The Royal Council

[Adamantarius]

A rider from Damaskos rushes in with a scroll and begins reciting aloud:

"Highest of the High, Most Wise and Just Fathers and Brothers of the Council,

The city of Bostra in the neighboring country of Nabataia is besieged by an army of innumerable proportions: banners, shields, and engines of war as far as the eye can see! WHEN this city to the South of Damaskos falls, it will not be long till the leader of that great force looks North toward our valuable mines, seeking to seal off the Arche's might from the riches that are as of yet still untapped. Should I fall, defending one of our two passages to the Inner Empire, to the hordes, we must press Southward from Sidon to Hierosolyma, cut off the enemy's supplies, and maintain a front further from Imperial soil.

I am sending my best rider by swiftest mount; I pray this message falls upon sound ears and that a plan can be put into action posthaste.

Ever Your firm and unwavering adherent,

H. N. Syriakes"

The horseman awaits the response.

[Celtic_Punk]

A young Celt walks into the council with haste, he is clad in mail
"Sire, Strategos Cunobelinus has laid seige to Sinope. It is garissoned only by the King of Pontus' royal cavalry, and he asks, "what is to become of the populace?"

[GMaximus]

"I am glad it was a simple misunderstanding, and will make it known that Lord Mikithion would fully support this view; the rulers of the Koinon are indeed not to be trusted, and that is the reason I am here and my Lord is in Ankyra. The favoured city of Athena gains no glory through their leadership which only leads to Athenai becoming a mere shadow of what it was before even Megas Alexandros. Perhaps the only way for Her to regain this former glory is to become a part of the Arche, who can tell? The Gods' designs are not for mortals to predict." With this, Alexander sat down again.

[navarro951]

General Ankyrikos rides in out of Antiocheia lightly rested from his fights in Sidon

"Good men of the council, I am sure we are all well aware of the victories we have been gaining against the Egyptians and the soon to be former Kingdom of Pontus...however lets not allow ourselves to be overly confident. At anytime more Ptolemy forces may arrive in larger numbers as before yet I have heard discussion about warring with the Hellons? While i agree they should be saved, if that is what you wish to call it, we are in no position to think about expanding our empire so quickly. With the situation in the far eastern nations, further campaigning that must be done against the Aigyptions, and getting the conquered people of Pontus to coincide with our empire will be challenge enough.

Ankyrikos clears his throat

Not to mention the replenishing, rearming, and regrouping costs of war. Construction alone is a hefty toll on our coffers. We must first establish a much more firm situation in within our borders before we make plans for an invasion of the Greek mainland or the Epirote held territories near to us. Maybe this will be a better and more necessary discussion at the next council session.

With that General Ankyrikos seats himself and sips from a cup of water.

[SwissBarbar]

"Well, Ankyrikos, i agree that the Koinon Hellenon can wait. But Epiros is an ally of the Ptolemaioi. They support them! And mark my words, they will march against us soon, whether we attack them first or not. Wenn Pontos is gone, they will have to attack us if they want to keep their territories in Asia, and they have to do that as long as the Ptolemaioi are not too weakend - wich means soon. They will not let us finish them off one after another. They are Hellenes after all, they are not stupid."

[navarro951]

Ankyrikos nods his head

True...I suppose if our armies finishing off the Pontic forces are ready, the Basileus may order an attack on the Epiro's provinces nearest to us. That can be justified sensibly.

[SwissBarbar]

"If he does, my master will be ready to follow his order."

Galaktión seats himself.

[Celtic_Punk]

A young Galatian enters the room"Cunobelinus has defeated the Pontic King in single combat! The Pontic Dynasty is no more, and 1500 protesters were rounded up and sold as slaves. Cunobelinus' Contingent of the 1st Syrian army desperately needs reinforcements from the battle before Sinope's capture, including his own cavalry unit. Unrest in Sinope is astronomical, and can only be solved by instituting our own government, lowering taxes, and leaving a more competent governor he says. He requests new orders, or he asks if can return to old home in Galatia, to live and command a garrison there." The young boy kneels in wait for a reply to bring to his general.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

A Magistrate rises from his seat and says..

