[MULTI] The Dawn of Civilization

dot80 · Jun 23, 2014

Welcome to The Dawn of Civilization multiplayer worldbuilding story thread! Me, Silverman6083, cpm4001, Heerlo, MrCasperTom, and sh3baproject have come together in a collaborative pitboss game where we will each tell the story of our world from the perspective of different civilizations. The game will be played over a series of months, and we will be posting our stories here in this thread. Please feel free to comment and give feedback as we develop our world! Want to join a substitute? Or just want to get a look at the behind-the-scenes discussion of the game? Come check out the discussion thread here! Without further ado, let the stories begin!

dot80 · Jun 23, 2014

Table of Contents

Prologue by dot80
City on a Hill by Silverman6083
Bedtime in Olissipo [Avilis I] by dot80
The Founding of Stad Av Varen by Heerlo
Home by cpm4001
Infaqde:Forever's Edge by sh3baproject
Into The Unknown by Heerlo
The Discovery of Mount Platt(Flat) by Heerlo
Banu Kanz and The Ancient City by Silverman6083
Florence by cpm4001
An Ancient Civilization by Heerlo
Summer in Olissipo [Avilis II] by dot80
The Lost City [Avilis III] by dot80
Mt. Avilis [Avilis IV] by dot80
Saga d'Abílo [Avilis V] by dot80
Desert City by Heerlo
Growth by cpm4001
The Land Where the Rivers Meet by Silverman6083
Unamed by MrCasperTom
Meeting of the Arabs and Swedes by Silverman6083/Heerlo

Spoiler By Civilization :

dot80 · Jun 23, 2014

In the beginning the earth was without form, and void. But the sun shone upon the sleeping earth, and deep inside the brittle crust, massive forces became unleashed. The seas parted and great continents were formed. Mountains arose, earthquakes spawned massive tidal waves. Volcanoes erupted, and spewed forth fiery lava, and charred the atmosphere with strange gases. Into this swirling maelstrom of fire, and air, and water, the first stirrings of life appeared. Tiny organisms, cells and amoeba, clinging to tiny sheltered habitats. But the seeds of life grew, and strengthened, and spread, and diversified, and prospered, and soon, every continent and climate teemed with life. And with life came instinct, and specialization, natural selections, Reptiles, Dinosaurs, and Mammals. And finally evolved the species known as Man. And there appeared the first faint glimmers of intelligence. The fruits of intelligence were many: fire, food, and weapons, the hunt, farming, and the sharing of food, the family, the village, and the tribe. Now it required but one more ingredient. A great leader. To unite the quarreling tribes, to harness the power of the land, to build a legacy that would stand the test of time: a civilization.

Silverman6083 · Jun 24, 2014

Well I guess I'll kick off the stories

City on a Hill
(Silverman6083)

In the beginning, in the Land Where the Rivers Meet, there existed many tribes. The two most prominent were the Sets, and the Waris. They lived in the fertile lands since time immemorial, and also fought one another since time immemorial. The Sets mainly stayed and farmed along the river, while the Wari hunted game in the North. The only two things that brought these two together were the 3 rivers. The North one, the "Giver", the South river the "Savior", and the West one, the "Redeemer". Eventually, the two tribes decided that fighting was futile, and that together all tribes would be united. And so it was. With that, the Arab nation was born. The Arab peoples flocked to the banner, raised high in the city of Mecca. Known amongst the immigrants and citizens alike as the "City on a Hill"

Spoiler :

dot80 · Jun 24, 2014

Bedtime in Olissipo [Avilis I]
(dot80)

“Tell me again father about the creation of Lusitania.”

“Again Avilis?” His father said, looking down into his eyes.

“Oh please father?” pleaded the boy.

“Oh alright,” he laughed, “one more time. But then it is bed.”

Avilis smiled his bright, wide smile and clung closer to his father. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for his favorite tale. In a quiet, calm voice, his father began the the story:

“It all started back in the days of the first men. Our tribes all lived together in a beautiful valley, bountiful in all types of berries and game. They ate, drank, and had a merry time. A life of ease. Sadly, it wasn’t to last. The richness of the valley was well known in the dark expanses outside the valley. Men are jealous beasts Avilis, and greedy. Gods are no better. Our forefathers had to fight off waves and waves of barbarous invaders. Each time they came their numbers would be greater. They would have sharper, longer spears, harder, broader clubs. Their gods, just as greedy as them, would come and wreak havoc on our lands. Relentlessly they came at us, like waves upon the beach. Eventually our people were spread too thin, our land had become too battle scarred. The barbarians overran us. Our fathers grabbed their families and what few possessions they had left, and fled the valley. In the chaos of the time, the tribes had no time to try and stick together. Every tribe went in a different direction, the fastest way they could leave the valley.”
“What happened to the other tribes father?”

