4-player ME game - Started!

[Gandalf Parker]

Actually you can wash keyboards if you dry them fast (like with a hair dryer). Techs do it all the time.

This is era 2 game bl_oarless on port 8279?
If it does shut down, someone please PM me so I can quickly replace it with a new game. Otherwise it can take a couple of weeks for me to notice, and I dont read every thread here all the time.

[Amhazair]

Sure, we'll let you know when we finish, but I still intend to put up a heroic last stand (or two)

About the drying and the like: I know it can be done, but without hairdryer in the house that meant opening the thing up, and I found out that I apparently hadn't any screwdrivers small enough to open up the inner parts. (I moved houses a few months ago, I had small ones before the move... wonder where they went) Anyways, the thing had served me well for over a dozen years (it has a wonderful form very suited to my hands I never managed to find again), so I guess he deserves his retirement.

[llamabeast]

I largely missed my last turn (49, I think) because I thought it was a bit unfair for you to be missing out on turns because of unfortunate water-related incidents. I still did a few mainly Agartha-related things, like building temples (I now have a lot of temples, doesn't seem to be helping a huge amount). Just in case you were wondering why none of my armies moved.

Amhazair, did you ever see the turn when your keyboard was broken, when my pretender killed 16ish of your mages with Rain of Stones? Must have been one of the most effective spells of the whole game, up there with your earthquake. I only wish I could take the credit - I'd never even heard of the spell, he was scripted to cast something else but he ignored me. Good decision pretender!

I can send you my turn file if you didn't get to see that turn.

Actually on the subject of powerful spells, Fog Warriors is proving incredibly effective. It just saved me from that evil earthquake trap of yours in Pythium, and I think it's won me the last couple of battles too, your armies have been clearly superior. Actually air magic has been generally very good, storm and mist were also really good for making your fire mages miss. Darkness is working well on the undead as well - again, there's no doubt your army would have beaten my skeletons if it wasn't for darkness. I've decided Alteration is awesome. I never used it before.

I'm hugely impressed you're still fielding such powerful armies with so little cash. I just can't get anyone together at all, I'm just saved by my mages. Have you been short of cash? I've been trying hard to starve you of it with Raging Hearts.

Cheers,

llamabeast

[Amhazair]

Heh, no, I totally missed the rain of stones incident I'm afraid. Lucky you for having a smart pretender

As for the cash, The turn after you first cast raging hearts on Pythium - pritty much forcing me to drop taxes to 0 -, wich happened to be the same turn you took a couple of provinces, my income was about 150g higher than my upkeep... Since that turn I didn't manage to buy much anymore...

Before that I had some ups and down on cashflow, but keep in mind that you probably had about 3 times as many mages to pay upkeep for as I did (rough estimate, but I don't think I'll be far wrong there) - and at no time did I even come close to even seriously consider saving up to build a new castle...

Well, time to go check out how mistform saved you from my earthquake.

P.S. I just took a look at rain of stones in the manual- If you have a way to protect your own mages (or just send in the one mage with a small bodyguard to cast it a couple of times and retreat) it looks really nice.

[Amhazair]

Crap, I thought I had given my earthquaker enough gems not too get too fatigued by the earthquake and escape again. Guess not

Darkness is indeed very annoying too. Going by previous experiences without that darkness in this turn's battle I would have killed more or less all of your undead before being swamped by your skellie-spam, and loosing anyway. (but leaving you without an army)

[Amhazair]

The first rays of the morning sun found Cerberos standing on Pythiums city walls, as they had unfailingly done for the last year, ever since old age, diseases, and battlewounds had conspired to make it impossible for him to lead armies in the field any longer. But on this morning the weight of his 43 long, long years seemed to settle down on his shoulders heavier than ever before. Exactly as he did every morning he lifted his face up, letting the sun lend warmth to his old skin. How he longed to see once more, only once, to behold the sun in all it's glory, before lying down for a well-deserved rest.

