The story of Atlantis

[joe08536]

My Thoughts on the works of Atlantean people by Joseph of Aurelius, Proconsul of the Atlantean Repbulic ad 900.

My task at it seems now has been one of constancy , of providing that permanence which would otherwise succumb to nature, that is the root of civilization. I would say our civilization but we all have our own roots and that is all you must know. This task I have set for myself it to tell of the trials and tales of the men and women of our world. Mostly this covers and concerns the civilized world of Atlantis, In the ages before time, we are of the remnants of a Roman people of a people in a place called Terra. But this is not that place.

Draconis - The Dragon - our world is a similar place to that memory called Terra, while we are each and every one human we have retained nothing save some shred of our cultural distinctiveness That which was Roman is now Atlantean. It matters for nothing our people have lost everything but I have sworn to the people that we will retain not just our culture, not just our lives but we will reach again for the stars as the legends before time say that we once upon had. We will reclaim those pieces of ancient knowledge for us and our posterity, I swear upon our ancestors that we will surpass their achievements and reach again for the stars. This is a staple of my rhetoric and also my belief.

A man of great intelect and merit was at the first of our meetings and said a Prophet and to some a Messiah will come and a great story was and will be told. That this prophet would be somewhere upon the world with us in 4000 years and more still, that the world would end another 2000 years past the the arrival of this prophet. In continuing, that at this end of the world there would be a great reconing of men and their deeds. I am loathe to utilize anything which usurps the rational world in such a way, but difficult times are upon us. We are surrounded by the wilds of this great land and all the creatures and peoples in it are towards our end. As we had no better council we set ourselves to this measurement of time. You should also know that our way of reconing distance is usually from a city in terms of leauges (lgs) which are the distance traveled by a skilled warrior in one day on open terrain.

3950 bc - Our founding of the First City of Atlantis, Aurelius - in honor of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius may the wisdom of the Roman tradition guide our future. As our city is small I have ordered a band of men, warriors strong to defend and protect our city as we struggle in this harsh land of ours. In my speech to the 10,000 of men and women of our city, We will build our city I have thus commissioned when our city is properly defended workers to help forge the land to our needs. I have instructed our wisest scholars to seek the furtherance of their skills, I feel our success is best had by the sciences and physics. They know of the letters and scripts and suggest that writing may be useful for the masses, While this is true we also have our warriors to consider and with all our great plans we will see what writing brings us.

3750 bc - The city now has it's defenders and more still a work team of skilled men those among the first of us who have helped us to irrigate the land and build our roads and let the citizenry of our good city build
our future.

The shape of our territories is coming to light - To the east of Aurelius lies the beautiful western sea, around our city is range of our world, To the north there are forrested plains and hills and mountains with gold in abundance to the east and southeast, we have also deserts too and of course through the middle of our fair city lies the river, running parallel to the western sea, where it comes from we suspect is the south as the mountains are high and treacherous, northward it flows towards the plains bringing fresh water and much rejoicing we scarcely need worry for the waste of our people is carried with the current and we can so our doctors of the humours say be more numerous in this place an any other we have found.

Our defenders have started away from the city heading in a northeasterly direction , reports of yet more gold and a fertile desert crescent, north to the west of the river of Aurelius, we have reports of abundant game. For now the city prospers, although it is still small, there is work ongoing on the new barracks and more workers are to be commissioned, we must make this land our own. Afterwards we will commission another defending group of warriors and then perhaps our city will be of size enough to send out a colony or perhaps a daughter city in the not too distant future.

3550 bc - The fates have smiled upon our warriors they report having come upon a primitive settlement of friendly native peoples, A rapport was made and they have decided to pledge their allegiance to Atlantis. The wonders of our people have impressed them such that they have heartily joined us and have made one of my future dreams a reality. Care must be taken and emphasis placed upon the workers to make their decision the right one. These people were of the desert four days or leagues of travel for the warrior to their location they will be guided to the north of Aurelius and our new daughter city founded there.

3050 bc - We have truly been gifted by the fates, Byzantia the second city of Atlantis is founded located 3 lgs to the west and 3 to the north, I set upon the new citizens the task of defence a barracks is to there be constructed and as promised the workers have been toiling night and day The area of Byzantia is quite dis-similar to that of Aurelius, While still a coastal city around the great western sea Byzantia is further blessed while not by gold but by fishes of the great western sea. We can see now that the expanse of plains to the north of Aurelius goes on as far as our scouts have traveled. The river of Aurelius however turns west we have found, it turns towards the mountains to the west. There are fertile grains and animals too, a type of four legged creature we have called cows, these animals "moo" or bleet out as they chew their food or are otherwise disturbed, they are good we are told by locals for meat and for some other goods, as a scribe of antiquity mentioned an ancient merchant claimed his method of preparation of such beasts left nothing wasted but the "moo" or something to that effect.

A late report from our scouts reports yet another native tribe has been located 4 lgs from Byzantia, The fates have again smiled upon us as we now have learned from our kind native fellows the secrets of ceremonial burial, this will allow me the ability to settle discomfort and east the worries of the people. It may help provide justification for the difficulties ahead which may be unpopular. The people are a strength, whether that strength is to my advantage or not is the only question. A great temple will be constructed in both cities when the practical matters of current productions are finished. Aurelius is now set to grow I feel. As it was planned, other groups workers and warriors are being formed and when they have finished we will be in a good place.

2630 bc - The defenders expand our knowledge of the world for me and the people. We now know that there are many of those cows and much of the grain in the plains as I mentioned earlier, the mountains to the far east surround the small desert to the east of Aurelius. To the south then I have sent a new warrior, Where they have found the source of the river of Aurelius 5 lgs south and 4 lgs east in a mountainous and hilly area with nothing but gold for the taking. to the west of the hills the great sea retreats and instead there is a plain beyond which is unknown, but not for long.

2590 bc - The defenders continue to expand our world, Another report of natives settled some 6 or 7 lgs north of Byzantia and 2 to the west, again I find myself hoping for the best for our peoples. To the south and the east a report from beyond the mountains and gold has revealed a land of grasslands and forrests with game as well. Some deserts are known and another great river flows from the north to the south but our explorers have not yet seen to the other side of it as it wide and the distance from our intrepid warriors is vast. it can be seen from the mountains a full to lgs away.

Closer to home, truly a constabulary force is being created in Aurelius and also in Byzantia which has grown by leaps and bounds and is nearly twice the population of Aurelius (with some 20,000 people) - some people say it is the fish, others say it is the game, my feeling it is the road which brings the hard workers of Aurelius to build the mines and irriage the lands but they are now tasked with making their own workers so I suspect their population will be not so great so long.

2070 bc - Many things have happened since my last chronicle mostly though we have worked hard and laboured for ourselves and our children. I will cover our advances, the wise men have finished their work into writing and they now progress towards a new science called literature, it is their feeling that the people should be educated by means of writing that so called libraries will help us advance ourselves. Our sage keeps saying we are technologically advanced, compared to whom is the better question. He sits with that bemused look upon his face. I think he's up to something, he has the look of someone who's up to something...but perhaps it is the paranoia which seems to come with this position. They say the position changes you. I begin to understand this, however slightly. Happily however the domestic advisor says our cities are growing albiet slowly. Lest I forget myself and the important work of state.

The cities and there are now 3 in number are all growing, in 2350 we came upon another settlement of friendly natives, this time some 12 lgs north and west of Byzantia. These new citizens were sent to settle the great plains the the east of Byzantia along the river of Aurelius as league or so from where it turns west many cows and grains we have come to call wheat are present there and surely this will bless the inhabitants even though they lack the obvious practical benefits of an unobstructed view of the great western sea.

The gallant warrior explorers have discovered a grea southern sea, it is my suspicion (of which I now have many), that we live astride a great landmass surrounded by an even greater sea but this is just speculation and the ramblings of your humble author. I think the paranoia is more an indication of crankyness and need for rest than deriding my loyal advisers. I need rest, as the future can await some sleep.

1425 bc - Well at least some of rambling suspicions of my previous entries have turned to be at least partially true. While the science advisor is as loyal as ever, we have come to the startling conclusion that the great western sea is truly a great sea which straddles the whole southern part of the world as any child knows only darkness lies beyond the great Ocean sea!

Domestically, the cities are now all growing nicely and have populations approching 30,000 people each! It is beyond comparison! I have ensured that the workers who seemed to have fauned and preened the city of Byzantia to near perfection. Everywhere one could desire a road or a farm a mine or a forrest, one is present. I believe however there has been enough attention paid to them it is now incumbent upon the better natures of Byzantia to grow and be the beacon of prosperity for the cities. Aurelius lags in it's development but I have ordered the cities to create yet more worker crews upon the completion of their temples. These work crews will be sent to improve Aurelius and then Claudius in the same fashion as Byzantia, my own petty nature compels me to jealousy, in this regard I must refrain and be as equitable to all the citizens of Atlantis as possible.

