Quick summary: discovered writing and mysticism through research; horseback riding (bah!) and literacy (hooray!) from huts. Nomad from huts. Advanced tribe from huts - two whales! - on continent with first foreign civ: the Americans! Uncovered three of our hidden specials; converted one of our wheat to silk; currently "mining" remaining two hidden specials. Recommend irrigating other wheat near Cardiff, at least for now. (Already started.) Heading settler to 4-special spot on southern island (131,69) - 2 whales, silk and fruit.
525 (0) - I have been a scholar all my life, seeking to put our "alphabet" to some use in recording and transmitting the knowledge of our Empire. It is the year 3125, when I must lay aside my studies to ascend the throne of the Celtic Empire, becuase of tragedy - and treachery! So long, our line has ruled this land in relative peace, since the first Despot OlnSlo ended the endless wandering of our people and founded the great City of Cardiff. Now, we have come to this: regicide!
Queen Jayne had been on a tour of the cities and towns of the Empire, celebrating over 500 years of rule (we are a very long-lived people), when her entourage were set upon by bandits in the City of Kells. Before the local garrison could (or would?) arrive, they had been slain to the last man, woman, and Queen, although not without some loss to the attackers.
I have long harbored suspicions about the Duke of Kells. Was it not he that refused to send troops to defend Sybase, leaving it to be sacked by barbarians? Were there not reports thereafter that the Dukes treasury had been mysteriously increased? Ah, me! These are troubles I had hoped to escape, living a peaceful life of study while Queen Jayne ruled and expanded the Empire, but now I must fulfill my obligation as one of the ruling line.
My first act of office was to survey the cities and villages. In Cardiff, our shipwrights continue work upon another Trireme. Queen Jayne foresaw the need for a navy, and I agree: we must explore, find new lands to settle, and meet the other peoples of this world.
Cork: not much to do there. The people draw their sustenance from the sea, and the settlement grows slowly. I see little near-term prospect for this community until we can irrigate the surrounding plains. Until then, we shall probably leave the people of Cork to themselves.
Flimsy Wall seeks to recruit workers to develop our land. This is another high-priority project. I want many, many workers, for there is much to do.
Illauntanig: our first foreign settlement. They require a garrison to keep order, for we are a feisty people, who are best kept in line by a constant show of force.
Iona: switch to forest, so warrior is completed by the time of population increase.
Kells: Ah, Kells! Building a Temple to the glory of the Duke of Kells. Please hasten it along (switch worker to forest), and I shall attend the consecration myself. The Duke and I, we shall talk.
Muddy Gardens: Someday, I think this shall be one of our greatest cities, but it requires much work. We must drain the malarial swamps, and I believe we could expand their silk forest: my studies indicate that conditions to the west of the settlement would be ideal for the mulberry trees that support the silk worms. I will continue Queen Jaynes plan to recruit workers from this city to develop its potential.
NewSybase: Switch worker to shielded grassland; warrior will be completed just in time for population increase.
NoWoW: Almost completed recruitment of workers (settler) simultaneous with population increase. Good Job! They shall help develop the land around Muddy Gardens.
Quickie: Switch worker to forest for one round to speed up settler production.
Rhondda: Continue building worker.
1-500 B.C.
NoWoW builds settler. Change production to Temple. Because of the hidden special nearby, I expect NoWoW to grow to one of our larger cities.
Order restored in Kells. (Yes, Duke, I am keeping a close eye upon you.)
2-475 B.C.
Muddy Gardens builds settler. Already has a Temple; change production to caravan.
New Sybase builds warrior. Switch worker to forest and change production to settler.
Iona builds warrior. Change to settler. (I want a lot of settlers to develop our own continent and to be ready for expansion to new lands.)
Put two settlers to work draining swamp in Muddy Gardens. (Settler from NoWoW has been pre-charged with 1 point while traveling down.)
3-450 B.C.
Egyptians have nearly completed Pyramids, whatever those are. Sounds like a tourist trap.
Illauntanig builds warrior, begins recruiting workers to develop surrounding land.
Prb to 10 shields in Iona. (Settler in ten more turns will coincide with population increase, leaving net two workers.)
Kells: the temple is coming along nicely, Duke. One more round, and then I suggest putting both workers to work.
Muddy Waters: prb to 10 shields.
4-425 B.C.
