The Shogun's Name

[Chronus]

Well, here goes my first hand at this. I don’t know how long it will take, with all the
holiday stuff going on, or how bad it will be, but we’ll see. I’m playing as the Japanese,
Monarch level, standard map against seven other civilizations.

*** What’s in a name anyway? ***

It is the year 1600 AD and I, Shogun Chronus, had finally linked honor to my name. It
isn’t a strong link, mind you, but I’ll take what I can get for now. And who wouldn’t,
with a name like this? It isn’t even Japanese! Nothing honorable about it at all! Why on
earth my parents would agree to such an absurd name is beyond me. Those stupid
spiritual leaders and their absurd ‘gods’, or ‘wise ways of living’ or whatever. They’ve
got the whole empire wrapped up in this stuff. No matter ... I may yet be able to use it to
my advantage.

Don’t get me wrong. As much as I despise these elements of my culture, I still love my
people. In spite of all the teasing I received in school, I still care for them. Yes, even
though I suffered unemployment, could not own land, and was even rejected by the
military .... all because of my name ... I still care for them. Or perhaps, deep down inside,
I’m selfish, and I simply want them to care and love me, even if I have to do anything to
get it. This tears me up. Where is the honor and pride in feeling like this? For too long I
was rejected by this people. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it bothered me.

Funny, actually, how saving an important spiritual leader can change one’s life. All of a
sudden, SPRONG ... the name ‘Chronus’ had significant, spiritual meaning! I was
allowed entry into the military and was quickly promoted through the ranks as we
conquered multiple barbaric tribes in our journey to find a home. ‘Chronus’ is now
considered a guide for the spiritually gifted and a defender of the ‘wise ways’. Bah ...
such nonsense. If I had known who that spiritual leader really was I would have happily
let him drown. But I digress ...

The land we found was beautiful. The fjord sprouted much fish while cattle grazed upon
the rich, grassy soil. To the east lay some hills and to the south and southeast was forests.
The ocean stretched out to the west and to the south beyond the forests. To the north, the
only eyesore in this land, was a desert ... and a vast desert as we eventually discovered.

We established our first city, Kyoto, fortified it with our mightiest warriors, and sent out
another warrior band to scout around. Meanwhile, I ordered our workers to immediately
build roads to increase our commerce. Aahh, yes. The little knowledge we did have was
finally showing its first fruits. Soon, the cities of Osaka and Tokyo were planted east, and
then further east, respectively. The land was good and green. The desert to the north,
however, seemed to follow us, which is why we kept traveling east.

The ‘strange crawly things’, as I liked to call them, were everywhere in the forests. I had
the wise men investigate this. The manure of these creatures could actually be used to
create garments and such. I ordered our workers to build a road to these ‘worms’ so that
their ‘silk’, as my wise men called it, could be harvested. The people loved it! I didn’t
have the heart to tell them that it was manure so the wise men and I told them that it was
the worm’s way of building a safe home to sleep in until it could turn into an adult. The
people just adored the creature upon hearing my story. Immediately, they started using it
to create tapestries for the temple. Aaaargh! They put it to spiritual use, of all reasons!
Oh, well. If they’re happy, then I’m happy. More importantly, my name was becoming
more popular than ever.

We met the Americans beyond the eastern hills. They were cautious, but willing to trade
technology. It all went well but I was a bit alarmed at the fact that they knew more than
we did. When I got back home, I made aggressive reforms to increase our research ...

... and not a moment too soon. One of our warrior bands explored the vast, northern
desert and discovered the Greeks on the other side. They too were willing to share
technology but some of it came at a price. Of greatest interest was a substance called
iron. With it, say my wise men, we could fashion better weapons for our troops, not to
mention other miscellaneous uses. There wasn’t any within the empire, but there was
some in that thin stretch of hills which headed north from our empire to the Greeks. I
pondered establishing a fourth city there, but I would have to hurry.

