Visions of the Father

[lockdar]

Now as strange as it may sound, I'm writing a story about a game I haven't even started to play yet. I know what I want and how to do it but somehow the story seemed to be more important then starting the game.

I will be playing the Dutch, one of the civilizations not included in CIV but it doesn't matter. I will rename one of the current ones and we'll see where that brings us. Screenshots will be added later when I actually have a game to take them from

Enjoy.

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As Willem stared across the open fields in front of him he couldn't comprehend what his father ment, the old man had lost his sanity a while back according to the other Elders. The young man shrugged the thoughts away, the Elders knew what was good for them, they were the wisest of men for several days travel in any direction. His father seemed to dispute this, not directly but his ideas were unwise to say the least. Willem slowly shook his head wondering how his father could have slipped so far away into insanity.

"Willem!", he heard a voice cry out.

He grabbed his club thinking that danger was about, he quickly relaxed when he saw who was calling him. His younger brother, Jan, was waving at him from the farside of the stony field he had just surveyed. As the young one sprinted across the field towards him, Willem turned his attention back to his father, how would Jan think about their father? He swiftly dimissed the thought, his brother was to young to be bothered by his doubts. Quick footsteps pulled him away from his thoughts, but it was to late. Before he could react his younger brother slammed into him dragging them both down the small slope. Laughing he tried to keep Jans hands away but they had him locked firmly in their grip, his face went a bit more serious, his brother was growing stronger by the day!

"So sleeper, did that wake you up?", Jan asked teasingly.
"I wasn't sleeping, I was thinking."
"Aha, that is how you call that nowadays?"

Willem grinned at his younger brother, his grin dissapeared quickly when he saw the serious look in Jans eyes. He felt the grip on his wrists relaxing and pulled himself up again, Jan was staring at him.

"What happened?"
"We are going to do it."
"Do what?"
"Fathers idea."

Completely dumbstruck Willem stood there, staring at his brother, the words still echoing in his head.

"How...how...", he managed to say.
"He persuaded them somehow, I don't know how but everyone is packing."
"But that is madness, we will die!"
"Will we Willem? Fathers ideas seem sound enough, it's not like it can get any worse then last winter. The Elders know that they have nothing to loose."
"Nothing to loose? How bout our lives, our families?"

Seeing the hurt look in his brothers eyes Willem lowered his voice.

"I'm sorry Jan, it's not your fault. I simply never thought they would be persuaded, they are more stubborn then most mules we have.", he said, a grin again appearing on his face.

His younger swung his arm around him.

"You are forgiven not so smart older brother, now lets go down to the camp to see what is happening. If we don't move soon the herds will be to far away to follow, come."

Walking at first but sprinting the last mile they ran back to the camp, each one trying to beat the other.

 

[lockdar]

"Damn it's cold."
"I know brother, I know, but just stay awake. We've been traveling for so long, you are not going to give up on me now!"

Jan's grin returned.

"You are not going to get rid of me that easily brother, I will haunt you till the end!"

Willem accepted Jan's weak slap on his shoulders without comment, his younger brothers condition was slowly deteriating. The fight with the bears was a memorable one, back to back they had stood. Several others were wounded but Jan was the one that took the brunt of the first attack, he had saved two other men by distracting one of the bears. His younger brothers bravery was something that had amazed him on more then one occassion.

"Are you doing that thinking again?"
"No, this time I was sleeping.", Willem replied with a wink.
"I...", Jan's reply was cut short by a heavy cough, a bit of blood was visible on his chin.

For about 3 months Willem and his small band of hunters had travelled the countryside hunting various animals and finding out where the herds had gone. They had discovered some very promising things and should be arriving at the new camp withing two or three days. The prospect of arriving there without his younger brother was unacceptable for Willem so he was giving Jan all the rest he could spare. He was hoping the his borthers endurance and strength could hold out till they reached the camp, there they could take good care of him and he would recover.

"Willem, look at what I found!"

One of the older members of the hunting band called Johan came running towards him. The man had several strips of cloth and some strange herbs in one of his hands.

"What is it Johan?"
"The herbs Willem, they are the same ones that we use to clean wounds. But now I discovered something else, when Cees accidently ate several of them yesterday he became lightheaded and sleepy. At first I was worried that he was becoming ill but the morning after he was cured of his cough. Maybe these herbs will do the same for you brother."
"But, we only use this on animals, what if they won't do anything?"
"Well, they won't make it any worse now won't they?"

Seeing the doubt in the man's eyes Johan took him by the arm and walked several meters away from the others.

"Listen up Willem, I know you are worried and you are right. But without any help Jan isn't going to make it, he will die. His wounds are infected but the worst part is that he has a fever, that will be the end of him if we don't do anything."
"But..."
"No more doubts Willem, yes or no?"

