Parthian tales and other things

[The Rock Doctor]

The Vilnius Union advises that Prince Wiktor is pleased to accept the invitation and will attend with a small entourage.

*Furiously researches where Gilan is located*

[Kaiser Kirk]

Gilan province is on the SW shore of the Caspian Sea. The Elburz (Alborz) 'High Guard" range soars over 2 miles skyward along the southern boundaries of the province. The continental interior, large body of water, and uplifting terrain combine to make Gilan's capital Rasht 'The City of Rains'. Rice paddies, Tea and orange and silk plantations give rise to agricultural wealth, while the foothills and lower mountain slopes are cloaked in temperate rain forests which provide abundant lumber and ores. A railroad soaring over 2000m follows the pass once used by Alexander the Great and connects to Tehran on the Southern side of the Elburz.

Shielded by mountains, and home to doughty Dalamite infantry, the province, as outlined in Parthian History, was one of the redoubts when most of the country fell in various invasions and reconquests (semi-historical). Even raids from steppe nomads were blunted well to the east by the Great Wall of Gorgan, and to the North by the Fortresses of Derbent, effectively fortifying the Caspian plain. To the North, The silk road used to run along the Southern shore of the Caspian, and silk has been grown and exported in the province for centuries. The abundant rain, the grand fishing grounds, the silk exports and trade routes have all contributed to it being a prosperous province.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Rasht was known as the 'City of Rains', snug by the south shore of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian is enclosed by Parthia.  Trade by road, rail, sea and air have coursed through the city for centuries, leaving it a vibrant hub of prosperity. A port and small naval base at the twin lagoons of the Port of Anzahlag (Anzali) nearby.  Anzahlag competes with Behshahr to the East for the Caspian trade.  Rasht is served by a railway which soars through the Alborz mountains to Tehran and the cities south. The same rail connects up the coast to Baku and east to Behshahr and then past the Wall of Gorgan to parts East. Aircraft and Zeppelins are common here, though the military aerodrome is separate from the civilian field.

The arriving guests are gathered in stately sedans with well groomed chauffeurs and escort cars. The coach work bodies are matched to an effective suspension, and powered by a remarkably quiet 5.3L double sleeve valve six cylinder engine.  These tour the guests through the verdant landscape of rice paddies, orchards, and mulberries (for silk) into the lightly forested foothills and past shepherds with their flocks.

The Castle of Rudkahn is a large structure commanding the Rudkahn river,  with impressive 15m high walls and 65 turrets flowing for 1.5 km along the hilltops and down the slopes to embrace the saddle between. The Eastern hilltop was removed centuries ago to allow the construction of a palace, from which Parthia has occasionally been ruled. The Palace buildings have been updated over the years and now occupy much of the bailey. Down the slope, an short thick outer wall has been built far more recently down the slope, allowing more buildings on the protected terraces.

The town of Rudkahn at is next to it's namesake river and is linked to the castle by both stairs, an old funicular railway, and  a paved road switchbacking to the gates. As one drives up the road, The castle rises above the river mists and the surrounding forests. The fall colors have come to the area, setting the hardwood leaves ablaze with a riot of autumnal colors. A grand gate flanks the road and marks the entrance to the Castle, and the passengers are delivered to the outer courtyard, where they are greeted and servants take their luggage and show them to their rooms.  The titular hostess is Princess Isias, Aunt and Heir to Iskandar, and it is she who host the evenings festivities.

[Kaiser Kirk]

At the appointed hour, the guests are summoned. They proceed to the arched entrance to the Grand Hall . There, as each guest entered the traditional herald had made the traditional alarming trumpet peal and announced...in Greek...the particulars of each one's status.

