Thread: [Multi-Game AAR] Sumerian Dreams - Eternal Epic of Gilgamesh

"There is a plant that looks like a box-thorn, it has prickles like a dogrose, and will prick one who plucks it. But if you can possess this plant, you'll be again as you were in your youth." - Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh pondered the plant now in his hands. He planned to take it back to Uruk and test it on an elderly man. But something about the road ahead made him reconsider. What sort of man or creature would be willing to kill for even the slim hope of immortality? Surely the lessons of his forefathers told him not to trust nature to be so forgiving. So, despite his ever-growing doubt, Gilgamesh raised the plant to his lips...

-= The Eternal Epic of Gilgamesh =-

Spoiler for Author's Notes: 

Author's Notes: So, I've been thinking over the holidays, and I realized something. My first attempt at a multi-game AAR is good, but I never recorded or took screenshots of my progress at the time I wrote it. To make it meet what I think are basic AAR standards, I've been trying to recreate each event, which is more time-consuming than it would've otherwise been.

But for TWCenter, I want to do something different. It's still the same basic concept, but this time, I'm going to record my progress with videos and images. Videos will be linked to, not embedded, but images should spice things up. Here, I can really make an AAR the way I feel would best fit the site! And besides, I was just looking for an excuse to do another one of these after the past few years. It'll be fun to try again!

Spoiler for Info: 

History is full of echoes. What one does leaves ripples through time.

So what if this were to happen in a playthrough?

Taking place across multiple games in chronological order of their settings, I'll be (attempting) to build an empire from one game to the next! Obviously, this is a little complicated, so I've tried to come up with a few rules:

1) Each game ends after I destroy a faction or (in the case of RTS games) meet the scenario's conditions. Then I move on to the next!
- This is to prevent too much expansion early on; in-story, this means the death of one monarch/emperor or the 'end of an era'.
2) Only settlements and minimal garrisons (~3 low-tier units) are carried over from one Total War game to the next. Each building is rolled back to the tier before it, unless it's already tier 1.
- This is to keep me from starting each game with too much of an advantage over other factions; in-story, this means cities are being abandoned and smaller settlements are being formed in their place; and armies are being disbanded or lost en masse.
3) If a game keeps crashing, use progress from the last save in the next game. Rule 2 still applies.
- This will happen the most with Rise of Persia and a few other mods.

This is just a little something I've been doing with my spare time. It isn't meant to be a professionally-written AAR that could match the likes of so many others! But I hope some of you still find it enjoyable to read nonetheless. I'll even try to involve other mythological and historical figures just for fun.

Also, I'm still a little new to this, so any advice on how to sort out my future posts and organize them would be really appreciated!

Games used: Civilization II (GIGAWORLD.mp - Preview)
Rise of Nations (History of the Entire World - City-states of Sumer)
Video: https://youtu.be/RElAE3CiAW4

Spoiler for 4000 - 1457 BCE The Beginning: 

"A fettered dog is quarrelsome." - Proverbs from Susa

(Uruk by the year 2990 BCE)

Before Gilgamesh, in a time when the gods still walked the earth, Uruk became a great city. In fact, we were one of the first! Travelers bearing gifts from across the land would marvel at its great stone walls. Not one corner of the world we knew stood against us. We were powerful and flourishing, ruled by the grace and majesty of the one known as Marduk.

But he was not a god. He was a parasite. A creature which possessed a man named Enmerkar. His rule was marked by some intrigue, but few records of that age survived. All we know is how Uruk grew, slowly, and how we took our first steps out into the shadows around us.

(Uruk by the year 1457 BCE)

Long after the rebellion that freed Enmerkar and forced Marduk and his ilk back into the heavens where they belong, we struggled to survive. Life is suffering, with or without the tyranny of the gods. And so, many of us wished for their return. Despite all we had done to throw off their shackles, our descendants began to turn back, romanticizing an era they knew nothing about. It was here that Gilgamesh's story began, with his own ancestor, Lugalbanda.

The lord of Aratta had designs above his station. But this was in retribution for the tenacity of our king, Enmerkar, who had marched on the sacred temple city of Eridu. His reasons for this were unclear, but Eridu stood at the mouth of the two rivers where he could find Enki - the god of the sea and the one who gave humanity what none of the other gods did. Such a holy site had become important in our time to all the cities along the rivers Tigris & Euphrates.

It was during this time that Lugalbanda, a soldier of Enmerkar, fell ill in the highlands. Aratta, or the city of Ur, contested Enmerkar's dominion over Eridu. He knew that it held the most coveted Sarcophagus, a secret unveiled by one of the priests who fled before Uruk's might. Through Lugalbanda, the goddess Inanna instructed Enmerkar on how to take Ur. With the destruction of its only barracks, and constant vigilance in preventing the Arattan lord from building more, Enmerkar drew the full strength of his army against Ur.

(the two-pronged assault on Lagash; a sign of things to come)

Following his passing, when the Sarcophagus could revive him no more, Enmerkar left the throne to Lugalbanda. Upon his ascension, Lugalbanda survived an assassination attempt. Whether true or feigned, the attempt earned the assassin's city - Lagash - his wrath. This war lasted longer than the others, our forces barely able to match theirs to the south. But the gods smiled on us, our coffers grew rich, and we soon had a second army march on the city while our army to the south kept Lagash's preoccupied. Their lord became a prisoner of his own doing. But Lugalbanda would not live to see what became of him.

And finally, we have Gilgamesh - our city's greatest hero, son of Lugalbanda and heir to his throne. With the help of his wild companion, Enkidu, Gilgamesh tracked down his father's murderer to Nippur, the holy city of Enlil. Though many warned him against it, Gilgamesh listened only to the advice of Enkidu, from what he could understand: conscript a great army and call on the priests of Enki to convince the people whichever way they could.

With that, our attack on Nippur began in vigor. Everytime the lord of Nippur ordered a fort built from which he could train his men, we swept in and destroyed it. We razed his lumber mills to the ground, depriving him of his greatest source of wood. A great tower protected his city, from which powerful arrows rained down on us. To subvert this, Gilgamesh ordered us to stand back and allow the archers to burn the city from afar.

It was during this time that Enkidu passed on, and Gilgamesh feared for his life. He went out to seek the secret to immortality - first, the Sarcophagus which had mysteriously disappeared from Eridu, and then, the immortal elder who survived the Great Deluge: Utnapishtim. From him, Gilgamesh learned of the plant, learned how it would grant him youth. Fearing rumor of a horde of nomads wreaking havoc between him and his army, Gilgamesh swallowed it in one gulp. Immediately, he felt its magic work through him. Renewed, he returned to Nippur.

