I've never gotten that before. I adopt people, but they never die before I do it. How long did you wait?

Well actually, it never happened to me before either, but I've heard other people say that it happened.

Maybe the adoption was due years ago but the messenger came late?

Nope, I've never seen this...

This happened to me once on my campaign.

One message came up asking me if I wanted to adopt someone, just like normal. I answered like I always did (this time it was yes, but it was like ten seconds after I opened the box at the beginning of the turn), but then a message appeared saying something of the sort that you mentioned.

It was quite strange, but I don't know how or why it happened.

Yes, this does happen. It may have to do with balance of generals with provinces. Its happened to me about once per game. A candidate for adoption will be offered, and at the end of the turn cycle, a final notice will come that the "adoption failed".

There are six messages that can appear, as in \Data\text\event_strings.txt:

{adoption_failed_body_roman}Your messenger arrived just too late with your generous offer of adoption. Unfortunately, the man is now deceased.

{adoption_failed_body_barbarian}Your messenger was delayed, and this man is now dead - and so cannot be adopted.

{adoption_failed_body_carthaginian}Your messenger was lax and tardy, and this man has unprofitably departed to join his ancestors...

{adoption_failed_body_greek}Your messenger lacked a certain fleetness of foot, and the man who should have been adopted has died and gone to Hades instead.

{adoption_failed_body_egyptian}The messenger was a tardy snail rather than a fleet-footed and loyal servant of the Pharaoh. This man has died in the interim, and cannot be adopted!

{adoption_failed_body_eastern}Your messenger should be fed to the dogs for not moving with more speed. This man has died before the adoption invitation could reach him!

When the adoption fails, you will get the "Adoption Not Completed" message.

I don't know the odds; I think it is somewhere between one in 5 and one in 10. It may be coupled, in part, to getting a Man-of-the-Hour adoption between turns, but I've not tested for it.

That's just wierd.

I don't understand why someone would die just because of a delay or something.

Maybe because he was still fighting and got killed before he got the news he became a family member

But isn't an adoption offered after a battle is won?

I presume the sometimes death of the adoptee is supposed to simulate what can happen during the 6 months each game turn represents. People did die turing traveling and summons, since it often took weeks or months for a message to make the round trip.

Quote:

That is the Man-of-the-Hour adoption. The adoption that can sometimes result in the death of the adoptee is the one offered immediately at the end of the turn, before all the other notices arrive. The last notice will be the one about the death of the adoptee.

^^But that still crush the teory that the man was still fighting when the message was sent.