http://img312.imageshack.us/img312/2780/simaqian0ec.jpg

Sima Qian, Prefect of the Grand Scribes, had once again been summoned to the imperial palace. It had not been long since he had just completed his first assignment, the tedious task of constructing the Wonders of the Orient (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=152838). But Emperor Han Wu Di was very demanding of all of the men who served in his court, and Sima Qian was no exception. In addition to his other work as Grand Historian, such as reporting on important developments both inside and outside the Han Empire, he was also expected to satisfy the strange fantasies of the Civilization junkie he served, the Son of Heaven himself.

http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/4442/hanwudi5vb.jpg

"Your majesty, how may I be of service to you today?" asked Sima Qian upon arriving at the palace. "Do you need me to play one more turn?"

Wu Di snickered. "Just one more turn? You can do much better than that." He paused for a moment. "No, I have something else for you to work on now. We are done with the wonders and China's domination. This time, you shall take on a completely new role."

"What might this be?" inquired the historian timidly.

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/8662/wondersoftheorient2044ad81hl.png

"You may remember that at the very end of your last game, we saw Shogun Tokugawa screaming 'Luck, it was all luck!' Well, I do agree with that to an extent. No matter what you say, you had a lot of luck while building those wonders. You had all the right resources at the right times, and were fortunate to have an ally on your continent for most of the game. Well, all that is going to change now."

My luck was bad enough, I did not get a single great leader during that game! Sima Qian would have screamed at the top of his lungs, but in the presence of the Son of Heaven he kept that thought to himself.

Emperor Wu Di suddenly changed the topic here. "Before I go into the details, let me ask you one thing. Have you ever read the story Taketori Monogatari (竹取物語), the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter?"

Sima Qian wondered what this had to do with anything. "I vaguely remember reading it in one of our libraries," he answered. "It is a Japanese folk tale, the story of the beautiful princess Kaguya-hime and the impossible tasks she gave to the men who wished to court her."

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9246/kaguya6xs.jpg

"Precisely. And what do you remember of the ending?"

"I do not know whether to call it a tragedy or not. It turned out that Kaguya-hime had to return to her home at Tsuki-no-Miyako, the Moon Palace, for she never was of this world to begin with."

"You have a good memory," said Wu Di, smiling. "And that brings me to your new assignment. This time, you shall take on the role of that unlucky fool you have just defeated, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan. The Japanese have acknowledged the inevitable domination of the world by China, and now, true to their religious qualities, they seek refuge with Kaguya-hime and the legendary Moon People. Your task is to build a great spaceship that can take them to their destination."

Sima Qian had not seen any piece of a spaceship in his last game, but he knew that it was unlocked by the final technology he had researched, space flight. He also recalled from his reading of the Civilopedia that the spaceship was intended to bring a colony to the distant star system of Alpha Centauri, not the moon, but decided it was not worth his time to challenge the Son of Heaven on this minor detail.

"There is a problem, though," continued Wu Di. "Japan is not the only civilization with ambitions to build such a spaceship. In fact, I believe there are several others that are far more qualified in this respect. Do you know which ones they are?"

The young minister thought for a moment, then answered, "They are the scientific civilizations, who have great advantages in research and development. You must be speaking of the Russians, who are also expansionist, the Greeks, who are also commercial, the Persians, who are also industrious, the Germans, who are also militaristic, and the Babylonians, who are also religious."

"And they are the ones you shall compete against this time," said the Emperor. "Besides, you may also know that historically, those peoples have been in close contact with each other long before any foreigners reached the isolated shores of Japan. And so you shall start on an island, the most distant one from the nearest neighbors in a small size archipelago world, with 70% ocean coverage and a temperate climate. The difficulty level will be Monarch, which you should be quite comfortable with by now."

"Will everyone be aiming for the goal of the spaceship?" asked Sima Qian. "Or will there be other victory conditions they may pursue?"

"Every victory condition is enabled, but you are required to win the space race. And I add that Tokugawa, in particular, is at a terrible disadvantage, not just in the field of science. Japan is notorious for its poor terrain and lack of resources. So in this scenario, your starting island will have no resources."

"How do you know that?" asked Sima Qian.

Wu Di grinned. "I edited the map for you, of course. You enjoyed too much luck with your starting position last time, and now I shall take that advantage away from you."

Sima Qian sighed, but he was still interested in how this would work out. "When you say there are no resources, do you mean that I only lack strategic resources? I still have luxuries to keep my people happy, right?"

"Nope. Not a single lux on that island."

"Then how about bonus resources? I'd certainly like to have two cows on a river to start."

"NO!" shouted the emperor. "What part of 'no' do you not understand? You shall have no cattle, no wheat, not even gold. And since you have been so obnoxious, I'll go back and delete the river I put on the map too."

It seemed hopeless, but Sima Qian knew that there was no choice but to follow his master's decree. "Then I shall develop the economy, to amass great wealth and trade with the other powers for the precious resources."

"Develop the economy you must, but trading resources is forbidden. And yes, I mean trading any resource, strategic or luxury. Don't you remember how many times the Japanese broke the deals they made with you in your last game? Nobody will trust them anymore. If you want a resource, there are only two ways you can get it: you may demand it, or you may take it by force."

To Sima Qian, this began to sound more like a game of conquest rather than building. He knew that demanding resources would be unlikely to succeed, and even if it did, the opponent could easily avoid the trade by declaring war. "So then I will have to conquer the enemy cities, and seize their resources for Japan."

"Perhaps," said the emperor. "But the Japanese people are far more interested in developing their own cities than managing colonies in distant lands. You shall build cities on your home island with no overlapping tiles, and at no time may you control more than one city on each of the other islands in the world."

"What if I build a city on another island, and capture a foreign city next to it?"

"Then you must destroy the city, or abandon your own city first."

A strange rule, thought Sima Qian to himself. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Oh, and I wish to tell you one last thing. I have already moved your starting units into place, and you shall build your first city at the exact position as I have shown here." Wu Di then beckoned a eunuch, who delivered the scenario to Sima Qian.

http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/8403/projectkaguya4000bc3yg.png

What the hell is this? Sima Qian almost said aloud.

Emperor Wu Di threw his head back and cackled with glee. "You nuked the Japanese last time," he said. "The radioactive fallout has devastated their civilization, and they have now forgotten everything. You will be starting from scratch."

This is much worse than 'scratch,' muttered Sima Qian to himself. But he remembered that in the Civilopedia, Japan was mentioned as the only civilization ever to be on the receiving end of a nuclear weapon, and maybe the Emperor had a point to make here.

"Any last questions before I retire for the day?"

"No, your majesty. I shall take my leave." The Grand Historian, Sima Qian, now had a long and challenging task before him. While the emperor was trying to reduce the effects of luck in his game, this was the one time he felt he needed it most.

Quick Index

Chapter 1: The Curse of the Evil Water God (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3752964&postcount=15)
Chapter 2: In Search of New Lands (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3754852&postcount=25)
Chapter 3: A Warm Welcome (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3756067&postcount=29)
Chapter 4: New Neighbors, New Horizons (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3759426&postcount=38)
Chapter 5: Wonders and Threats (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3764150&postcount=46)
Chapter 6: Recovering the Shikon Shards (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3764578&postcount=50)
Chapter 7: Hammurabi's Crown (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3772454&postcount=58)
Chapter 8: Beyond the Chrysanthemum Throne (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3776010&postcount=63)
Chapter 9: The Great Library Revisited (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3777128&postcount=69)
Chapter 10: The Age of the Zaibatsu, the Technology Brokerage (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3779285&postcount=75)
Chapter 11: A False Peace (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3783473&postcount=90)
Chapter 12: Shifting Allegiances (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3789317&postcount=93)
Chapter 13: The World Takes up Arms (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3791346&postcount=97)
Chapter 14: Thrust into Modern Times (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3795785&postcount=106)
Chapter 15: Xerxes the Incensed (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3799531&postcount=112)
Chapter 16: Rise of the Kyosanto (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3801887&postcount=115)
Chapter 17: Hammurabi's Back Door (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3803257&postcount=119)
Chapter 18: Banished from the Ivory Tower (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3805519&postcount=123)
Chapter 19: Bonds of Sea and Fire (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3806287&postcount=130)
Chapter 20: Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3828283&postcount=145)
Chapter 21: The Wounded Shall Advance into the Light (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3839213&postcount=150)
Chapter 22: A Golden Purpose Makes the Chrysanthemum Bloom Again (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3855094&postcount=167)
Chapter 23: The Razor (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3877925&postcount=173)
Chapter 24: Light from the Netherworlds (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3891980&postcount=181)
Chapter 25: Sayonara, Cruel World (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3895449&postcount=186)
Epilogue (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3896353&postcount=193)
Saves and Replay Summary (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3896868&postcount=197)

:woohoo: First to reply. Real excited. Nice story. ;)
Thanx for comin back and making a new story! :D

I will be looking forward to this game. At least Japan can fight wars well, which will allow them to get cities on every island early.

Very interesting and tough! Will be watching.

New story!!! Good luck.

Your stories are very interesting, I will watch this one too.

lurk mode on

Subscribing.Keep the updates coming.:)

Checking in....

But Dayum! that's a horrible start.... It will take you at least 20 turns before you can even think about growing your pop above 1 (unless you do what I'd do and move the settler to be next to the sea, like I did in my WH story).

But Dayum! that's a horrible start.... It will take you at least 20 turns before you can even think about growing your pop above 1 (unless you do what I'd do and move the settler to be next to the sea, like I did in my WH story).

It's not that bad of a start... I actually have one workable tile as soon as I build the city. :crazyeye:

The lake will provide 2 food and 2 commerce, which will put me at pop 2 in ten turns. By then, I'll have border expansion from the palace culture, and things will get better.

I'll try to post an update later, this game is going to be tough but it's monarch level so definitely doable. And as far as I know, the AI tends to suck at space race (in Vanilla at least).

Go for it! :goodjob:

Oh yeah, this is vanilla, otherwise I don't see how you'd have a chance in Hell (I only win about 2/3 of the time on Monarch difficulty in C3C without any ridiculous handicaps)... But then again, most of the games I've played in Civ III ended with either a Space race victory (almost all epic games I've played as well as one of my FF mod playtests), or a score victory (all but 2 of the Conquest Scenarios that came with C3C)... I've only achieved two culture victories (Age of Discovery Conquest and 1 game of my Tweaked Out epic game mod) and two by domination (the Sengoku Conquest and my first Warhammer mod game that I played as the Empire).

Oh, and after re-checking the start, I'd have to say that once you get the crap cleaned up, you'll be able to out-produce anyone; you have a source of fresh water, hills, two BG, and mountains nearby, so you'll get plenty of shields and food (plus you can irrigate fromt the lake)... I'd say concentrate on pumping out workers to clean up the mess at first....

Checking in at the Lurker Hotel! :beer:

You certainly don't believe in making things easy for you do you? Will definately be watching this!

Out of interest when playing with no variants, what difficulty to you play at? Demigod/Deity in vanilla? Deity? Sid even?

You certainly don't believe in making things easy for you do you? Will definately be watching this!

Out of interest when playing with no variants, what difficulty to you play at? Demigod/Deity in vanilla? Deity? Sid even?

Easy = uninteresting for me ;) . I played one game on chieftian and one on warlord, and after those it just became too boring to run over spearmen with tanks (or losing those battles too) :spear:

I don't play many non-variant games anymore, although most of the ones that were under normal rules were either monarch or emperor difficulty. I've played deity a few times as well, and lost several of those games before I got a win--the AI just goes totally insane with their research rate and free unit support.

Nowadays I find that games played under variant rules are the most fun, and I usually pick monarch difficulty for those since they offer a challenge while I can still be creative.

I'm actually still working on my update right now, you should be able to see it soon.

Chapter 1: The Curse of the Evil Water God

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1063/evilwatergod2ph.jpg

Yanagi chiri / shimizu kare / ishi tokoro-dokoro
Willow bare / clear stream dried up / rocks here and there

Yosa Buson (A.D. 1716-1784)

Tokugawa Ieyasu coughed and wheezed from the noxious fumes around him. The ground was covered by a disgusting glop that glowed bright orange in the darkness, with dark patches every so often where the mysterious dust had clumped together. It clung to his boots wherever he walked, and if he hadn't kept his fingers pinched across his nose the whole time, he would have long ago fallen into the mess unconscious.

The year was 4000 BC, and Tokugawa had no idea where he was or how he had gotten here. All he knew was that his people, the proud Japanese, had trusted him with absolute power, and were depending on his leadership for survival. Their outlook was bleak. No crops could be planted in the contaminated soil; anyone who tried found that within hours, they would turn a sickly yellow, and before the end of the day the seedlings would be dead. No animals roamed the open land, for nothing was left for them to eat. It was Tokugawa and his tribe, alone in the harsh, cruel world.

The only thing not covered by the ugly goo was the lake, calm and quiet in the darkness. It had the shape similar to that of the Japanese lute, and so they called it Lake Biwa. Some reeds grew along the shore, just outside the reaches of the glop, but from their yellowed stalks Tokugawa could tell that they, too, were struggling to survive.

A cold wind blew from the north, sweeping in a small cloud of ice and snowflakes scattered throughout the dust. It had come from the frigid northern ocean, through the barren tundra, and now it whipped up tiny ripples in the orange slime, carrying the putrid smell everywhere it went. The Japanese leader gurgled and coughed again. Behind him, Tokugawa heard the faint whimper of a child in a mother's arms, too weak and undernourished to even cry. I have to do something, he thought. My people are dying.

Despite the eerie orange glow around him, he thought he saw a faint glimmer of hope. The full moon had risen above the mountains now, its pure white light reflecting off the surface of the lake. One moment it seemed to brighten up the nasty slime even more, but the next it would shimmer briefly as the waves disrupted the rays of light. The last, untouched gem in the Japanese landscape, Lake Biwa was all the hope they had to survive in this dismal world.

"Come this way, Shogun. It is warmer over here by the fire." The voice belonged to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a close companion of Tokugawa. "Our soothsayers tell us that we have angered the evil water god, Susanoo-no-mikoto, and now his wrath is upon us. We must find a way to appease him."

The campfire was at the top of a small hill, where a small patch of ground had been found that was clear of the orange slime. A few workers were trying to clean up the goo around them, as though it would expand the boundaries of their safe haven. But it was from this vantage point, as Tokugawa stared across the lake, that his eye caught something interesting. It was a quick, brilliant movement of a shooting star across the night sky.

He thought he heard a voice from the heavens speaking to him. Do not despair, for your destiny is in the stars. There is much suffering and hard work before you, but if you can survive this struggle, you shall be handsomely rewarded.

"Shogun..." Hideyoshi had approached him from behind, but kept a respectful distance.

Tokugawa did not answer.

"... is something bothering you?"

Tokugawa turned, and said to his advisor, "Tell the people that we shall settle here, on the shore of Lake Biwa. It is a harsh environment, but if we persevere, we are sure to succeed."

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/1163/projectkaguya4000bc4es.png

The Japanese people did their bidding, and named their capital city Kyoto. They would build a shrine to honor the water god and beg for his forgiveness, but not before recruiting a band of the strongest Japanese warriors to defend their settlement from any outside threats.

The citizens had nowhere to work, except to gather some meager scraps of food from the lake. Tokugawa asked his workers to clear out the hideous slime around them, and for many years they toiled away, day and night, hoping to reclaim the land.

It took nearly five centuries before there were any results to be seen. Every time the workers thought they had finally wiped away the mess, the ooze would seep back out from the ground, leaving them helpless and discouraged. But the citizens of Kyoto managed to make a decent living from the lake, and in time the population grew. They soon ventured outside the immediate borders of the city, and discovered that there was much more fertile land beyond the spoiled hills.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4186/projectkaguya3550bc6yy.png

The new lands offered new supplies of food and resources, and Kyoto grew even further. A new crew of workers was put together to clean up and improve the terrain, while Tokugawa ordered the construction of a temple to honor Susanoo, the water god. Each year the people would visit the shrine to pay their respects, and in return the water god did not curse them with more of the orange slime.

"Tokugawa-dono," announced Hideyoshi one day. "Our craftsmen have discovered pottery, and we seek something new to learn. I suggest that we develop an alphabet, and then try to extend that to a form of writing, so that we may record the trials that our people have gone through."

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4435/projectkaguya3050bc6yw.png

Hideyoshi's proposal was a good plan, but Tokugawa had little money to spare for research, and gave his advisor only a minimal amount each year to continue his work. There were other, more pressing issues at hand.

It turned out that the Japanese were not alone on this island that they had settled upon. A barbarian tribe called the Kushans inhabited the lands in the northeast, and they were anything but friendly. Tokugawa sent some of his best warriors to deal with them, but the Kushans put up a difficult fight. Though ultimately the barbarians were defeated, very few of the Japanese warriors returned to tell the tale.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2981/projectkaguya2150bc6fe.png

More than two thousand years after the first settlement at Kyoto was built, the first group of settlers left in search of a better land, free of the water god's curse. Another band of warriors was sent out ahead of them to scout the land, as well as to clear out any unexpected "visitors" in the region.

In the south, they met a barbarian people called the Uzbeks, who did not even hesitate to attack them. Fortunately, Tokugawa's warriors were far better trained in their martial arts, and it did not take long before they made the Uzbeks pay for their treachery.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2443/projectkaguya1910bc9vb.png

Under the protection of these brave warriors, the settlers arrived at their destination. "We have reached the southern edge of the island, and can go no further," they informed their leader. "And so we shall settle right here."

A new city was built on the site, the first seaport on the island of Japan. There was a forest nearby that the settlers wished they could harvest, but all workers were tied up at the time cleaning up the land around Kyoto. The development of Osaka would have to wait.

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/2726/projectkaguya1830bc7ez.png

In the meantime, the workers who had been clearing the land discovered a strange artifact buried beneath the ooze. It was a tablet with many complex symbols, which nobody in the country could understand. Tokugawa could only assume it was a lost record from some advanced civilization.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4954/xingshulantingxv1qm.jpg

After some further study, he found that most of the symbols represented individual characters, as some of them were repeated, possibly to convey an idea multiple times. He had his best scholars attempt to imitate these symbols by carving them in stone and wood, but the primitive tools they used could not capture their graceful details. Eventually they took a few shortcuts and simplified the symbols into curves and shapes with fewer strokes, and called this alphabet system "hiragana."

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1007/projectkaguya1700bc0bk.png

There was nothing new that could be done with the discovery of the alphabet, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi had promised that this could be developed into a form of writing, so Tokugawa let him continue working in that direction.

Scouting parties sent to the east discovered another suitable site for a city, far away from the curse that corrupted the lands around Lake Biwa. This site boasted a natural harbor formed by an inlet from the ocean. Tokugawa sent the next group of settlers to the very end of that inlet, where they built the port city of Nagoya.

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/2229/projectkaguya1625bc4pb.png

But the fact that the Japanese civilization was already three cities strong did nothing to deter barbarians from continuing to harass their people. A hostile Aryan camp was spotted in the west, and Tokugawa was going to take no chances to see if they would send invaders into his territory. He sent another group of warriors to eliminate the threat. The mission was a complete success, for not a single casualty was sustained.

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7629/projectkaguya1450bc2ef.png

Yet at the same time, the citizens of Osaka reported seeing a strange vessel prowling along the coast, something that they had no idea how to build. They did not see any people board or disembark from it, but they were certain that if they could get their hands on such a galley, they could also sail the seas without fear as well. But the owners of the vessel turned out to be barbarians, and they refused to share the secret of how they constructed the galley.

"What a shame," moaned Tokugawa when hearing of this. "The curse of the evil water god has set us back so far, that even barbarians have become more advanced than us. We will have a long way to catch up in the years to come."

... to be continued

Are you planning to settle in place?

Edit: crosspost with an update! It's the first time this happenes to me!

Good start under difficult circumstances! ;)
How many cities do you think you will be able to build on you're home island?

Great update, seems only one piece of freshwater.:sad:



Edit: crosspost with an update! It's the first time this happenes to me!

Actually it happens to me all the time.:lol:

Edit: crosspost with an update! It's the first time this happenes to me!
Thats happened to me twice. Both I think were updates to his other story. :lol:

Nice story good read. Can't wait uintil the update. :rockon:

Great update, seems only one piece of freshwater.:sad:

Better than having no fresh water at all :mischief:

That's the challenge for your next story right? :lol:

With a non-industrious civ it will be hard to clean all the pollution!

Argh, so many pictures not showing up, I think I'm overwhelming ImageShack's servers :cry:

I re-uploaded a few, hopefully they won't disappear this time...

Next update in the works.

With a non-industrious civ it will be hard to clean all the pollution!

I'm not so much as afraid of the time it takes to clean up the pollution as I am of the unit support I have to pay to keep a large army of workers. At least despotism gives 4 free units per city, regardless of size.

All the pics are showing up for me. (but maybe after you done this)

Chapter 2: In Search of New Lands

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4848/inuyashamountaintop6dc.jpg

Haruka naru / Iwa no hazama ni / Hitori ite / Hito me omowade / Mono owawabaya
Living all alone / In this space between the rocks / Far from the city / Here, where no one can see me / I shall give myself to grief

Saigyo (A.D. 1118-1190)

The defeat of the Aryan tribes spelled the end of the barbarian threats on the island of Japan. Tokugawa was determined to never have to face any barbarian enemies again, and the best way to do this was to bring the entire land into Japanese sovereign territory. They built more temples and shrines, in hopes that the evil water god would not strike back at them again, but more so because it was the only building they knew how to construct in their cities, other than their homes and granaries.

"We have plenty of food, but nowhere for our people to go," grumbled Tokugawa. The island was small and poor, with no precious metals to be found anywhere in the hills and mountains, and no horses or deer roaming the fields. Even the coastlines were devoid of fish, only with cold waves crashing upon the shore from the seemingly endless, empty ocean.

Well, it was not so empty after all. More exploration parties had been sent from Kyoto and Osaka in search of new lands, and from atop the hills and mountains in the west, they sighted beautiful hills and grasslands on the other side of the sea. But the stories they told were not consistent, sometimes contradictory, leaving Tokugawa to wonder if they had discovered one new island or two.

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/2745/projectkaguya1375bc1eu.png

Never mind that, he thought. We still need to figure out a way to get off this island. Still, there was no news from his scholars and priests, all of whom insisted that divine guidance would lead them to new discoveries. They had nothing to show for all their efforts, so Tokugawa decreased their funding even further.

In the meantime, Kyoto had grown again and more citizens wished to escape the curse of the evil water god. They would build a new city in the west, on the coast facing the islands across the sea, in a clearing where they felt the friendly forest spirits and yashas would be forgiving and protect them from danger.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7169/projectkaguya1325bc2hv.png

Other explorers and settlers headed east, hoping to find the resting place from which the sun arose each morning, where they would be able to enjoy a warmer and healthier living. But they were greeted only by more cold tundra, and there were no islands to be seen in that direction. The sea only seemed to extend infinitely outward, and the sun clearly came from a land even further beyond.

In spite of this, they were not discouraged. They sent a message back to Kyoto, proclaiming that they had settled down at the Land of the Rising Sun. It was just a little white lie, since even though the sun still rose from a distant place past the ocean, they always be the first people in all of Japan to see it every day. Tokugawa did not take offense at this, but instead sent them his wishes that they take good care of their new settlement.

http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/3210/projectkaguya1100bc9cv.png

Nearly another thousand years had passed by the time Kyoto's scholars had something new to offer. They blamed him for the meager funds that he had dedicated to their work, even though he knew that they would not have worked any harder even if he gave them the entire Japanese treasury.

But the development of writing was quite impressive to the Shogun, and especially the new paper medium that they wrote on. In time, much of the trees in the forests were harvested for their bark, upon which scribes could write their works in a dark black liquid known as ink.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7360/projectkaguya875bc3pr.png

It was not just the scribes who took advantage of this new technique. Artists also learned to use the brush and parchment, drawing beautiful tapestries of the rich history of the Japanese people. A few others were interested in illustrating the landscape, hoping to capture the details of the island terrain in their images. Their skills were poor to begin with, but Tokugawa knew that given enough time to practice, they would be masters of the art of map making.

The progress was slow, but steady. Still, it did not prevent Tokugawa's advisors from complaining that Japan was far behind other great civilizations that inhabited this world. Tokugawa had never heard of these names before, dismissing them as just gibberish, but he did take their warning seriously.

We will have to make contact with these foreign peoples and learn from them, he promised to himself. If only we could leave the island...

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6917/projectkaguya430bc8fk.png

Tokugawa checked on his scribes and artists and found that they seemed to be getting close to perfecting the technique of map making, but they were still making fundamental errors that prevented them from success. Frustrated, he traveled to Osaka to see several craftsmen attempting to build something similar to the barbarian galley off the coast, but as soon as it was put to sea, water leaked in and sunk the vessel.

We are not ready yet, moaned the Shogun. Will this curse of the evil water god ever go away?

"Yes," said a voice behind him, as if it had just read his mind. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had followed him from the capital shortly thereafter, bearing some wonderful news. "The curse upon our people has been lifted at last," he declared. "The green hills of Kyoto shall remain green forever!"

Tokugawa wasn't particularly confident about this, knowing that the water god was wrathful and fickle, but nevertheless was extremely pleased with the result. The orange slime that had corrupted the land for so long had finally been cleared away.

http://img495.imageshack.us/img495/7325/projectkaguya390bc9jb.png

... to be continued

Note that even though there's at least 5 or 6 other places I could plop down another city, I'm playing with the "no overlap" restriction, so I'm out of room now :(

Go on, go on! I read the last one and I loved it. I think you should explore the stretch of land west. Also, I hope you r good in techs, cities, and other stuff.

Good job thus far.... I realized this morning at work that I'd heard about Kaguay Hime before.... It was in the Inu Yasha movie Kagami no Naka no Mugenjou (The Illusory Castle Within the Mirror), which essentially is based on the Kaguya Hime no Monogatari, but with some twits.... I was wondering when/if you'd make some references to that movie (the first time I saw it was at the Daiei Theater in Yokosuka Japan), and here I see that pic from said movie at the beginning of the first chapter....

I don't see how you play with these insane variants, though. I find the regular game hard enough on Monarch that I don't see why I should torture myself further. (Then again, if I spent more time PLAYING the game, rather than MODDING the game, I might be a better player)....

Nice story, though :)

Chapter 3: A Warm Welcome

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8631/yayoiwelcome5en.jpg

Mizu no oto wa / sabishiki io no / tomo nare ya / mine no arahshi no / taema taema ni
The sound of the water / is my companion / in this lonely hut / in lulls between / the storms on the peak

Saigyo (A.D. 1118-1190)

In the years that the Japanese people were stranded on their island, rumors spread about events from far and wide. Tokugawa did not know how the information reached the shores of Japan, and with so many of them saying different things, he was at a loss as for what to do. Stories spread of the Great Wonders that had been constructed in distant lands, many of which he hadn't the slightest clue what they actually were.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2852/projectkaguya570bc5sj.png
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3479/projectkaguya490bc6ch.png
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/6494/projectkaguya110bc2ld.png

Tokugawa longed to be able to fly across the ocean to see these Great Wonders for himself, but his cartographers still had not yet mastered their techniques. Each day he berated them for their ineptitude, while they continued to give the same old excuse that they were underfunded. "Patience," Hideyoshi urged the Shogun. "You don't want to have the first boat we send out to sea sink as soon as it disappears from view, now do you?"

Even when they finally were able to draw accurate maps and build primitive galleys, they still did not know which direction to set sail in order to make contact with these rumored people who supposedly possessed advanced technology. By this time, Tokugawa was so fed up with the slow pace at which his research was going, and decided it would be best to simply stop funding it altogether. No matter how much his advisors insisted that this new technique of bronze working would benefit their country, he would not let them pursue it. He was much more interested in finding the other civilizations with whom he still shared this world, and perhaps they could teach their tricks to the Japanese.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/1182/projectkaguya190bc7fm.png

The Japanese maps did not mark where any of these people could be found, but it did seem to provide some clues. There were the islands to the west that had been sighted from the mountains near Kobe. The first Japanese galleys were sent in that direction, along with a group of settlers in hopes of finding a rich new land where they could live.

The nearest island was a very tiny one, but it boasted a great hill of gold upon which the settlers decided to build their next settlement. From atop the hill, they spotted whales in the distance, and although they still did not know how to reach them, it would only be a matter of time before these magnificent beasts were brought within Japan's maritime borders.

http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/7571/projectkaguya110bc26bb.png

More importantly, the people of Niigata confirmed that there was another, even larger island further to the west, and although much of it was barren tundra, a small patch of fertile land was found in the southeastern corner. Cattle grazed on the grasslands there, and a bit further to the southeast, smoke was spotted coming from a small village.

