A King's Vision
Chapter Three: Consuming Sands
"…And I hope that, in this agreement, prosperity can come to our people!" The Gerrhaean diplomat finished his little spiel, and stood by, smiling, as he waited for Syphax's response. The offer was intriguing. On one hand, he risked angering the Persians, allied with the Seleucid Empire. If he had declined, however, he would find himself between Gerrhaea, Qidri, AND Mascat all at the same time. For now, he decided he should play nice. Leaning forward, the king raised a sigh, punctuating his displeasure, "Aye, prosperity will come. Your request for trade in our lands, as well as a non aggression pact between out kingdoms is granted. You may leave now."
Unbeknownst to the king, events were transpiring throughout the area, which would change everything, forever. The king would later look upon these events and marvel at them; they were the stepping stones to the beginning of the Himyarians rise to power. It wasn't even one month before a messenger was racing to the king's tent; stationed outside of the city, and the royal palace. While risky, Syphax preferred the outdoors to the spacious palace.
The horse was heaving by the time the courier reached his destination; the king had to know NOW. "Sir!" Bursting into the tent, the courier was nearly killed by an overzealous guard's spear. Realizing his mistake, he quietly put the spear down and hastily retreated. Syphax, alarmed by the courier's sudden appearance, held his hand up, "Calm yourself, then speak. What news do you bring?" The courier was smiling, no, beaming, at what he was about to say, "Our diplomats have persuaded Qidri to trade! Not only that, but here are three documents here, my liege, that you must read!"
The king slowly rose, and descended the small staircase leading up to his humble seat. Sitting down at a table, he unrolled one of the scrolls. The title alone caused the king's eyes to widen, in disbelief, as the courier ushered in more men, who carried bags of gold.
The people of Qidri, in accordance with our law, hereby pronounce Syphax as our king. In pertaining to his law, we will grant tribute every three months. In return, Syphax, king of the Himyarites, must provide protection to Qidri's people, and secure her future in the sands of time.
The other two scrolls were the same. Qidri, Mascat, and Gerrhaea had all offered their vassalage to him. Not in confederation, but as client states. "Sir!" Whipping his head to a soldier, the king witnessed gold pouring from a bag, "Gerrhaea has granted us six thousand gold pieces, sir! Mascat and Qidri had granted us one thousand each, sir!" The world seemed to fade for Syphax. It was surreal. What had caused this? But then, he remembered. Qidri, Mascat, and Gerrhaea all shared a rivalry with the Seleucid Empire. No doubt wanting protection, they looked to the largest kingdom in Arabia. His own kingdom was a clear winner, after conquering both Ma'in and Saba. It was amazing, to think that in the span of two years he was able to conquer Arabia's lands, and subject her people to him! His father would have been proud. Of course, now, he needed more defenses. Egypt reportedly was not fond of Qidri's war with Nabatea, and they were neutral with Himyar as of far. Quickly, he sent out a diplomat to secure a non aggression pact with Egypt. Hopefully, if they were to war with Nabatea, Egypt would look the other way in favor of Himyar, the larger and superior force.
Of course, he still had issues. Meroe had conquered Axum, and was hostile with Himyar. If they were to attempt sea invasion, he needed a strong navy. Luckily enough, Amani-bakhi was recruiting more vessels to their navy, and with luck, they would be able to secure the waters of the Red Sea. With only a harbor, and no militarized sea section, they were only able to eke out levied spearmen, yet the boats were sturdy. Hopefully, they would hold.
He couldn't believe his eyes. Right before him, five more scrolls. He scanned the list….Parthava….Arachosia…..Sagartia…..Parthia…..Egypt?! It was unreal. It seemed that even Egypt was weakening…. All of these nations who had become his clients were powerful in their own merit, and for them to seek protection from him seemed almost laughable. But then he soon realized it. Now, he had more client states than the Seleucid Empire. Now, he had a chance…AGAINST the Seleucid Empire….. The great Seleucids, a successor kingdom, who claimed to be the true heirs of Alexander the Great. He had heard about these. Egypt, one of the successors, is now his own client state! It was amazing that they had subjected their proud Pharaoh to him, but it seemed that a mere alliance was no incentive. Perhaps they thought that the idea of tributes was intoxicating? It was, for him, to have so much power in so little time. This is why he declared war on Nabatea.
