The Sapphire of Gaul

[Moai_Spammer]

It's time for the Lies segment once again! if you forgot what this is then go back to the one for the tale of zenon where i explain everything

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=13959782&postcount=20 heres a link for the lazy ones

Without further ado, lets get started! This "book" was rather long

Spoiler :

Pax Massalia Act I

The standard at the very beginning is the actual flag of Marseilles (originally founded and known as Massalia)

Alexandros mentions the Dragon Blood of Helios in his aside. This one is two fold. Firstly it's a reference to the "Dragon Blood of Akatosh" from the elder scrolls, which was used to claim legitimacy, and granted the powers to "see more than lesser men". The second is the helios bit, because Helios, the OG greek sun god, had a chariot pulled by dragons made of fire, which is badass.

The word Pax Massalia. Obviously derives from Pax Romana (which inspired Pax Mongolica and Pax America and Pax Brittania and etc.)

The name Aratus derives from the same game of Rome:Total War as names like Gyras and Echemmon do. Can you blame me, it was a really found bout as greece that i had

Alexandros is based in name off of Alexander, based in act off of Octavian

Pax Massalia Act II

Siddhartha. Read my first story if ya dont get it

The colored horse stamp also derives from that story, as does Asoka being Asoka II

I forgot to put this in the update for some reason, but Pytheas is the bastard son of Aratus the Younger (i know it is hinted at in it, however.)

Pax Massalia Act III

Mention of the conquest of Italy, which occurs right before the start of this story

the so called Aratine Strategy is mentioned, which is the startegy i used in the previously mentioned Rome:Total War game i played as greece. I first started using under my general named Aratus, who Aratus the older and younger from this story are named. While brutal, the strategy DID allow me to quickyl conquer anatolia and mesopotamia, which paved the way for empire (which was Alexander+Rome essentially)

Hindu Byzantion. I chuckled

Akka is named after the famous 12th century indian poet of the same name, who was also one of indias first female poets (at least, thats what wikipedia told me)

The Secret History of Massalia: Echemmon the Sharmat?

Sharmat is a term deriving from the dunmer faith in the elder scrolls the series (The Tribunal Temple).

Aratus of Sicyon is the general from that RTW game ive already mentioned twice

Battle of Salona and the Battle of the Dalmation river were two big battles from the aforementioned RTW game

This work hints at future events in the story, explore it at your own peril

Luke 4:1-8 is pretty much diectly coppied in with a few words changed to fit the Zenonite christianity of this story

Pax Massalia Act IV

The title "The City of Light", derives from a statement made by guards in the city fo Mournhold from the Tribunal expansion for morrowind. "Mournhold, city of light, city of magic."

So pytheas was an incarnate of shiva, which would make their direct descendant (Taraka), having both Zenon's Dragon Blood and descent from Shiva more or less. If it didn't come obvious at this point things like Apotheosis and descent from gods are real things in this Alternate Universe. The funny thing is reading these bits of the story you could never guess I was agnostic.

A number of things are mentioned at the start of the paragraph where they reach the indus, these reference things i had pictures for but was too lazy to make individual write ups for each one, so they were reduced to a footnote at the start

Akka becomes an incarnation of Parvati, wife of Shiva, at the end of this Act, which would make Taraka and the other descendants also have THAT bit of divinity too.

Taraka's Speech atop the Acropolis of Apollonia

A big chunk of this is heimskr's speech in whiterun with some (ok, alot) of words changed . The paragraph after this biggest bit of prosletyzng is 100% my own though

Here is where Christianity takes on it's weird Zenonite incarnation.

Pax Massalia Act V

Taraka is one lucky and insane bastard.

Pax Massalia Act VI

I mistakenly use the word consul when i mean Strategos, though I fiix this by putting the rank of consul UNDER strategos in one of the subsequent acts

Also a very fitting quote from CK
"Here come the bar bar bar bar barbarians!"

Gotta love CK

Pax Massalia Act VII

I used the phrase "The sun glinted..." twice in a row to start an update. I thought it was a funny coincidence.

The opening scene with the Chi Rho (that PX symbol) is very very loosely based after the IRL Battle of the Milvian bridge (as in the only similarities are roughly the same time and the Painting of the Chi Rho on things which preceeds victory and mass conversion)

I mention Alexandrias even though Alexander never rises in this AU (he dies after the rebellion of the League of Corinth). This was an honest mistake I didn't notice until later. The reasoning I'll give is that the two Alexandria's mentioned are Massalian trading post cities set up by traders who were very fond of the Alexandros (the Massalian one not the Macedonian one.)