Without any further hesitation, Tokugawa sent the next group of settlers, where they built the second Japanese colony overseas. A band of warriors was also sent to meet the villagers, and they advanced carefully, hoping they would not be hostile barbarians.

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/2320/projectkaguya10ad8uf.png

They were greeted by a shy but friendly people who called themselves the Yayoi. They were quite surprised to see visitors after the many thousands of years of isolation they spent on their island, but it did not take long for them to sense that the Japanese meant no harm, and that they would be welcome to join the new city of Fukuoka at any time.

In the end, a few of the villagers were quite impressed by the Japanese warriors, and offered their services to the Shogun. Because of their familiarity with the local geography, they soon showed Tokugawa everything that they knew of the island.

http://img428.imageshack.us/img428/847/projectkaguya130ad1gb.png

With guidance from the Yayoi villagers, another island was discovered further to the west. The land was even more barren than the Yayoi island, but it boasted rich deposits of gold, and the seas around it were well stocked with fish. Another settlement was built on the site, primarily just to claim the island for Japan.

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/1318/projectkaguya130ad25gq.png

Meanwhile, another galley had been exploring to the east, and discovered another great landmass across the sea. From the deck they spotted a strange new animal grazing in the fields, much unlike the cows that roamed around Fukuoka. These horses galloped around the grassland at a remarkable speed, and Tokugawa wished he could tame them so that they would be able to work for his people.

Several of his citizens expressed an interest in making the ocean crossing to see what they could do with the horses, as well as explore the area a bit further. When they arrived, they built a new city on the island.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/176/projectkaguya110ad8dk.png

The settlers of Kagoshima soon found out about a barbarian village near their city, and decided to pay them a visit. There they found the Hsung-Nu tribe, who greeted and entertained them. The Hsung-Nu were a nomadic people and did not wish to give up their lifestyle, but in their hospitality they offered the maps of the region that they had gathered over the many years they had roamed here.

The map also marked a strange border to the south, which they said was another advanced civilization. Tokugawa wondered who they could be and eagerly awaited the day when he could meet them.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9916/projectkaguya190ad6iu.png

The Shogun soon learned from his advisors that horses were a strategic resource, and it was the first of many that he would later find. He hoped there would be other islands even more bountiful than these.

... to be continued

Nice expansion there. :goodjob:

Do you have plans to put any other Japanese animation in your story other than Inuyasha?

Do you have plans to put any other Japanese animation in your story other than Inuyasha?

The short answer is yes. There will be more variety to come later on. I have a few other titles lined up for the middle, industrial, and modern ages.

Hikaro Takayama was right about the reference to Kaguya-hime in the movie, and that's part of the reason why I included it. (The other reason is that it's pretty easy to find pictures from Inuyasha online. :scan: )

To be honest, I'm definitely not some kind of Inuyasha freak, as I consider it a relatively mediocre anime. Some people will take offense at that, while others will think I'm being too lenient in my assessment, but whatever.

EDIT: No guarantees there. What if the AI wipes me off the map before I get out of despotism?

Great update, though I clearly misunderstood the game restrictions. I was under the impression that you were only allowed 1 city not on your original island ALL UP :eek:

Great update, though I clearly misunderstood the game restrictions. I was under the impression that you were only allowed 1 city not on your original island ALL UP :eek:

Oh, good point. I think I didn't make that clear enough in my introductory post. I'll go correct that now.

Thanks for bringing it up.

:scan: looking forward to another wacky game :rolleyes:

The short answer is yes. There will be more variety to come later on. I have a few other titles lined up for the middle, industrial, and modern ages.

Hikaro Takayama was right about the reference to Kaguya-hime in the movie, and that's part of the reason why I included it. (The other reason is that it's pretty easy to find pictures from Inuyasha online. :scan: )

To be honest, I'm definitely not some kind of Inuyasha freak, as I consider it a relatively mediocre anime. Some people will take offense at that, while others will think I'm being too lenient in my assessment, but whatever.

EDIT: No guarantees there. What if the AI wipes me off the map before I get out of despotism?

I aggree that the anime is mediocre, but the manga r0x0rs!! It was Inuyasha that partially inspired me to start on my own medieval Japanese fantasy type story, Reitekina Sensou, and my username is the name of the main charachter in that story....

I just hope the AI doesn't wipe you out, before you get outta the ancient age, though... That would suck.

can i see a world map to see the islands locations better

Chapter 4: New Neighbors, New Horizons

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7318/newneighbors4jl.jpg

aki fukaki / tonari wa nani wo / suru hito zo
Deep autumn / my neighbor / how does he live, I wonder?

Matsuo Basho (A.D. 1644-1694)

With help from the Hsung-Nu maps, the Japanese galleys ventured further beyond their present horizons, hoping to find the advanced civilizations that ruled over the rest of the world. Shogun Tokugawa was in a good mood, as he was sure the knowledge of these foreigners would be greatly beneficial to Japan.

The first civilization that they met were the ones marked by green borders on the Hsung-Nu maps, although by then they had colonized many other islands in the northern seas. Within these green borders lived a people known as the Greeks, whose leader, Alexander the Great, was quite annoyed to see Japanese vessels in his maritime territory.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/4503/projectkaguya10bc2ad.png

The Greeks were a remarkably advanced civilization, with knowledge of many technologies beyond poor Tokugawa's imagination. Their cities were guarded by magnificent phalanxes of hoplites, strong fighters clad in gleaming bronze armor. Their people ate sumptuous feasts of bread and meat, with a variety of salads on the side and further enhanced by a strange intoxicating drink called wine. They boasted of grand colosseums and libraries built in their cities, spreading their culture far and wide. In exchange for Japan's world map, they were willing to teach many of these secrets to the Japanese people.

Tokugawa was about to agree to this deal, but Hideyoshi stopped him. "My lord," he cautioned, "remember that the Greeks are not the only tribe with whom we share this world. If we show them our map, surely they will show it to their other neighbors, and we will lose the strong bargaining position that we have right now."

"But we do not know where they are," grumbled Tokugawa. "And the Greeks will not show us how to contact them."

"Relax," said Hideyoshi. "I am sure we will reach them soon. The world is small, and our galleys are swift."

Sure enough, another exploring galley sighted a large landmass due south of Osaka, inhabited by another advanced civilization, the Persians. Tokugawa instructed his cartographers to mark the Persian borders in purple on Japan's maps.

From the information they gathered, Tokugawa learned that the Persians were even more powerful than the Greeks. They had 13 cities to Greece's 10, and were on roughly equal standing as far as technology. The Persian people were blessed with a rich land full of resources. They burned incense in their temples and made offerings of beautiful ivory to their gods at the Oracle in Persepolis. The Persian workers were remarkably industrious, but their leader, Xerxes, was no less annoyed by his new visitors.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/8121/projectkaguya30bc5zs.png

"Can't we trade now?" asked Tokugawa. "I think Xerxes is running out of patience."

Hideyoshi shook his head. "Two down, three more to go. We will try to pass around them, and see who else is there."

Many more years passed before the next tribe was found, on a hilly wedge further along the coast of Greece. These were the Russians, ruled by an elderly woman named Catherine the Great. Tokugawa ordered his map makers marked Russia with gray on their charts, supposedly because of the Czarina's gray hair. But in reality, it was purely out of jealousy that he chose this drab color, for the Russian people wore beautiful clothes made of multicolored silks.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/8908/projectkaguya70ad7uh.png

The Russian cities numbered 12 in total, putting them slightly behind the Persians in terms of power, but their technology was just as advanced as the others. The Japanese sailors noted that the cities were defended by spearmen, slightly less intimidating than the Greek hoplites but still quite formidable in battle.

Three new neighbors, thought Tokugawa. That means there are two other civilizations left. I wonder where they are...

The fourth tribe was discovered by the galley that had sailed around the coast of Persia, carefully avoiding Xerxes' disapproving gaze. These were the Germans, a fair-skinned people similar to the Russians. They were a fierce and combative people, and their warriors roamed all over their island, ready to crush any unwanted guests.

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/6307/projectkaguya130ad6xk.png

Like Russia, Germany also had a dozen cities and possessed advanced techology. The German people wore even fancier clothing than the Russians, made with the warm furs and colorful dyes of their land. Tokugawa longed to get his hands of these German luxuries, but their leader, Otto von Bismarck, showed no interest in such a trade, and made no effort to hide his annoyance with the Japanese.

"If you have no business being here, then get out," snapped the Chancellor. "You are not welcome in Germany."

Tokugawa sighed. This Bismarck must be evil to the core, he thought. With that, he chose the deepest black ink to draw the borders of Germany on his maps, a further insult to the colorful German textiles.

There was only one more civilization that had not been met: the Babylonians. Every other civilization so far had held them in high regard, and Tokugawa was certain that Babylon would be a truly incredible sight. But nobody offered him directions on how to find them, and for many years his galleys wandered the seas aimlessly, with no sight of their goal.

It was not until the year 210 AD when seamen cruising past the Greek city of Pharsalos noticed a band of warriors clad in bright orange uniforms wandering around the coast. They were unlike any of the foreign people the Japanese had seen before, and after speaking with them they were confirmed to be from the great civilization of Babylon.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/5292/projectkaguya210ad5cp.png

Upon further inquiry, they found out that these Babylonian warriors had come far from their homeland and were only part of some distant colonies of their people. Babylon was 13 cities strong and growing quickly, for they had the potent blessings of the Pyramids. Their leader was a certain King Hammurabi, who had written a famous code of laws that had by now spread through the rest of the world except for Japan. The Babylonian people put delicious spices into their food, and also drank the same mystifying beverage as the Greeks, wine.

Despite how badly Tokugawa would have wanted to secure these luxury goods to bring back to Japan, Hideyoshi insisted that they must make up the technological difference first. "We have now made contact with every great civilization in the world," he said proudly. "Let us reveal our maps to them, and learn whatever techniques they have to offer."

And so the trading began. The leaders of the foreign civilzations showed remarkable eagerness to see Tokugawa's maps, and were very pleased that they showed so many places they had never been before. In return, they taught the Japanese people many new things.

They had a warrior code, and trained skilled archers to shoot at distant targets with deadly accuracy.

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/56/warriorcode6hk.jpg

They taught the Japanese how to tame and care for horses, and eventually showed them how to mount them and ride them into battle.

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/3919/horsebackriding2cm.jpg

They demonstrated the methods used for working with metals, how to cast bronze into long spears and iron into sturdy swords.

http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/3427/ironworking1zs.jpg

They called forth their mystics, who showed their strange ways of gaining control over the forces of nature, how to exorcise the demons that haunted them and how to keep the mind calm in stressful times.

http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/1856/mysticism5kn.jpg

They instructed the Japanese people in the studies of mathematics and literature, exposing them to new fields of knowledge and encouraging them to go out and learn for themselves. They offered many books for Tokugawa to read, some of which covered topics in philosophy, while others described Hammurabi's code of laws.

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/2729/mathematics4rp.jpg

They showed Tokugawa the miracles of construction that they had built in their great cities, the Wonders of the World. It would be a long time before Japan would be able to match them in these skills, but as Tokugawa was getting all of this just for showing them his world map, it was an incredible bargain.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4746/construction9ax.jpg

In addition to all of the above, each foreign leader also showed Tokugawa the maps of their own territories. And it was only now that he realized how important Hideyoshi's advice was, for only one civilization would have been willing to come forth to share their secrets if he had shown them Japan's map earlier. Cheerfully he patted his trusted advisor's back, and together they celebrated their success.

... to be continued

can i see a world map to see the islands locations better

Yes I do have a world map. Well, an incomplete one, but it should still be helpful in getting the big picture at this stage.

Here it is, dated 210 AD, right after all the trades with the AI.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5066/projectkaguyamap210ad5vn.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyamap210ad5vn.jpg)
(Caution: very big!)

Also, in case you're curious, this is what each AI offered for my world map:

Russia: bronze working + masonry + warrior code + mysticism + philosophy + code of laws + literature + territory map + 73 gold
Greece: iron working + mathematics + territory map + 26 gold
Persia: horseback riding + currency + territory map + 19 gold
Germany: construction + territory map + 17 gold
Babylon: polytheism + territory map + 10 gold

Apparently in C3C map trading got moved to the end of the middle ages, so I should be glad I'm on Vanilla. This was a real bargain!

Apparently in C3C map trading got moved to the end of the middle ages, so I should be glad I'm on Vanilla. This was a real bargain!

Yes, a problem I fixed in my Tweaked Out mod (see sig for details)... There were a number of annoying things with C3C epic game that bugged me, which is why I made that mod.... Of course, now that I know some things that I didn't know at the time I made it, I'll have to update it, but that will be after I get my current mod done.

And I do hope you'r planning on putting a city on the tundra Island with the game and Whales... Once you get Engineering, plant trees, and with a harbor, that city should be plenty productive (even if it is off the beaten path).

Nice update. Not being negative, but you look you don't have a chance. :wow:
But you can pull it off. :D

Heh, one of the first things I modded in vanilla was to move map trading to the middle ages, personally I hate the thought of everyone knowing the whole world map in the BCs.
I see that Lagash is a prime city for conquering; alone on its island, with gems. :)
And maybe Bremen for iron...

Heh, one of the first things I modded in vanilla was to move map trading to the middle ages, personally I hate the thought of everyone knowing the whole world map in the BCs.
I see that Lagash is a prime city for conquering; alone on its island, with gems. :)
And maybe Bremen for iron...

AHA!! So THAT explains why I have to wait until the end of the third age in the WH mod to trade maps with anybody. :p

And yes, both of those look good for taking once a sufficient military has been built up.

I see that Lagash is a prime city for conquering; alone on its island, with gems. :)
And maybe Bremen for iron...

Yep, Lagash will be my first target. But it's sooo far away!

Bremen isn't a bad idea either, but I want to save my one city on the German island for the dyes (or furs, depending on how ambitious I am). The iron might disappear and pop up somewhere else, and if not, I'd still prefer to settle a city between Gordium and Pasargadae in Persia, so I can get both iron and incense from that.

Those Persians look really tough though, they have a whole island to themselves, two luxuries, and colonies on other islands. And immortals are deadly...

Of course, I'll always have the option to take Bremen or build another city by the iron there, and then abandon it if I want something else. So I'll still give it some consideration.

you can see the russians in the greek picture

Chapter 5: Wonders and Threats

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4892/threats2jq.jpg

Nanigoto ni / tsukete ka yo wo ba / itowamashi / ukarishi hito zo / kyô wa ureshiki
What else / could have made me / loathe the world? / The one who was cruel to me / today I think of as kind

Saigyo (A.D. 1118-1190)

Even though Japan had now become much more advanced with the help from the other civilizations, it did not stop them from continuing to assert their dominance. At first this was a peaceful process, where Shogun Tokugawa would only play the role of an observer. The other powers would continue to build up their cities and military strength, but fortunately they largely left the outlying islands alone, which the Japanese soon occupied uncontested.

But it was during the intense trading session of 210 AD, where Tokugawa revealed the Japanese world map to the foreigners for the first time, that Otto von Bismarck seemed most confident of himself. The other powers had also been building the Great Wonders all this time, but Bismarck was certain that the one he was building in Berlin would trump them all. Berlin had failed several times already, having been beaten to the Pyramids by Babylon, and subsequently losing the race for the Oracle to Persepolis. This time, however, the German citizens would finally see the reward for their many years of hard work.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/150/projectkaguya210ad1wb.png

Although contemporary historians would have rated Germany as a relatively mediocre civilization, only superior to the Greeks and the Japanese, the completion of the Great Library instantly thrust them back onto the world scene. They soon gathered all of the technology that the more advanced powers, such as Babylon and Persia, had already learned but were unwilling to share thus far.

But even though the Germans were at last the sole winners of this contest, they were not alone in their pursuit of the Great Library. News of the construction soon reached the ears of the other leaders, who scrambed to salvage the remainder of their resources and build something useful.

Catherine the Great was the first to react, and built a magnificent terraced garden in the capital city of Moscow.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/1610/projectkaguya230ad9re.png

Hammurabi awoke soon afterward, and realizing that it was a lost cause to attempt the Great Library or the Hanging Gardens, he changed his project to something that he felt would be more useful to him. After all, Babylon was unequaled in science and technology, and the Babylonians had more than enough wine to keep themselves satisfied.

What Hammurabi built instead was the Great Lighthouse, which would ensure that his ships could travel quickly and safely across the seas, which he found quite helpful as the world was made mostly of islands.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/7567/projectkaguya330ad7ox.png

The consolation prize went to Xerxes of Persia, who had nothing left to build but the Great Wall. He seriously doubted the usefulness of the giant structure, as he already had total control over his island, had nothing to fear from barbarians, and did not share any land borders except at his offshore colonies. But nevertheless it was a Great Wonder, and would add to Persia's cultural might.

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/1324/projectkaguya340ad6ud.png

And perhaps even more importantly, Xerxes' decision to complete the Great Wall dealt a mortal blow to Alexander the Great. Greece was now the second weakest of all the civilizations after Japan, and they needed the Great Wall more than anyone else. Alexander shared a long border on his continent with two other very powerful civilizations, Russia and Babylon, and he would have needed every extra bit of defense available to him in the event that either of them declared war.

All this time, Shogun Tokugawa cared little of these developments. He knew from the beginning that he had no chance of building a Great Wonder, and that ultimately, many of them would be rather useless to him. The only one he was interested in was the Great Library, but clearly there was no point in attempting that, for Bismarck had only one turn to go when the Japanese finally learned of literature.

Instead, he concentrated on the rest of the unclaimed islands, some of which were rather unappealing but could one day be strategically important. The cities were so far out that Tokugawa could not expect them to ever build anything meaningful, but it was still better than having another civilization settle them rather than Japan.

The first settlement was Matsuyama, built on the nearest island south of Japan. The Russians already had a settlement at Novgorod, on the other side of the island, but Tokugawa had little to fear from them at the time.

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/922/projectkaguya230ad25gg.png

Next came Yokohama, on an island north of Greece, and east of the island where Kagoshima stood. This was a very small island, but taking control over it would still have been better than losing it to Alexander, who eyed it greedily from his shores nearby.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/2725/projectkaguya330ad25xl.png

The last and possibly most hopeless of these settlements was Hakodate, on a tiny island of mostly barren wasteland. There were whales a short distance out at sea, but they could not be reached yet without first constructing a temple to expand the borders.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/9016/projectkaguya360ad7vc.png

The settlement of Hakodate marked the end of Japanese expansion, as now almost all the land in the world had already been claimed. If Japan were ever to grow again, it would be in open conflict with one of the other civilizations.

The Shogun knew very well that he was not ready for war, and it seemed that his disadvantage was also noticed by the other leaders. They recognized that the Japanese had overextended themselves, and were ready to exploit this particular fact. An messenger from Bismarck, who now could claim to be just as strong as Hammurabi and Xerxes, soon came knocking on Tokugawa's door, demanding tribute.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2066/projectkaguya490ad3go.png

Tokugawa had no choice but to comply, but he swore that he would not allow the Germans to abuse him like this again.

... to be continued

Dang bad land. But you can pull it off. How much gold are yuo getting?

Dang bad land. But you can pull it off. How much gold are yuo getting?

As of the end of this update, the Japanese treasury has 995 gold and is gaining 10 gold each turn. I could probably buy several techs with that money, especially government techs, but I'm actually going to delay revolting until it becomes worthwhile. Since I have a lot of workers and galleys, I'm still depending on the unit support of despotism to keep up the profit right now (4 free units per settlement, regardless of size).

Yeah I usually stay in despotism until Democracy or Monarchy comes around.

Chapter 6: Recovering the Shikon Shards

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6954/civildisorder2oa.jpg

Shiratsuyu o / Kaze no fukishiku / Aki no no wa / Tsuranuki tomenu / Tama zo chiri keru
In the autumn fields / When the heedless wind blows by / Over the pure-white dew / How the myriad unstrung gems / Are scattered everywhere around

Bunya no Asayasu (10th century A.D.)

Just as Tokugawa was about to return to his palace in Kyoto after escorting the German messenger out, he noticed smoke rising up above the city. Several of the buildings had caught fire, sending terrified citizens running for their lives into the overcrowded streets. Finding no place to go, many of them were simply milling about in circles, waving their hands frantically in the air and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Tokugawa reached the marketplace, where all the tables had been overturned and the street peddlers had abandoned their goods on the ground. All commerce and production in Kyoto had come to a halt. At one corner he saw a couple of his warriors trying to keep the commotion under control, but they had little success against the huge crowd that had gathered.

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/1452/projectkaguya500ad3cu.png

What the heck is going on? wondered the Shogun. Could it be that the German messenger was up to some mischief? He shoved his way through the crowd but found that they had blocked off the palace entrance. The people seemed to be demanding something, but Tokugawa did not have the time to deal with them. Perhaps this is not Bismarck's fault after all, then.

Instead, he went over to the temple of Kyoto, where he found Toyotomi Hideyoshi already consulting with the priests and mystics. They could not give a precise explanation of what was happening in the city, but they were quick to attribute the chaos to the wrath of the heavens.

"From what they have told me," said Hideyoshi, "there is a mystical jewel that has been lost to evil forces, releasing its power to demons and devils that are coming to corrupt our people. It is said that the shards of this jewel, the Shikon no Tama, have now been scattered in a distant land, and it is our duty to recover them."

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/236/shikonnotama9be.jpg

"How strange that a jewel would have such enormous effects," muttered Tokugawa. "Tell me, where do you think we can find this?"

"I am not sure," said Hideyoshi. "But the prophecy has said that they may have reappeared on the exact opposite side of the earth, the very furthest one can get from Japan."

They consulted their maps, and carefully measured the distances from Japan to all the other islands in the world. Persia and Greece were too close by to be the correct location, and Russia seemed to be in the wrong direction. Germany, of which Tokugawa had been most suspicious, seemed promising at first, but after studying the map at length they could not identify any place in Germany where they might be able to find the Shikon shards.

They were about to give up when Hideyoshi noticed a small island off the southern coast of Germany that actually had been occupied by Hammurabi. The Babylonian city of Lagash was built at the site, and upon closer investigation, the surrounding land seemed very promising:

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/8924/projectkaguya500ad25aj.png

"See those mountains around Lagash?" said Hideyoshi as he pointed them out to the Shogun. "I am almost absolutely sure that this is where the Shikon no Tama has been hidden."

Tokugawa peered at the map, studying every detail of the island of Lagash. It was a cold and barren island, with nothing but tundra and snow-capped mountains. Immediately he knew that this was the secret place he had to reach, and that this mission to recover the Shikon shards would be very dangerous.

There seemed to be no other choice. The civil disorder in Kyoto had ended when he offered the citizens some entertainment, but with the Shikon no Tama still in enemy hands, more chaos could break out in Japan's cities any time. At the harbor of Osaka, Tokugawa gathered together his most skilled archers and informed them of their mission. Their target: the Babylonian city of Lagash.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1952/projectkaguya500ad34qz.png

But there was a problem. In order to reach Lagash, they would have to pass through Persian territorial waters, and Japanese fleets were the last thing that Xerxes wanted to see along his coast. "Where are you sending all these archers in boats?" asked the angry Persian leader. "Surely you do not dare attack the glorious empire of Persia."

"Certainly not," responded Tokugawa. "We value our friendship with the Persian Empire, and simply request permission to pass through. We mean no harm to your people."

"That may be... but the waters of Persia are not free for just anyone to sail through. If you wish to pass, be prepared to pay the price."

The two leaders haggled with each other over what would be a fair deal, and eventually reached an agreement. Every few years Japan would send a sum of gold as tribute, while Xerxes ordered his naval forces to leave the Japanese alone.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/585/projectkaguya530ad8fi.png

From the Persian coast they sailed onward, until they reached the shores of Germany. Bismarck's attitude had improved ever since Tokugawa had agreed to pay him tribute, but seeing that Xerxes was making a handy sum of money collecting tolls from the Japanese fleet, he decided he could not miss this opportunity as well.

"You are certainly welcome to pass through German waters, as long as you give us fair compensation," he informed the Shogun.

Tokugawa wanted to avoid paying more tribute to the Germans as much as possible, but without Bismarck's coorperation there was clearly no way his men would arrive at their destination, so he agreed.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/4800/projectkaguya600ad8qw.png

But in the year 610 AD, before the Japanese fleet had even made it around the southern tip of Germany, at Munich, Tokugawa was given a rude awakening by Hammurabi.

"Your gift to the Germans would be unfair to the rest of us unless you treat Babylon in the same way," warned Hammurabi. "I think it is in your own best interest that you keep us all on equal footing."

Tokugawa laughed. "Equal footing indeed," he said. "I allowed the Germans to have their way simply because they were at a disadvantage compared to you, Hammurabi. But if I offer a gift to Babylon, I am afraid that the balance will be upset in the world."

"You dare refuse us?" the Babylonian leader threatened him.

Tokugawa was not at all worried if the Babylonians took offense. Their empire was far away from Japan and would take a long time to reach even the most distant of the Japanese island colonies. In fact, he even welcomed Babylon's declaration of war, as it gave him the perfect excuse to seize Lagash.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/4162/projectkaguya630ad8jw.png

Within two decades, Japanese archers had landed on the island, and true to the prophecy they found glittering gems in the mountains around Lagash. "We have found the Shikon jewels at last!" they announced. "Now all that remains is to wrest it from the evil Babylonians' control."

Tokugawa was sure that the spearmen defending Lagash would not be able to stand up to the massive force that he had assembled. The island was far off from mainland Babylon, and Hideyoshi had caluclated that the city probably suffered a huge corruption penalty, making it difficult to train military units or build city improvements.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/8172/projectkaguya630ad23wf.png

One morning in 640 AD, the Babylonian governor of Lagash awoke to find an arrow had pierced his roof and fallen by his bedside. Attached to it was a short note: "Hand over the Shikon no Tama now, or face annihilation."

In a panic, he recalled his workers from the mines in the mountains and put his spearmen on high alert. By midday a steady rain of arrows was pouring down upon the city, and it was in the late afternoon that he saw Japanese archers entering the city, stepping over the corpses of the spearmen that they had shot down. But there was no escape for the governor. Hammurabi had sent him to Lagash without keeping a galley around for any return journey. With a heavy heart weighed down by both sadness and fear, he climbed to the top of the last snow-covered summit southwest of the city, and leapt to his swift demise.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6618/projectkaguya640ad0hw.png

The citizens of Lagash tried to resist, but Tokugawa's troops were quick to dispatch anyone who opposed them. When they finally gave up at last, Tokugawa ordered them to construct a harbor to support the transport of the Shikon shards back to Japan. Many Babylonian citizens perished in the process, but to Tokugawa, it was just punishment for their resistance.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3725/projectkaguya690ad4vw.png

With the Shikon no Tama secured at last, the Japanese people could lead happier lives, and no more did civil disorder break out in the cities of Japan. But the struggle against Babylon was not over yet, as Hammurabi swore to avenge the loss of Lagash.

... to be continued

Keeping the rest of the civilizations equal in terms of power will be very important. And do you think that you can keep Lagash from the Germans, who could get it culturally?

Yeah, but it will be a while before Germany's borders expand.

BTW: Isnt Lagash a Sumerian city??? :confused:

Yeah, but it will be a while before Germany's borders expand.

BTW: Isnt Lagash a Sumerian city??? :confused:

Germany's borders don't need to expand to create a flip risk in Lagash. If the Germans own any of the tiles within the city radius, it might flip.

Lagash was a Sumerian city before it belonged to Babylon. Same with Ur. It's not surprising to see duplicate cities, like Caesarea for Rome and Byzantines, or Constantinople/Istanbul for Byzantines/Ottomans, or Londonium/London for Rome/England, or Lutetia/Paris for Rome/France. Same place, different time.

I played quite a few more turns in this game, and it's not looking very good. This is turning out to be quite a bit harder than I expected. But I'll continue the story, even if I end up losing.

Looking at spoiler: That's the spirit! :thumbsup:

Um... You're right. I've never been the Babs and I guess I never knew Lagash was also one of their cities...

In C3C, with Sumeria, whole lot of Babylonian city names were lost to Sumeria.Like...

Ur
Lagash
Akkad

, just wanted to give the heads up.;)

Come on, Sima, you can beat them!

OK, I ended up doing something that would probably be considered an exploit... but I doubt it would have made too much a difference. I'll get around to explaining it when it actually occurs.

Still working on that next update...

Chapter 7: Hammurabi's Crown

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9594/crown3at.jpg

Toshi kurenu / kasa kite waraji / hakinagara
Another year is gone; / and I still wear / straw hat and straw sandals.

