Stories Thread

[MerlinusCDXX]

At Kleros Laodikeion in Sophene, early afternoon. Late Summer 272 BC

Phanias Laodikeias Lydikes steps forth from the smoke filled tent with an exclamation of, "Syria Dea! what now?" to the messenger standing at the entrance. "Can't you people leave me to my meditations?"

The messenger responds with a sneer, " I don't think rotting your brains in a barbaroi hemp oven does anything to promote the glory of Megas Alexandros. Wake up, man, you are a Strategos of the Arkhe Seleukeia, it's about time to start acting the part, well, here's your opportunity. The Basileus has called a meeting of Strategoi at Seleukeia, you are required to attend".

Phanias looks up with a smile "Well, it's a cold wind howling down the pass, I suppose it's a good time for a holiday to the riverlands. Courier, I shall depart presently. Mardakou!" Phanias snaps to his steward, "Saddle my good Skythoi mare, the one I have from my mother, and tell Danae to get ready to go on a journey. Pack provisions and wine to last a trip to Seleukeia. And have a slave take this messenger to the kitchens and feed him 'till he can't eat anymore, and wine to wash off the dust of the desert"

Mardakou stammers incredulously as the courier is escorted to the kitchens, "b.b.b.but Sir, do you really think it's advisable to bring an Hetaira to the Basileus' war council?"

Looking put upon, Phanias sighs, "Just do it Mardakou, I'm sure the gods don't begrudge me joyful companionship, considering my former 'wife' decided to run off with some dirty Armenios, he was a pig farmer or something, wasn't he?"

"I don't know, sir" states Mardakou, "and anyways, shouldn't you be thinking on the business of punishing those Armenioi if you get the opportunity? It will be more difficult to keep your focus strong if you surround yourself with distractions like Danae"

"Hehehe, my dear Mardakou, Danae is accompanying me on this journey, your protests not withstanding. I don't pay you to advise me of court etiquette, and your dislike of Danae is immaterial. I pay you to run my estates and instruct my servants, so please do so now. We leave tomorrow at sunrise." Phanias smirks.

[Rodrico Stak]

At the house of Attalos Pergamou Mysiakes, Sardis.

Iskender knocked on the door, and entered without bothering to wait for an answer. He found Strategos Attalos Peragmou Mysiakes, son of Kleomenes Peragmou Mysiakes, former King of Peragmon, at his table eating breakfast.

"I'm sorry to distrub you sir, but there's a letter for you. It's from the Basielus." Iskender panted as he spoke. It was clear that he had run all the way here from the Governor's house.

Attalos took the letter and opened it. "A meeting of the strategoi? Interesting. This may be my opportunity, Iskender. As you know, my father was once King of Peragmon, but he was overthrown by his brother, who's son rules Peragmon now. My father was given shelter here in Sardis by the old Basielus (may he rest in peace). Perhaps this is a chance to retake Peragmon for the rightful heir? Certainly if we can get the rest of the council to agree to it, Peragmon can become part of the Arche Seleukia, and I can become King (under the Baselius of Seleukia, anyway) as is my right? Prepare two horses. We leave tomorrow."

"Two horses, sir?"

"Yes. Did you really think that I would leave without my most trusted servant? I don't know what I'd do without you."

[The Celtic Viking]

- You there! Bring me that slave girl, what's her name... that girl I bought from the market yesterday. I think it's time for her initiation.
- Right away, sir!

At the same moment that the guard leaves, a messenger steps into the room.

