The Holy Ones

A History of the Aztec Jewish Empire as told by Sir Brian the Noble

The following is a work derived from the Succession Game HN01-The Power Of Religion . This game is still in progress and I will continue to add further developments here as they occur. My teammates encouraged me to bring all of my stories together in one place and post them for the enjoyment of others. This way you don't have to keep searching through our very long thread and many discussions in order to find the next installment in our saga.

EDIT: This game has long been over but the story was never completed. I hope to eventually bring it to a conclusion someday in line with the end of the game. I hope those who came to enjoy it in the beginning, continue to enjoy the additions as I add them.

I have attempted to keep things entertaining and true to the theme set out in this game. I intend no offense to anyone's particular faith in the real world. This is a game and the opinions and comments made in the storyline are simply a result of my creative impulses and not necessarily a true reflection of my beliefs or views concerning religion as we know it in the real world. I have taken a few liberties here and there to add flavor to the story and I hope that in doing so I have not offended anyone. The game of Civilization is about what ifs and not necessarily about what was in my opinion. I hope those who read these stories will enjoy them. The story will probably make more sense if you have followed the actual game thread and understand a little bit about what we encountered as we went along.

I thank you for your interest in our story and I hope you enjoy it.

An Early History of Our World During the Reign of the Black Knight as told by Sir Brian the Noble

It was in the year 4000BC that our people asked their leader, the glorious Black Knight, to found a settlement atop this hill that we call Tenochtitlan. The Black Knight saw that the land surrounding this hill was filled with many sources of food and rich in valuable resources. He was pleased and so he granted their request. He was tired of leading them aimlessly through the wilderness. He longed for a time when he could train the young men to be warriors and lead them into battle and so the great city of Tenochtitlan was born. He knew that it would be a few years before he could organize a decent army so in the meantime he directed his scouts to the northeast to explore the river valley that the surronding natives called The Valley of Glitter. He also directed the people to tame the sheep to the north in the hopes that they would one day be able to learn better methods for controlling these beasts and bringing them into submission.

The Black Knight saw that the nearby ocean was teeming with fish so in the year 3985BC, he told the people that they should find a way to go out on the water and bring these fish home to their families so that their numbers would increase. The people obliged the Black Knight but told him that it might take many years before they would be successful. The Black Knight grunted but understood that progress takes time. In the meantime, his scouts had sent word that the river valley did indeed glitter for there were several deposits of gold hidden in the surrounding hills.

In 3970BC, the Black Knight's scouts entered a local village in the Valley of Glitter. The natives were friendly and gave the scouts a gift of gold coin from the nearby hills. The scouts thanked the villagers and continued on their journey. They soon discovered a deposit of magnificent stones further to the east and a lush valley just south of where they stood. Several years later in 3955BC, they stumbled upon a neighboring civilization calling themselves the Germans. Our scouts reported the German leader was a jolly but somewhat arrogant man by the name of Bismarck. The scouts left the Germans in peace, hopeful that the peace would last but wary of the Germans future intentions. The scouts continued on their journey, stopping at the occassional native village for a brief rest. The villagers were kind to them through the years, bestowing gifts of gold to assist them in their journey.

In 3895BC, the scouts encountered a new civilization. This warlike people referred to themselves as Mongolians and their leader was a fierce man by the name of Genghis Khan. The scouts might well have been afraid of these people and their leader if not for the fact that they felt their own master, the glorious Black Knight, was vastly superior to this Mongolian leader in both his cunning and desire for blood. So, they continued their journey and in the year 3820BC they encountered yet another civilization. These people called themselves the Malinese and the scouts described their leader, the honorable Mansa Musa, as a spiritual man with a fondness for riches and treasure.

In the meantime, the glorious Black Knight had finally trained a bloodthirsty band of warriors! He could hardly suppress his glee as his brave men ventured out into the unknown. They soon encountered many a wild animal and quickly gained new expertise in conducting combat operations. They looked forward to the day when their leader would see fit to promote some of them to officers and add to the strength of their number. Back in Tenochtitlan, the Black Knight had seen fit to train another band of scouts. He saw that it was necessary for our people to visit the natives, learn the lay of the land, and meet our potential allies and enemies in the world. Some time later a friendly band of natives saw fit to join our people as scouts and so the land was mapped from the frozen southern tip of our continent to the jungles of the north. There was much more to be explored however so the scouts continued their journey. Unfortunately, the gods did not smile on the Black Knight during an encounter with several lions sometime around 3700BC. His bloodthirsty band of warriors had been promoted and were eager to show their worth. Legend has it that the Black Knight had ordered his band of warriors to attack the lions and catch them by surprise. The men were in good spirits and expected an easy victory. Perhaps it was their overconfidence that had angered the gods or perhaps thay had failed to pay homage just before the battle. All that is known for sure is that none of them lived to tell of the encounter. All were lost when the lions turned on the men and cuaght them off guard. The Black Knight was devastated and mourned the loss of his brave men. He vowed to avenge their deaths and see to it that they would always be remembered for their bravery.

It was shortly after this time that the people of Tenochtitlan were finally able to comply with the request the Black Knight had made in 3985BC. They had discovered a method for constructing vessels made of wood that would float on the water and allow them to reach the fish along the coast. They had also constructed a device they called a net which would allow them to snare the fish and pull them into the wooden vessels they called boats. The Black Knight was pleased and commanded the people to build some of these boats and equip them with nets at once. The people went to work right away and by 3715BC they had built boats, equipped them with nets, and were busy at work catching fish along the coast.

The Black Knight looked at what he had accomplished and was pleased. He was tired though from all these management duties and longed for adventure. And so, in the year 3715, he passed his torch to his successor Paladin, the Holy Knight. He spoke to the people upon his departure and promised that one day soon he would return. He promised to lead them faithfully into battle against their enemies, to smite the unbelievers with an iron fist, and to smote the cities of those who would dare to defy the might of our gods. The people rejoiced and bid the Black Knight farewell.

An Early History of Our World During the Reign of the Holy Knight Paladin as told by the Holy Knight and written by Sir Brian the Noble

And the days of Paladin, the Holy Knight, begin.

Paladin, having given his brother the Black Knight a break from the intricate details of managing the people, considers the rumors of his dear brother. The people didn't know him. They only knew his great fighting skill, and the blackened color of his armor. He was thus called The Black Knight. They didn't know him. They didn't know he was set with one purpose, their success. The Holy Knight sighed, one day they would know.

Now the lives of the people were in the hands of the Holy Knight. His first order of business was to begin plans for a future city. Paladin had spoken in great length with his brothers the Black Knight, Sir Brian The Noble, Richard the Lionheart, The Death Knight. The five brothers had discussed in great length where to establish the new settlement for the people. It was decided the mineral rich lands to the northeast were ideal for the success of the people.

So the Holy Knight's first order was to begin the preparations for the establishment of the new settlement. It would be called Salavation. The settlement would be close to Bismarck's lands, and would be glad to offer salvation to the neighboring heathens of Bismarck.

Then Paladin issues orders to continue the scouting, as knowledge of the lands was very important if they were going to be defended from attack by other tribes.

This meant weapons would also be needed. The Holy Knight now needed the scribes. And what were those scribes doing. They play daily with stone and mud. They try to explain this is important for the future. Paladin ceases interupting the scribes in hopes they will hurry up this nonsense.

The scouts report back much new land. No new people though. Throughout their exploration, many wild animals attack the scouts. Many times the scouts are victorious. Paladin is even so impressed with the loyalty of one scouting unit he promotes the entire unit! They withstood attacks from wolves, panthers, lions, and bears. But even this great unit had it's limits. They were surprised one night while they slept by a pack of wolves. Not one of the great scouts survived. Their bodies were found by another scouting party. The families of these scouts still mourn the honor of these great explorers.

Finally one day a scribe comes rushing up to Paladin, filled with excitement he exclaims, "We've done it! It's to be called Masonry! Can you believe it!?!"

"It's about time," the Holy Knight cuts him off. This was the long awaited day. The scribe tried to explain the details of Masonry, but Paladin didn't care. He ordered all scribes to immediately begin research on some type of weapon. It would have to utilize only the available resources. The scribes, full of pride and chests puffed up, left at once to begin the new task.

Soon thereafter a small group set out to establish Salvation. Paladin ordered the assembling of some warriors to protect both cities. The first he sent to guard the kingdom from possible attack in the northwest.

Before all troops had finished being assembled the Holy Knight began speaking to Sir Brian The Noble. Paladin wanted a break. He had found a beautiful young girl. The girl had caught his eye. Sir Brian ordered Paladin to forget everything for a while. Sir Brian would take care of the people. Without any hesitation the Holy Knight agreed and took off to the country to be with the beauty that had caught his eye. As Sir Brian watched Paladin leave he silently hoped this wasn't a mistake the people would regret...

An Early History of Our World During the Reign of Sir Brian the Noble Knight as told by Sir Brian the Noble

My first order of business as Paladin's successor was to direct our shepherds to leave their sheep and return to those things which our people already know best, the art of Hunting. Naturally our people were hesitant, fearing that they might anger the Black Knight. I assured them that behind his hostile exterior was a heart that was warm towards his people and that he would want what was best for them. I told them that our wise men had assured me they could discover the ways of our many gods much sooner if only I could have the people supply them with more gold for research. The people seemed content with this and so it was done.

In 2665BC, our scribes came to me with the news that Saladin had discovered a religion the Arabians called Hinduism. I was not sure what to make of this at the time. I had been pondering the ways of the gods. It seemed fitting to me that our people should worship a single god but the scribes would have none of it. They insisted that we should continue trying to understand the many gods. Afterwards, perhaps, we could chose just one of the many to follow. I was content to let them be and continued to fund their research.

In 2650BC our first organized group of citizens set out to improve the land around our fair city of Tenochtitlan. I felt it would be proper to have our workers build a camp amongst the beavers which populate the hills to the southeast. I hoped this would improve the rate at which our scribes could work towards their noble goal. It wasn't much later that our population grew in 2605BC. I saw fit to return some of the population to shepherding since many of them longed to be with their sheep. I also chose to move our hunters to the hill camp being prepared for them. It appeared that our scribes might be able to complete their work earlier.

Our history was rather uneventful up until the year 2545BC. Prior to that time our scouts skirted the northern regions and peered across the borders of Saladin's land to see what they could see. They did encounter some bears in those woods and were quite succesful in fending them off. Several years later they successfully fended off some lions and wolves, largely due to their tremendous skill in forest combat. I had hesitated to permit them to train in this area for fear that they might be later required to serve a different purpose. However, it seemed fitting to do so when it became obvious they would need these skills.

In 2545BC a band of warriors completed its training in Salvation. I had them deploy around the town and defend it to the death if need be. We would not lose Salvation on my watch! I consulted the wise men as to what the people should set about working on next. They suggested we build an obelisk to the gods. I was hesitant to do so for the construction schedule seemed quite long but I considered their desire to bring the outlying areas into the borders of Salvation. They mentioned that if we were to build a quarry and extract the magnificent stones nearby, we could set about building a great wonder to the world where the scribes could gather and study. They said it would be called Stonehenge and might even be the kind of place where a scribe might study enough to become a great spirtual leader to the people, a Great Prophet they said. While I had my reservations, I decided they might be right so I ordered the construction of the obelisk.

It was in the year 2515BC when the scribes came to me with the news that they had finally discovered the ways of the many gods. They were quite upset however and I asked them what was the matter.

"They are evil and foul" said the lead scribe. "We have discovered their ways but cannot find a single one of them that is worthy of our devotion."

"Perhaps we should continue our research until we can find the One True God then" I replied. And so it was done. The scribes would forsake these Evil Ones and embark upon a path to Monotheism in search of this One True God.

Some years later word came to me that the Mongolians had adopted the despicable practice of sacrificing their own countrymen in an effort to rush production. I shuddered at the idea and hoped that our own country would never adopt such a practice. I had also heard rumors that this warlike people were beginning to make weapons from metal, an art that we would do well to learn ourselves. We could only hope that such a source of metal could be found nearby.

It was not long after this development that I became disturbed by some more bad news. The Germans had embarked upon a journey to settle the lands just northeast of Salvation. This was a land that had been coveted by the Black Knight during his reign and I feared he would be quite upset with these Germans upon his return.

Around the year 2410BC, the scribes approached me to inquire about my management of the empire's finances.

"Whatever do you mean" I asked.

"Sir Brian, we mean no disrespect but we've noticed that the city of Salvation has yet to send its citizens to extract the gold from its nearby hills." I had sent our citizen work force to develop a mine on this glittering hill but hadn't considered the possibility of sending Salvation's citizens to go ahead and begin their work ahead of time. The process of extraction would be slow before the mine was completed but we could still speed the scribes work with this change. I saw no need to be in a hurry to increase Salvation's population so I thanked the scribes for their input and made the change. Some time later, in the year 2320BC, the citizenry of Salvation increased their number and began to work the river lowlands once more.

The year 2275BC found our empire in a most distressing situation. We were becoming surrounded by the Germans to the Northeast and the Mongolians to the north. Our archers had been trained and set to defend Tenochtitlan and our new settlement at Salvation. Our warriors had cleared the menacing lions from the hills north of Salvation and the warriors of Salvation were sent to keep an eye on the Germans.

In 2215BC, the final year of my reign, our scribes had at last found the One True God! I was quite pleased and thanked them for their hard work and dedication. I sent them at once to go and teach the people these new ways. We should come to understand this God who called himself the Almighty. His ways seemed vastly superior to those of the Evil Ones. Our people would do well to follow him.

The Great King, Richard the Lionheart, arrived shortly and told me I should go and rest. Serving our people for these 600 years had taken its toll. We had done well but so much was left undone. I prayed to the True God Almighty that he would watch over my brother Richard in his endeavors while I joined the scribes and learned more about his ways.

An Early History of Our World During the Reign of the Great King Richard as told by Sir Brian the Noble

And so it was the year 2215 when I, Sir Brian, did depart the Holy Seat of Power. My dear brother Richard, deemed the Great King by his Brethren, took the helm and as his first act, renamed the old city of Tenochtitlan. The Brethren had felt it befitting that we call such a place Paradise City, for it was teeming in resources and the people held it in high esteem. He had also spoken to Almighty God in a dream this same year. God had commanded that he rename the Holy City Jerusalem, and so King Richard obliged the Almighty, fearing his wrath and seeking his blessing. The Brethren saw this, and were pleased.

