Age of Roma: 300 BCE (IC)

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Season
Spring

OOC: http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=362251&p=26998290#p26998290

(Image)

[size=200]Age of Roma

**Please Use the Subject Line of Each Post to State Your Nation's Name**

Welcome to the Age of Roma: The Gods look down from the heavens and smile at the political strife and power hunger that is manifesting in the world below. Alexander's Empire has fallen, but still taken in high admiration are his legacy and his amazing military successes. Embodying much of his legacy are his self proclaimed successor states. They all have an X-Factor as to why they believe they deserve the Alexandrian throne, but none currently have the power needed to accomplish the tasks that will be needed to be taken to reinstate Alexanders power. In Rome a Republic arises, one that holds promise and has luck on its side. With a combination of Greek Knowledge and Local Military Traditions, the Romans have the most potential of any nation at the time. In the south lies Carthage, a long standing Republic only recently beginning to see a rise in corruption, but still a promising land. As the last of the Phoenician nations, Carthage has continued the tradition of colonization and the invasion of small nations. In China seven warring states struggle for power over a vast land, one in which just enough power to tip the balance will allow for almost unlimited wealth to the victor. In India the Muaryan Empire has established almost unchallenged hegemony over the populaces and it's laws embody Hindu beliefs. But throughout the world people are beginning to feel unrest. Locals are beginning to want freedom, and culture wars are likely. Though nationalism doesn't yet exist, the locals will seek vengeance for the death of their fellow brothers in arms and the rulers they once believed were divine. It is a new movement and will change the political landscape of the world in time.

Rules of Engagement: When in battle, sides will take turns and the OPs will regulate any events within the battles. Cavalry charges, testudo formations, hammer and anvil tactics, all tactics should be mentioned if you want a good outcome. Sloppy RPing yields sloppy planning yields unfavorable results. This is a time where 20,000 men were able to put up a decent fight 300,000 enemies at the battle of Thermopylae. All actions must be considered. *Note: Genocide was common back then, that is why the nation I am RPing's Samnites no longer exist in any form as they were 'cleansed' by the Romans after Supporting Carthage in the First Punic war.

A little music
In the hills of Northern Italy, there lived a marvelous civilization known as the Etruscans. They were wealthy, and they were powerful. Innovators of many things, these inventive people stood out from the rest. They were indigenae, the natives of this land. Their ilk once spread across all Italy, reaching across the alps, into Hellas, and even stretching across Anatolia into Cyprus. The remnants of this once-expansive people now remain as but four nations: Crete, Cyprus, Rhaetia, and the Etruscan League. The Etruscans are the greatest of these people, powerful and elegant. It is they alone who hold the power to unite their brethren, but it was not always so. The Etruscan League, Rasna in their own tongue, was once a group of disunited city-states squandering and plotting. They eventually built alliances, and alliances turned into trade, and trade turned into companionship, and the companionship felt by all Etruscans unified them into a league of their own right. Now, once a year, the twelve member-states gather at the capital to elect a new leader among them all, and that leader becomes the wise theocrat of all Etruria. In our story, though, things are about to change. An ambitious queen, Thankati Kitane of house Thelesa, was to be elected this time around, and her sight into the future would shake the very foundations of Etruria. Loyalties would be pressed, the stones upon which we lay would be shattered, and a new empire would be build from the gravel of the past. This is Etruria.
Atmosphere music (Imagine some sort of intro animation or something)

"It should be me!" cried Arte, one of the kings present, "I have contributed more than anyone here to the wealth we have accumulated! I should-" He was cut off by another king, Lekne

"You? I have fielded our best troops! A nation is nothing without an army! It should be I more than anyone!"

Pesna spoke out, "Silent, both of you! Have we forgotten our greatest enemy, the Sicilians? Those bastards ruined our navy, and I alone have restored it. Who here is better suited to the position than I?"

"Gentlemen, you forget the position is a theocrat! I should be the one to take it, the holiest and most studious of us all!" Venel shouted over the rest. He was just as determined as Pesna, and just as angry.

"Enough!" cried Thankati, her voice echoing across the chamber. "You bickering fools will do this nation no good, and if you continue to do this then our league will collapse! Our ancestors worked hard to form this, to fight off our enemies, to spread Etruscan glory to Ruma and Campeva, and I will not sit here as you fools tear it apart, so silence your tongues or rid yourselves of this chamber immediately!"

Thankati was the new queen of Velzna, rising to the throne after her father's recent death. She, at the moment, seemed the sanest of all the kings. That is why Raske, another king, spoke in her favor. "You would do well to heed our dear Thankati's words. If anyone, I'd pick she to be our new leader. Of us all, she is the daughter of the man we agreed on unanimously. He certainly taught her well, and we all saw her grow to become what she is now." Raske spoke, using such pathos to support her rule. As he spoke it, Thankati almost forgot the turmoil that had just been there, feeling touched by the nostalgia of years past. "And of us all, she is the only one who knows us all well. We all had our part in raising her, so I think it would be best for Rasna if she assumed the throne. Who is with me?"

As Raske spoke such, several kings who had thus far been silent stood, each proclaiming their support. Soon, Venel joined them. Then Pesna. A few more kings later, and lastly Lekne joined in. "It carries" Raske said, "Thankati is our new queen."

---

A few days passed, and Thankati sat in her throne room. She wore the latest in Etruscan fashions. It was a blue dress, blue being a rather expensive compared to the more common crimson. The dress was complimented by a large leather belt studded with jewels, tightly wrapped around her waist. A pearl bracelet adorned her left wrist, with a sort of bracer on her right. She wore several rings, mostly sapphires with one or two emeralds. A few thin gold chains rested upon her shoulder and crossed her body, A leather choker studded with emeralds rested at the base of her neck, with more jewels dangling down onto her chest. She was barefoot, as was common among Etruscans indoors, but beside her throne lay her soft leather boots, coming to a slight, if not noticeable, point at the toe. Covering her legs at the moment were 'anpilia', leather hose useful for equestrians without pants. They helped to keep warm in the cold winter. The woman herself was pale, with a yellow undertone. Her eyes were dark brown, and her hair consisted of long, flowing curls of a very dark brown hue. She also wore a sort of jacket, open at the front, the borders lined in a golden color and shaped to look like a series of leaves.

Thankati pondered the future of the Etruscan state. Certainly, they'd recently fallen on hardships. A war against Syracusae still within the public consciousness had been very much a defeat on the Etruscan part, though her ally of Carthage held up nonetheless. The Roman ingrates had been slowly but surely gaining power in the region. There were many potential allies to pick from, but who to go for first? That was the question.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Citadel of Storms, Pataliputra, Magdala Province, Maurya Empire
A Declaration of the State

It was not much to look at, the Citadel. Where the palace of the Magdans and their forefathers, the king's forefathers, stood alabaster pure over the greatest city of men, the Citadel was a rough building. Oh, not rough in terms of architecture or workmanship. Tough, rugged, designed for a purpose altogether different from the pampered rooms and chambers of the luxurious past.

And that suited Chandragupta just fine. The decadent lowlifes of the past might be what had been, but they were not what would be. The Citadel rose high and sheer, a bastion that would stand when all others fell. He remembered even this day clearly the time he had met Alexander, the lord of the west. When that had been, all folk between the Indus and the Ganges had been in fear. Fear that their own divided kings and petty rulers were only chaff to the flame of the fire that was consuming the world. Chandragupta had been awed by the man- he swam with energy and vitality, as if the Greek gods had taken lightening and caged it in human form.

In the end, it had only taken a determined King and fatigued soldiers to turn back the stallion that mounted the world. Alexander, it was said, wept when he had to stop conquering. With his death his empire had shattered like poor pottery, annealed too quickly, brittle and weak for all its beauty. The lord Maurya would not see his own legacy overthrown in such a manner, tossed onto the ashheaps of history because he reached too far.

On parchment his pen scratched, the last sheaf of hundreds that were carefully gathered up by the scribes attending him. For seven days and seven nights he had labored unceasingly with mind and spirit to define for his subjects how then men should live. Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian, Hebrew. They were his charges, given to him by the gods. He smiled gently as his weary hands finished the last elaborate but beautiful letter of his Decree, his will made manifest. Maurya had heard it once said that the gods punished men by making them kings, for all kings inevitably became mad or evil, or both.

What then was the reason he was an Emperor?

Southern Reaches of Prayaga, Uttar Province, Maurya Empire
Building a New Order

Prayaga. She was built longer ago than man could remember, even the eldest. A very holy site, the place of offerings, at the confluence of the two purest rivers in the known world.

But that was not the reason the Emperor, Samraat Maurya, was interested in the region. For all the good omens and the favor of the divine, Prayaga was also uniquely sited for strategic and governmental purposes. Along the two rivers one could pass rapidly throughout almost the entirety of his Dominion, and it sat at the heart of his empire, from the dusty marches of Persia to the washed vales of golden Dhaka. Magda, for all her power, people, and wealth, did not. And if the Maurya intended to rule his folk for the years to come, it would not be well to paint himself as a lord only of one land and one folk, for India was vast beyond measure, her inhabitants more akin to the grains of sand on the shores of the sea and the stars in the sky than to cities that could be numbered or counted.

And so wood, timber, marble and precious stones poured into the holy city, before wending their way south to where walls rose and thousands labored. Tens of thousands made fast the foundations of what would come, skilled artisans from across the known world anchoring her in bedrock and raising high the gleaming redoubt. She would be called Advaita, and here the lord of the Maurya would make his home in time.

White Garrison, Alexandrapolis, Arachos Province, Maurya Empire
The City under Sunset

It was a world away from the fertile rainy plains of Prayaga, Alexandropolis. A dusty city at the dusty crossroads of a hundred dusty trade routes. Gagram wasn't a lover of the city. It was too loud, full of the bazaars and merchants crying at all hours of both day and night. The commander was a man who had been with Chandragupta since the early days, proven in combat and loyalty. And for that he had risen to watch over a city of thousands here in the farthest reaches of the Maurya's empire. Arachosia, the Greeks had called it, and the Persians before them. A good name, for it watched over the strategic passes that controlled both trade and the movement armies between the Indus and the Mesopotamian Basin beyond. For now the Greeks had wisely maintained the peace, but in case they changed their minds, Gagram was ready.

[Torrocca]

Seleucid Empire, tombs below the imperial palace at Seleucia-on-Tigris.

It was a dark day indeed for the Empire. Antiochus, the firstborn child of the Basileus Seleucus, was to be put to rest, several days after his body had been brought back to the city of Seleucia. He'd died suddenly, struck down from a blow done by a thrown rock during a bout of civil unrest in the great city of Antioch. As he, the crown prince and heir to the Empire, was beloved of both the Gods and the people, many openly wept his death when news of it arrived. Even those in Antioch, who were present when he was gravely wounded, ceased what they did and rallied around their fallen prince. They even brutalized a suspected perpetrator, who was torn to bloodied ribbons by the unruly, mourning crowd. Satraps and royals all across the Empire were brought to Seleucia-on-Tigris, to be present for the dead man's final rites and his burial within the royal tomb. Seleucus had made it particularly clear to honor the good man's deeds by holding a parade for him as his body was brought into the city, and a great many people hailed him as "the People's Prince" for his good deeds for the people of the Empire.

Generals, politicians, and family all observed from the torch-lit room of the tomb, as Antiochus' body was embalmed, and his final rites of passage were given to him. Seleucus remained nearby the entire time, surprisingly maintaining a strong, almost calm look as the rites of his first-born son were given. Even his two remaining children, Theodosios and Phoibe, who bitterly wept and mourned their lost brother, were shocked at how unbreakable their father's will was. They were even more shocked and awed, however, when the Hellenistic priest uttered the words, "and, now, this well-intentioned soul begins his journey to Hades," Seleucus broke down, grasping his son's body and letting the tears flow. While it would feel like hours to those present, Seleucus' mourning only lasted minutes before he finally said, "let us take our leave from this accursed place, so that the souls of the damned may rest." Seleucus, along with a torch-bearer and his two children, began to follow him out of the tomb.

