Well they say every dog has its day, gues it must have been soemone in a dog suit instead.
Hey what can I say when you turn up at a gunfight with knives you have to bluster just a bit.
Oh and yes we do have a few trinkets, but then I am sure you know that.
Now please do play all day in your dark corner as we will be frying other fish on that you can be sure.
We will just have to settle for WK, Rhu , Harad and QA pop centres then burn you our of that nasty pit you call home.
Vandal
Vandal
“You say WHAT!” Hoarmurath raged.
“Theeyyy cannnn’t ffffiinndd the boddddy offf Zaaakkaaatthhh” the messenger stammered.
PFFZZZZT!
A small noxious cloud dispersed slowly from the spot where the messenger had just stood. A solitary blackened boot-heel was all that remained. Hoarmurath could not believe it. As he turned away, his anger sated for the moment, he pondered. Could the rumors be true? Could the agents of the so-called Free have spirited away the dead body of Zakath? Could they really have discovered the sacred lore and death magiks required to bring back Zakath the Invincible? Surely not… surely not…
Surely Zakath had met his final fate as the poisoned dagger had slipped into his kidney. Surely it had worked this time…
Did you know we could not find it either!
A legent is born, I think I will have to rename all my children.
Mind you thanks for all that gold, I thought it was time I collected back some of the interest you owe me.
I hope the owner did not find the loss to taxing.
As you can no doubt see its collection time again and we wont be stopping until we get it all back.
Many thanks to the Rhu for building that nice shiny MT for us, it will make some great quarters for our boys as we finish our campaign in the area.
Oh and the WK had best have a pet or two with him or its goodbye to another town.
Hey at least its all good where I am, what more can I say.
Vandal
Now Now WK
Trying to sneak above me with that dragon cav army wont help. Trust me go home young man. Wk need those armies there. Not at my home. Its not worth u destroy 2 towns and a couple of camps. Four wasted turns if u ask me. Because i allready got blocks in motion. If your nation is in that long. I hope u have friends to help u. Rhu is not much help right now i think. Maybe your teams writing u off. With free armies all over your mountains.
How u like the isspers. I loved it. Talking about that. U r going to lose a Lord this turn. I got enough arties to kill him on a issue. LoL My advise is to refuse and run. Ill Give u a hint run to 2006. Because it going to be mine. With all the food u left. I can forcemarch there.
Quackers
Arth
<SLURP>
Hoarmurath licked his lips. This recipe was a wonderful success! Puree of Elatar, spiced with sage and peppers. What a delight!
He got up from the table and wandered over to the balcony. There he gazed out upon the newly arrived Elven and Eothraim armies. Why, just last week over four thousand North Gondorian troops had amassed in a very similar manner outside the gates of Durthang. Yet, as the heads of their commanders were hoisted up above the walls of Durthang, a collective sob of dismay had arisen. Hoarmurath laughed at how lacking in proper fear and discipline these Free Peoples armies were. Show them a couple of bloody heads, and they all turned and ran!
Now it was time to recreate the saga. It would be interesting to see if the Elves or Eothraim had better training. And, once more he must consult his recipe books. Hoarmurath was sure that he had a most exquisite elven compote recipe. If only he could find it in the stack of books on his desk.
Oh, and he must pen a quick thankyou note to Ji.
Despite the delicious soup, the best part of this day was the news from Ren. The Ithil pass was clear through to Minas Anor. The hordes had been released from their pens, and were marching this very hour. Finally, the business plan was moving forward as he had envisioned!
Oh but our elven eyes glistened to as we looked around and saw that which we would sweep before us.
For now was the moment, the pleasure would indeed be sweet this day for we would gorge on the killings to come this fair day.
We remember well the hero of Ithil, the great Z, note it well for we come now for the butchers head.
Oh thanks for the gifts, those goods in those MT where an unexpected treat, hell things are better than we thought for you, if you can lose that much.
Vandal
That’s what I’ve been telling you. You guys are toast and just don’t know it yet… 
heh
Dave
We are but like toast in your hands, mind you, your butter in our hands and we intend soaking you up
Vandal
touche! well said Vandal…
but a quick wit with the words aren’t going to win this for you my friend…
Oh you are right which is why we intend some hard payback with certain nations of your own.
But how we like the deep joy of a hard slog in the mud and guts and a truly worthwhile victory makes it all worthwhile.
