Absolution 4: Tabula Rasa

Hey,

King Shirong's Grand Southern Move. (construction)

"Here we go." Gen set the ladder against the front porch roof. "Pull up the sign." With ropes looped around the ends his two eldest children began pulling up the large sign. He turned his head and winked at wife standing proudly with happy tears swelling in her eyes. His six other children surrounded their mother with large grins, a missing tooth here and there.

Gen started up the ladder. He would make it exciting. He would throw out his leg to the side and tilt the ladder in the opposite direction as he went up. It would look dangerous but he was in full control. Behind him his children laughed at their fathers awkward movements. He loved to hear them. A year ago they had laughter and not much else. But today they were blessed by the Heavenly Dragon.

His family had been chosen by the Black Tea Circle. He was given land, building materials, tools and supplies. He would be under contract to them to build a Inn along one of the southern trade roads. Gen was given one year to complete the building. Then after two years it would be his free and clear. He took the contract knowing the real reason for the Travellers Inns. They were meant to spread King Shirong's influence farther south. It was his hope that the Inns would be the start of towns loyal to the Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon. Bronze trade goods, such as his hammer, and ceramic wares could make a man rich trading with the local peoples. The wealth to be made was unlimited. Gen was going to do his part for the Heavenly Dragon and his family.

"Be careful my dear." His wife Lanfen shouted trying to sound scared. "You don't want to break your neck after all the work you did and leave me a rich Traveller's Inn owning widow with eight children to raise."

"Never my wife." Gen said as he reached the top of the ladder. He took a small bronze hammer from his belt. From a pocket he took out the items that had made this Inn and his new life possible. Bronze nails. He nailed the sign to the edge of the porch roof. "With this last nail the building of Gen's Tranquil Rest Travellers Inn is over." He turned to smile down at his wife.

"That's Lanfen & Gen's Tranquil Rest Travellers Inn." She yelled up as she wiped the tears from her smiling face.


LGti01

This is going to be an epic turn. I am stoked.

But I don't have any orders, so I haven't started on the update yet. I wish I had a way to vent my enthusiasm about this turn.

Write more stories.

I'm still waiting for Eltain's Coop And/Or PM confirmation.l

I had a construction story for Korea last night but the forum ate it. I tried to rewrite it but I was just dumbfounded by the NPC decision making process I had apparently employed at some point. I mean, I wrote the damn rules, but I have no idea what was going on when I was deciding this Militaristic (unlimited tactics) faction needed to build a Barracks (+1 Tactic).

Story flavor I guess, but that doesn't work unless I... oh... I guess I'll rewrite it.

Maybe it allows 1 unit with 2 tactics?

Ambush+bombard would be fun.

Hey,

King Shirong & The Stormy Weather Meeting. (commerical +1)

"Yes King Shirong." Mistress Huifang said handing her thin wooden umbrella to a retainer. She walked past the Kings Guard and under the huge woven grass mat held by up on poles by twelve retainers. "This year's seasonal flooding is higher then it has been for generations." She stopped and pointed to the flooded fields as far as the heavy rain would allow the eye to see. "This has cause the work on the Soo River Harbor to stop until its over."

The King motioned for Mistress Huifang to sit at a old carved wooden table. She sat taking notice of the stains and cuts in the table top. "It seems that your furniture doesn't travel well." A retainer quickly served her a ceramic cup of hot Black tea. "If you had let us know you were coming. I could have had things ready for you."

"No Mistress Huifang of the Fishing Clans." He rose from his chair and sat across from her at the table. "This table is special." His hands spread across the rough surface. "It is said that King Shushi & Fu Shan talked of the puzzles of life at this very table." His fingers traced the dragons carved on the edges. "The great Merchant Chief told tales of grand places and strange people." He stopped to look in her questioning eyes. "You see, this table has always been at the center of wisdom." He smiled. "I thought it was needed for this meeting."

"How so my Honorable King Shirong?" She put her elbow on the table and leaned her chin on the back of her hand. A strong gust of wind and rain blew her hair from under her hat to cover one eye.

"Mistress Huifang, you will use your workers in this time of flooding." He looked out at the flooded Mie River a little stunned by her beauty. "To increase the amount of bronze goods I can send south."

"Yes my Honorable King Shirong." She noticed the look on his face and quickly sat straight up, fumbling her hair back under her hat. "May I ask what the Fishing Clans will receive?"

"You will receive the honor of spreading the influence of the Heavenly Dragon and increasing its coffers." He stood and walked out into the storm. The rain and wind bringing his mind back to focus on his plan. He turned glad the rain obscured Mistress Huifang's beautiful face. "You will, of course, be given a share of the short lived wealth that the bronze goods will bring."


KSMHo1

Hey,

OCC
Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon orders sent.


Blaze Injun

The Shaman's Message (Cultural)

... "Now read that back to me, scribe."