Returning my thoughts to the explorers, they have found that the great southern expanse of the world is essentially like a great semicircle some almost 20 lgs across at it's widest from east to west with a large arc along the southern 1/2 of the world which is 12 lgs from the southernmost tip and 4 lgs west of Aurelius). There seems every type of terrain there is ia a great jungle to the far southeast which turns to the forrests I mentioned before with another great river almost as long as the river of Aurelius , this river runs basically north south to a delta in the jungle in the far southeast but meanders along it's way. In fact the riverhead is still unknown as is still a small section of the interior undiscovered and dark to us.

Reports of another warrior tribe have also been made from our southern scouts, I scarcely believe this is possible as any child knows we are alone as the chosen of the fates. The reports say a Patzinal conscript, this implies - and is clearly, therefore, mistaken - that there are other civilizations. As before with my science advisor, the better question of whom else is there in the world.

The terrain north of our good cities is even more vast than that of the south but my visits to the frontier bear out the reports that it is much more plain , pardon the pun, than the south and will make for adequate if not grand areas for cultivation and even more of our good cities. Our northern scouts have also found what appears to be a great eastern sea, this however has given rise to a debate amongst my advisors that the whole of the world is surrounded by a vast ocean sea!

I have advised the science counsel that this then is our next great challenge, upon the completion of his (and admittely my) now beloved literature project we must endeavor to put men to boats and cross the ocean sea!

1400 bc - The most vile and treacherous of events occured on the frontier in the south. One of our gallant explorers was deliberately attacked by the vicious and vile Patzinal conscript and while they live and were able to send a scout. I have ordered another warrior there to utterly destroy any Patzinal or any other hateful and despicable natives which occur.

On the other hand, the people have honored me and I am humbled by their works - with naught but their skill have they built me a humble dwelling amongst the strongest of our rocks in the near center of our citadel. This place shall be the capital of our cities the meeting point of our peoples, and the source of the destruction of our enemies!

975 bc - Our civilization progresses onward, the three cities of Atlantis have now grown two almost 50,60 and 50 thousand people each! Some have contested that had they to do it, we would have more cities would be more numerous and prosperous, perhaps but they are not emperor. As these cities have grown , discontent has also grown. The wisdom of building temples was truly valid, without them, I would scarcely be able to control the cities.

I have decided that Claudius with it's bountiful wheat and meat production will lead the development of new settlers to create daughter cities and tame the great explored mass of our homeland. Workers have nearly completed the improvements around Aurelius.

In Aurelius , we are now embarked as of just scarcely some turns ago, the Great Library which we feel will have the benefits of wisdom upon wisdom. In addition we found that other technologies - as the science advisor calls them have been easier to develop, we now have granaries with the benefits of developments in pottery as well as bronze working. The fates smiled upon the southern explorers as they discovered the last of the friendly native settlements in the south, these benificents gave us the knowledge of mysticm from which I have instructed Byzantia to construct an Oracle so we may sooth the spiritual needs of our people more effectively and train the religious leadership to be more effective in all of our cities.

The explorers have discovered the ends of the world. all of the world south of Aurelius and at least 15 lgs north of Byzantia on either coast is conscribed by a vast ocean sea. I believe I was right in my assertion to the science counsel that mapmaking and being able to send our brave explorers to sea is the only way we will conquer our fears and truly have dominance over our world.

[joe08536]

350 bc - I write this chronical on the happy occasion of the completion of the Oracle at Byzantia. This is truly the greatest wonder of the world!

Recently the Atlantean people have accomplished so many great things. Why it was scarcely 500 years ago we founded Dioclesian the fourth city of our burgeoning civilization. Dioclesian is set on the eastern coast of what we now know as the great ocean sea, which surrounds the whole world! I have commissioned all of the cities to produce one settler each unless they are engaged in a great wonder - such as the soon to be completed Great Library of Aurelius - I like the sound of that even though it's not finished for another 200 years or so. I have commissioned Byzantia to produce the Lighthouse and will commission some galleys to explore the ocean sea. Claudius and Dioclesian are nearly finished their improvements, I have broken the workers up into groups to accomplish goals more efficiently and will produce settlers for even more cities.

The explorers having now nearly completed their noble task of discovering the world and the ocean sea, now turned their expertise to the defense of the realm, constantly it seems our borders are tested by so many enemies now that I sometimes grow weary of the reports. Thracian, Scythian, Gallic they keep coming and conquest of their lands is not enough to deter them these damnable barbarians are turning even the veteran warriors to seek shelter here and there. With the advances in our "technologies" we can now create spearmen which are in some ways superior to our tried warriors.

The men of science are now working on a very hard task - it seemed to me not so, but yet it will be unfinished for many turns yet. Philosophy, I'm informed by the advisor that developing this in conjunction with some sort of codification of my wisdom into laws would allow for better administration and possibly even a new type of govenment called a Republic which would allow the people a say in their daily affairs and other things which really didn't interest me at the time as it sounded like taking away my right to do a job I've been doing effectively for some time now, That's all he keeps talking about, republic this , republic that, time will tell.

210 bc - As I write this I can scarcely believe it. No, I cannot believe it, there are barbarian called Greeks!! These Greeks are elsewhere in the world, or perhaps they do not exist at all, but for the message from the advisors that they created a so called wonder called the Collossus in a city called Athens. The new galley must be send as far as possible to find these Barbarian Greeks. They must be across the ocean sea far away from my beloved Aurelius. Settlers have been dispatched to found new cities and the newest addition to our civilization Epictitus was founded west and north of Dioclesian on the western coast, it is nearly
equi-distant from Byzantia and Dioclesian. and has a simple geography similar to that of Byzantia except there are no forrests and no fish in the local sea, I am dispatching workers to improve the land and road system as much as possible.

150 bc - My proudest accomplishment - and it has already paid a benefit to our people. The Great Library is complete. We miraculously discovered "the wheel" as a direct result and have started to tame newly identified animals called horses, these differ from cows in that they are able to carry great loads and do not "moo" - or so I am told. Many of the beasts will be brought before my Palace for my review. The chef has suggested a banquet to celebrate the discovery of these new animals - starring, of course, these new animals. I've been assured said they're as tasty as the cows. Well, I'm off to dinner. I'll write again later of this fabulous affair.

Dinner was not one of the shining moments of Atlantean history. Chef is dead, he tried serving one of the horses and well, let's just say an unfortunate series of events ensued. The less said about the whole affair the better. I have sent to Byzantia with a dispatch of riders on the former prospective entrees for a new chef. Henceforth, the only time a horse will die is through accident on the battlefield or of old age.

140 bc - Fortuna has been founded, 4 lgs northwest and 1 lg north of Dioclesian this new city has access to cows and game and is located along the shorline of the eastern ocean sea, in the bay of fortuna, across the bay are mountains and uninhabitable terrain generally I should expect this addition to the cities of the Atlantean people to benefit all over time.

30 bc - Gilgamesh has been founded on the western sea in an area of grassland and wheat with the end of the great plains which extend all the way from Aurelius. Gilgamesh is located 4 lgs west and 1 south of Fortuna.

Warriors are currently battling with Gallic barbarians in the south which is where I would like to start sending settlers. but I must simply keep the defenses up while continuing to build as cautiously as possible.

Reports from the galleys have reported that there are no barbarian lands close to our homeland. Our homeland appears to be a very large continent, were it not for the reports of the barbarian Greeks in their mythical city Athens somewhere beyond the ocean sea, we could be forgiven for thinking ourselves alone.

0 ad - I do believe the man of great intellect at the first meeting, so many years ago, meant that as of now there is somewhere a prophet among us or just departed or born a few years ago, come to think of it, we never really did nail him down on the specifics of the whole thing.

240 ad - The barbarian French have created something called the Great Wall in Paris, I'm told by a wandering advisor whom has found himself the newly appointed Foreign Minister that apparently they have a civilization like ours and that the Greeks are also like us in many respect. Many in the court do not agree with this assessment, myself included, we are obviously the superior race. I will conceed that if they do exist, they are most assuredly like the despised vagabond Gauls or hated Scythians and of no comparison to our noble civilization in temperment or accomplishments.

When the Lighthouse is complete in about 100 years, I'm told that we will be able to safely send our galleys into the deep sea and maybe even the ocean sea itself. So far the confines of staying to the shoreline of our great homeland of Atlantis, which has thusfar prevented us from discovering more of what - apparently lies beyond the darkness of the ocean sea!

340 ad - The Lighthouse of Byzantia is complete. Byzantia, Claudius and Dioclesian have been tasked with creating two settlers each.

