The Weighted Scales: The World of an Aborted Rome

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by Grouchio

Either that or that particular set-up was predictable (not that you are, oh no!)
Anyways promise me that you won't have their descendants take over the East! Western Civilization would cease to exist!

Not that it is in my plans (it isn't), but how would an eastward invasion kill off western civilization?

[willbell]

Originally Posted by Errnge

Not that it is in my plans (it isn't), but how would an eastward invasion kill off western civilization?

(Besides the fact that he was joking)
The only bastions of what someone like the victorian era english or the greeks would consider civilization would be the people of Sicily (and the Medians, Babylonians, Macedonians, as well as Epirus would be in there as well in this timeline)

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by willbell

(Besides the fact that he was joking)
The only bastions of what someone like the victorian era english or the greeks would consider civilization would be the people of Sicily (and the Medians, Babylonians, Macedonians, as well as Epirus would be in there as well in this timeline)

Honestly, anything we would recognize as Western civilization got the axe in the POD

Interestingly, one could argue that if it werent for the Romans, the Greeks would actually have been considered an Eastern civilization (Eastern as in Near East, not Far East). The Greeks certainly seemed to focus much more on Asia than on Europe. Just look at Alexander the Great's conquests.

[Grouchio]

But then again, there's the Pyrrhic Empire and it's plans against Qarthadast (that it would've carried out if not for the Ouolkoi invasion). Also, if Qarthadast has yet to colonize Hispania, wouldn't it be possible for the Greeks to colonize the Eastern Coast and make contact with the Arevaci, Celtiberi, etc?

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by Grouchio

But then again, there's the Pyrrhic Empire and it's plans against Qarthadast (that it would've carried out if not for the Ouolkoi invasion). Also, if Qarthadast has yet to colonize Hispania, wouldn't it be possible for the Greeks to colonize the Eastern Coast and make contact with the Arevaci, Celtiberi, etc?

The Greeks are kinda through with colonizing westwardly. It looks like Hellas has been too depopulated, and most colonizers are heading into Anatolia and Egypt.

But yes, there is the Pyrrhic Empire

[Grouchio]

BTW, could we get a linguistics map of Italia and Illyria, much like the one for Greece and Anatolia? I'm pretty sure that the Ancient Italic languages are still around (like the Messapii, Lucanii, Bruttii, etc) in parts of Italion, I'm sure. Speaking of which, when the devil will we ever get back to Senonia?

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by Grouchio

BTW, could we get a linguistics map of Italia and Illyria, much like the one for Greece and Anatolia? I'm pretty sure that the Ancient Italic languages are still around (like the Messapii, Lucanii, Bruttii, etc) in parts of Italion, I'm sure. Speaking of which, when the devil will we ever get back to Senonia?

Messapic is an Illyrian language. But yeah, I can do that.

[FDW]

Interesting…

[Berserker]

Originally Posted by Errnge

Dude! I was totally going to insinuate that in the next update! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

Xerxes....your the man

[Geordie]

Originally Posted by Errnge

Dude! I was totally going to insinuate that in the next update! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

How can you blame us? Your head is awesome!

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by Geordie

How can you blame us? Your head is awesome!

Well thanks, I shampoo it rather often

[Berserker]

Originally Posted by Errnge

Well thanks, I shampoo it rather often

inspirational clean-ish

[willbell]

Its been ten days since the last update. UPDATE, UPDATE!!!

[Errnge]

Originally Posted by willbell

Its been ten days since the last update. UPDATE, UPDATE!!!

I'm working on it, I'm working on it.

Me and my girlfriend got a puppy this week, so it's been a bit hectic, but I should have the update finished by tomorrow

[Berserker]

Originally Posted by Errnge

I'm working on it, I'm working on it.

Me and my girlfriend got a puppy this week, so it's been a bit hectic, but I should have the update finished by tomorrow

aww...that sounds like puppy love XD

[Errnge]

Chapter Five: To Live And Die By Fire
Part Seventeen: The Barfight



“So, long story short, we don’t know exactly how Pyrros died,” Aedono said between sips of wine. “I mean, it seems pretty likely that he was just killed by the mob in that last mutiny, but who knows!”

“I thought Xerxes Indikos killed him?” Naomiash said. In the dim light of the bar, her face still looked intently interested. In the rear of the establishment, a crew of traveling musicians from Muskokia blasted loud and excited rythms. The bar was filled with people who had come to see them, but also to drink and smoke. Aedono was, frankly, really fucking surprised that he and his exotic date were even able to hold a conversation in this place, let alone one about ancient history.

“That’s just an old legend.” Aedono didn’t want to sound condescending, but he knew somehow, someway, he was going to end up sounding like it. “About a hundred years after his death, some historian wrote that the army had mutinied because the ghost of Xerxes was seen walking through the camp, and that he has murdered Pyrros out of some twisted kind of revenge for not saving him, or something. But, the historian also said that the Ouolki prince born about a year later was Xerxes’ son, and… come on! I mean it’s really cool sounding, and it makes for awesome books and drama and stuff, but…”

“I know what you are saying,” Naomiash said.

