Cleopatra's Nose (First Story)

[Invisible Rhino]

Monarch Level Conquests Game, Standard Size Random Map, Sedentary Barbarians, Random Opponents, Random Civilization (Egypt), Normal Aggression, Civs Don't Restart, No Linked Locations

Chapter One, Beauty Amongst the Savages (4000 BC - 2700 BC)

"Had Cleopatra's nose been shorter, the whole face of the world would have changed." Blaise Pascal

She was born next to a great river, the daughter of a strong warrior and a skilled artist. She grew up working her family farm with her bare hands as a child. As she matured her parents passed and she took charge of the house, and the small community. Her charisma and beauty were well known. More and more people flocked to her side, to be near her grace and the fertile lands of her home. They began to call themselves the Egyptians, and their leader was a Goddess come to Earth, a ruler without peer and a blessing to her chosen named Cleopatra. Feeling the call of her ancestors, she donned the crown of Wadjet and ascended to the throne. In honor of her father the city of her palace was called Thebes.

The mighty river was known as the Nile. It flowed from the inside of a strange mountain and out towards the distant sea. The land was fertile and rich. Cleopatra's people set out to farm it, and build roads from the great city.

As the city grew, a group of strong men took up clubs and axes, and formed themself into a band of thirty warriors. They set out to explore the land. They found a great treasure in a forest nearby Thebes. A rare group of plants that could be used to change the color of cloth and make it appear quite beautiful.

Although only enough could be taken to make a set of robes for their despot, all of the people of Egypt desired to be colorful and rich. Cleopatra knew that she must extend this gift. So she ordered a group of farmers to begin the construction of a road in the direction of the forest. In the meantime, her new robes, as golden as the sun itself, reinforced her absolute authority.

Hearing of the great discoverg, a second group of warriors formed itself from the ragtag elements of society. Not all were cut out for the glorious and rewarding life of a farmer of Egypt. These rough types prefered to live on the wild, to fight off dangerous animals and to make contact with other peoples.

A group known as the Cimmerians had long lived in villages to the north east of Egypt. A group of warriors decided to visit them, bearing gifts of grain and fresh water for the proud barbarians. The gift was not received well, and sixty strong brutes attacked the force.

Slighty to the south, a group of warriors visitng a village of Gauls had the same bad luck. A force the same size was deplyoed against the brave warriors. Both Egyptian warriors were outnumbered nearly two to one. They glaced at their comrades, and the first battles in the history of Egypt commenced.

The warriors at the Cimmerian camp were swarmed by forty barbarians, they held their ground and fought them off, slaughtering every one of the fanatical foes. However the Egyptian warriors were badly injured, with twenty of their thirty unable to fight. The remaining ten looked at their foes, held up their clubs and axes and were ready to fight. But the remaining twenty Cimmerians turned and ran. The Egpytians breathed a sigh of relief.

To the south the Gaul warriors showed more caution, only twenty attacked, and the tight formation of the Egyptian warriors did not allow a single casualty while all twenty of the attackers were vanquished. The reamining forty Gauls split their forces and ran.

When Cleopatra received word of what had occured she was greatly angered, but did not let her emotions overcome her reason. She ordered a great feast in honor of the brave warriors who had fought for her land, and the people celebrated. At the feast Cleopatra announced that the Cimmerians and the Gauls were the enemies of Egpyt, and that unless they wished to renounced their ties to their tribes they would be hunted down wherever they would be found.

Hearing this, a group of ten warriors from Cimmeria joined the Egyptian warriors that their people had just attacked. They added different experience to the group, and the experienced camp set in to rest and regain their strength, knowing twenty of their foe remained alive. To the south their comrades, faced with twice the number and without the benefit of new experience held their hill with confidence.

A small band of Gauls yelled with manic fury as they charged uphill at the Egyptian warriors. The bronze skilled men yelled with equal rage, but held their ground and forced the Gauls to come to them. Not a single one of the attacking and outnumbered barbarians survived. The proud Egpytians had not taken a single casualty. They turned their eyes to the east, where the last of the bands of Gaul warriors was camped.

To the north the Cimmerian warriors were infuriated at the betrayal of their clansmen. They saw that they faced even odds against the mixed force of Egyptians and Cimmerians and so charged. But they were outclassed. Not a single one lived through the attack. The Cimmerian menace was dispersed.

Thirty angry Egyptian warriors attacked the Gaul camp. They caught them sleeping at night, they killed the animals and the men indiscriminately. They killed every one. In their vengeance however, they were careless. Ten of their number suffered bad injuries in the attack. They settled in the now empty camp to rest.

The timing could not have been better for Cleopatra. She celebrated the death of her first enemies by granting a cousin of hers the privilege to take her family to the west and settle their own city. She was given stewardship of the treasure plants, the dyes as they were called. The road had been built, and the settlers marched along it and built their city near the sea. The city soon attracted strong warriors to defend the dyes.

Once that precedent had been established, many of Cleopatra's more wealthy people begged the despot for the right to make their own cities. Many of these claims were fruitless hopes that would have spread the Egyptian people far too thin. But one held merit. A wily Cimmerian farmer, who had joined Cleopatra's people before the fighting had broken out, knew of very fertile land near his people's home. Cleopatra allowed him his request, provided he organized a team of warriors to defend his village as soon as it was built.

The mouth of the mighty river was named for the people who had once lived there, it became the Cimmeria.

Meanwhile, the groups of warriors recovered their strength and continued to explore the land. Along the way, one group saw a village along a fertile plain. The warriors were cauutious, but they saw that these people were not desert dwellers like the Cimmerians or plainsmen like the Gauls, but fellow farmers like the Egyptians. They met the Patzinals, a poor people who could not offer much.

The Patzinals were welcomed into the Egyptian civilization. One of them traveled all the way to Thebes and became a close personal friend of Cleopatra herself. Her name has been lost to history, but it is know that she herself won the right to settle a city of her own. She won this right by suggesting a spot in territory still known to be inhabited by Gauls, although not any organized warriors had been seen for some time. Her city was soon built.

