"If the battle does become a land battle, I propose that we stay on our ships and wait for it to end or we sail around and see what we can find." Crassus said from the side, as he looked at the Battle from a different perspective. "We chose Mycale over Plataea as it is an opportunity to get some much needed ships and crews, as well as other rewards and opportunities. Getting involved in a land battle was not part of the original plan, or we could have chosen Plataea if we wanted to do that. We risk loosing resources and potentially our ships if we over commit, which is a risk too far."
"I agree with Crassus." Subutai stated after a few seconds of thought, "This is an opportunity to grow and it's not worth risking ourselves for anything further. That is however, if the numbers on both sides are massively increased. If for some reason the numbers haven't changed much on either side, then we should push all the way."
"I agree with you both." Xun You added, "We will make sure we are prepared in case of Subutai's scenario, but we should plan for Crassus's. I think it is key that before we discuss the actual split of fleet and action plans, that we outline what our key goals are. Zhou Yu, please can you elaborate?"
"Of course, firstly we are aiming to capture Enemy Ships and Enemy Crew, as well as recruit any potential Ships or Crews within the Greek Alliance. Xanithippus is also a target for recruitment which we will discuss shortly, as are any of the other commanders in the Greek Alliance." Zhou Yu explained, "I know that Lord Lazarus and myself may get distracted and look at other opportunities whilst we are there, but that is the priority for everyone else."
"Why Xanithippus and not Leotychides?" Andrew asked as he intended to support Dom in any way he could during this battle.
"That is a good question, Thucydides, please explain." Zhou Yu replied as everyone listened, especially the Spartan and Hoplites in the room.
"Xanithippus is a greek statesman, as well as an Archon of Athens. An Archon for those who don't know is a form of a ruler, both as a Commander on the front lines and within our Assembly. He led through many of the wars between the Greek States and the Persians through his life, I would expect he would be a useful General or Senator within our Kingdom. He was wealthy, as was his wife and would probably get along well with Mayor Lucius. His son was also Pericles, who I expect will be at the Battle of Mycale. Pericles is one of the greatest Greek Leaders to ever have lived and led in our war against the Spartans and the Peloponnese."
"Another war between Greek States, after a war with an external enemy?" Crassus laughed from the side as the Spartans and Hoplite in the room seemed to be aware of the situation.
"There is always something happening." Thucydides explained, before turning back to Andrew. "Leotychides is a different situation, he is an unlikely King within Sparta. Whilst he is a good Warrior and Leader, he is not known for being trustworthy. After the Persian Wars, he was bribed multiple times and eventually expelled from Sparta. I am not sure he is the most trustworthy and as a King he will take a lot of persuasion to join us."
"Or Gold if he is able to be bribed." Crassus added with a shoulder shrug, "Wasn't Pausanias, the leader of Battle of Plataea also accused of bribery?"
"He was, but that was internal politics to remove him. Whilst that may be the same for Leotychides, the evidence is there." Thucydides responded.
"Pausanias isn't a bad man, he is just a Spartan Warrior and deems everyone else beneath him." The Spartan Alpheus commented, with some nods of heads from a couple of the other Spartans.
"He was a favourite of King Leonidas, who was our Warrior King." Leonidas the Spartan said, "It is a shame to see that so many of our Kings fell either in Battle or Politics during this era."
"Do any of our Hoplite know Xanithippus?" Dom asked the room, moving the conversation back to the topic.
"I do." Gregorios said, to the look of surprise from a few of them. "We have fought together, and drank together. I visited his house once!"
"You also didn't survive Marathon, so it will be a bit of a surprise if he sees you." Trojan said from beside him with a raised eyebrow. "It also doesn't surprise me that you didn't survive Marathon."
"I also knew him, but I argued against him at the Assembly." Hector put forwards, before turning towards Alexander the Centurion of the Hoplite. In the background, the sound of Gregorios punching Trojan in the arm could be heard.
"He is a stubborn man, but he won't recognise me." Alexander replied meaningfully to Hector's look in his direction. "Our best route is through Lady Artemisia."
"I will speak with him, he will accept us as Allies, but it would take a lot for him to leave his beloved Athens. Athens once ostracised him, a common thing for their leaders who were disagreed with. But he returned and did everything he could for them regardless. He will not be an easy man to persuade." Artemisia explained with some nods of agreement in the room.
"That may be the case, but his son is ambitious. If you can find Pericles then he would be the ultimate prize after the Ships and Crews." Thucydides concluded as everyone looked down at the map in thought.
"Dom, how rich are you?" Kai asked, with a lot of faces looking at him with stern eyes at his slip of the tongue. It took Kai a second to realise that they were in game and he changed his wording. "Sorry, Lord Lazarus, how rich are you?"
Dom turned to Crassus to answer the question, now that Andrew and Kai had arrived, he wouldn't hide anything else from them unless it was overly personal. Crassus understood this and smiled as he began to respond.
