Rostam is the hero of the Persian national epic, Shahnameh (which translates as Epic of Kings), which was written by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi around 1000 AD. It is set in a semi-mythical era that loosely resembles the Parthian period (247 BC – 224 AD). The central conflict is between the Persians and the Turanians, invaders from Central Asia whose homelands are situated on the far side of the Oxus River and the eastern shores of the Aral Sea. Rostam is repeatedly called upon to save the kingdom (and its hot-headed, selfish and incompetent king). This scenario is set at the period in the book where the Turanian king, Afrasiyab, sets forth on the first of his many invasions.

Civilizations

In the two-player version, one player is Rostam and the other is Afrasiyab. If playing solitaire, the player may choose between them.

Rostam uses the Medes & Persian Civilization Display. Afrasiyab uses the Scythian Civilization Display. The Persians is given the God of War diety (the bonus on this card represents the hero Rostam). The Turanian Empire starts with the God of the Forge.

Persian Protectorate

The scenario also includes three neutral, independent factions. These are not civilizations, nor are they NPCs (non-player characters). These include the Armenians, the Steppe Tribes, and the Subject Peoples of Mesopotamia.  All three rely on the Persians for protection. They do not gain disks, cards, or victory points for themselves or for the Persians. They are, however, a tempting target for the Turanians to loot for Victory Points and Mina (money).

Rostam may not place any Persian disks in these areas UNLESS there are also Barbarian or Turanian disks present. Rostam may place disks atop any of these independents’ disks, but their combined total may not exceed four  (eg 2 Independent and 2 Persian) during Growth or Card Play. In the ensuing Competition Phase, Persian disks are removed before Independent disks

At the start of the Resettlement step of the Growth Phase, Rostam must remove any and all of the Persian disks in areas that contain only Independents. Place these disks in the Ready Box of the player’s Display in preparation for Deployment).

Turanian Hordes

The Turanian Civilization is an invader civilization. It is guaranteed a minimum of eight disks in Growth (versus the usual three). If played by an NPC, the Turanians have a “path of invasion” that prioritizes the direction of their invasion.

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