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General_Grant

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Jan 13, 2007
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Plato said:
... For it is related in our records how once upon a time your State stayed the course of a mighty host, which, starting from a distant point in the Atlantic ocean, was insolently advancing to attack the whole of Europe, and Asia to boot. For the ocean there was at that time navigable; for in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say, 'the pillars of Heracles,' there lay an island which was larger than Libya and Asia together; and it was possible for the travelers of that time to cross from it to the other islands, and from the islands to the whole of the continent over against them which encompasses that veritable ocean. For all that we have here, lying within the mouth of which we speak, is evidently a haven having a narrow entrance; but that yonder is a real ocean, and the land surrounding it may most rightly be called, in the fullest and truest sense, a continent. Now in this island of Atlantis there existed a confederation of kings, of great and marvelous power, which held sway over all the island, and over many other islands also and parts of the continent.

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Prologue

Winter 1419 AD, Tenochtitlan

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Itzcoatl, 4rth Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, was spending his evening as he passed all of the others. Surrounded by members of the court, nobles of any ranks, warriors, priests and a variety of other peoples, the emperor was having good time in his palace. Chocolate, music, dancers, fine food, everything was contributing to make the court happy. Itzcoatl himself was a bit annoyed by all this. Not than he disliked his palace, but tonight he had an horrible headache. And his chocolate was too bitter. Tired, he rised from his small throne and went forward one of his rooms. "You are already leaving us, your highness?", asked the hight priest of a divinity than the sovereign had forgotten. He nodded. "I am exhausted and tomorrow is a very important day". "Of course, your highness have a important speech to give tomorrow", added the priest.

Then, as the emperor was leaving, everybody in the room saluted him with with a great respect and left this room of the palace so the monarch's sleep could be more quiet and peacefull.

Itzcoatl fell asleep almost instantly after he falled on his bed. his sleep, however, was filled with weird dreams.

Later in the night, he calmed down.

Itzcoatl dreamed than he was a bird. Flying hight above the city of Tenochtitlan, he was following another bird. In this divine creature the ruler of the Aztecs recognized Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. And he had something of great importance to show to his representent on Earth.

Itzcoatl followed the god beyond mountains, seas, islands... the birds where traveling to the east, according to the Sun.

Then they arrived in sight of an important landmass. More than just an Island, this was more like a small continent. The birds passed over fields, small cities, and mountains of small altitude before reaching a vast and prosperous plain filled with strange and very big animals, farms, and giant trees... Then they arrived in an colossal city of unimaginable proportions, with buildings of a strange and incredible architecture, shyning in the sunlight and covered with gold and glass. The city was build between three concentrics rings of waters, canals on where ships where passing. They posed on the central island, wich was the most densely covered with large buildings.

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It was only at this moment than Itzcoatl noticed than something was wrong with the population of the city. Not only their apearance, as they weared strange clothes and many men had hairs on the chin, wich was incomprehensible for the Aztec than the emperor was. Those peoples where gathering near an huge bird wich looked to be made of stone. Some peoples had entered it and it seemed to be the main aim of the whole population. But when a few important-looking peoples entered it. Some men dressed like soldiers tried to empeach the other peoples to enter it. One of them pointed a kind of stick toward the crowd. A noise was heard, a small light apeared and the crowd screamed. A woman collasped, apparently dead. Then the big 'bird' went up in the air, before starting to move with an incredible speed forward the West.

A few seconds later, a man pointed something in the sky- a small light, something like a star glowing in the daylight. The crowd, horrified, began running hopelessly in all directions. The small light was growing quickly.

The two birds flew away, leaving this odd place. A blinding light then apeared, and the world began to crumble on itself.

But it was not all. Quetzalcoatl had still things to show to the Aztec emperor. The birds reached a shore, wich looked familiar to Itzcoatl. They posed on a tree, and observed the peoples on the beach.

Two groups where meeting. A small band of almost naked peoples, in wich the Aztec recognized the ancestors of his own tribe, where staring at a bunch of men and women wich where very similar to the ones he has seen in the island beyond the ocean. But they looked like broken persons, many of them where crying and their clothes where dirty. Thoses persons apparently arrived there on a kind of raft. The man wich looked like the most important person of this group, a colossus with an impressive beard, saluted the natives.

