the others to declare war upon us. Where civilians are the ones who lose as cities are razed or occupied by the victor.
But what can we do. To do nothing is but to condemn our citizens to a life of war. One that will either end at the end of a rifle or learning a new language.
And so it is: WAR.
Our citizens may not like having their armed forces travel through the lands, but it sometimes takes power to fight power and with our technology on the increase we should have more than the rest.
We didnt want it, we didnt ask for it, but if its war you want . THEN BRING IT ON!
Preparations are being made. The Inner Circle will see the nation through this.
1700:
Many freights are sent to the capital city of Olympia. The people there are trying to come up with the exact verbiage to officially grant the vote to women. Being lawyers, it is taking years, and food freight will help those who are burning that midnight oil. Not quite finished with this yet.
A transport heads to Kevholm to pick up the engineer that has finished improving the land there. The engineer at Becka-Becka is almost done as well. They will help complete the rail line on the home island. Another transport heads home from dangerous Chinese waters while the third remains in Dukeshire hoping to take a diplomat to Roman territory. With that in mind, the freight in Dukeshire is once again postponed to train a diplomat. It is then rushed.
The Dover crusaders sally forth to crush a Mongol catapult. Unfortunately, a group of Mongol settlers was hidden in this group and they were also killed in the crossfire. Collateral damage.
No word reaches the capital regarding foreign doings other than some barbarian activity on the Mongol homeland.
The people of the Inner Circle take up a new pastime: Skeet shooting. Foreign dignitaries are very scared.
1705:
Dukeshire finishes the training of a diplomat and starts once again on some freight. The diplomat holds for the time being sensing that there could be some advanced training coming soon.
Fort Pornstar completes some freight and starts on a transport ship. Monies are set aside to hurry this project.
Potopolia and Dreadtown both complete freight. Potopolia starts another (possibly for trade) while Dreadtown starts the nations first factory.
More food freights bring us closer to Womens Suffrage. Two more freight at the ready to finish.
Word reaches the capital: Looks like were just in time as the English announce that their lawyers are almost finished with Suffrage as well.
1710:
Kevholm engineer is picked up and heads toward the mainland. Two crusaders from THDP, a knight from Olympia, and the crusader in Potopolia prepare to head to Joespaniel. With rail lines, we should be fine with the 3 fast units still left on the island.
With one freight delivered to Olympia we are told that only half of another is needed (26 shields). We have one waiting, but decide to spend the 100 gold to give the lawyers some cash. With cash in hand, the lawyers miraculously finish the Suffrage bill. How amazing. The extra freight heads to Hippoville to wait until needed.
The ironclad from Unknown City reaches Joespaniel and gets support there. A new ironclad is being built in Unknown City.
Our Dover crusaders sally forth and crush an English catapult division. Again.
Word reaches the capital:
The unmitigated gall of the Chinese continues. A defenseless transport, moving out of Chinese waters and heading for the city of Joespaniel, was ruthlessly attacked at sea by a Chinese frigate and sunk. All on board were killed. Those that abandoned ship were left by the Chinese as food for the sharks. A UF rescue vessel found two survivors in the chilly waters. One was dead before reaching Joespaniel while the other died the next day. We must punish them for this.
1715:
THDP gathers some freight. Choices are salt, which is demanded by NO city, and beads, which is demanded by Marl Downs. The latter is chosen and city walls are begun here.
Espionage is ours. We begin to study conscription. It would seem that regular citizens have better guns than the military, and by conscripting them we would have actual rifles in our ranks instead of muskets.
Olympia grants Womens Suffrage. Now we can listen to what Becka has to say.
Torn between a factory and the UN, Olympia starts the UN and figures if not this wonder, surely another can be built here.
Fort Pornstar finishes a transport and starts a factory.
The new spy in Dukshire explores a bit. Apparently the diplomat underwent a sex change, but we wont judge. With very keen eyesight, she spots the Roman city of Brundisium near Dukeshire. She waits in the swamp for a few years and will go forth then.
Kev asks the populace to remove the animal hide that theyve set up in back of the throne in the throne room. They replace it with palm fronds. Nice.
Word reaches the capital:
While the Romans change to the UN after we discover Suffrage, all others abandon the project!! This is great, as the Romans had barely started Suffrage. We should be able to beat these guys to the UN soon.
We hear that the Mongols now only start on the UN.
