The Kings of Land's End: A Lusitani AAR

Table of Contents
Foreward
Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 1 - The Raid
Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 2 - The Turduli
Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 3 - A Meeting of Minds
Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 4 - An Unexpected Visit





Foreward

Greetings and salutations. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Owen Glyndwr, although you may call me Owen if you find the Welsh language a difficult one to wrap your tongue around. This is not my first AAR, and I certainly hope it will not be my last. My first one: The Aeduic War was a sort of test for myself to see if I had the resolve, and ability to do long narrative-like fictional stories. The AAR itself was a sort of cross section of my then ongoing campaign. It followed the story of The Kingdom of Casseia as she fought the Aeduic Kingdom for control of the Belgian territories, while still trying to re-assert her sense of identity in a Kingdom which had suddenly found itself encompassing many different peoples. I enjoyed writing it very much, and, although it was not exactly the most popular story on the fora, the people who did frequent it seemed to like it enough, and as long as I was happy, that was all that really mattered. Unfortunately tragedy struck a week or two ago when I had to relocate my hard drive to another computer, resulting in the hard drive being wiped, causing me to lose all my EB data.

Not in the least deterred, I decided that, while I did not want to re-do all my previous work, and play the Casse again, I did want to write another AAR, and after thinking about all of the factions, and looking at the distribution of AARs currently in circulation, I soon hit upon the idea to do a Lusitani AAR, and thus here we are.

Now on to the disclaimer, similar to the one from my previous AAR. I am not a military genius, and I most likely do not play the game at an efficiency met by other players. However, this game is not about skill, it is about the story. That said, I am playing difficulty M/M. In regards to criticism on a creative or writing level, I am open to this, as this is now only my third attempt at doing any sort of fictional writing, however I do ask that you make your criticism constructive. Note that any praise is equally greatly appreciated (perhaps more so).

Finally, while, as it says under my name, I do call myself a history buff, that does not mean that I am an expert on Pre-Latin Iberian history. While I will try my best to do research on the Lusitanii, and try as hard as I can to make the story as historically accurate (in regards to lifestyle, gov't, etc) as possible, ambiguities are going to exist, and I ask that you not nitpick them. I also will warn you now that I may take some artistic license in these regards as well, similar to how I did in my Casse AAR.

That said, on to the story, and I hope you all enjoy:

Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 1 - The Raid

Thurro and his men were huddled down on the stream bank beside the small village of Oxtraca. It was early morning and the crisp air felt invigorating to him. He took a deep breath to take it in further, and then crept up the bank to observe the town again.

It wasn't much to look at; a collection of houses huddled together a couple hundred feet west from the stream that Thurro's party was now residing in, nothing that he hadn't seen before, however this city was more important than most. Its close proximity to two of the largest rivers in the area made it a local power in terms of trade, and trade meant money: this was what Thurro was banking on.

Thurro had moved out with his raiding party from their homeland far to the east at the beginning of spring. Although they had managed to successfully raid a great many villages, most were very poor, and the earnings of the party were in actuality quite meager. Morale plummeted, some even talked of mutiny, they wanted to kill him and go home!

No, Thurro could not let that happen. That was why he decided to do something never before done; he picked up and moved. He led his men west, over the hills, and down into the rich, flat lands of the west. It was not easy; his men were skeptical at first, but once they heard his promises of riches beyond their fanciest imaginations, they played along. Now all he had to do was deliver on his promises, and if he couldn't, the results would be...unthinkable.

Thurro glanced over his shoulder, he could just make out the streaks of yellow coming out from behind the hills. Dawn was breaking, and the village began to stir, as villagers exited their houses to prepare themselves for the day’s work. He turned to his men, and nodded to his second, Ambon, to ready the men for the attack. The Sun was at their backs, the advantage theirs, this raid, it seemed to Thurro, would be almost too easy...

***

Tantalos rolled over on his bed. He eased his eyes open, taking time to adjust to the now breaking dawn. His eyes fell on her and he smiled as he remembered the previous evening. That night, in view of the entire town he was wedded the beautiful Coedi.

Tantalos's father said the match was politically favorable to both families; as the two most prominent families in Oxtraca, it was a foregone conclusion that they would be paired. However none of this truly concerned Tantalos. The advantages of the match mattered little to him, so long as he could be with her for the rest of his life. Her beautiful long brown hair, her pale white skin, and her eyes; those deep brown eyes which once peered into showed a world of emotions, and yet, none at all. Tantalos knew from the moment he saw her that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, and at long last he was given that chance.

Tantalos's father told the boy of the match a few weeks ago, and Tantalos couldn't have been more thrilled. He waited with eager anticipation, counting each day up until the actual marriage. Then finally the day had come. On that day Coedi was the most stunning image of a woman he had ever seen. She wore an exquisite dress, made of a fine material, imported from the faraway lands of the East. She wore exquisite silver earrings, and a silver torque around her wrist: her father truly spared no expense for this marriage. It was the greatest day of Tantalos's young life, culminating in their union on the altar of Trebaruna.

The day was followed by a great party, involving the entire town. A great feast was thrown, as animal after animal was brought out for the people's sampling. Wine flowed freely, taken straight from the local fields. Local bards and musicians played and sung until their voices were hoarse, and their fingers bleeding. It was a glorious event, and doubtless one that would be remembered for years to come.

Tantalos reached out to wake his new wife, but decided against it. "Let her sleep just a while longer," he thought. He got up from his bed and walked over to a bowl of water a few feet away. He splashed his handsome face a few times, wiping the long dark hair out of his eyes, and then got dressed, ready to take on his first day as a married man.

Tantalos´s reverie was suddenly broken by what sounded like a loud yell. Tantalos strained his ears, trying desperately to hear for anything else. He heard what sounded like the crashing of shields, and the screams of dying men. He needed no more warning than that. He quickly grabbed some javelins and his shield, attaching his iron sword to the belt at his waist, and rushed off towards the sounds he heard.

Tantalos rushed through the convoluted streets of the town, trying his best to follow the noise. He stopped dead in his tracks as before him he saw two armored soldiers trying to bust in the door to a house. Thinking quickly, Tantalos produced one of his javelins, and, holding it aloft, flung it at the man nearest him. The javelin flew true, and struck the man in the side of his body, knocking him to the ground. The other man was then alerted to Tantalos's presence, and turned towards his aggressor. However, Tantalos was not about to give up his advantage, and soon drew his sword and began charging at the other man. The man made to thrust at Tantalos's chest, but Tantalos deflected the spear with his shield, and then plunged his sword into the weakly defended armpit of his opponent, killing him instantly. Tantalos then walked over to the other man, squirming on the ground with a javelin in his chest. Tantalos finished him off with his sword, before taking his javelin back. Those two enemies defeated, Tantalos took a moment to regain his bearings before once again heading off in the direction of the clashing forces.

After jogging for another few minutes, Tantalos stopped himself as he was greeted by two men he recognized. It was his childhood friends Baitesir and Durato! They were armed likewise to Tantalos. He hailed them and quickly ran over. The two acknowledged his approach, and then ran to meet him. "Friends!" Tantalos said, "How good it is to see you! But, what is going on, do either of you know what has happened?"

"Aye," replied Baitesir, "It's a raid." A band of soldiers came up from the East, attacked us about 15 or 20 minutes ago. Your father's on the edge of town with a handful of soldiers holding off the main attack, however some of the bandits managed to get around, and are in the city now. Your father sent us back here to root out and kill those men."