But alas, it was not to be. His life would soon be ended, in total darkness, and so to would the life of his people end. Swallowed by the eternal darkness of the grave - and the even deeper darkness of eternal toil behind it. No, this was not a morning for happyness. Even though he could not see it, his other senses were more than aware of the vast horde of teeming undead laying siege to the city. The creaking and groaning of bones that should have been laid to rest long ago found their way to his ears from the fields below, the stench of death wafted up on the morning breeze, the very air tasted of death... and a supernatural chill seeped into his bones. Only a few nights ago blizzards had howled against the walls. Blizzards! In the middle of summer! In the heart of Abyssian lands! He should be sweating profusely under his priestly robes, not shivering in a morning chill.

A surer sign of doom there could not be. Even the streams of pure Abysian blood that had drenched the soil beneath the many altars since the starts of the sacrifices only a couple of years ago had apparently not brought them divine favor. Time and again the proud Abysian armies had stood against innumerable undead hordes sending hundreds upon hundreds of the lifeless abominations back to their graves by sword and by fire, only to be halted, turned back, and ultimately defeated by hundred upon hundreds more, supported by the most frightening battlemagics this era had seen. And now there was nothing left. Only one other companion remembered the glorious days of the war against Pythium, or even the first days of the war against Ermor. Just as old and as sick as he was - and only half a dozen Anathemants had stood up to replace the fallen. It was not nearly enough to even slow the tide of death anymore. Only ten! proud warriors still stood ready to defend the high walls of Pythium, most of the length being manned by hideous crossbred monstrosities summoned by blood magic in this hour of dire need.

No, this was not a good time to be alive, and he would gladly lie down on his bed never to rise again - were it not for the fact that after death would not come the blessed heat of the afterlife, but instead the merciless Thaumaturgs of the enemy...

One blessed moment longer he held his face up, drinking up the sun, looking to the host beneath him just as big and strong as ever, but then he turned away and started shuffling down the stairs, leaning heavily on the shoulders of the young kid helping him, tears flowing from his lightless eyes and evaporating upon reaching his cheeks...

[Amhazair]

Congratulations Llamabeast. I finally ran out of ideas to stop you, so I was planning to just throw everything I had left against you this turn - only to find out that you mopped things up so well last turn that I have nothing left to throw at you

I did everything I could while our war raged, but despite gaining quite a few successes I never felt that I could really threaten your powerbase. I'm quite sure that even if the strategic situation had allowed me to just march my entire army against your fortress in Feral Woods after I destroyed your entire army in the "Earthquake battle" in Pythium, that you would just have smashed me with your combined mage-power inthere. So it seems the world has to resign itself to an era of Undead rule. Once again, congratulations.

[Amhazair]

Come to think of it: Would you enjoy playing this game out till the bitter ending (or atleast untill you conquered all castles?) If so I'll just keep playing to the best of my abilities - as I did for the current turn. If you look at it at just a meaningless, boring drag, I'm happy to concede. Either way suits me fine.

[llamabeast]

I really like your story-thing Amhazair, nice one. Good way to end the game.

I don't think I'll really get any pleasure from mopping up your last provinces, I'm happy to accept your surrender there. Cerlin, are you willing to surrender too?

I really really enjoyed this game guys, thanks, it was excellent. I don't think I'd better start any new games right now, as I'm now in two bigger ones, but I'd like to play with you again some time - maybe you can get your revenge! PM me if you fancy another game any time, I'm sure I can be persuaded if you're keen, even if I am in a couple of others. Also my brother now has the game (bought it him for christmas, cunningly!) and he has a server, so if we want options other than those on Gandalf's machine, he's happy to let us use that. (although I think Gandalf's setup was actually ideal for us this time).

Cheers!

llamabeast

[Cerlin]

I'd surrender to you gladly it was a good battle. I'd be up for a longer game with you as well. I prefer em to be a little less fast, even if it is just so I can lose slower. It was great fighting guys thanks.