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[piratejoe]

Spoiler: The Kingdom of Daíona, Day 7 (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: The Kingdom of Daíona
Theme: Half Demons
Day 7
Capital: Tylisseutherna
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Industry

Map(s):

Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
Ravagers, 1RP: Lightly armored and armed with nothing but their natural claws, the Ravagers are, arguably, the cannon fodder of the army, and the ones who are a nightmare for other lightly armored infantry should they get close enough. Needless to say, cheep and effective when it comes up to softening the enemy up

Impalers, 2RP: As the name implies, the Impalers use pikes, and unlike Ravagers, are armored with more than gambeson, having a bit of steel protecting their chest and a helm on top of said gambeson. Their arms and legs however, are not protected, although if something other than a ranged enemy manages to break through the wall of pikes, clearly something has gone wrong somewhere...

Arbalests, 2RP: Armored similarly to Impalers, but armed with a much different weapon, the Arbalests utilize a heavy crossbow designed specifically for ruining the day of any infantry that gets hit by their volley of bolts, no mater their armor. Additionally, a bit of magic is used so the bolts makes whoever they hit have an even worse day by being on fire once fired.

Raiders, 2RP: Armored with a steel helm and chain mail, the Raiders are armored in more flexable armor that still protects them well, yet no where near as much as a Baron. They are the light footman to the Barons heavy elite, and they are armed with a sword or axe and a shield. Obviously, they are trained to have good endurance and speed

Barons, 5RP: Barons are, as one might expect of the name, strong warriors. Specifically they are armored head to toe in plate with chain mail and gambeson underneath the main armor. Additionally, they are armed depending on their preference, having either a pike, long sword, or sword and shield as their main weapon, but all keep a mace as a backup.

Heroes:
Ryreva Kritikou: Originally, Ryreva was one who was considered odd by the simple fact that they had very few overt and easy to see demonic features relating to their heritage with the exception of their height matching that of the descendants of some large demons and their eyes having black sclera and red iris. Other than this, most people just ignored them after a bit of an odd glance, while rivals would claim they had little blood of their ancestors in them. Their life would have been uneventful if it weren't for the fact that they were drawn to a particular blade, one that was under guard. This blade was one that was in the hands of a particular baron and was called Mávithanátoslepdas. For those who tried to pick up the blade, it would always leave a horrible burn on their hands and result in them dropping it. However, Ryreva didn't suffer any burns and instead was able to use the thing with ease. Needless to say, the baron in question and his guards aren't alive anymore, and she has taken their place and respect.


Supplies:
Foreign:

Domestic:
There is an odd smelling and volatile substance known as Sulfur underground. It could prove useful.

Mávithanátoslepdas is a blade, a very special and long blade, twice the size of a normal human. Its pitch black with red rune like writing on both sides of the center of the blade that ends before it reaches the tip while its handle and guard is a seeming contrast as a rose gold. It feels smooth to the touch and depending on who touches it, either cold or burning hot. It also works well at channeling magic through it, allowing the user to do such things as having it coat itself in fire as a classic example. Its a relic from when Demons walked on the lands that would become Daíona, said to be from the most powerful demon that was summoned there long ago.

Projects:

Nessoria Castle is a large fortification that guards the crossing of the nearby river, using it additionally as a moat. The construction is specifically designed to make sure any armies that come across the river have to deal with the fortress before they can continue forward and deeper into the territory, and is designed to make an assault on it as miserable as possible, having different layers of the castle sectioned off and also having a few gardens inside to make it so food during sieges lasts. Naturally, the construction will be made out of stone and there is a courtyard for training.

Aeryx Castle is a castle that overlooks the ocean and makes any invasion coming from it sighted before it can get to anywhere important while also preventing any army from simply continuing on the road its situated on and forcing them to go through much denser terrain in the nearby forest if they chose not to go through it. Naturally, its inside is sectioned off into different layers, has a garden for food inside, and a courtyard for training like the other castle as well.

The Barons while heavily armed and armored seem to have grown fat and weak. At least, that's what the Marshall Ryreva thinks, and a rigorous set of training for melee skill, strength, endurance, situational awareness, and battle field tactics to make them truly the warriors that Steelhold's soldiers will fear and fall to.

Other:
Daíona is a kingdom of half demons that was the result of a large tribe of demon worshipers being successful in their rituals and managing to summon demons, many many demons in fact. Naturally, they willingly followed their 'gods' orders, and were 'blessed' with children that were greater than they were. Over time, the demons that were summoned were banished or otherwise forced to return to the underworld, but the half demons that now ruled over the lands still lived and were still there. It should be mentioned that, despite what one might expect, they don't value every sin, as sloth is something they really really dislike for the simple fact that it is very counterproductive to anything. All other sins are valued however, though technically speaking, that doesn't mean they are all 'evil' unless you have high standards for what you consider to be neutral.

Troops: 1300 Ravagers
450 (900) Impailers
450 (900) Arbalests
100 (200) Raiders
60 (300) Barons
Total: 2360 (3400)

Recruitment:
Raiders 100 (200)
Total: 100 (200)

Supplies:
Sulfur
Mávithanátoslepdas

Projects:
Intense combat training for Barons (3/10)

Completed Projects:
Nessoria Castle (5/4)
Aeryx Castle (5/4)

Log: The Barons are continuing to be drilled and trained to the absolute extreme, I honestly am surprised at how much has been done already but hopefully, the Marshall isn't blinded by the Barons and focuses on our other forces as well...Along with leaving enough resources for us to do things other than making our soldiers better. Personally, I'd like our soldiers to be skilled but not at the cost of progress in other area's... Once she's done with the Barons, she'll probably move up the list until she gives the ravagers a visit. Hopefully she doesn't take too long with these projects...

I wonder what the Woodrock Estate is doing however...After the Blood Bowl match I haven't heard back from them...

[Supernerd]

Spoiler: Woodrock Estate: Day 7 (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: Woodrock Estate
Theme: Noble Estate
Day 7
Capital: Woodrock Manor
Acquired Kingdoms: 0
Focus: Legacy

Map(s):

Woodrock Manor is essentially one massive fortress that covers the majority of this map segment. There are ramparts across the entire perimiter of the manor. There are five towers with high altitude, the outer four contain barracks and the gateways leading into the manor are at their base. The inner tower is the highest point of this map. There is a large body of water on the western side of the map.

Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
Guardsman: These soldiers make up the bulk of the conventional military forces of the Woodrock Estate. They typically wear either chainmail or half-plate armor and fight using either a halberd, or a sword and shield. They lack any extraordinary abilities, but can exploit the weaknesses of specialized enemies. Affected by 2 point project "Unit Training: Tactical Formations - Guardsmen"

Assassin: The assassins employed by the Woodrock Estate typically also serve the role of a maid, butler, chef or other service providers. They are unarmored and fight using weapons such as shortbows, daggers and poisons. They are stealthy and nimble, but have little protection against attacks so they tend to struggle in large scale combat. They are best suited to carrying out stealth attacks, defending against stealth attacks, and fighting one on one. Affected by 3 point project "Unit Training: Shapeshifting Magic - Assassins"

Arcanist: Apprentice spellcasters of the Woodrock estate. They go into battle wielding an magic wand, and a shortsword or mace as an emergency backup weapon and they wear either robes or leather armor. The first spells that the Hedge Wizards are taught to cast is a protective aura that can subvert hostile effects on not only themselves, but a large number of allies around them as well. Most of them can also cast other forms of magic too. Affected by 2 point project "Unit Training: Elemental Magic - Arcanists"

Engineer: The Engineers are the ones responsible for maintaining the numerous traps in Woodrock Manor. In large scale combat they excel at siege and counter siege warfare, manning siege weapons such as Ballistae, Hwacha, Catapults or whatever else they can come up with. These weapons have very long range and destructive power, but they typically require a crew of about five in order to use these weapons at optimal efficiency. These weapons require an extended period of time in order to set them up meaning they cannot be rapidly redeployed.

