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Saqqara: The Conquest
As dawn breaks, the commander of the 1st Skirmishers gazes through the papyrus reeds at the sleepy village. Only a few suns south of Memphis it seems to belong to a different era. This is a dispirited place, hopeless and dirty - clearly suffering from the lawless rule of it's Libyan overlords. Sekmut shakes his head ruefully, pondering the strange vicissitudes of fate. "Three summers ago I was the headman of Memphis - appointed to handle the rat crisis - and if these Libyan bandits had invaded our village instead of this one...." The forlorn look of the last village headman's skull, still sitting atop a pole, is all the answer he needs. Last night, discussing the campaign with Ra-a-Memfes, thoughts of the old man's grim end added passion to Sekmut's plea for this assignment.
The sudden sight of a Libyan stumbling from a shabby hut shakes Sekmut from his reverie. Have they been discovered? But no, the man is still drunk from his nightly excess and collapses to his knees, retching into the field. It's also his last earthly memory as Sekmut leaps to his feet, waves his men forward, and dispatches the Libyan with a club stroke to the skull. In minutes it's over - with most of the Libyans dead, and the villagers cowering fearfully before Sekmut and his men. But soon the downtrodden farmers realize that these are fellow Egyptians who haven't come to loot and pillage.
At the behest of Sekmut the elders gather in the village center, and there he presents them with the Nomarch Deal. "Egypt can no longer exist as a nation of individual towns and villages. The Nomarch of Memphis welcomes you now as the first new member of our confederation. You will receive the protection of our armies and the freedom to work unhindered in your homes and fields, but in return we expect taxes and men for our armies and work crews." The elders realize this "offer" can't be refused, and quickly accept. "At least it's better than the Libyans", grumbles one elder - but most are genuinely happy.
That night during the Feast of Liberation, Nomarch Ra-a-Memfes wins over the last of the uncertain inhabitants with a surprising proclamation. "As of tomorrow we will tear down every hut in this village and build in it's place a town worthy of inclusion in the Memphis Nome!" And thus is born the city of Saqqara!
As dawn breaks, the commander of the 1st Skirmishers gazes through the papyrus reeds at the sleepy village. Only a few suns south of Memphis it seems to belong to a different era. This is a dispirited place, hopeless and dirty - clearly suffering from the lawless rule of it's Libyan overlords. Sekmut shakes his head ruefully, pondering the strange vicissitudes of fate. "Three summers ago I was the headman of Memphis - appointed to handle the rat crisis - and if these Libyan bandits had invaded our village instead of this one...." The forlorn look of the last village headman's skull, still sitting atop a pole, is all the answer he needs. Last night, discussing the campaign with Ra-a-Memfes, thoughts of the old man's grim end added passion to Sekmut's plea for this assignment.
The sudden sight of a Libyan stumbling from a shabby hut shakes Sekmut from his reverie. Have they been discovered? But no, the man is still drunk from his nightly excess and collapses to his knees, retching into the field. It's also his last earthly memory as Sekmut leaps to his feet, waves his men forward, and dispatches the Libyan with a club stroke to the skull. In minutes it's over - with most of the Libyans dead, and the villagers cowering fearfully before Sekmut and his men. But soon the downtrodden farmers realize that these are fellow Egyptians who haven't come to loot and pillage.
At the behest of Sekmut the elders gather in the village center, and there he presents them with the Nomarch Deal. "Egypt can no longer exist as a nation of individual towns and villages. The Nomarch of Memphis welcomes you now as the first new member of our confederation. You will receive the protection of our armies and the freedom to work unhindered in your homes and fields, but in return we expect taxes and men for our armies and work crews." The elders realize this "offer" can't be refused, and quickly accept. "At least it's better than the Libyans", grumbles one elder - but most are genuinely happy.
That night during the Feast of Liberation, Nomarch Ra-a-Memfes wins over the last of the uncertain inhabitants with a surprising proclamation. "As of tomorrow we will tear down every hut in this village and build in it's place a town worthy of inclusion in the Memphis Nome!" And thus is born the city of Saqqara!
@ Kull
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