Qidri had been destroyed by the Nabateans, their warriors attacking the weary soldiers after their failed campaign in Median lands, and he planned to exact revenge. Already, Aristenyesbokhe's Warriors of the Sun marched to Adummatu. Qidri would be revived, after facing three months of slavery by the Nabateans. Akinidad, a high ranking leader in the Nabatean military….had been quietly 'dealt' with, by Jugurtha. In the meantime, the Burning Sands, a new army led by a noble named Amanikhalika had begun mustering men to help Amanikhabale's Heralds of Allatu. In Marib, his younger cousin Ozalces mustered men for the Stone Burners in preparation of war. Syphax was still plagued by thoughts of an heir. While his death would mean the ascension of his brother, he wanted an heir of his own to inherit the throne. But who? Still, he had no clear answer.
The army had their general assassinated in an hour, and then three hours later had their provisions poisoned. The Nabatean fill in commander looked in consternation at his men, all were either choking or dieing as the poison entered their systems, and he saw multitudes of his less resilient and experienced men fall. His army was indeed one to be proud of, consisting of many upper class warriors. But, with nowhere to run, the Heralds of Allatu had a great shadow cast upon the helpless men's faces.
The Dread Nomads were indeed impressive, as they held the infantry advantage. Three units of noble swordsmen proudly guarded their other units, with Tabriz peltasts and indo-kush swordsmen at their beck and call. However, they still had a core of levied spearmen. But the one area they were sorely lacking in was cavalry. The Burning Sands had already mustered a sizable force of cavalry, and the prospect of fighting such cavalry was daunting for the Dread Nomad's infantry based army. They didn't know how bad they had it though. What began as a skirmish of archers turned into a full blown battle as the Heralds of Allatu marched onto the field.
The first stages were mild, the Burning Sands had a cavalry only force, and their camels were formidable. The desert spearmen cavalry were clad in tan turbans and robes, and wielded long spears along with pelte styled shields. The crescent styled shields were light, and were of dull color, meant to help surprise ambushes in the desert. The archers seemed exactly the same, only with curved bows instead of spears and pelte shields. Then, the Heralds of Allatu marched into sight.
The citizen spearmen had large wicker shields, and wielded mighty spears in their hands, while wearing light robes to maximize speed. Similar in appearance, but not in headgear, the Tabriz peltasts wore tan, early versions of shemaghs, and wielded curved swords along with pelte shields. Sabean raiders complemented the army; tan clothing, with round hide shields and javelins to pelt the enemy. Complementing the force were levy skirmishers and slingers, lightly armored and designed to wear the enemy down. Then, there were Amanikhabale's Knights, the Himyarian Cavalry. These men were equipped with the linothorax, like the marauders, but had butted chain mail behind them, to offer protection from ranged weaponry and slashing weapons. In their hands, they carried straight, steel swords that gleamed even in the desert sands, and their shields ranged from the humble pelte to the mighty round shield of iron. Charging forth, the Heralds rushed into combat to support the Sands.
No one knew why, though, the events that transpired next. Perhaps it was because Amanikhalika was new. Perhaps his unit commanders were incompetent, or could not hear. They charged straight into the spearmen of the enemy. Sensing the urgency, Amanikhabale urged his army to charge forth. Rushing forward, the Himyarian Cavalry cut down large swathes of enemies as the foes ran in terror of this new threat. But, every battle has casualties, and a large amount of the Burning Sand's cavalry force was lost due to miscommunication. But the biggest loss was in the battle itself. Amanikhabale drove headfirst into a troop of enemy spearmen from the blank to break their morale. However, when his armored camel crushed a man's head, the man's spear braced against the ground as he died, causing the camel to crash into it. Thrown from his armored camel, Amanikhabale could only watch as the heavy camel crashed down on his world. A brave man died that day, trying to save his men. He would sacrifice his own life to fight with his men. Amanikhabale's Knights never changed their name, as homage to their brave commander, who fought with the rest of them instead of cowering near the back to wait for their soldiers to do everything.
