TURN 5 - Next deadline: July 29, 12:01 PM
Arrows rained on the advancing force of Tarantulas. Some of them crashed harmlessly against the dirt, but most found flesh and were stuck in it. The first assault of the Tarantula force on Requiem had begun, a screen of criminals and prisoners forced to rush before the main Tarantula force to distract the Mantises inside and make the same waste their arrows.
After the utter destruction of this pathetic force, the main force of the Tarantulas advanced. They were grim and strong, with crude iron armor and weaponry. Most carried enormous longswords, several centimeters in length. Others wielded smaller weapons and shields, and some carried the proud banners of the Tarantuleans. This force was the brunt of the - arguably - strongest fighting force in Britain, the army of Cardiff. Tens of thousands of tarantulas advanced in no particular formation approaching the city walls. They stopped a couple of meters away from the walls, just out of the reach of the Mantis arrows.
Then, the Siege Towers advanced. Great beasts pulled on great chains to allow them to move forward, because the siege towers were ridiculously large (like the walls of Requiem). As they advanced, large stones were exchanged between the Mantises and Tarantulas, cast from catapults and trebuchets. A stone crashed against the strong walls of Requiem, and bounced away with little visible effect. Another managed to hit the battlements, and several Mantises were crushed under its great weight. A rather large stone was thrown from a catapult, and crashed against a siege tower. Thunderous was its collapse, many of the attackers being splattered under the massive thing.
After this memorable experience, a couple of siege towers reached the walls. The soldiery of the Tarantulas advanced, hard boots crashing against the ground and destroying any life in it. Arrows once again fell thick from the sky. Shields were raised in silly attempts at protecting their wielder from damage, whilst other soldiers raced on, careless. A decent part of the force reached the walls, and constructed a makeshift parapet next to it, where they waited. Inside the siege towers, a great number of Tarantulas was present already, the same which were about to attack the walls.
"Captain Verulus!" cried a Mantis as it ran towards the most renowned general of the Mantis army, Captain Verulus. "The enemy has reached the walls, and the siege tâ¦"
"I'm not dumb, Jon." the Captain interrupted. "I can very well see what's going on. Come, we must go."
The Captain rushed out of the Gatehouse, Jon following clumsily. Swords unsheathed, many of their kin were already preparing for the imminent battle. At one point, there was a small bulge outwards in the wall. Here was a great siege-tower covered in wet skins, arrows sticking harmlessly all through it. There, the Captain stopped. He addressed his soldiers in a short and pointless speech, before he drew his sword and waited.
The first drawbridge was lowered. A plethora of Tarantulas rushed forward, falling on top of the Mantises that had been expecting the moment. Blows were exchanged by the two forces as a constant stream of enemies rushed out of the siege tower and into the walls. In the massive confusion that the battle soon became, a small force of tarantulas advanced from the Tarantula camp. They had a strange black sphere with two handles, and carried it eagerly. The archers distracted on the men atop the walls, they reached a part of the wall a distance from the Gatehouse. Dropping their load, they smiled.
One of them lit a torch and threw it against the sphere.
Moments later, a great section of the wall had collapsed, the thunderous explosion having destroyed all around it. Heavy bricks flew into all directions as if they were rain, crashing into the heads of dazzled soldiers.
"What manner of devilry is that?" cried the mantises from their walls. "Have the Tarantulas signed a pact of friendship with the Devil?"
A massive force of Tarantulas that had not advanced earlier rushed forth now. No arrows flew to greet them. No taunts were heard. Only the clash of iron and steel. No enemy was expecting them after the wall. They ran.
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The Unnamed Anarchy of Sonic
Race: Honey Bee
Main Hive: Blackpool
Cities under Control: Blackpool
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Food: 420
Food Income: 30 per turn
Technology: None
Age: the Age of Stone
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Soldiers: 300
Soldier Cost/Recruitment: 300/0
Soldier Weapons/Armor: None/None
Vehicles: 50 grasshoppers
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On the ground lies a small bee, in a weak and sad state. It breathes with difficulty, making a soft and quiet sound. After you ask your question, the bee looks at you and says with a weary voice:
"Cardiffâ¦tarantulasâ¦dead." then, the bee is silent. It remains alive, but immobile. Could the tarantulas have attacked the nest? and why would such a great empire bother to destroy such a small hive?