(Uruk's finest face off against the Median horde)

Unfortunately, the nomads had followed, and their mastery of ranged warfare forced Gilgamesh to call on a retreat. He'd left his son, Ur-Nungal, in Uruk to organize the training of an even greater army. Once both forces were merged, Gilgamesh turned back around and faced the so-called Median horsemen. First with spears, then with the sheer number of arrows, Uruk's finest army defeated the invaders with enough to spare in conquering Nippur.

Now it was time for Ur-Nungal's first test in war. They had heard of Babylon's great riches, the vast and wonderful monuments that lay within its walls. Gilgamesh decided to lead a force of archers, backed by only a handful of spearmen, to march north of Babylon; while his son would lead a much greater army through the south and west. Eventually, they found the source of Babylon's military might and destroyed it, but not without encountering resistance. After their pincer cut through Babylon's barracks, father and son swept into Babylon itself.

(Babylon crushed beneath Uruk's heel)

By now, Uruk ruled over all of Sumer - except for one city: Kish. Aga had once besieged Uruk long ago, following in the footsteps of his militant predecessors. "Today," Gilgamesh opined amongst his men. "They'll be the ones to quake at the sound of our horns, and the sight of our arrows." But by the time Gilgamesh had reached them, Kish had fallen on hard times. Aga had died of snakebite, there were no kings in his wake, and Kish neither had the organization nor the will to prepare for us. Our conquest was so swift, many must have surrendered.

Thus did all of Mesopotamia fall under our banner. For how long is another matter...

Spoiler for Author's Notes for "The Beginning": 

Author's Notes: This one started off slow with Civilization II, so I decided to merge it with my much longer playthrough of a Rise of Nations scenario. I know I could've included some Age of Empires scenarios, but I'm a slow thinker and find it sorta difficult to be unable to pause the game and plan out my next move. I love a challenge, but not if it just bugs me.

Also, I modified the scenario slightly so I'd be controlling Uruk. By default, the player normally controls Eridu. But given Uruk's prominence in history, and the fact it's the city of legendary Gilgamesh, I wanted to start with it instead.

Oh, and this part references Stargate! Marduk was a Goa'uld, and the Sarcophagus is Goa'uld technology. The priests of Enki I envisioned a lot like the priests in Age of Empires, maybe with the inclusion of Apples of Eden (ancient tech in Assassin's Creed). I won't rely on other continuities all the time; I just like including references to my favorite settings at times. Hopefully that isn't too annoying to anyone. ^^;

I'm enjoying this, I like the way that you explain the thinking behind your AAR and the war led by Gilgamesh is done well!

Thank you! I really hope this one can match the other in quality. But I'm more hopeful it'll read like an actual AAR with a narrative. ^^;

Now on to part 2!

Games used: Civilization II (Pharaoh: The Golden Age of the 18th Dynasty)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN3VAJWHQC4

Spoiler for 1481 - 1388 BCE Once Dead, Forever Young: 

"Strength cannot keep pace with intelligence." - Proverbs from Urim


(Gilgamesh sitting upon the throne of Babylon)

The moment the first pen touched to paper, Gilgamesh should've died. He defied fate that day he rejuvinated himself. So the gods decided to punish him. Enki, however, saw his potential. Led by his words, Gilgamesh passed back over the Waters of Death to meet Utnapishtim. Along the way, he learned that the only way to gain true immortality was to shed his skin in the temple of Enki, a matter that didn't soothe Gilgamesh in the slightest. But he was determined, emboldened by Enki as he beckoned him into his home beneath the sea.

When he emerged, centuries had passed. Yet he wasn't alone. Enki had revived the great queen Kug-Bau, who reigned over Sumer in Gilgamesh's absence. A strong-willed and beautiful woman, she'd come to be worshiped as Cybele. Many events had occurred as they slept, including the rise and fall of Akkad, the Gutians, a brief Sumerian Renaissance, Assyrian and Babylonian rule, and - at the last - the Kassites.

The Kassites were not Sumerian. They were invaders from a distant land. Nobody knew where they came from. Nobody, that is, except the two who arose from the Persian Gulf. Viewing Gilgamesh and Kug-Bau as sent by the gods, both were brought before the king, Agum II. He revealed their origins in the Zagros Mountains and claimed to be Marduk incarnate. When Gilgamesh challenged him, Agum had him imprisoned and took Kug-Bau as his consort. Both tortured in their own way and unable to die, Gilgamesh and Kug-Bau began to curse Enki's blessings.

Kug-Bau, at long last, convinced the priesthood of her immortality when she outlived Agum without aging a single day. Ordering that all Kassites submit or be destroyed, she released Gilgamesh and asked him to lead what little remained of Sumer from the hands of its enemies. "I would have done so anyway," mused Gilgamesh in his reply to her. But the Sumer he knew was long gone, its people adapted to their invaders. Using her influence, and that of the priests, Kug-Bau slowly reintroduced the culture and language she knew.

(Sumeria under the rule of Kug-Bau and Gilgamesh)

After uniting the cities by force, Gilgamesh's army had grown severely weak. This left them vulnerable to attack by the Mitanni to the north and the Elamites to the east. Neither were too friendly to the idea of a resurgent Sumeria, particularly since control of the Two Rivers led any who held them to great riches. Fortunately, Gilgamesh pushed back with far more zeal than his rival, Parrattarna, King of Mitanni. Meanwhile, Kug-Bau sent hordes of chariot armies under different commanders against Elam, each destroyed upon approaching Anzan.

First, Gilgamesh took Nuzi before 1477 BCE. Without walls from which to defend, Nuzi's garrison were overwhelmed. Shortly after, Gilgamesh besieged Assur, poisoning its water supply and starving out the defenders. Agreeing to a peace settlement, Parrattarna hoped to free his attention on Canaan. Instead, when Gilgamesh sent a scouting party further west, he discovered Wassuganni. Gilgamesh found himself in awe and sent out a diplomat to suggest an alliance. Instead, Parrattarna - some say his advisor - sent the diplomat's head back without his body, to which Gilgamesh responded by overrunning the city with his chariots.

(Wassuganni, the heart of Mitanni, now beats for Sumer)

Parrattarna escaped further west, where much of his army faced against the Canaanites. Gilgamesh, not one to be happy until all his enemies lied dead before him, sent his chariots in pursuit. Through them, he claimed the town of Haleb (Aleppo), likely weakened in a skirmish with Canaan before his arrival. But Gilgamesh's accomplishments still outstripped all others! He secured the northern ends of the Two Rivers, guarded forts to deny the foreign kings access, and waged among the first wars of cloak and dagger.

