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 ]

[Arryn]

As some of you may have noticed, I've split up the turn Posts into a Part 1, for end-of-turn results and realm overview, and a Part 2, for plotted moves, forging, and recruitment. This allows me to get the juicy bits of turns (part #1) posted a bit faster while I think about what I want to do for the next turn, which sometimes I may ponder for hours or after a sleep break.

Some significant things have been happening in the game over the past 3 turns. Maybe it's just the weekend, but it's sort of surprising no one's had any comments whatsoever about the events, my reactions to them, or the direction my nation is going in ...

Is there anything you would have done differently (and why)? Is there something I'm overlooking (besides Blood magic)? Any comments at all are welcome. (Hey, it's getting lonely in the thread again )

[Ctennyson]

I tend to read, but keep my thoughts to myself, unless something is glaring. Call me a lurker.

[Arryn]

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

Part 2 of 2

A temple is to be built in Ashikaga. I raise 20 provincial defenders in Ashikaga and the Rim Mountains, and increase the PD of Ancyrna, Zenthra, and Gwyrth by 7 each (to 17). These preparations drain the treasury of 914 coins. (Atlantis has amassed a particularly strong army numbering three-score assorted shamblers in the Wailwind Waters and I'm, ah, encouraging them to leave me alone by raising PDs in the weaker coastal provinces.)

Having elminated most of the unrest in Barra, I raise taxes there back to normal, while lowering the taxes in the Rim Mountains to zero to quell he unrest caused by this most recent battle.

The Norna Lit forges a Skull Staff, at a cost of 10 death gems. Astral pearls are being horded for an Acashic record, and nature gems for a Treelord's Staff.

Ualgo moves to Kepess (where I am considering having a castle built). Tahmar and his dozen fresh Jotun recruits moves to Ashikaga from Hoburgdorf. The commander Theag, with 4 vine ogres and 5 assorted Jotuns, moves from Jotunheim to Ancyrna. The commander Stark, with 5 Jotun spearmen, moves from Pythium to rendezvous in Ancyrna. The priests in Saetica, their work complete, move to Ancyrna and Zenthra (where I intend to build temples to push my dominion into the Atlantian realm). Likewise, the priests in Herghendorf move to Ashikaga. One of the priests in Robber Home moves to Barra, in preparation for temple-building there.

Bove and Rod the Firbolg will patrol the disorderly province of Ashikaga, while Grymis, along with 2 priests, preach in order to firmly establish my rule there. (Actually, patrolling is a secondary reason for keeping the troops in Ashikaga. More importantly, I am awaiting replacements plus letting the Gift of Health have a couple of months to cure some of the afflictions affecting 21 of my troops, one in three.)

My wyrm Jorgun will attack the capital of Man, having no fear of the mere three-score slingers and fanatics he sees milling about the province.

Turn #32 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 01, 2004, 01:40: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #33 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Atlantis, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm, and Vanheim.

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 1 of 2

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

The Gift of Health cures ten of my afflicted Jotuns this month.

Vanheim, with 1 herse, 8 skin shifters, 2 hirdmen, 6 huskarls, 4 barbarians, 1 heavy infantry, 9 light infantry, and 5 archers attacks Man's capital (before my wyrm arrives), who defend with 1 castellan (PD), 1 bard, 1 monk (PD), 31 fanatics, and 25 slingers (PD). Late in the battle, after considerable losses to both sides, with all the Van troops retreating save for a handful of archers and a lone herse, and with Man's only remaining soldiers being slingers, Man goes into a general rout, narrowly winning the field for Vanheim.

Vanheim's Pyrrhic victory leaves them with just a herse and five archers to face my mighty wyrm. The battle ends with the herse becoming a very light snack that hardly begins to satisfy the wyrm's vast appetite. Still, the experience is worth 1 kill and 5 trophies to my avatar. Unsurprisingly, even my huge wyrm is unequal to the task of tearing down the gates to the fortress of Man. But he is more than strong enough to fend off the counterattacks I expect will soon be coming from both Man and Vanheim, and to maintain the seige until my Jotuns arrive there in a few months.