Memphis builds Pyramids; will start Cylinders, next? Babylonians switch production to Great Wall. (Whats so great about it? Before I build a wall, I want to know what I am walling in. Something there is that doesn't like a wall . . . .)
Flimsy Wall builds settlers. Start another settler. (With the abundance of fish, they can afford to support more workers.) Begin charging settler as he moves down to hidden specials.
Rhondda builds warrior. Change production to settler.
Kells: ah, the temple will be complete soon. I am coming to pay a state visit, Duke.
Muddy Gardens: prb to 20 shields.
5-400 B.C.
Incomplete message from travelers in distant lands: Carthaginians have undertaken colossus . . . . Colossus what? Colossus blunder? Shouldnt that be colossal?
Our people put the alphabet to use in a new system of record keeping called writing. Oral historians retired. Direct wisemen to the study of mysticism, a subject that has always fascinated me.
Kells builds Temple. Temple is consecrated in royal gala on Sunday. Memorial service for Queen Jayne held in Temple on Monday. Royal tribunal announces arrest of Duke of Kells on charges of regicide and treason on Tuesday. Trial on Wednesday. Convicted on Thursday. Sentence of death announced on Friday. Sentence carried out on Saturday. It has been a good week in Kells. Switch production to . . . warrior or diplomat. (Want to produce at least six diplomats for exploration / embassies.)
Cardiff produces Trireme. Use for coastal exploration until diplomats available for long-range exploration. Switch production to Temple; move both workers to forest (5s 8 turns).
Cork: builds warrior. Switch production to diplomat. (Send warrior to increase garrison in Kells. I do not trust the Dukes younger brother.)
Flimsy wall: prb to 10 shields; settler in 10 turns.
6-375
Travelers in distant lands report Egyptians have undertaken tough-on-crime stance and are now hanging gardens. Egyptians are clearly lunatics. Americans have undertaken a great library. Plan to send first diplomat to Americans to get library card.
Herodotus completes his epic history Happiest Civilizations in the World. The Fine Civilation of the Celts is ranked third.
Quickie builds settlers. Switch production to diplomat.
Cardiff Trireme discovers whale breeding grounds off northern coast of southern peninsula, where my studies indicated they would be! Plan to build whaling settlement on southern peninsula.
Begin charging Quickie settler on her way to hidden specials.
Warrior exploring distant lands is taught Horseback Riding by local natives. (Rats!)
7-350
Cardiff trireme discovers land to the west of our continent. NoWoW trireme discovers excellent settlement area (at least three specials: 2 whales 1 fruit on small southern continent.
Prb to 10 shield (i.e., purchase 2 shields) for diplomat in Kells.
Change Muddy Gardens production to Diplomat. (Due in 2 turns.)
Prb to 10 shields in Rhondda and continue to produce settler.
8-325
Barbarian trireme ambushes and sinks NoWoW trireme! (Sails out of the black and disappears back into the black.)
Disorder in Illauntanig. (Garrison returns to quell disturbance.)
Swamps drained in Muddy Gardens.
9-300
Muddy Gardens commissions diplomat.
Order restored in Illauntanig, but citizens fear roving Barbarian Trireme may be headed for their coasts. Consider rushing the commission of a diplomat, but the royal treasury wont be sufficient for a bribe.
Exploring warrior verifies that southern continent holds 4-special settlement spot (not three, as originally reported).
Prb 1 shield in Kells; diplomat in 2 turns.
Pheasant forest planted north of New Sybase. Citizens rejoice!
10-275
Muddy Gardens diplomat boards Cardiff Trireme to explore eastern continent. Plan to return trireme to carry settler to southern continent for settlement.
Switch worker in Cardiff back to wheat: completion of temple planned to coincide with population increase.
11-250
Fears realized: (damaged) Barbarian Trireme appears off the coast of Illauntanig. Illauntanig, I fear your cause is lost!
NoWoW builds temple.
Kells commissions diplomat.
Switch Flimsy Wall worker from fish to shield, so settler production coincides with population increase.
12-225
Barbarian raiding party lands near Illauntanig: barbarian archers surround city. Citizens, believing situation is hopeless, take desperate measures. Local garrison is dismissed to hinterlands, and city throws itself on the mercy of barbarians, hoping they may be bought off without a loss of life.
New Sybase builds settlers. Switch production to Temple.
Pheasant forest planted near Rhondda more rejoicing. Pheasants sent to palace in Cardiff in gratitude.
