New Town (Carthage AAR) [updated April 3, 2021]

[Welsh Dragon]

Another excellent chapter, as others have said. Carthage is really becoming a multicultural empire, the threat from the north is well described and executed, and I also like the way you continue to build upon previous events with the comparison of your former enemies Rome being more loyal than Sanais and his generals were.

Very cool indeed! And it is cool to see that you can levy troops from a vassal state. Is this something that you can do specifically because Rome is allied with you, or are you making use of some AoR mechanics in the game (I don't know Rome II, so I have no idea if AoR is a thing or not)?

It's a feature of Roman, Hellenic and Eastern Cultural Groups that they can levy troops from their Client States/Satrapies if they have an army in their lands. The exact units changes over time and I think depend on the infrastructure of the faction (so to have the opportunity to levy high end units the faction needs to have higher tier buildings to recruit them.) There's usually only a small selection available each turn, unless you're playing Seleucids, who have additional levies as a faction trait. Can be a fun feature to add some local flavour, fill in some roster holes (I've seen someone use it very effectively to expand Sparta's roster,) and as Alwyn is showing has some great story telling potential too.

Hope that helps.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Alwyn]

Thanks, Lusitanio, Kilo11, Turk and Welsh Dragon, for your kind comments! New Town continues today.

Chapter 42
Emissary
by Lissa, daugher of Astarte

After our trireme was tied up at the dock, we approached the harbour gate of Antioch and found our path blocked by Seleucid spearmen.

When I was a child, my mother told me of the war between Carthage and the Triple Alliance of Athens, Macedon and the Seleucid Empire. Would the Seleucids attack, or arrest us as enemies? I didn’t know. Astarte told the Sacred Band marines to halt. She walked ahead, alone and unarmed, towards the line of spears.

The Seleucid officer spoke mockingly. “This is most strange! Your military expedition appears to be led by a woman.”

“I am an emissary, not a commander,” replied Astarte. “Your ruler kindly agreed that your great city would host a meeting between representatives of Carthage and the Sardes.”

The Seleucid officer didn’t seem convinced. “You say you are here to avoid conflict, yet I see Carthage’s elite marines behind you.”

Astarte said, “My father insisted that I bring bodyguards, I’m afraid.”

“Your father?” inquired the Seleucid officer.

“I am Astarte, my father is Admago, Emperor of Carthage,” replied Astarte.

The officer bowed, “Lady Astarte, welcome to Antioch. Four of your marines may guard you, the rest must remain with your ship.”

Astarte nodded her agreement. After we rested in a villa owned by a Carthaginian merchant, Astarte asked me to walk with her in the villa’s garden.

“My daughter, do you know the significance of this city?” she asked.

“I know that this city-state was once the capital of an empire,” I replied. “They are proud of their history and that history includes a bitter war with Carthage.”

“That is true,” she said. “But the war was before you were born.”

I said, “This is a city of merchants now. Silk and spices from the east, wheat and slaves from our colony on the Black Sea, olive oil and wine from Italia and grain and gold from Aegypt are traded here.”

Astarte nodded. I added, “There is a saying among merchants, ‘if you need to find a lost friend, go to the market at Antioch and someone will know where they are.’ Perhaps we are here for more than negotiations. A market can be a useful source of information.”

“Indeed it can,” Astarte said. “We will talk with the Sardes, although I do not have much hope for our negotiations. Their power is growing and they are ambitious. Now that the Seleucid Empire has been reduced to one city, the Sardes intend to take their place. The Sardes do not fear us, as Carthage was weakened by our civil war and our best armies are fighting in Germania.”

Astarte continued, “But that is not why we are here. By negotiating, we show our good faith to the Seleucids, who are slow to trust us even after years of peaceful trade. Also, if we learn anything useful about the Sardes while we are here, that may help us in the war to come.”

