Arsakês' rule has lasted for nearly a quarter of a century, making him the longest reigning Phrygian monarch since Hippolytos Gordias himself, and indeed it is still possible that he may outlive his illustrious forebear. His reign has been marked by attempts at fostering the arts and culture, and overhauling Phrygia's administration. However, his attempts are stifled by the stranglehold Athens imposes on the Euxine Sea, which greatly hampers Phrygia's foreign trade; and by the tithe and additional taxes extracted from the Hypsianistarians by the Republic of Zeon.

These factors have marred what would be an otherwise glorious rule. In order to restore confidence, Arsakês turns, as his ancestors did before him, to the East. Neasthuemia is a large and vaguely defined region, of which only a small portion is under Phrygian control. It is settled mostly by Karhuans, a Borean-Hellenic race, but in recent years the Khrobatians have forced their way into a dominant position. The Khrobatians a Slavic people, who as a general rule live the life of the steppe lords, much like the Phrygians or the Tsaghars; in fact, one of the larger clans in the Phrygian kingdom is Clan Khrobatoi, of which the doux is currently Borislav IV. The Khrobatians in Neasthuemia grow larger and more arrogant by the day, and although they could not hope to match the power of a united Phrygia, Arsakês has (for aforementioned reasons) found it difficult to count on the loyalty of his vassals. However, subjugating the Khrobatians of Neasthuemia would be an effective way of showing the Basileus' power and should make unruly tributaries think twice about questioning his authority.

And so Arsakês has decided to raise men from his own lands and those of his closest friends, including Borislav IV himself ; and they have resolved to march upon the Khrobatians. They will loot the region for all of its worth, attempting to lure out the Khrobatian army into a pitched battle, which Phrygia is sure to win. Once the Khrobatians are defeated, tribute will be extracted and the Khrobatian regions will be made to bend the knee to the Phrygian crown.

However, the Khrobatian realms are large and it is unlikely that Arsakês will be able to subjugate them all in one campaign. He hopes to at least secure their Northern lands before moving on to the southern half of their realm.

Can't paint a map RN - but the two regions I don't own bordering the Aral sea, plus one region just to the north of these two regions, and one just to the south (both of the latter being adjacent to regions I already own)