Some years later, in 2140BC, the holiness of Jerusalem had impressed the native population. They became subjects of the Holy Jewish Empire, thus expanding the borders of Jerusalem. King Richard, desiring information on what the German people were up to, sent a scouting party of young warriors from their encampment on the stone hill. To his dismay they spotted a traveling band of citizens, escorted by the German military. The Germans seemed intent on denying the Holy People their right to the promised lands of the southeast. My own heart was heavy when I heard this news. I cursed myself for not having made settling these lands a higher priority during my reign as Regent to the People.

The mighty King Richard saw no need for the young band of warriors to continue their journey. It seemed evident that the Germans would settle the area that we had coveted so he returned his brave warriors to their encampment among the stones, ordering them to observe the German people in their daily activities. He held a certain fondness for the Germans, having lived among them prior to joining his brothers in their quest for greatness. Nevertheless, he would not hesitate to smite them if the need arose. He preferred, however, to absorb their population peacefully, knowing that they would likely see the error of their ways and join our brotherhood as he had.

A second group of citizens set out from Paradise City to improve the countryside under King Richard's rule. They expanded the fur camps to the south and later, after the shepherds had refined their skills into a science they called Animal Husbandry, the band of merry workers headed north to cultivate pastures and build pens for the sheep in these grassy hills. Upon the departure of this band of merry workers, King Richard ordered the Captain of the Guard in Paradise City to immediately begin training more archers. Our empires defenses were weak and I was again saddened that I had allowed the scribes to convince me that building monuments were more improtant than claiming the countryside or providing for the defense of our people. I could only hope that our dear brother, the Black Knight,would forgive my oversight.

In approximately 2050BC, the people had finally completed their monument to Paladin the Holy Knight. I held mixed emotions during the unveiling ceremony. I was pleased to see that the people held our holy brother in such high regard. It had taken them centuries to complete this work but their dedication had kept them going. I was most impressed by our people. Still, I couldn't help but think their time would have been better spent in training for war or preparing to settle the land God Almighty had promised to us. Instead, we had allowed the Germans to exert an influence in these lands. It would take the blood of many a brave warrior or perhaps the teachings of many a bold rabbi to convince these people to join our illustrious empire. I feared it would require the former more so than the latter. I again cursed myself and prayed the Almighty could forgive me. I found refuge though in the fact that King Richard had heard the pleadings of our Guard here in Jerusalem. He had given them permission to raise up a new detachment of brave archers to defend the city. They rejoiced and began training at once.

A few short years later King Richard was dismayed to hear the report of his scouts. The Germans had founded a new settlement to the southeast of Jerusalem, just as he had expected. The scouts also reported the presence of a magnificent new beast near this German settlement. They referred to them as horses but were not yet sure about how they could be put to use by the Germans. It was unclear as to whether or not the Germans had developed a use for these beasts. Our scouts had observed the German citizenry building pens and cultivating pastures for their swine near the place they called Hamburg, so no one doubted that the Germans were aware these magnicent beasts existed just outside their new settlement. King Richard believed this is probably what had lead the German people to move there and I would have to agree with my dear brother.

It was about this time that our dear brother received a vision from the Almighty. He would ask the holy men to prepare for sending out rabbis to our heathen neighbors. He was also told by the One True God that we were His people and that we should be known as such. So our Great King Richard gathered the people and told us that we would now be known as The People of God. This pleased the holy men in Jerusalem. They would often approach me in the streets, lavishing me with praises that I should convey to my wise brother.

In approximately 1990BC, disaster befell our last band of scouts as they returned home to their families. Legend has it that they were set upon by a most vile and heathen people. So heathen were these people that war was the only thing they knew. They cut our brave men to pieces, leaving their corpses for the animals to scavenge. The wailing of their mothers and wives could be heard in Jerusalem for many months. But the people endured and continued to hail the Great King for they had finally completed a second gold mine near Jerusalem. This pleased the holy men a great deal, for the progress of our people in making new discoveries could be greatly increased.

It was not long before the young archers of Paradise had completed their training. They set out at once to avenge the deaths of our scouts. They soon encountered these heathens and set upon them with great fury, destroying every man who dared oppose them. The people rejoiced and praised these brave young men. The young women adored them, hoping to marry them when the brave men returned from their adventures.

It was about this same time that word came from the German Empire. They had adopted the same heathen practice as the Mongolians! They were forcing the people to labor excessively, sacrificing them in the name of rapid progress. I found such a practice to be despicable and warned our Brethren about adopting it. I did not feel that the Almighty would be pleased with us if we ever sank to such a low.

Our Great King Richard ended his first 300 years of rule by imploring the people to develop a faster means of transportation. They did as he had commanded. Our miners near Jerusalem had extracted a lot of gold for the people of the empire but had no way to move such heavy loads into the cities. Our hunters and shepherds in Paradise were anxious to move their goods into the cities as well. Not to mention that such an innovation was necessary soon if we were to move those magnificent stones into Jerusalem and Paradise. When our people had finally learned to build roads, thus enabling our citizenry to construct a vast transportation network, King Richard turned his thoughts toward the Almighty once again. He saw that it would be good if the holy men were to organize themselves into what he called a priestly class. I agreed, for I had a certain fondness towards these men of Jerusalem, having been Regent when they first discovered the ways of our God.

And so it was in the year 1750BC that the people completed roads into the hills surrounding Paradise. The shepherds could now bring mutton and wool into the city. The hunters and trappers were now bringing furs into the city. The people rejoiced at the availabilty of these goods. The mutton would keep there bellies full and stave off disease. The furs and wool would keep them warm on those cold winter nights.

Soon afterward, the first of many holy men departed Jerusalem and headed towards Paradise. The workers were sent to build quarries to extract the magnificent stones near Jerusalem. It was about this time that King Richard felt that our nations deficit should be addressed. The wise men were not particularly pleased but felt it was probably the prudent thing to do. After all, they had nearly completed their research into finding this metal the Mongolians and Germans called copper, so a lack of funds was not likely to hold them back for such a short period of time. King Richard promised them that he would return their funding in a few short years, although it would probably not be to the level they had enjoyed in centuries past.

Around the year 1645BC, the scribes completed their search for copper. King Richard was dismayed that none could be found within our borders. However, a small deposit had been discovered in the cold regions to the far south. Perhaps one day the natives of this area would come under our rule. Or maybe a few hearty souls from Paradise or Jerusalem would brave this inhospitable land and establish a settlement there someday. Nevertheless, he kept his promise to the wise men and gave them their funding. He told them, however, that he would need to retain a portion of this wealth for the good of the empire. The Almighty had commanded that the people should tithe, meaning they would pay a small portion of their income in taxes to the empire. It was believed this would help the treasury to grow, providing for a means of quickly equipping the troops with new weapons when they became available. Or perhaps we could one day learn to negotiate with our neighbors for their knowledge, something they would no doubt wish to be compensated for.

It was in this same year that I found myself deeply saddened. A dark cloud had fallen over our nation. Our dear brother had been influenced by the despicable Mongolians! He forced a portion of the population into servitude, most of them from the uneducated lower class. I was outraged!! After all the hard work I had completed finding the One True God, he dared to bring the Almighty's wrath down upon us by following such a despicable practice? I felt I should go at once to the Brethren and discuss this matter. It must not stand! We are a holy people, devoted to the worship of the One True God! We cannot, no I dare say we must not, allow ourselves to be influenced by the heathen nations around us! Do we really want to be like that despicable despot Saladin? Even he has adopted this practice. This is the work of the Evil One dear brothers! We must not allow it to continue!

An Early History of Our World During the Reign of the Death Knight as told by Sir Brian the Noble

It was the year 1630BC and I found myself pleading with the Brethren to outlaw the despicable practice of slavery. While the people had admired the Great King Richard for nearly his entire reign, a dark stain had tarnished his reputation in the waning years of his regency. I had sent a letter to him in Paradise City, confident that he would soon acknowledge the error of his ways but I could not be positive. He certainly had been a Great King. While I was happy to see our quiet brother the Death Knight, I was also deeply saddened when Richard left the Regency. I really hoped that the tarnish of slavery would soon be wiped from his gleaming armor and that the people would soon forgive his lapse of judgment.

I was not sure what to expect from our quiet brother, the Death Knight. He tended to keep to himself, only visiting us on special occasions and never really saying a lot. He did seem to be full of wisdom though and it seemed likely that his regency would strike fear into the hearts of our neighbors. I eagerly awaited his arrival in Paradise City. It was not long before he arrived at the Palace of Paradise. The guards saluted him and immediately vowed their allegiance to the new Regent. He felt it was wise to gain knowledge of the world as it had likely changed since the days our scouts were lost. He commanded his brave young warriors to go forth into the world and secure a safe place to establish a new settlement. They left their encampment immediately and set out for the new lands.

Having established a safe passage to the new lands, our brother commanded that a new settlement be founded there. A group of pioneering citizens had banded together under King Richard in the City of Paradise some years earlier. They had been fearful of venturing out alone but now that the path was clear, they gladly packed up their things and proceeded to establish a settlement at a place called Bethlehem. An old rabbi had traveled with them to insure they would not fall prey to the Evil One's "religion". It was he who had established the faith there and he soon began to live among them as an ordinary citizen. They thanked him and chose to commemorate him by building a temple to the One True God.

In approximately the year 1570BC, the people that resided in the lowlands south of Jerusalem discovered a method of increasing crop production. They had been gathering food from the wild plants that grew there for many centuries. The scribes in Jerusalem had encouraged the people to develop a method of cultivating these plants. They hoped that doing so would create an abundance of food for Jerusalem. They also hoped to share this knowledge with the citizens of Paradise. In Paradise, there was a nearby plant the people called wheat. It held great promise for the citizens of Paradise but no one had yet found a way to harvest it. This changed when Agriculture was discovered. The food production could be increased considerably now.

At about the same time that Agriculture had been developed, a new band of archers completed their training in Paradise. Not wanting to be outdone by the people of Bethlehem, the citizens of Paradise requested that the Death Knight allow them to build a temple there to the One True God. Our brother granted their request and the people proceeded to contruct the temple.

The people soon discovered an art known as Pottery. It would allow them to construct a building they referred to as a granary. This granary would store the excess food produced in a city during the summer months, so that it would not go to waste and could be used throughout the harsh winter months. I was pleased to hear that our people were advancing in the world at such a rapid pace. I was cautious though because I did not want to become overly optimistic. We still had a growing population that was eager to expand into new territory but those territories were quickly being gobbled up by the Germans. Soon we would probably stumble upon one or more new settlements established by the Mongolians.

In approximately 1510BC, the Death Knight saw fit to turn his attention to the scribes and task them with establishing a common language for the people. Many were uneducated and in need of a place where they could go and learn. So in about the year 1405, the scribes established a written language. We would call it Hebrew in honor of our Great God the Almighty. The people rejoiced for they were eager to learn in these new buildings the priests had designated as Libraries. They would have to wait however. It seemed that our many years of peace would likely end soon. Warriors would be needed and there would be no time to build centers of learning. The Death Knight next called for the scribes to sit quietly and learn the art of Meditation. The Death Knight felt that it would bring our people closer to the One True God if they learned to take the time to contemplate His Will. So the scribes did as he requested and began to learn the art of Meditation.

At about the same time that the scribes established Hebrew as the official language of our empire, the Honorable Mansa Musa arrived in Paradise and requested an audience with the Death Knight. He had heard rumors about this fearsome man and wanted to see for himself if they were true. Our brother greeted him politely, although I could tell he was unsure of what to make of this Malinese warlord. He made it clear to Mansa that he felt his people were being led astray by the Evil One. Mansa's face was expressionless. He did not seem to be overly offended but he did not seem pleased either. Mansa replied by saying perhaps we could change that by opening our borders to his people. His people had heard of our holy city Jerusalem. Some were eager to learn our ways but none of our people had yet brought the Word to his land. My brother and I both felt, however, that Mansa was probably more interested in acquiring a lucrative trade route to our gold mines in Jerusalem, than he was in learning the ways of the One True God. Nevertheless, the Death Knight granted Mansa's request and opened our borders to the Malinese empire.

I was quite happy with my brother. He had ruled wisely, leading our people to learn many new things during the first 300 years of his regency. The Temple of Paradise had been completed and he had encouraged a scribe in Paradise to prepare for a holy journey. He felt there was a great need to continue spreading the faith of our people. I agreed with him and commended him for keeping the Almighty in his thoughts. His influence had even convinced the Chancellor of Germany to mend his ways! The German people had become our brothers. I hoped that the Brethren would soon forgive the people of Germany for their expansion. I too had been distraught at the sight of German cities all around us. I had even come close to advocating war! Now it appeared that the Great King Richard had been right to place his faith in the German people. They had indeed come to know our God and mend their ways. I looked forward to the day when the whole of the German Empire would be Jewish and our peoples would become like family.

I found myself somewhat perplexed by our brother towards the end of his first 300 years as regent. I had been staying in Paradise ever since Mansa's visit. I was curious to see how the people lived there and I enjoyed being near my brother in the Palace. I had come to know him as a man strong in the faith, not willing to take a life in the name of God unless it became necessary. I suppose that, given this proclivity towards negotiation versus warfare, it should have come as no surprise to me when he accepted the Mongolians offer of Open Borders. Still, I was shocked and I must say that I was a bit outraged at first! I could not fathom our people ever becoming "friendly" with this people! It had been the Mongolians who first introduced the idea of slavery to the world. Their influence had even prompted our own dear brother Richard to adopt the practice! My dear brother took me aside and explained to me that God works in mysterious ways. Even the most vile of people should be given a chance to change their ways. I thanked him for his wisdom. I realized that I had been thinking like our dear brother the Black Knight. While his intentions were good, the Black Knight's bloodlust was insatiable. He had sent messengers to us many times since his departure. It was clear in his messages that he longed to do battle with our neighbors. He often inquired as to the progress of our military and was dismayed to hear that our forces were not quite capable of waging a successful strike against the Mongolians. I felt that if the Mongolians were to turn away from their evil ways and adopt our faith, the Black Knight would have to show great restraint upon his return. His hopes of smiting Genghis Khan's warriors upon the field of battle would be dashed. I feared he might fall into a depression and become complacent and bored with the day to day grind of managing our empire. There were so many mundane tasks to be done when sitting upon the Holy Seat of Power.