Heroes:
Alderton Woodrock: The master of the Woodrock Estate, this elderly High Elven man is wizard of immense power. His signature skill is the ability to change the weather which was the key to his immense wealth. By conjuring a raging storm, torrential downpour, freezing blizzard, or a scorching drought he can change the flow of a battle in an instant, but his advanced age prohibits him from directly joining a battle.

Hazel Woodrock (Value 5): Hazel Woodrock is a dragon who was raised by the Woodrock family as a hatching, and as of very recently she has just turned 1,000 years old; making her a fully grown adult! Her first name came from the color of her eyes. She stands an impressive 25 meters tall, her bright red scales are impenetrable to most conventional weapons and her massive wings grant her the ability to fly. She has sharp claws and dagger-like teeth, and her deadly fire breath is so hot it can easily melt metal equipment.

Supplies:
Foreign:

Domestic:
Heroic Bloodlines: The High Elves of the Woodrock Estate are quite simply better than other people in most aspects.
The Astral Crown: A powerful artifact that signals the right of one to rule. It greatly increases the abilities of its wearer and provides immunity against mental impairments.

Projects:
Woodrock Manor (15): A massive fortress of an unrivaled scale that covers pretty much the entirety of the Woodrock Estate. On the outside there are high walls, observation posts and defensive fortifications. On the inside is a labyrinth filled with all manner of devious traps and secret corridors. Without careful planning, any would be assailants would be at an insurmountable disadvantage.
Unit Training: Tactical Formations - Guardsmen (2): The Guardsmen of the Woodrock Estate have been well trained, and can shift formation to adapt to ever-changing battlefield conditions.
Unit Training: Shapeshifting Magic - Assassins (3): The Assassins of the Woodrock Estate are able to use magic in order to change their shape! This can be used to either impersonate, intimidate, or shape up weapons that can be used when they appear to be unarmed.
Unit Training: Elemental Magic - Arcanists (2): The Arcanists of the Woodrock Estate can cast spells to call forth blazing fire, freezing ice and stunning lightning. These spells are difficult to defend against by non-magical means.

Other:
The world is a land of great strife. Centuries ago the High Elf noblman, Alderton Woodrock decided that instead of relying on the likelihood of his enemies not attacking he would instead rely on the fact that he made his position unassailable. The grand fortress known as the Woodrock Manor was constructed over the course of many years, and stood as a monument of military dominance.

An extended period of relative stability had followed, and not once has this ancient fortress faltered. During this time the high elven family grew complacent and arrogant towards what they would refer to as the "Lesser races". But when faced with the technology of this new medieval era that looms upon the world, this once impenetrable fortress had been reclassified as being merely formidable.

For the first time in decades, the Woodrock family was being forced to change in order to keep up with the times...
Troops:
Guardsmen: 2700
Assassin: 700 (15 away on Diplomatic mission)
Arcanist: 400
Engineer: 600

Total: 4400

Recruitment:
Guardsmen: 0
Assassin: 0
Arcanist: 200
Engineer: 0

Total: 200

Supplies:
Heroic Bloodlines: Mass Produced (Inherent to High Elf units only)
The Astral Crown: Equipped by the hero Alderton Woodrock

Projects:
Top Secret Project: The Awakening (2/20)
Unit Training: Elemental Magic - Arcanists (2/2)

Completed Projects:
Woodrock Manor (15)
Unit Training: Tactical Formations - Guardsmen (2)
Hero Recruitment: Coming of age ceremony - Hazel Woodrock (5)
Unit Training: Shapeshifting Magic - Assassins (3)
Unit Training: Elemental Magic - Arcanists (2)

Log:
This is Arbiter Aster Stargazer making her report. I have just received a letter from Steelhold apparantly thanking us for sending a certain imbecile named Antonio over to them. I absolutely did not authorize this, but the end result seems to have somehow turned out alright. Not only do I no longer have to deal with that guy, but we also don't have a diplomatic problem with Steelhold despite what happened. Of course, its would be pretty brazen of them to hold us responsible for the death of their commander. I mean, why the crap was he playing blood bowl anyway? I was under the impression that he was supposed to be an archer or something!

My handmaiden Flora has been feeling down lately. I have reason to believe that she was either interested in Alexander, or interested in Mr Rosethorn. Either way, I cannot possibly imagine why!

Spoiler: Letter to The Schwarzwald Reich (click to show/hide)

To the Schwartzwald External Affairs Department,

I have read and re-read the letter that you sent to me, and I am having some trouble understanding what you are trying to ask me. Enclosed is a copy of the original letter that we have received. So apparently you are simultaneously informing us that the personnel we sent to you are missing in action and are late for the trials, while also stating that the trials went acceptably?

Well regardless, I'm sure you'll figure it out. I have confirmed that they have safely made their way into your forest, and since you already claimed to know everything I am confident that you'll be able to get this all sorted out without the need for an investigation by the Woodrock Estate. Please let me know if I am mistaken.

- Aster Stargazer

[Happy Demon]

[The Schwartzwald External Affairs Room]

Spoiler: Log (click to show/hide)

How dare they! They accused me of having kept the elves for myself.
So what if they're big, strong, and handsome healthy. I am a professional, I do not let myself distract by menfolk.
Anyway, it seems the elves are confused at my letter, I'll have to send another. Might as well do one for the human menfolk as well.

Spoiler: Letter to Woodrock Estate (click to show/hide)

Greetings again, still Hulder here.

It's just like it says. We didn't receive any elves. But the trials went on without them. We did get decent results, because the bows were good, but they only have a partial implementation.
The elders were impressed, but not wowed. We couldn't show them the true potential of the bows. Had we gotten those elves, we might even had the Slingers drop the sling in favor of the bow. These elders consider the bow a mere sidearm. Speaking of which, we are well on our way to mass produce them. We could perhaps trade them. If you got something worth trading them for.
We could maybe setup a second trial. We need to do a test of the mass produced bows. So there may still be hope.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

Spoiler: Letter to the Kingdom of Steelhold (click to show/hide)

Greetings Kohl Greiner, Hulder here.

We have a new bow developed. We're finishing the mass production soon, and are wondering if you have any interest in them.
They may be a bit small for menfolk, considering I've gotten a report saying you use big bows, but these bows are enchanted for extra penetration. They will pierce your armor with ease.
If you are, maybe we can trade for some of your iron ore.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

[Failbird105]

Spoiler: Day 7, Cookie Kingdom (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: Cookie Kingdom
Theme: Cookie Run/Wars
Day 7
Capital: City of the Millenial Tree
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Industry

Map(s):


Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
Jelly Bees - Grapefruit sized insects formed almost entirely out of Jelly. They are capable of flight, and their stingers can reliably penetrate the average Cookies body. However, while they are capable of causing great damage to unprotected flesh and skipping over the frontlines to assault the enemies in the rear, they simply cannot output the force necessary to cause any harm through armor that's tougher than leather. In addition, their bodies being made of jelly makes them somewhat fagile, lighter blunt weapon attacks disperse well, causing almost no harm, but powerful blunt force blows can splatter their bodies completely, and bladed weapons can cleave straight through their squishy forms. Altogether though, Jelly Bees still remain far more cheap to raise, train and feed than equipping, training and supporting a Knight, allowing four to be fielded for every one actual soldier. Plus the honey and environmental benefits provided by having so many bees around certainly makes them a desirable option.

Knight Cookies - Knights, kitted out in sugar reinforced white-chocolate plate armor with jelly joints and a hard candy shield. They wield sharp, purpose made candy swords. Being Cookies, their bodies are hard, and lack internal structure. This means that blades may have a hard time cutting into their bodies, and piercing weapons won't hit anything vital, but blunt weaponry is far more effective, with an almost complete lack of padding to dampen the impact on their ridged bodies a good hit with a blunt weapon such as a warhammer can smash off limbs or cause parts of their body to crumble.

