Empires of Ashes Reboot

"Likewise." *chuckles and turns to walk away*

*Upon seeing Trajan turn Mordred begins walking toward him, hand resting on the hilt of his sword*

Trajan smiles upon seeing Mordred, his arms wide in greeting

*Mordred holds his arms wide and embraces his uncle with a smile*

“What’d he say?”

Trajan: My winning charisma shines through once more *he embraces appius also*

*Mordred chuckles* “Is that what you’re calling it?”

Trajan: As long as It keeps working.

Mord: “As long as you have your legions in view it’ll never fail. So what did you offer him?”

Trajan: He helps us take stracia, we help him gain his rightful throne.

Mordred: “His rightful throne?....Who was that?”

Trajan: Prince Ket'eravi. When he was a child, his uncle killed his father and took the throne for himself. Now his incompetant nephew rules.

Mordred: “This seems rather fortuitous Uncle..You gain an ally and we get to behead the Kelthrovi”

Trajan: Precisely

*He smiles* “I approve, so how will this ‘alliance’ work?”

Trajan: we've not hashed out the details yet. We'll do that once we've made camp.

The immortals camp is set a distance from the dracians, with, more than the usual quantity of guards. The prince once again approaches, this time, flanked by two of his warriors, all three clad in armour, but without shields, or spears.

It's fairly obvious which tent is the command tent, by the guards, who let the prince pass. Inside, besides LI and the guards, there are 14 men. Trajan, Mordred, and his 12 legates, still clad in armour, albeit not helmets, sat around a table, mainly eating and talking, all in good humor. There is one empty seat at the table.

Ket'Verahi stands in the doorway of the tent, flanked by his compatriots, and surveys the scene. With his helmet still on, his expression is hidden, save for his hard almond eyes.

Trajan: *looks up* Ah, Prince! Come, sit with us.

He looks at Trajan, then turns to the immortal at his right, and gives a barely perceptible nod. In return, the both of them step to either side of the tent door, and stand at rigid attention with their left hands on their sword hilts, in almost perfect unison. Trajan sees a glint of azure blue behind the man to ket's right's helm. The prince walks across the tent, and seats himself, sitting with his left arm across his waist, and his right, clenched fist, the elbow rested on his left hand.

Trajan smiles, before introducing the legates, along with mordred. I CBA to name all 12 of them

"My two compatriots are Denya Hakon Leif, and Redati Tefi'Tawali." He gestures to the larger figure with azure eyes and lighter tan skin, then the smaller, with brown almond eyes and darker skin, much like ket's.

Trajan: *nods in greeting* Salve Denya, Salve Redati.

The denya nods, and replies. "Selamita, Consul."

Trajan: *chuckles* I wasn't expecting you to bring friends, prince. *to one of his guards* Bring these two something to sit on.

Ket'Verahi: "Looking at the number of you, Perhaps i should have brought more."

Trajan: *chuckles* Perhaps.

Ket: "On to matters of war, past pleasantries?"

*the guards have brought seats n made space for the other two*
Trajan: indeed, to business.

*Mordred listens silently, with only his chainmail clinking as he eats*

Denya Hakon Leif: "I will stand, should all be the same, with you all." His voice is heavily accented, a strange mixture of northern kelthrovi, and Thengul, and his eyes are locket with LI's even as he speaks to the guards. Looking at him, LI notices that below his eyes, a black cloth covers his nose and mouth.

The Redati also raises a hand, rejecting the offer. They do not speak.

Ket: "Our time is limited, the slaves who fled will report your attack, at least one among fourty eight thousand will be loyal"

Trajan: unlikely they will get far. The one route of escape is through the canyon, and my auxiliaries have been trapping that for a while now. A few will get through, but they'll have to cross the desert on foot. But, still, best to be cautious incase any do slip through and are able to reach salvation.

Ket: "Assume that they will know soon enough. We must march quickly to Khito, overrun its defenses without a siege, and continue to Stracia before the grand army can be mustered. Meeting with your other legions, we shall need the men to face the grand army on the field." He speaks quickly, and authoritatively, a man used to giving orders.

Trajan: you know khito's defences better than I. What method of assault would you suggest on its walls?

Ket: "I suggest that your legions camp below the horizon, and i simply march though her open gates."

Marcus: *one of the Legates* If I may raise a concern, Consul.
Trajan: speak.
Marcus: While, on paper, it is a sound plan, what is stopping the prince from merely warning our enemy and betraying us once he is inside?

Ket: "The fact that i cannot hold seige against twelve legions with a single Kiffili of immortals and whatever rabble the city calls a garrison? Nor could i gather the harvest in the time it would take for you to realize my deception and march to the city. Not to mention in the time it would take for the grand army to be raised and march to Khito from Nigisiti? Need i go on Legate?" He sounds rather irritated.

Trajan: *Calm and friendly as ever* It was a legitimate concern, prince. And Marcus, he is correct. With our manpower, within a week we'd have an agger up, and be over the walls.

Ket: "I am not in the habit of being offered the chance to fall on my own sword twice in a single week."

Marcus nods, accepting this answer.

Trajan: Once we have captured Khito, we will have to see how far retaliation is away. See if they would catch us before we could reach Stracia, and if so whether it would be better to fight from the city walls, or meet them in the field.

KEt: "Meeting the grand army on the field would be collective suicide."

Trajan: depending on the circumstances.

Mordred: “A field battle may be our only option, should we come under siege we will be forced to attack or face starvation” *The prince’s voice carries a heavy southern Cymraic accent, though he does a fair job of not letting it mar his speech

Trajan: precisely.

Ket: "Unless you have a way to halt behemoths, and conjure another ten legions."

Trajan: I've seen a fair few fall in my time. And Besides, there's many a way to beat a numerically superior foe.

Mordred: “Knowing the land and when to strike...A Grand army must march between water sources or face death. They would be open to lightning raids and night assaults, grind their numbers down and a field battle will become certain victory”

Trajan: Precisely. Fabian tactics. Besides, we have time on our side after we take Khito. The longer it takes them to deal with is, the closer Agrippa's legions come to our aid.

Ket: "Your legions cannot march faster than kelthrovi across sands. With so many horsemen it will not be you doing the harrying. Archers upon horseback are the bane of static forces."

Trajan: Once we take khito, it is not far to the river. Once there, we can receive supply from there. It will be impossible to disrupt then.

Ket: "Do not underestimate the grand army. It is how every dracian invasion has failed so far."