He took a deep breath and stared Johan straight into his eyes.

"If this kills my brother I will hold you responsible, do you understand?"
"I understand that you are overcome with grief and are not thinking straight."

With those words Johan quickly walked back to the younger of the two brothers and went to work.

 

[lockdar]

"Could you let me walk to the camp? I think I've deserved it."

A slight hint of surprised passed Willem's face but he let his brother go, with a slight moan Jan managed to keep his balance. After several seconds his look turned to one of rugged pride as he started to limp towards the camp. The rest of the hunting party joined him as they came in sight of the camp, they froze in their tracks, completely stunned by the sight in front of them.

All around the camp big stacks of wood were placed, bound together by ropes. The wood was cut up in even planks some spanning the length of atleast four adult men. The camp was bristling with activity, men and woman were sometimes running around with different tools while even the children were helping along. The small group of hunters couldn't do anything but stare in complete and total amazement. It wasn't untill someone from the camp was calling their names that they snapped out of their stupor.

"Look everyone, look who returned from the wild!"

Several people immediately broke away from the camp and ran towards the travelers, most of them were parents welcoming their sons back home. Willem looked in amazement at the camp untill one of the woman grasped his clothes.

"Willem, where is he?"
"Who?"
"Where is Pieter, my son."

Then it hit him, Pieter was dead, he was the youngest in the group and together with Jan saved two of his fellows from certain death. It had cost him his life. Tears started to whell up in Willem's eyes when he faced the woman, Marie she was called.

"Marie, I'm so very sorry."
"What...what happened?", she whimpered.
"We where attacked by several wild bears, Pieter and Jan saved two of us but both got wounded. We couldn't do anything for him Marie, his wounds were to serious."

Instead of collapsing from grief like Willem expected she straightened her back. Tears were in her eyes but no more grief, just pride.

"So because of him three of you still live?"
"Yes Marie, without him more mothers would be crying today."
"Then you are not to blame Willem. My son choose to go with you, he knew the dangers. I am glad he saved other mothers from grief, I will miss him but I will treasure his memory and last deed instead of grieving his death."

With those words she kissed him on his cheek and walk back into the camp, in tears but not without hope and pride. Suddenly Jan was there beside him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Did you hear Willem, did you hear?", he said excited.
"Hear what?", his tone was still filled with remorse.
"They are doing it...they are building a city on the other side of the camp."

All thoughts flew from his mind as he heard those words, complete amazement was written all over his face.

"They are doing what?"
"Building a city, and even better, father is teaching them how."

 

[Codeman]

have you started this game yet?

 

[Cosmichail]

lockdar...

You have an excellent command of the English language. Is Hollands your native tongue. Everybody loves Willem in Holland. Interesting story.

EDIT: have you thought about using one of the mods for the Nederlanders.

 

[wiseguy101]

Great story so far! I wonder how the game will turn out when you start it...

 

[sirtommygunn]

u sure can write a lot about nothing

 

[William III]

Hallo lockdar!

Een goed idee en een goed verhaal! Ik heb zelf mijn bijnaam ontleend aan Willem III, de bekwame veldheer en Stadhouder-Koning. Wanneer ga je het eigenlijke spel spelen? En heet je eerste stad de Dillenburg? Ik ben zeker geïnteresseerd in deze thread.

Met vriendelijke groet,
Willem III

(An English translation for people not fluent in Dutch(Shame on you!): )

[Title]
Aha! A fellow Dutchman!*
[/Title]

A good idea and a good story! I myself took my nickname from William III, the able general and Governor**-King***. When are you going to play the actual game? And is your first city going to be The Dillenburg****? I am very interested in this thread.