[Kilo11]

Lovely to see this open up again Alwyn! The update is a perfect slide back into your world; it's gentle and unassuming, but reminds me of all the places we've been, and what trials have so far been endured. I am excited to see the continuing development of this world Carthage seems so intent on ruling!

[Turkafinwë]

Looks like New Town is back on the menu boys!

I've nothing to add that Kilo hasn't said already. A great update!

[Alwyn]

Thanks, Kilo11 and Turk!

Chapter 43
Athena’s Faithful

To Hermes, master of spies in the household of the King of Sardes in Ephesus.

You instructed me to report whether slaves from Carthage’s Black Sea colony are still being sold at Antioch, and where Carthage’s colony are acquiring their slaves from. Slaves from Carthage’s colony are still being sold in Antioch’s market. A slave trader told me that these slaves are nomadic tribesmen. This means that the armies of Carthage’s colony are fighting on their eastern border, far away from Sardes.

I realised why you wanted to know whether the supply of slaves continues. This shows us that Carthage’s armies are continuing to win battles, so they are likely to be marching further east. They are getting further and further away from us, too far to intervene quickly in any war in Anatolia. In the west, Carthage’s best armies are fighting in Germania. The fact that most of Carthage’s armies are engaged in distant frontier wars creates an opportunity for us.

The Sardes armies which the King sent from Tarsus, the Spears of Ares and Athena’s Faithful, reported that they are in position, camped south of Antioch. The Seleucids in Antioch trusted us, when one of my agents told them that this deployment was necessary to deter the Carthaginians from marching on Seleucid lands. Our armies are ready to march as soon as they receive the King’s command. The Seleucids do not suspect that we are planning to take Antioch from them.

If the King is concerned about the reaction of Carthage to our plans, I have an answer. For a time, the Carthaginians are vulnerable. The Carthaginian Emperor sent his own daughter, Astarte, to Antioch to negotiate with us. I believe he did this because he realises how vulnerable Carthage is. He cannot come to Antioch himself, as this would be an open admission of his weakness; also, he is leading Carthage’s war in Germania.

When our finest soldiers surround the walls of Antioch, with the Carthaginian Emperor’s daughter trapped inside, the Carthaginians will not dare to march to help the Seleucids defend the city. Even if they did, Carthage’s soldiers in Egypt are said to be poorly trained and to spend their days guarding the plentiful treasury and grain store of the governor of Alexandria, not fighting battles. Antioch will soon be ours. The once-powerful Seleucid empire is a shell of its former self, a soft city of merchants city guarded by mere militia. Antioch’s militia won’t stand for long against the soldiers of Sardes.

When we control Antioch, we will control the centre of eastern trade. This will greatly strengthen us and weaken our enemies. The Kingdom of Sardes will be able to expand as our King wishes, without much resistance.

- Mercury, in Antioch.

[Kilo11]

Nice update Alwyn, with a good amount of intrigue and preparation for things to come. One thing that was a little confusing to me was figuring out who exactly this is about, and whose perspective it is from. I mean, I know Sardes was a kingdom then, but I can't think of where exactly, and in your game I don't know if they were with you, against you, and random third party, or something else. I don't think you need to do anything with regards to this update specifically, but maybe think about this for the future, so that updates that have new characters give at least a little background of where they are from/what their plans are, so that we can follow them more easily. Just a suggestion though.

But the short story is: I liked it!

[Welsh Dragon]

As others have said, great to see New Town being updated once more.

It still amazes me you fit so much rich detail, characterisation and plot development into such a relatively short word count. And your screenshots would put many an artist to shame. That shot of a Carthaginian vessel arriving in the port of Antioch is a work of beauty.

You also elegantly handle passing the torch between narrators (an essential tool when telling a story in the Grand Campaign as it covers hundreds of years.) Lissa already looks to have inherited her mother Astarte's eloquence and poise.