"Excellent," replied Tantalos, "I believe I just killed two of those men, I shall join up with you, and together we can root them out." Baitesir and Durato nodded in agreement and the three marched off together. The three men carefully combed each street, looking for any sign of the enemy. They found and killed, by their estimates, about twenty or twenty five men, each one in small groups of no more than three or four. Some men they killed were found with jewelry and other valuables in their hands, but those men were dispatched, and the looted goods were quickly returned. Once the three were satisfied that all the stragglers were dealt with, they decided to meet up with Tantalos's father to see if they could be of assistance.

When they finally arrived at the scene, the battle had largely ended. It was a horrifying scene, as bodies were strewn all throughout the area. The area was filled with the screams of dying and wounded men, and the stench of battle. Tantalos thought that this scene would be enough to horrify even the bravest of men. The three were then approached by Orisos, a close friend of Tantalos's father.

"Tantalos, is that you? Thank the gods I have found you, I had just sent out runners to look for you. We won the battle, the cowards took off as soon as their leader was killed. However your father was wounded during the fighting, and it's not looking to good. Your father wanted to see you before he left."

Tantalos was horrified. He had always thought his father invincible, he, who had fought in many battles, and carried on many successful raids. For him to die was...impossible. And yet it had happened. Tantalos wiped a tear from his cheek and then followed Orisos to a nearby house on the edge of town. He could already see a throng of people huddled around the door, hoping for good news about their beloved chieftain. Orisos pushed his way through the crowd and then opened the door, allowing himself and Tantalos in.

Without being in the room for more than a few moments, Tantalos could already tell it was bad. He saw his father lying on a bed, his long brown hair flecked with spots of gray was splayed out helter-skelter beneath him. He was silent, although Tantalos could tell by the expression in his eyes, and the grimace on his lips that his father was in extreme pain. The man's armor had been removed, and was lying neatly stacked beside the bed, and based on the red-dyed tunic lying beside the armor, Tantalos guessed that the wound must have been in the chest. Tantalos's suspicion was confirmed when he saw a bloody cloth, surrounded by dried blood place on his father's abdomen.

Tantalos's father at last saw his son come in, and beckoned him over. Tantalos approached, and took his father’s hand, dyed red from the blood. "Father," was all Tantalos could manage, as tears began to stream down his face. Tantalos's father ordered the rest of the men in the room out, which they did in short order.

Tantalos's father tried to smile, but even smiling, Tantalos could stills see the pain in his father's face. "My son," he said, "do not be saddened, for if I die, I shall at least have died bravely, defending my people. Now, dry your eyes for what I am about to tell you is extremely important." Tantalos wiped his eyes, and his father continued. "I am going to die, I can already feel death closing in upon me. Now, when I do die, there will be a conflict for power within the tribe. Many will try to claim my position, but it is important that you are the one who earns it. However, a lot of the bloodshed can be avoided if I name you as my heir. Due the power of our family, and the power of Coedi's family, a lot of the people who might have vied for the throne before, will be dissuaded. I will convince my guard to protect you, and help you in any way possible, however you must be strong. When you go out to that crowd out there, you must act as a leader. Be bold, and confident. Assuage the people's fears, and shall soon be chieftain. Now call my guards back in so that I may tell them the same"

Tantalos did as he was told, and let the guards back in, before going outside with the rest of the people. Tantalos's father talked with them for a long while, and soon Orisos walked up to Tantalos once more. "It's time, your father is now about to die, come with me." Tantalos once again did as he was told, a priest following behind him. Tantalos came once again to his father's bed, where his father formally named Tantalos as his successor. The priest blessed his father, and then he was gone. Tantalos watched as the life fled from his father's eyes, but he did not cry. He told the guards to follow him outside, and they followed orders without question.

Tantalos exited the house and raised his hands to silence the crowd. Trying his best to sound powerful and commanding, Tantalos addressed the crowd: "People of Oxtraca, I deeply regret having to tell you this, but my father, our chieftain has passed on. Before he died he named me as his successor, and commanded me to lead you all on in lieu of his passing. I know some of you may feel nervous due to my young age, but know this: I can and will lead you on as well as my father did before me. And, once I am chief, I will ensure that nothing like what just happened today will ever happen again. No longer will we live in fear of the raids of outsiders, for we will form a power so great, that none would dare attack us. Once I am chief, I shall go to the surrounding tribes, the Vettones, the Turduli, the Elbocori, and the Tapori. I will speak to them all, and ask them to join us. If they will not, then we shall make the join us. Soon we will be a force to be reckoned with! Are you with me?"

The crowd cheered in support, as Tantalos suddenly noticed his wife among the onlookers. He stepped into the crowd, trying to make his way towards her. It was a difficult task to do; suddenly everyone wanted to touch Tantalos, to thank him, to even talk to him. However he eventually made it, and the two walked, now escorted by guards, back to their house.

Will be following this one :yes: Iberes have always been an interesting faction to me. Barbaroi still, but interesting nonetheless.

Maion

I will defidently be following this. Sounds intresting. :book: *Lurking*

Your initial post sounds promising. However, I am a touch disappointed for reading the title "The Kings of Land's End" made be get the impression it might have been a Cornish AAR, but then I saw which faction you were playing and my hopes were dashed.

Nevertheless, I'll follow this one.

Its about time you decided to post your intro. Looking forward to it. I will be following this.

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Originally Posted by Scud

Your initial post sounds promising. However, I am a touch disappointed for reading the title "The Kings of Land's End" made be get the impression it might have been a Cornish AAR, but then I saw which faction you were playing and my hopes were dashed.

Nevertheless, I'll follow this one.

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Yes, I had anticipated this, as the term "land's end" is typically associated with England. As you may or may not have guessed, I had a bit of trouble coming up with a title, but that is the one I settled on. Besides, Spain would technically have been the edge of the world at that time, and land's end sounds slightly more poetic than the edge of the world (had a better ring to it).

I is happy. Can't wait to see this AAR come along.

Alright Chapter 1.1 is up here are some notes:

As you may or may not be able to guess, this is a prequel of sorts. In the game, Tantalos is the faction leader at age 60 with a whole region under his grasp. However, while researching for this story, I started thinking that it really wouldn't make much sense for their to be one tribe from the start who controls this whole swath of land. So I decided to put start the story by telling how the Lusitani in my game gained so much influence.

Sorry about the lack of pictures, that came partly from laziness, and partly because it would be a little tricky to represent the action of this story in-game.

I promise that the next couple sections will have pictures, so that's something to look forward to.

Sorry about the delay in updating, my personal life got in the way as I had to put out a 5-page essay for English class this weekend, leaving me with minimal time for writing. However it did give me a bit more time for researching the Iberian peninsula during this time.

Also I'd like to thank Oudysseos for his extremely informative article The Pillars of Hercules as this is where I got a lot of my research from regarding this section, and the AAR as a whole. Without that stuff, I think I'd be pretty lost. Also thanks to Vasiliyi for the link to the site with all the Celiberian/Iberian/Celtic names. That site is way cool.

As always, I hope you enjoy reading the update as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I encourage you all to post any thoughts on it.

Its here, finally. To be honest I started reading your first chapter at work, (when I should have been working) and I finally got a chance to finish it. I will be looking forward to more. :2thumbsup:

Ok, so second update is looking like it's most likely going to be this weekend.

Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 2 - The Turduli

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Tantalos sat upon his horse as it slowly began climbing yet another hill. As he made his way to the largest city among the Turduli in the West, Tantalos couldn't help but be amazed at how far he had come. A lot had changed in the ten years since that eventful raid on his village. His father's predictions had proved right, his rule was contested as several men rose up in contention of Tantalos's claim tot he throne.