"Of course, sir."

"Southern people we are vaguely aware of, and Pharseer: We will attend your breakfast/lunch/dinner/what have you, then. This deal is most lucrative to us - we needed a place for our glorious Wicker Workers to ply their trade, and exchanging these .. most .. bountious of baskets for your pittance of cooked meat. How adorable it would be to see these hare transported in the wickers to their stewpot. No, scrap that last part. Undershaman: Sir, that deer you ordered? It has arrived, but it is medium rare, Sir. What should I tell them? Shaman: Send it back, I ordered that the deer be well-done, not this (quite literally) bloody piece of meat. Stones, I cannot wait for those hare. Are you writing? Stop that. Stop it. Are you writing down every thing I am saying? Scribe: Of course, sir. Shaman: Well stop it! No, erase that last part. Now read that back to me, scribe.

... "You're fired, scribe."

"Of course, sir."

Nuathor laid in the sun. (Scientific)

It was not often that she was afforded such luxury; she had no more work to do that day, and had her numerous, large sons to do most of the work she did have. She had asked them to search throughout the panorama for a sign of royal gama look for and pick the berries from the bush she had coerced into adulthood over the long years.

The heat of the day lay heavy on the humid air, but the sun beat down on her back so lovingly, so warmly. The Stone she sat in thought on during the night was searingly hot to the touch, but she relished touching her toes to it very occasionally.

Her eldest son, Mathos, approached her.

"Mother, Abadios and I have been thinking."

"Strange," she said. "Do go on, though."

"Yes. Well. We figured that, if, you know, you could convince the one bush to stay planted, why not more? In fact, why couldn't we just convince the river reeds that if they should return every year in our little dirt patch, that we would spread their kind, and eat their flesh?"

Nuathor rolled over and sat up. Shading her eyes from the glare of the Nule and the endless scorching sands from the horizon, and the white, cloudless sky above, and indeed the sun itself more than a hundred footfalls above, she started thinking for the first time that day.

"See if you can do that, then, Mathos. Dig a hole and put the river reeds in, like I had with the bush so long ago. See if you can best your mother. See if you can put her to shame. Oi!"

Mathos and Abadios are credited with being the first to stop their mothers' nagging, and being the inventors of Zulappi agriculture on the upper Nule river.

Training Day

(Construction Story: Chiefdom of Korea)

"Chief, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. Our boys are well trained enough to handle anything that the Manchurians throw at us."

The Chief nodded sternly, "But it was the way of our ancestors."

His general shakes his head, "But my men could be of such better use...."

"Silence!" commands the chief, "My ancestors and yours as well decreed that we should build such a thing. It must be done. Do you call our ancestors fools? Today? In my Tent?"

"No, my chief. I just think that they might have eaten some strange mushrooms or poisonous berries before they made this decision. You see, our men are trained from birth to fight. A Barracks will not help them."

"Silence!" the Chief cries out again, "Build it for me or I will see your head on a pike."

The general grumbles and goes outside, waving his arms to his exquisitely trained soldiers, each in their orderly lines.

"Sorry boys, he didn't buy it. We're building the damn thing."

You would expect a statement like that to cause ripples of disappointment and dissatisfaction through the crowd, but the Korean warriors are still as stone, "Yes Sir!"

And one log at a time they added to the construction of the barracks.

Update list added.

Update 6 is 3/4 done.

24 hour warned.

Update Soundtrack: Rapture Rapes the Muses by Of Montreal

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It was in the South that the rumors started, but as the Travelling Inns turned the chosen flock of the Heavenly Dragon into a more mobile, efficient and profitable people the rumors spread quickly.

As the Kingdom spread south they encountered resistance immediately, rumors of kidnappings turned into rumors of raids turned into rumors of barbarian hordes vast as the sea, swarming into the lands.

It was soon clear that these warriors had heard of the Dragon, they had been sending their own number among the merchants from the south, they bade their time and their ranks swelled, and now they were prepared for invasion.

It was the Spearmen on patrols who were sent to investigate the claims, they dispatched a pair of warriors easily before discovering the final destination of the bronze trinkets, the sale of which had finally stabilized the population and put food on their tables.

The Barbarian Spearmen met those of the Heavenly Dragon on the banks of the Xi River, the barrier between civilization and barbarity was put to the test for three days of ceaseless battle, neither side willing to return or retreat.

But we would be remiss to forget the sciences that continued to flower and bloom throughout those lands, where an alphabet was assembled, based on simplified versions of the hieroglyphs of the Dragon Wisdom. But the task of assembling individual morphemes into words continues to be strife with disagreement, and some final investment must be made to standardize the language.