I was disgruntled at our lack of technology. We weren’t far behind but I was tired of
paying the other two civilizations to keep up. To make things worse, various historians
noted how primitive and pitiful our empire was. I was crushed. However, as I expressed
my frustration to my wise men, they consoled me by pointing out that both the Americans
and the Greeks admired our culture. Admired? Yes, they did admire our culture! Who
cares what two historians said about our empire when two entire civilizations admired us!
My spirits were lifted (ick, there’s that word again) and I sent out more settlers to
establish that fourth city. To the north, our mighty band of warriors surprised a group of
barbarians, sacked their camp, and made off with 50 gold.

Aaah, yes. Perhaps I will make a name for myself after all. I WILL make a name for
myself ...

[Chronus]

*** The Great Land Grab ***

The city of Edo was founded in what we coined “The Iron Hills” ... and talk about a close
call. Just on the outskirts of our new town was a band Greek settlers. They moved on to
the west and established the city of Delphi right near the heart of that blasted desert. Fine
by me ... what a waste. I kept my interests to the east where our warriors discovered a
river running through the hot desert. The Empire was already preparing more settlers so I
did not have to wait long to establish the town of Satsuma. It is a strange sight to see
actually, this large town right in the middle of a desert. But the mighty “Dry River”, as
we humorously named it, had rich, fertile flood banks that kept the populace well fed.
This river was fed continuously by The Iron Hills, whose high elevation drew in moisture
from the billowy white clouds above. It was then that we noticed American settlers to the
west. A twinge of anxiety rose in the nation’s heart. Suddenly, the acquisition of land
was on everyone’s mind. I rushed my people over to eke out another city. Both teams of
settlers raced south but in the end I was too late: the American city of Atlanta was
established.

I continued my diplomatic wheeling and dealing with my two friendly rivals. Part of this
was to gain technology, which we still had trouble acquiring. Another reason, however,
was to see their admiration for us. This was my strength and kept me going.
Immediately, I ordered the construction of a great statue in the fjord of Kyoto. It was my
hope to draw in people, and their technology, from distant lands (in addition to their
admiration, of course). The Americans introduced us to the Egyptians who lived further
south. Cleopatra was rather pleasant, when she wasn’t curt. We exchanged technology
and bided each other a good day. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of role she
would play in our future. The four nations were getting along quite peacefully. However,
I wanted to play it safe. I completed the road from Edo to the iron deposits and quietly
began the construction of swords for my future swordsmen.

Of course, with all the trading going on there was the exchange of maps as well. You can
imagine the surprised looks on the four leaders when we all realized just how neglected
the northwest end of our continent was. The Japanese Empire was suddenly overrun by
American and Egyptian settlers heading north and northeast. I had half a mind to order
them out but I didn’t. In spite of their rudeness, I wanted to maintain the peace. My
swordsmen were still too few in number and besides ... peace was actually fun. The
exchange of maps and knowledge was inspiring. Why couldn’t the barbarian tribes
behave this way? An even more disturbing question came to mind. Am I the right ruler
for this people? We’re a militaristic society, for crying out loud! Am I too willing to
sacrifice our most cherished beliefs just to nab the love and admiration of other nations?
I shook off these thoughts and focused upon the job at hand. The northwest beckoned to
be colonized and I wasn’t about to let that down.

My settlers leaped a narrow section of the Great Desert and founded Kagoshima in a lush,
hilly oasis. Further west, another creature was discovered. Unlike our silkworms back
home, these were huge monsters. The locals called them ‘elephants’ so we adopted the
name for our own. The manure from these magnificent creatures had little value. Maybe
it was because they produced so much of it. Their horns, however, were highly coveted
by the locals. Hmmmm, if we could just get a town over there, the payoff could be
awesome.

I swore loudly when I heard the news. My shocked spiritual ‘pupils’ turned a deaf ear
toward me. Knossos, Seattle, El-Amarna and Mycenae ... all these foreign towns
suddenly sprang up in the northwest, carving out large chunks of hills, mountains and
plains ... all laden with gold and elephants. Once again, I had moved too slow. The
spoils went to the quick and crafty ... and I wasn’t one of them. I came to the realization
that being a Monarch wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. I decided to focus on my
efforts back home.

