The Goddess Embraced

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The Goddess Embraced Page 179

by Deborah Davitt


  Saxony — Detroit

  ______________________

  Novo Gaul, cities and notable landmarks

  Alba Aesculus — Albuquerque

  *Arlesus — New Orleans

  Caddo Bluff — Dallas

  Clovis — St. Louis

  *Crann Péitseog — Atlanta

  Croatoan — Roanoke, Virginia

  *Divodurum – Houston

  *Féir Crompán — Carrizo Springs

  *Nimes — Los Angeles

  *Ponca — Omaha

  Romaine — Richmond, Virginia

  *Tongeran – Phoenix

  Tidewater — Norfolk, Virginia

  Non-affiliated countries of Caesaria Aquilonis

  *Chahiksichahik territory

  Chinooks

  Comanche Alliance

  Diné Lands

  Iroquois Confederation

  Lakota Nation

  Hopi Nation

  Oraibi — Major Hopi city

  Ute Federation

  ______________________

  Nahautl, cities and notable landmarks

  *Fuscus Lapillus — Piedras Negras

  *Tenochtitlan — Mexico City

  *Teotihuacan — Ruins of the same name

  *Tikal, Tikali region — Guatemala

  ______________________

  Caribbean region

  Borikén — Puerto Rico

  Coabana — Cuba

  Karankawa — Galveston island (part of Novo Gaul)

  Kùutsmil — Cozumel (part of Nahautl)

  Taino islands — Caribbean islands

  Caesaria Australis (South America)

  Geographical features

  *Ibirapitanga rainforest— Amazon rainforest

  Tawantinsuyu, cities and notable landmarks

  *Coropuna — Volcano

  *Cuzco — Cusco

  *Machu Picchu

  *Nazca Lines

  Middle East

  Notable cities

  *Borsippa — Location of major Magi academy. (Southwest Iraq)

  Byzantium — Capital of Lydian province (Istanbul, Turkey)

  *Chalus — City in Media, on the Caspian. (Chalus, Iran)

  Damascus — Capital of West Assyria, province of Rome

  Ecbatana — City in Media, southwest of Chalus. (Near Lalejin, Iran)

  Gazaca — City in West Assyria (No current real-world location. Approximately Zanjan, Iran.)

  *Jerusalem — Capital of Judea

  Meggido — Judean city (a place called Armageddon)

  Persepolis — Capital of Persia (Real world: ruins south of Estakhr, Iran)

  Shiqmona — Port city of Judea (Haifa, Israel)

  *Tyre —Carthaginian city, province of Rome (Tyre, Lebanon)

  North Africa

  Notable cities and Geography

  *Alexandria — Capital of Egypt

  Carthage (city) — Carthage, Tunisia

  *Chott el Jerid — Saltwater lake/salt flats, Tunisia

  Hippo Regius — City west of the city of Carthage. (Annaba, Algeria)

  Mauritania — Westernmost subprovince of African Carthage

  Oea — City east of the city of Carthage (Tripoli, Libya)

  Rusicade — City east of Hippo Regius (Skikda, Algeria)

  Tacape — City between Oea and Carthage (Gabes, Tunisia)

  Oceans

  The Sea of Atlas — Atlantic

  Pacfica — Pacific

  Erythraean Sea — Arabian Sea

  Imakpik — Bering Strait

  Miscellaneous

  Aotearoa — New Zealand

  Rapa Nui Island —Easter Island

  Mythological

  Ynys Afallon — Isle of Apples, Avalon

  * Indicates a region or city in which narrative events take place. This list is not comprehensive, and is intended to help readers orient themselves, nothing more.

  Appendix II: Calendar Terms and Alternate History

  Caesarian I, called by history “Caesarian the God-Born,” undertook a major reform of the Roman calendar system, which was decidedly out of joint. In antiquity, the year began at the spring equinox, in Martius, and the number of days in the year did not reflect properly Earth’s full solar year. This led to seasons and months no longer matching up, over time.

  Hence, Caesarion the God-Born and his advisors—and other scientists, over the centuries—made the following changes: All months but three were regularized to thirty days. The calendar year’s beginning moved to Ianuarius, instead of Martius.

  One month was renamed for Julius Caesar, becoming Iulius. Two days were added to it, for a total of thirty-two. One month was renamed for Caesarion, and two days added to it, as well. One day was added to the end of December, and, once the notion of Earth orbiting the sun came into vogue, every four years, a second day was added to this last month of the year, to account for leap years.

  Edda-Earth does not concern itself with multiple calendar formats, though the Nahutl (Aztecs), Maya (Quecha), Judeans, and other civilizations have their own calendars. All dates are presented in Roman format for simplicity.

  Months

  Ianuarius 30

  Februarius 30

  Martius 30

  Aprilis 30

  Maius 30

  Iunius 30

  Iulius 32

  Caesarius 32

  September 30

  October 30

  November 30

  December 31, +1 at leap year.

  Days of the Week

  Multiple languages and gods result in a wide variety of terms for days of the week. Gothic and Roman terms are used throughout the text of the trilogy to provide a feeling of cultural syncretism.