Atlanersa, a new noble, was their new commander, yet the Heralds resented it. For one, he did not use their Armored Camel bodyguard, but dismissed them, and used a Yathrib Lancer unit acquired when Himyar conquered Ma'in. Not only that, but he was zealous, most likely by the champion's influence, which joined their company in order to bolster their training.
"I don't like it either, yet we must continue to follow the commander. Are you not loyal, Basil?" The questioning of his fellow citizen spearmen started to grate the veteran. The new blood was recruited to replenish the men who had died in the battles before, and they were as curious as they were annoying. "I am loyal, yet I must question a commander who seems so similar to Aristenyesbokhe, who led his men to disastrous victory. Ten of his units were destroyed, and he took long to recover." The very thought of being thrown away as a simple tool was disgusting to him. Sighing, Basil walked away from the recruit, and walked to join his fellow veterans, who were with Amanikhabale since they had first been recruited. One of the men smiled at him sadly, "The end of a dream, the beginning of a nightmare, eh, Basil?" Basil merely shook his head, "No. The future is uncertain. We can only pray that God will grant us victory, yet I have my doubts."
Sitting down, he joined the rest of the men in supper. The flat bread seemed even duller in the knowledge that their commander was most likely even more incompetent than Aristenyesbokhe. Chasing the bread down with water, the weary veteran watched outside as the Himyarian Cavalry did their rounds. Their fighting style was elegant, and it seemed to be adopted from Amanikhabale himself, focused on an overwhelming offense, not to kill, but to distract for an ally to make a directed strike. The technique focused not on the individual, but the whole strength of the army, and was suited for a man of Amanikhabale's title. Of course, Amanikhabale's Knights were not actually Amanikhabale, but they were a fond reminder of their former commander.
That reminder was shattered as Atlanersa strutted into the camp. Almost instantly, the men fell silent, seemingly resenting the man, who had placed himself above everyone else. They all noticed the elaborate armor he and his lancers wore, along with their heavy, powerful horses and their superior weapons and shields. Not noticing a thing, Atlanersa called the unit commanders to him as they shared supper in Amanikhabale's old tent; now Atlanersa's. While the men ate old bread, Atlanersa feasted on date fruit and goat meat, along with fine water and bread. If looks could kill, the glares of all the men in the camp would have caused Atlanersa's death a thousand times over.
"CHAARGE!" Following the war cry, the marauders crashed into their foe, smashing their clubs down upon the hapless levied spearmen, as camel spearmen crashed into their flanks. Finally, as the enemy routed, camel archers chased down the enemy and shot them all. No prisoners were taken in that battle; all were slain, by club, lance, or arrow. The settlement was easy to take, the Nabateans had tried to fortify the area in the short time they had, but in the end, it wasn't enough, and the Warriors of the Sun crushed all of the Nabateans in the settlement. After liberating all of the slaves in the Qidrian community, Aristenyesbokhe gave them a private ultimatum that never reached any other ears: Join Himyar in full, and serve Aristenyesbokhe, or have their city occupied, their culture gone, and their history lost forever. For the weary Armaniastabarqo, last of the Qidrian royal line, the decision was obvious.
She had a weary smile; the last year seemed to be decades ago, and her nightmare was finally over. She was telling her story to the children, exaggerating some parts, as she told them of the history of the Sabean kingdom. It was by mercy that they had remained, and it was fortunate that the Himyarian sage was so altruistic. Suddenly, she stopped. The sage had returned, but it seemed as if he was supporting someone, someone who walked with a cane, and had an unsteady step. The stranger's arms and legs seemed disfigured, and she couldn't make out her face. Straining her eyes to see better, Fajr gasped. It was her mother. After Mu'tamid beat her to a bloody pulp, Karkamani had nursed her back to health, and assured her that Fajr had lived the battle at Marib. Trembling, Fajr ran to her mother, as Nimat broke free of Karkamani's grip and started stumbling towards her daughter.
