The biggest issue I have with going to Spain is that it requires us burning a lot, if not all, of the bridges we've built so far. It's almost like starting over to a point. I get the sense that we can still have some positive rapport with Sertorius even if we turn him down, in that our reasoning for doing so has to do with loyalty to one's family and current patron. That's to be respected and commended; not turning coat when the first sign of a 'better' option comes along.
That and allying ourselves with Sertorius like this puts a very real target on our back. From Sulla should he win obviously, but even from the Marian faction. Marius isn't long for this world regardless of the outcome, and when he passes, who his 'successor' will be is going to be hotly (ie. violently) contested. The Marian faction in Rome is going to see Sertorius as a rival.
I'd rather be at the eye of the storm. Build up connections in Italy and then push outwards.
So I was hesitating, but in the end I am convinced that accepting the offer is foolish.
What are its supposed merits? Military glory and adventures, a 'power base' , safety from Rome's intrigues.
What glory is to be had is in first hand the glory of Sertorius; at best we'd be moon to his sun. In worst case our Sulla to his Marius. The same with the power base, we'd depend on what a single man can build.
Earlier in the campaign, when choosing which legion to follow, a possibility other than the VIth was the IInd legion in southern Gaul.
That was the safer alternative, with the same promises of military experience outside the civil war and riches.
I think the arguments against going to southern Gaul haven't changed, for going to Hispania.
I argued then choosing self-exile was not a good move, and even more than a little cowardly.
The Civil War is here, and like a kayak in the middle of a rapid, our best bet is trying to ride the stream, not steering for the banks and be smashed on the rocks for trying.
I feel not going to Gaul was a great choice, and we had some splendid adventures under Sertorius with the VIth.
I understand the people wanting more of that, I also want that, hence why I was tempted to vote for that.
But continuing to have such fantastic campaigns is not depending on following Sertorius, we can have them without him, including military ones, I'm sure we will have choices that make that possible if we so wish.
This all before the, not betrayal, but unthankfulness and disloyalty towards Scaevola.
Along with cutting bridges (maybe not all, but despite the efforts of the options the quixotic vote, still most of them) to the Optimates. Others have argued at length about this, and all the other downsides of this choice.
We took the riskier choice of war with the Samnites in order to stay closer to Rome, and I think most will agree it was a good decision.
I don't think the offer changes that, so I will choose to:
The tally won't group your vote with other stay the course votes as its missing the "Plan" text. The way to make the tally recognize is to vote as below:
The tally won't group your vote with other stay the course votes as its missing the "Plan" text. The way to make the tally recognize is to vote as below:
-[X] Write-In: Discipline. It is said soldiers ignored Sertorius and his officers' commands to cease during the sack. There must be a punishment for such insubordination. You have the pay of all men who ignored orders heavily docked. Gold speaks louder than blood.
-[X] Write-In: Memorial. Have a stone monument erected outside the ruins of Nola, with an inscription in large letters, high enough off the ground that a man cannot easily reach it. "Here stood the city of Nola, spurning the outstretched hand of Rome. Here came the sword of Rome, in the year of Flaccus and Marius. Here fell the city of Nola."
-[X] The Cult of Mars: You attempt to solidify your small cult, turning it into an organization which may survive the transition from military life to civilian. Having brothers bound by bonds deeper than blood in the killing fields of the Senate may prove useful.
-[X] Expand Journal: You begin expanding your journal to include more than strictly military matters, such as political happenings or philosophical musings.
-[X] Make Connections: Ever aloof and arrogant, the aristocrats of the equtii, the knights of Rome, have come to respect you as a leader to look up to over the course of this campaign. You could try to make some deeper connections that might serve you well in the city.
Been a bit busy, so I missed most of the discussion the other day, but I wanted to talk about the relationship between Atellus and Scaevola as that's been brought up a lot. Atellus was never going to be friends/allies with Scaevola long term. They are fundamentally different people. We voted to make Atellus an idealistic populares at game start, much like his father was.
