Rise of the First Empire

Draknith

King
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Here is a little story I put together detailing a major transition in my current game. If it is well receieved I will probably detail the great war between the Empire and the barbarian hordes to the west (Germany and Ottoman). Thanks in advance for reading.

Rise of the First Empire

From the letters of Sen. Cassius to the Assembly

“We are entering a period of wealth unknown to any other nation since the inception of this great land! All have sat in these hollowed halls waiting our time of glory and honor. I believe we should move forward on the lord’s recommendation, for how else shall we break these bonds of stagnation, and throw off the chains of the barbarians that close in around us! This great Republic of Huberia needs strong leaders like yourselves, but if you would rather retreat to your villas then I have no need for your nonsense.”

The times were turbulent indeed. The republic that was founded from the compromises of the original city-states was in full swing. No nation was as large, as wealthy, or as powerful as the republic was in those days. The ambitions of many of the senate elite were closing in on those of the gods. To the west of the republic stood the barbaric German tribes who were seeing a bit of a development boom themselves, and the nomadic Ottomans who just recently began accepting the Confucian beliefs of the Huberians.
The belief running at the time was that these bordering nations were closing in too fast on the ever-expanding republic’s western half. After the recent war with the Mongols fresh in most men’s minds, many of the populous that had settled in the newly conquered territory felt pressured. These sentiments were reflected in many of the new senators speeches to the assembly. Some were veterans of the campaign that wanted more of the wealth and land that war promised, and some were just overzealous about the size and power of the military. It did not help that on that day in 466 B.C. the greatest warrior the republic knew had given his recommendation to the senate that the nation was ready to scourge these barbarians from the face of the Earth. It was really all that was needed to ensure that the remaining senators sitting on the fence came over to the other side. So it was nearly six years to the date that the Old Republic decided to wage war for the first time since it’s inception nearly six hundred years prior.
The senate had agreed that the republic’s army should be lead by Lord Huber, who had proven himself worthy of the title during the Mongolian campaign. Lord Huber was head of the Huber family who were the original tribe of settlers to the ancient lands of Huberia. By now the family had accumulated wealth beyond any other family. Since most of the ancient battles involved the army of the Huber family when cities were captured it was usually a Huber who rebuilt the city. Due to this design the Huber’s were in control of the lands of Huber, Thebes, and Rhone; the largest and most powerful cities in the Republic. This war would not only benefit the republic but increase the position of the family as well.
Plans were formulated and Lord Huber positioned himself with the 1st Legion just outside of Fort Bastille in the Mathraw dessert region. The plan entailed Lord Huber leading the 1st Legion into battle against the Germans at Frankfort with support from the 2nd Legion, and a diversionary battle against the Germans in the northern region near Amsterdam by the 3rd Legion.

A letter from Lord Huber to captain Vixton of the 3rd Legion

“The 2nd under command of Captain Benson just arrived today. I don’t believe that we’ll be camped here more than a couple months as provisions and material are distributed and stock piled. I want you to be ready based on that timetable. You are to engage in operation ‘Moxy Push’ 2 weeks after the fall of Frankfort. Remember success comes not only from a sound plan, but a sound morale of your troops. Keep them happy, but ready. By next summer we shall be in the border lands discussing our victory!”

Lord Huber’s plan was a resounding success on paper. Much of the territory was familiar, as it had been mapped out during the Mongolian campaign. However thousands of miles away from the battle palace, a small decision will change the fate of the republic forever.

One of the great differences that were never sufficiently taken care of during the process of the republic’s formation was the issue of state religion. Confucianism was heralded as the religion of the republic, however only the eastern half of the republic had detailed laws that included Confucian ideals. Over the years many problems developed between those in the eastern and western halves of the republic. Some laws and traditions in the west were completely illegal in the east.

From Thebian Confucian Law:

Article 303 Non-Usury Law: No Confucian shall engage in the development of business entitling to himself the gain of added value beyond that of the original transaction against another Confucian.

Eight months before the start of the war a great senator from Middleton was rocked with scandal. Although living in Huber, the capital of the republic, which had no usury clause in its law book, the senator was a proclaimed Confucian and had family lands in Middleton. The problem that occurred involved the senator’s business in Middleton and a small fishing business in Thebes. The senator was in charge of collecting pearls from the Thebian’s fishing business and handle the transport and division of the goods to the western half of the republic. After a debilitating hurricane hit Thebes, many of the cities fishing vessels were destroyed. The senator’s business agreed to invest in their partner’s fishing business in order to keep competition at a minimum. However, once payment was due, the fisherman refused to pay back the loan with the conditions that were in the original contract, which included a usury clause. After Thebian courts found the senator guilty of breaking church law, the senator was stripped of his title and forced to back out of the original deal with the fisherman costing a small fortune to the senator’s family.
This removal of the senator sent shock waved through the senate. Now the great senator’s seat was open, and to make matters worse since the senator was such a large figure in the government, his great alliances with the Thebian politicians was gone. So now another seat was lost to a family with little political experience. What ensued was a split senate. Senators from the west were now in direct competition with the eastern senators. Neither could work with the other and speeches were being given daily as to why the republic should remain intact or separate into larger regional divisions much like the old city state days. What this spilt did was to cause not only political and legal turmoil, but left the republic unsure as to how to allocate troops to engage in war that the senate had already agreed to fight. Lord Huber was told that he would be receiving troops one week, and would be denied them and told that he would have to relinquish troops so that they could adequately defend their homelands. Nearly eight months had passed since Lord Huber had taken up residence in Fort Bastille, and his patience was wearing thin.
“How do they expect me to fight a determined enemy with half the troops I need, furnished with the latest technology of three generations passed?” Excerpt from Lord Huber’s journal dated March 23rd 460 B.C
It was a clear day when the leader of the republic’s army entered the capital to discuss his predicament with the senate. After a rousing speech that only Lord Huber could give, the senators decided to put aside their differences and work together until the German hordes could be dealt with. It was then on the 1st of April 460 B.C. that a most alarming development occurred. Troops from the former stagnant nation of the Ottoman Turks were seen crossing the border into western fringes of the republic. After a small skirmish it was relayed to the commanders that this was a forward observation group sent to asses the Huberian defenses. Now the republic was forced to fight two enemies across a border that left many holes for penetration.
Horror filled the senate as the news came in a few weeks later. How could the republic muster the ability to create an even larger force to combat the new threat? Regional governors were now controlling most of the political machine in the east leaving the senate virtually powerless in any matters concerning that part of the republic. With the government on the verge of falling apart, and the army worried that it may fall under the wayside, Lord Huber approached the senate one last time before leaving for Fort Bastille.