Thankfully Tantalos's family connections, and the experienced soldiers of his father ensured that the inevitable fighting which ensued went largely in his favor, and after a year, he found himself in command of his entire village. Once his rivals had been dealt with, he could finally get to business with what he had envisioned.

His first order of business was to improve the village. He established a system in which the local villagers were to be trained in the art of fighting, so that every day there would be sentries posted on the outskirts of town. The villagers were not happy about this suggestion initially, but came around to it once Tantalos promised them a means to care for their farms and flocks while they were away.

Tantalos's next order of business was to provide for proper defenses within the town. To do this, he ordered a wall built around the perimeter of the town. While this was being done, Tantalos began personally traveling to the local villages trying to garner support and extend his influence.

Some villages came willingly into the fold, impressed by stories of the young chieftain's exploits, and eager to obtain the assurances of protection which he promised. Others were not so easy. There were a few villages which demanded something. Maybe a few slaves here, some gold there. Whatever the cost, Tantalos was always provided, and the local chieftains respected him for it. Not every village went so smoothly, however. Some were not so willing to part with the influence and power they had come to enjoy. These villages, unfortunately had to be coerced by force, and, although he was successful, and the fighting whipped his soldiers into a well-trained fighting force, he did regret the loss of lives on both sides. However, Tantalos also found that by taking villages by force, others were further awed by his power and came into the fold more willingly.

All this had taken him ten long years. It wasn't easy work; he knew it wouldn't be from the outset, but he felt that now it was all paying off, for now The Lusitani were a force to be reckoned with. No longer was his home town of Oxtraca an lone seed, exposed to the whims of nature, but a well covered nut, powerful enough to withstand anything which came his way. No longer were his people subject to the desires of others, forced to do as ordered or suffer consequences. Now the tables had turned.

Tantalos smiled as his mind shifted to his family. He thought of his son, Latronos, now ten years old. He could see the boy running through the fields outside of town with other children his age, fighting one another, aspiring to be what their fathers were. Tantalos chuckled hesitantly, for he knew that in a few years the games would be real. He had seen plenty of parents lose their children to war over the years, and now feared that one day he would be that parent.

Tantalos's thoughts then turned to his wife. Although ten years had passed since their wedding night, she hadn't lost a speck of her beauty. She had conceived almost immediately, Tantalos believed that it may have even been on that very night before everything had changed, for surely enough, nine moths later, the happy couple was blessed with Latronos. Although Tantalos was discouraged that they had been unable to conceive again since then, Tantalos was admittedly relieved; Latronos had caused his mother so much trouble and pain. Tantalos dreaded having to see her go through that again.

Tantalos was suddenly snapped from his reverie by a tugging on his leg. He peered down to see a member of his retinue, Caro. Tantalos smiled, acknowledging his servant's presence. "Sire, we're almost there", he said, "Just over this hill we should be able to see the city of Olisipo." Tantalos nodded, and then shifted uneasily on his horse; he was nervous.

He had been feeling this way since he started his long trek to the sea and the Turduli. He tried several times to shake it off, but knew he couldn't. The reason for his nervousness was obvious: in the past he had dealt simply with small chieftains, men who feared and respected him, men he could normally push around. But the Turduli were different. Here now was a kingdom, a kingdom which encompassed an area as large as his own kingdom's. These were a people who were secure, who didn't need the simple protection of a rural thug, a proud people who would not part with their freedom easily. "No," Tantalos thought to himself, "this is a group that needs to be treated with respect. And by the time I get to those city gates, I sure as hell better have a few good reasons why they should join with me."

So Tantalos retreated back within his mind. He had always used meditation like this to keep his mind off the looming problem, and he often found that by meditating on the intricacies of a problem, the bigger parts tended to be solved with them. And so, as the party reached the crest of that final hill, Tantalos's mind raced and found several reasons. They weren't excellent, he felt, but they would do. "Yes," he whispered to himself.

He opened his eyes and was struck by what he saw. The party reached the top of the hill, and now Tantalos could see down the hill into the valley of green below. He followed it further down until his eyes met the city itself, it was the largest he had ever seen before. He reckoned that he could fit at least two or three villages within the confines of that wall. Within the wall was thousands of little buildings which, while seeming small now, Tantalos knew must be considerably larger in person. He took a few minutes to trace out the streets of the city with his eyes, watching the hustle and bustle of the inhabitants as he would ants in an anthill. Finally, his eyes moved further out into the horizon where he saw the vast, limitless extent of the ocean glimmering in the sun. It was a sight he had never seen before, a sight so moving he could not put it into words, or if he did, it would take him a thousand years to describe completely. Suddenly his mind shifted back to the task at hand, and he snapped the rest of the men from their awestruck trances and led them on towards the city. "My very future," he thought, "lays down there, and with their King. The future fortunes of both myself, and my people lays in the hands of one man." It was a thought that Tantalos did not like at all.

Well there you have it, a second update to add to your first. I know it's a little overdue, and I did sell myself short (The original outlines of the section were supposed to encompass the whole of the diplomatic negotiations). But I got pretty caught up in recounting ten years of occurances, and describing this and that that I soon got tired of writing for today, and, wanting to give you guys at least something (I'm sure you're all waiting for these updates with bated breath, right?), decided now was as good a spot as ever to stop, with a nice bit of a cliffhanger too.

Nevertheless, I am pretty contented with what I wrote. I know I promised you guys screenshots, but unfortunately, the occasional map is all you're most likely going to get at least for the next few sections. (I'll see if I can work in some stuff for the next section). Speaking of the map, did you like it, it was quite a bit of fun to do actually, and now you at least have a pretty good idea of what is going on politically.

The city that Tantalos is visiting, is actually situated right around where Lisboa would be today (coincidence), hence the description of a port. I don't know much about the geography of the area (Spanish student, not Portuguese), and, being too lazy to check google maps, took some creative license there.

I think that's about all the explaining I have to do for thiis section. If anyone has any questions about what's going on, feel free to ask, and I'll try to answer them (That is, unless I plan to answer them in a future update...)


Anyways I had a lot of fun writing this section, and I think I am really starting to get in touch with my creative and imaginative side. A good way to kick off my 190th post, don't you think? I hope you guys are enjoying the results. If not, that's fine too. As always, I encourage anyone to leave comments/criticisms/compliments...whatever.

And most importantly, enjoy the story!

Good update, even though it was a bit late. Dont worry about the lack of screenshots. Sure they are nice, but they arent exactly necessary. You do a great job describing the surrounding, and it makes us imagine things, which can help us understand the story better. Keep this up. I expect another update this week. ;)

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Originally Posted by Vasiliyi

Keep this up. I expect another update this week. ;)

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Always so demanding of other AAR writers Vasilyi...:laugh4:

Liking it so far Owen, a good AAR doesn't need many pictures, it does need pretty maps though and you have one of those so :2thumbsup: from me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vasiliyi

Good update, even though it was a bit late. Dont worry about the lack of screenshots. Sure they are nice, but they arent exactly necessary. You do a great job describing the surrounding, and it makes us imagine things, which can help us understand the story better. Keep this up. I expect another update this week. ;)

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lol, have no fear Vasiliyi, I intend to do another update this week, which will wrap up Tantalos's visit to the Turduli. Next week looks bleak, however, as I will be graduating from my High School that week, which means I will be spending more time entertaining family members from far and wide, and less time entertaining you guys :)

Take your time Owen, Im not actually demanding an update. Just looking forward to it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Owen Glyndwr

lol, have no fear Vasiliyi, I intend to do another update this week, which will wrap up Tantalos's visit to the Turduli. Next week looks bleak, however, as I will be graduating from my High School that week, which means I will be spending more time entertaining family members from far and wide, and less time entertaining you guys :)

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Congradulations (s.p?) on graduating from high school. Also Iberians? Aren't they all on the iberian peninsula? Also if ur to lazy to check google maps get google earth. Way better and faster 2.