After many weeks, when the victors arrived in Junjan they were greeted as heroes. It weighed on them greatly that so many of their number were not present for the accolades. The survivors were grateful for their welcome and for their lives, but they spoke to the people of the Dragon of the fierceness of the wild men across the Xi, and although victory had been obtained a cloud of dread and fear continued to hang over the Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon, their border at the Xi was secured, and a true seaport seemed so close, but unknown forces continue to plot from out of reach.

Fairy tales and bedtime stories of wild men from beyond the river dominate the southern holdings of the Kingdom, and no one feels well defended despite the victories of the Spearmen there remains a persistent fear that there are not only more barbarians on the other side of the river, but a great many more, and that they plan to invade again.

On a brighter note many men and merchants of Shang have been riding the Rivers in rafts of their own design and they have come to marvel at the Tablets of Dragon Wisdom.

(Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon: +Economic Expansion, +Writing (3/4), +2 Reputation)

In Shang, the wealth of the farmers grew and grew, as did their power in Laozi. With so many of the Kingdom's resources invested in their crops they have grown arrogant and demand that the next Prince of the Li dynasty should not be granted the throne of his ancestors, but that instead a new King and Dynasty should be chosen from among the farming clans.

If their demands are not met, the Farmers have vowed to strike against the men of the city.

But men from that city lived their own lives, oblivious to the complaints of the Farmers, for trade goods moved in and out, Korean armies marched through Manchuria alone and beat back some of the Barbarians, but still called for assistance. Their gems made it to Seoul though, and much more easily with the addition of Rafts to the repertoire of the men of Shang. Bold innovators have conquered the rivers and many have gone to visit the Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon.

(Kingdom of Shang: +Economic Expansion, +Rafting)

Far to the West, in Zulappi, the economy exploded, driven by the allure of Stonehenge to pilgrims from throughout the Fertile Crescent and the Nule. The people of Zull finally capitalized on these advantages, offering water to the pilgrims and even adding a formal "Temple of the Stones" to the Stonehenge arrangement, where donations can be made and serving as a central location for people seeking answers in this crazy messed up world.

Trade also grew, with the caravans bringing in massive wealth from the now stable and apparently profitable Land of the Sun. The new Merchant oligarchy has established itself in the eyes of the people there, and in a remarkable turnaround only 3 in 10 of their population is spending every waking moment trying to overthrow the government. They have found religion, it seems, and it is the faith of the stones that they have adopted. Mass migration of pilgrims from these newly converted lands, following the Caravans across the desert and back, have brought extra riches to the people of Zull and their mighty monuments.

An Undershaman representative and guards were sent to Satura in order to restore the calm to the many of the land anxious at the thought of war. They returned with the first shipment of Drunken Hare and although many Zulappi complain that it's a "damn waste of beer" they also have taken to eating it in great quantity, it has become a staple luxury as wealth begins to elevate many Undershamans and Traders who have taken to the customs of Saturans, or at least Saturans as they imagine them, with decadent dinner parties where it is popular to eat while reclining and slaves are appropriated to carry platters back and forth to kitchens. Some workers claim that their lifestyle is unholy, and against the customs of Zull, but such parties continue to grow in popularity as wealth floods into Zulappi.

For his part, the Undershaman who was sent to Satura for the party considers it slightly funny their aping of Saturan habits especially considering how far off they are. The decadence of the newly rich Zulappi pales in comparison to the Saturan version. But the Undershaman will not speak of it, nor will he attend the parties themselves unless by force or blackmail, he simply drinks his beer and tries to remember a simpler, more pious time.

But outdoors the simple men of the field found a way beyond those concerns. They followed in the old ways and worked hard in the honor of the Stones. And they grew wise in the habits and growth of plants.

(Zulappi: +Economic Expansion (2), +Agriculture (4/5), +6 Reputation)

The feast was very decadent.

The Farseer often told his guests from the North that he had "spared no expense" when the truth was that he had spared every expense and laid the cost at the feet of the wealthy citizens of Waset. The slaves were ordered in and they pulled chariots of reclining eaters from one smorgasbord to the next, from a dull conversation to a duller one.

Great bonfires were lit, jugglers and Serengeti animals from Sudan were on display, all by simple order of the Farseer. The wealth of the Kingdom was arrayed for the Shaman from Zulappi to behold.

For his part the Shaman (although he claimed he was really only an Undershaman) spent most of his time talking to the slaves pulling his chariot or serving his beer. It may have only been the magic of that night, but he won many converts and a great many of the slaves and working classes have converted to the faith of the Stones. It keeps them docile, and the wealthy classes of Satura appreciate that, so they don't speak in public about their incredulity with the religion.

When the feast was over the Shaman was sent home safely and work was begun on a new and bolder market, one to be greater than any in the known world, from Sudan to the Land of the Sun. With the massive wealth of Satura behind it the project was completed quickly and brought great pride to the people of Waset to behold. And those who were not proud of their hard work in the construction of the new market district were proud of the money that flowed in because of its construction.

