The Universal Record & Senatus Gazette

Persia (rost) Strikes at the Ancestral Hearth: Alexandria Taken from Egypt (GraffTroll)

Wax tablets carried by the imperial post confirm that legions of Persia (rost) have crossed the border into Alexandria, wresting this vital ancestral citadel from Egypt (GraffTroll). The local garrison was scattered before defenses could be assembled. Wine merchants of Persia rolled their finest casks into the squares and gave them away to all comers. 'Our grain stores and armories are prepared to hold what the frontline has taken,' declared a chief quartermaster.

Ancient Citadel Falls: Persia (rost) Drives Egypt (GraffTroll) from Thebes

The ancestral tombs and temples of Thebes are now held under armed watch by Persia (rost), following a brutal collapse of the home defenses of Egypt (GraffTroll). Scribes report that the main bronze portal was battered down under a relentless shower of stones. The augurs of Egypt found only ill omens in the entrails and refused to name the next day's sacrifice. Fortune-tellers at the crossroads are doing excellent trade; they predict victory for everybody, in turn.

Paramount Realm: Persia (rost) Takes the Lead in the Imperial Race

A commanding lead has been established by Persia (rost), which now governs 14 flourishing strongholds across the continent. Tribunes and magistrates express supreme confidence as the treasury continues to absorb abundant provincial tribute. The sculptors of Persia were commissioned that very evening to carve a triumphal arch. 'The sea-lanes and provincial revenues now answer to Persia,' proclaimed an ambitious harbor prefect.

The Ascent of Persia (rost): 3 Cities Gained

The eagle standards of Persia (rost) advanced without pause this year, adding 3 fortified cities to the sovereign census. Scribes in the capitol worked late into the evening updating boundary tablets and tax rolls. Crowds in Persia chanted praises to the legions, decking public colonnades with flowers and palm fronds. 'The sword has severed what treaties and envoys could not hold,' observed a veteran tribune of Persia.

A Season of Defeat: Egypt (GraffTroll) Yields 2 Cities

The fortunes of Egypt (GraffTroll) have taken a perilous turn for the worse after enemy offensives severed 2 cities from the realm. Cohorts fought bravely in rear-guard actions, but the loss of vital tribute cannot be masked. 'The generals will blame the scouts, the scouts the weather, and the weather the gods,' said a cynical clerk. The standard-bearers of Egypt lowered their eagles and walked with bowed heads through the empty forum.

The Anvil of Mars: Persia (rost) Expands Its Ranks

Revenues from newly won provinces have permitted Persia (rost) to commission 3 additional units without straining the domestic treasury. Officers express high confidence in the defensive depth now established along the frontier. 'The mule does not care who owns the cart,' offered a muleteer, flicking his whip. Travellers at a roadside inn near the border argued the matter over bread and olives until the lamps burned low.

The Bitter Feud of Carthage (Keeper) and Rome (Deathrun)

For 2 consecutive years, the soil has drunk the blood of Carthage (Keeper) and Rome (Deathrun) in an unrelenting contest that knows neither truce nor mercy. Generations of warriors have worn out their shields while statesmen trade identical grievances. The Egyptian priests, who have watched empires come and go for three thousand years, merely noted the date. 'Ask me again when the snow has melted and the roads are open,' advised a courier changing horses.

Swords Never Sheathed: The Unbroken Feud of Greece (Zikurat) and Persia (rost)

A relentless cycle of raid and reprisal continues to consume the resources of Greece (Zikurat) and Persia (rost). Sages and priests have long ceased their appeals for concord, resigning themselves to endless enmity. The same armies met again at Athens, Byzantinum, Sinope and Sparta, with no better manners. Foreign magistrates convened emergency councils, weighing how best to navigate the altered balance. The legal justifications offered by imperial rhetoricians are as ornate as they are thoroughly unconvincing.

Ledger-keepers of Carthage (Keeper) write a happy line (+2) and total the realm at 8 strongholds. Fortunes wane for Egypt (GraffTroll), whose realm shrinks by 2 cities, leaving them at 2. Empty granaries and shuttered counting-houses in Greece (Zikurat): down 1 stronghold, to 2 strongholds. Persia (rost) reports abundant harvests and rising revenues, securing 3 additional strongholds to reach 14.

An intercepted parchment indicates that generals of Greece and envoys of Persia shared roasted mutton and wine behind the picket lines. Gossip in the public baths suggests a dynastic betrothal between an influential patrician of Rome and a noble daughter of Persia.

A pale comet was seen over the eastern hills for three nights in 3; augurs disagree on whether it favours the sword or the plough.

STRAYED: A grey donkey with a white nose, answers to nothing. Return to the baker near the Fountain Gate.