Matsuo Basho (A.D. 1644-1694)

Following the capture of Lagash, Tokugawa's men had nowhere else to go, except to stand around on the island shores so that no Babylonian counterattack would be possible. But the sea captains who had brought them there were not content with simply sitting idly while waiting for some kind of response from Hammurabi. They wandered northward along the coast of Germany, sinking any approaching galleys that had Babylon's conspicuous orange sails.

To Hammurabi, retaking Lagash was a lost cause. Instead, he turned his attention northward, past the end of the continent and the lands of Greece, and set his eyes directly upon the Japanese settlement at Yokohama. The Japanese fleet was nowhere near Yokohama to intercept Babylon's galleys, and so the orange-uniformed warriors disembarked and prepared to attack.

Tokugawa had no idea that the Babylonians would attack that island, but he knew that Yokohama would almost certainly fall to the enemy if more of them arrived. After looking at the two bands of rather unimpressive warriors that had just landed, he thought perhaps Hammurabi was more interested in psychological warfare, and would want to extract some concessions from Japan in whatever peace treaty that would end the war. So he sent Toyotomi Hideyoshi to discuss peace with the Babylonians.

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"Nope," said Hideyoshi when he returned. "They wouldn't even see me, let alone lend me an ear."

Tokugawa sighed. There was only one option left to see if Yokohama could be defended, and it was certainly a risky maneuver. He would have his warriors attack first, before the newly arrived Babylonian forces had a chance to fortify themselves.

The warriors of Yokohama gave this battle everything they had. They clearly knew that if they lost, the city would soon be in enemy hands. One group perished at the hands of the invaders, but the other was successful in driving them back. The injured remainder of Hammurabi's landing party attempted to rest and heal in the plains outside Yokohama's borders, but they too were soon wiped out.

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/702/projectkaguya710ad6fb.png

Hammurabi's invasion had failed, and little did Tokugawa know that this was the best assault that his enemy could mount. After the battle of Yokohama, the Babylonian leader was finally ready for an end to hostilities. He signaled the Japanese galleys that were now blocking off the coastline of Samarra, and asked for a peace treaty.

Tokugawa would have accepted, but Hideyoshi thought there could be more coming from this. "Not so fast," he said to Hammurabi. "We have taken one of your cities, and you have lost one and taken none. Don't you think it is too good of a bargain in order to get away with a peace treaty for free?"

"Well, what would you want then?" asked Hammurabi.

Hideyoshi glared at him. Then he noticed the beautiful jeweled crown that the Babylonian leader wore on his head. With a swift motion of his hand, he snatched the crown from Hammurabi and presented it to Tokugawa.

"We will take that," said Hideyoshi. "Any objections?"

Hammurabi shook his head. He took out a new, flat-topped hat and wore it instead, while commenting, "It was but a decoration anyway. I am the humble leader of the Babylonian Republic."

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/4978/projectkaguya720ad8xh.png

Thus the Treaty of Samarra, the first one ever signed by two warring powers, brought an end to the conflict. The Japanese would keep control of the Shikon jewels of Lagash, and now also knew of a new form of government. But Japan was not yet ready for a revolution, as most of the Japanese cities were still small in size and could not yet take advantage of the benefits of monarchy.

While Japan and Babylon had been busy fighting, the other civilizations did not cut themselves any slack in their building efforts. First came news from Athens, where the Greek people were celebrating the completion of a magnificent cathedral, one that would keep all their citizens happy for many years to come.

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/6427/projectkaguya680ad6qf.png

The news also reached Berlin, where Otto von Bismarck scoffed at what he felt was the foolishness of the Greeks. "Let them enjoy their revelry for now," he declared. "When our glorious armies come knocking on their doors, they will regret this."

Indeed, the militaristic Germans had a completely different focus in mind. It was not long afterward that they built a great war academy in their capital, training the very best soldiers to fight for Germany.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4485/projectkaguya750ad4yu.png

In Persepolis, Xerxes laughed even harder. "That idiot Bismarck, he could have just built barracks in every city. It's not like he has very many of them either."

The Persians also had a settlement on Germany's island, the city of Samaria. Although it did not receive the benefits of Sun Tzu's Art of War, Xerxes was certain that one day the wonders of Berlin would belong to him. "Let the Germans build all the obsolete military units they want," he said. "Our modernized armies will crush them so cleanly that not a scrap of armor will be left on the battlefields."

As a matter of fact, Persia was not far ahead of Germany in technology at the time, and any new research would soon find their way to the Great Library in Berlin. But the Leonardo's Workshop that Xerxes had built would certainly make the transition process much easier.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/6060/projectkaguya760ad1gk.png

Even Hammurabi managed to get some work done during the war he had just fought with Japan. Perhaps the final result was not quite what he wanted, and certainly not in the best place, but he still managed to walk away with another Great Wonder.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7236/projectkaguya760ad25gd.png

"What a waste," remarked Tokugawa to his advisor. "Akkad will never be able to take full advantage of the Observatory. Just look at it, how much commerce will it ever get from the poor land that surrounds it?"

"But it is close to a lake with plenty of fish," said Hideyoshi. "Soon it shall expand from a town into a city, and from then on it can continue to grow and develop at an impressive rate."

A lake. Tokugawa was reminded of Lake Biwa, just outside Kyoto, and then he realized why his other cities were not growing. They needed aqueducts to bring them supplies of fresh water, and so far only Kyoto had such a benefit. He ordered them to be constructed as soon as possible, but it would be many years before that would be complete.

Like Tokugawa, Xerxes also felt that Hammurabi had just put a perfectly good wonder to waste by building it in a poor location. "I shall have to teach that Babylonian fool a lesson," he declared. "Besides, if even Japan, the weakest nation in this world, could have forced Babylon into submission, who is to say we, glorious Persia, cannot do better?"

The ministers in Xerxes's court pointed out that this kind of demeaning talk would likely get Persia into deep trouble in the future, but Xerxes was in a contentious mood at the moment, and did not hesitate to make clear his intentions.

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/9095/projectkaguya790ad9gf.png

Interesting, thought Tokugawa. But we have already taken control of the best target in Babylon, the city of Lagash. I wonder what is left for the Persians.

He watched as the war unfolded before him. Galleys, some with the orange sails of the Babylonian navy, others with the purple sails of Persia, darted back and forth in the coastal channel near Lagash. But no cities changed hands, and it seemed as though the two powers had fought each other to a standstill.

In the meantime, the aqueducts were finally finished in most cities in Japan, and it was on a fateful day in 850 AD that Tokugawa Ieyasu finally wore the crown that was given to him by Hammurabi. Japan would be a despotism no more.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/6181/projectkaguya850ad7cv.png

The problems of corruption continued to bother Tokugawa even after the revolution, but they seemed to be somewhat less than what they had been before. Reluctantly, he vowed he would resolve these problems in the future, and hopefully fairly soon as well.

... to be continued

Good udate. You really need to gain some land off that island. :dubious:

Very good update!

I assume another war with Germany is inevitable, they have cities on a few islands that you don't have yet.

I think that this is a big challenge indeed. You better try to go to Magnetism as soon as possible, then try to get the greatest navy.

Chapter 8: Beyond the Chrysanthemum Throne

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6131/beyondthrone2iv.jpg

Inishie no / Nara no miyako no / Yae-zakura / Kyo kokonoe ni / Nioi nuru kana
Eight-fold cherry flowers / That at Nara--ancient seat / Of our state--have bloomed / In our nine-fold palace court / Shed their sweet perfume today.

Lady Ise no Osuke (A.D. ?-1063)

It did not take long for Shogun Tokugawa to realize that he really did not like being a monarch. The only real benefit of the new government was that the mines in the hills and mountains were more productive, and larger harvests were reaped from the irrigated cropland. On the other hand, he was still paying a hefty sum each year to support his military, and that was in addition to the maintenance costs of all the aqueducts and colosseums that were now built in the cities. Perhaps there is something better, he wondered.

He recalled the negotiations at Samarra, where Hammurabi had mentioned that Babylon was a republic. After checking with his embassies elsewhere, he found that all of the other civilizations were also republics, and that only Japan was a monarchy. If they all like it so much, he thought, maybe it would be better for us as well.

He wasn't quite sure how a republic actually worked, so he consulted one of his neighbors, Alexander of the Greeks.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/3295/projectkaguya940ad1fg.png

"Ahh, a fine system it is indeed," said Alexander. "But you will have to work hard at it. No more sitting idly upon your throne while ruling by decree. You must try to satisfy your people, for it is their support that keeps everything in order."

It turned out that winning this "support" would be more difficult than Tokugawa had expected. Many of the Japanese citizens were complaining that it was "too crowded" in the cities, even though they were all quite small compared with their foreign counterparts. In the past, he would try to maintain order by keeping military police in every city, but Alexander had told him that this would no longer work in a republic, and now, he had no idea how to proceed.

"Tell me," he asked the Greek leader, "what might be your secret for keeping your citizens happy?"

"You must be there to listen to them," replied Alexander. "Your people will want to express themselves and air their grievances. Personally, I think it is best when you have them follow some form of organized religion, and build cathedrals where they can worship."

It was a blatant lie, for Tokugawa knew that the Greeks had a profitable luxury trade with their neighbors, but nobody was interested in presenting such an opportunity to Japan. Still, he did not want to point this out, fearing that he might accidentally anger Greece. Reluctantly he accepted Alexander's advice about the cathedrals and gave him his payment for the consultation.

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/4320/projectkaguya870ad10ps.png

Afterwards, Tokugawa sought a second opinion with another leader, Bismarck of the Germans. Much to his surprise, Bismarck agreed with Alexander's suggestion for the cathedrals, and offered some additional advice relating to religion and theolgy. Tokugawa was not interested in more of that, though. Instead, he focused his attention on the new weapons he noticed the German military was using, which Bismarck pointed out as achievements by his brightest inventors.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3645/projectkaguya870ad21me.png

The Japanese cities took their time in building the cathedrals, and Japan would remain in monarchy for an entire century. Growth was slow, and Tokugawa's approval rating remained at rather low levels. It was not until 950 AD, when most of the cathedrals had been completed, that he finally felt confident enough to make the change. In a grand ceremony, he stood up from the Chrysanthemum Throne that had been the symbol of the Japanese monarchy, vowing never to take the seat again. He donated Hammurabi's crown to the palace museum, now open to the public as a tourist attraction.

He would not regret it. Commerce flourished under the new republic, and at last, Japan's treasury began to show signs of a budget surplus.

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3455/projectkaguya950ad4ks.png

Meanwhile, the war that had been going on between Persia and Babylon was slowly winding down. For several years not a single ship was seen passing by Lagash. No cities had ever changed hands, and it did not seem like either side would be getting the upper hand anytime soon.

Maybe Xerxes had underestimated the military strength of the Babylonians. Tokugawa, however, liked to think that the Persians simply did not understand military strategy well enough to launch an effective attack, and thus they were ultimately unsuccessful at repeating Japan's previous victory.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8008/projectkaguya920ad2nj.png

And while Tokugawa had struggled to bring Japan out of a corrupt and inefficient government, the other republics had already made many other great achievements. Xerxes had built a grand cathedral in honor of his court composer, bringing joy to all the music-lovers of Persia.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/436/projectkaguya1050ad4kc.png

A little later, it was reported that Hammurabi had sent an ambitious expedition to sail around the world. Even though that feat had already been accomplished by the Japanese many years before, historians would not acknowledge the fact that mere galleys had crossed the oceans, and they gave the credit to Babylon instead. Tokugawa grumbled at this, but he did admit that the frigates and galleons in Hammurabi's fleet were still vastly superior to his own galleys.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7981/projectkaguya1130ad2ll.png

Hammurabi's expedition had also established strong trading relations with the other civilizations, giving Babylon a tremendous economic advantage. Tokugawa soon learned that the profits from trade with Babylon were so great that Hammurabi no longer had to pay to maintain his harbors; rather, the foreign merchants would do it for him.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/183/projectkaguya1140ad7ak.png

Not to be outdone, Otto von Bismarck had another project ready in Berlin. It was a great theater, a gathering place for artists and performers of all kinds, further heightening Berlin's status as a cultural capital of the world. Tokugawa was curious as to why Shakespeare's Theater only affected one particular city, but he assumed that Bismarck had a good reason for building this Great Wonder.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/3992/projectkaguya1150ad11vb.png

He had a strange idea that perhaps Bismarck really wanted to build Smith's Trading Company all this time, and ultimately had to change his plan when Hammurabi managed to pull that off before him. If Tokugawa had the required technology, he certainly would have preferred Smith over Shakespeare as well. But Japan was still lagging far behind the other civilizations in technology, and Tokugawa knew he never even had the slightest chance with these Great Wonders.

As if to confirm the Shogun's suspicions, the very next thing he knew, Germany had declared war on Babylon.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2135/projectkaguya1150ad26fr.png

It all makes sense now, Tokugawa said to himself. Bismarck is a sore loser. He cannot accept the fact that he lost the race to Smith's Trading Company, and now he thinks he will get away with this instead.

The Shogun had little compassion for either side in this conflict, as he had fought against Babylon before, while also submitting to Germany's demands of tribute. But this war was likely to be different from the one that Persia and Babylon had fought earlier, because now, the two opponents shared a land border. It will be interesting to watch this, thought Tokugawa. I'll send a few longbowmen over to see what is going on.

... to be continued

Grat update Sima! Love this story! I am curious though, why are the techs so cheap?

I think he's behind, so everyone else has them too.

Great update. He is behind but trust me he'll win.

BTW welcome to civfanatics pneuma! [party]
Edit could we have an overview of the AI island?

Edit could we have an overview of the AI island?

Well, since I said no cities had changed hands, there wouldn't be much different from the last map I posted. Just a few more cities built on the smaller islands, plus Lagash belongs to Japan.

But that is going to change very suddenly in the next update, coming soon!

Nah I meant just show an overviwe of the island anyway. I dont get where all the civs are located.

Chapter 9: The Great Library Revisited

http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/9181/literature4xx.jpg

ie wo izuru / hito to shi kikeba / kari no yado / kokoro tomu na to / omou bakari zo
Because I heard you were someone / who had left the household life / my only / thought was to warn you / don't let your mind dwell / on this borrowed lodging!

Saigyo (A.D. 1118-1190)

Regardless of how curious Tokugawa was about the war between Germany and Babylon, sending a few observers into that area would be a little bit more troublesome than he thought. They first hit a snag when they passed through Greek territorial waters, and Alexander was not in a particularly welcoming mood.

"You expect to sail right under the noses of my governors in Herakleia and Knossos without bringing me any gifts?" he said. "Surely you think too highly of yourself, Tokugawa."

The Shogun humbly apologized, and asked his men to hand over an updated world map and a small amount of gold to appease Alexander. It was not much of a price to pay, so Tokugawa had little to complain about.

http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/5615/projectkaguya1210ad4hu.png

It was when they later passed into Babylonian waters that they noticed that Hammurabi was in some trouble. Germany had a significant advantage in being able to fight on their home island, while Babylon would have to ferry over all of its reinforcements. Nippur and Samarra seemed likely to fall any time now.

The arrival of the Japanese fleet was not a welcome sight to Hammurabi. He still remembered how the last one he saw totally overwhelmed his forces at Lagash, and was certainly not prepared to deal with another invasion. But Tokugawa assured him that he meant no harm. As a matter of fact, he was more interested in helping keep the balance, by helping out his former enemy against the Germans.

Hammurabi was very grateful for this, and offered rights of passage through Babylonian territory, as well as a discounted price on the secret of gunpowder.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1565/projectkaguya1190ad9mn.png

Naturally, the reaction from Germany was furious. "What the hell?" shouted Bismarck. "Tokugawa, you worthless scum! You could not have taken Lagash without my help before, and now this is how you repay us?"

"Oh, please." Tokugawa did not want to put up with this. "The so-called 'help' you gave only amounted to overcharging us for the rights of passage. You never actually did anything that would truly benefit Japan."

Bismarck was startled and shocked by Japan's sudden declaration of war, but there was little he could do about the Japanese fleet that had now entered German waters. His ships were in far-off fighting against their Babylonian counterparts, and could ill afford to return to defend against the new enemy.

Or that was what Tokugawa thought. For it was not long afterward when a German caravel was spotted off the coast of Hakodate. The governor said he had no information as to whether or not the vessel was carrying troops to land on the island, but Tokugawa would not take any chances, and he ordered a longbowman to be recruited from the island immediately.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/5536/projectkaguya1260ad2qw.png

It turned out to be a false alarm. The caravel set a new course toward the west, away from the island. Tokugawa would not forgive it for causing such an inconvenience though. He ordered the nearest Japanese galley to pursue and destroy it, regardless of what it might cost him elsewhere. It was a rather weak attempt, for the men aboard the galley had never seen combat before, but they certainly learned from this experience.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9352/projectkaguya1265ad3sr.png

Tokugawa was about to congratulate them for a job well done when soon he heard the tragic news that had befallen his victorious seamen. Clearly, in pursuing the German vessel too far out to sea, they had made a fatal mistake.

http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/2940/projectkaguya1270ad5ak.png

It was the first loss ever suffered by the Japanese navy, and even though it was not a combat defeat, it certainly made Tokugawa much more hesitant to make his next move. While Germany and Babylon fought on land, his troops remained hiding off the shore, merely observing what was going on. The alliance with Hammurabi was expected to last for another one hundred years, and he could certainly wait before coming in for the kill.

But it didn't. By 1270 AD, Samarra had been captured by the Germans. Hammurabi had been expecting some kind of help from the Japanese on land, but Tokugawa's stalling had cost him dearly. "What kind of alliance does he think this is?" muttered the Babylonian leader. "We are shackled to a corpse."

The fall of Samarra was enough to bring Hammurabi to the bargaining table, and after some negotiation with the Germans, he declared the alliance dissolved and signed a peace treaty.

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"Oh dear, Hammurabi, look what you have done!" Tokugawa was annoyed that the alliance had been broken, but Hammurabi's accusation did have some merit. The only thing the Japanese had done was destroy a German caravel in some far-off waters that really had little effect on the war. Now Japan was left alone to fight Germany.

The Shogun's advisor had a more positive view of the situation though. "Do not panic," said Hideyoshi. "No alliance means we are free to end the war whenever we choose as well. And I can assure you that we are ready to make our move." With that, the Japanese troops were ordered to land on the German mainland, ready for some intense fighting.

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/5548/projectkaguya1275ad8zd.png

The German forces had barely any time to come back from the front lines in the war with Babylon, and now Bismarck was left with a very weakly defended core. Miraculously, the Japanese landing force managed to hold their ground against the German counterattack.

With nothing else left to oppose them, Tokugawa's men scored a stunning victory at Berlin. Bismarck managed to flee to Konigsberg, but his beloved capital city was now in the hands of Japan.

http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/7149/projectkaguya1280ad5vw.png

The Shogun was surprised that the battle had been won so easily. "Who was in command of this flawless victory?" he asked. "I must give him a great reward for his performance."

One of the men stepped forward. "Minamoto no Yoritomo at your service, sir," he said. Tokugawa was so impressed that he had Yoritomo brought back to Kyoto, where the leader was given a whole army of his own to command.

http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/6130/projectkaguya1285ad2de.png

In the meantime, the soldiers spent their time in Berlin exploring the many Great Wonders that the Germans had built there. Some attended the shows at the Shakespeare's Theater, while others who had been injured during the battle recovered at the fine barracks of Sun Tzu.

But it was the Great Library that had been the biggest prize of all, for that is where Tokugawa's men discovered the most incredible collection of books on every subject known to mankind. Over the next five years, he ordered them to load all of the books onto the ships, which returned them to Japan for his scholars to study in detail. There were so many books in the library, that there were some which Bismarck never even got around to reading himself, but the Shogun made sure that every last scrap of knowledge would be accounted for.

http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/2064/greatlibrary5pk.jpg

The new technology acquired from the Great Library instantly brought Japan up to par with the other great civilizations of the world, even matching the glorious Persians and Babylonians. And it transformed Japan into a great industrial powerhouse, ready to meet the challenges of a new era.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/6433/projectkaguyaindustrialage1bd.png

... to be continued

Grat update Sima! Love this story! I am curious though, why are the techs so cheap?

I think he's behind, so everyone else has them too.

Yes, I was very far behind. You can tell from my last update how far everyone else got ahead of me.

Also, keep in mind this is a small size map, so the tech costs are decreased.

Nah I meant just show an overviwe of the island anyway. I dont get where all the civs are located.

I don't quite get it, what exactly do you want me to post? I thought you could tell from the minimaps, or the world map (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyamap210ad5vn.jpg) from before.

Yeah, thanx I forgot about that world map.

You somehow have to find a way to keep up in technology, and build up your military so you can wipe a few capitals out during the space race. And since you don't have conquests, scientist farms are not very useful. Looks challenging!

This resembles real history! Japan became from a medieval society a highly developed one in very little time!

Great update!

This resembles real history! Japan became from a medieval society a highly developed one in very little time!

I do get a kick out of it when Civ replicates history--or even comes close enough with some "mightabeens". I'm currently running a game where Russia, Rome, and Egypt are fighting a sort of "Great Game" in central Asia, as they partition the technologically backward English--a once powerful medieval civilization. Very odd.

Like the update. Keep 'em coming.

Chapter 10: The Age of the Zaibatsu, the Technology Brokerage

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/1802/cagalliandgilbert3ev.jpg

Kimi ga tame / Haru no no ni idete / Wakana tsumu / Waga koromode ni / Yuki wa furi tsutsu
It is for your sake / That I walk the fields in spring / Gathering green herbs / While my garment's hanging sleeves / Are speckled with falling snow.

Emperor Koko (A.D. 830-887)

Once the sacking of the Great Library was complete, Tokugawa found that there was nothing interesting left in Berlin. The German citizens were determined to resist Japanese rule, and Chancellor Bismarck's troops were steadily returning from the Babylonian front. It would only be a matter of time before the Japanese forces would be overwhelmed.

But Tokugawa still held Berlin, the former German capital, and for each day that went by without it being recaptured, Otto von Bismarck grieved for his people, his great civilization, and in particular for the loss of the three Great Wonders that had been built in the city. He would never display his emotions in public, and not even his closest advisors understood what he was feeling, as he did not want to appear weak in difficult times. Still, his soldiers were only returning gradually from the war with Babylon, many of them injured or exhausted, and it would take time before they were ready to fight again.

And so it was with great surprise that in 1285 AD, he suddenly received a message from Kyoto, which turned out to be Japan's terms for peace. And remarkably, the Shogun was willing to return Berlin to Germany, but for a hefty price. Two outlying German cities would be exchanged for the capital, but Bismarck was so desperate to regain control of Berlin that he immediately agreed. He trusted that the Japanese would promptly vacate German territory afterwards, but he was still so badly shaken by the Japanese invasion that he did not dare move his government offices back from Konigsberg.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/703/projectkaguya1285ad17cr.png

True to his reputation, Tokugawa kept his word and withdrew his troops from Berlin. They boarded the galleys that had brought them so far from Japan, and they stopped over at Bremen to check on the new iron mines around the city. It was not particularly important to Bismarck, for there was another source of iron near Heidelberg, and the mines at Bremen had not even been connected with a road yet.

On the other hand, Hannover was a distant German colony on an island far in the southeastern part of the world, close to the western coast of Russia. It shared a land border with the Babylonian city of Sippar to the south. There was no defense force present in Hannover at the time, and it would be many years before the first riflemen would arrive from Japan, but as the war with Germany had been partially fought in an alliance with Babylon, Tokugawa had little to fear from any sneak attack by Hammurabi.

And so with the Treaty of Berlin in 1285 AD, there was peace in the world once more. While Tokugawa was busy with the peace negotiations, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been perusing the books recovered from the Great Library. One of them in particular interested him a great deal was the Athenaion Politeia, a text written by Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher. It described in great detail the history and politics of the Greek people, and their system of government in which all political offices were elected directly by the demos, the people.

On Hideyoshi's recommendation, it was decided that this system of democracy would be most beneficial to the Japanese people. And by 1290 AD the transition from a republic had been smoothly carried out, with Tokugawa Ieyasu taking on the honorary role of President of Japan.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/2556/projectkaguya1290ad3gd.png

It was also from works found in the Great Library that the Japanese learned of a system of banking, that would enable them to amass much greater amounts of wealth by providing loans and collecting interest. Conglomerates run by a few powerful families, known as the zaibatsu, would soon dominate this business, and the gold that they added to Japan's treasy would soon prove immensely useful in the upcoming trades of technology with the other civilizations.

But first, the secrets of the Great Library had to be shared with some of the less advanced powers, whom Tokugawa felt could not be left too far behind lest their stronger neighbors suddenly acquire too great of an advantage. The Shogun noticed that neither Hammurabi nor Bismarck understood the concepts of communism, and offered to teach them the subject. Hammurabi was quite impressed and in return he demonstrated to the Japanese around the Babylonian factories, which could at last be built after the period of industrialization.

http://img469.imageshack.us/img469/6889/projectkaguya1315ad6ap.png

Bismarck had much less to offer as payment, but Tokugawa did not mind having some extra gold to pad his coffers. Besides, if we don't make this trade with the Germans, he convinced himself, someone else surely will.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8662/projectkaguya1315ad26ik.png

Shortly thereafter, news came from Persepolis that Xerxes had built a great university there, and their research was bolstered by the phenomenal discoveries that the Persian scientists were making at the time. Perhaps this was Xerxes's response to Copernicus's Observatory in the Babylonian city of Akkad, but Newton's University was in a much better location, with plenty of gold to be found nearby and little corruption under the watchful eye of the Persian leader.

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/4790/projectkaguya1320ad8om.png

It was at Newton's University that Persian scientists, now the best and brightest in the world, made the shocking discovery of how electricity worked, and how its power could be harnessed for productive purposes. For a price, Xerxes showed a demonstration of the phenomenon to the Japanese, who eagerly noted every detail of the experiment, and also sent a worker over to Japan to help them make use of the new technology.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3585/projectkaguya1330ad8ok.png

But it would not be fair if this technology was withheld from the other powers, and especially Hammurabi, who had now become one of the zaibatsu's favorite trading partners. Fortunately, the Babylonian leader also had something new to offer the Japanese: the secret of espionage.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5991/projectkaguya1330ad21ee.png

By this time the Russians had also developed espionage and electricity on their own, but there were still two others who needed to be filled in with the details. The first was Germany, who offered a substantial annual tribute to Japan in exchange for these secrets.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/5260/projectkaguya1340ad3wu.png

The other was Greece, who had much less to pay, but by this time the knowledge was so widespread that Tokugawa was willing to accept their comparatively meager offer.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/3488/projectkaguya1340ad29vs.png

Last but certainly not least of Tokugawa's priorities, Russia also had something new to trade. It was an industrial process of using replaceable parts in the assembly of new, complex equipment, a truly fascinating technique. Tokugawa paid a steep price for this, and soon found that the other countries had learned of it as well, but he had little reason to be unhappy with the result. His workers could now perform their tasks in only half the time it took them before.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/6929/projectkaguya1365ad3pf.png

With the amount that had been spent for replaceable parts, even the powerful zaibatsu's resources had been nearly exhausted, but there was still some more hope. For in the year 1360 AD, a new palace was completed in Tokyo, making it the equivalent of a second capital of Japan. Corruption and waste fell sharply, and once again Tokugawa would have great surpluses in his budget.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/1320/projectkaguya1360ad5sk.png

It was fortunate that all these years were peaceful, allowing the technology brokers of Japan to make profitable trades at home and abroad without ever angering any of the other civilizations. Tokugawa was grateful to the heavens for the peaceful times that the Japanese democracy was going through, but deep down inside, he had a strange feeling that this would not last for long.

... to be continued

Player's note: The peace treaty described at the beginning of this update was the "exploit" that I hinted about earlier. This is only possible because I'm playing on Civ 3 vanilla v1.07. I've been told that in later patches this kind of city trading is impossible, but for some odd reason those patches don't work properly on my computer, so I have to hold off on upgrading until I get C3C.

Well, a bit too late for me to go back and fix that now. I don't consider this an "abuse" of the game mechanics though. A real abuse of the city trade would be getting Bremen and Hannover out of the peace treaty, and then immediately turning around and retaking Berlin before the Germans could move in any troops to defend it. I've tried to be as fair as possible in the peace arrangement, by making a trade that would be strategically advantageous to me, while not taking too much advantage of "bugs" in the game.

Just FYI, the Germans were also willing to cough up the city of Bonn in addition to the other two in the peace treaty, but I decided that would probably be a bit too unfair to them. Plus, Bonn was in a pretty bad location too.

I'll be posting a new world map sometime soon, since now the map has been competely explored.

