The Royal Council

Alexandros' brother strides into the hall and gives him an annoyed glance.

"You want us to pay you for doing your duty as a member of the Royal Family?

I would have appreciated you giving me notice of your intent of attacking the rebels, I don't know if you noticed but I left you in Paratoinon and went south to further our national interests. Then I heard of these rebels and came back to help, now I find I'm not needed and have another fun desert march to look forward to. I'll assume you can handle any problems while I'm away."

He stalks back out.

"And nice to see you too, brother." Alexandros grins. "Annoyed that you had a girl instead of a son? Anyway Royal duties are usually fulfilled by use of Royal Armies. I have been granted no such troops but instead have used my own coin and the lives of my own men to secure the nation's peace. Perhaps I should have left the reel scum there for three or six more months, surely losing half of the trading caravans for such a period would have been a better deal for all those who have estates in Memphis, than paying for the retraining of two companies of men."

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I was away from totalwar.org for a couple of days, hence the poor OOC communication.

Zoarchos had silently entered the room while the Thraikikos bros' were speaking..

Alexandros, I thank you that you got rid off that annoying rebel. However, that is all you get from me - my gratitude. Did your brother asked mnai from the Basileus when he destroyed that rebel warband near Paraitonion? No. Did he used his own private units to do so? Yes. So, I don't see why we should pay you. Also, be careful what you say!

"Perhaps I should have left the reel scum there for three or six more months, surely losing half of the trading caravans for such a period would have been a better deal"

I am the Royal Treasurer and if I want I could just lower the taxes in Delta Neilou! That means you will loose what ever mnai you get from your estates!

Zoarchos calms down..

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC: Myth, don't take it personaly. Just saw a RP oportunity to stir things up in the Council! ~;)

Alexandrios waved his hand and smiled coldly.

"Of course. Next time I will let the brigands go on a rampage. You can do what you will with the taxes, I see there is little justice to be had this day! Better yet, I will soon rid you of my presence and you can all plot and scheme and thump your thumbs, and hoard your precious gold. I am truly sorry now that I chose to go out of my way to aid you, while hampering my own plans. This will be remembered and I will not make the same mistake again!"

"Oh, I see! So you would take the comfort, wealth and safety provided to you by me and my kingdom, along with all the priviliges that comes with being allowed a voice here in the Council, but when it comes to defending it, you won't lift a finger unless we pay you for it?"

Philadelphos looks at Alexandros with scorn and disgust in his eyes.

"Such are the words of a mercenary, and not a Council member."

A messenger barges through crowds of clerks and civil deputies into the council chambers.

My good councilmen.

I would report, with great pleasure that my master, the Kleronomos Basileios, has successfully taken Tarsos after the defenders rallied out with a relief force led by a great general. The general has been killed and treasonous Tarsos back in our hands. My master also took it upon himself to disperse the majority of the population from the city as punishment and to hope their devious ways will be belittled if spread through various provinces.

"Had you provided an army with which to defend it I'd have gladly done it uncle! But seeing as how none was granted I used my own men. I see no one here raising a voice as to why the other Strategoi did not raise troops to jump to the Kingdom's defense! In fact, If I had sat on my arse and piled up my gold like most everyone else, we wouldn't have had this conversation! But because I had troops and chose to use them for the common good, now I'm suddenly a mercenary for asking everyone directly benefited from my victory to chip in for the retraining costs!"

Alexandros's eyes burn with anger and he clenches his fists.

"I am in the right and if none of you shall admit it then being on this council loses it's meaning for me!"

My dear Alexandros,

Had you notified the council of your intentions to attack, I would have gladly made my army in Memphis available to you, which, I should add, I left in Memphis specifically to counter the rebel threat. Yet, arrogant as Achilles, you ride out with your small band of horsemen without as much as a word to the council. How could we have known you would dare attack with so small a force? Do not insult us by calling us idle or unpatriotic!

Yet, I cannot ignore that you have done your country a great service and you ask not to be payed, but simply to be compensated for the men you lost while defending our empire. Though my imports from Memphis are limited and I was not greatly affected by the rebels in Heptanomis, it would pain me to see these brave deeds go unacknowledged. (Indeed I choose my words carefully here, members of the council, I would not say unrewarded, as it is not a reward that Alexandros seeks!) So, I will give you 700 mnai, which I estimate to be roughly half your reinforcement costs. As for the other half, it will be up to the consciences of Zoarchos and Leontikos whether you will receive it or not.

Alexandros cooled down and grabbed Timon's forearm. Perhaps the comparison to Achilles, who was Megas Alexandros's own hero, struck the lad on a soft spot (a spot called vanity, which many a young men had).