Populares [] You believe in the freedom and equality of all Roman citizens, in the right of every Roman to his own word and voice. This, to you, overrides all other concerns. You speak to the people, telling them that you might see their dreams fulfilled.
--Idealist [] You do not simply pay lip service to the ideas of honesty and fairness. Plebian or patrician alike, all Romans should stand equally and have their voices heard. For is every citizen not a Roman true?
"Your father was my enemy, boy. He was a populist, a people's soldier. But he was a steadfast man, a good Roman, and true. Not like these...Marians." He spits the word like a curse. "Marians -- as if Marius has any control over them still. The men who rule this city now are rabble, agitators with more ideals than sense. They butcher fathers in the streets and their sons in their cribs. They hold no respect for decorum or honor, tradition or legacy."
Enemy. That was how Scaevola viewed Atellus' father. The reason they were enemies is because he was a populist. Just like Atellus. It didn't matter that he was 'a steadfast man, a good Roman, and true'. It didn't matter that he respected him enough to teach Atellus. It didn't matter that he hated the Marians more. All that matter was that he was a populist, just like Atellus, which makes him an enemy. We are either going to end up on opposites sides as Scaevola, or we're going to change Atellus' character entirely.
This idea that we're betraying Scaevola is also off the mark, in my opinion. At what point is it acceptable to not base our decisions around Scaevola? How is it that we pay him back and who decides that we've done enough? Do we have to spend the next eight years stationed in Gaul with some commander plotting to off us because he's buddies with Pompey, sending thank you letters back to Rome? Are we keeping track of favors owed? What do we owe for Scaevola getting us appointed as the broad stripe tribune? What does Scaevola owe us for when we informed him that Pompey was plotting a coup? Do we owe Scaevola for getting the legion it's pay? Or does he owe us, because it tipped him off to corruption and he got to claim the credit for cleaning up?
Atellus isn't betraying Scaevola, he's going in a different direction, he's making his own decisions. Which Scaevola had to have known was going to happen eventually, because he's not an idiot, and he pointed out in our very first meeting that he was enemies with Atellus' father, because he was a populist, just like Atellus. Scaevola isn't going to support Atellus in reforming the republic, because Scaevola doesn't want the republic to be reformed. Scaevola isn't going to support Atellus in becoming Caesar, because Scaevola doesn't want a Caesar. Scaevola doesn't want anything to change, he's a traditionalist, while Atellus most certainly is not.
If Atellus is betraying Scaevola, then Atellus was always going to betray Scaevola, because Atellus has completely different goals than Scaevola. We're not ever going to get better than sitting down with him, explaining ourselves, and thanking him before parting ways, because parting ways was always the end game.
The second thing I wanted to address is Rome, and how we're not going there regardless of our choice, unless the legion just straight up gets disbanded. There are so many arguments that are talking about Rome, how we're fleeing it, how our family is there, how all the politicking, backstabbing, and excitement is in Rome. Rome is great, Rome would probably have a lot to do, but we're not going to Rome. We're going to Africa. We're going to Gaul. We're going to Greece. We are going anywhere other than Rome. We might be near Rome. We might be in Northern Italy. Or maybe we'll get stationed in Southern Italy. But we aren't in Rome. We aren't protecting our family from the mob, or Sulla, or the Marians, because we won't be there. We aren't showing our gratitude to Scaevola. We aren't politicking or meeting famous historical figures. And we aren't running away from it, because we're attached to the legion, and we don't decide where that legion goes.
The last thing I wanted to go over was risk. It has been pointed out that siding with Sertorius is a gamble, because if Sulla wins then he's going to murder us or exile us, because that's what happened historically. Sertorius lost. This is ignoring that the Sertorian wars lasted years, and ended with Sertorius being assassinated, rather than being captured in battle or surrendering. But, yes, I agree picking a side is gamble in the sense that ever picking a side is, at that the worst case scenario is that we pick a side, lose, Sulla purges our family, and we die.
