05 – Puny Allies

“Right, back to negotiating!” Archdrew turned back to the council with gusto now that his opponent was silenced. His beard had slipped out from his cloak and he straightened it whilst eyeing the Senior Council wolfishly.

“I would have loved to offer you terms you almost couldn’t refuse, as we did to Genoa,” the ambassador grinned, “but unfortunately you’re on the wrong side of the peninsula. The captains of our fleets don’t like the idea of sailing all the way round Sicily and through the Adriatic to reach this wonderful city.” He drooped, pausing whilst his disappointment and sadness drenched the very soul of the room.

Then his posture straightened again, and authority filled his voice. “The Punic League doesn’t want to see Ravenna fall. That’s all I really have for you.” He gave them a wry yet warm smile. “We’re willing to set up a magic-void beacon for you if it would help. The Huns don’t yet have good tools to break through a city wall without magic, it might buy you a couple of months.”

“It would also be difficult for us to defend our city wall without magic.” Captain Dolmades replied. “Unless I am mistaken believing that golems cannot function within a magic void?”

“No, you’re right,” Archdrew confirmed. “You’d need a sizeable force of –”

“I’d also love to know what terms you offered Genoa?” asked Count Montefel, interrupting before the ambassador could finish his explanation.

“And could I have some more of that delicious Barbaresco?” Mayor Orzo asked Paul, before turning back to his colleagues with a nervous chuckle.

Ambassador Archdrew, still standing, impatiently tapped his foot. When that didn’t work quickly enough he smacked the bottom of his staff into the floor with a loud bang, shaking everyone except Tessera. Wine splattered on Paul’s hands, who grew a little more respectful for the usual serving staff. And Archdrew began expanding his answer whilst the blow still echoed:

“Genoa received a magic-void beacon that covers not only the city but also most of the countryside that they’re responsible for. In addition they’ve been granted trade-rights on par with Carthage, voting rights in our parliament, help from advisors to adapt their economy and military to the absence of magic, and the guarantee that the whole Punic League will mobilise and rally to their cause if the city is ever threatened. They’re a full member, an equal among equals.” He seemed proud. The annexation of Genoa was probably his baby project.

“In exchange, Genoa is obliged to join the League in war if any of our member cities are threatened, or if our parliament votes in favour of war with a two-thirds majority. They must also maintain a standing army with a size of one percent of their population, and prepare ten percent of their citizens for war so that they can be drafted with one month’s notice. They have also stopped persecuting the Puny cult, freed all slaves and outlawed slavery, and turned their temples to Neptune into piles of rubble and dung.”

The longer Ambassador Archdrew’s list continued, the less attractive it sounded. At least to Paul. Sure the large collective military would provide a nice safety blanket, but to be forced into war by the will of a far-away ‘parliament’? To be perpetually ready for war? To disrupt the ties between slaves and owners? To be without the wonders of magic? How could such a society ever progress?

Questions, answers, and debate went back and forth for some time. Golemmaster Farfal grew grumpy, Mayor Orzo tired, Captain Dolmades visibly frustrated. Meanwhile Archdrew kept smiling, kept sniping with subtle threats and insinuations.

It became appearent that the Punic League couldn’t offer much because of a critical lack of trust. Still remembering what happened to the followers of the Puny Cult in Lebanon, they wouldn’t share their military technology for fear that it would be used against them. For the same reason they didn’t want to give any Ravennans an opportunity to study a magic-void beacon, which made placing multiple of them in a circle around the city (as Dolmades proposed) hideously expensive.

When Captain Dolmades snapped and demanded proof that the Punic League and Puny Cult actually wanted Ravenna to survive, the fire that Archdrew had levelled at Tessera returned to his eyes. “Of course we dislike you,” he spat, “With your magic, blood clings to your soldiers and your servants, even to the lights on your porch. Half your citizens don’t even own their own lives. I know you’d all turn over our cities’ leaders to the emperor if you could. And you don’t even notice our generosity.” He glared. “Despite everything we sell you our gems. Don’t think we need to. True we use to proceeds to buy steel from Milan, but we’d figure out how to make steel ourselves if we had to. As we’ve always done what we had to. Don’t think we don’t know how our gems are used, and the cost that comes with such acts, not paid by you yourselves. Because we do care about your citizens, even if you do not. And whilst you are bad, the Huns are worse. So we sell you our gems so that you can make your golems, so that you may stand a chance. We’re even willing to fund one magic-void beacon, for your protection, at our expense. So don’t you dare suggest that we don’t care if Ravenna falls to the Huns.” He breathed out, a long breath. “We’re simply not suicidal.”

After this explosion the conversation took a more light-hearted turn, guided by Count Montefel, in which a bold scenario was discussed wherein Ravenna, Genoa and Milan would form the core of a new Italian League, with Genoa acting as a bridge with the Punic League. It would make Orzo famous and most of his citizens would love love him, he was assured. But without the support of Milan and the other Italian cities it was just that: a scenario, a mirage.

When that discussion too fell silent Archdrew made his final contribution. “I think…” he began, stroking his beard whilst staring into space, “… though I’d hate to facilitate possesion-type entities… it’d probably be worth it in the long run…” He looked straight at Mayor Orzo. “The Puny Cult could make the possessor plan safer, should you go that route. Exorcising possessing spirits from their hosts –as we are capable of doing– has proven to be just as good at deterring possessor-type entities as your own –admittedly very effective– policy of banishing the spirit with iron and fire. And there’s much less collateral damage. The host survives. Something that you might appreciate if you’re expecting a string of possessions.” Orzo blinked. “In exchange the Cult would want to be allowed to practice openly, to proselytize, to maintain a small magic void, and to be protected from persecution.”

“I suppose you could also just hide your important people inside a magic void.”

There was some more noise, some more words, but nothing of note. Ravenna had some more options to consider, but no deal had been struck. And the gems of the mines of Carthage would continue to flow, traded via Genoa, enabling the Ravennan craft and financing the Punic League’s purchases of Milanese steel and arms.

And when the clock struck nine, Count Montefel’s received his turn to present his services, his fees, and his terms of purchase.