In the royal court of the palace.

In the royal court, where those who were forbidden from entering the royal tomb lingered, rumors of the reason behind Antiochus' death were already circulating around the various groups of people. Orators and entertainers and guards alike spouted all sorts of theories, such as foul play by the Satraps, an assassination ordered by the Egyptians or the Mauryans, and even one crazed theory that Seleucus himself had ordered the discreet murder of his own son. The man who even considered to blurt out this idea was promptly escorted from the court by guards, who considering such insidious words spoken of their King outright traitorous, especially on such a tragic day. However, these words, along with many others, were written down by the silent writer, Pericles, who wanted to entertain himself with these vivid ideas and stories everyone of the court came up with. He only muttered whenever one asked his opinion on the matter, and simply continued his writings.

[The Flame Dawn]

The Capitol of Delmatae

Mag Pirro walked through the courtyard of his castle, though it was more like a glorified hillfort. The palisade had a stone base and columns that supported wooden walls. Behind the walls were a series of simple stone towers. They had thatched roofs and housed 2 watchmen each, one armed with a sling and the other with an iron sword. Mag Pirro walked to the gate which over looked the city. The capitol was a large jumbled collection of houses and shops of various sizes while further out there were fields of green grass where numerous sheep grazed. Outside were much smaller villages and towns, just a peaceful though.

He made his way to the nearby barracks and saw a handful of men training, some where using swords while a handful were using throwing spears and slings. He felt a sense of pride as he watched his fellow countrymen train in combat. Thankfully the Delmatae weren't at war with one of the nearby clans though at the same time he hoped to expand and watch his people prosper. But for now he was satisfied with where they were. Slowly building themselves up while they remained at peace with the others.

[Togeria]

The Ancient Sands

King Seb at top of his throne. It was time after much discussion with his advisers it had been decided the Kush must expand, and soon. His generals talked of a war with Egypt to north. It would happen soon, but Seb had greater ambitions to create a dominant force in Africa, one to rule them all. Even now his generals were focused on readying the men, a force of 2,000 soldiers ready for the empire, he would build his empire even if it took a thousand years to create.

---

Preparation
The slaves had been trained harshly, their force was made of 1,500 foot soldiers and 500 archers and both were pushed to be efficient in their craft. A tactic was being developed to have the archers flank the enemy units from both points and fire on the sides while the main infantry force hit in the center. The lands of the Kush were rich and as such a home force was always of priority to protect the fortification of the kingdom and protect it from intrusions from both its northern and southern neighbors.

---

Forging An Alliance
The Blemmyes would take much of the time of the Kush, and Seb had expected they would be in no position to wage a second war should they succeed in their goals. He would take the lands of Southern Africa in what he believed was a birthright of the nation. He would need an ally as determined as his him, as willing to go as far as he would. The Damot were seen as this ally, both situated on portions of the mighty river. It was determined then that to achieve this goal a dispatch of ten would be sent to the land of the Damot with a gold crown, a bow, and several furs to in hopes of enticing the their kings and queens to forge an alliance with the Kush and rid Africa of Blemmyes.

---

State building
Trade had been at the heart of the kingdom and with their position on the Nile they looked to make use of this development. The city of Napata was the heart of the empire and a such focus was put on protecting its wealth whilst also profiting from trade from both the Egyptians and Ethiops, much of the iron and bronze used there to increase the wealth of the state while also crafting fine weapons for the soldiers to use.

[Kumbhalgarh]

-reserved-

[The Orson Empire]

Xianyang Palace, Xianyang

Qin State, 300 BC

Xianyang was the capital of the State of Qin. Having been designated the Qin capital by minister Shang Yang in 350 BC, the city reflected the might and glory of the Qin. It was a grand city with a population in the hundreds of thousands, and surrounded by thick walls which protected the city from attack. There were numerous shops, marketplaces, schools, and homes within the massive city, and the city was filled with activity. The city was home to people from all walks of life, from merchants to nobles. Outside of the great walls were numerous farms, where farmers toiled day after day in preparation for the harvest.

The Xianyang palace was perhaps the most beautiful and grand building in the city. It was the seat of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and the headquarters of the vast and efficient Qin bureaucracy. Ministers, military commanders, censors and secretaries were a constant sight within the palace, as the duties of the government grew ever larger as the Qin continued to gain power. As King Zhao prepared to enter the assembly hall for his standard audience with the government, he took a moment to reflect on all that the Qin state had been through, as well as the future of the state.

The state of Qin had emerged as a fiefdom in the 9th century BC under the Zhou Dynasty, with its core in the Wei River Valley and the Guanzhong Plain. The Zhou Dynasty crumbled as the strongest states began to gain power at the expense of others; fortunately, Qin happened to be one of the strong states. Zhou was left with only a small sliver of land in the Central Plain, which would no doubt be gobbled up by the competing powers. At the beginning of the Warring States Period, as its neighbors began to rapidly develop, the Qin were in a state of decline, and had lost territory to the state of Wey. Qin rulers were nevertheless seeking reform and called for men of talent from other lands to come to Qin to help with the reforms, promising rewards of high offices and land. One of these foreigners was Shang Yang, a scholar of Legalism. With the support of Duke Xiao, he abolished the aristocratic system, granted slaves citizenship rights, resettled the population into new clusters to focus on agricultural output, and installed a meritocratic system in the military, greatly enhancing its quality. Legalism became so important that the Qin followed it as a religion. Draconian laws were imposed on even the most minor offenses, and even nobles were not spared from punishment.

Shang Yang was later put to death on charges of treason, but future kings kept his reforms. His reforms turned the Qin state into an economic and military superpower, and the industriousness of the people allowed the kings to authorize numerous state development projects. The Qin state was now capable of maintaining a military force of more than 1,000,000 soldiers, and was able to effectively challenge the other warring states. The extent of the mobilization and the logistics required to support this army had never been seen before in human history, and was truly a remarkable feat. The Qin attacked Chu, another superpower in China, and won many battles and forced the Chu to cede territory to the Qin. In 318 BC, an alliance between Chu and the other warring states attempted to crush the Qin, but were defeated at the Hangu Pass. The alliance later dissolved due to mistrust and a lack of coordination.

King Zhao had come to power in 306 BC, and was going to continue what his predecessors had started. The Qin currently had a truce with Chu, their rival, but Zhao had no plans to end this truce soon- he had other ideas in mind.

Zhao entered the assembly hall and was greeted by the ministers and commanders. The most prominent men in the room were the Imperial Secretary, Imperial Chancellor Marquis of Rang, Marshal Wang Jian, Foreign Advisor Fan Sui, and military general Bai Qi. In the middle of the room was a table with a map of all warring states on it, as well as the various positions of foreign armies based on information gathered from spies, and the positions of the Qin Army.

"Greetings, ministers," Zhao would say as he took his seat. "As I am certain you all know, we currently have a truce with Chu. As the situation continues to constantly change, war with the Chu may seem like the obvious next step, but I am not prepared to take the nation in that direction."

Marshal Wang Jian protested. "Your highness, we must strike the Chu now," he would say. "The Chu remain a great barrier to our ambitions, and if they are not destroyed now, they will continue to grow in power."

"I agree," the Marquis of Rang would say. "The Chu Army may be large, but they are ill-equipped to handle a war. The destruction of their alliance with the other states under King Huiwen has also left the other states suspicious and untrusting of the Chu."

"While I agree that the Chu are in decline, we must first eliminate the rest of the competition, or they will continue to be a thorn in our side," Zhao replied. "The Chu shall be saved for last, unless they attack first."

"I agree, Your Highness," the Imperial Secretary would say. "Chu will still take quite a while to conquer, even if they are weak."

"Our economy may not be able to handle a war of that scale at this moment," the minister of finance would interrupt. "Better to start with the small states first."

"What exactly is our plan, then?" Marshal Jian would ask. Everyone turned to look at the king.

"We will attack both Han and Zhao and overwhelm them," Zhao would say.

"A two front war will be incredibly risky," the Marquis of Rang would say.

"Our army will handle it," Zhao replied. "I have no doubt that we have the best army out of all of the warring states. Qin will prosper."

Zhao turned towards Bai Qi, who had not spoken a word during these deliberations. "Commander Qi, I am placing you in command of the army that will invade Zhao. I trust that you will bring them under the proper rule of the Qin."

"They will fall, Your Highness," Qi replied.

"Marshal Jian, you will command the army that will invade Han. Now, we must discuss in further detail our strategy."

The assembly continued to deliberate on how the war was to be conducted.

[Yuzhou]

Let's get this started

During the Spring and Autumn period, the realm now known as China was splintered into many feuding states. Each of these states vied for power over the others, and fought bitterly for hegemony. It was during this time that figures such as Sun Tzu and Confucius had their rise. In the south-east existed three powerful factions: Chu, Wu, and Yue. Wu, the home territory of Sun Tzu himself, was locked in a bloody rivalry with the kingdom of Chu. This battle between the Yangtze giants lasted centuries, until finally Yue invaded and conquered Wu with Chu's backing.

But the Spring and Autumn period ended nearly 200 years ago, and the political landscape has changed much since then. For a long time, Chu sat in idleness and decadence. Their army and kingdom slowly deteriorated due to corruption within all ranks of the court. That was until King Dao of Chu hired a legalist courtier by the name of Wu Qi. Under Wu Qi's guidance, Chu rose to be an incredibly powerful state economically and militarily. Unfortunately King Dao died, and the many angry nobles and Taoists of the Chu court saw their chance to rid themselves of the pesky legalist. Wu Qi was assassinated at Dao's funeral.

But Wu Qi's hard labor would not go unused. In 333 BCE, The state of Chu annexed that of Yue, formally bringing the kingdom up to it's current size. Now that a new king, Chiyi, has ascended the throne only time will tell wither Chu walks in the steps of Wu Qi or falls back into it's decadent past. The result could decide the future of China. Now is the time for action. Now is the time of the Warring States.

---

Ying
Kingdom of Chu
Early Winter, 300 BCE

King Chiyi sat on his wooden throne, listening to a minister ramble on and on about the rice harvest. It had been normal, so he didn't care much to process what was being said. His mind was on more pressing things.
The twenty-six year old was new to the throne, having inherited it from his brother who in turn got it from their father. His brother had the unfortunate fate of drowning in the Yangtze only a few months ago, he himself having on sat on the very same seat Chiyi sat on for only a few years.
No son meant no heir, and no heir meant Chiyi got the job. Luckily for the new king, his brother's wives followed him into the after-life. They weren't on the boat with him...but that was of no consequence to tradition. And thus neither would ambitious widows be to the successor.

The minister finished his speech, having said in all nothing more than that the harvest was, of course, normal this year. The king's distant stare came back into focus as the minister gave his bow.
"Thank you minister Dong for your report on the rice harvest."
Chiyi dismissed the man with a wave and then stood up A flutter of cool air brushed past, causing him to pull his outer robes tighter over him. It was getting colder with the onset of winter. He looked down the hall at the lines of ministers to each side, their own faces staring back, waiting for a response from their king.
This had only been the third court meeting since Chiyi's ascension of the throne, and so far he had not given any hint as to the course of affairs. Now was the time to speak his mind.

He came down from the raised throne platform and paced down the space between the rows of men.
"Now many of you have been waiting for this moment for a good while now.
In this room sits with me generals, dukes, ministers, and any other force of influence that calls me their king.", he peered around the room, studying their expressions as best he could.
"And as your king, I am going to give you my decrees."