The main towns had their city walls and swordsmen, but their need was minimal. The
four nations, in spite of the colonial competition, expressed great hospitality and
companionship toward each other. The sense of security and peace was like a warm
blanket. The Empire’s defense was fine ... I needed to focus elsewhere.

The Colossus was finally completed and it stood triumphantly in the shimmering waters.
Cheers rose from the crowd as I waved to them in our nation’s first parade. Many of
them weren’t even Japanese. Good. Bring in the foreigners with their knowledge and
admiration. The wheels in my head began to turn. The Greeks no longer held admiration
for our “tiny nation”, as Alexander would call us. No, they were now in awe of us. I
began to wonder ... the northwest colonies had gaps of unclaimed land in between them.
Two of them were Greek. Perhaps our people can settle close by and ‘introduce’ more of
our customs to these culturally deprived people ... no? Aaah, yes. Another light had
emerged at the end of a dark tunnel. I suddenly realized that I was ignoring the crowd.
Seconds later, I was waving at them more vigorously than ever, basking in their love.

It is now the year 470 BC. My settlers are on their way to the Grecian colonies and a road
is under construction to link the towns of Kyoto and Kagoshima. This will aid future
colonization efforts to the northwest. The Empire is getting larger, and so is the
corruption.

“If you are going to be a Monarch,” declared my wise men, “you will need to rule a
Monarchy. The people will be more productive and less corrupt if you show more
concern for them.”

They knew how well those last words would affect me, and it worked.

“Very well,” I said. “Let’s hear your proposal.”

“We should also build more roads through the forests and sell or trade the excess worm
manure to the other nations. Of course, we’ll need to build roads to their empires ...”

“Aaah, yes,” I interrupted. “Let it be done.”

With a smile on their face, my wise men turned to present their well-documented plans to
create this Monarchy and trade network.

And then, an impossible thing happened. A courier burst into the chambers and bowed
before me.

“What is it?” I asked, thinking it was another spiritual discovery by some peasant.

The young lad looked up. “My Lord,” he gasped. “The Americans have declared war on
the Egyptians!”

[himoses]

Good start

[Chronus]

Thanx!

Anyone willing to tell me how to post the map?

[Grundel]

I would love to if I could, Chronus.

But you are doing a great job of turning your game into a story.

[Chronus]

Thanks for the encouragement!

*** “Hell hath no fury ... “ ***

I looked at my wise men, almost with a smile. “Impossible.” I turned back to the boy.
“Who sent you?”

“Foreign Minister Tikito himself, my Lord.”

I waved the boy off as my wise men gathered around me.

“This must be some sort of mistake,” I concluded. “We’ve all been at peace for
thousands of years.”

“My Lord,” said Situsa, my head wise men. “The other empires are feeling the same
pressure we’re experiencing to obtain more land. The discovery of iron’s use only
compounded the matter. As you know, the NorthWest is choke full of gold and ivory. I
just received a report the other day that the mountains near the colony of Seattle may also
have iron. I haven’t told you yet only because it hasn’t been confirmed. The main
Egyptian Empire, of course, is on the opposite side of the continent which is probably
why they established the colony of El-Amarna. Look here, my Lord.”

Situsa walked over to the map of the continent that dangled on the wall. His thin finger
pointed to the Japanese Empire, moved south through the narrow land occupied by the
Americans, and then stopped where the land again widened a little... the Egyptians. “As
you can see, Egypt is blessed with incense and has enough dyes to supply her people.
Unfortunately for her, she has no iron within her borders and little other resources of great
interest. This explains her bold moves to move her settlers and troops through the
American, Japanese, and probably even the Grecian empires. The colony town of Byblos,
on the northern coast of the continent, is just east of all these new colonization attempts.
It’s a frozen wasteland up there, but for the Egyptians, the town is a gateway.”