[joe08536]

340 ad continued

Initial reports from galleys have shown some sea lanes open to the southwest of coast Atlantis 7 lgs south of Aurelius there may also be a sea lane to the west of Byzantia but a galley has not yet arrived there.

Our scientists have finished the code of laws and have started working on the Republic which apparently will make the cities more bountiful in their food production and more prosperous in their trade but I lost my attention again when the Science advisor mentioned something about corruption and anarchy. If he keeps talking about my authority like this again, I think we'll have to have a private discussion about "boundaries".

And speaking of boundaries, I'm happy to say that we have expanded many of our borders due to our cultural importance in the better part of Atlantis. This seems to prevent those damnable barbarians from banding together near our cities. This effect does not seem to work beyond our "border".

370 ad - News of the greatest import, A galley reports that to the south and west across the ocean sea are a people so much like us, we can only conclude that they too had their beginnings when we did. These remarkable people are far more advanced than the despicable Gauls or Scythians, I must confess a sin of omission, In my heart I knew that were there a Great Wonder as exist in my great cities Byzantia or Aurelius that the efforts of more than the pathetic barbarians of our homeland would be required to create it.

In the way of wonders, this new civilization, call themselves the Chinese, Their lands are unknown to us but whereas we have developed galleys and our brave adventurers sometimes venture into the openness of the ocean sea, their science only permits their galleys to travel along the coast of their homeland. Our mastery of the seas and the great achievement of the Lighthouse are all that separate us from them. This brings the total of other civilizations which seem to exist in the world to 3 but the world is vast and it is unknown what wonders and perils await my brave captains as they venture across the heart of the ocean sea.

I have ordered our foreign minister and his staff to provide as much information on these Chinese as possible. While the defense minister has not yet mentioned it, if we can get to their China, they can come to our Atlantis. It is my personal belief that this is unaccepable. I have ordered the immediate creation of as many galleys as it takes to prevent even one rock of Atlantis from becoming Chinese. It has been arranged that meeting with their great leader , a man called "Mousey Tounge". I must confess the courier whom brought the news of this meeting does not appear of the strongest stripe and certainly does not represent the very best of the people of Atlantis. When I have met this great leader myself, I will decide how we will treat these new people from across the ocean sea but clearly the advisor will be assigned other duties.

Closer to home, the new settlers of my previous entry have been completed and Claudius is proving the breadbasket of the cities, having the ability to quickly produce workers and recover their population in rare fashion, the fecundity of the people is matched nowhere else.

One of the settlers has reached its new point of founding 5 lgs east and 1 league north of Aurelius I have ordered the new city of Heuronimus shall sit in part in the desert to the east of Aurelius and near the gold laden mountains and hills yet it has access to fertile grasslands and plains and most importantly a tributary of the river of Aurelius which seems to come from high in the mountains near our new city but cuts a green, fertile path through what would otherwise be a desert, fit for none, and turns it into the most bountiful of lands.

380 ad - News from the diplomatic front, Mao Tse Tung, the leader of the Chinese is a man to be reconned with. Utterly alien in customs and culture, these Chinese people have cities almost as numerous some say more numerous than the fair cities of Atlantis. More settlers have been commanded from Claudius.

410 ad - Workers have been ordered to improve the lot of the people of Heuronimus. We have discovered that the waters of the green river which flows through the desert while bountiful are also deadly and have caused some of our people disease. Healers are present in the city but my hopes are for the improvement of the roads and the farms. Such an outbreak would never occur in the First Cities of Aurelius or Byzantia!

Galley scouts are seeking points of our shoreline where the Chinese could make a landing, they are continuing to search the deep Chinese waters to see if there are hidden areas where Chinese galleys could make their way to Atlantis. When located these areas will have galleys stationed turning away any Chinese interlopers who would make plans for Atlantis.

A lone galley scout has nearly completed circumnavigating the homelands of Atlantis. Our rich continent harbors no other civilizations save ourselves and the accursed and pathetic barbarians our lands are separated by the deep and dark ocean sea on all sides except the passage to China and some shallows some 5 lgs to the west of Epictitus.

610 ad - The best of times and the worst of times, it seems have befallen Atlantis.

Domestically, since time immemorial the first cities of Atlantis have now ground to a halt, previously in the process of completing either granaries or libraries or temples. All has stopped around me, I feel trapped in my palace as a man buried alive. They say Anarchy reigns in the streets, and while there is not rioting was the people are sometimes want to do, neither is their work nor rejoicing it is as if there is a great pause in our civilization and we can only hope to survive it. The workers have been efforting since the first of them was brought together yet even they seem less productive in these days and our science progressing not at all. This damnable change to a republic has caused this malaise across the land and if it ends not quickly, most assuredly the life of the science advisor will.

I can take only some small comfort only in that I have been gifted that the settlers have created 3 new cities in the great and diverse southern areas of our lands. Iaepetus is scarcely 4 lgs away and but one west of my beloved Aurelius and has water from the river of Aurelius within the range of the plains around the city that with the mining of it's hills this city could beome a good addition to our civilization.

Josephus is clearly the city with which I hold the most trepidation, 4 lgs and 1 north of Heuronimus it is firmly encircled by the deep desert along the coast of the eastern sea, All but a barren wasteland, I feel that the workers can improve the land only modestly, however there are schools of fishes in the sea in such abundance as found nowhere else in Atlantis. I submit were but for these fish, This area would be uninhabitable. Fortunately, fresh water can be drawn from the mountains and the green river which passes four lgs to the west.

The last of these new cities is Khittmer, More valliant warriors met their doom in this place and the soul of this place privately reminds me of a whispered story of a hard fought war and a hard peace among the stars in a place before time. Situated at the foothils of the mountains to the southeast of Aurelius by a mere three lgs, I can see much difficulty although they have a fresh lake - some say the very source of the river of Aurelius I suspect nothing more than the benefits of fresh water and close access to gold enlaced mountains.

On the subject of the Chinese, We have failed to penetrate the interior of their lands but while the rumors of their cities being more numerous than Atlantis was true at the time of our first contact, this will no longer be the case. With more lands still to settle our fair continent will allow us several more cities. As their "China" is smaller by comparison and is in size as the southern portion of Atlantis from the city of Dioclesian south.

Deep range scout galley have been re-equipped with horses and are now plying the Chinese seas for the far reaches of the world. The shallows of the western sea hid within them an island of the most fit nature, grasslands, wheat and cows are all present as well as fishes and great animals called whales which live in the deep sea and are large enough, I'm told to destroy a galley with a mere flipping of it's tail.

Privately, it is both my hope and my suspicious that such fear of approaching these animals, that circumstances will prevent any whales from being presented at my dinnertable anytime soon. But I digress from the subject of this new island. Scarely larger than the footprint of our Capitol city perhaps two cities would be founded there with careful planning or maybe just one great city.

730 ad - So much has happened since last I wrote, I hardly know where to begin.

Domestically, I do not believe things could be better anywhere else in the world, While we are still afflicted by the damnable barbarians, and our military demands are high because of them, but they are now retreating to the farthest reaches of Atlantis. The first cities of our great republic are prospering and creating wealth and military units.

We have made strides in the sciences and physics which astound me. Bronze workers have recently performed feats of almost magical proprtions creating Iron from their forges and this allows our bravest warriors to be trained as legionaries with three times the strength of a warrior and dicipline as well there is no equal to this unit that we have seen! The new resource iron was found only 2 lgs away from the capital itself and is abundant an at least three other places in Atlantis. Also we have discovered masonry which allows for the creation of walls and the protection of our vital cities. Also we have discovered polytheism which I'm told leads to yet another type of government called a monarchy finally we have discovered horseback riding - which seems to my untrained eye merely a refinement of the techniques of the riders.

Despite all my misgivings and even given the troubles of the Anarchy I am still endebted to the science advisor with his bemused look, he is, at the end of the day my mosted trusted advisor. A banquet in his name will be drawn up and a feast to settle the debts of gratitude, this I must give to him.

The cities of the south have all started to grow but only slowly, until the workers can create the roads and build the mines and irrigate the lands, but when these tasks are complete they will grow as did once Gilgamesh.

Speaking of which , two new cities have been founded and a third and fourth are soon to be. The new cities of Legara which is but 3 lgs northwest and 1 north of Gilgamesh is settled in the most auspicious of locations surrounded on three sides by grasslands and forrests with a fresh water lake and access to the great western ocean sea as well, lacking only in mines or mountains this is an otherwise idylic location. Further east by 4 lgs and one north is Machiavelli, a writer of great antiquity with whom I have a special affinity, settled in the forrested plains of the central northern part of the countryside, it is surrounded distantly by foothils. A third city is planned north of Machiavelli astride the northern coastline, the city founded there and yet another which will be settled to the one lg north and 6 far lgs east and just north of the uninhabitable mountains east of Fortuna. Within range of both of these cities will be iron and save that single resource these areas would be unpopulated.