Wildberry Archer Cookies - These Cookies, taking after the untamed origin of their ingredients, are skilled hunters, and used to life in the wilderness, outside of cities and towns. They are competent archers, wielding fairly average bows, wooden with jelly-based bowstrings. The real trick is their arrows which, much like a large majority of other Cookie equipment, use candy instead of metal for their tips. This doesn't generally effect non-biological creature, Cookies included, but against flesh-based life the arrowheads tend to melt and become sticky in the wounds. This means that if the arrows are not removed very quickly they can become very difficult and painful to extract, and even cause quite a bit more damage being removed. Their bodies are less hard than some other cookies as they are filled with jam, but otherwise they still have no real internals, blades have an easier time cutting into them than the average Cookie and blunt weapons are only slightly more effective instead of greatly.

Candy Cannon - The latest in Candy siege technology. A large candy and sugar-glass orb with candy wheels and a Blast Jelly lined barrel on one end. The enthusiastic jawbreakers residing within take their name literally, and love being fired out at unfortunate targets. The Blast Jelly lining the inside of the barrel allows the Jawbreakers to be fired with great force, enough to damage stone walls with prolonged bombardment, but it is a good bit less effective than a regular cannon would be. There is also the fact that the Candy Cannon cannot move or aim itself, and instead must be accompanied by other units. The materials leave a candy cannon costing as much as 10 Knights, but it is arguably worth it for the force it provides.

Gumball Blasters - Wielders of the result of an experiment to make a cookie-portable version of the Candy Cannons Blast Jelly propelled shooting. Gumball Blasters wield long, blast jelly lines tubes with a dome at one end, this dome is filled with large candy balls that, when colliding with something at high speeds, splatter into a big, and quite sticky, mess that limits movement.  Much like other cookies, their bodies are quite hard.

Biscuit Cavalry - Knight Cookies armed with spears, and riding atop our trained biscuit horses. The horses, being animal crackers, are far less effected by things like caltrops and sharp weapons in general than an ordinary horse, but are much more vulnerable to blunt attacks. Being cavalry, they are obviously a good bit more effective than soldiers on foot, but having a horse in addition to a knight costs twice as much.

Heroes:
Wind Archer Cookie - A legendary archer, once the very wind that blew through the forest. He was given the form of a cookie to help him purify the darkness, and protect the land. He can shoot arrows of light from his bow, up to three at once, and with power ranging from normal arrows, to being enough to put a hole clean through a man and hit the one behind him. When they're at their lower levels, they can be directly guided mid-air.

Tiger Lily Cookie - The long lost sister of Princess Cookie, Tiger Lily was  raised by a majestic and mighty butter tiger, and through her time has mastered the jungles and forests she calls home. She rides the butter tiger that raised her into battle, it presenting a terrifying threat in its own right, and she wields an enchanted sugar tipped spear, which leaves through flesh as easily as Jellies, and increases her speed while held.

Supplies:
Foreign:
None
Domestic:
Jellies- A strange sort of gummy material made using sugar. Jelly can be shaped in various ways, can gain different properties based on ingredients used to make it, and there even exist living and naturally reproducing creatures made out of it. On its own it's far from durable, and is in fact edible, so it's not really good for weapons, but it's otherwise a very versatile material.

Power Jellies- One of the few leftover creations of the Witch that is to some degree properly understood. They are types of jellies with strange, almost magical properties, and come in four types. Energy Jellies don't do anything on their own but can be brewed into potions that rejuvenate and slightly heal the drinker, Growth Jellies cause the eater to grow to several times their size for a short duration, Blast Jellies propel what they're applied to forward at great speed, and Magnet Jellies cause the eater to attract other Jellies to themself but weakly enough that any Jelly capable of locomotion can resist.

Projects:
Train Knight Cookies to utilize Blast Jelly- By utilizing Blast Jelly, Knight Cookies will be able to charge on foot at cavalry speeds, but they have to be used carefully, because when you're Blasting, there is no stopping.

Engineer Small Scale Blast Launchers- Blast Jelly has a variety of uses, for instance, as sen in our Candy Cannons, it can be utilized as propulsion for projectiles. This project is effectively an attempt at making a cookie-portable equivalent to that.

Recruit Gumball Blasters- The results of our experiments in cookie-portable Blast Jelly based weaponry, Gumball Blasters wield large, Blast Jelly lined tubes that end in domes containing a large number of large candy balls. These balls consist of a strange, and quite sticky substance, when colliding with something at great speed, they tend to splatter upon it, creating a big, sticky mess that limits movement.

Breed Biscuit Horses

Recruit Biscuit Cavalry

Recruit the Cookie in the Forest?- After a short trip by a courier, headed by a pair of WIldberries, into the forest to meet the mysterious Cookie, they where successful. And wouldn't you know it, this Cookie turned out to be none other than Princess Rose Cookies lost sister, Princess Tiger Lily Cookie.

Other:

Troops:
3400 Jelly Bees(= 900 soldiers)
1050 Knight Cookies
700 Wildberry Archer Cookies
40 Candy Cannons(= 400 soldiers)
200 Gumball Blasters
Total: 2600

Recruitment:
50 Knight Cookies
50 Wildberry Archer Cookies
50 Gumball Blasters
25 Biscuit Cavalry
Total: 200

Supplies:
Jelllies
Power Jellies

Projects:
Rebuild the City of Wizards, Central Tower (5/4)

Completed Projects:
Train Knight Cookies to utilize Blast Jelly (1/1)
Engineer Small Scale Blast Launchers (2/2)
Recruit Gumball Blasters (1/1)
Breed Biscuit Horses (2/2)
Recruit Biscuit Cavalry (1/1)
Recruit the Cookie In the Forest (1/1)

Log: Well the shopping trip went ah, let's just say not awfully. Tiger Lily certainly has a lot to learn about being in an... actual civilization. Still, we both have quite a few new outfits, certainly much better than her previous count of one. On larger scale news, the re-building of the City of Wizards is progressing steadily, with the central tower complete we're now expanding our operations outwards, to include some of the surrounding structures as well.

[coleslaw35]

Spoiler: The Kingdom of Steelhold, Day 7 - what rhymes with seven, isn't a name, and isn't eleven? (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: The Kingdom of Steelhold
Theme: Late Medieval
Day 7
Capital: Steelhold
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Force

Map(s):

Grey indicates scrublands. Green indicates grasslands. Ohahar and Bastranen are in forests. There is an ocean to the north-northeast. dark little squiggly lines indicate small rivers.

Troops & Heroes:
Troops:

-Steelpikes, 1 RP: Armor is same as in the image. Primarily used to protect the flanks from cavalry charges or to advance in a spearwall towards the enemy to open a hole in their lines for light infantry to exploit.



-Iron Initiates, 1 RP: Sword and shield, leather armored infantry primarily used to flank or exploit holes in an enemy line in order to wreak havoc on rear-line soldiers, such as archers or high value targets like siege weaponry crews. When no such opportunities are foreseeable, they are generally tasked with defending the longbowmen from potential harm.



-Heartseekers, 1 RP: Longbowmen, armed with a shortsword as a backup weapon, wearing padded armor. Obviously not intended for melee and the priority to protect them is paramount.



-Forged Knights, 2 RP: The most trusted and skilled warriors of Steelhold are given the title of Forged Knight. They serve as cavalry when not assigned to command a specific regiment. They wear plate armor and wield longswords and kite shields when mounted or dismounted.



Bloodletters 2 RP: Elite Heartseekers are given extra training and equipped with composite bows, longswords, and camouflaged leather armor to become a Bloodletter. Intended to ambush and skirmish with enemies while not directly engaging, though can if forced into such a situation.



Steinerwerfer 4 RP: Approximately two men tall, four men long, and with a six man long arm, this catapult is reinforced with banding made of the new steel but is mostly made of wood. The projectiles are varied sized boulders of Steelhold stone. That is, the durable, dark grey kind (see Supplies.) Smaller boulders for more distance or larger ones for more damage. The crew is equipped with pavises and stakes for defense and armed with padded armor and shortswords. Obviously, they are not intended to be in melee. The catapult is horse drawn, but the crew can move it by themselves if need be, albeit obviously not as quickly.



Heroes:
A description of each of your heroes & their capabilities would go here.