"First and foremost", he continued
"You wish to know what my policy will be. You fear I may be like my brother, who in his short reign was lazy and decadent, spending far too little time ruling and far too much time sailing. You may never say it, but I know that is how you feel. That is how I felt.
Rather, you hope I will be like my father. Prudent is a word used to describe him. He after all did conquer Yue in his early days, bringing our kingdom to the large size it is today. I can only hope to be like him."
He walked back up to the throne platform and paced across it for a bit.

"What I can tell you is that I will naturally try my best to replicate my father's victories ten-fold, but not his defeats. If you gentlemen recall correctly, my father lost the war with Qin due to his misuse of the coalition against the enemy. My brother, for all his faults, secured a treaty of peace with the Qin...something that may have prevented our destruction at the time.", he pulled his top layer of robes to the side and rested his hands on his hip.

"Both men made mistakes, both had accomplishments. We must not look to the past too much, but instead look towards the future for success.
Now, with that being said. It is time for me to announce my plans."

"Guan Shu, receive your orders."
Just then a tall man with a flowing beard stood up from his seat and walked in front of the king. He gave the ceremonial bow.
"General Guan Shu will receive his majesty's orders."

"General Guan, you are tasked with training and reforming the army in preparation for the invasion of Qi. With this command I give you the military tally of Marshal.", and with the the king lifted a small wooden box off his desk and handed it to the general.
"Minister Su Yi, receive your orders."

"Minister Su Yi will receive his majesty's orders.", the minister said as he jumped from his seat and took his place next to the general.

"Su Yi, you are tasked with aiding General Guan in the reformation of the military. You are also tasked with overseeing the re-implementation of Wu Qi's original plans for the reconstruction of Ying. Our capital is disrepair and needs to be fixed."
King Chiyi dismissed the men with a wave.
"The rest of you", he began addressing the entire court, "Are tasked with aiding this two men in restoring the state to its rightful place. Of the most importance is rooting out corruption in our military and our infrastructure. These two things must be fixed, or Chu WILL fall."

He took his seat back on the throne.
"Court dismissed!"
He watched as the men flooded out of the building. What needed to be done in the wake of his crowing was clear, Chu had little time before its enemies would pounce. But the same corruption he spoke about ran rampant even in the top court, and the reformation was going to be difficult work. Still, he knew that if these two things were not taken care of then it would be only a matter of time before Chu was wiped off the map.

Perhaps his brother's death was a sign from heaven, a sign that he was the only one that could achieve what needed to be done. Only time would tell.

-Chu army tasked with reformation and preparation for invasion of Qi
-State wealth would be directed towards restoring the army and to rebuilding the infrastructure of the capital.

[Cartagine]

Assyria

Seleucia-on-Tigris, Seleucid Empire

Lycurgus, the first born son of Alcaeus was the representative of Assyria present at the funeral of the crownprince of the Seleucid Empire. It was a day of grief all around the city and especially for the close family of the crownprince. It was said that he was killed by a mob of angry citzens, one of many signs that the Empire started to crack under its own weight. However the family of the crownprince was not alone. Lycurgus was brought up loyal to them and loyal he planned to remain. He watched the parade through the city and he stood by the other representatives, shedding a tear once the body of the prince dissapeared into the tombs.
Upon walking through the city Lycurgus heard all kinds of rumors about the death of the prince. Some said it were the Egyptians in the hope that this event would bring the Empire to its knees while others laid the blame on one of the many nations under the Seleucid Empire and a few even whispered rumors that the Emperor himself ordered the attack. Wether any of these rumors where true or not, it had indeed become a tense time in which all should be careful, and careful Lycurgus was. He knew that the Emperor had to do something and he knew he had to convince his father to follow him. Time only could tell where this would go and what would become of the Empire now that the cracks had become visable.

Royal Palace, Aššur, Assyria

Alcaeus had just returned from a meeting with the Persian King in which they agreed to a Mutual non-agression pact, something that should have been formed a long time ago already. With the agreement set Alcaeus had brought Assyria into a time of peace, but he feared peace would not be there for long. He had heard about the death of the crownprince, sad news that striked pain into his hearth. Alcaeus realised that the Seleucid Empire stood on the brink of destruction, and even though he would do everything within his power to save it, he knew he had to be prepared to protect his country from possible invaders if the Empire would collapse.
It would take years, if not decades to train a professional army, something Assyria still missed, and so Alcaeus had sought to alternatives that could offer him a certain degree of power over his neighbours. And ofcourse, food it was. Assyria was one of the most, if not the most fertile region in the Middle-East and alot of nations partially relied on the food produced in Assyria.
Alcaeus wanted to increase the food production while being able to lower the price. To do this he offered out a prince for the best idea to increase the production of food while keeping the amount of labour at a minimum. He hoped that amongst those presenting their ideas at least a few possible solutions could be found. There was a generous reward for the winner(s) as they would be granted a decent plot of land not far from Babylon.

Militairy Headquarters, Babylon, Assyria

Hano ben Khiyyo, highest ranking military official of Assyria stood for a major task, which was to form an official army for Assyria. For many years Assyria contributed farmers and other low standing people to the wars of the Seleucid Emprie and held only a few trained soldiers in its cities, but now this seemed to change as Alcaeus desired a proper army able to protect the nation from whatever threat that might be faced in the future. While it certainly wasn't an easy task, Hano like the idea and fully supported it. He had always been a true nationalist and desired nothing more than a free and independent Assyria. While that might be taking years or decades to come, a proper military was essential to any nation including Assyria.
With the extra money that had come available Hano had ordered to raise the salary of the soldiers as he was sure it would increase the amount of volunteers alot. Other than that he needed to find out where to place his men properly as an army should be balanced at all times.
The core of an army should always be its infantry armed with pikes, spears and swords. Hano planned to fill them up with volunteers as they would not run away as quickly as conscripts. The conscripts on their turn where to be trained as archers, who where by far the second most important part of any army. Last but not least was cavalry, expensive they were but very usefull in all battles. Hano left this to the nobles who joined the military as they could afford taking care of their own horses, saving the military some money while keeping the nobles happy in terms of having a better position than others in the army.
It was going to take months to set it all up on nationwide scale, but it was from this day on that things where going to change, that Assyria was going to become more than a simple foodbank for its neighbours.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Mauryan Empire

Seat of the Republic, Kalinga, Kalingan Kingdom
The Velvet Glove

It was with pomp and circumstance that the Mauryan emissaries arrived in the chamber where the hundred Republicans met. Brindhad led the emissaries in a slight half-bow to the Raja of the Kingdom, though behind his hooded eyes malice was kept on a short leash. Presenting his gifts on slight pallets as was customary, the Imperial Adviser then raised his head, and addressed the Raja that sat at the head of the long table. "I bring greetings from my master, Lord of the Indus and Ganges, Chandragupta Maurya, of the Empire of the north, and wish peace upon you and your people." The hundred men inclined their heads in turn, and entertainment arrived as the entourage seated themselves at the low table. Jugglers, dancers, trained creatures. It was all quite boring, though, and told Brindhad something of importance; the Kalingans had little desire to speak or traffic with words. Cowards.

Eventually, the festivities began to wind down. Most of the Mauryan delegation had busied themselves with productive affairs, speaking with merchants of the tiny Kingdom, reminiscing with old friends, and so forth. Ten years ago Kalinga had shared both blood and borders with the Nanda Empire, but the men of the prosperous city-state had tired of fulfilling the levies of a foreign Samraat with nothing to show for their devotion. When Chandragupta rose to the Ivory Throne, they had shaken off their shackles non-violently. But now the Emperor wished not to garb them in chains anew, but in the bonds of brotherhood that linked all men in mutual effort.

As such, these thoughts in his heart, Brindhad rose, his domineering stature and military mien clear for all to see as he addressed the Hundred. "Brothers of Kalinga, I thank you for your hospitality." He returned their inclined heads with a nod of his own, a gesture of politeness that he perhaps did not feel, but felt compelled to affect. "Raja Harwas, you too have the thanks of me and mine for being a most gracious host." Another nod, returned. "But now I offer a toast, under these most auspicious stars and this grand hall you have raised." A compatriot handed the commander his goblet, and the republicans raised their glasses in turn, some with their eyes quizzical. Brindhad intoned in a strong voice, ringing about the nestled seats. "I raise a toast to bonds of brotherhood, of wealth, of prosperity." They drank, some men cheering, for wine of the finest vintage had already been flowing for the better part of two hours of diversion.

With an amused expression, solemn and yet friendly, the general then turned, addressing the Raja directly. "High lord, you know the sorrow of my master in seeing the fertile vales and happy folk of Kalinga severed from the fellowship they once enjoyed with their fellow men of the Indus and Ganges. Many times he has told me, eyes yet wet with the dew of his heart, of the grief he shares- and yea, all folk of the Empire share- at seeing what was once a bosom friendship severed over the misdeeds of past incompetents. You know that together men are stronger than apart, and we walk the same path, your folk and ours. Will you not join with my master, and grasp our destiny as the gods have ordained it? I ask again from the depths of my liege-lord's desire, that you would join anew with the rising order of the world."

Heptanesia, Maaras Province, Mauryan Empire
Walls of Wood, Walls of Iron

The drydocks of Heptanesia, the Seven Islands, were never silent. Here on the shores of the Great Sea on many nights the moon was so full during the dry season that laborers could work through the night, the din of hammers and the drumming of mallets unceasing. From the immense slipways and log-rollers came commercial dhows to ply the lucrative trade routes to Arabia and beyond, vast aravats reinforced with the timber of forest giants to hunt pirates bearing the white and black liveried soldiers of the Maurya; of late the docks had been busier than usual, if such a thing was possible, for the Sumraat in his far palace of Magada had sent emissaries bearing coin and orders with the imperial seal requesting many vessels to be made ready for his purposes. Through the hundred cities the wealth of the east flowed, but such wealth begat danger for trade, and the far-seeing Chandragupta set his will to protect that lucrative endeavor. Thirty mighty ships as long as the largest slipway were to be prepared, and his silver was good, artisans working long nights to fulfill the Emperor's orders.

[Togeria]

Last Preparation
The soldiers continued their training, usually starting in the late hours of the night and spilling into midday. The archers were especially trained harshly, and discipline was drilled into them to mark out their target and take aim at it justly. The average soldier was aimed with a short sword and others a spear and shield, they were to act as the first and last line against the enemy. The archers were trained to flank the opponent on both sides and fire a volley of arrows onto them to soften them up before spearmen came and charged in.

---

A New Friend
After a week the messenger returned back to Napata. Showing a trinket to royal guards he was welcomed into the royal palace, walking swiftly he went to the steps of the kings throne and bowed to the man.

"My king."

"Stand. I expect to hear news from the Ethiops, and pray that it is good."

"It is my king, better then good. They have accepted our proposal. Their faces especially lighted up as the as the gifts were presented, I believe we have succeeded on this front, my ruler."

Seb stood up with a smile looking down at the man, stepping down from the throne he came patted the man on the shoulders and giving him a brief embrace before looking dead into his eyes. "You have succeeded in your mission, I thank you." He said before dismissing the messenger who promptly walked out. With the Ethiops and the Kush now as one in an alliance the Blemmyes stood no chance, still their was much to be done the Blemmyes were nomadic and fierce, defeating them would be no small feat and would require carefully coordinated efforts to bring them under the boot of the Kush. Still, it was a risk more then worth taking, with the Blemmyes under their boot they could sail the lands of the world, and muster a navy, it would increase their reach around the world, and with the amount of wealth would be coming in they would be able to match their northern rival. Seb had prayed long and hard, asking Amon to grant the Kush strength, fortune, and empire. He had done this many of times, each time having a priest pray alongside him the legacy of the Kush were to be formed here and it would be formed justly.