Well, I got a bit to say. First @Man: Yes, the whole peninsula is referred to as the "Iberian Peninsula". However if you check EB the tribe controlling the settlement of that specific region is referred to as the "Iberians" in the game (Go into the game and mouse over the settlement if you don't believe me). Also when I drew the map, most of the tribe names I chose came from the Pillars of Hercules map Oudysseos was kind enough to provide us all with named the tribe as the Turduli (As in the Turduli also listed as residing on the Portuguese coast). Because of this I opted for the EB name, expecting at least someone to question it. So there's your answer. As to Google Maps, not exactly sure what you mean.

Now for my real incentive for posting right now. You see, I actually sat down this afternoon to start writing the next update (actually it was in the morning), and I had been writing for an hour or two (It takes me awhile to write as I tend to stop and walk away periodically) when suddenly my computer blue screened and crashed. Being the arrogant fool that I am, I was typing the whole thing online and didn't bother to use the word processor that I normally do. Well for the first time ever, firefox failed me, and what I had written didn't get backed up, so I'm right back at square one.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not go ahead and re-do it tonight or put it off. If I put it off, it may not see the light of day for another few days (I may manage as I'll have half days due to finals, and the folks don't come until Thursday).

Personally I'm leaning towards writing a little bit tonight, and picking it up throughout the next few days, so most likely (unless I lose my mind and do it all tonight...) it'll be sometime mid next week, with the next few updates coming quite a bit afterwords.

So in closing I'd just like to say...curse my computer for crashing without even letting me read the blue screen so I can identify and (potentially) correct the problem (GAH!).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Owen Glyndwr

Well, I got a bit to say. First @Man: Yes, the whole peninsula is referred to as the "Iberian Peninsula". However if you check EB the tribe controlling the settlement of that specific region is referred to as the "Iberians" in the game (Go into the game and mouse over the settlement if you don't believe me). Also when I drew the map, most of the tribe names I chose came from the Pillars of Hercules map Oudysseos was kind enough to provide us all with named the tribe as the Turduli (As in the Turduli also listed as residing on the Portuguese coast). Because of this I opted for the EB name, expecting at least someone to question it. So there's your answer. As to Google Maps, not exactly sure what you mean.

Now for my real incentive for posting right now. You see, I actually sat down this afternoon to start writing the next update (actually it was in the morning), and I had been writing for an hour or two (It takes me awhile to write as I tend to stop and walk away periodically) when suddenly my computer blue screened and crashed. Being the arrogant fool that I am, I was typing the whole thing online and didn't bother to use the word processor that I normally do. Well for the first time ever, firefox failed me, and what I had written didn't get backed up, so I'm right back at square one.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not go ahead and re-do it tonight or put it off. If I put it off, it may not see the light of day for another few days (I may manage as I'll have half days due to finals, and the folks don't come until Thursday).

Personally I'm leaning towards writing a little bit tonight, and picking it up throughout the next few days, so most likely (unless I lose my mind and do it all tonight...) it'll be sometime mid next week, with the next few updates coming quite a bit afterwords.

So in closing I'd just like to say...curse my computer for crashing without even letting me read the blue screen so I can identify and (potentially) correct the problem (GAH!).

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Yes you are



































jk and actually on google there's a category called google maps

Yes, but what are you expecting me to do with it?

I get plenty of clean maps for designing to my heart's content from another fora.

Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 3 - A Meeting of Minds

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As Tantalos came ever closer to the city, he once again couldn’t help but be awed at the sheer size and impressiveness of the place. He took a moment to gawk at the walls, so enormous that they would put the petty walls of his insignificant village to shame several times over. It wasn’t just that they were huge, they were majestic, beauteous almost. He eyed the gates of the city, which were massive, built of oak, and inscribed into it were intricate designs and patterns.

As the party approached, the gates opened before them, in anticipation of their arrival. Tantalos entered first, naturally, on horseback. His dress was not too impressive, not even by his village’s standards. We wore a simple leather tunic, with leather strips which he wore on his shins. At his side was his trusty iron sword, a tool he never travelled without. He wore nothing on his head, although he did wear a silver torque around his neck, a sign of his wealth and nobility.

As always, his entrance turned heads, some even moved in to get a closer look. However it was nothing like the attention he drew when he travelled to local villages. In those places, his arrival was well known hours, or sometimes even days before he arrived, and he was greeted by the entire village. This time it was just a couple peasants, most likely seeing his jewelry and hoping for handouts. Tantalos sighed, “You’re just a lowly, run of the mill chieftain here,” he reminded himself, “don’t take it as an insult, just focus on the task at hand.” Tantalos looked up to see a group of ten well armored soldiers, each was in full armor, with falcatas at their sides, and shields on their arms. As the entirety of Tantalos’s entourage came into the city, the most richly adorned of the guards broke formation and began approaching the young chieftain.

As with the rest of the squad, he wore a tunic made of a combination of linen and leather, a staple of the wealthiest warriors in the tribe, tapering at the waist, and continuing anew with strips of leather covered in bronze plates which protected his shins. A falcata rested nicely at his side, and he had a caetra strapped to his right arm. However, unlike the rest, this one wore a bronze cap on his head, and a bucula of bronze covered his face.

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As the man approached Tantalos, he lifted his visor, revealing a middle-aged, obviously battle-hardened man. He stopped just before Tantalos’s horse and bowed. My lord, he said, my name is Hilerno captain of the guards here in Olisipo. On the orders of my lord Luxinio, I am to escort you and your retinue safely to the palace. Hilerno appeared to Tantalos to be waiting for something, so he nodded to the man, and then turned and beckoned his retinue further in. Wasting no time, Hilerno quickly shouted orders to his guards, who quickly fell into line, forming a tight perimeter around Tantalos’s party.

As Tantalos and his now fairly numerous entourage cantered down Olisipo’s convoluted streets towards the center of town, he found himself more and more breaking his stoic visage to look around at his surroundings in awe. He had learned from his father from a young age the importance of maintaining an air of certainty when on diplomatic missions; it gave one the upper hand, and made you more difficult to read, and yet, despite years of practice, and his hardest efforts, Tantalos simply could not maintain a straight face. He would catch himself staring at a massive apartment complex, or a street vendor, and then quickly snap his head back forward, only to find himself doing the exact thing only a few minutes later.

This internal conflict continued in Tantalos for several minutes, until the group finally arrived at their destination. Tantalos couldn’t believe his eyes; he had to stop himself from falling out of his saddle, an action which evoked a few stifled chuckles from some bystanders. Tantalos’s cheeks reddened as he took a moment to take in his surroundings.

