Heirs of the Runemaster OR Finally Time to Kill All Elves

[Abnwtwtud]

So with the unveiling of the new free portraits for Stellaris, it is at last time that my final crusade against elves can begin. Long have I been satisfied with killing only a handful at a time in Skyrim or elsewhere, but now whole planets can feel my wrath. There will be fire from the sky, purging of all types, and no doubt unceasing war until the enemies of mankind are eliminated. This will be a full AAR, including a ticking count of all elves slain, depicting my struggle against this horrific species.

What Sort of Universe Is this AAR In?

Huge Sized Galaxy with two spirals. Other than that, I cannot say. I've asked my wife, who also plays, to surprise me with all other settings. She'll start the game after selecting the number of AI players and so forth and we'll go from there. No matter how many AI Civilizations there are, one of them WILL be the Dokkalfar civilization. The objective of this AAR is that it will not complete until ALL Dokkalfar pops have been removed from the galaxy, whether by my hand or another's. This is subject to change if they vanish without a trace too early.

But Who Are Mankind's Saviors Against the Elves?

The description above should pretty much take care of it. Space Vikings! For they have struggled for centuries in secret orders to protect mankind from elves on Earth, but what of those that reached the stars? Departing our world on stolen elven spaceships in the 9th Century, they now have reached levels of technology to explore the stars and finish what their ancestors began. I would be more than willing to hear any input on my selections for ethos, government, etc. to fit better with the background provided.

When Will This AAR Start?

Day after the new DLC drops. Also, this section will eventually be a chapter list. In the mean time, I need some help!

How Can You Help in the War Against the Elves?

Well, one of my greatest failings is that I am terrible at coming up with names and titles. I have a very short list of good world names from a Norse Mythology book I bought during the heady days of being obsessed with Runemaster development, and of course the duchy list from Scandinavia in CK2, but I would love to hear suggestions for leader, world, and ship names from actual Norse people or any names that fit the Rule of Cool.

Most importantly, before things can begin, I've got a few ideas for elf civilization, but I would really like to hear your opinions and suggestions for how the Dokkalfar Civilization should appear. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the upcoming experience as much as I will!

Ongoing Elf Kill Count

Sadly, still zero.

 

[Ultimuh]

For help with titles and such, This could help a little:
http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/the-vikings/viking-social-classes/

As for the names, here are quite a lot of them:
https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Category:Old_Norse_Names

 

[Rabbit Burgher]

I look forward to seeming the pointies getting blown up and stabbed (even if my plan is to play as them as soon as they come out because their uniforms are awesome).

 

[RagingKrikkit]

Was just browsing through the forums and found your last elf-murder thread, followed your link here, and in the space of one post, you got me to register here just so I can keep an eye on this. You're saving the Thor-class for the lategame, right?

 

[Abnwtwtud]

Actually I was going with the following:

Corvettes: Sumbrandr-class
Destroyers: Gram-class
Cruisers: Hrotti-class
Battleships: Mjolnir-class

 

[RagingKrikkit]

I can accept that. Personally, though, I tend to save all my ship designs, labeling minor upgrades as [class]-II and so on while large-scale redesigns (usually involving module changes) get labeled as new classes.

 

[Abnwtwtud]

The Status of the Viking Unified Moot, 2200

In what would be the Earth year 2,200 AD, the Viking Moot was at last prepared to take its first independent steps into the larger galaxy. The Runemasters of old had kept good records and traditions about the future of the species, seeking to continue the ancient crusade against the elves and their plots across the universe. It is reasonable to show a quick summary of the background of the Viking people.

No discussion could be complete without showing the insidious and evil threat they would face throughout the galaxy.

At this time, the Moot was led by the well connected and highly aggressive Stefania Ragnarsdottir. She had taken a vow as Runemaster when she took up the mantle, the same vow that all others had. Every elf would be purged and no trace of their existence would remain to plague the Viking people.

After review of the holdings of the Viking people, a few priorities were determined:

1. Until such time that further interstellar colonization was possible, the focus of resources would be upon cleanup and development on Jotunheim itself. New mines, power plants, and farms would be prioritized, while overdeveloped wastelands would be cleans and revitalized with new materials and settlers.