---

Keen Interest
Many of the world past Egypt had taken interest to Seb as well, namely those of the Himyur and even so far to lands a few local traders referred to as, Carthage. Stories had spread of their might of how they ruled the waves of the Mediterranean, such stories had succeeded in capturing the imagination of Seb. After the Blemmyes were dealt with he thought, he would send a more formal party to great the Carthaginian. The Carthaginians were just another in a long list of stories he had heard of powerful states ranging from that of Macedon to legends heard of states even further then India. This excited him beyond no reasonable measure he had to find out about these places, he had to, it was as important to him as creating an empire, but this wouldn't be a search for conquest, no it would be one of curiosity. If at most just to satisfy his own lust for the greater unknown.

---

We Warned Them.....I Think?
Through many days leading into weeks much discussion had been forged between the Kush and Damot. It was namely to strengthen the trade of both nations who sought to increase their power in the region as well as talks of how to charge into Blemmyes. As these talks continued many of the fears of the Kush were alleviated for the moment during this time of peace between both states many of the Kushite higher-ups would focus on building trade and strengthening ties with the Damot who in their structure and organization had caught the curiosity of the king who in turn sent his most trusted messengers to investigate the lands of the Damot.

To prepare for the war it was agreed that the Damot should open the first wave of attacks, focusing on taking the Blemmyes southern region. feigning and incident to get the tribes to react as the Kush sat in waiting. The king smiled to himself looking down at a clay statue of a cat he was in the midst of a mental debate on the course of his kingdom. In his wake a project had begun to erect a pyramid in Meroe, but this would take some time the biggest question he found he asked himself is who would lead his empire in his death who would be capable of making the final push to uniting the southernlands? He had many wives and a few hairs that could suite this role, but they were young, and in his opinion a few were too weak to ever carry his name with pride. No, he needed a proper heir one that would lead the empire to new, grander heights, and he would have this heir even if his wife wasn't Nubian.

[Bering]

Nervii

Belges, Nervii Confederation

Belges, the de facto capital of the Nervians and their confederation. It was a massive town (from the perspective of the Nervii) with over three thousand people living within the walls. The city was dominated by seven temples built to honor seven of the great gods of the Belgic people: Thor, Tyr, Frigga, Frey, Sunna and Mani. All of the temples were built with Nervii values in mind, they were simple and efficient, yet still elegant and slightly towered over the rest of the buildings in the town.

Pilgrims from all of the Nervii tribes and from several other tribes visited these temples regularly. Where the people went, so did the merchants. Thus, every year when religious ceremonies were to take place, pilgrims and merchants made their way through heat and snow, through hail and high water to make it to the city of the seven gods to celebrate and trade. That made it a natural meeting place for the Nervii for major matters,

Today was not a major festival, but rather their King, Vercingetorix had called them together. The various chiefs and counselors of the confederation had all made their way to the city to answer the summons. The Nervians stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall. This number of people was rare for them, only during the greater festivals or to elect a new king did they meet. THey silently waited for the last of their number to arrive. It had been a harsh winter, if they had not been Nervii, it was doubtful this many would have been able to arrive. But they were Nervii and made of stronger stock than their neighbors, the cold was something to be overcome, not feared.

Vercingetorix noticed that the last of his guests had arrived. He stood to greet his fellows. "My brothers! It warms my heart to see so many of you were able to answer my call."

One of the older councilors from the north was the first to speak, "Why have you called us? It is odd for so many to gather in such poor weather."

"Yes elder, It has been many years since we have all been assembled. Not since the last blot to honor Odin. We are a hardy people who have done much for our people over these years and another blot is drawing near."

"The point!" another councilor called out. If it had been a chief, a fight would have occurred. However, councilors were honored elders who were the wisest of the people. When it was a time for war, the kings ruled, when it was a time of peace, the council did.

"Apologizes, my old age has led me to ramble." The king said with a bow. He was approaching his sixth decade of life, soon his wounds would catch up with him and some brave man would challenge Vercingetorix to prove himself a man. If the king died or lost, a new king would be elected.

"A problem many of us are very familiar with." The same councilor called.

"Some of our people are running out of land and wealth. Especially in the north." The king said to several grunts and nods of agreement. "I believe I have a solution."

Vercingetorix paused to get a feel for the room, they seemed interested. "We are the strongest among our neighbors. The Eburones to our north are weak and have land for the taking. We shall make war with them and take what is their for ourselves, I would ask that you gather your men so that we may march on them as soon as can!"

"March in the winter?" A voice called out from the back.

Vercingetorix was waiting for this, "Yes! In the winter, when none of our foes are expecting a war. When they are tired from a harsh winter and waiting for the spring. We can strike and take their lands quickly and our folk can till for the harvest in the coming spring while we help ourselves to whatever our foes planted before the winter."

That led to mutterings among the people.

Vercingetorix continued, "our people are hardy, the cold may kill some, but it is nothing that we have not felt before. Our men have marched in every direction in every weather for war. This will be no different. We will march to their villages and demand that they take a knee. Those that do will be spared. Those who refuse will be buried in the snow and we shall help ourselves to their homes, their women and their wealth. What say you?"

The room was silent for a few moments as people thought about the possibility of this working. Eventually several of the eldest councilmen spoke among themselves before one came before the king. "We will not stop you if you feel this is the best way for our people. But be warned, if this fails and our people die for nothing, you will be the one to pay."

The king bowed his head. "I am aware and will do my utmost. What say the chiefs?"

The eldest of the chiefs, Cola, stood forward. "We will bring our men together and march for the north in this quest."

"Thank you my brothers!"

Another younger chief stood forward, "my king, who will be your second?"

The position was a very important. He was the second in command to the king when a large portion of the confederation to war. It was the man who would speak for the king and take command when the king was not present or otherwise indisposed. Vercingetorix's last second, Drust, had been killed some years ago in a fight with the Gauls.

"A fair question. Considering my age, I feel it is best to pick among the younger chiefs." The king ran through several possible names before he finally settled on a familiar one. "I call Colobert, son of Fulco to come forward."

A young man in his late twenties stepped forward to answer the call, "Yes my king?"

"I fought with your father many times and have heard of your bravery with growing frequency. I call upon you to act as my second."

The young chief bowed his head, "I will do my best."

"Good, then you may leave and prepare your men for war. And be sure to take some alive for Odin. The blot is coming!"

[Imperial Idaho]

Impireacht, Iverni Tribe, Hibernia

As Chief Ceallachan sat on his throne, he listened to his advisers give a report o the state of the realm, there was an issue that need to be addressed.
"What do you mean there's not enough food?" the chief said "Just build more farms!"

"That's a waste of time and money, the problem is that our lands are infertile." replied an adviser.

"Well then," Ceallachan pondered for a moment. "Then we'll have to gain more land"
He paused, then said "Raise the levies, we march to Menapii"
"Aswell, increase the army size by one thousand, just to be safe"

[Kumbhalgarh]

One Quite day in Solokha City, Scythian Region of Ponto, Royal Scythia

King Antius the 5th walked through his royal chambers and through the doors of his majestic castle sitting adjacent to a beautiful lake. Peaceful countryside surrounded his castle and doves flapped in the lake. He could hear the hooves of the horses beating as his Horse Archers practiced their daily round. Scythian army numbered around 30,000 active troops. More could be mustered if needed. He did not require more than 2% of his population in the military unless his desires sprang all of a sudden to combat.

Royal Scythia was a powerful affair in the region. The Rich kingdoms to the south saw Scythia as Military protection, and they inturn paid 40% of whatever income they earned throughtout the annual semester. Scythia allowed almost 10% of its income to Military maintenance. It also funded mercenary regiments, which they hired from the villages neighboring the Black sea. If needed, 16,000 battle hardened Mercenaries could be called to serve Antius. Quite a nice gift indeed.

Antius giggled to himself as he approached his royal court. Kingdoms in the region viewed Scythia as their "Master" And almost always a high ranking figure was present in his court from neighboring kingdoms. Antius went towards the window leading through the court and looked outside. A magnificent allied army was standing outside of the gates of the castle. A peaceful force of 700 castle guards seemed nonchalant and carried on with their daily business.

Kingdoms in the neighboring areas were forced to pay tribute to the Scythians annually and had to present their complete armies and cavalries to Scythia in its time of need. Antius had called on tribunary armies only thrice in the past 5 years. And in the end he just ended up deploying them to protect his frontier towns and patrol the others.

Antius signaled the beginning of court as courtiers nodded their agreement. His Army Chief stepped up and said, "Sir, I ask you to grant me 10% of the treasury immedietaly to buy new horse troops. I will have them deployed to allied kingdoms to make sure they dont get out of hand.

Tribunary reprentatived muttered in frustration as Antius signaled them to stop. "Gentlemen, no need to fret. We will only be deploying friendly forces. I assure you no harm will be done to you or your populace."

A Tauriciyian spoke up with a disgusted tone, "Kind sir, I understand that you outnumber and out wealth us in basically every perspective, however, Tauricia will not take such an act of violation of personal space!"

The court broke into tithers as verbal exchanges were held.

Antius pulled out his sword from it sheath and challenged any person who dared speak after him.

The hot headed Taurician Person said, "Idiot, I come from a still sovereign nation, you might have indirect influence and we might just be your tributaries, but you don't have any governmental authority over us bastard!"

Antius had enough. He grabbed his shield from his back as his armor shone in the daylight. His courtiers watched in horror as Antius's warrior form took place. The Taurician pulled out his axe and the 2 men took slow steps at each other.

Taurician was first to attack, he plunged his axe in a fairly basic way at Antius, Who ducked and jabbed his sword through the enemies thigh. Antius did a backflip and assumed a safe stance. The Taurician moaned in pain but did not give up. He slowly marched with his axe at antius. He did an outward jab at Antius who skimmed it away through a light deflection. He grabbed the handle of the axe with his other hand and pushed it out of the enemies hand. He chopped of the enemies hand with one powerful slice and grabbed his head with the other. "I told you not to mess with me," Said Antius. He dropped his shield and screamed in the court, "SHOULD I EXECUTE HIM?" Most of the courtiers were Nomadic Scythians from the surrounding tribes who were somewhat allies of the Royal Scythians, But the more educated, Noble Scythians tried to think of a better way" Antius however royal he got, had a little bit of tribal blood and decided to go cold blooded.

He sliced the neck off with his sword as the head was severed from its neck.

A previously arrogant Bosporan said quietly, "When will the horsemen arrive?"

Antius gave a cheeky grin and went to wash his face.

[Jaslandia]

Ptolemaic Royal Palace, Alexandria, Egypt

The sun rose of the great city of Alexandria, capital of Egypt and probably the greatest city in the Hellenistic world, perhaps the greatest city in the entire world. As the legendary Pharos lighthouse had yet to be completed, by the far the grandest structure in the city was the Royal Palace. Taking up a little over 25% of Alexandria’s area, the palace included not just an extravagant living space for Ptolemy I and his family, but also an extensive museum and a large library.

In the center of the palace was Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter’s private study. On the Pharaoh’s desk laid a map, showing the much of the world known to the Egyptians.

To the north of Egypt lay the crucial regions of Cyprus and Cilicia. While both lands had cultural and economic ties to Egypt, Ptolemy needed both those lands under his direct control: Cyprus was a useful base against the Seleucids in Syria, while Cilicia would provide the Ptolemaic Kingdom with a foothold in Anatolia and a gateway to the conquest of the rest of Alexander’s empire. Recognizing the importance of these regions, the Pharaoh had begun to organize an invasion force, under his brother Menelaus, to conquer Cyprus.