I look forward to seeing where the story will progress. Lissa, Astarte and the people of Antioch are in much greater danger than they realise.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Alwyn]

Thanks for the tip Kilo11, and to both Kilo and Welsh for your kind comments!

Chapter 44

First Night in Antioch

By Lissa, daughter of Astarte

The merchant’s villa where we were staying in Antioch had comfortable rooms, a tranquil garden and high walls. On our first night, I was glad of the walls and the Sacred Band marines guarding the gate.

The daughters of Astarte were not taught the arts of war, as our brothers were, but we were taught to defend ourselves by a stern Libyan swordsman who had served in the army of my grandfather, the Emperor. When I was growing up in our family estate, my sister told me that my mother would hire an assassin to enter our home with a wooden dagger, to test me on the night of my seventeenth birthday. At the time, I believed that my sister was teasing me. On the night of my birthday, I discovered that she was serious. The assassin was polite and respectful, after he had woken up and felt the bump on his head.

On my first night in Antioch, I remembered that seventeenth birthday night, but the danger on this night was not from a silent assassin. When the shouting began, I picked up my knife and checked that the area outside my chamber was clear as I had been taught, before going to investigate.



Outside the front gate of the villa was a mob. Based on what I could hear from their shouts, they seemed to be family members of soldiers who didn’t come back from the War of the Triple Alliance. In that war, the Seleucids of Antioch, with Athens, Macedon and the Sardes, tried to invade Carthage – and many of their soldiers fell. The mob knew who we were, they chanted my mother’s name and mine, calling us Carthaginian murderers and whores. I heard a clattering sound and saw javelins hitting paving stones in the villa’s courtyard.

Astarte was talking with her Sacred Band bodyguards. “The hospitality of Antioch is different from what I expected,” she said.

“Would you like us to disperse them?” asked the Sacred Band captain.

“Could the four of you disperse this mob?” I asked.

“My lady, one of us could handle that crowd,” replied the captain.

“What do you notice about them?” Astarte asked.

“They sound very angry and some are armed with javelins,” I replied.

“Many Seleucids lost loved ones in their war with Carthage,” said Astarte. “But that does not explain how they know our names or why the militia haven’t intervened against an armed mob.”

“They could have been in the harbour when we arrived, when you introduced yourself to the captain of the Antioch militia,” I suggested.

“Perhaps they were, but that would only explain how they know my name – they have been calling out yours as well,” said Astarte.

“Maybe the Sardes want us to be frightened before your negotiations with them tomorrow,” I suggested. “They could have bribed a servant in the villa for our names and paid the militia not to interfere.”

[Turkafinwë]

Interesting developments. A lot of foreshadowing. Can't wait to see how it all pans out.

[Kilo11]

That looks dicey, and the details the mob knows are indeed worrisome. I fear that there is something afoot here, and that it won't end terribly well. Looking forward to see what happens next!

[Welsh Dragon]

Ah diplomacy. Just as dangerous as war, but you can't just stab the opponent to get your own way... hopefully.

Another great update Alwyn.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Alwyn]

Thanks, Turk, Kilo11 and Welsh, yes this is a dicey and dangerous situation!

Chapter 45

Shame

The lying in state of a body (prothesis) attended by family members, with the women ritually tearing their hair, depicted on a terracotta pinax by the Gela Painter, latter 6th century BC.
Source, Walters Art Museum, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

To Hermes, master of spies in the household of the King of Sardes in Ephesus

I saw an opportunity when I discovered that Cassander, the commander of the Antioch militia, had done something shameful. Shame can be a powerful motivator. To understand Cassander’s shame, you need to know about his family’s vendetta.

Cassander’s family have been engaged in a vendetta against a rival family of Seleucid noblemen for years. During the War of the Triple Alliance, Cassander’s father commanded a fleet. Fearing a Carthaginian attack on the harbour at Antioch, his father kept his fleet at the city’s port, rather than escorting Seleucid transport ships commanded by a member of the other family. Carthaginian warships intercepted the unprotected transports, only a few escaped. Cassander’s father was accused of cowardice and the families have been enemies since then.

