Battle rages on
920 A.D.: All the remaining Celtic forces between Nottingham and York are wiped out at the Battle of Grey Hill. York prepares for the invaders while the elite Republic Rangers try to hit the German lines from behind.
In case you missed an earlier installment, the Republic Rangers are a group of elite archers I've had since the first few turns of the game, and have been continually upgrading as new tech becomes available. So far, they've participated in every major battle I've seen, and are still going strong.
To the South, a Great Merchant arises out of the guilds of Edinburgh. He builds Celtica's first Customs House, bringing unprecedented wealth to the city.
This will provide a great, ongoing boost to my economy. In the mean time, I'm turning my tech path toward Education. This will allow me to make research agreements with other nations, which is the fastest way to seize a technological lead.
930 A.D.: Word arrives that Islam has been founded across the sea.
That makes six of the seven possible world religions that have been founded, and I nickname this one "iOSism." Considering four of these are on another continent, I almost wish I could peek over and see what kind of a holy mess they're in right now.
German forces land from the sea near Cardiff, leaving the Republic Rangers surrounded. They barely escape with their lives.
This ranks as the most tense moment of the game so far. I was not expecting a coastal attack from the West, and was only a few hitpoints away from losing my most experienced and emotionally significant military unit. Luckily, their guile and knowledge of the Celtic woodlands allowed them to fall back to Cardiff in one piece.
As the German siege of York begins, Swedish forces capture Berlin far to the East. With their capital taken, the possibility of German reinforcements is dashed. They remain determined, however, to keep pressing the attack from occupied Nottingham with two Great Generals and a bloodied, but still dangerous, army.
I wish I could breathe a sigh of relief now, but the war is far from over. If I lose York, it's unlikely I'll be getting either city back any time soon. That would leave London isolated, my trade routes still broken, and a bastion of German power and troop production right in the middle of my lands.
Not to mention the fact that I'm still being denounced by the French, who are no doubt aware that almost my entire army has been destroyed fighting the German invasion.
950 A.D.: The Celtic town of Nantes is founded South of Dublin.
