Empires of Ashes

Trajan: I know. Hence why Consul agrippa is also en route. If he gets here too early, he will set up camp out of site of the city, and attack a beseiging kelthrovi army from behind. If he is on time, which his reports tell me he is, he will arrive and attack any beseiging kelthrovi army as he does. This has been pre planned long in advance, ket. What is more, if he takes too long, we have a substantial force garrisoned at the river standing ready to re-enforce from that way.

Ket: "defence plans have also been long since made, I wrote much of them myself, your reinforcements will be ambushed in the dune sea. One legion is not unassailable."

"No. But Four legions are close to it, and that is what both he and I each have. And ket, again, get to the point before I lose my patience. Stop listing things that you think will go wrong, which are already prepared for, and get to what you actually want."

OOC also hold up, they didn't know about the dracian mass invasion of this part of kelthro until it started, how have they planned this far in advance?

Ket: "reconsider taking the city. The King knows what you are here for, a trap is certain. Secure the land you have first. You have taken a major city already."

Ooc: dracia has historic claims on stracia? They'd have thought about this and planned for it

Trajan: are you serious? Reconsider the whole point of being here?

Ket: "not permanently, just delay it."

Trajan: what's the point in that?

Ket: "to secure your current position. Before assaulting a stracian built city. There is no guarantee of victory."

"....Ket, are you aware of the state of the city, or have no no idea?"

Ket: "walls considered impregnable, forewarned of your arrival, it will have enough food to weather a years long siege, unlimited water. Stracia is the Jewel of the desert."

OOC....rae, check previous posts, that aint the state of stracia :P
The original city is a ruin, with the walls basically gone, and most of the buildings destroyed. The kelthrovi rebuilt the citadel, and a little around it, but nowhere near to the extent of the city of old, and outside the walls are surrounded with ruined buildings

Ooc: shit, uhhhuh... Let's say ket means the citadel here

Ooc: since that is what they'll need to take to hold the city

OOC fairs :P
gotta remember rae, woulda once been as ket described, but dragons happened
IC Trajan: indeed. But far from big enough to have enough men to in any way repel my forces successfully.

ooc That and any mercs from thengul they had would have cut ties to return home

"So what is the plan?"

Trajan: we're still waiting on intel

"What siege equipment are you going to bring?"

Trajan: that depends on the exact defences.

"Hmm...since our scouts have reported no sign of the enemy I suggest we move toward the city"

"Quite. Despatch outriders to the city, we need to know what their defences are like before we move in."

"I'll have my scouts move there at once"
*He turns and barks an order to one of his retainers who subsequently runs off to do as ordered*

Trajan: *does the same to his auxilia commander* Now, all we can do is wait really

"Wonderful.....so who's your wife?"

"My wife? Strange question, nephew"

"I'm bored, and since you have a son I figured I'd ask about his mother"

Trajan: fair enough. What do you want to know?

"What's she like? What's marriage like? Stuff like that"

Trajan: her name's Claudia. She's nice, beautiful...although I doubt even the dragon of Dracia could have stood up to her wrath when she's angry *chuckles*.

*He smiles at that*

Trajan: the marriage is...as good as it can be, considering I'm away on campaign so often these days.

"That's good to hear"

"She's got Lucilla to keep her company at least."

"Who?"

"Our daughter"

"I have two cousins? Cool"

Trajan: *chuckles* Maybe you two will meet one day, provided we both survive this war.

"Hopefully"

Trajan: what about yourself?

"Betrothed to a Voldamite princess"

"Voldamian? I'm surprised. Wouldn't have pegged them as your type."

"What would you have pegged as my type?"

"Something a bit...closer to home"

"Closer to home?"

"From your own land"

"None of the nobles my age offer any worthwhile alliances or bonuses. Plus I can't stand most of the nobility, their heads are so far up their own arsed I'm pretty sure they can tickle their own tonsils"

Trajan: *chuckles* Sounds like the senate

"I bet they'd get along like wood and fire"

"That's one way to put it"

"Besides, I like her"