French Succession Game Play/Read/Enjoy

[gillskill]

trying to get the zip attached, but failing so far...

Thanks Fredric Drum - you will always find a place in the Empir named after you! Pop in to see how it's going.

The English are collapsing and will soon be no more. I've ignored the Germans who have been recently moving around France, though they probably need keeping an eye on. I think it will probably be better to keep them on-side, but get some settlers going to avoid them getting to the spaces in our Empire. Once England goes then I think our next target should be Russia. That way we'll have Germany virtually surrounded.

Good luck to my successor.

[gillskill]

the zip still not going on ....... still trying

[gillskill]

the zip!

[JMarks]

General Markos, victor of the English fields, woke up from a delightful daydream he was having. Then he looked at his watch, patent tending, and discovered that he had been asleep for 180 years. Wandering around in the forest, which, for some odd reason, had changed since he last had seen it. Ghosts of France's founder pocked and prodded him to do their bidding. Markos finally consented when they threatened to give him some cow tongue.

'Find my progony' he ghost whispered.

'Or what?'

'Or France falls.'

'Really?'

'No, I'm filling you with forboding so that you'll leave and I can play hopscotch in peace with out some lunatic of a general disturbing me!'

Not sure whether the ghost of the legendary Markos the Unifier was kidding or not, he left the unenchanting forest to seek the ghosts living kin.


As Gillskill II, man of legend and mirth (the mirth part never really getting into his biography), was being carried off from London to Markopolis, a young comander, Yanni by name, looked on. He had never seen Markopolis. He probably never would. Orders to continue preparations had been recieved from the interegnum government, aka senate. They would squable for leadership and decide on one of themselves, as usual. Or as usual as it would be if they had ever been placed in this situation before. Not that leades dying had not been a common occurance, but never had it happened when a 'senate' of the aristocracy was in place.

Returning to his tent trying to untangle his knotted up thoughts, a shady figure approached him. 'Hail Yanni' he said.

'Who are you? Yanni asked.

'I was general of the West, conqueror of the English fields 180 years ago. You have made good progress in crushing the English.'

'I am but a corporal, or a captain, could never remember which.'

'Now you shall be ruler of all France.'

'I thought France was a Republic.'

'It is?'

'Yes, where have you been?'

'Asleep in the unenchanting forest.'
--More sensless talk--

--Hole in Plot--

--Part where you discover Yanni is the the heir to the Markovian dynasty. and where he takes up the name Ioannes II.--

--Another hole in Plot--

Ioannes, followed by General Markos, exited the Senate building as the new protectorate of the French realm. Throngs of people, 5-6 at liberal estimates, cheered saying, 'Hail Yanni!' And from that day, Yanni became a title of the counsilship, despite the leader's name. So Yanni Ioannes II began his rule, to expand the French empire, and spread the joys of roasted cow tongues to all barbarians. May his rule enlighten the French people and their culinary tastes.

In other reports, fish au' flambe with roasted marshmallows seem to be the favorite food among the populace of Markopolis, though few are left alive that remember that memorable night nigh 180 years ago...

---
I'll play the game and hopefully post stuff tonight or tomorrow night. -JMarks

[FNBrown]

Deep in the rather unpleasant bowels of the palace at Markopolis, a timid English captive trembles in the small cell that will remain his home for the rest of his life. Neville Chamberlain had assured Queen Elizabeth "peace in our time" when he volunteered to be the diplomatic envoy to France, and was quite aghast when Gilskill II simply scoffed and ordered guards to beat him senseless and throw him in the official English Embassy.

The ghostly whispers that seem to come from the walls all around him have not ceased in the two months of his captivity; in fact, they have become louder each day. It the autumn of 620 AD when the whispers suddenly break into roaring, maniacal laughter, and Chamberlain merely covers his ears and screams in horror.

His bowels cease to obey him when a glowing apparition appears in his cell. The figure of a tall, grinning man looks down upon the soiled English diplomat and sneers. "London has fallen. My successors have rained terribly fury upon all of England, and, behold, have even brought me a captive to torment."

