The Ruin of Fomoria 7

I was drunk. I had failed to spot the signs and portents. For the last few weeks, an eagle had perched atop Rath Chimbalth, surveying the kingdom. I knew this was no ordinary eagle, but I never reacted, even when it glided into the room and sat on my lectern. Numbed, I proceeded to read my writings aloud. Mostly, the bird squinted at the horizon, glancing at me whenever I stopped talking. Then, one day, I woke up from this trance and there we were, in the middle of a Council session, and who was sitting in the Grand Master chair, which had remained empty for decades?

- I can't leave you people for a few years without you turning into no-good warmongers. Your lack of control over the Fir Bolg allowed them to stir a great peril in the North. Ha! The kingdom is in trouble. The black men are led by the Great White Bull, the most powerful surviving entity from the old times. The beast killed me, once. It cannot be defeated by mere spears or petty wizards. And now it has gazed upon Fomoria and its strange heart aches for the grass of our land. It will send waves after waves of great warriors. A thousand tribes will descend upon us. Their poisoned arrows will blot out the sun!
- THEN WE WILL FIGHT IN THE SHADE.
Tuan, Last of the Partholonian, the greatest civilization which ever was, smiled to the newcomer.
- Good to see you after all these years, Prince Clemsp. A Fomorian lord gracing this assembly with his presence? These are the end times indeed.
- THERE WERE SIGNS AND PORTENTS. WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED YOUR RETURN. T'WAS FUN HUNTING YOU, BACK IN THE TIME. NOW, ALL OF YOU JACKEENS GET MOVING!

Tuan the Partholonian, with D4A2W1, immortality and glamour, is one of the excellent national heroes of Fomoria. I guess Luck really should not be overlooked with Fomoria, due to the set of heroes. They do not bring magical diversity but are powerful on their own. Of course, I would have preferred to get Balor, because a death ray is always useful (and I need divine blessers too). But Tuan will do! He can forge, summon and research.
Right now (late fall of the second year), the national stats are: 16 provinces, 120 rp and 1042 gold/month.
I actually have researched Construction 2 already (for the owl quills) and will reach Alteration 3 soon. After that I will have 3 potential research targets: Construction 6 (for the research boost with Death), Conjuration 6 (morrigans) and Enchantment 5 (for skeletons and Gift of Health).

Thanks for the tips against Machaka. He declared on me but had nothing behind the army he suicided on me (well, actually I invaded an independent and he arrived late to the party); so I plan to conquer what I can until I have to scamper away. Hopefully, it will let me time enough to build guerilla parties. Also, do you spot the lone Fir Bolg druid west of my army? He just found two gold sites. The income is nice and I would like to keep it and deny it to Machaka as long as possible.

Regarding the scales and bless: usually in SP Dom3 I would play on Large maps with the all the nations of the Era. Now with only 8 nations on Valanis I had some leeway with scales. The D9N9S4 bless makes my sacred hard to kill (though not very good at killing) and gives me access to excellent globals (Gift of Health) and summons (Tartarians). The S4 part is more about facilitating access to S magic in the future. I did not find any lizard province but when I do I will pump a few shamans and try to build an Astral income.