Quetzalcoatl continued his wordless explanations. After having passed a jungle both birds arrived in a very primitive village. In it the two groups of the beach where still meeting. Around a fire, the 'leader' of the foreigners was explaining things to the natives. After a small moment where only a white light was visible Itzcoatl was again in the village, and still with the god. But the village was now bigger and the natives where looking more heatly. Several fields where surrounding the village and the inhabitants where playing music and a woman was preparing some kind of colorfull fabric. The inhabitants of the village where saluting the leader of the small group wich was now older and seemed to be leaving the town. 'A day I will come back', heard the Aztec.

Then, the god-bird turned his eyes toward Itzcoatl. No words went out of him, but all was clear in thoses eyes full of sadness and hopes. The Aztec understanded exactly what the god wanted from him, and from his choosen people. Itzcoatl understood than there was no other god than the Feathered Serpent, wich was once a simple man. He understanded than no more humans sacrifices where needed. The god has returned as he promised, and now his peoples did not had to wait any longer for him. He finally understanded what the god wanted from him: to rebuild the glorious civilization than once had its place to the Sun.


____________________________________​


Itzcoatl woke up in sweat, shaken by his dream. He knew this dream was not an ordinary dream. He hurried to meet the great priest of Quetzalcoatl and told him his entire dream.
"The Feathered Serpent have spoke to you in a dream. This is a great prodige and all the city must be told about your vision. But first I must explain you..." The hight priest of Quetzalcoatl was a very wise and old man, wich trusted the emperor.
"Quetzalcoatl have showed you the mythical lands of our origins, the Aztlan. He then showed you the fate of our ancestors wich where civilized by himself. Because as you have guessed, he was the man of your dream wich teached our ancestors how to make corn grow, how to create fabric, how to behave in a civilized manner and all the things we know."

Itzcoatl nodded. Even if he had revealed the content of his dream, he did not told about what he understanded in the last moments of it. Because it was simply too mad, and the priest would not had accepted all of it. But the population will be informed. With his people behind, the emperor will be able to fulfill the will of the Feathered Serpent. The young monarch alway knew than the future of the Aztecs didnt had to be limited to the Texcoco lake, nor to the region of Mexico- but the reconstruction of Aztlan was simply beyond his imagination.


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Hello and welcome to this AAR. First I have to say than no im not drunk/mad/under effect of drugs. I had the project of writing this since a long time ago but only now I found the time to start this weird project.

I have alway been interested into the story of Atlantis (its historical side, nothing esotheric or any stupidity like that). The goal of this game than I'll be playing and reporting it trough this AAR will be to turn the small Aztec 'empire' into a multicontinental superpower of superior proportions.

As you know I cannot do that with 'normal' Aztecs so I modded them alot to give them the same advantage of the Europeans, for a reason you will discover in the next update. I also have to say than the first century will be a pure cheat with an almost unlimited ammount of money/colonists but thats because I simply want to tell this story and even if it come with cheats, the EU2 engine seems perfectly suited for my embitions. I beg your pardon regarding that point than will be precised in the next update.

I'd also like to point out than English is not my first language and than im only 17 so it took me en entire evening writing out those lines and its very possible than you will find lot of mistakes and weird sentences.

I'll take as much time I need to fulfill my goals and will very probably export this mad game to Victoria and even HoI2. This (thoses?) AAR(s) is going to be a mix of narrative/gameplay since I'm so bad imaginating good charaters and inventing credible dialogues.


If you feel than this is far too wild for the Paradox forum please tell. Or if you find this interesting a little encouraging word will only make me willing to build this story.
 
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Thanks... at least there is maybe 1 person who is a bit interested in this. :(


Maybe its just too early to see if there is interest. I'll go head with the 2nd update and see.
 
Don't get discouraged by lack of (or low numbers of) replies, they'll surely come in time :). I suppose this AAR is where you needed the shield I made for you?
Good luck - but it seems you won't really need too much of it, with your 'upgrading' of the Aztecs :D.
Count me as a reader ;).
 