Chamberlain had heard the stories of the ghosts of French rulers haunting the palace at Markopolis, but had, until now, dismissed them as mere fairy tales. He now wanted nothing more than a clean pair of shorts and an exit from his prison. He would be granted neither.

"I am Emperor Franklin the Merciless," the ghost bellowed. "I have news from Gilskill the Second, who has most honorably joined me in the afterlife only recently. Your capital is now a French province, and your countrymen lie rotting in its streets."

Neville could not bring himself to look directly at the ghost, but only managed a meek reply, "What do you want from me?"

"I cannot seem to leave this palace, and there is nary an Englishman within a hundred miles of here, save you. With my dying breath I pledged torment and pain upon the English, and you are my sole unfortunate target in this condition. I just thought you should know that the chances of you ever being released from this captivity are slim, at best, as Elizabeth is certainly in no position to bargain for the life of a diplomat while Buckingham Palace is being used to stable French cavalry. As France grows stronger, so does my presence. I do hope you'll enjoy the company."

Chamberlain lept from the straw mattress that served as his only furnishing and began pounding on the heavy wooden door to his cell, screaming for the guard. The ghost merely laughed, knowing full well that no French guard would relieve the tormented Englishman. Chamberlain threw himself at the door until he knocked himself senseless, and lie bleeding on the floor in his own filth. The dead emperor shook his head. "I do hope they bring more prisoners from the west. This one may not last the week."

[eddy eat world]

Nice story.

C'mon people, if the council of the wise is breaking up lets have it in the open so we can draft more *cough* wise people.

Nicely consolidated Gillskill.

[Major_Tom]

Major Thomas of the French Republican Army looked over the horison. He was on top of Mt. Shinybright, highest point on the glittering mountains. The senate had agreed that they should fortify the mountains, in case in several thousand years men in laser-tanks will use their lunar-shoes to come to Earth and smite the French from the mountains.

Thomas didn't know what laser tanks or lunar-shoes were so he just did what he was told. He looked around and saw clouds floating around him, the sprawling Republic of France below him, and a lottery ticket.

Thomas didn't know where the lottery ticket came from so he picked it up. It said something along the lines of this...

LOTTO FRANCE JACKPOT
THIS MONTH'S JACKPOT
RULERSHIP OF FRANCE

He looked at the numbers. They seemed so familiar. Then he remembered...

*flashback sequence commence*

Thomas woke up and went on a stroll to town square. There, the herald announced some boring stuff, mumbo-jumbo, lottery numbers...

32 42 52 99

*flashback sequence end*

Thomas looked at the ticket.

32 42 52 99

Thomas looked at the back of the ticket...

"VALID WHEN SATAN BUYS SNOW JACKET"

Thomas folded the ticket up and put it in his pocket. He walked down the mountain, heading for his barracks to announce his resignation. Then he would go back to his farm and bide his time...

In other news, the people rejoyced this week...

[Giovanni August]

Woa!
I've gone away for two days and I see that the evil English are learning some good fighting lesson from us!
really good job Gillskill!


The ghost of Giovanni Augustus (the lucky) has blessed your descendant so that they will always rule with pride, glory and wisdom!

Saluti

[gillskill]

thanks Giovanni August, but I was helped by the forces Eady Eat World had positioned for the push into the English heartland. It was good fun finishing off the English Army around Dover. Now we will not face any co-ordinated assault, which can't be a bad thing.

[JMarks]

First I'll post the game, then results. (PS England dead, War With Russia)

[JMarks]

Yanni Ioannes looked around the senate chamber. Weaklings one and all. NONE of them even knew how to cook a cow tongue, much less pisces au'flambe. This would have to change. Just not now. He left the pathetic aristocracy alone and consulted his new war counsil, Richelieu.

'How is the war with England proceeding?'

'The English are all but broke. However, they have settled on Norwhich Isle, or so they call it now. But our galley should be able to bring some soldiers across the channel.'

'Are you sure? Those things look kinda flimsy, and all those armor and horses surely would sink them.'