Cassander discovered that his daughter was sleeping with the son of the head of the rival family. Like Telemachus the son of Odysseus, Cassander hanged the household slaves who had attended his daughter for their disloyalty, before dealing with his daughter. After the commander restored his family’s honour, he had his daughter’s body washed, anointed with oil and buried like a respectable woman in his family tomb, with a wreath on her chest! If this shameful act became known, his reputation would be ruined. Of course, a proud man will do many things to protect his reputation.

To preserve his honour, Cassander allowed me to send men during the night to harass Astarte, daughter of the Carthaginian Emperor, at the villa where she is staying in Antioch. Cassander’s militia remained at their posts, with strict orders not to interfere. I hoped that Astarte would panic and send her Sacred Band bodyguards to attack the men. In their heavy armour, the Sacred Band hoplites would never have caught my nimble javelin-throwers. But Astarte’s bodyguards remained inside the villa. Nevertheless, I’m confident that Astarte was affected by spending by this night, especially as a surprise awaited waiting her the following morning.

There is a direct route through the city from the villa where Astarte was staying to an old palace of the Seleucid emperors, where Astarte would go for her diplomatic negotiations with the envoy of the King of Sardes. One of my best agents, assigned to watch Astarte, paid a child to approach her with a warning that they’d overheard people talking about a plot to assassinate her during the talks. Antioch’s streets are crowded and chaotic, even with her bodyguards Astarte couldn’t be sure that she would reach the palace safely – or, if she did, whether she would be safe in its corridors.

When Astarte took part in the talks at the palace, her tiredness and anxiety made her seem untrustworthy to our Sardes negotiators. After this shamefully poor performance by Astarte in the negotiations, I don’t think we need to worry about the Sardes nobles who hope to persuade our King to negotiate a treaty with the Carthaginians.

- Mercury, in Antioch.

Author’s Note

Readers might wonder where aspects of this chapter are 'coming from'. Just as today, people might make references to the Lord of the Rings or the Game of Thrones in a conversation, I felt it was appropriate for this letter to include a reference to the well-known literature of the era. In book 22 of The Odyssey, Telemachus hanged female slaves who had slept with the suitors who were hoping to marry Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. The description of ancient Greek burial rituals came from here. In this chapter, I wanted to explore how we react differently from ancient people to the same event. Obviously, most people today would say that it's shameful for a father to murder his daughter; however, for the nobles of ancient Antioch, this chapter suggests that it would have been shameful to bury with honour a dishonoured daughter (I don't know how a daughter who had been killed in this way would actually have been buried - perhaps she would have been bured in the way described here).

[Kilo11]

This is an interesting look into the subterfuge that was going on in the last updates. But honestly, I am not too worried about Astarte. This guy seems to think he's pulled one over on her, but from the character of that woman, I find it hard to believe she really bungled negotiations just because some kid told her she was in danger. I guess I'll have to wait for further updates to know for sure though.

One other thing I quite liked in this update was the author's note. The background info and thoughts are interesting and thought-provoking, and it was certainly a nice addition!

[Alwyn]

Kilo11, thanks, you know Astarte well and it's good to hear that you liked the author's note.

Chapter 46
The Mask of Melpomene
by Lissa, daughter of Astarte


By Wolfgang Sauber - Roman statue of Melpomene, 2nd century AD, CC BY-SA 3.0, Source

After our sleepless night in an Antioch villa, listening to a mob yelling threats, my mother and I walked to an old palace of the Seleucid emperors where Astarte would represent Carthage in our talks with the emissary of the Kingdom of Sardes. During our walk through Antioch’s busy streets, a curious thing happened. A crying child ran into us, she was stopped by one of our Sacred Band bodyguards. Astarte thanked the bodyguard and asked the child what was wrong. The child said that she had heard hooded men talking about killing Astarte at the diplomatic negotiations. Astarte thanked the child and gave her a coin. Then a stooped, hooded beggar approached Astarte and whispered something. Astarte nodded, handed him something and the beggar strode away in the same direction as the child. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the beggar’s face, I thought I recognised him.

