The Eternal Exile: A Nation Hopping AAR

[morningSIDEr]

Very interesting to see your plans for the updates, Talena's time in both England and Austria looks as if it would have made for a very engrossing read (frankly, these updates have proven a very good read themselves). Thus both interesting, and as Chris has stated, a bit disappointing that there is no narrative for this part but it is still good that you have shown how things would have been handled. Regardless, these non-narrative parts have further whetted my appetite, I look forward to when the narration returns after this next update!

[Ashantai]

Thank you!

Here is the final part, the great war with the Ottomans. I tell you, this war was a major thrill. It was touch and go for a while, but I won some crucial victories, and was finally victorious.

Section 2b – Austria

And then of course…the Ottomans attacked. Remember the Ottomans I played? Well, they actually did really well. Out of all the nations I played them and France were the only really successful ones.





At first I was thrown off balance, but in this war I was helped by the fact that the AI had not prepared, so most of its armies were still in Asia. This gave me time to drive them out of my lands, then take their vassals and push into their lands.

Lots of battles, and at one stage I lost an army of 20,000, but I rebuilt and drove them back.





This would have been a really nice part to write. Talena retaking Constantinople and going to visit where Zoë died. I might do this as a flashback.





These two battles sealed it. I didn’t have a fleet that could hold the straights, so I couldn’t cross over, but in the end I didn’t need to.



My biggest victory ever in terms of prestige!



And I edited Byzantium to be Orthodox, and I saw great things for them. Sadly I couldn’t let them have Constantinople back….

And that’s it. Now back to the narrative!

[Boris ze Spider]

Yay narrative.

[blsteen]

Yay narrative.

Yay, time to let some heads roll

[Chicken]

Excellent work! I agree, there needs to be a flashback about the retaking of Constantinople if you can work it into the narrative.

[Dewirix]

What might have been! The Austrian-Ottoman war looked to be epic and retaken Constantinople would certainly have been poignant.

Nevertheless, I'm glad to see you're back in the game. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.

[Sather]

Excellent work! I agree, there needs to be a flashback about the retaking of Constantinople if you can work it into the narrative.

Totally agree, we need this epic moment in a narration.


For now I am really eager to see what will happen to Talena next.

[Ashantai]

OK, the first 3 updates are written!

I'm just gathering pics and stuff to put in them. I hope you guys like it.

[Sather]

You really know how to tease us.

[morningSIDEr]

The war between Austria and the Ottomans truly does appear epic. I think including a flashback of the taking of Constantinople a stupendous idea. I await the next update with anticipation.

[Ashantai]

Chapter 1 – The New World

Water.

Fire.

Pain.

Darkness.

The Water Dragon died in flames. The smoking, burning wreck sunk into the storm lashed waters, dragging down crew and cargo to their doom.



The tides of time closed over the rift, the hole in time that was Talena Mazari. And as she sunk into the stormy waters, her body torn and shattered by the blast, darkness closed over her. Even her miraculous healing abilities could not keep up with such a terrible assault, especially as a piece of explosive casing had lodged in her chest.

Down, down into the darkness of the sea she passed. Every second dying, but never quite perishing, some immutable spark sustaining her life no matter the strain her body sustained. Around her the world changed. The paradox of her travelling back in time had now lost its creator, and history rejoined its old path once more.

Empires rose and fell, many who had lived and died now never existed. The Empress Zoë, the fearsome Bayezid II, Great Rama and Tyrannical Tianshun. All gone. Consigned to a history that never happened, lost in the tides of time. Though Talena was not dead the continual paradoxes she created were muted under the sea.

Storm currents and waves took the body, washing it across countless miles of ocean. Prey for creatures of the sea Talena floated for almost two years before a final storm brought her to the shores of the Americas.



For Talena to be washed up on the shore was in itself a stroke of luck. Easily she could have been swept on eternally, to be dragged under and finally lost. However it seemed that fate had a purpose for her yet….

8/4/1532

Talena Mazari gasped.

At first it was muted, and she coughed, vomiting the sea water that filled her onto the sand. She opened her eyes and stared almost blindly at the bright dawn over the beach which to her was just a blur. With glacial slowness she begun the move. First a finger twitched, finally her hand begun to return to life. Wounds torn and never healed begun to repair, her eyes cleared as the healing finally restored her sight.



Slowly she pushed herself up a few inches and slumped again. She was simply too weak to get up, and so time passed until finally she pushed herself to her knees and looked around. She was alone on the beach, and there was no one around. No settlements, no sign of civilisation.
As to where she was, she realised she could be anywhere. She assumed it was Japan, since that was where she was near, but it was impossible to tell.
Her clothes were in tatters, her personal effects were gone, and she had no shoes. All she had were the few rags not torn by the sea and herself. Looking down into the water she saw herself reflected, thinking she looked more like a hag then a human.

Staggering to her feet she swayed, but did not fall. She was hungry and terribly thirsty. She needed water, even if it would not kill her. Staggering, she chose a random direction and set off south.

As it turned out she chose the right way.



OOC: This part of the story will be more focused on characters, the 'real' history of our world and Talena's reactions rather then a straight gameplay narrative. I hope you enjoy this, as I wanted to change my style. As this will be more historical I will try and keep things as historical as possible, but I will make minor deviations where necessary. Criticism, comments and reviews are always welcome!

[Boris ze Spider]

Yes, update, just as good as i expected it to be.

[blsteen]

Yeah, time for some wandering

[Chicken]

Fantastic, good to have Talena back in action!

[Aliasing]

If she could head to the reformed Byz that would probably be an interesting arc

[Dewirix]

Talena's back in the game. Due to my being a rather sad individual I took a look at the Pacific currents and it does indeed appear plausible that Talena could drift from Japan to California:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Co...-oceanicas.gif

Not sure how long that would actually take, but time's not really a factor in this case is it? Does the reknitting of the timeline imply that Talena's allies and antagonists are also gone, or will they be making further appearances?

[morningSIDEr]

Interesting stuff. She may perhaps be half-dead, in need of water, food, clothes and rest but something tells me she'll be back to her normal self and kicking backsides shortly! As for the more historical slant you are planning, it sounds a good idea, I look forward to seeing how this change will work.

[Sather]

More historical approach? So it won't have much to do with the game you play?

[Chicken]

She may perhaps be half-dead, in need of water, food, clothes and rest but something tells me she'll be back to her normal self and kicking backsides shortly!

I think she can do without them.

/Pervert

[Ashantai]

500 posts for the AAR!

Boris: Glad you liked it!
blsteen: Indeed!
Chicken: Thanks!
Aliasing: I agree, but sadly that timeline is now dead. It'll come back in a vision though.
Dewirix: That's the same map I looked at! I needed to get her back into things, and this seemed the best way. I estimated that it'd take between 2-3 years, and happily that coincided with my next plot event!
morningSIDEr: We shall see! If it doesn't work out I can just change back to my old method. I didn't want things getting too out of whack with reality though. After all, she needs to be born in order to ever go back!
Sather: No, I'm not actually playing for this part, but using it for pictures etc. We'll see how it goes.
Chicken: LOL! I had considered this.

Chapter 2 – The Conquistador

9/4/1532

Talena was jolted from her uncomfortable slumber under a tree by a sound. Getting to a half prone position she crawled to the edge of a sand dune and peered through the morning light.
A horseman was picking his way over the ground. The man himself was tall and dark haired, handsome in a way, and dressed in armour and sword. More importantly Talena realised that he was a European, a Latin of some sort. His arms and armour reminded her vaguely of something…something so long ago that it couldn’t even begin to be coherent in her mind.



Talena wasn’t thinking straight, but the sight of someone, anyone in this wasteland filled her with joy. She burst from the dunes and staggered towards the man.
Instantly he saw her, and obviously thinking her an enemy drew his sword. But then he stopped, blade held, and stared. It clearly was not in his expectations to see a half naked European looking woman emerging from the dunes of a wasteland far from civilisation.
He called to her, still wary.
Talena collapsed to her knees, looking up. The words he spoke were…familiar. So many years…decades, over a century she realised. Now the renewed impetus to remember made her remember a few words of the old Castilian language she had used so long ago.
The man sheathed his sword and dismounted, looking down on her with deep confusion. “What is your name?”
“Talena…my name is Talena Mazari,” she replied in what must have sounded truly archaic Spanish to the man.
“I am Rodrigo Sanchez…Count of Albura. How is it you are here?” He spoke slowly, and most of the meaning between them could only be guessed.
“I…got shipwrecked,” Talena said, pointing vaguely at the sea.
Rodrigo looked down at her matted and dirty hair, her torn clothes and vague look. There was certainly no reason to doubt her.
“Come, Talena. You will return with me to camp. You must tell me more about what happened. Here, take this.” He offered a waterskin, and then a blanket for her. “Now mount up, you may ride behind me.”
Talena gulped down the water greedily and pulled herself up behind him, pressing herself close to his armoured back. In seconds she had dozed off again.

She was awoken by hands lifting her down from the horse. For a moment she flailed, but reassuring people helped her, and carried her to a tent. There two people knelt down beside her; a Spanish woman and a priest in the robes of a Dominican friar.
Rodrigo entered the tent, now divested of his armour and spurs. “I found this woman in the dunes not five miles from here. She says she was shipwrecked, and I believe it. Though she seems in fine health otherwise.”
“I will find clothes for her. Maria will have a spare dress she can use,” the woman said. She laid a blanket over Talena to cover her, and adjusted her pillows.
“Truly an astonishing find. God has blessed her…and you, Lord.” The priest kissed his rosary and stood. “I will see to her receiving some food. She looks hungry.” He adjusted the blanket and rested her more comfortably.
“Thank you, Father,” Rodrigo said. “Isabella, my dear, let you maid tend to her. Later when she is clothed you may speak to her again.” He reached down and smoothed some of Talena’s hair from her face before reordering the pillows more comfortably.
“Of course. Excuse me, Talena.”
Talena waved a hand vaguely. Despite her supernatural healing powers she was still no more certain where she was, who these people were, or even what year it was!



Her musings were interrupted by the arrival of a maid, clearly identified by her rougher clothing. This was clearly Maria. For a moment though the woman just stared curiously at Talena.
“Yes?” Talena asked, not unkindly.
“Sorry, Lady. I…I was just surprised by what you looked like,” Maria said.
“Oh yes. I could really do with some clothes, food. Maria, yes?” The language was slowly coming back, though it was probably garbled, and by the looks of it Maria barely understood her.
However, the maid caught the general gist, and brought a bucket of brackish water, a cloth and a plate of bread, cheese and salted meat. Also there were some dresses and shoes of the same sort the maid wore.
“I will be back soon, Lady,” Maria said. As she left she pulled the tent closed.

Talena was left to wash, dress and eat in private, and to reflect on her new situation. She had many questions she wanted answered, but with her limited grasp of the language she would struggle to understand or be understood….

However as she lifted the dress from the bed she caught sight of something odd. There, just visible under the pillow was something artificial, not like the cloth of the sheet or the stuffed straw of the mattress.
She picked it up. It was a translator. Someone had clearly put it there. Someone with a knowledge both of who she was, and where she came from. She tucked it into her ear, and instantly the jabber outside became understandable. The day kept getting better and better….