(Sumerian spies steal the secrets of their Syrian neighbors)

Back east, as the war with Elam continued in stalemate, Kug-Bau and the priests made great leaps and bounds in discoveries. They aimed to form a decentralized authority, recognizing Babylon at the center and both Gilgamesh & Kug-Bau as the Eternal King & Queen. Kug-Bau rose to such prominence that she eclipsed the other gods, Gilgamesh depicted at her side as her beloved protector. Soon, with the aid of a Semitic brand of mysticism Gilgamesh brought from the west, Kug-Bau developed a new faith - and used it to proclaim a Golden Mandate:

"Seek out those great in word and deeds, and offer them the gift of eternity. Together, at the will of Inanna, we shall tear down the world of man and rebuild her into a Promised Land without any death or suffering."

What she neglected to mention, Gilgamesh first added: they had to wage war to do it. Any who stood against them would have to be laid low and made into dust. So Gilgamesh led a brief foray to capture Nija in 1435 BCE, only to be pushed back. Kug-Bau, exasperated at the repeated failures to conquer Anzan, sent for Gilgamesh to return east and begin leading the hordes sent into Elam. Their campaign in the west would have to wait.

(Anzan and the gateway to Elam in 1426 BCE)

It took many years, but in 1426 BCE, Gilgamesh marched into Anzan and reclaimed the long-lost statue of Nanna, mother to Inanna and Kug-Bau. Invigorated by this success, the New Sumerians (Neo-Sumeria) pushed deeper into Elam, Gilgamesh before them. For a day, Gilgamesh let his pride blind him, and his army was ambushed and slaughtered outside the city. Again, the Elamites held Anzan, and Kug-Bau again tasked Gilgamesh with its capture. Their bloody war waged on, but because his courage faltered from lack of confidence after his defeat, Gilgamesh led his troops to several more before undoing his mistake.

With Anzan in Sumerian possession five years after its unjust cleansing by Rin Sin of Elam, Gilgamesh retired back to Babylon. He tired of war after over sixty years of living through it and hoped to devote his life to studying the gods' ways. As a result, the generals' efforts to take Susa from Elam faltered, and Kug-Bau tried to convince Gilgamesh to return to the "way of man". Gilgamesh rebuked her, saying, "We risk losing prizes greater than a statue. Allow me to study the secrets of the gods so that we may preserve them for the future."

Kug-Bau acceded to his wisdom, but added that they mustn't depend on the gods' gifts more than necessary. "Such would cheapen victory," she proclaimed in warning. They had no way of knowing whether such artifacts would bring them success or lead them into ruin. "Not even immortals can bend the wills of gods. Do not grow proud and blind." Gilgamesh took her advice and disappeared beneath the great ziggurat.

(the Neo-Sumerian Empire by 1388 BCE)

It is said Gilgamesh then led an army to conquer Irkalla and claim the last abode of the old gods in Kug-Bau's name.

He'd not be seen again for another century...

Spoiler for Author's Notes: 

Author's Notes: I spent hours and hours playing and replaying this, testing and tweaking things until it felt balanced. At first, I played on Prince (Normal) like I usually do in the base game. Turns out the Kassites (Mesopotamia) are at a huge disadvantage, probably historically accurate given how the Elamites and Chaldeans overpowered them. My first playthrough ended with Elamites swarming over me within the first hour and a half. Warlord (Easy) difficulty just put us in an infinite stalemate, with both the Mitanni and Elamites taking my settlements before getting punted out again.

More importantly, I played over three hours and was making zero progress. Either the scenario isn't balanced for the Kassites (and it shouldn't be; it's meant to be played with the Egyptians) or I'm just really bad at it. Maybe both. ^^;

Finally, I did what I hoped I'd be able to avoid: I started again on Slave (Easiest) level. As told above, I made some progress against the Mitanni, but despite sending wave after wave of units with high attack power, I couldn't take more than one of Elam's settlements. It still took over an hour to play (it's Civilization, after all), but speeding up the slow parts got it down to 26 minutes. And I got sound working on Civ II, but no music. Debated including some in post, but decided to let everyone add their own soundtrack.

I'm going to crank up the difficulty level in each game whenever I make progress in the game before it. For instance, now that I made progress in Civilization II with the Easiest difficulty, my next Civ II campaign must be played at least on Warlord (Easy). At least then I'll know where I stand in ability. I expect to be wiped out somewhere in the next scenario.

Games used: Civilization II (End of the Bronze Age, Sound Files 1, Sound Files 2)
Video: https://youtu.be/lHufdV-SKk0

Spoiler for 1200 - 1000 BCE The More Things Change...: 

"Good fortune is embedded in organisation and wisdom." - Sumerian Proverb


(artist's representation of the revolt in Hattusas, c. 1170 BCE)

Life never remains idle. It carries on with or without you. As the world turns, so do the values in one's heart. Many would tell you otherwise, that theirs is a heart unshaken. But whether one stands or falls during an earthquake, their world will change, if they survive at all. Part of one's life is learning how to sail with the wind, yet not let it carry one into open sea. This is the truth that will last for all time, whether now or in the unforseeable future.

Kug-Bau began referring to herself as the name given to her by the common people: Kubaba. New cities began to crop up all throughout Mesopotamia. Some that had fallen into disrepair or were ignored in years past grew to such lengths that they became key to maintaining the Eternal Empire. Wars gripped distant lands as invaders sought refuge from other invaders. But these were just fanciful tales of danger to the people of Sumer. Not even Kubaba spared her time for them, nor to hear out the requests of foreigners apart from Elam.

Tired of sending good men to die, Kubaba called for peace with Elam. The Elamite king wasn't so disposed to accept until he met with her in person. Whatever agreements went on behind the walls of her palace in Babylon, both Sumer and Elam grew exceedingly close in trade. Puportedly, Kubaba even had a child with Kiddin-Khutran, their antics leading to a new phrase in Sumerian vocabulary. This gave the Elamite kings a claim to the Eternal Throne.

What must have happened when the Hittites were no longer harried by Sumerian hooves? Surely they'd have been in a greater position to force a victory at Kadesh and claimed much of the Levantine coast in lue of their Egyptian foes. But that is neither here nor there...

(the Neo-Sumerian Empire c. 1200 BCE)

On the eve of the 12th century BCE, Gilgamesh arose from the temple with great difficulty. His clothes were tattered, body weary, spear and shield both bloodied. He'd unleashed a terrible curse and lost every last soldier to the phantoms that wandered the halls of Irkalla. However, he also sealed the exit behind him, so that none could escape and wreak havoc on the world above. As Kubabu warned, the knowledge of the gods was too dangerous to seek.