I think that's very unlikely and I'll go over why. I'll also go over what I think the worst case scenario is if we don't go with Sertorius. To begin, Sulla has to actually win. Which is no guarantee, as Marius took five legions with him to go smash face. That is a huge amount, Rome had 23 legions total during the 2nd Punic war, about 100 years ago.
The Marian-controlled Senate officially declares Sulla an enemy of Rome and her people, and bestows Marius with full proconsular imperium over Greece and Asia, tasking him to both defeat Sulla and end the war with Mithridates. In weeks, Rome springs alive with the drums of war. Marius, drawing on his personal funds and the funds of his allies, levies five legions in the Campus Martius, using all of his influence and fame to draw volunteers and veterans alike to his banner. He is aided in this effort by the consul Flaccus, who, as flamen martalis, the High Priest of Mars, declares the war against Mithridates to be a just war, endorsed and smiled upon by the red god of war himself, Mars Ultor.
Now, even if Sulla wins, he still has to deal with Mithradates, which is why he's down there in the first place. It's a three way war, anyone could really win, even Mithradates, but lets say the Sulla destroys Marius' five legions and whatever Mithradates has, he then has to return to Rome, take the city, start purging everyone, and then decide he's in a position to order Sertorius to Rome, thus starting the Sertorian wars. Assuming he wins Sulla's resources will already be stretched thin, after Marius, the guy with absolute control in Rome, just raised 5 legions to go fight him. Sulla will be in a much weaker position than he was historically. That could push back his demands of Sertorius even further, because he still has to deal with Mithradates, which took years, and another 5 legions lead by Marius on top of that. Even if Sulla wins, we have a huge amount of time to prepare.
Now, let's theorycraft some bad options if we turn down Sertorius' offer and wait to learn what our fate is. First off, we get sent to back up Marius. He now has six legions. We beat up Sulla, head back to Rome, Marius decides he doesn't like the optimates, starts a purge, and we're now murdering Scaevola. That was fun. Or how about we get sent to back up Marius and lose? Now we're dead, and so is our family. So, basically what happens in the other timeline. Or how about we back up Marius, and then swap sides to support Sulla? Well, I guess we betrayed both our ideals and the Marians. We then get sent to Spain to murder Sertorius. I guess actual betrayal isn't that bad.
How about if we get sent to southern Italy, and the guy who replaces Sertorius is loved by the legion and staunchly pro Marius? I guess our choice was made for us once again. But wait, now Pompey is marching towards us, and Sulla won out in Asia. I guess we'll just beat everyone with only the VI legion, surely we won't lose and die, waiting for Sulla to start his purge against our family. Or we could try to betray our commander, except the VI likes the other guy more than us and we get killed by our own men, dying as a traitor.
Same situation as last time, except now the commander is super into Sulla. And Sulla wins in Asia! Awesome, now we march back to Rome and start the purge once again. Sure are glad we're supporting the guy wantonly slaughtering people for having the same ideals we do. This can only end well. Oh well, at least our family is safe. Sure is lucky we aren't really responsible for any of this, after all, someone else made the decision for us. Maybe we can convince Sulla to not murder anyone, that seems reasonable.
How about if we're just in the middle of nowhere? We hang out on the sidelines, hoping that whoever wins is merciful, or that our commander was supporting them. Sadly our commander was an idiot or hated us, and would teach us nothing. The VI likes us, or maybe not, because they weren't getting paid during the chaos of the civil war, nearly revolting, and we just wasted years of our life accomplishing nothing, learning nothing. Worse off than we were before we decided to leave everything up to chance.
The worst part about all of this is the lack of agency. We don't get to make these decisions, they're made for us. We're being given the chance to put ourselves in a reasonably good position and we're giving it up because we want to put off the inevitable, or we think that we're going to spend all our time in the legion hanging out in Rome, or that we somehow convinced ourselves that making no choice is better than making any choice.
It will never get easier. Rome is not a city of blacks and whites, it is a city of red and crimson, of untruths and lies, of wrongs and lesser wrongs. The champion of today may be next year's prisoner, and the hero cheered in the Forum may await his execution on the morrow. The only true choice is to make a choice, the only certain death lies in uncertainty.