The city was named for a mythical animal that was the favorite of the founding woman. She had heard tales of gigantic beasts with tusks the size of spears and legs the size of tree trunks. Surely such an animal was as real as a dragon or a unicorn. The people laughed at the whimsical name, and began to organize a group of men to defend their village. Although it as down the Cimmeria from Heliopolis the rough currents prevetned any useful trading.

Cleopatra found herself the ruler of four villages, with nearly a hundred and thirty armed warriors and countless farmers at her service. Her people were hard workers and had begun to build temples to the natural spirits about them. The rich wore golden yellow Cloth dyed with the plants from Memphis. Cleopatra thought herself the only great ruler alive, and the Egyptians thought themselves the greatest people who had no competition from the savages around them.

That would soon change, for Egypt was not alone.

This is my first story ever, any and all feedback/criticism is very appreciated. What would you like more of, less of, what do you like/dislike? etc. Thank you for reading!

 

[Ansar]

This is my first story ever, any and all feedback/criticism is very appreciated. What would you like more of, less of, what do you like/dislike? etc. Thank you for reading!

Awesome story so far!

Keep it Up!

 

[soul_warrior]

great.
keep it up.

 

[Xerol]

Great so far, but why did you irrigate the BG west of Thebes?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Nice story. My only minor criticism is on your city placement. I think that Heliopolis should have been placed one space further inland to use the cow. Oh well, another city can take it. Keep it up!

 

[GR8Madmax]

Good start. Looking forward to reading more..

 

[MRick]

Great story, I'm still trying to put my picture in the middle of the text as you do, this would be nice for my story.

 

[shumble]

This is a really interesting story. Look forward to reading the next portion.

 

[Invisible Rhino]

Thank you AnsarKing101, Xerol, shumble, MRick, GR8MadMax and soulwarrior!

Great so far, but why did you irrigate the BG west of Thebes?

The short answer is out of bad habits i picked up on warlord. The long answer is that I won't be able to irragate the plains on the other side of those hills and I want Memphis to be able to grow without a harbor.

Nice story. My only minor criticism is on your city placement. I think that Heliopolis should have been placed one space further inland to use the cow. Oh well, another city can take it. Keep it up!

The poor cow has gone unused I wanted a coastal city up there, but as you'll see completely forgot to make scout ships. I'm not exactly the best civ player in the world as you'll soon learn

 

[Invisible Rhino]

Chapter Two, Two Women and a Jaguar (2700 BC - 30 AD)

"A bad neighbor is as great a misfortune as a good one is a great blessing." Hesiod

It was still nearly two thousand years before the Egyptians began to keep track of what the year was when they first encountered another people who could be considered a civilization unto themselves. They were the same tone as the Egyptians, but they had a different sort of facial structure. A group of thirty warriors of each people met on a plains many miles south of the Egyptian lands. They exchanged pleasantries, and their two leaders met.

Cleopatra accepted the Jaguar pelt with charming decorum and offered a robe of dyed cotton in return. The gifts pleased both rulers. Cleopatra invited Smoke Jaguar onto her royal barge, and they drifted down the Cimmeria while the two strong leaders negotiated.

Meanwhile, outside of the barge the Egyptian and Mayan warriors intermingled and became acquainted. They found that they both placed great value in hard work and earning a day's bread. But while the Egyptian people preferred a spiritual and religious approach to life, the Mayans felt that growing mother earth's bounty was more important. While they respected the efforts of the Egyptian farmers, some could not quite help pointing out the superiority of Mayan farming techniques. On the other hand, the Mayans were befuddled at how the Egyptians could erect temples so quickly.

Cleopatra and Smoke Jaguar emerged from the barge with contented smiles on their faces. Cleopatra was wearing the jaguar pelt around her shoulders, and Smoke Jaguar had donned the robes she had gifted him with. The warriors of both nations were intrigued to see him offer a hand in aid as she stepped from the barge. Being diplomatic, Cleopatra accepted, although her warriors were quick to point out that she did not need any help.

Their talks had indeed been fruitful.

In exchange for instruction on how to capture and train the strong horses of the plains, the Mayans taught the Egyptians how to make clay pottery, and agreed to have a group of their farmers become citizens of Egypt. In addition a small sum of Mayan coin was given to the beautiful ruler. The two great rulers parted ways. Much talk was made of the way Cleopatra stroked the jaguar pelt that she had woven into her royal golden robes.

Player Note : We could have acquired Bronze Working from the Mayans, but research was two turns away

Soon afterwards a new form of metallurgy was discovered. The new metal, called bronze, was superior for making long spears and armor and shields. Cleopatra knew that hard metals would be necessary to keep her people safe. While her and Smoke Jaguar had gotten along well, she had seen the strength of his warriors matched hers, and she knew if she did not take steps to protect her people the jaguar would begin to hunt. In Smoke Jaguar she saw a true match, a challenge. The Mayans could be good friends, or sworn enemies. She would be ready for either eventuality.

With this in mind Cleopatra ordered that centers for training men at arms be constructed in select cities. Although none were ready for such an improvement at that moment. With the training they received at these barracks, soldiers could work and operate in groups of forty, giving them a distinct advantage over groups without the same training. While groups of warriors would still be raised to defend cities, trained spearmen would be needed to keep the empire safe.

It was soon afterwards that a strange visitor came to Cleopatra's throne room. He was pale skinned with fair features, and a long curly beard. He bowed before her and spoke in several different languages before he could make himself known. He claimed to be Tacitus, and said that he had traveled the known world. He had spent several years in Egyptian lands, mostly in Elephantine. He presented Cleopatra with a great work as a gift, which he said was a detailed assessment of the scientific advances of each civilization.

There was a patient pause. None of the Egyptians could read. The idea of making marks on paper to mean things had not occurred to them, or the Maya. Tacitus cleared his throat and read aloud from his book.

Cleopatra was not amused. She thanked Tactius for his gift and allowed him to leave her lands. It was strongly hinted that he not bother to return. Cleopatra leafed through the tome many times. Although she could not read it, she understood some of the more simple diagrams. She could see that in lands called Rome, India, and China, things were being done that neither she nor Smoke Jaguar had developed. Although the Mayan ruler was ranked above her, there was nothing he could teach her.

Cleopatra concluded that Tactius had not researched very thoroughly, but wondered where these Indians, Romans, and Chinese could be. She sat back in her soft throne and considered for the first time the possibility that she was not the strongest, smartest, or most capable ruler in the world.