Terrific update Sima! :thumbsup:

Great use of the city trading bug!:thumbsup:

great updates.
and a VERY NICE catching up, too ;)

Nice update!

Okay, here is the world map I promised (big!):

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/8804/projectkaguyamap1365ad9ox.th.jpg (http://img519.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyamap1365ad9ox.jpg)

As you can see I'm spread pretty thin, with all those distant island colonies. Yokohama, Hakodate, Hannover, Bremen, and Lagash are only getting one shield per turn, but I'm actually able to build a few improvements in each of them, primarily from planting forest and then chopping them. (Of course, cash rush is also an option, and I've used that heavily in this game.)

As far as resources go, I have three. Horses from Kagoshima (hard to see in the map since the city label covers it), iron from Bremen (the harbor was built mostly from disbanding injured longbowmen from the battle of Berlin), and rubber (!!!) from Hannover. Makes me feel kind of guilty for getting the city out of the peace treaty...

Hannover is still undefended, but that galleon that is passing by Matsuyama is carrying some riflemen over there. They'll definitely arrive before anything actually gets built in the city :)

No coal or saltpeter though. I don't want saltpeter, since then I won't be able to build samurai anymore, but coal is going to be really important later on. Where will I get it from?

Nice map! I wouldn't have enough patience to Copy&Paste so much.

You will get some coal eventually!

Just a few other little things before I post my next update. Histographs!

Score:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4690/projectkaguya1365ad10hm.th.png (http://img105.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1365ad10hm.png)

The Persians are in the lead now, they've broken four digits. And they're so close to home, they could get very dangerous.

Greece got shafted in the early expansion phase, but they've made a comeback with all their island colonies. Germany is in last place now.

Power:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/1504/projectkaguya1365ad27wb.th.png (http://img105.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1365ad27wb.png)

The big jump at the bottom (around 1280 AD) is from capturing the Great Library :lol:

Culture:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9541/projectkaguya1365ad31zt.th.png (http://img105.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1365ad31zt.png)

I built a lot of early temples because I had no luxuries, but naturally the Babylonians are the kings of culture.

Demographics:
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2332/projectkaguya1365ad40hd.th.png (http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1365ad40hd.png)

Somehow I've made it to first place in land area, while the other stats are pretty bad. Hopefully the loose city placement will pay off sooner or later. Nobody has medicine yet, and I'm really in no shape to research it myself.

The bad thing about modding civ colors is that I can't understand the histographs without clicking the thumbnails to see what civ has what color. So far I know that:
Japan uses the Persian green
China (not in this game, but in the other it was like this) uses Roman red
Persia uses the Iroquois color
Babylon uses English orange.
I don't know the others!

:lol:

I memorized it.:D

Russians = Gray
Germany = Black
Babylon = Orange
Persia = Purple
Japan = Darkish Greenish Blueish
Greeks = Dark Green

It's hard to see on that big map, but are all your cities defended by either warriors or spearmen? :eek:
That won't do, get some cash and upgrade...
And disbanding longbowmen in that position doesn't sound too good.

Well unless they are border cities on the same continent as an enemy it doenst matter if it is warriors or what because most AI will be too lazy to attack him there.

It's hard to see on that big map, but are all your cities defended by either warriors or spearmen? :eek:
That won't do, get some cash and upgrade...
And disbanding longbowmen in that position doesn't sound too good.

Yep, they are warriors and spearmen. The map is from 1365 AD, the year I just bought Replaceable Parts from the Russians. The upgrade to infantry won't be available for another turn, since the game doesn't seem to recognize the fact that I have rubber until then.

I wouldn't be too concerned right now, and in the worst case I can probably still draft riflemen. But I doubt that will be necessary. Germany took a good beating last time and I don't think they'll be back for more anytime soon.

Updates anywhere?

Chapter 11: A False Peace

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/1595/cagalliandkira3gw.jpg

Urami wabi / Hosanu sode da ni / Aru mono o / Koi ni kuchinan / Na koso oshi kere
Even when your hate / Makes me stain my sleeves with tears / In cold misery / Worse than hate and misery / Is the loss of my good name.

Lady Sagami (A.D. 998-1068)

It was bound to happen eventually. Tokugawa knew that his rivals were not only competing with him, but also trying desperately to outdo each other. Over the years there had been many shifts in which power was dominant. First it had been Babylon, who managed to grab vast amounts of territory with the help of the Pyramids and their cultural prowess. Then it was Persia, who had occupied an entire island by itself, as well as set up colonies near Germany.

But now it was difficult to tell who could truly claim to be the leader. Greece lacked territory but seemed quite strong in terms of technology. Russia was quite large in land area, but in matters of science it was comparatively backwards. Persia was still very strong, but somewhat isolated from the other civlizations with little opportunity to expand. Babylon still had its core cities intact, as well as a few new colonies near Hannover and Fukuoka, but the recent wars with Japan and Germany seemed to have cost it somewhat in terms of scientific research. Japan had been the underdog for most of the time so far, but successful technology brokerages of the zaibatsu had brought Tokugawa's civilization up to par at last.

Now, the only civilization that seemed to be in worse shape than Japan was Germany, and Tokugawa was concerned that Bismarck would try to recover his losses from the previous war. Bremen seemed particularly vulnerable, as it was a distant enclave surrounded by the Greeks, Babylonians, and Germans. Fortunately, the development of replaceable parts allowed him to upgrade the Japanese infantry with new assault rifles that were deadly both on the offense and defense.

Tokugawa did not know if his infantry was what deterred the Chancellor from making his move, or if the German Wehrmacht was unprepared for war at this time. He checked with his embassies and found that except for the Bismarck, the other leaders were on good terms with him. He did not know how well they were getting along with each other though, so for the next few years he simply waited, allowing the zaibatsu to continue amassing wealth and preparing for an upcoming trade.

In 1375 AD, the diplomatic silence was finally broken, as the first shots were fired in far off land, where a new war had begun.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9494/projectkaguya1375ad8kz.png

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not really surprised by this. "I sense a pattern here," he said. "Everyone seems to like picking on Hammurabi. That poor guy has fought a war with every civilization but Greece."

Unlike the previous wars that Babylon had survived though, this one involved a strong opponent that was right next door. In the past, the Babylonian core had suffered little from war. Lagash was taken by the Japanese quite early on, Samarra had been captured by the Germans but recaptured shortly afterward, and the war with Persia had yielded absolutely no results for either side. But Russia was different. Czarina Catherine had been training a disciplined force of Cossacks, the fast and powerful Russian cavalry, and they were ready to charge straight into the middle of Babylonian territory.

"This really shouldn't affect us very much," continued Hideyoshi. "But we will have to be careful in our dealings with Russia and Babylon, since if we give either side too much of an advantage, they could score a decisive victory and dominate the continent."

And so Tokugawa pledged neutrality in the conflict for the time being, while he continued to trade with the non-warring powers in order to keep Japan up to date with technology. He spotted a good opportunity with Greece, who possessed a technology that the Germans did not know of.

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/5640/projectkaguya1405ad14ow.png

It was a set of laws that defined the rights and powers of corporations, which gave them special status in the business field. The technology made little difference in Japan, where the zaibatsu had already flourished with little control by the government, but it seemed to open up some new possibilities that Tokugawa had not thought of before.

Bismarck was mildly interested in this as well, and exchanged his knowledge of new medical advances with the Japanese.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/2316/projectkaguya1405ad28le.png

The policy of neutrality seemed to be working well, as neither Russia nor Babylon made much progress in the war while Japan continued to trade in peace. But Catherine the Great was no fool. She quickly learned that she had overestimated the capabilities of her Cossacks, who had great difficulty facing the powerful Babylonian infantry. There was only one way she could hope to defeat Hammurabi: she had to seek help from elsewhere.

Nobody seemed interested in an alliance against the Babylonians, so Catherine tried something new. She offered a mutual protection pact, an agreement where either side would come to the aid of the other when it was attacked, and found that Alexander of the Greeks was willing to accept it.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9858/projectkaguya1410ad14ku.png

"I like this idea of a mutual protection pact," said Tokugawa. "It would be a great deterrent, and an enemy would think twice before attacking us."

Hideyoshi was not amused. "Alexander must not really understand that agreement very well," he remarked. "Doesn't he know that as soon as a single Babylonian territory crosses the Russian border, he will have to fight as well? And what if they are already there?"

So it was really no surprise when very shortly thereafter, Greece declared war on the Babylonians. "The pattern is now complete," said Hideyoshi with a satisfied grin. "Everyone has had their turn to fight against Hammurabi."

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8638/projectkaguya1410ad22ha.png

It seemed that unless Babylon could find an ally soon, Russia and Greece would quickly be able to use their combined might to overwhelm Hammurabi's forces, who were now struggling to defend their cities. In fact, even before any cities changed hands, the difference was already noticeable in terms of technology advances.

The Russians had discovered a new source of energy that could be obtained by burning gasoline, a fuel that was refined from natural deposits of petroleum. Tokugawa was very interested in additional ways of satisfying Japan's ever-increasing demand for energy, and he jumped at the opportunity to learn about this new technique. He sent Hideyoshi on a mission to Moscow, with the sole purpose of acquiring the secret of refining.

Catherine the Great was a tough negotiator and demanded a steep price for the technology, but Hideyoshi had come prepared with plenty of gold to pay for it. While in Moscow, he noticed many Russian workers idle in the streets, and later found out that the Russian economy was in a recession, with high rates of unemployment. He offered these workers new jobs in Japan, and with the Czarina's approval, they came together with Hideyoshi on his return trip.

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/6640/projectkaguya1430ad16vo.png

Hideyoshi stopped by Athens on the way home, where he noticed that Alexander had employed sanitation crews to keep the streets clean and free of pollution and disease. Curious, he asked the Greek leader how this could be done, and readily handed over the remainder of the gold he had brought with him on his mission.

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/441/projectkaguya1430ad22uh.png

Before heading back to the Japanese mainland, Hideyoshi visited the various island ports and was surprised to discover that the barren tundra outside Hakodate actually held a rich supply of oil. Perhaps it was not so bad of an idea to settle here after all, he thought to himself. Tokugawa will be so happy to hear of this.

Much to his dismay, the Shogun was actually not at all pleased with the result. "What good is oil when we don't have any idea how to use it?" grumbled Tokugawa. "You are such a failure!" It was unfortunate, but true. Japanese refineries were now processing the fuel in large quantities, but there was so little demand for it that the oil corporations were in danger of going bankrupt.

"Please give me another chance," begged Hideyoshi. "I will make sure to find a trade that will satisfy Japan." He checked around the other countries and found that Hammurabi was almost completely broke, while Xerxes had developed refineries on his own. But Bismarck did make a fine offer, which even the Shogun agreed was fair compensation. Hideyoshi also pointed out that the Chancellor's attitude had improved since their last meeting, and that there was hope that friendly relations between Japan and Germany could resume soon.

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/764/projectkaguya1430ad35tl.png

There was still more to learn from the Greeks, who had now developed a sturdy metal alloy that was perfect for building ships and armored vehicles. The zaibatsu leaders in Japan were eager to capitalize on this new opportunity, and so Tokugawa allowed the purchase of this technology as well.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9682/projectkaguya1480ad7iv.png

While all these exchanges were being made, the wars with Babylon were still raging on the western continent. Hammurabi had somehow managed to hold his cities against the combined forces of Alexander and Catherine, but Tokugawa sensed that it would not take much longer before his defense would crumble.

The information that the Shogun received about the war in his security briefings was often inaccurate or inconsistent, and he was quite suspicious of many of their sources. Even though he was not directly involved in the war, Tokugawa still wanted to keep tabs on how everything was going over there, and he could not do that without some covert intelligence operations. And so he ordered the construction of an intelligence agency, the Naikaku Jouho Chousashitsu, which was conveniently called the "Naicho" for short.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5256/projectkaguya1470ad2zj.png

The Naicho headquarters were completed by 1470 AD, and their information-gathering operations soon confirmed that despite the intense fighting around the cities of Minsk and Eridu, the Russians seemed to be getting the upper hand.

This put Shogun Tokugawa into a strange dilemma. If he did not help Hammurabi out, the Russians and Greeks could become very powerful at Babylon's expense. But if Japan were to enter the war on Babylon's side, they were in no way prepared to face the military might of Russia and Greece. Bismarck was still annoyed with the Japanese, while Xerxes insisted he would have nothing to do with this conflict, leaving Tokugawa with little flexibility in his decisions.

... to be continued

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9682/projectkaguya1480ad7iv.png

If you see behind Alex, you can see that Odessa(Russian) is all railroaded and Mycenae(Greek) isnt.:p

If you see behind Alex, you can see that Odessa(Russian) is all railroaded and Mycenae(Greek) isnt.:p

Yes. The Greeks don't have iron, as a matter of fact. Also, the Germans don't have coal. Greece has one extra coal, but since I'm bound by the rules which say I can't trade resources, I'll probably end up having to fight Greece eventually for it.

Chapter 12: Shifting Allegiances

http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/9364/shiftingallegiances4dt.jpg

Tare o ka mo / Shiru hito ni sen / Takasago no / Matsu mo mukashi no / Tomo nara naku ni
Who is still alive / When I have grown so old / That I can call my friends? / Even Takasago's pines / No longer offer comfort.

Fujiwara no Okikaze (10th century A.D.)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi did get another chance, and he was determined to redeem himself for his previous trades that had done little to benefit Japan. For several years he was busy consulting scientific researchers around the world, seeking the next logical step after the technologies of refining and steel. They seemed closely related in some way, but the Japanese scientists had been struggling to make the connection and would ultimately need guildance from foreign experts.

He finally found a satisfactory answer from Greece. Steel, it was learned, could be used to construct a powerful device called the internal combustion engine, which used oil as its fuel. Alexander's ships were now primarily powered by this engine, and they were appropriately given the name "destroyers."

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/3480/projectkaguya1490ad12ty.png

Hideyoshi then looked around to see if there was any other opportunity to share this technology and make a handsome profit. The Persians and Russians seemed to have learned of combustion independently, but the Germans were willing to make a good offer. Chancellor Bismarck had drastically improved his attitude, and no longer seemed to harbor ill feeling toward the Japanese. Or he could just be pretending, thought Hideyoshi.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5008/projectkaguya1490ad23ij.png

Hammurabi, too, had been mystified as to what to do with the oil reserves he found around the desert of Ellipi, but after several agonizing years of war he had finally gotten his finances in order again. The treasury of Babylon was still small, but Hammurabi assured Hideyoshi that he would have a yearly surplus, and was willing to negotiate an extended payment plan. Thinking that Hammurabi might turn to other dealers, the Japanese minister accepted the offer. It wasn't as bad as it looked, since in the long run Hammurabi would actually pay slightly more than Bismarck did, assuming he did not choose unwisely and declare war.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/8843/projectkaguya1490ad33xy.png

There was also the risk, however slight, that the Babylonians would be wiped out by the Greeks and Russians before Hammurabi could finish making his payments. The war had been a stalemate before, but the first clear victory had now been scored by the Russians, far away from the front lines. Zariqum, a Babylonian colony in the frozen tundra region on the same island as Fukuoka, was overrun by Russian longbowmen. Catherine saw nothing about Zariqum worth keeping, so the city was razed.

Still, Hammurabi seemed to be doing much better closer to home, as he still held the Kish-Uruk salient against a determined Russian attack. It would have to take much more than some charging Cossacks to overwhelm the powerful Babylonian infantry.

Catherine the Great was not sure of what to do next, so she sought advice from her friend and ally, Alexander. Surprisingly, the Greeks had spent all this time working on something that hadn't the slightest connection with the military. Instead, they had made a truly earthshattering discovery: the theory of evolution.

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/8484/projectkaguya1510ad3dm.png

"My, my, the Greeks are quite far ahead of us now," said Shogun Tokugawa when he heard of this development. "Our backwards people still believe the creation myths of Izanagi and Izanami. We must somehow make up the difference."

In Babylon, Hammurabi scoffed at the idea. "Our religion dictates that there is no way man could have descended from the likes of apes," he declared. But his men seemed to be faltering, as there seemed to be no end to the attacks by the Russians and Greeks. In fact, following the discovery of evolution, they only intensified, as more and more advanced Greek units appeared on the battlefield.

Hammurabi sensed the uneasiness among his people, but he hoped that a system of universal suffrage would assuage their fears. The prolonged war had made him an unpopular leader, so he hoped this would help him regain some support.

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Tokugawa chuckled at this. "What Hammurabi doesn't seem to understand," he said, "is that universal suffrage will do him no good when his government is communism."

"So much for his wasted effort," said Hideyoshi. "I doubt we will be able to deal with him intelligently for much longer. Let us check on Alexander again, and see if he has anything new after the theory of evolution."

As a matter of fact, the Greeks now had three new technologies of which Japan had been unaware. But Tokugawa was fascinated by one in particular, the science that made flying machines possible. "Just imagine the things we can do once we are free to roam the skies!" he said. "We must learn this technology immediately."

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Alexander put expensive price on flight, but the Japanese treasury was now sufficiently rich to meet the Greek leader's demands. The Greeks seemed pleased to be able to make such large profits from trading with Japan. "Why don't you also learn the techniques of mass production from us?" suggested Alexander. "I'm sure you won't regret it."

Tokugawa politely declined. There was someone else he could turn to for that, and he could get a much better deal there.

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Hideyoshi warned that such spendthrift practices would soon bankrupt the Japanese government, but Tokugawa was not at all worried. Plenty of gold from the zaibatsu's profits continued to fill his coffers, and the completion of a new financial district in Kyoto only encouraged greater investment and trade.

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After mass production techniques were learned and implemented in Japan's factories, there remained one more technology that Alexander had to offer. It was the work of a pair of Greek scientists, Democritus and Leucippus, who had developed a whole new way of looking at matter. Tokugawa wasn't sure what this really meant, but he was determined to make up the technological gap.

But this time Alexander was not satisfied even when the Shogun offered him the entire Japanese treasury. "The Japanese people are quite incapable of understanding the atomic theory," he sneered. "We cannot help you."

Tokugawa would not give up yet. "Is there really no hope? There should be other ways we can help Greece as well."

Alexander thought about this for a moment, then spoke. "Perhaps. Greece desires to crush its hated enemy, Babylon. We have encountered some difficulties along the way, and it would be very helpful if you could join us in an alliance."

"I don't think we are ready for military action right now," responded the Shogun. "Maybe an alliance is not appropriate, but how about a mutual protection pact like the one you have with Russia?"

"Same sort of deal," said Alexander, smiling. "We can trade on these terms."

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Tokugawa decided not to point out that this was a mutual commitment, and that Greece would also have to come to his aid if Japan was ever attacked by some other power as well. He hoped that such an attack would not happen anytime soon, but it would not hurt to have some extra assurance. One thing was clear though: if Hammurabi ordered any more troops into Greek territory, Japan would have to declare war on Babylon.

This was slightly bothersome to Tokugawa. There were three Japanese cities that were close to Hammurabi's territory, although none of them were anywhere near mainland Babylon. One was Fukuoka, on the island to the west of Kobe, but there was nothing to fear there. The Russian troops of Astrakhan were keeping Hammurabi's men busy at Izibia.

The second city was Hannover, which had been handed over by the Germans in the previous war. Hannover shared an island with the Babylonian city of Sippar, but it seemed unlikely that it would come under attack. Catherine had landed riflemen and Cossacks in the forest just outside Sippar, cutting off the path that had connected it to Hannover and leaving the Babylonians struggling to defend their city.

But the city that most concerned Tokugawa was Bremen. Bremen was Japan's only source of iron, and it was right next door to the Babylonian cities of Samarra and Nippur. There were some infantry and longbowmen in the vicinity, but the Shogun had some doubts as to how well they would hold up against a Babylonian attack. An airport had been purchased in the city for reinforcements to be sent in, but few troops were available for duty at the moment.

Fortunately, over the years of trading, Bismarck's attitude had completely changed, and Germany was now on good terms with Japan. When approached, the Chancellor readily offered assistance if Babylon were to make any offensive move around Bremen, and while they were negotiating, Tokugawa threw a technology trade into the deal as well.

"I am pleased that you have chosen your friends wisely this time," said Bismarck. "You are forgiven for your previous trespassing upon the German fatherland."

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"Extra assurance," repeated Tokugawa to himself. "Extra assurance." He had grown quite fond of these mutual protection pacts. "Why not one more?" There was nothing to lose in a mutual protection pact with Russia, since Japan was already quite likely to go to war with Babylon, but Russian help would certainly be welcome in case another war broke out elsewhere.

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It was now 1580 AD. Tokugawa was now prepared to go to war, and he didn't feel the slightest bit threatened at all.

... to be continued

Dang. Serious negotiations there. You should be sending out spies from your nacho headquarters to keep an eyeball on this complicate alliance. Still, the multinational maneuvering in the industrial age is one of the best parts of a civ story.

Enjoying this.

Looks like WWI is all set to go... Only Babylon will be Germany this time (basically for the last half of WWI, Germany had to fight off France, Brittan and the US by itself, since its two allies, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had internally collapsed by about 1916 or so)

Yeah, awesome. Start a world war. Those are SO FUN man!

Chapter 13: The World Takes up Arms

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Yo o komete / Tori no sorane wa / Hakaru tomo / Yo ni Osaka no / Seki wa yurusaji
The rooster's crowing / In the middle of the night / Deceived the hearers / But at Osaka's gateway / The guards are never fooled.

Sei Shonagon (A.D. 966-1025)

With the mutual protection pacts in place, Tokugawa waited patiently for the next development to occur. He did not know who would trigger the war, but he was almost certain that Japan would soon get dragged into the conflict. Fortunately he was prepared, as many new units had been airlifted to danger zones such as Fukuoka, Hannover, and especially Bremen.

For the first year or so, Tokugawa was actually hopeful that war could potentially be delayed. He expected Hammurabi to notice the situation and avoid any offensive action against Russia and Greece lest the Japanese get involved. In the end it turned out that the war was almost averted, but still caused by a minor techincality.

The Russians had scored their first major victory on their continent, seizing the Babylonian city of Eridu. According to international law, the region surrounding Eridu was now considered Russian territory, and any Babylonian troops in that area were deemed offensive combatants. When Russian Cossacks opened fire on them outside Eridu, there was no longer any excuse for Japan to remain at peace.

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Needless to say, Hammurabi was not at all pleased with this result. "How dare that idiot side with my enemies!" he shouted. "I will go teach Tokugawa a lesson right now."

At the time, the only Japanese city within the reach of Babylonian forces was Bremen, as Sippar was still besieged by the Russians, and Izibia was in such a remote location that it was barely even defended. Hammurabi did not want to engage the Japanese infantry just yet, but his horsemen spotted a unprotected workers and were quick to capture them.

"Not a wise move, Hammurabi," snickered Tokugawa. "You forgot that we still have another mutual protection pact that has not come into play yet."

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Otto von Bismarck was certainly not the right person for Hammurabi to anger. As soon as the Babylonians had crossed the border into Japanese territory, he began sending riflemen toward Samarra. The Germans had captured the city once before, the same year that Japanese longbowmen had stormed Berlin, but they lost it again shortly afterward. Now they were determined to settle the score for good.

Command of the Japanese forces in Bremen had been given to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the hero of the previous war with Germany. Yoritomo was quick to notice the German battle plan, and after some consideration, he felt that it would probably fall flat on its face. How are riflemen supposed to attack a city? he wondered. It would be a true waste of their defensive power.

Yoritomo had rather meager resources to work with, mainly the infantry had had been recently airlifted from mainland Japan, as well as a few longbowmen who were veterans of the German war. Samarra was defended by a Babylonian infantry division, but they were new recruits and preferred to stay within their city limits rather than risk fighting outside. While it seemed they would have a better chance of holding onto the city that way, it left them vulnerable to bombardment by German frigates off the coast.

The Japanese had given the mountain outside Bremen a nickname, "Tetsuyama," because of the iron deposits that had been found there. It was from the top of Tetsuyama where Yoritomo saw the German frigates firing upon Samarra, destroying the harbor and killing any innocent civilians who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also faintly heard the sharp cries of anguish from the defending infantry, some of whom had also been cut down by the German bombardment.

Gradually the Germans moved in, but they chose to march directly through the plains rather than into the hills. They would make some nice bait for a Babylonian counterattack, thought Yoritomo. Indeed, Babylonian horsemen attempted to ambush the German riflemen, but they proved to be far outmatched and soon were in full retreat. This presented the perfect opportunity that Yoritomo was waiting for. A lookout from Tetsuyama summit reported that Samarra was now thinly defended, ready for the taking.

"Charge!" Yoritomo ordered his longbowmen. They seemed to falter for a moment, as the gunfire from the Babylonian defenders cut several of them down. "Do not be afraid of their guns," he encouraged them. "Just because they can fire bullets does not mean they won't get hurt by your arrows. And I assure you, your aim is far better than theirs."

Sure enough, the longbowmen were able to wipe out the defense force of Samarra, much to the chagrin of Hammurabi. Yoritomo decided that there was nothing worth keeping in Samarra, so he ordered the city to be razed.

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After destroying Samarra, Yoritomo turned his sights northward, toward the Babylonian city of Shuruppak, but he was surprised to find that it wasn't there. All that remained was a smoking ruin, with not a single living soul in sight. It was not clear if Hammurabi had abandoned the city, or if it had suffered a the same fate as Samarra, except inflicted upon them by the Greeks.

Whatever the reason, it did not matter. For the report that Yoritomo sent to Kyoto described a rich deposit of coal where Shuruppak once stood, which Shogun Tokugawa was determined to control. "Send some workers over there to set up a colony," he ordered. "We must get that coal, no matter what it may cost us."

"Not so fast," responded Yoritomo. "There is still one more Babylonian city that stands in our way. But Nippur is nothing to worry about, I will take care of that soon enough." He then surveyed his own meager forces again, and seemed a bit disappointed. "Can't you pick it up a little back home?" he asked of Kyoto. "We need reinforcements, and fast!"

"I'll see what I can do," replied Tokugawa. "Keep up the good work!"

Indeed there was something that could be done. Over the protests from cultural, religious, and scientific leaders, Tokugawa ordered all production in Japanese cities to be dedicated to the war effort.

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When more reinforcements arrived Bremen Airport, Yoritomo became more and more confident that his next attack would succeed. One infantry division after another marched northward toward Nippur, which put up only token resistance. When at last Yoritomo entered the city to find no enemies left, he ordered all of its residents out and every building burned to a pulp.

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Some of the citizens of Nippur were sent over to the former site of Shuruppak, where they were forced to set up a coal mine under the watchful eyes of Yoritomo's infantry. The coal would be sent overland to Bremen, where it could then be shipped back to Japanese ports. And with iron and coal at his disposal, Shogun Tokugawa could now begin the process of building railroads across Japan.

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Elsewhere in the world, the war was making little progress. While Cossacks had finally broken into Sippar and ended any potential threat to Hannover, the front lines remained stagnant on the continent. Still, the Russians seemed to be firmly in control of Eridu, frustrating all of Hammurabi's efforts to retake the city. Kish and Uruk, now cut off from the rest of Babylon, appeared to be in great danger, but it seemed as though Catherine the Great was more interested in penetrating deeper into the Babylonian core. If I were Hammurabi, thought Tokugawa, I would be saying my prayers right now... or begging for peace.

At this point something else caught the Shogun's attention. Persian frigates seemed very active all along the Japanese coast, escorting galleons past the ports of Kobe and Osaka. Tokugawa could only make some random guesses about what they could be up to.

A quick inspection of the map revealed that the Persians had now built a settlement at Ergili, near Fukuoka, on the exact spot where the Babylonian city of Zariqum once stood. This was interesting, since while Zariqum had come and gone, the tundra in that area remained barren as ever. In private, Tokugawa wondered about Xerxes's sanity, but he was careful not to annoy him any further.

In 1590 AD, ten years into the war with Babylon, Tokugawa approached the Persian leader with a request. The Japanese leader was quick to notice that Xerxes suddenly had a very different fashion sense, and wondered what might be the matter.

"Greetings, Xerxes," he said. "My, that's a strange hairstyle you have now."

Xerxes seemed a bit more sensitive than Tokugawa had expected. "Are you insulting me? Your pathetic little civilization ought to know its place before Mighty Persia."

"Certainly, certainly. You have my apologies." Tokugawa paused for a moment before delivering his message. "But you do realize that your ships are passing through Japanese territory, right?"

"What do you mean? Not a single Persian has ever set foot on Japanese soil, except for that one worker you hired many years ago."

"Well, I meant to say our territorial waters. You know, the oceans have boundaries, too."

