I'm sure you can tell where this is going.

Trade for Code of Laws in an effort to not be playing the GA in Despotism game, only to find two things: Legion upgrades and Republic will not be happening at the same time, and Isabela hasn't got iron hooked up, and I can't get across the sea to trade it to her. Bummer.

This is an interesting little shot.

Let's see what Alex's peace terms are. 180 gold? No, no, I don't think so, Alex. But thanks for ignoring my city and going after those barbs.

And with a legion one turn away from completion, the time has come. Hey Isabella. You want 355 gold and 1gpt plus my world map for Republic? You got it. My map and 3gpt will net me Math from Beth, too. Yay bargain basement techs.

SEVEN turns of anarchy. SEVEN. Oh. Dear. 17 gold. -5 gpt. You do the math.

"Uh, Boss? Treasury's looking a bit bare, Boss."

"Shut up, Flunkius."

Let's see. Somewhere, I need to come up with... 18 more gold. Ruh-roh.

Setting tax collectors in Rome, Antium, and Pompeii reduces it to -2 gpt. 3 gold to spare. Whew. Now all I need to do is survive the next 7 turns.

Then there's this amusement. Can't attack with the Legion because I don't want to waste my GA. So I get this:

Fortunately Greece has like no troops apparently, or they're taking eons to get here which is about the same thing.

After an eternity of hoping like hell I won't die, I finally come out of anarchy. And of course my brand new legion gets beat down by a hoplite.

Then comes try number 2:

"That'll show 'em, Boss! We've got 'em now!"

"Maybe, Flunkius. But Pisae is still guarded by a warrior. Losing it would be...regretable."

And with that, we sign Greece to a peace deal for 60 gold. Alex's time is coming, but not quite yet.

So we're rolling along in the GA, and this comes up:

I actually ponder this one for a moment. For one, I could probably snatch Valencia down on my peninsula before Spain could get troops over. OTOH, if they DO get troops over... But, as they say, fortune favors the bold, and I could sort of use the place.

And she lets it go. No war. So much for THAT.

"Wow, Boss. She really had you worked up. We sure are awfully warlike these days for builders, huh Boss?"

"Shut up, Flunkius."

Suddenly, I have the most brilliant idea: I'll establish embassies with Beth and Izzy!

"Wow, Boss. That was quick! We've only known Writing for like 2000 years!"

*sigh*

And lo, in 310 AD Beth comes demanding my map and 27 gold. Argh. Not even worth the war.

And we build, and build, and the GA ends, and we build, and...hello.

Also, we have, in honor of Pirates of the Carribean:

"ARRRR! Ahoy, Boss!"

"Flunkius, we're not the pirates. They are."