The deep range explorers are carefully moving beyond their watery bounds and exploration of the deep ocean sea north of the small western island have yeilded more shallows and s small spit of barren landscape has appeared though the scouts have reported much of it remains in darkness to us at this time, as does so much of this world. I swear to the ancestors that some day we will cross the deep ocean sea without fear of the leviathan whales and the destruction of our might galleys by the mightier waves and deep currents.

Diplomatically we have circumnaviated China if only in the literal sense. It is my hope that our two peoples may live together in peace. For it is the unknown lands which may harbor a greater enemy and more plainly, China is no threat to us , they are smaller in their landmass size and could be, I believe, defeated in battle easily. My concern is that they have completely conquered their lands and may focus on their sciences and their technologies to the exclusion of all else.

Deep range explorers have discovered what may be another civilization we have circumnavigated a shorline nearly the distance of our great western shore but while Atlantis is 4 - 5 lgs at it's shortest crossing this landmass is but 2 or three and would be fit only for one city astride the land. First contact with these new barbarians is sure to follow.

760 ad - They have galleys much like our own - too much like our own. We were intercepted at sea by one of their galleys and the captains made first contact. A rapport was forthcoming but not so great as I would have hoped, clearly these people are as different from us as are the Chinese but perhaps not quite so alien. The captains having exchanged their pleasantries have called for the leaders of our two countries to meet.

In meeting Emperor Alexander of the Greeks. They are only modestly advanced compared to us and may be even less advanced than the Chinese but this may change as time goes on. Their diplomats have made a fateful error in disclosing the existence, during negotiations of yet another civilization called the Germans. I have directed the captains to negotiate a peace with Greece and locate these Gemans. We know since the Greek galleys are of lesser construction than ours that Germany must be close at hand or perhaps - although this could hardly be the case the Germans have ships the equal of ours.

Domestically, discovery of something of the downside of our cities in Claudius and Heuronimus is civil unrest which is nearly constant were it not for the efforts of the entertainers the mobs would surely destroy their whole city.

Taxes , which have so far been of little concern must be raised to accomodate all of the infrastructures which exist as well as our burgeoning armed forces.

770 ad - Increased barbarian activitiy to the north leads me to conclude that I must redouble my efforts to completely colonize either the north or the south and make better use of the swords and the bread of the people.

860 ad - This year has brought more worry to my mind and more opportunity than almost any other. My deep range scouts encountered a lone German outpost on an outcropping of their homeland which is but a small distance of but two lgs from that of the Greeks. After negotiations, I must say that the Greeks should thank their Gods for those two lgs an angry Germany is not something I think Greece can withstand.

Germany was poor in respect to it's technologies and so we were able to trade the newly developed currency for a windfall of discovery. Two things were traded which have affected the whole world. Firstly was a map of their territory and contact with a people called the Egyptians. This in turn which I was able to cajole from them for a pittance of the code of laws a whole world map.

I have now knowledge of yet another civilization called the French with whom the Egyptians are neighbors and with whom it seems unfortunately they share a vast continent.

Germany itself is a land nearly the size of Atlantis,with a vared terrain including a large inland desert, an inland sea and rivers to the north of this desert. These river winds through a fertile band of grasslands which are surrounded between the deserts and to the southeast by plains - much as is Atlantis. However where our northern reaches have some small area of tundra - cold and barren of all but some strange animals and game, germany has a large area of mountainous tundra with forrests. Otherwise, There are many more German cities than in Atlantis but they are all except for one or two, smaller than even Iaepetus or the newly founded city of Machiavelli. Our cities are the proof of our superiority even compared against these Germans, were there cities as glorious as ours this could be of some contestability however, they're not.

Greece's map of the world was happily provided them for the advance of currency and so I now can say confidently, they, like the Chinese can only pose the most temporary of threats to our people. The distance between Greece and Atlantis too area a barrier to future conflict some 8 turns of travel and more than 20 lgs distance over the sea and around China will prove too much for them I suspect. Besides China appears hidden to all but us.

In China, my advisors assure me that Mao suspects nothing of the outside world and I will not be the one to tell unless it is to my advantage. Conquest of the ocean sea has been difficult but has paid it's fair share of benefits as well.

France is only about 2/3rds the size of Atlantis but the cities are also just as impressive in size at least as our own I have dispatched a galley with horsemen to negotiate with their leader whomever he is.

Cleopatra of Egypt is another matter altogether, she was able to offer nothing other than her map. Lacking the vast expanses of Atlantis it is only about 1/3rd the size of Atlantis. It is about as densely populated as our civilization but there is a division of geography about 30 percent of their land is a barren desert which turns into some marginal plains, unfortunately this is the extent of the Egyptian civilization and the beginning of the French.

France actually comes closest to our shorlines from the east, a mere 8 lgs from the landlocked city of Claudius to the nearest French outpost of Poitiers. Which in turn is in the extreme southwest of their land but only 3 or 4 lgs from their capital Paris. The galley will head to Poitiers and we shall see what happens.

Domestically, Aurelius has set to work upon the Great wonder of the Hanging Gardens which we hope will be of great beauty and tranquility. Given the recent discoveries of the other civilizations of the world, I feel a refuge is in order.

The treasury has markedly improved with the new taxes in place and we have completed many inventions and are now embarking on a quest for knowlege of advanced construction techniques which I'm told will open up a whole new set of possibilities from the persepective of scientific achievement. At least I have now the answer to the troublesome question posed when my Science advisor says we are technologically advanced.

I have advised the military to press on the creation of spearmen I hope to standardize the army and utilize the remaining Legionaries as shock troops in the event of a war or some other event.

Creation of yet more settlers will finally close the northern part of Atlantis to the accursed barbarians. How wrong I was in my initial assessment of the other civilizations, apparently it is true that arrogance and stupidity preceed knowledge and understanding by quite some distance. A focused military campaign to destroy any remaining barbarians will commence in the near future.
---

[joe08536]

860 ad continued

Three new cities have been founded - the two settlers in the northeaster territories of mountains and hills have founded Oceanus and Phyreen, in the south of Josephus in the jungles of lying 4 lgs south and two east lies the new city of Nachesse which while surrounded by jungles also has cows and even some whales which are out to sea when Nachesse's culture permits we shall see I suppose how these whales are of use to our civilization, perhaps my Byzantine Chef can thing of something less - traumatic than our previous chef.

900 ad - A recent scout from the south towards China reports my caution towards their intentions seems to have been justified their seas I'm told ar swarming with galleys and their lands are still impenetrable to us, were that we had several large cities directly along the southern coast I would feel better, but my decision to settle the northlands stands and we will need all of our workers to destroy the jungles which choke all productivity from the land.

---------------------------------------
I recently re-read Heroditus and have always loved ancient authors and decided this would be a short short version of the Histories, as told by the emperor. I'll write more as I play.

Please let me know what you think.

J

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Ive been away for a few days and so I only just read this, I can say I have enjoyed reading so far and look forward to some more.

There has been recent debate as to whether this style of game report story is viable on the stories forum and many have stated that they think yes they are, so I would expect to see other people posting comments too.

I noticed however that you posted all of this on the same day and within about half an hour, it has taken me quiet some time to read and possibly most people have not yet had time to read it all. One tip would be to spread your posts over a couple of days and allow time for people to read and post comments before continuing the story.

It could use characters and some dialogue but it is enjoyable as it stands. Please continue.

[joe08536]

Thanks for the input, It's actually my first story and what's interesting is that I had some vacation time and there were three books I had been meaning to read for some time, some of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Heroditus' Histories and also Reread - recently , Sun Tzu - there is an edition of some of some new works in comparison to Sun Pin another chronicler of Ancient Chinese statecraft if my memory serves. It's actually written in a style approximating that of Heroditus from the perspective of someone like M.A. but it is a more than fair criticism. As far as dialog , perhaps a little more discussion might not be a bad idea.

I was actually considering something of an alternate history, (a sort of Fatherland,Robert Harris or Ruled Brittania,Harry Turtledove type of situation) This particular game I've played largely as a pacifist and have done fairly well. I'm considering an alternate timeline from about my first contact situation (in this case with the Chinese) where that's not the case.

As far as the timing that's true I'll consider smaller bits over more time.