“My Lord,” he continued with a concerned look. “These colonization attempts may not
be such a good idea. The Americans declared war because of Egypt’s boldness to
trespass. I’m sure of it. Yes, the NorthWest is rich, but is it defendable? Just look at the
muddled mess it is. Colony is placed on top of colony. There’s no continuity with any of
the borders. It’s just a powder keg that threatens anyone who enters.”

I thought long and hard on the issue. It did make sense. Perhaps it was good that all this
greed we harbored was finally out in the open. I didn’t like the situation, but perhaps I
could use it to the Empire’s advantage. “Summon the Minister of Defense.” I
commanded.

Omar was tall, large and somewhat bumbling. I liked him. He had endured a life of
misery ... all because of a ridiculous name ... and had risen above it. It was he, of course,
who had urgently told me to increase the military. Unfortunately, he did not have my
wise men’s knack of using the people’s desire to sway me. Now, it felt as if I was
running to him. Surely our defenses were adequate, weren’t they? Or were they only
good during times of peace?

“My Lord,” said Omar as he entered. “I was just on my way over when I received your
summons. Minister Tikito has already apprised me of the situation.”

“How long do you think this war will last?” I almost interrupted.

“The Egyptians have a large army, my Lord, but Lincoln is no fool. The Americans have
access to iron in the hills outside of Washington. I’m not sure how long Egyptian archers
will last against swordsmen. If negotiations continue to fail, this war will probably carry
on for some time. Egypt will eventually be forced to concessions though only you know
just what kind of concessions will appease Lincoln.”

I studied the map for a long time. “Continue with our plans to settle the NorthWest. If
the Egyptian and American colonies get tired of the war, I want to usher them into our
Empire with open arms.”

My wise men took a few cautious steps toward me. “My Lord,” said Situsa. “There’s no
guarantee that any of these colonies will ever want to be part of the Japanese Empire.
This sort of thing has never happened before.”

I turned swiftly to all my subjects. “Continue with the colonization efforts as planned and
tell Minister Tikito to send delegates to both Abraham and Cleopatra. I want to know
what is going on. Minister Omar, finish up defending our towns with swordsmen and
then back them up with horsemen. I don’t want any surprises coming from anyone!”
And with that, I stormed out of the chambers to catch a sleepless afternoon nap.

******

My people were eager to get busy but the presence of Egyptian and Grecian troops was
too alarming. I kept the settlers in the town of Kagoshima until spearmen were ready to
escort them. The war was already altering my plans. My intention was to have them run
ahead alone and settle near the Grecian town of Mycenae. Now that was an impossible
option. They definitely needed protection.

The trek was long and hard. Egyptian warriors followed my settlers as they passed
between El-Amarna and Seattle. The Great Desert eventually gave way to higher
elevations which brought in cold air from the frozen north. The only partial protection
from this air were the mountains covered with snow. Yet the hearts of the brave settlers
were lifted as they finally crossed over the hills and spotted the ivory giants in the warmer
plains down below. With great rejoicing, the town of Nara was formed and Japan’s first
colony in the NorthWest was born.

Developments back home saw some progression as well. My workers constructed more
roads within the Empire and the cash flow from this kept us out of the red. Additional
roads were completed to the homes of our silkworm. The next step was to create a road
to the Americans for trading purposes.

My wise men finally perfected the idea of ruling an empire via a Monarchy. However, I
refrained from giving the order because the Overlord of each town could only support so
many troops. My current military buildup was too ambition for the moment. However,
Omar and Kia, my Domestic Advisor, advised me that more troops could be supported in
a Monarchy if Japan only had more cities. Looking at the map, the only city in the
Japanese Empire was the great city of Satsuma to the far east. Aahh, yes. The mighty
Dry River was fruitful indeed. Kia further suggested that if we could somehow bring a
reliable source of water to the rest of the towns then our populations would grow. I
immediately gave the order to further investigate new concepts of Construction for this.
Then I remembered something ... rumor had it that the Americans had already invented
something to this effect. I summoned my delegates and gave them my orders.