1720:
Our spy decides it is safe to move and checks out Brundisium. It is a size 4 city with no improvements at all. Inside is a single musket regiment and they are training dragoons. To have the city revolt to UF, the underground tells her, would cost 470 gold. Thats over half of our treasury. Further, it is removed from the cities of Dukeshire, Viroconium and Spice Haven by swamps and hills. It would be difficult to hold this city right now, so our intrepid spy settles for stealing their leadership ideals. We now have dragoons in our midst, and our lovely and talented spy escapes to Dukeshire where she is conveyed veteran status.
Coastal fortress is rushed in Joespaniel given the murderous bent of the seagoing Chinese.
Our newly promoted spy also having undergone a sex change moves up from Marl Downs toward Dover. But whats this??? There is a city to the west of Marl Downs on the same peninsula no less. The city of Cambridge. Those sneaky English plunked a city there and its been there for a while as it is size 4 no less. Were it not for the eagle-eyes of our spy it may have gone unnoticed for some time still. Our spy checks things out. First, an embassy is established with the English. They are in a republic and have a treasury of 1,411 gold! They are researching Communism, and they have a whopping 18 cities. The English underground surprisingly led by the missing editor of the Fanatica Times, Mr. Bond tells the lovely spy that they would join their cause for a mere 315 gold. Well, this city is easy to connect to the others nearby and has two improvements. It has a musketeer inside and supports a frigate somewhere as well. The English have no technology we need, but the decision is made to bring the city to Fanatica. We get 35 gold in return, but both improvements are destroyed by the outgoing government. The city starts a second musket brigade.
Our spy returns safely to Marl Downs. Now a vet.
The transport has delivered Becka-Beckas engineers back to the home island and sets forth with 4 dragoons and a beads caravan.
Word reaches our capital:
The English begin the UN. They send a very frightened envoy to Olympia.
Envoy: Hi Umm Hows it going?
Ren: Fine. PULL! <Bang>
Envoy: W..w w wondering would you umm give us .Metallurgy.
Ren: Yknow, were out of clay pigeons.
Envoy: OK, OK. How about a cease-fire?
Ren: Grrrrrrrrrr.
Inner Circle: Fine. Try not to break it this time.
Envoy: K, bye (Gone)
1700
The turn of the century brought a great many things with it.
Mostly war.
By not giving in to demands for hard-earned technology, for not paying cash in what amounted to extortion, for our settlers looking to build cities this is what has caused the others to declare war upon us. Where civilians are the ones who lose as cities are razed or occupied by the victor.
But what can we do. To do nothing is but to condemn our citizens to a life of war. One that will either end at the end of a rifle or learning a new language.
And so it is: WAR.
Our citizens may not like having their armed forces travel through the lands, but it sometimes takes power to fight power and with our technology on the increase we should have more than the rest.
We didnt want it, we didnt ask for it, but if its war you want . THEN BRING IT ON!
Preparations are being made. The Inner Circle will see the nation through this.
1700:
Many freights are sent to the capital city of Olympia. The people there are trying to come up with the exact verbiage to officially grant the vote to women. Being lawyers, it is taking years, and food freight will help those who are burning that midnight oil. Not quite finished with this yet.
A transport heads to Kevholm to pick up the engineer that has finished improving the land there. The engineer at Becka-Becka is almost done as well. They will help complete the rail line on the home island. Another transport heads home from dangerous Chinese waters while the third remains in Dukeshire hoping to take a diplomat to Roman territory. With that in mind, the freight in Dukeshire is once again postponed to train a diplomat. It is then rushed.
The Dover crusaders sally forth to crush a Mongol catapult. Unfortunately, a group of Mongol settlers was hidden in this group and they were also killed in the crossfire. Collateral damage.
No word reaches the capital regarding foreign doings other than some barbarian activity on the Mongol homeland.
The people of the Inner Circle take up a new pastime: Skeet shooting. Foreign dignitaries are very scared.
1705:
Dukeshire finishes the training of a diplomat and starts once again on some freight. The diplomat holds for the time being sensing that there could be some advanced training coming soon.
Fort Pornstar completes some freight and starts on a transport ship. Monies are set aside to hurry this project.
Potopolia and Dreadtown both complete freight. Potopolia starts another (possibly for trade) while Dreadtown starts the nations first factory.
More food freights bring us closer to Womens Suffrage. Two more freight at the ready to finish.
Word reaches the capital: Looks like were just in time as the English announce that their lawyers are almost finished with Suffrage as well.
1710:
Kevholm engineer is picked up and heads toward the mainland. Two crusaders from THDP, a knight from Olympia, and the crusader in Potopolia prepare to head to Joespaniel. With rail lines, we should be fine with the 3 fast units still left on the island.