The Death Knight continued his reign as Regent to the People. I once again had the pleasure of observing his diplomacy when Chancellor Bismarck arrived at the Palace. He seemed to be a bit wary of our people but he considered our faith a grand accomplishment. He asked if we might consider allowing the German people to come and visit the Holy City. The Death Knight quickly granted his request. It would be good to have an ally if war broke out against the Mongolians. The Chancellor seemed pleased, gave us a hearty farewell, and left our great Paradise City. Some time later the people of Berlin established our faith in their fair city, the capitol of Germany. I thought that I should go there some day and see this city.

Our brother continued his work in spreading the faith. Some of our rabbis finished their training and were prepared to go out into the world. The Death Knight then proceeded to construct the Library of Paradise. A grand accomplishment it would be, full of books for the scholars and teachers for the people. It was hoped that this project would improve our people's literacy, bringing an increase in knowledge.

Judaism spread to the Mongolians in 1135BC. We were not really surprised when Genghis Khan converted to the faith. We were unsure what to make of it in Paradise. The Death Knight seemed pleased at this turn of events. I myself was less joyful. I just couldn't bring myself to trust them. Nevertheless, I respected their seeming desire to join us as brothers. Perhaps they would one day join us in a Holy War against the worshippers of the Evil One to the north. Sheik Saladin was sure to be a force to reckon with in the future.

A scholar of the known world published his great work in the year 990BC. The Most Advanced Civilizations of the World by a man named Livy. We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves with the ranking of number one!.

There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem in the year 950BC. A great wonder had been completed in the city! The priests called it the Oracle. They believed that God Almighty would soon descend there in the flesh and teach them his ways in person. And so it was that in this same year, the people of Jerusalem were visited by the Christ, God's servant on earth. He called himself the Son of God and had come to bring the people closer to the Lord Almighty. A new religion was born and the people called it Christianity. The Death Knight found it fitting to adopt a new form of government, one based solely on a single faith. The Brethren agreed and so Theocracy was adopted throughout the land. We would forbid the spreading of lies by the Evil One!

A Commentary on Our People During the First Regency as written by Sir Brian the Noble

It was shortly after the completion of the Oracle that I decided to chronicle a summary of our nation's history during the First Regency. My brothers had been pleased with my scholarly work, bestowing upon me the honorable title of Father to the People. I was humbled by their gratitude. So, shortly after the Death Knight had departed the Holy Seat of Power, I found it to be fitting to write this summary.

It was the Black Knight who had led us to this land of plenty. He chose a barren hill near the sea and founded our first settlement there in 4000BC. It was named Tenochtitlan, for in those days our people were a godless people, going to and fro upon the land without much purpose in life. The Black Knight had seen fit to send warriors and scouts out into the world to locate lush areas of plenty where we might form a new settlement. He found such a place when he entered the Valley of Glitter. He noted to his Brethren that they should consider a settlement there. The brothers conferred one with the other, some preferring this site and others preferring that site. They ultimately left the decision to their brother Paladin, the Holy Knight, when he ascended to the Regency in 3415BC.

Paladin the Holy Knight pleased his brothers during his reign as Regent to the People. He successfully established a settlement on the banks of the Golden River, in the Valley of Glitter. He deemed it fitting that this place be called Salvation, for he believed strongly that this place would lead his people to salvation. He proposed to the scribes that they should busy themselves with discovering the ways of the gods, so that we might chose one to follow. He was unable to complete this task before his reign had ended, however, so this task fell to his noble brother Sir Brian.

I took up the Regency in the year 2815BC. I found our position at Salvation uncertain. The people there were preparing a defense but had not yet completed their training. I left them to their work and set about speeding the progress of our people in the area of science. I felt it was important that our wise men discover the ways of the gods as soon as possible. I was greatly pleased when they finally did so but became distressed by what they told me. They had not found a single god worthy of our devotion! So I commanded them to set about finding the One True God at once. They did as I had commanded and in the final year of my reign, our Jewish faith was born in Salvation! It seemed fitting that God Almighty had blessed our brother Paladin for his great faith when naming the city. The City of Salvation would indeed be the salvation of its people! Alas I was tired and longed to return to my place with the scribes.

The Great King Richard ascended to the throne in 2215BC. After having conferred with the Brethren, he deemed it appropriate to rename the capitol city to Paradise City, and the Holy City to Jerusalem. He also proceeded to tell the people that they would no longer be known as the Aztecs, but would instead be called the People of God. God was pleased with King Richard and found him to be a faithful servant. So it was quite unfortunate when King Richard adopted the practice of slavery near the end of his reign. His splendid reputation had been tarnished but our God is a merciful God to his people. He forgave King Richard for his trespass as did the Brethren.

It was the year 1630 when the Death Knight took his place in the Holy Seat of Power. He surprised the Brethren with his zeal for spreading the word and negotiating with our neighbors. He found it wise to spread the word in a peaceful manner, hoping to attract our neighbors as allies in the coming war against the Evil One to the north. The Brethren found him to be a wise ruler, staying his sword until the proper time had arrived.

And so each brother had taken his turn in the Holy Seat of Power, serving as Regent to the People, each in his own way. God had found favor with his people when they completed His Oracle towards the end of the First Regency, in the waning years of the Death Knight's reign. He sent His Only Begotten Son to live with His People for a time, teaching them The Way in which they should live. While most of the people were satisified to cling to their old beliefs, a few of the people had dropped everything to follow the man they called Teacher, Rabbi, and The Christ. Twelve of these men established a solid foundation in the Holy City of Jerusalem, giving birth to a faith they called Christianity. I felt as though I should inquire of this faith now that I had returned to Jerusalem.

It was after the man called Christ had departed us that I first entered the Oracle of Jerusalem. I suddenly found myself surrounded by a bright light. A light so bright that I thought I would surely go blind! I fell upon my knees and placed my face to the floor.

A loud voice called out to me, "Sir Brian the Noble, arise and hear what your God has to say!" I immediately arose to my feet. The light had subsided but still remained within the Oracle.

"What can your humble servant do for you my Lord?" I inquired. The Almighty God of our people spoke to me and commanded that our people should write a Great Book now that we understood the language of Hebrew and the people were beginning to build libraries.

"You shall tell the people their history in this book and remind them of why they follow the One True God. You shall call the first part of this Great Book Genesis, for it was during the Black Knight's Regency that your people were born as a nation. The second part shall be called Exodus, for it was during the Holy Knight's reign that the people left the comfort of Paradise and braved the Valley of Glitter. You shall call the third book Leviticus, for it was during your reign that you found me and established a Holy City unto my Name. The fourth book shall be called Numbers, for the people's numbers had increased greatly during the reign of King Richard. The final book shall be called Deuteronomy, for this means "second law" and it was during the reign of the Death Knight that I sent your people my Only Begotten Son. I am pleased with your people. See to it that they accept my son in all their cities for he will be their Savior."

"Shall we accept this new faith as the faith of our nation," I asked of the Lord.

"This is not a new faith my beloved." he replied. "It is only a new light upon the teachings of old. Hold fast to that which you know and learn the new ways as well, for they will lead your people to greatness. I have many blessings to bestow upon My People if they remain faithful to My Word."

Suddenly the light faded and my Lord was gone. My heart was light for his Word had inspired me. I would set about the task that He had given me at once. The people would have this Book to read when they visited the many libraries of the empire. We would call this Book the Holy Scriptures.

The Reign of the Black Knight During the Second Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

It was in the year 920BC that the Black Knight finally returned from his adventures abroad. There was much rejoicing by the people, especially those in Paradise. The brave warriors hailed him as their glorious hero. They were greatly encouraged by his return to the Regency. Preparations for war had been slack since his departure. Many feared that the people were not prepared if war were to break out with the Mongolians. Happy to hear of his return, his brothers met him at the Palace of Paradise. He greeted them with a grunt and immediately voiced his displeasure.

"What exactly have the four of you been up to since my departure? Why have you not prepared an adequate defense for the people? Suppose the Mongolians turn on us when we least expect it? Would you have the people stop them with their plowshares? We need to arm the people with axes like the Mongolians! Or at least we should have our people search for sources of iron and learn methods for fighting in the northern jungles near Saladin. Do you think he will stay his sword forever? Your peaceful ways sicken me!"

With that he exited the throne room for he had no desire to sit within the comfort of the Holy Seat of Power. He would go out and visit his warriors, inspiring them to greatness. He immediately commanded the citizens of Paradise to increase production and told the city of Jerusalem to prepare to send out its citizens to found a new settlement.

When the citizens of Paradise had finally completed their library, the Black Knight set them to the holy task of constructing a new religious wonder in Paradise. The people of Jerusalem would extract the magnificent stones nearby and move them to Paradise City. The priests of Paradise had demanded a wonder be built that was on par with that of the Oracle in Jerusalem. About this same time the fishermen had improved their skills in navigating the coastal waters of Paradise so the Black Knight felt that they should apply their skills to the art of naval combat and transportation of armies across the water. When they had finally finished learning the ways of the sea, their master left them to their fishing while he pursued a course of improving land combat.

The Black Knight had seen new implements of war during his travels. Other nations were producing these weapons from both copper and a new metal called iron. Iron was much harder than copper or bronze. It would hold its shape much longer, thus making for an excellent instrument of war for attacking the enemy in his own cities. The Black Knight felt that it would be fitting for his people to train a new type of unit, one that he would call the Jaguar Warrior in honor of our origin as a jungle people. We were not sure how this sort of unit would help us in our current climate but we knew that the Evil One lived near the jungles of the north so such a warrior might indeed be useful to our people if a Holy War became necessary in these jungles.

It was during the Black Knight's second reign as Regent that the first sign of trouble stirred in the air. The honorable Mansa Musa arrived at the Palace of Paradise and demanded an audience with the Black Knight.

"I demand that you cancel your deals with the Mongolian people!" he said, his scowl becoming increasingly noticeable.

"Not a chance" sneered the Black Knight. "The Mongolian people have joined us as righteous brothers in our faith. We could never betray them. You should leave now before you anger me further with your insolence!" Mansa seemed very disappointed. He saw he would get nowhere while the Black Knight reigned. Perhaps he would return some years later in the hopes that one of the other brothers would be more reasonable during their reign as Regent. In the meantime he would return to Timbuktu and consider his future relations with this people that called themselves the People of God. Perhaps he should consider breaking ties with them altogether. His friend Saladin would no doubt be pleased by this turn of events.

In 740BC the priests were pleased to see that the people of Paradise had finally completed their work on the great monument of stone known as Stonehenge. The priests of Paradise would finally have their own monument to God. The people of Paradise rejoiced and called for the People of God to visit their fair city and rejoice with them. The Black Knight did not attend the festivities however. He still had a lot of work to do before he could feel comfortable about his people's safety. He commanded his sailors to begin the commissioning of a war vessel in Paradise as soon as the festivities had ended.

The Black Knight continued his reign by commanding the workers to cultivate the wheat near Paradise. He felt that the priestly class should increase their numbers there and would require more food to support them in their work. He also found a deposit of iron near Bethlehem and was grateful that the Death Knight had founded a settlement there. This metal would certainly become useful in latter years when even better weaponry was invented. His sailors had completed their training in Paradise and were prepared to sail the seas at his command. He keep them within the safety of Paradise while the citizenry of Jerusalem completed their preparations for founding a new settlement.

It seemed fitting at this time that his people should have a set of laws. The people were growing in number and he feared that lawlessness might soon take over the land. So he set his holy men in Jerusalem upon the task of speaking to God Almighty at the Oracle. He wanted to hear what the Almighty had to say about bringing law and order to the people. He also set about mining the iron near Bethlehem, for a group of workers there had finished their training in the art of improving the land. He also commanded the people of Bethlehem to begin training a band of warriors to become his first new unit of Jaguars.

The Black Knight paused and rested for a bit. He was not sure if the people were prepared to devote their time and energy to a new wonder in the city of Paradise but he thought that he should at least attempt to inspire the people to greatness. He asked the people to build a Great Pyramid for God. The people reluctantly began work on this noble task but alas their heart just wasn't in it. When the German people completed their own Great Pyramid to God, the people of Paradise abandoned the project and the materials were sold. The Black Knight was disappointed but he understood his people were anxious to improve the military and infrastructure of Paradise City.

The Black Knight then turned towards founding new settlements in the north. The citizens of Jerusalem were finally prepared to depart on their long journey by sea. They headed to Paradise where they would board the new galley and head north along the coast. They arrived at the mouth of a new river and founded the settlement of Vatican. The land was poor in resources but the lowlands along the river would produce an abundance of food. It was in close proximity to the Mongolians and might come under attack in the future so the Black Knight had felt it prudent to found the settlement atop a hill for defensive purposes.

The Levites of Jerusalem soon came to the Black Knight and presented him with the law that God Almighty had given them.

"It shall be called the Ten Commandments of God." uttered the Black Knight. "Let no man in the land dare break them." Word soon came to him that the soldiers of the Vatican had formed a new brotherhood there based on these new laws. They called it Confucianism and it soon became the ritual of the warrior class. In honor of their dedication, the Black Knight renamed their city Sun Tzu, the name of a great warrior he had met long ago during his travels.

By the time the Black Knight had ended his second reign as Regent, a great deal of work had been accomplished. A new religion was known in the land, the military had begun to improve, and the people had pressed their way into new lands. The Black Knight had done well. He was due for a long rest but before he left he saw fit to change the nature of the people's government. Up until this time the Regency had not been set forth as an official government to the people. The people had mostly viewed each brother as a separate but equal warlord in the land. They respected the brothers but had not viewed them as a whole before. The Black Knight saw fit to change this before his departure. The government of the people would now be known as The Holy Regency. This made the people happy and whenever they would see the Black Knight's troops stationed within the city, they would rejoice and remember their great military hero. The Black Knight had also heard my pleadings to the Brethren and took pity on the people. He outlawed the practice of slavery and forbade it to be used in the land ever again. I was grateful and thanked him immensely. Despite his hostile exterior, he truly did love his people.