[joe08536]

900 ad My and by the ocean sea, France is led by a mere child of a woman named Joan of Arc. She seems although young and attractive , quite a capable leader. France is a land rich in gemstones in the mountains near Paris - their capital which is situated aside a mighty river which flows from the gemstone mountains towards an area of plains some 3-4 lgs in distance followed by a desert which is as many lgs distant as well. To the north of this desert and astride the plains is a range of hills which separate the whole countryside , north of which is a mix of wheat filled plains and grasslands and farthest to the north is a peninsula which leads to a small circular island fit for just 3 cities in area but it is a barren waste cold and forbidding with no forrests for shelter and nothing of redeming value save one thing, iron, which the French have not yet exploited yet perhaps their scientists do not know of the powerful benefits of this resource but it is there our scouts have seen it but they have also seen the doom of this little island, Egyptians. In any event should it prove necessary the Greeks have a saying which is appropriate a legend of a hero cut down by the slightest cut to his heel, there "Achillies" heel as they say, for France this heel is that iron.

In the matter of these two civilizations, I suspect there are two possibilities, these two great civilizations historically are allies and have close collaboration or one of them (likely France) is slowly killing its neighbor. Nibbling away in small wars from time to time until Cleopatra herself will seek exile in some far away land. For the good of all the civilizations on this world, I pray it is the former , should France come to dominate the whole of the continent they share with Egypt, there will be no stopping her. As it stands Egypt clearly has the lesser hand in matters of geography I assume it follows this fate on their sciences and physics.

930 ad - Our recent advance in science as coincided with the greatest threat to face our civilization, massive ammounts of Suren and Sumerian in the south and the north respectively, have simultanously attacked our fledgling cities at Legara and the Suren will lay siege to Kittahmer I'm sure, I've a brave explorer who will likely sacrifice himself to buy us much needed time, as Kittahmer was working on a fine stone wall when it fell into chaos and anarchy due to discontented citizens. Surely the fates have not smiled upon us this day but we will persevere, we must ... we have no alternative.

960 ad - By the reconning of my retreating spearmen there were at least 20 Suren horsement he was able to lead through the jungle and away from Kittahmer. Legara has fared as well as I could have hoped the despised and worthless Sumerians pillaged only one lgs worth of irrigation and roads before most of them met their doom at the doors of Legara - The shock troops (4 of our best legionaires and groups of spearmen in reserve) were ready for them and slaughtered them as they charged. We attacked from the safety of the walled gates and surely killed some of the mongrels but attack they did and we lost not a man among them. In fact all among them are now elite corps - battle hardened and ready for more!

The afforementioned tax reforms have stopped the hemmoraging from the treasury but have not quite staunched all of the bleeding I should however be able to upgrade the veteran warriors stationed at Kittahmer before the Barbarian hordes reach the gates.

990 ad - Mao Tse Tung as appeared to our advisors in request of a trade of territory maps, I felt a different offer was in line and have negotiated what I think is a fair and equitable trade for one such as Mao, who seems isolated from all the rest of the world. For this pittance of our great scientists we have gained both incense and gems A more then equitable trade I would say. Should Mao prove this maleable perhaps he is unfit to rule his China...I must think more on this.For his map of the world - which was a small consolation to my other aquisitions the heart of darkness which was China is now known to us and while bountiful in it's natural resources for while we of Atlantis are gifted with natural resources we have none of the luxury items that are so alluringly abundant in China.

Also, In the far distant corners of the world, across the ocean seas, we have come across a new land of mountains and jungles but it is unknown at this time if this land harbors yet more civilizations yet undiscovered all is a dark and forboding jungle there.

1010 ad - I have cast the final die in the northlands of Atlantis, Settlers approach the final destinations and there will be 3 or 4 cities variously across the northern expanse the southlands then become my sole focus. The first cities have all grown in their various ways technologies of currency and construction allow for the workers to create great arena's of entertainment called Colliseums these are sources of great focus and have the benefit of removing much of the animus of the people. Their happiness is my happiness it is all that matters to me.

Our illustrious legions have vanquished the last of the Suren to the south. the single league of the final combat has been the point of so much destruction and death. Of the crops which grow in the fertile soils it is, in my darker moods, my suspision that any irrigation is not by water but by the blood of the dead who are here interred. While we were victorious we lost two whole legions and groups of defending spearmen all to the enemy , all in the defense of Kittahmer.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice Stuff please keep it coming,

[vovan]

Pretty cool, Joe. Second Chris - keep it up.

[joe08536]

1050 ad - In foreign relations, there is good news from our captains returning from China, a trade of their dyes in return for a small sum of cash and more lowly sciences, horseback riding , with which the Chinese might have the ability to traverse their land, for a sum and dyes are ours and happiness thoughout the land is increased. In 900 it was simply the code of laws , now simple horseback, it seems we may be able , should the situation call for it, make the civilization of China, part of a greater civilization of Atlantis.

Domestically, my advisors tell me that the people wish for me to take more than a "passing" interest in the wars fought for the Atlantis. Henceforth, I will make it a point to "get to know" my courageous warriors and also the explorers. Furthermore, while I have enough duties to attend to, I will from time to time, certainly in critical situations of morale and crisis become more personally involved. I must thank one of the visitors to the court a Chrisus Maximus for the stem of this good adice.

1100 ad - Aurelius my beautiful city has completed yet another wonder, my contemplary, the Hanging Gardens. These are a magnificent statement for all of the other civilizations to gape upon in awe. Ours is truely the greatest of the civilizations upon this world.

The northlands of Atlantis are closed to the barbarians at last. The last attack came just as the cities were being founded. two new cities which will be grand in their stature Q'rana 3 lgs northwest of Machiavelli has access to horses and also fertile grasslands as well as gold laden mountains and Richesse situated 4 lgs due west of Q'rana. Q'rana has has cows and mountains there are even tundra forrests within the city bounds both cities have access to the ocean sea Q'rana along the northern shore towards the artic expanses and Richesse along the western ocean sea.

Otherwise, I continue to have difficulties with the city of Claudius, the people are in a constant state of distress and I have commanded that their happiness be taken to consideration and I have ordered the construction of an Arena for their pleasures. Perhaps this will compel them to fulfil their productive capabilities.

In the southlands minor skirmishes with the pathetic barbarians continue ceaselessly I have dispatched 4 legions to patrol the jungles and grasslands until there can be arranged settlers to force the barbarians from the lands of the south permanently.

Scouts in the new and distant land have confirmed that the whole continent discovered southeast of Egypt is completely uninhabited, no natives, no other major civilizations at all, it is dense with jungles and silks and rivers and surely the dreaded disease of the jungle. A debate among my counselors rages as to whether to settle the southlands or send settlers to these far away lands. I would do both but I must choose the proper path for our people. Should another of the great civilizations discover a means to cross the ocean sea as our captains do, our interests in such a far away land could be lost forever, should they cross to our native lands we loose the security the ocean sea gives us. My decision is made, we will colonize the far away lands, My advisors have since the time of the founding of Heuronimus mentioned a Forbidden Palace would potentially contain the rampant corruption and crime within the farthest cities, such a powerful source of governance would be perfect for governing such a far away land.

Scouts elsewhere have landed on the German homeland helping themselves to areas still dark to us by virtue of the ommissions of their leader Bismark.

1230 ad - My captains in their sturdy galleys have found yet another civilization, we know only of it's borders lying more than 20 lgs from the next nearest known civilization the French and their city of Rennes, which itself lies more than 18 lgs from Poitiers. I am astonished at the maze of islands and shallows our captains have navigated thus far. Oceans apart, our civilizations are in peace, yet they would be in the greatest of tumults were we all adjacent and the distances abolished.

Researchers have completed the discovery of engineering and feudalism which will allow us to upgrade our spearmen to a new unit called a pikeman. I'm informed by the defense counselor that these pikemen while superious in defensive techniques are no better than spearmen in an offensive capacity.

Late word from one of the other galleys indicates that there is even another civilization unknown to us. I am loathe to contact either one now as contact will surely bring trouble as this lastest one is so very close to the far away lands we wish to claim as our own, scarcely 4 lgs separate our future territories from their homeland. Perhaps we should simply avoid them for the time being. Mapping their areas with as little contact as possible.


1240 ad - First contact with a people called the Japanese, These people are lead by a man called Tokogawa. There culture reminds me however strangely of that of Mao Tse Tung. However, our captain was able to allow a conference with Tokogawa and for the discovery of the code of laws only , were they willing to give us a map of the world that they know of and even offered their whole sum of their treasury. In an effort to promote the stability of this far away land we took their map and not their money. Why they were an isolated people, they have few resources, almost 2/3rd of Japan, as they call their homeland others call it Nippon, but Japan will suffice for this record, is tundra and mountainous terrain and their whole homeland is no larger than China, their resources are limited to some gold here and there and but a single source of iron. Trouble with such a far away land is unthinkable as they are a backward people. It appears still they are unable to make ships to go to sea. Were these poor wretches closer to Atlantis by 30 lgs or so, I would feel compelled to correct this historical oversight and bring these people - or at least their lands into the good countings of Atlantis. The closest our two civilizations is between a city called Osaka and Nachesse some 26 lgs to the west and 10 to the north separated by the deep and dark ocean sea.

