alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: I'm realistic! Don't attack me! 
Of course, you won't like what I do with Confucius
Of course, you won't like what I do with Confucius
The pre-AFSNES I.
- Thread starter das
- Start date
Neverwonagame3
Self-Styled Intellectual
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2006
- Messages
- 3,549
From Karung
To Ur
Our lines have historical relations, but neither of our factions are as powerful as they could be. I propose a dynastic union to unite our lands under a single leader at the first oppurtunity.
OOC: My idea was a temporary personal union like that of Spain, Burgundy, and Austria under Charles V. He sucesfully expanded their lands in all his directions during his lifetime, improved their relations, and later abdicated leaving Spain and Austria stronger (Burgundy never returned to the world stage).
To Ur
Our lines have historical relations, but neither of our factions are as powerful as they could be. I propose a dynastic union to unite our lands under a single leader at the first oppurtunity.
OOC: My idea was a temporary personal union like that of Spain, Burgundy, and Austria under Charles V. He sucesfully expanded their lands in all his directions during his lifetime, improved their relations, and later abdicated leaving Spain and Austria stronger (Burgundy never returned to the world stage).
I am sorry Joe, but I can not let you do that
*intense techno music starts playing*
*Azale readies himself in a kung-fu stance*
I challenge you to....MORTAL KOMBAT!!!
On another note, I am racking my brain for an Eskander story. Orders to come today.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Humourous speculation: without selection against uggo's, coupled with the genetic problems of small and isolated population, the Sardianians shall develop into monsterious things (creating a nice reinforcing loop with the mask), giving rise to legends of 'Masked giants and Cyclopi' lasting to the far future
.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
The Walls of Nyayana
“O myriad lesser avatars and great souled ones, gods and men, to you I offer the flesh of this beast, the blood of my enemy, and the broken sword of my father, if you will but grant me succor.
O higher eidolons and mysterious forces, subtle and mighty, to you I offer my dreams, my deeds, and the fire that moves my body, if you will but grant me hope.
O that which is not, infinite, sublime, the bedrock and capstone of existence, to you I offer nothing and expect nothing, if you will but illuminate my soul”.
The once-pious captain turned from the shrine, the blood from his bound leg wound still dripping quietly on the smooth stones. Stepping once, twice, stumbling, he beckoned his aide over to help him walk. The boy was young and struggled with the weight, for no hale man could have been spared from the walls and the paths to assist in the offering. The old-before-his-time captain spoke to the boy as they reached the higher tower, the cold dawn light and spluttering fires too weak for him to view the field before the city with his damaged eyes, or perhaps he did not wish to see.O higher eidolons and mysterious forces, subtle and mighty, to you I offer my dreams, my deeds, and the fire that moves my body, if you will but grant me hope.
O that which is not, infinite, sublime, the bedrock and capstone of existence, to you I offer nothing and expect nothing, if you will but illuminate my soul”.
“Tell me, son of Lepakara, have they made any more holes in the curtain wall? How many of the mounds still rise free of foemen?”
The boy strained his eyes to see through the curtains of smoke and mist off the sea. The smell of death, decay and burning tar stung, and although it was too cold as of yet, he knew the skies would be choked with vultures by the heat of noon.
“My captain, the breech by the northern gate remains the only one, though a grim tide of horseman and their atizvajana[1] auxiliaries still pour through. The flood of enemies fills the streets and laps at the mounds, but four mounds that I can see and the walls of docks still hold our banners and the brave spearmen of our city!”
The captain allows himself a smile for the merest instant before it broke on a swell of reality.
“Four? You would not see Atuzekhara from here of course, but what of the other three?”
“Fire consumes their crowns, and the barbarians carrying loot throng their streets, the secondary walls must have been broken in the night.”
“Then by nightfall the city will be lost, it is an ill wind out of Samarkind that blows today. We could endure the fall of the outer wall, loose one mound, two even as happened in the first year of the siege – do you remember how we fought in the red fields to keep the dogs at bay?”
“No sir, I was but a babe in swaddling clothes.”
The captain turned and looked at the boy with what seemed like an infinite sadness.
“This war has gone on too long - our brother-cities have failed, and tonight Nyayana[2] will be just a name. With three, perhaps four mounds gone the waters of defeat will rise over our heads…”
The captain suddenly stood straight, seemed to cast of the coils of weakness that had bound him and drew his elegantly curved sword.
“…but we will make them pay for it with dozen lives for each of ours! Come now boy, we will go to the street of the carvers, where the Narrows will permit even a broken spear such as I or an untrained one such as you to stop a host!”
The leader of men strode from the crown to aid the two walls of Nyayana; one of stone, one of flesh and steel and valor. Behind him the young soldier look at the horizon a second, wondering if the dawn he could see creeping in would be his last. For the merest instant he could see an irregularity where the sea met the sky – could it be sails on the horizon? But then it vanished, and with it the soldiers hope. He smiled grimly, and followed his captain to sell his life dear…
[1] lit: Dog-soldiers, lightly armoured infantry, also an insult indicated poor quality.
[2] An important trade city near the mouths of the Indus.
mythmonster2
BEC NOIR! RUN!
Sorry, I just looked at a few more NES's and it just looks too complicated for me. I'll be leaving, sorry.
Toltec
Dragon Tamer
It is often that the smallest action can have the greatest effect
Manes was rather enjoying himself. He was a Phrygian merchant, well really a Paphlagonian merchant, but it didn't make much difference what he called himself, they were now the same thing anyway. The Maskk[1] was calm yet a strong breeze blew him in the direction he wanted, the sun was just rising from the water and he breathed in the salty air. He looked ahead,as the first forms of land started to rise from the horizon. His destination was Cimmagonia[2] the new outpost, then onwards to trade with the nomads. The boat was a typical Paphlagonian ship, made from the fine woods in the mountains, sleek and fast very maneuverable, yet it could carry vast amounts of cargo. He looked over at the bails of wood and hay, used to burn enemy ships, and thanked Syli[3] that they had not come across any of the legendary Sea Peoples, the giants that swam alongside unwary boats in the night and crushed them[4]. When he landed he unloaded his horse[5] and set straight off north, it was nearly midday.
