The Mystery of the Maya

[GR8Madmax]

El Misterio de los Maya
(The Mystery of the Maya)
​

The setup:

Map: Standard, continents, 60% water, 4 billion years
Climate: Normal ; Temp: Warm
Civ: Maya
Rivals: 7 AIs (I won't spoil it by listing them)
Difficulty: Emperor
Victory options: All victory conditions on except Wonder.
Game: C3C v1.22 w/ graphics mods

This is my second story and again, I'm not much of a writer. The only reason I've decided to do a another story is because of all the support that I received with Indian Summer. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the feedback. Again, feel free to comment/criticize as I progress. This is my first ever game at the Emperor level and I've never played above Monarch. So, don't expect too much.

I'll post the story at a slow pace due to the amount of time college takes up. Hope this turns out to be something worth reading.

-Antony

 

[GR8Madmax]

Chapter 1 – The Fall of the Maya

4000 B.C.
Merida

Naum was tired after the long, arduous trek through the jungle. It’s not far, he told himself. The wound in his leg was getting worse. Damn animals, he cursed. Soon he will be with his family. He longed to be with his mother, father and his lovely sister. He missed them greatly. They’ll be united again soon enough. That’s what gave him the strength to continue the grueling journey. He didn’t think he would make it when the wild animal ambushed him 2 days ago. But the thought of his family gave him the strength to drag himself this far. He could see the houses on the hills. It’s not far.

The warriors did their job of protecting the elder. They were anxious to collect the gold that was promised to them by Smoke-Jaguar, their only leader. They have been wandering for months. They were tired. Naum had done an excellent job leading the men. It’s unfortunate that what they set out to do could not be accomplished. It’s a good thing those savages were no where to be found. Who knows what they would have done to the small group if they had indeed met with native tribe. Sure, the diplomacy mission was a failure but they were about to get rich. They can almost touch the precious stones and gold. They were about to be rewarded for their services. Only several hundred paces to go, Naum told himself.

As the group neared the city of Merida, they could tell something wasn’t right. It took them a few seconds to realize what it was. The usually busy paths were abandoned. Every house had its door open but they saw no one inside. Merida was a ghost town, now under the control of domesticated animals. Cows, chicken, goats, they were all over the place. The warriors looked at the elder that was with them. He was as baffled as they were.

Naum walked towards his house. His heart was beating faster than a jaguar that was about to pound on its prey. The doors were wide open. He called out for his mother. No response. Again he called out. Nothing. He stood in front of his home shivering. For the first time in a long time he was scared. Where was everyone? Where was his family? They surely wouldn’t abandon him, would they? Never. They would never do that to him. Then where are they? What happened to them? His head was filled with questions that he had no answers for.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down. Blood. There was a spear protruding from his chest. Pain, so much pain. Naum wobbled for a second and fell on his face. The others in his group were already dead. He could see the precious stones and gold. So beautiful. He reached for them. No gold, no precious stones, just a necklace. His eyes were failing him. He reached for the necklace that lay in front of him. His recognized his little sister’s necklace. Pain, so much pain. He held the necklace close to him. He thought about his family. Pain. Darkness.

 

[GR8Madmax]

Present Day (2215 A.D.)
Chicago


Sarah sat in the teacher’s lounge, nibbling on her apple. She was not hungry. It has been a long day. She had just found out that there won’t be any more funding. How could they cut her off now? I guess I can’t blame them, she thought. She was a joke to her peers. Dr. Sarah Werder was often referred to as Dr. Sarah Weirdo. The archeology community didn’t want anything to do with her wild theories. Most of the audience had walked out during her morning presentation. Some had stayed for the whole hour. They found it the best time to catch up on their sleep. Sarah did not care about the snoring during her presentation. She just wanted someone to believe her. It is too late now. There will be no more university funding for her archeology digs.

She sat up and decided to head for the library. University of Chicago was peaceful on Saturdays. It’s been a while since she has been to the library. She had taken the last semester off from teaching. She was obsessed with her research and her teaching was suffering. Her students were starting to grumble. She needed the time off.

Sarah would rather be at an archeological site but she needed proof. Maybe there is still time to salvage her funding. If only she can find tangible proof that they were wrong about the Maya. The Mayan civilization just didn’t vanish one day. They had to have survived. What happened to the Maya? She did not know. She sat down in the library with a couple of history books and started reading.

After the Great War in the 20th century, the civilizations of the world had descended into the dark ages. It had taken them centuries to recover from the disastrous effects of the Great War and the long periods of anarchy that followed. Majority of the cities of the world were destroyed or burned down to the rubble. Any remnants of the great civilizations were long claimed by mother earth. Any of the ruins that had survived has fallen victim to the sprawling new cities. Any proof of what happened to the Maya has long been destroyed.