Catching her, the beaten mother sobbed heavily; thank the gods that her last daughter was okay! Thank the gods that she could be reunited with her! Three cloaked figures ascended the hill, leading a small entourage of carts. The leader of the Sabeans raced out of a makeshift tent, and received the gifts with joy, hugging Karkamani as he thanked the sage for sparing his people. Smiling, Karkamani left, and his assassins too. Yet, Karkamani an uneasy feeling. The Sabean encampment was, while thriving, draining the resources of the Himyarian kingdom. Not only that, but if Syphax were to learn about it, the Sabeans would almost certainly be killed. To prevent that, he needed to get rid of all witnesses, excluding himself. This included the assassins.
Senkamanisten was a good sage. He was authoritative, powerful, and wealthy, yet he underestimated the integrity of his opponent. The Nabatean sage was trying rather unsuccessfully to turn Karkamani against Himyar. The Himyarian sage was traveling in the desert, then stopped, and sat down on a large white blanket to rest. Several smaller cloths were placed, most likely so he could eat a small meal. Senkamanisten was having very little luck when he encountered Karkamani, and it started to reflect in his threats, "That encampment of Sabeans would interest your king, would it not? Karkamani, you cannot be as foolish as to believe that such meager supplies would hold them for so long. You only hope to divert your own kingdoms resources to help them. Kindness is very good for a man of your standing, yet in times of war, mercy is considered weakness. Syphax would be indeed interested if he learned that his top sage had been merciful, no? Come, join Nabatea. Our enemies are many, but with enough political savvy, we can tip the scales and become the empire we were meant to be! If not, I am afraid that your life will end here."
Waving his hand, two assassins came forward, each wearing a mask to cover their face. They each wielded daggers, and looked eager to spill Karkamani's blood. Karkamani merely looked at the man, and then started tapping the ground with his foot. All around the sages and the assassins was an endless expanse of sand. The Nabatean sage beckoned his men forward, "It seems you will not cooperate. It is a shame, yet I am afraid of what I must do." With that, he waved his hand forward, and the mercenaries leaped at the Himyarian sage.
Bursting up, the 'blankets' were not blankets at all, they were only coverings for Karkamani's entourage, whom Senkamanisken had thought went away, to his dismay. The assassins threw the blankets at the attackers, as the sand carried within them created a small screen for the assassins to operate. One of Senkamanisken's assassins fell, a bloody dagger clutched in his hand, evidently in his last moments trying to pull it from his stomach. The second withdrew to Senkamanisken, and as the sand died down, so too did their temporary blindness.
The younger of Karkamani's assassins leapt forward, expecting an easy kill. Yet, with wealth, comes power, and the power to get the best of the best. Moving at the last second, Senkamanisken's elite assassin sidestepped the young assassin, and crashed the pommel of his dagger into his head, causing the younger assassin to crumple in unconsciousness. Karkamani's other two assassins stepped forward, and instead of daggers, drew scimitars, more suited for an engagement like this. However, they were surprised as the elite sheathed his dagger, and drew a bow, when they were only ten meters away. Charging, the assassins tried to tackle the elite, only for him to whip around, using his cloak as a shield to tangle up their swords. Swiftly, he swept down, and the swords clattered uselessly to the ground as he drew an arrow with his other hand. One of Karkamani's assassins couldn't react fast enough, and fell back screaming with an arrow sticking from his eye. The second tried to press his advantage, only to pause as he found that the other assassin already drew another arrow, and had the bowstring pulled back tight. The assassin only had a second to blink before his world went dark as the sharp implement crashed through his right eye socket and into his brain.
Looking disdainfully at the young assassin, the veteran took up the scimitar of the assassin, and killed the younger one. Now, it was only Karkamani, the last assassin had died of blood loss before long. Walking forth slowly, he drew another arrow, and aimed his bow at Karkamani. "It is not too late to reconsider, Karkamani." The sage was impressed; he had never seen such an ambush, but Karkamani lacked the manpower to defeat his veteran assassin. Karkamani merely looked at the man, and smiled. Then, he raised his hand, and pointed his finger at Senkamanisken. Instantly, the elite assassin turned, and shot his arrow at the Nabatean sage. Gasping in surprise, Senkamanisken looked down, as blood started seeping from his robe. Eyes bugged out, he could only look at his assassin as he scrambled to get words out, yet couldn't, and died. The sand swept through the area, and all evidence of combat had been wiped out. The three assassins, if prompted, would have told Syphax about the Sabeans. Until he was ready, though, Karkamani couldn't have any witnesses.
