Chapter 6.2: Foundation of Empire
The Egyptians and Sumerians crowned you emperor soon after you agreed to their hopes. As a hero and living god known to both kingdoms, you were uniquely suited to stand as their head. The coronation was followed soon after by another joyous occasion: the marriage of Iltani to Akilhotep. Nabuchasar sent her off as if she were his own sister. It had been surprisingly easy to get Iltani to agree to the marriage. Her travels with you had shown her that you and her lived in two different worlds. You were, for all intents and purposes, a god, and she felt that she would never truly be good enough to stand by your side. Gudersu, on the other hand, was not too happy, but Iltani convinced him it was for the best, and that instead of being father-in-law to an emperor, he could at least be one to a king. Though her marriage was political, the Pharaoh soon grew on her, and before the first year of the empire’s founding ended she was already with child.
In the mean time, the Terasphagos occupied much of your attention. After running amok for the first year, in the second their activity was suddenly reduced for reasons beyond your knowledge. You took the opportunity to begin construction of fortifications around the rift. The Greeks were wary of Sumerians and Egyptians on their land again, but under your orders, your soldiers managed to earn their trust. A rudimentary wall began forming around Olympus, the construction halted only by occasional Terasphagos raids. In the months to come, you paid several personal visits to Greece to deliver aid to their people. Your soldiers served the dual duty of both guarding the Greeks from the Terasphagos and ensuring that they were also safe from the bandits that had sprung up after the end of the war. By the fourth year of the founding, when Iltani was expecting her second child, the Greek city states voted as one to officially come under your protection.
In that same year, an emissary from the northern kingdom arrived, bearing gifts of fur and jewels. He claimed to be from the court of King Egill, the Uniter of the North, who had heard of the troubles in the South and sought to learn more of it. As a diplomatic courtesy, you sent Mehrune together with the emissary on his return journey to the north, bearing your own gifts. Edem went - not altogether willing - with her, as you needed someone who was not mortal to keep an eye out, and he was good at being inconspicuous if he wanted to.
As the fifth year drew to a close, several unexpected events occurred. The Assyrians came to you complaining of major raids by Gutian warbands. Apparently news of the death of Marduk had spread to their ears, and they had finally become emboldened enough to attack Sumeria again. In Greece, Athena and Artemis had made a sudden reappearance, calling upon the Greeks to turn away from your empire. They have promised to defend the Greeks from the Terasphagos themselves, but for now few Greeks were eager to join their cause. You would have to make an appearance on one of these issues to ensure that they were resolved more quickly.
***
A. You head to Greece to parley with Athena and Artemis. Now that Zeus was gone, you might be able to draw them to your side and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The Gutian problem can be left to Gudersu.
B. You attempt to solve the Gutian issue together with Gudersu, heading northeast into the mountains. The Greeks were still grateful to you for your aid, and you don’t expect Athena and Artemis to make any headway in Greece soon.
***
Sekhenun was currently busy converting the massive numbers of Sumerian astrologers into astronomers. She was also imparting a method of thought and inquiry to the scholars of your empire. You cannot send her off to Greece to negotiate with two immortals by herself, but perhaps she could help Gudersu out.
1. You send Sekhenun with Gudersu to ensure that the Gutians give them no trouble at all.
2. You bring Sekhenun with you to Greece as backup – you would not want to face Athena and Artemis alone.
3. You leave Sekhenun where she is, allowing her to continue her project.