- "Sir, I come bearing an urgent message for you. His lord Antiochos..."
- "Not now. Whatever that old man may want from me, it can wait. I have other things to do right now."
- "But sir, it's important, and I was ordered to deliver the news to you as soon as I got here. I have already given the first letter to Iskender, a servant of lord Attalos."
- "And I'm sure he made the wisest of it. I, however, have bought a new girl for my collection, and it's high time for me to welcome her to her new master. Oh, and here she is! Not noble by any means, but still a feast for the eyes, wouldn't you say? So, you wait."
- "Yes, a beauty she is. But milord, I must insist that you listen to what I have to say first. It is in your best interests. You will have plenty of time for her when you get back."
- "Get back? Get back from what?"
- "That's the thing, sir. Lord Antiochos has called for the creation of a Royal Counsil, where very important decisions will be made, and you are called to attend it."
*Sarpedon sighs heavily*
- "All right, you win. Guard, send the girl away. Now tell me all I need to know about this counsil.

After the messenger leaves, Sarpedon walks over to the window, and addresses another slave.

- "What day is it now, Arsenios?"
- "It's Monday, sir."
- "Monday, eh? Hmm... I'll need to leave first thing in the morning. Make sure that everything is ready for my departure, and inform Hilarion as well - he'll be coming with me. I'll be going to bed now; I want to be rested out for the journey. I expect to be awoken at the first sunlight."

[kingsnake]

At the governor of Mazaka's house, summer of 272 b.C.

A ray of light found its way through the curtains and hit Aratos' face. The suns heat woke him and he move his head lazily. However it was impossible to fall asleep again the city's square was already filling up with the noise of the traders mounting their tents. He growled, this was the smallest "palace" he had ever been stationed in. This was quite a promising city, miners have already found precious ores but were waiting for investment, the lands were fertile and the Persian Royal Road passed right through it. But the war, the damn war drained all the money. Well at least the governor wasn't corrupt and didn't spend his assigned budget on building huge palaces for himself.

He got up, kissed his wife good morning, climbed over the wooden frame holding the curtains and stood up on the tiled floor of the rooftop's balcony. That night, as on many other hot summer nights, he slept outside, a good opportunity for petty assassins but Aratos always reorganized and reforced the night shifts of the guards when necessary annoying many hosts. Sometimes he wouldn't even do that, who would want to assassinate an unknown and young Strategos? Now his father, Timarchos, had plenty of failed assassination attempts stories when he returned home from a spying mission, but one is just so lucky. Aratos' was 17 when a messenger arrived at his family's state bringing news of his father death by an egyptian assassin. Everyone cried, but Aratos remained steady, remembering his father's lessons, he then pledged to avenge his father's death and destroy Ptolemaios' Egypt.

From his missions to far away lands Timarchos always brought back home to Persepolis friends and teachers who helped in his son's education. The Syriakes family was a military one, Aratos grandfather had been a captain of Nikathor Syriakos' Royal Army. But Timarchos had chosen a different path and he regreted it. So he dedicated himself in educating his only son (though Aratos had an unmarried younger sister, 16 years old). One of his foreign military teachers was Hágárádáz, a germanic exiled from his tribe called the Hobukoz, quite a mysterious man as most of his foreign teachers were, and as was also Timarchos, who always tried to keep his son out of his shady side businesses. Probably that's why he got killed...

Hágárádáz fell in love with Persia and remained in Persepolis under Syriakes family protection. Then Aratos was promoted to Strategos and was assigned to Mikro Asia, at age 20. Of course he brought the germanic who Aratos grew fond of. Besides his strange "barbaric" ways, he was a wise 48 year old man and could prove useful when dealing with galatian mercenaries, who Aratos would surely meet at Mikro Asia.

Aratos sighed and looked around the small town. He looked south and watched the huge mountain range, reminding him of his travels to the northern Baktrian regions when he was a child. There was also a vulcano expelling gases between the mountains, he never saw one before, and desired to climb it, but those regions were dangerous because beyond them was a region controlled by egyptians and the city of Tarsos. Then he looked north, along the endless stone road curving between the forest, beyond it were independent Pontic lands.

How can these lands remain independent, they must be -

"Master Syriakes!" shouted someone, down on the garden.

Aratos walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down. "Well good morning Virios, how did you know I was awake?"

"Oh I know many things Master."

Aratos laughed. "What do you have for me?"

