Stories Thread

[GMaximus]

Somewhere between Kappadokia and Seleukeia

"How did the Council Session go, Lord?"

"Awfully. It was dreadfully boring, everyone just bickered a lot. I could swear I fell asleep at least once. I'm seriously considering never showing my face there again. Let the Basileus and his lot think what they want, but politics are not for me." Mikithion yawned, leaning forward on his horse. The journey back to Kappadokia was much slower, since they were not in a hurry to get anywhere.

"Lord, but you cannot just abbandon your duties!" Polymarches frowned, in his concern nearly riding on top of a travelling old man. Mikithion hurriedly appologized the aged traveler, tossing several coins from his ever-open pouch.

"I didn't leave Athenai to sit in some chamber, surrounded by men of various backgrounds and their barbaroi servants. As a matter of fact, if this is all I get, I would've done better in my home city, where at least I was certain that I was surrounded only by Hellenes. There I didn't need to wonder how many of them would be willing to drive a sword through me for being from Hellas."

Polymarches only sighed. "Whatever you say, Lord Mikithion."

Mikithion yawned again, then wiped a tear from his left eye. "Don't worry, life shall soon become more interesting and we'll have plenty of chances to prove ourselves. I hope to see battle soon. If there was one part of the Session that interested me, it was that an edict was agreed on by which the Arche shall finally enter war against Pontos."

With this, silence fell upon the small group of riders, soon followed by night.

[Alerion]

About a week after the messengers were sent out, one returned to Theodoros' residence and after some time of thinking, the governor called on Klemonos. As the older man entered the Strategos' chambers, Theodoros looked up to greet him. "My friend, I have received news. My father gave me a mission and I will take it. I have already ordered my servants to ready my bodyguard, for I will leave shortly but there is something I have to ask of you first."

"What is it?"

"I will leave Laodike and the kids here. Watch over them as you'd watch over your own family, swear that to me." The older man nodded and bowed: "I will protect them with my life if needed. May Mithras bless you on your way."

"Thank you. May he bless you and this town. Until we meet again." And with that Theodoros left his chambers to join his bodyguard, already assembled in the courtyard.

[00jebus]

266BC, seige of Jerusalem


Cadayren was annoyed, he always hated bringing bad news to people, especally when they could fire him, groaning, he entered Timarchos' tent to find a mess of reports on a table, Timarchos behind them, starring at his sword

"sir.....?"

"I was just wondering, equal numbers, they have better quality troops, and I have no gold for mercinaries, how in the name of the gods am I supposed to capture this place? in tact? without killing any jews on purpose, which a seige will do?"

"Surely sir, we can attack"

"we can offer battle, but unless we have our choice of ground, they will win, or at least kill too many of us so I end up like that guy from eprius.."

"May I ask why sir?"

"cavalry, we have lots, its bloody useless in a city, and their commander, he's too good, so long as he's alive he'll inspire the cities defenders, and I certantly don't want to send men into a bloodbath to end this quick, lets face it, I have years left, a satrapy is worth waiting for"

"I see sir, well, if your going to end up a satrap, then all the jew's here will be yours, may I suggest calming your subjects down?
their too eager to liberate the city, caught five of em' trying to brake through our own lines so they could attack it themselves" he added, as as if on cue from timarchos' stare,
"what do you want to do with them?"

"ach, how I wish this was just another feild battle" Timarchos moaned, rubbing his head with both palms "ok, put those five in an aggressive patrol anywhere nearby that starts to feel a little bit Egyptian... how are the ram's coming?"

"all six started, I take it you have a plan for them sir?"

"yes, I'm making my own wall, so when the enemy attack us, they'll hopefully get cut off, then cut to peices."

Timarchos looked at his statue of the little fat man "I just wish they don't take too long to try and attack us, we seige for any longer than a year and my subject's will ether start to starve, or grow too restless they end up attacking without any plan... damn those walls and building, they really ruin war, it's much more fun without all this waiting around."

a now smiling Cadayren nodded, "I think we can both remember the good old days, when all we had to do was charge uphill into a wall of spearpoints, your right sir, those damn buildings ruin war, completly spoil the fun of it, but isn't the whole greek system of war a case of hurry-up-so-you-can-wait anyway?"

Timarchos grinned "nice way of putting it, have to use that one myself sometime, deffinantly describes how we got here well enough"

[Roka]

Ioudia, Autumn 266 BCE

"My lord! You're bleeding!"
"Merely a flesh wound, Alexandros." Achaios replied with a fiery passion in his eyes. "Take the a unit of Prodromoi and chase away those blasted steppe raiders, they're giving the Jews a hard time!"
"Aye sire." With that Alexandros master of horse to Achaios Syriakos, elder brother to the basileus and son to the great Seleukos, spurred his horse away towards a group of waiting horsemen calling orders as he went.
"Sire! The enemy leader has commited his own unit to the fray against the Thureophoroi!"
"Excellent! Men form up on me, we shall turn their flank. A jug of finest wine to the man that brings me that brigand's head."