To the south were the lands of Aethiopia, also called Abyssinia. Aethiopia was a fractured region, divided among Kush, Blemmyes, and Da’amat. At the moment, none of the Nubian nations of Aethiopia offered much appeal to the Egyptians, and Ptolemy saw the region as merely a raiding ground for Ptolemaic troops, and possibly a region of future conquest. However, if Ptolemy’s advisers could convince him, Egypt would be willing to intervene in Nubian affairs, supporting one side in uniting the region in exchange for a loyal ally in the region. For now, Egypt and Nubia enjoyed prosperous trade relations, and all was well along Egypt’s southern border.

To the west were the lands of Cyrene. It was mere months ago that Cyrenaica had been subdued, and Ptolemy’s stepson Magas made King of Cyrenaica. While Magas nominally had royal honors, all knew the position was merely a glorified governorship under Ptolemaic supervision. While Magas was a slippery one who was rumored to have dreams of an independent Cyrenaican kingdom, for now, the prince’s advisers and the Ptolemaic military authorities in Cyrene ensured that Magas was kept under control, as his land was a useful buffer between the Egyptian heartland and the lands of Carthage.

To Egypt’s east were the newly-conquered provinces of Judea, Phoenicia, and Petra. While taken a few years prior, these regions were still rebellious and clamored for independence. Judea in particular was troublesome. The Jews of Judea were unique among all other peoples known to the Egyptians in their strict monotheism, rejecting other deities like Osiris, Zeus, and Saturn, and giving praise to their own god. While Ptolemy thought himself generous in allowing the Jews a degree of freedom and religious tolerance, the Jews wanted an independent state, and harkened back to the ancient kingdoms of David and Solomon for inspiration. The Egyptians could keep Judea under control for now by ensuring the province was run by pro-Ptolemaic Jewish High Priests, it seemed only a matter of time before Judea rebelled.

Far away, to the northwest of Egypt, were the lands of Italy. While the Pharaoh saw the Italians as a barbarous people, he was pleased with their adoption of Hellenism, believing it would finally turn them into proper, civilized people. There were several nations on the Italian peninsula, but there were two main nations to worry about: the currently-dominant Etruscan League, and the upstart Roman Republic. While some among the Egyptian court were hesitant to involve themselves in Italian affairs, Ptolemy and others saw use in picking a side: the only question was which side to pick. While Rome seemed promising, they could still be crushed the powerful Etruscan League; on the other hand, Roman defeat of Etruria was a distinct possibility. However, as Carthage greedily eyed the lands of Italy and Sicily, many felt Egypt had to get involved eventually lest Carthage grow too powerful.

As he reviewed his options, Ptolemy sighed. He was a man of war, not peace. A childhood friend and general of Alexander, Ptolemy was made Satrap of Egypt shortly after Alexander’s death. Ptolemy made his statement of strength early on, when he intercepted Alexander’s funeral procession, and had the great conqueror buried in a grand mausoleum in Alexandria. Years of war followed, as Alexander's generals struggled for control of his tremendous empire, but Ptolemy managed to not only keep his hold over Egypt, but he even succeeded in occupying Syria four separate times since 318 BCE. While Ptolemy had since lost Syria to the Seleucids, he retained Judea and part of Phoenicia, and he was preparing a new invasion of the Seleucids to defeat Seleucus once and for all and to re-unite Alexander’s empire.

For now, however, that was all just a dream. The Pharaoh’s first target was Cyprus. He unsheathed his sword, and plunged his blade into where Cyprus was marked on the map. Ptolemy Soter’s plan was set: he was on a path to glory.

[Hastiaka]

Carthaginian Republic
Carthage, Carthaginian Senate
Episode 1: Corruption, Silver and Trade

---

Carthage was land of opportunity,luck and gold. To it's north was the Mediterranean, it's vast waters gives opportunity for Carthage to expand and be rich. To the south was the barren deserts of Africa. Although a wasteland, It still has vast amounts of silver. To the east is Ptolemaic Egypt. For Carthage, Egypt was not a threat but rather a business opportunity and to the west was the Atlantic, a vast source of fish and another major trade route. Carthage's armies are moderately strong. In comparison with neighboring states, Carthage is rich enough to summon massive mercenary armies if given the time. Despite all these advantages, beneath the smile of Carthage was a small and subtle trend which was corruption. All those power and wealth is at Carthage's disposal however, controversies continue to beset members of the Senate.

One day earlier
Himilco the Elder, Senator

For the past seven days, the senators of the republic have been debating about corruption. Unfortunately, no progress have been made to stop the trend. Himilco the Elder for example tried to warn the Senate about the controversy's effects on the economy. He stood in front of the crowd as prosecutor. Pointing his index at a fellow senator he argued. ''Several whistle-blowers have reported and accused you of plundering!'' the Senator in trial was a young lad. But that didn't deter him from defending himself. ''Senator Himilco, prove that your whistle-blower has a valid source of information and I will agree to be validated and be investigated by the courts.'' this young lad's name is Admago Bardac, a member of an influential family from Hippo. In response to the prosecuted's threats, he too returned with one. ''Admago Bardac, I hear that your family owns a merchant fleet. It would be a shame if the Senate agrees to confiscate all your family's properties and put it under the state's inventory.''

The Senate Chambers
Himilco the Elder, Senator

Himilco was about to prepare his sheet of papyrus containing valid information about Admago Bardac's anomalies and corruption when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He arrived early, as usual and he was the only Senator in the chambers around that time. It was an ordinary day. Himilco has successfully ousted four corrupt senators over a period of one year. But Admago Bardac had something else on his mind. As Himilco was about to head towards the market to buy more papyrus and ink, he was blocked by two well-built men. ''Halt.'' one of the men spoke. Himilco was confused and began to suspect that something bad was going to happen. Little did he know that his thoughts were actually correct. ''Did you unintentionally block my path or are you here to assassinate an influential member of Carthage's most powerful assembly? which is me if you're going to be specific.'' the two men nodded and draw their swords and decapitated the old senator. It happened so fast and there were no witnesses. Minutes later, the view of a decapitated senator would make a group of maidens scream of horror. This event would soon spark a massive cleansing of the senate or would it?

Carthaginian Republic
Cadamir Idit, General of the Punic Army

For the past 98 years, Carthage has tried to take all of Sicily after the first siege of Syracuse failed. Cadamir Idit, a member of the Idit family has been commissioned to gather a massive army to invade Sicily. For the past two months, Cadamir managed to gather 25,000 soldiers from the various Phoenician cities and from Numidia. A courier arrived earlier than expected with a piece of papyrus containing the Senate's decision. Cadamir read the instructions aloud. ''Cadamir Idit, General of the Carthaginian Army, The Senate of the Republic has agreed to mobilize our armies in Sicily. Be aware though, sanitize your camps. Sicily is notorious for the plagues that killed our armies a century ago. From here, your soldiers will join 21,000 soldiers in Sicily. Report to the Senate every day for your progress. For the glory of Carthage!'' he was pleased of the response of the senate. ''Soldier, set course to Sicily.''

- Influential Senator killed by corrupt officials.
- Senate begins to cleanse it's membership
- Carthage moves it's armies against Syracuse.

[Zachary Nichols]

Rome is Home
Part 1; Chapter 1
Rome, Latium, 7:33 AM

As the market buzzed with activity, a small detatchment of soldiers marched through the crowd, towards the Senate. Merchants stepped aside and even children coughed out their laughter as the men walked down the street. Climbing the steps of the senate, the men peeled to form two neat rows and stood at strict attention. Behind them, General Aetius Scipio walked up the steps and into the senate. Rome's politics were dominated by families, of which the most powerful, the Julii and Scipii, often butted heads. As Scipio entered the Senate, he was greeted with old men, arguing with one another. Being only 27, Scipio was one of the youngest Generals and Senators, and his young age often brought demeaning comments from other more senior Senators.

"Senators, please be quiet," the bedlam was soon replaced by Scipio's voice "as you may know the great Republic of Rome has grown accustomed to Latium. However, to bring greater prestige to all Romans. We must expand our influence, to Greece, to Carthage, to Judea and beyond. As so, I'd like to propose a bill to the senate that will enable the military to conscript not only the elite, but also the middle class and poor, to bolster the ranks of the legions and expand."

"And what makes you think that we can defeat the nations of Mare Nostrum?", a Senator said.

"We are the sons of Mars, destined for greater glory and conquest of the World. We'll start small of course; the Italian peninsula will do nicely for the moment. We can of course befriend the Etruscans to our north for trade, and focus on our Southern Neighbours."

The senate buzzed with whispers before the Consul finally spoke up, "And you, Scipio, will lead this army I assume? Very well, you will have your wish of money for troops, but any failure during your campaigns will be on you record."

Legio I "Italia" Camp, Outside Rome
The Next Week, 12:20 AM
"...then may the gods protect us." Gaiuss Aurelius completed his sacrifice of a chicken on a small note. Aurelius was a Captain under Scipio's command, responsible for the vanguard formation of the Legion. Aurelius was known as a kind and cunning leader, and the poorer men of Rome in tbe front of the formation were fond of their leader indeed.

Out of the 4,000 men in Legio I, 1,500 were under Aurelius' command. They were to head south and besige Naples from the Samnites, while the Legio II headed East in order to intercept any counter attack. In a week, the city of Rome had aquired 17 merchant biremes to blockade the port. Aboard were around 800 Sardinian Corsair mercenaries, to act as an amphibious assault if Naples did not surrender. The legion was called up and got into marching formation as they set of for Naples.

Aurelius and Scipio, along with other captains, rode on Horses in the middle of the line. The poor of the legion were poorly equipped; Wicker Shields, cloth shirts, a far cry from the bronze, rectangular shields of the regular legionnaires. The poor levy were, after all, going to be disbanded after the War with the final remnants of the Samnites. Along with the Legion were also 500 Heavy Etruscan Infantry mercenaries. The marched along the well-used carriageway, trees oncboth flanks cut down to prevent ambush. They were on their way on a 5 day march.

Meanwhile in the Senate

From: The People and Senate of Rome
To: The Great Etruscans

Greetings, Great people. We men of Latium would like to propose a deal which would benefit us both greatly. Firstly, I would like to propose an Alliance between our two nations, to bolster the security and stability of Italy. Secondly, I will propose a free-trade agreement; your people's metalworking skills are unrivaled, and we Romans, in exchange for metals, will offer Wine, grain, animals from Greece and beyond, and more. I eagerly await a response.
Regards,
The People of Rome

-Senate passes bill to Conscript the Poor
-Army marches on Naples; War declared on Samnites
-Letter to Etruscans

[Torrocca]

In the royal palace of Seleucia-on-Tigris

Seleucus was sat upon his throne, discussing important matters with several advisers in the room with him. The man looked poor and pale, and his advisers could see the eerie, almost dead-like look in his face, even as he tried to hide it from them. "Majesty," one of the men said, looking concerned as he eyed his king, "if you do not cease this despairing, the Satraps will see only weakness in you and rebel. I hate to be the one to say this, but... you must show strength and resilience, even in the face of this calamity, lest you intend to lose all that you and Alexander before you hath built." When it seemed apparent that the mighty king remained unmoved, another of the advisers said, "majesty... your son was a great, humble man of virtue, honor, and valor. He died doing only what he believed to be right and honorable; he died for the empire. Will you do the same... or would you see to it to only die once it is but ashes?" When the king once more showed himself to be unfazed by their pleas for him to get back to his duty to the empire, a third man, a general, spoke up. "majesty," he said, soft and sympathetically, "there is no doubt that any of us in this vary room loved Antiochus as much as you. His death has been the biggest tragedy to befall all Macedonians and all Greeks since Alexander's own. We know well how bitterly he would have wept for his own father's death... but, majesty, think of your children, who suffer from much the same heartache as you." Finally, Seleucus seemed moved, as his eyes widened slightly, as if he'd been struck by a sword to the belly. "They may be of age, yet when they see their father continue to mourn their lost brother, they themselves can't help to do nothing more than mourn as well. If you will not listen to Eukleides and cease to weep for your own personal health, if you will not hear the words of Demetrios and stand strong for the Empire, then heed my advice - I implore you - and recompose yourself for the sake of Phoibe and Theodosios, so that they may yet see the future in this bleak world."