"This is a message from the Basileus. Hágárádáz was awake when a messenger arrived early this morning."

"I assume he's waiting for me at the living room, I'll come down. We shouted to much, we must've awaken the governor by now and he doesn't like me very much."

When Aratos arrived at the living room, the servant gave him the message and left, the Strategos opened it and read it.

Aratos face was concetrated, after a while he raised his eyebrows and looked up at Hágárádáz. "The Basileus is summoning a Council with all the Strategos."

"Strange..." murmured Hágárádáz.

"Yes... very interesting. Well Hágárádáz go and prepare the expedition. We'll travel only with our bodyguards and we will cross egyptian territory quickly, I don't feel like going all around the borders."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll go warn my wife, we'll be in Antiocheia for a short time, then we return to Mazaka."

Later in the day, while Aratos mounted his horse, he smiled and thought about many other Strategos who had to cross the whole Empire to arrive at Antiocheia. Captain Krateros, a good friend of Aratos, asked why was he smiling and so Aratos told the joke to his soldiers while the gates closed behind them.


OOC: You might want to view Mazaka in game, to help illustrate the story... Note how small the governor's house is!!! I never seen such a thing. Yes there is no rooftop tiled balcony, but imagine it
I think I never wrote so much in my life, this PBM is going to change my life 0_0

[LordofUmbar]

Bithys Nisaias Parthiakes awoke from his troubled sleep with a start, drawing his sword from the table besides his bed.

“Whose there?” he shouted. “I can see you hiding in the shadows.” All he met with was silence. “Just another dream.”

He lay back down on his bed and pulled furs close. He looked around his Spartan apartment. It consisted of a single room with a simple, wooden bed and a table with a single chair. A single window looked out to the world beyond. Outside was a strange land. The town was Greek in design but it lay amid the cold, harsh steppe stretching to the horizon. Memories suddenly came flashing back to Parthiakes , memories he wished to forget. He had been sent when young to Sparta, never to see his family again. There he was trained and brought up as a Spartan soldier. After his training, he saw some service but nothing exceptional. He would have had a nice life there if he hadn’t killed his messes’ overseer.

“That man was cruel, a scourge to god and man, I was right to do it. You were right.” he told himself again and again.

After that, he was forced to flee for his life. But the arms of those who wanted his blood were long and he barely survived several assassination attempts. He didn’t find peace until he reached the ends of the know world, the barren steppe far away from the world he knew. There he was hired as a Strategos to help fight off the nomadic hoard under the name of Parthiakes.

Curse the nomads, they always seek to take what is ours and our ‘fellow Greeks‘ in Bactria won‘t be much help either, they have a mind of their own. This empire was once great but now has fallen into shadow. The Seleucid monarchs took more than they could handle when they claimed this wilderness. Many leaders of the Empire seek to abandon the east all together and destroy our enemies in the west at all cost. But this is a foolish view. We cannot abandon fellow Greeks to be slaughtered mercilessly.

Just then, a messenger arrived, slowly opening the creaky door.

“Strategos, you have been summoned to Antiocheia by the Basileus.” the messenger announced.

“Why me??” Parthiakes replied.

“All the Strategos of the Empire are being called together, leave at once.”

“All right, I will go.” Parthiakes sighed. “Tell the stable boy to saddle my horse and provision it for the ride to Antiocheia.”

“Very well.” the messenger replied. He then turned around and left at once.

This could be my chance to redeem myself. I will assuredly find friends, but will I find enemies as well? It matters not, to horse…

[Celtic_Punk]

The sun was high, baking the three men on horseback, heading West along the old Persian road.
"This is where it happened."

"What, sire?"

"Where those brave... no foolhardy bandits attacked us, Sennus." Cunobelinus sunk into his horse grasping his longsword. He glared around himself, watching the tops of the mountains, he was all but home, but despite good omen of perfect weather, he still felt uneasy

"Whats wrong Arrhenides?" Achaikos asked
Achaikos was Cunobelinus' closest companion, a friend from childhood, a friendship reinforced by battle.