Supplies:
Foreign:

Domestic:
-The stone underneath Steelhold contains lots of sizable deposits of ores and minerals.
-As well, the stone itself is considerably stronger than anywhere else in the world. While this makes for some difficulty in actually acquiring the minerals within, the stone itself is valuable for defensive structures.
-High Quality Steel: Steelhold's efforts to increase its supply of good steel has been finished and the quality of the final product really shows. This newly developed form of steel is sure to provide even stronger, more dangerous weapons for those who smith with it.

Projects:

Descriptions of any notable completed projects that aren't really self-explanatory. This would be the best place for projects that involve building a fortress/structure or any project that requires additional explanation.

-Employ the clergy to enchant arrows (4 Turns): The clergy have been requisitioned to bless most arrows produced before and after they were given the task. All arrow production was temporarily put on hold so that they could catch up. They worked tirelessly to ensure every combat arrow carries with it at least a piece of godliness so that the unholy and nonbelievers will be injured/terrorized by the divine power of the arrow. There are still unblessed arrows used for training purposes, but combat arrows carry an extra kick to them.

Other:

After inner turmoil tore apart the expansive Kingdom of Ascalon, Count Kohl Greiner of Steelhold declares his realm's independence and announces himself King of Steelhold, thus turning the county into a now independent kingdom of its own. Having been the main source of men for the Ascalonian armies, the realm had always been a strong military power and this has carried over to its newfound state of sovereignty. The name Steelhold actually comes from the strong, dark gray stone used to construct defensive structures, rather than the mineral richness of the area.


Troops:
-Steelpikes: 800
-Iron Initiates: 700
-Heartseekers: 800
-Forged Knights: 300
-Bloodletters: 450
-Steinerwerfer: 150

Total: 3200

Recruitment:

-Forged Knights: 150 (2 RP per)

Total: 300

Supplies:
Mineral Rich
Strong Stone
High Quality Steel

Projects:

-Invigorate the troops with deep religious fervor (2/6)
-Recruit and Train Antonio Q. Rosethorn (1/8)

Completed Projects:
-Bloodletters trained (2 Turns)
-Increase Ore Refining Capacity/Quality (3 Turns)
-Catapult and crew created/trained (2 Turns)
-Employ the clergy to enchant arrows (4 Turns)

Log: Antonio's travels were kept safe by the watchful eyes and quiet steps of the Bloodletters. Upon arriving in Steelhold, he has been put under the learned men of war to become a true warrior. For now, he studies more general avenues of battle, such as basic techniques and tactics.

Spoiler: Ein Brief zu Das Schwarzwald Reich (click to show/hide)

Hallo,

We would be interested in testing these bows for ourselves, if you would be so kind, before we make our decision. Would it be possible for a small contingency of Steelhold archers to be allowed safe travels to and from your lands so that they can test and report back on these new bows? If so, then I will await their feedback and we shall update you on the matter.

Lebewohl,
-Kohl Greiner

[Happy Demon]

[The Schwartzwald External Affairs Room]

Spoiler: Log (click to show/hide)

Ah, an interest in our bows, as in the possibility of trade, for iron. Now we just need to make sure they get a good viewing of it.
These guys are experienced bowmen. Though they are hairy menfolk, they surely must know something in regards to using bow and arrow.

Spoiler: Letter to the Kingdom of Steelhold (click to show/hide)

Greetings once more. Only I get to send the letters, JUST HULDER. So this should make it easy to learn for you shortlives.

We may setup a second trial, to assess the quality of the mass produced product. We would invite you to Nordin for an escort, but you're so close to Dalin it's better if you went there. I'll tell the elders to send some swordsmen to serve as escort. We would like you to participate in the trial. Our specialty is time, so while our slingers are legendary, we learn new tricks the same speed as everyone else. So I'm sure you can make quite the show with your professional archers. Maybe the slingers will even consider a chance of weaponry.
Oh, and if you find any elves, do let us know. The pale manfolk kind. A bunch of them were sent, but never arrived. I don't want another batch of them to die of old age within our lands. The high elves get so upset whenever it happens. Though mostly because it reinforces the fact that they have short lives.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

[coleslaw35]

Spoiler: Ein Brief zu Huldur (click to show/hide)

Hallo Huldur,

Then we accept. While we may not live as long, there are those of us who learn quickly and dedicate their hearts and minds to an elegant show of marksmanship and steadiness. Perhaps some of this can be inspired in your own soldiers.

We'll be sure to let you know if we encounter any of them. In the meantime, we shall see you soon.

Lebewohl,
-Kohl Greiner

[Happy Demon]

Spoiler: The Schwarzwald Reich: Day 8 (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: The Scwarzwald Reich
Theme: Children of the Forest
Day 8
Capital: Birlitz
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Force

Map(s):


Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
- Waldkind Footman: Armed with an axe and clad in light armor, these children of the forest use magically enhanced speed to outmaneuver enemies. Capable of outrunning any man on foot. Though they are vulnerable to all forms of damage. They're more intended to soften and harass the enemy than get kills. Specifically, break any shield they may hold.
- Waldkind Swordsman: Armed with a sword and unarmored, these children of the forest utilize stealth to get the drop on their enemies. They prefer to attack enemy ranged forces, who are vulnerable yet valuable.
- Waldkind Slinger: Armed with a sling and a pouch of hand picked stones, these children of the forest are elite warriors, having tested their stones a hundred times each. Their long experience affords them an accuracy unheard of from slings. Further augmented by magic, so not even vision slits are secure.
- Waldkind Guardian: Inside these bodies of wood and stone, are children of the forest, only the most revered are permitted this honor. This body is very durable, able to sustain barrages of arrows, flurries of stabs, and stands tall in the strongest of winds. The offensive capabilities are nothing to balk at either, as they can easily pummel a bear to death. However, the Guardian Body makes even a dwarf look agile in comparison. They are not suited for any offensive operation other than breaching defenses.

Heroes:
- Venerable Guardian Brunhilda Stern: One of the venerable elders of the Waldkind, with hair as black as night, glowing eyes, and who adorns the most venerated Guardian Body. But her greatest possession is the sword Gram, which she wields with the Guardian Body. She is also the only Waldkind that can make the Guardian Body move at speed.

Supplies:
Foreign:
- Empty: Nothing here... yet.

Domestic:
- Guardian Body: Powerful if slow constructs of wood and stone. They are products of intensive study, the pride and joy of the Waldkind. Each one is sacred, adorned in religious idols and they all have a unique name.
- Dragonslayer Gram: A sword with a rune covered blade, and a hilt decorated in gold. It is a sword capable of cleaving through iron with ease. Not even the most venerable elder knows where it came from. But there is one, The Mad Elder, who claims it was granted to them by a one eyed traveler.
- Schwartzwald Bow: A bow of exquisite quality, it's got a lot of power for it's size. But the biggest quality, is that they are all enchanted. Every release of the string amplifies the force of the shot, and the accompanying arrows have a penetration enchantment, allowing it to penetrate armor it otherwise would've bounced off.

Projects:

Descriptions of any notable completed projects that aren't really self-explanatory ("mass produce healing potions" for example) go here. This would be the best place for projects that involve building a fortress/structure or any project that requires additional explanation.

Other:

The residents of the Schwarzwald Reich aren't human, they are dark skinned elves that never become adults. They are called the Waldkind, and though they retain their childishness, they are also very wise, thanks to their endless age. They possess exceptional natural healing, which may be part of why they never age beyond a certain point.
However, this comes at the cost of physical strength. And though they easily augment speed with magic. For strength, they need bulky constructs. They also lack the discipline for spear use, preferring to harass the enemy and pelt them with rocks. They also master the arts of old, and see little need for newer arts. Though the world goes on, and they will inevitably have to catch up, or find someone who can do it for them.
Troops:
- Waldkind Footmen: 2 600
- Waldkind Swordsmen: 900
- Waldkind Slingers: 400
- Waldkind Guardians: 200

Total: 4 100

Recruitment:
- Waldkind Footmen: 200
- Waldkind Swordsmen: 100

Total: 300

Supplies:
Guardian Bodies.
Dragonslayer Gram.
Schwartzwald Bows.