The Reign of the Holy Knight Paladin During the Second Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

It was in the year 420BC that the Black Knight felt satisfied his progress would help to stay the bloodlust of the Mongolians. Our two countries had developed a mutual respect for one another and I even found myself beginning to soften towards this curious people. I remembered the words of the Christ when he had told His Disciples they should be ready to forgive their brother 77 times if he should trespass against them. I was not sure I could be that forgiving if the Mongolians were to betray us but I felt that perhaps it was time to forgive the sins of their past. I was beginning to think that they might be a worthy ally when the time came to purge the Great Evil to the north.

And so it was with a heavy heart that we all bid him farewell once again. We were surprised, however, when we learned that he would not be going out to visit distant lands this time. We wondered if we had disappointed him so badly that he did not yet trust us to be vigilant. We could not really blame him but then there had been so much to accomplish. Whatever his real reasons, he told us that he felt compelled to go and live among the people of Sun Tzu. He wanted to learn more of this new Warrior Code and he thought his new outpost was a fitting place for him to live out the remaining years of the Second Regency. He would observe his brothers and council them on the way of the sword.

Paladin, the Holy Knight, bid his brother farewell and took his place upon the Holy Seat of Power. He was soon approached by the holy men of Sun Tzu. They wondered where they should go and teach the people their Code. He was not sure what to make of this new religion. The Black Knight had welcomed it with open arms but Paladin was uneasy. He could not be sure it was a religion worth promoting amongst the People of God. So he commanded the holy men of Sun Tzu to wait in Bethlehem until he could consult the Brethren. He also commanded workers near there to continue building roads to the north. It would be vital to the defense of Sun Tzu if troops could be sent to reinforce their position at a moment's notice.

A barracks was completed in Paradise and Paladin immediately sent out a call amongst the people there to prepare for founding a new settlement. The young men and women were excited and began to pack their things at once. Paladin then remembered the Confucian holy men waiting in Bethlehem. He reconsidered his original desire to consult the Bethren. Surely if such a religion were forbidden, the Black Knight would have outlawed it during his reign. So he thought it to be wise if the Guard in Paradise became aware of this new faith. He felt it would inspire the men there and they might fight even harder for the people of Paradise. Perhaps this new faith would even spread to the other cities of the empire. I was not so sure since it was doubtful the people could accept such a religion unless it were to be brought to them by holy men. Paladin continued his holy reign by further extending the road network. The Jewish Monastery of Jerusalem was soon completed so Paladin saw fit to instruct the soldiers there to immediately begin recruitment and training for another brigade of Jaguar Warriors.

Some time later the Malinese warlord returned to Paradise. We were not at all surprised to see him. He entered the Palace in a huff.

"It can no longer be tolerated! My people DEMAND that you cease trading with the vile Mongolian people. They have become insolent towards us!"

Paladin showed great restraint in his dealing with this insolent warlord. "We have no interest in betraying our brothers in Mongolia. They have become a holy people unto the Lord. Please, go now before I require my guards." Mansa Musa left in a great fury. It was becoming increasingly clear that these Holy Ones were united in their stand with the Mongolian people. He was not sure if he would ever bother to set foot in Paradise again.

Meanwhile, the priests had completed their work in bringing the Hebrew alphabet to the people. It now seemed possible that our nation might trade knowledge with our neighbors. The people of Bethlehem had completed their work on the Bethlehem Barracks and Paladin felt it should be immediately put to good use. He sent out a call to the people of Bethlehem that they should raise up another brigade of boodthirsty Jaguars.

The Great Genghis Khan came to visit us one day in Paradise. He was upset that we were still trading with the Malinese.

"Why do your people still allow this despot to darken your door? Can you not see that his people have become devoted to the Evil One? We insist that you cease dealing with these people. They tell lies and cheat our people." Paladin considered the wise words of Genghis. He could not deny that the Mongolians had become close friends, possibly even more so than the Germans! This did seem like a very strange turn of events indeed. Paladin agreed to Genghis request. His people would immediately break their ties with the Malinese! Genghis expressed his gratitude and left Paladin in peace.

When the people of Paradise had completed their preparations for travel, Paladin sent them to wait in Sun Tzu. He realized that it would not be proper to settle them in the new land to the north without having first taken care of their spirtual needs. So he instructed a holy man of Jerusalem to make preparations for the trip. The holy man would accompany these brave men and women to their new land and insure that the Jewish faith would comfort them there in their struggle to tame the land. Enroute to Sun Tzu, the settlers spotted a barbarian galley off the coast. They feared for their safety and sent word to Paladin in Paradise. He immediately commanded the galley in Paradise to sail up the coast and dispatch this evil force. The sailors had been bored guarding the fishermen of Paradise. They eagerly jumped at the chance to engage in battle!

Disaster befell the soldiers in the north under Paladin's reign. A scouting party had been sent out long ago to check on the progress of the people to the north. They had left with the only equipment available to them at the time. Given their distance from home, it had been impossible to replace their aging equipment with the new implements of war discovered under the Black Knight's reign. This proved fatal when, in the dead of night, some barbarian archers descended upon them and cut them to pieces. Their families mourned the loss and the nation grieved for its heroes. Before their unit was detroyed, however, they sent word to Paladin that the barbarians had established a settlement along the coast called Ligurian, near the mouth of a jungle river. Paladin immediately made plans to take the city for his God! After all, it might prove to be an excellent staging area for any war that would surely come against the Evil Ones to the north.

Paladin continued to show favor to the military, increasing their numbers and making their patron, the Black Knight, very proud of his brother. Paladin sent them to his brother in Sun Tzu, hoping the Black Knight would inspire his men as they prepared to advance in the north. He also increased the defenses of Paradise, finding it to be prudent to fashion some of the men with spears, a weapon well known for its effectiveness against mounted troops.

The increase in knowledge continued under his leadership. The People of God had no equal in the known world. They were far advanced and only the Germans could challenge their intellectual supremacy. The holy men of Jerusalem had developed Mathmatics, a means of assisting the skilled workers and traders in their day to day business. Paladin then sought to see if a mathematical means could be found for keeping track of the days, months, and years. He set the scribes to develop what he called a calendar, one befitting the People of God.

At about this time, the sailors that he had sent forth from Paradise encountered the barbarian galley which menaced the coast near Sun Tzu. The sailors fought bravely and despite their inexperience in battle, they prevailed, sending the barbarian galley to the bottom of the sea with all hands still aboard. The men rejoiced but soon realized that their fleet had suffered enough damage to warrant repairs before returning to Paradise. They set about repairing the sails and patching the hulls at once. Meanwhile, the archers at Sun Tzu completed their training and the citizens of Sun Tzu set about building the first courthouse of the land. It would soon become a model for other cities to adopt.

When the sailors had finally completed their repairs, Paladin immediately commanded the Jaguars waiting in Sun Tzu to embark upon the galley and set sail for the barbarian settlement of Ligurian. The men, eager to do battle, were quick to comply with his orders. The settlers waiting in Sun Tzu were now sent forth with military escort to found the settlement of Fort Hope and he sent his remaining offensive units to wait there as well. Given their weak defenses, Paladin considered it prudent to instruct the people of Fort Hope to build walls and fortify themselves within the city. The holy man from Jerusalem finally arrived there and established the Jewish faith, inspiring the people to continue the hard work which lay ahead of them. The military of the nation continued to flourish. They were growing in numbers and learning from the experiences of others. Many were leaving their training with skills that only combat veterans could lay claim to in years past.

It came as quite a surprise to us when Mansa Musa sent an envoy to Paradise yet again. He was still insistent that we stop trading with our faithful brothers in Mongolia. Paladin was quick to refuse as he had grown tired of the warlord's constant demands. He considered the possibility that war might soon erupt to the north.

He later turned his attention to Paradise where a man by the name of Mahavira had been born and was now inspiring the people to greatness in the Lord. Paladin requested the Great Prophet come before him as he had work that needed to be done. Mahavira complied with Paladin's request and entered the Palace throne room. Paladin peered down upon the prophet and asked him if he was prepared to complete a mighty work for the Lord. Mahavira said he was prepared to do anything the Regency required of him, for he found them to be holy rulers, deserving of God's blessing. Paladin told the prophet to travel to Jerusalem and inspire the people to build a house of god there. The Oracle no longer seemed to befit the Almighty. Mahavira complied with Paladin's request and immediately set out for Jerusalem. Once there, he inspired the people to stop what they were doing and construct the house of God. The people saw the greatness of this prophet and set to work immediately. In no time they had completed this house of God and named it in honor of their governor, a wise man by the name of Solomon. And so it was that the Temple of Solomon was constructed within the space of just a few short years. The People of God rejoiced and their brothers from other lands came to pay homage to God at His new home,vastly increasing the wealth of Jerusalem during the annual pilgrimage.

Paladin's reign was nearly finished when the holy men finally returned to him with a calendar befitting the Almighty. They told Paladin that God believed the time had come for them to change the way they marked the years of the Kingdom. They would no longer mark the years with the prefix BC but would now honor His Son by attaching the prefix AD, meaning Anno Domini or "In the Year of our Lord". Paladin was pleased and sent out a decree to the whole nation that they should adopt the new practice at once.

Paladin surveyed what he had accomplished and was pleased. He was tired though and felt it was time to pass the torch to his brother, Sir Brian the Noble Knight. Paladin had been faithful to the Black Knight's military while still improving the nations infrastructure and dealing wisely with its neighbors. The people were sad to see him go and wished him well. They were optimistic about my return. I had been a champion against slavery and had kept the people's history faithfully. Still, they were unsure of how I would lead them now that the world was proving to be more dangerous. They hoped that war would be stayed until the Death Knight's return and would prefer to see the Black Knight lead the troops. The nation faced a deficit and the people of Jerusalem were having trouble keeping their children fed. They looked to me to champion these causes and right these wrongs. Only time would tell if I were succesful.

The Reign of Sir Brian the Noble Knight During the Second Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

In the year 100AD, I returned to the Holy Seat of Power. My brother Paladin had continued the Black Knight's work, seeking to push our borders out to new lands and train up our military for a strong defense. I was pleased with what I saw but still found some room for improvement.

I spoke to the priestly class at Paradise and asked if they might assist the citizens in the field. They were not particularly keen to pick up hammers in the field, preferring to assist the people from the comforts of Paradise. However, they obliged their regent and did as I asked. I could see this hard work would improve the speed at which the citizens could complete their granary. I felt a reordering was necessary in Jerusalem as well so I proceeded there and organized the citizens into a more efficient work force.

I commanded our jaguars near Ligurian to cross the river and setup camp in the forest north of the settlement. Along the way some foolish barbarian archers left the safety of their settlement and attacked our brave Jaguars. The Jaguars quickly defeated them and proceeded to the forest. They needed some time to recuperate. The barb archers had not been tough to beat but the Jaguars had still suffered minor casualties. Their spirits were high, however, as the Black Knights galley prepared to sail into Ligurian Bay with fresh troops. Meanwhile I had our workers complete a road to the copper mines near Beshbalik. The people in this area had recently chosen to join our empire during the reign of Paladin. They were not particularly pleased with Genghis Khan.

The military training camp at Bethlehem soon produced another brigade of Jaguars. I was beginning to distrust the German Chancellor and felt it would be prudent to deploy these brave men as sentries on the stone hill outside of Jerusalem. I didn't feel the Germans posed an imminent threat but I did think it wise to be cautious. I had recently spoken with the German Chancellor near the beginning of my reign. He seemed upset that his people were beginning to leave his lands and join our empire. He was also upset by the increasing immigration of our people into his territory. He felt threatened by this for he thought it might lead to revolution in his border cities some day. I tried to appease him but to be honest, I secretly hoped he was right.

In Jerusalem I discovered that a holy man of the Christian faith had not yet begun his work. I asked him to travel to Paradise and establish his faith there, having remembered what the Lord said to me in the Oracle all those years ago. I also felt it was wise to send an envoy to Mansa Musa and close our borders to their people. It was unfortunate things had come to this but Mansa had become more and more belligerent towards the Mongolians. In years past I might well have joined his cause but the Mongolians had become our brothers now. I did not wish to see Genghis upset with our people. I knew that if we continued our trade with the Malinese, Genghis would surely come to Paradise and demand answers soon. It seemed that the best course of action would be to close our borders to the Malinese before this in the hopes that neither party would find fault with us for taking sides.

The sailors and fishermen of Paradise had long complained of the dangerous rocks nearby, fearing they might run into them and lose their ships. This fear led them to abandon the nets early in the day so that they might return home before nightfall. I felt that we could increase the supply of food in Paradise if the fears of these men could be tamed and put aside. So I instructed the citizens to abandon the granary in favor of a lighthouse. They could complete their granary later, as there was no pressing need to do so at the moment.

I soon realized that a missionary would be needed if we were to establish our faith in Ligurian. I selected a holy man from jerusalem to begin preparing for his journey at once. The citizens of Jerusalem would need to put the building of Chichen Itza on hold until another suitable holy man could be found to direct their work in Jerusalem. I felt that given our current status in the known world, it did not seem likely that our neighbors could build such a wonder before us.

Our seaborne Jaguars were soon unloaded near Ligurian and joined the others in their forest encampment. I felt they should await there until a holy man could be sent from Jerusalem to spread the faith in Ligurian upon its capture. It also seemed prudent to send further reinforcements to assist in its capture and hold it when it had been taken. Near Bethlehem I noticed a unit of warriors were still using outdated equipment so I ordered the treasury to release the funds necessary to upgrade their equipment. I then left them as sentries in their current post. I was concerned that if trouble arose with the Mongolians or Germans, these men might need their new spears to defend against the enemies mounted warriors.