"Brave Timon, I thank you for your kind words. The reason for my hasty departure was because things move slowly here and it would have taken time to assign a leader for that army, out of the usual five candidates, and it would have taken him time to march to the army and yet more time to march with the army to the threat. The rebels could have easily raided someone's estate if given such freedom. I thank you for your generosity but cannot in right accept the gold as you were in no way threatened by these rebels. I wish to split the cost of retraining in three between the wise Zorachos and my headstrong younger brother. From you I will only take the wisdom of a more reserved tone."

Do reconsider, Alexandros. The Hierosolyma-Memphis trade has been most profitable to me and 700 mnai is but a a small amount, if it helps to preserve the peace in the council.

A small girl walks into the chambers beside an older man. She looks apprehensively around her, before smiling shily at the Basileus and waving to Alexandros. The man with coughs nervously, then speaks.

"Uh, a message from Leontiskos Thraikikos my Lords. Ahem."

He reads.

"I have sent my eldest daughter, Archetime, to court to be my representative whilst I am away. I am sure some of you may think a two year old girl unsuited to the position. However, in the few days I had back home recently, I noticed she had displayed behaviour that made her a perfect candidate for the Council, she likes to stamp her foot on the ground and demand what she wants. When she doesn't get it she whines about how unfair life is and sulks for days..."

The little girls grabs the parchment and pouts.

"I do not sulk for days, who said I do? I'm going to tell daddy to cut his head off!"

Pouting, the girl storms out of the hall, closely followed by the man.

The doors to the Council Chambers open wide as Meleagros Ptolemaios, Chancellor for the past few years, arrives to submit his report. The man walks with his characteristic limp, his wooden cast sending sharp echoes through the shaded halls. He is followed by a small Egyptian native that scurries after him carrying bundles of scrolls and flanked by a richly adorned priest of Zeus-Ammon. Clearing his throat Meleagros begins:

"Fellow councilors, I am pleased to finally meet you again after three very successful years for our Kingdom. When I first took office, we were beset on all sides by enemies, but today, I am proud to say that by your actions we have managed to pull through a difficult storm.

First of all, our Basileos and his son have reconquered Damaskos and Tarsos and are now putting siege before the Seleukid's western capital that should fall within a season's time.

Secondly, we have beaten back their fleet through generous personal contributions, especially from Leontiskos Thraikikos.

Leontiskos Thraikikos has also been capital retaking the city of Paraitonion.

Finally, though we had to deal with some very minor rebellion and the loss of Side through Seleukid gold and treachery, our conquests and my efforts to upgrade our economic structures and to sign economic treaties has seen our treasury return to profitability.

As we now prepare to discuss the future of our Kingdom, I shall set down a few ideas to orient our deliberations:

1- Polyxenos Salaminios, our diplomat who has been traveling east, should continue in this direction and reach the Kingdom of Bactria who could prove a valuable ally against the sons of Seleukos;
2- Aiglanor Karanites, our new spy, currently in Edessa, should continue to train on easy assignments to sharpen his skills;
3- Our current Kerkuroi fleet should be either reinforced or disbanded, potentially, scrapped to permit the creation of stronger ships.

As for overall strategy, our position, though stronger, is still not secure. Two paths lay before us: either we push further into Seleukid territory in an attempt to quickly topple them or we try to sign peace with the Arche Seleukia and consolidate our base, namely, Numidia and Kyrenaia.

Personally, I suggest the second option. Though an all out race for Seleukid land might be tempting and quite rewarding, we risk spreading our forces quite thin. On the other hand, a slower approach would permit us to then assault the Seleukids with more armies and on more fronts, from a solid base in Egypt.

For that reason, I propose:

Law 2.1: That a Nomarchy be created in the Kyrenaica, first based on Paraitonion, but with the ultimate goal of including Kyrene and Ammonion, with Kyrene as capital. This Nomarchy would be headed by Leontiskos Thraikikos should he accept, or should he refuse, by a strategos named by our Basileos. The new Nomarch would be charged with completing the Nomarchy's conquest using the 1st Syrian Army.

Edict 2.1: That the first Syrian Army be retrained and reinforced to a total of 8 units.

Law 2.2: That the Nomarch of Upper Egypt be charged with the conquest of the southern settlements and that an army of 6 to 8 units be created for that purpose. The conquered settlements could be initially added to the Nomarchy, with the goal of eventually creating a separate Nomarchy in the south.*
*As Nomarch of Upper Egypt, I would most likely name another councilor strategos for this mission.

Finally, I would represent myself for the position of Chancellor, but would prefer if other councilors dedicated themselves to the more military positions of Trierarchos and Polemarchos, for I do not intend to command armies in the field.


This is my report and these are my propositions for the Kingdom. May Zeus-Ammon, blessed be his name, inspire our deliberations!"

Leontiskos stands.

