Corvan mission to Thrace

[Sonke]

A diplomatic mission has lead Publilus to Thrace.He asks for an audience with the king.

[Magicman2051]

He is greeted by the King's son.

"Is Rome to send aid?"

[Sonke]

''Rome would help if he could. Our country has been torn apart by a war. War against the ones who want to rule Rome as dictators. I was sent by the Consuls Tranquillus, Aquila and Corva as a diplomatic envoy. I have come to ask for your country's support against the enemies of Rome as you are Rome's greatest ally.''

[Magicman2051]

"Three Consuls... support! Are you a fool man! We are fighting a full scale invasion from the Dacians and you want us to fight in your petty war? Clearly the men you represent are either idiots or impotent fools, we requested aid from Rome weeks ago and have received nothing! Right now my father is on the front lines defending against a savage horde, Rome has broken its treaty!"

[Sonke]

''To whom did you sent this letter? We have received no letter requesting for help. We are fighting against fellow Romans and Numidians. If you support us in our war, we will support you in your war. We have the Legions and the Funds you need, but at this moment we need the help of our allies to give the decisive blow. I assure you that if I had received that letter you would already have more than 2,000 cavalry and more men would be on their way.''

[Magicman2051]

"Letter! We sent a dozen and you received all of them. Are you so confused and broken that you can't even communicate with each other?"

[Dark Storm]

A letter arrives,

Authority is given to help Thrace by Consul Gnaeus, i shall do all i can to convince Corva to agree.

Gnaeus

Only the Lucullus read the letter

[Sonke]

''I have received no letter. Probably the opposition intercepted the letters. I just received a letter. I have been given the authority to help you. If you still want help we cand send you Legions, but we expect that later you will help and support us.''

[Magicman2051]

"Lies, your Corvan allies received word of this weeks ago as proven by this sudden letter you received."

The Prince spits on the floor before Lucullus's feet.

"We will accept your help but tell your masters that in future they should not send their lame dog to represent them, it just insults us both. Now get out of my sight."

[Sonke]

''Thank you my Prince. My only wish is that you remember that the Corvan allies offered also help, not the Severian allies.''

[Paul d]

Proculus Sertorius Laretensis, after his prompt victory in Crete, sailed to Thrace speedily after hearing the news of the Dacian opportunism. He arrives at the King's palace, and requests an audience.

[Sonke]

Burcanius after hearing the arrival of Sertorius goes to visit him.

''Greetings Sertorius. The Thracians are angry over the fact that we haven't helped them sooner. So don't expect a warm welcome.''

[Paul d]

"Your blusterous discourse towards them is the cause of this distrust. The Thracians care little of our civil war's outcome, but they are not ignorant that until it is over, they are vulnerable to both the Dacians and The Kingdom of Mithridates. It was foolish of the Senate to send you here to demand their aid when it is they who need ours. I come here preceding two legions, and several thousand auxilia, arriving from Crete as we speak; You arrive alone, with only the promise that perhaps you will be given command of a task force that nobody has allocated. When our allies are beset by the armies of their foes, they expect us to send generals and soldiers, not wheedling diplomats. The army that has been entrusted to my command will arrive within days."

[Sonke]

''Is that your answer, that each time we send diplomats we should prepare a couple of Legions for war. When I arrived, then I realized that Thrace is in War. Don't accuse me or the Senate in something we didn't know.''

[Magicman2051]

A Thracian guard approaches the two men.

"You've both been summoned before the Prince."

[Sonke]

''As the Prince wishes.''
Burcanius walks in and bows
''My Prince, how can we help you?''

[Paul d]

"What do you mean, Burcanius? I requested an audience."

Sertorius looks somewhat bewildered and dismayed, but then turns towards the prince.

"Greetings, Prince of the Odrusai. I am Proculus Sertorius Laretensis, Commander of the Sixth and Eighth legions of the Roman Republic, and provisional Proconsul of the Roman province Graecia-et-Asia. I have been sent here by the command of Dictator Corva to oversee Roman operations in participating in this war. I arrived with haste, and the army entrusted to my command will follow within the week. But now, we must make ready. Our enemies will not rest while we are preparing our defenses, and are no doubt on the eve of executing an attack against the Odrysian Kingdom. I assume you have already mustered your levies and gathered your soldiers and warriors? "

[Magicman2051]

"Indeed, we've already engaged with them to the north. My father is overseeing our advance personally and I intended to go north and reinforce him with further levies and Roman legions weeks ago, their choice to attack while Rome was divided and preoccupied is no coincidence. I will be fielding 10,000 infantry and more than 7,000 cavalry as well as a good number of skirmishers and archers. There is already a significant force arrayed under my father, we will reinforce them and push the invaders back, though my father would have us invade them... I believe it would be more prudent to bloody them and remove their willingness to attack, we do not have the strength for a long war."

[Paul d]

"Indeed, you are in a poor position for any major aggressive maneuvers. Rome's legal obligation in our alliance is to ensure the stability of your country, and I cannot guarantee that I will be able to support you further. Although I may be able to authorize skirmishes and raids into Getic lands, I cannot risk a serious advance into their territory. Once the immediate threat to the integrity of your father's kingdom is nullified, I must depart, for there are other places where my forces are needed."

He pauses.

"What do you know of the size and composition of the enemy forces? You told me there have already been some skirmishes, but what sort of threat are we facing? Is this a raid from the Southern Getic tribes, or has Burebista reunited them under his kingdom? For if this is an attack from the united forces of the Getic Confederacy, Roman involvement in this war may need to be extended."

[Magicman2051]

"His defeat was temporary at best, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that he doesn't intend to stop with just my fathers Kingdom," Rhescuporis nearly spat those words, he was furious but he controlled it with logic and reason," he has made a great show of the minor victories earned before my father responded. I don't believe that he has much intent to conquer us despite what my father would have you think, we are merely in the way, with the rich lands of Macedonia and Graecia just beyond our borders."

The prince turned to a nearby servant and said something in his native tongue, within moments the servant produced a table and two chairs, and upon the table they placed a map. He invited the Romans to sit.

"He has already crossed the Istros with the bulk of his forces, numbering 80,000 infantry and maybe half that number in cavalry and skirmishers. When I was last informed of their position he had concentrated the majority of his forces towards Serdica, I believe he merely intends to push through Thrace and straight into Macedonia. My father is in that region with a force of 20,000, not nearly enough to contain Burebista's army."