“Gone son. Picked away by evil spirits, wild animals, hard weather, other barbarians. As far as I know, we are the only ones left from the motherland,” he responded gravely.

“The motherland father?”

“Aye, the valley: Latium.”

Already knowing the answer, Avilis asked, snuggling closer: “And our tribe?”
“Well we wandered the wilderness for years until we finally made it to the ocean. There, our ancestors created makeshift rafts from bramble and fallen trees and we took to the water. No one knows how long they spent out there in the wilderness and water, but eventually they were brought back to shore by the tide. And once they landed, they wandered some more.”

It was then Avilis shot up excitedly. “Then you told them to stop! And you built our home all by yourself!”

The man laughed, “I didn’t do it quite by myself, but you have the idea. Olissipo was built here in the bountiful grasslands along the Tagus.”

“And then you became chief!”

He smiled down at his son, “I think you are starting to know the story better than I do. That is enough for tonight my little Avilis. It is time for sleep.”

“Aww, alright father,” he said yawning, “goodnight.”

“Goodnight my son,” he said, standing up quietly. Turning around, he tip-toed out of the room, already hearing the slowing of Avilis’ breathing as the boy drifted gently off to sleep. Ducking under the curtain, he stood out in the cool night air, looking out over the city, his city.

3932 B.C. - Olissipo, Lusitania

Heerlo · Jun 25, 2014

The Founding of Stad Av Varen
(Heerlo)

In the ancient times, the times before farming and agriculture, many nomadic tribes wandered the earth, hunting wherever they found game. One of these tribes, called the Swedes, came from somewhere in the east and settled down next to a river in a fertile area. This was the first place where the Swedes began farming, and, thanks to the new abundance of food, a village sprang up next to the river, and began to grow rapidly.

It was soon discovered that the source of this river was a spring to the north. Realizing that this spring gave life to their village, the Swedes called their city "Stad Av Varen", or "City of The Spring". The river was named "Kallvatten"("Spring Waters"), and on its banks grew the village that would one day be the capital of Sweden.

cpm4001 · Jun 25, 2014

Home

(cpm4001)

It was small, but it had great potential. No-one knew precisely when it happened - one generation before? Two? Even three? - but they had come, they had settled, and they were here.

They had built small huts out of the wood that came from the trees that grew on the hill. Some huts were by the river, so they could easily get fresh water. Others were by the ocean, where they could gather shellfish. Others still were close to the hill, where those who lived there hunted and gathered the animals and plants that came from there.

It was small, but it had great potential. Yes, Esteran surely was home.

sh3baproject · Jun 26, 2014

Infaqde:Forever's Edge

Beginning around 4050 B.C.E, various island groups called the Sheb began to emigrate away from their home islands, using makeshift rafts to travel the vast oceans. Amazingly skilled at seafaring, they relied on nothing more then the stars, wildlife, and weather. By 4000 B.C.E the biggest group,the Yitla, landed and settled near a river that would soon be called Murqa, or "Mother". Using wood from the nearby forests, they made simple huts that would create the city of Infaqde, "Forever's Edge".

Heerlo · Jun 26, 2014

Into The Unknown
(Heerlo)

Alexius looked down from the hill next to Stad Av Varen. He and the rest of the warrior group had been commissioned by chief Adrianos to scout to the west of the village. He had only recently joined the warriors, and, having grown up knowing nothing but the area around Stad Av Varen, he was excited at the thought of exploring unknown lands. His parents had told him stories about vast seas and great mountains, which the Swedes had seen during the time of wandering. He had seen none of those things around Stad Av Varen. But he was about to see lands that none of the older Swedes had even seen. Lands to the west of Stad Av Varen, where no Swede had ever trod.

The chief of the warriors, Edrik, adressed the men: "Take your last looks upon your home before we leave. It will be a long time before you see it again." Alexius turned around, taking his final look at the humble villlage sitting by Kallvatten. After a few minutes, Edrik said, "It is time to depart. We go to do the bidding of our chief, to chart lands unknown to the Swedes!" He began down the hill, followed by the rest of the warriors.

Heerlo · Jun 26, 2014

The Discovery of Mount Platt(Flat)
(Heerlo)
After almost two weeks of traveling west, the warriors stopped to rest. It was then that Alexius caught a glimpse of something on the horizon; a great mountain, towering high above any of the hills or forests near it. He and the rest of the younger warriors were amazed. There were no mountains near the village, and only the older generation had ever seen one.