"Well said uncle, though I feel you overstate my role in our successes and forget my brother's. He may well have annoyed most of us with his demands, but none if us can deny the brilliance and bravery he showed defeating that rebel, Aigyptios, who threatened the heart of our growing domain."

"Uncle, why do you desire for us to conquer the Kingdoms of Kush and Meroe? These states have lately been on quite reasonable terms with us, we have no reason to make war upon them. Nor do we have the resources to do so.

In addition, if we stop to consolidate our efforts against the Seleukids, we will lose the initiative. The Seleukids will not sit by and wait for us to regroup, they will attack us relentlessly when we stop our offensive campaign against them. Someone should lead an expedition into Babylonia and capture the Seleukid heartland, so we can force them to surrender and finally end this feud."

Leontiskos stands once more.

"Hi coz, good to see you here. You are quite correct to worry about our resources, especially if we are going to be fighting on three fronts, as Meleagros wishes. Therefore I propose a slightly different strategy to Law 2.1. I had already planned to attack the region in question, and have permission from the Basileus. However, I feel I can conquer the potential Nomarchy without the use of state troops. If, that is, my brother wishes to help me. I have no wish to be a Nomarch, Alexandros would be a better choice. I suggest then, that the 1st Syrian become the army specified in Law 2.2 and Alexandros and myself be given free reign to create the Nomarchy of Kyrenaica, with a joint command and Alexandros to become Nomarch when the job is complete. This would be a lot cheaper than the strategy suggested by our Chancellor, though it would require Alexandros approval. I don't think there is any need to faff about with laws and edicts for it, just declare the 1st Syrian the Army of the Nomarchy of Upper Egypt and let the Thraikikos family do the rest."

Meleagros laughs:

"Haha! That could be an idea. The Thraikikos are certainly a capable family! And headstrong! I am willing to reformulate my proposals to match this is Alexandros approves."

I believe that no money and troops should be wasted on foolish pursuits in Africa. First of all the Royal Armies should be completely combat ready, as they are the most capable forces of finishing the war in a timely manner. I myself will be using personal funds to upgrade the abilities of my army.

I then suggest that my father marches for the Seleukid heartland to capture the profitable and grand cities of Seleukeia and Babylon. My Royal Army could head in a westerly direction and clear out the Seleukid strongholds in Anatolia. If both of these thrusts are successful it will be a big blow to the enemies economy and territorial possessions and would enable us to continue the war in anyway we see fit or demand a profitable peace.

As for the 1st Syrian, I'm sure it could be put to better uses. If the Thraikikos family wishes to use personal troops and funds to conquer provinces then so be it. I would not wish to see our own troops used in such a fashion with such a formidable foe on our northern border.

The doors of the Council opens and in steps a group of people headed by Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios himself. To the right and behind of him can be seen a man who some may recognize as the same man who had brought the message that Damaskos had fallen; to his left and behind is another man, unrecognized in the council, who is large and imposing, with watchful eyes scanning every direction. Heading straight for his seat, he his met by a clerk who hands him a paper, which he reads as soon as he has sat down. The other two men take places standing behind the throne as they had walked.

When Philadelphos has finished reading, he looks up and eyes the Council. Surprised that it has fallen completely silent, he looks around to his aides and advisers to see if they are any wiser to the situation. When none of them seem to understand what's going on, Philadelphos rises from his chair and salutes the Council. Taking a couple of steps forward, he starts talking.

Gentlemen! As the situation stands right now, no laws or edicts have received enough seconders to pass to the voting stage; however, I have proposed some Rule Changes that still need to be voted on. I will also challenge my dear brother and nominate myself for Chancellor, and since no one else has done it, I will nominate myself for Polemarchos and Trierarchos as well. With no contest, I will automatically assume the latter to positions without the need of an election.

With this said, I announce that the first phase of this session is concluded! The voting phase will begin shortly.

Philadelphos Ptolemaios, after learning the result of the vote, once again stood up to address the Council.

Comrades, friends, fellow Council members - I thank you for entrusting me the honour of replacing my brother as Chancellor! With the splendid job he has done, I have my work cut out before me if I shall live up to his legacy. However, I assure you that I shall do my utmost to do so, and with your help, I believe I can do it. I will do my very best to increase the prosperity of our kingdom and to secure the borders we currently hold. As many of you, my brother perhaps the most, may know already, during his Chancellorship, many civilians in and around Syria have been very opportunistic, unreliable and even to the brink of being outright rebellious. I pledge to quell this unrest and to stabilize the region before my term is over.

With this, I shall retire to the tavern before I head back to Syria, unless of course any of you fine nobles here have any questions or requests of me that cannot wait.

A messenger arrives at court, dusty from many days riding.

