Mired in the mind, propelled by the soul

Despite the galvanizing effects of religious thought on the Arabs, they continued to remain confined in their small coastal city. Nature had an ongoing impact, and the beautiful open plains that their city was located within was becoming surrounded by wild jungles that brought sickness and instability to Mecca. Still, buoyed by their intellectual explorations into religion, the Arabs made research their top priority. By 3130 BCE they had learned how to efficiently cull fish, crabs and clams from the surrounding waters. By 2580 BCE they learned to build galleys, small boats that would enable movement and exploration of their surrounding waterways - when they had the courage to venture out. By 2300 they learned pottery, providing the ability to preserve food and water, build new structures, and otherwise spur expansion. But still, as if paralyzed by generations of fear - other than small teams of fishermen venturing out into the shallows outside of Mecca - the people did not use these newfangled technologies to their advantage. They contented themselves with debates on religion and experimentation with new ideas.

Around 2200 BCE the activities of the Talif family became of interest for the first time since the earliest years of Mecca. When Mecca was first founded, the Talif matriarch had a vision of a structure that would enable people to speak directly with the Gods. While initially intrigued by the sketches and rock samples gathered by the Talifs, nothing was coming of their efforts and people stopped paying attention. Even though the Talifs were instrumental in the polytheism's taking the day during the Great Religious Debates, by that time their project was completely forgotten and, even for the few who would periodically show interest, no meaningful progress seemed to be made. So it was quite a surprise when the populace learned that the Talifs had finally - after almost 2000 years - reached a point where the vision could be shared and appreciated.

The Talifs had managed to move more than a dozen enormous stones into a large clearing by the eastern edge of Mecca. Once a stretch of plains that stretched for many kilometers in to the east and south, the land was now encroached by jungles to the south. Still, it seemed impossible that the Talifs - or even hundreds or thousands of people - could have found and moved all of these massive stones to this spot. Yet there was no denying what the eyes could plainly see.

Over the next 30 years the Talif's vision became the first major national project of the Arabian Empire. Learning from the Talif's techniques and bringing the manpower of thousands of people to bear, in a relatively short period of time the Arabian Empire lifted, arranged and positioned the many assembled stones to the precise specification of Yasmine Talif, the young and charismatic leader of the Talif family. In 2170 the project was completed.

"This we shall call Stonehenge," Yasmine proclaimed. "From here the people of Right can commune directly with our many Gods who inhabit the stars, remembering Yahweh most of all. Certainly, no other peoples could be capable of speaking directly to the Gods, and with their divine guidance we will depart beyond Mecca. Arabians, we must unite, reproduce, spread and prosper. It is the will of the Gods, and it is the destiny of us all."

Yasmine Talif was taken up upon the shoulders of the government leaders and paraded through the streets of Mecca, her name reverberating off the buildings in every corner. Over time, her leadership, the fulfillment of the Talif vision and the era of greatness it presaged for the Arabian people would prove among the most important times in the entire history of the Empire. The Talif family would go on to lead or participate in the power centers of Arabian government and produce many important and capable people. The most beloved of them all was and always would be Yasmine Talif.