Return to Atlantis

[joe08536]

Well, it seemed my last story was not a complete failure. So I’ve decided to give it another try, I hope you like it. My last game was that of a pacifist game, this one is…not.

4000bc - The founding of our first city Aurelius is on the coastal plain between the great “Lake of Souls” and the gold laden mountains to the north. Our city is small but the fates have smiled upon our lands as there are ample riches here for the people. There are vineyards to the west and wildebeests to the south, which can be tamed, or so the scribes and workers tell me. Our heritage is of the sea but also of the ancient Roman culture. Our traditions hail from them ultimately.

As it would happen, I am cursed among the men of the world, so that I might better lead them. Apparently, I do not age as other men do, whether I am immortal or just very long lived is a tale only history will tell. For now, I have been asked by the council to lead the people to the best of my ability.

Opening entry, Private Memoir – Joseph of Aurelius

3100 bc – In the plains due east of Aurelius we will found the city of Babylon, this city will be populated by the good barbarian peoples who met with our brave warriors and have joined with us. Such joy was there at the meeting of the two that both parties are eager and happy and now on their separate ways.

Our culture has expanded to include the untamed areas where the workers said. All seems to be going well in our city

2950 bc – Babylon is founded along the coast of the dark sea on the southern coast, I have ordered workers to make roads and improvements in the land between the two fair cities.

2830 bc – There is news from the couriers corps – A courier traveling with one of our scouts over the nearly impassible mountains of the east have discovered a people called the Zulu’s, A people with great cities similar to ours, an emissary is being sent to the city of Zimbabwe which is their capital. It lays nearly 8 days travel west for the fastest warriors from the outskirts of Babylon and nearly 12 days from Aurelius.

2700 bc – The Zulu’s have scouts much faster than ours traveling nearly twice the distance! They have been spotted even in the hills north of Aurelius. The people are panicked and I cannot say that it does not concern me. I have ordered re-enforcements to all three cities, Newly founded Claudius which, while north of Babylon is situated on the northern coast in a harbor of sorts, there are wildebeests aplenty and so even though there is tundra close by, the city can prosper. Babylon is of the most concern as they are working towards their granary and will be unable to stop until it is complete, lest they waste all of their effort.

2650 bc – There are high hopes that our expenditures will pay off. The formation of a “border” territory between Zululand and Atlantis seems the best way to prevent an unthinkable accident between our two peoples. The scribes told the counsel for the military of a way of creating archers, which have been implemented these archers shoot deadly arrows at their opponents. A line of archers even now approach further towards the badlands of the mountains between Zululand and Atlantis.

Babylon will be complete their first archers soon, the last of the wandering Zulu scouts is reported to be closing nearest Babylon and there is but one group of warriors within the city. This concerns me only in that the warrior is only just arrived from Aurelius which had 3, and that the border is in the other direction from the scout’s current position. The Legate at Great Zimbabwe will appeal to their leader , Shaka for a peaceful egress of their scouts. We will negotiate directly if needs be but it is our hope that we can avoid war between our two great peoples.

Excerpts from Personal Memoir , Joseph of Aurelius

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Good to see you back joe08536, now go kick some Zulu butt

[vovan]

Interesting AAR there. And indeed, kick some @$$!

PS: Chrisius, now you are starting to sound like scratch.

[joe08536]

Betrayal at Babylon

2450 bc – The emergency council met on the land, there the imperial provisions were distributed amongst the commoners, this was commanded by the Emperor himself. While vital and personable in his speeches and to the forums of citizens and the council the Emperor was haggard and quite humble looking.

The imperial caravan was traveling in the vicinity of the newly cleared lands of Babylon and scheduled to dedicate the new granary there in the days to come. There was to have been much celebration. Now we have heard there is much suffering and death. The emperor wishes to be in the decimated city by the day after next. The marauding and dastardly Zulu’s sacked Babylon itself. Defeating not just the warriors stationed at the city’s walls but decimating the lands as they went.