"Lords of Egypt, I bring a message from Leontiskos Thraikikos,

Basileus and friends, I hereby hand over the town of Ammonion and surrounding territories, mainly sand and rocks, to our great and glorious Basileus.

Leontiskos Thraikikos."

He leaves the court.

Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios:

"Excellent! Then I shall reinstate him as the commander of the 1st Syrian Army. He may let them retrain and restock in Syria as planned, or he may order them in another direction, as he deems fit.

It should also be recognized that for his efforts to the kingdom and to his king, Leontiskos Thraikikos has now earned the rank of Strategos Hetairos! Let all men of the Council treat him with due respect."

A courier arrives at the council room, accompanied by an attendant

Lysimachos Ptolemaios's personal clerk unrolls the papyrus scroll, and reads;

"My kinsmen and fellow councilmen. I write to you now having recently departed with my new model navy to Krete. It is not uncommon knowledge that Krete is a major haven for smugglers, mercenaries, pirates, and other unlawful men from around the Mediterranean. Therefore, my personal advisors and I have decided to embark on a military expedition to Krete to ensure that it will no longer be a land that sows lawlessness. With the navy marines I have personally commissioned for the past few years, I will rid the region of the Kretan piratical threat. In addition, I have been informed by our allies in the Hellenic League that they currently have a military force on the island who have been rather uncomfortably marooned for several years. They have agreed to assist my naval forces in capturing Krete, on the condition that we provide them with transport back to Hellas."

Several weeks later, another ship docks at Alexandreia's famed port. Another courier goes to the council chamber, and says he has another message from Lysimachos Ptolemaios.

"I have assessed the situation in Krete and have decided not to go with my original plan. I will instead set sail for the Hellenic mainland, and will make diplomatic arrangements with our allies there. I will also go to the Cape Tainaron to recruit some of its famed mercenaries before I embark again for Krete. I will spend six months in Hellas before I depart, so if any matters concerning me arise in the council, I urge you to send word."

Honourable members of the council and representatives,

I have moved my army into Koile Syria and set up camp there, with the intention of moving east into enemy territory. Palmya is not protected by walls and should make for a good target, provided its garrison is not too strong for my humble group of soldiers. To find out enemy troop strength, I propose moving our spy near Edessa south to scout the town of Palmyra. He need not enter the city, but a survey of enemy forces from the outside could prove very valuable.

Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios:

Unfortunately, I am planning on moving west with my army on a new campaign into Mikra Asia and I need that spy for myself. However, this does not mean that I am deaf to your needs either, for I have ordered the training of a new spy. He should be ready for duty now in Damaskos; you may use him as you see fit this winter, including sending him on missions that might result in his death.

Hermokrates enters the Council chambers, hurries up to the empty seat of Philadelphos and hands a letter to a scribe. He then turns and addresses the Council.

Dear Council members, I come on behalf of Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios. He is not able to be here just yet, but he has given me simple instructions and the power to speak for him on simple matters until he arrives. He has also given me authority to declare that the new session opened.

And so I shall do now. The Third Council Session is now open! Make your proposals, discuss them and second as needed - and don't forget to nominate yourself for any governmental position you would like to have! It will last for three days, and be closed on 21:40, Tuesday, 9th of August. After that two days of voting will follow. May the session begin!

Gentlemen, I apologise for my long absence. In fact, I have gone into the lands of the Galatians in the north. During my journey, I have discovered that the natives there are not only good warriors but are also good friends of us. Therefore, I propose the following edict:

Edict E3.1: An army will be sent north to liberate the natives and incorporate their rich country into the Ptolemaic dominions.

I second this edict.

Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios enters the Council. He has an cheerful smile on his face as he greets Hermokrates and takes his seat.

Gentlemen! At the beginning of my term as chancellor, I made a vow to stabilize Syria, which upon my taking this responsibility, was in a borderline rebellious mood. This I have done. Furthermore, my term has also seen the capture of Antiocheia, the routing of several Seleukid armies and a steady growth of the kingdom's coffers. Alexandreia has hugely profited from this, but that has not been at the expense of the more periphery regions. Nay, there is not a corner of our kingdom that I have not given attention to, and though one always wish one could give more, there is currently no way to call my term anything but a great success. I do hope that doesn't sound too self-congratulatory; I am merely stating the facts, even when the facts work in my favour.

With this in mind I expect no objections when I announce this early in that I shall be assuming the position of Polemarchos.

Hermokrates whispers something in Philadelphos' ear. Slightly surprised, Philadelphos turns his head towards Isigonos Kleopatrikes.

Ah, good to see you back, comrade! I regret I cannot support your edict, though, for the simple reason that, as it is stated, it would warrant an attack on anyone north of us! You must rewrite it to be less general and more specific or I see no other option than to vote against it. Liberating the Galatians is otherwise something I am sympathetic to.