"It is not MARRIAGE, we are proposing, we have no need of harried mothers!" The Baktrian diplomat was very…..lively. Painfully, it also reminded Syphax of Amanikhabale. The man fell in battle bravely, to be replaced with his cousin, Atlanersa. Yet, he already knew the men resented him, Atlanersa always tried to overcompensate and be too gentle, and then be too rough. Trying to please everyone, he pleased no one, and trying to not pick a side, all belligerents detested him. Syphax sighed, and then signed the non aggression pact. Baktria was a Successor Kingdom, just as Egypt and the Seleucids. He now had contact with all of the successors, save one. Macedon, the starting grounds of Alexander the Great. Looking at the map, of the lands that paid tribute to him, made Syphax proud. His people have come to expand before their wildest dreams. While the challenge of raising up a new empire was there, he knew that he could trust his men. But that meant he had to show them that he could be trusted himself. Shutting himself into an office, Syphax was rarely seen by any of his extended family, save for his slaves, and he seemed to be planning something.
It was infuriating. He, Aristenyesbokhe, the now most experienced commander in the entire kingdom, was sent to lay waste to the backwater settlement of Nabatea, while Atlanersa's Heralds went to capture their capital. It made no sense, why waste good men on a flat of ground inhabited by only a few thousand men? It felt insulting to the proud commander. Unfortunately for the defending Nabateans, he channeled his rage upon them. Turning to Mu'tamid, the symbol of the marauders, he said to him, "Kill, destroy, enslave. Those are your orders." Smiling like a child, Mu'tamid beckoned his marauders forth as they and Aristenyesbokhe's Warriors of the Sun charged into battle with the city's garrison.
The garrison didn't stand a shadow of a chance. Swiftly, camel spearmen slammed into archers, and as spearmen went to try and assist them, the Marauders charged, slaughtering countless guards. Then, they charged throughout the settlement. Baskets of fruit were robbed and devoured voraciously by the soldiers, who had been subsisting on bread and water for far too long. Then, the marauders assembled torches, and threw them into homes, killing or enslaving any inhabitants who tried to run from the flames.
"Yes, I know that I am not popular. In fact, I believe that is an understatement. I cannot ever truly fill the role of Amanikhabale, yet I must ask of all of your loyalty…." Basil rolled his eyes, their new commander would never reach Amanikhabale's eloquence, and his attempt to do so only served to make the veteran troops grumble. Sighing, he picked up his spear; they were attacking Charmuthas, Nabatea's capital, most likely an attempt by Syphax to give the Heralds battle experience with their new general. Unbeknownst to them, however, Aristenyesbokhe had different plans.
"Heralds! Charge!" The cavalry charged onwards, determined to prove that the Heralds were still strong, even without Amanikhabale. Yet, a surprise was waiting for Basil, as he looked back, and his heart stopped for a moment in sheer fright. The banner of the Warriors of the Sun flew high and proud in the desert, and Maas Gat marauders charged onto the battlefield. Aristenyesbokhe would never allow another to get the full cut of glory if he had anything to say about it.
His eyes were burning into him. They were goading him to kill his prisoner. Yet, Basil refused. Honor was important, and allowing this man to live would be beneficial to their diplomatic status with other kingdoms. However, he couldn't react fast enough to the club, and the tall marauder smashed his prisoner's face in. Stricken, he only stared at the marauder as he licked the blood of the mace, pointed at the stars, and thanked God. Truly, that man was a monster. He resolved to never combat with him again.
Yet, many promises are broken. This time, however, Basil had the advantage. The tall marauder, recognized by the purple cloth around his eye, rumored to be from an enemy's stone, made him instantly recognizable. About to club a surrendering spearman from Nabatea, a wicker shield bashed into Mu'tamid, knocking him off balance. Snarling, he only looked back to see no one. Whipping around, he saw no one, yet was bashed again in the back. The coward was using his damaged eye as a blind spot! Howling, Mu'tamid whipped his club around him, but it hit none. Then, turning again, he was face to face with a citizen spearman from the Heralds. Frowning, he recognized him; he refused to kill his prisoner, and looked disapprovingly as he killed him! Spitting on the ground, Mu'tamid turned to finish off his prisoner, only for him to be gone. Whipping around once more, he started shouting, "Are you daft!? You let my f***ing prisoner escape! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Basil merely smiled at the angry marauder as he slipped back into his unit. The beating for breaking formation afterwards was definitely worth it.
