Court of Assyr

[Assyr]

Court of Assyr

   Foreigners hoping to reach the capital city of Assyr would have to traverse through miles of unforgiving desert, either by camel, horse, or cart. The latter is not recommended. An ambassador would need to bring many armed men to protect themselves, bandits and thieves thrive in large numbers just waiting for their next target. Eventually your party would have to cross the Euphrates river; bridges have yet to be constructed. Once the round city of Uruk comes into view on the horizon you may breathe a sigh of relief. Only twenty miles of relatively flat rocky land is left. By this time you and your men might have spotted the Great Arabian Trade Route, which conveniently directs a semi safe path towards the capital.

   Be aware that once your group reaches the Janub Gate you will be stopped by many Suraq guards that will be asking why you have come. This is done to all travelers, both foreign and local. So don’t feel like a snowflake, whatever that is. For the safety of the Assyrians within the city any foreign ambassadors entering the capital must only bring three of their elite men for protection, any more and we will see that as a threat. The rest of your party will be provided with water and food ,they may rest outside of the capital walls under watch by our guards. Hopefully your ambassador brought with them something to identify their country, a banner perhaps or an insignia.

   For your safety you will be escorted by about a dozen guards via tunnel underground. Many Assyrians do not take kindly to foreigners in their home. It is a bit of a walk through the complex system of tunnels, but soon you would reach the underground entrance to the Palace of Ra. Once in the palace your ambassador will be directly escorted to the throne room where you will meet the the king of Assyr, your bodyguards will not be needed inside the throne room and as such they will be delivered to a room of waiting.

   Carved pillars hold up a beautifully detailed mosaic ceiling. Large open arches along the walls let the gentle breeze of the desert in, with beams of sunlight. Stone steps lead up to King Nebuchadnezzar IV, who lies comfortably on a purple colored couch. Two servants standing nearby donned with simple apparel similar to the Egyptians wave large fans at his majesty. Two other servant stand frighteningly still, one holds a pitcher of water and the other a pitcher of wine. Both of them hold decorated chalices if the king wants a drink. At the base of the steps stand a linguist who is fluent in several languages. He would be translating for you and the king. You are instructed to bow by one of the guards.

   After a few moments you hear a deep voice speaking in Persian, “Rise, foreigner. Why have you come to Assyr?” The linguist quickly translates the message if needed.

Rules:

[Grand Auvergne]

"Who are you and why have you come in Uruk ?" Asked one of the many guards that stopped the little caravan. They were Suraq guard, even if the caravaneers had no idea what it trully meant. From their understanding, there was many such castes in this realm, but it didn't really mattered for them.

"We are the representatives of the Septimanian Traders." Said one of the man in Persian. "We have come to discuss trades with the King of Assyr."

Once they introduced themselves and their purposes, the four men and three of their guards will let them be guided through the underground of Uruk, up to the throne room. They bowed, as asked, and waited for the King to signal he was ready to hear them.

[Assyr]

King Nebuchadnezzar IV hardly bothers to respond to the foreigners who were still bowing, instead he signaled for one of the servants to bring him a chalice of wine. The servant carefully filled the cup and quickly gave it to the King. Nebuchadnezzar sipped slowly, he finished his drink and gave the cup back to his servant.

This all took a good two minutes, but finally the king spoke, "You may rise foreigners. Tell me why you have decided to visit Assyr?" The King's face looked very stern, his eyes narrowed.

[Grand Auvergne]

"Your Majesty." Started the one speaking Persan. "We come to you with one goal : peace."

"War is the antithesis of everything we, the Septimanian Traders Guild, stand for : Trades, Laws, Prosperity. We already had the occasion to discuss in our letters about our stand on the currents matters. We do not agree with your...sudden takeover of the Roads and of its wealth. We support the King of Judah, but in the wait of another option. Because, as I said : War is the antithesis of our values."

The man then slowly took out of his travelling robe a scroll of paper he then presented to the king, waiting for a servant to take it to him.

"But there is another way. The old Road was chaotic and dangerous, because of the numerous intermediaries. But with your rise, new possibilities are opening. See : series of markets, each in a different realm, with privileges and exclusivities : your merchants, having their special markets in the east, jewish merchants, having their own market here in Uruk, and then, westerner having their own market in Judah. A long chain, more efficient and safer than before, because each step will be under the protection of a powerful lord."

"This way, your Majesty will be able to secure his rigthful share of the Road, and the King of Judah will see his access to the wealth of the East secured, as it will be his own merchants who will come to you, to buy in your markets the goods of the Orient."

"Of course, the exact terms of this treaty are to be discussed. As it is, for the first draft, we took inspirations from historical examples, such as the Burglarians market in Constantinople. We have yet to present it to the King of Judah, as we want to know first if your Majesty, would be ready to negociate with him the last terms of such a Treaty ?"

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