You get the idea we dont think it all over and victory still rests in our hands.
Would you wnant it any other way? We dont
Vandal
And now Hoamurath look at the ruins of Durtang he was afraid of Dwarves but it was Humans and Elves he should have look for. Well, it cost me 2 commanders and a few cavalry but it was well worted and we are going in for more
Eo 53 aka Jacques 
EEEEOOOO EEEEOOOO EEEEOOOO
The claxons were sounding.
Four huge uruk-hai of Hoarmurath’s personal guard roughly burst into Hoarmurath’s chambers.
“time to go, your eminence.” one snapped.
“The walls have fallen, mighty Nazgul. The enemy calvalry is running roughshod in the streets!” said another. “They’ve set fire to everything!” grunted a third.
Hoarmurath couldn’t believe it. How had the defenses failed? Where was that dragon he had been promised? Oh, the excuses. Oh, yes, he was going to need lots of excuses…
His Uruk-Hai body guards hustled & hurried him to the roof. Hoarmurath worried greatly about his Lord Sauron’s reaction. This untimely development was definitely not in the business plan. As he mounted his great flying steed, he could smell the smoke of Durthang as the fires lept into the air. The mountain fortress was being burned to the ground by the enemies of his Lord.
Retribution would be his. It must be. These were the thoughts he mulled as he quickly took to the air and left his burning fortress behind. It was indeed a fortunate thing that he had taken the precaution of preserving his most precious recipee books just the week prior. But that would be of little interest to his Lord… oh no… Perhaps Sauron would be pre-occupied with the successes in the push toward Minas Anor. He surely hoped so…
Darn the great Z will not be happy you got away, he wants revenge.
Vandal
Elrond wonders what the Longrider has been doing but does not mind staying as long as it takes to take your toy away.
Vandal
Hoarmurath looked up at the Eye of his master.
There would be no mercy. He and the Nazgul had failed his Lord and Master. His seventh business plan was crumbling to dust in his hands, having just been summarily rejected by Sauron. He now knew the bitter taste of ultimate defeat.
The Eye gazed deep into his soul, crushing him, squeezing… squeezing…
He wondered if the Eye would be as lacking in mercy for the other Nazgul.
As he blacked out, Hoarmurath’s last thoughts were of his cookbook. He hoped it wouldn’t be lost. Such a masterpiece should be passed on to future generations… to whomever should next wear his ring…
so ends game 53. Congratulations to the FP! You won with a relentless economic game. We felt that we were extremely well positioned for the character war, but our economies didn’t have the beef necessary to survive.
Dave
So Hoarmurath,
Have the DS officially conceaded this game?
Dudannis.
yes. the DS have officially conceded. We have all notified ME Games.
<sniff sniff>
Dudannis stepped from the shadows, he had been sent to deliver retribution upon Hoarmurath. A slight smile played upon his lips, what he had just seen was enough to lighten his soul, after the recent news that his lord Eoder had been kiiled by a mysterious sickness.
Moving towards the figure on the ground, he felt a sharp pang of pain as he stubbed his toe upon a large tome. Bending down he retrieved the large, leather bound Volume. It was engraved in large letters in the language of Mordor. The only words he could understand looked like “…Nazgul receipe book…”. This he placed in his backpack.
Moving forward, the ultimate goal was at hand, a small but powerful prize, a golden ring. looking towards where it should lay, there was nothing…
Many thanks to all in the DS team, it was a good fight and an excellent game. Congrats to all on our Team, and especially to Frank for asking me to join his team. he’s an excellent guy and I have learnt alot from him.
Dave Pearson
Game 53 Northmen
Game 66 Woodmen
Dave P. - fitting epilog! well done.
who played which nation for you guys?
I was IK, FK, CL, QA
Scott was DrgL, DkL, DogL, BS
Aaron was WK, Rhu, LR, Harad
Scott quit many turns ago and (god bless him) Drew Carson took on his
positions which were at that time only DkL, DrgL, and BS (Dog was bankrupt)
We had lots of fun with the game even though we really blew it early by not laying down enough camps and having enough of our nations go to 60% taxes early enough.
And we were ok as we had a couple of nations with really high balances for a long time, but once we used that money, the economy really hit skid-bottom 2-3 turns back. then it was tough.
Hi Dave P.,
Wish you would have had better luck in game 68 and worse luck in game 53. <g>
Drew