Elderly Princess Isias, with her husband Prince* Hamgari of House Afrighid, are first, and take their seats at the head of the table. The banquet tables are laid out in a large "U" shape embracing the dance floor between. As folks are announced and file in, servants then show the respective guests to their seats. Crown Prince Ali is seated next to Princess Isias, then the Parthian Heir Princess Shirin, and then the Wilno Heir Prince Wiktor. Seated next to Isias's husband were Prince Sadul  of Rajasthan, Princess Chandraprava of Rajasthan, and then several young highborn Parthians, including Lord Grigol of House Arranshahik,  Academic Lady Aspas of House Suren, and Commander (JG) Lady Apama of House Mihrin.  Other young single nobility are announced, and then the mixture changes. As usual with Parthian festivities, it is expected that honorable and prominent non-nobles be included as a sign of honor and respect.  As such select Provincial officials, Guild leaders, Deans, Senior Engineers, a couple doctors, and prominent merchants, along with a smattering of military officers are brought in and seated, along with and their wives/husbands.  The Royal aides are also seated. The Parthian standard formal wear is prominent, with resplendent sashes proclaiming one's family, the family honors, and one's personal marks of achievement. Richly made formal outer robes include further information to those who understand.  Underneath, the men wear tunics and breeches with knee boots, while the women wear dresses somewhat longer than the men's tunics, but shockingly ending before the knee, with silken stockings and fashionable European heeled sandles**.

A herald calls for silence, and announces Princess Isias. 
The elderly Princess speaks calmly, in an old but clear voice"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am appreciative of your attendance. Several have traveled great distances to honor us with their presence. This gathering is intended to be one to forge acquaintances or friendships and enjoy Parthian sports and festivities, and familiarize oneself with this particularly verdant portion of Parthia. To aid in this goal, I ask here to dispense with the use of elaborate titles.

Tonight we shall enjoy our repast, local Gilak and Parthia dishes, I expect strange to some of your tastes. A dance troupe of Persian dancers*** to entertain. Later one can join in the dancing, or retreat to the drawing room for quieter discussions.  For our noble guests****, the week ahead shall include  several activities, from feasts and dances, to the local festivals.  Smaller groups shall be formed to partake in these, such that there is time to forge acquaintances. Several equestrian events are planned, which you can watch or partake in – hunting with both rifle and bow, steeplechase, and the sport of Parthia- Polo- of course. There shall also be tours of the area, by car or horse, or, if desired, airship."

The first course comes in, music strikes up, and the dancing girls take the floor.

*European equivalent ranks. Conceptually in Parthia, you have the Emperor 'Shahanshah' or King of Kings.
You then have those who's families started as Kings, and are now Princely or Ducal in status.

The Seven Parthian families (Suren, Mihrin are two of the Seven) are considered Ducal and are excluded from direct marriage to the Arascids (to prevent powerful pretenders), while those of originally independent kingdoms are considered Princely (here Arranshahik and  Afrighid).

I will probably not be consistent in this, and refer to the Seven as Princely at times also.

House Suren probably founded the Indo-Parthian Kingdom that became Rajasthan, and House Mihran has at times ruled the Caucus states of Iberia, Gorganese, Albania and part of Georgia. I expect that members of the Seven frequently marry Duke/Prince/King level outside of Parthia.

**The family honor sash is my own invention, as I want one's Personal and Family Honor to be something that really matters in Parthia.
A liar, a cheat, a scoundrel, becomes both known and rejected, and in extreme cases can tarnish family honor. Conceptually, that should encourage a society where good works are recognized and rewarded, and merit/honor are of tangible value.

I also consider this a logical extension of the Zorastorian concept that a lie is a form of evil.
...so I consider my Parthians as taking as 'do not say something false'....and tending to rarely give direct statements, but as matter of habit talking in a roundabout way, and rarely actually stating things directly. If they do..take it as true. Otherwise, pay attention to what really was and was not stated.

As for the fashion discourse,  I know that historic Parthians wore trousers and riding was central, the nomads they came from had women warriors, and the Persians are kinda known for robes. So formal "judge" type robes for official duties, and outfits descended from things you can ride in for the less formal wear.

Writing this made me wonder who the heck came up with the idea of little spindly heels....
apparently started as a cowboy boot type thing in 1400s Persia...which makes sense

but the modern version apparently got started modestly with little heeled slipper Louis XIV of France in the 1600s., but then more and more women wore them and in the 1700s they fell out of men's fashion. Apparently platform shoes had previously been used among women for the height bonus.

