NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: allright, its finally starting. this is the link if you want to sign up. here is dah sign up (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=412500&page=1&pp=15)

hopefully this will be pretty darned fun




IC:

Corius Haedrius, chief of the small city of Phaestus, walked out of his hut to a brilliant sunny morning. He looked out over the endless ocean, thinking of what to do.
Phaestus was a new village, founded only 6 days ago. He had been elected chief by the tiny population of 85. After 6 days, he was already having to make important decisions such as what to build, how the government should be run, and quite a few other tasks.
A tall, well built man came striding up to him. This was Tigris Havanas; Corius' second in command.
"Sir, one of our scouts has spotted a small heard of boar. I thought you might enjoy the hunt." He said this in a very low, slow, commanding voice. He had always impressed Corius with this.
"I would love to Tigris, thank you," replied Corius with a nod and a smile.
"Of course sir." And with that, he strode off to finish some unknown task.
Corius went to the stables and mounted his horse, grabbing several javalins.
This was shaping up to be a very good day indeed.

At Delphi

The headman, walked up the narrow path to the home of the oracle.
"Oracle, when is the best time to plant?"
"The best time is in the morning."
The headman walked back down the path and got the people of Delphi to begin planting crops.

ooc: for minor stuff, oracle speaks normal, major stuff, oracle speaks odd

The rolling olive orchards of Aegina was like a vast see before the small settlement. Women walked up and down the rows, harvesting the vegetable.
A steady stream of these workers traveled the roughly paved road, connecting Aegina's settlement and the rows of olives.

The settlement was comprised of low hovels, foundations dug straight down 2-4 feet deep. Clumsily chiseled stones extended the earthen wall about two more feet up, and the roof was a conglomerate of thatched sticks and reeds.

Men, about twenty of them, worked away at the fishing raft being constructed on the new wharf. The final few men finishing the craft left as the sunset. Passing the basic police force patrolling the olive orchards and the neighboring settlement, they returned to the safety of the village.

Another productive day.

It was 10 am in the morning and the city of Eretria was full of life. Fishing ships crowd the coast to get the first morning catch. Farmers labored the fields for the harvest. Traders bargin for goods at the nearby market. And in a beauitful greek plaza, soliders had ganthered around to see a friendly due between Lucius Arcadis; ruler of Eretria and local guard.

"ARRRGGGHHHHH" shouted the guard as he charge Lucius with a wooden sword. The young ruler parried his sword, spun around and strunk the guard in the head all with his one hand behind his back. "3rd point. winner!" said a nearby guard acting as a judge and then motioning to Lucius.

"Off course i always win. Im immortal." boasted Lucius. His closet advisor could only make a scowl face as he said that. It was foolish thing to say one is immortal, espically around other greeks. But Lucius was asured of his immortaly for he had avoided assassnation attempts, diease, famine and great plague. He was not just luckey he was gifted

In Thebes, all was well.The new king was only 18 yrs old.His name was Alexander (no relation to Alexander the Great).He was a strong strong man.The army had the Phalanx with an even larger pike then Macedon, 15ft.The Calvary was faster, stronger, and always rallied the troops.The army was a numerous 15,000 of there 20,000 because every man was in the army.Every boy child lived in a barracks, not with there mommys.The King looked over his city.He said "What is so beautifull, but was once in ruins, now a stong nation."The Generals all looked at each other, but they knew what he meant.Then Alexander spoke again: "Thebes lives again!"

OOC: Err... 20,000 man army? Kind of different from a village of 85...