I set about commanding the workers near Jerusalem to move the citizens in the lowlands near there to higher ground. I felt the lowlands would be better suited for planting crops. While I was there, messengers came into Jerusalem and told the holy men that Judaism had spread in New Sarai. This was a Mongolian settlement along the western coast, just north of Fort Hope. They must have been influenced by the brothers in Fort Hope for the culture there had spread to the outlying areas and increased the borders of Fort Hope. A worker brigade there worked towards completing the road from Fort Hope to Sun Tzu. It would be needed if hostilities erupted to the north.

I continued my reign as the Regent to the People by overseeing the completion of walls in Fort Hope and Bethlehem. The troops would now be better prepared to defend these border cities from invasion. I felt that it would be good to have the people of Fort Hope build a monastery there and prepare to send holy men into the cities of the north. There were some that had not yet heard the Word of our Lord. I still held out hope that Mansa Musa might be converted to our ways.

It seemed prudent to continue the work of the Black Knight in Bethlehem. The military training there was becoming well known in the land. Unfortunately, I did not feel we could afford to continue our military expansion for much longer. The cost of supporting the soldiers was beginning to take its toll on the treasury. I ordered up a new brigade of axemen and one of spearmen in Bethlehem before having the citizens there construct a courthouse. It seemed wise for the people there to have a place for enforcing the Code given to them by God under the Black Knight's reign. Such a place of administration would surely help to increase the efficiency of the government and curtail its deficit.

I soon noticed that the Mongolian people were increasing in our faith. Some of their northern cities were accepting the faith of our people just through the word of our traders there. This pleased me greatly for I had feared the northern Mongolians might be influenced by the Evil One. I was also pleased to hear that more and more of our scholars in Paradise were beginning to write their knowledge down in books. Some were even beguiling the people with fictional tales of love and adventure. I thought it was fitting for the people there to build a Great Library. They had already completed a lighthouse and granary. The lighthouse was greatly appreciated by the fishermen and the farmers were happy to have a place for storing their grain. The population in Paradise would be growing quickly now.

Our workers near Paradise City continued to improve the surrounding land. A third hunting camp was completed to the far south of the city. It seemed possible that our neighbors might be interested in purchasing the extra fur, so roads were constructed for transporting the fur from the camps. A forest in the northwest corner of the city was cut down to make room for farms in the area. The wood was brought into the city to assist in building the Great Library of Paradise. More wood was obtained from the tundra to the south of Paradise, just outside of the city.

Our workers were also busy in the city of Jerusalem. Several years ago, the workers had built homes for the people in the southern lowlands of Jerusalem. The city had grown since then however and the lowlands needed to be converted to farms. The people were somewhat upset about moving from their homes in the country and returning to the city. I promised them that our workers would soon be building better homes on higher ground to the northeast of the city. They grudgingly accepted this and packed up their things. Later, I instructed the workers to chop down the forests atop the southern hills of Jerusalem. They brought the wood into the city and used it there in the contruction of Chichen Itza. They then proceeded to construct a mine on this hill in an effort to increase production within the outskirts of Jerusalem.

I soon turned my thoughts to learning new methods of warfare. It seemed likely that our people would be at war soon. Our relations with the Mongolians had improved but the Malinese were becoming more and more insistent that we stop trading with the Mongolians. We suspected that war would soon break out between the Mongolians and the Malinese. It was likely that our people would be called upon to come to the aid of our Mongolian brothers. I tasked our craftsmen and skilled laborers with increasing our knowledge in the art of construction. They soon discovered a means of hurling objects at a city to reduce its defenses and cause serious casualties to its defenders. I was sure the Black Knight would be pleased! They also learned how to build bridges which would span the many rivers of the empire, thus allowing the people to travel much more quickly. I felt the craftsmen should continue their work so I asked them to refine the art of metal working. Our swords and axes needed improvement.

Towards the end of my reign my thoughts turned towards the Deutschland. The Germans perplexed us. They were beginning to befriend the Arabs and were even trading horses to them! We believed this constituted an egregious act of betrayal by the German Chancellor towards our people. Horses were considered a strategic resource that the Evil Ones should be denied at all cost! We were unsure, however, as to what action we should take against the Germans. They had been our brothers for many years now. It seemed fitting that the Brethren should convene a council as soon as possible and discuss the matter. Perhaps things could be settled diplomatically.

I had also taken it upon myself to increase our trading with the Mongolians. I offered them fur at a much discounted rate in the hopes of increasing our friendship. I also had our scholars teach their people our ancient discovery of Polytheism for a nominal fee. The Mongolians were not nearly as advanced as our people. I knew that we would need to help them become better prepared for war against the Malinese. I feared, though, that they might someday use this knowledge against us. I forbade the scholars from teaching the Mongolians anything that might place them on par with our military. I wanted them to be capable of fighting by our side but incapable of overtaking our people. The Malinese saw what our scholars were doing in Karakorum and felt compelled to ask us to teach them about currency. We refused their request. We knew that our Mongolian brothers would be upset by this trade. We also had no desire to assist the advancement of the Malinese.

Late in my reign I was pleased to see that the City Guard of Ligurian had completed their training. They took up positions within the city and began to train a second brigade for the city's defense. I knew that we would need to hold this city as a stepping stone into the Evil One's empire.

By the year 540AD I had become weary as Regent to the People. I longed to return to my books and looked forward to spending time in the Great Library upon its completion. So I called for my brother the Death Knight and asked him to take my place in the Regency. Our dear brother Richard was unable to take the post as he was away on business. We longed for his return but knew the empire would prosper under the capable hands of the Death Knight.

A New Purpose Under God as written by Sir Brian the Noble

It was the Death Knight that returned to power in the year 540AD. Our beloved King Richard was away on business so the Death Knight stepped forward to serve the people in his stead. The people had prospered under the Death Knight's rule during the First Regency. They had seen him to be a wise ruler, holding his tongue and staying his sword until the time for battle was right. He had been adamant about spreading the word of our people to the Mongolians, an act which I opposed at first but in time I saw his wisdom and was ashamed of my attitude. Our faith had prospered in the land of the Mongolians. They had become our dear brothers and our two nations were getting closer each day.

I was glad I had decided to stay in Paradise again. The Great Library would soon be completed and I longed to be close to my brother again. He had taught me a great deal about the Lord in his own way. I was anxious to see how he would approach the new problems our empire faced. The Malinese were becoming increasingly hostile towards the Mongolians and the Germans had begun to trade with our enemy. It seemed fitting that the Death Knight would have the opportunity to exercise his skills at diplomacy once again.

During my last night as Regent, my brother and I sat down to dinner together. It was a warm night so we had arranged for the servants to bring us our dinner on the balcony. The stars were bright and we felt close to our God.

"Haven't you ever wondered who my father was?" I was surprised by his question. It was no secret to the brothers that each had a different father but the same mother. It was this that had made the brothers so different and yet so much alike. I turned to him and said, "I have sometimes wondered but didn't feel it was appropriate to ask. It really doesn't matter. You are my brother, no matter what."

"My father was Satan." I was shocked. How could this be? While I knew that he had a sordid past, I could not believe that this was true. A Son of Satan ruling over the People of God? This could not be possible, could it? He continued when he saw that I was struggling with this concept.

"This is why I felt compelled to give the Mongolian people a chance. I knew that my brothers longed to war with them but I also knew that it was because you did not know them. You see, people often accosted me the same way when I was growing up. They called me evil because of my father. But God had pity on me. He showed me that it did not matter who my father was. I could still be just as holy as those people. In fact, He felt my passion was more sincere and my devotion more true. I have felt compelled to go wherever he commands me now. While I cannot change who I am, I can change how I treat others. Still, I feel that it will soon be necessary to use the skills my father taught me. Skills that I do not chose to use against anyone until it becomes absolutely necessary. The Malinese will need to be punished. I fear the Germans will soon require my wrath as well. The Germans are not a people devoted unto the Lord as we are brother. They have proven to be unfaithful by trading their horses to the enemy, while the Mongolians, the object of your disgust, have proven to be a devoted and holy people. Never judge the outside of a person brother. Learn that lesson well." With that he departed from me for it was getting late and he had much work to do.

I felt ashamed. I could not deny his words for he was indeed a quiet but wise man. I had allowed my superiority to cloud my judgement. This was not befitting someone who calls himself a noble man of God. My brothers words had humbled me. I would not soon forget this lesson.

The Reign of the Death Knight During the Second Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

The words of my brother still echoed in my ears when the new day dawned. Our brother seemed to attack his duties as Regent with a new purpose. The restraint I had seen from him during the First Regency was now gone. He had watched how the Malinese were treating our Mongolian brothers. He felt empathy for Genghis Khan and his people. For the moment though, he would attend to the empire's more mundane tasks. The Death Knight saw fit to have the workers in Paradise build homes for the people on the coastal plains near the city. He also saw a need for more food production and instructed the workers to build farms in the valley nearby. He saw that more roads were needed to assist the military in its travels. A second brigade of archers completed their training in Ligurian. The Death Knight saw fit to improve the infrastructure there so he commanded the citizens to form a worker brigade and head out into the surrounding countryside. When the people had finished assembling, he instructed those who remained in the city to begin building a temple to the Jewish faith. In Jerusalem, he saw to it that the Christian minority had a place to go and worship. He also built a temple there for the Jewish faith.

The Death Knight did not have to wait long before the heathen Malinese approached him. Mansa Musa seemed wary, having heard rumors about this brother. He demanded that our scholars pay tribute to his empire by teaching his people our alphabet! We were outraged! How dare this heathen warlord come to us and make such demands! The Death Knight flew into a rage like I had never seen before. He cursed the Malinese and arose from his throne to behead the envoy. I raised my hand to stop him for I did not believe it was befitting for our people to do such an evil thing. This man was simply following the orders of his master. It was Mansa's head that should be taken off! My brother thanked me for having the courage to restrain him from such an evil act. His father's blood coursed deep within his veins and his anger had brought forth the worst in him. He felt it was good to have his noble brother by his side, quick to restrain him from evil.

The German Chancellor soon approached us and wanted to know if we could teach his people mathematics. We were unsure of just how "helpful" we wanted to be with the Germans, given their proclivity to ignore our law and trade horses to the infidels to the north. The Death Knight felt that we would soon be at war with the Malinese people so it would not be fitting for us to give the Deutschlanders a reason to betray us further. I felt this was wise but cautioned him against teaching the German people anything that might be used against us. I had an uneasy feeling towards the German Chancellor. His relationship with the infidels seemed to be strengthening and I feared he would one day betray us.

We were surprised when the Evil One sent his envoy to darken our doorstep. We had never had anything to do with his people nor had he with us. He seemed to be interested in acquiring some of our furs. In exchange, he offered us his silver. The Death Knight sent the envoy away. We had no interest in doing business with the Evil One. Shortly thereafter we saw the providence of our Lord when the people of Jerusalem discovered a silver mine there! He had rewarded us greatly for our faithfulness to him against the infidels!

Mansa Musa soon returned with yet another demand. He wanted us to open our borders to his people. Such a thought was intolerable to the Death Knight and he flatly refused. Even my own patience was growing thin with this despicable man. To think I had once referred to him as the "honorable" Mansa Musa. I was nearly ready to allow my brother to send the man's head back to Mansa on a silver platter after all! The insolence of these people! I could nearly stand it no longer! We were pleased when Genghis visited us some years later. He was interested in trading some of his recently acquired gems for our extra gold. The Death Knight gladly accepted and this pleased Genghis. He and the Death knight were becoming close friends.

The progress of our knowledge in the empire was still rapidly growing. The craftsmen had refined their skills in casting metals. The Death Knight saw fit to turn his attention towards the arts, hoping to inspire the people further and take their minds off the hard work they were doing in the empire. Some years later the people began to write great ballads about our history and wonderful hymns to our God. One such man by the name of Homer was born in Paradise City. The people adored Homer so much that the Death Knight asked him to come and visit him in the Palace. Homer complied and asked his Regent what service he could provide to the empire. The Death Knight told him that he should teach the creative people of the empire to build buildings dedicated to the arts. The Death Knight envisioned a place where the people could go to relax and watch others act out great stories of love and combat. Homer felt this was a wise decision by his Regent so he immediately complied with His Majesty's request.

I was greatly pleased when I heard the news that Chichen Itza had finally been completed in Jerusalem. It was a great monument to the military of our nation, inspired by the Confucian holy men. The Black Knight had requested it be built in the hopes of inspiring all of the soldiers of the empire to fight especially hard to defend our cities against attack by the infidels. I had also heard news that Bethlehem completed its courthouse. Knowing that the garrison in Bethlehem was particularly adept at training the military, the Death Knight instructed them to begin work on the new weapon of war invented during my reign. These catapults would be vital if we were to raid the Malinese cities and defend our homeland.

The day I had long been waiting for arrived. The Great Library had been completed in Paradise! I immediately went there to visit and was brought to tears when I saw how many books our people had written. The literacy of the outlying areas still needed improvement but even the worker class in Paradise was becoming well educated. Some of the people were experimenting with the things they found in nature, trying desperately to understand more about the world around them. I was not entirely sure this was the way we should go. I was concerned that the people might begin to abandon God and turn towards a more secular way of life.

We were not at all surprised when our Mongolian brothers declared war on the Malinese Empire. We knew that trouble had been brewing between them for quite some time. The Malinese had recently established settlements near the Mongolian border and began to encroach on Mongolian territory. It had even been rumored that occasional border skirmishes were breaking out amongst the population. Genghis Khan's patience had finally worn thin. The Malinese people would have to pay for their trespasses against the Mongolians. He sent his best young men across the Malinese borders and set out to spill the blood of Mansa's people. The Death knight felt it was prudent to begin moving our troops towards the Malinese border, particularly the city of Djenne. He felt certain that his friend would soon request his aid. The Malinese had already come to us with the most audacious request yet! They wanted us to declare war on our brothers! This of course was totally preposterous. Towards the end of the Death Knight's reign, Genghis Khan came to us and requested that we join his noble cause. Preparations for war had already been well under way so we gladly accepted. It was time the Malinese ruler paid for his insolence!