As he traveled along the "road" he felt uncomfortable in his clothing. A long flowing dress, split down the middle below a belt at the waist, with his Phrygian cap and cape. Some of the locals looked at him aggressively, and he unslung his bow, but knew it wasn't really necessary, they relied on his trade as much as he did.
When he arrived, after several days travel, at the camp, he was offered a tent for the night and invited to joined the meal at the fire. After the meal, with the tribe gathered around, he started to tell tales of all the lands he had visited. The majestic mountains and plains of his home, the rich farm lands of Ur, the far off tales of the conquerers from city of war, and of course the lands of Greece. He told them of the rivers that ran gold and silver, the giant horses they reared, and their constant yet legendary wars. Manes didn't believe half of it, in fact he knew most of it to be lies, but it was good for a story and the crowd seemed so interested. However as he returned to his tent he had the eerie feeling that he had just kicked the small pebble that starts an avalanche.
[1]- the wealth, the Paphlagonian name for the Black Sea, due to the great amount of wealth it's trade brought them
[2]- land of the Cimmerians Crimea with the same origins but the Paphlagonian name for it
[3]- the Paphlagonian god of the sea and fire, due to the fact that the Paphlagonians fought naval battles by burning the enemy ships
[4]- this is obviously exaggerated, but it shows the effects the sea people had on the Paphlagonians, and they will have influences on them later on
[5]- due to the Paphlagonians being great horsemen and sailors, the two soon mixed and boats were designed for carrying horses.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
"'For little Taras,' spake mighty Poseidon, 'The Gull I give to thee. No noble fish or beast of field, but scavanger, and mean.' Thought Parthagoras in his mind, 'But none e'er eat the fatter.'"
-Excerpt from the Parthagoriad
A History of Classical Taras: From City-State to Mercantile Empire
The origins of Parthagoras and his band of exiles have been lost in history. But it is said that, upon fleeing to the unknown shores of Magna Graecia, the wary colonists saw an omen of good fortune: It was a great saltwater spring, placed there by Poseidon himself. Supposedly it vanished the moment they stepped foot on shore, transforming into a glorious rainbow.
It was there that the colonists built their city of Taras, a monument to the glory of Mycenae vanished into the past, a glory known from Egypt to Cimmeria. But Tarantine society was very different from the ruined Mycenaean Empire that they fled.
Initially in their city planning, the leaders of the Parthenian Republic saw the flaws of the Mycenaean system: Their citadels were located far away from population centers, thus giving them little control over the people. All it took was a minor influx of Dorian Greeks, along with the collapse of nearby Minoa due to Poseidon's wrath at the bull-worshippers, to send Mycenae on the road to ruin. As a result, the new city of Taras was dominated by a large, impressive citadel, located in the center of the city, which had its own, outer walls. This dual-walled system would be important, especially in resisting the initial onslaught of Bruttian and Oenotrian tribes that attempted to drive the Greeks back into the sea.
Despite their near-fanatical defense of Taras, the Parthenians were not soldiers at heart. The city itself only maintained a small militia in times of peace, well into the second century after its creation. But their mercantile tendancies were evident early on, and ships from Taras were soon seen in Illyria and Aracome. Due to the need to prevent piracy and protect the trade routes, the Parthenian Republic established a powerful navy.
Religion developed quite differently in Magna Graecia due to the situation. The colonists attributed their successes to Poseidon, who ruled the seas that sustained their mercantile livelihood. Zeus did not gain his status as leader of the pantheon as on mainland Greece, remaining an important (but not essential) deity that ruled the heavens and thunderclouds. Poseidon, ruler of the seas, and master of the endless ocean that surrounded the world, lay claim to that title.
The Parthenian Republic, while prospering in trade with growing Tartessos and flourishing Greece, initially faced two challenges: The fierce tribes of the interior, and fellow Hellenic immigrants, who were arriving almost yearly from Greece, and founding their own, completely independent settlements. The Parthenians, though fierce in defending their homes and trade routes, were not a martial people. Conquest by brute force was not an option.
However, by this time Taras had grown into the largest city in Magna Graecia, and even rivalled some of Greece's cities in power. She was also deemed "Greek" enough to attend the inaugural Games in Olympus, which enhanced her status as a major player in the Hellenic world. This began to attract scholars, philosophers, and the occasional artist across the sea to Taras, whose wealthy mercantile elite were beginning to demand the luxuries enjoyed in Greece. Taras gradually became a beacon of wealth and culture, having much more influence than power. Many cities in Italia and Greece alike began to rely on Parthenian merchants for the products of the western Mediterranean.
So, Taras set out to deal with her challenges peacefully. The tribes of the interior were won over with bribes, "tribute," and marriages to the daughters of wealthy merchants. In addition, the restless Italics of the southern Apennines proved an excellent solution to the Tarantine military problem: A mercenary army could be recruited inexpensively and effectively from these groups.
The Greek cities of Magna Graecia were won over through friendly trade, which deepened to alliance, which deepened to annexation, of sorts. Knowing that the smaller settlements were on the brink of starvation, they enticed them with loans and trade bargains, that eventually threw the colonists deep into debt. But not to worry, the merchants of Taras were always willing to aid a friend...for a price. One by one, the Greek cities were brought to acknowledge the supremacy of Taras, and contribute levies and ships when she called for them.
This was really an excellent solution for all sides. The Magna Graecian cities were united behind Taras for mutual defense, and in return they received the benefits of her culture and trade. In time the cultural quirks of the Tarantines, like the worship of Poseidon and extreme mercantilism, spread to the other cities as well. At this point, Parthenian influence began to spread beyond the confines of Italia.