Projects:
Construct: Dalburg Fortress (8/9)
Training: Waldkind Footmen using Scwartzwald Bows (0/2)

Completed Projects:
Invent: Schwartzwald Bow (5)
Mass Produce: Schwartzwald Bow (3)

Log: Elder Hulder negotiated for a second trial, and we decided to accept. At our trial of the mass produced product, menfolk arrived. These aren't the fellow knife ears that Hulder first negotiated for, but instead those menfolk called humans. We expected to see the results menfolk provided last time, only able to come close to our accuracy once they grow grey and weak.

We did not expect the performance they provided. It took some time to get used to our bows. For them they might be considered shortbows, able to be used even on horseback. But they managed to zero in on the targets quickly, and match our accuracy. But that's not all. They were also able to send two arrows in the time it took our slingers to throw one. Because once zeroed in, they only needed to worry about reloading, not having to recalculate every shot. Even our most venerable slinger, Elder Viktor Hagel, was impressed with this performance, and decided to try the bow himself. He didn't quite match their results, but he said the bow was promising.

The result is that we have a good bow on our hands, and should move to put them in all the hands of our soldiers. First one to get it, are the Footmen. They are plenty, and having 2 000 archers would let us decimate our foes before they even reach us. Besides, if the Steelhold menfolk can get results, then so can our Footmen. It is also a good trade item, the Steelhold archers were impressed, though would prefer them to be bigger. Though they do boast higher upper body strength. Though, the Steelhold archers did get to see the nearly completed Dalburg fortress. It is far mightier than any fortress they have built so far.

Spoiler: Letter to the Kingdom of Steelhold (click to show/hide)

Greetings and salutations to you, Kohl Greiner. Just Hulder.

The trial was a big success. With actual archers participating, the elders got to see the true potential of these bows. Though the archers had some good suggestions as well. They weren't quite liking the size of them, but did note it allows it's use on horseback. And despite the size, they are more powerful than your bows, thanks to our construction and enchantment. Though they did have some rather rude comments as well, such as claiming: "Even a child can use it."
We know we're children of the forest, but don't compare us to your own children. Those haven't even lived through a dozen winters, while we have lived through more than even you have. Anyway, I would be most delighted if you were willing to trade some of your iron ore for our bows. We do get most of our iron from bogs, after all. And that supply is starting to dwindle. Though I have also learned you have a lot of experience with smelting said iron, thanks to having so much of it. So if you were willing to trade us some of your steel, that would also be nice.

The archers should be returning shortly. With our Swordsmen again providing escort. And we also have the bows on mass production now. We have plenty to sell while we are still training our Footmen to use them. Though there may be a hiccup once they do, as we do have over 2 000 Footmen. And all of them will be equipped with our bows. They may even be 3 000 once we finish training them. And each arrow will be able to pierce armor.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

[piratejoe]

Spoiler: The Kingdom of Daíona, Day 8 (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: The Kingdom of Daíona
Theme: Half Demons
Day 8
Capital: Tylisseutherna
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Industry

Map(s):

Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
Ravagers, 1RP: Lightly armored and armed with nothing but their natural claws, the Ravagers are, arguably, the cannon fodder of the army, and the ones who are a nightmare for other lightly armored infantry should they get close enough. Needless to say, cheep and effective when it comes up to softening the enemy up

Impalers, 2RP: As the name implies, the Impalers use pikes, and unlike Ravagers, are armored with more than gambeson, having a bit of steel protecting their chest and a helm on top of said gambeson. Their arms and legs however, are not protected, although if something other than a ranged enemy manages to break through the wall of pikes, clearly something has gone wrong somewhere...

Arbalests, 2RP: Armored similarly to Impalers, but armed with a much different weapon, the Arbalests utilize a heavy crossbow designed specifically for ruining the day of any infantry that gets hit by their volley of bolts, no mater their armor. Additionally, a bit of magic is used so the bolts makes whoever they hit have an even worse day by being on fire once fired.

Raiders, 2RP: Armored with a steel helm and chain mail, the Raiders are armored in more flexable armor that still protects them well, yet no where near as much as a Baron. They are the light footman to the Barons heavy elite, and they are armed with a sword or axe and a shield. Obviously, they are trained to have good endurance and speed

Barons, 5RP: Barons are, as one might expect of the name, strong warriors. Specifically they are armored head to toe in plate with chain mail and gambeson underneath the main armor. Additionally, they are armed depending on their preference, having either a pike, long sword, or sword and shield as their main weapon, but all keep a mace as a backup.

Heroes:
Ryreva Kritikou: Originally, Ryreva was one who was considered odd by the simple fact that they had very few overt and easy to see demonic features relating to their heritage with the exception of their height matching that of the descendants of some large demons and their eyes having black sclera and red iris. Other than this, most people just ignored them after a bit of an odd glance, while rivals would claim they had little blood of their ancestors in them. Their life would have been uneventful if it weren't for the fact that they were drawn to a particular blade, one that was under guard. This blade was one that was in the hands of a particular baron and was called Mávithanátoslepdas. For those who tried to pick up the blade, it would always leave a horrible burn on their hands and result in them dropping it. However, Ryreva didn't suffer any burns and instead was able to use the thing with ease. Needless to say, the baron in question and his guards aren't alive anymore, and she has taken their place and respect.


Supplies:
Foreign:

Domestic:
There is an odd smelling and volatile substance known as Sulfur underground. It could prove useful.

Mávithanátoslepdas is a blade, a very special and long blade, twice the size of a normal human. Its pitch black with red rune like writing on both sides of the center of the blade that ends before it reaches the tip while its handle and guard is a seeming contrast as a rose gold. It feels smooth to the touch and depending on who touches it, either cold or burning hot. It also works well at channeling magic through it, allowing the user to do such things as having it coat itself in fire as a classic example. Its a relic from when Demons walked on the lands that would become Daíona, said to be from the most powerful demon that was summoned there long ago.

Projects:

Nessoria Castle is a large fortification that guards the crossing of the nearby river, using it additionally as a moat. The construction is specifically designed to make sure any armies that come across the river have to deal with the fortress before they can continue forward and deeper into the territory, and is designed to make an assault on it as miserable as possible, having different layers of the castle sectioned off and also having a few gardens inside to make it so food during sieges lasts. Naturally, the construction will be made out of stone and there is a courtyard for training.

Aeryx Castle is a castle that overlooks the ocean and makes any invasion coming from it sighted before it can get to anywhere important while also preventing any army from simply continuing on the road its situated on and forcing them to go through much denser terrain in the nearby forest if they chose not to go through it. Naturally, its inside is sectioned off into different layers, has a garden for food inside, and a courtyard for training like the other castle as well.

The Barons while heavily armed and armored seem to have grown fat and weak. At least, that's what the Marshall Ryreva thinks, and a rigorous set of training for melee skill, strength, endurance, situational awareness, and battle field tactics to make them truly the warriors that Steelhold's soldiers will fear and fall to.

Other:
Daíona is a kingdom of half demons that was the result of a large tribe of demon worshipers being successful in their rituals and managing to summon demons, many many demons in fact. Naturally, they willingly followed their 'gods' orders, and were 'blessed' with children that were greater than they were. Over time, the demons that were summoned were banished or otherwise forced to return to the underworld, but the half demons that now ruled over the lands still lived and were still there. It should be mentioned that, despite what one might expect, they don't value every sin, as sloth is something they really really dislike for the simple fact that it is very counterproductive to anything. All other sins are valued however, though technically speaking, that doesn't mean they are all 'evil' unless you have high standards for what you consider to be neutral.

