Angst

Editor's Note: the last page of Ete News was accidentally omitted from the above post and so is appended here.

MONTENEGRO.

Nis.

In recognition of his great victory Maharbal sacrificed to all the gods and distributed splendid trophies to many temples.

He has organised the repair of defences, the demolition of old siege-works and ruins, and the garrisoning of all forts.

An ambitious and efficient young officer, Affectobal, was allocated 200 Montenegran light cavalry and 350 Ellenic mounted armoured terrain foot and a bag of gold. He was asked to go and buy the support of the locals in suppressing the banditry in the hills along the supply line from Thessaly to Nis.

By a most unfortunate coincidence an emissary from Thrace was also sent to the area with a smaller bag of gold and no troops. After analysing their options the bandits divided into two groups: the employed-by-Maharbal quick, and the dead.

By the end of the month the former group was smaller but much richer: the Thracian envoy involuntarily joined the larger group.

Bubonides, the Tyrant of Belgrade, came to offer his fealty and during a private and very convivial feast mentioned, to the surprise of Maharbal, that Thassos as well as Thessaly was previously part of Montenegro. Maharbal expressed his polite disbelief.

Bubonides’ brother in law Niarchos the Tyrant of Nis, was of course also at the feast, and rather reluctantly confirmed that Thassos and Thessaly had been part of Greater Montenegro during the last century.

All settled to Maharbal’s satisfaction in Nis and Belgrade, Maharbal went with a small personal guard to consult the oracles. Under the command of Ceutabaal and Leptonos the armies are returning to Thessaly, leaving substantial garrisons with copious supplies in both the liberated cities: the prisoners have accompanied the armies, carefully guarded. The should all have reached Thessaly in about a week.

Whether Maharbal will be pleased to find that Ariadne has moved to Thessaly to welcome his return is a moot point.

THRACE.

Sesamoides, the senior Archon of Istanbul, was killed during the night of the 22nd. A deeply unpopular local man, his death was caused by a blow to the head, probably with an axe. The murder weapon (suicide has been discounted) has not been found nor has any specific cause for his killing come to light.

Mustasha Sr expressed minor astonishment at Shakbut’s changed plans but decided that they didn’t affect him and he duly continued his journey and is now with his sister Vashti and his nephew Demetriaces. They and Lysander have had long discussions about the situation.

Overheard in the Thracian Camp:
"So he has not conferred with our Prince, nor given any orders?"
"He just assumes we will conform to his army's posture and movements - the arrogance of it..."

Demetriaces has sent scouts to watch Maharbal’s armies and for any forces near Thessaly.

Naladi bar Sahdi and his 5,000 or so Chaldean cavalry have just crossed to Istanbul.

Shalman and the Royal Polonovan Army marched briskly to Istanbul, crossed to Anatolia, and then marched on via Amasra and Ankara to Alansberg where they arrived two days ago, fairly tired.

MEDITERANEAN.

Near Messina.

Xenophon, the one-time Strategos of Thassos and more lately Admiral of the Thracian fleet, also known as the Pontic 5th fleet, died after consuming a large bowl of seafood. Two of his men also died and half a dozen others became quite ill having shared the dish. The possibility of poison has not been excluded as the dish tasted excellent and one of the dead men was the cook.

The Adriatic.

It seems that Murcia didn’t really understand the explanations of Kallinikos the Geek and that the notes and diagrams relating to his Geek Fire device were lost in the conflagration.

Unidentified fast scout ships have been seen off the toe and heel of Italy and off the western Greek coast. One seen off Corcyra and then Ston was lucky to escape when Murcia sent fast triremes to investigate.

Cyprus and Tyre.

The New Persian 1st fleet has been exercising from Salamis and the 2nd fleet has been training from Tyre.

Windicta and Malta.

Philipo gathered his surviving troops and went to the treasury at dawn on the 1st and there took all portable cash and valuables plus as much iron as they could easily carry. About noon a man sent by Faron arrived with orders for the treasury guards that under no circumstances was Philipo to be admitted to the treasury … but that was OK as he was just leaving.

He and his men opened negotiations with Admiral Ostia and his captains and a mutually satisfactory arrangement was soon agreed.

At dawn on the 2nd Philipo and Ostia left Windicta harbour with 6 heavy triremes, 10 light triremes, 20 transports, and 8 merchantmen, along with almost 3,000 of Philipo’s men.

They crossed to the western end of Sicily and then sailed east along its southern coast, thence to Malta where they arrived on the 13th.
You may remember that Temeraix and his Gauls hold all of Malta except the harbour’s fortress.

At the time of their arrival Temeraix with two of his galleys was out on patrol to the south; by the time that he saw Ostia’s fleet it was, luckily for him, too late to get back into Malta harbour: Temeraix fled to the north-west, surely not intending to return to Toulouse Province.

But back at Malta: Temeraix’ men refused Ostia’s ships entry to the inner, fortified, harbour. Philipo went ashore with about 2,000 men and approached the fortress from the landward side: after very brief negotiations they were admitted and then sallied forth into the fortified harbour.
In the ensuing bloody fighting the Gauls held their own until the rest of Philipo’s and Ostia’s men joined in: the Gauls were then slaughtered. Ostia bemoaned the fact that he was unable to stop the slaughter “We’ve captured 3 heavy triremes: they could have rowed if we hadn’t killed them all.”
A few hundred of Philipo’s and Ostia’s men were killed.

AZOV.

Gilgamesh considered the reports from his agents both north of his lands and south of his lands but decided that it was important to tour his newly conqu oops the newly liberated lands. He is accompanied by Ogada and a modest force.

He has inspected the mines near Bayan and the armouries at Bayan and Taskent. He is now inspecting the serviceable but deserted strong fort at the northern end of the Tiflis-Taskent pass which he has ordered should be garrisoned. He is next to visit Uil to inspect the small mine and armoury there.

Numerous scouts patrol his borders and coastline.

Powellopolis.

Old Moab is unwell: in his eighties and grievously unpopular, he is unlikely to be mourned by many.