2. Technological development would be geared towards the development of infrastructure and better living conditions for the foreseeable future, in order to provide a stronger base for later rapid military expansion.

3. Exploration would begin in the home system to determine local resources. A new science ship would begin construction immediately, in order to rapidly begin exploring surrounding systems in the case that elves or races could be lurking nearby.

That's it for the first entry, the next entry will be added tonight or tomorrow morning, and below are the maps of the Hel System and where the Viking people are located in the larger galaxy:

Spoiler

 

[Rabbit Burgher]

Pacifist?! I'm sure you'll teach them to be so disgustingly peaceful.

Spoiler

 

[Scotty the Scot]

What mods are you using?

 

[MeltedCopper]

Subscribed

 

[Abnwtwtud]

Pacifist?! I'm sure you'll teach them to be so disgustingly peaceful.

Spoiler

View attachment 213418

Pacifism just means that they're sneaky about the ways they torture people. Carving someone in half with a battleaxe is far more honest.

What mods are you using?

No mods. Actually hoping to get some end game achievements with this play through.

 

[stnylan]

Time to go a-viking

 

[Abnwtwtud]

So would have thrown in a couple updates over the weekend, but internet was down. As stated in the introduction post, I have no idea how many alien civilizations are out there, and the only one that's definitely out there is the Dokkalfar. The only goal that matters is to hunt down and destroy the Dokkalfar and any other civilization that has the misfortune to share their portraits.

Priority Request: New names for science ships would be greatly appreciated.

The first step was to rush out a new science vessel as quick as possible for rapid exploration of the galaxy. The new ship, the Tereshkova, was sent to the nearest system with a known habitable planet, the Osseq System.

I have very high hopes for the Osseq System. The planet is a 21-slot Alpine world, making it a perfect planet for the Viking people. I may have been a bit hasty in naming the Viking homeworld Jotunheim, however. My initial thought was that it made sense, because it was a cold climate planet. Osseq has forced me to reconsider, due to the presence of literal ice giants upon it.

Getting the jötunn on the side of the Vikings would be an ideal goal for me. Nothing like dropping a few armies of titanic creatures down upon an elven world and smashing things up. After the Osseq system, things quieted and there proved to be very few anomalies, as I did not find a single one in Hel or Osseq. Unfortunately, exploration plans became derailed when we came across our first hostile contact, called the Alpha Menaces. Further research showed them to be automated mining stations, but their close proximity to what I want my core systems to be is a little disconcerting. Clearly we have now encountered both giants and perhaps the remnants of dwarves as well. Who else would leave mining drones around with reckless abandon?

Evidence continues to point towards the presence of dwarves in this galaxy as exploration continues. We enter into the Thabt System, and our science vessel stumbles on a very menacing sight.

This enigmatic fortress, not far from multiple nests of mining drones could be the heart of dwarven civilization in the galaxy. For obvious reasons (i.e. the skull), Viking explorers decided not to approach the fortress. We have chosen to name this fortress Koganusân, after a location known from the old myths and legends of the Viking people. This fortress is incredibly close to the home worlds, and we definitely don't want to upset the inhabitants, at least not until we're ready to do so. While evidence suggests that this is most likely some sort of dwarf fortress, it could very well be a group of isolated elves. In less impressive news, our people want to do a survey of habitable worlds. One science ship, undertaking this mission, stumbled across an anomoly that suggests yet more about what could be the dwarves of legend.

Sadly anomalies have continued to be few and far in between. I'm not sure whether this is because of changes in Leviathans or if I am just having a bit of a run of bad luck. So far I have only received five over the course of five years of constant exploration by three dedicated science ships (Yes, I built a third one in 2204). Two were failed, one turned up survey information on other systems, one gave me a decent amount of Energy, and the last one you can see above. Speaking of 2204, this was the time my first round of tech all was completed, and so scientists were rearranged and new tech began development.

