*Takes off parka* Can you hear me now /u/paddywagon_man? Anyway joking aside I'm sorry for the delay in uploading this part, real life ended up getting hectic and I was unable to keep up.



Back where we left off Slovenia had just back-stabbed Singapore along with Chagos, and this resulted in the capture of the city of Novena. Now back to your regularly scheduled first person narration.

The three men sighed as they huddled together. "He can't be saved can he?" grumbled one of the men. "Not since she got her claws into him. Some foreign advisor she is. Always encouraging him to settle more land. Each day a new city. And that in turn drives him into a frenzy each time!" the second replied. "Yeah we need to stop her, before things get out of hand..." chimed in the third.

"We're too late!" wailed the latter of the trio. "Now he is wailing about the monks being corrupted heathens and needing to purge them off the face of the earth! And what's worse is he managed to drag Lebanon into this mess!" "That is true" mused the leader, "but this could work out in our favour. If he is focused on war, this could be our chance to get rid of her once and for all!".

"Distract him you said, it will be our chance you said!" grumbled the remaining man. "Look it was worth a shot!" retorted their leader.

"Oh great Jigam, what should be do? Phuntsholing is too far to send a defensive force." "Hmm in that case we should take Tyre! An eye for an eye, balanced as everything should be" replied Jigam.

"Our great leader surely will not abandon us. He always spoke of balance, and equality, I am sure he will find a way to balance out the attacking force!"

"Sir! Where shall we strike next? Butik Batok has taken damage, as has Woodlands. We need to decide quickly." questioned the pikeman. "Send an expeditionary force to Woodlands where the Chagos bowmen are weakening the town, while the rest of us will go direct to Butik."

As word returned to Eric that Phuntsholing had fallen, many expected him to integrate the city into his vas empire. Instead he started to scream about how tainted the city was and that the only way to remove it was to cleanse it with fire!



In the meantime the city of Tyre was ready to fall, but right as his men where about to march in Jigam ordered them to stop, citing a a vision of a path that would lead to true enlightenment!

Under the cover of night a lone musketman snuck into Woodlands and licked the walls of the town's palace. When the Chagos military tried to protest, he simply replied that he has used a lot of saliva, and thus under international law, the city was his.

"Their capital is undefended. The time is ripe to take the capital of Chagos! Quick attack, and make us an empire to stand the test of time!" bellowed Tonga

Word finally got around to Milan that you could actually "fix" a city by cleansing it with fire he ordered the city of Butik Batok to be cleansed. The maniacal laughter that emanated from the throne room was passed off as the acoustics of said room amplifying laughter from a joke.

"Queen Ermesidne, the filthy Trinidad and Tobago's have settled close to us. What shall we do?" pleaded the advisor "Meh let them settle where they wish. I have plans for more...wonderous things!" replied the queen.

"This is getting bad. That "advisor" seems to have gotten her grasp into both Milan and Tonga. Things may end up snowballing quickly if we cannot stop them quickly enough! - excerpt from a former Trinidad and Tobagon adviser, who was found dead from two self inflicted arrows in the back.

"With peace, the circle is finally complete! I now have full control over the inner sea! This shall be the start of a golden age for us!" crowed Tafa'ifa

"Sire the men are unable to progress! There is some kind of large, rock formation in the way!" wailed the advisor. "Ugh fine I'll make peace, but we need to figure this out sooner rather than later."

"The men are tired Sir. They are complaining that they want to go home." remarked the composite bowman "We can't leave, not until Butik Batok falls man!" bellowed the pikeman "It's been burnt to a crisp for the past three years...." retorted the bowman "Oh in thace case let's head back..." replied the pikeman meekly.

Tafa'ifa smiled as she looked down at the messenger she was about to send back to Beirut. "Sure, a trade deal with Fouad that's totally what I have in mind. However the trade will involve all his men dying, and his cities becoming mine"

"No our great leader is not a pyromaniac! I do not know why on earth you would think that! Fake news! You're just fake news!" - Slovenian public relations consultant in 760AD in response to the burning of Montego Bay

The Slovenians have a military might that dwarfs all the other civs. After that it is a pretty close contest

The pacifist monks bring up the bottom of the pack, with Jigam's plan seemingly requiring no army whatsoever.

"I call it an "industrial engine". It will allow our industry to reach a whole new level! Maybe even an entire age!" exclaimed the excited scientist. "And it will cover the fact that Milan has been putting us to shame in the war against Lee! I love it!" replied Louis.

With the first foray into the industrial era comes a golden age for us all, as the newer weapons mean more bloodshed for us to enjoy

"No our leader is not frothing at the mouth screaming about needing to settle more cities. And his message of thefere is just a puzzle that only the wisest people can decipher." - Slovenian public relations consultant in 820AD in response to the settling of Dom Ale and Murska Sobuta

"Ugh how are they still standing?! They should have fallen by now! I guess peace it is..."

"We finally met everyone. Now let's gather them all into one room to....discuss. Yes that sounds right to discuss world matters. Send out the emissionaries!" ordered Eric.

"Paro is falling! We need orders!" wailed the foot-soldiers in unison "Our great leader said to stay put so that is what we must do..." replied the general meekly.

"Now the capital is under threat! What shall we do?!" ".....Our latest orders are to give up all our wordly possessions and embrace the void. I erm....RETREAT!"

"The lebanese have fallen back, but the Tobagons are determined to take the capital. Meanwhile Jigam has disappeared...This is very bad" mused the surviving advisers.