IC: Aeliachus, senator of Miletus, looked out from his manor at the glistening Aegean. Below the cliffs on which his villa was situated, the thriving port of Miletus welcomed the new day. The call of seabirds interrupted the fishermen preparing to go out from the harbor. The merchants in the agora advertised their wares, selling everything from bread and olive oil to statues from Egypt and wine from mainland Greece. The sun shone on the glistening temple of Athena, near the newly-completed Senatorial Hall. Aeliachus descended the winding steps, through the agora to the Hall. Other senators who knew of his prestigious reputation called out greetings, and Aeliachus replied and hurried on. He came through the columned hallways to the center of the building, a great dome built by the city's most promising architect, Mariostratus. The amazing feature which was the talk of all Crete (supposedly-Aeliachus was not the best traveled man) was a great hole in the center of the dome, providing light to the hallowed matters of state which were debated below.
Aeliachus took his seat on one of the benches, as a fiery youthful orator, Decratius, was speaking. "Our city must expand its horizons, not through trade, but through war!" He said, raising startled murmurs from the croud of distinguished individuals. "Too long have we indulged ourselves in trade only, we must become master of all Crete if we are to compete with the powers of Persia and Greece!" Aeliachus had had enough. He rose to his feet, saying: "We cannot conquer all of Crete, young senator. Even if we could, slaves make poor trading partners, and that is where our supremacy lies. When we take an interest in military matters, it is with Triremes and mastery of the sea that we do so. I propose that we send envoys to our fellow cities of Crete, so we can secure a base at home before looking abroad. We now have great shipyards, which will aid us when and if the time comes for war." His response was met with shouts of approval, and Decratius was forced down. A vote was drawn, in which the senators voted to send envoys to their neighbors by a very large majority. Aeliachus smiles. I do what I can to keep Miletus on the course the gods have set for her.

The Delphinian citizens, those that weren't farming, began working on improving the city as well as working on creating a temple for the oracle.
The headman travelled to the home/temple of the oracle and convinced her that the foreigners should provide tribute for predictitions.
The hunters of Delphi where incouraged to practice thier skills, should one of the other states attempted to attack the city.

The next day, Aeliachus was once again in the Senate House. The Admiral, Esander, was speaking to the Assembly. "Our shipbuilders have been working long and hard and now have two fine triremes available. I have enlisted 500 volunteers for the ships, and they will begin training immediately. With practice, in a few months they may even be able to equal the Phoenicians!" The Senators then elected two of their kind to serve as Trirarchs, captains of each trireme. The senators Alexos and Ptolemy were chosen. They had both lived their entire lives near the sea, and would make good commanders if the time came.

Next, Mariostratus stood up. "As I am sure you are all aware, our city has until now never needed a wall. but, considering the times that may well be ahead of us, I believe it is prudent to begin construction of one. I have plans drawn out here for a stone fortification around the acropolis and a wooden palisade enclosing the town. On the days when our men are not in the fields or at seea, I suggest that they work on this to ensure the safety of our city. We can mine stone from the quarry in the center of the island, and chop wood from the forest near the cliffs. what do you say?" That measure was approved, and the Senate moved on to other matters.

Aeliachus got out his horse and exited the city with 10 bodyguards. They quickly galloped over the roads, reaching Phaestus, another city in Crete, after hours of hard riding. He quickly rode up and dismounted, his horse's flanks dripping with sweat. He approached what appeared to be the leader.

OOC: 20,000 = bullshit

IC: Representatives from the four settlements (Olive, Sea, Mountain, and Farm) began to arrive in the bright plaza of Cae. The marble plates and shapes forming entrancing designs covering the square, long, low buildings surrounding it. Because of the foundation being built several feet below ground level, the tip of the highest building in the building was a mere eight feet.

Granite gatehouses rose above the lot, connected to eachother by the smooth lumber reinforced palisade. A long road splintered several hundred yards from the strongholds, traversing the many miles to the other settlements.

A small militia force of 200 had been rallied and stood at attention in the plaza, in two columns. The representatives and the Chancellor of Aegina stood at the head of the forced, surrounded by a group of white-clad villagers.


The military talks had begun.

first of all, it only 15,000 men.And Thebes is a large city, but i will cahnge it to, 500, now deal with it!

OOC: well rebeled, i said that each of these cities would be like a new village thing. not containing more than a few hundred people. i can deal with a couple of thousand, but not 15 thousand lol. 500 is almost to much, but i suppose i WILL deal with it lol.

OOC: Lol I just said 20,000 equals bs, nothing about your army amount. That was just too big anyway. And I think its fine to start big, things are going to change so much I wouldn't worry about it.

lol, sorry, but ok.Thebes is a great and strong city so it should be big.

Let me explain this concept very, very slowly.

Everyone starts out small. SMALL. Not equal, but small. I started out with about five hundred, like you, but I have an entire island. Kirhae or whatever, has only a city, he has about 85 people. 85 - 20,000...hmm..yeah BS.

Obviously Thebes was strong, so was Sparta, Athens, and Troy. But they're starting out small too.