Astarte seemed distracted during the negotiations, she kept looking over her shoulder and she talked without her usual confidence. The emissary of the King of the Sardes noticed and pushed more firmly for Astarte to make concessions.

After the first day of talks ended, we returned to the villa. Astarte asked me what I thought of her performance.

“You spoke hesitantly,” I said. “It was as if the mob’s threats and the child’s warning had left you uncertain of your ground. But I don’t think that was the real reason why you sounded uncertain.”

“Go on,” said Astarte. “What was the reason, then?”

“You told me before that you expect our talks with the Kingdom of Sardes to fail. The Sardes are confident, they think Carthage is weak and they believe that they will have the advantage in a war with us.” I thought for a moment. “You asked for my thoughts on your performance. This was a performance, wasn’t it, like a Greek play? You wore a mask of distress and uncertainty, playing the part of the weak woman who the Sardes expect you to be.”

“Who was my audience, then?” asked Astarte.

“I think you want the Sardes to become over-confident in these talks,” I replied. “Their demands are getting bold, perhaps tomorrow they will be want even more. We know that the Sardes want a war with us, but we don’t know how the Seleucids will react. The Sardes supported the Seleucids against Carthage in the War of the Triple Alliance. Last night, the Antioch militia didn’t arrive to disperse the mob who threatened us. It seems that the Seleucids are likely to join the Sardes in the coming war.”

“That’s true,” said Astarte. “But how would my performance help?”

“You want the Sardes to make excessive demands,” I suggested. “The Seleucids are a city-state of merchants now, they know that negotiators need to be reasonable. If the Seleucids see the Sardes being unreasonable, the Seleucids will expect the Sardes to make unfair demands of them, too. You’re giving the Seleucids a reason to side with us.”

Author’s Note

You may be familiar with the two masks representing comedy and tragedy which are often associated with plays in ancient Greece. In ancient Greece, Melpomene was the muse of tragedy and in art she is often shown holding a mask, the one which represents tragedy in ancient Greek theatre (source)

[Turkafinwë]

Two great updates Alwyn and I have to agree with Kilo11 that the author's note was very insightful. It looks like Lissa has inherited her mother's intellect, two shrewd women. I wonder if they will succeed in their ploy to make the Seleucids side with Carthage should war erupt.

[Kilo11]

I knew it. She is taking them for a ride, and when the dust settles, there is going to be a new province painted in shining white. Or perhaps the Seleukids will be lucky, and have the Sardes' bones tossed to them for cleaner picking. Either way, I can only see this ending in a victory for the New Town, and I like that!

To the writing itself, I really liked this one. The back and forth in the dialogue is super clean, and the nestled thoughts and reactions of the narrator are slipped in with ease and grace. Honestly, this is one your most well-written updates I think, and I commend you on that! I also (again) quite liked the little author's note with additional information. So all in all, good stuff coming here!

[Alwyn]

Thanks for your encouraging comments! Yes, Astarte and Lissa are clever, but are they clever enough?

Chapter 47

The Winking Maiden

A white slipware tankard from Cyprus
This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0, Source)

To Hermes, master of spies in the household of the King of Sardes in Ephesus

After sunset on the third day of the diplomatic mission to Antioch by Astarte (the Carthaginian Emperor’s daughter), a young woman slipped out of the villa where Astarte was staying. She wore a hooded cloak and was accompanied by two men. The men wore the clothes of servants, but one of my agents who was watching the villa noticed that they strode like Sacred Band marines.

