Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the two-fer Swaeft! And I am glad to hear that Far'am is proving interesting. I wasn't sure at first about all of the new characters/sub-plots that came in at the beginning of chapter 4, but they are necessary, and it's nice to see they are also appreciated!
Yeah, there are similarities between them, but also stark differences that will become more clear when Mun'at and his band finally get to Saba' lands. In particular, their respective views on power are very different (as evidenced in this last update), and that will likely lead to later issues.
This is a tricky bit. Normally, what you are saying would be correct, especially the further south they go, as the "Greek threat" is less apparent there. However, the Nabati control the head of the overland incense trade routes from southern Arabia, so their word will hold extra weight. The gold from Yathrib is also an important factor here too. And finally, the previous actions of Mun'at's army outside Yathrib will have made them somewhat famous, more likely to be trusted, and also somewhat feared. I guess the main point is that you are right that this is something unlikely, and something that is abnormal, but the previous events make it more than possible. In a land where so much of the wealth flows from trade over massive distances with no garrisons or protections, the brutal policing actions of Mun'at's forces would be very well received by all, and make them a force to be treated with respect and (cautious) admiration.
A lot of this was inspired by T. E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. In that Lawrence is fighting for the Arabs, helping to lead them to a free and independent state, but as an English officer he knows that his loyalties are not ultimately to them, but to the crown, and he recognizes that some of what he tells them will be flatly contravened by higher-ups in the English command. This makes him feel a fraud even though he is acting as honestly as he can, and it is a sentiment I thought would fit well here. At any rate, if you want to see mysource for stealing materialgeneral inspiration for much of what goes on in here, check out his book! It is awesome in so many ways! To the larger points on lies and truth, I could also talk at (far too much) length, and so I'll also stop myself. But the topics are super interesting, and I'm glad to hear the update got you thinking about such things.
Derc, I have to say I am super glad you've liked it so far! I really had no idea what your reaction would be given how image-heavy your AAR is, cause I thought the lack in mine might have been a turn-off. I am really happy you have enjoyed it without pics though!
Also, it's cool to me you cracked open EBII to check out the mod/setting. I did indeed take much of the basics from there, but some things I changed in turn one. The biggest thing was that I used console commands to tweak some traits, mainly to make Mun'at more loyal, and to give him a couple cool ancillaries that I thought were befitting. But other than that, it's all taken from the EBII base setup. I figured that they've done so well to make a righteously awesome mod, I could take it as is to make an equally cool AAR (even if it's image-light).
Thanks a million for the list, especially the small crits here and there. To some of the particular points:
@6: Not my fault, so I won't apologize for it
@7: I think Cook is still not totally happy with it, but I am, because, as you said, it could have gone off the rails quickly. I know how it could plausibly have worked out as I hint afterward, but there is no way I could have written that scene out and had it not end in blood, and likely death, which would have killed the whole story arc. So I stand by my choice, even if it was possibly somewhat contrived.
@8: Well, if you liked that, you'll be happy with later parts, as that will come again and again. This is not a pretty place or time, and the vastness of the place means that messages have to stick. Completely. Without needing a restatement ever. So yeah, brutality will sometimes be a necessity for moving forward.
@10: I can take that. I like rich (possibly romantic) description, and there is something about the desert I find alluring in a romantic way anyway. If you feel it comes across that way too much, do let me know, but if it's just the occasional thing, then I am okay with that, and it's probably even intentional
@14: Yeah, that is my most valuable resource for a lot of this. The main reason I want a good map though is for names of things. Wadis may have changed (and changed name), but the general geography is very much the same due to how climate is there. And I don't necessarily need the era-appropriate names for everything (how could I even find that?), but I would like at least some name for all geographical features where a description is worth giving. I've managed so far, but if you come across a good map of the area with local names for features, you send it my way!
@15: Thanks for that! The apologies are I think mostly because I myself would like to be moving along more quickly, but I will try to remember the sweet spec ops wisdom
@18: Nice river shot! I think that on closer reflection we all realize these places are rich and diverse, but it's just such an easy shorthand for our brains to think "Arabia --> hot dry desert", and I wanted to combat that a bit.
@19: Oh my god, that was a massive oversight. Thank you so much for catching both of those! Usually the tex markup is easy for me to find/remember because it's footnotes which break the text in an obvious way. These inline ones can sneak past my radar though. At any rate, it's fixed already, and I will be more vigilant in the future!
No need to apologize. It is a lovely post, and I'm glad to have it!Originally Posted by Derc
And I will try to remember not to stress about it. I love getting work on it done, and my main reason for "stressing" is not cause I am really stressed, but more that I wish I was working on it more. But I can try to manage that. At any rate, you working on a thesis as well makes you more able to understand my issues with time and planning and getting everything done. It's tough, but I'm enjoying sticking with it all!