As far as I see it, we're reshaping history from a point where we change what our nations are, instead of taking existing ones and using them.

Aeliachus approached the leader, and began to speak.
"Greetings, leader of Phaestus. I have come with a proposition for you. As you know, there has been little contact between our tribes, but I mean to change that. The city of Miletus would be highly interested in both overseas and overland trade with yoour city. I'm sure we can find many products which we both need. Additionally, it appears that the powers on Greece and Persia are moving once again. Our city has built two triremes for the defense of our fair island of Crete, so that we will not be overrun. However, unfortunately we do not have the manpower to man both of them, should we be required to by an invading force. Thus, I would like to ask you, for the defense of the island, to send as many men as you can if our island is threatened. That way, we can defeat the foe before they even land on our shores!"

The group of Aegin leaders exited the courtroom triumphantly, and quickly scaled the short flight of steps to regain level ground.

Three massive stone tablets were issued to the guards to be set up in the market, the plaza, and the stadium. Several smallers ones were carved for the settlements. After being issued to the soldiers in their charge, the order was sent for a citizen's meeting. The large brass bell rumbled with its deep bass note. Flocks of gulls rose in the distance.

"Citizens and townspeople of Aegina!" The Commodore of the Guard, Thetius, retreated to the group. The governer stepped forward.

"Hello, friends. Many of you have noticed the arrival of our settlement representatives. You have theorized about a great number of fantastic ideas: seceding, rebellion, crop failure. May you hear authority speak now, this is false. The reason of their arrival and speakings with me, is military. Just weeks ago, our fatherland of Thrace sent warnings to us, speaking of treason and threats of death. We have agreed on replies, and have decided to ask what you, the ones who matter, think on these matters."

Raucous calls emenated from the crowd, "Let them come and take us back, I do not wish to start again!--"

"Fool, they will kill us and seize our property--"

"Stop bickering, we must talk about this--"

"PLEASE, honorable men and women, order. Civilization requires civilized manners. Now, let me lay the facts. Thrace has the best horses in the world, we know that and they know that. I remember them as if it was yesterday, pity so few were brought with. It is these things that bring that pang of homesickness to me, as I am sure it has come to you. But no, citizens, if Thrace comes they will not bring us horses, they will not forgive us and give us new chances. They will enslave us, or worse. You know that. You do not want to think it. But, we must decide what to do. For all we know, the ships of Thracia may be here within a fortnight.

"If I may, sir." Thetius walked forward slowly, his armor a conglomerate of Thracian and Greek weaponry and styles. The bronze, gold, and turquoise armor and cloth awed the citizens: this was a man of war. "Thrace does battle well, and without mercy, on the open plains of Parthia. The horsement of the Valley can sweep through swordsmen, and over phalanx. They are yet to be matched by conventional means. This must end, now. My friends in the military, please step forward."

Seven brazen and long-haired men stepped lithely forward from the crowd.

"You were once in the ranks of the Thracian Infantry or Cavalry, correct? As I thought. Now, from your military knowledge, have you ever once seen a good cavalryman bested by a good infantryman? Howabout on hilled locations?"

"No sir, the cavalry can take advantage of the slope." The smaller of the odd number, he had a deep voice. Until this, they had only nodded to their old superior.

"Right you are, Pacrithes. What, to your knowledge, do equine fear?

Silence.

"Fire." A small stableboy walked forward, "and the inability to see their surroundings. They are afraid when they do not know what is around them."

"I see. Now how can we use this to our advantage, when the horsemen charge up our calm slopes and high grass?"

"A battle at night would be to our advantage...but that is for them to decide."

"Not necessarily. Let me be quite clear, this will be a battle for live or death, freedom or enslavement. Anything will be utilized to ensure our survival. Now, to continue, a conventional battle would have the defending army fortify their lines, and the choice of when to attack would almost definitely be up to their attacker. This will very likely be a single-battle-war, all or nothing. Suggestions?"

"Attack them."

"Explain. We do not have adequate weaponry, nor training, to combat a professional force, let alone cavalry."