'They are sturdier than you may think my Yanni.'

'Carry on.'

An envoy from the mayor of Saint Ralph aproached, pleading for help. 'Yanni, Sir, the people of Saint Ralph really would like to store food for the coming winter. They are tired of storing their harvest in the middle of the street where they get all dirty from the refuse and birds. Please, we need funds to build a granary!'

Ioannes thought for a moment. Then an idea sprang into his mind. 'I will fund your project. And I will fund projects all over the kingdom, and then my peope will know that I am their god!'

'The Cultural Advisor, Elvis d'Presly, stepped up. Uh, Sir, the people aren't in to that sort of thing, uh huh!' he said twisting his hips. 'Not with the advent of Monotheism.' He twist his hips again.

'Is that even French?'

'It is if you make it, uh huh.' He twist his hips again.

'Thats kinda'v a hipnotic effect. You should set up a school for entertainment. That should distract the populace. Seems the war with England is begining to become unpopular.'

Elvis twisted his hips again, 'sure thing Yanni' and off he twisted.

Turn 1 - 630AD
Perveying the undeveloped region around Markopolis, Ioannes decides to recruit workers from the settling party being set up.
The Granary at Saint Ralph is funded. Grain will be stored there next winter, though the cats will now have to look for another source of cheap kitty-litter.
To fund such projects, We trade gems to the Greeks for 3/gold a turn. (my successor might want to try to renegotiat a greater bargain when his turn comes)
Realizing that luxuries can be sold for good profit, Ioannes proposes a land route to Germany.
English send a horseman retreating.

640AD
Markopolians start working on surrounding terrain whilst more start the settling project again.
Olifant constructs library. Now if only we had some books to read... Ioannes begins memoirs to be written by scribes, thus ensuring it will be a best seller. Now if only we could mass produce these things...
Saint Ralph starts making pikes for some Pikedudes.
An elite horseman attacks the English archer and wins. The leader, Richelieu is promoted with honors and is summoned back to the French Homeland. Field general Napoleon moves to London to form army. (did you know that, if you don't load guys into an army, you can move it and then load him up?)
Elite Swordman attacks another archer. FAILS!!! DEAD!!!! GONE!!!!
Ioannes sells Ivory to the Greeks for 5 gold a turn. He wonders if they would buy his sofa.

650AD
Due to 'Peace Riots' Minas Morgul goes into civil disorder. Elvis d'Presly twists his hips and hipnotizes the girls.
Two Hormen attack and capture Warwick. One is upgraded to Elite statis.
Upon hearing the good news, Ioannes sells the Greeks spice for 2 Gold a turn.
Army assembles in London under Napoleon. Fish are fried and stuck between two cow tongues. The delicasy is called a Warwick.
Ioannes is greated by an old nemisis, the Indians. Well, one actually. He rides in on a stead and falls down in front of him. The... Americans... Win...
Ioannes promises the dead warrior that the Americans will pay, eventually.

660AD
Riots spring up in Nottingham, Elvis d'Presly does his thing.
Gillham citizens pick up their bags and head for a new home.
The Napoleon army advances on Oxford. the Oxfordians tremble in their nickers.
The Montaigne forest is cutdown, wood is brought to help build the temple.

Turn 5 - 670AD
More riots break out in Dover and Orehills. Students of d'Presly start doing their thing.
Oxford falls to the sword of Napolean. The Western army prepares to strike north against Coventry.
Ioannes looks at the treasurer's report. 'Seems we have too much money' he says. Ioannes fires him, but spends the money on the temple of Montaigne.