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The Legion of Stag Beetles
Race: Stag Beetles
Main Lair: Stag Lodge, Sheffield
Cities under Control: Stag Lodge
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Food: 390
Food Income: 30 per turn
Technology: None
Age: the Age of Stone
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Soldiers: 300
Soldier Cost/Recruitment: 300/0
Soldier Weapons/Armor: None/None
Vehicles: 50 grasshoppers
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(I appreciate your bolding your nation's title).
Your soldiers and you ride away in Grasshoppers, following the scent of the strange creature. After ten minutes of riding through the thick and unforgiving grass, you notice that there is a campfire nearby, in a clearing. Two of your men dismount and silently creep away to investigate such a strange thing.
They return a couple of moments later. "Sir. We have found our kidnapped men. But with them are three tarantulas, hideous creatures of the west. Several of our kinsmen appear to be dead, and are about to be eaten by the vile creatures, but some appear to be alive and are, in vain, struggling to escape. What are your orders, sire?"
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The Empire of the Fallen
Race: Fire Ants
Main Anthill: Liverpool
Cities under Control: Liverpool
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Food: 440
Food Income: 30 per turn
Technology: None
Age: the Age of Stone
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Soldiers: 250
Soldier Cost/Recruitment: 300/0
Soldier Weapons/Armor: None/None
Vehicles: 40 grasshoppers
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Raising a cup of wine, the Night Ant king accepts your offer and gives you 110 food. He retires with a lengthy discourse praising the alliance between Liverpool and Blackburn, mentioning your name multiple times. There is song and celebration, and then the parade departs.
You are informed that the Night Ants have no enemies but for the terrible tarantulas to the south, but the tarantulas are a very powerful and merciless foe. Your advisor recommends to build a great army, the likes of which the land has never seen, to even think of attacking them.
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The United Federation of Brown Recluse Spiders
Race: Brown Recluse Spiders
Capital: Keep of the Recluse, Eastbourne
Controlled Cities: Keep of the Recluse
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Food: 390
Food Income: 30
Technology: None
Age: Age of Stone
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Soldiers: 291
Soldier Cost/Recruitment: 300/0
Soldier Weapons/Armor: None/None
Vehicles:50 Grasshoppers
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Keep Defenses: Dirt Wall (Minor)
A large amount of your men begin reinforcing your walls and pasting dirt blocks with mud. However, one of them makes a shocking discovery. The soldier, a man who goes by the name Utumno, discovers a strange material close to a lake that can be placed in molds and hardened after the sun shines on it for a long time. He immediately presents himself to you with a brick of such material, asking for resources and men to reinforce the wall with this wonderful material. He calls it 'Ata' (adobe).
To the west, your emissaries find that a warlike town of Taurus Ants exists. The town is named Oort, and is encircled by a wooden palisade. A stone keep inside rises above a small bustling community. Before proposing an alliance, your soldiers return to the keep to inform you on the situation.
Small communities begin existence atop the cliffs of Dover (?). The corpse of a massive dead creature is found, and your men harvest some of it before the bird-creatures arrive and devour it.
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The Glorious Empire of Wasp
Race: Common Wasp
Main Nest: Stingza, Cork
Cities under Control: Stingza
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Food: 360
Food Income:30
Technology: None
Age: the Age of Stone.
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Soldiers:300
Soldier Cost/Recruitment: 300/0
Soldier Weapons/Armor: None/None
Vehicles:50 grasshoppers
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As your soldiers arrive to the mound of the termites, they are viciously attacked by the Termites and a couple of your men die before the others, outnumbered and outclassed, manage to escape. They return with the terrible news of such a disturbing experience to your presence, where they bow and tell their story.
The termites appear to be territorial, and trust no strangers.
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Nyan Ant Empire
â¨Race: Honeypot Ants
â¨Main Anthill: Plymouth
â¨Cities under Control: Plymouth
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â¨Food: 420 (alright >.