After a night meditating in her throne, she concluded that if she not the best, she would become the best. Through force or trade, through size or riches, Egypt would be the envy of the world. Her orders spread to her warrior scouts, find these peoples, find their cities, I must meet with their leaders.

It was not much longer before a warrior group heard tales of a people to the south of Smoke Jaguar's lands.

Through some further exploration, contact was made with a land called Byzantium. Though it took careful negotiation, eventually Cleopatra and Theodora met in the vast land that separated their realms.

Cleopatra assured Theodora that she was no barbarian and invited her to Egypt to ride on her barge and talk. Theodora declined. She claimed that she could not trust the cumbersome sea craft of Egypt to keep her royal personage safe.

Cleopatra was riled at the insult, but as usual kept her cool. The two women agreed to discuss matters with their advisors present under a large pavilion tent of Egyptian Cotton under the sun in the fertile plains of the lands inhabited by the Patzinals. Strong warriors of both people's kept guard as the women spoke.

Cleopatra's advisors took an instant dislike to Theodora's advisors. They were arrogant and superior, and seemed convinced of the intellectual superiority of Byzantium. The spiritual wonderings of Egyptian thinkers did not amuse them, nor did their regard for hard work and labor.

When it was revealed that Cleopatra's people did not even have their own alphabet, Theodora stood and declared the meeting was over. She stared at Cleopatra "You claimed to be no barbarian." The slender women spoke. "I see nothing separating Egypt from the Gauls."

"Then teach us." Cleopatra begged humbly. "We can teach you the use of many devices, clay pots, stone working, wheeled carriages..." Theodora seemed a bit set back by this. She did not want to admit that Byzantium did not know these things were possible. A deal was made, for teaching Byzantium how to carve stone, make clay pots, and carve wheels, Egypt learned the Byzantine alphabet.

In this manner, the pottery style of Maya made its way across the continent.

Cleopatra was enraged as she made her way back to Thebes on horseback. While meeting Smoke Jaguar had been a pleasure, Theodora had been arrogant and condescending. The beautiful despot came down hard on her people. She begun anew her search for able leaders to take farmers and settle new lands.

"Bring Egypt to the edge of Byzantium." Cleopatra demanded. "Theodora cannot scoff at me when she sees the greatness of my land, the power of my men and the beauty of my people."

Meanwhile, word reached the despot from Memphis, that as their temple had become well known in the area they had heard tell of a village just outside of her borders of Sarmatians. Cleopatra assigned the warriors guarding Memphis to leave their posts and investigate, while she assembled farmers in her capital to leave and settle a new city.

The spirit of the Nile it seemed, did not want its favorite people to leave its banks. Disease spread forth into Thebes, and for nearly a century the Egyptian capital was wracked with devastating plagues.

Players Note : Two consecutive disease outbreaks

The soothsayers, led by a mystic who called himself The River's Might were alarmed. They begged Cleopatra to build a temple to the spirit of the Nile, to stop the disease. Cleopatra put the chief soothsayer in charge of founding the next city of her empire.

"No one defies me. Do you understand?" She said to him. "Not you, not Byzantium, not the spirit of Nile itself." Although she spoke quietly, and her voice was sweet, her words were like thunder. The River's Might abandoned his river spirit, and left the city a nameless mystic in search of a new spirit to guide him.

On the other side of her lands, the warriors who had spent so long guarding Memphis met with the Sarmations. It did not go well. The Sarmatian leader declared that they would never be ruled by Egypt. Although they only numbered twenty, Sarmatian warriors assembled to fight.

The Memphis guards, remembering the stories of the brave fights against the Gauls and the Cimmerians held their ground with expectations of victory. They were sorely disappointed. The twenty Sarmatians charged them with no fear, for they knew the desert. Just as they attacked, a sandstorm hit. The Egyptians were not ready for it, it blinded them, the Sarmatians slaughtered the Egyptians. None escaped. It was the first time in the history of Egypt that Cleopatra's warriors did not return home.

The people of Memphis were enraged. They quickly assembled a second group of warriors, putting aside their plans of a barracks. The warriors covered their faces to protect against the desert sand. They scoured the hot arid land and hunted down the Sarmatians. Eager with bloodlust the barbarians attacked, and they were destroyed. As instructed, the heads of the Sarmatians were bought to Memphis and displayed for the people to see. Cleopatra was pleased. The second guard resumed the duties of those who had fallen and the city of Memphis began to build the first barracks in Egypt.

"It is not the might of the river, but the calm of the lake that is to be desired." The soothsayer with a new name told his people as they surveyed their new home. "The lake can give us what we need without the noise, without the rage, without bringing monsters from the sea." He sighed. "I am the Calm of the Lake, and this is our city, the holy city of the lake, Pi-Ramesses."

While the soothsayer had found peace, his former spirit had not. As though the furious and mysterious river from the mountain knew of the betrayal of his chief mystic, his furious plague descended upon Cleopatra's city once again.

Player Note : Once again, two plagues in a row reduce Thebes to size 1

 

[Invisible Rhino]

Cleopatra was distraught as she sat by the bed of her chief advisor. "My lady, even if we took all that Thebes had, it would not be enough for a city to last." Her advisor told her, on his deathbed. "Please, build a temple to the Nile spirit. Maybe.." A series of coughs wracked his body. "Maybe then our souls will have peace." Another series of coughs was all the poor man had left in him. Cleopatra closed his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Assign the bodies of the victims of the disease to the river. And begin a temple to the Nile spirit." She said. "The temple shall be known as the Aral-ran, in honor of my most skilled advisor, in whose memory I shall dedicate it." Cleopatra was not seem by her people or her viziers for many days afterwards. She spent the time confined in her quarters, planning, scheming, and praying. The Nile seemed to be pleased, for the plague did not come back.

When she emerged, she was all business. "Assemble a troop of warriors. Send them back to Sarmatia." Were her first words. There was no dissent. Cleopatra's look said she would hear none. Cleopatra had heard something from one of the victorious men of the second Memphis guard. Something that had been bothering her. She rubbed a small powder between her fingers as her orders were carried out. She sniffed the powder than scattered it over a brazier. The smell it produced was very pleasant. Cleopatra smiled. "This will please you, spirit of the Nile, if Aral-ran does not."

