The years after 1500 BC were profitable. The Bard, who was rescued from the frozen northlands, had settled inside of Persepolis, greatly increasing income and culture. Meanwhile, a group of pagans had set out to build some sort of Oracle, and had succeeded. The "oracle," whom Darius was still wary about, had taught them something important - a Code of Laws of some sort - that she said would spark a religion. Unfortunately, it did not, as hoped, and the Persians kept their pagan ways.
(Sorry, I'm an idiot and too used to just clicking techs off, so I only caught one before my reflexes beat me to it - Alphabet.)
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The First Persian Fleet, made up of the galley squadrons called PES Pars and PES Babylon. After the message from Esar, an army of immortals was raised swiftly - so many people were worked to death scavenging the material for the immortals - and even more were killed as they were impressed into service (whipped Persepolis down to Size 2). The First Persian Fleet sailed around Chaos Island and the Isthmus that connected Chaos Island and the continent Denkard. It arrived on the Island of the Four soon enough, and the Immortal Army set upon the grounds of the cursed island, right outside the camp centered around the Rider, Famine. The Immortals assembled, and charged the position. The Rider of Famine and his acolyte riders fought hard, nearly destroying an Immortal Division, but the remaining armies conquered the area. In their fury, they obliterated the camp, setting fire to every building standing. The armies moved south, were attacked by an army in strange clothing - their armor was shiny and impregnable, and the banner holders showed a city falling, being conquered to the vast might of this rider's indomnitable will. The army retreated, but one proud immortal division stood, taking the fury of the rider. They were slaughtered to a man, but gave the army time enough to retreat across the river.
The strange men attacked again, but the immortals repelled and slaughtered most of them - including their leader, the Rider of Conquest. He was beheaded and the remnants of his army slaughtered to a man.
The remaining divisions headed south, discovering the city of Conquest defended by a legion of longbowmen. They also found the city of death, likewise defended by long bowmen and the Rider of Death, who was dressed in garbs similar to themselves. They retreated, knowing they would lose if they attacked, and settled to pillaging many of the pastures surrounding Conquest. Several hundreds of pastures were destroyed, starving the island of several of their horse herds.
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Many new technologies were discovered, including an alphabet, methods of meditation, a caste of priests (priesthood), a system of mathematics, and a currency system. The method of working iron into workable shapes was stolen from Zulu scientists, and a code of laws was dictated by the Oracle.
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There was brief diplomatic contact between Zululand and the Glorious Persian Empire. Shaka arrived in the courts of Persepolis, willing to trade 50 ingots of gold for the secrets of mysticism.
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And the city of Parse was founded to the east, in a fertile region on the newly christened River Parse.
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Time to go wild!