"The glorious navy of Mighty Persia knows no boundaries, Tokugawa," sneered Xerxes. "It is your responsibility to enforce them, and I'd imagine that tiny fleet of yours can do a fine job of it."

"But what you are doing is in violation of all international conventions," argued the Shogun. "Do you mean war?"

Xerxes cackled. "Ha, ha, ha! War! No mortal has ever dared say that despicable word in my presence. But you seem to be quite interested in it. Very well, you shall have it."

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Oh dear, thought Tokugawa. This is quite a bit more than what I had come for.

"I beg that you reconsider," he pleaded. "Are you aware that we have mutual protection pacts with Greece, Germany, and Russia? Surely you would think twice about this matter."

"NEVER!" boomed Xerxes. "The mighty military of Persia fears no one! We will crush them all! Now get out of here, before I get physical with you." He motioned toward the door, through which Tokugawa hastily left.

The Shogun sighed. There was no hope in any more diplomacy. He now had two wars to fight. But at least there would be allies to come to the aid of Japan.

A Persian frigate bombarded the island of Hannover, and by international standards, this was an act of war against the Japan on Japanese territory. There was no room for argument, for this incident was nothing like Eridu; it was clearly an unprovoked aggression. Alexander, Bismarck, and Catherine were well aware of this, and they dutifully fulfilled their commitments.

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And so, by the end of 1590 AD, the whole world was engulfed in war, a true diplomatic nightmare.

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Four against two, said Tokugawa to himself. I don't think this should go too badly for us.

... to be continued

Player's note: Persia was the first civ to make it to modern age, Greece followed suit the very next turn. I think I'm getting in a bad habit of going to war with the most powerful civ each time (with the exception of Germany for the Great Library). Persia is right next door, so things could get quite nasty from here on.

Wish me luck!

YES! OMG! World War! What I've been waiting for! :love:

Woohoo!! Send in the troops!

Excellent update!

Tokugawa shouldn't have made fun of his do. :nope:

I think you'll hold up well against Persia, the AI doesnt handle war well in general, and naval invasions in particular. Just watch out if he has marines, that can be dangerous. I don't have to tell you, but its usually good to let their ships get within range of the coast and blast them with artillery. You might not kill them, but they will retreat. That's one of the things I really like about Conquests, you can sink them with bombers after the shore battery softens them up(red-lines).:goodjob: :goodjob:

BTW, If I didn't say so sooner, great story. I liked the art work in the first one much more, but the story is just as good. Great job!

Tokugawa shouldn't have made fun of his do. :nope:

I think you'll hold up well against Persia, the AI doesnt handle war well in general, and naval invasions in particular. Just watch out if he has marines, that can be dangerous. I don't have to tell you, but its usually good to let their ships get within range of the coast and blast them with artillery. You might not kill them, but they will retreat. That's one of the things I really like about Conquests, you can sink them with bombers after the shore battery softens them up(red-lines).:goodjob: :goodjob:

BTW, If I didn't say so sooner, great story. I liked the art work in the first one much more, but the story is just as good. Great job!

I'm actually not too worried about either of them at the moment. Persia doesn't have oil, and Babylon doesn't have any extra to spare (not after I destroyed Samarra). So the best ships they can muster are going to be frigates and galleons. I'll be fighting them back with destroyers and battleships :lol:

So that little tundra island of Hakodate has paid off big time :)

As a matter of fact, I haven't built a single artillery for the whole game so far. All I have is a catapult that I brought with me to Berlin (when I captured the Great Library), so that has been upgraded. Since this is monarch level, I can probably get away with fewer artillery, and since the map is archipelago, I can rely more heavily on offshore bombardment with ships and planes in carriers.

I've either built or rushed airports in every city by now, so I can quickly move troops anywhere I want fairly quickly. Hannover looks like it's in deep trouble, since the Persians are so close by, but I'll be sending some infantry over there soon enough.

As for the artwork, I'm trying to keep them within theme by the civ I'm playing, and although scenes from anime series probably aren't the most appropriate form of Japanese art, they're fairly easy to find on the Internet, so I kind of compromised. I restricted my selections to two series, Inuyasha and Gundam SEED, since those are the only ones I'm aware of that contain references to the legend of Kaguya-hime.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering why I was attacking cities with infantry, it's because I don't have any units with a higher offensive rating. I don't have saltpeter, so I can't build cavalry, and frankly I don't want it either since then I won't be able to build samurai for a GA.

But the way I fight this war is going to change drastically in the next update!

:woohoo:World WAR!!!

Off to War!! Oh this shall be grand fun! And such a thrill for the ladies to see your lads in uniform
Go get 'em, boys! And be careful there, soldier. Loose lips sink ships http://www.philaprintshop.com/images/homewar.jpg

Chapter 14: Thrust into Modern Times

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Kaze o itami / Iwa utsu nami no / Onore nomi / Kudakete mono o / Omou koro kana
Like a driven wave / Dashed by fierce winds on a rock / So am I: alone / And crushed upon the shore / Remembering what has been.

Minamoto no Shigeyuki (10th century A.D.)

Even with the rest of the world allied against Persia and Babylon, Tokugawa was not about to take them lightly. Persia, in particular, was the strongest of them all, and also the leaders in technology. The industrious Persian workers had been the first to ever lay railroad tracks, and Persian cities were by far the most productive in the world. Japan had to prepare for a major showdown.

But first, Tokugawa noticed that his country had once again fallen behind in terms of technology. Fortunately, Persia was not alone in technological dominance. The next time he went to visit Alexander the Great, he noticed that the Greek leader had removed his bow-tie for a more formal suit, and also donned a fancy pair of glasses.

"How is it going, Tokugawa? Are you doing well in the war against Babylon?"

"Certainly," replied Tokugawa. "We have destroyed two Babylonian cities already, Samarra and Nippur. How about you?"

Alexander was somewhat taken aback by this, since in several decades of fighting Babylon, the Greeks had only managed to destroy Shuruppak, while the Japanese military had done twice as much in the short span of just ten years. But he was determined not to expose any of his weakness to the Shogun.

"Ahh... I was just checking," stammered Alexander. "You see, we were a bit concerned that you were not making a very dedicated an effort to fighting Babylon, but it seems that you've been doing much better than we expected."

Not making a very dedicated effort. Tokugawa pondered how Alexander could possibly be qualified to make that assessment, but there was other business for him to deal with, so he kept his mouth shut for the moment. Then he had an idea.

"Japan honors its mutual protection pact with Greece," he said. "Do you expect more from us?"

"Well, it would be nice if we could turn this into a formal alliance," suggested Alexander. "You know, a 20-turn commitment and other things."

"I am not sure if we are prepared for that," replied Tokugawa.

Alexander tried something else. "Ahh, I see. So you want some kind of incentive then. Say, how about offer you a discount on the new technology of electronics?"

This suddenly made the offer seem much more appealing to Tokugawa. He had heard many tales of the power of electronics, and the incredible devices that could be constructed from wires and circuits. After some negotiation, the two leaders reached an agreement that left both of them very satisfied.

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The discovery of electronics made it possible to build hydroelectric power plants, but in all of Japan's territory, not a single river was to be found. Seems like we are out of choices for now, thought Tokugawa. We will have to look into other energy sources later.

He soon realized why Alexander had so readily given him the technology. A major river, the Acheron, ran right through the center of Greece until it emptied into the sea by Athens. The Greek city of Sparta was at a prime location along the Acheron, right by a waterfall where the waters plunged several thousand feet from atop a high ridge. It was the perfect spot to build a great hydroelectric plant, the Hoover Dam.

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Darn, I really wanted that, if only I had the chance, thought Tokugawa. But this is still better than the Persians getting it. In fact, Xerxes was the only other leader who had ever displayed an interest in the Hoover Dam, and now, with no other Great Wonders to which he could transfer his work, the Persian leader was stuck with building a basic hydro plant that could only provide enough power for his capital.

Tokugawa would not allow the Persians to even catch their breath before he dealt them another crushing defeat. The city of Matsuyama, now a major naval base, guarded the narrow strait that ships from Persia's eastern coast had to pass through in order to reach Japan. It was here that Persian frigates and galleons had attempted to sneak by Japanese defenses, but Tokugawa would not be fooled. A modern Japanese destroyer had no trouble sinking the outdated sailing vessels that Xerxes had ordered through the strait, and even when Persian ironclads showed up, they still failed to pose any challenge to Japan's naval supremacy in the region.

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Tokugawa himself felt so certain of his navy's victory that he personally traveled to Matsuyama to observe the battle. With great pleasure, he watched the Japanese fleet hit the Persian vessels with shells so large that their hulls were instantly blown to pieces. Haha, he laughed while observing the flaming debris as it slowly floated away from the scene. This is what happens when you try to fight a naval war without oil, Xerxes!

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It was with great relief that Tokugawa had learned of Persia's lack of oil, as it turned out the fuel was used not only by ships and planes, but also powerful new armored combat vehicles known as tanks. These machines were much stronger attackers than infantry, as they could charge into battle with little fear of injuring their passengers. By this time, the Greeks had developed a few tanks themselves, and they were willing to share their new invention with Japan, although at a hefty price.

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While Xerxes' ships were stranded in their home ports in the east, and busy dealing with the navies of Greece and Germany in the west, Tokugawa found an excellent opportunity to destroy the Persian colony near Fukuoka. Just recently, the Persians had sent an expedition from Ergili to attack the Russians at Astrakhan, but the Shogun could not help but laugh at the pathetic force that Xerxes had gathered. Like those warriors are ever going to have any chance, he snickered.

Ergili was only a minor annoyance, as the only purpose it seemed to serve was to interrupt the Japanese borders on the world map. A few new infantry recruits were more than enough to overwhelm the poorly equipped defenders, making it unnecessary for the new Japanese tanks to participate in the battle.

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Instead, the new tanks that had been built in or shipped to Fukuoka were dispatched to the other target on the island, the tiny Babylonian settlement at Izibia. A lone column of rifleman was all that guarded the city, and they were quickly wiped out by the Japanese attackers. It was the first battle ever won by Japanese tanks, and Tokugawa was certain there would be many more such victories to come.

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Sure enough, he did not have to wait long before it happened. Xerxes had landed a force south of Matsuyama to attack the Russian city of Riga, and the Persians even managed to capture it. Catherine the Great was not pleased, but the Russian forces in the region were not prepared for any kind of offensive action. It was at this point that the Shogun offered his assistance.

"We can deal with the Persians in Riga," he informed the Czarina. "And while we're at it, I think we will eliminate this liability of yours once and for all."

Catherine would have protested that she still intended to keep Riga for her own purposes, but it was too late. The Japanese tanks stormed the city and decided to escort its citizens back to Matsuyama, where it would be "safer" for them if they could work on the Shogun's land.

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Surprisingly, all this time the Persian city of Samaria, a tiny enclave surrounded by Germany territory, had held up against the combined attacks of Bismarck and Alexander. Curious, Tokugawa asked his commander in Bremen to investigate, and it was not long afterwards that Minamoto no Yoritomo had something quite interesting to report.

"The Persians have formed a great army in Samaria," he wrote. "I believe they have won so many battles against the Germans and Greeks that they have rallied under a great leader, and now they will be very hard to take down. I even sent some of my tanks to help them out, but even those had to retreat from battle after a while."

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In particular, the appearance of a Persian army in Samaria infuriated Otto von Bismarck, who was frustrated that even after surrounding the city for many years, he could not take it. It was a continuous drain on Germany's resources, and finally the Chancellor decided that he could no longer commit to the war with Babylon. All of his efforts would now have to be concentrated against the Persians, who had, in the meantime, overrun his island colonies at Stuttgart and Bonn.

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So much for that, mused Tokugawa. Maybe there's actually a strategic benefit for keeping Hammurabi alive, even if just for a little bit longer.

"Tokugawa-dono, I have a request."

The Shogun turned to find his advisor Toyotomi Hideyoshi waiting for him. "What might it be?"

"We need to keep better communications with our troops. I fear there is a serious time delay between when you give your orders and when your generals can carry them out."

Tokugawa nodded. "Would you know of any solution to this?" he asked.

"No, but I can find someone who does know," said Hideyoshi. "I think it is time that we talk with Alexander the Great once more, for he has a curious new invention that allows for almost instantaneous communication with our troops in the field."

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/9585/projectkaguya1675ad9gh.png

The invention, it turned out, was a device called the Radio. Alexander was quite proud of this achievement the Greek engineers had made, but was also willing to share it with the Japanese. Tokugawa bought some of the samples that Alexander offered, and then showed them around to the heads of the zaibatsu companies, who were true industrial powerhouses by now. In time, the radio was developed into more advanced electronic devices, such as the television, the electronic calculator, and Tokugawa's favorite, the Walkman.

And even more significantly, it was the radio that brought Japan into the modern age at last, with a new hope for the future. The Greeks and Persians had gotten there first, but Shogun Tokugawa was certain that Japan would soon catch up and overtake them.

... to be continued

Excelent update. Seeing Alexander oto much in the modern age hurts my eyes though. Ahhhh!

Excelent update. Seeing Alexander oto much in the modern age hurts my eyes though. Ahhhh!

Maybe it's because Greece has a tendency to get really tough in the modern age. Scientific + commercial traits are incredibly hard to beat in terms of research potential.

Can BuckyRea edit his post/picture please, i personally find that post VERY offensive (the second picture).

Can BuckyRea edit his post/picture please, i personally find that post VERY offensive (the second picture).

Wow, I didn't get a good look at it first, but now that I can actually tell what's going on, I'd second that motion. It is a very sensitive scene, and might offend quite a few other people.

Good call there, ThomAnder.

Sima Qian, I hope you did not think I was being overly critical. The artwork is very appropriate to the story, I was just saying I enjoyed the classical art in the other more. And again, this story is very different from the last, but it is very enjoyable to read and I check this forum several times a day when online to see any new chapters.

Chapter 15: Xerxes the Incensed

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/1804/persianinvasion0hk.jpg

Oto ni kiku / Takashi no hama no / Adanami wa / Kakeji ya sode no / Nure mo koso sure
Famous are the waves / That break on Takashi beach / In noisy arrogance / If I should go near that shore / I would only wet my sleeves.

Yushi Naishinno-ke no Kii (11th century A.D.)

After the destruction of Izibia, there were no other targets within easy striking range of Japan's military. Matsuyama strait was kept clear of Persian ships, and Russian Cossacks in Sippar came to the aid whenever Persian units landed near Hannover. Bah! muttered Tokugawa to himself. Catherine is stealing valuable combat experience from my infantry.

The war was now going quite badly for Babylon, who had lost Uruk by now, leaving Kish encircled by Russian troops. But so far most of Persia was still unscathed by the war, as only Ergili and Riga had been lost. In fact, it was at Bonn and Stuttgart that Xerxes' troops had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Germans, who soon found themselves forced off that island. The German navy was yet to be modernized, as Chancellor Bismarck had only recently acquired a source of oil, the deposits that had been formerly claimed by the Babylonian city of Samarra, now all but a pile of sand in the desert.

"Xerxes still thinks he is winning the war," the Shogun said to Hideyoshi one day. "We will have to punish him, and make him regret all the trouble he has caused for us. Where should we strike?"

"The Persians are probably weakest on their island in the south, where they have just overcome the Germans," responded the advisor. "It won't be easy for them to send reinforcements there, and I'm sure we can get help from Bismarck."

But Tokugawa was far more confident of his military. "Bah, I bet the Germans can do that on their own. I want to hit the Persians hard, and where it hurts the most." He examined the map of Persia, and pointed out a location. "Right here."

It was the city of Hamadan, on the northwestern tip of the Persian island. Toyotomi Hideyoshi gasped. "Are you sure we can do this?" he asked. "Remember, this isn't going to be anything like taking Berlin with longbowmen. Xerxes can send in huge reinforcements by rail--"

"My mind is already made up," interrupted the Shogun. "Hamadan shall fall to our glorious armies, and we will seize the Persian incense for ourselves. Wouldn't that be great for our people?"

Minamoto no Yoritomo was recalled from Bremen to lead the invasion. It was a mixed force of infantry and tanks, escorted by one of Japan's newest and most powerful battleships. Tokugawa was so sure of victory that he even ordered a group of settlers to join them, so that a new city could be built atop the Persian ruins once the smoke cleared.

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Getting a foothold on the island turned out to be a lot easier than Hideyoshi had imagined, as the most powerful troops that Xerxes sent to get rid of the invaders were Persian marines. Yoritomo had little to fear from a few rifle-toting men who probably belonged on boats rather than on land, and they were quickly mowed down by return fire from the Japanese infantry. Not a single tank was damaged during the Persian counterattack.

But taking the city proved to be a much greater challenge. For it was during the Battle of Hamadan that the Japanese military first faced heavy bombardment by enemy artillery. "Quick, find cover!" shouted Yoritomo. He was too late. A massive shell had already exploded in the middle of his infantry ranks, sending body parts flying through the air and leaving a bloody mess upon the ground.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8149/artillery41vn.jpg

That night, as Yoritomo's men buried their dead in their mountain campsite, they uttered a prayer to the kami of war, hoping for better success in the next day's fighting. Yoritomo had brought along a rather modest set of artillery himself, and he swore that he would use them to seek vengeance from the Persians.

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As if the heavens had indeed intervened, the next attack upon the city was a flawless victory. The garrison of Hamadan, thinking the Japanese had retreated, had let down their guard, and by the time they were awakened by gunfire, Yoritomo's tanks had already stormed into the city, destroying everything in their path. They did, however, discover the Persian artillery that had caused them so much trouble before, and Yoritomo decided add them to his own forces' set of equipment.

Before the end of the day, every building in Hamadan had been demolished, its citizens had been taken captive by Yoritomo's army, and all that remained was the smoke that rose from the craters left by Japanese bombardment.

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The destruction of Hamadan sent shock waves around the world, as it was the first defeat suffered by Xerxes on his home territory. Persia, still considered by many to be the most powerful in civilization the world before the battle, was suddenly disgraced. Xerxes was furious that his own military had allowed this to happen, and vowed to wipe out the Japanese and rebuild Hamadan. "It's not over yet!" he declared.

"Of course not," laughed Tokugawa. He peered at the pathetic new settlement that had been built further to the south by a few survivors who had escaped from Hamadan. "What is Xerxes think he is doing? Asking for double the payback?" Completely unimpressed, he ordered this new city destroyed as well, which Yoritomo's men accomplished quite easily.

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Meanwhile, the Japanese settlers had moved into place, and under the protection of the infantry, they were able to build their new city with little disruption from the Persians. They settled on a hill right next to the ruins of Hamadan, where they found plenty of the fragrant incense that they would burn in honor of the gods that had guided them to victory.

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Word of this incense soon reached mainland Japan, where the citizens clamored to get their share of the luxury good. Tokugawa soon bowed to their demands, and hired a team of engineers to construct an airport in Nagasaki so that the incense could be transported by cargo planes back to the other Japanese cities. But more importantly, it also allowed him to airlift troops onto the island of Persia from their training grounds in Japan.

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"Absolutely unaccpetable!" screamed Xerxes as he berated his military leaders. "How the hell did you allow the evil Japanese to build a city on Persian land?" Hearing no response, he sent his top commander directly to the execution block. The rest of them, shocked, promised that they would work hard to recover the lost territory.

It would come at a price, though. The diversion of resources to fighting the Japanese at home spelled the end of Xerxes' support for his armies defending Samaria. The city was eventually taken by the Greek cavalry, as Alexander was a much more competent strategist than Bismarck and would not be so foolish as to order his riflemen to attack. The Greek leader, seeing no more Persian targets within easy reach, decided it would be a good time to offer peace to Persia, and Xerxes glady accepted.

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Meanwhile, the Germans had recovered the cities of Stuttgart and Bonn, and were ready to pounce on the Persian colonies at Tyre and Sardis. But Xerxes could not bear to think of the loss of Tyre, as it supplied his infantry divisions with their crucial rubber supply. Faced with such a difficult situation, Xerxes had no choice but to ask Bismarck for peace as well, to which the Chancellor grudgingly agreed.

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Alexander and Bismarck had politely declined to renew their mutural protection pacts with Japan, claiming that the war had been too much for their respective economies to handle. Shogun Tokugawa acknowledged their withdrawal from the war, and by this time there was really quite little they could do to help him other than harrass the remnants of the oil-less Persian navy.

Russia still remained committed to the war against Persia, but Tokugawa knew that Catherine was much more interested in fighting Hammurabi. Kish had been destroyed at last, and now the Babylonians were down to five cities on the peninsula that they called home. This may be the beginning of the end of Babylon, thought Tokugawa. But who will actually put them out of their misery?

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been concerned that the exit of Greece and Germany from the war with Persia would make things more difficult for Japan, but Tokugawa seemed to have no end to his arrogance and confidence. "We shall send army after army to destroy the Persians," he declared.

"Excuse me," said Hideyoshi, "but I believe we need a new great military leader if we wish to have another army."

The Shogun grinned at him. "Not anymore. Minamoto no Yoritomo has not only done such an excellent job of commanding his army, but he is also a fine instructor of leadership skills. We now have built a great military academy in his honor, where our future army commanders shall be trained."

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/816/projectkaguya1725ad6yf.png

Xerxes now had much more to fear than just the loss of Hamadan and his incense. The very existence of the Persian civilization was in jeopardy.

... to be continued

Is Germany polite with you!?

Is Germany polite with you!?

Yes, Germany is polite. Russia and Greece are gracious. Persia and Babylon are, of course, furious.

Germany's attitude sure has changed a lot. They started off annoyed with me, gradually went up to cautious after trading and RoP, then went to furious when I declared war on them and captured the Great Library. More trading with them got it up to polite, and after the MPP it was all the way up to gracious as well. Now they've signed peace with Persia, and they're back to polite.

Chapter 16: Rise of the Kyosanto

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/8607/civildisorder2uk.jpg

Se o hayami / Iwa ni sekaruru / Takigawa no / Warete mo sue ni / Awan to zo omou
Though a swift stream is / Divided by a boulder / In its headlong flow / Though divided, on it rushes / And at last unites again.

Emperor Sutoku (A.D. 1119-1164)

Despite the victories that had been scored by Yoritomo and others, the war had begun to take a toll upon the Japanese democracy. Upon seeing the depatarture of Greece and Germany from joint action against Persia, many people began to question the purpose of remaining at war. "We have brought incense to our markets now," they argued. "What more would we need?"

Shogun Tokugawa could think of a thousand other reasons to continue fighting, but without the support of his people, it would be truly difficult. At first he felt he could convince them with his own ideas, but it was a select minority of antiwar activists who spoke much louder than he could. They appealed to the emotions of pity and compassion in the Japanese people, and told tales of how terrible the war was and the awful casualties that both sides were suffering.

Pity and compassion my arse, thought Tokugawa. Are these the feelings that can cause people to riot in the streets? In fact, the demonstrations were so intense in some cities that the local governors were unable to keep them under control. Civil disorder broke out in Kagoshima, which lost all productivity and commerce.

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"What the heck are you doing, leaving your infantry division camped out in the mountains?" Tokugawa asked the governor. "You think those warriors you left in the city are going to do anything for you?"

The governor immediately brought the infantry back to Kagoshima in an attempt to restore order, but there was no noticeable effect. Crowds still gathered in the major throughfares, chanting, "All we're sayin' is give peace a chance!"

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The Shogun sighed. Apparently it would take a lot more than mere words to convince his people otherwise. He needed a radical change in the system of government. In 1725 AD, after a small but vocal minority of lawmakers staged a filibuster to block military funding, he declared the dissolution of the Kokkai, the Japanese legislature, plunging Japan into anarchy.

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Over the next five years, Tokugawa traveled the country delivering speeches to whip up support for the war, while secretly he ordered his subordinates to arrest, kidnap, or assassinate all of those who voiced opposition. Even though the war had been unpopular, the Shogun himself was still a very inspirational figure to the Japanese people, and was greeted with cheers everywhere he went. Either that, or they feared the police that had gathered around them at each rally, silently observing the audience for signs of trouble.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9472/propaganda8rm.jpg

It was the help of a small faction within his government that Tokugawa found exceedingly useful. The Kyosanto, the Japanese Communist Party, was very active not only in spreading nationalistic propaganda in support of the war, but also in carrying out the secret missions to eliminate Tokugawa's opponents. By 1730 AD, the Kyosanto was the only political group that still wielded any power, and although Tokugawa retained the honorary title of Shogun and remained the head of state, all the real power of Japan was vested in Kyosanto leaders. This was rather unimportant, as they had almost no disagreement between them.

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With the order restored, Tokugawa was finally free to meet with his military leaders to discuss the next direction the war would take. They agreed that even though Persia was a more immediate threat at the time, as Xerxes still attempted to attack Nagasaki from time to time, it was clear that Babylon would have to be dealt with soon.

After a long hiatus of almost two decades, a new invasion of Persian territory was launched, this time targeting the city of Gordium. There were few citizens remaining in Gordium, as Xerxes had now drafted most of them into the military, and the defenders who had remained had little motivation to resist. The first shots had barely been fired when they surrendered to Yoritomo's armies and abandoned the city.

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The battle of Gordium was the first major engagement after the revolution, and Tokugawa wondered if this event would still cause people to speak up against the war. But as the news feeds from the front lines continued to report the glorious victories of Japan, while filtering out all the ugly details of casualties and prisoners, the response from the citizenry was quite enthuastic. Each enemy division that was wiped out and each city that was destroyed was celebrated as proof of Japan's uncontested position as the mightiest civilization in the world.

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/1353/cheeringfortv6yt.jpg

... to be continued

Do you plan to stay commie for the rest of the game, or turn to demo later?

I was wondering 'couse with demo you'll get higher production on your core in order to build the Space Ship. (In communism you'll get corruption)

Do you plan to stay commie for the rest of the game, or turn to demo later?

I was wondering 'couse with demo you'll get higher production on your core in order to build the Space Ship. (In communism you'll get corruption)

It's something I'm doing for the wars, and also to sort of boost productivity in some of the far-out islands. Believe it or not, I can actually get some shields from them.

As for whether I'll switch back, that'll depend on when I can get the wars to end. But I'm not afraid of the AI running away with a space race victory, since this is just a monarch level game. The hardest part was probably over when I nabbed that coal colony back in Chapter 13.

The other civs are in communism too, so it should kill their research rate for a while.

Great story! Keep it up.

Pity and compassion my arse:lol:

Chapter 17: Hammurabi's Back Door

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9602/lohengrin0pf.jpg

Oeyama / Ikuno no michi no / To kereba / Mada fumi mo mizu / Ama no Hashidate
By Oe Mountain / The road to Ikuno / Is far away / And neither have I beheld / Nor crossed its bridge of heaven.

Lady Koshikibu (A.D. 999-1025)

Following the destruction of Gordium, the war in Persia hit a snag. The Japanese tanks had difficulty moving through the hills and mountains toward their next targets, and their artillery support had to slowly catch up with them. Not ready to admit defeat yet, Xerxes sent wave after wave of marines, some of whom were surprisingly strong and defeated a number of tank divisions while forcing others to retreat.

Minamoto no Yoritomo sent requests to Kyoto for reinforcements, but they fell upon deaf ears. The Kyosanto leadership had some different priorities, and as long as the troops around Nagasaki could hold their ground, Yoritomo would not be getting any help. Instead, they focused on a completely different target.

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By 1754 AD, intelligence agents from Naicho had confirmed that Babylon was on the verge of collapse. Russian forces from Uruk and Eridu had razed the city of Nineveh, while Greece had picked up the oil reserves around Ellipi. If something was not done fast, they reported, Catherine and Alexander would walk away with all the spoils of war, leaving none for Japan.

Shogun Tokugawa did not like this idea. "We have destroyed three Babylonian cities," he argued, "but we have gained nothing from this war. Catherine has added three new cities to her empire, while Alexander has added one. Shouldn't we deserve better rewards than this?"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was still optimistic. "The big prizes are yet to come," he commented. "Remember, the Great Wonders are in Akkad, Ur, and the Babylonian capital itself." Tokugawa wasted no time in his preparations. With that, tanks were ordered to be airlifted to Lagash, the nearest Japanese city to Babylon, ready to launch a surprise attack.

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Before the governor of Lagash could even ask why his island was still defended by archers, the tank divisions embarked and sailed westward, escorted by battleships. By 1755 AD they had reached the Babylonian shore, and camped comfortably in the grasslands outside Ashur.

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News of the landing sent Hammurabi into a panic. He had already devoted all of his resources to fighting off Russia and Greece in the north, and could not spare any troops to deal with this new threat from Japan. He sent a messenger to meet them outside Ashur, begging for peace, but Tokugawa already had his eyes set on the Babylonian wonders.