Cleopatra's warriors confirmed that the substance, which the Sarmatians called incense, was abundant. Cleopatra ordered that the area be scoured. A troop of warriors went beyond the incense. The people who lived to in that area were called the Assyrians, a proud people, composed mostly of men who grew bizarre facial hair. For want of a strong leader, they could have been a civilization. They were certainly very wise.

Cleopatra was delighted with the new material. The Iron was stronger than Bronze, and could be used to make weapons on its own, not just give hard points to wooden spears. While the bronze armor was still necessary for spearmen, Cleopatra's new Assyrian advisor showed her smiths how to make long sharp weapons called swords that were guaranteed to tear through an enemy with great ease.

"We may have need of these soon enough." Cleopatra said as she ran her finger along a razor sharp edge. "But let us not give the Byzantines another reason to assume we are barbarians." She said ruefully. "Yet. We need to find a source of this metal, and quickly." Cleopatra's scouts already knew of such a site, south of the Holy city of the Lake. Plans were made to settle there, with an Assyrian lord who was well versed in Iron Working taking charge of the expedition.

As Cleopatra contemplated war, the land beyond the sea was undertaking great projects. Cleopatra was understandably upset when she heard that a gigantic bronze statue had been built. It dwarfed anything known to man, and therefore was called the Colossus. Rumor had it that the people who had built it were named the Dutch. Cleopatra remembered them from Tactius' book. It was considered the first great wonder of the world.

The expansion of the Egyptian people showed no signs of slowing. A wife of one of the lost men of the original Memphis guard petitioned for the right to build an outpost city beyond the hills, and she was granted her request. Soon afterwards, the Assyrian Lord built his city next to the much needed metal.

Cleopatra's empire was growing quickly, but she was nervous when another pale skinned traveler came through her land, taking notes in a voluminous tome. She called him to Thebes to explain himself. He bowed before the beautiful despot and showed her his work, which Cleopatra could understand quite well.

"Your people are the happiest of any I have seen. They love you without reservation, and would gladly do anything for you." He said proudly. Cleopatra was pleased to see that her rival Theodora was far below her, and was puzzled as to why Smoke Jaguar's people seemed ready to revolt. Cleopatra offered Livy a place in her service. He accepted gladly.

Soon afterwards, Cleopatra received a messenger from the Assyrian Lord who had built El-Amarna. He informed them his brother was the chief of an Assyrian village that was renowned for its science and learning. Cleopatra sent an envoy to greet them, and the result was quite impressive.

Putting the Assyrian writing system with the Byzantine alphabet, they were able to finally put the Egyptian language onto paper in a form that complicated words and paragraphs could be formed. Cleopatra offered the new group of Assyrians a village of their own, and custody of the incense. They accepted.

A road was quickly ordered to be built so that all of the empire could enjoy the fragrant smell.

Curious as to why Smoke Jaguar's people were unhappy with him, Cleopatra paid him a visit in the great city of Tikal. This time it was Cleopatra's turn to be escorted through the mysterious city of her rival. She found that the Mayan lord had an obsession with the animals he was named for, many were kept in chains and pits in his city, and he used them to execute those he was displeased with.

Cleopatra was also astounded to see the Mayans had no system of lettering. So she offered to teach him the Byzantine method. Smoke Jaguar offered Cleopatra all the gold of his treasury, which the Egyptian beauty diplomatically decided not to point out was quite small.

The following year, Cleopatra selected two of her most skilled young female subjects to become permanent ambassadors in Chichen Itza and Byzantium. She purposely chose women that bore a very strong resemblance to herself, and dressed them in the same golden robes that she wore. They were dispatched to the foreign lands and settled in the capitals.

The first dispatch from Byzantium was not what Cleopatra wanted to hear.

"My Lady,

I beg your pardon, but this city is more alive with science and learning than any I have seen in your land. On the corners of the streets philosophers are debating the meanings of many things that our people assume are the works of spirits. Ideas about free will and death that I have never heard before are abundant here. Great projects the likes of which our people cannot build are being undertaken, and these men and women make paper charts of the land about them that aid greatly in empire management. The Byzantines truly are the enlightened of the world."

Cleopatra begged Theodora to share her knowledge. But the Byzantine despot was adamant that she did not parlay with barbarians.

It seemed that the Mayans learned very quickly. It was not long after Cleopatra had taught Smoke Jaguar the Byzantine alphabet that the Mayans extracted the Byzantine writing system from Theodora, and even learned their philosophy. However, unlike the selfish Theodora, Smoke Jaguar was willing to trade with Cleopatra.

So Byzantine philosophy works spread across the land, all written with the Byzantine alphabet. While the Mayan versions used the Byzantine writing system as well, the Egyptian translations used the Assyrian writing system.

Meanwhile, the lands north of the incense and Assyrian territory were explored. Cleopatra had been told by her Assyrian friends that a fierce tribe called the Illyrians lived in the area, and her warrior scouts confirmed that fact quickly enough. The thirty man team of warriors was swarmed by sixty Illyrians who slaughtered the thirty Egyptians while losing forty of their own. Cleopatra accepted this as unavoidable. She ordered groups of men with bronze spears and armor to clear out the land of Illyrians so that she could settle it.

Just as she was ordering the spearmen out, one of her chief priests suddenly became aware that a blessed man in the lands of the Celts could see the future. The gods spoke to him and told him that their one Oracle on earth had been found. Cleopatra was not surprised, if she could not even placate the spirit of the River that she had built her city on she very much doubted that the Gods would chose one of her people for their mouth. It was soon afterwards that her spearmen rounded up the last of the Illyrians and put them down.

Cleopatra then received another letter from her envoy to Byzantium.

"My Lady,

A great project has been built in honor of Theodora, the eternal guardian of the Byzantines. Great stone Pyramids larger than any I have ever heard tell of have been constructed to house the dead of her line. Such a sight you must see to believe!"

Cleopatra wondered if perhaps her envoy had become a bit too smitten with Byzantine culture. She offered Theodora another trade, she would send several great works of Egyptian literature and law in exchange for a sum of gold and the secret art of cartography. The trade was the best that could be extracted from the stingy Byzantine ruler.