Since our Basileus is currently occupied with his army then he have instructed me to open the new Council Session. So here it goes...

I declare the Council Session open! It will stay open for debate and legislation until 21.00 GMT on Saturday, December 6th, at which point there will be 48 hours allowed for voting.

The Magistrate smiles and sits back to his seat..

[Alerion]

Theodoros enters the hall, clothed in the garments of a servant to take his place under the mighty of the Arche.

"Strategos Theodoros Syriakos reports for the Royal Council Session."

[Celtic_Punk]

A substantially taller (from the last time he entered this room) Cunobelinus enters the council chamber. He has a grim look from the many bloody battles he's fought, and his reddish blond beard is now full. He also has a bandage over his left ear. He looks around the room for a suitable seat, and finds one next to Sarpedon. He sits and waits a few seconds before once again standing to address the council."*Ahem* Since nobody seems to have started, I guess I shall. The campaign went well. Pontus is removed. Their King is dead as you all know... However now that we've taken his former kingdom, the city of Sinope does not support our presence. We need a larger garrison there also. My men need reinforcement desperately, though I am confident I could defend the city from attack from a significantly larger force, we would be eventually slaughtered by any force numbering in the thousands. My own cavalry needs new equipment, and we also need more men. I came here with a less than a dozen men. I know where I can find some, back in the homeland, but I'd need the money to acquire their services.
Cunobelinus clears his throat and takes a sip of water, recently poured by a servant.
I believe we should continue to keep the Armenians on our side. They provide an excellent buffer from the brutal steppes, and they've aided us in battle before, which is a honourable trait to have in an ally. They are not cowards by any means, in fact are exceptional warriors. We should help them in their troubles when we can, economically and militarily. However our biggest threat (other than the Aigyptians) is the bastards from the Hella's proper. Pyhross, I believe his name is, Has expanded East and is challenging our dominance of Asia Minor. I propose an edict...
EDICT 4.1 A campaign to the West against the Epirotes to take their holdings in Asia Minor, and to take Byzantion.

Byzantion will act as a buffer from further attacks West. If we decide it be necessary to expand from there, it will not be a problem... I volunteer to lead any expedition West, against this new threat. This campaign could be completed by a small force... the Royal army under Sarpedon would be overkill. The contingent of the 1st Syrian Army I lead to Sinope would be sufficient I believe, once it retrains and is reinforced.

[navarro951]

General Ankyrikos rises, looking much more like a man now, and addresses the council.

Good men of the Great Arche, let me first say that I extend my applause to Cunobelinus in his dominance over the pretender king in Pontus. Ankyrikos gestures with a nod I believe he is right about our Armenian neighbors...they are honorable friends and would be deadly as a foe indeed. They are also expendable as Cunobelinus mentioned...they can indeed be our buffer.

Now on the Edict he has proposed...4.1, I feel he is a little over confident about the Epirote military power in Asia Minor. Our spies have just reported to us that their forces in that area are in great numbers. However, I will second the Edict, because as my army in Antiocheia is now fully retrained I would like to extend my assistance by bringing my men along into the fight. I feel confident that with enough men committed to the battle no force can beat us.

I would also like to raise the question we had discussed briefly about what should become of the Greeks to the west. Some say we should rescue these people from their own leaders as they are Hellons like us and are improperly treated. Their leaders, I believe, cannot be trusted! Or aloud to continue to lead! I believe we should do our Makedonian friends a favor and give them a new border with us whom have been a great Ally to them for many years now. Some here have spoke of the fact that those Greek kings have helped our Aigyption scum of an enemy in trade and helping their commerce. No wonder those bastards can throw such formidable armies against us in continuous waves at cities like Sidon.

So I propose the following Edict:

Edict 4.2: That a fleet of our cheapest and fastest ships available be constructed so that we can liberate our Hellon brethren, in essence, I believe the great Arche should conquer Greece while not interfering with our Allies (Makedonia) interests.