A rough plan was coming into view within in Pacrithes mind. "We'll hafta have two options, sir. If they arrive during nightfall, or daytime. If they land during the suns fair hours, I might advise an ambush. The soil is soft on the sea slopes, and traps could easily be dug. If at night, they will most likely wait for day to attack, for their knowledge of horse fear rivals nigh to none. If in range, we might be able to cause an inferno of sorts on their ships, or if not, our rafts could surely do the job just as well."

Silence, as the crowd absorbed this information. "I approve. Governor?"

Thetius, turned to watch the Governer. His casual name, Sectus, was never used since his election, though Thetius was nearly a brother to him. "All right. Commodore, start training how you see fit. I will organize a commitee for a plan involving the ambush, these seven gentlement will help both of us, hopefully. Pacrithes, are your services available? It seems your tactical planning may come in useful in later situations."

"Sir."

"Excellent. We'll need volunteers for the assailants. And small weapons to arm them. Well, this will be sorted out later. Let's get to work, friends!"

Cheers dominated the square, as the different professions rushed to their working places. Metalsmiths sharpened tools to make weaponry (one would be surprised how well a hatchet can destroy a body.), and laborers surveyed the possible hills for the most likely spots of an invasion. High, wisps of white served as observers for the rest of the patriotic day. Aegina was ready to take on its parents.

A ship was sent to Phaestus.Carrying this message:

The great city of Thebes, wishes to inform you, that we wish to become allies of yours.We will help buuild your city to a graeat and beautiful one.We will share ur military tactics with you as well.We will have a feast in honour of you'r new king,.What say you?

Captain of the Corinthian Town Guard Costas Eusthenemes stood on a hilltop overlooking his men. From this vantage point could be seen the grand construction project which the Town Council had begun in earnest: a great wall to surround Corinth and separate the Peloponnesian peninsula from mainland Greece.

Corinth's position between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese had long placed the city at odds with other peoples, but now it was time for Corinth to take advantage of its territorial gift.

As the last of the warning buoys surrounding Aegina was lit, the patrol rafts drifted leisurely back to harbor. The flat-bottomed, oval boat floated across the small waves, the four rowers pulling their small paddles. Their signal torch rose high above them on a "flame-pole".

The boat, nicknamed the Alkibiades, curved gently towards another patrol craft. The Hereacrus slowed, and the forward rowers pulled the two rafts together. The combined flotilla created a powerful sense of stability, relative to a single craft. The men stood straight, and stretched. Other than hatchets secured to the insides of each boat, they were unarmed.

The biremes appearing on the horizon were not. Sails showing red and green horses rippled in the fading light, and the sight would have been a great one, had it not meant impending doom.

The captains of the rafts met. "Cretius, take your raft and warn the harbor and laborers in the hills. I have been able to count four vessels so far, there might be more. I will ignite the emergency flares, and warn the other craft. Do not let them ring the bell for a prolonged time: we do not want them to think we are waiting to fight back."

"Captian Tidean, may we fight together. Release ship!"

As the Alkibiades sped away with all of its power, the Hereacrus floated towards the nearest buoy. The small flame, meant to warn trading vessels and other neutral ships of the island, was blown out by the captain. Another man climbed the pole swiftly and caught a brazen torch aflame from the tip. Returning the flame to Cpt. Tidean, the man leaned over and extended the club. The compartment on the buoy below the small flame tip housed dried splinter fragments. The pieces filled the compartment, with holes surrounding it. Tidean stuck the flame through on of these, and it caught aflame. He pulled back the top on a small brass hinge, and a good-sized five foot flame leapt into the air.

"Our work is done here, make for Aegina."

"Men, we row on six. Begin!" The drum master began to beat his steady mellow rhythm--now only prayers and plans could save them.

The crowd of townspeople in the Corinthian forum grew anxious waiting for Captain Costas Eusthenemes to speak. Rumors spreading through the city spoke of a Council decree to be issued.

"Noble people of Corinth! I greet you as a friend and as an equal. Today the Council has instructed me to issue a decree, for the improvement of Corinth's merchant fleet. By the will of the Council, all merchant ships are to be refitted with stronger hulls and trained marines, and merchant caravans are to be escorted by a number of soldiers proportional to the size of the carvan. Such is the Council's will. "

With this, the Captain turned and walked away toward the city barracks. The cheering of the crowds, many of them being merchants, was heard for miles.

