by Rob Cooper
LONDON - 22 November 2014

"I foresee great contests at my funeral games"
Reported deathbed words of Alexander the Great

NEWS : 5 June 2014: DUE THE POPULARITY OF THIS GAME UNFORTUNATELY WE NOW HAVE NO GAME ROLES LEFT FOR FUNERAL GAMES. See the Future Games Page for alternatives.

It is June 323BC and Alexander the Great has died in Babylon at the age of 33, after conquering much of the known world. However, he has left no competent heir and his Generals have quickly fallen to squabbling over the future. Following some brief skirmishing between the Companions and the Infanty while the succession was decided there has been no more fighting between any of the Macedonian Generals.

But tensions are high, tempers are frayed and honour is constantly at stake.

It would take only a small spark to have these proud men turn on each other. Nevertheless these men recognise that their actions must appear legitimate and justified to their Macedonian soldiers.

The Macedonian Army and its Generals in Babylon have finally chosen Perdiccas to act as Regent to Alexander's unborn child (Alexander IV) and his imbecilic brother (Philip III). Alexander's plans for further conquest have been rejected, and Perdiccas has gathered around him a group of loyal former Bodyguards with the intention of creating a stable Empire as a legacy to its founder. He has already issued orders to crack down on unrest in several areas of the Empire.

Antipater, Alexander's elderly but greatly respected Regent in Macedonia, is confronted by a growing Greek rebellion, with many City States lining up to throw off the Macedonian yoke. Antipater has called for help from those nearby and Leonnatus, one of Alexander’s former Bodyguard is marching to his aid. Watching over Antipater's shoulder is Alexander's mother, Olympias, with his legacy and her family foremost in her mind.

In Asia Minor, Craterus, Alexander's most trusted General, lies ill. He has over 10,000 Macedonian veterans under his command. Originally ordered by Alexander to return to Europe to replace Antipater, the settlement at Babylon has granted him an obscure title and ordered him to continue home to Macedonia to join Antipater.

Also in Asia Minor is Antigonus the One Eyed, who has been successfully guarding the lines of communication between Europe and Asia for the last decade.

In Babylon work has begun on a huge funeral cortege to return Alexander's body to Pella, and Perdiccas has ordered Antigonus to crush the Cappadocians and open the Royal Road to Sardes. In the East, it is rumoured that 20,000 Greek are preparing to make their way back to Europe. Perdiccas has despatched Peithon (another of Alexander’s former bodyguards) to intercept them.

In Egypt, Ptolemy (yet another former Bodyguard) has moved swiftly from Babylon to establish control of his new Satrapy, keen to steer clear of impending conflicts. Elsewhere, other officers are lining up behind these various Generals, or sitting on the sidelines awaiting developments.

Roles

Most players will be former comrades, and will have served alongside one another, but three factions have already begun to emerge.

Note: We are happy to take preferences from prospective players for specific game roles, but would prefer these to be in terms of their preferred factions rather than individuals. Players should also be aware that death came quickly in this period, and even surviving for a few years might be considered a victory in some of these roles. There will be plenty of reserve characters available for those players who prematurely cross the Styx.

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