Succession Game V: The Empire of Ra

[mapfi]

Just a few questions before I start - I'll play whenever I get the answers:

The lonely diplomat on the coracle - any reason we want to keep him? Else I'll disband him in the next city...

The Javalin Cavalry way up north - Ed told me to look out for not having any Cavalry on ships when upgrading will take place but apart from that - what's he doing up there?

Any reason we're saving up so much PW, almost 6000?

When will the Elephants dissappear - the moment I change gov or when the new one gets enacted? I thought it was the latter, so how long will it take? Otherwise I'll just play it safe...

Mauro

[Hermann the Lombard]

Some pictures...first, the Yamato Front.

[Hermann the Lombard]

While we're busy in the west, are the Yamato busy in the east? Time (and recon) will tell!

[Hermann the Lombard]

Amarna, the Dye Port, and Sais, the Wheat Port, along with our very chilly eastern outpost.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Originally posted by mapfi
Just a few questions before I start - I'll play whenever I get the answers:

Hey, you can always just make up the answers (like the rest of us).

The lonely diplomat on the coracle - any reason we want to keep him? Else I'll disband him in the next city...

There might be some potential embassies for him to found.

The Javalin Cavalry way up north - Ed told me to look out for not having any Cavalry on ships when upgrading will take place but apart from that - what's he doing up there?

He's lost. Actually, he is one of our oldest explorers but he has almost run out of explorable places. As a soon-to-be horseman (and later cataphract) he has potential value, but he is a LONG way from home.

Any reason we're saving up so much PW, almost 6000?

Um, no, not really. I was considering a fortress (but couldn't decide on a really good location) or a watchtower or two...but most of those PW should probably be invested in boosting our commerce...in first-ring tile improvements (Locutus).

When will the Elephants dissappear - the moment I change gov or when the new one gets enacted? I thought it was the latter, so how long will it take? Otherwise I'll just play it safe...

I think the latter, too, unless "Tyranny" is considered the new govt. Team?

[mapfi]

The account of Mauro, Apolyton XXX (has nothing to do with anything not allowed for minors... )

The oligarchs quickly leapt at the opportunity to take over power and tried to stomp out any thoughts about a republic. But not one managed to stomp out those smoldering toenail fires that had been burning for centuries. Due to the smoke continuously disappearing into the sky, the people of Ra drew the wrath of Ra onto themselves. Overnight the earth under the fires opened up and devoured them. People were screaming and running through the streets fearing one of these huge earthquakes that was bound to hit from time to time due to the wicked mind of the 6th god in the skies. The earth just shook lightly, though and nobody was hurt, but then all over the great empire a thundering voice was heard saying "You are my people and my empire is destined to be the greatest of all - I will send you my son to guide you, to make this empire truly glorious".
Everybody eagerly awaited the promised descent and some opportunist proclaimed themselves to be the true son of Ra, some bold women even to be the daughter of Ra but with no success (and it certainly wasn’t time for emancipation!). So when a young lad named Mauro living in Memphis tripped over his feet at almost the same place where ancient Locutus was once healed by Ra - a group of people immediately started to proclaim him the son of Ra. Mauro denying it made more and more people follow him, huge riots made the Oligarchs give in and eventually he became leader of the nation. The reign of Mauro Apolyton XXX, son of Ra had begun:

750BC:
Since there is so much money in the treasury reserved for public structures it is decided to spend it on 5 harbors near various cities - the Yamato near Kamakura flee when they see our nearing forces.

740BC:
The great leader thinks the Egyptian infrastructure to be the best in the world and so finds it unnecessary to divert valuable forces towards further improving it. Even more another harbor is built. The people of Lykopolis decide to riot without any real reason so they're quickly calmed by a new entertainer. Advancing towards Kamakura our troops see an Arabian stack of one horsemen and mounted archer wandering around south. Of course they flee immediately. Mauro asks his advisors about active trade going on, only to discover that there isn't any - so Tanis and Crocodopolis start building caravans. To bring more blissful enjoyement to the empire Heliopolis starts building the Temple of Zeus.

730BC:
Disturbing news from cavalry on boats arrive in the palace and in fear of loosing them on the sea, Mauro lengthens workdays and raises minimum wage in order to delay the completion of horse armors. The evil Yamato advances again.

720BC:
Amproditopolis also builds a caravan, the Yamato keep sticking around

710BC:
After years of hard work Memphis completes the Lighthouse allowing our ships to travel at higher speed even though they won't be able to see it from the sea. And of course Memphis starts building a caravan. The Yamato place 5 pastures near Kamakura, obviously not realizing that it won’t be theirs for much longer.