The next time that Theodora spoke the Egypt she was wearing golden jewelry. She now called herself a feudal Lady, far above petty despots like Cleopatra. Smoke Jaguar was little better, he was now the King of the Mayans. Neither rule would consider trading knowledge with Cleopatra.

Player note, Byzantines got Feudalism as their free tech

Cleopatra hung up her golden silk robes with the jaguar fur trimming. With one last lingering glance she remembered the barge ride when the two great rulers had first met. Then she turned away. She ordered a set of iron armor made to fit her figure. The golden clothes would be worn underneath and as a long flowing cape. She still wore the cobra's crown, but the heavy armor would show the world her strength. When word reached the other lands of this, bits and pieces of jaguar fur began to make their way into the attire of Theodora.

North of Illyrian territory the land turned to ice and snow. The Egyptian spearmen hunkered down and traveled through it as far as they could. But the land was too cold and they were not ready for the extreme temperatures. One by one they lost consciousness and fell, a curse on their lips for the fate that had befallen them.

But they were not lost. The ice and snow was not as empty as they had thought. People called the Phrygians lived there, and they took in the frostbitten spearmen and nourished them back to health. The Phrygians were ruled by a local ruler, but he governed in a style almost exactly the same as Smoke Jaguar.

Cleopatra was greatly pleased. She offered the Phrygians custody of the frozen lands and the right to move south into more pleasant realms if they wished. The hearty Phrygians preferred to remain in the north, but told the Egyptian they would work with any settlers Cleopatra wished to send.

Egypt certainly had no shortage of settlers. Now that a Code of Laws had been established one of the beautiful Egyptian ruler's favorite punishments was to send the criminals in large groups into the hot jungles to the east, where they would either build cities for her or die in the effort. Because of this the thick forest became known as the Jungle of Thieves. However, a great discovery was made. A second type of the sacred Memphis plant. This dye caused the cloth it touched to become bright, almost blood red. It spread though the lands as soon as the work crews connected roads.

In the next century it seemed as though the Egyptians were the only people who did not complete a sort of great project. Smoke Jaguar to the south built a temple complex to a goddess named Artemis. It was not a secret that the statues of the goddess bore a strong resemblance to Cleopatra. But the Egyptian ruler was not pleased by this, and ignored any message from Smoke Jaguar that was not an affair of state. It seemed the Jaguar had sought better hunting from Byzantium and not been pleased with what he had caught.

Across the sea, a city of Romans built a set of gardens of such beauty and splendor that Cleopatra wished she could see them for herself, and in India a gigantic mausoleum was constructed. Soon afterwards in China a huge statue of their god of lightning was constructed, and the Celts, perhaps hearing their instructions directly from the Gods, constructed a gigantic wall around their lands.

Cleopatra chose not to declare herself the Queen of Egypt. She had almost realized a greater form of government, one that would allow the people to voice their opinions in a Senate. She would have to give up some of her absolute power, but she trusted in the love her people had for her.

She had great plans for the near future. The Illyrian, Assyrian and Phrygian lands would be settled. In addition Cleopatra wanted as many Egyptian people in the small spaces between herself and Byzantium and Maya as possible.

The Byzantines still knew secrets of construction that the Egyptians could not comprehend, and they also had developed a sort of currency that replaced the barter system which Cleopatra wished her people could understand. The feudal society that they lived in also allowed heavily armed warriors and defenders, Cleopatra hoped that Theodora had no source of the heavy metal she would need to build them, though she commanded nearly five hundred warriors and just over four hundred spearmen, the heavy maces and pikes she had seen examples of would be more than a match for her forces.

Only time would tell what could happen next...

 

[Invisible Rhino]

Player Notes :

As you've probably noticed, I made a huge newbie mistake and never built a scout curragh or even a galley. The other land is so close, I could have had contact with the rest thousands of years ago. That's something I'm going to take care of very soon.

Also, I stopped keeping careful notes as the game went on. I'll keep better notes for the next Chapter.

Here are maps of Egypt and the Histograph

 

[shumble]

I love your story so far.

 

[Ansar]

Great job!
Nice that you are in first place, if both the Byzantines and Mayas are in second age, check which one has a weaker military. And attack for research.

 

[Protean]

Very nice story, you've got a good thing going here. Keep it up!

 

[MSTK]

Very nice story. Good luck on the game. So far, things seem pretty nice for you.

 

[Invisible Rhino]

Chapter Three, a Goddess of the People (30 AD - 410 AD)

"A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats." Stephen Crane

"The people of a town will select one to speak for them, and these chosen, called senators, will gather in the capital and be the voice of the people in the court of Cleopatra." The newly titled Empress Cleopatra read the declaration that established the Egyptian Senate. "The Empress shall retain the authority invested in her by the people, but she is to understand that she is the servant of her people as much as they are the servants of her will. The Empress rules because she is the people, if she ever ceases to be the people she will have no legitimacy."

It was a monumental document, the first of its type ever considered in the world, and Cleopatra could not have been more pleased. The decentralized government would increase commerce throughout her realm, and with the feeling of representation her farms would produce more from certain areas.

"Spread the word." She told her messengers. "The Empress Cleopatra is now the servant of her people." It was a revolutionary decree, and it had the predictable results. Egypt shut down as the people argued and fought over if the change was right. But the outcome was never in doubt. In the year 130 AD, the Republic of Egypt was founded.

Smoke Jaguar and Theodora heard of the innovation, but they were cautious. Smoke Jaguar's model of a monarchy seemed to pale in terms of the freedom of his people next to Cleopatra's representative government. Smoke Jaguar was saved the trouble of offering to exchange knowledge, Cleopatra sent him a message. In exchange for instruction in Mayan building techniques, she would sent a detailed plan of the representative government to him. Smoke Jaguar agreed, and sent a present of four bags of gold to go along with the construction plans. His people immediately began to clamor for freedom. Because the Mayans were not as spiritually accepting of change as the Egyptians, the anarchy would last some time.

Theodora's network of feudal states also heard of the freedom being granted in Egypt and a troop of them protested in Byzantium, demanding political freedom. They were locked up quickly. The Egyptian ambassador quickly sent out a message.