Reinforcements arrived the other day from the front and dispatched the villainous enemies. His eminence had just given the speech on his hopes for a peace between our two nations to the people of the outlying areas of Babylon at the very same time the Zulu warriors were attacking it seems. The minister of war has been at his eminence’s side for days now and there can be only one conclusion. The couriers who left for Zululand to speak with the Legate at Great Zimbabwe and to inform him that they were to be recalled have not been heard from however couriers report two wandering horses were found in the badlands past the mountains with the heads of the Legate and his entourage. The Foreign minister says “we can only hope that they were able to destroy any the sensitive communiqués between the Legate and his eminence.” I say that we are doomed.

The emperor has never looked more weary and downtrodden than these last few days. Our hopes are with the families, which escaped the occupation of Babylon; new Archers moved through the camp on their way to shore up the troops stationed in Babylon but clearly there was much looting and pillaging.

Counsel of the Fates by Suetonius Junsa of Claudius,
Official Chronicler for the Domestic Advisor, Dominicia Hyanda, Marginalia circa summer of 2450bc


The title Emperor, seems akin to that of Slave; Our choices have been all made for us, or rather, of late my choices are made in Great Zimbabwe. My hopes for a peace are no more, advancing of the sciences will – no – must - take a second seat to the matters of preservation of the state. I have spoken with the war minister this evening and demanded action.

It is required that the city of Babylon never again experiences the failure of our commitment, these descendents of the good souls who chose life under my rule. There are some of the citizenry who feel betrayed, and as it happens, I personally feel as if I have betrayed them in my private moments, which are now very seldom in occurrence. Archers were commanded to advance the line through the badlands and into Zululand commanded to destroy and all Zulu camps or any remnant of their civilization. This betrayal by the scout warriors and the brutalities towards the innocents among us are unspeakable, but shall be answered in kind.

On better news, Dioclesian, the 4th of our cities will be founded far in the Northlands soon. This will be some 4 days travel North of Claudius and safe from the damnable Zulus’. A detachment of Archers has already arrived and yet the settlers are being escorted by an elite group of warriors who patrol those northern reaches of the empire.

Notes in the 1st draft of On the Betrayal of Babylon, On the Road to War - Joseph of Aurelius

[joe08536]

Thanks

Hey Chrisius, It's good to be writing a bit again. I'd originally thought this might be a shorter version of my original story but if I can keep it hanging together I'm likely to puff it out and mix up the writing as a collection of 1st person memoir, 3rd person commentary both kinda are after-action or pre-action stuff but also some dialog based work if possible.

Thanks very much for the feedback on my previous story and please feel free to let me know when I'm screwing up on this one.

Also to anyone into real life war stories, I found a really great (real) book titled "On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace" which was written in a similar style and also did a great deal to not only explain some wars of the past but really went into detail on different people. I remember when Civ came out I never quite understood why Bismark was considered a more memorable/noteworthy german/prussian leader than Hitler. Well, now I know , it's rather simply because Hitler was a dictatorial psychopath and Bismark a statecraft genius - or at least that's the impression I got reading this particular book.

Best Regards,

J

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice addition Joe and a nice link to a very interesting read, although I dont think Ill get a copy I enjoyed reading the 54 page sample

Nice build up here and plenty of suspense,

[joe08536]

On the book

Probably the best part of the book was the part on the run-up to WW I, which covers Bismark and more importantly the more or less warmongering of the Kaiser.

Anyway, I'll post a bit more later today.

Best Regards,

J

[joe08536]

2490 - 1820 bc

Among the gold mines of the inland hills between the Limpopo plains and lake Zambezi, there is a fortress built of stones of marvelous size, and there appears to be no mortar joining them.... This edifice is almost surrounded by hills, upon which are others resembling it in the fashioning of stone and the absence of mortar, and one of them is a tower more than 12 fathoms high. The natives of the country call these edifices Symbaoe, which according to their language signifies court. The majesty of their city and the fierceness of the warriors would give any man pause in his ill will.

Legate Hyerdan Theba
Excerpt from the posthumous 1st report to the Foreign Minister of the Cities of Atlantis, ca 2650

[Discovered hidden among the tattered clothes of the semi-preserved corpses of a headless rider thought by some of scholars to be the true corpse of the long lost Legate to Zululand and a horse ca 2250 high in steppe of the diamond mines of the badlands.]

