Mysteries of Aurora - The Manuscript Part 9

 

“So, the Second Age is the Bronze Age,” Olivia said. “This is when writing emerges in Aurora, although it is sporadic at first. Civilisation also spread southwards through the island from the beginning of the period.”

 

“More monolithic,” Freya murmured

 

“This is when Auroran Civilisation begins in Imperial Ages,” Janara added.

 

“That makes sense,” Olivia said.

 

“Is that a game?” Alexia asked.

 

“Yes,” Janara answered. “A Real Time Strategy.”

 

“Anyway, moving on to the Thid Age,” Olivia said.

 

“The Iron Age,” Janara said.

 

“Correct,” Olivia said.

 

“The hard edges become sharper,” Freya added.

 

 

Alexia saw that Freya was sketching swords and steel spears. ‘That makes sense,’ she said.

 

“This is the period the manuscript comes from. The earliest Iron tools and weapons to be discovered in Aurora, are from the late 11^th Century BC,” Olivia added.

 

“This is when the whole island was united, right?” Janara asked.

 

“That’s right,” Olivia said. “But it took a while. The south was still rebellious when Ceasar invaded. Then the Fourth Age started.”

 

“Rome. That’s what most people think of when they think of Aurora’s history, given that Auroran is a Romance language,” Janara said.

 

“True, but they’re also ignoring the Nordic loanwords,” Freya added.

 

“But that’s not until the Fifth Age,” Olivia said as she pointed to the ‘SPQR’ on her timeline.

 

“Most of our architecture is influenced by the Romans,” Alexia said. “Especially as one goes further south.”

 

“What about the legal system?” Janara asked.

 

“That is quite complex,” Olivia said. “There are Roman aspects to Aurora’s laws, but that is one thing the Norse had big influence on, so we’re almost ready to move to the Fifth Age.”

 

“What else comes from the Roman Era?” Alexia asked.

 

Freya drew a cross. “Christianity. It came here early in the 2^nd Century.”

 

“But that’s not really Roman, is it??” Janara asked.

 

“Not really,” Olivia conceded. “But it arose around the same time as the Fourth Age started. In fact, some just push forwards the start of the Fourth Age to the beginning of the Common Era or Anno Domini for convenience.”

 

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Alexia said.

 

“It does cause some confusion,” Olivia said.

 

“Language is the obvious influence,” Janara said. “Auroran is Romance.”

 

“Mostly,” Freya added.

 

“There are Nordic loanwords, but the grammar is Romance,” Olivia said.

 

“And the Fourth Age doesn’t end with the Roman withdrawal,” Alexia said.

 

“It doesn’t,” Olivia confirmed. “But Aurora focused on recovering from the occupation. The remnant kingdom had troubles dealing with the changes and the Church during the sixth and seventh centuries.”

 

 

Freya considered that as she drew a Roman statue with cracks. “And now the Fifth Age?” she asked.

 

“Yes. The Fifth Age,” Olivia said as she pointed further along the timeline. “Nordic and Late Medieval. As you can imagine, the Vikings brought about a different kind of change than the Romans did. More chaotic to start with.”

 

“But they have enriched Aurora,” Alexia said. “The Romans were bland by comparison.”

 

“That’s fair,” Olivia said.

 

“Sagas are more engrossing than Roman Theatre, but that’s my perspective,” Freya said.

 

“Better able to hold your attention?” Alexia asked.

 

Freya nodded as she started adding a longship to her sketch.

 

“It was a little over three centuries between the first raids and the Unification, but most think that was the real end of the Nordic Era,” Olivia said.

 

“The Althing and the Council of Advisors had to learn to work together, right?” Janara asked.

 

“That was a big part of the first century after the Unification,” Olivia added. “But there’s more to the Fifth Age than the political aspects.”

 

“Sagas and Runes,” Freya said.

 

“And that is part of what has brought us together,” Olivia said. “The rune.”

 

“But why would the campus match a Nordic rune when they hadn’t arrived yet?” Janara asked.

 

“That is a mystery,” Alexia said. “But there are many conflicting theories.”

 

“We’ll talk about that later,” Olivia said.

 

‘Sure,” Alexia said.

 

 

“After the Unification, it is usually considered to a period of peace compared to the period of Nordic conquest earlier in the Nordic period,” Olivia said.

 

“But it wasn’t,” Janara said.

 

“No, there were occasional uprisings in the South and West as Nordic influences spread,” Olivia explained. “But many of those areas still have elements of older cultures, especially as folklore and festivals.”

 

“Variety,” Freya commented as she drew another circle below the longship. “Aurora remains diverse.”

 

“And that diversity contributes to the beginning of the next age,” Olivia said.

 

“The Renaissance?” Alexia asked.

 

“Yes,” Olivia answered. “From 15 June 1536, when the Church of Aurora officially broke from Rome and accepted Luther’s 95 Theses.”

 

“But it’s not just that,” Freya said.

 

“Far from it,” Alexia said. “That is when Auroran architects started experimenting. The mixed styles originate from this period, especially between the Roman and Nordic styles, in Urbs Aeterna and the other cities in the Aterana Valley.”

 

“That’s something I haven’t looked at,” Freya said.

 

“It was a surprise the first time I saw it in Imperial Ages III,” Janara said.

 

“But that was far from the only thing that flourished,” Olivia said. “Arts and Science all grew as Aurorans became more aware of what was happening in Europe and the Atlantic islands, once more becoming a crossroads between the two, as well as being involved in the Age of Exploration.”