1250 ad - First contact with another civilization called the Babylonians. I have been told that the meeting between the two captains of our civilizations' galleys met and exchanged cordial relations. When this discovery phase is over, these captains one and all will have ships named for them. I can say only that they have done so much better than the regrettable "Mousey Tounge" incedent. Mao has never, I suspect, forgiven me I think for that blunder.

1295 ad - Things have progressed quietly for the last 45 years or so, The colony ships I sent to the far off New Atlantis have arrived and there are three settlers squaring away for the best positions on the northern 1/2 of our new territory.

In foreign affairs, the French and by osmosis, the Egyptians are working on Theology , which I have recently completed, I was inquiring as to the great wonders of the world both here and abroad and found that three of the great civilizations were competing to create both Sun Tzu's Art of War and the Sistine Chapel.

I am very tired from the banquet honoring the captain whom mapped northern points including the waters of France and Egypt. We are informed that if there are cities of other civilizations in this area that they are unworthy of contact with our civilization. Otherwise, we have lost the spices and incense from China, our new holdings in New Atlantis may suffice by providing for happiness and trade in the other luxuries of the worlds marketplaces. I will write no more at this time as I am fatigued from the festivities of celebration of 1000 years at sea,anniversary of our first galley put to sea and need no more encouragement for sleep.

1300 ad - Domestically, we have founded two new cities in the southern 1/2 of our homeland.

Sejanus in memory of the ultimately corrupted praetorian whom led our armies to victory. His victory withstood his other vices and faults this is located along the great eastern river which winds through the jungles, some 3 lgs east and 4 south of Kittahmer.

The second city is called Tanhauser's Gate and is the gateway up the great river through the jungles located 5 lgs due south and named for a famous reference from an ode which is before time both are little more than overgrown jungle outposts but workers will be sent and turn these outposts into assets of our civilization.

The gold from the mountains will mix with the waters of the ocean in the city of Ur-Repente, quite possibly the most forbidding area from a long term perspective, as one can remove jungle and irrigate the land, Ur-Repente 5 lgs due south of Kittahmer it is situated with hills and mountains all around, with only some limited access to naught but jungle at this time but someday these may be open fields. As the last cities likely to be founded in Atlantis, we can say that jungles pose the most difficult development effort, tiring the workers and killing the soldiers with their disease, an erradication program for these jungles will soon take hold and transform this area to fertile grasslands and productive forrests.

The last city founded is more a memorial than a city on the far northern outcropping of barren tundra, Victoria has been founded to eventually harvest the bounty of the sea as there are both fishes whales and game in abundance. It is nonetheless the most sparsely populated area of the continent and perhaps I shouldn't have founded it at all save that it is distant from the nearest city Richesse by 3 lgs to the northwest and has been the last bastion of the damnable pirates and potentially villanous barbarians in the northlands.

My captains have one last major task to accomplish - probe the dark southern ocean sea, which lies due south of China and Atlantis, we know of no civilizations left but surely if they exist, they are shrouded in this blackest of mysterious zones.

1340 - Domestically, There has been progress as well as setbacks, we have founded all of the cities on Atlantis that we reasonably can support. but the production of the cities is now paramount, New discoveries of education have made my beloved Great Library a mere relic according to my scientists who scoff at it's usefullness nowadays. The people however as do I still cherish the venerable place and so for it's cultural significance, even the scientists among us willingly admit it's merit for that purpose.

However, we are embarked on two new glorious building campaigns in the first cities, Aurelius has set the task of creating the Sistine Chapel, the recent advance of Monotheism has given the people an abiding faith in themselves and our traditions, our cities with great cathedrals are far less apt to riot when prayer and
contemplation sooth the troubled souls of our land, truly this is a great accomplishment.

The other is a more grim but just as important reminder of our civilizations' history , Sun Tsu, an great military genius from beyond time, his teachings will, I'm told by my military advisors function to assist in the training of our troops in the similar ways as a barracks prepares the people for war.

Our scientists are not looking back, they see an even greater accomplishment, something called astronomy, which is the rational study of the heavens, I am reminded of my oath to the people so long ago. They are creating small experimental telescopes which make near objects appear close at hand.

Obviously the applications are numerous however, children have found these to be great fun for spying upon one another, they say you can see ships at sea far before they come to shore. I have ordered the advisor to create for me and all the court telescopes that we might see things more closely.

On foreign policy, I can only assume that I am not as popular among the rulers of the great civilizations as I might otherwise be. My explorations have been a constant nusiance to them but of vital interest to the state. The colonization efforts to New Atlantis will soon commence in earnest and workers will be sent to imrpove the land.

Of New Atlantis I will say this, while almost completely inhospitible jungle, explorers have reported that theere is nearly a perfect 1/2 circle of mountains with a flat plain and a mountain in the middle like a gigantic bowl of continental proportions with mountains as the sides of the dish. The men of mathematics say this is not unlike the marks made by their firey stones from their catapults when the land in soils, large craters have been also observed. I think this is not the case because too vast is the proportion of it all but I have been wrong before...

1420 ad - Settlers are almost all in place on New Atlantis, a grand simultaneous colonization will commence soon, some workers have arrived and have worked a few lgs of land suitable for irrigation but I have dispatched 4 of our new caravels with workers loaded for the new lands.

Domestically, there are now 4 great wonders under construction, in the 4 first cities of Atlantis, Aurelius, Byzantia, Claudius and Dioclesian are all working as doggedly and rapidly as possible on their tasks, in Aurelius a ration has been implemented for the duration of the completion of the Chapel.

Kittahmer and Heuronimus will soon be completely mined and irrigated and have proven they can already outproduce almost all of the other cities.

Regarding the telescopes, the people have taken to looking into each other's bedrooms rather than the heavens above. Caravel captains find them indispensable.

The other civilizations have all approximated our level of knowledge, Germany may have even surpassed us but I am working as hard as possible on the creation of universities and libraries. Our people will be of the highest intellect and we shall prevail!

Our scientists are researching the printing press and then Democracy which is a new form of government, I'm told similar to the republic in many respects. What none of my advisors mention and they avert the answer when questioned, what I suspect is a period of anarchy which given the current foreign affairs would be ill advised when we have achieved a clear lead over the other civilizations, I will consider this move but not until.

1470 ad - It is as if the whole world is holding it's breath - waiting - we are but a few more bricks and but a little sweat away from two wonders at once, a great scientist in Claudius has commissioned an observatory - in honor of his observations of the heavens. Claudius seems most proper for such an endeavor as trade is the foundation of our science and are hand in hand bound. Second is the Academy of Sun Tzu in Byzantia. This will be the greatest of ironies in that the greatest military thinker of our time is Chinese!

- been working on projects lately, sorry for the delay. - joe08536.

[joe08536]

Atlantis ca 1430

Hopefully you can see this map or we'll have to leave it to the written word and the great PHP guru's of Apolyton .

Regards,

joe08536

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice map and a great installment, please keep the goods coming.

[Kaos XIII]

Pacifist, ehh. I don’t know, how you do it.

Every time Mao comes around, looking to trade something, I just want to slap his big, bald, head around!

And then Joan, she’s so pretty and cute, but I just feel like dragging her by her long hair!

I won’t even talk about, what I feel, when I see that whiny brat Alexander!

Anyway, I’m partial to the chronicle’s style.

So, keep writing and let’s see you roll some heads. BTW, good job.

[joe08536]

1490 ad - We have achieved a wonderous circumstance, upon the completion of the Wonder of Sun Tzu's Academy, our soldiers across the land were so cheered as to bring the workers around as well, and the whole of Atlantis has entered what has been called a Golden Age! It could not be more fitting were it by design! I feel confident that the other civilizations will never be able to achieve their aims before ours!

Late word from one of our captains says one of the deep range galleys is lost at sea, we will wait to see if we hear from them - again.

1495 ad - The ocean sea is no longer our silent partner in the conquest of the world . French galleys have been seen by a returning captain from his voyages. In fact the French seem to have taken his position in a safe shallow towards Atlantis and he is in the ocean sea longer than his ship may survive, let us hope he is more fortunate the the souls on board the Hesperus which was lost with all hands off the coast of Greece.

This has also forced my hand in the colonization of New Atlantis, there are 5 new cities, Wallach, Xebec's Victory (in honor of the hero of the last great barbarian raids where their last village was plundered and destroyed.) and the twin city of Xebec's Demise which is in rememberance of his death and the masacre which ensued after the victory against our despised foe barbarians upon leaving the vanquished encampment, Yydrasil after the great tree of the world which was written in the legends before time and Zytheria which faces the shores of Babylonia itself. Workers have begun in earnest to clear the jungles surrounding Wallach.