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Here in Nkwalini Valley and beyond the golden mountains we have met strangers who defile our lands. To the east of Great Zimbabwe the unworthy men from At’laantze come to our territories now and again. Our faithful warrior Impi’s have given reports that they have no strength in their weapons. Our brave Impi came from far and away and seized the undefended camp/settlement of the Atlantemen. They have no sense about them at all and the city of Bab’lon as they called it was nearly destroyed by the Impi before they were vanquished in unfair combat of many of their inferior warriors. We have dispatched new Settlers to found more cities for the greater glory of Shaka our Lord and Master.

Tomorrow we will make way to the Ntshondwe Camp, which is where our soldier Impi’s will move to ambush the foolish Atlanemen as they come across the Diamond expanse and near the wall of the golden mountains. We have mounted for them a horrible surprise, their death awaits them at Ntshondwe.

Excerpt of the correspondences of Sangoma the Great,
Warrior elite of the Impi group Hluhluwe from Great Zimbabwe.

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My Impi brothers and I were very young and strong, we had been together since our first days as young warriors from our village in Hlobane. In the days before Ntshondwe we told each other tales and were happy to fight for the Highest Honor of Great Shaka,, may victorious warriors give happiness and joy upon his soul. My brothers and I would play , Susma my blood brother would play his Umakhweyana bow given to him by our Father and Grandfather in the ceremonies before we left Hlobane. I would give anything to hear the sound of the bow again as it was back then. It was at Ntshondwe that we killed our first Atlanteans, It was there also that my 1st brother died fending an attack.
I watched him proud and strong, fall by the little spears of the archers, many pierced him before he fell to the ground. Then two struck me in the leg and chest and I was down and still. Ours was the last of the Impi, which were there, and I was the last of my Impi brothers and the only one who lived past that day as I was given up for dead.

An oral recollection of Umlazi Kwamashu of Hlobane with performance on the Umakhweyana Bow of Susma Kwamashu of Hlobane, Excerpt from “The Last of the Impi, Dioclesian Press”.

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1910 bc - “M’Lord….A Scooout!!!! A Zoooloooo scout!!!!!” Opheron’s voice carried in the wind across the valley even as the words burned his lungs as he cried them! Practically falling down the hill allowed him one last scream and shout! Returning from the high mountains and the steppe of the diamond badlands, in time to rejoin the others for battle or die before reaching the encampment made for the night.

Just over the 2nd ridge, they were there, high upon the hills he had crossed not minutes before, were the enemy, “Firey hot upon my heels!”, he thought. He could feel the pounding of his heart and the stabbing pain in his legs as they now nearly gave out within sight of the camp! They saw him before he saw them in the mountains and his only hope was to return now to his camp! He collapsed in exhaustion almost equally distant from his brothers of the warrior group and the closing and horribly fast Zulu’s. It made little difference in the battle the followed, that Opheron of Claudius was not among the fighters but lay collapsed and half dead shaking and coughing, he had lost all of his armor and even his best fighting club for speed and was now nearly naked amongst the spears and knives and clubs of the warriors of his group which could still be deadly to him, as night fell with the warrior scouts enbattled!

He had saved his brother warriors from a sure ambush in the night, had they failed, the Emperor himself would hear of it since another siege of Babylon might possibly occur and a price would be weighed in blood. In the morning after the dead were burned or buried he was presented with the helmet and spears and the blooded suit of armor of the Zulu Warrior chief as thanks for saving his whole group from a nightfall ambush.

A night patrol of Eastern Babylon, ca 1910 bc.


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1820 bc – A Secret Report from the Minister of War to his Excellency the Emperor

Your excellency will note the there has been modest success in the war effort to date. The front along the badlands of the highlands between Atlantis and Zululand are slowly coming to close like a noose around the neck of the Zulu.

We have suffered some casualties in the fight to restrain Impi and Zulu scouts.
The Impi are a most dangerous form of adversary as strong as at least two of our strongest warriors and twice again as fast, fortunately these fierce adversaries have been fewer in number except the place called Ntshondwe.