Corius sat in his small hut, reading one of the very few books in his position, when a small man came bursting in through the entrance stammering "Sir, we just, we just found a,a, a quarry!"
"Really?" queried Corius.
"Quite sure sir, I was out on my patrol and i fell into a hole, and then, i looked down at my feet, and they were standing on stone sir! I'm sure its a quarry, I dug around the spot for around 20 feet, it HAS to be sir!" He said all of this very quickly with a very excited look on his face.
"Well, I suppose that we should try and begin to utilize this very handy resource..." said Corius with a furrowed brow. "Begin construction of a mining facility. With this, we could build a wall for protection whilst we build up our military might...Get to it man!" he snapped.
"Of course sir!" and he sped off.

The last bass note echoed across the deep blue lagoon of Aegina.

The biremes floated towards them slowly. A small squad of row boats were released from the fleet, they scurried towards the harbor.

Erehaechus, a thoroughbred Persian diplomat, rose to his feet, however awkwardly. His sea legs were still in their infancy.

The man had been employed in the Thracian government, he was specially skilled in dealing with rebel factions and other small nuisances. He could not wait to get back to one of his palaces outside of Babylon. Thracians were so arrogant, the thought of his own slaves warmed his heart.

Two rebel vessels drifted towards his own small group. They hailed him.

"Hello, Aegins." He saw them swell with pride for the first person to call them by their taken name, "the Thracians do not wish to wait for the signal to invade, but I put this order on hold. May we speak in private?"

"Parthian, you are welcome here. Thrace and her minions is not. Do what you will, but be warned. Military success will not be accomplished by the Thracians today."

Hmm. An arrogant rebel. The worst. "Of course, Aegin. On your terms, always. Do what you will with me, Thrace knows they are indebted to my homeland."

He stepped slowly across a gangplank held steady by the two sides. Sitting in the center of the crude raft, he sat waiting patiently to deal with these fools. Thrace may have been rude and disorderly, but they could no doubt stamp these men with little or no trouble. These men were not even visibly armed, other than small shields that would have been split from a Thracian rider.

Well, he thought to himself, this shall be interesting.

Mycenae. Once a great city-state. Now a village of almost 200 men. Public works were at hand to make Mycenae great again. A defensive wall was being built. Men were being trained to use arrows and pikes. Probably take many years to be strong again at all. The king, Alexander Phyyrus(no relation to either of the generals), sent two diplomats from the city. One heading towards Athens, the other heading towards Sparta. Each carried the same message:

Once, a long time ago, the states of Greece allied against outside powers. Then, we vanquished the Persians. If we are to survive, we Greece must ally with itself again.

Alexander knew that it would take a while for the diplomats to get to Athens and Sparta. But he knew he could wait.

OOC: Where is everyone?

In Argos a great mustering of mer for the army was being put together hoping to raise a army of 1,000 more men.

On a nearby hill overlooking the great city of Eretria stood Chief Lucius. Already winded and tired from the long climb upward, he had hoped that the journey up here would prove useful. He look to the east and saw a mysterious young women in robes approach him from a wooded area. Her eyes had a strange graze, as if she could see beyond the hills and village. She moved with such grace and beauty, silent like a ghost. When she finally was faced with Lucius she spoke in a whisper.

“I was sent a vision from the gods! In Crete the sea dragon sleeps awaiting to strike its prey, while in the mighty Thebes a man is reborn and a army rises from the ashes.” states the young priestess. “Interesting! But what of our city Eretria, what is the our destiny.” says Lucius to the mystic.

“Ahhh, the gods do indeed smile upon Eretria. Others may desire to strengthen their power over all of Greece, but no man would dare bite the hand that feeds them. Expand the city’s trade and commerce and you can gain a place among the great leader’s” says the mystic.

“Hmmmmmm, That is indeed a good idea. If I propose trade of what ever resource we dig up from the mines. The other cities would all but depend on me for their conquest of Persia and Greece. I could control the world with trade instead of with the sword.” says Lucius

“Offer other cities tools for war and parts for ships and Eretria will be protected under the banner of friendship. Then when the fools eradicated themselves, then we will see the mighty army of Erteria stretch its hand across all of Greece.”

