The Games Gods Play: A Macedonian AAR
The Kingdom of Macedonia, 474 AVC
Prologue
This was the place the gods called home, known to man as Mount Olympus though it lay on no mere mountain that could be found in lands of mortals, any more than Hades could be found beneath their feet. The Immortals are not bound by the petty tyrannies of earth such as you or I. Theirs is the land that dreams dwell, that ideas live and breathe.
The lands were the games of men are played.
The gaming table lies in the middle of a room of gold and marble. Around are gathered a host of men and women - or perhaps I should say beings that are to men and women as a child's cloth doll is to the works of Praxiteles. They are the gods of the Greek world and they are once again playing at their game. The stakes are higher than you can imagine, the pieces are not those found in any mortal room, but the nature of the game is familiar to any gambler. Even deities love to wager.
"A worthy fight Ares," said Apollo with a graceful bow to his defeated opponent. "Lysimachus was a fine follower."
"Not nearly fine enough," the war god roared angrily and left the group to stomp off somewhere and enjoy a long divine sulk. Apollo watched him go wearily. Some men (or deities) never knew to quit while they were ahead. Presumably he was off to pick another fight with Laran or Set. Apollo rather hoped not: the last such brawl (over one of the lesser Muses) had resulted in the eruption of Thera in the mortal world.
"New game?" he suggested to the gathered divinities.
Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite and Helios stepped forward. The god of the sea chose Carthage (so playing with his usual imagination then), the goddess of love went for Egypt (because her fondness for kohl) while the sun god plumped for the Seleucid Empire (after making a deeply unfunny 'joke' about the sun always rising in the east).
"You already made that joke," pointed out Athena rolling her grey eyes. "Remember when you backed Cyrus?"
The goddess of wisdom let out a long, world weary sigh that Apollo frankly found a touch too theatrical and ended up settling for Rome, a civilisation she felt had real potential.
"And you brother?" Athena asked Apollo.
"Macedonia," said Apollo favouring his sister goddess with his second best smile - the one that been known to cause mortal women (and some mortal men) to burst into flames just seeing it. All it elicited from Athena was a suspicious glance.
"Why Macedonia?"
"I have my reasons," answered the god of prophecy coolly.
The game began...
~~~~~
Hey all. Yes, this is yet another AAR - this one about Macedonia starting in 474 AVC and using the 1.3 patch.
I'm hoping to go for something like my EU III AAR Strange Shores, so if you liked that you might like this.