Our warriors and archers met an ambush and suffered severe casualties before overrunning the fortified encampment. Fully 3 archers and 5 warriors killed 4 Impi who seemed to be almost casually awaiting our arrival.

This nearly cost us the safety of the line of the border but our continued support and the retirement of the warriors from front line combat to heal was fortuitous and even now the victorious warriors approach the borders of Zululand proper and although more widely disbursed they have not met as fierce a resistance.

We expect they are all but vanquished an assured victory at Great Zimbabwe is but a formality.

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[ChrisiusMaximus]

Blast cant read this now Ive got to go to work, but I will look forward to firing it up when I get home.

[unscratchedfoot]

Ahhhh, good ole Nkwalini....

About 10 minutes ago, I just finished watching the movie "Zulu" made in 1964 about the British defense at Rorke's Drift so it was weird to log on and read again about the Zulus doing some spear-chucking. Excellent movie I recommend for you to watch.

Your writing is getting better as you are starting to move away from the chronological structure to an actual story. Keep the goods flowing like a bad iziCwa spear wound.

By the way, is something like major gimped with this site cause it's not loading properly and I get error messages when I click on the posts.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Excellent stuff Joe !! for gods sake man keep the goods rolling

[joe08536]

Thanks for the feedback. I think the chronological gives a little help but I also find that showing different perspectives of sometimes the same thing gives a much better feel for the storyline and allows for some threaded "character" development - but these are writing 101 tips I'm sure.

As for the site, these are more like writing 405 if writing you mean php and heavily dynamic data driven stuff. It looks like there were some new php programs which may not be able to see some of the resources for the Apolyton site. It's also the case that the server is probably getting pounded with errors and faulty requests. I find patience and sometimes a strategic donation here and there can be very helpful. Nothing sucks quite like being the victim of your own success.

[vovan]

Sweet stuff, joe. : thumbs up : Like scratchy said, the story's getting better and better - the characters and stuff definitely are starting to add up to a very enjoyable read.

As for this place, the image server is dead. Hence... no images.

[joe08536]

On the matter of Heros

On the matter of Heros
November, 1725 bc


Court Magi : “Your Excellency, a moment to attend to some matters before the court today?”

Joseph : “Fine, what have you?”

Court Magi : “Two matters require your attention….An Honorarium, As you well know, the retirement of the first warriors is to commence with the commissioning of the new Archers throughout the land, the eldest of these is returned from the war and is in the solarium parlor, the second matter is regarding a situation at the front.”

[Honorariums - usually audiences with the Emperor or performances of gifted artists or craftsmen, are sometimes held – for those deserving victorious veterans whom do not wish or cannot have, for reasons of age or infirmity, a Triumphal march through the city.]

Joseph : “We were with the war minister until nearly sunrise this morning reviewing the recent attempts at incursions of the walls of the enemy, is the matter at the front of an ill nature?”

Court Magi : “It is a private message to your excellency.”

Joseph : "I will hear this Honorarium first.”

A moment passed between the two men as they moved towards the Solarium of the southern part of the Palace where a good portion of the court stood in attendance, and there before them was an ancient warrior, sitting in the close easy sedans of the anteroom area and the Emperor looked at the Magi, who turned to the Emperor simultaneously with a mildly panicked look, and said quietly, “Perhaps we should have held this sooner!”.

Some warriors, victorious in battle are still nervous and apprehensive at their audiences with the Counselors, Magi and certainly the Emperor. Veteran Marcus Athara, however was quite sound asleep slumped into the plush sedan and had the look of having passed away quietly while waiting for his Honorarium”.

“My aides tell me that Veteran Athara suffers from Tsetse sickness as do many of the veterans and tires easily and is frail in his retirement and his old age…He asked to speak with your excellency on his service in the Zululands.”, said the Magi. The Emperor sat next to his ancient servant as the Magi nudged the veteran from his slumber. “Veteran Athara”, said the Emperor as he sat looking towards the veteran looking on patiently.

Veteran Athara roused then and said in a quite proper and formal “high” language spoken by the upper classes of the city of Aurelius.