"I have no worry of Conquest of Erteria. For if this city falls, so to will Zeus and all of the gods." says Lucius with a grin

OOC: Khiraebanaa, if you could it would be great if you would respond to Aeliachus, who is visiting your city. Also, Scandinavia, an army of 10,000 men is almost certainly going to be too big. My city only has 500-1,000 people total, and Khiraebanaa's has 85!

Costas Eusthenemes paced up and down the Corinthian wall, overseeing the construction. The work had begun in earnest weeks earlier, and it appeared that only a month was left until the grand project was completed. The wall would do much to ease the minds of the Corinthian people, and of the Corinthian militia. Meanwhile, the new armed merchant policy was breathing new life into the economy of the city.

Costas looked out to the horizon, toward the coast. An object moved across his vision which at first he perceived to be simply a spot on his eyes from the brightness of the sun, but as he focused on it he saw that it was a man at which he was looking.
"You there!" Eusthenemes called to one of the older workers standing nearby, "I will be back shortly, in the meantime you're in charge of the laborers here."
"Yes, Captain," nodded the man as he got up from his work.

Costas mounted his horse and rode toward the figure on the horizon, reaching it moments later. The man was a Mycenaen diplomat, dressed in lavish clothing and holding a wooden walking stick.

"Hello, soldier," said the diplomat, "from what city do you hail?"

"I'm Captain of the Corinthian Guard Costas Eusthenemes, and who are you?"

"I, sir, am a diplomat. I have walked many miles from the city of Mycenae, and will walk many more before my journey is over."

At this Costas was surprised. Surely a diplomat venturing this close to the city bore a message for the Corinthian Council, then what was he walking many more miles for? "To where are you heading, diplomat?"

"I am making my trip to Athens."

Eusthenemes was suspicious of the diplomat, and disturbed that Mycenae would engage in talks with far-off Athens before its neighbor Corinth. "The Corinthian Council will want to speak with you before you continue your trek," said Costas. "I will escort you to Corinth."

Tigris came jogging up to Corius as he sat reading as usual.
"Sir, there is a messenger from Miletus here to see you."
Corius looked up, puzzled. "Why would they want to speak to us...after all, we are only a village of 87...No matter, I will see him immediatly."

In his hut, he spoke the man concerning his reason for being here in Phaestus.
Apparantly, his lord wished to ally himself with Corius and the rest of Phaestus.
He thought it over for a mere 5 seconds then said "Of course, we would be honored to join your lord in a pact of friendship. You may stay the night, then head back messenger."

Later that evening, Corius went down to the quarry to observe the progress.
The mining captain came up to him and said "Well sir, we have been making superb progress. Within the next month, we will be able to begin construction of a wall. This may take a while though sir, as we are a population of only 87."
"Of course, I would expect no more. Thank you for your efforts on this project captain," replied Corius.
"Of course sir, thank you sir," said the captain, bowing deeply.

OOC: Sorry about the NS thing in front of my name, it's really messed up, and they can't tell me how to fix it. Just so you all knew.

IC:

Midnight. The sliver of white moon glazed the hilly island with its light.

A small fleet of Thracian biremes rowed quietly to the opposite side of the island, careful to evade the glowing flares. Young boys carrying small wood hatchets patrolled the sandy coast.

The sleek vessels cut through the soft waves lapping onto the beach. The captain's scouts reported this area being a sort of sub-water cliff, where the biremes could get within ten feet of the shore. Captain Temerea planned to use thsi vital position. As the two larger biremes eased themselves into the little harbor, horses were quietly brought above deck by their riders. Thick, wide planks were set onto the beach, planted firmly. Cavalry began easing themselves down slowly, gathering in a grove of ash trees twenty feet from the high-tide.

The captain walked down the gangplank with his officers last. Twelve soldiers were left to guard the ships, anchored in the small bay.

He sent scouts to find the best path towards the nearest settlement, and a pair of light cavalry to kidnap a patrol. He mounted his own dappled gray horse, and marched his troops farther into a larger pine forest. Temerea gave the order to dismount and spread the horses out, keep a watch for rebel scouts.

Dawn arrived several hours after their arrival. The orange sun rose lazily in the sky, as the riders rose from their dozing.

"Riders! Thracians! Rise, and be ready for a day of glory." The captain, stood atop an outcropping of weathered stone. He was ready to recapture Aegina, for he doubt the negotiating went too well.