Ashur, whose defense had long been neglected because the front lines seemed far away, was easily taken and destroyed by the Japanese tanks.

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From Ashur they advanced unopposed along the road to ancient city of Ur, which unsurprisingly was just as poorly defended. It was in Ur that Hammurabi had first tried an experiment with granting universal suffrage to his people, but Tokugawa was not interested in any of that. His people were perfectly satisfied with the rule of the Kyosanto, or at least they did not dare speak out against it.

Hammurabi had made a last-ditch effort to draft the citizens of Ur to defend the city, but the only effect of that was to make them more unhappy than before, as they stood little chance against the Japanese tanks. But even their unhappiness was soon to end. Tokugawa found no use for this particular Great Wonder, so the city was destroyed as well.

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It was at Ur that Tokugawa's troops finally came within sight of the wonders of Babylon, for there very tips of the Pyramids stuck out from the horizon. It seemed well within their reach at the time, but the Shogun would not let them rest yet. Greek ships had arrived off the coast and were bombarding every inch of Babylonian soil. To him, it seemed that there would be some competition for Hammurabi's wonderful capital, and he would not allow Japan to lose this race.

And it was the tank divisons that had just destroyed Ur that Hammurabi set eyes upon for the first time. In the thousands of years that had past, the Babylonian leader had never seen a glimpse of the Japanese military, as it was his inept commanders who had handled the far-off wars. Most of them had been sacked after the losses of Lagash, Samarra, Nippur, and Izibia, but now there was nobody left for him to blame but himself.

As the gunfire drew closer to his capital, Hammurabi climbed to the top of the highest pyramid and held out his hands to the sky, hoping for divine intervention. "Anu, lord of the heavens, may you swoop down from the sky and destroy these heathen villains!" he called, holding up a golden goblet of wine as an offering. "Mighty Tiamat, may you swallow this filty scum into the great oceans!"

He grew thirsty after shouting for a while, and took a sip of the wine. Instantly he felt the world swirling around his head, and before he knew it he was tumbling down the steep slope of the pyramid, totally unconscious.

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But it was not the Pyramids that Tokugawa was after; in fact, if that were the only Great Wonder in Babylon, the city would have met the same dismal fate as Ur and Ashur before it. Nor was the Great Lighthouse of any interest, as by now the dilapidated tower was little more than a tourist attraction. There was only one wonder that saved Babylon from destruction: the trading company of Adam Smith, which offered to pay all the costs of maintaining Japan's harbors and airports if only the city be spared.

The Japanese soldiers got out of their tanks and searched the city for signs of Hammurabi, but found nothing. Little did they know that the Babylonian leader had been rescued by a few fleeing citizens from the bottom of the pyramids, and they produced a stretcher upon which they carried their injured king to their last city, Akkad.

Tokugawa allowed his troops to rest for a while in Babylon, partially to recover from some injuries that they had suffered at the hands of the defending infantry, and partially to keep order in the city as all of the remaining citizens were in open resistance to Japanese rule. We will shut them up soon enough, he promised to himself. All that remains is to find Hammurabi, and give him his final gift.

It did not take long for them to spot some activity west of Babylon, as Russian Cossacks had finally caught up with Hammurabi and laid siege to Akkad. Remarkably, they were driven back by the Babylonian defenders, and the commotion they caused caught Tokugawa's attention. There he is, Tokugawa noted. There we shall go.

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For some reason the Copernicus's Observatory had been kept in perfect working order all this time, even though the Babylonians were no longer doing any meaningful scientific research. Tokugawa did not have any respect for it, however. Hammurabi must have spent so long looking at the skies that he forgot he was still upon this earth, he thought. We will not let this worthless observatory distract us. And so Akkad was razed.

Hammurabi, however, had still cheated the Japanese of their last goal. The injuries he sustained from falling down the pyramids were severe, and it was already too late when he was brought to Akkad. With no competent medical staff available to resuscitate him, the Babylonian leader was finally laid to rest in the lake outside the city, where he would become food for the fishes.

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Thus, in the year 1764 AD, the once glorious civilization of the Babylonians had come to an end. Catherine and Alexander offered their congratulations to the Shogun for finally wiping out their mutual enemy.

There was still one order of business left in the region, as the destruction of the Babylonian cities left a source of spices outside the borders of Russia and Greece. Tokugawa ordered some of the captured Babylonian workers to build a colony there to claim the resource, while the rest were worked to death building roads to connect it to the city and an airport through which it could be sent back to Japan for the citizens to enjoy. From this day on, Japanese food would never again be the same.

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With the war against Babylon over at last, Tokugawa lifted the restrictions on non-military production in the cities of Japan. The markets were once again well-stocked with consumer goods, and visitors were at last allowed to return to worship at the temples and cathedrals that had been shut down for most of this time. Mobilization was no longer necessary to continue the fight against Persia, now struggling to defend against further Japanese attacks.

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And what had Minamoto no Yoritomo done all this time in Persia? He destroyed another city, of course. And with Arbela out of the way, there was no longer any purple border on the map that touched the blue ones outside Nagasaki.

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Tokugawa knew exactly where to go from here. Watch out Xerxes. You're next.

... to be continued

:clap: fantastic update Sima! This story is fantastic!

Great update!

Enjoying the gundam screens eh, Sima? :p That used to be my fav. show. :lol:

Awesome update.

Chapter 18: Banished from the Ivory Tower

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Meguri aite / Mishi ya sore to mo / Wakanu ma ni / Kumo-gakure ni shi / Yowa no tsuki kage
Meeting on the path / But I cannot clearly know / If it was he / Because the midnight moon / In a cloud had disappeared.

Lady Murasaki Shikibu (A.D. 973-1025)

How much bombardment does it take for Xerxes to realize he doesn't stand a chance? wondered Yoritomo as his troops approached Sidon. It wasn't just the artillery that he had captured from Hamadan, Gordium, and Arbela that was raining shells upon his next target. The Japanese navy had eliminated the rest of the Persian fleet by now, and with nothing left to do they bombarded the Persian coast from both sea and air, occasionally heading back to their base at Matsuyama to refuel.

Practically every building in Sidon had been destroyed by this time, and almost all of its citizens had either been drafted or killed in the bombardment. But it was Yoritomo's tanks and infantry, who slowly found their way through the narrow mountain passes, that would have to deal the final blow, and never a day went by where they were not harrassed by Persian marines and artillery. Many of Yoritomo's men had to turn back and recover before they could continue advancing any further, leaving him with a diminished force when Sidon was finally in range.

His calls to Kyoto for reinforcements were still unanswered, as nobody in the Kyosanto leadership believed that the invincible Japanese military could suffer defeat. Shogun Tokugawa had been emboldened by the success of the back-door attack on Babylon, and now he was planning an even more audacious invasion, under the command of Lieutenant Oda Nobunaga. This time the starting point would be Hannover, on the distant island in the southeast, and he ordered them to strike directly at the soft underbelly of Persia.

Nobunaga's arrival outside Susa took Xerxes wholly by surprise as he scrambled to rush reinforcements to the south by rail and air. But all of his efforts were too little and too late. Japanese tanks squashed the city flat, taking hundreds of thousands of prisoners.

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Xerxes not only had failed to hold Susa, but the diversion of troops to the south finally eased the pressure on Yoritomo's forces in the north. The bombardment of Sidon had been kept up all this time, and even Catherine the Great landed some men nearby to get a good look at the action. The Russian Cossacks did not join in the attack, but their assistance would not be necessary.

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By the time Yoritomo entered the city, there was nothing left but the blasted skeletons of the once marvelous Persian architecture and a harbor riddled with impact craters and littered with ordnance. Only a handful of Persian survivors remained.

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But it would be Nobunaga, and not Yoritomo, who would get the grand prize of Persia. While two more cities and a mountain screen blocked Yoritomo from advancing further south to the Persian capital, Nobunaga was already there.

Home to five of the Great Wonders, at the time Persepolis was the most magnificent cultural city in the world, and it was Xerxes' proudest achievement to be master of them all. But when he could see the Japanese tanks from atop the Great Wall, he panicked. Rushing down the ramparts back into the city, Xerxes sought out the prophecy of the Oracle, only to find the obsolete building long since deserted. A lone caretaker reminded him that the priests had all moved over to JS Bach's Cathedral, but even there the only advice he received was to flee for his own safety.

"This cannot be!" he screamed. "How have we not yet kicked these worthless Japanese off the face of the earth?" It was true that Persian science was still the most advanced in the world, but not so much that they could control the heavens. Years of war had distracted Xerxes from building rockets and satellites, as dealing with the Japanese threat seemed far more pressing than any other of his plans.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2669/grabbingstuff6xm.jpg

Despite the fact that Persian scientists were the first to invent the automobile, they still had no oil supply to fuel them. It was on foot that Xerxes saw his scientists and engineers packing their bags and boxes full of books and equipment they salvaged from Newton's University and Leonardo's Workshop. They would not make the same mistake as Bismarck had before, allowing the Japanese into the Great Library and stealing all of the knowledge within.

It was with great sorrow that Xerxes had made this decision, but he could not give any more advantages to Tokugawa. Before he transferred his government to the peninsula fortress of Antioch, he made sure that nothing worthwhile would remain in the capital for the Japanese to take. When Nobunaga's tanks finally broke through the Great Wall, they found only the the charred ruins of Persepolis and a gruesome pile of bloodstained ivory that had been left behind.

http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/329/projectkaguya1776ad0np.png

Not to be outdone, Yoritomo came in for the kill at Pasargadae. Even though the city was not on the coast, it was still within the range of the Japanese battleships which now reigned supreme on the high seas. And if that was not enough, a bomber squadron based on a carrier off the coast would rain destruction upon Pasargadae from the skies.

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/7404/projectkaguya1778ad5jj.png

After the destruction of Pasargadae, only three Persian cities remained on the mainland. Yoritomo promised that he would soon reduce that number to two. Xerxes had nothing left to mount a counterattack, and Tokugawa was free to establish resource colonies with the captured Persian workers. Alexander the Great had caught on to the idea as well, and founded the city of Troy on former Persian lands.

Greece and Japan were still on friendly terms, and Tokugawa would not be distracted by his new visitors in Persia. Instead, he directed Yoritomo to continue the push toward Antioch, the new Persian capital. Bactra, which still stood in the way, was razed by the Japanese military.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1949/projectkaguya1786ad7sa.png

In the south, there was still a Persian outpost at Tarsus, where Nobunaga would make a slight detour. The navy had come around the island now, stopping by Hannover for some repairs, and Tarsus was subjected to the same bombardment as Sidon and Pasargadae before it too was destroyed.

http://img451.imageshack.us/img451/3065/projectkaguya1788ad3hp.png

Some Persian marines still waged a guerilla war in the south, but Nobunaga was quick to mop them up. Tokugawa was so impressed by Nobunaga's performance that he promoted him to the rank of general, putting him on equal standing as Yoritomo.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5954/projectkaguya1788ad27ef.png

Antioch, the last Persian city on the island, was now surrounded by the Japanese navy, which proceeded to bombard it round-the-clock. Some Persian artillery in the city attempted to return fire, but it was truly futile. I'm glad they've turned their attention to sea, thought Yoritomo. They won't sink any of our ships that way, and they won't hurt my advancing tanks either.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/308/navy51kg.jpg

When Yoritomo's men finally caught up, the once thriving city of Antioch was but a battered shell of its former self. Xerxes had abandoned all hope of defending the city, and fled in his private jet to his last island outpost at Sardis.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5515/projectkaguya1792ad8ze.png

At this point the matter became complicated. In their haste to wipe out mainland Persia, both Yoritomo and Nobunaga had neglected to bring along any transport boats to make the crossing to Sardis. All of their reinforcements had been airlifted to Nagasaki, but this could not be done anymore.

In addition, someone had finally begun supplying Xerxes with oil, as a lookout aboard one of the Japanese battleships noticed mechanized infantry defending the last Persian city. Tokugawa suspected that it was Alexander the Great who was secretly helping his enemy, but he still considered the Greeks to be his friends, and did not want to risk another confrontation. Perhaps Xerxes will live to see another day, he thought. But forever he shall be banished upon this island prison.

... to be continued

:woohoo:
I cheer once again for Sima's unbelievable ability to KICK BUTT!!!

:woohoo:
I cheer once again for Sima's unbelievable ability to KICK BUTT!!!

Personally, I think the RNG kicks butt for not giving Persia any oil... and letting me have some on a far-off island :lol:

Yeah, but rng can suck....

Love dis! I think u will capture Sardis or that city to the right?

Love dis! I think u will capture Sardis or that city to the right?

There is no city to the right. Antioch had a ton of culture, so those borders are pretty far out.

I'll post a new world map when I get a chance, but that'll probably be after the next update. There will be a few surprises in it too :D

Yay! Surpises! :):):)

Chapter 19: Bonds of Sea and Fire

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2129/peacetreaty2gz.jpg

Kore ya kono / Yuku mo kaeru mo / Wakarete wa / Shiru mo shiranu mo / Osaka no seki
Truly, this is where / Travelers who go or come / Over parting ways / Friends or strangers--all must meet / The gate of Meeting Hill.

Semimaru (10th century A.D.)

While Minamoto no Yoritomo and Oda Nobunaga had been busy fighting the war, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had no fewer things to do than before. Friendship took work to maintain, and the cooperation of Alexander, Catherine, and Bismarck was no exception.

Once again the Greeks had pulled ahead in technology, and Hideyoshi sought to narrow the gap. He traveled to Athens, where Alexander proudly displayed upon his new computer his master plan for reducing pollution, leaving the Japanese diplomat in awe. "Incredible," said Hideyoshi. "For how much can we purchase these from you?"

"Are you sure?" responded the Greek leader. "These are the results of countless man-hours of research by my scientists! If you really want to learn more, be prepared to hand over the entire Japanese treasury."

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6885/projectkaguya1768ad25eq.png

It took quite a bit of haggling before Hideyoshi convinced him that it was within reason to let Japan keep a couple hundred gold around in case of an emergency. But in the end, it still seemed that Alexander was happy to make the deal, as never before had the Greeks seen so much money on the bargaining table.

Afterwards, Hideyoshi promptly went to Moscow, where Catherine the Great welcomed and entertained him. Russia, though arguably the largest and most powerful civilization in the world now, was still quite backwards in technology. They did, however, know of the secret of rocketry, which Hideyoshi did not hesitate to acquire through a trade.

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/4250/projectkaguya1768ad32xs.png

Upon learning of this technology, Hideyoshi noticed that the Greeks claimed to have advanced a step further and developed rockets that could reach the outer reaches of space. He did not see any rocket launching sites in any of the cities of Greece, and Alexander refused to reveal the secret to him no matter what price he offered to pay, so he suspected it was probably a false claim after all.

But it was upon leaving his conference with Alexander that he spotted a few Greek scientists carefully running simulations of space flight on their portable computers. Curious, he greeted them and asked what exactly they were doing. The scientists seemed suspicious at first, but after questioning them a bit further Hideyoshi found out that they were remarkably underpaid, and he had little difficulty in bribing them to share their secrets.

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/9283/projectkaguya1778ad60ta.png

Hideyoshi's return to Kyoto was overshadowed by the arrival of an entire transport boat filled with prisoners taken by Nobunaga from Susa and Persepolis. The destruction of those two cities left a large segment of Persia's population displaced and homeless, and few of them dared cross the front lines in search of their struggling comrades. In the previous years they had been confined to POW camps guarded by the Japanese infantry, but they ultimately had little purpose remaining in Persia.

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/6676/prisoners5dm.jpg

"Let them come to Japan and solve our labor shortages," recommended the Kyosanto leaders. Little did they know that Japan actually had an increasing unemployment rate, and the native workers who had little to do instead decided they would rejoin the cities from which they had come. Tokugawa declared that all future improvements upon the land, as well as pollution cleanup, was to be performed by these Persian slaves instead.

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/7388/projectkaguya1776ad23qs.png

But it would not be the Persians who would work on the next wonder of Kyoto. In celebration of the victories of Yoritomo and Nobunaga, the Japanese people had recorded their adventures in a heroic epic, a grand work of literature to be admired by all aspiring leaders for years to come.

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/9239/projectkaguya1776ad35ee.png

And it was years later, after the destruction of Antioch and the eradication of Persian power on their home island, that Xerxes finally agreed to come to the negotiation table. Tokugawa sent Hideyoshi to hammer out a peace treaty, with specific orders to arrange one that favored Japan as much as possible. They met aboard a Japanese battleship anchored in Sardis harbor.

"Greetings, Hideyoshi," said the Persian leader as soon as he boarded. "Persia is willing to forgive you for the error of attacking our country. Will you agree to a peace treaty?"

"Do you realize," the Japanese diplomat responded coldly, "that we could crush you under our thumbs at this very moment? Make a better offer, or else that threat shall become reality."

Xerxes looked around but saw no tanks or infantry in sight, only the navy crewmen who kept the ship in order. "You must be joking," he said at last. "Persia does not fear you."

Hideyoshi motioned to the captain. "Show him that we are serious." The captain nodded, and proceeded to give the order for bombardment. When the shells struck Sardis, it destroyed the buildings that housed nearly half of its population.

"Okay, okay," said Xerxes. "We will offer you the secret of fission if you will leave us alone."

"Not quite enough." Hideyoshi gave the captain another thumbs up. The guns fired again, and when the smoke cleared this time, half of the mechanized infantry defending Sardis had been disabled.

"Fine then," said Xerxes indignantly. He produced a blueprint from his shirt pocket, which described in detail the method for constructing satellites that could orbit the planet and observe every inch of land and water in the world. "Will you take this?"

Hideyoshi snatched the blueprint and stuffed it in his briefcase. "You're getting closer," he said, "but we need more."

"I swear, that is all we have... OW!" In that split second Hideyoshi had grabbed his arm and pulled up his sleeve, revealing a gold watch on the Persian leader's wrist. Xerxes glared at him, sulking speechlessly.

"I'll take that," said Hideyoshi.

"No, no! That is a family heirloom, get your dirty fingers off it now! I'll give you the entire treasury of Persia if you do!"

"Ahh, that's much better." A crooked smile finally spread across Hideyoshi's face. "We can have peace on these terms. Now go."

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2303/projectkaguya1794ad1oz.png

And so the Treaty of Sardis brought an end to the war with Persia. Xerxes was left with just one city left, with absolutely no hope of achieving his dream of going to the stars. His beloved ivory tower, Newton's University in Persepolis, was now but a pile of dust upon the barren ground.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8457/kokkai3ig.jpg

The treaty also spelled an end for the Kyosanto leadership, for that very year Tokugawa dismissed his entire cabinet, claiming that the age of communism was over at last. In 1794 AD, the Kokkai representatives reconvened after a hiatus of over two centuries, and the Japanese democracy came into being once again.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6236/projectkaguya1794ad23ep.png

Though the war between Japan and Persia was over, it did not mean that Xerxes was off the hook. Catherine the Great had no objections to the Treaty of Sardis, but she still bore a personal grudge against the Persians. And she was determined to have them wiped out. We have lost our only ally in this war, thought the Czarina. It would be nice if we could get some additional help.

With Sardis in such a remote location far from Russia, there was only one possible country to which Catherine could turn. Two German cities, Stuttgart and Bonn, were right there on the same island as the Persian capital, and Otto von Bismarck was certainly no friend of Xerxes either. Catherine had little difficulty convincing him that destroying the Persians would be beneficial to both of them.

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/3295/projectkaguya1798ad7ho.png

The Japanese battleship upon which the Treaty of Sardis was signed had scarcely left the harbor when its crew noticed huge formations of German Panzer tanks approaching the city. With a deafening roar, they ran right through the Persian defense force, leaving no survivors or prisoners in their path. The last thing the crewmen saw was a lone figure with curiously twisted hair and wearing a violet-blue suit leap into the water, never to surface again.

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/7601/projectkaguya1802ad8an.png

And so, in the year 1802 AD, the once mighty civilization of Persia disappeared into the obscure mists of history.

... to be continued

Good going there.....

So, when are you going to build the Apollo Program? Now that you have sattlites, you can start working on some of the Alpha Centauri Colony ship parts.... Once you build the Apollo Program, that is.

Of course, when you picked all the scientific civs so that you'd be at a disadvantage, you still have one distinct advantage over all the remaining AI; you can change governments at will, with no more than 3 turns of anarchy, while they'll have to deal with at least 6 or more (that's one of the reasons I like religious civs.... that and their cut-rate hapiness improvements/cheap culture...a.k.a. temples and churches).

Good going there.....

So, when are you going to build the Apollo Program? Now that you have sattlites, you can start working on some of the Alpha Centauri Colony ship parts.... Once you build the Apollo Program, that is.

I think I'll let this new map answer your questions. It is dated 1802 AD, right before I hit "end turn" and watched the Persians get wiped off the face of the earth.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1074/projectkaguyamap1802ad8ke.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyamap1802ad8ke.jpg)

A few things to note:
- A whole bunch of poaching land has happened. Germany has been stealing tiles that formerly belonged to Babylon, and Greece has been doing the same in what used to be Persia.
- I've stuck a bunch of useless colonies in Persia with some captured slaves I was too lazy to transport back to Japan. There's no need for 5 ivory colonies, except maybe to have some extra lying around when the others get poached.
- You probably can't see it in the map, but there is uranium within my borders on a mountain by Sapporo. A worker is building a road on that tile right now.
- Greece has no aluminum, so they can't built Apollo Program. There's one source sitting under the tank on the plains outside Ellipi, and I don't plan on abusing my RoP with them once Ellipi gets cultural expansion. I'll move out my tank so that they can get the aluminum if that ever happens.
- Germany still has no coal. I have one extra, but since the variant rules say I have permanent trade embargo with every civ, I'm not going to give them any. Let's see how well they do with no railroads.
- Samaria culture-flipped from Greece to Germany. Not surprising, really.
- I'm making a last-minute science run to pull ahead of the rest of the AI. I didn't build my first library until modern age, and that wasn't until the city got a solar plant too. Now I'm getting universities and research labs put up in around 5 turns each in my core cities.
- Apollo Program completes in Kyoto next turn :)

Of course, when you picked all the scientific civs so that you'd be at a disadvantage, you still have one distinct advantage over all the remaining AI; you can change governments at will, with no more than 3 turns of anarchy, while they'll have to deal with at least 6 or more (that's one of the reasons I like religious civs.... that and their cut-rate hapiness improvements/cheap culture...a.k.a. temples and churches).

That's the main reason why I picked Japan for this variant game. I figured I'd have to alternate frequently between building and warring for resources, so the religious trait would come in very handy. Plus, having no luxes on the home island means temples and cathedrals will be so much more important. Militaristic, of course, is a no-brainer for having to fight tons of wars.

It's also why I'm glad that Babylon got eliminated first, as they could have gotten quite deadly later on with their religious trait. But now I'm a lot more afraid of Greece, because scientific/commercial is probably the strongest trait combo for space race. And they've made a big comeback ever since getting the short end of the stick during early expansion.

Great!
Good luck!

.
- Greece has no aluminum, so they can't built Apollo Program. There's one source sitting under the tank on the plains outside Ellipi, and I don't plan on abusing my RoP with them once Ellipi gets cultural expansion. I'll move out my tank so that they can get the aluminum if that ever happens.

Maybe you should pillage the road there before the culture of Greece absorbs it. That wouldn't be abusing the RoP and would slow them getting use of it, slightly.

:goodjob: Awesome story I must say!

:bump: Update?

Yeh, don't worry about the enemy, the alliance shoud cover plenty good.

Yeh, don't worry about the enemy, the alliance shoud cover plenty good.

What enemy? Persia and Babylon are gone, and all my MPPs have been canceled.

:bump: Update?

Oh, please, give me a break! Not much I can do while I'm out in Seattle on a vacation business trip.

Cool! You get to go on a vacation buisness trip!? :p

No problem, we can wait, we just wanted to be sure you didn't forget about this story.

Very impressive story with lots of impressive graphics.

Check out my Modern Age thriller, The Egytpt Iroquois War at

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showth...0&goto=newpost
__________________

Cool! You get to go on a vacation buisness trip!? :p

Tsk. I wish. It was a lot more like agonizing through several days of intermittent drizzling without any real sunshine... it's Seattle, after all.

I'm back now though, will try to get another update posted soon.

Man, this story rocks!
It would be fun if some war broke out, like say, Russia X Greece.
Now, it's time for a little hike in space!

Good to know!

Chapter 20: Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World

http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/4930/carpentaria24ou.jpg

Tsuki no yuku / yama ni kokoro wo / wokuri irete / yami naru ato no / mi wi ika ni sen
My mind I send / with the moon / that goes beyond the mountain / but what of this body / left behind in darkness?

Saigyo (A.D. 1118-1190)

Xerxes was dead. But he was newsworthy for a just couple of years after the collapse of Persia before only historians and archaeologists made mention of his name. Shogun Tokugawa allowed them to visit the ruins and battlefields, in hopes that they could recover some useful information from Xerxes' legacy. He did not have high expectations for them, as very little of it remained. Not a single pillar of the Oracle still stand upright on its hill, nor any spire of JS Bach's Cathedral still point toward the sky, and all the bricks of the Great Wall were now strewn upon the ground, trampled by the tanks and infantry of the Japanese armies.

Joined by businessmen eager to harvest the natural resources left behind, they traveled to Nagasaki, the gateway into Persia. Once a bustling military base, the city was quiet now, as most of the Japanese soldiers had headed home after the end of the war. A few remained to guard the resource colonies against ambush by the modern-day equivalent of barbarian tribes, who were now filling up the power vacuum in former Persian lands. Tokugawa also had them keep an eye on the Alexander the Great, who had built two cities on the island, Troy and Marathon, in hopes to bring iron and incense back to Greece.

Things were also calm back in Kyoto, where the Shogun would spend his days walking around the palace, wondering about what to do next. The world was peaceful again, as the elimination of all of Japan's enemies left only the Greeks, Germans, and Russians as potential rivals. They had all fought with Japan against Persia and Babylon before, and remained friendly after the final victory, so there was very little to fear from them.

Or so he thought. One evening, after drinking several bowls of sake with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa wandered through the palace gardens, contentedly humming and mumbling to himself. Suddenly he was blinded by a flash of light, causing him to stagger and grab a bamboo stalk to try to regain his balance. It was unable to support his weight and snapped in his hand, sending him tumbling to the ground.

When he got up, Tokugawa was shocked to see the remaining half of the bamboo plant glowing brightly before him, and a tiny, shimmering figure stood inside. It was the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen, with long hair that shined like gold in the moonlight, and radiant eyes that seemed to hold him motionless where he stood.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4154/kaguyahime5pn.jpg

She smiled sweetly and beckoned him with her fan, and spoke so softly that Tokugawa could barely make out the words. "Follow me. It is better over here."

What place could she be talking about? wondered Tokugawa. He tried to speak, but his lips would not move, and he could only continue to gape at the beautiful figure before him.

The girl waited, but after a moment her smile disappeared as she raised her head to the sky and breathed a long sigh. "It seems as if your people are not ready yet," she said. "Many years of war have ravaged your world, and you have not yet met the requirements for joining us."

Tokugawa continued to stand there, frozen. How does she know this? Perhaps she is a messenger from the gods in heaven...

She folded up her fan and smiled again at the Shogun. "I have come too early, and I must bid you farewell. Ja-ne!" With that, she pulled her kimono more tightly around herself, and rose out of the bamboo stalk, floating away into the sky.

"Wait!" Tokugawa finally found his voice as she flew higher and higher. "What is your name, fair maiden?"

She was but a tiny dark spot against the brightness of the full moon above by now, but he was sure he heard her faint reply. "I am Kaguya-hime, of Tsuki-no-Miyako. Please visit me some day." And then she disappeared.

Tokugawa continued to gaze at the moon until it finally found its resting place beyond the mountains that night. He now had a new goal, and he was determined to go to the heavens to fulfill it.

The next morning he found Hideyoshi passed out on the palace floor. Clearly his advisor had been drinking for much longer after he had left for the gardens. "We still have a lot of work to do," he said, shaking Hideyoshi by the shoulders to wake him up. "Rise and shine, the struggle is not over yet!"

He told Hideyoshi of the vision he had the night before, and together they planned out an ambitious new program to build a magnificent spaceship that would take the Japanese people into outer space. They named the project after the moon princess, Kaguya-hime, for it was she who had inspired the Shogun. Government grants for aerospace industries and research institutions were increased, in hopes that the project could be completed sooner.