Anyhow, N7..they'd be a 'Roman' or 'European' look here, which is the heart of our Global Economy, and so has likely spread. Didn't expect to wander off into looking that up... squirrel!

***infobit : Persian dancers were apparently so renowned in such demand the Chinese imported them centuries ago. I imagine the classical belly dancer/ 'I dream of Jeanie' outfit stems from this.

**** While the prominent locales are of course included in the dinner and festivities, inclusion doesn't go as an all-expense paid vacation.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Parthia has long been at the crossroads of the traderoutes, and their food had reflected that, with influences from around Asia, some of which may not curry favor with an unfamiliar tongue, but there were always other options. The wines offered were a similar array, led by the famed Shiraz wines, but featuring a selection of others.  The athletic dancers had showcased that craft, and traditional music. The guests had then been able to choose between dance floor and drawing room, each drawing it's own crosssection of Parthian society.

The next morning, a breakfast is laid. The local luminaries of Gilan were returned home by motor carriage the prior evening, so only the primary guests and their entourage are hosted that morning.
Then, true to Princess Isias's declarations of the night before, the guests are asked to separate themselves into groups. A broad palette of what passes for recreational entertainment is offered, and over the course of the week the guest are expected to avail themselves of the differing opportunities,
returning in the afternoon to spend at their leisure, before the end of the day to dining before withdrawing for a private show and relaxed discussions.

This morning Princess Shirin shall lead on a mounted hunt in the foothills and into the mountains. Over the days to come she like the others will participate in the other choices, showing off Parthia.  Some may  will be taken on a Zeppelin tour of the province and over the soaring Albroz mountains to overfly Tehran, soar along the mountains southern flank, and then pass over Gorgan and it's Great Wall before returning. The provincial festivals have not only the typical rural events, but a variety of ongoing tourneys. While some such as the poetry and storytelling competitions may be incomprehensible, the more competitive events from personal combat to the Polo tourney will have ongoing matches, as well as several steeplechase competitions.  Recreational time at the Archery and Rifle ranges, both mounted and unmounted, will feature in as well. 

[TacCovert4]

Ali struggled this morning.   Mounted hunts were not unusual, indeed he regularly rode to hunt in Arizona, the lack of roads made horseback or air travel the primary modes in some areas.  But the Parthian saddle was completely different.  He was used to a fairly low cantled saddle with wide stirrups,  and was having some trouble adjusting to the more standing riding style of the parthian saddle....a descendant of those used by horse archers.

Finally he tugged the reins, and headed off to join shirin and the party, his custom 8mm straight pull over his shoulder

[TacCovert4]

A few hours later.....

Ali sat astride his mount, looking at the herd of gazelle in the distance.    A very nice buck stood off at three hundred yards, an optimal range for his fast 8mm round.  But he held his fire, even as the huntsman asked why.  "I was raised to keep what you kill, and a big buck is too gamey for the pot" is his reply, before raising the rifle to his shoulder and firing a single round,  felling a nice doe in the herd.  The huntsman grunted his approval of the Princes selection.  "For the feast?" He asked.  "Yes.  The buck will sire yet more big bucks for new generations.   The herd has plenty of does.  And doe tends to be more tender."

[Kaiser Kirk]

Once the members had availed themselves with hunting arms from the armory, the  hunting party took the funicular railwaydown from the castle to the riverside bastion that once served as the southern gateway to the town. There the stables for the palace were located. Mounts and tack were provided.
Relying on Greek as the common language, Princess Shirin introduces the huntmaster and assistants, as well as 4 outriders from the guard force.

The graveled path led through the outskirts of town, passing neatly kept and brightly painted homes. While inside town they tended towards Romanesque insulae, square faced, two or more stories centered on a courtyard, here they were often simpler A frame houses for small crofter families, at first among small farms with small orchards. The path led uphill, paralleling a river tributary, but swiftly came to a place where the water split into three good sized streams, with gated bridges leaping across each one.