The battle was quick, and easy. Scattered after the initial Himyarian charge from the Knights, the levied spearmen fled in fear, leaving their skirmishers vulnerable to even more flanking Knights. The Knights of Amanikhabale stood true to their noble intentions, and spared all surrendering units. They even formed a ring around them, to make sure no Warriors of the Sun got in. Staring impudently at the zealous camel riders, the rivalry between the Heralds and the Warriors was sealed into Himyarian history.
"This…. This is impossible! This is impossible!" The king was in a cold sweat, such a thing had never happened before. Yet it had happened now. His kingdom…no, his EMPIRE, was now the strongest in the known world, he believed. The scrolls had numbered twelve, all offering their vassalage to the Himyarian Empire. It seemed impossible, but there it was. All of them, hearing of his fair treatment to his vassals, declared their allegiance to Syphax, the King of the Himyarian Empire. But, that was not the most shocking thing. There, in refined handwriting, was the pledge from Macedon. The last successor kingdom had sworn vassalage to him. No doubt, the Seleucid…Kingdom was starting to topple. With nearly all of the Mesopotamia secured with his vassals, he could secure his position and consolidate his empire, making sure his overseas allies and his nearby allies could overcome their military trials.
His first priority, however, was the Seleucids. Now thoroughly weakened, and with hostiles all around their areas, the proud Seleucids time was at hand. With a vast empire came vast power. And none found as much power as Syphax had acquired over the last few years. In anonymity, he had risen, and forged an Empire larger than Alexander the Great's, if one added in client states. However, the new political and economical gain worried him. He also worried for his more powerful client states. Egypt would not be pleased.
He soon found himself in the seat of extreme diplomatic power. With such power, he was able to coerce the Nasamones into assimilating into his ever growing empire. With their loyalty, came their armies. While admittedly not in top quality, the sheer volume of units would hopefully turn into a great military force for the king. Not only that, but he was able to bribe Blemmyes, Meroe, and the tribes of the Scordisci to join him as vassals. His empire seemed to be absolute, and it seemed that total control over the known world would someday be his. Yet, unbeknownst to him, rival factions were stirring up against him. Whether they were internal or external did not matter, soon, various groups learned to hate him. The most powerful of those who disapproved of him, no longer the dieing Seleucids, were the Libyans, vassals of Carthage. He had heard of Hamilcar, and his exploits. He had also, by extension, heard of Rome, a major world power, with a seemingly invincible army. Hopefully, he would be able to bend their wills. Or crush them beneath his heel.
Realizing that he now had control over the seas in his area, he disbanded a smaller navy commandeered by a general, and instead focused minimal resources to Amani-bakhi's fleet, they would wipe out the remaining Nabatean navy, and then be disbanded for further use. Not only that, but he started raising up far more armies than he had before, and started recruiting large amounts of forces, the people flocking to him, and looking at him as if he was a deity. Such a growth was unheard of in years, and to become such a large empire amazed the people of Himyar. They felt important, and felt that they had a responsibility to show the world they deserved this power. As such, many people were rallied to the call, and many joined the armies of nobles.
In the camp of Atlanersa, the grumblings of the soldiers could be heard, as well as the brooding of a certain citizen spearman named Basil. In Aristenyesbokhe's camp, the marauders were showing off their teeth necklaces to each other, once again, Mu'tamid beat them by twenty three. In Ozalces's Stone Burners, a new army raised by a former Sabean war prisoner, Kardakes swordsmen were hired to test their mettle, as well as Arabian light infantry, well known for their dual purpose of skirmishing and light melee combat. In Amani-bakhi's Spice Masters, they prepared for their final voyage, sharing wine and recollecting their good times sailing in the Red Sea, and promising to come back together once Himyar had control to vaster seas. Amanikhalika's Burning Sands prepared to take the fight to Media, after chasing a rogue army for miles, month after month. Pakheme, a new noble, was in favor of recruiting an army based off of their client states, and recruited a small force in Egypt. Amanataraqide, a new noble, mustered an army to commemorate the Sabeans in Marib. The three new Nasamones commanders turned their eyes to Cyrenaica, their former allies, and without hesitation prepared for combat with their old friends. All of these men prepared for war, and for the conquest, for the glorious Himyarite Empire.