Overhearing the excitement, Edrik questioned the men as to what was going on. "There is a mountain on the horizon, sir", said Alexius, silently hoping that the chief would want to explore it. But Edrik did not care, until the clouds rolled back a little more, and he was finally able to see this mountain's defining feature: It was flat on top. The chief was suddenly intrigued. All the mountains he had seen during the time of wandering had peaks. But this one sparked his interest. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He finally determined to go and investigate.

Later that day, Edrik called all the men together to address them: "This mountain that Alexius spotted did not interest me when I first saw it. I saw many mountains in the years before Stad Av Varen was founded. But now I have realized that this mountain is flat on top. All of the mountains that I saw during the wandering had peaks. Rest well tonight. We are leaving to go to it tomorrow."

After a few more days of travel, the warriors drew close to the mountain. It was tall and flat. Edrik stopped, and all the men stopped behind him, standing in awe at the majestic sight in front of them. "What are we waiting for?" Edrik finally said. "We must explore this mountain!"

A few minutes later, the warriors were making the difficult climb. The mountain was very steep, and it took every bit of Alexius' strength to keep pulling himself higher. But he wasn't stopping now. His curiosity would not let him turn back.

Once they finally reached the top, the warriors were suddenly greeted with a beautiful flat area that was very wide and long, along with an amazing view of the surrounding area. It was noticeably cooler than it had been at the base, and Alexius noticed a little snow left on the top. The men went exploring, all of them amazed at the massive mountain they had discovered. Finally, Edrik addressed the warriors: "My fellow Swedes, by the authority of Adrianos chief of Stad Av Varen, I dub this mountain 'Platt'!"

After a few more days of of exploration, Edrik led the men back down the side of the mountain. Alexius could only wonder what other great sights this world had in store.

GreekAnalyzer · Jun 26, 2014

Following.

Silverman6083 · Jun 26, 2014

Wow last time I saw Greek here I didn't even have an account!

Silverman6083 · Jun 27, 2014

Banu Kanz and The Ancient City
(Silverman6083)

Ahmad peered out into the horizon from atop a hill, not the hill where the shining, beloved city of Mecca sat, mind you. No he was atop a hill that he and his regiment found along the Savior River.
"Ahm-uh Sir.", Nazra, one of his closest friends, interrupted, "Have you seen the...well I'm not quite sure what it is." Nazra pointed to the northeast. There was a small settlement. It wasn't a city like Mecca was. No it looked quite savage and brutal, men with clubs walked along the dirt pathways, women and children flinching as they walked by.
"Well. That...camp looks rather hostile...but they not might be. Send a trusted scout to scout out the camp, but make sure they can handle themself if need be.", Ahmad said, thinking as he spoke. With that, his friend left.
Although that camp was certainly interesting, that was not what Ahmad had been looking at. No, what Ahmad had been looking at was also a settlement, but it seemed more grand, and more abandoned. He told a soldier walking by to gather the men.

"Attention!", Ahmad shouted. He was sick of it taking hours to gather the men. They need discipline. He watched with amusement as the soldiers straightened up and turned their gaze to him. "South of us is a city, obviously abandoned. Our job is to enter the city, clear out any hostiles, grab what we can, and bring it back home.", he paused. "Nazra.", he waited. "Nazra." Silence. "Where the hell is Nazra!", he barked.
"Uh sir, he went to explore the other encampment as you ordered."
"Oh."
"Wait a second. Wait a second!", a figure shouted, coming up the hill.
"Nazra?"
"Yup, thats me.", the man said as he took his hood down. There were fresh wounds.
"The hell happened to you?", Ahmad said, trying to sound indifferent, but his voice was quite telling.
"Well, I found out that they call the camp 'Banu Kanz', and I also found out that they give a helluva beating.", he grinned. "But I wouldn't be too worried. They were small in numbers, and there aren't many women nor children" he paused. "But we should be...wary.", he winked.
"Well.", Ahmad started "We will be exploring the ruins south of here. At least lets hope thats all they are-ruins."

