Absolution 4: Tabula Rasa

Terrance, with that whole "Eye of Sauron 'Lighthouse'" thing you have going on, it's starting to look more and more like you are an exceptionally evil genius.
 
"What do you mean 'Useless'. Why are you running!" yelled Octavian as masses of merchants ran from the Financial District. "What is going on!"

"It's the Moderator! He is destroying our wonders!" yelled an incoherent youth. A cloud of dust rose behind him

"What!?!"

"Stone age wonders are useless in the Age of Silertin" explained the youth, who dodged a falling column and raced away.

Octavian watched, helpless and holding his sword of a new age, as the old crumbled around him.

He turned to the sky, swearing under the twin orbs of Akten and Zorro.

 
You sound like Blaze five turns ago. Except I suppose he wasn't so bad. He was just all "screw this I'ma research Iron" and I said "You'll regret it. I'll take away Soo River Harbor and dock the economy."
 
But no one remembers the Gifts of the Farseer or the Orangesmith. :(

I don't think that's fair to say of Persia, the majority of Persians are still Zorrkanists, but now that it's legal and the domestic tensions have been pacified the Eastern Zorroists are bringing more Eastern Style Culture to Persia, it's going to be a somewhat insular community, but it's going to have clear and mutually beneficial interactions with the Zorrkanist majority.

The Flock of the Dragon writes a lot of books for instance. It often comes up in stories and diplomacy.

In that story, also, the actual work that is being done is the translation of scrolls from Saturnese into Farsi (or Persian, but in any event it uses the same characters as the Dragon's Marks).

Persia is going to be a very interesting culture. I just hope nothing terrible happens to them. Like, if Mongol Hordes destroyed their culture, that would be just tragic. Probably set them back hundreds of years. Probably set us all back hundreds of years. Hell, if the Mongols hadn't done that to them IRL we would be the ones asking their permission to build nuclear reactors.

EDIT: For the Record their borders are much too far apart, that wouldn't happen for many many turns if it did happen.
 
The boy, named Malach, took out the leather and smoothed it, and carefully marked a series of lines in Saturnese for the merchant. Sudanese would be easier for him, but he knows that the Saturan wouldn't bother himself to learn Sudanese.

"Most important thing in making a map is the scale. You want to know what on the map is the same as what on real life"

Scribblescribblescribble

"Right now , the scale is one hand is about one day's walk. Bigger man, bigger hand, bigger distance to move."

Kausta had to admit it, it was rather ingenious.

"Now, those Persians gave us this description" continued the boy, "The man's hand is about 2 nails longer than mine... takes a week to cross paranaa... There we go, that's how you get to the Dragon Lands."

"We only heard tales of such places" marveled the merchant, "I shall leave at once!"

"Should I come too?" asked Malach.

"Of course! Draw the newest maps on the finest leather. I want to know everything there is to know about the route to the Dragon Lands!" answered Kausta. "We have guides, we have goods, we are ready to move out. But instead of Iruba, we will go east.

East to the Lands of these Dragon Tales."
 
A Feather in Your Hat

Commercial Story: Korea (Trade Good: Feathered Hats)

-

When Han first made his hats the people of Seoul laughed at him, "they look silly!" was often exclaimed.

But Han knew the tastes and manners of his countrymen and so he kept making hats, it was a fine way to pass time as the crops grew.

In three seasons time the hats were the hottest thing in Seoul, "The City of Fashion," as it was known where the wives and non-military personnel idled themselves exclusively in the art of making and wearing clothes.

But Han knew that this would not last, in the City of Fashion nothing ever lasts more than two seasons, and so at the height of the craze he began to stuff the pockets of every caravan with a free sample of his hats, "Take these to the foreign lands, take your ship to Soo or to Laozai and let the people of the Empires see my hats."

And so it came to pass that the hats fell out of favor with the Koreans. But when they did the caravans returned to ask, "Do you still have any of those fine feathered hats?"
 
A farm along the Nule [Construction]

"See here. The sprigs you pulled last year have grown back, as I told you they would."

The novice stared wide eyed.

"How did you know they would grow, master? I was sure I had pulled all of the leaves off and the entire plant out of the ground.

The master farmer smiled that little smirk that the apprentices so disliked.

"Ahh, but you did not get the little red roots like I told you. Every. Single. Last. One. Must be removed, or else the strangle sprig will return the next year come floodtime and destroy the crops we had planted."

"I shall pay closer attention to your words, master."
 
