“How did this even happen?” Lorb wondered; he was watching the L.F.T.O members from what used to be the warden’s tower before they got killed and put into Crown’s slave business.

He sat on the couch eating some spawned-in popcorn.

Alex shrugged.

“John was bored and suggested they play a game of ‘civ’ or something,“ Alex replied.

Lorb created a big TV on which Alex, Revenberry and himself could watch the events unfold.

Revenberry was also eating popcorn from Lorb, she was waiting for some sort of war to start.

“Isn’t it kind of unfair they’re playing a strategy game against John?” she asked.

Alex shrugged.

“I’m sure he won’t take it that seriously,” he laughed before taking a bite of the sandwich Lorb spawned in for him.

“I’ve never really played many strategy games… Does it always take this long to get… interesting?” Revenberry asked.

Lorb nodded.

He spoke with partially chewed popcorn in his mouth.

“Mm, yeah, these things always start slow…” he replied not taking his eyes off the screen.

Alex washed the fake tattoos off himself earlier.

Meanwhile, Thal was still looking around the island for any clues as to where the Thief went, even after checking the memories of the guards he couldn’t see any clues meaning she wasn’t captured.

“Maybe she fell into some hole?” he wondered.

“Or maybe she was accepted as the leader of a tribe of carrot people?”

Thal also got some popcorn from Lorb, though seeing as they aren’t exactly on friendly terms, Thal threw it away.

JohnWillStab led the people of Edgeonia with an iron fist, his many workers built fortifications from rock and ore.

“Edgeonia: (Smart: Increased research speed) (Dickless: Decreased population growth).”

Across from him stood Bromy’s nation, Bromy was the only member, it was simply called “Bromy’s place: (Doesn’t care: No penalty for starting wars) (Lonely: Is lonely and easy to bribe)”.

To the north stood Foxly’s trade empire, a highly shamanistic tribe of people engaging in brutal sacrifices and recreational mushroom use.

“Foxly’s Trade Empire: (It was for the gods: Foxly can nullify any blame for anything he did,) (Trade Prince: Nobody wants to attack Foxly’s minions lest they lose their supply chain,)”

In the south was Crown’s camp, her slave-nation of Frogtopia was one of the quickest-growing nations on the island.

“Frogtopia: (Slavery: Captured enemies or friends will work to further the construction and produce resources) (Goose: Honk)”

Bromy was the first to speak to make a move, and it was a very thought-out move at that.

“I DECLARE WAR ON EDGEONIA!” he exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear.

Moments later JohnWillStab’s audibly distressed voice called back: “P-PLEASE DON’T!”

“TOO LATE!” Bromy replied.

JohnWillStab looked down to the “citizens” of his civilization, they looked like they just agreed to join a nation that wouldn’t last a single day.

“My loyal subjects!” he addressed his people.

“We’re fucked!”

The people’s expression only worsened, going from “Well shit…” to “OH MY FUCKING GOD, WE’RE DEAD!”

“BUT WE WON’T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!” he added.

He walked down from the repurposed watchtower and walked up to the prisoners, they set up little huts from benches and dirt, they even set up a little karaoke corner.

“W-we’re dead!” lamented one of them.

“It’s over!”

“There’s no escape!”

Doubt was spreading across the people of Edgeonia.

“Calm yourselves!” John exclaimed.

“Crying about our hopeless situation won’t help!”

“We either die like men or we get annexed by Frogtopia!” John exclaimed.

The idea of working endless shifts in Crown’s infamous “death pits” send shivers down the Edgeonian people’s spines.

JohnWillStab pointed to two of the people, “You two, go into the watchtower and keep an eye out for Bromy!”

They did as instructed.

“You four, go outside and start building traps, the more things Bromy has to climb to get here the less likely he’ll be bothered to do it!” John exclaimed.

“Alright!” the four prisoners agreed as they grabbed some of the wood they salvaged from benches and used it for weapons and spiked defences.

“The remaining people should pile rocks and dirt up against the walls of the quarry, it’ll slow Bromy down!”

John’s plans were going smoothly until he heard Foxly’s voice from the distance.