With the fall of the capital, Jigam moved onto Gelephu. Word on the street is that he is preparing some kind of elaborate ritual involving silks and incense. The once respectable army has all but fled and the future looks murky.

In a moment of clarity Milan ordered the burning of Butik Batok to stop. Meanwhile in Sinagpore Lee is currently consulting with his advisors. "They may have backstabbed me but they won't attack the capital. That would be foolish. Right men?"

"Milan is a fool! We must burn all non mountain cities of the monks! Those cities are all impure! Watch as I burn Wangdue! Now according to the deal I struck at the start of this war I need to let Lebanon take at least two cities, so I guess it's time to end this.

"NO!" cried out Lee. "IT CANNOT BE! How could Chagos have taken Jurong East?! It should be impossible!"

"The time has come. My loyal followers, join me in the room, and barricade the door. We are going to become one with the world." bellowed Jigam.

As the soldiers approached the final barricaded room, there was a large explosion of light. Men were flung back like rag dolls, and a few unlucky ones found themselves with an extra appendage of wood and steel. Their leader opened the door and found a single man barely clinging on to life. The poor soul had lost a leg and and arm, and was barely clinging onto to life.



With his remaining hand he grabbed the soldier and looked into his eyes with a haunted look. "He....he was beautiful. The light...the portal...he ascended...they all did! The-they became one with the void! I didn't believe. Not enough. I paid the price. Don't make my mistake. Please, DON'T!" And with that the injured man's grip released the soldier and fell to the ground.



The soldier grimaced and looked over to the crater that indicated the origin of the explosion. He ordered his men to exit, and closed the door behind him, and ordered that a wall be built in front of the door. Shortly after all the men who saw the interior of the room mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again.



Eulogy: Bhutan honestly did very poorly this game. They waited much too long to expand and when they did they did so incredibly awkwardly. After Lebanon surrounded them they had little hope of surviving, and the dual declaration of war was the final nail in the coffin.

Lee paced across his throne room "They have taken Cheng San. But that is it right? They won't go all the way..."

"The city of Poule has long been a thorn in our side. But today, it will fall and burn!" - Tafa'ifa in her adress to the people, 1080AD

"I found a tactic that will surely work this time round! We will avoid the mountain, that way it cannot stop us!" announced Tonga with glee.

"See it is working! We have taken Sepulture!" he crowed

"Ang Mio Rio. That has to be where they stop. Right? Yes that's right." Lee mumbled as he tried to reassure himself.



In the meantime in Trinidad Eric got word of a new invention that allowed people to transmit moving images from around the country into people's homes. This invention was so incredible and modern, it was described as the start of the modern era!

"How could this be? They took Sepulture back! This will not stand! Forget the plan, attack Diego Garcia. We will walk over that rock if we have to!"

"Since we are so advanced, it is only fair we lead the congress right? Right that sounds better than my original idea. Time to go tell the congress" muttered Eric as he entered the meeting hall.

"My friends, it is time to end tyranny. The hammer and sickle and the weapons of our great country, and we will all rise as one! This manifesto will detail how every man will be equal and how he will grow stronger together!" - Eric's Speech about adopting communism in 1130 AD

"Army? Cities? Who needs them! Only wonders matter in this world!" screamed Ermesidne

"Louis e' tu?! You promised me we would be friends forever! And now you take my capital. This is truly the darkest time. I need to think..."

Milan rediscovers his pyromaniac streak again and decides it's time to purge all remaining signs of the Singaporean people once and for all.

"We are unable to take the city as it. Peace is the wise option m'am." announced the advisor. "Hmm fine. We will remove that sore spot soon enough."

"Times are dark. The end may be near. But at least Milan kept his promise to not kill me. That has to count for something? Right?" mumbled Lee to nobody in particular.

"That pesky mountain keeps getting in our way. We need to blow it up or something but for now let's just leave Changos alone."

"Peace? Peace! HA the fool! As if I will let her catch her breath. I will destroy her once and for all!"

As Louis entered the palace he found it totally isolated. Everyone had fled weeks ago, and all that was left was a cadaver on the throne. As he approached closer, he realised it was that of his once ally Lee. Right in the cadaver's back lay a single golden hilted dagger inscribed with the Royal Singaporean Crest. With a heavy sigh Louis pulled down the lids of Lee's eyes and whispered "May you find peace in the next life".



Eulogy: Singapore did pretty well early game and killed off Jamaica efficiently. A large empire coupled with a ruthless streak is usually a recipe for success, but in this case they were not prepared for the two former allies to turn on them and were promptly defeated.

"Prepare for trouble and make it double! You may have a sea, but I have an army, and you won't be able to stop Team Roc- the Dream Team!"

"See! We managed to take Vaiusu! I am sure it is only a matter of time until she capitulates..."

In the meantime in Andorra a military coup has resulted in a "new" goverment being installed, lead by none other than Richard himself!

"Peace is good right? Technically she did give up. Yeah that counts..." mumbled Fouad.

Andorra has prospered in these times of peace, and has a massive population! Meanwhile the Samoan wars mean that the people are struggling with rations.

Peak communist efficiency takes Trinidad and Tobago to the top most spot in terms of hammers, while Luxembourg's wonder obsession dwarfs their productivity,

Slovenia has an expansionist streak that dwarfs even that of Eric's, while Andorra follows pretty close behind.

The same top three lead in military manpower, however nobody has an unassailable lead

Surprisingly enough the communists lead the tech game but it's only a one gap lead right now.