A - 1
B - 6
C - 3
***
Chapter 5.12: Anbar-Shi
You let yourself be pulled in towards the maw. Timing was everything, and when the timing was just right, you use all your remaining strength to free your left arm and stretch it towards the core.
Before your eyes, the core sinks, disappearing into the endless black goo. In the next moment, your arm, too, disappears as the maw closes over it. In a moment of panic, you attempt to pull your arm back. The Gieloth's formless body appears to twist for a second, and there is a ripping, tearing noise as your body jerks back, an empty socket where your arm used to be. Your own blood spatters your face, but you do not even notice it. The pain only lasts a single, excruciating second, and all you feel next is a frigid cold spreading from what used to be your left shoulder.
There is a strange feeling of duality. You are there, missing an arm, wrapped in tendrils... but you are also there, resting in the belly of the beast. Sekhenun was relatively certain that your hunger was most likely the result of being resurrected by your Gieloth blade, but when faced with the anger issues, she was at a loss - she had never heard of anything like that before. She provided a theory which sounded plausible, but in the end you had the feeling that she didn't know much more than you did when it came to what you are.
Still... if she was right, you and the Honourblade are now one and the same. You took back life which you had given to the sword; the nature of which had been irrevocably changed the moment you bestowed it in the forging.
Could I be a sword? The sword is what I am... the sword is I am the sword we are you have a NAME.
It was weirdly simple. If you have subsumed the sword's life into the identity of Ean... all you had to do to draw out the sword and recreate is to give it a separate identity once more. If your natures were one, you just had to split it, to compartmentalize your nature.
The first step was to name it.
And in that brief instant, between life and death, a name floated to your lips.
Anbar-Shi.
***
When you awoke, you were outside of the ruins of Marduk's temple. Someone had took the trouble of bandaging up your shoulder and giving you a comfortable, flat stone to rest your head on. That didn't stop your entire body from hurting like hell.
"Good morning." Sekhenun sounded cheerful, sitting besides you. Her wounds were still there, though you doubt they would leave any scars. By her side was a long bundle wrapped up in cloth.
"It's still night."
"The sun will be rising soon. The city will be ours by the time dawn breaks. There has been minimal damage and loss of life since Ahati and Ramman were defeated."
"Soon doesn't mean now. What happened back there?"
"Ah... the fault is entirely mine. According to the works of Kar'sanasi the Fifth, No.16 could theoretically induce a Gieloth to enter a primal state. However, even after thousands of years of use in the Great Courts not a single case has happened... until now."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"...I messed up."
"Good to hear." you grin. Sekhenun replies by putting some pressure on your wound. After you were done hurting, you ask her again, "What happened to Ahati?"
"I didn't really see anything clearly between the waves of tentacles she was throwing around the place, but at the end of it, her core was destroyed somehow. And I found this in her corpse. Don't lose it again." Sekhenun reaches for the bundle, but you already knew what it was from the moment you woke up. Unrolling it, she places it in your hand. It looks just like how it did the last time you saw it - which was when it was sticking out of your throat. Now, however, it feels even closer and tightly bound to you. You don't know how you managed to do it, but you forged a metal sword from flesh and blood and bone. What's worse is that you know you could do it again if you needed to. The hunger, and now this. Your powers were getting inexplicable.
"Oh, I don't think that's a problem anymore." You manage a smile, and promptly faint again.
***
Despite the victory, there was much to do. The city, lacking its Marduk-appointed governors, had to have someone running it. The Sons of Marduk had held the reins of bureaucracy in the city for many years, and supplanting them entirely was a tall order. However, recruiting outside the cult's ranks could mean bringing in traitors.
A. You only allow the Cult of Shulgi to be involved in the running of the city, having them entirely usurp the role of the Sons of Marduk. The going would be tough as there were few in their ranks capable of efficiently administering Babylon, but this way you can reduce possible spies in positions of power.
B. You ordain a more secular bureaucracy and open up positions for qualified personnel. You attempt to have checks so that former Sons of Marduk will not be recruited, but regardless, the cultists will not be too happy about having reduced power.
C. You open up recruitment for all qualified personnel regardless of their history. What you need are skilled administrators to allow Babylon to thrive, and you cannot afford to be picky about the men you choose as long as they can do the job.
