This is my first H/M migration campaign; so I might need some advice, that's why I'm making it interactive.
Enjoy.
Introduction (Βάρβαρος Βασιλιάς):
My lands are small, and far from those who used to protect us. We have huge farms and great trade. Well; we had. I live in Pantikapaion. Far from any other kingdom of hellas proper. I am accompanied by another friend, the ruler of the Chersonesos Tauri.
Well... I was.
Nobody remembers us. Nobody protects us from the barbaroi from the north. Our farms get ravaged and plundered; while we have to ally with them to be safe, it's proposterous! Our friends have become apathic and meaningless.
But what can we do? A few years ago, our armies could be sustained with all the farms, trade and loot we had. Now however; we had to disband our navy, we split our alliance with the Tauri. We have hardly any contact with the Seleukid satrapies on the north; hardly do we get a shipment from hellas. They are busy with their wars against the Diadochoi. Us? We are busy dying and becoming less and less powerful.
I am alone in these lands; but what can I do? Even those lands in the east and north are forgotten by me. Possibly raided by those Hippotoxotai; the people look sad and uninterested. Dragging life day after day; there is no wish to live, but we have to. But where would they have gone? They remain here, they are loyal to me, only because they won't be alive if they offer their plight to those dreaded horsemen. I wish it wasn't like that. I wish I could give the people their happiness. I wish I had help from someone else against these barbaroi. I wish Kallipos would have listened to my plights and begs.
But I hope I will change all this. The lands might not be as large as they were, but I will make them large, I will do it alone. Where would I get any help anyways? I am alone in the Chersonesos.
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I have drafted a large army from the ravaged lands in order to defend our poor lands from those barbaroi. They are not armed as the hellenic armies of before; but rather we have to employ the same men that come to invade our lands. It's so disgraceful; but still, we must have what we can. Times are too hard to use our own farmers, carpenters, woodcutters, citiziens. Men that don't fight like real men, but rather with bows and arrows. I just hope the art of war of the old is recovered. But this is our whole army:
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However our ports and navies have begun to fall apart, less and less trade comes; our farms are sacked by those hippotoxotai from the east, people are dying and getting more poor. I don't have any taxes left at all. My debts are growing due to having this large army standing around. But without it, those hippotoxotai will come to our poleis and slaughter us; I have to keep them acquiring other poleis or disbanding them. And the problem is we could not do the second choice.
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My armies were split in order to protect our lands. The first one, in charge of Captain Aripharnes, with more than half of the kingdom's army; their duty was to patrol the lands on the west and northwest of Pantikapaion; the east and north east were now helpless, at least we could defend the mainland and not the straight. Sorry... I derailed from my narration there.
In any case, they were patrolling west of the polis, with more than half the army, eating away the few gold I had. I had to get more income, sadly it would be overcoming the grievances of many hellenic brethren.
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But before I could even think twice; the captain sent a runner to the polis, informing of a large army of the king of the Tauri. He must have been elated to hear about this, I just wished he wouldn't have been, I was about to send them to kill what they thought were their allies.
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I sent a man named Alketas Oropios, a diplomat to ask the king; my friend (or so I thought), to help us with the economy. The diplomat was young, barely growing a beard. He was great with his words, he had studied for long time and asked to serve as the personal diplomat to the king. His mind was eager and his body fresh. He arrived quickly; he said. Despite the fact that he was far up north, working as my advisor on the farmers from the borders of my lands. He also confirmed the report about the army from the captain. He arrived, he noticed from the start that there was an air of conflict, but was received with disgust.
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While he was marching; I ordered the construction of a trading colony to foment trade. I think pirates will not help, but possibly some two or three ships more will come... Per month. If we are lucky.
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While construction was going on; Alketas sent a report back; in which he said that the king told him what no hellenic diplomat; even if he were son of a slave. should ever hear.
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Bah! A friend? Never, his threatening of my person, my people, my diplomat and my brethren is disgraceful. His life will not last. If he will threaten a hellenic diplomat wanting to form a cooperation, he is no more than a barbaros. And no hellenic citizien shall be under the command of a barbaros. It is time to go to his home and slit his throat. The idiot!
At least something good came out of this. Alketas was able to inform me about the army in the fields and the polis.
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The army in the field, he wrote in the first line the army in the fields, and in the second, the army in the polis.
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What a disgrace. That king has accompanied himself with skythioi nobles. Bah! He is a friend with the men that ravage our lands. There is no doubt that he must die.
There was no time to wait. The polis would remain defended only by me and the walls. The rest of the army would go to the city and kill the bastard.
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The might of our army was great. I had never thought united they will be so powerful and big. Ten thousand man marching at the same pace of their Taxiarchos and Lochagos. If only I could have seen them. It would have been the sight of my life. But I'm sadly sure that I would have to see even larger armies than that. Our allies don't even care about our plight, we had to take this on our own.
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We moved to the woods, in order to sneak in while the other army was in the fields. The whole army of the kingdom; ready to give their lives for the hellenic people all over the lands. Ready to kill their brethren, for their petty whims and lack of cooperation. My poor soul is saddened to see things come to this inevitable conflict. I just wish it is short and small. Or else there will not be a king no more.
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This is going to be very dramatic and tense month. I just wish the next goes by more quickly.
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When I post Chapter 1, I will make the rules for your participation. And please give some feedback if you would be so kind
[EB Interactive Migration AAR] The Lonely King.
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