Athara : “Ah , sorry then, I totted off for a moment there….Wasn’t actually sleeping…I was resting my eyes.” As his gaze turned up and onto the Emperor and then towards the Magi, turning to see over towards other courtesans whom were gathered quietly and at a respectful distance and then back towards the Magi.

Athara : “Who’s this then?” Turning back towards the Magi. His ancient head turning nearly completely around and up on his neck where a scar running along his neck and down towards his lower back could be seen and motioning towards the Emperor.

The Magi turned towards the man and said “This is our Emperor, Sir.”, at hearing this Athara reeled ever so slightly , straightened up and went to stand before being motioned to sit again by both the Emperor and the Magi.

“Sire, I apologize but I thought I should stand at such an honor as meeting one such as yourself, but I am quite old and not well…”, Athara said matter-of-factly, he was not tense or nervous in the slightest but was a bit startled at the news and it was now clear that the ancient warrior’s speech was almost completely affected by his age and not his being roused from slumber.”

He turned to the Emperor with a smile as if he was going to share a bit of candy or a childhood secret and started to say “You know, I Remember the Zambezi…” growling the last word out a bit pausing then and grunting ever so slightly, and looking down at his waist and then the old veteran turned back to the Magi saying “I appear to have soiled myself…how dreadful…my profuse apologies to the Emperor when he gets here…but I must have my leave of these clothes…”.

As he turned and faced the very man himself, as if they had not met, He quietly said, “Oh, you there…I was wondering if you could you help and old veteran to his feet.”, where upon the old veteran put his hand out for the Emperor to help him to his feet. The Emperor looked at the Magi in bemused astonishment both realizing then, that the ancient veteran was quite senile.

As the Emperor helped the ancient warrior on one side guided by the Emperor and walking towards the lavatory with the Magi close behind.

Athara turned in to speak closely to the Emperor and said nearly in a whisper and patting the Emperor’s hand, “His Excellency is quite fortunate to have men as kindly as you two in his service… [quite a bit more firmly] And you can tell him that I said so.”, At which point a quiet muffled laugh was heard throughout the anteroom of the Solarium.

So moved was the Emperor, after arriving at their destination, that the Emperor turned to the Magi and in all import said “You were correct before, As he [motioning towards the lavatory] ,clearly will not be with us much longer. Ensure that he and his family are welcome to one of the Palace Atriums this day and until he passes and tell them that he and his are welcome to dinner this evening and welcome to court functions or to our presence whenever they see fit to have an audience. Our regrets to them as well, that he did not receive this Honorarium sooner.”

Caphta of Dioclesian , Court Scribe to Magi Reus Logia in a letter to his son on the subject of decorum , humility and respect, ca Winter, 1725 bc.


Imperial Grounds Master Thallia : “What business have you here?!”

Courier Naurendra : “I bear a sealed message from the front, I am an Imperial Courier from Babylon and here is my message to the Groundskeeper.”

The Grounds Master turned and accepted the scroll of parchment scrutinizing the seal and noting the signet of the Imperial armies, while his expert eye also caught the telltale lemon-stain glyph underneath the seal and motioned for the courier to follow alongside.

Courier Naurendra walking along side as they traversed the outside grounds, thought to himself, that he had never before been to the Imperial Palace before. In the service of the cities of Atlantis for nearly 45 years now, and he had never once been to the Throne Room itself. Citizens could meet in the open forums here and yet he never had done so. Here there were polished stones and plants of all descriptions from the 4 cities. There was a preserve for the Emperor containing animals from as far away as the forbidden diamond mountains and even some animals were said to be from Zululand itself, although such exaggerations were not to be believed. Besides the news otherwise of the Great cities of the Zulus’ are said to be a desolate land of unspeakable evils.

The Grounds Master told the Courier to wait in cloister on the grounds with some food and water and wait there until he returned, he then disappeared into the foliage.

The Grounds Master moved deftly to a non-descript panel along the side wall near the entrance to the Solarium from the Gardens and knocked three times paused and then knocked five times, on a small window in the row of windows which were all shuttered in a wall scarcely the thickness of the outer fence of the Palace. The windows swung open and he handed the scroll to the gloved hand within.