"We have the wealth of ancient kingdoms, I doubt there are many with as much gold and jewels in reserve as us. However, just because we have the funds, doesn't mean we have the ways of spending them. So it has come in handy to help us develop fast, but we don't have the trade partners to maximise it's use." Crassus explained to Kai, understanding that the young man in front of him was of a similar mindset to him.
"So enough to potentially purchase some ships?" Kai asked the room.
"We could potentially persuade the Greeks to sell some ships, but I expect they'll need them for their continued campaign and would be reluctant to do so." Xun Yu replied from beside Dom, having kept quiet himself so far.
"I don't mean the Greeks. I mean the other arriving Allies such as ourselves." Kai replied as Crassus had a glint in his eye with understanding.
"Can you elaborate?" Xun Yu asked as the others all looked at Kai eagerly.
"With the Bellona and the Sibylla, we will already be a powerful force. Others such as ourselves will at most have a Trireme or a Bireme. Some may have Galleys or a Liburna. If they are lucky we may even see a Longship or something like the Mengchong's we saw on the River." Kai continued as he continued to look at the map. "All of these ships are great for Lords such as Lord Lazarus or Guilds like ours. However, one thing that most people are lacking is funds. We could spend lavishly and buy new ships, so they can return home and buy something better or invest it the gold in ways to help them grow."
"There is also the enemy Player Ships." Dom put forwards as he realised what Kai was thinking, frustrated that he hadn't seen the bigger picture himself.
"So we buy up all of the other Player's Ships?" Andrew asked Kai. "But what would Dom, sorry I mean Lord Lazarus, do with low quality ships when he has a fleet of Trireme?"
"I'm not thinking about what we can do with them here, I am thinking about what we can do with them there." Kai stated, before looking towards Dom with a grin who matched his smile. "There are two battlefields taking place. Why can't we look for gains at the other."
"We don't have the Warriors to get involved with the Battle of Plataea." Subutai replied with a light smile, "I feel like I am listening to a younger Crassus, what are your actual thoughts."
"We don't need to fight at Plataea, we need to recruit. The Athenians and Spartans and their Allies are fighting against Mardonius and the Persians with their Greek Allies." Kai explained, "Can't we use that as an option."
"What my friend here is saying, is we go to Plataea and steal the rewards that the other Lords, Guilds and Players may be going for." Andrew added, which received nods of acceptance from Gan Ning, Ling Tong and Sun Ce.
"I could speak with Pausanias, warn him of what is to come." Alpheus commented, "Based on the conversations I have heard, I expect I wasn't supposed to be alive at Plataea, but he will trust me."
"I will go with you brother, two of us together would lead better in persuasion." Maron, another Spartan invited added. "We could try and recruit him and some of our old comrades."
"Or capture him at the end of the battle and throw him on the ship with you." The Spartan Cleombrotus put forwards.
"You have changed a lot since you arrived." Gan Ning laughed towards the Spartan who smiled in response. "That is definitely an option."
"Wouldn't stealing a General cause those forces to turn against us?" Artemisia asked, which the others in the room nodded in response.
"That is the fun of these Missions Artemisia." Gan Ning replied joyfully to the laughter of some of the other Heroes and Warriors that had been with them since the early days.
"What about you Phillip, you are Thebian, could you persuade your counterparts?" Centurion Alexander asked his colleague.
"I was born a long time after these battles. You are asking me to travel across the sea in a ship that doesn't yet exist, cross land and a battlefield between what we expect to be over half a million warriors, to speak to the enemy forces and persuade some proud Thebian Hoplite's to swap sides for someone they have never met?" Centurion Phillip asked with a raised eyebrow in response.
"It is quite a big ask actually." Centurion Alexander replied in thought, before Phillip laughed at him in glee.
"It is a big ask, but oh does it sound fun! I will take some of my brothers and we will join Maron and Alpheus." Centurion Phillip replied, before turning to Dom who began to speak.
"I would expect Pausanius to use the reinforcements arriving on the front line to thin his enemies numbers. They are not Greek and they are definitely not Spartan." Dom explained to the room, "This may extend the battle timeframe or at least protect the number of Warriors on both sides."
"So we buy the fastest ship we can find, travel across the Aegean Sea and recruit or capture what we need?" Zhou Yu nodded as he spoke, "This sounds like a good plan, if we can crew the ship at least."
"The more ships the better." Dom stated, "If the exit point is the Sea, then we may need to take everything we gain to the Sea. Crassus we may need to prepare a lot of funds for this."
"If we don't make any purchases and lose either the Bellona or the Sibylla, this is a big loss." Crassus replied seriously, "The risk is worth it, but I wanted to put that forwards."
"We will not be loosing either the Sibylla or the Bellona." Artemisia declared fiercely to Crassus and the others, with both Centurions Cato and Elon nodding in agreement.
"We will need experienced crew as well to go on this side trip, I will go and lead the detachment." Sun Ce declared to the group.
"I need you if it becomes a land Battle at Mycale as expected." Dom replied after some thought, "Ling Tong, will you do it?"