Troops: 1300 Ravagers
450 (900) Impailers
450 (900) Arbalests
200 (400) Raiders
60 (300) Barons
Total: 2460 (3600)

Recruitment:
Arbalests 50 (100)
Raiders 50 (100)
Total: 100 (200)

Supplies:
Sulfur
Mávithanátoslepdas

Projects:
Intense combat training for Barons (5/10)

Completed Projects:
Nessoria Castle (5/4)
Aeryx Castle (5/4)

Log: The Barons still are taking up all our time, though I have received word from the Marshall that the training of the other kinds of soldier in our military will be drilled soon enough seeing as she is 'roughly half way done with the Barons', abet not in as harsh of a way as this. Still, I for one would much rather be finished sooner rather than later so other projects can be worked on, but what can you do when someone like her is the Marshall?...Additionally, I believe she actually sent a letter, but I'm worried about what it might be about, after all I'm not sure if she calmed down just yet...Speaking of, the Steward was sacked, thank the nine circles, finally I no longer have to deal with that insufferable incompetent fool of a man...

Spoiler: Letter to the Woodrock Estate (click to show/hide)

To Aster Stargazer

I am writing this instead of the Chancellor because I feel writing this personally would be better than having him do it, and I am writing this to you rather than your own general as I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting him or knowing his name. I am going to make my intentions in this short letter very clear from the start, I am curios if you would like an alliance and joint military drills. Specifically, a defensive pact. Even if you decline the defensive pact, I hope you consider to have joined military drills in the future, roughly fifteen days in the future as it can show how our forces can work together and how the better trained soldiers and the military reformation into a better fighting force has gone. This reformation is yet to be finished, but when it is if you are able to see our forces you'll be certainly surprised, however this reformation is still at its beginnings, and I estimate it will take twelve and a half days to be complete, but by the end of it I can assure you that our army will be the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen.

Baroness Ryreva Kritikou, Grand Marshall and Wielder of Mávithanátoslepdas

[coleslaw35]

Spoiler: The Kingdom of Steelhold, Day 8 - eat more dates (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: The Kingdom of Steelhold
Theme: Late Medieval
Day 8
Capital: Steelhold
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Force

Map(s):

Grey indicates scrublands. Green indicates grasslands. Ohahar and Bastranen are in forests. There is an ocean to the north-northeast. dark little squiggly lines indicate small rivers.

Troops & Heroes:
Troops:

-Steelpikes, 1 RP: Armor is same as in the image. Primarily used to protect the flanks from cavalry charges or to advance in a spearwall towards the enemy to open a hole in their lines for light infantry to exploit.



-Iron Initiates, 1 RP: Sword and shield, leather armored infantry primarily used to flank or exploit holes in an enemy line in order to wreak havoc on rear-line soldiers, such as archers or high value targets like siege weaponry crews. When no such opportunities are foreseeable, they are generally tasked with defending the longbowmen from potential harm.



-Heartseekers, 1 RP: Longbowmen, armed with a shortsword as a backup weapon, wearing padded armor. Obviously not intended for melee and the priority to protect them is paramount.



-Forged Knights, 2 RP: The most trusted and skilled warriors of Steelhold are given the title of Forged Knight. They serve as cavalry when not assigned to command a specific regiment. They wear plate armor and wield longswords and kite shields when mounted or dismounted.



Bloodletters 2 RP: Elite Heartseekers are given extra training and equipped with composite bows, longswords, and camouflaged leather armor to become a Bloodletter. Intended to ambush and skirmish with enemies while not directly engaging, though can if forced into such a situation.



Steinerwerfer 4 RP: Approximately two men tall, four men long, and with a six man long arm, this catapult is reinforced with banding made of the new steel but is mostly made of wood. The projectiles are varied sized boulders of Steelhold stone. That is, the durable, dark grey kind (see Supplies.) Smaller boulders for more distance or larger ones for more damage. The crew is equipped with pavises and stakes for defense and armed with padded armor and shortswords. Obviously, they are not intended to be in melee. The catapult is horse drawn, but the crew can move it by themselves if need be, albeit obviously not as quickly.



Heroes:
A description of each of your heroes & their capabilities would go here.

Supplies:
Foreign:

Domestic:
-The stone underneath Steelhold contains lots of sizable deposits of ores and minerals.
-As well, the stone itself is considerably stronger than anywhere else in the world. While this makes for some difficulty in actually acquiring the minerals within, the stone itself is valuable for defensive structures.
-High Quality Steel: Steelhold's efforts to increase its supply of good steel has been finished and the quality of the final product really shows. This newly developed form of steel is sure to provide even stronger, more dangerous weapons for those who smith with it.

Projects:

Descriptions of any notable completed projects that aren't really self-explanatory. This would be the best place for projects that involve building a fortress/structure or any project that requires additional explanation.

-Employ the clergy to enchant arrows (4 Turns): The clergy have been requisitioned to bless most arrows produced before and after they were given the task. All arrow production was temporarily put on hold so that they could catch up. They worked tirelessly to ensure every combat arrow carries with it at least a piece of godliness so that the unholy and nonbelievers will be injured/terrorized by the divine power of the arrow. There are still unblessed arrows used for training purposes, but combat arrows carry an extra kick to them.

Other:

After inner turmoil tore apart the expansive Kingdom of Ascalon, Count Kohl Greiner of Steelhold declares his realm's independence and announces himself King of Steelhold, thus turning the county into a now independent kingdom of its own. Having been the main source of men for the Ascalonian armies, the realm had always been a strong military power and this has carried over to its newfound state of sovereignty. The name Steelhold actually comes from the strong, dark gray stone used to construct defensive structures, rather than the mineral richness of the area.


Troops:
-Steelpikes: 800
-Iron Initiates: 700
-Heartseekers: 800
-Forged Knights: 450
-Bloodletters: 450
-Steinerwerfer: 150

Total: 3350

Recruitment:

-Forged Knights: 150 (2 RP per)

Total: 300

Supplies:
Mineral Rich
Strong Stone
High Quality Steel

Projects:

-Invigorate the troops with deep religious fervor (3/6)
-Recruit and Train Antonio Q. Rosethorn (2/8)

Completed Projects:
-Bloodletters trained (2 Turns)
-Increase Ore Refining Capacity/Quality (3 Turns)
-Catapult and crew created/trained (2 Turns)
-Employ the clergy to enchant arrows (4 Turns)

Log: Antonio's training continues. As does the clergy.

Spoiler: Ein Brief zu Das Schwarzwald Reich (click to show/hide)

Hallo Huldur Ostwind,

We thank you for the opportunity to test them ourselves. Also, our children are hardier than you think. How else would we have the current men and women of Steelhold?

We pride ourselves on our steel, and we would be willing to offer some in exchange for an influx of your new bows. The exact value will be evaluated and a specific deal will be established by your and our merchants. Thank you again.

Lebewohl,
-Kohl Greiner

[Happy Demon]

[The Schwartzwald External Affairs Room]

Spoiler: Log (click to show/hide)

These menfolk, while hairy, did do a fine job in impressing the elders. Who knows, maybe we'll see some implementation among the slingers. But those guys are as quick to change as a tree is to move. It's going to take a while, as they want to make damn sure they're be bestest archers in the damn world. Who knows, maybe it'll take longer than that fort we're making. We'll have that done soon, too. Anyway, it's regrettable I couldn't have them stay with me for celebration. They may be hairy and sweaty but th- Anyway, the elders have forbidden me from keeping any of our guests. They still think it's my fault those high elves are nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, looking west has me worried. Those manfolk are gearing up for war. And once they take out Daíona, what will they do next? We may be able to join them, but we're defenders, not attackers. Not to mention, Daíona plans to defend. Maybe they're destined to fail, and we can snatch up their lands once they do. After all, no need to bargain for their iron if we can just take it for ourselves. But we just showed them the potential of our bows. We need something to offer to the demon worshipers to stay their wrath after grabbing that territory. They use crossbows, not bows.

Problem is, we need time. Our forces have grown complacent. Loath as I am to say this, but our venerable guardians have grown weak, due to a hundred years of peace. And don't even get me started on the slingers. They may be able to hit a target with pinpoint accuracy, but they struggle to even hit a deer. They're good at the range, but not during action. We need to refresh the training on them, bring them up to our old standards. And speaking of our old standards, there's also the question of our old castes. I remember the days before the Swordsmen, when we had the Reapers. It will take ages to retrain them, and make new scythes for them. That is why we want that iron so much. There's also that the greatest reaper, Helrekkr Grimm has been missing for the last few millennia. And only the Mad Elder have any idea where he is. That man is terrible with directions, we'd spend a year just trying to find a single good suggestion. And there's the possibility that he's no longer there when we do find the right directions.