"Got the chills again, brother. The same ones that hit me before they hit us."
A glint in the sky caught Achaikos' eye
"! an arrow!" The head sunk deep into the thigh of Sennus' horse, wining in pain, Cunobelinus sat back up drawing his blade, as 5 light cavalry charged out of the brush. One wielding a bow. He must not have been very good with it, missing all but the first shot.

"Into them! We face them head on!" Cunobelinus shouted,
As the three men crossed through the bandits charge, Cunobelinus sliced open the Bowman's gut, Achaikos clashed blades with another and came out unscathed, Sennus plunged his blade into another's chest, but lost grip of the hilt, and was cut down by another bandit.
"SENNUS!" A red mist covered the Galatian's eyes, his fallen comrade now at the back of his mind, survival at the front.
"There's three left! You take left, I've got the right, Cuno!"
Paying no attention to his friend Cunobelinus charged up the middle urging his horse on, decapitating the first man, parrying the second on the left, and ducking under the third's blade. Achaikos cut down the last horsemen as Cunobelinus ducked under the bandit's slash. The last bandit now realizing he has been outclassed took flight. Cunobelinus pursued, throwing his spear at the man. The weapon sunk deep into the horse's rear, toppling. The Celt dismounted walking up to the man now trapped under his wounded horse.
"You have no idea whom you quarrel with."
"Life is easy for a boy whom has been born with everything!"
With that Arrhenides sank his blade into the battered man's neck.

"If I'd spotted the arrow sooner We'd-"
"We'd have lost Sennus earlier. It doesn't matter. He's dead. He was just a slave."
"He was your friend. In light of his passing don't forsake his friendship. I'd hope if I fall beside you you don't do the same." retorted Achaikos,
"You aren't a slave."
"And you aren't a King."
"Regardless, we need to address this issue with the Satrap here. We need to increase the military presence here. If we had a larger garrison this never would have happened."
"You should know as much as anyone that you cannot stop bandits completely, Arrhenides. We cannot watch the roads all the time. Besides we need to focus our energies elsewhere. The campaign to the Southern coast approaches soon. And no doubt you are going to be on it."
"As if they'd leave my Celt ass to keep the books in Ipsos!" Laughed Arrhenides "just make sure that horse is looked after... The arrow cut deep, but he's a strong one."
"I hope you don't charge into Ptolemy's heavy cavalry, like you did here... You won't last long with foolishness like that, brother. You are too sure of yourself!" Advised Achaikos
"So was Alexander..." Cunobelinus glared towards Achaikos.
"Just watch the bushes and mountains... We don't need anymore bloody surprises today." remarked Achaikos.

[Chaotix]

Theodotas Termessou Pisidikes walked out of the council chamber, shocked and elated at the same time. He could not believe that he had been given command of an army. The great Basileus, emperor of all Seleukeia, had placed him in command of the newly created First Lydian Army. His task now was to strike at the Ptolemies' Cilician holdings, and take their land, in the name of his Basilieus.

To Theodotas, this all seemed too surreal. He had been born into a wealthy family in Syria, but all the same he was not a noble. From 18 years old and onward, he had fought as a Klerouchos in the Seleukid military, defending the city of Antiocheia, the city of his Basileus, from the Ptolemies. Because of his wealthy father, he had been given command of a single phalanx regiment under the Strategos that was in charge of the army.

His mind flashed back to that fateful day:

Theodotas had been serving in the military for 3 years. One day, late in the summer, the Ptolemaioi besieged Antiocheia again with a great host. For three weeks they stood outside the great walls, raiding farms outside and building rams and ladders. Then they attacked. Theodotas' regiment was guarding one of the main roads into the center of the city. He heard the ram all the way from where he was, pounding at the gates. Then, a huge crack as the gates were smashed open, and the enemy forces started pouring in. The strategos, who was with his bodyguard behind another phalanx in front of the gate, was impaled on a huge shard of wood as soon as he gates burst open. The battle soon devolved into complete chaos. The gate-guarding regiment as well as the forces on the walls were completely overwhelmed. Thousands of the soldiers of Ptolemaios started closing in on Theodotas' regiment.