The next day the regiment wandered around the ancient city. It was clear to them that the crumbling buildings were indeed ruins. Most of the men didn't find much except for a bit of silver and even good food here and there that was pocketed. But then Nazra came to Ahmad.
"Sir. I found a piece of parchment that you might want to take a look at.", he handed Ahmad the parchment. It was a map. It detailed what appeared to be the surroundings. This ancient tribe must've been a sea-faring peoples, because the map had very intricate details of where the fish mated, lived, swam, etc.
"Very good, send a messenger bird back to the City with this, and a report I'll give to you in about an hour."
"Yessir."
Well. Nothing glamorous in this city it seems. Hopefully the scout regiment the administration promised would be created so the regiment wouldn't be tasked with such a tedious task.

cpm4001 · Jun 29, 2014

Florence

(cpm4001)

For years now the warriors had been gradually exploring the area around their settlement. Most of it was featureless jungle and forest, unpleasant to try to live in and maybe worse to try to get through.
Then they saw the glistening hill. These were odd stones; they shone and glimmered and looked beautiful.
"Vocetur Gemma Collis!" proclaimed the leader of the band, and the warriors cheered.
"Sursum!" they shouted. Surely there was more treasure at the top.
But once they reached the top they stopped and stared. There were other people down there, living near this beautiful mountain.
And odder still they spoke nearly the same language, and when the warriors climbed down the hill and spoke to them they introduced themselves as the "Florentiae", a cultural people.
But the question amongst the warriors was, could a friendship be developed, or would it be best to take their land by force?

Spoiler :

Heerlo · Jun 29, 2014

An Ancient Civilization
(Heerlo)

After leaving Mount Platt, the warrior group headed southwest, and came to a forest. It was there they found the ruins of what had evidently once been a city. Remnants of this ancient civilization laid scattered all over the forest.

Entering one of the most intact buildings left, Edrik found what appeared to be a map of some sort. Upon examination, he found that it was incredibly detailed, even showing what were apparently the names of cities and regions, which had once been part of this civilization. Some of it's territory was even shown to be near Stad Av Varen's present location. The ocean to the south, which the group had seen on the way to Mount Platt, was also on the map. On the west coast of the ocean, the map showed something that looked like an encampment of some sort, obviously intended to show a hostile presence. Edrik couldn't help but wonder; had the people from the encampment been responsible for this civilization's downfall? There was no way to know for sure, but he didn't want to risk taking his men there, fearing they might be hostile to the Swedes as well.

Edrik called the men together again. "I have found a map that shows this fallen civilization. It indicates that there is some sort of encampment to the southwest of here. We are not going there, but we will need be cautious. There could still be people there, and they might be hostile to us. Adrianos did not order us to fight; he ordered us to explore." He continued: "I want a small group of you to return to Stad Av Varen and report our recent findings to chief Adrianos. He will no doubt be eager to hear of our discoveries."

dot80 · Jun 30, 2014

Summer in Olissipo [Avilis II]
(dot80)

Avilis awoke to rays of morning sunlight falling upon his face through his bedside window. It had been five years to the day that his father had died in a hunting accident. Since, he had been under the care of Cornelius, one of the city elders. He had spent his days learning and training so that one day he too could become chief as his father was. Today was his day. Tonight at the summer festival, he would learn if that work had paid off. The city elders would come together before the tribes, and announce their decision for chief. Jumping up, he quickly splashed his face with water from a basin across the room, and made his way outside to Cornelius. The old man was sitting on a stump next to a morning fire. He was once a hulking man, and even in his age the remnants of his enormous muscles hung from his crippled frame. His hair, grown white from years, was pulled tightly into a low-hanging ponytail. His stoney face looked up at Avilis with a smile, “Tonight your life will change forever, for better or worse.”

“Hopefully for the better,” Avilis laughed, sitting on the stump next to his old mentor. “Will you do me the honor of applying my paint for tonight?”

“Of course my young son,” he said, using the common form of address between Elders and tribal youth. “Are you performing tonight with the others?”

“Yes sir. This year the Palanti will be called the best dancers in all of Lusitania.

Cornelius chuckled, “We will see about that. The Colarni have surpassed all others under the leadership of Elder Claudius.”
“For the last year! The Palanti have never had me as a dancer.”

“We will see, now go help the others in setting up.”

“Tonight, old friend.” And with that, he set off toward the city. Over the course of the day Olissipo would be transformed into a city-wide shrine of fire to the gods. Every year, at the start of summer, all the tribes of Lusitania come together to celebrate surviving another end to winter, and beginning to summer. Summer, a time of bounty when things are renewed, a time of magic when the gods come alive again, a time when Lusitania becomes a land of adventure, it was Avilis’ favorite time. Making his way into the congregation of huts and houses, he clasped hands with an old friend and fell in line with everyone else setting up torches and filling firepits with fuel.

He spent the day like this, laughing and cajoling with the other city youths. When the sun finally began to set over the grassland, he said his farewells and ran home to don his ceremonial paint and costume. It was going to begin soon.