If Caesar had dithered on the Rubicon, he would have been lost.
Been a bit busy, so I missed most of the discussion the other day, but I wanted to talk about the relationship between Atellus and Scaevola as that's been brought up a lot. Atellus was never going to be friends/allies with Scaevola long term. They are fundamentally different people. We voted to make Atellus an idealistic populares at game start, much like his father was.
This was how Scaevola described Atellus' father.
Enemy. That was how Scaevola viewed Atellus' father. The reason they were enemies is because he was a populist. Just like Atellus. It didn't matter that he was 'a steadfast man, a good Roman, and true'. It didn't matter that he respected him enough to teach Atellus. It didn't matter that he hated the Marians more. All that matter was that he was a populist, just like Atellus, which makes him an enemy. We are either going to end up on opposites sides as Scaevola, or we're going to change Atellus' character entirely.
This idea that we're betraying Scaevola is also off the mark, in my opinion. At what point is it acceptable to not base our decisions around Scaevola? How is it that we pay him back and who decides that we've done enough? Do we have to spend the next eight years stationed in Gaul with some commander plotting to off us because he's buddies with Pompey, sending thank you letters back to Rome? Are we keeping track of favors owed? What do we owe for Scaevola getting us appointed as the broad stripe tribune? What does Scaevola owe us for when we informed him that Pompey was plotting a coup? Do we owe Scaevola for getting the legion it's pay? Or does he owe us, because it tipped him off to corruption and he got to claim the credit for cleaning up?
Atellus isn't betraying Scaevola, he's going in a different direction, he's making his own decisions. Which Scaevola had to have known was going to happen eventually, because he's not an idiot, and he pointed out in our very first meeting that he was enemies with Atellus' father, because he was a populist, just like Atellus. Scaevola isn't going to support Atellus in reforming the republic, because Scaevola doesn't want the republic to be reformed. Scaevola isn't going to support Atellus in becoming Caesar, because Scaevola doesn't want a Caesar. Scaevola doesn't want anything to change, he's a traditionalist, while Atellus most certainly is not.
If Atellus is betraying Scaevola, then Atellus was always going to betray Scaevola, because Atellus has completely different goals than Scaevola. We're not ever going to get better than sitting down with him, explaining ourselves, and thanking him before parting ways, because parting ways was always the end game.
I think this is entirely untrue. We are far from being locked into enemies or even into going different ways with Scaveola. Yes, Scaveola described our father as an enemy. However, if there was true enmity there, like the one that between Sulla and Marius, or even lesser hatred, Scaveola wouldn't take us as a client and a protege in the first place. This is an extremely close relationship, and a very prestigious position you don't give to an offspring of someone you truly hate. So in my opinion, you are doing Scaveola a big disservice when you say that him saying that our father was 'a steadfast man, a good Roman, and true' doesn't matter. People can and will disagree, but it does not need to come to the fights to the death, more often than not deaths of the entire families and all friends of the opponents. In fact, if there's any hope of saving the Republic, like I know some want, I think it would be extremely important to keep our relationships with Optimates in general and Scaveola in particular functioning - because just oppressing and murdering your opponents any time your party comes in power obviously doesn't work.
Next, in my opinion, you are also entirely shortchanging the relationship between the patron and the client. I did not overestimate when I said that the patron becomes a second father. This is a very close and even sacred relationship, and it cannot and should not be viewed as a simple exchange of favors and an account of who owes whom what. Do you count the upbringing of children as you giving them credit, and do you give them a bill after they are of age? Of course not. Like that, our relationship with Scaveola is not so simply counted.
It is true, that the disagreements between us might grow big enough that we would go apart from each other, even if I would not want that. But, in my opinion, there's a gigantic difference between us eventually going our way from Scaveola after we get our own reputation and successes, and exchanging him for Sertorius right now. Former would be much less insulting than the other, because those would truly be our actions to forge our way, instead of running with Sertorius to forge his, to the point that we are willing to break the bond of patronage. It would say much less about how important do we consider that bond with him.