700BC:
Egyptians wise man complete horse armor and in an attempt to further strengthen our military start constructing a composite bow. In a nationwide effort javelin cavalry is retrained and reequipped with cost going over 9000 gold. Despite saving and years of preparing only 8800 gold are actually in the treasury. Therefore it can't be afforded to upgrade the lonely rider way up north. He's too far away from home anyway. Any other cavalry is upgraded, though. Workdays are shortened again and of course wages return to the previous level even though people wanted to keep them that high. Our great fleet discovers a Roman ship in our empires waters! Admittingly we haven't really claimed those parts of the sea yet but it should be clear that the passage between our homeland and northern Egypt is ours.
Having waited for half a century again our forces finally attack Kamakura. For months there are now news from the front. The people start suspecting Mauro of withholding information and rumors of a disastrous defeat spread quickly. Mauro is forced to acknowledge the loss of all troops less a few mounted archers who were able to flee and not taking responsibility he blames it on his predecessors not including hysiapist in the attacking forces. Just after admitting the defeat news arrive that the Yamato killed the remaining mounted archers and a hysiapist on the way to the front. New riots seem imminent and so Thebes gets another entertainer. Of course it didn't reassure the public when two elephants were disbanded in Heliopolis to advance the temple. New rumors say that Mauro even tried to talk the Yamato into a ceasefire but that wasn't true - at least not for another 20 years. Even further aggreviating the public barbarians have to appear in northern Egypt. The empire is on the brink of a total rebellion and people call for change. War times are no time for changes says Mauro and lets imprison anybody that says otherwise. The oligarchs who didn't have much of say during the last 50 years applaud but nevertheless they still aren't consulted by Mauro at all. On the bright side 3 caravans start trading uranium to Lykopolis which brings 101 gold per turn into the treasury and people start to wonder what Lykopolis needs that useless stuff for?


690BC:
Surprisingly Lykopolis sends its entertainer away and gets back to work, got something to do with the uranium? The diplomat retires in Heliopolis and with him one of those many coracles that are not much of use. The Temple nears completion even faster. More barbarians appear all over the place.

680BC:
Good news from the front, Kamakuru is now rightfully ours, its forces decided to leave and just a single composite archer was left behind. Due to the lot of Yamato forces wandering around Mauro requests a ceasefire with the effect that the Yamato now laugh at us. Humiliating! Roads are being laid to Kamakura avoiding a connection to the enemy’s road network though. 2 caravans start trading grapes to lykopolis which brings the income per turn to 191 gold. Little Armana is discovered to be building a wall which is deemed useless and therefore it changes to building a granary.

670BC:
The great Ottfla enslaves a barbarian foe and the Roman ship finally moves out of the spot it has stayed in for years. The great fleet immediately brings itself in front of our undefended coracles.

660BC-650BC
Various cities need new orders and start building horseman and badly needed hysiapist. A barbarian archer in northern Egypt attacks and looses, of course.

640BC
Our lonely rider discovers an Etruscan city encircled by foreign forces but in doing so exposes himself to an surely to follow attack by the Yamato. Goodbye, you won’t be forgotten. Kamakura is now secured with 4 horsemen, a hysiapist and a hoplite and starts building a wall. The Yamato send huge stacks toward the city and the public voices once again the desire for change. Mauro, Apolyton XXX realizes he lead the nation for far too long (one turn exactly, is totally shocked and really sorry for missing it) and being old and almost blind, hasn't got the strength to hold onto his power. Mauro feels his last days on earth passing by and he’s forced to call out elections for a senate which will guide the empire. He entrust his closest and most trusted advisor to do just that because he can’t leave the bed anymore and it he same moment confides in him that he wasn't the son of Ra after all. That one decides to guard that most secret secret and never tells anybody, only writes it on some parchment - the one you’ve been reading right now and that tells the story of the false son of Ra...

[mapfi]

The Yamato gathering for the counterattack:

[mapfi]

The Etruscan city Telamun revealed by the lonely rider:

[mapfi]

Lykopolis receiving valuable grapes and doubtfully useful uranium:

[Locutus]

I was so busy with the Directory and tournaments that I completely forgot to play my turn

Not only that, a power failure destroyed my game notes just before I could save them So I have no story for this time or even a summary this time, although I'll try to sketch in a few lines what happened during my turn:

I immediately dispatched reinforcements to Kamakura in an attempt to keep the town. However, before they could reach the city, both reinforcements and Kamakura were attacked by nearby Yamato stacks. The city fell (although the Yamato suffered very heavy losses) but the reinforcements miraculously escaped without taking very severe damage. They immediately counter-attacked Kamakura and retook the city again. I moved in more reinforcements ASAP but the Yamato fortunately stayed away (although they did kill the lonely rider up north). A lot of Barbs appeared all over the map, I set up a number of tactical forces to deal with them - there might still be one or two north of Carthamen and west of Memphis but other than that I think I got them all. I continued to send troops to the Kamakura region throughout my turn, these units can serve as strike force for the next attack. This can be either on the unknown Arab city just south of Kamakura - an attractive (namely vulnerable) target, but it would open up a second front, I'm not sure if we want that at this point - the isolated city of Odawara (north of Carthamen) or the strategically important stronghold of Nagaoka (north of Kamakura).
During my turn Composite Bow and Ballistics (Belfroi!) were discovered, Aquaducts research begun. In terms of PW, I've saved up a lot of it and created a fortress west of Memphis, one more such fortress and we'll be able to connect Lykopolis with the rest of our empire by borders and road. That way we can actually defend the city, if the need arises.

[Locutus]

The Yamato front:

[Locutus]

The fortress to-be in the Memphis-Lykopolis void:

[mapfi]

Good to see that despite my phyrric victory, Locutus managed to hold on to that city after all.

[Locutus]

Yup, this game hasn't changed too much for me: first I had to save Hermann's butt all the time, now I'll have to save yours...

[Hermann the Lombard]

Originally posted by Locutus
Yup, this game hasn't changed too much for me: first I had to save Hermann's butt all the time, now I'll have to save yours...

HEY! I resemble that remark!

"Saved," eh? Stoned, eaten, fried, hit&run, discus-sed, stabbed, collapsed (suspiciously) . . . yep, you saved 'em, all right! Of course getting trampled by elephants could be seen as a stomp in the right direction...