Ships sailed to Illyria and Cyrene, bringing gold and promises of more, and many tribes were easily won over by the wily Tarantines. Tartessan and Aracomician ports became used to the Greek merchants, who represented the key link in a colonial trading empire that connected the culture of Greece and Anatolia with the raw wealth of Tartessos and the west. The profit from these ventures continually enriched Taras, whose reputation steadily spread as the most beautiful and impressive city in Italia, and perhaps the entire Mediterranean.
-Excerpt from the Parthagoriad
A History of Classical Taras: From City-State to Mercantile Empire
The origins of Parthagoras and his band of exiles have been lost in history. But it is said that, upon fleeing to the unknown shores of Magna Graecia, the wary colonists saw an omen of good fortune: It was a great saltwater spring, placed there by Poseidon himself. Supposedly it vanished the moment they stepped foot on shore, transforming into a glorious rainbow.
It was there that the colonists built their city of Taras, a monument to the glory of Mycenae vanished into the past, a glory known from Egypt to Cimmeria. But Tarantine society was very different from the ruined Mycenaean Empire that they fled.
Initially in their city planning, the leaders of the Parthenian Republic saw the flaws of the Mycenaean system: Their citadels were located far away from population centers, thus giving them little control over the people. All it took was a minor influx of Dorian Greeks, along with the collapse of nearby Minoa due to Poseidon's wrath at the bull-worshippers, to send Mycenae on the road to ruin. As a result, the new city of Taras was dominated by a large, impressive citadel, located in the center of the city, which had its own, outer walls. This dual-walled system would be important, especially in resisting the initial onslaught of Bruttian and Oenotrian tribes that attempted to drive the Greeks back into the sea.
Despite their near-fanatical defense of Taras, the Parthenians were not soldiers at heart. The city itself only maintained a small militia in times of peace, well into the second century after its creation. But their mercantile tendancies were evident early on, and ships from Taras were soon seen in Illyria and Aracome. Due to the need to prevent piracy and protect the trade routes, the Parthenian Republic established a powerful navy.
Religion developed quite differently in Magna Graecia due to the situation. The colonists attributed their successes to Poseidon, who ruled the seas that sustained their mercantile livelihood. Zeus did not gain his status as leader of the pantheon as on mainland Greece, remaining an important (but not essential) deity that ruled the heavens and thunderclouds. Poseidon, ruler of the seas, and master of the endless ocean that surrounded the world, lay claim to that title.
The Parthenian Republic, while prospering in trade with growing Tartessos and flourishing Greece, initially faced two challenges: The fierce tribes of the interior, and fellow Hellenic immigrants, who were arriving almost yearly from Greece, and founding their own, completely independent settlements. The Parthenians, though fierce in defending their homes and trade routes, were not a martial people. Conquest by brute force was not an option.
However, by this time Taras had grown into the largest city in Magna Graecia, and even rivalled some of Greece's cities in power. She was also deemed "Greek" enough to attend the inaugural Games in Olympus, which enhanced her status as a major player in the Hellenic world. This began to attract scholars, philosophers, and the occasional artist across the sea to Taras, whose wealthy mercantile elite were beginning to demand the luxuries enjoyed in Greece. Taras gradually became a beacon of wealth and culture, having much more influence than power. Many cities in Italia and Greece alike began to rely on Parthenian merchants for the products of the western Mediterranean.
So, Taras set out to deal with her challenges peacefully. The tribes of the interior were won over with bribes, "tribute," and marriages to the daughters of wealthy merchants. In addition, the restless Italics of the southern Apennines proved an excellent solution to the Tarantine military problem: A mercenary army could be recruited inexpensively and effectively from these groups.
The Greek cities of Magna Graecia were won over through friendly trade, which deepened to alliance, which deepened to annexation, of sorts. Knowing that the smaller settlements were on the brink of starvation, they enticed them with loans and trade bargains, that eventually threw the colonists deep into debt. But not to worry, the merchants of Taras were always willing to aid a friend...for a price. One by one, the Greek cities were brought to acknowledge the supremacy of Taras, and contribute levies and ships when she called for them.
This was really an excellent solution for all sides. The Magna Graecian cities were united behind Taras for mutual defense, and in return they received the benefits of her culture and trade. In time the cultural quirks of the Tarantines, like the worship of Poseidon and extreme mercantilism, spread to the other cities as well. At this point, Parthenian influence began to spread beyond the confines of Italia.
Ships sailed to Illyria and Cyrene, bringing gold and promises of more, and many tribes were easily won over by the wily Tarantines. Tartessan and Aracomician ports became used to the Greek merchants, who represented the key link in a colonial trading empire that connected the culture of Greece and Anatolia with the raw wealth of Tartessos and the west. The profit from these ventures continually enriched Taras, whose reputation steadily spread as the most beautiful and impressive city in Italia, and perhaps the entire Mediterranean.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Huh. 
Raw wealth. This is not the Tartessos of OTL where merchants come freely and extort us of our gold, this is Tartessos, the greatest power in the Mediterranean.
Raw wealth. This is not the Tartessos of OTL where merchants come freely and extort us of our gold, this is Tartessos, the greatest power in the Mediterranean.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: I've learned to ignore thlayli's insidious insinuations in his stories Just let him talk and ramble on while you prepare to crush him
Just let him talk and ramble on while you prepare to crush him 
LittleBoots
The Bloody Banner
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,979
Mataimakhandros: The First Cycle
When a child is born, young one, the Other[1] takes notice, for he is jealous beyond jealousy, and he cannot stand to see kleos awarded to any other. Man is the beloved of the Good God, you see, and the Gaping Maw[2] despises the Good God and so endeavours to bring misery and sorrow upon His creation. So it is that the Voidking attacks us from the day we are born. Have you ever wondered why newborns cry?
For it was at the beginning of things that the Good God was and there was nothing else, for the Truth may exist without any other being. So it was that the world came into being through the song of the Good God. First he called the Mighty into being, and foremost among them was Brightstar, who was the most beautiful of the Immortal Mighty, Brightstar, who was, for a brief time, alone with the Good God. Yet, he believed his beauty was his own glory, his radiance his own pride. He desired to be as Truth, self-evident and pure, alone and above all things, the first and that which cannot be destroyed. When the other Mighty came into being, Brightstar begrudged them their place in the song, angered at their lesser status, believing them to be discordant and lowly, beneath him. His disdain became ambition as he endeavoured to rule over the other Mighty, who would not have him.