The Reign of the Black Knight During the Third Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

The Black Knight ascended to his Third Regency with high spirits. He would finally have the opportunity to satisfy his insatiable bloodlust! The Malinese had enraged his brother the Death Knight. The Death Knight had sided with our Mongolian brothers in the faith and prepared to march his troops into Mali. The time had now come for the Black Knight to finish the fight and bring honor to our people. He first took a look around and found areas where the nation's efficiency could be improved. Our people would need to work hard and support our armies in their conquest. We would also need to be diligent in protecting our southern border for we feared that the Germans might take this opportunity to betray us. The Black Knight surveyed the situation and put out a call to all of our cities to raise up armies for protection of our people and conquest of our evil neighbor. He also knew that we would require funds in order to press the fight and maintain our scholarly endeavors. So he sent word to the civilian workforce to build plantations amongst the wild incense in the deserts near Bethlehem. We would use the income from these plantations to offset our deficit and perhaps trade for other goods with our Mongolian brothers.

The Black Knight then turned his attention to warfare. The Brethren had decided that the Malinese city of Djenne should be the target of our armies. There were horses in the plains near there and while we had not yet learned to ride these beasts into battle, the Black Knight knew that we soon would. It would be important for our people to secure access to a source of these beasts as soon as possible. He advanced the troops that the Death Knight had prepared for him. They would move north towards Djenne and engage the Malinese in the forests surrounding the city.

While his troops advanced on Djenne, the Black Knight approached the German Chancellor and requested his assistance in our cause against the Malinese. The Black Knight was a wise ruler. He knew that he did not require the help of the German people in order to defeat the Malinese in Djenne. He was more concerned about securing our southern borders against the possibility the Germans might be convinced to enter the war on the side of the Malinese. By sealing a pact with the Germans, we hoped to avoid an unexpected invasion from the south. The Germans were reluctant to get involved but felt they could be persuaded if we were to part with some of the immense knowledge our scholars had acquired. Bismarck wanted to learn our Code and he wanted assistance in providing his people with theatres much like our own. The Black Knight agreed to his requirements, thus receiving the support of the German people in our righteous cause.

In the forests near Djenne, the Malinese attacked our army with swordsmen and mounted warriors. An entire brigade of our axemen were lost in the ensuing battle but the spearmen and a second brigade of axemen dispatched the Malinese mounted warriors and swordsmen. The strength of their numbers though had been reduced so the Black Knight instructed his warriors to make camp within the Malinese forests and await reinforcment from the south. They were soon set upon by Malinese horsemen during the night. All were lost as they had not yet been able to completely recover from their earlier battles. The Black Knight was distressed but he was not discouraged. He would avenge these brave men and insure that our warriors were ultimately victorious! Near Ligurian, a lone detachment of Malinese horsemen approached the city. The Black Knight sent his warriors from the city to protect the copper mines near there. The horsemen attempted to raid the city but our brave garrison in Ligurian quickly dispatched them.

The Black Knight was disappointed to see that our brothers had left us alone on the field of battle. Genghis had made peace with the Malinese. The Black Knight would need to convince him to return to battle but for the moment Genghis was not interested. His countrymen had suffered too many losses and needed time to recuperate. The Black Knight turned his attention to Bismarck in an attempt to further strengthen relations between our people. We would trade our extra furs to the German people at the same discount rate we charged the Mongolians.

The battle in the forests of Djenne continued. The Malinese had learned to use catapults as well. They pummeled our forces but our men counterattacked and destroyed the enemy. The Malinese were intent on dislodging our troops from the forests surrounding their city but they had not yet been successful. Reinforcements soon arrived just as the troops there recovered from their losses. The Black Knight was ready to advance on Djenne! He ordered his troops to the hill overlooking the city. The men would temporarily fortify themselves there while the catapults beseiged the city and reduced its defenses.

Genghis Khan approached the Black Knight and offered to teach our people the art of horseback riding if we could teach his people about our Code. The Black Knight gladly accepted for he would soon secure a source of horses for his people or die trying! Mansa sent an envoy to beseech the Black Knight to consider a peace treaty. The Black Knight refused. He was intent on capturing the city of Djenne for the glory of his people! Mansa was furious and immediately went to the Evil One. Saladin heard the pleas of Mansa and entered into the war against us. Our people would finally be doing battle with the Evil One!

The Black Knight was soon ready to enter the city of Djenne. His catapults attacked the defenders and were lost but their bombardment had seriously weakened the forces there. His mighty Jaguars pressed the attack and successfully destroyed the horsemen within the city. His spearmen soon followed and destroyed the Malinese skirmishers while his axemen laid waste to the swordsmen. Djenne had fallen!

The Black Knight knew that his men were tired and could not continue the fight. They would need to prepare themselves in the city because Saladin would soon be coming to the aid of his friend Mansa. The Black Knight felt it was prudent to put an end to the hostility towards Mali. He sent an envoy to Mansa and demanded he pay tribute in order to secure peace for his people. Mansa begrudgingly accepted. Our troops in Djenne would now have only the forces of Saladin arrayed against them. When they quickly destroyed a detachment of Arabian horsemen that tried to overrun the city, the Black Knight hoped that Saladin would soon see the futility in fighting his neighbor's war.

The Return of Paladin as told by the Holy Knight himself and written here by Sir Brian the Noble

Paladin, the Holy Knight, prepares to return to Paradise City. He had left shortly after his time as regent. He had sought the companionship of a beautiful maiden. And a beautiful maiden he had found. It was the same angel he had spent time with before. He had sought refuge here. Refuge from empire duties. Refuge from diplomatic duties. He knew he was less diplomatic than his brothers. For the Holy Knight it was black or white. No in between. You chose your side and that was it. No straddling the fence. No playing both sides. He could be kind, and he served God with all his heart. But he was stuck in the old ways. He still believed God had granted the promise land to his people and intended his people to have it, by any means necessary. He still believed they were supposed to remove all traces of the heathens. Since the appearance of God’s son and this new faith, Christianity, Paladin had struggled. He struggled with the concept of ‘turn the other cheek’, and forgive. He sought this refuge in an effort to gain a handle on this new concept. Now he was ready. Would his brothers have him back?

These were the thoughts of Paladin, the Holy Knight, as he prepared to return to Paradise City.

And what of the war? With his new understanding of forgiveness, he felt a way for peace had to be made. It may take some work, but it had to be. He had to make the effort. He also felt it necessary to put much more focus on spreading the faith. It would be hard, but he knew God would see them through. He had done so in the past and would so again.

So he would return to his brothers. He would try to broker peace. He would try to build more schools for training people to spread the faith. He would give his all to the people in sacrifice for the Lord.

With a difficult goodbye he left the refuge of passion found in the small farm. With his head held high in the knowledge of what the Lord had done, was doing, and would do, he set out for Paradise City. He felt renewed. Reborn.

The Reign of the Holy Knight Paladin During the Third Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

The Holy Knight Paladin ascended to the throne as his brother the Black Knight grew weary from fighting the infidels to the north. The Black Knight had done well for his countrymen in taking the city of Djenne. It was hoped that the people there would soon accept their fate and become part of our empire. We now knew how to send mounted warriors into battle but we currently lacked a supply of horses. The horses near Djenne were vital to our success in battle and crucial for reacting to threats within our far flung territory.

I felt drawn to be near my dear brother Paladin during his third regency. I had returned to Jerusalem while the Black Knight fought the infidels in the north. I had feared for my brother's safety and would have liked to have accompanied him but he had felt it was best if I remain in Jerusalem. He would send word to me occassionally of the epic battles he and his men had engaged in with the infidels. I was often amazed and greatly admired his military prowess. I felt it was now time I return to Paradise and get to know my brother Paladin. I had learned a lot from the Death Knight and felt it would be good to spend time with my other brothers as well.

When I first arrived at the Palace in Paradise, I noticed my dear brother seemed a bit distracted. I asked him what it was that occupied his mind. After some coaxing, he reluctantly began to tell me of the beautiful young maiden that he had been spending time with in the country. The duties of the empire had left him drained and in need of companionship. She had first caught his eye at the end of his First Regency. She had been a welcome distraction from the stress of running an empire. That was really all she had been then. He had returned to his Second Regency greatly invigorated and ready to accomplish the Lord's work. This time, however, things were different. He had returned to her in the country for another period of relaxation but had discovered something else before returning to lead us once again. He was beginning to fall in love. She had begged him to stay with her and leave the empire to his brothers. Paladin was tempted but knew his sense of honor demanded that he return to Paradise. Still, he could not get the memory of her to leave him. Nevertheless, he had a job to do and do it he would.

His first act was to send our holy men to Karakorum and teach the people there our faith. He then heard reports that a band of infidel warriors had appeared near Paradise. It had no doubt been the same band which had been scouting the area in years past. It was unfortunate that they had probably managed to report their findings to the Evil One for so long. He sent a brigade of Jaguars from Paradise and they quickly cut the infidels to pieces. The Evil One would no longer be gathering intelligence on the heart of our empire.

The holy men of Sun Tzu soon sent word that a new faith had been born there. It was called Islam. Perhaps we would one day build a monument to this new faith in Jerusalem. I felt that I should go to Sun Tzu one day and learn more about this new faith as well as the Confucian faith that had been founded there so many years ago. I might even get the opportunity to spend time with my brother the Black Knight while I was there. My thoughts returned to the present when I heard that an envoy from Mansa Musa had come to the Palace. Mansa Musa was demanding we teach his people about casting metals! Was he insane? The man must surely have gone mad! He was certainly in no position to make such demands. Paladin instructed the envoy to leave immediately before he ordered the guards to take his head off.

Paladin turned his attention to the north. He had felt it would be fitting to rename the city of Djenne to Redemption. It was from this city that he planned to bring redemption to the heathens of the north. He sent out a call for all available soldiers to assemble there. He soon taught the infidels a lesson when some Arabian axemen strayed into the territory surrounding Redemption. Our own brigade of axemen attacked and destroyed the infidels. A detachment of Jaguars and spearmen advanced into Arabia and set about pillaging the countryside. A counterattack by some Arabian swordsmen cut our victorious axemen to pieces near Redemption. The losses they had suffered while attacking the Arabian axemen had left them weakened and unable to mount a sufficient defense. The Jaguars would soon have revenge however. They attacked the swordsmen from within Redemption and destroyed them on the field of battle. A brigade of axemen had spotted a second group of swordsmen approach the city. They too attacked from within Redemption and destroyed these infidels as well. The Jaguars and axemen returned to Redemption to recover from their battles.

Genghis Khan came to Paradise City and requested our assistance in defeating the heathen Malinese. Paladin asked if Genghis would be willing to assist us in our crusade against the evil Arabians. Genghis accepted and so our pact was sealed. Paladin was soon disappointed when Genghis made peace with the Malinese some time later, leaving us alone on the battlefield once again. He would press on, however, as our troops continued to move into Redemption.

Word soon reached us in Paradise that the Malinese had accepted our faith as their own! This surprised us and we wondered if Genghis had been the one to convince them of their need for change. We were not sure but at the moment we were still at war with the Malinese and our own self preservation dictated that we continue hostilities until the Malinese could be convinced to see the futility of continuing this war. In the meantime, our spearmen had attacked and defeated some Arabian horse archers. Paladin sent an envoy to the Evil One asking if he was prepared to pay tribute to us in exchange for peace. Saladin grudgingly accepted for he knew he had been bested.

Paladin now turned his attention towards the Malinese. He sent his Jaguars and axemen from Redemption to assist the Jaguars and spearmen near Baghdad. Reports had come in that the Malinese were attempting to surround our men in the area. When the Malinese saw that our men there were being reinforced, they withdrew and did not attack. Paladin used this opportunity to press towards the Malinese city of Kumbi Saleh. An additional army of axemen, spearmen, and catapults left Fort Hope and headed towards Kumbi Saleh. During this time we heard the news that the Chancellor of Germany had made peace with the Malinese. It was good that our brothers were no longer fighting but there was really no doubt that the Malinese had deserved a good thrashing. Perhaps this war would teach them a lesson in humility.

The Holy Knight continued to press on towards Kumbi Saleh. He had been disturbed to see a small detachment of Malinese forces take up position in the hills northeast of Redemption. He cursed the fact that they were just inside Arabian territory and could not be dislodged without restarting hostilities with Arabia. He would have to be satisfied with defending Redemption from this threat. He pressed his forces to just outside of Kumbi Saleh and then contacted the Malinese leader to see if he was prepared to be reasonable. Mansa begrudgingly accepted Paladin's terms. He would pay a lump sum of tribute plus an annual tribute for the next several years. He too had been bested by the Holy Knight.

With peace now descending upon the empire, Paladin turned his attention to the more mundane business at hand. He instructed the citizens of Redemption to begin building walls around the city to improve their defenses there. They had temporarily stopped work on this project in order to pursue a more refined lifestyle. He had allowed the Hindu's there to do this for a while in the hopes that some of the surrounding countryside could be brought into the empire. He now felt that it was time for them to get back to work and finish the walls for the safety of the city. He also continued to reinforce the city with whatever units he could find available.

Paladin was also keen to remember our Lord. He continued to spread the faith wherever he could. He sent holy men to spread our faith in Sun Tzu but they failed to convince the people to convert. They had grown accustomed to the ways of Confucianism and this new faith they called Islam. I was quite disappointed when I heard this for it seemed very inappropriate for one of our cities to refuse the faith of the empire! However, I felt that with repeated effort over time we could convince the citizens there of the necessity for them to join the rest of our people in accepting the faith of old.

Toward the end of Paladin's Second Regency, Genghis Khan proposed a trade between our people and his of Mongolian spices for our excess stone. Paladin obliged our friend and he was pleased. It was also during this time that the archers of the empire announced that they had been developing a new bow just as Paladin had been requesting. They called it a longbow and felt it would greatly enhance the ability of our city defenders to annihilate the enemy before he could press into our cities. Paladin thanked the men for their discovery and set the men at Sun Tzu upon a new task of considering the world around them and debating man's place in the universe.

My brother and I both found it amusing when one day an envoy from Saladin appeared at the Palace and said that his master had sent him to respectfully request we see the error of our ways and adopt his faith of Hinduism! This notion of the Evil One was completely and totally preposterous. We were not at all sure what could have drove this crazy man to make such a request but we had a good laugh nonetheless.