Princess Shirin cheerfully explained that the watersheds of the two flanking streams marked the boundaries of Royal hunting refuge, and she points out a short stone stellae marking the end of the boundary line. The party crosses the bridges and the path ends. From there, the ride is off trail and uphilll. As they ride, Shirin explains the central watershed is not hunted, but the two flanking ones are, noting that in years there are few hunts, permits are given to the neighboring locals to hunt themselves- many of whom work as foresters or wardens anyhow. That way they can supplement their food, and the animals stay wary. She adds that if there are crop failures or the like, hunting is of course allowed. She concedes that while non-nobility are limited to muzzle loaders, many of them become quite respectable shots with them. 

The ride passes through steeply rising rolling hills with well spaced beeches, oaks and ironwood trees and and understory of  forbs and grasses to a area where the understory had been burned off.  Shirin ranges along the riders, chatting with her guests, explaining that the area, like the surroundings, is managed over a long timespan. As they approach the burned area, Shirin explains that patches are burned off every couple years, the fresh burns both come back in robust browse, and keep the brush down. When asked, she explains the burn patches always seem irregular, and trees survive, but there is a local nursery for replanting trees if fire or disease get out of hand. Hopping off her horse, she confers with the huntsmaster, and then turns and explains that 'we have never figured out why, but the animals like to come and roll in the char*, in addition to a great affection for the fresh browse from regrowth – the years after a fire these are great hunting areas, with lovely sightlines. They make a great area to note sign, and track them out. In this case, the huntsmaster says when we crest this ridge there is a slightly older area that is heavily used, so that will be our first stop of the hunt.

Proceeding to the rise, they crest the hill and fan out, carefully proceeding forward. Shirin takes the point from the huntmaster, and leads herself - eventually she gives the signal to dismount, and the party can creep forward, finding wild boar busily rooting among the oaks.  The guests are given first go, and the wild hogs scatter. The huntmaster details some assistants to process the results for later,  and the party reassembles and heads further up the slope.

As they ride higher, the trees shift to include more cedars, and the soils turn more barren, the trees sparser and the range opens.  Shirin explains that while they do have tigers, and leopards, they tend to be scarce and difficult unless one takes the time to sneak them. For an excursion like this, the challenge of spotting and bringing down a gazelle at range was real. Again, Shirin defers to the guests, allowing them the challenge.

The group chats freely with each other on the triumphant ride down the slope. The day is well chosen, with scudding clouds and a cool clime, early afternoon sunlight dappling the mountainsides while the ridge comes to a point offering sweeping vistas of the neat countryside below.

*That's something I learned from talking to tribal folks, they think it's because the charcoal is a desiccant, and fatal to ticks and other parasites.  In my area, its well known the fresh growth in harvest units or burned areas bring in the deer...and offer better sightlines for a while.

[TacCovert4]

As Shirin and Ali ride a bit together he listens to her talk about the efforts gone through to husband the foliage.  He explains the tropical jungles of Azteca, some of it still incredibly wild, while much of it is well maintained as the vast and growing industrial might of his nation requires well-husbanded forests.  He also talks about his own estate in Arizona, the low mesquite and grasses, and the nice dry climate, not a desert, with Bison and other game, and the herds of cattle at his estate and ranch in the Rincon Mountains.  He explains that they don't have tigers, but the mountain lions can be quite elusive, and he occasionally gets to hunt them to stop them from predating on the livestock.

[The Rock Doctor]

Wiktor had brought along a rifle...or, rather, his staff had brought along a rifle, a Krychek K.96 bolt-action piece from the estate back home.  What they hadn't brought along, somehow, was ammunition.  Not a single box of 7.5x55mm cartridges.  How that had occurred wasn't exactly clear and ultimately didn't much matter.  He'd arranged to borrow a Parthian rifle for the excursion.

The boar hunt had been pleasant enough; he was used to them back home.  The rifle was sighted in properly, he picked his target - a good-sized male, healthy looking, just starting to move - and he took it down cleanly with a shot to the lungs.  Satisfied, he unloaded the rifle and stowed it in the scabbard laced to his saddle. 

He reached into his saddlebag and withdrew his Barnack I camera.  "I've seen plenty of boars in my time - but never a giant cat or gazelle in the wild.  I'd rather shoot them in a different way," he noted, seeing Aspas Surena observing him. 

