first, Introducing the new cast of Hammurabi's advisors. ( You should recognize those names
)
Amata: Domestic advisor
Ishme: Military advisor
Ishtar: Financial advisor
Guy at the back: Foreign advisor
( aka
Grampa) : Science advisor
*There is no cultural advisor as Hammurabi himself is the utmost reference for all things cultural.*
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Act 6
At the dusk of the first turn, Babilû is already a small city and the palace is finally completed. Hammurabi, in his brand new palace, was gathered with his circle of advisors and enjoyed a copious meal. As the repast was ending the gang gradually shifted from idle chitchat to important state discussions.
<Hammurabi> I still cannot believe the palace ended up being so grand!
<Amata>Yes, our people did a splendid job here!
<Ishtar> They seem very happy too. Despite our nomadic traditions, I think they are glad to have settled down.
<Guy at the back> Its the wind of change, somehow makes them anticipate better things to come.
<Hammurabi>And they are right, all will become better now!
<Amata>This dinner was great. Even our traditional dishes seemed better than usual
<Ishme> Definitely, those locust-kebabs were deliciously crisp and done just right!
<Guy at the back> We have actual kitchens now, probably has something to do with it.
<Ishme> Or possibly the locusts also sensed the wind of change and decided they would grow tastier to please us.
<Guy at the back> What is this blasted idea? Did you get hit on the head again? They are friggin locusts. They don't do stuff like that!
<Amata> Who knows what a locust really think anyway?
<Ishtar> But this is just superstition, please stop trying to figure out what insects are thinking.
<Guy at the back> I tell you, its that rock that hit him on the head as a kid. Ever since that day Ishme had those weird ideas.
*Ishme glares at Guy at the back*
<Hammurabi> Ah just stop it, Ishme is a brave man. He is selfless and hard-working. If it pleases him to believe insects have personalities then so be it.
<Guy at the back> Harrumph! ...
<Ishtar> Anyway... Talking about rocks, we will need more of them if we are to keep building the city at the current rate. Our initial supply is nearly gone and this is vital to our expansion.
<Hammurabi> You are right, we definitely need more food.
<Guy at the back> ermm, you mean rocks.
<Hammurabi> No I said food!
<Amata> Don't you think we have eaten enough food for tonight?
<Hammurabi> This is not what I meant...
<Ishme> But if we start building houses with food, at some point the walls will rot! Unless... you mean we should start eating rock?
<Guy at the back> *facepalm*
<Ishtar> Well, as i said, without
rocks, we will not be able to build much anymore.
<Hammurabi> Definitely, I agree. We should start gathering more food as soon as possible.
<Advisors>
<Hammurabi> Ahhh! You guys are so short-sighted sometimes!
<Advisors> ...
<Hammurabi> If we gather more food, then we will grow more people. Then we can use the extra people to gather rocks, simple, no?
<Ishtar> Well, i suppose this makes sense...
<Ishme> Hurray! We are so lucky to have such an insightful king!
<Guy at the back> You mean, you are lucky we don't have rocks yet... Your head seems to attract them so easily...
<Ishtar> There happens to be a large deposit of rock at the east. When we have the ressources I suppose we will be able to send some people to work there.
*Maidservant enters the dinning room*
<Maidservant> Your highness, your bubble bath is ready.
<Hammurabi> Thank you very much! I will be coming in a minute, you are dismissed.
*Maidservant leaves the dinning room*
<Hammurabi> Ahhh! Time for my bubble bath, so relaxing...
<Amata> I guess this is the end of today's meeting then.
<Ishtar> Alright, we have a good idea of what we should do with our workforce but i suggest we discuss it further tomorrow morning.
<Hammurabi> We shall! In the meantime thank you for this good time and have a restful night my friends!
<Advisors> Thank you Hammurabi!
<Hammurabi> You are dismissed!
*Everyone leaves the dinning room and goes his way.*
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Hammurabi smiled softly to himself as he slowly walked the long corridors of the palace. He was really excited and could still hardly believe what was happening to him. Yet, he felt very proud and confident, he knew he was doing this right so far. We will become a great nation he thought.
As he approached the palace bathrooms, the steamy air from the warm tubs reached his nostrils. He smiled some more in anticipation of the relaxing bath. He entered the royal bathroom, all decorated in sumptuous ceramic mosaics. The bath was perfect, steamy and not too much bubble-stuff, just as he liked. He removed his sandals and started to turn around in order to hang his toga on the wall. Suddenly, he stopped. Something felt wrong. As he was turning he thought he saw something shift in the water, just a glimpse from the corner of his eye.
Hammurabi glared suspiciously at the bathtub for a moment. Then he shook his head and dismissed the event as the fruit of his imagination. He turned around starting to take off his Toga, but he briskly turned once more looking at the bath. Is it me or the steam is thicker than usual? They must have made the water too hot. They want to boil me alive or what? As he kept looking, the steam seemed to get even thicker and eerie colorful glows appeared in the water. Then the water started to bubble out and boil. Hammurabi, wide eyed, backed a few steps. Oh no... we must have built the palace on some cursed ground and now an angry spirit has taken possession of my bath. Suddenly very scared Hammurabi turned around and started to run toward the door. At this moment a familiar voice reached his ears. "Haaammuuurabiiiii..." Hammurabi stopped in his tracks and turned once more toward the bathtub. There he was, looking straight at him, standing on the water of the bathtub as if it was solid ground.
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<Hammurabi> Grampa!!
<
> Yes Hammurabi... It is I.... Grampa...!
...
To be continued
End of Act 6
.
That was awesome!