He first looked down to notice the ground he was walking on. Gone were the plain dirt roads to which he was so accustomed, replaced with real stone. A novel idea, Tantalos thought to himself. People abounded in the circular plaza, most of them appeared to Tantalos to be of the upper echelon of society. What amazed him most of all, however, was the palace itself. It was a massive edifice, at least twice as large as his. It was made of wood, and appeared to have wood with carvings, much akin to the town gates he had seen before. Hilerno gave the group a few minutes to take in the site, and then beckoned them on towards the palace. When they reached the large oak doors, Tantalos dismounted, and entered into the building.

The interior of the building was even more impressive than the exterior. The flooring was covered with wood. And everything inside seemed designed to intimidate visitors with symbols of the town’s extreme wealth. Servants rushed here and there, intent on their business. Meanwhile, well armed guards laced the main room that Tantalos was in, eyeing the new visitors. In various parts of the room, noblemen, adorned with jewelry and other various luxury items were conferring with one another, completely oblivious to Tantalos’s presence.

Directly in front of Tantalos resided a large staircase, and this structure now occupied the majority of Tantalos’s attention. For descending the stairs, flanked on either side by guards, was what Tantalos could only assume was the king, Luxinio himself. While he wasn’t the largest man he had ever seen, Tantalos noticed that he was overweight, to say the least. He had brown hair, flecked with specks of gray, and cut unusually short. On the top of his head resided a gold crown. The next thing Tantalos noticed about the man was his face itself. His face was clean shaven! The first time he had seen anything of the sort save among young children, although that was more due to lack of ability to grow a beard, rather than preference as was this man’s case. The man wore a robe of fine linen, doubtlessly imported from a faraway land, and it was partially dyed purple, which Tantalos found very odd. On his feet were the leather sandals common among all classes in the land.

Luxinio looked ahead, and, noticing Tantalos standing in the hallway, immediately broke away from his guard and rushed towards Tantalos with open arms. He embraced the chieftain as a mother would her son upon returning from the fields. Frankly, Tantalos didn’t know what to make of the man. The king pulled himself away, and then shook hands. “You must be Tantalos,” he said jovially. His voice boomed in Tantalos’s ear, and Tantalos found himself having to rub it to alleviate the ringing. “I have been expecting you for quite some time! Now come, there is much to do!”

“My lord,” Tantalos tried, “If we could just find a place to talk, I think that would be adequa-”

“No no no!,” Luxinio boomed, “The sun is setting, time is of the essence! There will be time to talk later.”

Without getting a chance to resist, Tantalos was whisked out the door, and soon found himself shuffling behind Luxinio, trying to keep up with his quick pace as he navigated through the town’s twisting streets and narrow alleys. Close behind Tantalos could hear the rattling of military equipment as the respective guards of the two leaders tried to keep up with their lords. Finally, the group escaped the claustrophobic streets of the town, and came to an open area.

Tantalos felt his eyes widen as he beheld what he could only assume was the town’s port. It was incredible. Wooden docks appeared to stretch out for miles with docked boats splayed out before him. He could see sailors running up and down the planks, rigging boats, and unloading cargo to anxious merchants who deftly ordered their assistants to place the newly imported wares onto carts for transport to the market. Everything here was done so fluidly, so gracefully, and on so grand a scale. Farther out, Tantalos could make out the silhouette of a boat sailing off west, out of the port and into the deep blue ocean, now tinted with the orange of the rapidly setting sun.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Luxinios asked. Tantalos could do naught but nod. “Yep, everyday thousands of ships enter into this port from all corners of the world. Olisipo is indeed a pearl, one of the largest pearls this side of the Anas.

The group sat and stared at the port for awhile longer. Tantalos’s feet felt as though they were planted in place; he had never before seen the sea, and the sight seemed spectacular, other-worldly almost. Suddenly, inevitably, Luxinios snapped the group from their trance-like state: “Oh my, this late already? But where are my manners, the sun is setting, and you and your friends have not ate yet. Please, come to my palace with me, I will show you one of the finest parts of the city, its food!”

Tantalos tried his best to stop the eccentric king, hoping, perhaps, that this meeting might prove useful, but his attempts were in vain, and sure enough, Tantalos once again found himself stumbling blindly through the streets of Olisipo behind its dilatory king.

***

Tantalos was seated at the table. He felt agitated. Coming into Olisipo, he had known that his job would be difficult, but this was different. He had been in town for nearly half a day now, and still hadn’t been able to communicate with the king in private. It was inaction, and Tantalos hated inaction.

“So, how are you enjoying the bounty of Olisipo?” Luxinios inquired, “Laid before you are the finest goods and foods, imported from around the known world. Try the wine, straight from our local vineyards, or perhaps some of our breads, made with wheat grown in Qathardistim, and you can add some olive oil, brought directly from the mountainous land of Hellas. Look around you, here you can see some of the best singers and bards from throughout the land, and here, slave-dancers brought from the faraway East.” Tantalos didn’t care much for the king’s boasting, in fact, he found himself quite tired of it, he was reaching the end of his rope.

“My king, I really would like to talk to you, alone.” He finally said.

“Hmm, later, later.” Luxinios replied.

“No. I want to speak to you now!” Tantalos shouted, rising from his chair, which caused everything in the hall to stop abruptly. Luxinios’s eyes shifted around the room, carefully weighing his response.

“Very well,” he responded finally, and showed Tantalos into a separate room.

The instant the door shut behind the two, Luxinios asked what the matter was. Tantalos, still irritated with the king spoke sharply. “I assumed you have guessed why I came here in the first place, but I will speak plainly of my intentions nonetheless. I want your kingdom. The land of the Lusitani has become large and powerful recently, and I want to add the wealthy, fertile land of the Turdetani to Lusitania’s vast domains.” The room fell silent for many moments before Luxinios finally spoke, his joviality now replaced with a disposition of intensity.

“I assume that by agreeing to this, my people would lose their sovereignty and their influence,” Luxinios said gravely. Tantalos nodded. “Now, why on Earth would I, king of this great land, ever consider doing that?” Luxinios asked incredulously.

Now Tantalos was in the position of power. He had not previously anticipated Luxinios’s dilatory actions, but this moment, this he had prepared extensively for. He knew this question would be asked, and already prepared a response. He smiled as he spoke bluntly to the king: “Because, simply, while your great kingdom is indeed quite wealthy, its defensive capabilities are in fact quite minimal. Now I know the king of the Paesuri has been eyeing your little pearl for quite awhile now, and I also know that if he were to commit his forces here, it would not take him a lot of time to make it part of his domain, and I know you do not want that to happen. I am asking for you all to give up your sovereignty, but that’s it. Everything else in this land will be unchanged. You can continue trading to your hearts’ content, and enjoying the benefits of your geographical location. All that I as your King would ask would be for a small portion of your people to come to Oxtraca to be trained and eventually serve in our army, and in return for the protection of such a valuable pearl as this beautiful city, would that be so much to ask?”

Luxinios smiled and shook his head. “Very well put, you obviously put a lot of thought into that. Of course we will swear oaths to you. I was intending to from the moment you crossed the river into our lands, and my scouts notified me of your presence. I knew that you would come, looking for our oaths, but I wanted to make sure that we were bending our knees to an assertive and capable ruler, one who would be able to ensure our well-being for years to come. You have shown that to us just now, so I will be more than happy to relinquish my position, and make the Turduli a part of the kingdom of the Lusitani.” Tantalos was stunned. The thought, not only that his job was accomplished so easily, but also that the king sent him through a number of trivial tasks in vain simultaneously pleased and irritated him. Finally, he accepted the king’s proposal with a soft thank you. “Now, if you will follow me back into the dining hall, we can make our decision apparent to the eagerly awaiting noblemen outside.”