He managed to get one photograph of the gazelles before the shooting started.  Afterward, he called to Ali, "Good kill:  Pose with it, will you?"  He didn't query the other prince's choice of targets but silently found it puzzling; he'd been taught to target males and leave the females alone, whereas Ali had taken a doe and let the buck go.  Possibly a cultural thing, possibly a matter of Wiktor's own experience being mainly trophy hunting rather than sustenance hunting.

"It's lovely countryside," he remarked to Shirin on the way back down.  "Well worth days of turbulence and backwards Byzantine inns, I'd say."


*We put wood ash in our chicken pen for the same reason.

[Kaiser Kirk]

A luncheon in the Castle gardens, draped in verdant terraces down the hillside towards the river, sees the guests reunite. The Hostess, the Stately Princess Isais then summons many of the guests to accompany her through the gardens, demanding they regale her with tales of their the equivalent in their homes.  Princess Shirin excuses herself, and takes Prince Ali and Wiktor, and a chaperon, off to see first the Palace armory, and then the firing range. Shirin explains she enjoyed her time at Wiktor's estate and wished to reciprocate. As the centuries marched onwards, the Castle grounds grew first to enclose both hill tops and the plateau between, but then were expanded down the slope, and underground- at first for simple stores. The position commands the river, and the route through the southern passes to Tehran. The strategic value having long passed, the underground tunnels were expanded to provide additional rooms, including galleries in the cliff face overlooking the river. The floors are set with granite, and the walls are inlaid with tiled mosaics, and this is where the old armory is.

Not as impressive as the Royal Palace or national gallery. Modern weaponry is on hand at the guarded entrance, but in the aft gallery, there is a collection of Daylamite, Parthian, Roman, Gupta, Arab, Golden Horde, Byzantine, and some scattered outliers, collected over the centuries. The older weapons and arms are dull, which is later explained to be a wax placed on them. A broad array of Royal hunting arms is included as well. Shirin will happily tour the trio through them, pointing out the recreated horsebows and their thumb rings – and showing that she wears a gold chased jade thumb ring. Placards are set by the 'enemy' which she reads off, explaining where they came from. Shirin explains that the antiquities fad that swept Europe in the late 1880s reached Parthia later, but folks have been passionate about the past, so there has been work to dust these off. There is hope to find some Macedonian pieces, as Alexander himself very likely used this pass, but so far the local digs had not found anything. The Roman gear is likely the oldest, seemingly from the wars over Armenia.

After the armorial tour, Shirin asks Ali and Wiktor to pick out some weapons and designates some of the staff to collect them and bring them to the range. For herself, she selects a horse bow, a couple pistols and both an old lever action and much newer semi-automatic rifle, both in 7.5mm. The pistols are obviously saddle guns, big bore and long barreled. The lever action carbine has an unusual rotary magazine, and she explains the newer version have a detachable like the semi-automatic action. The firing range is on one of the terraces, with targets spaced every 50m out to a roughly 200m straight shot for the rifles, or one can turn and fire into a pistol range  set up inside a cavern for that purpose. There seems to be a bar there as well.  Shirin is a little apologetic that there's no longer range available on the Palace grounds, but does point out that she has arranged for some heavier weapons to be present. The twinned GAST 7.5x55mm* MG, the 15mm fortress MG, and it's adaption the 15mm Anti-armor rifle with it's attendant bipod and padding. She does advise that the last has a brutal kick that will bruise, or possibly break parts of the firer, so she really does not advise it, as she'd prefer not to break either of them.

For some raised in a martial lifestyle and provided both training and opportunity, it should be surprising that Princess proves to be an excellent shot with her chosen weapons. For those not acquainted with it, the bow aspect would be surprising.  the thumb ring gave her the ability to both hold a heavy bow and make a clean release, allowing rapid and accurate fire at 50m, and she can consistently hit at 100 yards with the horsebow. More surprisingly perhaps is that while her rate declines, she still manages hits at 150 and 200m.  . She explains to her guests how the recreated bow is made with modern glue, but otherwise traditional materials -  layers of stiff wood faced with horn on the compression side , weaker but more flexible wood on the expansion side, faced with animal sinews. Shirin continues by saying that even though what she hunts winds up on someones dinner table regardless of how she does it, she often prefers the bow as it demands more skill...though she does mention that she does take pistols along in case something large shows up close.