Sarah put down the book she was reading. She was getting frustrated. She knew what happened after the Great War but knew nothing about the pre-war history. All books available these days were printed after the war. Every avenue she tried to pursue seems to encounter political red tape. It seems people just didn’t want her to dig into the past. She needed to find the Maya or at least find what happened to them. Civilizations just don’t vanish into thin air. The search has taken up majority of her professional life as an archeologist. She did not know where to look any more. The day has taken its toll on Sarah. She closed her eyes and saw the magnificent Mayan cities. She has always had a wild imagination. Soon she was sleep in the library.

--

Preview of the game:

 

[North King]

Interesting Premise... I will be following.

 

[Uncle_Sam]

Oh... i think that will be great! Your last story was very good. I will read this each weeks!

 

[El Loco]

looks good, will look forward to ur update

 

[Sandman2003]

I can't believe that you have never played emperor before. You won so easily on monarch in your last story that I assumed you played down a level so the actual game could play second to the very good story you produced. I can not see emperor getting the better of you either!

Great starting premise. Enough of this 'not much of a writer' thing. We know from your first story you are a great writer. I will follow this with interest. Good luck.

 

[GR8Madmax]

Thanks everyone fo your support.

Sandman: I appreciate your confidence. I have been playing on Monarch for a while but have only completed a few games at that level. The gameplay of the last game was secondary to the story like you pointed out and it'll be the same with this game.

 

[GR8Madmax]

Chapter 2 – Rebirth of a Civilization

4000 B.C.
Location Unknown


They were woken up by strange noises in the night. The group of several thousands hasn’t had a good night’s sleep for months. They were still frightened of the thought of the evil that lurked in the darkness. The camp fire had long died but its heat was a welcome relief during the frosty night. 18-Rabbit was wide awake and standing guard to the royal family that slept nearby. His people were on the run and it was his job to protect what was left of a once great civilization.

18-Rabbit was once a great general and had commanded one of the few Mayan armies. He has won many battles and captured countless enemies. Those days were over. His warriors now lay at the bottom of the ocean. He still remembers the faces of all the defeated officers whom he sacrificed to the Sun God. Without his feathered headdress and bright pennants, 18-Rabbit looked merely mortal. He clutched his wooden club even tighter when he heard the noise in a distance. He was ready to pounce on anything that came near the royal family. The once great commander was now reduced to guard duty. 18-Rabbit performed his duties proudly. He knew the safety of his people were in his hands. He looked down at Smoke-Jaguar, who was sleeping peacefully. The Mayan chieftain and his family were indeed safe.

​

The morning couldn’t have come any quicker. There were decisions to be made. 18-Rabbit watched from a distance as Smoke-Jaguar assembled the few chiefs and elders that survived the disastrous journey. They were about to decide the future of the Mayan people. He already knew what the outcome of the discussion would be. 18-Rabbit was already thinking ahead. He thought for ways to protect a city built at that location. He cannot let what happened at Merida happen again. A grand army that could lay waste to any mortal force was on top of his list.

He took a pebble off the ground and threw it into the river. He had been sitting at the riverbank for hours. The debate had been going on too long. 18-Rabbit was wary about a long discussion. There wasn’t much to discuss, he thought. In his mind, the decision should be to establish a city, scout the land for any enemies and kill them off before they harm the Mayan nation. They surely are arguing about the size of the new army, he assured himself. It shouldn’t take that long to raise a sizable army. The Mayans were never fierce warriors. It was up to him to change all that now. The thought of warriors reminded him of his son. No, he didn’t want to think of his son right now. He got up and walked towards Smoke-Jaguar, who was signaling for him to come over.

As the decision was laid out to 18-Rabbit, he tried not to show the rage and disappointment inside him. He could not understand what the elders were thinking. Maya, a peaceful nation that will live off the land? Even crazier was the decision of not training any troops to defend itself. This is absurd after what they had just gone through, 18-Rabbit thought. But the decision of the chieftain was final. Smoke-Jaguar was a weak leader. He always followed what the chiefs and elders recommended. It was obvious that tribal elders were terrified of the thought of being wiped off the face of the planet. According to them, a peaceful nation that respects and honors its neighbors will be far more successful than being a hostile state. 18-Rabbit did not agree but he did not show it.

All able bodies were recruited to start the construction of the new Mayan capital. The city of Chichen Itza would soon be completed on the banks of the Snake River. The Mayan nation is reborn.