Excerpt from Lord Huber’s speech to the Republic’s Senate April 22nd 460 B.C.

“I come before this humble assembly not as your armies leader, but as a citizen of this great nation. I have seen this assembly gripped with scandal and the result of it’s menacing jaws. Most would say that you hang on by a mere thread, and that the Germanic and Ottoman sword will be that which unravels you from history. I however do not see such. In fact I see a great deal of leaders within your own cities, men of honor and character. I come not before you to be the sword that cuts you from your bonds, but as the garment maker who will take but one thread and make an entire suit of armor that will never be pierced with the likes of our frustrations. If you follow me, I will make you more powerful than ever! However, if you would rather continue in your bickering, at least have the decency to learn German now, for your overlords may be lenient with your lives when the time comes…”

When the leader of the Huber family finished addressing the assembly, there was no sound, not even the Confucian alliance of eastern regions could muster a response. Instead a lowly senator from the Fort Bastille region stood up and without a moment’s hesitation made this announcement, “All in favor of declaring Lord Huber to be Lord of all lands under the protection of god say I.” And with that the entire assembly shouted “I” and walked out of the senate in an eerily quiet fashion.
Within the next week or so all direct power was relocated from the senate to Lord Huber. The former republic states were reorganized into regional governorships with regional governors selected by Lord Huber. This was the time of great upheaval. Expansion of the nations infrastructure, armed forces, and territory had never been so great in all of Huberia’s history. The republic was gone, and now was the time of Lord Huber the Great’s Empire to take shape, and change the balance of the world forever.
 
Thank you very much. I tend to enjoy the stories that are written out with details that pertain more to history and the game, rather than narratives between the leader and his entourage. If you would like to know more about this history or any other parts of this game please ask.
 
You write well. Your descriptions are good and paint a good, in depth picture.
My main issue with this is that it seems to stuff a LOT of info into one place. It does, however, look like you have some great ideas as to the inner workings of the [political]storyline that you want to take place.
My advice, if you are wanting to continue on this, is to fan it out. I understand that as an Intro this may have simply been you warming up or experimenting. There is just a lot of stuff going on there from the wars, the histories, the laws, the people, the opposing forces. Figure out how you want to present it all, structure by structure. I would say that from the info in that one post you could break it up into about 10 different posts of nearly equal length.

And actually, the idea of a story about a particular war that takes place within the history of a particular world is wonderful. I say if you are wondering whether to run with it like that to go for it; especially if you are into the intricate inner political workings of a culture. The letters and excepts are a great touch.
It feels like something big went down. I just think that a more timeline-esque approach would help raise the absorption level of the reader a bit more. Then again, I have ADD anyway.

This turned into quite a tirade. I don't know if you were looking for such a critique or not. If not: sorry. I say it has great potential to fan out as an epic political/battle narrative.
 
Oh don't worry about your tirade. I think you hit the nail right on the head. I was at work when I wrote this up, so I didn't really have the time I should have taken to enhance the flow of the story. Plus, I had to go off of memory about what was going on.

This game was actually one of my favorites in a long time. Although a lot of the political stuff is made up, the way that the cities were reacting, civic choices, and game diplomacy was falling right along as I put it. Kinda funny how the game can make such realistic world factors, and all it needs is some "human" scandal that makes it all come together.

Hey have you played revolutions yet? I was thinking about checking it out, but honestly I need the complexities of BTS I think.
 
Hey have you played revolutions yet? I was thinking about checking it out, but honestly I need the complexities of BTS I think.

I have not played that. The newest console that I own is a dusty old Playstation that's in the closet somewhere.

A friend of mine is trying to convince me to get Colonization.. kinda the newer Alpha Centauri. I'm debating whether or not to pick that up. My attention span is bad enough as it is... what with recently getting Spore, another game I just got is Imperium Romanus.. some Roman city simulator which is actually better than CivCity:Rome. Tied together with my habitual COD4 playing and the tabletop RPG games that I run.. I need to be careful with my time management.
 
Nice story, the end reminds me of Star Wars episode 3 (which then resembles Ceacars rose to power in Rome) :) I made something similar in the beginning of my own story. This could easily evolve into a full story.
 
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