Ultimately, it'll depends on what happens. If we get the steel from Steelhold, we can work to reestablishing the Reapers. As we can create the Warscythes, Lifehunter Masks, and Maille to supply them with. They wont be stealthy, but these guys take down giants. If we can trade our bows at a high rate, then we can further development with bows, and make the best darn archers you'll ever see. (or never see) But if neither, then we'll focus on restrengthening our Guardians, and maybe our Slingers as well. Guess we'll have a talk with the people of Daíona and Woodrock Estate, to see if they are interested.

Wait, there's a new faction on our border. The witch's kingdom. Maybe they'll be interested and have something to offer.

Spoiler: Letter to Daíona (click to show/hide)

Greetings to you, demon worshipper. The Ostwind is here.

So we made this kickass bow, can shoot through armor, and it's a very compact size. We're training our 2 and a half thousand Footmen to use them, and they'll let us turn armies into corpses. But we'll also be making a large surplus of them. Are you interested? And if so, what could you offer in return?
Also, would you like some assistance with the impending attack from Steelhold? We wont be helping them, but with a good enough offer, we might just aid you. We are masters of defense, after all. We can defend two places at once with our mighty army.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

Spoiler: Letter to Woodrock Estate (click to show/hide)

Greetings Aster. Ostwind here, the Hulder one.

Anyway, we didn't get your elves, but we got some humans from Steelhold instead. They made quite the display. Now the bow is going to be offered to the Footmen, making thousands of archers to whittle down our enemies from afar. Even Viktor Hagel picked up one. That's THE Slinger. So this means he may end up making our Slingers change weapon. Kickass, right?
Anyway, we'll be producing a ton of bows, bows for days. And they kick ass. They can pierce armor and all that, despite being small and light enough for us to draw. Are you interested? We'd like to know what you can offer in exchange. These are some darn good bows, after all.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

Spoiler: Letter to the Cookie Kingdom (click to show/hide)

Greetings servants of the witch, this is Hulder Ostwind.

We've learned that the witch had sadly passed away, but that you, her delicious servants now roam her lands. We have done dealings with the witch before, and I'm sure she's told you about us and our magical power. And we hope you don't hold any grudges on us for eating so many of your ancestors. But to be fair, they were delicious.
I contact you to inform you we have a new bow, a very powerful bow, one capable of piercing armor, and is very small and easy to use. It's the bestest bow that will best any foe. And I'm wondering if you would be interested in acquiring such a bow. We want to know what you can offer for such a bow.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

Spoiler: Letter for the Kingdom of Steelhold (click to show/hide)

Greetings and salutations once more, Kohl Greiner. Hulder (with an E) here.

It doesn't matter how hardy your children are, they aren't thousands of winters old. But that's beside the point.
We're delighted that you are interested in our bows. And knowing you're willing to offer steel for them is music to m- is velvet for my eyes. With that steel, we may restore our Reapers, giving us potent offensive power, enough to beat any and all army. These boys kill giants, you know. You seen any giants around? No? Exactly. That's how kickass our Reapers were. Also they cut through armies like wheat in a field. These bad boys are great.

Schwartzwald External Affairs Department

[Supernerd]

Sorry guys. I have decided to quit this game.

[Screech9791]

Sorry guys. I have decided to quit this game.

Well, when the entire discord for the game finds out that you're breaking the rules, I saw this from a mile away.

If anyone wants to try annexing the former Woodrock Estate, feel free to start a 5 day project (you can't double time annexings) to gain 1 conquered kingdom, 1 bonus project point, and 100 extra troops (the 100 force bonus does not appy to the bonus from conquered kingdoms), as well as the following:

Spoiler: Stuff gained from annexing (click to show/hide)

(Add these to your sheet once you're the first to annex Woodrock Estate under the respective parts, and add "Woodrock Estate" to the Acquired Kingdoms list.)

Map(s):

Woodrock Manor is essentially one massive fortress that covers the majority of this map segment. There are ramparts across the entire perimiter of the manor. There are five towers with high altitude, the outer four contain barracks and the gateways leading into the manor are at their base. The inner tower is the highest point of this map. There is a large body of water on the western side of the map.

Troops:
Guardsman: These soldiers make up the bulk of the conventional military forces of the Woodrock Estate. They typically wear either chainmail or half-plate armor and fight using either a halberd, or a sword and shield. They lack any extraordinary abilities, but can exploit the weaknesses of specialized enemies.

Assassin: The assassins employed by the Woodrock Estate typically also serve the role of a maid, butler, chef or other service providers. They are unarmored and fight using weapons such as shortbows, daggers and poisons. They are stealthy and nimble, but have little protection against attacks so they tend to struggle in large scale combat. They are best suited to carrying out stealth attacks, defending against stealth attacks, and fighting one on one.

Arcanist: Apprentice spellcasters of the Woodrock estate. They go into battle wielding an magic wand, and a shortsword or mace as an emergency backup weapon and they wear either robes or leather armor. The first spells that the Hedge Wizards are taught to cast is a protective aura that can subvert hostile effects on not only themselves, but a large number of allies around them as well. Most of them can also cast other forms of magic too.

Engineer: The Engineers are the ones responsible for maintaining the numerous traps in Woodrock Manor. In large scale combat they excel at siege and counter siege warfare, manning siege weapons such as Ballistae, Hwacha, Catapults or whatever else they can come up with. These weapons have very long range and destructive power, but they typically require a crew of about five in order to use these weapons at optimal efficiency. These weapons require an extended period of time in order to set them up meaning they cannot be rapidly redeployed.

[Failbird105]

Spoiler: Day 8, Cookie Kingdom (click to show/hide)

General Info:
Civilization Name: Cookie Kingdom
Theme: Cookie Run/Wars
Day 8
Capital: City of the Millenial Tree
Acquired Kingdoms: None
Focus: Industry

Map(s):


Troops & Heroes:
Troops:
Jelly Bees - Grapefruit sized insects formed almost entirely out of Jelly. They are capable of flight, and their stingers can reliably penetrate the average Cookies body. However, while they are capable of causing great damage to unprotected flesh and skipping over the frontlines to assault the enemies in the rear, they simply cannot output the force necessary to cause any harm through armor that's tougher than leather. In addition, their bodies being made of jelly makes them somewhat fagile, lighter blunt weapon attacks disperse well, causing almost no harm, but powerful blunt force blows can splatter their bodies completely, and bladed weapons can cleave straight through their squishy forms. Altogether though, Jelly Bees still remain far more cheap to raise, train and feed than equipping, training and supporting a Knight, allowing four to be fielded for every one actual soldier. Plus the honey and environmental benefits provided by having so many bees around certainly makes them a desirable option.

Knight Cookies - Knights, kitted out in sugar reinforced white-chocolate plate armor with jelly joints and a hard candy shield. They wield sharp, purpose made candy swords. Being Cookies, their bodies are hard, and lack internal structure. This means that blades may have a hard time cutting into their bodies, and piercing weapons won't hit anything vital, but blunt weaponry is far more effective, with an almost complete lack of padding to dampen the impact on their ridged bodies a good hit with a blunt weapon such as a warhammer can smash off limbs or cause parts of their body to crumble.

Wildberry Archer Cookies - These Cookies, taking after the untamed origin of their ingredients, are skilled hunters, and used to life in the wilderness, outside of cities and towns. They are competent archers, wielding fairly average bows, wooden with jelly-based bowstrings. The real trick is their arrows which, much like a large majority of other Cookie equipment, use candy instead of metal for their tips. This doesn't generally effect non-biological creature, Cookies included, but against flesh-based life the arrowheads tend to melt and become sticky in the wounds. This means that if the arrows are not removed very quickly they can become very difficult and painful to extract, and even cause quite a bit more damage being removed. Their bodies are less hard than some other cookies as they are filled with jam, but otherwise they still have no real internals, blades have an easier time cutting into them than the average Cookie and blunt weapons are only slightly more effective instead of greatly.