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Plato said:
Concerning the allotments of the Gods, that they portioned out the whole earth, here into larger allotments and there into smaller, and provided for themselves shrines and sacrifices, even so Poseidon took for his allotment the island of Atlantis and settled therein the children whom he had begotten of a mortal woman in a region of the island of the following description. Bordering on the sea and extending through the center of the whole island there was a plain, which is said to have been the fairest of all plains and highly fertile; and, moreover, near the plain, over against its center, at a distance of about 50 stades, there stood a mountain that was low on all sides. Thereon dwelt one of the natives originally sprung from the earth, Euenor by name, with his wife Leukippe; and they had for offspring an only-begotten daughter, Kleito. And when this damsel was now come to marriageable age, her mother died and also her father; and Poseidon, being smitten with desire for her, wedded her; and to make the hill whereon she dwelt impregnable he broke it off all round about; and he made circular belts of sea and land enclosing one another alternately, some greater, some smaller, two being of land and three of sea, which he carved as it were out of the midst of the island; and these belts were at even distances on all sides, so as to be impassable for man; for at that time neither ships nor sailing were as yet in existence. And Poseidon himself set in order with ease, as a god would, the central island, bringing up from beneath the earth two springs of waters, the one flowing warm from its source, the other cold, and producing out of the earth all kinds of food in plenty. And he begat five pairs of twin sons and reared them up; and when he had divided all the island of Atlantis into ten portions, he assigned to the first-born of the eldest sons his mother's dwelling and the allotment surrounding it, which was the largest and best; and him he appointed to be king over the rest, and the others to be rulers, granting to each the rule over many men and a large tract of country*.

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Chapter I - A New Begining


Spring 1419 AD, Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán


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It has been four months since Tlatoani Itzcoatl had his dream. A dream than changed the fate of the Aztec nation, of the whole continent and probably the entire world. But he did not knew anything about it yet.

Weeks ago, an important expedition was send to the ancient and mysterious city of Teotihuacán, the 'birthplace of the gods'. The city, abandonned since centuries ago after some uknown events was the first step in Itzcoatl's plan. He had the feeling than something of great importance was hidding under the great pyramid. For days, slaves and hired workers tried to dig an hole under the monument. This exhausting work finally gave results a day when the miners reached a wall of rock than looked to be the result of human work and not only a simple stone. After a few attempts to destroy it, it became obvious than the wall was not very thick and thus a message was envoyed to the emperor prior to the opening.

Itzcoatl arrived with an impressive delegation of priests and warriors ordered to protect their sovereign in those savage lands at the limit of the Aztec rule. In a great ceremony, a big hole was made in the wall and a few men where send inside the mysterious place. A few seconds after they returned to the surface and told the priets than there was no signs of dangers inside. Even if it was not certain than the place was prefectly safe, Itzcoatl insisted to enter the chamber himself with the hight priest of Quetzacoatl. The religious man had become very important since the emperor revealed to his people his dream and his vision for the Aztecs. Then the ruler started a real revolution when he told to his people than no more humans sacrifices where needed and than the gods would be satisfied with sacrifices of flower and fruits. The priests of the other gods protested than the Sun would not rise the next morning if no sacrifices where made. But the Sun effectivly rose as alway and since this moment the entire nation was beleiving everything than their good emperor was telling to them.

When Itzcoatl, the priest and a few warriors entered the place with their torchs, their first vision was not impressive. They where in a kind of corridor than seemed to lead to nowhere. After having walked into this tuner for a few minutes, the small group entered into a vast chamber than was too big to be enlightened with only a few torches. Then more persons came from the surface and it was enough to reveal the nearest objects.

They were too amazed to say anything or even to breath. In front of them, an huge pile of golden objects, of colorfull feather, of precious stones, and what was probably a kind of fabric centuries ago.
But even more interesting than thoses treasures, the visitors found plans and blueprints of weird machines and objects. They found maps of the region in wich they recognized the lake Texcoco and the surrounding cities. Other maps of a larger scale where representating entire countries, and probably the entire world. Finally, in the back of the chamber they found a very large 'library' of stone pannels wich where all explaining things in a language than nobody was able to read and than had probably been forgotten ages ago.

A tiny part of those treasures was brought to the surface with an infinite care. With the better light Itzcoatl was able to study in details one of the maps. He was able to find Tenochtitlan -or more precisely, where Tenochtitlan would be build centuries after this map was created- and then he looked at the rest of the map.