Luxinios nodded and followed the man through the door. Although Tantalos’s face had now returned to the stoic, seemingly uncaring demeanor from earlier in the day, in his mind he was floating through the palace, absorbed in the ecstasy of his success. He realized that moment, that, while emotions were a poor bedfellow for ruling alongside, they made a very capable servant to make use of, he would have to remember that in the future.

Tantalos and Luxinios entered the hall, and Luxinios addressed the nobles, introducing them to their soon-to-be king. The nobles rose from their respective chairs and began to applaud, obviously hearing of Tantalos’s fair and supportive nature, and eager for the protection he could assure. Tantalos beamed and thanked the Turduli nobles, his nobles.

Well, there you have it, another update here at last. I apologize for the tardiness of my update, I know I promised it to you a week ago, but I unfortunately hit a snag which prevented me from completing it on schedule. Nevertheless, it is finished now, and presented here for you. Thankfully I did graduate from High School this past Friday, and am now on Summer Vacation, meaning it should be a bit easier for me to get these next couple of updates out to you.

Now, as for the update itself, I'd first like to apologize for the shoddiness of the map you see at the beginning. I had originally made a much nicer map, however my computer decided to lose the file shortly after I saved it, and so I had to do a quick re-do. As for the section, I really liked writing it. I sort of wanted to have a seemingly eccentric king who actually turned out to be pretty smart in the end. (If anyone can identify the reference/inspiration I used for this, props to you!) SO I had a jolly good time making this sort of silly King who was more concerned with looking at the ocean or enjoying a feast than talking with a chieftain. Also, some of you might notice that I described the clothing and hair of the king as being unusual to Tantalos. I really wanted him to show a blending of Lusitani Culture with the more "Civilized" Culture to show off Olisipo as a sort of cosmopolitan center due to its large and well trafficked sea port.

As for future chapters, I have 2 more sections planned out for this chapter plus a mini section, which should bring us up to the starting point for Europa Barbarorum. As for the next update, expect it sometime mid-next week. It will be a mini-section, so don't expect it to be as lengthy as this one here.

Finally, as always, I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and I encourage you all to leave any criticisms/compliments/comments you may have about this particular section, or even the story as a whole so far. Enjoy!

nice update :2thumbsup:

Excellent update Owen. I like how descriptive you are of everything, it makes a pictureless story colorful and full of life. I actually really liked how you made it seem impossible that Tantalos could ever convince the king to submit, and yet at the end it all fit into place. That kept me on the edge of my seat. Nice job. Keep this up.

Finally i get to see this again after my long computer failure. Congradulations! This new forum is wierd though.

By the looks of it, the Org just experienced a minor hiccup, and will be back to its delightful, not blue self in no time(?)(I hope)


As for an update, the whole next part is pretty much completely planned out, I just need to put the words on paper, er, word document. Should be up by today or tomorrow. (And I actually mean that)

As a big fan of the Iberians I hope to see great progress with this :) Awesome update and man I have some good memories of the early years of Iberian life in EB

Chapter 1: From the Ashes, Part 4 - An Unexpected Visit

The morning breeze lightly caressed Tantalos’s face as he looked down upon the gentle plains along the north bank of the Anas River. He could see plainly that the representatives from the Qart-Hadast had already arrived; they set up modest white tents, arranged in a semi-circle facing out towards Tantalos. Before the tent Tantalos could see the glimmering red of a small fire. Around the fire he could see a group of people; they were talking to one another. Tantalos looked upon all this with a shudder. Somewhere down there was his man, the liaison to the now Kingdom of Lusitania. The liaison was appointed by the Qart-Hadast to secure the lucrative trade deals and alliances which they once held with the Turduli, but were nullified when the King of the Turduli ceded his power to the Lusitani.

Tantalos took one deep breath, and led his horse down the hill and towards the riverbank below. He was flanked on his left by Luxinios, the one-time king of the Turduli. Luxinios was accompanying Tantalos firstly because he could actually speak the confusing language of the foreigners, and Tantalos actually trusted the man’s translations. Secondly, Tantalos brought Luxinios along because being the king of the Turduli; Luxinios had had extensive experience with the Qart-Hadast, and knew how to deal with outsiders, and was used to their strange customs.

On his right was Baitesir, his most trusted advisor. At 35 years of age, he looked no different than when he was twenty, thin and handsome, with long, dark hair, and dark eyes. However his youthful looks were matched with an exceedingly capable mind, and Tantalos often looked to his close friend for advice, and that level headed insight was what Tantalos was hoping for today.

The party reached the base of the hill, and finally attracted the attention of the Qart-Hadast group. From the mass of guards, diplomats, translators, and their respective retinues came but three men. The first was a man in his mid thirties. Not fat, but corpulent to say the least, with balding black hair and a clean shaven face. Adorned on his slightly stubby fingers was an assortment of rings, mostly of silver, but some of gold too. He wore a linen tunic ending at the knees, and leather sandals. To his right and left were taller, meaner looking men, with iron swords hanging conspicuously at their hips.

Tantalos dismounted from his horse, and Luxinios and Baitesir did likewise. The two parties came together in between the in between both camps. The corpulent man in the center of the Qart-Hadast trio stepped forward and bowed before Tantalos, his two guards quickly followed suit.

Tantalos stood and stared blankly at the three men, before Luxinios kindly crept up behind the King and whispered, “It is customary for men in these parts to bow to one another when they greet.” Tantalos nodded and started to bow, followed quickly by Luxinios and Baitesir.

Then the man took another step forward and began speaking. Tantalos once again stared blankly as the foreign words breezed effortlessly past his ears. Finally the man stopped speaking. Tantalos turned towards Luxinios, who began to translate what the man said: “He said, ‘greetings oh King, my name is Shafat. It is a pleasure to be able to talk with you this day so that the trade agreements we once held with the Turduli may be resumed. I’m sure you are as eager as I to re-establish those agreements, for they were quite profitable to both the Turduli and us. But that is for later. For now, I can see that you and your people are wearied from the day’s journey. Please, set up camp, and when that is done, come join us by the fire where we can take a mid-day meal together. Then later in the day we shall begin the negotiations.’” Luxinios fell quiet. Tantalos looked to towards Shafat, who looked to be serenely awaiting a response from the King. Tantalos turned towards Luxinios, “Tell him that we are delighted by your proposal, and will indeed eat with you as soon as we can get our camp set up.” Luxinios nodded, and soon began speaking to Shafat in his own tongue. Meanwhile, Tantalos turned to his men, and ordered them to begin unpacking and setting up camp.

The coolness of the morning had burned off entirely in the mid-day sun by the time the work was finished. Sweat shimmered in the sun as the Lusitani men hurried to raise the tents, and secure everything down. The smell of cooking meat wafting through the air only incited the men to work harder, and the work was soon finished in good order. Some of the men outright sprinted over to the fire to get their share of the food. Soon the serene silence of the scene was replaced by the boisterous uproar of contented men as the food was served and the wine began to flow freely.

Soon the men stopped eating, and began socializing with one another. It was at this moment that Luxinios took Tantalos aside and began to speak: “Alright, we’re doing fine so far. Soon, we shall meet and confer with these people, and Shafat will produce several items which you will need to sign. Whatever he is proposing now is beneficial for the two of us, but know this: do not grow accustomed to these people, for they care naught for you. Their only concern is profit, and if your kingdom becomes unprofitable to them, they will leave you with nothing. At the moment, you are in no position to defy any of their proposals, however, be prepared for anything.”