After what seemed to be hours of pure, uninterrupted silence, Seleucus stood up and said, "Leonidas... my friend... you have pulled at my heart and compelled me to live on life. I... I believe Antiochus would have wanted it this way." A single tear rolled down his dry, pale cheek, and he nodded to the men as he asked, "now... what shall we do to ensure the Empire remains steadfast and strong?" The three men, seeing a renewed life energy in their king, all smirked and smiled as they spoke, saying, one at a time, "The Satraps of Persia and Parthia seem to be contending for their own power in the land we've allowed them to govern. Perhaps a few imperial spies in their courts and some harsher penalties for fighting should be made in order to compel them to lower their arms..." "The Satrap of Assyria seems more ambitious than we previously thought, majesty. Perhaps we should request his personal presence here, and learn of his schemes?" "We have also thought, majesty... of erecting a monument to Antiochus. What better way to commemorate his grand deeds than by honoring him, even after death? He may not have been Alexander... he may not have been king or emperor... but he was still amongst the noblest and grandest of us all." Seleucus nodded to each man when they made each suggestion, and, finally, after some considerable time pondering these ideas, said, "make all that you have said now so. Even drain a small number of the men of Persia and Parthia by bringing them this way, if you will. Threaten either with sanctions, should either choose to be aggressors in this affair. If worse comes to worse, we'll depose one or both of them, and reinstall good, loyal Greeks in their place."

The men nodded and all went their way, except for Leonidas, who remained beside Seleucus to say, "one more thing, majesty... Ptolemy, who's been a dear foe of our's since the split of Alexander's Empire... which, as is known, we rightly inherited, may try to make a move upon us if he sees weakness. It might be within our interests to send some sort of diplomatic mission south, and try to reason with the man. If we can secure some semblance of peace in our southern border, we'll have less problems handling the Persian and Parthian Satraps, as well as raiders from the north and from the Mauryans from the east, should they betray the bond we have through marriage." Seleucus nodded in agreement, and said softly, "my dear friend Leonidas, I trust you wholly with your word. I'll see to it that we send forth a diplomatic mission to Ptolemy's royal court and sway his opinion into our favor."

In the chambers of Princess Phoibe

"Oh, kind Diodoros," the young princess began, a hand placed on the tunic-covered chest of one of Seleucus' Companions, "thou surely hath plucked the strings of my heart like those upon a lyre. You have been much too kind to me..." "'Tis but what a man can do for a lady stricken by such dreadful loss," the relatively young man cooed, passing his fingers lightly through her soft, bronze-like hair, "especially when such a loss is so personal even to myself." The two leaned closer to each other and pressed their foreheads together. Diodoros began to slowly lean down to Phoibe's height, but shot up suddenly when three rapid knocks struck the door to the chamber, and entered none other than Theodosios. "Phoibe, I have to speak to you..." he began to say as he walked in, trailing off as his gaze laid upon Diodoros. He curiously eyed the frozen man up and down, then gave him a slight nod and merely said, "Diodoros." The man gulped slightly, nodded back, and said in reply, "Theodosios." "A moment, if you mind?" Theodosios asked, raising an eyebrow as the man, still somewhat frozen in fear, scurried from the room.

Phoibe and Theodosios exchanged glances, and the man said to his sister, "I always liked him, that Diodoros lad. I'm sure father would approve." "I... uh... it wasn't..." Phoibe stuttered, at a loss of words. "Nevermind it... I have news. Good news, of father's mental health." Phoibe raised an eyebrow, listening intently as her brother said, "he's finally gone back to being the great man he was... and he's even gone so far as to declare himself to be a better father and a better king, in respect to who Antiochus was." "That... is great news indeed, brother." Theodosios nodded, then sighed and said, "there's... one more thing." "Hmm? What is that?" "He intends to bring peace between us and the Egyptians... and he wants me to be a part of the diplomatic mission." The girl looked shocked as she exclaimed, "hath he lost his mind? Has he gone mad?! After one son, to his own people, he would send another to those that betrayed Macedonia?!" "Father believes that Ptolemy won't put a stain on his pride by killing the son of his enemy in cold blood, especially when said son is going on a diplomatic mission. But I won't be the first... I'll be going after we can guarantee my safety and the cooperation of the Egyptians." "It could very well be a ruse, if they say they'll provide safe passage!" "It's what I fear," Theodosios continues, sighing, "but I don't think Ptolemy will dent his reputation with such a deception. I just pray to Zeus that the first mission succeeds, but not enough to bring me into the fray."

"Oh, brother..." Phoibe said, distressed, after a moment of silence, "all these perils we have endured... I believe that they themselves are bad omens that we don't know yet about." "Sister, you mustn't speak of such calamities and the amount of omens, good or bad, that plague or grace us. That in itself is an omen, and won't bring us fortune we so pray for if you continue." The girl sat upon the edge of her bed, looked down at her feet, and sighed again, saying, "perhaps you are right. Perhaps this talk of omens is mere superstition. Mayhaps some prayers to the Gods and Godesses will bring us good fortune." "Perhaps."

A monument to Antiochus begins construction in Seleucia-on-Tigris.
A diplomatic mission to Egypt is sent on its way.
Imperial spies and diplomats are sent to the courts of the Satraps of Persia and Parthia, to quell their current states of unease.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Rome is Home
Part 1; Chapter 1
Rome, Latium, 7:33 AM

As the market buzzed with activity, a small detatchment of soldiers marched through the crowd, towards the Senate. Merchants stepped aside and even children coughed out their laughter as the men walked down the street. Climbing the steps of the senate, the men peeled to form two neat rows and stood at strict attention. Behind them, General Aetius Scipio walked up the steps and into the senate. Rome's politics were dominated by families, of which the most powerful, the Julii and Scipii, often butted heads. As Scipio entered the Senate, he was greeted with old men, arguing with one another. Being only 27, Scipio was one of the youngest Generals and Senators, and his young age often brought demeaning comments from other more senior Senators.

"Senators, please be quiet," the bedlam was soon replaced by Scipio's voice "as you may know the great Republic of Rome has grown accustomed to Latium. However, to bring greater prestige to all Romans. We must expand our influence, to Greece, to Carthage, to Judea and beyond. As so, I'd like to propose a bill to the senate that will enable the military to conscript not only the elite, but also the middle class and poor, to bolster the ranks of the legions and expand."

"And what makes you think that we can defeat the nations of Mare Nostrum?", a Senator said.

"We are the sons of Mars, destined for greater glory and conquest of the World. We'll start small of course; the Italian peninsula will do nicely for the moment. We can of course befriend the Etruscans to our north for trade, and focus on our Southern Neighbours."

The senate buzzed with whispers before the Consul finally spoke up, "And you, Scipio, will lead this army I assume? Very well, you will have your wish of money for troops, but any failure during your campaigns will be on you record."

Legio I "Italia" Camp, Outside Rome
The Next Week, 12:20 AM
"...then may the gods protect us." Gaiuss Aurelius completed his sacrifice of a chicken on a small note. Aurelius was a Captain under Scipio's command, responsible for the vanguard formation of the Legion. Aurelius was known as a kind and cunning leader, and the poorer men of Rome in tbe front of the formation were fond of their leader indeed.

Out of the 4,000 men in Legio I, 1,500 were under Aurelius' command. They were to head south and besige Naples from the Samnites, while the Legio II headed East in order to intercept any counter attack. In a week, the city of Rome had aquired 17 merchant biremes to blockade the port. Aboard were around 800 Sardinian Corsair mercenaries, to act as an amphibious assault if Naples did not surrender. The legion was called up and got into marching formation as they set of for Naples.

Aurelius and Scipio, along with other captains, rode on Horses in the middle of the line. The poor of the legion were poorly equipped; Wicker Shields, cloth shirts, a far cry from the bronze, rectangular shields of the regular legionnaires. The poor levy were, after all, going to be disbanded after the War with the final remnants of the Samnites. Along with the Legion were also 500 Heavy Etruscan Infantry mercenaries. The marched along the well-used carriageway, trees oncboth flanks cut down to prevent ambush. They were on their way on a 5 day march.

Meanwhile in the Senate

From: The People and Senate of Rome
To: The Great Etruscans

Greetings, Great people. We men of Latium would like to propose a deal which would benefit us both greatly. Firstly, I would like to propose an Alliance between our two nations, to bolster the security and stability of Italy. Secondly, I will propose a free-trade agreement; your people's metalworking skills are unrivaled, and we Romans, in exchange for metals, will offer Wine, grain, animals from Greece and beyond, and more. I eagerly await a response.
Regards,
The People of Rome

-Senate passes bill to Conscript the Poor
-Army marches on Naples; War declared on Samnites
-Letter to Etruscans

Velzna palace, Rasna

Thankati was naked, as Etruscans tend to be. Well, she was not for long. It was cold in the winter, especially among the Tuscan mountains, and so she quickly dressed herself in her layers of clothing, multiple belts tightly binding her waist, and the piles of jewelry the Etruscans flaunt at every opportunity. She had to admit, the Canaanite leggings, the anpilia, definitely aided in more than a few ways. This was around the time a man burst into her room and attempted to speak to her as she dressed. As being seen naked was not taboo to Etruscans, she made no attempt to cover herself or to hide, just to keep dressing for warmth. He spoke to her, telling her that he bore the message of the Rumas. He spoke, occasionally tossing in strange Latin words like "Senatus" with his thick accent. She groaned, and took to figuring how to address it. The man quickly found himself writing utensils and paper on which to write her reply.

Phersu Rumas,

We, the council of Rashna, accept your conditions. Your people and my own were once the same, and though we have grown apart in the years since our lordship over your kin has ended, with this deal may we foster ever growing relations. In full effect, I trust your ilk to not misuse our trust and abuse our resources. We know better than to place our trust falsely, and so you have our support if you are willing to repay the deed.

Venel the Holy's note: The gods, ever watchful, have determined us to be friends. We cannot question their infinite wisdom, though your philosophers may disagree. As we say, the cloud strikes the other that lightning may happen, not the other way around.

Thankati looked to Venel, as he had managed to sneak into the room without her notice. She sighed and sent the letter, including his note, to the Romans, hoping it would suffice.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Mauryan Empire

Residence of Lord-Commander Barskas Turya, Kalinga, Kalingan Kingdom
Tumult Mounting

Brindhad sipped the fine nut-brown beer that the Lord-Commander's servants had thoughtfully supplied, and appraised the solid well-built military man that reclined languidly next to him. He had the demeanor of a soldier accustomed to battle, and the emissary reviewed what little he recalled of Barskas from the scholars. A former captain of the Nandas even before the years of Kalingan virtual autonomy as the empire crumbled, the tall black-bearded warrior had seen the borders of the lands of the Ganges change three times in his young life, and had the twinkle in his eyes of the cynic. The invitation here after the fracas at the Hall had all but confirmed what the dignitary suspected; with the vote on the matter and the screams of both sides having dissolved the Hundred into chaos, there were many on both sides of the divide of opinion. Some wished to cling to the power they had clawed from the Nandas, where others saw an opportunity for more power to their names if they bent with the wind that was blowing, instead of foolishly standing against it. The tree on the mountainside did not see the avalanche until the stones rolled over it, but those gifted with wisdom felt the shaking of the earth.