I chose Administrative AI, because I like getting that tech as early as possible to maximize the benefit of the bonus research. Symbols of Unity was a tougher decision, as I'm not sure I'll get too much benefit and I've never actually seen this tech before in Stellaris, but typically in my experience, it usually turns out to be worth it to grab any rare techs that make an appearance. As for armor, in most games I would be focusing on economic techs this early in the game, as random events usually give pirates or cultists for me to kill and get weapons techs from. The incredibly close presence of Koganusân and other mining drones has alarmed me, however, and I think it'll probably be good to be ready in case the fortress starts spewing out hostiles. Now, to conclude with a five-year progress report:

Elves Killed: None
Not Dead?: Yep!
Energy: Doing Fine
Minerals: In the words of Aldaris: "We require more minerals." Old Jotunheim is ok on Energy production, even possessing Betharian Stone, but lacks the potential to be a serious mining world. On the other hand New Jotunheim could be a good mineral producer, but not a fantastic one. The habitable world in the Higashik-Ata system (not shown above) is similarly more focused towards Energy resources than mineral ones. Therefore, I am concerned that this will eliminate the chance for rapid colonization and development unless we find someone to trade for Minerals for what will likely become a massive surplus of Energy as the Viking people develop.
Influence: Not a lot to do with this now. We have the Encourage Free Thought policy to speed up R&D, but otherwise, plan is to bank up until needed and colonization begins. Might do a frontier outpost soon if I can spare the minerals.
Science: Here, I'm really optimistic. If you take a look at the map, there's a lot of good science resources around nearby. I think if I can get a good source of Minerals, I'll be really able to ramp up tech development in the years to come.

 

[stnylan]

Maybe you should call the world Store Jotunheim (literally, big Jotunheim) to reflect the nature of the local fauna

I see what you mean about your local science resources.

 

[chopak]

Subbed

 

[solidprice]

Purging all elfs? My type of game!
Will look forward to seeing how it pans out.

 

[sebas379]

Interesting setup, looking forward to the elven fallen empire that will come to crush you in a war in heaven

 

[Zenny]

Koganusân

I see what you did there...

Subbed, I want to see those elves drown in magma.

 

[Abnwtwtud]

Maybe you should call the world Store Jotunheim (literally, big Jotunheim) to reflect the nature of the local fauna

I see what you mean about your local science resources.

I like it, but as you will soon see, another planet is actually managing to take priority for settlement.

Subbed

Purging all elfs? My type of game!
Will look forward to seeing how it pans out.

Interesting setup, looking forward to the elven fallen empire that will come to crush you in a war in heaven

With the exception of sebas379, thanks! For sebas: Elf-sympathizers will be burned...

I see what you did there...

Subbed, I want to see those elves drown in magma.

I was wondering if anyone would get that. Glad to see someone did!

 

[Abnwtwtud]

First, a quick review of the progress made in developing Jotunheim over the past five years:

As you can see, my priorities have been clearing ruins and rubble and maximizing food production. Over the next five years, this will shift to maximizing mineral and energy production, followed by research and other less essential infrastructure. An interstellar empire must have a secure foundation and home front to succeed. As previously mentioned in the last update, minerals are in short supply. Thankfully, the bonuses from my current leader allow for cheaper mining stations. I'll be using this to my advantage and spending minerals where possible on developing mineral and energy resources, in that order. Unfortunately, only Hel has any minerals, though the 6 minerals it provides will almost double current production.

Our science ships are very busy over these five years, and anamolies have begun to pop up at a much more rapid rate. Most have simply been giving energy or research, and I will skip going into each of these in detail, as there have been quite a few. We'll only address the key ones. Beyond that, our science ships have finally discovered some intelligent life that doesn't live in a massive Fortress of Doom.

Doesn't mean much for now as Tau Ceti IV is a desert planet, and a good distance away. Still, this is the Vikings' first encounter of non-hostile intelligent life in the galaxy, beyond those distant tales in the sagas. A second primitive species of the same Neolithic level was found on Roballius II, a similarly inhospitable planet. This one rests right outside of our immediate borders, and doesn't pose any immediate threat or value to the Viking Empire.

A science vessel exploring to the "north" of our home world was chased out of the Mendoc System by a large group of unidentified ships. Further research of the "Gamma Menace" revealed that these were galactic pirates, seeking only conflict and hunting all trade. This is concerning, as I have no idea if they are connected to the Fortress of Doom that rests so close to Hel. Furthermore, I do not know how active these pirates will be as I develop new colonies and possessions throughout the galaxy. If the Fortress of Doom is the center of pirate activity, the Viking people could have a very serious short to mid term problem.