Tantalos thanked Luxinios for his advice. In short order the men began to finish their meals, and Tantalos, aided by officers on both sides, soon managed to corral the retinues from both sides into the center of camp, where they were facing each other, with a wide gap separating them.

Then Shafat came forward into the empty space, flanked by the two guards from before. Tantalos met Shafat and also came out to meet Shafat, flanked by Luxinios and Baitesir. Shafat began speaking to the assembly, and as he spoke, Luxinios translated what he was saying for the benefit of the Lusitani: “Friends! Welcome all! Come, gather ‘round and listen to what I have to say, for on these plains this day I feel the beginnings of great things will be set in place. We are here today to renegotiate a trade deal which we the Qart-Hadast once maintained with the Turduli. I know many of you once benefited greatly from that trade, and many more are eager to re-establish it. Well, I can assure you that we would like just as much as you to continue to profit from that trade. So then, let us get down to business, shall we?”

Shafat turned to a man on his left, and spoke to him in a low voice. The man nodded and then walked away towards the Qart-Hadast tents. Several moments later he returned with several pieces of parchment in his hands each filled completely with Carthaginian writing. The man handed a couple of the pieces to Shafat, who turned once again towards the Lusitani and began to speak, Luxinios translating again.

“These articles I hold here in my hand confirm and mete out our trade agreements. In this we agree to allow any trade ships, marked to be coming from a Lusitani port to be forthwith allowed into any given Qart-Hadast port. In exchange, it also states that any registered Qart-Hadast trade ships are to be allowed free access to Lusitani ports, and to have the right to sell their wares.” Shafat fell silent, and was met with applause from both sides of the camp. Shafat’s retainer then handed him a stylus. Shafat took the tool and then turned to speak once again. “I will sign this agreement on behalf of the people of Qart-Hadast. By making my mark on this formal agreement, I agree to the terms written herein, and therefore opening free trade between our peoples.” Then Shafat turned to the agreement, now placed on a table, and signed the parchment. Shafat rose and handed the stylus to Tantalos who also made his mark on the parchment, exactly as Luxinios had shown him before. The signing of the agreement was met with applause by both camps.

Tantalos was ready to dismiss his men and return to his camp, but suddenly Shafat once again turned to his retainer, and took in hand the rest of the parchment. He turned back and began to speak. “In addition to the agreement in free trade between our two peoples, the rulers of our great Empire see the potential in your kingdom, and have made it apparent to seek a stronger bond between you, the Kingdom of the Lusitani, and we, the Qart-Hadast. In my hand I hold an agreement of alliance between the two nations. In this agreement, both nations are to allow free passage of the other’s military forces on their land. Also in this agreement is a promise to come to the aid of the other nation in the event of war with any nation. As before, Shafat took the stylus, and with the setting sun before him, he made his mark on the agreement. Then Tantalos did likewise. Then Shafat turned to the assembly and said, “Thank you, and may this agreement be the first step in an everlasting friendship between our two peoples.”

Tantalos rose from the table as the sun began to fall behind the hills to the north. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Tantalos noticed one of his retainers look towards those hills to the north. Then another did likewise, followed by another. Soon some began to tap others on their shoulders, and began pointing towards those hills to the north. It began to distract his men to such an extent, that Tantalos finally glanced up to see what they were looking at.

In the field of vibrant oranges, purples, and blues of the setting sun, Tantalos could see the silhouettes of a great body of people. Some he could see were on horses and others on foot. Tantalos stared at them for another couple minutes before he said, quite calmly, “Men, go to your tents, gather your weapons and armor, and prepare for a battle.” It took the men a few moments to gather what their King had said, but in soon after they all, nearly in unison got up from their seats and began scrambling to their tents. Tantalos watched the mass begin to make its way down the hills and towards the camp, and he hoped his men could be assembled in time. In short order, men began moving out from their tents, and began to assemble in a semblance of a formation.

Soon the entire body was out on the exterior of the camp, arranged in a long, stable line, swords drawn, and spears pointed towards the mass, which was now only a hundred meters from the camp. Tantalos’s men began chanting to steady their nerves, as the mass of men began to inch their way towards the men. Now out of the sun, Tantalos could distinctly see the banner of the enemy forces: “The Green Boar, so it is the Paesuri who are attacking us,” Tantalos thought to himself, “But why would they come all the way out here to attack us?”

Now the two forces were standing face to face, and from the Paesuran force emerged one man. He walked towards the Lusitani, and held his hand up, to signal that they came in peace. Tantalos noticed this, and ordered his men to stand down. A sigh of relief exuded from all three forces as the Paesuri came forward to meet the Qart-Hadast and Lusitani. The man who stepped forward from the crowd was Indortes, the King of the Paesuri.

Tantalos had had several meetings in the past with this man. He was proud and arrogant; however this was met by the strength and force of will to match. Meetings between the two kings had never went well, for Indortes only met with Tantalos when he had a demand to make, and this put Tantalos ill at ease.

Tantalos approached the Paesuran king as he was busily ordering his men to set up their camp. He noticed Tantalos’s approach, and greeted the King boisterously. “Tantalos my friend!” he exclaimed, “What a coincidence meeting you here!”

“What do you want,” Tantalos replied, flatly.

“What, can’t two great friends such as us meet up in neutral territory without having some secret agenda?” He replied, incredulously. “Besides, a little bird told me that you were meeting with a dignitary from Qarthadastim. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t treated unfairly by those greedy outsiders!”

Tantalos glared at the King, and then replied calmly, “Your spies serve you well, oh King. It is true that I traveled here to meet with leaders from Qart-Hadast, in fact I just did, and I would ask that you keep your business to yourself and mine to me, thank you.” Indortes glared at the Lusitani king, but said nothing. Tantalos grinned and strode away from the clearly insulted Paisuran.

Tantalos began striding over to the fire that everyone seemed to be hanging around now. The Qart-Hadast men took a great stag freshly killed and placed it upon the fire. Soon the area began to fill with the smells of roasting meat, and Tantalos suddenly noticed just how hungry he was. Finally the meat was cooked completely and the men, Paesurans, Qart-Hadast, and Lusitani alike started shoving and jockeying for position, each hoping to get the best cut of meat possible. Once each man got his fair share they all retreated into little groups which were scattered across the camp. Most group were composed entirely of men familiar to one another, however there were some too who were more sociable than the rest and soon became acquainted with the groups from the other kingdoms.

Tantalos was seated before his tent, alongside Shafat, Luxinios, and Baitesir. Most of the conversing was between Luxinios and Shafat, who, while they never before had met, were indeed quite familiar with one another, operating in the same circle, and so were now catching up on old times, jabbering endlessly in Shafat’s native tongue.

Tantalos looked up to see Indortes striding towards their circle. Tantalos sighed deeply and rose to get up. “Ah, Tantalos!” The Paesuran king yelled, “Just the man I was looking for! Allow me to speak with you for a moment…privately.” Tantalos relented, and then led him into his tent. Once Tantalos sealed the flap behind him, Indortes began to speak.

“Well, I’ll speak plainly then. I’m sure you’ve guessed that it’s not by mere chance that I came here, I have a reason. My spies did inform me some time back that you were planning to meet with the Qart-Hadast to make some sort of trade deal. Now we all know that Qart-Hadast trade on the Turduli coast is one of the most lucrative deals in the area. Now here’s what I want. I want a cut of that trade profit.”

“That is out of the question,” Tantalos said bluntly.