********

The city was alive with dancing flames, as members of all the different tribes began flooding into the streets. Following the flow of people, he made his way to the central square. Avilis smiled, looking around at all the different ceremonial paints and costumes. Before long the torrent of people slowed to a trickle, and the city elders stood in front of the crowd. “We have made it another year,” started Cornelius, with an eruption of applause. “The summer heat has begun to swelter, and the gods are awaking from their slumber.”

“Shall we show them our devotion?”added Victor, the elder from the Aravi.

Titus, from the Tangi, finished the introduction with: “Let the celebration commence!”

The crowd clamored with excitement as the first group of tribal dancers came to the front of the congregation. It was the dancers from the Paesuri. Known as expert weavers, the Paesuri always displayed the most elaborate costumes. Their dance was made to reflect life in the open grasslands where they lived. Forming a circle they began to stomp the ground in unison, jumping up and down and chanting as they did so. Turning to face out and then back in, the circle started to turn. The dance continued like this as the circle turned faster and faster. Finally, it came to a sudden halt. The stomping, chanting, and turning all stopped at the same time, as every other dancer did a back-flip inwards to form a smaller circle inside the larger. Beginning again, all the dancers started to stomp, chant, and turn, as both circles started to move, but in opposite directions. The chanting grew louder and louder, then stopped in unison again, except this time the inner circle all did a front flip to rejoin the outer circle. Every dancer finished facing outwards with stoney expressions. The city exploded into a thunderous applause as the dancers took their places back among the spectators.

Next up were the Tangi. Their paint was brown, red, black, and white, made from forest berries and flowers. Their costumes were made to look like trees. When they all got to the front, they lit their branches on fire and began making sweeping motions with their arms. Spinning, each waved the flaming branches up, then back down, up then back down. Once the dance had begun, more dancers stood and, joining hands, began to slowly circle around the group moving up and down in a wave. From among the inner circle of dancers, a woman sang. She sang a song of welcome to the summer. She sang about the birds, and the trees, and the wind. She sang so beautifully that before Avilis even knew what happened, it was over. The dancers had bowed to the ground, and the applause had begun.

The Aravi, of the rocky grasslands across the river, were next. Once the Tangi dancers had sat and all the Aravi dancers had made their way to the front, Avilis realized that they were all women. Every single one of them. This break with tradition shouldn’t come across as a surprise, he thought, the Aravi had always been a bit different from the rest of the tribes of Olissipo. But still, women weren’t even permitted in the dances when the tradition first started. He knew the elders from the other tribes would be displeased by this turn of events. Nevertheless, the girls began to dance. As one began to beat rhythmically on a drum, the others assumed different poses. Each beat, the poses would move further down the line like a wave. Each pose, as it was introduced, was more elegant than the next. Before long, Avilis realized the girls were telling a story with their movements. He didn’t know what that story was, but he did know that as each new movement was introduced he could feel a sense of deep sadness wash over him. Finally they stopped, frozen. The girl who had been playing the drum came forward. “This dance was the story of our ancestors’ expulsion from the homeland. It tells of their battles, their troubles, their wandering, and finally their landing, here in Lusitania.” She bowed, as did the others, and they returned to their seats, followed by applause.

It was now the Colarni’s turn. The hill people of the Colarni tribe always performed a dance to a beating drum, and always with ceremonial clubs and a torch. They were the warriors of Lusitania, and their dance was made to reflect this. Ten hulking dancers came to the front and took their position in a line. The drum began and each beat they would assume a different pose. On the second beat they crossed clubs with the dancer next to them and began to chant. On the fourth they cross clubs again and began to jump between each foot. On the sixth they began turning. As each second beat came they dance would become more complex until finally everything stopped. After a second of hesitation, the crowd, in a near frenzy, began clapping and chanting blessings to the gods and the Colarni.

And now it was Avilis’ turn. He stood with the other dancers and made his way to the front. Their dance, just as the Colarni and Aravi, used fire. Near the front of the crowd, Avilis and the others each picked up a staff tipped with fire . They stood in a circle, each about two arms length apart. Avilis took a deep breath, knowing their dance was more dangerous than anything the other tribes had done. Each dancer needed to be just the right distance from the others, as each step was planned. Too close and someone was going to get burned. As the drums began, he took one final breath. Starting out, each dancer took two steps to the left, and began spinning their staff. Stepping back, Avilis turned to face away from the crowd and took three steps towards the middle of the circle, and turned as a counterpart dancer did the same. Lifting the staff above his head he spun it once, while jumping to dodge the staff of the other dancer. Doing the same thing, he held the staff low while ducking under the staff above him. Turning again, he rejoined the outer circle and spun his staff out in front of him perpendicular to his body. Three more pairs of dancers did this, each doing something different in the middle. Finally, the drummer began drumming faster and louder, until with a loud bang it stopped, and Avilis jumped up and landed on his knee, staff on the ground. Breathing heavily, and amazed he had actually done it, Avilis stood up and looked around as all the people of the city looked on and cheered

The ceremonial dances over, all the elders returned to the front of the crowd. “I’d like to thank all of these young dancers for honoring us in the eyes of the gods,” started Cornelius.