Rejected and frustrated in his bid for lordship over the Mighty, Brightstar fled the Gerougioikos[3] and tried to hide from the Good God and the loyal Mighty. In his darkness, he tried to become as the Good God, attempting to create as the Good God created, but his work all came to failure and he could do create nothing, for that power is reserved only to the Uncreated. Filled now with cool rage and hatred, Brightstar returned to the Gerougioikos, believing his crimes were unknown, and set to work poisoning the minds of the Mighty.
After some time, Brightstar had turned the Mighty, by coercion and persuasion, against the Good God, and they rebelled. The Sundering of Gerougioikos was short.
The Good God rose up against the Mighty and cast down their weapons of war. He condemned Brightstar, little one, in front of all the Mighty, revealing that there is no darkness He cannot perceive. What could you imagine that I did not create from time immemorial?, he thundered, for the Good God knew their plotting and knew what Brightstar had attempted. He cast the Mighty out of Gerougioikos and removed its Golden Halls to the Ether. Many of the Mighty knew their crimes and were remorseful, settling themselves in the world and making what they could of the land as it was.
When it came that the Good God wove Men into the fabric of the Worldsong, many of the Mighty befriended them and taught them the secrets of the land. Grain grew and the land was plentiful and Man wanted for nothing, aided by the Mighty, they lived in Earthly Paradise. Of course, as with all things of men, it did not last, for Brightstar, who had become Darkness, the Voidking, Khahos, came into greedy eyed men and the land which had been alive with the singing of birds was drowned in warfare.
[1] - Brightstar, called the Other as he is opposed to the Good God, is Death Itself. It is considered ill-omen to speak his name, lest you attract his attention above and beyond normal men; thus he is himself a being of many names, and yet, in a parody of the Good God, nameless himself (as will eventually come out in the Mataimakhandros).
[2] - "Gaping Maw" is a rough (and polemic) translation of Khahos, more precisely "Mouth Agape"; speculations exist that this relates to the Void Khahos is said to rule, or the fact that he can never be filled and is always hungry for that which he seeks (or both); Khahos is a name for Brightstar
[3] - Gerougioikos, in this context, means the House (or Home or Halls) of the Ancients; also, simply "The Old Home"; Gerougioikos was the Earthly abode of the Mighty before their expulsion
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
OOC: I've learned to ignore thlayli's insidious insinuations in his stories
His stories rarely have connection with reality anyway
. @Dachs - cripes I better add some to mine as well .
Israelite9191
You should be reading
Mediterranean Celts are realistic. Or, at least, they will be as long as you adapt them properly.@ Israelite, does that include my Mediterranean Celts? Get used to it, there's gonna be more soon.
Actually things are going better in that regard than feared. But the poor Echajinians won't know what hit them.
Good stuff.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Oh, let it be known that my Tartessians are a sort of proto-celt, rather than the indigenous Tartessians of OTL, who evolved their own syllabic language.
Flavius Aetius
Ruler Of Liguria
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2007
- Messages
- 774
Hello! This will become my first NES, and i choose it because Das, in my opinion, is one of the best NESer and i really love his old NESes, like ITNES.
I can join as a Ligurian civilization? I thik i must write a story and make orders, but, because is my first NES, I don't have any ideas how to make story and especially the orders, so con anyone help me?
PS: I'm not English, so excuse me for gramar errors or bad word choice
I can join as a Ligurian civilization? I thik i must write a story and make orders, but, because is my first NES, I don't have any ideas how to make story and especially the orders, so con anyone help me?
PS: I'm not English, so excuse me for gramar errors or bad word choice
Welcome Aetius! I like the name, so you make a good impression already.
I'd advise against a Ligurian civilization - as you may have noticed, LittleBoots has put his Athanoi right next to it and my Etruscans are pretty close too - but if you want to topple those civs in the next few centuries, by all means, try it out.
Orders will probably be sent via PM to das, as you most likely don't want everyone else knowing what your plans are; for a BT like this one, they will be fairly general ones, talking about what you would like your country to do (within reason) in the spheres of military, political, economic, and social activity, where you would like to expand, etc. You won't spend economy points or talk about exact numbers, since this is over a period of a few hundred years; instead, you'll want to say what you'd like your economy to rely on, and with whom you'd like to trade; you'd talk about the countries you'd want to invade, and general military doctrine for the invasions or repelling of others' invasions; and writing about your country's religion (if it has one; it might not, like Nortugal from ITNES) and social conditions would also help. They don't have to be that long; a few sentences per section is fine for BT orders. If you want, you could look at the "Show me your orders/battle plans" thread for ideas. As for stories, they are extremely helpful to the mod for planning purposes, especially ones about your society that help give the civilization a flavor and a culture. Here's one of mine, though it's mostly just dialogue...and a bit long...
---
Fabius' face, lit up by his usual chow-eating (yet somehow sinister) grin, leaned closer and said, "What do you think?"
"Well, what happened was so mysterious - it could have been literally anything! Remus dies - for whatever reason - and then most of his followers are utterly massacred! I knew Faustulus personally! Acca Larentia is so distraught...and, oh, I don't know what's going to happen. What is Romulus up to?"
"Don't worry, Proculus, there won't be any bloodbath. Romulus doesn't want to get rid of his settlers. The thing is, what actually happened to Remus - " here Fabius looked around, making a show of keeping a secret, then bent to Proculus' ear - "was really simple. He was making fun of our fortification building, and he leapt across the ditch...or tried to anyway, because he fell in, and one of the stones for the wall fell on his head. But then his men overreacted - Romulus knew what he had to do. He had Remus' men slain, else there would be eternal war between the peoples of the Palatine and the Aventine, and we can't have that, can we?" Fabius leaned back. "But of course that's not what he wants everyone else to think. Romulus isn't stupid - he doesn't want anyone at all to really know what went on, so a bunch of stories are being spread by me and old Celer. Stories like Romulus killed Remus, I killed Remus, Celer killed Remus, Remus tried to kill us, Remus was killed by one of his followers - in short, everything BUT the truth, just so nobody ever really pieces anything together, and maybe they'll be afraid of Romulus into the bargain."