[Celtic_Punk]

Thankyou for your praise... That was a fight I will remember for the rest of my life...Cunobelinus holds his half-missing ear, frowns, then continues. I however cannot agree with your edict, friend. The Hellenon Koinon have maintained the ceasefire with us faithfully, and have not crossed us. Our Makedon neighbours, though I have nothing against their people, are unrighteously attacking the Spartan and Athenian League with only expansionism as their intention. Makedon is not the same Kingdom as it was under Alexander and Philip. It is becoming increasingly threatening to many peaceful, or otherwise decent kingdoms. This is a sticky situation which we have little place in. Perhaps this might change with time with our inevitable war with Pyhross, but right now... No. I am a man of action yes. But this war is something we will regret if we take the wrong side... If any side at all. For many of you this is the home of your ancestors. Or even your own homeland! The Athenians have lived with their so called "Democracy" for hundreds of years, what right do we or anyone else have of taking that from them? So goes with Sparta... Though they have decreased incredibly in power, we should not forget who they are. Alexandros himself said "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by a lion!" That aside, we should also respect their accomplishments. Our enemies we have faced and bested so far have nothing near to what Sparta may boast. Even Phyross himself can boast a few accomplishments of his own! As of now the Hellenic League shows no signs of expansionism. Only a desperate defence of the lands their ancestors tilled in a time you can not even conceive!!! Please, friends, do not make the biggest mistake of our time. If possible we should attempt to broker a ceasefire between the two nations. It is a destructive confict... I would be heartbroken if a civil war arose in Galatia... I can only imagine how some of you feel here. We must go about this slowly.

Besides, how pissed would Ptolemy be if we increase our already good standing with the Hellenon Koinon?

[navarro951]

Indeed some fine points there good friend...*ahem*, but what do you think would happen should Makedonia betray us as you seem to of lead on that they may be the wrong side. Their armies are a force to be reckoned with even with out the leadership of the great Alexandros. Should they attack they can already impose themselves on our land while we...have no jump off point. And I do not think we should strip the Hellons in Greece of their dignity and "democracies", we can set them up as an allied state only following us, not bowing to us. And yes the Ptolemy would be furious should the Hellons become a great friend, but think of the message we would send them by cutting off trade routes. Or better yet! Think of the message we would send to the entire world if we were to defeat Spartans in their own homeland. However, I do not wish to embarrass our Hellon neighbors, I wish to maybe let them be a part of this great Arche and maybe they too can march with us as we take on more and more foe. Imagine re-tying the knot between ancestral lands and the present blood line here within our own Royal Family. Good men of the council, think of such things when voting. Think of the prosperity in restoring the empire Alexandros once set out to create! You men who have ancestral ties to the Hellon's over there...just think of walking in the lands your fore-fathers once walked. I look for a second motion on my edict..thank you.

[Celtic_Punk]

"Prosperity you say... But at what cost? Our souls? The empire we have forged has been made out of necessity. Not pure imperial lust. Our military prowess dwarfs that of Makedon. If we wished to do so, we could crush them in a single strike given the proper tactical positioning. Regardless Byzantion would act as that spring board into the Hellas if need be. Right now we should be focusing on the two major threats to our sovereignty. The Egyptians, and the Epirotes. Makedon and the Koinon are not a threat to us at all. Especially the Koinon. They fight a brutal defencive war. One that takes skill, bravery, and well... More balls than some have in this room!" Cunobelinus chuckles To be honest... I would not like to be living in Peloponnese, despite the beauty I am told she possesses.

I reiterate... Beware the Hedgemon of Makedon... I do not trust their King. He is an imperialist like his counterpart Phyross. We should continue playing the card of friend. For now... At least till the real stones are cast and we can see the whole field for what it is. Marching headlong into a fight blindly is how the strong are slain. Look what happened to the short-lived King of Pontus...Yes, he died honourably, but if he'd had played his own cards correctly, things may have turned out quite differently for the Arche..."

Cunobelinus stands for two seconds, apparently thinking"Oh! and I almost forgot, which is quite an important matter... I nominate Aratos Arethousas Syriakes for chancellor. He is a good friend, a solid tactician, and of sound mind. He would serve the Arche well as our new chancellor."

[Alerion]

Theodoros stands and looks around the chamber.

"I know not what weight my words will carry in these chambers. This is the first council session I am attending, though I am part of the royal family. In the short time since my return to service as a Strategos I have cleared our lands of rebel threats and forced the Ptolemaoi to retreat and abandon their siege on Sidon."