Candy Cannon - The latest in Candy siege technology. A large candy and sugar-glass orb with candy wheels and a Blast Jelly lined barrel on one end. The enthusiastic jawbreakers residing within take their name literally, and love being fired out at unfortunate targets. The Blast Jelly lining the inside of the barrel allows the Jawbreakers to be fired with great force, enough to damage stone walls with prolonged bombardment, but it is a good bit less effective than a regular cannon would be. There is also the fact that the Candy Cannon cannot move or aim itself, and instead must be accompanied by other units. The materials leave a candy cannon costing as much as 10 Knights, but it is arguably worth it for the force it provides.

Gumball Blasters - Wielders of the result of an experiment to make a cookie-portable version of the Candy Cannons Blast Jelly propelled shooting. Gumball Blasters wield long, blast jelly lines tubes with a dome at one end, this dome is filled with large candy balls that, when colliding with something at high speeds, splatter into a big, and quite sticky, mess that limits movement.  Much like other cookies, their bodies are quite hard.

Biscuit Cavalry - Knight Cookies armed with spears, and riding atop our trained biscuit horses. The horses, being animal crackers, are far less effected by things like caltrops and sharp weapons in general than an ordinary horse, but are much more vulnerable to blunt attacks. Being cavalry, they are obviously a good bit more effective than soldiers on foot, but having a horse in addition to a knight costs twice as much.

Heroes:
Wind Archer Cookie - A legendary archer, once the very wind that blew through the forest. He was given the form of a cookie to help him purify the darkness, and protect the land. He can shoot arrows of light from his bow, up to three at once, and with power ranging from normal arrows, to being enough to put a hole clean through a man and hit the one behind him. When they're at their lower levels, they can be directly guided mid-air.

Tiger Lily Cookie - The long lost sister of Princess Cookie, Tiger Lily was  raised by a majestic and mighty butter tiger, and through her time has mastered the jungles and forests she calls home. She rides the butter tiger that raised her into battle, it presenting a terrifying threat in its own right, and she wields an enchanted sugar tipped spear, which leaves through flesh as easily as Jellies, and increases her speed while held.

Supplies:
Foreign:
None
Domestic:
Jellies- A strange sort of gummy material made using sugar. Jelly can be shaped in various ways, can gain different properties based on ingredients used to make it, and there even exist living and naturally reproducing creatures made out of it. On its own it's far from durable, and is in fact edible, so it's not really good for weapons, but it's otherwise a very versatile material.

Power Jellies- One of the few leftover creations of the Witch that is to some degree properly understood. They are types of jellies with strange, almost magical properties, and come in four types. Energy Jellies don't do anything on their own but can be brewed into potions that rejuvenate and slightly heal the drinker, Growth Jellies cause the eater to grow to several times their size for a short duration, Blast Jellies propel what they're applied to forward at great speed, and Magnet Jellies cause the eater to attract other Jellies to themself but weakly enough that any Jelly capable of locomotion can resist.

Projects:
Train Knight Cookies to utilize Blast Jelly- By utilizing Blast Jelly, Knight Cookies will be able to charge on foot at cavalry speeds, but they have to be used carefully, because when you're Blasting, there is no stopping.

Engineer Small Scale Blast Launchers- Blast Jelly has a variety of uses, for instance, as sen in our Candy Cannons, it can be utilized as propulsion for projectiles. This project is effectively an attempt at making a cookie-portable equivalent to that.

Recruit Gumball Blasters- The results of our experiments in cookie-portable Blast Jelly based weaponry, Gumball Blasters wield large, Blast Jelly lined tubes that end in domes containing a large number of large candy balls. These balls consist of a strange, and quite sticky substance, when colliding with something at great speed, they tend to splatter upon it, creating a big, sticky mess that limits movement.

Breed Biscuit Horses

Recruit Biscuit Cavalry

Recruit the Cookie in the Forest?- After a short trip by a courier, headed by a pair of WIldberries, into the forest to meet the mysterious Cookie, they where successful. And wouldn't you know it, this Cookie turned out to be none other than Princess Rose Cookies lost sister, Princess Tiger Lily Cookie.

Rebuild the City of Wizards, Central Tower - The central tower of the ancient City of Wizards, ruined since before even the Witches time. While the materials of the structure themselves are not particularly tough, the strange enchantments that pervade the whole of the city, even in its ruined state, make it particularly difficult to siege from afar, and the strange mechanisms within prove a dangerous threat to invaders. A few of the surrounding structures have been rebuilt as well, though none of them are particularly important, they provide adequate housing for our researchers. (will be added to map when I have time)

Other:

Troops:
3400 Jelly Bees(= 900 soldiers)
1050 Knight Cookies
700 Wildberry Archer Cookies
40 Candy Cannons(= 400 soldiers)
200 Gumball Blasters
Total: 2600

Recruitment:
50 Knight Cookies
50 Wildberry Archer Cookies
50 Gumball Blasters
25 Biscuit Cavalry
Total: 200

Supplies:
Jelllies
Power Jellies

Projects:
Reactive(recruit) Mega Jackson Balls (1/1)

Completed Projects:
Train Knight Cookies to utilize Blast Jelly (1/1)
Engineer Small Scale Blast Launchers (2/2)
Recruit Gumball Blasters (1/1)
Breed Biscuit Horses (2/2)
Recruit Biscuit Cavalry (1/1)
Recruit the Cookie In the Forest (1/1)
Rebuild the City of Wizards, Central Tower (6/4)

Log: Well ahmm, I suppose I should preface the following by informing you all that this is not Princess Cookie, but rather I, her royal adviser, Buttercream Choco Cookie hmmyes. Princess Cookie is ah, indisposed at the moment. However she has left me to work on keeping things in order until she gets back. She has however given me her permission to use my own better judgement in regards to these new... individuals, that have messaged us. In other news, the tower has been reconstructed, along with some of the surrounding structures, and in light of recent news, we have begun re-activating some of the strange spherical constructs that where found within.

Spoiler:  Response to Shwarzwald Reich (click to show/hide)

Salutations

We have indeed received your offer, and I must say such a prospect does certainly sound interesting. We have many options we could offer to you in return, though I can't say I can be certain just what would be a fair trade for what sounds like a potent weapon unless we've seen for ourselves what it could do. That being said, what I can always offer is an amount of our Jelly Bees.

You have likely seen these, having worked with the Witch yourselves, but I can vouch that they can be trained for war as well as any domestic animal, and swarms of such large insects can be a terrifying sight for enemies. Not to mention their breeding has positive effects on the environment, flowers grow larger and more vibrant, and trees of fruit produce greater yields. And indeed, should it interest you, their flavor is quite nice as well, sweet, honey flavored gummies the size of a grapefruit, that reproduce themselves naturally, why it would be a sweet-tooths dream!

I can, of course, understand if receiving insects, even such large, helpful, and delicious ones, in trade for a powerful weapon is unappealing to you of course, however until we've seen these bows of yours for ourselves, I'm afraid I cannot offer a trade that would leave both sides of this agreement satisfied**. As such, if you are displeased with this offer, feel free to schedule such a demonstration for us at your own leisure.

*Note: said amount being no greater than 1000.
**Note: unless it is bees.
Royal Advisor, Buttercream Choco Cookie

[coleslaw35]

Well, when the entire discord for the game finds out that you're breaking the rules, I saw this from a mile away.

If anyone wants to try annexing the former Woodrock Estate, feel free to start a 5 day project (you can't double time annexings) to gain 1 conquered kingdom, 1 bonus project point, and 100 extra troops (the 100 force bonus does not appy to the bonus from conquered kingdoms), as well as the following:

I mean, to be fair, they specifically messaged you what they were doing. You could've easily have referred them to the no spies rule and been done with it. Don't make it seem like the players were the ones to shun him when you literally gave him a mocking roll and a position in "The Hall of Shame" for a simple mistake.

Anyways, what happens if two people complete the annexation project at the same time?