"Oh...okay...but won't he be going after everyone who knew Remus?"
"No, silly. He needs manpower to first fill the gaps left when Remus' men attacked us, and then to make the city better. We're changing the name, too - it'll be called Rome now, not just the 'Urbs'. That sounds a good deal more majestic, after all."
"So how's he going to attract settlers?"
"Pretty much anyone's welcome - we're planning on joining the Latin League, so we'll need a good deal of priests and such. But we also want to get all of the people who are wandering around Italia, looking for a place to live. Romulus is spreading the word that Rome will offer everyone a new life, a second chance, a place to start again. We don't care if a robber or a thief comes to the City so long as he doesn't prey on the other citizens. Slaves, exiles, refugees - we'll take Greeks, Tartessians, Tigurans, pretty much anyone."
"Sounds like all of those cutthroats would make a particularly good army."
"That, good Proculus, is what we call a 'side benefit'. I just hope they bring some women with them. We're not Greeks, so we can't hump each other..."
"Perish the thought!"
---
"Nice city you have here, Romulus."
The purple-clad king graciously offered his counterpart a seat before sitting down himself. "Thank you, Titus. Certainly not a rival to Cures, though."
"Not yet, anyway. It was good of you to hold these games. The Consualia is one of my favorite festivals."
"It is quite entertaining to see a chariot pulled by a mule, to be sure."
"Excellent architecture, too. It's amazing that you've built this city so quickly. Five out of the seven hills are already inhabited - that's fantastic!"
"Yes, we found a few Greeks from Hydruntum that were willing to help us build most of the buildings, and they're working on draining that pestilent swamp over there, though there hasn't been much progress on that front."
"Greeks, eh? You accept foreigners?"
"My good Titus, Rome will take anyone, so long as he works for me."
"Hmmm. Quite. It must have been a feat of organization to get such a city up and running so quickly."
"Yes, I've already created our Army - regiments of infantry and cavalry levied from the populace."
"So does the whole legio [1] ever fight at once?"
"If it did so, 'twould be a powerful fighting force indeed."
"Yes...indeed...You must have had several thousand thieves and robbers immigrate from who-knows-where in Italia. How do you keep them under control?"
"Every man is a citizen, but those who can prove who their father was - and believe me, there aren't many of those - " a quick laugh - "about a hundred, anyway, are called Patricians, and they are the city fathers. They form a council, a senate, that advises me and helps me run things. Keeps us all in one big happy family."
"Well, must be a strange family. There aren't many women about."
"No...indeed...hmmm...It's time for me to say the opening speech. Hope you don't mind if I cut this short."
---
Celer's hand hadn't left the hilt of his sword for an hour. His eyes gazed unswervingly at the two Kings, talking animatedly with each other. Almost time for a good old battle royale. I do so enjoy these... Suddenly, Romulus stood up and cleared his throat. It's almost time now...this plan is so fantastic... The King fiddled with his purple cloak a little, folding and unfolding, almost as though he had a nervous tic. Then, he threw it back over his shoulder again, and almost as one, the Roman soldiers and nobles rushed towards their Sabine guests and - more importantly - their daughters.
---
"Celer, you've done a fantastic job. No Roman could be prouder!" Romulus practically beamed. "You and your men were outstanding!"
"Thank you, my lord. But if I may be permitted to make one small suggestion?..."
Romulus spread his hands expansively and grinned. "Of course, my trusted soldier, hero of the hour, and victor over the Sabines."
"We should mount our men on horses. Most of the northern city states are doing it, and have been for ages, because of those Athanians to the north - and they got the idea from further east. It would give us a powerful edge in fighting any other enemies. With the Sabines as the infantry with many Roman plebs, and me in charge of the cavalry, why, we'd tear all the neighboring city-states to shreds!"
"That's an interesting solution...good idea. It's expensive to get horses, but it oughtn't be that big of a problem if we finance part of that with the proceeds from conquest." The King turned thoughtfully away for a few seconds, then returned to his conversation. "All right, I'll bite. Horses it is. And I've been thinking...you and your horsemen will be pretty important. How about we call you the Celeres, and you can be my bodyguard?"
"But of course, my liege..."
---
"Those bloody Senators!" The King angrily sat down in his chair and slammed his fist into the table in front of him. As a servant ran to clean up spilt wine, Romulus turned to Fabius and said, "They're making me share power...or rather, there's a bit of a new arrangement. Those Sabines we beat - the ones who are now under our control - are proving a new big refugee problem, and the Senators want to give them an equal say in things as well. The fact that they're all fat-cat landowners, and want to get these new citizens off their land, or at least to pay rent, is also a 'key factor'." He ran his hand through his hair, straightened his laurel wreath, and then, in a low voice, muttered, "They're trying to make this a dual monarchy."
"Two kings?" Fabius was taken aback. "Why two? That's just silly. Nothing will ever get done!"
"I know. I need some way of placating them, making them accept something that won't take away any of my own personal power."
"What about asking Numa?"
"Numa who? Not someone I've heard of before..."
"He's one of Iulus Proculus' friends - used to live in the City, but he retired to Cures a while back. Didn't like the noise and bustle. He's got a bit of a reputation as a wise man, and a compromiser, but he's also a fantastic general."
"How do you know that?"
"He was in the Sabine Army back when we thrashed them at the Great Battle, and his detachment was one of the only ones left standing when the Sabines finally prayed to Iuppiter Stator and held us long enough to surrender."
"Oh, that's good. Fantastic. Offer him a position - see what he thinks. Since he's a Sabine, something he comes up with will go down well with my new subjects and the immigrants."