Diplomat exploring eastern continent meets with natives who explain concept of Literacy. Writing isnt just for royal record keepers anymore! Teaching programs instituted throughout the kingdom.
13-200
Desperate measure succeeds: Barbarian Ostrogoths demand more than half the royal treasury (50 gp), but I consider the Illauntanig well worth the price. Citizens of Illauntanig reward this royal sacrifice with a riot. Garrison returns to city to impose martial law. Ingrates hanged.
Iona builds settlers.
14-175
The French have nearly completed hanging their gardens. Kooks!
Flimsy Wall builds settlers. Switch to Temple.
Cardiff builds temple; switch to marketplace. (Not yet economical, but it will be, by the time it is built. Plan to do the same in Muddy Gardens.)
15-150
Lyons hangs gardens. French decide to change from hanging gardens to doing something colossal. Egyptians decide to do the same thing, as do the Mongols. French announce they have nearly completed doing something colossal. With so many bizarre civilizations in this world, its a wonder we are not viewed more highly.
Illauntanig builds settlers plan to road and irrigate buffalo plains near city. Switch production to temple. (Citizens get religion after their close call with barbarians and their closer call with the Throne.)
Diplomat to the east encounters advanced tribe (with 2 whales!) that welcome entry into Celtic Kingdom. Unfortunately, the sprawling kingdom generates unrest in Cardiff, Cork and Quickie. Local entertainers hired to calm populace in Cardiff and Quickie before riots. Trireme rbed in Cork for martial law (and for future exploration).
16-125
Paris builds a colossal . . . what? We never find out. Mongols decide to build a giant nightlight, while the Egyptians think theyd like a big library, like the Americans are building. (Memo: send diplomat to Egyptians for library card.) Carthaginians decide to adopt Sybase, I mean Oracle.
Rhondda builds settlers; switch to Temple.
Quickie commissions diplomat.
Celts discover Mysticism. Philosophy and Republic are both offered, meaning that next time, Republic will not be available, unless we can get a hut tech in the interim. Considering that the Americans started the Great Library some time ago, they and others may well have the lead to getting Philosophy, but we decide to chance it anyway: take philosophy.
Convert wheat between Cardiff and Quickie to Silk. Silk forest also planted near Muddy Gardens.
Prb 1 shield in Iona after this, we will have 12 settlers. More than enough, for the short term.
17-100
Kells commissions diplomat.
Rb warrior in Kells for martial law (allow trireme to go exploring with 2 diplomats).
Durrow founded (near Muddy Gardens, to exploit whale). Immediately in unrest. Move horseman from Muddy Gardens to impose martial law and begin construction of temple.
Diplomat north of Swansea encounters first foreign civilization: the Icy Americans. (2 spears) We explain our monarchical system of government to warm up their reception. (Especially since Swansea is so close and undefended.) Peace treaty is signed. Offer to exchange knowledge: they will offer construction in return for mysticism (no alternative). Since mysticism is required for philosophy, and we know the Americans already have literacy, we politely decline. Not expecting success, we propose an alliance, but the Americans refuse to become slaves of the decadent (?!) Celtic Empire. Cancel plans to send Despot Lincoln a brace of Pheasants to celebrate peace treaty.
Prb 3 shields in NoWoW. This will be third active Trireme. Enough for now.
18-75
Pheasant forest nw of Rhondda replaced with buffalo plains; settlers begin irrigation.
Switch support of horseman (MG) and Trireme (Cardiff) to Durrow.
Prb 2 shields in Muddy Gardens and switch production to caravan (5 turns).
19-50
Nothing to report.
20-25
Diplomat encounters wandering nomads hooray!
Rb 1 shield in Muddy Gardens.
As I close my reign, our power is regarded as supreme in all the world no doubt because other nations are spending their time hanging gardens, making geometric shapes, and trying to do something colossal. I have Kells cranking out diplomats (caravans does not seem very productive, as it is a low-trade city), but we could build a barracks and convert to military production, if we want to start a war. Muddy Gardens is producing its first caravan, after which it should probably build a marketplace and library. We have uncovered all but two of the hidden specials, and the remaining two are being worked on. The settler on Trireme (south of Muddy Gardens) is intended for continent 30 that 4-special spot. The warrior on that continent is headed for the same place to form the initial garrison or maybe we can use him to explore the island due east.
Ive never had to micromanage so many cities before.
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