***
In the chaos of the attack on the temple, the Grand Priest of the Sons of Marduk had been trampled to death but the chief lawmaker Dapimsin was still missing, along with him other prominent members of the Sons of Marduk. In this power vacuum, the Shulgi cultists are eager to reintroduce their cult as the only lawful religion of the empire.
A. Uniting the empire under one worship, as Marduk did, is the best way to maintain power. You allow the cultists to become the de facto religion of the empire, taking over where the Sons of Marduk left off.
B. You bring back the old religion and the old pantheon, and put Shulgi up there as a new addition equal to, not greater or lesser than, the old gods.
C. You bring back the old religion and the old pantheon, and attempt to convince the cult to remain underground.
D. You introduce yourself as a new god to the pantheon and put Shulgi up there as a new addition equal to, not greater or lesser than, the old gods.
E. You introduce yourself as a new god to the pantheon , and attempt to convince the cult to remain underground.
1. You stamp out all worship of Marduk ruthlessly.
2. You only allow worship of Marduk as an equal or lesser god to the pantheon, not as supreme god.
3. You do not do anything about Marduk worship.
***
Most of the military are loyal to Marduk, though they surrendered swiftly once they found out that their Gieloth leaders were dead. There were 3000 soldiers still left in the city.
A. Run a psychic check together with Sekhenun and keep only the ones that would loyally follow your cause. This should reduce the number to about 1000. The rest will be discharged and allowed to return home.
B. Run a psychic check together with Sekhenun and keep only the ones that would loyally follow your cause. Kill 1 in 10 of the rest to set an example for the others. This will leave you with about 1800 soldiers.
C. Keep all the soldiers you have. You will deal with any disloyalty when it occurs, not before.
1. Get the Gutians to come as 'mercenaries' to bolster your troops.
2. Leave the Gutians where they are.
***
Finally, there was the issue on who would be the ruler of the city...
A. You take the crown.
B. You ask Sekhenun to select a suitably easy puppet from any surviving nobles to put on the crown.
C. You call Gudersu here and give him the crown.
D. You have the cultists select a suitable representative amongst their leaders to be king.
E. You let the common people elect a leader. It's an idea that you've heard from the voices a long, long time ago, and you're eager to try it.
***
"That's quite a lot of things to organize, isn't it?" you sigh. A few weeks in, there had been no real effect yet. Any changes you made were still sinking into the consciousness of the public. The repercussions of your decisions would be felt soon, but it would not be for a few more months at least.
"Tell me about it. Lest you forget, there's still that matter with Greece." Sekhenun fiddles with some scrolls she had been working all night on.
"How could I forget? What's the status there?"
"The Egyptians have been pushed back from their coastline, losing Pikuat. The Greek armies, led by Ares, are slowly gaining on Memphis. Two of Marduk's human lieutenants are helping to defend Egypt with a force of 5000. In Greece itself, however, the tide is turning. Marduk is a fearsome opponent on the battlefield, and there are reports that he has been using mobile amplifiers to bolster his troops' strength. I'm not sure how he managed to build that many, but the Greeks apparently have no counter to those at the moment. It looks like his forces will reach Athens soon, and the Egyptians are just holding out in hopes that he will do so quickly and force Ares to return to defend Greece."
"One question... has he heard of the fall of his own capital?"
"He must have, but everything indicates that he is focused on getting to Zeus as his primary goal. Zeus himself is still in hiding - he has not appeared on the field since the war started. I doubt Marduk will cast his eyes back here and divide his forces until he succeeds in defeating Greece. Now, the issue is what we do. Babylon still requires a good few months to stabilize, and that is the best case scenario. I don't think we can spare any troops to aid anyone - I have done my best to strengthen diplomatic relations with the other cities, but they are watching us like a hawk."
You clutch your missing limb, and think...
***
A. You head to Greece. Sooner or later Marduk will meet Zeus face to face, and when he does you will be there. It is time to show these outsiders that humans are not their playthings anymore.
B. You travel to Egypt to aid in their defense. Showing up at a desperate time and rescuing the Egyptians will take away credit from Marduk. Let Zeus and Marduk battle it out in Greece.
C. You stay in Babylon - you can stabilize the city best by being here. Leaving now means you will not be around to exert control should any unforeseen changes occur.