Now, a quick turn towards research, as our research into Administrative AI completes.

Of the choices provided, I decided to go with AI-Controlled Colony Ships. This may seem odd, considering the high cost of the tech when compared to the other two options. My reasoning is first, the lack of minerals means that any cost reduction in colonies is a good thing, and bringing these colonies up to speed faster means collection of resources will be quicker and expense of energy will be slower. Similarly, the only military tech I will have in the near future is new armor, and that requires no energy, making Fusion Power a bit of a red herring of a choice. And lastly, Databank Uplinks is pretty useless when all of my science ships are still needed for exploration.

I had to make a similar call with Engineering. While Improved Spaceports and Ion Thrusters would be useful eventually, the need for minerals is FAR more critical. We need those mines to help develop our infrastructure quickly, as we need that solid economy for when it becomes time to go on a proper war footing. Logistics is the key to victory, at least until Paradox adds a raiding option for Norse players in Stellaris.

Now the fun part. One science ship stumbled across the Delta Pavonis System. Remember that name, for this will be the heart, the great forge of the Viking Empire. In time, this system will be the basis for the death of every elf in the known universe. I introduce what will one day be the colony of Valhalla!

Delta Pavonis is a very nice system with two habitable worlds, one being the Gaia world shown above. There is no holy world marker, which made me a very happy Viking.

Delta Pavonis II is also an intriguing planet and is a 22 slot Arctic World which makes it inhabitable for our hearty Norsemen. Still, the anamoly seen above has me concerned about the future of the planet. Thankfully no real red flags were raised in the Gaia world. The time was nigh for the construction of our first colony ship:

As you can see, the new colony ship will not be completed in time for the conclusion of this update, so the settlement of Valhalla will have to wait. In the meantime, take a look at the actual planets of Delta Pavonis.

As you can see, Delta Pavonis II is inhabited by furry people with long ears. Viking scientists believe that the long ears indicate an elven ancestry. Clearly the depraved elves are now abducting the children of squirrels or possibly sloths. Their debauchery knows no bounds. I put it to you: Exterminate or enslave these abominations? This system will definitely become a core system, and these two planets are large enough to become major producers, with Valhalla's energy resources and the relative openness of <Unnamed Planet> for development. Most likely, down the line I will turn this system into one that rapidly produces fleets for conquest while Store Jotunheim in the Osseq System will become the base for my armies (all reinforced with Titanic creatures, hopefully).

Still, while all this planning was taking place, our scientists have been very busy, exploring the galaxy as quickly as possible. They found, finally, the first alien civilizations.

As you can see, there's some very familiar faces on that arctic world calling themselves the Zaanami. The elven conspiracy is always at work. Clearly, they are in a more advanced state than any other race we have come across. They will be a definite conquest, though I am considering infiltration. On the other hand, the Buhavilaa are alien in every sense of the word. They live on a planet we definitely cannot live on, and look nothing like either elves nor Vikings. They are incredibly strong on the other hand, and could prove to be useful allies or soldiers in the wars against other creatures. I have decided that for now they will be called Spriggans rather than that other name.

State of the Moot 2210

Elves Killed: None
Not Dead?: Yep!
Energy: Production is rather high for early game levels and is likely to soar even higher once colonization begins on Valhalla
Minerals: At most, in the next five years our production of Minerals will only go up by 5-7. This is a 50% increase, but it's nowhere near where it needs to be to support a military force that can defeat the pirates.
Influence: No change here.
Science: Research is going slower than I'd like, but that's my fault for picking the techs I've picked.
Foreign Affairs: I'm rather shocked I haven't encountered any other space faring civilizations. As I stated in my first post, I let my wife pick the options for most of this game. It's entirely possible that we're up against only a single digit number of opponents in this galaxy, which has benefits and downsides. On the up side, it means i can develop for a truly epic war later on and can focus on Leviathan-related enemies now. On the down side, it means no exciting wars to start with. Still, we're definitely going to suppress some primitives in the future, maybe not in the next five years, but definitely within the next ten. The elf-sloths are going down.