680AD
Gillham and Delhi starts rioting. The Peacenicks are gaining the upperhand! Ioannes promises to finish off the English for affecting his dear people so when he is hit by a stray brick.
Markoplians set out to find a new home. Germans settle in the middle of our territory. Ugh.
Three Horsemen attack Coventry, one dies while the enemy archers hold the city.
Settlers land on the southern part of the uninhabited isle. Not remembering what they were to call it, they name it Isula Non Inhabitat, or INI, just as a reminder that, just because no one lives here, and just because they hear wierd sounds at night, and just because apparitions of French Emporers whip them in their dreams, does not mean that the island is not haunted. They discover an abandoned settlement containing 50 gold. They decide to move south.
After unloading the cargo, the French galley spots an English galley. They decide to attack. The French galley fights bravely, but to no avail! They win a victorious sea battle, the begining of many more to take place over the fishes.
Richelieu Compiles his treatis on the Art of War. Generals all over are instated into all cities to give proper training according to Richelieu.

---
Will finish up later. Come back for the exciting conclusion of Ioannes sinks the French Ship - or - Attack of the Killer Russians!

[JMarks]

690AD
Resistance in Warwick ends, and the people rejoice over cow tongue au'flambe.
Coventry is captured, and the people rejoice.
Two horseman assault York, one dies in the effort, but one defender remains.
In the north, the Germans rejoice as the newly completed road is trampled by caravans carrying Ivory and Spices for the low low price of 10 gold a turn. Now the French treasury gains 57 gold per turn.
The Warwick garrison leaves and assaults York, capturing the city. And the Army rejoice.

700AD
The mayors of Augusta Giovonnorum and Liverpool beg for more entertainers as rioters throw bricks at them.
With the nice income, Ioannes splurges on the Bangalore temple.
Ioannasburg is founded in an area where visions did not disturb the people. After settling, they notice that there is some nearby FISH! They celebrate by catching a giant one, hollowing out its carcass and recreate Eddius II's funeral. The tradition continues for millenia, not that I would know that...
Russians enter French land with a settler and gaurd. Ioannes asks them to leave very politely.
York is overthrown and return to the English! They will pay for their insolance.

710AD
Upgrades occur in key garrisons. Spearmen get pikes to replace their spears and wonder, whats the difference?
The Armies of the English Expidition (AEE) retake York and burn it to the ground. Of the surviving Yorkers, only the fittest survive, only to work the fields for their insolance.
Napoleon presses on toward Hastings, the last mainland English city.
A raiding party lands on Norwhich Island.

720AD
Norwhich is destroyed with no losses, and the army wonders why anyone would found a city on such a desolate island.
The Germans settle within French territory. Ioannes is unconcerned, for he knows that, in time the city will convert, in time.

730AD
Civil Disorder and general anarchy reign in Edaron and Minas Morgul. The dark Lords of those cities are crucified by the people. A new aristocracy is inundated who promote general happiness via Presly hip twists. Finally, some dolts I can control Ioannes thinks.
Russians refuse to leave politely and declare war on the French people! Taking drastic action, Ioannes attacks and disburses the settling party. The poor Russians are liberated and work happily for minimum wage, which was much more than they could ever have made in Desolate Russia. Ioannas makes this promise. 'I will not rest, untill all Russians can enjoy the prosperity and delicate cuisines that all French enjoy!' To do this, Ioannes decides to bring the Germans into the war. In return, Ioannes teaches them how to fuedalize, though he was unsure if fueding was such a good idea.
The Iroquois buy currency for five gold and one gold per turn for twenty turns. And we both rejoice.
The Napoleonic Army sits at the gates of Hastings, most of the rest of the English Expadition Force (EEF) transfere North to the Russian Front. The Northern Russian Army (NRA), taking weapons in hand, march to Novograd.

740AD
Novograd is captured by the NRA, the children cheer holding small wooden swords. Now prosperity and freedom of weaponry will come to the Russian peoples. Not to mention Cow Tongues. Plenty of Cow Tongues. And the people Rejoice.
In a desperate attempt, an English archer runs past Napolean's army...

750AD
More projects are funded. In Nottingham the temple to French culinary cheifs is erected.
Hastings falls to the sword of Napolean, the English are no more! The English archers disperse near the former site of York. Their ghosts still may be heard...
The moron Aztecs, a naval empire who are so barbaric that they don't even connect any of their harbor cities to their capital so that we can trade luxuries to them, found a city on northern INI.
Word comes from a distant land yet undiscovered, that a people named the Zulus were destroyed. Ioannes thinks of the lucrative trade that could occur between France and the unkown conquerors.