The Reign of Sir Brian the Noble Knight During the Third Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

At the beginning of my third regency, I found our empire to be in an uneasy peace. I was not sure how long this would last but I would enjoy it for the moment. I first turned my attention towards Paradise City. The Brethren had discussed the name of our fair capital city and most felt a change was in order. So, after hearing their many suggestions, I settled upon the name Eden. The Almighty had told us of this place where mankind had first been born in the world. He had described it as a wonderful place much like our capital so I felt the name Eden would be a fitting reminder of God's glorious creation.

Some years later I was not surprised when Genghis Khan requested our assistance against the Arabians. I was reluctant to initiate open hotilities again but I knew that we could not betray our brothers and deny their request for help. So I did as Genghis requested and declared war on the Evil One. I saw it as an opportunity to raid his wineries and perhaps end his access to Bismarck's horses. I was not sure that our forces in Redemption were sufficient to raid and destroy his cities but if the opportunity arose, I would not hesitate to act. I gathered an army from Redemption and proceeded to advance into Arabia.

I had been keeping a watch on our growing deficit during each of my brothers' reign as regent. I could see that our distant cities and growing military were straining the empire's finances. The amount of funding for our scholars and priests was dwindling. Money was tight in the empire and the citizens were not creating and inventing things like they had before during the First and Second Regencies. I knew that I could not do much about the deficit but I felt that I might be able to increase funding for advancement by teaching our brothers in Mongolia some of our current knowledge in exchange for a substantial payment from their treasury. Genghis agreed to pay us well for showing his people their creative side. Our scholars introduced them to our Great Library and taught the Mongolian scholars how to write wonderful tales of adventure and love. They were pleased and thanked us for sharing our knowledge with them.

Our exchange was not so fair when Bismarck came to visit. He asked if we might teach his people the art of music. He made no mention of sharing his growing knowledge with us and since the Brethren had agreed to assist our brotherly neighbors with whatever they desired, I felt as though I could not in good conscience deny him his request. So our artists went to Germany and taught some of the more creative people there how to write ballads and play instruments. The Germans were pleased and enjoyed this new art form immensely. So much so that a few years later they constructed a great cathedral in Berlin which they called Notre Dame. The Brethren and I had often considered building such a wonder in Eden but now it seemed pointless. The Germans had already attracted the known world's attention with their monument to the arts. I was dismayed but looked forward to the day when our own monument to the new faith of Islam would be completed in Jerusalem. The workforce there was taking an excruciatingly long time to complete it and I feared that someone else might complete such a great work before we could, making us look foolish in the eyes of the world for having taken so long in its construction. I sighed and resigned myself to being patient.

Having assisted the Germans in learning the art of music, I thought they might be willing to assist us in learning their superior navigation skills. Bismarck flatly refused and even began to chuckle. I was not amused. Our people had willingly assisted him and here he had the audacity to not only refuse my request for assistance but to laugh in my face? I dared not upset my brothers by laying my sword to his neck but it required every effort I could muster to avoid such a sin. Bismarck was becoming a man that I disliked a great deal while Genghis seemed so much more pleasant. I was surprised to find myself thinking that, given my initial impressions of these two leaders. The words of my brother from the distant past echoed in my ears. "Never judge the outside of a person brother. Learn that lesson well." I shuddered at the irony.

Some time later I heard news that some wise men in the Mongolian city of Old Sarai had established a new faith. The scholars there had debated often in the public square. They referred to their attempt at understanding the mind of men and God as philosophy. From this they had developed the new faith known as Taoism. I was unsure of what to make of this new faith as I had always been skeptical of anything new. It did not seem to violate the basic understanding of God that we had, however, so I was not prone to find fault with those who would practice this new religion. I sincerely hoped, though, that the Mongolian people would see fit to remain as our brothers and not forsake the teachings of old in order to pursue this new faith. We had worked hard to establish a solid relationship between our people and I hated the possibility that it might crumble. In an effort to understand these scholars of Old Sarai, I negotiated with Genghis that we would send some of our actors, playwriters, and musicians to Mongolia and teach his people drama and music if he would send some of his scholars from Old Sarai to Eden to teach our scholars about philosophy. He agreed and was pleased that we could come to such a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Soon after our scholars had learned the idea of philosophy from the Mongolians, Bismarck asked if we might teach his scholars this new idea in exchange for his scouts and explorers teaching our people their superior navigation skills. He even offered a nice lump sum from his treasury to sweeten the deal. I was not entirely sure that this deal was in our people's best interest given the German people's recent rapid rate of advancement in knowledge. Much of this advancement had been due to our willingness to teach them our vast knowledge in exchange for helping us in fighting the Malinese. We had also helped them in other ways throughout the years. I was beginning to fear that they would soon surpass us and feel so superior that they might attack us and take our holy city of Jerusalem for themselves! Still, it did not seem fitting for me to deny a brother in the faith without first consulting with the Brethren. I would comply with Bismarck's request this time but things might be different in the future. The Brethren should convene a council and discuss the matter as soon as possible.

In 1185 AD, word came to me from the north that the Malinese had declared war on the Mongolians! I knew that Genghis would soon be requesting our help but the Brethren had already decided that it would not be fitting for us to take sides with one nation of brothers against another nation of brothers. Our people were already beginning to trade with the Malinese again and we hoped that given time this would repair the rift between our nations. It was not long before my prediction came to pass. Genghis was not pleased when I told him that we would be remaining neutral this time around. We could not in good conscience attack a fellow brother nation without provocation. While we sympathized with the plight of his people and could not condone the aggressiveness of Mansa Musa, we believed these border disputes were now between him and Mansa.

Our soldiers in the north had been progressing quite well against the Evil One. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Arabs had been weakened by the constant warfare. Mongolian horsemen had raided and pillaged the Arabian countryside repeatedly. Our own forces had joined in the fight by searching for and destroying Saladin's wineries. We hoped to end his trading with Bismarck. We were looking to convince Bismarck to trade his extra horses to us instead. The Black Knight longed to have mounted warriors for fighting the enemy. Eventually our raiders were able to destroy Saladin's last winery and cut off his supply of horses from Bismarck. I proceeded to propose a deal to Bismarck. We would trade our extra incense and furs in exchange for his extra horses. He laughed and told me I would have to do better than that. He wanted our extra stone as well in order to build the great monuments he had planned. I didn't feel it would be prudent to trade away our extra stone. We would need them in the future for the other great monuments we had planned. So I declined his offer and left him in peace. I was not happy about his arrogance and unfair trading practices. I quite frankly longed for the day when he would be humbled.

When our soldiers in the north approached the outskirts of Mecca, Saladin was convinced that he should request an end to this war which had destroyed his country and laid waste to everything as far as the eye could see. I would have liked to have sent his envoy's head back to him on a silver platter but instead I demanded that he empty his treasury and pay us tribute for the next several years. I couldn't help but wonder what he thought of his false gods now. The Almighty had ridden into battle with us and given us victory. I had considered sending our men into the streets of Mecca to cut down everyone they saw but decided against the idea. Our men were tired and ready to return to their families. I was also unsure of how successful they would be given their lack of sufficient force and the need to lay siege for a number of years. So the war against the Evil One came to an end for the moment. I expected that we would no doubt return some day to purge the land of this great evil. For now it seemed sufficient to leave his land bare and his people mourning their great losses.

With our people now at peace, I turned my thoughts to Jerusalem once more. Another prophet had come to us there, calling himself St. Augustine. He was well respected by the Christian community in Jerusalem. I asked him what he thought of building a testament to his faith in the city and he was quite excited to have the opportunity. I immediately commanded the people of Jerusalem to assist him in his endeavors. Their work in the countryside could be put on hold for a short while in order to complete this great task. The priests were quite pleased when the work had been completed a few months later. They would call this new place of worship The Church of the Nativity in remembrance of God's Son.

The officials in Eden had come to me earlier in my reign and requested that they be given funding for research into a new form of legal framework for the empire and particularly for the nations capital. I had granted their request in the hopes that they might find a more efficient means of running things. They returned to me towards the end of my reign with the announcement that they had indeed come up with a system of running the capital that would improve its efficiency in the areas of production and commerce. They referred to their dicovery as civil service and it involved creating what they called a bureaucracy in Eden. It sounded a bit complicated to me but I trusted they knew what they were talking about so I changed our form of government accordingly. I also rearranged the citizen workforce at this time so that they could improve the countryside in a more efficient manner. The scholars referred to this practice as serfdom. The citizens would serve the needs of the empire in return for protection and the fulfillment of basic needs. While I appreciated the fact that some viewed this as not much better than slavery, I took comfort in the fact that the people were not being beaten and shackled together like animals. It was unfortunate that we needed to adopt this sort of practice but it needed to be done if our workforce was to make changes to the landscape in a more timely manner. Perhaps one day it would be possible for the people to break free from the restraints of government and declare themselves free men.

The rest of my reign had proven to be fairly uneventful. I had been faithful to the military by calling for the training of units experienced in city defense with the new longbow weapon discovered during Paladin's reign. I had also attempted to improve the land where possible, sending workers here and there to plant farms, build roads, and construct mines. I had sent holy men to spread our faith where possible. They were sometimes successful and other times they failed. I was always disappointed to hear when a city had not received our holy men. I felt that it showed a lack of respect for these men of God. I understood though that the people sometimes had a hard time accepting new ideas. In time they would come to understand that all of the faiths in the empire were intertwined and each expressed the ways of God in its own way. When my time had finally come to an end, I dutifully passed the torch to the Death Knight and returned to my books in the Great Library of Eden.

The Reign of the Death Knight During the Third Regency as told by Sir Brian the Noble

Since our brother Richard had not yet returned to the empire, the Death Knight took my place once again as Regent to the People. The empire was currently at peace but the Malinese and Mongolians were still fighting in the north. The finances of the empire were still being stretched and our technological supremacy was being challenged by our neighbors. The Death Knight had a tough job ahead of him.

The Death Knight began his reign by instructing the people of Eden to build a wonderful place of worship for the people of our faith. The city had grown quite large and the temple in Eden had become overcrowded during the holy day celebrations. When it was finally finished, a wonderful celebration was held in the city to commemorate the occasion. There was much more room now for the people to celebrate and worship their faith. Some of them still preferred the small temple but most of the citizens in Eden began attending services in the synagogue. I longed to see the day when Jerusalem would have a place of worship as glorious as the one in Eden.

In Sun Tzu, the citizens completed the construction of an Islamic monastery. They went on to build a Confucian temple and even started work on an Islamic temple before the Death Knight's reign had ended. I was pleased to see that my dear brother continued to keep The Almighty in his thoughts. He was an inspiration to the people and the empire's many faiths were spreading far and wide.

Our craftsmen learned to harness the power of wind and water by constructing windmills on hilltops and watermills along the rivers. It was hoped that this would help to increase the production capacity of the empire and allow us to compete with our neighbors. The Death Knight thanked these skilled tradesmen for their innovative thinking and asked them to continue their efforts by organizing into what he called guilds. Each guild would represent a group of individuals skilled in a specific trade. In this way they could learn from one another and further increase the production of the many workshops throughout the land.

The economy would also benefit. Many of the merchants in Jerusalem began to talk about creating a market center in the city and providing a specific area where food merchants could sell their wares. They raved about how we should do this in all of the empire's cities. They told us of the many benefits that a marketplace could bring if the people had easy access to luxuries and fresh food. Their ideas were of great interest but it did not seem likely that the Brethren would consider these things a priority for quite some time yet.

The Death Knight continued to deal fairly with our neighbors during his third regency. Bismarck offered to send some of his best sailors and scholars to teach our people how to hunt whales and use what he called telescopes to see great distances across the water. He would also contribute a fair sum of gold to our treasury. In exchange, he asked that our government officials assist his people in setting up a legal system similar to that which was being used in Eden. We had discovered that by setting up what we called a bureaucracy, we were able to significantly increase the efficiency with which our people in Eden carried out their daily business. In fact, the people there had been able to increase their production capacity and economy by fifty percent!

Bismarck was also interested in learning how to outfit his frontline troops with maces and armor. This was something that we felt uneasy about but since we were still on relatively good terms with Bismarck, The Death Knight felt it would be wrong to offend him by refusing his request. So he agreed to assist Bismarck under the terms that had been offered. I was a bit uneasy when I heard the news since Bismarck had continued to show his contempt for our attitude towards the Evil One. I feared that we might have unwittingly given him the sword with which he would chop off our head. Still, I understood the Death Knight's desire to keep our relations with Bismarck in good standing. I had been wrong before when jumping too quickly to criticize his diplomacy so it was entirely possible that I could be wrong again.

Word came in Jerusalem that the Malinese had finally been able to convince Genghis Khan to sign a peace treaty. We were still not clear what Mansa could have been thinking when he declared war on the Mongolians. I felt pity for the Malinese who had accepted our faith and then lost their lives in such a senseless war. Genghis had been justified in defending his homeland against Mansa's aggression but I was glad to see that he had finally chosen to spare the lives of those who remained after so many years of bloodshed. We hoped that these two brother nations could work out their differences in a more diplomatic way but it seemed unlikely. Neither side really trusted the other.

Mansa came to visit the Death Knight shortly after the end of hostilities and asked if our priests might be allowed to spend some time explaining the concept of divine right to him. He told the Death Knight that he did not have much to offer due to the state of his country since the war. The Death Knight felt pity towards Mansa and granted the request for the small sum that Mansa was able to offer.

The Death Knight spent the later part of his third regency attending to the needs of the empire's cities. The people of Fort Hope were able to finally complete a lighthouse. The fishermen there could now stay out later and catch more fish to feed the people. Their population was slowing starting to grow. In Bethlehem, the citizens took a break from training the military. Many of them had traveled to the theater in Eden and longed to have such a place in Bethlehem. They had also been impressed by the library in Eden. So, the Death Knight instructed the citizens of Bethlehem to build the theater and library they desired. When those had been completed, he sent word to Bethelehem that they should begin construction of a marketplace much like the one the merchants of Jerusalem had proposed. The citizens of Faith were also anxious to have a place for entertainment so the Death Knight gave his blessing for them to contruct a theater there as well. When the theater in Faith was finished, the citizens thanked the Death Knight for his patronage of the arts by starting the construction of a Jewish temple in his honor. When the synagogue had finally been completed in Eden, the tradesmen there began to construct a forge for creating new tools, weapons, and jewelry from the various metals found in the empire.