“No, no, now hear me out King. I don’t want too much. And you’ll still maintain wealthy profits, but I want some of it, so what say you?”

“No, you will have none of it.”

“Now you listen here! You are in no place to negotiate. We the Paesurans are the most powerful Kingdom around. I’d love to maintain our good relations, and carry things out in a peaceable manner. But if you don’t grant me your profits, I’m going come in, and I’m going to take it from you, and then you’ll have nothing left, and your little kingdom is just going to be a memory.”

“My answer still remains the same: no, I will not, nor will I ever agree to such an outrageous demand.”

Indortes’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the Lusitani King. Tantalos could see the man’s hands shaking, and the whiskers on his face bristled in rage. “You will regret this,” he said, struggling to maintain his composure, “this isn’t over!” With that, he sharply turned around towards the opening in the tent, his wool cape flowing behind him as he strode out angrily. Tantalos followed him out, and watched as the man started ordering his men to pack up and prepare to leave. The Paesuran men were very sad to leave, but soon the camp was packed up, and whole group left, back over the mountains.

Everyone was very confused, but Tantalos preferred not to comment on what had just transpired. He was truly worried about what the future held, for the Paesuran King said he would come and take it, Tantalos knew that the Lusitani were the weaker of the tribes, and he hoped that they would be able to hold on at least until the deranged King came to his senses.

***

Several weeks past, and still nothing happened. Tantalos was back home in Oxtraca, finally reunited with his wife, son of fifteen, and now his newborn son Ditalkos, for his wife had finally conceived once again. In fact, Tantalos had made it back from his summit just in time to be with his wife for the birth. He was amazed at how much his son had grown in the past five years. Just yesterday he was talking to a powerful noble to discuss a wife for his son. She was ten years old now, a five year gap between the two. It would be another couple years before the two were officially wed, but that time would come, soon enough.

Tantalos was seated in his throne in his palace, his wife at his left, and his son to his right. He looked to his wife and smiled, when suddenly the door before him opened and a guard approached the throne. Behind him was a young man. “My lord,” the guard said, “this young man has something to speak, will you hear him?”

Tantalos brushed the guard aside and spoke directly to the man. “Speak, man. What is it you have to say, do not be afraid.”My name is Cado. I am a shepherd from the northern parts of the kingdom. Trust me when I say, oh King, that what I say is completely true, I have seen it with my own eyes.” Tantalos nodded to show he understood, and Cado continued, “It was a day like any other day. I was sitting on the hill by my house as always, watching my herd, when suddenly; to the river to the north I could see a great party moving rapidly towards out village. As they came closer to the bridge by our river, some of the leaders from the village rode out to meet them. I watched as the leaders were cut down with no remorse. Then the party fell upon the village and indiscriminately killed everyone in the village. Soon they began burning the entire village to the ground. It was all I could do to get out alive; I may be the only one who survived the attack.”

Latronos was obviously very interested in the tale, and interjected once Cado feel silent. “Perhaps it was just another Celtiberian raid. They have grown more frequent in these last few years, especially on small villages such as those. Tantalos nodded, but Cado shook his head.

“No, it was no Celtiberian raid, for just as I was leaving, I managed to catch a glimpse at the banners. The banners held a green boar on them.”

“The Paesurans!” Latronos exclaimed!

“Yes,” Tantalos replied, “A horrible tragedy, but not unexpected. How long ago did this occur?”

“Just a few days.”

“It was good of you to come here, Cado, you will be well rewarded. Guards, see to it that this man is well rewarded. Latronos, you’d better come with me, we have a lot to do, and not much time in which to do it!”

Phew! That section is finally done! I would like to apologize for the long time it took to write that. I don't know why, but I just really had a hard time writing that. Anyways, I'm glad to be done with it! And now that I am done, I feel that we can finally get started on finishing this chapter. The way I see it, there are another two sections to this particular chapter, and then we'll be getting into the game proper. I hope to get this chapter done before Thursday,as on Thursday I'll be leaving for Great Britain, and I won't be returning until the 25th, so if I do get those two updates up, it'll be the last ones you'll see for quite awhile.

As always, I hope you enjoy reading the update, hopefully this time, more than I enjoyed writing it. If you have any comments/praise/criticism for the update, I encourage you to weigh in and let me know what you think. And also if anyone has any questions on what they read, please, ask away, and I'll be sure to answer as best I can!

I really like this AAR... since you asked for reactions I have a little constructive criticism.... The Iberian tribes as you describe them are rather medieval and feudal in culture, hwereas I think the tribal structure then established was a bit different... The chieftain is a king, but not in the medieval way... He is more of a first amongst equals I think.... You might put a bit of internal tribal politics into the story...


But hey it's your AAR and I like it, so you should of course always do what you feel is best... just my two cents

Yes, of course you are right. It is a bit Medieval, I am well aware of that. Although, when you look at things like family trees a the like in this game, it's actually structured quite Medieval-like on it's own (family succession, total control over everything, etc.) whereas most likely a king would have been chosen, by the tribe as, as you said, a kind of first.

Also, however, you must remember that when Tantalos ascended to the throne, he basically shoved all his rivals to the side, giving him essentially free reign to do as he pleased. (And who wouldn't demand complete authority, given the opportunity).

Luxinios was king of the Turduli not by being the strongest or most powerful, but more through being the wealthiest, allowing him to buy whatever he wanted, I tried to make it sort of more "civilized" in that regard, I suppose (there's a reason I identified him as appearing "different" than most people.)

The other King that has been in this story, Indortes, I really didn't think about when making him. I just wanted him to appear eccentric, rude, pompous, and arrogant. To appear as a traditional "bad guy" for Tantalos to step on as he made his way to the top. So for him, I wasn't really thinking about political position, and how he fit in to society.

I'm sure I'll add in political wheeling and dealing later on, but for now, the political system is fairly clean. Tantalos has asserted himself as the undisputed leader, after having annihilated anyone remotely capable of contesting him. And his sheer force of will as a leader keeps the Kingdom together. However, as the generations move on, the leader will eventually get weaker (as has happened in so many Empires and Kingdoms), and eventually there will be internal strife and corruption, but that will be later, I am sure.

I'm sorry if I sound defensive, I really do appreciate the comment, as the last couple sections I really have been neglecting the mindset of the culture for this specific people. However, I also hope you realize that I am thinking about this stuff, a lot of I write actually does have a reason for being there. But yes, I will be more aware of that in the future, as Historical accuracy is pretty big for me (I can't tell you how long I spent on this section just trying to figure out things about the Carthaginians, from what they wore and what they ate, to whether or not they wrote down agreements, and if so, on what :dizzy2:)

Hey I don't mind you being defensive:2thumbsup: I maybe should have made it more clear that i really did like the episode:sweatdrop:


As for RPing with the family tree... In monarchical cultures (the hellenes excepting the KH) I tend to follow the royal family unless there is some sort RP of grap for power...

For the tribes I generally assume that the royal family is at that moment the most dominant tribe... If they have strong leaders from that tribal ethnicity they will remain in control of the throne if some other family member with a different tribal trait starts to amass glory and heirs (important that bit) he might be chosen by the confederation to be the next king. The other "republican factions" I roleplay in much the same way but with tweaks for different political make ups ( the League of nations format for the KH.... The Oligarchy that was the senate of Kart Hadast, and Romans... well I haven't played as them yet, but I guess I would try to emulate roman politics a bit....

Again this is not an attack... I really did like the episode... It's just some advice that you are completely free to disregard as nonsense:yes: