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volksmarschall

Chasing Mountains, Brews, Books, and Byron
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Nov 29, 2008
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Welcome AARland. I’m volksmarschall, some of you know me, others perhaps not. So for those who don’t, hopefully we’ll get to know each other over the duration of this AAR. Stellaris, I think, has eclipsed the Victoria series, and Hearts of Iron II (and associated DLCs) as my favorite Paradox product. As such, I’ve been meaning and wanting to conduct a Stellaris AAR for some time.

Part of the fun of Stellaris is not just the simplicity of the UI and easy to learn mechanics, but all the fun in-game decisions, beginning choices as to how to craft a custom civilization, and the multiplies pre-loaded histories of the universe prior to 2200: First League, Irassian Concordat, Yuht Empire, and Cybrex, etc., are quite the joy to discovery and learn about. I hope, then, I can match the level of story for the readers of this AAR. For readers of Empire for Liberty, that AAR will be running concurrent with this AAR.

Without further ado, I present Stellaris: The Jeremiad.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

BOOK I: FALL OF AN EMPIRE
$. 1-8
$. 9-18
$. 19-27
$. 28-37
INDEX OF REFERENCES
BOOK II: REFUGE
$. 1-9
$. 10-18
$. 19-27
$. 28-35
$. 36-43
THE JOURNEY OF TANAT AND THE HURRIANS
(AFTER BOOKS I and II)
BOOK III: THE SPIRIT OF MEN
$. 1-8
 
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STELLARIS: THE JEREMIAD

PBB7aNy.jpg


BOOK I: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

Audio version of the first unit, listen to it in splendid voice!


SING to me, muses, tales of heroism and savagery
Of bravery and despair—sadness and triumph!
Sooth me in splendid voice, that tale we all know of journeying to the far light’s end;
A proud race forced outward to flee their home from madness and war
And to traverse the depths of the seas of space through trial, error, and tribulation
To found a new a home, destined to rule over the stars,
And bring the gods across far shores – the great battlements of heaven come to earth.
Hear, now, the songs, petitions, tribulations, and lamentations of great Tanat
Mother Queen and Priestess of us all, beset by iniquity and plague,
Heartbreak and war, to found that most holy city on Elysium’s blessed shore.

***

On the far moon of Dultauri, Tanat sat praying, offering up lamentations
And prayers for those deceased heroes on Patroggor’s westerly moon.
Sitting at the mouth of the Vitae River, a city home to Hurrian settlers;
Ishat, Queen of the gods, goddess of the stars, loved it, they say
Filled with a pious and warlike peoples trained in devotion and war.
Poor Sol, and even later Elysium, second and third best—far removed from her sight.
Here Ishat kept her armor, her weapons, and her mighty chariot of the sky
As she planned, and intended, that the whole of the universe would bow to them
But only if the fates were willing. For it was not long until another race of beings
Would come sailing forth, bringing death and destruction to all those they subdued.


For what, you ask, could have caused the Queen of light and fire, of heaven itself,
To be so aggrieved to bring forth the collapse of a great empire
And force to flee, into the outer depths of the dark seas surrounding the stars
A woman so devoted, strong, and pious who had never once
Failed to honor the desires and demands of the immortal’s heart?
For in her rage, she burdened her to bear such hardship and rounds of trial
And slaying so many, the downfall and shattering of an imperial race.


Ishat’s fury rose, enflamed by the arrogance of the six-armed overseers
An impious, ultimately weak and fleeting race—who,
In their seizure of her favorite land, eastward across Deneb’s light,
The blue shores and fertile lands that flowed milk and honey
And enslaving the children of Tanat, caused the burning flame of the goddess
To blot out the sun, the dark storms of madness and pestilence soon flooded forth.
In her fit of rage, a plague was unleashed on a faraway moon that swept through the homes
On the far shore of the moon of Uproth; the lands dried up,
The people stricken by the retribution From divinity itself:
Pestilence, famine, war, and death rode in uninvited and took quarter.


“BEHOLD!” cried Ishat in a thunderous voice, her eyes enflamed with anger
Mouth seething at the brim, as if fangs were emerging from her teeth, gnawing in fury,
“The power of she who controls the source of life, the very light of the stars
That you depend upon for your life, power, and success—the true source of your empires
For now it is your bashful and intrepid arrogance that will be your downfall.
How dare thee take from me that which I own and love—”
And so Ishat struck forth onto Uproth a dark spell in covering up the sun that soon
Ravaged the planet; millions perished, falling to the pestilence of plague and madness

***

But, in the midst of Ishat’s furious indignation, Tanat pleaded with her—
The vexation of Ishat, that deadly rage that loosed over the moons,
Stars, and seas, struck forth indiscriminately striking down all in its path.
“Blessed Mother of the Stars,” wept Tanat, “I sing you songs of mourning, and of praise,
Begging thee to relent your fury, and grant me thy gift of serenity and life.”
It was to no avail. Ishat, overcome with her wrath—did not even hear
Her most dedicated priestess and follower. Nothing, it seemed, could save the universe.
Then, while overcome with grief, giving lamentations to the goddess,
Tanat drifted into a deep sleep, spellbound by Aegina, sister of Ishat.


wz80iym.png

Deep asleep, Tanat dreamt of walking toward a blinding light that was
Crying out her name; she came forth—exclaiming, “Oh hear my cries oh muse,
Run, and take my petitions to Ishat, and beg thee from upon my behalf
To end our suffering, bring solace to the dead and dying, and grant life and light again.”
The devouring flame, shining so brilliantly to the point of blinding poor Tanat,
Who reaching out with her hand, covering her eyes whilst being drawn
To the sweet and pleasant voice within, beckoning her as the seductive songs of muses do.
“I shall sing songs of praise of you to my sister, indeed, but I must tell thee, woman,
Death is coming, the flaming fire to engulf those undeserving of life,
You must flee from here. Take your belongings, your children, your countrymen,
All whom you can trust, for today I set before you the ways of life and death—choose life.”


And with that Tanat awoke—looking outside of her temple and seeing a large ship aflame
Crashing down toward the earth, breaking apart and disintegrating upon impact
A large wall of dust, debris, and flame shooting forth; the sound of the screaming and dying
Penetrated into the walls and tabernacle of the most sacred temple, just as soon, vanished.
The storm outside, crashing and thundering down like one had never heard before
Raining death and destruction, swinging violently side to side, darkness abounded
The gust of the winds, churning and twisting causing shouts and screams of the people
A mountain of dust and flame, rushing through like a surging and swirling tornado
Rocking the foundations of the homes, buildings, and nature itself
Turning all into an ash of sand, the ravenous and whirling fire
Devouring all in its path, breaking beams and columns left and right all around
Caused day to disappear from sight, with dark thunder crashing down
And blazing across the heavens—death everywhere, everyone facing instant death.
 
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Oooh, a volksmarschall Stellaris AAR! How exciting! I normally struggle reading Stellaris AARs for reasons unknown (which is worrisome, as I plan to write one eventually), so I'll be paying close attention.
 
That's one intriguing start! Quite in another leage than my meagre efforts in my AAR.:p Looking forward to see where this goes.
 
I read the first three words - and a smile grew on my face which still lingers. Those three words - what a way to start. Knowing you, I know they are carefully chosen.

I cannot work out which word would have had pride of place in Ionian Greek - tales, heroism, or savagery. I feel this is vitally important information to future understanding of this AAR! :D

Addendum: I should add that I love the title "The Jeremiad" as well. Linking "Sing Muse" and "Jeremiad" makes me rather envious I didn't think of the idea first.
 
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Oooh, a volksmarschall Stellaris AAR! How exciting! I normally struggle reading Stellaris AARs for reasons unknown (which is worrisome, as I plan to write one eventually), so I'll be paying close attention.

Admittedly, even though Stellaris has become my favorite game, I'm not as active in the Stellaris AAR section as I am in Victoria, EU, or CK even; though there are a handful of very wonderful and nice AARs in this side of the forum. It's just a little harder given the novelty of the time period the game is set, I think. (Well, it is for me, at least - especially given my own preferences and style.)

That's one intriguing start! Quite in another leage than my meagre efforts in my AAR.:p Looking forward to see where this goes.

I suppose this is the beauty of different styles and AAR types, no? ;) Well, I suppose this will equally be an experiment in AAR style and type too, though I suppose it will loosely fit the "narrative" category.

I read the first three words - and a smile grew on my face which still lingers. Those three words - what a way to start. Knowing you, I know they are carefully chosen.

I cannot work out which word would have had pride of place in Ionian Greek - tales, heroism, or savagery. I feel this is vitally important information to future understanding of this AAR! :D

Addendum: I should add that I love the title "The Jeremiad" as well. Linking "Sing Muse" and "Jeremiad" makes me rather envious I didn't think of the idea first.

Thanks for the very kind words, and I'm not surprised you're the first to comment on the smashing and deliberate homage to a couple of our friends. How could I not, given a certain similarity, not pass up the opportunity to honor two of my heroes in Limbo with a token of appreciation and reflection upon my behalf. Stellaris is the only game to turn AAR where I can think, in vanity, to borrow from them, while bowing to them at the same time. ;)

And your knowledge of the classics will suit and serve you well. Admittedly, I wasn't sure if I wanted the title "Jeremiad" just for the purposes of something possibly more "user friendly" :p but couldn't pass it up for literary purposes. I thought it was too precious not to use in the end. And I'm glad someone else agrees because I had an alternative title I thought of using but one which had no literary parallel to the craft itself.

I have to admit that this is the first AAR of any game (that I'm aware of) that attempts to render the story in classical epic verse. That alone has piqued my interest :)

But does it surprise you that I would be the person who thought that rendering an AAR in epic verse would be a good idea? :p Look at this as my "historicity" foundation in a world that really has no historicity to serve as a guiding foundation. Though, I've wanted to do this since Stellaris came out, to be honest since the opportunity knocking just calls for it.

so the title implies a defeated AAR? intriguing

The title just implies a long list of woes and lamentations. As the story unfolds, and as @stnylan has already picked up on, the title will become more and more apparent. ;)

Subbbeeeed!

Great to see you star side Khaine, though I don't think you'll learn any neat historical tidbits in this AAR as in Empire for Liberty; but hopefully a fun, engaging, and entertaining ride all the same! :)
 
This AAR does remind me of the Poetic AAR of the Septinsular Republic in Vicky 2, did you get inspiration from that or just also had the idea of doing an AAR in a non-prose format? (Although saying that does the Illiad etc count as Prose despite its form, I really should know as a middling English Literature student.)
 
This AAR does remind me of the Poetic AAR of the Septinsular Republic in Vicky 2, did you get inspiration from that or just also had the idea of doing an AAR in a non-prose format? (Although saying that does the Illiad etc count as Prose despite its form, I really should know as a middling English Literature student.)

I've wanted to do something like this since Stellaris came out, since I thought it was an opportunity given the vaguely similar storyline possibilities. The Greek and Latin classical epics are not in prose, though some English translations are rendering them in prose. Hogwash and Heresy! If you can't read them in the original (Virgil's Aeneid is the most remarkable piece of Latin literature ever crafted if you can read Latin), read the Robert Fagles translations of Homer and Virgil since they are exceptional and, all the reviewers of his crafts are right when they say Fagles will have created the English translations of the century. Reading Homer and Virgil in prose just highlights the intellectual philistinism of contemporary Western culture. :p

Though, to be fair, there's a lot of other old history, mythogony, and Near Eastern mythology that will be deeply embedded at every level of this. I made the in-game civilization that way on purpose. You can look at it as a game within a game. ;)
 
I've wanted to do something like this since Stellaris came out, since I thought it was an opportunity given the vaguely similar storyline possibilities. The Greek and Latin classical epics are not in prose, though some English translations are rendering them in prose. Hogwash and Heresy! If you can't read them in the original (Virgil's Aeneid is the most remarkable piece of Latin literature ever crafted if you can read Latin), read the Robert Fagles translations of Homer and Virgil since they are exceptional and, all the reviewers of his crafts are right when they say Fagles will have created the English translations of the century. Reading Homer and Virgil in prose just highlights the intellectual philistinism of contemporary Western culture. :p

Though, to be fair, there's a lot of other old history, mythogony, and Near Eastern mythology that will be deeply embedded at every level of this. I made the in-game civilization that way on purpose. You can look at it as a game within a game. ;)

Well even if that wasn't your inspiration I do have to recommend it as a guide if nothing else:

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ing-a-septinsular-song-ionian-islands.551668/
 
STELLARIS: THE JEREMIAD

PBB7aNy.jpg


BOOK I: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

Audio recording of the second unit of Book I, read along with it!


At once Tanat, limp and paralyzed with fear, eyes fixated at the fire raging before her
Groaned, and cried out, “Once, twice, nay, thrice blessed, Oh Ishat – goddess of life and light,
Spare me, and your people, in your mercy, and I shall give onto you all my heart and body
If only you grant me the moment to see your light again!”
And with the east wind sweeping into the streets, advancing the blazing fire
Tanat leapt to her feet, fixing her white linen dress, gazing out upon
The scattering masses seeking refuge from the chaos and fire, like rodents fleeing
At the first crack of the light of day, moving in inarticulate patterns, flight, in all direction.


From above another ship was plummeting down to earth. Ablaze, smoke billowing out.
Tanat swept up her belongings: a small statue of Ishat, a bag with additional dress,
Her golden and enchanted dagger too, a gift from the last High Priestess, Asherah,
“As the new High Priestess, I entrust this most holy and sacred item to you—
For as long as it is in the hands of a priestess of Ishat our people have a future.”
Tanat rushed to the temple doors, thrusting the golden doors open
She implored those rushing to the temple doors to flee with her to the dockyard.
Alas, it was to no avail. Her fellow countrymen, despondent, replied to her in fear,
“By the fury of the divines, you mustn’t leave us. To the altar, to the altar!
Prayers and petitions we must present for our salvation! For if we run to the docks
We shall not live. The Irassians keep the blockade and will slay all who attempt to flee.”

2a5Lbzn.jpg


But in her final throes, Tanat, deeply attached to her countrymen implored again,
Recanting to them, her tale, her dream, that the sister of Ishat had told her to escape
And to save as many as possible: men, women, and children,
To find a new home, never again to be enslaved to another master
But to be masters of their own, their own destiny –
To etch their names into the eternity of the stars and heavens.

***

Monak Tor, that great soldier and ancient champion of the Hurrian people stepped forth,
“Great Tanat,” he began, “Is this the reward for our impiety, and of our defeats?
What sin hath we committed to deserve this punishment? First the Irassians,
And now the fire and pestilence of Ishat. Surely we have failed to be true to the gods?
It now seems, indeed, been better to die on the far moons of Patroggor
With our friends and heroes, now names eternal as they rest in oblivion with Mormo.”
Rald Tor, still headless having been decapitated by Chief Obr-Zur;
And our once great king, Fon Tor, still crushed beneath the base of the Saathid Temple
He had destroyed with his own hands upon hearing the news of the death of his son,
Immortalized forever in song and prayer, glory in death their ballad won.


“For it seems” Monak Tor continued to lament, “that we shall soon join them but without all
The honors of great, glorious, and noble deaths; we, to die in comparison, with ignominy.”
From above, a second cruiser thundered into the earth,
Shattering its bow and breaking in two as it crashed into the ground
Like the previous ship before it, coughing up a mighty fire wall of dust,
A consuming flame thrusting forth like the wind—incinerating all in its path.


In the streets, Ishat swept up the Irassian overseer, lifting and tossing him into
The whirlwind and spitting him out and impaling him on a crag,
“I must now wage war against a single mammalian race, year after year
For your iniquity, for your biding to destroy my beloved people. But who—
Then, I fear, shall lay down wreaths and petitions upon my altar?
Who shall honor my awesome power, if, in this my own rage—devours my
Most precious devotees and followers? The very people I have clutched in my hand
And nurtured, nurtured from first breath to final gasp of air, final breath of lung?
Who, who shall sing me my soothing songs of praise, of serenity, to be put asleep?”


With such anger seething in her fiery heart, the goddess could not control her wrath,
For as she wiped out the slave-driving masters of the Hurrian people
She too, came to spill the blood of her own; Dultauri, long the home
Of Ishat’s beloved children, homes now fallen, and swallowed up in the whirling
Storms of destruction, winds of fire gusting and howling in full force
Unshackled and unleashed, booming with the most terrible rage; tempered not
By Ishat’s binding commands — nor even controlled by her sisters.
A full and unrelenting force of power, the Irassians, now, would know her dominion
Even if it came at the cost of Hurria, her beloved city, which—since the days of Irassian
Conquest, had destroyed her altars and shrines, save for the High Temple,
She had now denied them the honor of pillaging by destroying it herself.

***

Tanat, convinced that no petition or prayer could save the Hurrian people
Answered, “Those who stay shall die, but those who join with me, with the
Holy covenant of Ishat, shall make safe passage to Elysium’s shores.”
But where, precisely, is this place Elysium? It had always been the rumors of ear
And of gossip, a place all believed to be too good to be true, a story of madmen and women.
It was safe to presume, as most did, that Tanat had reneged her filial and pious duties.


The majority of the Hurrian people, gathered at the mount of the Temple entrance
Heeded her warnings not, and rushed beyond her, screaming and waving in pitched voice
Entering the Temple sanctuary, weeping and shouting, placing alms up on the altar
Prostrating on ground for their deliverance, having rejected, right before them,
Their deliverer chosen by Ishat herself, Tanat—destined to bring Ishat’s flame
Across many moons and stars, if the decree of fate be aided by heaven’s command.


But not all, no, not all pushed forth into the Temple.
Monak Tor, that young prince and great warrior of the Tor Family,
Thousands more beneath Tanat’s feet, and the young royal priestess, in this moment
With the fate of the great Hurrian people hanging in the balance,
Swirling like paper in the wind had to calm her countrymen,
Leading them out of their once most sacred ground, to the forbidden dockyard
To begin their journey, through the far depths of the skies, across the blinding
Light of a thousand and one stars, to brave the storms of deep space
The insidious monsters and a whole host of foreign and militant races all waiting
For the young priestess, the Hurrian people, to challenge the protective winds of Tehom
To prevent the new light of Ishat from shining forth in the darkness, and try to
Challenge the decree of Fate, of Destiny, and challenge the order of the stars itself.
 
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I am reminded of the joke about a good man praying to God to save him from a flood, and being visited by three rescuers and not recognising each was sent by God.

Also more seriously elements of Noah/Utnapishtim I feel. And echoes of Atlantis. Perhaps also a hint of "Blood, Tears, Toil and Sweat". Great disasters are only averted through great works.
 
I am reminded of the joke about a good man praying to God to save him from a flood, and being visited by three rescuers and not recognising each was sent by God.

Also more seriously elements of Noah/Utnapishtim I feel. And echoes of Atlantis. Perhaps also a hint of "Blood, Tears, Toil and Sweat". Great disasters are only averted through great works.

That's quite humorous and deeply relevant given the context of the update. Of course, I suppose you will have fun playing the 'game within the game' of what is being leaned on in the crafting of the 'epic,' although, you are already well-aware of the basic roots since you yourself worked with a lot of the material for your own degrees. Although no plants are going to be found in the river only to be lost from possession to end our tale I can promise you that! :p
 
Always, it seems, the gods allow the great majority to be consumed by fire and plague in their anger -- yet again, always it seems there is a remnant preserved, a seed that, planted in fertile ground, may flourish anew.
 
Always, it seems, the gods allow the great majority to be consumed by fire and plague in their anger -- yet again, always it seems there is a remnant preserved, a seed that, planted in fertile ground, may flourish anew.

I would say my favorite is the shepherd pulling from lion's jaw, only leg and ear. Put's things in appropriate perspective I think.
 
STELLARIS: THE JEREMIAD

PBB7aNy.jpg


BOOK I: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

Audio recording, listen to the classic as it is meant to be!

In the rumbling and swirling fires rushes forth Tanat
Braving fire, wind, and catastrophe all around, inside the cloud of chaos
Assuming that look of hope, confidence, to bury her broken
And anguished heart, to give courage to her countrymen following her.
Men, women, children, girded themselves behind her for the marathon to come
Running through the cauldron of fire and death, quivering
Yet pressing forward in renewed strength, bypassing the dead and dying around them.
All except for Oran Vis, who was chosen by Tehom to have
The protective wind of courage and safety leave him, stumbled upon rubble
And falling in the streets behind, lost to the chaos of the storm, consumed by Ishat’s rage.


Inside the falling city, cauldron steaming and aflame, Tanat turned to Monak
To cede her stewardship to his, as she would turn to her home to save her beloved
Daughter—Anat—and to reclaim the many gifts and trophies passed onto her
From her parents, and their parents, the ancestral lineage and history, all bound
Generation to generation, telling the story of a family, but also of a people.
But in the throes of storm and fire, smoke and despair, Tanat grew faint,
Blinded by the fire and smoke, of Ishat’s consuming rage, falling onto her knees
Gasping for breath of air, stretching out her arms as if to find her way.


Then, as Tanat faded, a spirit descended, heaven blessed and beautiful
In the smoke and churning ashes, a soldier—Tehom manifested—appeared.
The soldier reached down and helped Tanat up to her feet to recover
And leading her through the chocking and consumer fire, to the steps of her home.
Tehom, then, left her be; departing, sent forth onto her a gentle and pleasant wind
That awoke Tanat. Her eyes, opened, by the decree of fate, beside her house.
Inside her daughter trembled and hid, and Tanat entered, braving her own fear
To search inside, calling out for her daughter, “Anat! Anat!” She cried
As a whaling and nervous mother would. From the steps above Anat came rushing down.
Tanat, in her strength, told her daughter to help gather the family icons:
Wood, stone, and metallic carvings, the final reminders of six or seven generations past.


With images and icons of the gods strapped to her waist, and the gifts passed onto
Her by her father and mother, all memories of her life once lived,
Remembering that most sacred tenet: “Honor bound stay, to thy parents and thy gods,”
And her small daughter atop her shoulder, clinging to her mother for life –
Just as Tanat brought her into the world, Anat clung to her for protection,
Heart pounding, indeed, racing, like a chariot streaming across the sky,
Tanat left her home before the fires, raging, would engulf everything that remained.

uW9sWAW.png


Looking left and right, spurred on by Tehom’s wind, Tanat rushed out.
At once, dear stranger, I tell you, a paralyzing fear grips the crowd,
Indeed, the entire city. All around one can hear the cries of the dying,
The prayers of the pious – yet, as to no avail to them. It was the decree that Ishat
Had demanded, the ruination of her own city, the salvation of only those
Grafted onto Tehom’s winds, all as Tesup slept, turning blind eye to the
Uncontrollable fury of his sister, though, not to his own despair when he would awaken.

***

Tesup, grumbling, awoke from his royal chamber only to be informed by his cherubim
That his sister—the Queen of the stars—had released her indignation upon the stars.
Tehom, alone, could not hold her back, though she had done her job to keep
Those names written in the Scroll of Destiny alive and protected from Ishat’s violence.
Tesup, lifting his head and eyes, serene in power, gazing out across the stars and his realm
He sees Hurria burning, the Irassian ships, scattered across the depths of the starry seas
Fleeing and burning, crashing and firing, moving in confused and uncontrollable patterns
All overwhelmed by the wild crashing skies, thunder and lightning, winds ruffling about;
Nor did he fail to see his sister Ishat’s cunning wrath at work.


He takes in his hand, calming the west and east winds, directing them into orderly pattern,
“WHAT INSOLENCE!” the King of the stars exclaims in loud voice, “how dare you
Ruffle and rumble about, uncontrolled, endangering the very patterns of the moons
Without my blessing! What, dear sister, have I done to aggrieve you so much, so as
To usurp my authority given to me by the lot of Destiny itself?! Is it that you, in your
Passion, have chosen a land, and a people – so attached to your ample bosom – but, that
They are a disappointing race and, in their failure and subjugation, you unleashed this flood
That now makes the heavens and earths a burning chaos to express your anger?
Have you forgotten, sister, that while they sing songs of praise to you that it is I who command
The heavens and the moons, the patterns upon which rock and water move,
Seamlessly, like a waltzing dance? What I won’t do to you … But first I must calm to rest
This flood you hath unleashed. Let me warn you the next time you command my lot
That I shall bark down upon you more than just a scolding! Be gone, woman from my
Lofted sight before I become so enraged I do something that you and I shall both regret!”


And with that Tesup began to reign in the winds with the help of Tehom,
The calmness helped to steady the ships in orbit around moon and star.
But Hurria, once great and mighty Hurria, at first conquered by Irassia
Now shackled to the fires of Ishat lay burning, in ruination, engulfed flame
Growing ever higher and brighter. Back, back, on the burning streets, stone and steel
Cracking, anguished voices echoing down through the roads and skies,
When, out of a blue moon – an omen, a sign, gifted by heaven beyond, a marvel!
Tanat lifts her head, eyes wide; a gust of blue wind wrestles the holy fire
Smothering it with strength and power, striking it, damping it to pave free a pathway.


At once, as if granted by breath of Tehom, Ishat relented in her furious blight.
Tanat, here, puts in with countrymen, the dockyard, at once the symbol of
Hurrian pride and might, transformed into the center of their subjugation and control;
The Irassians commanded its control, a symbol of their power, now being battered down
By the rage of Ishat. It is here, blessed, and decreed by Fate herself, a fleet of ships
Amidst this burning planet, and here, moreover, the instruments of salvation
Of the Hurrian people was preserved by the winds and sands of time, to lift up a people
Into the heavens, and to race across moon and star. The rage of Ishat, burning,
Burning furiously, like the rage of the night, darkness overwhelmed in fire,
But not for much longer.
 
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I read this one out aloud - and I recommend others do so. I have not quite worked out an appropriate cadence or meter, but I think one gets more from declamation than reading. Which is appropriate if one thinks about it for more than a half-second.

I am reminded more than a little of Zeus' tirade in the Iliad, which should be no surprise.

Still smiling.
 
A tale of gods, heroes, and aeons passing, empires falling and leaving behind:
Precursor ruins, riddled with history and shrouded in myth.
This I shall have to subscribe to, and follow as it unfolds.