It was near the end of the Death Knight's reign that the skilled workers of the empire had completed the task of organizing themselves into guilds. Each tradesman in the empire now belonged to a group of fellow tradesmen in his craft. It was clear that this was already beginning to increase the production capacity of our workshops. The Merchants Guild in Jerusalem began creating a system of money handling that they referred to as banking. They explained that once they had perfected such a system, a place would be needed in each city where the people could bring their money and place it on deposit until they needed it again to buy goods. These places would be called banks and they would eventually help to alleviate the deficit problem which continued to plague the empire.

The empired had continued to prosper during the Death Knight's reign. The people were becoming better educated and the new forms of entertainment throughout the empire helped them to relax from their hard work. They had not forgotten the Almighty either for they had continued to please Him with their dedication to spreading the word of our faith and constructing new places to worship. When the Death Knight's third regency finally came to an end, the people of Eden gathered at the Palace to bid him farewell.

An Abridged History of the Jewish Aztec Empire During the Black Knight's Fourth Regency as written by Sir Brian the Noble

The Black Knight arrived in Eden just shortly after the Death Knight had departed. The people rejoiced when their hero returned to the Holy Seat of Power. They had admired his campaign against the Evil One during his third regency. There would be no battles to fight now though. It appeared that the Black Knight would have to be satisfied with building great wonders for the glory of The Almighty.

Shortly after his arrival, the Black Knight attended a celebration in Jerusalem commemorating the completion of the Spiral Minaret. It was certainly a grand tribute to the glory of our God. So much so that the people felt inspired to begin tithing more regularly. The Black Knight also admired this wonderful monument and thought that Eden should have a monument just as spectacular as this one. It was just after the metalsmiths of Eden completed the construction of a forge that he set forth a plan to construct Angkor Wat in Eden.

The Black Knight's Fourth Regency was also the time when our sailors were becoming more proficient on the open seas. They learned to travel much further in a shorter period of time. They had sailed west from Faith and arrived on the eastern shore some years later. Prior to this expedition, many of the scholars had always assumed the world was flat and to sail too far out to sea could prove disastrous. These brave men had proven this idea to be silly and preposterous. This of course left many of the so called wise men scrambling to understand why the earth didn't appear to be round but yet obviously was for this to have been possible. Many of them suggested that perhaps we should begin to study the stars in more detail. Others began to think that perhaps some of our other ideas were also outdated and completely false. Some of the younger and bolder ones even suggested that perhaps our ideas about God were suspect! It was clear that our future understanding of the world might well continue to clash with our understanding of God and his creation. I feared that our society might one day decide to turn away from Him completely, thinking that they no longer needed to understand Him.

It was during the sailor's expeditions that we learned of another land full of people across the ocean. One of these nations was led by a charming young woman named Hatshepsut. Her nation followed a religion that was even older than our Jewish faith or the Evil One's "religion" to the north. They called it Buddhism and while it did not seem to be quite as evil as Hinduism, it was obvious that they glorified themselves more so than God. God Almighty had made it quite clear in the Holy Scriptures that mankind was not to place anyone or any god before Him. We could only hope to peacefully convince this lovely lady of her need for salvation. It did not seem likely though as her people seemed to treasure their holy city of Thebes a great deal. They would most likely need to be convinced by the sword, a most unfortunate situation.

The other nation on this far away continent was known as the Greeks and they were led by a vile man calling himself Alexander the Great. I was not sure what he thought was so great about himself. The Egyptians had spoken of his many evil deeds. They claimed that he was mentally unstable and would often send his army into Egyptian lands to rape and pillage despite the fact that his own people adhered to the same faith as the Egyptians. The Egyptians and Greeks had fought many wars through the ages. We were told that Alexander coveted the Egyptian lands and desired to make them a part of his own kingdom.

It was during the Black Knight's fourth reign that the Merchants Guild in Jerusalem finally completed the development of a banking system. There was a great deal of talk about building the first bank in Jerusalem but the Black Knight dismissed the idea and insisted that Jerusalem begin to contribute its fair share of troops to the defense of our empire. The soldiers in Jerusalem were anxious to answer the call of the Black Knight. However, most of the citizenry was reluctant. Unlike Sun Tzu and Bethlehem, Jerusalem tended to be a city of merchants and priests. They were not the kind of people that were particularly handy with a sword. Nevertheless, they did answer the Black Knight's call to duty. It was clear that their nation needed them.

When the Black Knight's fourth regency finally came to a close in the year 1376, it was clear that he was still disturbed by the state of our military. Bismarck's obvious contempt for our ban on trading with the infidels had infuriated the Black Knight. The Black Knight was also quite concerned about the possibility that Germany might betray us in the future. He had heard reports that Germany was expanding the size of its military to such a degree that it would be capable of conducting an offensive campaign in the near future. It was not clear though whether Bismarck intended to make Jerusalem the target or if he had other plans. I later traveled to Berlin and noticed that even the German scholars seemed to have an air of superiority about them, despite the fact that it had been our people who first sailed around the world and shared the news of a distant land.

When Paladin returned from his place of refuge in the country, the Black Knight welcomed his brother into the Palace. He knew that Paladin was a faithful servant to the people and could be trusted to manage the empire while the Black Knight sought some much needed adventure abroad. Without further ado, Paladin bid his brother farewell and began his reign.

A Vision of the Apocalypse as written by Sir Brian the Noble

On a clear summer day in 1376, I returned to the Oracle where God had first spoken to me. Only a few people came to visit it now since the Temple of Solomon had been completed in Jerusalem. It had been a few years since I had been there as well. I entered the holy sanctuary with an uneasy feeling. It seemed darker and less inviting than before. I began to notice that a dark cloud was descending down from above. In the midst of this dark cloud I could see a vision of four horsemen. Each of them was riding on a different color of horse. They all held a sword in one hand and the Holy Scriptures in the other. As I watched intently, I suddenly realized that these four horsemen were the Brethren! It appeared, however, that one of them was missing. I began to study each of them, hoping to discover which of the brothers was absent. I recognized the White Horseman as myself. The Red Horseman was Paladin and the Black Horseman was clearly the Black Knight. The Pale Horseman appeared to be the Death Knight. So our dear brother Richard was missing. What could this mean? It had been a while since we last heard from him. We were not entirely sure what sort of business he had run off to take care of but we trusted that he would return to us soon. This vision of only four brothers disturbed me. I asked myself again, what could this mean? Suddenly a familiar voice boomed within the Oracle. I immediately dropped to my knees and placed my forehead on the ground.

"Arise, Sir Brian" commanded my Lord. "I have allowed you to see this vision so that you might know what has transpired and what will soon take place."

I arose from the floor and spoke to God. "But I am not sure what it means my Lord."

"The White Horse represents you, Noble Knight. You have kept my laws and reminded the people of their Lord on a daily basis. For this you are to be commended. But now it is time for you to prepare to be a warrior. The Red Horseman is your brother Paladin. His fiery love for the Lord inspires the people and puts fear in the heart of his enemy. The Black Horseman is your brother the Black Knight. Darkness follows him everywhere he goes, cloaking his enemy in the wrath of the Lord. The Death Knight rides a pale horse and follows closely behind. He holds the key to the Gates of Hades. Each of you will do your own part when it comes time to smite the heathen Saladin."

"But where is our dear brother, the Great King Richard?" I asked.

"You will learn his fate soon enough. In the meantime, prepare yourself and your people for battle. The day will soon arrive when I will call on my people to smite their enemy and burn the idolatrous city of Mecca to the ground."

With that the Lord departed and it was then that I noticed a great beast had arisen from the ground in front of the four horsemen. It bore the name Mecca across its forehead. The four horsemen suddenly charged towards the great beast. They raised their swords and each of them took turns striking the beast. They first cut off his legs and sent him to the ground. His arms were removed next so that he could do no harm to the People of God as he writhed on the ground in agony. The death blow came when their swords landed on the infidel's neck, sending him to Hades forever.

An Abridged History of the Jewish Aztec Empire During Paladin the Holy Knight's Fourth Regency as written by Sir Brian

So in the year 1376, Paladin returned from his place of refuge in the country. His fair maiden had come to understand his duty to the empire, even if she could not bear the thought of his leaving once again. They had grown quite close and were even discussing the possibility of marriage. I was quite happy for my brother and hoped that I might someday meet the young lady who had stolen his heart.

It was during Paladin's fourth reign that the people in Eden completed their work on Angkor Wat. The priests felt so inspired by the hard work the people had invested in building this new monument to the Lord that they pledged to double their own production efforts. A few year's later there was talk amongst the Christian craftsmen of building a glorious new church in Eden. The engineers in Eden had just recently established a field of study referred to as engineering. They said it would now be possible to contruct a church like none other in the world. They would call it Hagia Sophia, meaning Church of Wisdom. I was impressed by their desire to accomplish so much for the Lord and eager to see if they would succeed. Eden had always been more secular than Jerusalem so it pleased me to see the men there turning their hearts toward the Lord and His work.

Paladin spent a good deal of his time during the Fourth Regency tending to foreign affairs. His fourth reign had only just begun when Genghis Khan came to visit the Palace of Eden. He was quite upset and demanded that we cancel our deals with the Malinese. Paladin patiently explained to Genghis that our law did not permit us to take sides in a quarrel between brother nations.

"How can you deny the request of your brother?" asked Genghis.

"The Holy Scriptures forbid us from assisting one brother while destroying another. While we do understand the ill feelings your people harbor towards the Malinese, we cannot in good conscience comply with your request. To do so would put us at odds against the Law of God." explained Paladin.

"How can you call Mansa a brother?" Genghis countered. "He lies when he claims to be your brother. Have you forgotten their treachery not so long ago? They surprised our women and children at the border, cutting them to pieces as they fled for the safety of the cities. God was clearly on our side when we defended ourselves and brought our forces to bear against the Malinese."

"This is no doubt true but it does not change the fact that our law prohibits us from getting involved," Paladin insisted. "If God is truly on your side, then he and he alone will see to it that the Malinese are brought to justice for their crimes against your people."

Genghis was clearly upset by Paladin's refusal to stop trading with the Malinese. It was obvious that Paladin took our law very seriously and was not about to budge from his position on the matter. Genghis left the Palace in peace and returned to Karakorum.

Some time later, Bismarck came to Eden and requested that we teach his people how to establish their own guilds within Germany. Paladin was clearly annoyed when Bismarck suggested that we do this without receiving anything in exchange. We had always tried to be helpful to the Germans but their recent nose in the air attitude towards us was beginning to try Paladin's patience. He flatly refused and Bismarck was not happy to hear what he had to say.

"Are you really serious? Your people are clearly capable of accomplishing such a task on their own without our help. Why should we be troubled to help your people when you exhibit such a haughty attitude towards our people? If you cannot offer a fair exchange of ideas then, please, do not trouble me any longer."

Bismarck stood emotionless. He did an immediate about face and left the Palace without so much as a word. Paladin was not sure what this might mean for the future but he did not regret his decision. It was time the German Chancellor was put in his place. He had clearly ignored our requests to stop trading horses to the enemy during our campaign against Saladin in the north. In fact, it was no secret that he still considered Saladin a good friend. We were all outraged that he could ever consider the Evil One a friend! Paladin knew the law forbid us from dealing with Bismarck in the way that we all desired to do. It did not, however, forbid us from convincing the population of Hamburg and Munich to secede from Germany and join The Holy Ones. Paladin grinned at the thought.

When Mansa Musa came to visit Eden, Paladin noticed that he still held his head high and exuded a certain boastful pride. It was no wonder that God had allowed the Mongolians to deal with Mansa in such a hard way. He was still almost as arrogant as before, despite his conversion to our faith. It was unfortunate that his people would likely be the ones to suffer for his haughtiness. Genghis seemed intent on putting his sword to Mansa's neck.

"I have heard that your people have a legal system here in Eden that has greatly increased the efficiency of its daily activities. Could some of your bureaucrats possibly take time out of their "busy schedule" to share this knowledge with us in Timbuktu? I see no reason why you should expect to be paid. Consider it a service for God." It was obvious to Paladin that Mansa seemed to exhibit a certain contempt for the Almighty. Perhaps he blamed the Almighty for his own failures in the war against Genghis. Paladin did not sense that the Almighty would approve of us helping Mansa at this time.

"It is clear to me that you hold a certain disdain for the Lord. Perhaps you should go to temple and humble yourself before Him. Had it not been for your pride leading you to raid those Mongolian villages, the Lord might have seen fit to bring blessings upon you. Instead, you have brought your people hunger and shame. They are quickly becoming an insignificant nation in the world. Do you dare blame God for this?"

Mansa scowled. "Will you help us or not?" he barked. Paladin shook his head.

"The Lord has clearly ordained that your people remain a backwards nation until you humble yourself before Him. I can not in good conscience go against what the Lord has ordained. Unless you have some other business, please go now."

"Perhaps your people would at least be interested in trading some of their furs for our fine silks." Mansa suggested. Paladin contemplated the trade and felt as though it would not be forbidden. He agreed and Mansa soon departed for Timbuktu.

Paladin was surprised when Hatshepsut traveled all the way from Thebes to request a trade agreement with our people. It was clear that our law forbade us from trading with the heathens but Paladin considered it an opportunity to spread the word of God across the sea. He hoped that her government would be willing to allow the word of our faith to be openly taught there once some holy men could prepare for the journey. He agreed to her proposal and she thanked him. It was said that her smile seemed to light up the room. I found myself to be quite intrigued by this young lady, maybe even a little smitten. From the stories we had heard, her people had suffered a great deal at the hands of Alexander the Great. There were even rumors that he was planning to invade her country again. I was not surprised that God had allowed this to happen. Her people insisted on clinging to their false faith in themselves. Perhaps one day she would see the light and be convinced to abandon this "faith" that had failed her people.

In the year 1403AD, Paladin began to long for his place in the country. He had served his people well and now it was time to return to his fair maiden once again. He sent word for me to meet him at the palace in Eden. I arrived as soon as I was able and bid him farewell.