I have commanded several of the smaller towns and cities to produce temples and libraries to increase the faithfulness of the people and our cultural hold against any possible intentions by the now seafaring French.

1535 ad - All at once , it seems the world is full of ships at sea. It seems the only civilization without the ability to cross the deep ocean sea is ours! We have mastery of Democracy and we have completed the last two wonders, in all we have the Sistine Chapel in Aurelius, Sun Tzu's Academy in Byzantia, Claudius as completed the Coperincan Observatory and Dioclesian has completed the wonder of Leonardo's Workshop which allows the genius of Leonardo to assist us in upgrading our equipment for a pittance of the former cost.

I have also rushed the production of the temples in New Atlantis, so many galleys and caravel's at sea are sure to have a settler or two of French or Greek persuasion.

1545 ad - I have spent the entire treasury, nearly 1800 gold pieces in an effort to avoid a territorial war. I can do no more but trust in the people and that the cause of our great civilization will prevail.

1575 ad - Having founded two colonies Zeta Auriga and Zeta Oceanus on the islands due west of Aurelius.

1580 ad - The suprise and trepidation in the court is more than apparent. I however, will say this, it can only mean the doom of their foolish colonists, the Greeks,curses be upon them, should they make even one false move, have founded Halicanarsis on the same island as Zeta Oceanus. While they are, as one court functionary strenuously put it in counsel "they (the Greeks) were approriately far away". As I found this answer wholely unacceptable. I have dispatched my trusty functionary to measure the distance of "appropriate". I expect to hear from the Commander in Zeta Oceanus upon the arrival a new "volunteer" arriving at the frontier of Zeta Oceanus, I feel a certain former court functionary may serve the permanent guard in an exemplary fashion.

I will dispatch additional troops there immediately but a war between our two nations is sure to come. Preparation is going to win the whole of the island - although it is a remorseful little spittance of land.

1600 ad - The reports from Zeta Oceanus are not good, there are reports of Hallicanarcian workers improving the neutral land between our two cities, I have sent newly created musketeers.

1625 ad - War - It is as I have forseen. Unfortunately, the Greeks have aquired, independently "iron" from elsewhere. I have found swordsmen of a calibur unexpected at the frontier. The first unit of the musketeers was all but useless for an attack and the less horsemen are put to Greek swords the better. They are completely useless although they do hold the extended norther spit of the island from a rear guard action. This war was entered into with such confidence, It is my resolve that our holdings will not be destroyed but that we will place them in a position, of utter destruction. I have commanded new catapults and more musketeers from the homelands and they are soon to be embarked to Zeta Oceanus.

1650 ad - The Greeks have foolishly made an alliance with France. It seems my larger problem may be France. In 1635, on New Atlantis, our people were extremely fortunate, settlers from France landed on New Atlantis just as the culture of Xebec's Demise increased and I was able to sue the French to leave our territories . However, I have angered, no doubt, "La Petite Impératrice Sanglante" as our envoy calls her. Her destruction of Egypt is ongoing and I dare not turn her attentions further towards New Atlantis.

1700 ad - It seems I am forced to make the best of this situation and have despoiled the productions of the lands of Halicanarsis and while I would have prefered to salt the soils, all the saltpeter is being used at the moment for the Musketeers.

1710 ad - A peace is at hand. I was able to sue for peace and was able to get Alexander to agree to reparations and a small tithe. As they are poor to begin with, This is all I can reasonably expect, although, I would have prefered the result one of the commanders spoke of, an Army, not of the general defense but a type of "super" grouping of our normal legions or musketeers into an organized fighting unit. But the circumstances he suggested for gaining this powerful military advantage did not suggest to me that it was a likely occurance in the near term.

1764 ad - Domestically - A great many things have occured since last I wrote, The advent of the new Democracy in just after our "golden" age ended , was a boon both to science and to commerce . The invention of banking and agressive construction of banks allowed us to build a central bank in Claudius which allows for interest collected on the treasury .

Domestically, we have been agressive in our elimination of jungles they exist now only on New Atlantis in a central strip away from the cities, I was able to complete the goal of the Forbidden Palace in Yydrasil which has nearly eliminated corruption and the crippling crime which afflicted the far away cities. Workers have been planting forrests and cutting them all in an effort to create this Palace away from the Palace . Would that Sejanus or Victoria had such low levels of crime.

Diplomatically, I believe we may have been successful trading various older technologies for various luxury items and while we are on the brink of advancing to the industrial age, unfortunately, the French, as I feared have become pre-eminent and will make for a fierce scientific competition as well as militarily, I have secretly been funding the foolish endeavors of Cleopatra, who were it not for our generous funding, would have been well on her way to a bad end. It is my hope that the impetuous empress of the French will not take notice of anything but the barren wastes of Egypt and be delayed there so long that when her gaze returns from the deserts of Egypt that Cleopatra will be in no position to do anything and France will be so militarized that their expenditures will otherwise cripple their other efforts.

From a military perspective, Germany and Egypt also have poor relations and I venture that their (Egypt's) civilization is at it's zenith now.

1760 ad - The Industrial Age has begun - Workers can create new conveyances called trains which travel on railroads, which abolish the distances between cities. I have commanded all workers to create connections between all of the cities on the homeland and afterwards, collect in the 3 most productive cities and completely improve their lands, afterwards, our industrial might alone shall carry us.

From the foreign offices, we have formed "right of passage" agreements. These however, are practically worthless as we have no real further designs on the foreign lands of our world. The agreements are with Japan and Egypt both of which are barely seafaring let alone plying our seas. It is perhaps of some advantage but time will tell.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice stuff, looking foreward to seeing if you manage to hold them frenchies at bay

[joe08536]

1780 ad - I must be able to find a pretext for a short war , the military advisor suggests the benefits of a military academy superior to that in Byzantia. I feel that the Greeks may have handed me such an opportunity and I must only extend my hand and take it, when and the treaty with France expires.

The new Senate would certainly not support a war of agression as heartily as a defensive war , ah, the disadvantages of this democracy, simply require a more sophisticated approach, the pretext will simply be solidiers stationed a little "too close" and passively performing the task of a mote in the eye of the Greeks, eventually an itch so great they must scratch .

1824 ad - Well, it appears that war is upon us. We, however were looking the other way when the first blades drawn and the first shots were fired.

The pretext for war was nothing I would have to concoct. I overlooked the advent of the Industrial Revolution everywhere else. I was deluding myself that the other nations would idly sit by while we have 4 separate sources and two cities situatated for Iron Works. While France apparently is in posession of but one resource of coal on a small spit of land, Egypt has none, and more relevantly, Babylonia has none either. It has been decreed that Oceanus, which although meager in it's city's improvements, can be transformed with attention from the workers and a leap in productivity, as the Works can make all things occur in this city.

Of the war, Babylon, their last and best hope for coal is an unprovoked and deliberate attack on the nearly undefended New Atlantis. While lightly defended, (they certainly cannot attack) , should be able to hold out until the attack forces reach Babylonia itself. Arriving overseas, a retaliatory sneak attack is planned with a diversionary attack with the last of the legionaires on the far side of Babylonia a few rounds before capture or destruction of their smallest of cities should suffice to bring them to the table quite amicably I imagine, No peace shall be theirs however, if the solidiers make landfall Babylon is doomed to nothing but this chronicle.

1828 ad - France has lost it's coal!!! Reports from survey ships and galleons passing the area of France's lone source of coal report it is exhausted. The French economy has ground to a technological halt . It could have been the break Atlantis needs to surpass the others technologically once, and for all. While they could aquire new coal, Joan's attitude makes this unlikely.

The war continues with several bombardments by sea of New Atlantis. While it is impossible to put ships to sea in the area yet. 4 galleons are en route to Babylonia and two ironclads but they will not make it to the colonies for some time.

Domestically, I have commissioned the workers to concentrate on the other cities as the 5 major production centers of the homelands have been improved as far as possible. Polution is a serious problem but the ancient doctors were right, it seems the polution is not so bad in Aurelius or Claudius as might be the case without the great rivers.

1844 ad - Damnable Babylonians, They sank the first of our troop transports headed to Bablyonia while it was still at sea and quite far from Babylon. The second group of 2 transports will be enough still to make them pay for their mistakes.

1850 ad - Darwin's discoveries are quite astounding, they play themselves out even here on the battlefield of New Aurelius. Our soldiers are more advanced than the Babylonians and thus they survive. Since we had but warriors defeating Suren barbarians ancient ages ago our science advisor has done admirably, we now have mastery of two series of sciences which were unknown to all, we are now advanced beyond comparison, with the invention of electronics our peace is nearly assured, our civilization truly is the greatest on the planet but the other's keep discovering other sciences very rapidly and we must follow 3rd or 4th in the line of discovery on these, I hope that our economy and scientists and keep the pace of innovation while retracing the steps of others.