“Before we begin feasting, we must reveal our decision for the next Chief of Lusitania,” continued Titus. Avilis' stomach tightened.

“We have deliberated greatly on this. The decision was neither quick, nor easy,” added Victor, and with every word Avilis became more nervous.

Cornelius smiled brightly at his young mentor before finishing, “But I am pleased to announce that Avilis, a great man of the Palanti, and son of our founding Chief, my apprentice, is to be the next Chief of Lusitania. Lead us into the future, and may all the strength and wisdom of the gods be with you!”

In disbelief Avilis came back to the front of the crowd as everyone began chanting his name. He had done it. He was chief.

3921 B.C. - Olissipo, Lusitania

dot80 · Jun 30, 2014

The Lost City [Avilis III]
(dot80)

Avilis’ years of rule were bountiful. Each year at the Summer Fire Festival, he could see his people growing and prospering. The tribes, having grown apart under his father, were seeing a renewed integration with each other. Things secured at home, Avilis looked outward to the vast expanses of wilderness surrounding Lusitania. The possibilities of the unknown consumed him. What peoples, beasts, riches, and wonders lay in those forests, those hills. As a child he had spent much time exploring Lusitania, now as an adult he wanted to explore the world. Five years after his inauguration as chief, he did just that. Gathering warriors from all five tribes, he created a band of men that could arm and protect themselves out in the wilderness. He ordered them to explore, and they did just that.

Each year the warriors, around the time of the Summer Fire Festival, would return to Lusitania, and share their findings with Avilis and the Elders. For the first few years, they spoke mainly of wild and untouched wilderness. Hills, forests, grasslands, all just as those in Lusitania. This year however they had found something much different. It was a city, one much older and much different than Olissipo. It was vast and splendid, but also completely abandoned. “Abandoned?” said Avilis in disbelief. “What do you mean it was abandoned?”

“I mean, sir, that there was no one there. The ruins seemed to have once belonged to and advanced and thriving people, but something, or someone, drove them off.”

Later that night, Cornelius told him, “You must go Avilis, and see these ruins. We must learn what happened to these people to prevent the same thing from happening to us.”

“You are right, someone must go. But me? I can’t just Olissipo.”

“Go Avilis, we Elders have taken care of the city before, and we can do it again until your return.”

“Do you think we are in danger Cornelius?” he added.

“I don’t know.”

“Watch over Olissipo,” he added, conceding to his old mentor.

********

They had been travelling for weeks. Avilis was growing impatient. He hadn’t realized how big the world was. The grassland seemed to stretch on and on, endlessly before them. The summer sun, sweltering above their heads, seemed to be angry at their intrusion into its wild dominion. Finally something appeared on the horizon before them. It started as a speck, but then slowly grew to dominate their view. As they came closer, Avilis began to make out specific shapes within the ruined city. It was dominated by gargantuan colonnade buildings made of stone, each more wonderful than the last. The view in front of him was breathtaking. Can men truly build something so fantastic as this? This city must have been built by gods, only a divine hand could find such colossal stones. Only a divine hand could move such stones!

They entered the ancient city, ants among the giant buildings of the city. “Spread out and look through the buildings. Look for any evidence that could reveal the reason for these people to abandon this city,” he called out. The men did as they were told, all starting off in different directions. Avilis continued into the interior of the city until he found himself at what seem to be a monumental chair of some sort. On its back was a stone, faced with some numerous symbols, arranged in an odd pattern.

What could these mean? They don’t look like anything intelligible, he thought, completely engrossed in the pictures before him. “Chief Avilis,” called a man from behind. “Chief Avilis,” he called again. Feeling a hand touch his shoulder, he was pulled out of his trance. “Chief, we have found something.”

“Yes?”

“In every building there are mountains of silver pieces and bars,” he dropped a handful of these coins in front of Avilis.

They all had the same symbols and markings on them. “Gather them up, we will bring them home to Olissipo.” I am going to get to the bottom of this.