That day, Theodotas had managed to hold back and exhaust the Ptolemaioi until reinforcements from Aleppo arrived and saved the city. Upon the return of the Basileus, Theodotas was proclaimed a hero and granted the title of Strategos. The 21 year old Syrian son of a merchant , now a Strategos of Seleukeia!

Now, almost eight years more had passed, and Theodotas, who had fallen into obscurity, was being given command of an army. He was to strike down the hated Ptolemies who had haunted his dreams for years. Theodotas would not fail his Basileus. He was sure of it. He returned to his horse, and began the long journey back to Ipsos, where he would be hailed- a true Strategos.

[johnhughthom]

Two men strode out of the Council Chambers, the smaller man looking thoughtful and his companion slightly anxious.

"Where to then sir?" the larger man asked, expecting the reply to be a brothel or an opium den.
"East."
"Excuse me?"
"East"
"Is that the name of a brothel?" Heronius asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Not very learned for a Greek are you? It's the opposite of west."

Heronius didn't reply, wondering what was going through his patrons mind. The two had travelled to Seleukeia with the rest of Lykikos' bodyguard and all the Babylonian had spoken of was what great plans the Basileus must have for him. Heronius had thought the fact that he was totally overlooked for any position, and that the other Strategoi seemed to have no idea who he was, would have either angered or depressed him. This calm and almost purposeful reaction surprised the Greek.

"Why did the old fool invite me?" murmured Lykikos, more to himself than the old soldier.
"I had hoped he planned to sacrifice you to the gods."
Lykikos surprised his companion with a chuckle. "I'll bet you did, and perhaps I may have deserved it. Still, what was the point of calling me here? I was in the same room as the Basileus yet I gained nothing. It made me realise something, if I want power, position, glory I shall have to take it, it will not simply be handed to me. So we go east."

Lykikos plans dawned on Heronius,exciting and amazing him at the same time. Most of the talk in the chamber had been about the eastern territories, some even talking about abandoning part of the Empires holding in the northeast. Out there a man could make a name for himself, and perhaps, far from the eyes of the Basileus, carve out a semi-autonomous Kingdom for himself. That his drug addled, wine soaked, lazy and not very bright paymaster had come to this conclusion on his own, and actually planned to go and try it, made the native of Corinth realise anything was possible.

"One more thing Heronius, who was that idiot who had the temerity to vote against my proposal?"
"That was Andromachos Syriakos, the nephew of the Basilieus" Herenius replied, strangely glad to hear Lykikos sound more like his usual self.
"I shall remember that name, and give him cause to remember mine."

[The Celtic Viking]

"Where do you think you're going?" Hilarion caught Sarpedon's shoulder. "You still have lots of paperwork left." Sarpedon sighs. "I know, but I need a break. Despite all my good intentions to increase the intellect by building schools and to reform the farming, many are angry at me. They're ungrateful bastards, only giving me for not doing what I can't do due to lack of funds."

"While that's true, you still can't give up on them. You're still new as a satrap, and the people know it. Once more time has passed, they will cool down and realize how lucky they are, and they'll thank you for your devotion. In fact, I think the time will come when..."

"Yeah, yeah, but that's then. Have my assistants handle this work; I need a holiday. Speaking of which, we never celebrated my becoming a satrap, did we?"

"No, I don't think we did."

"Then it's settled! We'll take a holiday, you, I and our concubines. We leave first thing tomorrow morning, so go make yourself ready. I will see to it that my slaves prepare everything else."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea..."

"Ah, hogwash! It's a great idea. It's a long time since we had anything like that anyway."

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC: This is the last thing I write before I leave. I'll be back on Monday.