On a hill on Piraeus (Open roleplay, anyone can join in)

[m_1512]

Aristocles stands on a hill near the port of Piraeus. A camp has been set up, with maps and tables. He has bid Alexias, Demosthenes, Xenophon, and Demetrios to assemble there, alone or accompanied, their choice. This was a meeting for the more active and interested members of the assembly and for the warriors. The rest of the Athenians can enjoy and go about talking about the coming games.

He awaits someone to turn up and looks up as Alexias arrives on a horse. Alexias dismounts and dutifully waits for others to arrive, although he wonders the purpose of the meeting.

[Ace_General]

Xenophon arrives with a small retinue of his ex-Mercanary comrades

[Ganbarenippon]

Demosthenes Keltos arrives alone, his father having business in the city.

[m_1512]

Aristocles nods. He looks around.
Anyone yet to arrive?

[m_1512]

(OOC: Since everyone wants to first know what this is about, I'll warp that the required/interested people are already here and hearing this guy.)

---

Aristocles calls out in a loud clear voice.
Since there has been general enthusiasm for adventure and expedition, I have decided to go with the proposals. Alexias will embark on the the Syracuse expedition along with Demetrios. Xenophon and Demosthenes shall embark on a campaign as Xenophon had wished. You can go either to Macedon or Persia or anywhere both of you decide. However, I forbid you to directly engage with any of our neighbors or Sparta. Alexias and Demetrios shall take the armed melites with them. Xenophon and Demosthenes shall take a host of mercenaries, all contracted by the state, with them.

Now to the question if anyone wants to join the expedition? Any takers?

[Ganbarenippon]

Demosthenes looks at the Archon in dismay, he had inherited his father's sense of duty to the city and with that something of his distrust of mercenaries. Now he would share command with one and lead a group of them into battle. 'But Athens called and I answered. This is what I must do to serve...so be it.' "As you will Archon. I would strongly suggest to my honourable co-commander that we proceed North and give some relief to our allies the Thessalians. Perhaps if we were to raid the border, and maybe even take Dion from them? What say you Xenophon?" He asks with a forced cheer and a painted smile.

[Ace_General]

Xenophon nods

Aye, Ill take teh fight to the macedonians, but I say we end their threat to our alliance with one bold strike

But instead of wasting our strength on the Macedonian border defense, I would rather land at Amphipolous on the chalalidice, then side with a pretender to the Macedonian throne who is pliant to our interests and march on Pella, the royal capital. And to ensure succes, I would like to also have permission to hire a company of my old comrades and be appointed to a diplomatic mission to macedon to meet some of my old contacts. My mother is a Macedonian noblewomen so it should t be to hard

[emotion_name]

Having heard the rumours, and curiosity and desire to prove himself driving him more, Kleitos couldnt believe what he had stumbled upon. Some of the most promising men of Athens were here, planning millitary expeditions.

His arrival having startled the others, Kleitos greets them warmly to show no hostility and then he speaks.....

"Gentlemen, I am here as i wish to join you in this endeavour. I have military training and am able and willing to take orders"

Wanting to blurt out more, he controls himself and keeps it short.

[Ganbarenippon]

Demothenes looks on in dismay. "Your plan has much merit Xenophon, but not when our main strength is elsewhere. Our band of mercenaries cannot hope to march on Pella itself, even with Thessalian help. We would be crushed by the full might of the Macedonian kingdom. Perhaps, this pretender can be nurtured for a few years and then we might march in strength. I wholeheartedly concur with your proposal of a diplomatic mission, by all means go whilst I prepare our men if you have the contacts there. But I cannot condone a full-scale action. For now we are merely to discipline the Macedonians as a parent must discipline a wayward child. Taking Dion will be sufficient for such a task, otherwise we leave Athens open to Spartan wrath, and the Gods alone know what Corinth intends with that fleet of theirs. We must be swift not stuck in a morass to the North."

Demosthenes turns to the newcomer. "You are more than welcome to join our expedition to the North Kleitos. I could use an aide if you will serve?" The Strategos asks.

[emotion_name]

"You are more than welcome to join our expedition to the North Kleitos. I could use an aide if you will serve?" The Strategos asks.

