Succession Game V: The Empire of Ra

[Hermann the Lombard]

O Most Long-lived of Marsupials, did you receive the saved game from me? I think we need to skip Locutus this round, and likely next round.

[Immortal Wombat]

Yeah, sorry it had slipped my mind. Allowing a day to wait on Locutus, the 72 hour rule expires tommorrow I think

[Immortal Wombat]

2235BC: Wombat ascends the throne that has been the seat of rulers for decades. And is therefore covered in crumbs.
2220BC: JavCav walk into some ruins in Celticland. Barbarians appear and attack, and die. Then the JavCav 'retreats' back onto the Coracle and sails away. Around this time, a withdrawal pact is entered into with the Celts, and they begin building the Valley of Kings.
Throughout the -22nd century, slaves are taken from 3 towns in the east, much to the amusement of all concerned. One of the cities revolts.
A small army of chariots is built up, and led by Hammurabi, a general of the Egyptian army, whom the people love.
In 2115BC, a diplomat is built, but decides not to leave the safety of the city, as rumours persist that a barbarian warrior is coming close to the city.
2100BC: A barbarian warrior comes close to the city.
Wombat dies of old age. The arrow through his head was thought to have aggravated the symptoms.

[Immortal Wombat]

[Gazablanca]

Apologies,but I don't have time to play this turn within the allotted time period due to work commitments.I should be able to play as normal next round though.I am passing on the savegame file to Hermann the Lombard asap.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Hmm...I guess I didn't have time this round, either. I was sick the last two days (back to about 90% now), and before that...

OKAY, OKAY, I ADMIT IT!!!

I WAS FOOLING AROUND WITH ANOTHER GAME!!!

My apologies. I will complete my turn by tomorrow. Another variation on the 720-hour rule?

[Dinner]

Oh Herman! Say you haven't been running around with that Civ3 girl. Why are guys suckers for glittery new graphics? (runs away crying)

[Hermann the Lombard]

That Civ3 girl? Not I!

(or not lately)

I was going Greek (Zeus: Master of Olympus).

-- HtL

(Turn complete, game and account shortly.)

[Hermann the Lombard]

The Stela of Her-mann V

The Empire of Ra falls into gloom and chaos! The Sun God hides his face (behind the moon), and dynastic confusion rules the land. The traditions are overthrown, worse than the Heresy of Antidisestablishmentarianreloadslicism. Upon the death of Her-mann IV, rule should have passed to the Clan of Oerdin, but their lousy driving ruled them out. The Wise Men turned to the Locutians, but none were to be found; apparently they were on some sort of pilgrimage regarding the Holy Language. The crumby throne was assumed by a Wombat, redeeming the empire from anarchy. But now the Wombat lies murdered, and the Wise Men turn to Clan Gazablanca…but again none can be found. Apparently they have all traveled far into the Arabian West in search of the Waters. They were misinformed.

Now the Wise Men come to the Temple of Ptah and call on the priests to once more take the reins of the Empire. The High Priest takes the name Her-mann V, Apolyton XVIII, and takes the throne (grumbling that Wombat never swept away those crumbs).

2100 BC: The first order of business is to learn what really happened to the late Apolyton XVII. A drunken barbarian, captured outside Memphis, and is cooked slowly over an open fire. (This procedure is called “barbaricueing.”) The spit-roast protests that there had been an “unfortunate hunting accident,” but after further basting he reveals that the barbarian warriors were hunting marsupials. Her-mann cries to the Sun God for vengeance!

The barbarians lurk outside our cities, just off the roads, just beyond the reach of the slingers, warriors and spearmen in our cities. Cunning bastards. The murderous warriors are just outside Memphis, two slingers are outside Crocodilopolis, and two spearmen are outside Bubastis. Are they massing? Orders are issued, along with hunting permits: barbarians are in season.

Now the new Apolyton calls on the Wise Men to learn their course. He finds they are researching Herbalism. “Herbalism?” he cries, “Herbs? Weeds and Seeds?? We need weapons to hunt barbarians, not spices for our tables! Our scouts report metal weapons in the hands of our enemies; let us learn to make such before we feel their bite!” The Wise Men shuffle off, muttering that they need apothecaries: “These young whippersnappers don’t have the aches and pains we do…”

2085 BC: Scouts discover that the the group northeast of Crocodilopolis has grown with the addition of dread Archers, more deadly than our finest slingers. The warrior is marching southeast toward them, and the two spearmen are racing west along the Great Road. “We must defeat them in detail!” cries the Apolyton. Hammurabi leads the Big Toe of Anubis west through Aphroditopolis, looking for trouble. They drop off one depleted chariot squadron (the Chipped Toenail) and pick up replacements in the form of javelin cavalry. The Fist of Set marches east from Tanis as Sobek marches north from Croc., converging on the murderous warriors.

2070 BC: Weird messages arrive to confuse Her-mann, something about “Bigger,” and “Positive Points for…” The new Apolyton returns to the temple for a hasty and belated ritual of Reloadslic. A ziggurat is read in Crocodilopolis as the Wise become wiser. Sais grows to 50,000. Far to the east, the Labor Recruiter feels that the heat is on in Arabia; it is time to head for less-watchful pastures: Yamato, perhaps?