 

[MSTK]

You did a great job on Indian Summer, and I hope you do a bette rone here

 

[silver 2039]

Are you playing unitless?

 

[GR8Madmax]

Are you playing unitless?

I'm guessing you want to know if this is one of those variants in which I'd go without military units the whole game. No, it's not. In the beginning it might seem like it but that's just to add a little flavor to the story.

Just think of a demoralized group of people and their mindset.

 

[Nylan]

Your good, GR8Madmax. My compliments. I should bet back into this whole story thing, as they seem to be quite fun to read (and write, for that matter.) Keep it up, and kill any Zulu you find .

 

[T-Money]

Your last story was really good, so I'm looking forward to this one with fingers crossed in the hopes you'll do just as well. Although, I must agree with Sandman, I can't see how you'll have much difficulty with this seeing how easily you won your last story game.

 

[das]

Yay! More from the creator of Indian Summer!

 

[GR8Madmax]

Thanks for the support guys. I've been a little busy with an university project so I haven't had much time the last few days. I'll try to update later today. Thanks for being patient.

 

[GR8Madmax]

Chapter 2 – Continued

The Mayan civilization of old was not a single unified empire but rather separate states under different kings. The kings usually acted on the advice of a council of lords, chiefs and priests. Each king ruled one of the many stunning cities. There were magnificent temples erected to please Gods and ball courts to entertain its citizens. Human sacrifices were meant to keep the Gods happy. But the Gods have forsaken them. The once extensive empire is no more. The kings were dead and the cities were theirs no longer. They have been chased away from their home and now dwell in a strange land. Their empire is now the town of Chichen Itza and their king the feeble Smoke-Jaguar.

A new Council of Advisors has been formed and 18-Rabbit will not be a part of it. The Council will advice the king on domestic, foreign, cultural and scientific affairs. As a lord, 18-Rabbit did not fit into the new way of the Maya. There was no spot for a former General as there will be no military. But it did not matter to 18-Rabbit. He was proud to serve his king. The once illustrious commander will remain a bodyguard. He still detested the fact that the Council had decided to eliminate the military. Sure, the ineffective warfare had lead to their downfall but new tactics and weaponry will change all that. An efficient military is still the best weapon against an enemy invasion.

But he knew his opinion will fall on deaf ears. History was against him. The barbaric clan the Maya had fought against was not like any enemy they had faced before. 18-Rabbit had seen the brutality and the devastation first hand. Thousands of Mayan warriors were mowed down every day of the jungle warfare. No one knew where the evil came from or why they attacked. The only solution was to flee. Was he trying to justify his failure as a General, he asked himself? Perhaps. Maybe the Council is right. The Mayan nation will be safer if they dealt with conflicts diplomatically.

Chichen Itza was growing and its citizens were slowly becoming masters of farming. A granary in the town was deemed a priority. There were declarations made and grand plans unveiled. There will be temples, ball courts and grand structures. There were celebrations and human sacrifices. The promise of a new Mayan empire fueled the tiny nation. The Gods were smiling on the Maya. The Gods were so pleased that they sent a messenger to the Maya.

Chapter 3 – A Messenger from the Heavens

2850 B.C.
Chichen Itza

The scream was horrifying enough to send the whole town of Chichen Itza into a panicked frenzy. It was Kukumatz, a citizen who was working in a mine in the outskirts of the settlement. The cry sent a jolt of panic through 18-Rabbit’s body as he was very worried about of the king’s safety. He rushed outside the palatial hut to investigate. There were hundreds of townsfolk already surrounding Kukumatz as he sat on the ground with both arms on his head. It was obvious that something has scared him greatly. Those surrounding him were asking Kukumatz if the enemy was coming. The buzz spread quicker than wildfire – They have found us and there is no where to hide. We are doomed!

When 18-Rabbit got to Kukumatz, he was trembling like a little boy who just had his first nightmare. Tears were running down his cheek. Some drinking water was quickly fetched and was given the terrified worker. After what seemed like an eternity, Kukumatz was ready to talk. The Fire God has sent a messenger from heavens, Kukumatz said shaking. I saw him near the mountains to the North. The messenger tried to speak to me but I ran with my life. In unison, the crowd looked north. They didn’t know what to think.

The citizens of Chichen Itza were relieved that it was not the enemy that was coming for them. But the thought of a messenger from the heavens bothered them greatly. The Council of Advisors quickly took charge and wanted to investigate Kukumatz’s story. The task was given to the man that feared no mortal – 18-Rabbit. But there was one problem. Not a single soul was willing to go with 18-Rabbit. In the end, the honor was given to Kukumatz. The poor worker had no choice as he knew death waited him if he refused.