Upon hearing of Kubaba's marriage to Kiddin-Khutran, Gilgamesh angrily stormed the palace and killed him in full view of the palace servants. Although this earned him the right to sit on the throne again, Kubaba rebuked him, saying "We must tread with care. Send a priest to Elam at once to deliver a message, saying their king has willingly abdicated and left their country to our son." Before Gilgamesh could protest, believing it his right to claim Elam, Kubaba warned him not to overstep his bounds. "You know not what has happened in the past century."

Embittered, Gilgamesh nonetheless came to respect her statement, for he began to organize great parties of explorers on chariots to wander the world and bring him news of the world.

(Kubaba's peace treaty invoked with the Hittites)

First, Gilgamesh met the Hittite Suppiluliuma II in 1195, whose predecessors often terrorized the Mitanni border region. Although readying for a fight, Gilgamesh found himself at a loss when he learned that Kubaba had signed a peace treaty with Suppiluliuma behind his back. This caused his faith to waver, but he pressed on, hoping to find others to subdue. He found his answer in Palmyra, a rich city under the rule of an Amorite king. But no matter how many armies he raised and sent against it, Gilgamesh couldn't pass by the forts on its border.

(Yesh'ua asks Gilgamesh for aid against Egypt)

Then a man named Yesh'ua sent a messenger out from Jerusalem to meet with Gilgamesh's army as it camped in Amurru. He wanted to guarantee his peoples' safety from Sumer with a peace treaty. Gilgamesh, hoping to gain an ally against Amurru, sought more. In exchange, he promised to aid Jerusalem against Egypt, a nation vying for the Levant with the Hittites. But first, he'd focus on Amurru. He'd never get a chance to help before Jerusalem fell to invaders from the sea. Few, if any, Jews fled to Sumer; many remained to reclaim their city.

(Gilgamesh readies for the first siege of Palmyra)

Never had the gods felt such spite toward a mortal that they'd actively work against him. They caused the sky to burn so fiercely that more than half of Gilgamesh's men died before the battle. When the great demi-god himself cast his eyes toward heaven in defiance, he was struck with a shadow so encompassing that he couldn't see around him. The siege of Palmyra soon failed. Gilgamesh returned home not in shame but with a vow to destroy the city. He called on a great conscription and attacked again and again; each time, the gods interfered.

From the beginning, the gods had abandoned Sumer once Enki gave the land to the two immortals. Kubaba saw this and made an invocation to Inanna, asking her to intervene. However, all of the gods had long disappeared, the only evidence being their works against the Eternal Empire. Yet, as she and Gilgamesh learned, it appeared the gods had turned against all the works of man, driving fierce warriors to swarm over cities and the civilized. To much of the world, this collapse of civilizations made them cry out in hopes the gods would hear their pleas and grant them safety; instead, the gods became more fierce.

A curious tale emerges from when Gilgamesh wandered through Hittite lands with his chariot. He heard that the great king, Suppiluliuma II, had been slain in battle. The Hittite Empire was in dissaray, and Gilgamesh hoped to convince the former Hittite subjects of his power to protect them. He discovered many artifacts, including ancient scrolls of wisdom detailing powerful enhancements to Sumer's chariots that could put them on par with Egypt and Hatti as superpowers in war. Then, in his second visit a few decades later...

(Gilgamesh meets the Emperor of the Achaeans, Odysseus)

Hearing of Odysseus' grand exploits and learning that the warriors under his command proved formidable against the great powers of the day, Gilgamesh once again smelled opportunity. But it was Gilgamesh's claim as First Immortal that drew disbelief or distrust out of Odysseus, for any human who'd live forever could remember every slight and hold their grudge for eternity. Further, they were nothing alike. While one took great pleasure in being as untamed as Enkidu, the other felt bound to an oath to his home and people.

Odysseus' silver tongue wrung a great tribute out of the more dimwitted Gilgamesh, but upon testing how far he could take the Hero of Uruk, Odysseus overstepped his bounds. At the demand to betray the rebels in Jerusalem, Gilgamesh spat at Odysseus and proclaimed the king of Ithica to have no honor. Before the battle lines could be drawn, Odysseus calmed Gilgamesh's rage with a small tribute but knew it could only hold the tide at bay for a short time. Yet he knew Gilgamesh wouldn't unleash the fury of Sumer against him. As predicted, after a short skirmish won by the Achaeans, Gilgamesh fell back and struck at Palmyra anew.

(the Golden Age in Babylon, c. 1155 BCE)

Throughout Sumer, Kubaba led the people into a new future. Schools of philosophy sprung wherever there were auditoriums to hear of them, art and culture flourished again, and new advancements in construction and agriculture helped make Sumer into a strong but stable ark amidst a sea of chaos. While much of their wealth was wasted on Gilgamesh's campaign in Amurru, Kubaba encouraged production and personally funded numerous expeditions under Gilgamesh's mandate to uncover the haze on the edges of their maps.

Many discoveries were made from all the contacts Kubaba made. Greater ships could be built to patrol the Two Rivers and the Gulf at its end. Riding horseback became practical with the introduction of reins. Kubaba and her court centered administration from Babylon, making use of the vast networks of roads to distribute her laws. Her efforts improved crop yields and regulated trade; tax collection grew in efficiency with the advent of the census; and the rich rewards of an immortal paradise on Earth motivated many to adopt Neo-Sumerian ways.

This was also the stage by which the first written articles of faith were distributed to all the nations' great centers of learning. Legends once spoken could now be remembered as long as the ink which stains these pages. From such matters, history can be preserved.

My time is over. A new generation will keep our history. I only hope they will not abuse it.

Spoiler for Author's Notes: 

Author's Notes: If there's one thing I've learned about Civilization II, it's that taking a single settlement - or even destroying a fortified unit - can take over an hour, even on Easy. Contrast that with Total War, even on Hard difficulty, and there's a reason why I kinda prefer the latter. But I enjoy exploring the maps in Civ II at least!

To set this up took some doing. First, I tried a hotseat game controlling both Assyria and Babylon. I had to make an alteration to the Events file just to open diplomatic talks. Unfortunately, the AI controls diplomacy between two characters. Then I tried some sort of program that purportedly let two players make deals. In the process, it reverted my game from a hotseat to a single player, giving Assyria back to the AI. Finally, I decided I had to use cheat mode to capture all of Assyria's cities as Babylon if they lied within territory we owned in the previous scenario. Problem solved!

I forgot to download and include the custom sounds. That's a tiny mistake on my part. Apologies in advance. ^^;

Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned near-impossibility in capturing settlements (you'll see in the video that I even attacked a fortified unit numerous times to no avail), I didn't reach Anatolia in time to participate in Troy Total War. So I'm debating whether to use Civilization II again or skip it altogether in favor of games where I'm more likely to make at least a little progress. What do you think?