2 hours later, the command tent of the army

"That's the last of them killed my lord."
"Excellent Alexandros, sit and have a cup of wine, you've earned it, i lost three bodyguards in the battle, any men you could recommend?"
"Well sir, there is that lad that killed the brigand leader, in fact, he's outside just now, shall i call him in?" Alexandros replied, taking a deep draught from the wine in his hand.
"Isn't he a bit young? Well send him in anyway,i owe him a jug of wine." With that a tall man of around 23 entered the tent and bowed to Achaios. "General, you honour me greatly."
"What do you think of him Alexandros?"
"I believe he'll do my lord" Alexandros replied with a wry smile.
"My boy, how is your riding ability?"
"Pretty good my lord, my family are horse breeders from Antiocheia."
"
"Good, the i assume you have a horse?"
"Yes my lord."
"How would you like to ride in my bodyguard?"
"I would be honoured my lord."
"Excellent, return here tomorrow morning and I'll give you orders and have you equipped. Dismissed!" With that the young man left the tent beaming.
"Sire, wouldn't you like to know his name?" Alexandros said with a smile once again.
"I assumed you would know..."

[The Celtic Viking]

Two phalangites in Sarpedon Syriakos' army were talking.

- "So we're off to fight again, are we?"
- "Aye, that we are. You're not nervous, are you?"
- "No. Well, yes, a little, but you're always a little nervous before a fight, aren't you?"
- "Most are, and there's no shame in it. But then there are others. I haven't fought them myself, but those barbaroi, the Galatians, they have these soldiers, I hear. They don't fear anything or anyone, they're like madmen living for the battle. They fight naked, you know. Naked. Can you imagine that?"
- "Naked?! That's insane! That must make them easy to kill, right?"
- "Actually, that's the thing: they're not. I've heard stories about them, see? I've heard that they can take javelins through their chest, rip it out and then just throw it right back at you, before they continue to fight."
- "That's impossible!"
- "I'm not so sure. They say they take something, a drug or what-have-you, before battle that makes them impervious to pain. They'll fight till you chop their heads off. There's no other way to kill them."
- "Sweet Zeus! And we're up against these guys?!"
- "Not sure. We could be, but we just don't know. I hear lord Sarpedon's requested some spies to check out how things are. If his request is granted, then we shall know for sure. If it isn't... well, we'll find out when we get there."
- "Yeah. Hey! Don't you think Cadeyrn knows more about these guys? He's supposed to be a Galatian himself, isn't he?"
- "Yeah, you're right! We should ask him more about these guys. Perhaps he even knows if the Pontics are likely to have them in their armies?"
- "It couldn't hurt to ask."
- "Then lets go find him, shall we?"

And so they went off towards the barracks, where they knew they would find Cadeyrn training together with lord Sarpedon himself.

[GMaximus]

On the border of Kappadokia (again)

"...And look! That's a rare mountain plant, useful for curing many diseases..."

"It looks like simple grass." Polymarches raised an eyebrow, looking as the old man carefully worked with the supposedly rare plant.

"Your eye is not that of a herbalist, so let me do my work and keep your oppinion to yourself until we reach a battlefield!" The old Hellene yelled, then shooed Polymarches away from the plants. Mikithion, who was observing the plant-picking with interest, turned away quickly to hide his laughter as his spear carrier wiped the mud off his armor - the herbalist had thrown several of his less precious plants after him.

"I don't understand, why are we having this old fool follow us?"

"Because this 'old fool' is a herbalist, and herbalists can be useful in many cases. You'll be thankful we met him after we do battle with Pontos. I've heard people like him can tend to wounds with great skill." Mikithion responded, peeking over the old man's shoulder as he spoke. "And just so you know, Polymarches, our 'old fool' has a name."

"I'd be happy if Lord Mikithion shared it, as I must remind that no one else of your guard has had a lengthy conversation with our herbalist. For entirely understandable reasons, too, as no one else I know of has such a toleration for long boring rambling like my Lord, even though it seems to vanish in the court." Polymarches angrily glanced at the back of the herbalist when the old man grumbled something.

"I could swear I already introduced my new companion to everyone... Regardless, this is Lysimakes Polinedus."

"Honored to serve you, Lord Mikithion. It warms my heart that some young men are still interested in such arts." Lysimakes shot a killing glare at Polymarches at the mention of 'young men'.

My retinue grew to two people, and they already can't get along. Athena help me if it increases further...

[SwissBarbar]

The Story of

Nikarchos Asterias Syriakes





Chapter 1 - Overview

- Nikarchos Asterias Syriakes -

Nikarchos Asterias Syriakes' - born 291 BC in Seleukeia - ancestors lived in Pella and his father and grandfather fought side by side with Alexander the Great and Seleukos I Nikator, anywhere across the world.

In Arkadia at Megalopolis and defeated the unconquerable Spartans




in Ioudaia at Raphia to to put the insolent Ptolemaioi in their place




at Tyros to batter down the gates of this important phoenician City and wrest it from persian dominance




and in Phyrgia in the Massacre of Ipsos - where Antigonos I. Monophthalmos died at the hand of seleukid Soldiers





Nikarchos was young and had yet to prove his valour in battle. He studied philosophy and mathematics at the great Akademia in the capital of the Arche Seleukeia. Soon it turned out that he was a very intelligent man, sharp and charismatic. Though he was not of great vitality he grew up to a sinewy man, able to swing a sword and bend a bow.

At the age of 25 Nikarchos was appointed by the Basileus to the rank of Strategos. At the royal council the Kleronomos Basileion, Sarpedon Syriakos, invited him to join his army in Phyrgia. Greatly honoured Nikarchos set out for Ipsos, looking forward to serving his Lord and hoped he could prove himself in battle against the enemies of the Empire.

In the year of 266 BC he started with the preparations of his journey.

And so begins the story of Strategos Nikarchos Asterias Syriakes.............