"Just what I was thinking, sir..."
---
"It's easy, my liege. You have too many full-time Senators advising you. Just increase training for half of them, downsize the rest, and then roll out the ISO 9001." [2]
The King's mouth opened a little, then closed again. "What in the name of Mars are you talking about?"
Numa Pompilius smiled, then started again. "Just a prayer to the Gods, lord. No, I think that it would be a good idea to introduce a tribal system."
"Such as...?"
"Well, every man likes to feel important, and he likes it more if being important involves a perceived throwback to tradition. Any Rasna does. So what we do is we institute three Tribes, into which all of the citizens of Rome are divided. There can be a Latin tribe, a Sabine tribe, and a tribe for the rest of the Rasna. They'll gather together in a Tribal Meeting [3], where a representative from each Tribe can cast a vote for proposals that either you or the Senate make up. The Senate will like it, because they, as the fathers of the people, will think that they have a bulwark against your power. But in reality, you're too powerful for even the tribes to go against your will...especially when so many of them already work for you in the Army."
"Hmmm...what happens when the senators wise up?"
"You make a new tribe, full of new immigrants, so the old ones don't exercise as much influence any more."
"But what if they figure that out, too?"
"Well, technically, the Senate is just an advisory body. They can't actually do anything against you short of revolt, and the people are on your side, because you're their protector and their paymaster as the head of the Army."
"That's quite a good plan...I sort of like it. Good job, Numa, you just joined the team."
---
The two toga-clad men sipped at their wine and glanced furtively around before retreating into the shadows. The first one began the talk in a low voice..."Numa, you're Romulus' golden boy. You have his ear on everything. You can see that he's getting much too powerful."
"Yes, I've noticed, Senator Marcius. He seems rather megalomaniacal. He even convinced the entire Latin and Sabine Leagues to elect him lucumo for both, because he controls most of those Leagues, and he's planning to have himself be made the lucumo of all Rasna!"
"Utter madness, as you can see. We need to have him removed...but by someone who's competent. Someone who can command the hearts and minds of the people in the way that he did, and defeat enemy armies in battle as he did, but who doesn't want to rule the world..."
"I see what you mean." Numa's face turned mischievous. "Have you contacted Celer? He's certainly a good general-"
"This is not a joking matter, Numa. We need Romulus gone, and obviously the Senate will support you as his successor."
"Fine. I will do what I can to make sure Celer and Fabius aren't in the vicinity when Romulus sacrifices to Mars Ultor in a week. Then, you and your fellow senators can sneak into the shrine and have him eliminated. After that, you will of course duly elect me King."
"Of course. I'm glad you see it our way, Numa."
---
Carrying the torch and the knife, the King of Rome, aged fifty-five and covered in bloodred paint, slowly made his way into the open-air shrine. Hidden in the shadows, as only two observers could note, lay three toga-clad men with hands on sword pommels. But to the rest of the crowd, only one figure was visible - that of Romulus himself. He began to slice apart the sundry sacrificial animals what lay around the shrine, in workmanlike fashion...the Senators edged closer...and from far above, a deep voice said, "Okay, let us down, and kick off the fireworks."
Rappelling on spiderweb thin wires, the two cloaked polar bears slid towards the earth, and as they did, thunder and lightning began to sound. Finally, rain began to fall, just as Romulus raised his torch to the bonfire. "Son of a...how am I going to light this now?"
The Senators moved forward, their swords gleaming, glad for the rain cover. The interior of the shrine was completely obscured from the crowd outside now...it would be quick, and then they could escape...but just as they reached out to stab their King, he suddenly ascended into the sky with a jerk, dropping the doused torch. The tips of their swords barely missed his bare feet. They looked up towards the clouds and the rain, and though his lips didn't move, a yell emanated from the King as he disappeared into the storm. "MY FATHER WISHES ME HOME...WHEN I'M GONE...CALL ME...QUIRINUS..."
---
[1] = "Levy".
[2] = Please guess the reference. Somebody.
[3] = This is the famed Comitia Curiata. I'm too lazy not to steal the idea.
Yeah. Rome. Back in the saddle. How about that?
I'd advise against a Ligurian civilization - as you may have noticed, LittleBoots has put his Athanoi right next to it and my Etruscans are pretty close too - but if you want to topple those civs in the next few centuries, by all means, try it out.
Orders will probably be sent via PM to das, as you most likely don't want everyone else knowing what your plans are; for a BT like this one, they will be fairly general ones, talking about what you would like your country to do (within reason) in the spheres of military, political, economic, and social activity, where you would like to expand, etc. You won't spend economy points or talk about exact numbers, since this is over a period of a few hundred years; instead, you'll want to say what you'd like your economy to rely on, and with whom you'd like to trade; you'd talk about the countries you'd want to invade, and general military doctrine for the invasions or repelling of others' invasions; and writing about your country's religion (if it has one; it might not, like Nortugal from ITNES) and social conditions would also help. They don't have to be that long; a few sentences per section is fine for BT orders. If you want, you could look at the "Show me your orders/battle plans" thread for ideas. As for stories, they are extremely helpful to the mod for planning purposes, especially ones about your society that help give the civilization a flavor and a culture. Here's one of mine, though it's mostly just dialogue...and a bit long...
---
Fabius' face, lit up by his usual chow-eating (yet somehow sinister) grin, leaned closer and said, "What do you think?"
"Well, what happened was so mysterious - it could have been literally anything! Remus dies - for whatever reason - and then most of his followers are utterly massacred! I knew Faustulus personally! Acca Larentia is so distraught...and, oh, I don't know what's going to happen. What is Romulus up to?"