The day, a break from martial activities and horseback is promised, as the fall festival is in swing in the provincial capital of Resht.


*Irony is that Rocky's post notes the lack of 7.5x55.  For the Parthians, I chose the Swiss 7.5 G11, which is 7.5x55...

[TacCovert4]

Ali does his best to not appear smitten, after all he is the scion of the Royal Family of the Sultanate, and even across the planet rumors might start flying as fast as telegrams can carry them if he appeared anything but correct.  He enjoyed the armory tour, but noted mentally that he would have enjoyed a tour of a shoe factory given by Princess Shirin, and would have enjoyed a tour of this still quite grand armory much less if given by anyone else.  The sheer age of Parthia was clear to see, the Sultanate being only several hundred years old, and really only eight generations of Sultan had presided over a wholly unified Azteca.  He also makes a mental note:  "Have a suitable range prepared at the estate"

At the range Ali shot several pistols, handgun shooting being a pastime of his.  However, he was absolutely enamored with the 7.5mm Gast gun.  The fantastic rate of fire, and the relatively small and light package made his eyes light.  He could put this on his fighter, and have an absolutely devastating weapon.  Likely over the top wing, or on the wings outside the propeller arc, but there were aircraft being developed, he had seen the drawings and some of the early testbeds, that could handle such a weapon that far out on the wing.  Or even the twin-engine aircraft, as they'd have no trouble mounting this in the nose.

[The Rock Doctor]

Wiktor whistled appreciatively upon viewing the armory.  "My father would've lost his composure in here," he mused, picking out a couple of rifles, a couple pistols, and a horsebow.  "Never tried this before, so don't expect miracles," he cautioned, and then squinted at a crossbow and added that to the collection.

Once he'd squeezed off a few rounds and gotten a sense of their weight and balance, he was pretty effective with the pistols.  He was, after all, a Union Army officer, and pistol and sword were the usual equipment issued to somebody such as he.  He'd used them in close action with the so-called Shrimpeaters of the Parakeet Coast numerous times.  "I whacked a guy on the forehead with the grip of my revolver the one time.  Not fatally, apparently, because I didn't see him lying around afterward, but it put him on the ground for a bit at least."

He was also reasonably accurate with the rifles, given that he'd been taught to hunt since he was a wee child. 

He took and loaded the crossbow with a broad grin on his face, hefted it up to aim, and pulled the trigger.  The bow flexed with a loud crack and the bolt buried itself into the dirt a couple metres short of the fifty metre target.  "People back home have the impression these things are silent and I have no idea why.  I'm sure I've shot pistols that aren't this noisy."  He was on target with his third bolt and managed to score more hits than misses over the next few minutes.

His efforts with the horsebow were...not good.  Not a single arrow of his first five struck the closest target, and only one of the next five was on target, low on the outermost ring.  He finally lowered the bow and gave Shirin and Ali a grimace that was only mildly exaggerated.  "I bow to your vastly superior skill, Shirin, and will stick to the firearms from here out.  Speaking of which..."

He approached the heavy weapons, contemplating each in turn.  The light twin piece looked delightful - were the rounds compatible with his rifle?  Probably not.  The heavy machine gun was fun.  But the anti-armor piece...

"Been saving it for last, but I can't resist," he proclaimed, taking up position behind the weapon.  "We've got something like this - I think I showed you, right?  Curious if the recoil is heavier or lighter than ours."  He sidled in behind the rifle, bracing the stock firmly against his shoulder, and looked down the sights at the target.  He shifted a bit, adjusting his stance, opened his mouth slightly, and took the shot.  It was difficult to say which was louder - the gunshot or the sound of the third in line to the Amber Throne shouting, "Matkojebca!" as he grabbed at his shoulder with his other hand.  "Heavier.  Oh, it's heavier..."

[Kaiser Kirk]

The long 15mm anti-armor rifle roared as Wiktor fired, throwing a shower of sparks from it's bipod as it recoiled and skittered across the paving stones into Wiktor's shoulder. No novice, he had secured it properly so it merely pushed him back with exuberant and somewhat painful force.

