But sure her spirit lives on... or something like that... ?

wonderloss - just to clear things up - we did not have a NAP, and we both attacked a neutral province. First she fought the independents, and then I fought her.

What I am offering her is to refrain from further agression as long as she recognizes Wynna and Mark as my territory forever. As long as her army is in tatters and I lost just one charriot in the process, I think it's not a bad deal. I could probably beat the PD in her home castle, ending the game for her, since her pretender is dead and army in tatters. I could easily ask for a regular tribute, but I am willing to let her exist as a sort of vassal state, guarding my south-western flank. There are still vast territories south and west from her castle she can expand into. That's how things stand - politics is just the art of the possible.

I gathered that it was an accidental attack. I have had the same happen in another game. I had not seen your post when I made mine. I was just advising her to respond, dead pretender or not, so she did not end up in a war she did not want at this time.

The nation of Arcoscephale sends its best regards to the green things of Yomi in this trying time. It may ease your people to know that our Thinkers have developed a new theory on the life after death. Our greatest minds are positive that the spirits of those who die do not really leave, but merely shrink to become those unseen "mice" that have cats and dogs the world over charging headfirst into solid walls. The Thinkers believe that, by throwing themselves in front of scurrying cats and dogs, priestesses may, by chance, capture such spirits. Returning them to their bodies, though, is easily accomplished with a common blacksmith's bellows.

Spokesdemon for the dead lilith:  The dead pretender may come back, after a number of turns, but the high priest is also dead - so it takes longer?  AND the pretender comes back permently weaker...  AND hinnom is demanding that I allow him to keep the province where he attacked me (accidently or not) even thought that province is adjacient to my castle, and two provinces from his.... would any of you accept such a thing?  

Now I will make some counter demands:  i expect significant reparations from hinnom:  1) gold, items, gems, leaders.   He must attempt to replace what he took from me if he expects me to trust him - especially after the blatent lies he has told us all; and 2) I expect hinnom to withdraw his claim on the province adjacient to my home, but two provinces from his home... that is an intolerable situation... next he will want  poland!  i also expect him to publically admit that he misrepresented the incident earlier... that he was NOT the defender, but the (probably unintentional) attacker... 

actually, guess it doesn't matter, he lied once, (claiming I attacked him) and so early in the game...

I will follow her last directions and send the 10,000 roasted demons for your party...   and some hot sauce.   Drink hearty....

And dear Thranite,  i know lilith would be sad to hear of such trreatment from the 'freedom' creature.  No pretender deserves such treatment.... and

Thanks for the info about how pretenders come back, i jusyt hav eto hire a bunch of priests, amnd sit around for 7 - 8 turns...  while hinnom demands the unreaonable from me.

Ah, I just read hinnoms nasty words about my 'army in tatters,'  go ahead and try and take my home.....   you will never get tribute from me.....  but I will fight you and you will be weaker... and the others will then pick your bones... you lied in public about what happened...   NO ONE will trust your word again.  Send significant reparations, and witdraw your claim on the province, or it is war.  Think clearly, Hinnom, your only hope is to win my trust with your actions, and redeem your soilded word.  Else my allies pick your bones.  My candle will not go out alone... the long dark awaits you, if you choose unwisly.

Please allow me as a disinterested neighbour (with assassins!) to negotiate a lasting peace between the three of us. I have already spoken to Yomi and she finds my terms reasonable; I will send a message to Hinnom shortly.

In the meantime, please try not to use this thread to discuss this. Let's do so privately. We will get this settled in a manner that will accommodate everyone, but that will require that we refrain from unnecessary insults and accusations

Why not have fun with it.   Silly, but the player behind hinnom is someone i have exchanged friendly emails with - and I count as a friend... so all the blustering here is ROLEPLAYING....  enjoy!

Messages have been sent. Please consider my proposal, dear subjects... err, neighbours. I meant neighbours.

It is not a small map, so I think some people just ended up close to one another. I think there are around 14 provinces per person, maybe more.

131 land, 19 sea. That is 13 land provinces per person. I think you ended up with a bad position to start in.

In the future, I will probably look at a map with fixed start positions if I set up another game. Not that it helps you much now.

This is the first game I have set up, so I have learned a bit about the options. There are a few things I would do differently if setting up a game in the future.

Indeed, there is not, to my great delight. I was quite happy when Atlantis dropped at the lat minute - at least I got my back covered, relatively speaking.

All of this drama!

Up in the fires of Mt. Abysia everything is comparatively quiet and tranquil.  Our scouts have only just come to the borders of another empire, many many provinces to the north.  I think others are closer to us, to the south and west, but there are impassable mountains to the south and only one passage via land to the west.

Nevertheless, expansion is slow with Abysia because our troops are extremely expensive.  Losing seven men to barbarians - as we did in our last battle with the independents - may seem like nothing to you less hardy nations, but seven men is a significant number of Abysians.  Our expansion has been, therefore, somewhat slowed by the combination of troop expenses and the placement of our capital in between conquerable provinces (meaning we have to pass back through the capital before attacking again).  As the rest of you know, as well, mercenaries have proven expensive, far too costly for our already costly nation.

Nevertheless, Arges looks forward to watching his chosen commander in the death match (it was difficult to convince him not to go himself, but the risks were deemed too great), and Abysia looks forward to meeting and igniting all of you in battle.  Someday.

Yes, as you can all see, negotiations are proceeding just splendidly.