With one freight delivered to Olympia we are told that only half of another is needed (26 shields). We have one waiting, but decide to spend the 100 gold to give the lawyers some cash. With cash in hand, the lawyers miraculously finish the Suffrage bill. How amazing. The extra freight heads to Hippoville to wait until needed.
The ironclad from Unknown City reaches Joespaniel and gets support there. A new ironclad is being built in Unknown City.
Our Dover crusaders sally forth and crush an English catapult division. Again.
Word reaches the capital:
The unmitigated gall of the Chinese continues. A defenseless transport, moving out of Chinese waters and heading for the city of Joespaniel, was ruthlessly attacked at sea by a Chinese frigate and sunk. All on board were killed. Those that abandoned ship were left by the Chinese as food for the sharks. A UF rescue vessel found two survivors in the chilly waters. One was dead before reaching Joespaniel while the other died the next day. We must punish them for this.
1715:
THDP gathers some freight. Choices are salt, which is demanded by NO city, and beads, which is demanded by Marl Downs. The latter is chosen and city walls are begun here.
Espionage is ours. We begin to study conscription. It would seem that regular citizens have better guns than the military, and by conscripting them we would have actual rifles in our ranks instead of muskets.
Olympia grants Womens Suffrage. Now we can listen to what Becka has to say.
Torn between a factory and the UN, Olympia starts the UN and figures if not this wonder, surely another can be built here.
Fort Pornstar finishes a transport and starts a factory.
The new spy in Dukshire explores a bit. Apparently the diplomat underwent a sex change, but we wont judge. With very keen eyesight, she spots the Roman city of Brundisium near Dukeshire. She waits in the swamp for a few years and will go forth then.
Kev asks the populace to remove the animal hide that theyve set up in back of the throne in the throne room. They replace it with palm fronds. Nice.
Word reaches the capital:
While the Romans change to the UN after we discover Suffrage, all others abandon the project!! This is great, as the Romans had barely started Suffrage. We should be able to beat these guys to the UN soon.
We hear that the Mongols now only start on the UN.
1720:
Our spy decides it is safe to move and checks out Brundisium. It is a size 4 city with no improvements at all. Inside is a single musket regiment and they are training dragoons. To have the city revolt to UF, the underground tells her, would cost 470 gold. Thats over half of our treasury. Further, it is removed from the cities of Dukeshire, Viroconium and Spice Haven by swamps and hills. It would be difficult to hold this city right now, so our intrepid spy settles for stealing their leadership ideals. We now have dragoons in our midst, and our lovely and talented spy escapes to Dukeshire where she is conveyed veteran status.
Coastal fortress is rushed in Joespaniel given the murderous bent of the seagoing Chinese.
Our newly promoted spy also having undergone a sex change moves up from Marl Downs toward Dover. But whats this??? There is a city to the west of Marl Downs on the same peninsula no less. The city of Cambridge. Those sneaky English plunked a city there and its been there for a while as it is size 4 no less. Were it not for the eagle-eyes of our spy it may have gone unnoticed for some time still. Our spy checks things out. First, an embassy is established with the English. They are in a republic and have a treasury of 1,411 gold! They are researching Communism, and they have a whopping 18 cities. The English underground surprisingly led by the missing editor of the Fanatica Times, Mr. Bond tells the lovely spy that they would join their cause for a mere 315 gold. Well, this city is easy to connect to the others nearby and has two improvements. It has a musketeer inside and supports a frigate somewhere as well. The English have no technology we need, but the decision is made to bring the city to Fanatica. We get 35 gold in return, but both improvements are destroyed by the outgoing government. The city starts a second musket brigade.
Our spy returns safely to Marl Downs. Now a vet.
The transport has delivered Becka-Beckas engineers back to the home island and sets forth with 4 dragoons and a beads caravan.
Word reaches our capital:
The English begin the UN. They send a very frightened envoy to Olympia.
Envoy: Hi Umm Hows it going?
Ren: Fine. PULL! <Bang>
Envoy: W..w w wondering would you umm give us .Metallurgy.
Ren: Yknow, were out of clay pigeons.
Envoy: OK, OK. How about a cease-fire?
Ren: Grrrrrrrrrr.
Inner Circle: Fine. Try not to break it this time.
Envoy: K, bye (Gone)
Thank goodness work has internet so I could at least post here. 
Once I got my system back on-line, I had 177 messages waiting, of which about 170 were junk mail.