3909 B.C. - The Wilderness

dot80 · Jul 2, 2014

Mt. Avilis [Avilis IV]
(dot80)

Avilis flipped the small sliver piece over in his hand for the millionth time. He watched as the light danced off the shiny silver face. It seemed to be looking at him mockingly. Ten years. It had been ten years of nothing. Every year he received the same news: more grassland, more hills, more forest. When the men had come back this year, he hadnt expected much. When they told him they had found another city, he was floored. Not only was the first city larger than anything he had ever seen, there was a second?

The warriors didnt look as excited as he was. We found it west of the first Chief. It was different though, much different.

Different how?

It was ransacked, burned. The buildings were all in pieces, all the wealth was stolen out of it.

Ransacked? He felt his stomach drop. These people didnt just disappear, they were driven out. Any trace of the attackers?

No sir, but we did find this. The man presented him with a ragged piece of animal skin. Upon it was sketched a map of the area. These here are the locations of their enemies. We investigated and found many of these areas still inhabited by savage peoples.

And what about this? he asked, pointing to a strange symbol north of the original city ruins.

The men looked at each other, We arent sure sir. We came back immediately when we found the other peoples.

Avilis looked at the men before him. You did the right thing. He looked at the symbol one more time. It was the same as the one on the backside of the silver pieces. We must warn the elders.

********

Avilis winced, taking another step forward. He was getting too old to travel the wilderness, and this was farther out than he had ever been before. He had left soon after their meeting with the elders. His mission was to go and see if these people were friend or foe. It had been a few days since they left the battle scarred ruins of the second city, and Avilispatience was wearing thin. Relief and apprehension washed over him when he was told the encampment was close. Where is it?

Just beyond those hills. When they crested the first hill he could see the encampment. It was a small collection of huts a few miles out, no bigger than Olissipo. While it didnt compare in grandeur to the ruined cities to the west, Avilis also knew there were many more of these on the map than cities.

Gathering the men together before him, he prepared to depart, I will take a small group of men with me into the camp. We will go and try and communicate with these people.

A voice from the back called out: And if they are hostile?

If they are hostile we will fight our way out, was Avilis determined reply. Warranting no more questions, he hand selected the best from among the group of warriors, and began toward the encampment. His plan was to approach openly with a small party. Clearly his group was outnumbered, and they should see his approach as an act of peaceful parley. If not, he would have to make a break for it. Either way, he knew the success of this first meeting would determine the relations between their peoples for the foreseeable future.

Approaching the village, he couldn't help but notice the pungent odor. Olissipo was no shrine to cleanliness, but he had never smelled such a foul stench in his life. Compounding to the smell, was the blanket of rain that had just swept over the grassland, mixing in scents of mud and wet dogs with the greater odor of the small encampment. Up close, he could see it was surrounded by a makeshift wall of spiked wooden stakes. Not a good sign, they have had the need to defend themselves from something. At the front of the camp, a gap in the wall was guarded by two men with clubs. It was these men that approached them. They spoke quickly, and roughly. Their strange tongue grated on his ears. "Hello, I am Avilis of the Palanti Tribe of Lusitania." They were beginning to grow angry. "We come to make peace with your people. Who is your leader." His words fell meaninglessly on ears deaf to his language. Starting to yell they began pointing to the ground as more men came to the front of the camp. Avilis looked at the man to his right, "If things go badly, make sure someone gets back to Lusitania to warn the Elders." The man nodded, and Avilis stepped forward, dropping his club on the ground and bowing low. The guards stopped yelling, looking at Avilis they spoke quietly to each other. One called back to the men inside the city, and what looked to be a tribal chief came forward. He spoke quickly and quietly to the men, and then looked at Avilis, who had risen from his low bow. Please, we come in peace. After a minute of silence, the man pointed at Avilis, said a few words, turned, and walked away. He had decided their fate just by looking at them. But is it good or bad? Avilis thought to himself.

A few seconds later it was readily apparent that it was bad. Unseen slingers began lobbing rocks at the small group of warriors as men with wooden axes charged from within the encampment. Chief, a man called out from behind. Rather than running, as he had wanted, they were charging forward to try and protect him. Nevertheless, he couldnt worry about them as his survival instincts kicked in. He needed to get out of there, and fast. He was a few yards in front of his men, and obviously the initial target for the charging axemen. Darting left, he made a break for the hills. Even at his old age he was easily able to outpace the men chasing him, though he was hit multiple times by the sharp rocks slung by the slingers. They cut into him at his legs, back, and head. Pushing forward, in a rush of adrenaline, he made it to the hills. Protected from the slinger fire, all he had to do now was lose his axe wielding pursuers. Looking back every few seconds, it wasnt long before he could no longer see them following him. He slowed to a jog, trying to catch his breath. Now it was more important to be quiet and clever rather than fast and stone-skinned. A few more hours, and his pace slowed to a crawl and finally a stop as the sun began to set. He hadnt heard anything, from the barbarians nor his men, since the brawl a few hours before. He knew now that all he could do was hole up for the night, and hope the wrong people didnt find him.