"Empress,

A group of Byzantine farmers has demonstrated in the capital in favor of a government based on your glorious model. They have been jailed and the rumor is that they will be tortured to death. Please, great lady, intervene!"

Cleopatra was sympathetic. She sent a senator with a cartload of gold to Theodora and procured the freedom of the farmers. The freed Byzantines rushed to Thebes for freedom. Cleopatra declared they must prove their loyalty, and sent them to join the Mayan workers who were building a mine on the mountain near Thebes.

Meanwhile the senator was able to negotiate with Theodora to return the vast majority of the gold that had just been paid in exchange for a set of books that instructed the Byzantines on how government should be conducted. As was the case with the Mayans, once these books spread there was a revolt.

While the Byzantines, Mayans, and Egyptians would have been horrified to consider the thought, modern anthropologists like to point out how very similar they were culturally to each other. All used the Byzantine alphabet, the Mayans also used the Byzantine writing system, all three made Mayan style pottery, all great works of Literature, Law, and Government were written by the Egyptians, while all works of Philosophy were Byzantine in origin. In fact if it were not for the fact that the Egyptians used the Assyrian writing system, one could have walked from one end of the continent to the other and been able to read every book they found.

The period of unrest was quickly over in Egypt. The people immediately sprang back into production. The very first unit of forty swordsmen was made in Alexandria. They were immediate sent to guard the Mayan border. In Heliopolis three galleys were constructed and loaded with messengers and gifts for foreign lands. The largest of the tree, who sailed in the lead, was called the Dawn Treader. It had barely left the vicinity of Heliopolis when they saw land.

As the Dawn Treader group set sail across the short channel, they saw that they land was inhabited by pale skinned men and women who looked at the bronze Egyptians suspiciously. Their leader however, was very polite and when he heard of the Egyptian Empress requested a personal audience.

Cleopatra and William met on the deck of a Dutch Galley in the middle of the channel, which the Egyptians called William's Channel in honor of the Dutch King. Cleopatra had a good impression of the man, he wore iron armor like she did, although his was more functional while hers had a touch of ornamentation to it. William joked that his people were probably happier to see him in armor that covered his body, while Cleopatra's were blessed to have an Empress who looked so good in hers. He was a smooth talker, but Cleopatra was not in the mood to be flattered.

The two rulers debated governmental matters after the initial pleasantries. While William was aware of representative government, he chose to rule as a King and Cleopatra was not able to convince him to change his mind. She also saw that the Dutch had their own currency, but was unable to convince William to introduce it into her lands. Cleopatra was glad to have a new friend, but frustrated that she had gained little herself from the contact. She sailed back to Heliopolis while the three galleys who had contacted the Dutch began to explore the coast of the new continent.

Although there were at least two distinct forms of currency (Dutch and Byzantine) known to her, Cleopatra was forced to have her traders make a unique Egyptian currency. This discovery was the last of the ancient age. Cleopatra joined her three neighbors in the Medieval times in the year 250 AD. Her ambassador in Byzantium reported that Theodora had lost no time pointing out that the Egyptians were the last on the island to leave the ancient age.

With a currency of its own, Egypt was now the equal of the Mayans and the Dutch. The Byzantines had long ago learned the art of Feudalism, but it seemed they had not discovered a single thing since. "Theodora puts too much trust in the scientific spirit of her people." Cleopatra said. "The hard working Egyptians will surpass her in time." The Senators nodded their agreement.

Another contact was made that year. It was not accompanied by the ceremony which had marked the meeting with William, for Brennus of the Celts was a barbaric leader who did not enjoy ceremony. He dealt with the captain of the galleys his ships met as if he was dealing with Cleopatra herself, and, considering his manner, it is fortunate that the Empress was not present.

The captain of the Dan Treader attached a message to a hawk's leg and let it fly back to Thebes.

"Empress,

We have made contact with the savage Celts. Like us they revere the spirits, but like the Mayans and Dutch they work the earth as though it is their greatest friend. They have no knowledge of our government, even the Dutch model of representation is alien to them. However, your majesty should be pleased to note that on the pommel of his sword Brennus wore gems that sparkled with a light that is only seen in the eyes of your majesty. If we could procure some of these gems from him, our people would be grateful."

Cleopatra had received similar word about cloths of bright, light-weight, material found in Byzantine lands. If she could combine such cloth with the dyes of her lands, the Egyptians would be the envy of the world. However Byzantium had made no effort to build trade roads, and Cleopatra had no plans to put her workers at risk in Byzantine territory when there was still much to do in Egypt. Trade would have to wait.

The Empress did, however, take pity on the Celtic people and sold Brennus her books on government for a small sum. She was happy to see that even the savage Brennus saw the wisdom of her model, and his people began their revolt almost instantly. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Empress was amused that William, who had been so adamant about the superiority of ruling as a monarch, had begun a set of reforms to introduce a senate as well.

In the year 260 the city of Byblos was the first Egyptian city to build a harbor. The fisherman began to bring their harvest in from the sea, and the city began to grow. With the harbor the people had the chance to grow to the requisite size to have their own senator. Following this model, other smaller cities began to build harbors. Cleopatra assigned the people of Byblos to build sailing fleets to guard William's Channel.

It was soon afterwards that the Dawn Treader came in sight of a new country. The people who lived there were unlike any that the Egyptians had ever seen, with paler skin and dark hair and new facial features. They were called the Chinese. They were the only people that the Egyptians had met that valued hard work as much as themselves and the Mayans did, but they were warlike and fierce in a manner that they had never encountered before. Cleopatra was hesitant to meet this warlike ruler, but when it was reported that the Chinese lived in a state of representation like the Egyptians did, Cleopatra breathed easier. Still, the distance was too great for the leaders to meet personally. Messages were exchanged, but little was accomplished.

The Dawn Treader was about to set sail once more, when a sharp eyed lookout spotted a group of farmers and spearmen outside of the Chinese city that were decidedly not of Chinese ancestry. While they had similarities, they were much darker. These people, called the Indians, proved very friendly indeed, and treated the captain of the Dawn Treader to some of the most delicious food he had ever eaten. He wrote back to Cleopatra in high praise of the Indian spices, however, like with the Chinese, very little was gained.