The regions northward where made of mountains and what the emperor identified as deserts. Then there was a very large plain with a network of rivers, wich where comming from a group of lakes from where many other important rivers where begining. In the east, a small chain of mountain was separating the large plain from the coast. In the south of the region of Tenochitlan a dense jungle was covering a large peninsula.

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The North seemed to be the perfect place to lay the foundations of what Itzcoatl refered as the 'Aztlan project', the reconstruction of the forgotten motherland. He ordered the huge map made of stone to be bringed to Tenochtitlan where he could lead the operations. A scientific colony also had to be created in Teotihuacán to further study and translate the heritage of the ancestors. A job than would keep busy the Aztec men of science for the next five centuries.

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I now have to set my rules for this game.

First: Aztec techs. The Aztecs are going to be played with the same technological adventage than Europe have. However I have put myself a few limitations:
1. I won't research land tech level 7 before I meet an European nation- its too unlikely than the Aztecs would discover gunpowder on their own.
2. I won't invest anything in laval technologies before I meet an European nation- the money than is 'invested' because of the monarch's skill does not count.


Second: colonization. I allow myself Free and almost Unlimited colonisation of North America untill I meet an European nation. Thats mean a little bit less than a century. Without this I would not be able to tell my story. When I'll meet the European nation I'll remove my free colonists. My few colonial limitations:
1. No harm should be done to the natives of the agressivness level of 4 or under- I won't kill every native before settling just because that would be more easy.
2. I won't colonize the provinces than I can just colonize because they are coastal (I could send colonists to New York right now for exemple). I'd have to build a real colony of more than 1000 inhabitants before proceeding and going farther.
3. Trade posts are not allowed for me. I'm building a new country, not a trade network.
4. Zapotec must survive untill I meet the Europeans- I can stole them a province or two but I won't annex them.
5. In the unlikely case than I'd meet the Incas in no way I should be belligerant with them. They are brothers and friends.

I hope than even with all those 'cheats' (the story would not be as interesting with a normal Aztec Empire, simply consider the EU2 game to be a tool to 'support' the story), you will forgive me and enjoy this AAR. :)

*Plato quotes are more athmospherics, if you don't want you don't really have to read them to follow the story.
 
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Then the ruler started a real revolution when he told to his people that no more human sacrifices where needed and that the gods would be satisfied with sacrifices of flowers and fruits

What about enemy human sacrifices? Won't the gods be pleased with a few 1000 Spaniards? They could stuff 'em with fruits and flowers... :D
 
Wari Bana said:
What about enemy human sacrifices? Won't the gods be pleased with a few 1000 Spaniards? They could stuff 'em with fruits and flowers... :D

It would be more profitabe for the god to use them as cheap/slave labor to build huge temples and magnificient cities. ;)

But thanks for the repply, one is better than none. :)


Anyway, first part of the colonization of the North will be posted In a few hours.
 
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Plato said:
And he begat five pairs of twin sons and reared them up; and when he had divided all the island of Atlantis into ten portions, he assigned to the first-born of the eldest sons his mother's dwelling and the allotment surrounding it, which was the largest and best; and him he appointed to be king over the rest, and the others to be rulers, granting to each the rule over many men and a large tract of country. And to all of them he gave names, giving to him that was eldest and king the name after which the whole island was called and the sea spoken of as the Atlantic, because the first king who then reigned had the name of Atlas. And the name of his younger twin-brother, who had for his portion the extremity of the island near the pillars of Herakles up to the part of the country now called Gadeira after the name of that region, was Eumelos in Greek, but in the native tongue Gadeiros,--which fact may have given its title to the country. And of the pair that were born next he called the one Ampheres and the other Euaimon; and of the third pair the elder was named Mneseus and the younger Autokhthon; and of the fourth pair, he called the first Elasippos and the second Mestor; and of the fifth pair, Azaes was the name given to the elder, and Diaprepes to the second. So all these, themselves and their descendants, dwelt for many generations bearing rule over many other islands throughout the sea, and holding sway besides, as was previously stated, over the Mediterranean peoples as far as Aigyptos (Egypt) and Tyrrhenia [in Italia].
Now a large family of distinguished sons sprang from Atlas; but it was the eldest, who, as king, always passed on the scepter to the eldest of his sons, and thus they preserved the sovereignty for many generations; and the wealth they possessed was so immense that the like had never been seen before in any royal house nor will ever easily be seen again; and they were provided with everything of which provision was needed either in the city or throughout the rest of the country. For because of their headship they had a large supply of imports from abroad, and the island itself furnished most of the requirements of daily life,--metals, to begin with, both the hard kind and the fusible kind, which are extracted by mining, and also that kind which is now known only by name but was more than a name then, there being mines of it in many places of the island, which was the most precious of the metals then known, except gold
.