This is a fascinating combination of so many things! I'm intrigued to see how it progresses.

Thanks! I'm actually going to continue with the last scenario in Civilization II a bit longer before moving on. It got crazy fun (and full of suspense)... but then my video capture failed. ;~;

I fixed the problem though, so hopefully, I can recapture the magic of that experience! I just hope I don't lose completely before the next game is scheduled to start (it'll likely start in 559 BCE with Rise of Nations, but there's a small chance for an Empire Earth scenario set in 710 BCE; I would've used the Rise of Persia mod for Rome Total War, but it still crashes even after I re-installed it)

I'm still experimenting too, so don't be surprised if the size or quality of the screenshots and videos change - or the font. I get indecisive sometimes!

I'm sorry to hear your video capture failed. I hope you manage to make the 'recapturing' work!

I'll look forward to seeing what changes about the formatting and what doesn't - as well as the content of the new chapters.

You create an authentic-sounding atmosphere with the characters seeing events around them as intervention by the gods. I look forward to more; I like to experiment, too - I'll be interested to see how you get on with different styles of screenshots and videos.

Games used: Civilization II (End of the Bronze Age, Sound Files 1, Sound Files 2)
Videos: https://youtu.be/mXRCFXqEqDM (1000-900 BCE)
https://youtu.be/04NRB77bUQ4 (900-800 BCE)
https://youtu.be/QLGcIKAeNCU (800-700 BCE)

Spoiler for 1000 - 700 BCE "Of Gods & Immortal Men": 

"He who possesses many things is constantly on guard." - Sumerian Proverb

(beneath the temple of Eridu, the 'pool' guarded by statues of Kubaba)
(image source: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood)

We are the First. Kubaba offered us eternal life, and we took it. From the waters of life in the heart of Sumer, we emerged as an infant escaping her mothers' womb. Each of us had submerged beneath the waters of Enki's temple in Eridu over two centuries ago. It was not an easy decision. Our families, our loved ones and everything we knew - we left behind. Some of us did so out of wanderlust. Others hoped to rediscover the love they'd lost. A few even believed it their punishment, a curse never to die they felt they deserved.

As we slept more than two lifetimes away, others were sent every century to the temples. Kubaba took the waters of life out of Eridu and distributed them evenly throughout Sumer. All the old cities - Kish, Uruk, Nippur, etc. - received a pool of water housed in a golden temple protected by a magic once wielded by the gods. Each successive generation, marked by the passage of twenty years, were named accordingly: Second, Third, Fourth - until the Hundredth went in and the First came out.

At first, few wanted such a gift as immortality. What, they asked, would that do to our appreciation of the brief moment that is life? Kubaba answered, "Eternity is not for everyone. Only the adaptive need view it as a blessing," and later, "Eternals mustn't pine for the past, nor live for the present. They must always seek the future, bending and conforming to its twists and turns like the river that granted them life." Then we are to be as water, malleable when swept gently, but impermeable as stone when struck.

That's what convinced me to journey to Babylon. To join the armies of Gilgamesh.

(Hamath and Carchemish, gateways to the undiscovered countries of the west)

Gilgamesh had been blessed with the gift of prophecy from the time I knew him. He was a man haunted by visions. Peoples of the west would invade and destroy our province of Mitanni. We fought and removed them before they could reach our land of Sumer, but our future was in doubt. At dawn, one day, Gilgamesh went out to the fields to survey the land. He found the invaders camped beyond Harran. So we gathered our chariots and rode out to meet them. Our lord called out their leader, who swore to abide our sanctity. Yet later that night, Gilgamesh caught their armies on the march toward Sumer. At his command, we threw ourselves upon the enemy and swept them from the land to the last man...

Floods broke out at the mouth of the Two Rivers, molding the land like clay and destroying much of Kish. In fear, the people blamed their governor, divinely appointed by Kubaba herself. They rebelled, and years passed before they could be quelled. Kubaba appointed advisors for the cities not threatened by our enemies and took control of the military. By her word, we fought the rebels at Kish until the city returned to us - and swiftly, we rebuilt it.

At first, the campaign in the west looked to be taking the same turn as in Gilgamesh's vision. Yet he knew not to make the same mistakes. Against his own prophecy, his own fears, Gilgamesh led us to great victories. Til Barsib and Carchemish marked our first steps beyond the lands of our grandfathers into the vast unknown. But we followed Gilgamesh with hope in our hearts, fearless and strong. Such is written, but not all marched with hearts of steel.

We were defying the gods. How long before they would retaliate?

(the Battle of Alalakh, Sumer's first contact with the Great Sea)

Our chariots stormed over the west, connected as it was by a sophisticated network of roads. Kadesh, Ugarit... gradually, we pressed forward. With the great scythes on our chariots' spokes, we cut down the meek defenders. Yet we felt our luck wouldn't last. Even Gilgamesh had doubts, though he cast them aside once he looked out from Byblos to the Great Sea. Many of us had never seen a wonder as vast. He vowed one day to claim it all, to tame the most voracious of beasts, in memory of those who perished in the floods back home.

Next, we subdued the tribes of Aram-Zobah who'd joined the coalition of invaders from the sea long ago. Thereafter, we began to notice a disturbing lack of resistance. What lied over the hill, deep beneath the fog of war? Nothing. Another city in our path? Garrisoned by warriors like mere children, none truly a threat to fear. Bolstered by confidence, Gilgamesh eagerly carried on until we were masters of the coast, only Egypt left to rival our glory.

(the first conflict between Neo-Sumer and Egypt at Sodom and 'Gaza'/Sinai)

Unwilling to let such a great power sit by and threaten what we'd accomplished, Gilgamesh chose to demand Egypt send tribute to turn aside his wrath. When pharaoh refused, we struck out, first overrunning Lachish, then raiding Sodom and the turquoise mines in Mafkat. We burned Beersheba to the ground, its former Israelite inhabitants long forgotten against the lure of Egyptian life. We drew the border on the peninsula and sent scouts to explore it.

Only those in Ezion Geber claimed any descent, and they'd long abandoned their hopes of a divinely promised land. But Gilgamesh promised us everything we saw before us, and so we were rewarded. With his army ever growing, so too did his need for more land - and Egypt, despite the inhospitability of its borders, bore the long, fertile fields of the Nile. So we called them the Golden Lands, dedicated not to the gods but to we who defied them for a gold coin.

(Hattusas in relation to the Neo-Hittites in Goreme and Phrygians in Ancyra)

Kubaba toured the empire and found a great threat from a stretch of land up north, beyond the humble town of Kanesh. Leading a great army, she claimed Hattusas, a city formerly owned by an empire which may have once matched our own. From there, she took Ancyra and called on a great conscription from the heartland to meet her in preparation. Our goddess hoped to secure our borders with the Hat of the world, end the barbarism suffered by the people, and make ready for future campaigns.