Discussions with Abraham went well. We could have struck a bargain to trade Monarchy
for Construction but I opted instead to receive Literature and Map Making. My wise men
did not agree with this but I felt that we were moving along quite well with our research.
Furthermore, in the back of my mind, I was beginning to hope that we could somehow
contact other civilizations beyond this continent. I knew they were out there ... those
blasted historians couldn’t help but gloat about them. I also learned another tidbit of
information: Lincoln, indeed, declared war because of the trespassing Egyptians. Situsa
was right ... this was a war regarding colonization. The Lincoln delegates also mentioned
that the Egyptians had perfected their chariots into capable fighting machines. The
Americans, however, were not intimidated. The road to their iron source was nearly
finished. American swordsmen would soon be marching into Egyptian soils.

Our discussions with Cleopatra were not as fruitful but still informative. They already
had Monarchy which meant that we had nothing to offer them. Concerning the war, the
Egyptian delegates simply stated that Cleopatra withdrew her settlers from American soil
and began shipping them to Byblos to avoid confrontation. Lincoln, however, grew
arrogant with their discovery of iron and was simply looking for an excuse to conquer. I
had to admit that this did not sound like the Lincoln I knew. He was old, wise and
peaceful. Then again, he was the one who declared war, wasn’t he? Who was I to
believe?

Technological trade with Alexander was over before it even started. The Greeks were
annoyed with us ever since we established Nara so close to Mycenae. Situsa was right
again. Colonization was a dangerous business. Well, if the situation grew worse, a fight
with Greece may be doable as long as the Americans and the Egyptians were kept busy
with each other. It was sad, really. Our continent was once an island of peace, trust and
cooperation. The NorthWest and the war changed everything. Nobody trusted anybody,
expansion was slowing down, and, for the first time since in history, civilizations were
losing people to the ravages of war.

The Empire’s defense was coming along quite well. All the towns were armed with
swordsmen and the grasslands of Osaka provided fresh horses to prepare for our
horsemen. In the outskirts of Tokyo, construction on the road to the American towns was
underway. In the NorthWest, the foundations for a temple were completed in Nara.
Grecian admiration no longer existed toward us ever since Nara. I wasn’t too upset. The
Literature shared by the Americans will soon see us through with Libraries which should
help our culture thrive. We’ll take the Grecian colonies peacefully, I vowed. Surely they
will come to admire my name again.

******

The pounding on my bedroom doors startled me. It was Omar himself.

“My Lord,” he said worriedly. “The Egyptians have taken Boston and Washington!
Fancy that, my Lord! Washington has fallen! The road to their iron mine was ambushed
by Egyptian war chariots before it was completed!”

Beads of sweat broke on my forehead. “Meet me in the war room,” I ordered.

******

It was a time of great tension and anxiety. The construction of military units, which
appeared so quick and easy at one time for the productive towns of Japan, now appeared
to take forever. I visually inspected the town walls myself to check for openings. The
first of our catapults came fresh out of the armory. I harshly reprimanded Omar for not
having barracks in Satsuma, our only city! It was just north of Atlanta, for crying out
loud!

Decade after decade, more American towns fell to the onslaught of Egyptian war chariots.
Philadelphia soon followed Washington ... and with the capture of New York, the
Egyptian Empire shared its border with Tokyo. Our direct contact with Egyptian military
units and commanders brought a wave of new information.

I went over myself to have a look at these war chariots. They were simply awesome.
Majestic plumes sprouted from the heads of both horses and riders. The chariot itself
glinted as gold in the sunlight. These descriptions, however, don’t even compare to the
skill these riders portrayed. It was no longer a wonder why America was badly losing this
war.