Hey,

The Prince Heir and the Walls of Paranaa. (Paranaa, +1 construction)

"Well better get to work." The young man sat atop the highest built part of the wall that would keep Paranaa safe from the Khan. He thought about that for a moment. Paranaa was not thought of as a kingdom any more. The people had, for some time, started to think of themselves as people of Prince Heir. It had become the home to the Prince Heir. Paranaa was now a Dragon Prince's responsibility The young man patted the stick mat under his behind. "Horrible Kitanati Haiku." From a sack he laid out a stack of seaweed paper face down, two bronze tipped writing feathers and several small jars of ink.

At this highest point in the wall he worked unhamper as the work crews had been ordered to assemble wooden framework far across the city. He spent the time drawing and redrawing what the wall would look like built on the back of the Haiku poems Not only drawings but notes on construction materials, numbers of workers and hours needed to do the work. Notes on locations that would have a need for special attention.

"Prince Heir! The time is late." Rose a harsh voice from below the wall as night was falling. "Please remember you have the meeting with the Fishing Hanghui before opening the Haiku Festival."

"Haiku." He whispered collecting the most important papers about the new wall on top the stack. "Who has time for such things when you have a whole people to protect."



PHwls
 
A Game of Chex

(Commercial Story: Kitanato (Trade Good: Chex Board))

-

Chex is a game played on a five sided board with black and white stones. You start by lining the pieces up evenly while leaving the top point of the pentagon empty, all other spaces are filled. When a space is open on the other side a stone may jump over an opponent's stone and remove it from play.

This takes away an opportunity for the opponent to cover up a section of your color, when all of the sections of your color are exposed, whether by attrition or mistake, you win at Chex.

-

The People of Kitanato are very bored, as they sit on their island.

And so they play a lot of Chex, they write Haiku, and carve statues.

But the stone-carvers and the Chex players do collaborate and they make many fine Chex boards. It is a great and intellectual past-time.
 
A shoe by any other name [Commercial story]

The workers of Zull were hard. They worked hard, they lived hard.

The children often complained of hurt feet- the Workers' feet were toughened by years of labour, but what would happen to children's feet? They would become bloody and beaten.

Until, of course, Naked Shoes were created for the children of the village of Quartz by the local Undershaman.


All of the children's feet toughened up without becoming bloodied, and they could walk on the roughest of gravels and even burning coals from then on!
 
To: Zulappi
From: Kurdia


I know that the people of Zulappi are well versed in the ways of Stones, but I have perhaps a new sort of stone to offer you, are you familiar with Glass?

Perhaps we could trade my Raw Glass for your Naked Shoes, I am very interested in these shoes.
 
Hey,

To: King Soru XIV Celestial Kingdom of Kitanato
From: Admiral Wo Gin of the Eastern Ocean White Fleet


I have been given the duty to offer you the following deal. The Wisdom of the Dragon known as Sailing for 4 EP. For 5 EP and a written agreement to protect each others ships. I am to offer you Sailing and 1 Junjan Navy built galley as the 1st ship in the Kitanato Navy.


AWGk01
 
To: The Empire of the Heavenly Dragon
From: The Celestial Kingdom of Kitanato

I hereby agree to protect the merchant and naval fleets that bear the banners of the Dragon's Sons.

-King Soru XIV

But 5 EP seems like a bargain to me in exchange for a navy.
 
Hey,

Inspector Wa Shi and the Courthouse of Soo. (construction +1)

"This is the location, Inspector Wa Shi." The weather worn old fisherman said as he navigated the policeman from Junjan though, what had once been, the waterfront of south Soo. Built above the water on now collapsing wooden pylons were streets, warehouses, storefronts, offices and residences. All abandoned as the wealth was lost by Shang Bandy and greedy dealers. The Fishing Hanghui had moved the headquarters from Soo to Hoona to build the new Imperial Naval Harbor. This had left Soo with out a law enforcing body. That is why Inspector Wa Shi was there.

"Here is the dock." The fisherman rounded a corner and walked out onto a dock missing planks and tilting several feet from center. "Please be safe Inspector."

"This will be perfect fisherman." Inspector Wa Shi made his way smoothly down the dock to the end were he jumped up to kneel on a massive wooden pylon. His policeman blue and white robes blowing in the worsening winds. He looked up at the darkening clouds and then back at the ruins. "We will begin control burning with the storm. This whole ward. Here I will construct my courthouse." Taking of his wide blue brimmed hat, he stood turning to slowly look out to the City of Soo. His city to bring law to. His Imperial duty to bring law. "I will watch the beheadings from this very spot."



ScC01
 
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