While Cleopatra was looked across the ocean, Smoke Jaguar had made a serious commitment to improving the knowledge of his people. A library of gigantic size was built in Mayan lands. It housed all the knowledge of the known world, with scholars visiting from far away to add what they knew. Cleopatra was very jealous of this accomplishment, from which Smoke Jaguar had already learned the secrets of Feudalism which still eluded Cleopatra's Wisemen.

Knowing that a greater library could not be made, Cleopatra consulted the works of Tactius and Livy. According to the tomes there was only one group of people left to meet, the Romans. She instructed the Dawn Treader to continue south along the New World, and sure enough they came into contact with a trio of Roman Galleys.

It was a rather anti-climatic ending to contact with the outside world. The Romans were not very strong, although their leader Caesar wore beautiful furs that Cleopatra would have liked to get her hands on. Cleopatra established a foreign affairs department of her government, with a well traveled Minister in charge of relations with each country. Almost as soon as this department was built, the Ministers of the new world were lobbying for gold to establish embassies. The first to be granted such a request was the Minister of Celtic affairs, and one of the famous Daughters of Cleopatra was dispatched to Entermont to serve as the Empress' ambassador.

The city of Thebes, meanwhile, had established the first open marketplace of Egypt. In this great structure anyone could come to exchange goods. Incense and Dyes traded hands, and the wealth trickled down to the people of Thebes. Cleopatra felt this was a great success and determined to build more such structures.

The completion of a harbor on the Dutch side of William's Channel allowed for goods to be traded with the Netherlands. Cleopatra had two things that William greatly desired. The bright red dyes of the Jungle of Thieves, and the hard cold Iron found in southern Egypt. Cleopatra agreed to supply William with both of these products in exchange for instruction in the art of Feudalism. At this point, only the Celts and the Romans were lacking knowledge of Feudalism, and there was no nation that knew a science alien to the Egyptians.

 

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Cleopatra immediately declared the spearman units with their bronze armor and her swordsmen units to be obsolete. Form now on the military would be in the hands of local leaders who could use their own wealth to buy expensive Iron armor, long Iron Pikes, and heavy Iron maces. Cleopatra led by example by paying sixty bags of gold to buy new weapons and armor for eighty of her spearmen. They became the first Egyptian Pikemen. Soon afterwards the first forty Egyptian Medieval Infantry were organized and sent to the Mayan border to watch the troops of Smoke Jaguar carefully.

The next half century passed peacefully, with only the relatively minor incident of a plague outbreak in the Jungle of Thieves interrupting the peaceful building of Egypt. The year 410 AD came along like any other. But a huge innovation was made, one that would change Egypt forever.

A religious sect was spreading, one that would not be denied. They preached a message that was dangerous to some and joyful to others. There was only one Goddess they claimed, only one that had the true divine power. All other spirits and deities were her servants. All people of all colors and creeds should bow to her. Cleopatra, they chanted, the one and only Goddess. The Golden Goddess of Egypt. The rightful ruler of the entire world.

It was a popular movement, and it troubled the Empress herself, though she could not show it. As the people claimed it was her right to rule the world, if she denied them, she would be denying her people. If she accepted their decree, it would mean going to war against one of her neighbors.

She knew that knowledge of the New World could prove essential in any upcoming conflict, and so she paid for an embassy to be established in Amsterdam and Beijing. As soon as she could afford it, she would send one of her daughters to Gandhi and Caesar.

After making these moves, Cleopatra decided to re-organize her government. She standardized the number of people a city must have to be represented by a senator, even making it possible for a city to have more than one seat in the senate. She split the smaller areas into three territories, each of which was represented by a senator, and then assigned a senator to speak for the voice of each of the minority groups in her land. As soon as the elections were finished, there were eighteen senators. The city of Thebes was represented by two, with one each from Memphis, Heliopolis, Pi-Rammesses, Elephantine, Avaris, Buto, Asyut and El-Asmunein. They were joined by the Minortiy Senators of the Assyrians, Patzinals, Phyrgians, Byzantines, and Mayans. And the Territory Senators of the Eastern Territories, Southern Territories, and Western Territories.

Her government she split into a cabinet of three ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Religion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was split again into seven parts, one for each other nation in the world.

Cleopatra convened a meeting of her Cabinet to discuss the current situation. They reported that of all the countries in the world, only three did not also currently have movements claiming that they worshipped the one true god. Two of the three were not surprising, the Celts and the Romans had fallen behind in terms of progress, and neither had given the rest of the world a reason to give them gifts of learning. The third was a surprise. The great and mighty China had not developed such a movement. Cleopatra determined she would find out why, if possible.

In the meantime, the Chief Foreign Affairs Minister presented the current state of the world.

"Empress" he spoke "There are eight great civilizations of the world, including ourselves. Of these eight, there are three that have respect for the mystical world including ourselves, the Celts and the Indians. There are also three that value hard work and industry, they are of course ourselves, the Mayans and the Chinese." He cleared his throat and continued. "Three civilizations excel at farming, even above and beyond us Egyptians, they are the Mayans, the Celts, and the Dutch. Two are ideally suited to sailing the seas, the Dutch and the Byzantines. Two are dedicated to war, the Chinese and the Romans. Two are great merchants and traders, the Indians and the Romans. Only one, the Byzantines, are naturally gifted scientists."

"All eight civilizations live in the model of government developed by yourself, I am pleased to report. The Romans and the Celts do not have much of an army to speak of, we estimate that we could defeat them with relative ease if we met on the battlefield. The Mayans, Byzantines, Dutch and Indians would prove a fair match we believe. The Chinese." He paused. "Outnumber us significantly Empress."

Cleopatra nodded. "Minister of Defense?"

"Empress, you command more than twelve hundred armed soldiers. Of these, more than half are barely armed and unarmored warriors. Their bravery against our foes of the past millennia should be memorialized, it is true, but against an opponent such as those you are considering now they should be considered negligible. In addition to these warriors, you command two hundred and thirty men armed with bronze spears and armor. While they are more useful than your warriors, they should not be counted on to defend against an attack in earnest. Two hundred heavy warriors wearing iron armor and carrying swords are stationed along the Byzantine and Mayan borders. A hundred and twenty soldiers with iron pikes are stationed throughout your empire, and the newly formed forty man group of Medieval Infantry is moving south as we speak. The three galleys currently rounding the cape of the New World are your only navy. Empress." He nodded than sat.