He takes a glance at Cunobelinus and Ankyrikos.

"Now let me make one thing clear: I will support neither and Edict for a campaign against the Epirotes nor against the Koinon. During the last chancellors term we had a lot of discussion about fighting a war on two borders. Have you all forgotten so soon the horrors when the Ptolemaoi caught us on the wron foot? Don't you remember the loss of one of our brothers AND the Basileus' Brother himself, my own uncle? Two out of our midst had to pay for the wrong logistics, the royal army has been annihilated, and that is not to the fault of it's leader, who faught a brave battle, sacrificing even his life for the Arche."

Theodoros starts walking around in the chamber.

"Even then we could not commit full forces against the Ptolemaoi, because we had to fight a war against Pontos. I did not agree with that course of action, because, though it has worked and we have one less enemy, it has severely left our southern border vulnerable to attacks. Let us not make the same mistake again. Let us see if we can resolve the situation in the south, before we start another war in the north. In my opinion we should concentrate on the Ptolemaoi at least until we hold the Sinai as a buffer zone."

He now walks up to General Ankyrikos.

"I have to agree with Cunobelninus though, that we cannot trust the Makedonian king. The Koinon are fighting bravely to defend themselves. It would not only be without honor to intervene against them, it would also be a strategical error. The Makedons interests lie on Hellenic soil, he doesn't care who holds it, he wants it. If we take Athens and Sparta, we would be his next target."

[The Celtic Viking]

Sarpedon, who has so far only sat and listened, with an occasional whisper with Cadeyrn and Hilarion, now stands up to speak.

"Since my father, Basileus Antiochos, does not bless us with his presence, I, as his son and heir, will take his seat."

Sarpedon makes his way past Arrhenides to where Antiochos' used to sit before he continues.

"Much has been said already, and I feel that I must now interject, and I will address each point in the order they were made. But first I would like to clear out an issue which so far has gone untouched."

Sarpedon turns towards Arrhenides.

"Arrhenides, you are my friend, and I respect you and your accomplishments so far for the Arche. However, there are some rumors spreading about what happened the day you fought against the Pontic king. Perhaps its just lies spread by a defeated foe desperate to fight back in any way possible, but it is said that you, prior to the battle, expressed your servitude to their king. Is there any truth in these accusations?

Prior to this council session, I ignored it because I trusted that everything you did was done with what's best for the Arche in mind, but now I'm not as sure anymore. Why is it that you would wish to put leashes on what is currently our strongest presense in Mikra Asia in your proposed war that would take place there? Why do you wish to help the proposed enemy by not committing a strong army that would make our victory so must easier, quicker and safer?

Whatever your reason may be, I will remind you once and for all that you do not command my army, nor does this council. Not even my father, the great Basileus, has any say over it. Those men are all loyal to me, and will do my bidding. If a war were to break out against the Epeirotes, they would join the effort with or without your support."

Now turning the the rest of the council, Sarpedon continues.

"Now, as for the war itself, let it be known that Pyrrhos is no walkover, and I would rather have him fighting with me than against me. However, he is an ally of the Ptolemaioi, as well as an enemy to our allies, Makedonia, who have done nothing to deserve your suspicion. They have not entered our lands, they have not stopped trading with us, they have not done anything wrong. On the other hand, I have had emissaries coming to me, begging me for help, and as they are our only allies to the west, I have always helped them as well as I have been able. But that is not enough, I'm afraid. If we do not help them, they will soon have lost as they're surrounded by enemies and weakened since earlier, because of Arrhenides ancestors. If they are kicked out from Hellas, Epeiros will be so much stronger, and it would be naive that he wouldn't then help his allies and attack us. We would have a hard time winning such a war.

This is why I support a campaign against the Epeirotes. If we kick them out of Mikra Asia and secure Byzantion, we will not only divert some of their resources from their Makedonian front, and thus help out our allies in need, but also gain a much more easily secured front if Makedonia falls despite our help. We should go no further than Byzantion, though, as that would indeed strain our logistics more than we can afford at the time.

So I too second Edict 4.1."

With that said, he sits down with a pleased look.