The walk only took couple of days due to all the road improvements in and outside the town. A reluctant Kukumatz followed the former General as they made their way North. As 18-Rabbit approached the mountain range, there was no one to be seen. They decided to climb the mountain and take a look. What a waste of time, 18-Rabbit thought. He was more concerned about the safety of the king who was without any protection at that moment. As he was about to turn and address Kukumatz, he saw something in the grasslands below the mountain. Light projected from the immortal like nothing they’ve seen before. It was true. Kukumatz was indeed telling the truth. 18-Rabbit felt his knees shake as the Messenger looked their way. His heart was jumping out of his chest. They both quickly fell to their knees. He was coming towards them.

 

[das]

Btw, I just realized that the Mayans apparently disappeared from our world and into your game (well, maybe I'm wrong). Thus, effectively, you kidnapped an entire civilization. Well done!

 

[GR8Madmax]

Btw, I just realized that the Mayans apparently disappeared from our world and into your game (well, maybe I'm wrong). Thus, effectively, you kidnapped an entire civilization. Well done!

Nope, no cookie for you. You're indeed wrong.

Maybe I'm not doing a good job at writing the story and it looks like it might be too confusing. Let me know if it is.

 

[GR8Madmax]

Chapter 3 – Continued

Neither 18-Rabbit nor Kukumatz had the courage to look up at the immortal that was standing in front of them. Anticipation, fear and excitement surged through their body. And then the immortal spoke in a strange tongue. Neither 18-Rabbit nor Kukumatz understood what was being said. But they thought it was a message from the Gods. As this became obvious to the stranger, he touched 18-Rabbit’s shoulder and raised him up off the ground. It was then 18-Rabbit came to his senses. This was no Messenger from the Gods but rather a mere mortal. The stranger had some sort of metallic armor on his head and body and the sunlight was reflecting off of it. The stranger was also carrying a weapon that he has never seen before. 18-Rabbit’s wooden club was primitive compared to the sharp pointy stick the stranger was carrying. It was then that he noticed Kukumatz still lying on the ground, still shaking in fear. Soon, the three would head to Chichen Itza together. 18-Rabbit knew that the Mayan chiefs would be able to make sense of the stranger’s language. Deep in his mind 18-Rabbit also knew the implication of this monumental meeting. They were not alone in this strange land.

18-Rabbit was right. The stranger’s language would soon be decoded and the Mayan nation learns of his origin. He is a scout for the great nation of Persia, located in the distant lands to the north east of Chichen Itza. Envoys would soon be sent to the great Persian capital of Persepolis and a communication link was established between the two nations. Trades would be made and the Maya would soon be taught about the Persian tradition of Ceremonial Burial.

Xerxes, the fearless leader of the Persians, looked down upon the Mayan nation. Persia was one of the largest nations in the world. The primitive Mayan state was a fly on a camel’s butt compared to Persia. They were also very advanced scientifically compared to the Maya. Diplomacy rather than warfare was working as the Council predicted. The Maya happily accepted their place in the new world. They surely did not want to anger the mighty Xerxes. Xerxes was happy to have a new foot stool known as Smoke-Jaguar.




Chapter 4 – A Mysterious New World

They were coming! Panic. The enemy was near. There were people running all over the place. The Mayan people were fleeing their homes. Many ran into the jungle while others ran towards the ocean. The naval vessels were filled to twice their capacity. Fear. They must be close. Launch the vessels, launch them now! 18-Rabbit was screaming out orders. There were thousands still on the beach. No space for them. They will have to find another way. Ocean, deadly ocean. The overloaded naval vessels were capsizing one by one in the middle of the ocean. Screams. Pleas of the drowning echoed the Ocean. The drowning has to be saved but no one knew how to swim. Their arms flailed violently but they were no match for the freezing ocean water. Ocean, deadly ocean. More screams. The pleas for help were distressing. 18-Rabbit covered his ears. But he could still hear them. Anguish. He could see their faces. They were pointing to him. It is his fault! The great General is a failure! 18-Rabbit could not take it any more. He screamed to the Gods for help. 18-Rabbit then woke up in a puddle of sweat, still screaming. It was only a nightmare.

After the Mayan nation realized that they were not alone in the new world, many wanted to explore the vast land that was still unknown to them. But the Council of Advisors opposed any exploration including building any new naval vessels. It was clear that the disaster at the ocean was etched in their minds. They were also afraid of running into the enemy. The truth that they were still out there troubled the Council greatly. There will be neither scouts nor exploration. There will be neither troops nor an army. 18-Rabbit was starting to realize that the Mayan Empire had a new enemy – fear.

.