"Don't worry, Proculus, there won't be any bloodbath. Romulus doesn't want to get rid of his settlers. The thing is, what actually happened to Remus - " here Fabius looked around, making a show of keeping a secret, then bent to Proculus' ear - "was really simple. He was making fun of our fortification building, and he leapt across the ditch...or tried to anyway, because he fell in, and one of the stones for the wall fell on his head. But then his men overreacted - Romulus knew what he had to do. He had Remus' men slain, else there would be eternal war between the peoples of the Palatine and the Aventine, and we can't have that, can we?" Fabius leaned back. "But of course that's not what he wants everyone else to think. Romulus isn't stupid - he doesn't want anyone at all to really know what went on, so a bunch of stories are being spread by me and old Celer. Stories like Romulus killed Remus, I killed Remus, Celer killed Remus, Remus tried to kill us, Remus was killed by one of his followers - in short, everything BUT the truth, just so nobody ever really pieces anything together, and maybe they'll be afraid of Romulus into the bargain."
"Oh...okay...but won't he be going after everyone who knew Remus?"
"No, silly. He needs manpower to first fill the gaps left when Remus' men attacked us, and then to make the city better. We're changing the name, too - it'll be called Rome now, not just the 'Urbs'. That sounds a good deal more majestic, after all."
"So how's he going to attract settlers?"
"Pretty much anyone's welcome - we're planning on joining the Latin League, so we'll need a good deal of priests and such. But we also want to get all of the people who are wandering around Italia, looking for a place to live. Romulus is spreading the word that Rome will offer everyone a new life, a second chance, a place to start again. We don't care if a robber or a thief comes to the City so long as he doesn't prey on the other citizens. Slaves, exiles, refugees - we'll take Greeks, Tartessians, Tigurans, pretty much anyone."
"Sounds like all of those cutthroats would make a particularly good army."
"That, good Proculus, is what we call a 'side benefit'. I just hope they bring some women with them. We're not Greeks, so we can't hump each other..."
"Perish the thought!"
---
"Nice city you have here, Romulus."
The purple-clad king graciously offered his counterpart a seat before sitting down himself. "Thank you, Titus. Certainly not a rival to Cures, though."
"Not yet, anyway. It was good of you to hold these games. The Consualia is one of my favorite festivals."
"It is quite entertaining to see a chariot pulled by a mule, to be sure."
"Excellent architecture, too. It's amazing that you've built this city so quickly. Five out of the seven hills are already inhabited - that's fantastic!"
"Yes, we found a few Greeks from Hydruntum that were willing to help us build most of the buildings, and they're working on draining that pestilent swamp over there, though there hasn't been much progress on that front."
"Greeks, eh? You accept foreigners?"
"My good Titus, Rome will take anyone, so long as he works for me."
"Hmmm. Quite. It must have been a feat of organization to get such a city up and running so quickly."
"Yes, I've already created our Army - regiments of infantry and cavalry levied from the populace."
"So does the whole legio [1] ever fight at once?"
"If it did so, 'twould be a powerful fighting force indeed."
"Yes...indeed...You must have had several thousand thieves and robbers immigrate from who-knows-where in Italia. How do you keep them under control?"
"Every man is a citizen, but those who can prove who their father was - and believe me, there aren't many of those - " a quick laugh - "about a hundred, anyway, are called Patricians, and they are the city fathers. They form a council, a senate, that advises me and helps me run things. Keeps us all in one big happy family."
"Well, must be a strange family. There aren't many women about."
"No...indeed...hmmm...It's time for me to say the opening speech. Hope you don't mind if I cut this short."
---
Celer's hand hadn't left the hilt of his sword for an hour. His eyes gazed unswervingly at the two Kings, talking animatedly with each other. Almost time for a good old battle royale. I do so enjoy these... Suddenly, Romulus stood up and cleared his throat. It's almost time now...this plan is so fantastic... The King fiddled with his purple cloak a little, folding and unfolding, almost as though he had a nervous tic. Then, he threw it back over his shoulder again, and almost as one, the Roman soldiers and nobles rushed towards their Sabine guests and - more importantly - their daughters.
---
"Celer, you've done a fantastic job. No Roman could be prouder!" Romulus practically beamed. "You and your men were outstanding!"
"Thank you, my lord. But if I may be permitted to make one small suggestion?..."
Romulus spread his hands expansively and grinned. "Of course, my trusted soldier, hero of the hour, and victor over the Sabines."
"We should mount our men on horses. Most of the northern city states are doing it, and have been for ages, because of those Athanians to the north - and they got the idea from further east. It would give us a powerful edge in fighting any other enemies. With the Sabines as the infantry with many Roman plebs, and me in charge of the cavalry, why, we'd tear all the neighboring city-states to shreds!"
"That's an interesting solution...good idea. It's expensive to get horses, but it oughtn't be that big of a problem if we finance part of that with the proceeds from conquest." The King turned thoughtfully away for a few seconds, then returned to his conversation. "All right, I'll bite. Horses it is. And I've been thinking...you and your horsemen will be pretty important. How about we call you the Celeres, and you can be my bodyguard?"
"But of course, my liege..."
---
"Those bloody Senators!" The King angrily sat down in his chair and slammed his fist into the table in front of him. As a servant ran to clean up spilt wine, Romulus turned to Fabius and said, "They're making me share power...or rather, there's a bit of a new arrangement. Those Sabines we beat - the ones who are now under our control - are proving a new big refugee problem, and the Senators want to give them an equal say in things as well. The fact that they're all fat-cat landowners, and want to get these new citizens off their land, or at least to pay rent, is also a 'key factor'." He ran his hand through his hair, straightened his laurel wreath, and then, in a low voice, muttered, "They're trying to make this a dual monarchy."
"Two kings?" Fabius was taken aback. "Why two? That's just silly. Nothing will ever get done!"
"I know. I need some way of placating them, making them accept something that won't take away any of my own personal power."
"What about asking Numa?"
"Numa who? Not someone I've heard of before..."
"He's one of Iulus Proculus' friends - used to live in the City, but he retired to Cures a while back. Didn't like the noise and bustle. He's got a bit of a reputation as a wise man, and a compromiser, but he's also a fantastic general."
"How do you know that?"
"He was in the Sabine Army back when we thrashed them at the Great Battle, and his detachment was one of the only ones left standing when the Sabines finally prayed to Iuppiter Stator and held us long enough to surrender."