His message carried the greatest news of the war with the Zulu, the recounting of the ascension to victory of Trajan, A hero of the siege at Great Zimbabwe.

In a closed chamber two levels below the Solarium, in a room with nothing but scribes and desks where after a short time a scribe hurried up towards the Imperial Magi with message only partially decrypted.

The Emperor and Minister of War reviewed the parchment with only the Emperor’s personal scribe to decrypt the message, which could either be filed away or burned to ash as sometimes occurred with the darkest of secrets.

A report from the siege at Great Zimbabwe
===============================

A victory of one of your Excellencies elite archers groups has yielded the Hero Trajan. His victory against one of the defiling Impi war groups of the enemy as they were traveling along the walls of Great Zimbabwe. Attacking a small break in the siege upon the walls of great Zimbabwe itself. Attacking the walls the hero single handedly defeated a whole corps of Impi. As his group was known already as an elite among the men of the archer forces he has been elevated still higher that the a leader of such stature that he can command the men in great works of anything of the choosing of the Emperor.

What is your bidding Excellency,

Signed , a Humble servant of the people, Trajan


Later that same night as an aged veteran died quietly in his sleep. His final memories were of a clarity he’d not had in many years…were of the Honor of serving His Emperor, of a sumptuous meal with his sons and his daughter as well as his fondest memory of his beloved wife and there were many strangers as well but also those two good servants of the Emperor he’d met earlier in the day but only vaguely remembered.

Below the state room of the aged veteran quietly passed a new detachment of Archers and Courier Naurendra, exiting the Palace grounds for the road to Babylon and beyond.

Courier Naurendra thought to himself, I have seen the Palace and in short time and with the blessing of the Fates I will live to see the very walls of the evil Zulul cities. Now these Archers were charged with his safety over their own, although he knew as he always did that it was not the messenger but the message that was the valuable thing. But if he did not arrive, there would be questions. He was instructions were quite odd, to deliver this message personally to a man called Trajan by the Emperor himself and to report back to the Emperor personally with all dispatch. Stopping in Babylon only long enough to acquire another Imperial Courier from the City who will not be informed but will be sent to Trajan’s camp. A message to be delivered to the dispatcher in Babylon, and delivered in a months time to the 2nd Imperial courier left at Trajan’s camp. A message of no concern to him but the order was confusing. Why would the emperor post a letter of delivery to himself and why with instructions to return in 1 months time after Courier Naurendras’ departure. He thought on his experiences of the day and again throughout his journey to the front. The answer would be perfectly obvious to Trajan, a message with no scroll, no Imperial glyph and needing no seal the messenger was the message.


“He is still yours to command. He is a loyal servant of the Empire. Do not worry yourself so.” she said. Her body was his solace her soul his balance. All through this war and throughout time her consolations were his most important asset, the Emperor thought to himself. Lost in thought in his bed, her body against his, and leaning upon his chest as she said these things. Joseph closed his eyes deliberately trying to focus on this moment and not the events of the day. To be sure they were momentous, A Great Leader in the field will change the nature of this war from a hard fought siege war to one of decisive victories and with luck, eventual victory…but at what price.

He turned from her now and rose, grabbing one of the many luxuriant fur cloaks from the bed to cover his form from the chill in the open air through the moonlight and to his window overlooking the central garden of the Palace staring off at the grounds as the question rolled over in his head even before he spoke it…”At what price and how much command do I really have…” Drifting off in mid sentence…staring silently…She followed him from the bed with an even larger cloak of fur wrapping herself, and approaching him, opening her cloak and enclosing him in it from behind, nuzzling his neck and leaning herself against him, she whispered into his ear “Come back to bed.”, he closed his eyes then and turned back towards her and the great bed of the Imperial bed-chamber. “I met a man today who was ancient beyond his years and to whom honor from the throne was long overdue him, and I’ve heard of another who’s honor has come in the field and perhaps too soon, who should carry more weight in the cities, which of them was more deserving…[he trailed off silently … whispering as he crawled into their large bed] So many questions. The emperor turned then towards his beloved concubine and tried then , again , to sleep.

[vovan]

Great addition, joe! Keep the goods flowing, I'm enjoying this story of yours.