Avilis sleep was restless and light. More than once he awoke to the noise of rustling in the grass only to find it to be a mouse or a deer. When the sun finally did rise he realized how far into the hills he had went. Before him rose not only hills, but mountains. Wait, he thought, this is the symbol on the map. Getting up, he drank from a water pouch, ate a few nuts and berries, and started off towards the mountain. If Im here, I may as well go and take a look, he thought. Looking up at the mountain in the distance before him, he felt some unexplainable draw to it, almost like it was calling him to it. Before long he began to feel an ache in his legs and back where the rocks had cut him. He laughed to himself, what do you expect when youre a forty year old man hiking through the wilderness. As he crested another hill, the view before him was breathtaking.

At the foot of the mountain Avilis came to a radiant statue made of an ore he had never seen. Looking upon it he felt the divine presence of a god, and immediately he fell to the ground and prayed to whoever it was. All of a sudden the dull, aching pain from the wounds, began to grow sharp and shoot up his legs. As the pain overcame him, he realized that the rocks that had hit him had been coated in a poison. He collapsed to the ground, looking up at the goddess before him. Please watch over my people. Dont allow them to be overrun as were the people here before us. He laid there for what felt like an eternity. He watched the sun rise and set, rise and set. He could feel the cold grip of death begin to squeeze him. It was the end of his days. He had failed his mission, failed Lusitania. The world went black.

Avilis awoke to the feeling of someones touch. He was being picked up and carried away. Forcing his eyes open, he saw it was one of his men. Hes alive, he called out. Chief, after we fled from the barbarians, we went looking for you. After two days we thought for sure you were taken.

With the last bit of life in him, Avilis smiled at the man. Go back to Lusitania and tell the elders I have found a new god to watch over and protect us. This mountain... coughing, he forced himself to finish, it is a place of the gods. Settle here, at the base of the mountain, and do my memory honor in never making peace with these barbarians. Never stop fighting until we have destroyed them. We will surpass even the great civilizations of the past. Avilis could hear the man responding to him, but couldnt hear what he was saying. All of a sudden he felt warm, as if his new protector was embracing him and bringing him into the world of the spirits. He had done what he needed to do. He could now leave the world in peace. Finally, he let himself slowly drift off into the abyss.

3899 B.C. - Mt. Avilis

dot80 · Jul 2, 2014

Saga d'Abílo [Avilis V]
(dot80)

Chief Avilis of the Palanti was seen as the greatest Chief of Lusitania, and was forever after revered as a mythological hero of the Portuguese people. Countless generations of children have heard of his exploits. The mountain, now called Mt Abílo, is to this day cherished as a most sacred place to the Portuguese. After his death, the people of Lusitania mourned his loss, and created a brotherhood of explorers, named the Avili (later the Fraternidade d'Abílo), to forever expand the Lusitanians’ knowledge of the vast and unknown world.

by Anonymous

Unkown - Libson, Portugal

Heerlo · Jul 7, 2014

Desert City
(Heerlo)
After going to inform chief Adrianos of their discoveries, the small group returned to the warriors temporary camp. Continuing westward through the forest, they came to the edge of a vast desert. Here it was hot, hotter than any place Alexius had ever been. Even Edrik seemed suprised to find such a place. The men were growing weary after only a little while of traveling. The group was finally driven to traveling only at night when it was cooler.

After almost a week of trekking through the desert, the warriors saw something on the horizon that looked like a city.

After climbing the hill on which it sat, the men found that it, too, was empty and forgotten, as had been the one in the forest. Edrik wondered how a city could survive in the middle of a desert, until he looked to the south and realized that there was a nearby river, along with what appeared to be some sort of crop. It looked like the same type of crop that existed near Stad Av Varen. He concluded that the city must have farmed the plant and used the water from the river in order to live in such a place.

After about an hour of exploring the dead city, a few of the men came to Edrik, carrying several large stones, each of which had writings on them. "We found these in the building right over there, sir", one of the men said, pointing. Edrik examined the stones, amazed at what he saw; a writing system, which the Swedes had never had. After showing them to several more of the older Swedes, Edrik was convinced that no one in their group could read them. He called the men who had brought the stones. "I want you take these these back to Stad Av Varen" Edrik said. "We must keep them for future generations. There is a river to the south of here, and we have enough food for now. We will stay in this area and await your return."

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