I use the word Cathay to refer to china, which is not only anachronistic but also archaic and confusing if you've never heard it before. My bad. Bharata is also india for those who've never had that on before as well (though Bharata is not archaic or anachronistic (to my knowledge), its just not commonly used in english).

Taraka's grumpy when he's tired

Pax Massalia Act VIII

I use the words Ionia and Anatolia interchangeably even though Ionia is only (too my knowledge) part of Anatolia, this one is also my bad.

The bit in Ionia was also fairly rambly, which i also apologize for

I say that Taraka's son is the only heir to the blood of Zenon, which is technically wrong. Ya know what no, only the eldest gets the Dragon blood. Plot hole solved.

Also bubonic plague. Fun times

 

[Moai_Spammer]

Spoiler :

The Wrath of Thanatos, by an unknown gallic painter in the late 16th century, depicts the Plague of Taraka as it first strikes Massalia

The night was calm and serene. Stars icy and distant staring out from the firmament with absolute apathy at the world below. Beautiful in their blazing stretch, and innumerous in their count. Cruel Nyx, so beautiful and primordial, yet absolutely oblivious to the world below her. Yet all was still in the once bustling city of Massalia. All was at peace in the jewel of the world, for it stood in the embrace of Thanatos.

Out of the mighty harbor a single vessel slide seamlessly, it is made of the dark wood of the forests of Germania. Like a raven gliding through the air, it moves out into the open sea. It carries the few survivors, and those who through the willings of fate were uninfected. Among them is a single woman, clad in a vivid purple outfit, as dark and mysterious as the gods. She nurses a young babe, barely a year old.

She cannot care for the boy properly, this she knows, so she flees. She needs to get him to Hellas, where he may grow into a proper warrior, a proper statesman, and a proper Greek. For while she may have the lover of one of Zenon's descent, she was still a Gaul, and knew not the ways of the Hellenes. In her hands was the torch of history, and she must put aside her deep love for her son so that he can save the Empire of his forefathers. For while Massalia is still strong now, the plague will kill many more before the end, and the barbarians will get only more plentiful. Without the guidance of well-trained hand, it will fall as surely as the sun from the sky following the day.

For hours she does not sleep, for she cannot. She is determined to memorize this face, this beautiful, calm, naive face, that will one day decide the destinies of men under suns yet to dawn, and the fates of nations yet to rise. But for now, it is merely a youngling, suckling on its mother's teat, believing the world to be without fault. At last, she hears the ship pull into Athen's harbor. As the ship docks she leaves silently, looking for the home of her old friend.

Aratus the Younger opened the door of his villa. The man was ancient at this point, nearing 4 centuries in age soon. Before her stood the beautiful Gallic wife of Taraka, his grandson. Her lips were a soft pink, and her hair a stunning raven shade pulled into a pony-tail which reached down to her name. The shape of her body was that reminiscent of a squared off hour glass, with broad shoulders and slightly less broad hips. Her eyes were a stormy grey, like those of Athena herself. In her hands was her only son, named Ravana in order to honor Taraka's father, Pytheas (who lived in Varanasi and was now known as Yaksheshwar).

Silently, she kissed the babe on the head, looks at him one last time, and hands him to Aratus, who had a look of solemn acceptance in his eyes. Her task was done, it was up to fate to ensure her decision correct now.

The tears come regardless, as she flees into the night.

Spoiler :

 

[Moai_Spammer]

what do you guys think of the lies segment(s)?

 

[Moai_Spammer]

Heyo, sorry for lack of updates. My laptop has been acting up again so I've had to switch to the ole gal (my laptop from when i started on CFC)

granted, it doesn't prevent me from updating, I have every picture up to 1045 (ish) A.D. on Imgur. no, the reason I haven't been updating is because I've been completely enthralled by my old civ 3 mod (which is only on this laptop) and have started tweaking it and having quite a bit of fun .

I have to do some room clean up today, but either tonight or tomorrow, I will update, I promise

Spoiler :

and I mean I PINKIE promise. No not the finger, the homicidal pony.

(I was going to update last night, but I passed out because I had one of those days with loads of fun but is also super exhausting)