“People of Edgeonia! It has come to my attention that you are in a dire state! Forced to pick between slavery and death, then slavery!” Foxly called out.

JohnWillStab quickly claimed the watchtower to see Foxly smugly giving his speech from a tall, ritualistic throne made from piled up benches that resembled a pyramid.

“Leave the edgy empire and come seek refuge in my nation where you will be free!” Foxly exclaimed.

He gestured down from his throne to the unseen land below.

“We have cocktail bars and apple juice!” he said pointing to two distinct spots when listing off every creation.

“Hey! Stop that!” John cried.

“I DENOUNCE FOXLY’S TRADE EMPIRE!” Bromy exclaimed shooting John and unreciprocated thumbs up.

Foxly turned to face Bromy and shot him finger pistols.

“I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT SAY THAT…!” he called out.

A giant, muscular prisoner wearing fur clothes and skulls like shoulder-pads approached Bromy, in his hand he held a bucket-hat made from leather Foxly obtained through unknown means.

“…”

Bromy put the hat on.

“I UNDENOUNCE FOXLY’S TRADE EMPIRE!” Bromy exclaimed giving Foxly a thumbs up instead.

“HEY!” John exclaimed seeing the two grinning traitors.

JohnWillStab looked his men, half of which already fled to Foxly’s empire.

JohnWillStab saw Foxly’s wooden gates open and his people run inside.

Moments later Foxly began to laugh maniacally as it was revealed John’s traitorous people ran straight into a big wooden cage Foxly placed on the inside of his gate.

“…” JohnWillStab looked at the trap, uncertain how his people managed to fall for it.

Foxly’s people proceeded to push the cage all the way over to Frogtopia.

The people inside desperately tried to escape to no avail.

“Oh no, the traitors were betrayed…” JohnWillStab remarked matter-of-factly.

Upon reaching Frogtopia they were added to the slave-pits.

When the cage came back into view it was filled with piles of rocks and ore, Foxly traded JohnWillStab’s people for stones.

Crown walked up to her watchtower, together with Foxly they spoke in unison.

“Beware the might of the Frog-Alliance!” they exclaimed.

JohnWillStab looked back down to his people.

“One… two… three… seven people…” JohnWillStab scratched his head.

He looked down, covering his mouth with his sleeve to hide his grin.

“Just like I thought!”

He turned to his people with a grim expression.

“Our people were taken… betrayed by the Frog-people… we know now that they cannot be trusted…” John began.

“I believe this calls for a war!” he exclaimed.

“They took Greg!” cried one of John’s people.

John nodded.

“AND THEY’RE MAKING GREG WORK IN THEIR MINES FOR THEIR SAKES!” John added.

More complains and talk of the evil frog-people spread around.

John took a deep breath through his nose.

“It’s time I use Edgeonia’s secret technique!” he grinned.

“Immorality: Allows John to copy the moves of real-life dictators without suffering any moral backlash!”

He cleared his throat.

“That’s right, the god of the frog is the gold coin! We cannot let them get away with this!” John exclaimed.

“We must fight the oppressors! We have nothing to lose but our lives!... I-… I mean chains!”

“They are in every way inferior to the other races here!” John exclaimed pointing to the two Frog-empires.

“Small, weak, slow, p-pale?... they… smell funny…”

“…”

“I don’t think modern people are dumb enough to beli-” John’s thoughts were cut off.

“DEATH TO THE FROGS!” one of his people exclaimed.

“THEY SMELL FUNNY!” another cried.

John was both happy and disappointed that the plan worked.

The construction continued for hours until late in the night…

(As in when the magic lamps turned off)

JohnWillStab snuck out of his base and shadow-stepped over to Bromy’s one-man camp.

When he appeared, he saw that Bromy was already waiting for him, he sat at the wooden bench, on either side of him were piles of skulls.

Bromy reached into his pocket pulling out a rock with the words “Night-time meeting?“ written in blood.

“So, what do you want to discuss?” Bromy asked.

JohnWillStab crossed his arms.

“I have a plan I think you’d approve of…” John began.

Bromy smirked.

“I doubt it,”

“Baseless genocide based on propaganda,” John finally said.

Bromy went quiet for a second as a smile crept onto his face.

“Go on…”