South, our Egyptian foes fought well. For a time, we met pharaoh's armies on the northern banks of the great plateau. But scouts sent to find more of the pharaoh's children only discovered a horde of nomads. With numbers on his side, Gilgamesh focused on Egypt while a portion of his forces met the barbarians before they could reach Lachish. Some may have slipped past and hit Moab, then disappeared as mysteriously as they came.

(Gilgamesh's most valued prize, now his winter home and a key center of trade)

Soon, we secured our border with Egypt by capturing three towns and Bubastis. By then, Gilgamesh tired of the war and needed to gather his strength before moving on Memphis. Many of us went on to settle Lebanon and what of the Levant belonged to us. Ships were built, iron smelted, and Gilgamesh turned his eyes back to an old foe: Palmyra.

The heat of the surrounding desert sapped his warriors' strength before they could even reach the gates. On a few occasions, they'd make it, but exhaustion and deliria took many lives. For no matter how immortal he'd made us, we were not invincible. Some claim he drove us to fight to counteract our growing populace. That didn't make it easier. It certainly didn't make it right. After many tries, we claimed Palmyra. But many lives went forfeit.

(civil unrest throughout the empire as squalor becomes a problem)

While searching for a permanent means to save our people, Kubaba tried to help us live in luxury. But that only complicated the problem. As others grew lax and content, their appetites grew. Soon, the most populated cities became unruly, and Kubaba had to abandon her plans on Asia Minor. She asked Gilgamesh to carry on a second war against Egypt, hoping his promise of the Golden Lands would act as a salve on the growing wound in paradise.

Gilgamesh moved on Egypt with caution. Our forces were spread out, yet impenetrable as the glorious Walls of Babylon. Conquest was swift, far moreso than anyone could've expected. Either the gods were on our side or we had destroyed them. With Thebes marking our southernmost boundary, it was time we consolidated all we had gained. Gilgamesh left this task in the hands of his brilliant Babylonian aide, Pulu.

To slow our growth and make immortality a more precious gift, Kubaba made us infertile. But in exchange, those of us who decided to remain as mortals were rewarded with a rich and fanciful lifestyle; one which had its share of responsibilities. Kubaba proclaimed, "Governors and leaders of men must live no longer than a hundred years, their sons and children made to study in Babylon." Further, our immortality came with a price. Eternal obedience. Failure to bathe in the waters of the temples of Sumer once a year meant certain death.

But I would gladly pay such a price to see what life had in store for us next.

(image source: Prince of Persia Warrior Within)

Spoiler for Author's Notes: 

Author's Notes: I know this isn't the biggest step out into something completely new, but I had to finish this scenario before moving on as per my own rules. Sorry about that. ^^;

Lost the footage for the first playthrough due to a stupid buffer issue, so I was forced to play this one over again. It was good too! Odysseus and Gilgamesh, two immortals locked in battle, Odysseus making huge gains in the beginning (Harran, Nisibis, Suri, Mari, Halupe AND Haradda all fell to his armies!) I thought I was going to lose over half the empire, but lo and behold, the RNG gods actually sided with me for a change, and after a fierce, suspenseful battle to reclaim the lost provinces, I carried the war into Syria, capturing Til Barsib, Carchemish, Hamath, Kadesh, Alalakh, Ugarit and emptying Damascus of its garrison (Joshua, that little opportunist, swept in and claimed it next turn though). Several small cities were even razed to the ground - the fighting was so fierce!

So I came up with the idea that this was a potentially prophetic dream for Gilgamesh, encouraging him to push on with his war against Odysseus. This time around, we had the advantage, for whatever reason. Not even Egypt was much of a challenge. I'll definitely have to bump up the difficulty for the next Civilization scenario I play - which, according to my list, starts in 98 CE. We've got a lot of games to go for between here and there though!

As for the immortality bit, I thought it'd add an interesting dynamic to the story. It could also explain why the player has more control in these games than they would've had as kings or emperors in real life. Also, Civilization's leaders tend to live forever, so I thought this would be a fun way to explain that.

I love this idea, and you're writing it really well so far! As someone who is rather partial to the narrative style, I really enjoyed your last update, and it was good to finally see you making some progress in the game!

You managed to get some pretty good screenshots even out of Civ II, so I'm really looking forward to the visuals you can get in the future! Keep up the great work!

Originally Posted by The_Forsaken

Thanks! I settled on using Tahoma for the 'out of character' font (for some reason, all Arial on my browser displays as bold) and Georgia for 'in character' text. I know Civilization II doesn't usually give the best screenshots or video footage, but after this is a scenario from Rise of Nations, so that should be far more entertaining. But I tried my best with the narrative in this last part! Might have been a little too wordy though; I apologize. ^^;

... I also just noticed I forgot the other [/url] on Game's used. I'm sorry!

I've added the [/url] for you. (Just five posts to go before you can edit your own posts... )

I don't think you were too wordy - I like the way you did this update. The problems of immortality, and the society Kubaba and Gilgamesh have created, are starting to show, and that's very effective, I think.

I agree with Axis and Caillagh, this is imaginative story-telling done well.

Today's been incredibly busy. I need to close my eyes for a bit before I can finish this next part in full.

Games used: Rise of Nations (Rise of Persia)
Videos: https://youtu.be/bCDWeiE0ueQ

Spoiler for 700 - 549 BCE The Median Problem: 

"He who does not support a wife, he who does not support a child, has no cause for celebration." - Sumerian Proverb


(a mural depicting the flowers of eternal youth and the eternals who maintain it)

After the Sumerians had ruled Mesopotamia unsurpassed for one thousand and four hundred years, as the rulers Gilgamesh dealt with Egypt and Kubaba with Phrygia, the Medes were the first to revolt. They cast away the demands of tribute that had been exacted since the early days of Gilgamesh and won their freedom. However, they were alone in their aims. Much of the Eternal Empire remained under Kubaba's lure of immortality. Few rebelled since the time of Kish, when those who did not understand the true inner workings of the water of neverending life merely disappeared in great quantities upon diving beneath its surface.

Kubaba taught her people patience. They could wait while their enemies passed on, little by little. As the clever Deioces, son of Phraortes, practiced and professed justice throughout the land of Media, Kubaba and her people followed the code of patience. Curious and not averse to risk, Deioces disguised himself and hid among a caravan passing through Harran. Immortal and mortal lived together and could not be distinguished by eye, but only by reputation. So he found an immortal by the name Uballissu, the author of the first volume of the Sumerian Chronicles, who was at the cemetary laying food and water out for his deceased successor and valued student, Esagil-kin-apli, who had been killed in Egypt by a stray arrow.