760AD
With the English destroyed, all the peacenicks stop their protests and start celebrating! 'We love Yanni' days occur all over the empire. The people wholy support the Russian Liberation War (RLW) and the NRA. Ioannes resides over the new Senate. They all demand that Catherine the 'Grape' be captured.
Ore Hills finish library. Ioannes hires more scribes to record more of his memoirs to fill the shelves.
Montaigne starts working on a Heroic Epic based on the English War.
The Palace is expanded by happy happy workmen. A beautiful dome tops the residence of the French leaders. Ioannes figures that will keep the rain out...
More settlers prepare to move out to INI. Unfortunatly their guide leads them inland instead of to the galley. He is executed by the party leaders.

770AD
Augusta Giovannorum finishes a granary Most of the southern army moves to the Russian front, leaving England relatively empty.

780AD
Happy Valley finishes a courthouse. Now law is brought to the lawless, justice to the justless, and order to the odorless. Or something like that. More projects are funded, the temples in Rust City and Jaipur are completed, while the temple in London is slated to be completed in a turn, for extra profits for the workers.

790AD
London begins to work on a Courthouse where grain will be stored untill a grainery is built.
The Greeks land on the York Isthmus, a French settling party hears the news and turns around.

800AD
Kiev is assaulted by the NRA. One swordman dies. The NRA now contains 3 sword and 3 horse, wilst more reserves come up from England.
The Greek colony of Troy is founded where York once stood. The citizens hear the cry of the English revolters. Ioannes, seemig to remember something from another dimension, finds the colony's name ironic...

810AD
Ivory Coast and Dover finishes temples, and the people rejoiced.
Not wanting to hoard knowledge for the French, Ioannes sells Engineering to the Germans and to the Greeks for 10G & 10G/turn and 20G & 4G/turn respectively.
Rostov, a Russian colony founded in the Glittering mountains is destroyed at the cost of one swordman.
Thinking it wise, Ioannes keeps a swordman in Markopolis, as useful for keeping enemies away from the hallowed city as it was to keeping the people in so that they don't run away from the apperitions who, reportedly didn't have enough English to work on...
American settling party aproaches French territory.

820AD
Vertoun completes temple and starts working on a library. Ioannes orders more of his memoirs to be made.
The wise men research deeply in Theology. Ioannes drools over the prospect of the New Cathedral Designs avaliable. 'We must build this wonder if we build any at all!' He exlaimed. Just then, a coup, headed by the new 'entertainment forever party' (EFP) stab Ioannes in the back. While chaos ensues, the NRA marches into Smolensk at no loss and the second settlers reach their desired location on INI. However, 'we love the Yanni' day ends all over the empire, due to the loss of their great leader. Ioannes leaves his successor 183 gold and 85 gold per turn income.

Ioannes will be remembered (or else) for his love of culture and his love of initialization. Rumors have it that he has actually survived, but left for foreign shores to study Greek and Latin and their relationship to the Chaos theory and how it all relates to Art and Education. If this is true, he will check back from time to time and write some really stupid stories and memoirs to keep things going. He will be missed by his people. And the people rejoiced.

[JMarks]

-In other news, Ioannes' beloved cat, Satan, buys a flower jacket.-

[Harovan]

Very good work, and nice story, JMarks. I will take the reign over France for the next 20 turns. I think I will look for gaps in our lands and settle there, to prevent further AI intrusions. I won't attack the Germans and the Greeks yet, as they are still good trade partners. One of the cities (probably the Capital) will start to build the Sistine Chapel (it's very powerful), and I think I will prebuild a few wonders in other cities, as wonders in the medieval era are almost all quite attractive.

I think I will make my move either today in the evening, or tomorrow.

[FNBrown]

Nice work! I doubt the Russians will pose much of a problem, especially with Germany nipping at them (not that they did much good against the Indians for us, but, you never know...)