The broad man spoke, deep voice measured and with the barest hint of veiled cunning. "I must apologize for the actions of my kinsmen so recently. Our system rule is, hm, unorthodox at best. Shouting, I fear, is the most common result of discourse, not decision." He fell silent, staring somewhat inscrutably into the low embers of the hearthfire that lay in the center of the outdoor chamber of the Lord-Commander's spacious estate. The emissary felt the weft of the world shift a touch, and then intoned lightly, almost musingly. "You have no need to apologize, Lord-Commander. Politicians are not like men of war, like you and I. They squabble like women at the marketplace, rowers without a captain, a ship turning adrift on the tides. Every vagary of the common rabble tosses them about as a leave before the breeze, and they have no honor." The deep black eyes of the Lord-Commander looked at Brindhad like the voids of the night sky, and for a moment the emissary felt trepidation, before a smile cracked the creased and aged face.

"You speak truth, commander. My men are skilled, and brave, but they are squandered like dogs by the fetid men who lead Kalinga. Do not deny it- I see what will come. Chandragupta is a patient man, but a stalwart man." For a minute and more Turya sat, then he stood and looked out at the dim orange lights of the barracks complex a half mile away. His voice was low, barely audible from Brindhad's reclining repose, but possessed strongly lucid clarity. "If the Hundred reject your proposal, your master means to reunite the lands by force, does he not?" Brindhad nodded, but he needn't have bothered- the leader of Kalinga's elite guards had continued without even waiting for a response, speaking almost to himself. "The gods have seen fit to offer me the chance to die for two masters before- now they offer the choice again."

"You did not take that chance before. Do not condemn your men. Chandragupta will not resent any man who returns to his true allegiance." There, the words were said. An offer, of position for treason. Under the forms Brindhad had now forfeited his immunity; perhaps tomorrow morning his head would decorate a spike outside the city gates. But the Ivory Emperor did not choose his commanders for their naivete, or their inability to read the winds of human emotion. The Lord-Commander's shoulders raised as he turned away from the darkness, as if he shrugged off a great weight. His eyes were still cold, but it seemed to the man from the Mauryan lands that they had hope in them, if perhaps a small amount. "Send messages to who you need to speak with. Within the week, the Hundred will be gone."

Luminary Highroad, Near Jaipur, Kulas Province, Mauryan Empire
Glittering Rivers

With loving hands and careful stroke the chisel fell, a tiny chink ringing out like a clear bell in the hot midday air. It was a pure note, curiously enough, a vagary of music happened upon by some chance alignment of fracture plate and geological forces, coincidence of stone formed since the foundation of the world and tool wielded by the youngest of earth's denizens. The mason smiled, his face leathery from years under the unforgiving sun, more like tanned hide of some beast of the field than the pure white complexions of the rich. Amidst the cacophony of the worksite, the aged laborer derived simple pleasure from the work of his hands, recalling vanished years and a thousand slabs of rock before this one which he had shaped to his desire with experience. The first stone he had ever caressed had felt as a lover, and from that day that his master saw the fire of masonry in the young boy's eyes so long ago, he had worked the stone. Marble, alabaster, granite, indomitable, sandstone, nubile, all he worked with knowledge and familiarity, their patterns and weave as much a part of his knowledge as the lines of his own two hands. Now, between the handicraft of a thousand men, he laid the finished stone to rest, embracing a matrix of poured cement and shale with its smooth mirror-finished elegance. As the laborer rose, old eyes looking out over the horizon, he grinned again. Behind the brown backs, over the gleaming sweat of the workers, past the piles of stone waiting for the tender touch of mallet and hand, the glittering river flowed from Jaipur towards the dawn- an imperial Highroad, instituted by the ministers of the great Samraat himself, to link man to man and home to home even to the ends of the earth. The aging laborer did not know it, but his work was part of the work of a million, a hundred thousand hands laboring unceasingly as the sun rode high from east to west across the days. The Mauryan Emperor dreamed, and the Empire dreamed with him- and his dreams were not daydreams or wishes, but legends made manifest.

Ports of the West, Mangaluru, Karnataka
A Bundle of Many Rods

The port of Mangaluru was known throughout the lands of the Indus and the Ganges for her wealth, prosperity, and above all else, decadence. Here everything had its price, and every man too. Nominally a vassal of the Mauryan Empire, for the most part Chandragupta had left the prosperous nobles of Karnataka alone- but that all changed one clear day in the dry season. At first the only sound of the differences to come was the gentle rumble of drums in the far distance, barely heard amidst the hubbub of market and tavern, dockyard and moneylender, haggle and barter. But within minutes the thunder grew in the streets, echoing along byways and through inner courtyards, inescapable, omnipresent, pervasive. Along with the drums came the tramp of marching feet, thousands, tens of thousands marching in unison, not so much sounding like boots on cobblestone as the roar of an onrushing tide.

Through the main roads and highways of the urban center they came, soldiers clad in black and white hauberks over their bronze scale-mail, hands on the hilts of their swords but no steel or iron bare. It was a show of force, and from that perspective it was admirably successful. Men and women marveled as rank upon rank passed their houses and shops, endless legions of armed soldiers marching in unison. The men, thankfully, were not headed anywhere that effected the common folk. Their commander bore letters to various members of the nobility, informing them of the transition of Karnataka from vassal to province of the Mauryan Empire. Little changed in the days and weeks that came, but it was well enough from the perspective of the Samraat.

[Zachary Nichols]

Rome is Home
Part 2; Chapter 1
Naples; 4:55 PM; 6 days Later

The Legion had arrived on the outskirts of Naples at Midnight, and under cover of darkness, had built barricades and bastions. Harrasing fire from the defenders dealt few blows to the siege, and that afternoon all 6 camps surrounding the city were enjoying a thick soup for lunch with little worry of arrows. There was still much to do; sanitation, supply caravans, proper communication trenches, all had to be completed by the day. In order to prevent harassment from outside the siegeworks, Scipio had sent parties of 20 men to scout and report on any movement, and pillage the surrounding villages. Scipio had also sent messages by arrow to the defenders, "Surrender and you will be free, don't and you will suffer." All of the time those messages were replied with a volley of arrows from the defenders.

Out in the bay, Scipio could clearly see from his vantage point atop a hill the line of merchant biremes acting as a blockade. Aboard those biremes were ballistas, pelting the defenders with desultory fire. Holding a conference with all the Captains of each Cohort, Scipio was briefing them of his battle plan, waving his arms and gesturing to each captain where he should place his men.

"Tacus, I want you to build ladders and siege towers and attack from the East. Sarius, you take your best engineers and dig under their walls. When the time comes, we take it out from underneath. Captains in the Camp closest to the gate will build battering rams and towers. Our Onagers will pound on the gate beforehand. When the time comes, I will light a torch, and the Sardinians will commence their assault from the sea. We didn't pay them for nothing." Scipio clapped his hands "Alright then, get ready."

"Messanger, send a message to the defenders again." Aurelius ordered.

Camp Number 6; Eastern end of the Siege
Later on...
Each cohort had been assigned a job to do, and a line of men left the camp with axes and shovels. The 9th Cohort of Legio I was a band of veterans, capable and proud, though now that the had to serve alongside regular folk, the prestige of being a legionnaire had, in their eyes, been severely diminished. Filled with disgruntled veterans, the 9th Cohort was one of the few cohorts in the Roman army that fielded their own ensign, that of the Lynx.

A line of men under armed guard began clearing out a section of forest, backbreaking work expected of a legionnaire. Quintus Julius was a regular line soldier, and at the age of 36, was eagerly awaiting retirement and a heathy sum of cash and land. Swinging his axe as hard as he could, it was as if it took him a year to cut through the primordial oak tree, which when fell, created a thump like thunder. The eternal work of a legionnaire was not fighting, but rather eternal labouring; the roads and walls of Rome built by the sweat of soldiers. It was not glorious, but it was needed of them. Rome did not have enough slaves to feed the population and build infrastructure. Or at least not yet.Trees cut were then chopped into planks, which were then nailed together and bound to build siege towers. All throughout the night the sounds of sawing and hammering keeping the soldiers up at night. Some engineers, envying the sleep their fellow legionnaires got, hammered even louder and fumbled with their toops to create all sorts of noise.

Quintus worked throughout the night sawing wood, in the morning a new batch of workers rudely awakened by their Captains, and the nightshift getting the respite they deserved.

Meanwhile underground, on the West side of the siege, sappers were busy digging out a tunnel, they could hear the sounds of rocks smashing against rock above them, a sure sign that the onagers were keeping the defenders occupied. Shoveling, mining and clawing their way through rock, dirt, then wet clay, the tunnelers had to use everything to keep the tunnel from collapsing and the water from seeping through, helmets were used as buckets and long lines of bucket brigades ferried water out of the tunnel. The sappers that came out were mucky, covered in mud and exhausted from the cramped and humid conditions underground, the mine exit was concealed with shrubs, and sappers took quick baths in a nearby stream. The siege was going slowly, but Scipio didn't think the Samnites would hold out much longer. Posting round the clock sentries, he would be sure of any attack.

[Arulean States]

Macedon

Cassander watched as his men stretched out into a line infront of him, seven thousand men with pikes, forming the backbone of his army. On each flank were three thousand horsemen, and in reserve were three thousand hoplite levies. Opposing him was a force of twelve thousand Spartan hoplites and cavalry.
I wish that my father had killed them all at Megalopolis. It would have made my life simpler. , Cassander thought.
He turned to one of his staff, and said, "Order the cavalry forward. See if we can lure the enemy into attacking."
The staff member ran off, and minutes later, the cavalry on the flanks had begun to advance, first at a walk, then at a trot. The Greeks let loose a volley of stones, and several horsemen were knocked from their mounts. The cavalry pealed away, and returned to their places on the flank.
The hoplites had begun to advance, and a cavalry charge erupted from the enemy line. The Macedonians lowered their pikes, and the cavalry charge broke up, only to be hit in its retreat by a flanking force of Cassander's horsemen.
"Order the infantry forward at a steady pace. Move the reserves with them, and deploy individual companies to reinforce the line and exploit breakthroughs. Have the cavalry continue to harass their flanks, and send a troop after their camp"
He watched in satisfaction as the phalanx advanced forward, and the Spartan line first bent, then cracked under the pressure of the Macedonians. The Greek cavalry fled the field, and then the rout was complete. Cassander's cavalry rode into the fray, and slew a thousand of the fleeing hoplites. Here and there, some units held together, and his men would have to take losses to break them up, so Cassander ordered his men to simply ignore them. Eventually, the head of the rebel general was brought to him, and he decided that his personal guard would march with the head of a rebel general on its standard.

[Yuzhou]

Gusu
Kingdom of Chu
Winter, 300 BCE

The air was crisp, a type of thick clarity that heralded the coming of snow.
No one doubted this prediction of the cold wind, but it was hard to believe when the skies over Gusu were so crystal clear. It would have been an excellent day to review the troops, but not even the sun's dull shine penetrated the abundant chill. Even from inside his own carriage, could king Chiyi see his own breath. He watched as each huff manifested into a little ball of mist before dissipating into nothing again.

They had been travelling for some days now. It had been a long trek from the capital at Ying to far off Gusu in northern Wu, but the king was determined on making it. Of course, to him the hardest part was dealing with the ministers constantly advising him not to make the journey. There was absolutely no reason why he had to stay in the capital, not with it under Su Yi's attention. The man had been following his orders well: the capital was beginning to look civilized again. If minister Su was doing his job, then the king had to be sure general Guan was as well. After all, the invasion of Qi was planned for the first signs of spring.