  English

  Latin

  Gothic

  Gods/Symbolism

  Monday

  dies Lunae

  Monandæg

  Moon

  Tuesday

  dies Martis

  Tiwesdæg

  Tyr/Mars

  (War)

  Wednesday

  dies Mercurii

  Wodensdæg

  Odin/Mercury

  (Wisdom/Cunning)

  Thursday

  dies Jovis

  Thunresdæg

  Jupiter/Thor

  (Thunder)

  Friday

  dies Veneris

  Frigedæg

  Freya/Venus

  (love/beauty)

  Saturday

  dies Saturni

  Sæternesdæg

  Saturn/Cronus

  (death/wisdom)

  Sunday

  dies Solis

  Sunnandæg

  Sun

  Ascensio Caesare vs. Anno Domini/Common Era

  The Edda calendar takes as its start the year of Julius Caesar’s ascent to the throne of Rome. This occurred in 44 Before Common Era (BCE). Thus, all Edda dates are offset by forty-four years from AD/CE dates. For general reference purposes, see the table below:

  Real Earth

  Edda

  100 BCE

  55 BAC

  45 BCE

  1 BAC

  44 BCE (year of Caesar's assassination)

  1 AC (year of Caesar's ascent)

  43 BCE

  2 AC

  42 BCE

  3 AC

  41BCE

  4 AC

  40 BCE

  5 AC

  30 BCE

  15 AC

  20 BCE

  25 AC

  10 BCE

  35 AC

  1 AD/CE

  45 AC

  5 AD/CE

  49 AC

  1000 AD/CE

  1044 AC

  1906 AD/CE

  1950 AC

  1910 AD/CE

  1954 AC (story start)

  1955 AD/CE

  1999 AC (end of trilogy)

  Alternate timeline events

  In the Edda-Earth reality, the library of Alexandria did not burn at the hands of Caesar’s troops. Rome never fell. Th
ere were no ‘dark ages.’ No medieval period. Science continued to progress at a steady pace, and was supplemented by magic. As such, scientists discovered some technologies before Real-Earth did. . . and in some areas, due to the prevalence of magic, technology actually lags that of Real-Earth.

  Ancient times

  ca. 2226 to 2171 BAC: Reign of Sargon of Akkad. Within 100 years after his death in, the godslayers and namtar-demons were at work in the world, tearing down the temples and killing gods.

  1583-1556 BAC: Range of dates for the Thera eruption and the destruction of the Minoan civilization.

  1292 BAC or 1290 BAC: Death of Akhenaten. Imperfect suppression of the cult of Aten

  ca. 1146 BAC: Destruction of Homer’s Troy.

  ca. 1035-963 BAC: Life of Saul; ban of magic in Judea. End of golems.

  The Rise of Rome

  102 BAC: Fall of Carthage. Carthage conquered by Rome; the city is burned, but the inhabitants are permitted to retain their language and religious beliefs.

  4 BAC: Julius Caesar did not accidentally burn the Great Library of Alexandria down when he set fire to his own ships.

  1 AC: The Failed Assassination of Julius Caesar. Brutus informs Caesar of the pending attack, and assembles legionnaires to protect Caesar's life. Brutus took one of the assassin's knives through his own back as he and others protect Caesar from the conspirators.

  All of the conspirators are tried, found guilty, and executed.

  Caesar sets aside his 'adopted' son of Octavius in favor of his natural son by Cleopatra, Caesarion.

  15 AC: Ptolemy XV Caesarion Julius Philopator Philometor, Caesarion the God-Born, ascends the throne.

  Octavian’s Rebellion. Brief. Assassination attempts against Caesarion.

  26 AC: Caesarion meets with the Zealots of Judea, and offers them improved self-rule in exchange for loyalty, with the Legions waiting on hand to burn Jerusalem if needed. (Second Temple is never burned. No Diaspora.) Judea becomes a loyal province of the Empire.

  55 AC: Caesarion's death. He is followed by his son, Philometrus Julius Caesar Albius. Brief period of unrest and rebellion.

  114 AC: Colosseum construction begins.

  264–324 AC: First hot air balloons developed in Qin for military signaling.

  350 AC: The Edict of Diocletian.

  Diocletian decrees that all subject/client states have autonomy in matters of religion. Proselytizing banned.

  Exploration of the World

  500 AC: Fleet led by Hrolfr Njordr crosses the Sea of Atlas and lands in Newfoundland.

  515 AC: Second fleet lands near what is now Novo Trier.

  550 AC-675 AC: Early Decadent Period.

  600 AC: Explorers have canvassed the eastern coast of Caesaria Aquilonis as far south as the Bláthach peninsula.

  675-750 AC: Reform period.

  700-880 AC: Building of Domitanus' Wall in Judea.

  880 AC: Kievan Rus attempts to invade Asia Minor. Domitanus' Wall construction halted, series of armed forts built along northern border, instead.

  1000 AC: Leif Dalgaard circumnavigates the globe.

  1100 AC: Sea-trade with Qin and Nippon and India now possible, as well as the overland Silk Road.

  1150 AC: Gunpowder introduced to the West and dismissed, largely, as a novelty item; cannons tended to explode.

  1190 AC: Gold discovered near what becomes Burgundoi, making this city-state in Nova Germania fabulously wealthy. This gold funds the fleets that now began to sweep around the globe.