Kleitos relaxes slightly and replies "I will gladly serve as an aide Strategos", then he takes a deep breath and continues "But i feel full scale action against the Macedonians would be foolish at this time. Should we continue on that path however, i would still like to serve"

[Honors Bastion]

“My apologies if everyone if this is not my place to speak, but I have to agree with Demosthenes on this matter. My past experience as a mercenary tells me that we do not have the strength to challenge the Macedonians with just a mercenary force supported by Thessalians. We would need the complete might of our own home forces as well to successfully take on Macedonians, especially in a pitched battle.” said Kassandros.

[Ace_General]

Xenophon smiles and says

If I wished to march into the Macedonian homeland unsupported with just my mercenaries, I would of not have lived long enough to be here or else I would be Achilles himself.

For one, we can also work with the half barbarian mountain tribes and clans that provide a large part of Macedon's Military manpower. An uprising from them or even the tribes declaring neutrality would be crippling to the Macedonian army.

In addition, we should have the Thessalians advance as already planned. The Macedonians expect a border raid and skirmishing like were expecting, so most of their forces should be deployed in a southernly facing disposition. I say we use that to our advantage. Take a slow march with our troops to Thessaly, make sure all of the Macedonian informants and traders see our army move north. Then under cover of darkness, board our troops onto merchant vessels and sail up towards the bay to the west of the Chalkadice, the Thermatic Gulf.

And thew Macedonians are not recalcitrant children. That kind of thinking will get many knives in Athenian backs. The Macedonians may not read Philosophy and love boys, but they are a proud and warlike race of men and any effort to humble them will only just work as long as we have forces commited to keeping them down. Once we turn our attentions elsewhere, they will redouble their efforts to cause us trouble, no, if we march aganist the Macedonians, we need to put them down for good.

[Ganbarenippon]

Demosthenes snorts. "Fools words, Xenophon. We have warred many and more times with Macedon, if we weaken them then we limit their ability to cause us trouble. Any men they expend would be to take back lands they have lost. What you suggest would require us to keep massive numbers of men in the North, men we need elsewhere. The true war is with Sparta and the Persians. No, we disrupt the stability of the kingdom as you outlined, and we take their border territory and garrison it with Thessalians whislt providing aid to those tribes, and possibly those to the North of the Kingdom. The fact that we then have a base on their doorstep would be enough to keep them in line for a while, at least whislt they deal with an uprising and possible invasion from the North. Once we have dealt with Syracuse then we can swat the rest of the kingdom."

He glares at the other man. "But you simply wish to see your own glory rather than that of Athens, and you have no patience. You are not the sole man in the city with military experience and would do well to remember it. Remember, I hold the command with you, not under you and nothing you can say will convince me to support the outright conquest of Macedon. This does not serve Athens."

[Ganbarenippon]

Demosthenes smiles at the other man. "I think we will work very well together Kleitos."

[m_1512]

Aristocles calls for silence.
Xenophon and Demosthenes! I have contracted for you on behalf of Athens, a full force of 15,000 mercenaries. They will assemble in Thessaly, and I think you should embark with haste.

[Ganbarenippon]

"I agree Archon. But perhaps we should agree what to do with such a force before we take command of it?" Demosthenes replies. "What is the will of the Archon in this? If you wish us to raid on Dion, whilst raising the tribes agianst Pella then we shall. If you wish us to conduct Xenophon's...folly." His mouth twists at the word. "Then so be it. If the two Strategoi you have placed in command cannot concur then it must be up to the Archon to decide."

[General Maximus]

Demetrios and his son, Heraklios, arrive at Piraeus. A slave marched behind them.

OOC: Sorry for being late, guys. I thought you meant Piraeus on the Metropolis subforum.

[joriandrake]

The Old Scorpion of House Taras silently stood there in the shadows while listening to the announcement and the discussions that were before and after it. He then left the place once making sure to take note of all the families present on the hill, and began to calculate ways and amounts of benefits and risks if taken actions to use this to his own advantage.

[emotion_name]

"So, are we so locked in debate at the first intervention that military action of any sort is being stalled? Are we men thinking of serving Athens? For as it stands, i feel we have gathered here to talk whimsical follies of what each of us would do in a hypothetical situation!" surprised at the tone of his voice, Kleitos takes a moment before continuing.

"The Archon has made the men available to us, and we stand and do nothing? I say we act, and i say considering the difficulties of even agreeing what we should do, we should start small. That means marching on Pella wont happen, but Dion is entirely possible and a lot safer. Once this first initial..... action is completed we each will know how we work within military action, how the men under us respond and how our forces and such like can be stressed. To bend the branch to far too soon is to snap it, let us avoid doing that"