The king had just about enough of tedious waiting when the carriage finally pulled to a halt. Upon pulling open the small windows, he could see they had arrived at the camp outside Gusu. It was of course Chiyi's first real review of the military since his brother's death.
The coach door was opened by servants and so out stepped the king. He brushed down his royal robes, barely having time to stretch his legs when he heard a familiar voice calling out.

"Your majesty!"
"Your majesty!"

Chiyi looked up to see general Guan rushing towards him, arms spread out wide and a large grin spread across his tanned face.

"Your majesty! I am honored to welcome you to my humble camp.", the general said, slightly out of breath. He gave the customary bow to his liege before looking him in the face.

"Guan Shu...", King Chiyi replied
"Why are you out of breath? Is it proper for a general to be worn out by a simple jog?"

"With all due respect your majesty, your arrival has come as quite a surprise to us. We only recently heard about your visit within the hour. I have been rushing around trying to get things prepared."
General Guan looked back down at the ground, slightly ashamed. Just then, a rack of spears outside the wall collapsed and sent the weapons strewing across the ground with loud clanks.

"General," the king bellowed
"It appears that in your haste for making the camp presentable, you have poorly placed the weapons on that rack, causing them to fall."

And with that the two men burst into laughter, proceeding into the camp.
"So, your majesty..what brings you to Gusu?"

The king look at the general and then with a hand sweeping across the camp explained,
"I wish to review our forces and see their progress. Our subjugation of Qi begins come the first shoots of green grass."

"I see. Well, come and have some hot wine your majesty. It is cold. I will have the men assembled for your review shortly."

Chiyi stopped him with a wave.
"No, I wish to see them now. Don't bother assembling them, I want to see them in their raw state.
The we will drink wine, like in the old days."

"Very well your majesty, right this way.", general Guan lead him down past rows of tents towards an open area of the encampment. There sets of teams and individual soldiers tumbled and dueled with practice weapons on the dried yellow grass. They seemed to be doing fairly well, by what the king could tell. Sets of officers instructed them and made sure no one left the bounds of their fight or broke the required formation. Some soldiers wore their armor, but other had nothing but thin white tunics.

"Why are some in armor and others not?", the king asked.

"Simply put, it's to gear them not only for receiving blows but to build tolerance to the cold. The two groups will alternate every once in a while.", general Guan pointed up towards the walls, "those men up there are standing in the range of the wind. That is also to build tolerance, though we must be careful to avoid illness."

"Very good general." the king turned his attention to another huge opening in the camp. Here archers, both levy and professional, practiced their accuracy and speed. Chiyi watched as men ran past with small banners: moving targets for the ranged trainees. First came a banner of Qi, having been both hit and missed multiple times. Then came a much harder target, a banner with the seal of Qin written on it. Most of the skirmishers stopped firing, having noticed the general and king watching them, but one levy archer was determined to try and shot with his shoddy bow. He pulled back the string and let the projectile fly...
It hit dead center, even going so far as to knock the Qin banner from the pole. The king let out a loud chuckle, "good shot, that man."

Chiyi motioned for him and the general to move on.
"There is only one place left that I wish to see. And that would be the chariots. Out of all our hundreds of thousands of forces here, I have seen enough to see that you are doing your job in training them."

"Thank you, your majesty", General Guan said with a small walking bow.

"But.." the king continued,
"I need to make sure you are dealing with our officer problem as well."

General Guan stood up a little straighter as they walked.
"Ever since you gave me the military tally, I have strove to follow your wishes to a key. And so your majesty, I am proud to report that I have weeded out several hundred officers of inefficient skill or character. We are still continuing to look for those who would bring more harm to our military than good. With the power of the military tally, not even the noble officers have been spared judgement."

"That is good, general", Chiyi replied assertively,
"But speaking of our noble officers.."

The two looked down a small hill towards a huge field. There many teams of charioteers practiced attacking wooden targets and forming up into formations. The king watched them for a moment, pondering on their small black shapes. He could see they were doing well, they always did well. The arrogance and confidence of the noble class was always apparent most in the chariots. They were a status symbol, and little else to be true. Most of the time, it was the footmen that followed them doing most of the fighting anyways. The king narrowed his eyes as he watched them go round and round.

"Replace them.", he said

"Replace them?", asked general Guan

"Yes. Replace them with cavalry. We can get two for the price of one when it comes to horses. And for the total cost we can get much more.", the king replied

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. The nobles will be quite agitated over this decision."

"Then save some...but replace most. Yes, I think cavalry will do quite nicely.", the king began stroking his beard.

"Very well your majesty, we will start that at once.", General Guan gave a bow, still skeptical on the decision.

"Now, general, if you would please join me for that wine."

-Chu army continues training and reformation
-Chu chariot force cut down significantly and replaced with cavalry

[Hastiaka]

Carthaginian Republic
Carthage, Carthaginian Senate
Episode 2: Cleansing, Syracuse and Trade

---

Introduction

Carthage was land of opportunity,luck and gold. To it's north was the Mediterranean, it's vast waters gives opportunity for Carthage to expand and be rich. To the south was the barren deserts of Africa. Although a wasteland, It still has vast amounts of silver. To the east is Ptolemaic Egypt. For Carthage, Egypt was not a threat but rather a business opportunity and to the west was the Atlantic, a vast source of fish and another major trade route. Carthage's armies are moderately strong. In comparison with neighboring states, Carthage is rich enough to summon massive mercenary armies if given the time. Despite all these advantages, beneath the smile of Carthage was a was corruption and murder. All those power and wealth is at Carthage's disposal however, controversies continue to beset members of the Senate leading to the death of one of it's most prominent members.

The Senate Chambers
Borcalis Barac, Senator

Himilco the Elder is dead. That's what matters. For now, Admago Bardac has been placed under house arrest pending investigation. The court of 104 will soon decide if Admago Bardac is indeed guilty for the assasination of Senator Himilco and for plundering. ''Fellow Senators! My friend, Himilco the Elder is dead! Do you know why? Because of corruption! I say if this institution is to become a model of perfection we should start with ourselves!'' Borcalis Barac declared. ''So let us vote, should we cleanse our membership? Raise your hands!'' after a minute of voting, it was decided that the Senate was to cleanse it's membership. ''Now, we should go to the more important issues. Tommorow, we will discuss our expansion in Europe and Africa. If we can, we should discuss the centralization of Carthaginian States.

One day later
Senate Assembly, Expansionist issue

It was the day of deliberation. Two hundred senators from all across the republic would vote and discuss about the future of Carthage. The first issue was the expansion of Carthage unto Numidia and West Africa. ''Who is in favor of colonizing the coasts of West Africa?'' one of the senators asked. It was a landslide vote. 192-8. Carthage would be allowed to expand further south of Africa.The Senate would then argue and vote on the amount of forces that was to be sent further south of Africa ''The Senate agrees on sending 11,000 expeditionary forces further south and to found several Punic cities that will gradually become economic hubs''. The second issue was the centralization of Carthage. ''Who is in favor of centralizing Carthage?'' the man asked. It was a close fight. 105-95. ''A new constitution will be drafted in order to centralize the government of our great nation.''

The Carthaginian Republic, Four days earlier
Cadamir Idit, General of the Punic Army

The army was ready to depart to Sicily. Cadamir Idit's forces boarded the ships and departed to Sicily. The weather was in favor of them. It was perfect timing. For Carthage, it was now or never. 100 Quinqueremes were dispatched to make sure that Syracuse would not dare to escape. It would be a war without mercy. Never again will Carthage fail. Today was a dawn for Carthage's military. It's time for Carthage to become powerful again. ''Soldiers! We will win this war and we will destroy Syracuse!'' he proclaimed.

Fourteen days later
Cadamir Idit, General of the Punic Army

The invasion force with the size of 25,000 landed in Carthaginian Sicily after 25 round-trips by 45 transport ships. They were greeted by several Punic officers before marching forward. The Quinqueremes were being deployed east of Syracuse where they will attack with impunity once the ground troops begin besieging the state. ''Cadamir, our forces clearly has a chance. We have 46,000 troops ready to attack their small state at our will. We will ravage them and we would control them.'' one of the generals spoke. ''Very well. Move 5 regiments to the border and 5 regiments in their flank. We will pound their settlements.''. The Syracuse would notice this soon.

[Zachary Nichols]

Rome is Home
Part 3; Chapter 1
Town of Arpi; 11AM

Legio II "Latium" had just arrived at Arpi. Legio II hadn't been assigned a proper general but instead a Captain, a certain Marcus Lentilius. He had been given orders to lay in wait for any Samnite forces that wished to attack te besieging forces at Naples, but, either out of boredom or wanting to further his career, had advanced to the town of Arpi, capitol of the last Samnite province.

Arpi was unremarkable, its town center was lined with small carts, and its inhabitants were certainly not that rich. Stone and thatched huts lined every street. Rubbish was thrown out on the streets and people defecated in a small stream nearby. It was the definition of Barbarism. How pitiful, they don't even have a palisade up! The local samnite militia numbered 3,000, wild and eager for battle, samnites were known for their bravery and skill with spears. Though they were unprepared physically, they were prepared mentally, armed with a spear and sword, barechested and proud. Against them the Second Legion numbered 6,500 legionnaires, mostly green and untrained militia from the lower class. Marcus had brought with him his personal retainer of 40 cavalry, along with the 600 of the legion.

The Samnites were deployed in a loose line on an open field outside the town. Howling and screaming in order to intimidate the Romans. Marcus had deployed his militia out front, followed by skirmishers and archers and his legionnaires. His cavalry force was placed heavily on the right flank, hidden is a small gulley. His plan was for the militia to soak the brunt of the attack while the cavalry swooped in and ran over the Samnite rabble. The militia would then make way for the legionnaires to dice the remaining soldiers. It seemed fool-proof.

Battle of Arpi; 3:13 PM
With the blow of a horn, the militia advanced steadily, shouted on by their Captains, knowing that if they retreated they would face their own troops. Advancing, the arrows flew above their heads, plummeting on the Samnite troops. The archers managed 4 volleys before being ordered to stop. The two sides were now 40 metres between one another, and without warning, the Samnite warriors charged the militia's line's howling and screaming, putting fear into the minds of the untrained militiamen. The clash of both sides was like frying pans baging against one another, deafening screams and clashes of swords and spears. From a distance, it looked as if the Romans were winning, but in a twist of fate, the commander of the Militiamen had been killed in the first minute of fighting. Leaderless, the Captains were forced to think for themselves, they too as new to war as the others. One by one each century of Militia broke off in retreat.

Furious of the cowardice of his men, Marcus ordered that his archers fired upon the retreating milita, while the legionnaires advanced. The cavalry still lay in wait. Hundreds of militiamen were impaled by their own arrows, whipe those who did manage to flee were hacked down by the legionnaires, the injured trampled by the lines. Command of the legionnaires was given to Dacius Furius, a man that lived up to his name, Furius was short tempered, and his thirst for alcohol infamous in Rome. Advancing over the bodies of the dead, the legionnaires made contact with the Samnites 40 minutes after the battle started. The Samnites had retreated to chokepoints in the town, and Furius' forces took far too much time clearing out the Samnites. In the midst of battle Furius recieved a blunt blow to the chest from one of his own legionnaires. He became so infuriated with this that he kicked said legionnaire in the groin.

The final Samnites were cleared out of the town, and it was sacked of everything. This victory had come at a cost; 3,600 militiamen (out of 4,000) and 743 legionnaires (out of 1,500). One of the costliest (relative) defeats of the time, the Roman senate would not trust command of an army to anyone who hadn't had at least 6 years' service after the close victory. They had learnt a good lesson at a relatively cheap price. The fact that Furius had lost roughly half of his veterans was unacceptable, and the following week he was assassinated on the order of the Senate.