"Oh, that's good. Fantastic. Offer him a position - see what he thinks. Since he's a Sabine, something he comes up with will go down well with my new subjects and the immigrants."
"Just what I was thinking, sir..."
---
"It's easy, my liege. You have too many full-time Senators advising you. Just increase training for half of them, downsize the rest, and then roll out the ISO 9001." [2]
The King's mouth opened a little, then closed again. "What in the name of Mars are you talking about?"
Numa Pompilius smiled, then started again. "Just a prayer to the Gods, lord. No, I think that it would be a good idea to introduce a tribal system."
"Such as...?"
"Well, every man likes to feel important, and he likes it more if being important involves a perceived throwback to tradition. Any Rasna does. So what we do is we institute three Tribes, into which all of the citizens of Rome are divided. There can be a Latin tribe, a Sabine tribe, and a tribe for the rest of the Rasna. They'll gather together in a Tribal Meeting [3], where a representative from each Tribe can cast a vote for proposals that either you or the Senate make up. The Senate will like it, because they, as the fathers of the people, will think that they have a bulwark against your power. But in reality, you're too powerful for even the tribes to go against your will...especially when so many of them already work for you in the Army."
"Hmmm...what happens when the senators wise up?"
"You make a new tribe, full of new immigrants, so the old ones don't exercise as much influence any more."
"But what if they figure that out, too?"
"Well, technically, the Senate is just an advisory body. They can't actually do anything against you short of revolt, and the people are on your side, because you're their protector and their paymaster as the head of the Army."
"That's quite a good plan...I sort of like it. Good job, Numa, you just joined the team."
---
The two toga-clad men sipped at their wine and glanced furtively around before retreating into the shadows. The first one began the talk in a low voice..."Numa, you're Romulus' golden boy. You have his ear on everything. You can see that he's getting much too powerful."
"Yes, I've noticed, Senator Marcius. He seems rather megalomaniacal. He even convinced the entire Latin and Sabine Leagues to elect him lucumo for both, because he controls most of those Leagues, and he's planning to have himself be made the lucumo of all Rasna!"
"Utter madness, as you can see. We need to have him removed...but by someone who's competent. Someone who can command the hearts and minds of the people in the way that he did, and defeat enemy armies in battle as he did, but who doesn't want to rule the world..."
"I see what you mean." Numa's face turned mischievous. "Have you contacted Celer? He's certainly a good general-"
"This is not a joking matter, Numa. We need Romulus gone, and obviously the Senate will support you as his successor."
"Fine. I will do what I can to make sure Celer and Fabius aren't in the vicinity when Romulus sacrifices to Mars Ultor in a week. Then, you and your fellow senators can sneak into the shrine and have him eliminated. After that, you will of course duly elect me King."
"Of course. I'm glad you see it our way, Numa."
---
Carrying the torch and the knife, the King of Rome, aged fifty-five and covered in bloodred paint, slowly made his way into the open-air shrine. Hidden in the shadows, as only two observers could note, lay three toga-clad men with hands on sword pommels. But to the rest of the crowd, only one figure was visible - that of Romulus himself. He began to slice apart the sundry sacrificial animals what lay around the shrine, in workmanlike fashion...the Senators edged closer...and from far above, a deep voice said, "Okay, let us down, and kick off the fireworks."
Rappelling on spiderweb thin wires, the two cloaked polar bears slid towards the earth, and as they did, thunder and lightning began to sound. Finally, rain began to fall, just as Romulus raised his torch to the bonfire. "Son of a...how am I going to light this now?"
The Senators moved forward, their swords gleaming, glad for the rain cover. The interior of the shrine was completely obscured from the crowd outside now...it would be quick, and then they could escape...but just as they reached out to stab their King, he suddenly ascended into the sky with a jerk, dropping the doused torch. The tips of their swords barely missed his bare feet. They looked up towards the clouds and the rain, and though his lips didn't move, a yell emanated from the King as he disappeared into the storm. "MY FATHER WISHES ME HOME...WHEN I'M GONE...CALL ME...QUIRINUS..."
---
A History of Italy said:
[1] = "Levy".
[2] = Please guess the reference. Somebody.
[3] = This is the famed Comitia Curiata. I'm too lazy not to steal the idea.
Yeah. Rome. Back in the saddle. How about that?
JosefStalinator
Я буду снова здесь
LittleBoots
The Bloody Banner
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,979
I always forget the bloody footnotes.
[1] - Brightstar, called the Other as he is opposed to the Good God, is Death Itself. It is considered ill-omen to speak his name, lest you attract his attention above and beyond normal men; thus he is himself a being of many names, and yet, in a parody of the Good God, nameless himself (as will eventually come out in the Mataimakhandros).
[2] - "Gaping Maw" is a rough (and polemic) translation of Khahos, more precisely "Mouth Agape"; speculations exist that this relates to the Void Khahos is said to rule, or the fact that he can never be filled and is always hungry for that which he seeks (or both); Khahos is a name for Brightstar
[3] - Gerougioikos, in this context, means the House (or Home or Halls) of the Ancients; also, simply "The Old Home"; Gerougioikos was the Earthly abode of the Mighty before their expulsion
[1] - Brightstar, called the Other as he is opposed to the Good God, is Death Itself. It is considered ill-omen to speak his name, lest you attract his attention above and beyond normal men; thus he is himself a being of many names, and yet, in a parody of the Good God, nameless himself (as will eventually come out in the Mataimakhandros).
[2] - "Gaping Maw" is a rough (and polemic) translation of Khahos, more precisely "Mouth Agape"; speculations exist that this relates to the Void Khahos is said to rule, or the fact that he can never be filled and is always hungry for that which he seeks (or both); Khahos is a name for Brightstar
[3] - Gerougioikos, in this context, means the House (or Home or Halls) of the Ancients; also, simply "The Old Home"; Gerougioikos was the Earthly abode of the Mighty before their expulsion
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