Both Shirin as Aspas (the aforementioned chaperone) evidenced immediate concern, Shirin being rather apologetic about not thinking of the pavers. Both ladies wanted to see Wiktors shoulder, and he initially downplayed the result. Aspas* sternly told Shirin something in Parthian and shoed her away, switching back to to Greek "If you would be so kind, I would like to check your shoulder to ensure there is nothing serious and but a bruise."
Wiktor at first brushes her off, saying "It's fine, I chose to shoot the stupid thing" but when Aspas says "As a favor to me?" he relents.

Receiving Wiktor's permission, Aspas examined the shoulder and declared nothing serious, though she expected quite the bruise.  Aspas declared that should would fetch ice to apply to keep the initial swelling down. They could stay and continue to fire away. 

The discussion while waiting was a little more subdued, focusing on the expected uses of such a weapon, and it's origins in a twinned Naval machine gun adapted for fortress use.

On Aspas's return, she applied the ice pack, swaddled in a towel to prevent frostbite. She continued by saying "In about an hour, I should take a look, and in an hour or two, I'd like to switch that to a heated pad. The combination should first limit swelling, and then aid in recovery, so it purples less and is not overly stiff tomorrow.  Perhaps we should retire to the drawing room, where we can leave Ali and Shirin with others. I will accompany Prince Wiktor, [erhaps he can tell me of his photographic efforts and when the time comes I will check his shoulder and then switch to some heated pads."

The company agreed and proceeded that way.

The next morning, breakfast was again served, and the guests given their choices of what to do on that day. Prince Sadul and Lady Apama led those choosing the hunting activity, while Lord Grigol departed on the morning's steeplechase followed by Polo.  Princess Chandraprava and several others chose the 'scenic tour' of a leisurely Zeppelin flight, across the countryside.  For Ali, Wiktor, Shirin and Aspas, the Provincial fall festival beckoned. 

The Gilan festival was an annual event akin to a 'state fair', it seemed to draw competitors from across Gilan province and ran for the week. During the events the competitors were matched and those victorious advanced to the next round. At the end of the week, the grand champions would be announced.

The luxurious and fairly quiet sedans brought the guests to the festival. While many of the side streets were far more windy and narrow, as befitted their age, In some prior century, boulevards had been placed through town to facilitate wagon traffic and provide wide breaks between houses. The boulevards converged on the town square, a large space with a park in the middle. Princess Shirin explained that while there were always shops and a hotel on the square, most major towns had official buildings as well, usually a Library, a Courthouse, a Garda station, and a Workhall on the square, while the other official buildings such as poorhouses, fire brigades, national service hall, schools and hospitals- among many. Prior to arriving at their destination,  Shirin had noted "I know popular books have this image that we ride in sedan chairs..or on carpets of some sort, but we actually do that walking thing, I hope you do not mind overly".

The arrival at the Festival grounds outside of Rasht was really the first time most of the party could see Shirin in a setting outside of a Palace. Without the formal robes, but dressed in a gold chased assemblage, with practical low boots, but wearing her honor sash and a slender golden diadem, there was an assemblage of staff awaiting her and the guests arrival.  Some are obviously there for the sole purpose of providing umbrella cover should the 'City of Rains' attempt to live up to it's name, but there were also some large and serious looking men, with staves in their hands -leather wrapped on one end, iron shod on the other, but their belts supported a dagger and revolver in belt holsters. Preceding these guardians were a flock of attractive teenagers, well dressed in Imperial colors, that moved ahead of the party, tapping peoples shoulders and politely alerting them to their presence. The populace parted like a sea, orderly moving aside, most placing a hand over their heart while making a shallow bow. Some then waving brightly. The children in the crowd seemed rather excited but well behaved. There was a moment of drama when a little boy lost in the middle of the street a chunk of the frosted cookie he had crammed in his mouth, and became most distressed – but this challenge proved within the capabilities of the teenage entourage.