It was at this time that the archaeologists in Persia made some interesting discoveries of their own, while searching through the rubble of Newton's University and Leonardo's Workshop at the former site of Persepolis. One group unearthed a long metal shaft, presumably for the construction of some kind of tower, while another party found a collapsed aluminum platform buried in a ravine. Clearly Xerxes was still working on some great project when the Japanese attacked, and these scraps were carefully removed and transported back to Japan for further study.

The pieces were in no shape to be used for any purpose other than being placed in museums, but from them the Japanese scientists and engineers gathered valuable information on the mechanism that could be used to launch a rocket into outer space. Shortly afterwards, they completed construction of the very launch pad itself, ready and waiting for a spaceship send to the heavens.

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/3625/projectkaguya1802ad3zq.png

News of the Apollo program and the launch of Project Kaguya in Kyoto provoked a mixed international reaction. Alexander the Great offered his congratulations to Tokugawa for Japan's first major scientific achievement, although he showed clear signs of disdain for a program that had borrowed its name from a Greek god. Czarina Catherine also expressed her compliments in a similar manner, though she pointed out that she had her own ambitions and would not be cutting the Japanese any slack in that respect.

But most disturbing was the response from Chancellor Bismarck, who was rather wary of a Japanese presence in space. Germany was the only remaining civilization that had been involved in a war against Japan, and although relations between the two of them had tremendously improved during the wars against Persia and Babylon, they had somewhat cooled down after those threats had been eliminated.

This time, Bismarck called for disarmament, as there was little reason for any more war to be fought in the world. He sought to dissuade the other civilizations from developing space exploration programs, and concentrate on maintaining peace at home. In Berlin, construction began on a building to host the United Nations, where he hoped that all other foreign conflicts could be settled diplomatically instead of by war.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4552/projectkaguya1794ad0ov.png

Diplomatically. The word had a strange, almost hypocritical ring each time Tokugawa heard it spoken. While Bismarck was suspicious of what Project Kaguya could lead to, Tokugawa was equally distrustful of this so-called United Nations. Not knowing what to do, he called together a council of his top advisors, in hopes that a solution could be found for this situation.

"Bah, diplomacy is for the weak," scoffed Oda Nobunaga, the hero of the war in southern Persia and liberator of Persepolis. "Those who are driven by fear shall have it... in abundance."

Minamoto no Yoritomo agreed. "The only useful United Nations is the one that is built here in Kyoto." He held up his arms and gestured around the room, as if making a point.

"But the Germans already have a head start on their construction," said Tokugawa. "And I think they are making a serious effort at this, so we cannot underestimate them. Even if they still do not have railroads."

"I will handle this." The whole room turned its attention to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had a satisfied grin upon his face. "I have all the plans and resources needed for a complex at Sunomata, and we can build it in just a single night. I call it 'Ichiya,' since it will be ready at daybreak."

"How is that possible?" asked Tokugawa. "Nobody in Japan has ever devoted any effort to this task."

"You are mistaken," replied Hideyoshi. "All I need is some manpower. And Oda Nobunaga, thank you for volunteering."

"What!?" shouted the surprised general. "But I was supposed to retire from the military next year!"

"Please," begged the Shogun, "just help us this one last time." Nobunaga grudingly acceded and sent the commands to his men, asking them to carry out all of Hideyoshi's orders to the very last detail.

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/9002/projectkaguya1804ad5ep.png

Oda Nobunaga was honorably discharged from the military after many years of distinguished service on the battlefield. Tokugawa awarded him a grand castle of his own, where he would be able to live the rest of his life in peace.

When Tokugawa awoke the next morning, just as promised he found a glittering skyscraper towering across the street from the presidential palace. A huge crowd had gathered in anticipation of the opening ceremony, and diplomats from every country were waiting to take their new offices in the building. Bismarck, Alexander, and Catherine were all present at the event and politely paid their respects to the Shogun, although each of them would probably have preferred to have the UN in one of their own cities.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6515/projectkaguya1804ad24xm.png

The first session of the United Nations was rather unproductive, as the only major agreement made was the Kyoto Protocol for reducing pollutant emissions in hopes of avoiding problems with global warming. But the Protocol had very limited effects, and essentially reinforced the status quo as all countries already understood the importance of ecology by now, and each of them made some verbal promises to fulfill their commitments, without showing any signs that they would actually carry out the policy.

Talks stalled on the issues of disarmament, as leaders from each country insisted that they needed to maintain their military footprint in case of unexpected threats or conflicts. The German representative also repeatedly tried to bring up the topic of space exploration for consideration, but the floor was never yielded to him.

Otto von Bismarck cried foul at this, but he was not about to give up. Eventually he interrupted the discussion and blurted out, "It simply is not fair if one of us is allowed into space while the rest of us must fend for ourselves on this planet." He then glared at Tokugawa. "Japan must hand over the technology of space flight, or else you will upset the delicate global balance we have today."

The Shogun burst out laughing at this ridiculous demand. "Nonsense!" he shouted. "You mean to say it is our fault that your scientists have not been up to date with their research? Surely you are joking."

"I am completely serious, and you should not be so arrogant just because you have a temporary advantage," warned the Chancellor. "Germany was once far more advanced than you, and yet we still helped you. Now it is time for you to repay us for that favor."

"This is not the place for you to be giving me a twisted history lesson," snapped Tokugawa. He didn't need to mention that it was through capturing the Great Library in Berlin that Japan had gained much of its technology, rather than any German assistance. Everyone in the room, Bismarck included, knew that for a fact. Tokugawa saw Alexander cover up his mouth to hide his laughter, and Catherine raised her eyebrow at the German leader.

"Then I shall not forgive you for disrupting the peace," said Bismarck. He took out his cell phone, punched a few buttons, and stormed out of the room. At the door he was almost knocked over by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who had just dashed in with urgent news. Yoritomo apologized, but the Chancellor just grunted and left without another word.

"Shogun, I have terrible news!" yelled Yoritomo. "German planes are bombing Bremen as I speak, and their Panzers are approaching the city. They have declared war on us!"

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1813/projectkaguya1810ad7of.png

What a fool, thought Tokugawa. But the threat he faced was very real, and Bremen was very vulnerable to a German attack. "Airlift as many mechanized infantry units as you can to Bremen immediately," he ordered Yoritomo. "We must hold the city, or else!" The general nodded in approval and exited the room.

Tokugawa turned again to Alexander and Catherine. "Well then," he said, "so much for that." The two leaders stared back at him without speaking, and for several minutes they just sat there doing nothing.

The awkward silence was broken by the ringing of another cell phone. It was the Czarina's, and she had a look of surprise on her face after she picked it up. "Eh? Da... da." She hung up, announced that she had some urgent business deal with, and before anyone could ask for further details she too had hurried out of the room.

Moments later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi came in with more startling news. "A Russian ironclad has appeared off the coast of Hannover and bombarded the island," he announced. "It seems that Germany and Russia had a mutual protection pact, and they have been forced into this war as well."

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/633/projectkaguya1810ad29zh.png

"What the?" Tokugawa had long been prepared for a war with one of the rival civilizations, but this was something totally unexpected. "But we are only defending ourselves!"

"Rules of engagement, sir," muttered Hideyoshi. "Apparently the international laws say that if our troops are within enemy territory when war is declared, they are considered to be carrying out offensive action against the enemy."

"That's absurd! And besides, we had rights of passage with Germany. They can't do this!"

"Who the heck still cares if you have rights of passage when they are at war with you?"

Tokugawa conceded that Hideyoshi had a good point there, and thanked him for the information. Japan now had two opponents to deal with, and it would be a difficult road ahead. With a long sigh, he told Hideyoshi to temporarily put Project Kaguya and his dreams of going to space on hold, in order to divert resources to more military units.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/3506/greece6qw.jpg

The only person left at the negotiating table was Alexander the Great, who appeared quite uneasy after the two declarations of war. Perhaps there is still something we can do before Greece also decides to oppose us, thought Tokugawa. And since Alex looks so insecure right now, I think this might be a good opportunity.

"Say, how would you like a mutual protection pact, Alexander?" asked the Shogun. "With Germany and Russia out on a rampage, I don't think you would feel too safe in Greece either." He pointed to the map on the table. "I'm sure you can see how they have your country more or less surrounded as well."

He expected to have to pay a high price for the agreement, but surprisingly Alexander was already willing to accept the offer. "Certainly. To partner with the most powerful civilization in the world is something that Greece has always dreamed of."

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5363/projectkaguya1812ad0nb.png

"Excellent! We appreciate your cooperation." But after Alexander left, Tokugawa felt that something was odd about the Greek leader's reaction. Why did he agree so easily? he thought. Does he really know what he is getting into? Or is he concerned because he fears the military power of his neighbors? What if he actually becomes a liability to us, rather than helping us out in the war?

Neither Germany nor Russia changed their course over the next year, and in fact stepped up their bombardment. Russian Cossacks attempted to attack Hannover and Babylon but were driven back by the city garrisons. Meanwhile, Yoritomo had fortified the area around Bremen so heavily with airlifted units that not a single German Panzer could break through the front lines.

And regardless of whether there was any progress to be made in the war, the very acts committed by the enemy forces was enough to trigger the mutual protection pact with Greece. Alexander kept his promise, and the world was once again consumed by war.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7545/projectkaguya1812ad38av.png
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5113/projectkaguya1812ad26lh.png

Japan, now the only surviving democracy in the world, would have its abilities tested to the limit. Shogun Tokugawa hoped that the war would be over soon, since he did not want to delay his dreams of going to space for too long.

... to be continued

And here is my obligatory spam post, just in case there was anything I didn't make clear in the story.

Foreign relations in 1814 AD:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3417/projectkaguya1814ad13wf.png

This time it's 2 vs. 2, and it could get a bit more messy then the 4 vs. 2 from before...

Score graph and demographics:

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1403/projectkaguya1814ad26tw.th.png (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1814ad26tw.png)http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7563/projectkaguya1814ad33xo.th.png (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguya1814ad33xo.png)

I'm finally at the top of the score chart. Whee!

The last place rank in literacy was something I expected, since I'm the only non-scientific civ in this game. And given the variant I'm playing, it should be no surprise that I have none of the top 5 cultural cities. I'd imagine Berlin would have been #1 if I never captured it for the Great Library, since the cultural improvements were destroyed when that happened.

Have fun in your campaign against the Russians and the Germans, I have my problems with them too.

Very good. Glad to see some wars starting up again! :D

Yes this looks like a well balanced fight. Looking forward to the play by play report.

Chapter 21: The Wounded Shall Advance into the Light

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/2466/trucksdestroyed5uv.jpg

Asaborake / Ariake no tsuki to / Miru made ni / Yoshino no sato ni / Fureru shirayuki
At the break of day / Just as though the morning moon / Lightened the dim scene / Yoshino's village lay / In a haze of falling snow.

Sakanoue no Korenori (10th century A.D.)

Good for nothing! cursed Tokugawa, slamming his fist upon the map he had on his desk. Alex ought to change his name to "Alexander the Baka." What a fool he is, ignoring his own military like that.

It had been only ten years since war had broken out, and Greece had already managed to lose four cities to the enemy. The ancient Greek cities of Mycenae and Delphi were destroyed by the Russians, while Germany had overrun the Greek colonies in what had formerly been Persia. Russian forces were surrounding the rest of the border cities of Greece, with heavy bombardment of Sparta and Corinth.

"We cannot let Sparta fall," warned the Shogun to Alexander. "If you do not hold it, the Russians will control the Hoover Dam and become unstoppable. Failure is not an option."

"We're doing our best," replied the Greek leader, trying to look optimistic. Tokugawa knew this was a lie. What kind of idiot still attacks with cavalry these days?

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/6647/projectkaguya1820ad2kb.png

On the Persian island, Bismarck had left Nagasaki alone. Even though the Persian civilization had been destroyed, the Japanese still maintained a formidable military presence there, mostly to guard the resource colonies. But with Troy and Marathon in German hands, Minamoto no Yoritomo saw a chance to strike. Without any warning he dispatched tanks to those cities, catching the German defenders wholly by surprise.

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/1364/projectkaguya1820ad18mc.png

"Hey now, wait a minute there!" Alexander called. "I wanted that city back!"

"So that you could lose it to the Germans again?" snickered Tokugawa. "No thanks, we aren't going to do the same favor for you twice."

Alexander grumbled incoherently, but he still had huge formations of Russian tanks and mechanized infantry to deal with right on his doorstep, so he did not repeat his complaint when Yoritomo razed Marathon next, wiping out the last of the German forces in the region.

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/2840/projectkaguya1820ad28hs.png

But Troy and Marathon were not the only enemy cities that had been left vulnerable to the Japanese military. Russia and Germany had established a number of colonies around the world to fill up the open spaces left by Babylon and Persia. Two of them were right next to Fukuoka, which by now had become the most prosperous and producitve Japanese city that was not on the mainland.

Most of the tanks from Fukuoka's factories had been shipped overseas to fight wars elsewhere, but it had more than enough mechanized infantry for its defense. Some of the excess units were sent on a mission to the Russian city of Astrakhan, and although the loss of the city did little to hurt Catherine, it nevertheless was a serious blow to Russian pride, as it was the first time the Czarina had experienced defeat in battle.

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/7529/projectkaguya1822ad6ku.png

From Brandenburg, German riflemen idly watched as their ally's city was burned to the ground. It would not be long before they found themselves in the same position. Following several days of continuous bombardment from both air and sea, they too were wiped out by the forces dispatched from Fukuoka.

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/5878/projectkaguya1826ad7tn.png

But it would not just be the enemy colonies closest to Japan that would suffer destruction. Hannover, previously besieged by Cossacks and bombarded by ironclads, received ample reinforcements from the mainland. In time, they had completely driven back the Russian invasion, and soon they destroyed the Russian base at Sippar, ending all of Catherine's ambitions in that theater of the war.

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6484/projectkaguya1840ad1rz.png

Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kobe had all been building tanks, aircraft, and battleships in support of these maneuvers, but one Japanese city was not directly contributing to the war effort. It was in Tokyo that Japanese scientists had decided to construct a gigantic radio telescope to gather data from the sky. Shogun Tokugawa had not forgotten about his ambitions to go to space, and the SETI Program would bring him yet another step closer.

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/3717/projectkaguya1822ad26bn.png

A few scholars expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the SETI Program, but Tokugawa paid little attention to them. Instead, he continued to laud the efforts of his researchers in nuclear physics, who had discovered a way of harnessing the energy from splitting the atom and generating electricity. Shortly thereafter, the world's first nuclear power plant was constructed in Kyoto, making it the single most productive city in the world.

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/5141/projectkaguya1826ad26qe.png

Yet it would not be enough to just bask in the glory of Japan's great scientific achievements. After the cities of Corinth and Ellipi changed hands between Greece and Russia several times, Alexander the Great came begging for help again. Tokugawa grudgingly received him, and sent a new offensive out from Babylon to distract the enemy.

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/931/projectkaguya1830ad0bt.png

"No, no!" moaned Alexander. "I need help against Russia, not Germany. Why don't you do something that will really help us? Like sending some--"

"Watch your mouth," Tokugawa cut him off sharply. "You need our help against Germany much more than you think." It was true, since the Japanese forces around Bremen were all that stood in the way of Bismarck's Panzers that were advancing on Pharsalos and Rhodes.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/6965/projectkaguya1830ad36rc.png

Meanwhile, Yoritomo had proclaimed the end of the operation in Persia and was ready for his new task. Tokugawa ordered him back to Germany, where the general had first proven his brilliance, and this time he would bring two armies of tanks with him. One of them had been assigned to the command of Oda Nobunaga, but after he had retired the Shogun was looking for new leadership talent among his ranks.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8317/projectkaguya1832ad9fu.png

And he was successful in finding some, in a commander named Isoroku Yamamoto, whom he promoted to admiral and entrusted with the combat logistics, as well as the naval and air forces, in the German arena.

Yamamoto was a humble man, however. "If I am told to fight," he said, "I shall run wild for the first six months... but I have utterly no confidence for the second or third year." And he also had an uncanny ability to make predictions that would come true.

... to be continued

Just a quick word on this thread here:

- Yes, I did finally patch up to Vanilla 1.29f.
- No, this will not affect the game I played here. This story will continue.
Because I already finished playing it, and only need to write up the rest.
I've unfortunately caught the succession game and modding bugs, and will be playing this game (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=164058) for a while, but I will probably also have another story for a solo game in the works as soon as I can work out an interesting scenario for it.

Cool! You finished? :D

Cant wait for the next update then!

Congratulations for such a good playing!

Sima Qian, If you don't mind, could you tell me how you post your pictures into your posts? Every time I try to, they are thumbnails or links you have to click on.

Also, I am really enjoying this story. In some ways it is better than the first, but they are both excellent. Looking forward to the conclusion and the emperor's judgement of the task done.

Sima Qian, If you don't mind, could you tell me how you post your pictures into your posts? Every time I try to, they are thumbnails or links you have to click on.

I use ImageShack (http://imageshack.us/) for the image hosting, and they make it very convenient to upload and post the pictures. If you want to post the pictures full size in the middle of the post, I'll tell you that I use this method:

- upload the image as usual
- when the page loads after you hit the upload button, go all the way to the bottom and choose the "direct link to image" and copy that URL
- then come back to the CFC reply message page and paste that URL, and put IMG tags around it (or you can click the image button, and paste the URL into the pop-up box)

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask again if I wasn't clear, although there will probably be others who can also explain this to you.

Now, a quick question for the lurkers: anyone know where I stole the last three chapter titles from? It's a pattern that I'll be breaking when my next update comes up, but it might be enough for some people who have paid close attention to figure out.

Thank you very much! It took me a few trys but I got it to work. Thanks again.

If you don't finish this, I will do what I did with daft. You don't wanna know what happened to him. I shall do it differently though. I will steal your computer!!!!!! Just kidding. But seriously, post damit!

Now, a quick question for the lurkers: anyone know where I stole the last three chapter titles from? It's a pattern that I'll be breaking when my next update comes up, but it might be enough for some people who have paid close attention to figure out.

No response to that yet? I guess none of you play enough video games :rolleyes:

I'll have another update prepared soon then.

No response to that yet? I guess none of you play enough video games :rolleyes:

:eek: Are there other video games besides Civ3?

:eek: Are there other video games besides Civ3?

Kind of silly of me to ask that question here at CFC, eh? Whatever, here's the answer:

The last three chapter titles were stolen from the works of Yasunori Mitsuda, and they are track titles from the soundtracks of Xenogears and Chrono Cross.

Typing up my next update now...

Typing up my next update now...
:twitch: Type fast... :twitch:

Yes do type it fast before suicide!

Typing fast makes me prone to mistakes. Have you seen all the typos and grammatical mistakes I made, especially in those posts I wrote while stoned typing fast?

you could spellcheck.........

Meh... I wish it were that simple... otherwise I wouldn't have flunked a writing class in college...

There is spellcheck for postings you know.

Chapter 22: A Golden Purpose Makes the Chrysanthemum Bloom Again

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3630/goldenpurpose0iv.jpg

Hisakata no / Hikari nodokeki / Haru no hi ni / Shizu-gokoro naku / Hana no chiruran
In the peaceful light / Of the ever-shining sun / In the days of spring / Why do the cherry's new-blown blooms / Scatter like restless thoughts?

Ki no Tomonori (A.D. ?-907)

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was quick to prove the importance of air support for the upcoming attacks. The entire Japanese air force had now been moved to Bremen, from which they carried out round-the-clock bombing runs of the nearby German cities. While their main goal was to reduce the defenses, they also inflicted some serious collateral damage, destroying buildings and killing citizens as well.

On the ground, Minamoto no Yoritomo suddenly found his task much easier than before. Dortmund and Salzburg now only had a few stouthearted residents remaining. Are these the same people who refuse to evacuate when they are about to be struck with a typhoon? wondered the general. They ought to just lay down their arms and surrender.

Dortmund was also being bombarded by Greek ironclads, and Greek cavalry also made passing shots at some German units that moved by. Yoritomo chuckled at the obsolescence of Alexander's military, but he was more focused on taking action against Germany. Now, instead of facing the powerful mechanized infantry that his troops were previously hesitant to attack, he only found a few demoralized defenders cowering in fear when he arrived. Leaving Dortmund to the Greeks, he decided to strike directly at Salzburg, which would isolate Bismarck's northern outpost.

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/4484/projectkaguya1836ad9dd.png

Curiously, it seemed that Bismarck had run out of resources, as the only units to counterattack were not Panzers, nor infantry, but longbowmen. Sacrificial lambs, muttered Yoritomo as he sent his tanks plowing through them to destroy his next target, Frankfurt, which had also been reduced to almost ruins by Yamamoto's planes. All that he needed was an open path, as the rest of the longbowmen could be easily dealt with, or he could just wait for them to launch their suicide attacks.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/5778/projectkaguya1842ad3fo.png

Frankfurt was gone now, and Yamamoto had little else to do. There were no other good targets within range of the planes at Bremen, as Yoritomo was not yet prepared to assault Nuremburg or Berlin. But the admiral had another idea, one that he was certain would bring the war to a quick and painless end.

In 1848 AD, Yamamoto submitted a proposal to the Kokkai requesting permission to conduct some scientific experiments with a "devastating new weapon." After some deliberation, the Kokkai members concluded that there was a high risk of failure in the project, and refused to allow the experiments to be performed on Japanese soil. However, Shogun Tokugawa intervened and granted special permission for him to work on this project, code-named Manhattan, in the former territory of Persia. Most of the land there was now uninhabited, except for the naval facility at Nagasaki, where Yamamoto set up his base of operations.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1958/projectkaguya1848ad3ru.png

Indeed, the Kokkai was shocked to learn of the tremendous destruction caused by the first test of an atomic bomb in the Persian wilderness. Within split seconds of the detonation, the entire land, whether it had been plains, forest, or the ruins of Persian cities, was completely flattened, leaving only charred remains on the barren soil.

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/193/nuke6wc.jpg

Radiation from the blast, however, was not as easily contained as the immediate damage. Within weeks, several of the project members complained of health problems, and before the end of the year Yamamoto himself was diagnosed with leukemia. He was sent back to Kyoto for medical treatment, but after a few operations the doctors told him that he would be a vegetable for the rest of his life, which would in fact not be very long.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9942/projectkaguya1848ad27ne.png

While unable to serve in the military any longer, he did manage to declare the Manhattan Project to be not only a great success, but an inspiration for Japanese scientists, workers, and citizens alike for many years to come.

"What a shame," lamented Tokugawa. "For it is in the sunset years of this incredible leader that the nation of Japan experiences the very pinnacle of its power."

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9460/projectkaguya1848ad35cv.png

And so it was with renewed vigor that Yoritomo launched his next attack. "Those pathetic Greeks aren't being any help to us!" he complaied. "All we expect of them is to take over Dortmund, and they can't even do such a simple task?" Alexander's incompetence annoyed him to such a great extent that he decided to take matters into his own hands.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7629/projectkaguya1850ad7dq.png

The first new discovery of the Golden Age was a technology called recycling, which would theoretically reduce pollution by a great deal. In practice, however, Tokugawa felt that it would cost far too much overhead to administer and maintain recycling centers, and decided to continue the buildup of Japan's nuclear weapons instead.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8937/projectkaguya1850ad26ir.png

This decision did not go well with the citizens. Urged by environmentalists, they asked for an end to the war and the nuclear proliferation. They gathered in the streets and rallied in front of the presidential palace, demanding that the government continue to act in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol.

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4781/demonstrations7lv.jpg

Tokugawa sighed. "Won't they understand that the Kyoto Protocol only works if every country in the world abides by the regulations? Clearly, Germany and Russia have that as the last thing on their priority lists, and I don't think Alexander is up to much progess in that respect either."

"Don't worry about that," suggested Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the trusted advisor. "I think this is just a sign that our people are faltering. They wish to gather around a more powerful leader, like the one they remember from the days of old who fought a glorious war against the Babylonians and recovered the Shikon shards."

It was an interesting suggestion. Tokugawa didn't like the thought of staging a revolution in the middle of the Golden Age, but Hideyoshi assured him it would be a quick and smooth transition. He even managed to remove the Chrysanthemum Throne from display in the palace museum, and placed it before the Shogun's desk.

"Your Majesty, please sit," he said, motioning toward the seat. "You deserve it."

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/721/projectkaguya1854ad21jw.png

Thus the Emperor of Japan was restored to his throne in 1854 AD. A magnificent ceremony was held to celebrate Tokugawa's coronation, with crowds cheering in support. Hideyoshi didn't care that most of the citizens were only cheering because they were being watched by the military police that surrounded them, for all that mattered was that Japan would remain stable and powerful.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/4408/dignitaries9lh.jpg

... to be continued

Pretty short, but nukes!!!!! Nuke dem all!

Very good! Awaiting the nukes!! :D

Great update!

Oh btw, some guards look like they're about to side shoot the emperor. They must be anime spies from Persia trying to start a "terrorist" attack.

w00t!!! I just saw Sima Qian replying to dis!!! Another update!!!

Chapter 23: The Razor

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3341/destroyedcity3et.jpg

Fuku kara ni / Aki no kusaki no / Shiorureba / Mube yama kaze o / Arashi to iuran
It is by its breath / That autumn's leaves of trees and grass / Are wasted and driven / So they call this mountain wind / The wild one, the destroyer.

Funya no Yasuhide (A.D. ?-885)

"Tell me now, are you allied with us or not?" Alexander the Great had heard reports of the imperial restoration in Japan, and was not the least bit amused that Tokugawa had used his time to stage a revolution rather than continue to fight the war. "Don't you realize that every moment you waste means a new opportunity for the Czarina?"

Angrily he thrust an updated map in front of the Shogun, which showed the new limits of Russia's advance. Ellipi, the only Babylonian city that Greece had received as a spoil of war, had fallen to the Russians, cutting off Alexander's only supply of aluminum. And even more startling, the city of Corinth now also had a gray border surrounding it, clearly indicating that it had been captured by the Russians as well.

Tokugawa could have cared less about Ellipi, but Corinth was a proud and beautiful Greek city, and Alexander's defeat there would spell certain doom for the entire Greek civilization. Sparta and the Hoover Dam were now encircled, and Athens itself was not far away.

"Now, now, it is not time to worry yet," he assured Alexander. "We have airlifted many new tank divisions to Babylon in preparation for the upcoming attack, although I suppose we are a little bit late. Keep in mind, however, that Japan does not have the resources available to actually hold these cities, so just excuse us while we wipe them off the map." And thus Ellipi quietly disappeared beneath the rumble of Japanese tanks, which easily drowned out the loud complaints of the Greek leader.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4901/projectkaguya1850ad3ln.png

In all the years that Japan had concentrated on fighting Germany, Catherine the Great had grown rather complacent and did not view the Japanese presence around Babylon as much of a threat. But the destruction of Ellipi suddenly changed that view. All of a sudden the Russian offensive against Greece collapsed, and she directed all attention at the new Japanese attackers. Alexander the Great gleefully took this opportunity to recapture Corinth, now firmly under Greek control.

Tokugawa wasn't surprised that he did not even receive a thank-you note from the Greek leader for all his efforts. What have we gained from this? he wondered to himself. All this is doing for us is consuming resources that could be used for our space program, Project Kaguya. But it was true that he did not have the extra troops to divert to Corinth, and the Greek victory there was certainly another blow to Russia's pride. Of course, Tokugawa would follow it up with an even stronger blow, as his tank divisions struck at Eridu, which Russia had received from the war with Babylon.

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/292/projectkaguya1852ad9jl.png

It still wasn't enough to drive Catherine to surrender. In Moscow, the Czarina continued her propaganda campaign, covering up the "difficulties" that the Russian military was going through and insisting that although cities and colonies were being lost, no true Russian core city was in any real danger. "The tiny nation of Japan is no match for us," she declared. "Our counterattack will push them right off this continent back into the sea, where only scum like them belong."

Ha, scum! Tokugawa chuckled upon hearing these words. Yes, the mighty Japanese navy is scum indeed. Let's hear you repeat that once they fire upon your coastal cities. His fleet was still involved elsewhere, and none of the Russian cities were within the range of their artillery. They would meet with his land forces at a later date, he decided. In the meantime, his tanks had reached the outskirts of Minsk, not a colony or a captured city, but a true Russian city. I wonder how the Russian peasantry will feel once the spices disappear from their markets...

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5971/projectkaguya1856ad7zq.png

Alexander the Great breathed a sigh of relief. With Minsk gone, Sparta and the Hoover Dam would be secure at last. The Russian threat to Greece was declared to be over, and from this point onward, he too would be on the offensive.