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Even the longest voyage begins with a first step. Thats that first step than the first Aztec settlers made when leaving their home city of Tenochtitlan for the arid regions of the North.

But why did their good emperor has sended them into those wastelands wich where not even enough fertile to allow agriculture? The first group of settlers was send to explore regions right next to the border of the Empire. This way, food and goods could be send easily to improve the chances of the settlers to build something up there. But the first group never bilded anything or even came back. Neither the 2nd did.


In the meantime, in Teotihuacán, the few priests established in the ancient city to study the legacy of the ancestors remarked than important-looking characters in those unreadable stone stories where often carrying a kind of stylised spear. It seemed to be both a religious and political symbol. It was then decided than this weird spear with three branches would become the 'official' banner of the settlement project of emperor Itzcoatl.


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The banner of Aztlan, wich would later become the flag of the state.​


The third group of settlers was sended with a few explorers and soldiers to protect them and know more about those places. Together with the blue, white and gold banner their established the very first Aztec settlement outside of the traditionals borders. The village of Mazatlan was established near the shores of the Western Ocean.

But this weak village of 100 inhabitants was attacked by a group of marauding natives during a night- only 37 settlers survived and an emissary was send to Tenochtitlan to call for help. An army was dispatched as it seemed obvious than the ferocious natives of the region would not cooperate.

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Natives and their aggressivity before the colonisation,
and the first bricks of what would later become a powerfull nation.​

Settlers where also send in a desertic place, where they established the village of Chihuahua in a previously native-cleared region. Its important to specify than the natives attacked the settlers first.

Two years after the begining of the 'March forward the North', the village of Mazatlan became a real city and was quickly followed by the city of Chihuahua. In the region of Coahuilha the colonists succeeded to convince the not-so enthusiastic natives to adobt their more civilized lifestyle. The least successfull attempt to build a town was in the region beyond an important river. 4 villages were successivly build at the exact same location before being destroyed by the natives. Even if the leader of the Aztlan project are still confident about their chances of convincing the natives to not attack the colonists it became obvious than some warriors where needed where diplomacy failed four times.


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New horizons are opening to the Aztecs- but wich path to take? would it be better to go west in the desert or should the efforts to try to establish a settlement beyond the great river should be increased? Or should the Aztlan project be forgotten? Natives are ferocious, and new lands are not richs.
 
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Great start on the story.

As for being 'too wild,' once you've seen the Guanxi Clique conquer the world, or Nepal develop nuclear weapons, a colonial Aztec superpower doesn't even dent this cool, blasé exterior.
 
Well your stated goal was to colonize North America so you can't quit just because some natives are giving you some hassles. Maybe you just need to thrash them a little more than you intended to.
 
Thanks for the comments! :)

And Anarion- I was more putting myself in the perspective of the Aztecs of the time, the first results may not be that convincing...


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Plato said:
It brought forth also in abundance all the timbers that a forest provides for the labors of carpenters; and of animals it produced a sufficiency, both of tame and wild. Moreover, it contained a very large stock of elephants; for there was an ample food-supply not only for all the other animals which haunt the marshes and lakes and rivers, or the mountains or the plains, but likewise also for this animal, which of its nature is the largest and most voracious. And in addition to all this, it produced and brought to perfection all those sweet-scented stuffs which the earth produces now, whether made of roots or herbs or trees, or of liquid gums derived from flowers or fruits. The cultivated fruit [i.e., of the vine] also, and the dry [i.e., corn], which serves us for nutriment, and all the other kinds that we use for our meals--the various species of which are comprehended under the name 'vegetables'--and all the produce of trees which affords liquid and solid food and unguents [i.e., the olive], and the fruit of the orchard-trees, so hard to store, which is grown for the sake of amusement and pleasure [i.e., the pomegranate or apple], and all the after-dinner fruits [i.e., the citron] that we serve up as welcome remedies for the sufferer from repletion,--all these that hallowed island, as it lay then beneath the sun, produced in marvellous beauty and endless abundance. And thus, receiving from the earth all these products, they furnished forth their temples and royal dwellings, their harbors and their docks, and all the rest of their country, ordering all in the fashion following.