At that moment, one of the musicians stepped forward, and began to strum a strange stringed instrument slowly. It was a hard, yet lazy tune that repeated twice. Then suddenly, as if out of no where, a fast, excited, beautiful roll of notes played, and suddenly quite possibly the best song Aedono had ever heard began at full blast. The musicians fingers slid and plucked and moved up and down the neck of his intstument with a grace unseen by any in the venue before. The singer came forward, and with a drawling, lazy accent sang:

“Clean as a whistle,
Smelling like a rose.
She got no dirty little fingers,
Blood shot eyes are gone!

Tell me I’m wrong!

Twice as hard,
As it was the first time
I said goodbye!

And no one ever want to know,
Love ain’t funny.
Crime in the wink of an eye!” [1]

“I really like these musicians!” She said excitedly. “Where are they from again?”

“I think they said they were from Muskokia,” Aedono said, transfixed. “That… that’s amazing. I’ve never heard anything like it!”

The band really was something different. The drummer was a massive man with skin the color of clay, his hair long and black. Blue tattoos swirled up and down his muscled arms that beat drums with thin wooden sticks at a fast, excited pace. There were three men playing stringed instruments. One was clearly of Libyan origin [2], and plucked at an instrument with three fingers. The other two must have been of Celtican heritage, because they, like the drummer, had the blue tattoos swirling along their skin. The singer Aedono couldn’t put his finger on where he was from, however; he had the coloration of one of his Celtican bandmates, but he lacked the tattoos and sang with a strange accent that drawled and dropped certain letters while drawing out others for no particular reason. His hair was long and wavy, and around his neck hung a gold necklace.

When the song ended, the bar fell silent for a moment, but a moment only. Then a roar of applause filled the room, and Aedono was sure to join it.

“THAT WAS AWESOME!” Aedono shouted above the applause.

The night went on, and more and more Aedono felt like he and Naomiash were connecting somehow. He wasn’t used to having a girl like her pay so much attention to him, but he by no means complained. He made his way over to the bar to get another round of drinks for them: this time he was thinking Qanabos Tea [3]. He was feeling good, pretty damn buzzed, but all that went out the window when he heard the voice behind him:

“Fuck, what’s the Grico doing here?”

Favion Ignatié. That jackass.

Aedono felt someone grab his shoulder, and sure enough, it was Favion. “What the fuck are you doing here, Grico?”

Maybe it was the drinking, maybe it was the music, maybe it was the fact that Aedono was almost positive he was going to fuck the hottest woman he’d ever seen tonight, but somehow Aedono said something he never thought he’d say:

“Fuck off, Favion, and let me drink!”

The fist came faster than he’d expected it to. He was reeling, he could see stars.

“THE FUCK DID YOU JUST STAY, GRICO!”

Favion was on him fast. Aedono was too busy getting beat up that he didn’t notice that the music stopped. He looked up, and saw someone grab Favion’s arm. It was the singer, towering over Favion.

“You don’t like Gricos?”

“Fuck, who does?” Favion said, drunk.

“My wife’s a Grico,” the singer said. “And as a matter of fact, my mother was one, too.”

And for the first time, Aedono saw Favion actually look scared. Before Aedono could even blink, the bar was a riot of violence. He couldn’t help but smile through his busted lip as he saw Favion and some of his friends who had come to support him get their asses handed to them by the musicians. Aedono rushed back to Naomiash at their table.

“What is going on? Ymanyel Meziach! What happened to your lip?”

“We need to get out of here now,” Aedono said, smiling despite the gravity of the situation. “The City Guard will be here soon.”

“My place?” She said, taking his hand.

------------
[1] I refuse to believe that a universe can possibly exist where some genius did not write the song “Twice As Hard”. It is simply impossible, it’s so damn good. Here's the song
[2] African, that is. Before the Roman general Africanus took over Africa, it was known as Libya. Essentially, this guy is black.
[3] Marijuana tea, which was actually a drink favored by the Carthaginians

[Massa Chief]

Immanuel Moshiach? Interesting...

[Ridwan Asher]

Certainly is.

[frozenpredator]

these images from the future really are interesting, though they usually increase the curiosity about some things.

[Geordie]

Originally Posted by Errnge

“My wife’s a Grico,” the singer said. “And as a matter of fact, my mother was one, too.”

...And this is the moment where our young antagonist realises he's just thrown a big dollop of turd into the fan in front of him.

Nice little vignette Errnge. I must admit I do tend to like these little bits you throw in to tease us further. Although Xerxes obviously doesn't trumpet the fact he's still around too much, if the final fate of Pyrrhus is shrouded in some mystery.