Greek railroads were opened up to the Japanese military, which took advantage of them to travel to the other side of the continent, where the first two battleships from the imperial navy had already started bombarding the port of Odessa. The ships had already destroyed the harbor and the iron mines around the city, but the tanks would clean up the rest.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6953/projectkaguya1858ad7ib.png

With a relatively safe buffer zone created between Russia and Greece, Tokugawa took the opportunity to visit the front lines. "An excellent series of victories," he commended the commander. "Tell me, what might be your name?"

"Hideki Tojo at the service of the Imperial Japanese Army, Shogun," came the sharp and enthusiastic reply. "Your wish is my command."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had also joined the Shogun on this inspection tour, and he whispered, "The soldiers around here call him by his nickname, the Razor. He's truly a brutal but incredibly effective leader."

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/635/projectkaguya1862ad2dz.png

Tokugawa smiled. Turning to Tojo, he said, "Well then, I'm in quite a pleasant mood today. And my, what a fine discipline you keep in your ranks. Let's see what they can do, and show me the true power of the Razor."

Tojo nodded and shouted to his men, "Charge!" Instantly the huge formation of tanks before them started up and sped away to the southwest. Within moments, the Russian city of Yakutsk, along with the nearby oilfields, had gone up in flames.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/9283/projectkaguya1864ad12pz.png

"Incredible," Tokugawa remarked. From that day on, he left Hideki Tojo with the final say of all military affairs in Russia, while he would concentrate on building the first spaceship parts for the J.S.S. Kaguya at home.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, however, had a few reservations about this Tojo character. "The Razor has a double-edged blade," he said. "General Tojo is merciless to both the enemy and his own men alike, and has absolutely no respect for human life. I fear the day that the evil within consumes him."

"What makes you say this?" asked Tokugawa. "Isn't discipline what we need in our military?"

"Shogun, you did not stay long enough to see what happened after the battle of Yakutsk, but I did. And what I saw was truly shocking. Believe me, this is not discipline at all." Hideyoshi held out a photograph, which showed the many atrocities committed by Tojo's men after they had entered the city. Beneath it was a caption, "The Rape of Yakutsk."

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/7994/razor2oj.jpg

Tokugawa glanced at it and then quickly looked away. "I don't have time to deal with these things, we will worry about that once the war is over. For the time being, the spaceship is my priority. Speaking of which, how is that coming along?"

Hideyoshi sighed. He hated it when the Shogun changed the topic so suddenly. "We have only four parts complete, the engine, the thrusters, the docking bay, and the cockpit. We still lack the technology needed to work on the rest. But while we are in our Golden Age, why don't you devote more funds to research? We can operate at a deficit for some time." Tokugawa thought it over, checked the latest report from the treasury, and decided that all income could now be invested into the sciences.

Meanwhile, Tojo had gone on yet another rampage, slaughtering the entire population of Uruk. In his haste he had also destroyed a Great Wonder that the Babylonians had built long ago, but he explained in his report that the Magellan's Voyage was really quite useless at this time, so it was very little of a loss. "These outdated boats won't help you the least bit with that spaceship," he argued. "I'm sure you don't mind."

http://img438.imageshack.us/img438/5334/projectkaguya1866ad4ft.png

Tokugawa didn't mind, but one person did. Minamoto no Yoritomo was still stationed in Germany at the time, and he filed a formal complaint against Tojo. "He is corrupting our military," he wrote. "Any more of this madness, and our reputation shall be ruined forever."

The response from Kyoto was not what Yoritomo expected. "I cannot tolerate any disunity among my ranks at this critical time," the Shogun wrote. "If you do not like the way Tojo is doing things, feel free to resign your post. He may not be perfect, but he is truly a terrific military leader, exactly the kind of person I need to fight our enemies."

Tokugawa did not even raise an eyebrow when Tojo, clearly overstepping his authority, gave orders to the forces in Matsuyama and made them attack the Russian colonies on that island. In quick succession, the cities of Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, and Rostov were all reduced to heaps of rubble, and their citizens butchered and slaughtered like those of Uruk and Yakutsk before them.

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/8784/projectkaguya1864ad24yk.png
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7599/projectkaguya1870ad6bl.png
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7128/projectkaguya1872ad0on.png

The Razor had cut, and Russia had bled. Where would it strike next?

... to be continued

Great update!! (World map Plz?)

@carmen510: you sure read fast

I think my WPM is around 250.

That's a little strange that most of those cities you've razed were size 1? :confused:

That's a little strange that most of those cities you've razed were size 1? :confused:

They've been drafting citizens, and obviously I bombarded the hell out of them.

It seems that the razor cuts ver deep indeed.....

Good update.... Now for me to get some time to update my story.....

Brutal. It's good thing for you Civ3 doesn't have war crimes tribunals. Just brutal. I used to laugh at the "mild violence" notices on the cd covers to civ.

Won't any more.

Chapter 24: Light from the Netherworlds

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/3678/destroyed2jb.jpg

Ariake no / Tsurenaku mieshi / Wakare yori / Akatsuki bakari / Uki mono wa nashi
Like the morning moon / Cold, unpitying was my love / And since we parted / I dislike nothing so much / As the breaking light of day.

Mibu no Tadamine (A.D. 860-920)

In the end, Minamoto no Yoritomo did resign in disgust over Tojo's inhumane practices. He had never before seen such brutality in his many years of military service, and there was no way he could reconcile the actions of the Razor with his bushido principles. Kami will punish Tojo for sure, he muttered to himself. Evildoers like him shall meet their ultimate demise, regardless of whether they are Japanese or not.

Hideki Tojo, on the other hand, was quite eager to assume command of Yoritomo's forces in Germany. Shogun Tokugawa did not even need to give him special instructions, as within days he had arrived in Bremen to inspect the military conditions. There were plenty of tanks and mechanized infantry deployed in the region by this time. All that was missing was a leader to give the orders for a new offensive. Many of the troops had grown quite restless during the period of Yoritomo's inaction following the destruction of Dortmund, and were itching for another battle.

However, Tojo had to cancel his invasion plans at the very last minute because of an unexpected new scientific discovery back in the research labs of Japan. A chemical engineer working on Project Kaguya had synthesized a new material that, upon inspection, proved to be several times stronger and more durable than steel. The report emphasized the usefulness of these new synthetic fibers in spacecraft components such as the exterior casing, but when Toyotomi Hideyoshi read it, he realized that these materials could also be used as protective plating on military vehicles.

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/5904/projectkaguya1864ad55np.png

On Hideyoshi's orders, other engineers developed new armored combat vehicles that took full advantage of these synthetic fibers to pack. Powered by nuclear reactors and enhanced with onboard computers, these new machines packed significantly more power into both attack and defense and were far more maneuverable than ordinary tanks. The engineers called them "Generation Unsubdued Nuclear Drive Assault Modules," or GUNDAMs for short, but among the first military test pilots the names "mobile suits" and "modern armor" were far more popular.

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/165/gundam0bd.jpg

"I recommend that you wait a little longer before your next attack," Hideyoshi told Tojo. "You certainly want the utmost safety of your troops, am I not correct? Give us some more time to mass produce these materials, and I guarantee that you will not regret it."

Tojo grudgingly agreed, although ultimately he could not contain his thirst for blood. Before the new units with the upgraded plating could arrive at the front lines, he had launched another assault, taking down the Russian city of Tblisi with his tanks. Fortunately for the citizens, they did not get to witness the awesome destructive power of the modern armor before they were handed their swift and painless deaths by the Razor.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4580/projectkaguya1872ad24bt.png

With the loss of Tblisi, the Czarina decided that she had enough suffering in this war. She called up Alexander the Great and gave him a formal apology for all the damage that Russia had done to the Greeks, and offered her assistance in helping them rebuild their ravaged nation. Alexander also saw there was nothing more to gain from the fighting, and agreed to sign a peace treaty.

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/2220/projectkaguya1864ad36ko.png

But Catherine would not agree to Tokugawa's requirements of unconditional surrender. "We will bury you!" she swore. And since the mutual protection pact between Japan and Greece had expired, she had little to fear of any renewed Greek involvement.

Tojo would have liked to go on to destroy a few more Russian cities, but he was distracted by the arrival of many more modern armored units in Bremen. Eager to test them out on the battlefield, he directed them to the nearest target, the German city of Nuremburg. The infantry conscripts assigned to defense panicked and fled at first sight of the approaching war machines, which easily crushed any remaining resistance and flattened the city beneath them. Japan did not suffer a single casualty in the battle.

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/35/projectkaguya1874ad6to.png

So Hideyoshi was right after all, thought Tojo. These modern armored units are truly formidable in combat. Some more tanks were ugpraded at the barracks in Bremen, and soon the combined forces were ready for the next battle, the Second Battle of Berlin. Of course, only historians would ever use that name, for it wasn't much of a battle at all. Rather, it was just a continuation of the Razor's bloody rampage.

Berlin, though no longer the capital of Germany but nevertheless the nation's cultural heart, now saw the approach of Japanese troops for the second time in history. And this time, they were not coming in just to plunder and loot the Great Library. Only one thought motivated Tojo, and it was pure destruction.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9135/berlin6ez.jpg

Unlike Nuremburg, Berlin actually still had citizens remaining in their beloved city, although many had evacuated to safer locations away from the front lines. It made no difference to Tojo, who gave his troops specific orders to slaughter any Germans that might come in their way. Tens of thousands of German citizens died horrible deaths in Berlin, either crushed to a red stain on the ground beneath the modern armor, or buried in the massive unmarked graves from the toppling of the buildings and the three Great Wonders in the city. To the Berliners, the flames that arose around them were little different from those in hell itself.

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/1559/projectkaguya1872ad33kr.png

Tojo had absolutely no respect for his predecessor Yoritomo, and left Berlin as a smoldering ruin without any qualms. Hideyoshi questioned the rationale for razing such an important city, only to find that Tojo had prepared a stinging response. "What good is a library of obsolete knowledge for us?" he retorted. "Or a theater built of such poor qualtiy material that it would have caught fire even if I left it alone?"

Hideyoshi was left speechless by this argument, but the destruction of the Great Wonders had a wholly different meaning for the other side. Otto von Bismarck, though still safe in his capital at Königsberg, might have cared less about the loss of the Great Library, or even Shakespeare's Theater, but he could not bring himself to accept that the war academy of Sun Tzu was no more. Without any way of training experienced military units, Bismarck knew that continuing the war was a lost cause. Still, he chose to follow the example of Russia, and make peace only with Greece, while continuing to put all his efforts to resisting the Japanese.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/3880/projectkaguya1878ad0ee.png

In the meantime, Japanese researchers had made two new scientific breakthroughs. The first was the development of a material that could conduct electricity with absolutely no resistance or power loss, making it the perfect choice for constructing the fuel cells on the J.S.S. Kaguya.

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/9614/projectkaguya1876ad2en.png

And the second one was an optical device that emitted a stimulated, high-intensity beam of radiation, far more focused than ordinary lighting. While there was no doubt that it had tremendous potential for military applications, the visible light variety of the device, known as the laser, proved to be immensely popular in the entertainment industry.

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/9411/projectkaguya1888ad4dz.png

A glamorous concert was held in the city of Fukuoka as the first demonstration of laser technology, with millions showing up to admire the flashes and beams of light. Or perhaps they came to gape at their idol, the pop star Ayumi Hamasaki, who sang to celebrate the discovery of the very last technology needed for Project Kaguya. Shogun Tokugawa was pleased beyond all expectations. It would not be long before the Japanese would finally be able to leave this ravaged world behind.

... to be continued

:woohoo: Very good! :woohoo:

Are any of the other nations getting technologies as fast as you, or are you getting all of them first?

As a matter of fact, I'm cheating using the game mechanics to my advantage here. I've totally depleted the treasury and now I'm in negative science mode (running 100% science at the cost of selling one city improvement and unit each turn). This is mainly so I can take advantage of the GA and get as much science out of it as possible.

Not like that will make any difference, though. I was about 2-3 techs ahead of everyone else at the beginning of the GA, and now I have a monopoly on all the space race techs except for space flight and satellites. I think most of you readers already knew I was going to win this several chapters back, it would just be a matter of time.

EDIT: Since this game was played in Vanilla v1.07, recycling is a prerequisite for synthetic fibers, so that delayed my research by a bit. If it weren't required, I would probably have all the space technologies now even without using the exploit.

Great update!

Chapter 25: Sayonara, Cruel World

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7413/destinyplan8nl.jpg

Arazaran / Kono yo no hoka no / Omoide ni / Ima hitotabi no / Au koto mo gana
Soon my life will close / When I am beyond this world / And have forgotten it / Let me remember only this / One final meeting with you.

Lady Izumi Shikibu (A.D. 974-1033)

Research on the laser had been completed not a moment too soon. The very same year, Japanese economists announced that not only had the treasury been entirely depleted, but also that there was no more of the extra production and commerce from the Golden Age. No longer could new units be produced every turn, nor could continued support for the sciences be maintained. Toyotomi Hideyoshi announced that in the new budget would cut all scientific funding, as the research phase of Project Kaguya was now complete, and the treasury was in dire need of a budget surplus, which it hadn't seen for decades.

http://img316.imageshack.us/img316/5575/projectkaguya1888ad9me.png

During the war years, Tokugawa had allowed Hideki Tojo to handle most of the state affairs, as he too had been caught up in the nationalistic fervor and supported the destruction of the Russian and German enemies. But the end of the Golden Age finally brought the Shogun to his senses. It did not take long for him to realize that Tojo had gotten completely out of control, and had lost sight of the ultimate destiny of the empire of Japan - to go above and beyond.

A visit to the Kyoto cemetery was enough to confirm that indeed the Japanese people had suffered much from this war. Even though Tojo had inflicted far more damage upon the Russians and Germans, the casualties of the Japanese military were certainly not light either. For several days, Tokugawa went to every tombstone, one by one, laying a chrysanthemum wreath upon each of them in honor of the sacrifices these brave men had made for their country.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5420/graveyard8fd.jpg

On the very last day, after Tokugawa had paid his final respects to the war dead, there was a beautiful sunset over the land of the rising sun. "What a pity," he said with a long sigh. "The greatest moments of our history wasted on such a pointless conflict. Why couldn't we just work together in peace?"

As the last of the golden rays disappeared over the horizon, a soft breeze blew through the air, and Tokugawa thought he heard a very faint voice behind him. "You're running late."

The Shogun had heard this voice once before, and even though he could barely make out the words it was unmistakably that of the princess of his dreams, Kaguya-hime herself. He turned around, expecting to see her waiting there, but instead only saw the full moon illuminating the mountains in the east.

"Where are you?" he cried out, flailing his arms up into the sky. But the moon only shone silently back at him, casting an eerie glow across the entire cemetery. He could only stare at it, waiting for a response, which never came.

The silence was finally broken by a loud boom coming from the platform built for the Apollo Program. Tokugawa assumed it was another test launch, as these had become increasingly frequent as Project Kaguya drew to a close. Moments later, he saw the rocket itself above the smoke, streaking a graceful arc into the night sky. "We will be coming soon!" he shouted toward the heavens, hoping that Kaguya-hime might somehow hear him from so far away.

Suddenly the ground shook once again as Tokugawa heard the deep rumble of a another launch. That's odd, he thought. Normally we only do one test launch a day, why were there two this time? The second rocket headed in the opposite direction from the first, and it was not long before both of them were out of sight. Something fishy is going on, thought Tokugawa as he headed back to town to check on the Apollo Program headquarters.

The guards who greeted him said they had no idea what the launches were for. They only said that General Tojo had entered the facility earlier that day with a strange grin upon his face, but they were in no position to question his intentions. "He is probably at the command center," said one of the guards, and Tokugawa hurried off in that direction.

There he found Tojo alone in the room, seated, hacking frantically away at the main computer terminal, throwing his head back to cackle evilly every now and then. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be leading our troops over at the front lines?"

"Ahh, but I have decided to try something new." Tojo gave a devious wink behind his spectacles. "I've sent some fine gifts over to Catherine and Bismarck. Just watch and enjoy."

Indeed, these were not ordinary rockets that had just been launched, but inter-continental ballistic missiles. In a maniacal craze, Tojo decided that he would use Japan's ultimate nuclear weapons against Russia and Germany to eradicate them once and for all. The ICBM's were destined to strike at Moscow and Königsberg, the capitals of the two enemy countries.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/8851/projectkaguya1890ad17hi.png

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/5832/projectkaguya1890ad38fm.png

A terrific explosion ripped through the core of each city, tearing buildings and humans alike to shreds. Czarina Catherine and Chancellor Bismarck would awake the next morning to find total chaos as the radioactive fallout devastated their cities. In an instant, half of the population in Moscow and Königsberg were wiped out by the nuclear blast, and the surrounding land was covered in a hideous orange goo. To the Japanese observers, it seemed that the curse of the evil water god had now fallen upon the Russians and Germans instead.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4417/nuke20cc.jpg

But at the command center in Kyoto, Tokugawa was furious. "I didn't give you any authorization to use nuclear weapons!" he shouted in Tojo's face. "What made you think you could do this without my permission?"

Tojo was about to respond when suddenly a buzzer rang in the room, and an alert message popped up on the computer screen. Clearly there was someone else who was not pleased with the use of nukes.

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/5797/projectkaguya1890ad21rs.png

"Look what you have done!" Tokugawa screamed. "Alexander has been our only ally for the longest time, and this is how we respect his opinions? Why didn't you tell me anything before you did this?"

Tojo did not answer his question. Instead, he brought up another screen and showed it to the Shogun. "Alexander will be easy to deal with. Just watch this." And with one click, another ICBM was lined up to be launched toward Athens.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1808/projectkaguya1890ad47bx.png

Tokugawa shoved Tojo aside and seized the controls, only to find that the "Abort" button dimmed out before he could press it. It was too late to cancel the launch.

"You fool!" he bellowed with rage. He grabbed Tojo by the collar and shook him violently. "This is totally against my orders! You have betrayed the very spirit of Japan by doing this!"

Tojo did not speak, but he kept that devilish grin upon his face, even when he was pulled away by the guards who had rushed in, completely unconscious.

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/5816/yuna3ho.jpg

The very next day, while the citizens of Moscow, Königsberg, and Athens were agonizing over the devastation they suffered, a war crimes tribunal was set up in Kyoto, with Hideki Tojo as the defendant. Not only was he charged with disobeying the Shogun's orders and using nuclear weapons without permission, but he was also accused of unnecessary destruction of cities and negligence in the "Rape of Yakutsk" incident. Many witnesses, including both troops that had served under him as well as high-ranking officials such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Minamoto no Yoritomo, showed up to testify against him.

Tojo refused to testify and showed no remorse, so the tribunal was quick to convict him of all counts. He was sentenced to death, and a public execution was scheduled shortly afterward. Hideyoshi suggested that all of Tojo's property (much of it looted from the conquered cities) be confiscated and instead supplied to the J.S.S. Kaguya, where it would be used as the last spaceship component, the Planetary Party Lounge.

http://img425.imageshack.us/img425/4164/projectkaguya1890ad56cf.png

Even though Tokugawa offered his sincerest apologies to Alexander, Bismarck, and Catherine, all of them were only more determined than before in continuing the struggle against Japan. The nuclear strikes on their capitals seemed only to have strengthened their resolve. There would only be one way to bring an end to the conflict, and it was to escape from it altogether.

Not long after Tojo's execution, Tokugawa went to make a final inspection of the Kaguya, and his engineers reported that everything was assembled and operating flawlessly. For the first time, the completed spaceship was put on public display for every Japanese citizen to admire. The culmination of many decades of research and construction, it was a truly awesome achievement.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4893/projectkaguyaspaceship5pj.png

A group of colonists who were most eagle to settle and develop the new frontier of space was selected from the population. As they boarded the spaceship, Tokugawa made a final declaration. "Dearest Kaguya-hime, we are now on our way. We have had enough of this cursed and corrupted planet, and with the blessing of Amaterasu we are finally able to leave it behind. The curse of the evil water god shall never threaten us again!" He turned to take one last look at Kyoto and the lands of Japan. "Sayonara, cruel world..."

Amid all the cheers from the crowd that had gathered to watch the event, Hideyoshi tugged on the Shogun's sleeve. "Come, I think Kaguya-hime is growing impatient. Our ship is scheduled to depart just moments from now." Tokugawa waved goodbye one last time, and entered the ship.

http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/4350/massdriver9ux.jpg

The J.S.S. Kaguya, launched at the end of the year 1890 AD, would take Tokugawa and the other colonists to the heavenly palace of Tsuki-no-Miyako and other realms beyond their wildest imaginations. At last, the destiny of Japan was safe among the moon and the stars.

Great last chapter. Waiting for the next story.

Excellent game, write-up and win!

You rock Sima!!!! Nice story!!! Where's the next one?

Excellent game, write-up and win!
What Hikaro said. :)

Oh BTW, you should change the Project Kaguya from (in progress) to (complete)

Oh BTW, you should change the Project Kaguya from (in progress) to (complete)

But... I haven't written the epilogue for this yet! I can't make the story complete without that! :nono:

I'm still putting together the images for it, so it'll be posted soon.

Don't get too impatient, I'll have my next story ready in a while. I just have to make sure it's actually playable.

Epilogue

Everything had gone smoothly for Sima Qian. He clicked the glowing "launch" button and watched the animated sequence that followed, showing the blastoff of the J.S.S. Kaguya into space. When it ended, the message box he had been waiting for popped up just as expected.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1392/projectkaguyawin14km.png

And so his second assignment was now over. Project Kaguya was complete and ready to be presented to the Son of Heaven. Even though it was a space race victory, Sima Qian decided to also include a final world map to show where all the strategic resources had eventually been acquired. There were none on the Japanese mainland, but by the end of the game he was in control of many sources on several different islands, in every corner of the world:

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/8808/projectkaguyamap1892ad4nf.th.jpg (http://img466.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyamap1892ad4nf.jpg)

Emperor Han Wu Di was quick to notice, however, that nowhere on the map was a saltpeter colony. "Why didn't you ever grab that resource?" he asked.

"I could do without it," replied Sima Qian. "As a matter of fact, I never wanted it all. Even if a rival offered to give me saltpeter for free, I would not have accepted."

"Why is that?"

"Because it would have made me unable to build samurai. A supply of saltpeter would have forced me into training cavalry instead, and I would never had gotten any of my unique unit."

Wu Di nodded, but still remained puzzled. "You didn't use samurai either," he contended. "So it wouldn't have made any difference if you got saltpeter or not."

"That may be true. But I'm sure you also know that one can never count on a Great Wonder to set off a Golden Age. I was lucky." The historian grinned at this point. "Perhaps your attempt to reduce the effects of luck in this game hasn't been quite as effective."

"No, you weren't just lucky," snapped the Emperor. "You cheated. You used illegal exploits in this game. Do you realize what kind of offense that is?"

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/4095/bismarck9sx.png

Sima Qian looked bewildered. "Really? How so?"

"You traded cities in a peace treaty. That is absolutely forbidden!"

"But I was being fair," protested Sima Qian. "I didn't redeclare war on Germany immediately after that, and Bismarck was certainly fine with accepting the deal."

"Shut up!" shouted Wu Di. "The fact that the AI is incompetent does not excuse you from this kind of behavior. And this isn't the only thing you did wrong here. May I remind you that the negative science exploit is also banned under my rules?"

Wu Di glared at his minister, waiting for a response. Hearing none, he continued. "I will let you off the hook this time, but next time I will not be so forgiving." He whistled, and an elderly eunuch entered the room and bowed before him.

"Sima Qian, how would you like to have Master Zhang's job? Keep that in mind during your next assignment, or else you will find yourself in his position!"

Master Zhang had no idea what was going on, but announced, "Your majesty, I would be happy to have this young fool mutilated and castrated if it pleases you."

Sima Qian was already shivering with fear by this point, but suddenly the Emperor's mood changed. "Never mind that. Let's see your histographs, and I will determine whether or not you are worthy of the next challenge I have in store for you."

He kowtowed and offered the scrolls to Wu Di, who studied them in detail.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2082/projectkaguyawin25cd.th.png (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyawin25cd.png)http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/4880/projectkaguyawin34da.th.png (http://img388.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyawin34da.png)http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/1698/projectkaguyawin48gh.th.png (http://img388.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyawin48gh.png)

"I see that you have not won as complete a victory as you have with China in the previous assignment (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=152838)," said the Son of Heaven after a long pause. "Is there something difficult you find with playing as Japan?"

Here Sima Qian saw an opportunity to try to win back the Emperor's favor. "Your Majesty, the choice of Japan for this game was a very good decision on your part. I had to alternate between fighting and building frequently. The militaristic trait helped me get many great leaders, and the religious trait was also very useful in building temples and cathedrals to keep my citizens happy. It is truly difficult to do that when I have no luxury goods available."

"Indeed you built temples and cathedrals," said Wu Di in agreement. "And quite early too, I might add. But I think it's no surprise that you were eventually outperformed by a very wide margin in culture. Just look at how the culture graph is dominated by the orange color of Babylon!"

"What good is culture when a civilization is destroyed?" asked Sima Qian. "Surely survival and expansion must take precedence over that."

"Precisely. You are learning well. And that is why I was not at all surprised to see no Babylonian cities appearing beside the demographics report. I would have been annoyed if you didn't have any cities on there, but fortunately for you Kyoto managed to get third place."

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/1218/projectkaguyawin50nz.th.png (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyawin50nz.png)

"I hardly ever paid any attention to that list," said the historian. "It means nothing in the context of a space race anyway."

"Of course not. This game required you to be 'clever' in certain ways, and although the methods you chose were not the ones that I expected of you, it seems like you have performed quite well in that respect."

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/1083/projectkaguyawin62uy.th.png (http://img358.imageshack.us/my.php?image=projectkaguyawin62uy.png)

Sima Qian kowtowed again before the Son of Heaven, clearly gratified by the first positive thing he had heard all day. But Wu Di soon shattered that idea.

"So perhaps it is not enough that I stacked the odds against you this time, Sima Qian. Even removing all the resources from your home island failed to give you too rough a time. I will make sure that the next game is more challenging, then. Go home and have some rest, since you will need to be very alert and well-prepared once I give you your next assignment."

w00t! Lemme see the next! (if there is one)

Dang, Man.... I'd never have been able to win at all with the kind of variants you use... Normal Monarch level is torment challenge enough for me.... (as if you couldn't tell with my Dwarf Onslaught game) :lol:

Dang, Man.... I'd never have been able to win at all with the kind of variants you use... Normal Monarch level is torment challenge enough for me.... (as if you couldn't tell with my Dwarf Onslaught game) :lol:
...That hasn't had an update in a month or two.

:clap::clap::clap: :clap::clap::clap: :clap::clap: I applaud you Sima! Plan to start another story?:D

Thanks everyone for all the support. I'm putting up the start and end saves for this game in case anyone wants to try it, or perhaps just play on this map. Personally I'm a bit scared of playing archipelago maps since it's so hard to keep every city well-defended, but I think this game gave me some good practice with that.

The replay for this game was actually quite interesting, very much unlike my last story (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3747959&postcount=265) where the map was mostly the same for 90% of the game and then suddenly conquered in the last 30 turns. Here, a lot of different cities changed hands, and often in the strangest places at the weirdest times.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5462/projectkaguyareplay6rs.png

Keep in mind that these are Vanilla v1.07 saves, so if there are any glitches with that, don't be surprised. Although I've patched my game up to v1.29 and they seem to load fine.

Excelent everything! :goodjob:!

l (Next we being set up now!)
Oh BoOoOYaH!!!

Bravo! Your story writing is excellent. Detailed yet not too lengthy. The shots and stills add much to the experience and blend well with the writing.

I look forward to more. Thank you.

Well what a strange coincidence. stocktracker's story (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=160947) is also a Japanese space race game and it was started just hours apart from mine. And now he's just about to finish as well.

For me, it was interesting because the same day I finished playing the game, I had attended a lecture presented by Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., the #2 man on the moon. He actually spent a lot of time talking about his life story and promoting the two books he wrote, but he did emphasize that he wanted to see the barriers removed between NASA and private enterprises so that they could cooperate on space exploration.

I think that just means I probably would've been able to win this game earlier if I made peace and stayed in democracy :)

In September I think, there were two stories started in the same day, ended in the same day with the same civ, same victory (Domination) and 2 turns distance! :lol:

You saw the second man on the moon?

You saw the second man on the moon?

He's an old man now (age 76 I think), and he called himself "Neil Armstrong's photographer" :lol:

Anyway, the next story has been set up here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=166333). Enjoy!

I've seen Buzz Aldrin speak before. He's an incredible guy, has a brilliant mind. With all those astronaut "go getter" personalities--it'd be easy to get them confused in the shufffle. But Aldrin's a real stand out guy, a visionary. He never says anything not worth listening to... and he even punched out a "no moon shot" conspiracy nut once. Quite a hero.