Thirty minutes later and a long professional column of cavalry trotted down the rough road built by the rogues. Farmers and distant pedestrians were gripped by fear and ran to the pseudo-safety of their home. As the low roofs of Aegina came into view, a mass of militia stood at the ready.

Their leader strode forward, looking humbled but ready to face his future. The Thracian commander, on the other hand, strutted with a superior gaze upon the rebel. He would have the pleasure of this mans capture today, he told himself.

With the rebel leader, the Parthian walked. At twenty feet from the militia, they stopped, waiting for the commander. The Thracian sized them up as a non-threat. This is going to be fun, he told himself. He flung his cape, and drew his short bronze blade. Rushing towards them, he pulled the medium wooden shield from his back and set himself into a battle stance. The cavalry charged.

For a split-second, the minute-men froze. Then they ran, as planned. But the Thracians didn't know that.

Thracian riders spilt over the land, covering the distance in seconds. But then sections of the line fell into the earth--literally. The deep traps laid in wait and now their savage purpose was realized. The cavalry regrouped and charged into the city, laying waste to the fleeing militia. Sharp bronze blades smashed against flesh and bone. Suffering nearly non-existent casualties, other than the pits, the riders felt triumph over their heads. They formed their column in the beautiful square and rounded up a mass of prisoners. Dismounting, the Thracian troops escorted the prisoners through the column wall surrounding the square, heading towards the shore. As each prisoner passed a column, they simultaneously grasped the heavy lumber axes leaning against the pillars. In a single practiced motion, they swung the blades around through their former masters.

Things broke.

Not the hatchets.

The minutemen ran into the alleyways, disarming the thracians and pulling pieces of armor to be used for later. The remaining group of riders began to mount their horses, while a small flurry of hatchets flew from the other side of the square.

More casualties. The riders left alive pulled swords from their comrades, and charged out the main road. Swinging both weapons, they slashed into the minutemen making a stand in the street, slaughtering half the mob.

Riders fleeing down the side blew pride into the minds of the remaining Aegins. The governor was wounded, though not badly, and the Parthian had signed a services contract. They had gained more than they had bargained for. But had lost half the men of the settlement...the defence would suffer for this.

Caealan']
Things broke.

Not the hatchets.
OOC: Have you read Artemis Fowl? The author Eoin Colfer uses almost the exact same sentences. Good post.

IC: Aeliachus replied to Corius, saying, "I thank you for your hospitality, however, our city is not ruled by a 'lord.' We are democratic. Anyway, we would appreciate it if your men could help us crew our triremes if Crete is threatened. For the time being, however, we do not need your assistance in this. I thank you for your help and I hope that the relations of our two cities can continue to blossom, as they have thus far." He then retired to his nighttime quarters, and told his guards to get a good night's sleep, for he was needed back in Miletus.

OOC: Haha, yeah. *splooge* AF is definitely splooge-worthy.

OOC: Huh? Splooge? Sorry about the off-topic stuff.

OOC: cum my friend, cum lol.

IC: "Well well, so they want us to help them. When we have a larger population I suppose we should," said Corius, stroking his goatee.
Tigris felt it nessessary to interject his bit of information in this matter as well. "Sir, if we do this, then we could be seen as a lesser people. I know that you do not wish this."
"Tigris, I would send men to help them if, and only if, we have a larger population. 91 people is enough to man one trireme. By then, we will have a military of our own to man."
"I suppose sir," muttered Tigris.

Meanwhile down in the quarry a man hacking away at the granite felt his pick go through and get lodged beneath something. He pulled and pulled, and it broke free, but made a small hole in the rock. A black substance was filling a small hole in the ground below him.
"Sir," yelled the man, "Sir! I think you might want to see this!"
The quarry captain came clambering over to see what the fuss was about.
He peered into the hole and let out a yell of suprise.
"Do you know what that is man?" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear.
"No sir, should I?" replied the man.
"That, is oil!" shouted the captain.
"Really sir? I've never seen it!" said the man, sounding equally excited.
"Well, get up to Corius and tell him to come down here! He's going to like this!"
"Yessir!" And he sped off.

OOC: Sorry for my ignorance, but what uses did oil have in Ancient Times?

OOC: Unfortunatley, I think this is dead.

OOC: Yeah, I believe it is dead.

OOC: It really is.