Deioces killed Uballissu when the older man would not go with him. Afraid his murder would be noticed, Deioces thought to burn the body but could not carry it out of the city. With the same barbarity his people were known for, Deioces made to cut Uballissu into pieces. Not one drop of blood spilt, despite his savagery; and when cutting into the first limb, he was stopped by what felt like armor. Furious and increasingly paranoid, he tore open his victim's skin and discovered what no man was meant to see: how the immortal's body became like iron, yet moved like any other. In shock, Deioces dropped his knife and fled back home to Media.

This story has passed on from the Medes to all the peoples of the world, down to us Greeks through Heraclitus. There are four other variants of this story, with different characters in each, but they all share the revelation of the immortals' true nature, whatever it may be.

(the Sixteenth march across the border into Media, 01:36)

"Here rests Uballissu, formerly of Marduk, freed of captivity in the waters of heaven. He served four hundred years, chief scribe in Babylon, author and teacher of scribes and kings. He is murdered by a Median, death comes for him eternally. Vengeance be mine, he says; when the culprit is dead, I will turn the knife on him and he will experience everlasting agony. My spirit so soothed, my body lies in wait for the day of awakening."
- a grave stelae in the Royal Cemetary of Ur, c. 700 BCE

"On this first year, Kurus, King of Persia, made Astyages to bow before him. Thus rewarded in their patience, the Twenty-Third* marched upon the Medes. They defeated Astyages on the plains north of Ecbatana, raided a caravan rich in gold, and struck a Median camp. Kubaba welcomed a messenger from the nomadic lands, where the kings craved eternal life and agreed to support our war against Media. So Kubaba found cause to reign over the nomads."
- Shammuramat, The Median War

* The Twenty-Third refers to a generation of eternals; specifically, those who submerged themselves in the waters of Kubaba between 760 and 740 BCE. They would comprise the youngest warriors of the time, which often made up a large portion of the army prior to the reforms of Shamshi-ilu in the early 5th century BCE. Strangely, Kurus chose not to invade Media or support his new vassal. Sources suggest he may have feared leaving Persis undefended, since it was surrounded to the north by the Medes and west by Sumer.

(the invasion of Ecbatana, 05:27)

"On this second year, the Twenty-Third were bolstered by their newly awakened brethren from Babylon. They raided and pillaged the Median camp. Before the march into the heart of Media, Tukulti-Esarra, commander of the east, son of Tukulti-Pulu, arrived and armed the men for all manner of warfare and discipline. On the other end of the world, Gilgamesh's veterans claimed Elephantine and scoured his land for the rebellious nomarchs. Ashur-dan, son of Tukulti-Esarra, returned to Babylon after witnessing the deaths of innocents; and he founded the first college of ethics in war, drawing many to his banner."
- Shammuramat, The Median War

"She saw them bicker and argue. Pride blinded humanity until they rejected all that they had and demanded more. And before all the people of Babylon, she* proclaimed the gods destroyed, and she herself now the Queen of Heaven, Gilgamesh her demigod lover; and that all must follow her every command, which she once rejected in order to give mankind a chance to rule themselves. Gilgamesh remained in Egypt to rule as king of the west, though he feared her growing power and turned his heart into itself, contenting it with his own glories in Egypt should she grow hungry for more."
- Rimeni, The Sumerian Chronicle, volume 3

* Kubaba. At this time in history, fewer people were choosing to become eternals. Although their lives were shorter, mortals often enjoyed a higher standard of living. Older eternals, many of the first ten generations or so, hated this inequality. They were allowed to own land, but the lawmakers were always lurugu (Sumerian term for 'stubborn man', slang for those who refused the Kubaba's gift of immortality).

In response, Kubaba instituted a series of reforms meant to expand the roles of eternals as civil servants. To avoid revolts, mortal governors had to raise wages for their new eternal servants, causing many now-unemployed mortals to seek employment in the army, bolstering it significantly. Ashur-dan, chief military advisor, formed a standing army. For the vast amounts of gold required in payment, eternals left their money with trustworthy accountants to the governors in each city and were given promissory notes in exchange.

(Greeks pass through Cilicia and raid Tarsus, 08:16)

"On this third year, Tukulti-Essara sent for siege weapons to be brought to Ecbatana, to destroy the fort where the recalcitrant Medes took refuge. Gilgamesh took captive the Egyptian pharaoh, Ameres, and razed the town of El-Amarna to the ground. Armies of the pale-skinned peoples from the north and west passed by Tarsus in great numbers, but only to fight their own war in the country of Luddu*. Our army still fighting Astyages could not protect our distant lands from their frequent raids."
- Shammuramat, The Median War

* This wasn't learned until just before Tukulti-Essara's attack on the Median camp near Arbela. Kubaba feared an attack on the important copper mines to the north, which were undefended. The Greeks would eventually strike there, but not for some time after. Also, "pale skinned" refers to the slightly lighter skintones of the Greeks; to the Sumerians, they appeared pale.

(at the Siege of Arbela, 09:26)

"Isn't there more to life than war and death? Father, I plead for those who still mourn the loss of their sons, their husbands, their brothers in war. Turn your attention on the invaders north of Tarsus. Do not abandon them. They are a poor people, fishermen and hunters. Why must they be judged so harshly? Hasn't the die of life rolled not in their favor already?"
- Letter from Ashur-dan to Tukulti-Kessara, c. 560 BCE

"On this fourth year, Arbela was put to siege and fell six months later. Ashur-dan sent a letter pleading with his father to send his army north to protect Tarsus, but Tukulti-Kessara ignored his son's advice and marched east. Kubaba divided the land among the high judges and appointed one to each city, no longer leaving common justice to the temples. Menua, chief inventor of the military academy in Babylon, forged the first solid armor*."
- Shammuramat, The Median War

* Plate armor wouldn't become the norm until at least the beginning of the 5th century BCE. Even then, it would be reserved for the royal home guard, a situation unchanged until after greater mining techniques were developed nearly a millennia later. Menua's other accomplishments include a detailed analysis of horticulture and astronomy, both which helped increase the efficiency of farmlands throughout the Eternal Empire.