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After the fifth attempt to peacefully colonize the East bank of the Great River, wich ended with the destruction of another outpost, the Aztec Colonial Council decided to send an army to solve the problem once for all. This was a success- when the sixt settlement was established on the ruins of the 5 others and was attacked the Aztec warriors quickly repealed the attack. The natives, wich lost half of their forces during their attack decided to flee the region. After that, the other settlements beyon the river where succesfull.

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Another colony was established on the West Coast, in even more hostile territory. But surprisingly, the natives did not showed any bad intentions. Many of them even joined the colony when it become a small city. But the decision was took to postpone any other colonization of the northwestern regions. The Aztecs prefered to turn forward the East, where a fertile plain allowed a more interesting life quality.

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It was decided to establish small towns around the coast and to use the sea as a way of communication. Resources for the construction of an important city in the delta of a very important river would be send to the decided location (red X). There, in a small lake near the Delta and the river the city of Ianira would be founded. From this city wich would become an important administrative centre for the Eastern regions too far of Tenochtitlan, scout expeditions would be sended to prepare the way for a new wave of colonist. In the meantime, diplomats would be sended to the region of Colorado (Green squares). Both provinces have too much natives to enter there with soldiers, and there is hope than they could join the young nation of Aztlan on their own initiative.

---​

In Tenochtitlan, Itzcoatl was personally supervising the progresses and setbacks of the colonization. But a diplomatic innitiative was also took on the medium sized Zapotec Kingdom. This country was in a permanent state of war with the Aztec Empire prior to Itzcoatl's dream. The recent change in the Aztecs policy pleased them greatly. In a few years, the nation of warriors alway searching for prosoners to sacrifices became a more peacefull society united around a embitious project of civilization in far away places. A marriage was first arranged between a Zapotec noble and an Aztec princess- this was the first step in the establishment of good relations between both countries. Later, a suprising envoy from the Zapotec king demanded the entrance of his kingdom in so-called 'Triple Alliance' than Tenochtitlan had with two others officially independent cities bordering the Texcoco lake. Itzcoatl accepted, happy to see the south of his Empire removed the constant presure than was the Zapotec threat.

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A few years after, the Zapotec king died and his son asked for the protection of the Aztec Empire.

A decade after the 'Aztlan Project' began to be fulfilled, the city of Ianira was in construction and the Aztec Empire was about to secure a vital access to the river network of the central regions. The Empire had a bit more than doubled its size (but not its population).

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(the black line show the division between real cities and colonies, and the level of those colonies.)
 
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I am going to retire to my house on an island somewhere in a lost place without internet for the week-end, so don't expect updates before sunday evening. So if I don't write this week-end, its not because I abandoned this. :)

In the case than a person somewhere could be interested Im now on the Mississipi, and im about to enter the jungles of Yucatan too.(in-game)
 