The bloody-handed barbarians, seeing the jaws closing on them, hurl themselves against Sobek, but disappear in a hail of stones. But with this the cunning strategy of the barbarians is revealed! The warriors were bait to draw the defenders away from Memphis and from Crocodilopolis! The archers and slingers move to cut off Sobek from the city, and the spearmen march up to the walls of Memphis, expecting that the former capital would be denuded of defenders. Why we would be removing nudes is unclear, but Her-mann’s orders have thwarted the barbarian plan! Ptah remains in stout defense of Memphis, and the Fist of Set joins Sobek to protect Croc. One swift cavalry (the Eyes of Sobek) rides north and east to get behind the barbarians.

2055 BC: The Gods of Egypt walk the land, smiting barbarians! (Well, that’s the story, anyway, and the High Priest is sticking to it!) Sobek and the Fist of Set try to come to grips with the elusive barbarians. Our Diplomat meets and avoids barbarian spearmen falling back from Memphis, and the forces of Anubis are thundering to his aid. Ra takes up a fortified position from which they can respond to Heliopolis or Aphroditopolis. Meanwhile, the eastbound Labor Recruiter passes a westbound Yamato chariot.

2040 BC: The Wise Men reveal the secret of Copper Smelting, and Her-mann orders them to learn to add tin to the mix. (This combination was revealed to him in a dream, rumored to have something to do with more of those poppies.) He also orders the Treasury to amass gold—no doubt those metal weapons will be expensive!

The Great Ra has a new emissary: the first Prophet of the Empire emerges from Tanis. More javelin cavalry are ready in Thebes; these ride west to join the campaign against the barbarians. [Screenshot to follow.] Thebes grows to 40,000 and Crocodilopolis to 50,000.

2025 BC: A new victory in our campaign of vengeance: the Big Toe of Anubis boots the barbarian spearmen all the way to the Underworld! A granary is ready in Abydos. The Labor Recruiter passes another westbound Yamato chariot (where ARE they all going?) Mighty Tanis grows to 90,000, and Bubastis to 60,000.

2010 BC: Perhaps Tanis grew too fast; an earthquake strikes the city. Meanwhile, the Surveyors of the Apolyton extend the Great Road to link the east and west of the Empire, all the way from Tanis to Aphroditopolis. The road should be named in honor of Egypt’s greatest roadbuilder, the Immortal Wombat, though he should learn to duck next time.

At last! Sobek has cornered the barbarians, who are encircled by javelin cavalry.

Far to the north the Great Coracle lands cavalry on the shore of Yamato near the border with the Celts. Simultaneously, the Labor Recruiter reaches the outskirts of the city of Kamakura; surely there are surplus workers among their 90,000.

1995 BC: The Eyes rejoin Sobek as the barbarians turn at bay. The great Battle of Crocodilopolis results in the total destruction of the barbarians! Wombat has been avenged!

In the north the seaborne cavalry sights the walls of Yamato Odawara, then rides back to the coast. The Labor Recruiter sees too many bronze weapons in the hands of Yamato hoplites, and thinks better of recruiting in Kamkura. A new chariot is ready for Anubis in Aphroditopolis.

1980 BC: Riders speed ahead of Sobek toward Tanis to bring word of the great victory. In honor of the victory the Eighteenth Apolyton orders new roads to shorten travel among Memphis, Tanis, and Crocodilopolis. [He’s giving Wombat a run for his road-building money.] Her-mann V dedicates a shrine to Ra in Heliopolis, then orders the entertainers back to productive work.

1965 BC: Our sixth squadron of chariots is ready in Sais and joins the Arm of Hathor (which should be renamed). More road is laid out to link Aphroditopolis through the hills to the Great Wheatfield and to the port of Sais. When the Great Wombat Road is complete, only the city of Thebes will remain isolated from the network.

Her-mann continues ordering entertainers back to the fields, now in Sais and Crocodilopolis and even Memphis (which desperately needs a shrine to Ptah, once the current Wonder is complete). The Entertainers Guild is very unhappy; the Apolyton is putting them out of work! A plot is hatched in Memphis…

1950 BC: A new chariot in Tanis is ready to join Set; meanwhile, back in Memphis…

The city has labored for years to bring a new wonder into the world. New works are rising: stadia and gymnasia abound. Young men sweat and strain to new heights of athleticism, and new sports are invented yearly. Soon, Her-mann will be able to announce The Olympics to the world, and he will invite all the nations to see the wonder and power of the Empire of Ra. He looks with curiosity upon a youth who stands in a nearby field, a heavy metal disk under his arm…but the Apolyton’s attention wanders. Visions of torchbearers dance in his head, running along The Great Wombat Road to a ceremony to open the Olympics. This reverie is abruptly—and permanently—interrupted as the discus crashes into his head. The youth grabs a stringed instrument from the grass and runs swiftly away. The Entertainers’ Plot is successful!

So ends the Stela of Her-mann V, Apolyton XVIII

[Hermann the Lombard]

Game forwarded to Oerdin; hope you'll join us this round! Just in case, game also forwarded to The Distant Locutus and to The Immortal Wombat.

The Empire of Ra: The East, 1950 BC

[Immortal Wombat]

I got a road

[Dinner]

Sorry but I will probably be skipping until further notice. I'll still come in and read this thread though.

[Immortal Wombat]

As Locutus is still away, I'll take my turn then shall I?

[Gazablanca]

Yes mister Wombat sir....and I'm definitely playing this round

[Immortal Wombat]

cool