Author's
Description:
As always, the first priority was to feed
the immigrants. This meant importing food, and thus opening a trade route. It didn't take
long to realize there would be more profit in selling copper than mining gold, that copper
was needed for weapons, and that a palace cost more than than setting up the trade route.
So, my first mines were soon extracting copper from the western edge of the mountain spur.
The terrain lent itself to a four-lobed city plan. The second lobe went on the eastern
side of the mountain spur; my plans called for eventually installing a couple of gold
mines on the western side, and I wanted to keep the palace close to prevent gold mines
going idle waiting for their carts to return. The third lobe extended west and south; here
I finally built a hunting lodge, mostly to clear out the ostriches littering the streets.
The final lobe went south. My original intention was to create more ordinary cottages, but
suddenly one of my overseers was telling me that people were leaving Timna, tired of
slum-level living in such a wealthy city! No one did and maybe it was just confusion
caused by immigration being stalled by a just-finished battle. Nevertheless, the plan
changed to aim for common residences. The one bazaar in that lobe is fairly distant from
the sources of goods; it seemed to be holding up, but I was ready to move the juggling
school and add a second bazaar dedicted to beer and pottery, if the residences showed a
sign of devolving.
The center of the city is truly its heart, with the stateliness of the government
buildings (personal manor, palace, courthouse) and the throbbing liveliness of the
festival square and pavilions. I didn't do more than a modest amount of beautification,
since Timna, being a mining expedition, had a temporary feel to it. The image of an
abandoned city, its mines exhausted and plazas obscured by encroaching sands, had a
subduing influence. Then I learned in the next mission that Timna was still there after
200 years. Oh well.
Six companies of soldiers turned out to be total overkill, but they at least let me be
ready in a couple of different places at once. The Bedouin consistently showed up in
awkward places, right on the outskirts of Timna, leaving little space to maneuver.
Fortunately, they seemed more interested in fighting my army than destroying buildings.
Seth did half the work, striking some mauraders down.
The save file was made just after victory had been achieved. It's set to run another two
years. My family's name is Tahrqa.
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