The festival has a variety of events and competitions, and a circuitous route ensured the  party passed many en route to the competition area.   From Arts such as Musicians, Singing, Dancing and Poetry competitions, to Guild Artisans such as silkmakers, furniture crafters, metal workers. There were several plays, though they were in Parthian and so rather opaque to most of the party, so they did not linger.

There were also several more vigorous and martial competitions, showing an obvious lineage to Greek games, but with additional Parthian aspects. While throughout the festival, the guests would note women competitors comprised perhaps a third of the total, for these physical contests the numbers plummeted, though when it came to the events involving riding or weapon skills, they climbed some.

The competition arena had a space for high ranking members to watch. The judges, local nobility, and many of the notable civilians who had attended the first night's dinner were present in this space. From this perch one could watch competitions.  Primarily these were athletic in nature, but between such competitions, the stage would welcome the presentations of the Arts and Artisans, with the candidate making a small speech at the end, which Shirin will translate to Greek, indicating they are mainly pointing out what they feel the best feature of their work is.

While there was footraces such as the Greeks had, the runners wore clothing – a simple light tunic, but ran barefoot.  The Greek wrestling had it's echo in Parthian Varzesh-e-Bastani, a traditional combination (zourkahneh) of exercise and martial wrestling (Khosti pahlevani), with in this case some addition of strikes from Eastern schools. Strong, burly men, surprisingly light on their feet and evidencing their skill and dedication matched up and fought for a submission.

There were also, of course, horse races, polo and both archery and both skeet and  marksmanship shooting. Princess Shirin  explained that while nobles had traditional access to firearms, those commoners with rural homeplaces were allowed muzzle loading rifles, albeit of modern manufacture, and so many had become expert shots.  Shirin continued that while there was both Marksmenship and Skeet shoots, the ranges were elsewhere, this area was not long enough for long distance shooting, and as for skeet-  they had learned quite some time ago to do that where the shot can safely land, so that was elsewhere.

This day, there was a pair of  Foot races, then a pair of short track horse races, thundering around the arena. This followed by several song and dance troupes, and when they were  done, the Khosti arena had been set up. After several matches, it rotated to a number of musical bands, and then back to Khosti.

When time came to depart, the guests split. Aspas had located a darkroom in the Palace, and thought Prince Wiktor would like to develop his pictures from the hunt, while Shirin had promised to let Ali take her in his personal plane...and clouds had broken and it wasn't threatening to rain .


* As previously noted, Aspas Suren normally is at the Academy of Gondishapur, which started in 529 as a hospital and medical training facility.

[TacCovert4]

Ali carefully coaxed the proper two seat amphibian into the air.  He was very cognizant that he was in Parthia, and did not need to show off his aerobatics skills in front of their leadership,  especially not with one of their own aboard.  He had other plans.  Fortunately,  this aircraft had plenty of room when he stocked it, before Shirin arrived.

After taking off, he keeps her steady,  soaring low over the Caspian coast, taking in both the sights and terrain of Parthia.   He passes a note back to Shirin in the second seat, the experimental intercom not yet fitted to this machine.  "Take th4 stick and put your feet on the pedals"

Looking back to see she's done it, he gradually released his own and held his hands up to show her that she was flying.  The expected jolt as she's startled by the revelation soon smooths out and she's able to keep the plane reasonably steady.

Taking back control, Ali spies what he's looking for, a small fishing village,  really nothing more than a dock with a few houses nearby.   He lines up and lands on the Caspian, and taxis to the dock before climbing onto the float of his drifting plane and tying it up.

"What are we doing?" Shirin asks, puzzled, before Ali pulls a basket out of the storage compartment.   "Lunch", he smiles "only way to get away from our entourages"

They walk over to some trees and lay out a lunch,  the local children playing and eyeing the foreign aircraft with rapture, a flying machine tied up just like one of their fathers boats.

After a delicious light luncheon of dates, figs, and meat preparedin the gyro style,  Ali shows Shirin how to activate the starter.    He then turns the aircraft towards the sea before casting off, and rotates the prop to contact....shirin pulls the starter lever and the engine coughs back to life.  After another moment for Ali to situate himself,  he takes off and brings them back to the palace aerodrome.