(Astyages pleads with Tukulti-Essara)

"On this fifth year, Astyages, knowing his final days were upon him, went out from Ray to plead with Tukulti-Kessara to spare his people. Tukulti-Essara refused, but upon hearing Astyages' impassioned plea, he was reminded of his son, whose earlier plea went unheard. Unwilling to kill such a man, Tukulti released him to take his family to safety, ordering his men to let him pass through unharmed. Astyages took his family to Asterabad and sent them on to Bactra but stood his ground at Asterabad. Ray fell to Sumer, and Astyages surrendered four months later. Tukulti spared him, but his son was struck down before an army of nomads."
- Shammuramat, The Median War

"Astiruwa, a Twenty-First eternal and merchant from Harran, discovered the ruins of an Akkadian colony once called Armani; bandits killed him before he could begin to uncover its secrets*."
- Rimeni, The Sumerian Chronicle, volume 3

* By this time, a certain disdain for anything in the past had developed among the older generations, aside from the clergy and their scribes. It was believed that learning about the past should be left to the priesthood, who could afford to spend their time studying about it. If anyone could study the past, it was believed progress for the rest of society would be held back, since people would grow attached to unneeded traditions. The identity of the bandits are disputed by historians, but Rimeni postulates in a letter to his pupil that he believed it was a mob. Without evidence to support his belief, he refrained from including it in the Chronicle.

Ashur-dan renewed interest in the study of past history among his students by introducing symbols of heraldry to represent each division of his army. This led to some rivalry among the divisions, but also reintroduced the idea of claiming accomplishments as a group.

(the forts guarding Cilicia bolstered by Tukulti-Essara, 18:06)

"If it isn't to be done by another, take up the matter yourself. Kubaba thus advised Ashur-dan, who tired of his failure to convince his father to protect the empire's northern borders*. Thus encouraged, Ashur-dan made his army take an oath of fealty to him and to the defense of the north. To that end, he similarly approached Menua and asked his aid with chief architect Aeaxashesh to produce great forts whereby the northerners could be stopped near Tarsus, and the roads be guarded from further banditry, as was common in those days."
- Rimeni, The Sumerian Chronicle, volume 3

"Ashur-dan, struck with near-sightedness, is hereby appointed one correctional lens to be worn over the afflicted eye. Exact specifications to be determined after examination. Let the following amount enclosed pay the cost in full."
- Promissory note with instructions to a glassmaker in Babylon, c. 540 BCE.

* In fact, Ashur-dan didn't personally defend Cilicia. He left that to his son, Adad-nirari. According to a fragment from his personal advisor's memoirs, Adad-nirari helped oversee the construction of two major forts west and north of Tarsus, which were being built by Aeaxashesh. Meanwhile, Ashur-dan took the larger portion of his army north into the Caucasus. It's around this time that raiders from Ludda destroyed the copper mines and invaded Harran, where they met Tukulti-Essara's battle-hardened army returning from the Median War. Sumerian records suggest Atys, son of Croesus, was captured in this battle. Tukulti-Essara is next seen commanding the garrison at Tarsus.

(the Laws of War being written, 17:10)

"Kubaba saw that her empire would fracture if Ashur-dan's beliefs spread, but rather than resist such change, she established the first laws of war and sent out scribes to teach them even to the non-combatant; for, as she said, the citizen must know when his master does a misdeed to him and his country. Knowing this, she explained, will keep a governor's eyes on the Eternal Star*, not the lure of others' possessions."
- Rimeni, The Sumerian Chronicle, volume 3

* The Star of Inanna became the symbol of the Eternal Empire some time around the turn of the millennia, c. 1000 BCE. Here, the author is referring to the good of the empire instead of the individual's own greed. Kubaba's reforms not only established that the armies were ultimately under the command of Gilgamesh, but they also improved literacy throughout the empire. Rimeni describes a machine that sounds remarkably like a printing press, which he claims helped Kubaba disseminate her teachings. This prompted many lively debates that started out civil, but later degraded as Kubaba's followers became more violent.

Ironically, it was Kubaba's negotiations with commanders throughout the empire that led to the development of official military indenture to her authority, causing some unrest among the commanders, even if they couldn't outright rebel (Kubaba still controlled the only source for immortality, and she was still believed to be a goddess). On a positive note, her willingness to debate led to a flourishing of the sciences, as a rigorous method was first developed in Arbela by Amytis, then-wife of Adad-nirari, to test the efficacy of hypotheses.

(Adrastus finds the body of Croesus among the burning ruins of Eregli, 21:57)

"Tikulti-Essara could no longer remain idle, and he sent his grandson back to Arbela to marry the captive Amytis, sister of Astyages, so that he might join the two armies and march on Ludda. First he captured Eregli, and there slayed Croesus, King of the Ludda, but not before Croesus sent Adrastus* out to bring back reinforcements from Phrygia. When Adrastus arrived, he was promptly told of Croesus' death and blamed for abandoning him. Adrastus turned and fled back to Eregli, where he rode his horse through Tukulti's lines and died of arrowshot beside the body of the last man he ever considered to be a father."
- Herodotus, The Histories

* Adrastus was the son of Gordias, a king of Phrygia. He killed his own brother by accident and was disowned by his father, who exiled him further west. Croesus took him in, forgave him, and gave him a home when he had none. He felt enormous guilt over causing the death of his brother and supposedly couldn't bear the thought of leaving Croesus to die, so he returned in the hopes Croesus was still alive. According to Herodotus, Adrastus took over twenty arrows but didn't die until he found Croesus' body. They were later buried as they laid, with Adrastus hugging Croesus' broken body. Murals depicting the tragedy became popular in Greece.

To this day, Sumerian scholars consider this false and claim Adrestus took his own life. Either way, this event would be used by the Greeks in Leonidas' time to unite against the Eternal Empire...

(a representation of Tukulti-Essara or Adrastus... depending on the source)

"Here rests Tukulti-Essara, now of Eshara, bound in captivity above the waters of heaven. He served one hundred years, commander of the Sixteenth army, conqueror and father of soldiers. He takes his own life, death comes for him once. Punishment is mine, he says; for I killed a son before a father, and a father before a son. Ashur-dan has renounced me, and I now leave him my soul in restitution; may he forgive me some day before it is gone."
- a grave stelae in the Royal Cemetary of Ur, c. 700 BCE

(map of the Eternal Empire, c. 549 BCE)

Spoiler for Author's Notes: 

Author's Notes: I got really into crafting the story for this one! If the game footage isn't much to look at, hopefully the story will make up for it. ^^;

There was a mistake with the AI, again causing it to act too pacifist. I tweaked it during a recent playthrough, and we should see a more proactive AI in future games.

I like the way that you have used the in-game events to craft the story - you mention that you got really into it and this comes across well! The quotes and historical images add to the story, too.

Great stuff, finally found something to do with the Bronze Age! Will give feedback!

I like this, I hope it continues.

Hey! I'm sorry for the hiatus. Some things have happened, and I'm a little disoriented. But I'm going to come back to this soon!

Already set up for the next game, Empires and Traders (the Rome:TW mod), starting in 549 BCE. Finally, some Total War!