Bdvar observes a battle in Koromoo between Mictlan and Vanheim. Mictlan attacks with 1 tribal king, 1 mounted commander, 3 eagle warriors, 5 jaguar warriors, 6 sun warriors, 40 warriors, 5 heavy infantry, and 1 slave. Van defends with 1 herse, 1 black hawk (leader), 5 black hawks, 1 vine ogre, 4 lamia, 3 hirdmen, 9 huskarls, and 1 light infantry. The affair is very bloody for both sides. With the Van forces reduced to just 1 herse, 2 black serpents, 2 hirdmen, and 7 rapidly fleeing huskarls, the army of Mictlan's morale breaks and they rout, despite still possessing over half their starting force. Van is very fortunate and holds on to the province with just 3, injured, units.

A scout, suspected to be from Vanheim, is killed by the Jotun militia (PD) of Kepess.

My researchers achieve mastery of the fifth level of Thaumaturgy, and the addition of more temples has strengthened the faith.

(Note that dom in Ashikaga went from 0 to 3 in one turn of concentrated preaching, and that dom has risen in many of my provinces since Last month. The mere presence of my pretender in Man has reduced Man's dom from -3 to -1 in their home province. I may very well be able to kill their pretender by my presence alone!)

My realm has:

• ___8 Dominion max.
• __15 Temples
• __37 Provinces converted
• _982 Treasury.
• 1505 Income. (+129)
• _449 Upkeep. (unchanged)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=6, PD=17, 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=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-2, PD=20, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=5, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=-1, PD=0, Unr=14 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=2, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (08)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_9 Water (18)
• +_3 Earth (10)
• +16 Astral (35) (includes 10 Clams)
• +_3 Death (04)
• +_8 Nature (20)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 174 RPs (of 232 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:04: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

Turn #33, Early Winter of Year 3
I spit at thee.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit another a Priest and 2 Jotun spearmen in Ashikaga, and a Seithkona and 6 Jotun spearmen in Pythium. Temples are to be built in Barra, Ancyrna, and Zenthra. These preparations drain the treasury of 980 coins.

Having elminated the unrest in the Rim Mountains, I raise taxes there back to normal.

The Norna Rimdriva prepares to invoke the ritual of Acashic Record upon the province of Barra, for which I allot 25 of the astral pearls in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of 10 water gems. Four of my Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wines, expending all 20 of my nature gems. (I will need plenty of supplies so that my troops do not starve as they pass through the mountains south of Man.)

Tahmar heads back to Pythium. The commander Stark, with 10 assorted Jotuns and 4 vine ogres, moves from Ancyrna to Ashikaga, while commander Theag returns to Jotunheim.

Rod the Firbolg, leading my army's vanguard of 21 healthy Jotun spearmen and a bodyguard of 5 vine ogres, along with 4 priests carrying Sceptres of Authority and with one vine ogre apiece as bodyguards, head westwards from Ashikaga to The Promised Land, the first step on their 3-month march to the seige at Man. Bove remains in Ashikaga with the rest of my Jotun army, to bask another month in the Gift of Health within a province where the faith is moderately strong. Grymis remains as well, preaching, to further raise the strength of the faith.

My wyrm Jorgun will single-handedly maintain the seige of the capital of Man.

Turn #33 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 01, 2004, 20:58: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #34 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Arcoscephale, Atlantis, Machaka, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm (capital is now visible), and Vanheim. You can now see the east-west wrap of the map at this zoom level by looking at Vanheim's Valgaard province (at the extreme left and right map sides). The north-south wrap is also, barely, visible.

(Nation names in boldface are newly-visible this month.)

[Arryn]

Turn #34, Winter of Year 3
A fat and happy wyrm.

Part 1 of 2

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

The Gift of Health cures just four of my afflicted Jotuns this month. (Bove, plus seven Jotuns, remain wounded, as does my wyrm.)

Rimdriva's Acashic Record ritual upon Barra reveals 2 magical sites: a Totem Collection (1 nature gem and 1 astral pearl, and increases the luck of the province), and a Water Filled Cave (1 water and 1 earth gems). I am once again disappointed in failing to locate even a single site with air gems. At least I am certain that the fortress of Man conceals air magics, given the presence of Dark Skies in their dominion, what little remains of it.

A vengeful witch attempts to curse my troops in Pythium for having destroyed her home and taken five nature gems from her. However, she is unable to catch the vandals. I suspect that one, or both, of my Seithkona in Pythium must have run afoul of the witch, while taking a break from their researches in the city's lab, and decided to exact revenge. Hell hath no fury as a woman ...

My faithful followers in the Rim Mountains, of their own accord, raise a temple in my honor. I am truly touched by their devotion to me.

As expected, my wyrm beseiging Man is attacked by forces from both Man and Vanheim. Man sallies forth from the fortress first, with 1 castellan (PD), 1 commander, 1 monk (PD), 2 knights, 1 cu sidhe, 7 fanatics, 2 archers, and 25 slingers (PD). First to arrive, and get eaten, is one of the knights. The other knight promptly flees in abject horror. The slingers close to short range while the foolish, suicidally brave castellan rushes forward to meet the huge oncoming wyrm. He, too, gets gulped down in one bite. After eating seven of the slingers, with a half-dozen more unconscious from being bLasted by my wyrm's Astral Shield, the forces of Man go into a general rout. Jorgun finishes consuming the appetizer of slingers and prepares for the main course of Vans.

Vanheim, with their vanjarl prophet (with an Enchanted Sword, heroic strength, and 3 stars), 8 skin shifters, 7 hirdmen, 5 huskarls, 1 barbarian, 1 light infantry, and 8 archers attacks next. A much more substantive, albeit somewhat numerically smaller, force than what Man mustered. Regardless, the outcome of this battle, too, was never in doubt long before Vanheim began their march. Attacking my avatar is a mistake on their part, hubris born of the ease with which they have conquered other, smaller opponents. But they had not faced the might of Jotuns and the One True God ... until now. I shall teach them a lesson they shall not soon forget.

The Vans begin the battle with almost all of their units starving, and with almost all bearing one or more afflictions. Once my wyrm completes the preparatory spellcasting, he moves to engage this walking wounded "Pride of Vanheim". In a few moments, two skin shifters, all seven hirdmen, and three huskarls rout despite their prophet's two exhortations of Fanaticism. By this time, my wyrm has eaten four skin shifters, and two more skin shifters, two huskarls, the barbarian, and the light infantryman lay unconscious from striking my Astral Shield. The archers, quite stupidly, decide to charge and engage in melee. After eating two of them, and striking a third one senseless, their prophet's "unshakeable" morale breaks and he takes what's left of his troops with him. These back-to-back battles accrue 25 kills and 28 trophies to my avatar's tallies, as well as being a filling repast for my ever-ravenous wyrm.

Arcoscephale attacks the independent province of Fas Dir with 1 hoplite commander, 4 elephants, 6 light cavalry, 8 heart companions, 2 hoplites, 10 flagellants, 7 archers, and 28 slingers versus defenders mustering 2 knights (leaders), 8 knights, and 14 fanatics. The elephants quickly trample 4 of the knights, and the rest of the chivalric riders immediately turn tail and gallop away in fright. The knight leaders, with no sense whatsoever, gallantly charge the bulk of the Arco force, only to be surrounded and killed in short order. A very educational battle ... for my observant scout. I shall remember to be wary of these big 'elephant' beasts so that the knight's fate does not befall my Jotuns.

My researchers expect to achieve mastery of the sixth level of Evocation by the end of the month.

(The mere presence of my pretender in Man has eradicated Man's dom from their home province and replaced it with my own!)

My realm has:

• ___8 Dominion max.
• __19 Temples
• __38 Provinces converted
• 1032 Treasury.
• 1550 Income. (+45)
• _472 Upkeep. (+23)

• 23 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=7, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=17, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=4, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=7, PD=17, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=8, PD=10, Unr=0
• Rim Mountains: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=4, PD=17, Unr=0
• The Promised Land: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ashikaga: Dom=3, PD=0, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Barra: Dom=-2, PD=20, Unr=1
• Robber Home: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=5, PD=20, Unr=0
• Man: Dom=1, PD=0, Unr=16 (under siege)
• Feral Woods: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=7, PD=10, Unr=0
• Kepess: Dom=3, PD=15, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=4, PD=20, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=3, PD=20, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_4 Fire (12)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +10 Water (18)
• +_4 Earth (14)
• +18 Astral (27) (includes 11 Clams)
• +_3 Death (07)
• +_9 Nature (14)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 5-Evocation*
• 6-Construction
• 5-Enchantment*
• 5-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 218 RPs (of 239 available at labs)

To be continued in Part 2 ...

[ March 01, 2004, 23:03: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Sand]

The Vans begin the battle with almost all of their units starving, and with almost all bearing one or more afflictions.

Is there an easy way to discern this, or did you pause the battle and click on each unit?