Sorry for the short chapter, a lot of things started popping up, so I just shortened it, since the real action begins soon! Gaining the Nasamones territory and armies were pretty important, since it allowed a direct route for me to attack Cyrenaica, the current enemies of Egypt, a pretty powerful ally of mine at the moment. It also opens up sea trade with the inner portion of the map, crucial for trade with my newly acquired client states. Not only that, but time for a massive chapter overview, since I have a ton of new generals, troops, territories, and client states! Note: You may see the same name multiple times, due to CA's naming system, my apologies if any of them confuse you.
Armies: Atlanersa's Heralds of Allatu:
Atlanersa- Yathrib Heavy Lancer Unit
One Noble Swordsmen Unit
Five Himyar Cavalry Units
Two Tabriz Peltast Units
Two Citizen Spearmen Units
Four Levy Skirmisher Units
One Slinger Unit
One Camel Spearmen Unit
Two Desert Camel Archer Units
One Sabean Raider Unit
Aristenyesbokhe's Warriors of the Sun:
Aristenyesbokhe- Noble Swordsmen Unit
Two Noble Swordsmen Units
Six Maas Gat Marauder Units
Five Camel Spearmen Units
Six Desert Camel Archer Units
Ozalces's Stone Burners:
Ozalces- Yathrib Heavy Lancer Unit
Eight Kardakes Swordsmen Units
Seven Arabian Light Infantry Units
Four Camel Spearmen Units
Amani-bakhi's Spice Masters (Soon to be disbanded):
Amani-bakhi- Missile Penteres, Archers
Ten Assault Tetreres Ships, Levy Spearmen
Three Scorpion Trieres Ships, Levy Skirmishers
Amanikhalika's Burning Sands:
Amanikhalika- Yathrib Heavy Lancer Unit
Nine Levy Spearmen Units
Five Camel Spearmen Units
Five Desert Camel Archer Units
Pakheme's Sons of Mahrem:
Pakheme- Armoured Camel Rider Unit
One Light Cavalry Unit
One Levy Thureos Spears Unit
Amanataraqide's Desert Scorpions:
Amanataraqide- Yathrib Heavy Lancer Unit
Nine Noble Swordsmen Units
(Former Nasamones Commander) Ozalces's Stone Burners:
Ozalces: Large Shield Warrior Unit
Two Blemmyes Noble Horsemen Units
Ten Levy Spearmen Units
Six Tribal Slinger Units
(Former Nasamones Commander) Amanikhalika's Heralds of Allatu:
Amanikhalika- Garamantian Heavy Spear Unit
Five Blemmyes Noble Horsemen Units
Two Mercenary African Elephant Units
Three Chariot Raider Units
Five Levy Spearmen Units
Four Tribal Slinger Units
Kalabsha's Bronze Warriors:
Kalabsha- Large Shield Warrior Unit
Three Blemmyes Noble Horsemen Units
Two Levy Spearmen Units
Two Tribal Slinger Units
One Chariot Raider Unit
Warring With: Persia, Nabatea, Media, Drangiana, Sardes, Triballi, Seleucid
Client States: Arachosia, Ardhan, Bithynia, Blemmyes, Gerrhaea, Kartli, Mascat, Media Atropatene, Meroe, Parthava, Pergamon, Rhodos, Sagartia, Scordisci, Trapezos, Parthia, Athens, Baktria, Egypt, Macedon, Pontus, and Sparta.
Whew! Quite a lot done in those ten turns, I think! Next time, we'll be going into the micro lives of each general and their armies in better detail, as well as the issues of Cyrenaica, the new Nasamones generals, and the faltering Seleucid Empire!