1858 ad - The City of Xebec's Victory was just that, Xebec's Victory named in reference to an epic ancient and before time, was certainly the inspriation of the elite riders who alone, attacked and rode into history. Agressively defending the defiling Babylonian raid upon the city. All the other defenses failed, 2 musketeer units and one other horseman unit were utterly destroyed.

1862 ad - Xebec's Demise was also apparently named just as appropriately. The Hero Xebec after forming an Army as the military advisor mentioned so many years ago, this grouping of varied units together, all of them were injured but were able to defend Xebec's Demise from yet another attack from the sea by the evil Babylonians.

Reinforcements arrived but were nearly wiped out themselves. The army of Xebec was not alas, long lived as they, although injured, they attacked and destroyed one unit of swordmen encamped outside the city walls. After the battle was finished and before they could return to the city, they were almost immediately beset and ambushed, only just outside of the city walls, They died fighting, to a man, annihilated in battle against the Babylonian troops who were seeking the capture of the city of Xebec's Demise, death came for all of them on a defensable wooded ground near the city.

1866 ad - Babylonia, is retreating! Their invaders destroyed to a man, their fleet damaged, bombarded by newly upgraded artillery units, limped home with not even bodies to bring to their soon to be grieving widows. The victory of Xebec's short lived Army innagurates a new era of building in the first cities.

1868 ad - Damnation! The fates and the very rocks of the planet itself conspire against me. I am betrayed by those vile barbarian Germans. It could only be the Germans for no-one else has other sources of coal let alone spare coal. I cannot even press my own interests further. Germany it seems has gifted Babylon with the needed coal they sought from us over the blood of dead Atlanteans.

1870 ad - As if the situation couldn't get any worse, Babylon apparently gained their own source of coal shortly after the Germany trade treaty - or perhaps it is their own coal that we have seen it is very near where my troops have just landed on Babylonia.

Worse still is that they have formed an mutual protection pact with France and Germany ostensibly against Egypt but this damnable system of alliances. Perhaps I can use this to my advantage however.

If there is anything good at all in this year it is that, Aurelius has produced it's Heroic Epic as it was already working on the wonder of the womens rights of sufferage, it was a fortuitous circumstance.

1872 ad - The war is over - Nearly 50 years of war with Babylon ended in bloodshed on both sides but I think that we were the victors - if there ever truly are victors in battle. While a defensive victory to be sure. The added fact of invasion by our new infantry units certain did not hurt the negotiations.

An excerpt from the groundbreaking speech in Kittahmer, "...I feel it is altogether fitting and proper that this place be the home of the new Military Academy...." A memorial fortification will be erected on the site of the latest victory of the first army of Atlantis in rememberance of our victory and it is also the bitter defeats suffered by our troops by Babylonia as well as the troops of Babylonia at our hands. The dead do no know one great civilization from another they know only death.

1878 ad - I must refocus the efforts of the people on the matters of our great civilization. The war has changed us and I feel it is the solemn responsibility to ensure that it is for the better. A formulation to focus on the sciences is embarked, we must retake the lead in science, if we do not already posess it, once in hand it must be a beacon far and away from the other civilizations.

1888 ad - Well I should have done this 25 or 30 years ago, The rights of sufferage for the women of Atlantis allowing them a voice and say in the democratic process has caused much rejoicing throughout the land.

1924 ad - Our civilization progresses rapidly, motorized transportation is soon to be a tool in our scientists recordings. An active program of economic assistance to those cities which lag behind the main bulk of cities which now produce only wealth. We are prepared for new discoveries and can capitalize on them readily. Our workers need only clear pollution occasionally, the whole of Atlantis and New Atlantis have efficient rail networks reaching all points.

Diplomatically speaking, I was prophetic, the world needs a whipping boy - or in this case girl, Cleopatra, is all but eliminated from the planet. Otherwise, I have not interested myself other than for trades of various luxury items and to ensure we are not in danger of imminent war.

1930 ad - Our science cannot not progress fast enough! We are now engaged to develop computers which can perform 100 hours of calculations and accounting work in just a few seconds. Research can only be increased but I fear not enough time to go I must devise a plan to "share" our technologies and speed the progress of the whole world. Perhaps the barbarian Germans might be approachable even our once hated enemy Babylon seems advanced enough that they might serve a purpose.

1942 ad - Success - Germany so eager to obtain their motorized transportation has gifted us wildly beyond my imaginings. 1000 gold pieces and I have set them up to invent surely either fission or rocketry. They have even requested computers and I'm sure would love to have at our research in ecology but this is a necessary state secret for the moment. Computers are something I may never share with the other races.

1951 ad - With but a year or two removed from the completion of the SETI project I am confident my strategy of technological sharing was wise. Our cities rapidly produce whatever technologies we invent. This productivity more than anything else is the key for what is it worth to know of computers for 100 years and be unable to produce even one research facility. Trading our coal and our petroleum reserves allow us to have sway over the other civilizations in a way I could have barely conceived of barely 100 years ago. Practically all the civilizations of the world pay tribute to us, this amount numbers in the hundreds of gold pieces per year and allows us to reduce our tax rate to 0, practically speaking, the other civilizations are paying for us to do our research! ride:

1961 ad - Our science rate will allow us now to fulfill the promise I made to the people so many years ago, we have acheived the capability of spaceflight and it is perhaps fitting that my promise to my people could not have been kept were it not for the cooperation of the whole of the world in advancing Atlantean sciences.


From a political perspective the creation of the United Nations which is the manifestation of this new cooperation is to be completed next year. Also, I have embarked on another project that should abolish war for all time. The Manhattan Project, which will allow the creation of a super-weapon which the researchers say could destroy whole armies in the field and do untold damage to cities. Such a fearsome weapon should prevent war.

Privately I hope, this fearsome weapon in combination with the United Nations might preserve the peace and prevent the horrors of war more effectively than any Army.

1962 ad - I must make a confession, I did an abusive if not childish thing at the United Nations after the call for an election, which in honesty I did not truly want to hold. I had spies infiltrate the UN and steal the completed ballots, and let's just say I feel confident that I could call an election that I would be happy with.

From a scientific perspective, I keep the other civilizations just one or two inventions behind and they spend their efforts catching up and improving their civilizations. Even Babylon and Greece are partners in this new alliance. I have embarked on 2 other projects which are to eliminate suffering througout the land. The Cure for Cancer in Dioclesian, a scourge of our civilization as well the world, and Longevity is being developed in Byzantia. ride:

1983 ad - The completion of the Apollo Program and the recent completion of the Nuclear Reactors in those cities with access to rivers except Aurelius, which has just started their reactor, allows us to build the first modules in the greatest of projects, a Colony Ship. ride:


This Colony Ship will not reside in any particular city but will be launched to a nearby star system, this will ensure that should the prophets from previous millenia be correct in their assertions, they will be cheated in their prediction, should even it come to pass, that the world will end. For should the world end this colony ship would carry our sons and daughters onward to another world.

1992 ad - Time it appears is on our side, Our science progresses so that I can say by the millenium we will be prepared to launch our first colony ship.

2000 ad - The millenium is upon us - and yet the world has not yet ended.

2005 ad - On the christening of the colony ship, Roma, I am reminded of my first speech to the people "We are surrounded by the wilds of this great land and all the creatures and peoples in it are towards our end.
Time and the will of our people, has made it so that the wilds of this great land are tamed and all the peoples in it and outside of it work towards our ends, and yet we are surrounded by the wilds of something greater, the wilds of space and we hope that some day, the brave colonists crossing the distances between stars like our first brave explorers the hills around our cities, will meet the creatures and perhaps even the peoples in it.

So ends this story of Atlantis.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Good stuff Joe, Ive enjoyed reading your account of this game. IMO its as credible as any other story here and very well written so Im off now to place a nomination for this in the next round of the stories contest.


Plrase write for us again as soon as you have time

[joe08536]

I'm very grateful for the thanks.

Best Regards,

Joe08536

[unscratchedfoot]

I read this while scarfing down soba noodles and wakame. It went well with them. Are you gonna make another story?

[joe08536]

Probably, but not probably as long.

I'm gonna look over some of the other works and consider what I could do better in the future. The 1st person narrative doesn't seem to be as popular overall as an dialog based narrative but, it's suprising how many real stories read this way.

If you read Heroditus' Histories or some other ancient chronicles they are written more in the style I tried to write in.

Thanks very much for the commentary,

Regards,

Joe

[Brundlefly]

When you say "Mousey Tounge" do you mean to say instead, "Mousey Tongue"?

[joe08536]

Yes. Spelling was never my forte.

[Paddy]

write some more matey

[SKILORD]

Mao Zedong

Do you mean Mao Tse Tsung?

[Rubychaser]

ok I will bite too

good story