Cleopatra took in all of this information. "Despite what certain fanatics say, I have no desire to rule the world beyond William's channel." She spoke. "The lands of Smoke Jaguar and Theodora, I believe, should come under our rule. What do we have to gain from attacking either one?"

The Minster of Mayan Affairs spoke, "As your majesty knows our scouts have surveyed the terrain of Maya quite well. Only a few small areas are unknown to us." He spread a chart across the conference table. While the Mayans have nothing unique to offer us in terms of resources, several items are available." He pointed at the maps. "The sugar fields of Palenque, the horses of Cuello and Copan, the wheat of Lazapa, the cattle of Kaminaljuyu, and the gold of Tikal could all be taken."

"As far as great projects, the Mayans hold the Great Library in Palenque and the Temple of the Golden Goddess in Chichen Itza." He paused. "However, there is Iron in the Mayan territory." He pointed near the center of the map. "They are likely well armed."

"Thank you Minister." Cleopatra nodded to his counterpart. The Minster of Byzantine Affairs stood.

"Thank you Empress." He spread a map of his own. "The territory of the Byzantines is not well known, but a group of scout galleys could likely discover all we do not know from the sea." He drew a finger along the Byzantine coast, which was dark on the map. "The Byzantines have horses, cattle, sugar and wheat throughout their land. And here, near Nicea, are the fabled Silk groves, which would add a great deal of happiness to your majesty's people." The Minister pointed out. "As luck would have it, the only known source of Iron in Byzantine territory is here. A short march from the position of our border swordsmen. Conquering the capital of Constantinople would land us the great Pyramids." He concluded his presentation.

Cleopatra thought for a moment. "We must build our forces more for a successful attack, but I believe it is time Theodora learned a lesson in manners. We have been mocked for far too long by her attitude. Station a hundred and twenty men near Naissus, and have an additional two hundred ready to assault that Iron mine. The remainder must be ready to sweep through Chalcedon, Sardica, and this unknown city in turn." Cleopatra set out her tactics. "Make it so."

The Minister of Celtic affairs cleared her throat. "Excuse me your majesty. I think you should see this." She put a map in front of Cleopatra. The Golden Goddess became furious. "What is this?"

"The Phyrgian Minority Senator assures me his people had nothing to do with this. The Celts landed settlers and a force of thirty spearmen and built their city despite your people's protest." The Minister explained.

"This will be dealt with." She leaned back in her chair and pondered. "Any other news?"

The Minster of Dutch affairs stood. "Yes, your majesty. William has offered a generous sum for us to ship incense to his capital." The terms of the deal were discussed, and Cleopatra was quite pleased with the profit she was making.

Cleopatra made several proposals to the Senate that year.

1) To issue a statement denouncing Byzantine arrogance.
2) To issue a statement claiming the Celtic settlement in Phrygian lands illegitimate.
3) To grant a gift of gold to the Indian people, in hopes of building a better relationship.

All three were approved. The gift was sent to Gandhi and the statements against Brennus and Theodora were issued and received with wary interest by the world at large.

Next, Cleopatra ordered that a summer palace be built for herself in Memphis. Ideally the summer palace would have been positioned further away from the main palace, but there were no other cities that could produce the building within an acceptable amount of time.

"Now, I think I must arrange a visit with Emperor Mao."

Two weeks later the meeting took place in Chengdu, a small Chinese jungle outpost which was the closest to Egyptian lands. Cleopatra had a new set of armor made for the meeting. Her solid Iron suit had been replaced. with a decidedly more ornamental costume of solid gold. Mao was wearing a simple blue robe that paled in comparison to the gleaming ensemble of Cleopatra. Not one for show was the Emperor of China.

"The Golden Goddess of Egypt." Mao said with crossed arms and a sarcastic grin. He made a mocking bow, but did not lower himself noticeably. "Perhaps you expect me to worship you like that fool in Chicen Itza? Or underestimate you like the wench in Constantinople? You will be disappointed." Mao's scouts were clearly quite well informed. Cleopatra wondered how he knew so much.

"I expect nothing of anyone who is not an Egyptian citizen." Cleopatra replied. But I think we can help each other. "My advisors, who are quite competent, assure me that you are the mightiest of this island. Soon Egypt will be the only nation of note on mine. A partnership could aid us both."

"China does not care about a few acres of desert and hills." Mao replied. "We have all we want, and we will take anything that we desire in the future. Nothing you can do will change this."

Cleopatra tried another tactic. "Your people are joined only by Rome and the Celtic lands in your lack of faith in a one, true god. We can teach you this.."

"You think I will let the fanatics who worship you into my country? This meeting is over." Mao said as he rose. "And in case you should think of trying to send some warriors over in those flimsy craft of yours." Mao snapped his fingers and a device that Cleopatra had never seen was wheeled out. A system of counterweights swung and a huge boulder was tossed far out to sea. "As you can tell. China has other concerns besides your glory. Leave." Mao said.

Cleopatra gathered up her voluminous robes and returned to her ship. She had learned what Mao's secret was, but she had also learned that she had a serious rival who was nonplussed by her power and her accomplishments. China would have to be watched carefully, but for now her concern was closer to home.

Cleopatra gazed at the Byzantine border cities near her land as she sailed home. Would her armies be ready in time to mount an effective attack? Could she assault the Celtic settlement and count on allied support from the New World? The thoughts of the Golden Goddess of Egypt were complex as she returned home.

Player Note : Chinese have a monopoly on Engineering and won't trade it.

 

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Updated Maps

shumble, Portean, MSTK, and AnsarKing101, thank you for your comments!

AnsarKing101 : Byzantine is the only Science civ on this map, and it turned out this whole time all they had was Fuedalism. I was sure they'd be further along.

 

[Tribute]

Nice pictures. Great story. I love it when there is (Edit: "are" not "is") leadership rivalries. Is it possible to have leadership alliances (ie with the Mayans or the Dutch)?