Rumors were also revealed by the loose lips of Egyptian commanders. I couldn’t confirm
it ... and I couldn’t believe it ... but it weighed heavily upon my mind. According to the
higher ranks, the war wasn’t about colonization, threats or the acquisition of iron.
Cleopatra had far greater designs: she wanted a royal marriage with Lincoln to establish
supremacy on the continent. This appalled me. How could such a rumor exist?
Cleopatra seemed rather sane to me. Could all this be the result of something ...
personal? I shook off the thoughts and dismissed them as just that ... rumors.

With the war came a flood of American refugees. I ordered our troops and citizens alike
to be kind to the Americans as honorable, spiritual people should do. Most of these
refugees were heading north, past the Japanese and Grecian Empires to Chicago. The
others headed northwest to the Seattle colony. Many would die in their trek through the
Great Desert. Others would perish in the inhospitable wild lands and Grecian Empire.
Few would ever reach their destination.

With the fall of Atlanta, the American Empire was no more. They were reduced to two
colonies. Seattle was now the new “capital”, if you could call it that. The flow of
refugees came to a stop as the Egyptians closed their borders. Ironically, and yet
unsurprisingly, their troops did not stop. They poured into the Japanese Empire but did
not appear to have any intentions to attack. They simply headed north. I rode out with
Omar to view this spectacle and to order my workers back into the town of Tokyo. Kia
also came to provide encouraging words to the citizens of Satsuma.

The Egyptian troops were everywhere! We counted three divisions of spearmen, three
divisions of war chariots, a division of archers and a division of swordsmen. Aahh, yes.
The Egyptians had obviously put that iron mine to use.

As we watched, a small contingent of chariots broke off from the main Egyptian force
and rode up to us. One of the chariots sported a tall, dark, slender figure adorned in royal
battlement.

“That’s Cleopatra!” exclaimed Omar. “Fancy that! She rides with her own troops!”

Indeed it was. This imposing, and yet gorgeous, dark beauty approached us with a smile.

“Shogun Chronus,” she said with an angelic voice. “I have come personally to ask for
your permission to trespass in your lands. You already know about the evil Americans
and how they attacked us with no provocation. I want to assure you that we merely desire
to pass our troops along to capture the town of Chicago ... nothing more. My men will
stay off of your roads and will not interfere with the honorable Japanese citizens. Nor am
I asking for you to join us in our crusade. We merely want access to Chicago. I believe I
can persuade Alexander to see my point of view as well. The memory of this evil
American race will soon be blotted out.” She turned her face into the wind and observed
the city of Satsuma. “May I have your blessing?”

I glanced at the city and wondered if this was a subtle threat or a mere observation that
she was making. “Cleopatra, if you intend peace for the Japanese Empire and if your
troops do not trouble our citizens, then you may cross.”

Cleopatra deepened her smile. “Thank you, kind Chronus. Now that we share a common
border, perhaps we can some day share a closer, more trusting relationship with each
other. A pleasant day, my fair Chronus.” And with that, her party rode back to their
formations.

She was simply beautiful. If the rumors were true, then Lincoln was a fool. Still, what
really lurked behind that gentle face? At one time, her warriors and settlers trespassed
across our lands with disdain. Egypt then was but a far away place with little political
influence. Now she commanded the most powerful army on the continent, perhaps the
world, and she comes here asking for permission? I felt my heart actually touched. But it
was mingled with fear. If indeed the rumors about Cleopatra and Lincoln were true, then
also true was the old saying, “a scorned woman is nothing to trifle with”.

It is the year 90 BC. For the first time in my life, I am seriously praying. It’s an evil
prayer, but a prayer with deep concern for my people. I am hoping that somehow
Alexander will not give in to Cleopatra as I did. As much as I hate war, I pray that these
two powerful nations would somehow deliver fatal blows upon each other.

To the north, an angry Alexander expands his influence westward to the NorthWest. His
army is vast and his empire is loaded with resources. To the south is the unstoppable
Egyptian Empire, reaping the fruits of the once American Empire. An ambitious and
powerful queen leads them ... their glory overshadowing the very radiance of the sun.

And in between lies a small empire hoping it can somehow turn its role as a second rate
pawn into a first rate power.