Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Turn #32, Late Fall of Year 3
The curtain has fallen.

Part 1 of 2

The people of my domain receive the Gift of Health, via the Norna Skade, who successfully completes the moderately complex ritual.

The monolith of Man, its realm now reduced to just the capital, and fearful of enemies all around, invokes the ritual of Dark Skies over its domain. This may make storming their fortress appreciably more difficult for my Jotuns several months hence.

In heartfelt gratitude and celebrating my impending victory over Ashikaga, a festival is held in my honor in the Black Alps, increasing the strength of the faith in the province.

In the Rim Mountains, Jorgun faces 2 knight commanders, 6 knights, and 6 fanatics. The mounted troops charge, but inflict little harm on my wyrm. Within moments, all of the knights save one commander are bLasted unconscious by Jorgun's Astral Shield enchantment. The remaining knight commander routs and the fanatics turn about and flee as well, never having even gotten close to the wyrm. Jorgun proceeds to feast upon the fine equine and human flesh of the seven knights at his leisure. My avatar counts 3 more kills and 12 trophies from this battle.

The following two images show the dispositions of both sides at the start of the battle for the citadel of Ashikaga:

My army (1174x1004)

Ashikagans (1174x1004)

My troops face the pretender Arriod the Nataraja, who has paths of 7A/5D/5N, possesses no magic items and has only 1 star of experience. Arriod's stats are: 138HPs, 4Prot, 30Mrl, 19MR, 25Str, 12Att, 12Def, 20Prec. The Ashikagan commanders are two Senin Masters, one Jonin, and one Taisho Daimyo. Their troops only muster 5 samurai horsemen, 4 samurai bowmen, 4 yamabushi monks, and 19 ashigaru spearmen. A pathetic force compared to my field army.

The enemy pretender casts Berserkers, and then kills a Jotun with a Lightning Bolt. The yamabushi and ashigaru of the enemy's right flank sally forth from the citadel, only to get slaughtered by the front rank of my Jotuns. Arriod followed behind the yamabushi and ashigaru to stand in the breach in the outer wall's gate. The nataraja cuts down three more of my Jotuns before he is impaled in return by the now-vengeful giants. The daimyo, just behind the inner gate, is then killed by a Flame Bolt from Donner. Moments later, the vanguard of my giants enter the courtyard, and the jonin is promptly skewered before he even has an opportunity to strike a blow. The remaining ashigaru make a half-hearted attempt to stand before the tide of giants, but break and run after the Jotun front rank kills a third of their number without taking casualties in return. Within a couple of more moments both senin are overrun and slain. Leaderless, the bowman flee -- only to be hunted down and killed later, having nowhere to hide. In the battle, I lose a total of just 8 of my Jotun spearmen, only 1/8th of my attacking giants. Bove gains 4 trophies from this brief experience. Ashikaga's magical sites boost my gem income by a most welcome 2 fire, 3 water, and 1 death.

The eradication of Ashikagan influence has immediately and dramatically increased the strength of my dominion, with 13 new provinces coming into my faith.

(I must admit to being unpleasantly surprised at the expansive presence of Pangaea to the southeast of my realm, when earlier scouting showed that Marignon-controlled lands lay in that direction. I suspect that Marignon and Pangaea have been at war, for Pangaea to have expanded all the way to my borders. The scouts that are now fanning out along this front, which should have been recruited many months ago, will ensure that I am henceforth properly informed. Since I dislike unpleasant surprises, I have promoted my previous, human, master of scouts into a new task that even he could not fail at, that of being wyrm-food. It was a short, but delicious career change.)

My researchers achieve mastery of the fifth level of Evocation magics. The fifth level of Thaumaturgy is expected by next month.

My realm has:

• ___7 Dominion max.
• __14 Temples
• __31 Provinces converted
• _916 Treasury.
• 1376 Income. (+28)
• _449 Upkeep. (-3)

• 22 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=2, PD=0, Unr=9
• Ancyrna: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=0, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=0, PD=0, Unr=21
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-1, PD=20, Unr=1
• Robber Home: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Feral Woods: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=1, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (04)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_9 Water (09)
• +_3 Earth (07)
• +16 Astral (19) (includes 10 Clams)
• +_3 Death (11)
• +_8 Nature (12)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment
• 3-Thaumaturgy*
• 0-Blood Magic
• 219 RPs (of 230 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:05: Message edited by: Arryn ]