My agent followed the young woman and her Sacred Band bodyguards to an ale-house in the harbour district, the Winking Maiden. The Winking Maiden is run by a Galatian. You know the sort of establishment – the long benches, the fashionable Cypriot tankards, the bards and poets performing to applause and laughter, and the dark corners where people meet discretely.

The young woman – who my agent recognised as Lissa, an aide and confidante of Astarte – met a man and they sat together, watching the bards and poets perform. My agent overheard some of their conversation.

The man said that he was a messenger from Garafin, the Carthaginian general in Egypt. We have heard that Carthage have only one army there, their best armies are fighting in Germania or on their eastern frontier beyond their Black Sea colony. However, the man said that Carthage has raised a second army in Egypt and that this army is marching help the Seleucids defend Antioch from our attack!

When I heard this, I was going to recommend to you that both of our armies near Antioch remain there when our siege of the city begins. This would prevent us from achieving the rapid gains in territory we hope for, but it would make it easy to defeat the Seleucid and Carthaginian armies. However, I remembered that Astarte has a reputation as a clever woman.

Astarte must know that the villa where she is staying was being watched. She must have anticipated that we would send someone to overhear Lissa’s meeting. I think this messenger’s claim that they have a second army and that it’s marching here was just a bard’s tall tale, intended for our ears. The Carthaginians want us to believe that they can spare soldiers to fight us here at Antioch. They want us to put all of our military efforts into a slow siege, instead of rapidly dominating Syria and the surrounding lands as we planned. If we advance slowly, the Carthaginians will have the time they need to build up their forces.

The truth must be that Carthage has realised that we intend to go to war, but they didn’t realise how well-advanced our plans are until now. They sent this false messenger to make us believe that they have a second army ready to march. We should ignore this attempt to deceive us. We should attack Antioch at once with one of our armies, and expand elsewhere with our other army, as we originally planned.

- Mercury, in Antioch.

[Kilo11]

Ah, this dude thinks he knows something, but I am not convinced of his estimations. He thinks he's being clever by not underestimating his enemies, but he's only taken that one layer deep; if he really thinks Astarte is clever, then he should also realize that she'd realize these things, and then act accordingly. Reminds me of the following (exceedingly excellent) scene:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

At any rate, I still think he is playing into her hands. She is too clever by half to not anticipate Mercury's assessment of the situation, and his recklessness in war is sure to sow evil seeds for the Sardes.


To the writing itself, a few comments about the first paragraph:

The first sentence is somewhat confusing, as it is long and complicated, and I think you are missing one or more commas that make clear who the young woman is. Maybe just look at it again and see if there is an artful way to make things more transparent without making them insipid. In the second sentence, there is a typo ("worse" should be "wore") and you are missing a "was" before "accompanied". Other than those things though, I didn't notice much else. At any rate, I am really looking forward to the next few updates. I am loving the intrigues here, and seeing how they feed on one another in each installment!

[Turkafinwë]

I really wished I was in the Winking Maiden, sounds like my kind of establishment.

Intrigued to see who fell for one of the classic blunders. (that is indeed a great scene)

[Welsh Dragon]

Three more updates since last I ventured to New Town, full of intrigue, mystery and suspense... Excellent!

As ever I enjoy the way you're approaching this story, not bound by simply reporting the events of the campaign but looking for the stories behind them and reflect the views of the period. Women are often seen as weak and underestimated by some even today, so its good to see Astarte pulling the wool over the Sardes eyes. She is much more than just a princess. Or as one Rome 2 household member puts it. "Weak as a woman's magic? No. Wicked as a woman's magic!"

There's also some brilliant turns of phrase, such as when Mercury dismisses reports of a Carthaginian army marching as "just a bard’s tall tale, intended for our ears." And the use of messenger gods names as codenames by the Sardes intelligence agents is subtle but very atmospheric too.

Finally, you leave us with another great cliff hanger. It seems that Mercury has seen through Astarte's deception... but is he too clever for his own good? I look forward to finding out.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.