Trade goods poured in from far and wide, from the last shipment of spices from Sudan, or Wicker from Zulappi, Beer from Syrius to the Dyes from faraway Ur, the innovative people of Satura continued to add commercial products and made serious profits exchanging them for the bounties of faraway lands that poured into the new market.

To the South, attempting to secure the trade paths to Sudan, a group of Warriors stumbled across an encampment of Nubian Revivalists, by ambushing the group one of Satura's Warrior was able to defeat twice their number in combat before being felled themselves by the Nubians, who then turned and destroyed the other warriors who had been sent. It seems as though a major army of Nubian Revivalists has assembled to the South and are preparing to march on Sudan. This was the firmly held belief of the sole surviving member of the patrol, he claims there were at least 3 Warriors in that camp and swears that he saw evidence of another 2, which leaves 3 Barbarian Warriors still alive thanks to the heroic ambush that killed 2 of the Warriors in that camp.

(Satura: +Market of Merchants, +Pottery (2/4), +Trade Good (Stone Wares), -2 Warriors, +4 Reputation)

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Map:



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Diplomacy:

To: Satura
From: Sudan

We wish to restore our trade agreement and we have many concerns about these wild armies.

To: Shang
From: Wanderer Merchants

We still wish permission to travel and trade in your lands.

From Satura to Sudan

The trade agreement would be restored, but the main danger are those wild armies.

Fear not. Chariots will be mustered. Rangers will be called, and warriors will have their war. They are threatening the trade of my gold. MY GOLD. They will suffer for it.

Come, let us discuss strategy and tactics, we must prepare... for their defeat!

Good update, Skilord. I apologize for my tardiness with my own orders.

It's all good.

-

To: Satura
From: Sudan

We will send our generals and warriors to speak of strategy with you.

@Terrance: I put up your new wonder, I tweaked it a little, but it has basically the same effect just in a way thats easier for me to keep track of.

@Tycho: By the way, your people are clamoring for the Black Teas that many have tasted while visiting the Land of the Dragon.

Sorry, your section of the update came out a little rushed there.

HEY YOU GUUUYYYYSSS!

I have an extra Gold! You would think you can't have too much gold, would you? Think again! We're swimming in this stuff, and it's alittle annoying. Sure, its cool the first time you do it, but then you start getting scrapped and cut. And sometimes even drown in our wealth! So we gotta spend it somehow, and we've decided to spend it to benefit you!

What kind of goods you've got there? Severed heads? Eyeballs? Pancakes? Dragon teeth? A wife? We'll buy it! And we'll pay for it in GOLD.

Extra fingers? Undisciplined boys? Angry slaves? Rotton tongue? We'll buy it!

Funny farts? Slimey Shamans? Deadly Darts? Terrible Talismans? We'll buy it!

But wait, there's more!

If you order now, you can get this complementary currency for 3EP.

Yes! This wonderful trading good, worth 4 ep over 4 turns, for only 3EP and a downpayment of only 1EP!

With this, you can show off your golden nails! Your rings! Your hands! Your oxen! And you'll feel safe that your money is entrusted by Mine of the Golden Sun!

So come, send me your goods, your services, your garbage, because we can turn them right back into wealth!

The Dragons of the Mountains

(Commercial Story: Panaraa (Holy Dragon Pendants))

It was in Panaraa, at the feet of the great mountains where the bones were discovered. Giant bones, larger than the largest elephant's. The people of the mountain were frightened of them as they protruded to the surface.

But it was clear to them, soon, what it was that they meant. For there was a Dragon in the Temple itself, watching over all of the land.

And so the fear turned to reverence, and the reverence to worship.

Soon, men began to gather the bones, and used them to ward off the evils of life, placing them in prominent places of their homes or the temple. But some of these men were innovative, and they realized that evil did not beset Panaraa alone, but that all men fought for their place in the world. The pious of every land should be granted the blessing of the Dragon God.

And so one by one he plucked the teeth from the skulls and fashioned them into pendants, so that the faithful might be protected wherever they should wander.

Hey,

To: King Tepheus of Panaraa
From: King Shirong The Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon

Our trade of Dragon Smoked Salmon is about to end. I wish to continue this but would need to have the profits of any Holy Dragon Pendants that may come into My Kingdom.

I would also call for you to support My southern border against the wild barbarians. I point to the words of Great King Dor II after workers & wealth was sent. "We count you as friends, and thank you for your help. We shall place a statue of a Dragon in front of the Temple when the repairs are finished to symbolize the friendship of our people. You may count the chariots of Panaraa among your allies should war beset you."

I request you send such support.

To: King Shirong The Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon
From: King Tepheus of Panaraa

My chariots shall ride at dawn.

And we agree to trade our pendants for your salmon.