  1190 AC: Cuzco settled by Inca.

  1223 AC: Mongols begin invasion of Kievan Rus.

  1250 AC: Mongols invade Qin. Romans aware of this as a disruption in trade.

  1264 AC: Mongols attempt to invade Byzantium… and are vigorously repelled by the much more technologically advanced and organized Romans.

  1275 AC: Mongols diverted east into Persian subject kingdoms, and get as far south as Judea, where cannons are used for the first time effectively from Domitanus' Wall.

  1304-08 AC: Plague years.Many merchant ships were lost at sea in this four-year span, and a number of port cities suffered from the plague, but the result was limited, because so much of trade was conducted by sea. . . and many of the ships were simply lost with all hands as a result of the virulent plague.

  Total effect on Europa's population: -2 million people, not the -75 million or -100 million of Real-Earth's Black Plague.

  1325 AC: Tenochtitlan built.

  1334 AC: Lavish additions made to the Palace of the Imperator in Rome.

  1350 AC: Rich silver lodes found in the white-capped Nivalis mountains, east of Burgundoi. Accessing this required massive innovations in mining technology. Gunpowder explosives used.

  1360 AC: Founding of the empire of Tawantinsuyu.

  1427 AC: Rome meets the new-formed Nahautl Empire, and demands an end to human sacrifices if they're going to be neighbors. Residents of Novo Gaul do not appreciate being captured and dragged off as sacrifices.

  The Industrial Revolution

  1450 AC: Industrial Revolution begins.

  1475 AC: First contact between Novo Gaul, Novo Germania, Rome, and Tawantinsuyu.

  1480-1490: AC Plague years in Tawantinsuyu; inadvertent introduction of smallpox decimates population.

  1497 AC: Tawantinsuyu agrees to formal treaty with Rome, becoming a subject state.

  1500 AC: Discovery of electricity.

  1501 AC: Small Roman colony founded at the southern tip of Africa, Cyrenus.

  1505 AC: Wan Quan publishes study on the efficacy of inoculating against smallpox by taking the dried scabs, powdering them, and blowing them up a patient's nose with a blowpipe. This variolation method became transmitted by medical texts to the west over the next one hundred years.

  1528 AC: Steam engine invented.

  1528 AC: Rebellion in Nahautl against Rome.

  1531 AC: Hellene physicians discovered the anesthetic properties of diethyl ether.

  1548 AC: Locomotives invented and tracks begin to be laid.

  1550 AC: Thomas Mauritis determines that ley-power can power an engine just as well as steam or electricity.

  1565 AC: Nomadic Bantu tribesmen trade a few shiny rocks to the Romans at the port in Cyrenus. It takes over a year for the shiny rocks to migrate their way to Rome, where they're discovered to be very large diamonds.

  1568 AC: Mauritis develops the incandescent bulb as a novelty.

  1575 AC: Eadward Gann, in Britannia, used cowpox as a method of inoculating against smallpox. This, combined with the innovations of Wan Quan, begins to change medicine forever.

  1576 AC: Diamond mining expedition sets up camp outside of Cyrenus.

  1585 AC: Germs and microbes observed with microscopes for the first time. Germ theory developed, Judea.

  1590 AC: Telegraph invented by Samuel Maurus, the son of a Roman man and a Judean woman, in Judea. Competing inventors included Agapetus Metaxus, who developed the code system used for telegraphy to this day.

  1600-1750 AC: Latter Decadent Period

  1601 AC: Incandescent bulbs replace oil lamps in parts of Europe.

  1607 AC: First tethered hot air balloon flight in Rome, performed at the Imperator's palace.

  1615 AC: First coal-fired power plants come online in Judea to produce electricity.

  1645 AC: First untethered hot air balloon flight, again demonstrated in Rome, this time by the Gaulish Locinna brothers. Largely a novelty at first, except in Judea, where balloons were later used to conduct surveillance over the Wall.

  1660 AC: Temple of Jupiter rebuilt in Rome after a great fire swept through the city. The emperor of that period, Julian III, had rebuilt the temple, larger and grander than before.

  1675 AC: Laudanum distilled, precursor to morphine.

  1697 AC: Morphine developed for use in battlefield medicine.

  1701 AC: Chloroform and ether used for the first time to allow for first non-agonizing amputations and surgeries during the Invasion of Asia Minor.
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br />   1750 AC: Laws giving slaves rights passed in Rome.

  1756 AC: Penicillin developed and used in field hospitals during the War of the Caspian Sea (1753-1763; Rome vs. Raccia, Raccia vs. Mongols, Mongols vs. Rome, Mongols vs. Persia, Persia vs. Rome. It was ugly.) Dr. Alexander Argyris the first to really study the mold that had been a folk remedy for generations.

  1769 AC: Reginleif Lanvik born.

  1771 AC: First successful Caesarian in medical history, in which both mother and baby lived. Conducted in Jerusalem.

 

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