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Plato said:
First of all they bridged over the circles of sea which surrounded the ancient metropolis, making thereby a road towards and from the royal palace. And they had built the palace at the very beginning where the settlement was first made by their God [Poseiden] and their ancestors; and as each king received it from his predecessor, he added to its adornment and did all he could to surpass the king before him, until finally they made of it an abode amazing to behold for the magnitude and beauty of its workmanship. For, beginning at the sea, they bored a channel right through to the outermost circle, which was three plethra in breadth, one hundred feet in depth, and fifty stades in length; and thus they made the entrance to it from the sea like that to a harbor by opening out a mouth large enough for the greatest ships to sail through. Moreover, through the circles of land, which divided those of sea, over against the bridges they opened out a channel leading from circle to circle, large enough to give passage to a single trireme; and this they roofed over above so that the sea-way was subterranean; for the lips of the landcircles were raised a sufficient height above the level of the sea. The greatest of the circles into which a boring was made for the sea was three stades in breadth, and the circle of land next to it was of equal breadth; and of the second pair of circles that of water was two stades in breadth and that of dry land equal again to the preceding one of water; and the circle which ran round the central island itself was of a stade's breadth. And this island, wherein stood the royal palace, was of five stades in diameter. Now the island and the circles and the bridge, which was a plethrum in breadth, they encompassed round about, on this side and on that, with a wall of stone; and upon the bridges on each side, over against the passages for the sea, they erected towers and gates. And the stone they quarried beneath the central island all round, and from beneath the outer and inner circles, some of it being white, some black and some red; and while quarrying it they constructed two inner docks, hollowed out and roofed over by the native rock. And of the buildings some they framed of one simple color, in others they wove a pattern of many colors by blending the stones for the sake of ornament so as to confer upon the buildings a natural charm. And they covered with brass, as though with plaster, all the circumference of the wall which surrounded the outermost circle; and that of the inner one they coated with tin; and that which encompassed the acropolis itself with orikhalkon (mountain-copper) which sparkled like fire.

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The construction of a major city on the entrance of the main river of the continent allowed colonists to reach the Great Plains. The agreements concluded with the Zapotecs opened opportunities to expend in the Yucatan. The descision was made to focus on the Northeast for now, but diplomats and emmisaries where send in the Yucatan.

It was well-known in Tenochtitlan than the Yucatan peninsula was the center of an advanced civilization, than was sharing many points with the Aztec culture. But the Mayan civilization, as it was called, was divided between dozens of rival city-states. All of them where in a constant struggle for the domination of the region but none has achieved supremacy yet. From the small Aztec settlement of Ta-Basco between Yucatan and the Zapotec lands several diplomats where send to conclude agreements with the Mayan city-states and eventually show them the adventage of an eventual integration in the growing Aztec Empire.


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After two years of diplomacy the envoys from emperor Itzcoatl managed to conclude alliances with the important cities of Tayasal and Tikal, and with about 25 cities of various size in the region. Protection was promised against the less friendly cities of the East and the barbarian tribes causing trouble in the jungle. This agreement however angered less friendly cities in the north wich reacted with the creation of their own alliance. Led by the important cities of Cichen Itza and Mayapan this league would quickly become openly hostile to the Aztecs wich where accused of being blasphemous toward the gods by having stoped to make sacrifices. On the other side, the cult of Quetzalcoatl 'the Civilizator' was becoming important in the Mayan cities of the south.


In 1440, the great emperor Itzcoatl died of unknow causes. He was simply found dead in his room a cold morning. When the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan where told this horrible news many citizens cried and showed signs of despair. Wich person other than their beloved emperor could lead them to their destiny? Who could continue to lead the nation according to his grand designs?

His nephew Moctezuma was designed by a council of nobles as the new emperor of the Aztec Empire. He was an able man, and promised, in his first speech over the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan, to keep the cult of Quetzalcoalt the only official cult according to Itzcoatl testament. He also promised to continue the colonization of the great northeastern plain and the diplomatic 'offensive' in the Yucatan. The scientific colony established at Teotihuacán would also be helped with the construction of a local university than Itzcoatl was planning to build but never had the chance to do it.


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Motecuhzoma I Ilhuicamina inherited a vast empire spanning from the heart of the continent in the north to the region of Tabasco in the south, wich included several protectorates such as the Zapotec Kingdom, many city-states of the region of Guatemala and a part of Yucatan and the officially 'free' cities around lake Texcoco.


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The Empire in 1440. Quick expension is however limitating communications, it takes months for somebody to reach the capital from the farthest cities.​
 
You need to go east and snap up the rich American coastal provinces. Also Altar is a gold province if you want it, although not that rich of one. Good work so far.
 
Here's a question for you, General: did you add in new colonial names for the Aztecs, or are all the cities New Jalisco, New Michoagan, and so forth?

Good update. Hope we'll see the Jaguars pushing into South America eventually. A LOT of empty space down there. :)