Yours,*****
William III


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(Some notes for puzzled readers: )
* = The used word, 'medelander', wil not be found in any Dutch dictionary, might you mean to look it up. It is a combination of the three words 'Nederlander' = 'Dutchman'/'Dutchwoman', the word 'land' = 'country' and the word 'mee' or 'mede' (a more antique form of 'mee') = +/- 'with', actually meaning some shared thing (in this case, that is), wich together make 'medelander' = +/- 'sharing the same country', which I translated with 'fellow Dutchman'
** = The Governor was in the Republic of the Seven United Provinces of The Netherlands the supreme general and head of the state. He was however checked and often overruled by the States-General. These consisted of the deputies of the Seven Provinces. Holland was the richest and therefore the most powerful Province. The head of the States-General always came from Holland. As the members of the States-General were always chosen by the rich merchants of their province, their main point of view was always diplomatic and economically beneficial. Therefore they regularly clashed with the often more warlike Governors.
*** = William III, a descendant of the William described in lockdar's story, was the son of William II. Willam II had died within one year after he took up his governorship, leaving his only child to be born 8 days after his death. The Regents of Holland and the other Six provinces made up their mind: They would never have a governor to share their power again. So they made an act, that there never could be a Governor in The Netherlands again. The young William was raised by Johan de Witt(John the White), who was, as was his father before him, the head of the States-General. His brother, Cornelius, was a prominent admiral in the Dutch fleet. In that time, the Netherlands were the richest country in the whole world. The money came for a great deal by the overseas trades, and in order to protect these interests, the States-General built a fleet with no equal in the whole world. They neglected land defenses however, and many city walls became gardens in stead of fortifications. To defend themselves against France, which was developing a terrific army under Louis XIV, the States-General formed the Triple Alliance: The Netherlands, England and Sweden signed a mutual protection pact. Louis XIV was angry: He wanted to expand his territory, and although his land forces were stronger than those of the rest of Europe together, he had a fleet which was already no match for the Dutch fleet on its own, let alone the combined fleets of his allies. They would destroy his own fleet and destroy his foreign trade, and in that way bankrupt him. You may note that a soldier demands wages, and a bankrupt state can not pay that, so Louis would lose a war inevitably. So he bribed Sweden out of the Alliance, and he bought the English and the Bishops of Keulen and Munster in an Aliance of his own, and attacked the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in 1672. Because of the neglect of the land forces, the Republic was many times outnumbered. The combined English and French fleet was 1.5 times as big as the Dutch fleet. The people cried out they had had enough regents, that only a Prince of Orange could defend the country. In the end the States-General, to pacify the angry people, gave William III, 18 years old by then, the position of General for one campaign.
The English and French fleets were routed on the sea by the excellent Dutch fleet, and the Dutch army managed to keep the Bishops of Keulen and Munster at a distance; but every attempt of William against the French could only slow their advance. He slowed it down for weeks, but more than three-guarters of the Netherlands had by then fallen in French hands; only 2 of the Seven Provinces were free at that time: Groningen( it managed to stand the sieges by the Bishops) and Holland(safer behind some rivers).
Cities everywhere in the free provinces rioted. The angry mobs had only one demand: "Put the Prince of Orange on the seat of the Governor again!" But the States-General did not give in. William was approached by his uncle, the King of England, to betray the cause of the Republic(a hard-working, excellent general with a bad health, William was the only factor guarding the Republic from utter destruction). William gave him a blank refusal.The French sent word they were willing to conclude a peace. The terms included to give up all remaining land under the Republics rule except one third of Holland; to pay a monstrous tribute, and to send a yearly delegation to thank Louis that he had left them so much of their country. Louis got a blank refusal. Instead, William was finally made Governor of the Repubic - or, what was left of it. He persuaded the States-General to finally cut through the dykes and dams, and let the water wash the French out of the Netherlands. This worked very well. William instantly began reforming the army and throwing the French out of the Southern parts of the Netherlands too. He signed peace with te English and the Bishops. He lent all the money he could on his possessions(mortgaged them twice their worth), his good reputation and his signature. Excessive funds were donated by a Jewish merchant. William used the money to bribe Spain and the various German States into war against France, and managed to push them miles over the former borders. Peace was signed, and although William was almost bankrupt, The Netherlands were saved.
He married his niece, the English heirress to the throne, Mary. Some years later, when the English Lords were extremely unhappy about the Catholic Jacobus, so they asked Mary and William to intervene, which he did. He quickly chased Jacobus from of the country, and was by that act the last man to succesfully invade England! The English Lords wanted Mary for a Queen and William III for her advisor. She disagreed with them, and in the end the English accepted William and Mary as King and Queen.(William had his rights on the throne of England anyway. The heirs were in succession 1: Mary, 2: her sister Ann and 3: William III.) William united Europe under his banner in his quest versus Louis, and when his bad health, the continous troubles of state and his many campaigns finally got the better of him, France was an economic wreck: When the yearly tax collectors came in France, the peasants had to pay 10/16 of all their money to the King and 5/16 to their landlord, leaving 1/16 part of their daily toil to themselves. I wonder why they revolted within 50 years?
Mary and William III had no children, so their dynasty died with William himself. William III had fulfilled his lifes mission: He, and he alone, had kept France from conquering all Europe, by devouring its nations one by one. He had united them, to keep The Evil Enemy(TM) at bay.
(Now why is Louis XIV included in CIV, and his great opponent not? )
**** = The castle in Germany were William I was born.
***** = Literally speaking, 'Met vriendelijke groet' means 'With friendly greet', but that is Dunglish(TM) (DUtch-eNGLISH = Dunglish), and it has the same meaning as 'Yours'.


Ha! I have written a Long Story Nobody Bothers To Read (TM).
So be it.

William III