However, like I said higher, it is far from certain that our disagreements, which will undoubtedly be present, would take us apart. Saying that Scaveola doesn't want change and reform would be calling him an idiot - most of the blind people in Rome right now can see that the Republic as it is now does not work at all. Scaveola, like practically all other of importance, wants to change it. In fact, he already tried to change it, not that long ago - he, with his friend and forever colleague Crassus Orator tried to back the reforms of Tribunus plebis Marcus Livius Drusus. Those were pretty big reforms we don't really know a lot about, and it is uncertain just how much of the support for the common people was there just to get their support back, and how much was out of concern for them, but it does show Of course, that all failed due to Rome being a giant viper's nest and crab's bucket in one, and sparked a Social War, but still, it shows that Scaveola is not at all opposed to the reforms, if he truly will believe that they are to the benefit of the Republic.
In conclusion, I wholly refuse your opinion that our opposition to Scaveola is inevitable, and that if the fate does put us into opposition to him, there wouldn't be a better way than right now.
The second thing I wanted to address is Rome, and how we're not going there regardless of our choice, unless the legion just straight up gets disbanded. There are so many arguments that are talking about Rome, how we're fleeing it, how our family is there, how all the politicking, backstabbing, and excitement is in Rome. Rome is great, Rome would probably have a lot to do, but we're not going to Rome. We're going to Africa. We're going to Gaul. We're going to Greece. We are going anywhere other than Rome. We might be near Rome. We might be in Northern Italy. Or maybe we'll get stationed in Southern Italy. But we aren't in Rome. We aren't protecting our family from the mob, or Sulla, or the Marians, because we won't be there. We aren't showing our gratitude to Scaevola. We aren't politicking or meeting famous historical figures. And we aren't running away from it, because we're attached to the legion, and we don't decide where that legion goes.
For your second point, I'll just say that even as different stations our legion can go to will offer us different levels of connection to Rome - for example, if we will be near it as a garrison, we will be practically in it, and would have a lot of chances to interact with everyone there - all of those stations would offer much greater connection to Rome, and to the civil war for Rome, than going to Spain with Sertorius.
The last thing I wanted to go over was risk. It has been pointed out that siding with Sertorius is a gamble, because if Sulla wins then he's going to murder us or exile us, because that's what happened historically. Sertorius lost. This is ignoring that the Sertorian wars lasted years, and ended with Sertorius being assassinated, rather than being captured in battle or surrendering. But, yes, I agree picking a side is gamble in the sense that ever picking a side is, at that the worst case scenario is that we pick a side, lose, Sulla purges our family, and we die.
I think that's very unlikely and I'll go over why. I'll also go over what I think the worst case scenario is if we don't go with Sertorius. To begin, Sulla has to actually win. Which is no guarantee, as Marius took five legions with him to go smash face. That is a huge amount, Rome had 23 legions total during the 2nd Punic war, about 100 years ago.
Now, even if Sulla wins, he still has to deal with Mithradates, which is why he's down there in the first place. It's a three way war, anyone could really win, even Mithradates, but lets say the Sulla destroys Marius' five legions and whatever Mithradates has, he then has to return to Rome, take the city, start purging everyone, and then decide he's in a position to order Sertorius to Rome, thus starting the Sertorian wars. Assuming he wins Sulla's resources will already be stretched thin, after Marius, the guy with absolute control in Rome, just raised 5 legions to go fight him. Sulla will be in a much weaker position than he was historically. That could push back his demands of Sertorius even further, because he still has to deal with Mithradates, which took years, and another 5 legions lead by Marius on top of that. Even if Sulla wins, we have a huge amount of time to prepare.
Now, let's theorycraft some bad options if we turn down Sertorius' offer and wait to learn what our fate is. First off, we get sent to back up Marius. He now has six legions. We beat up Sulla, head back to Rome, Marius decides he doesn't like the optimates, starts a purge, and we're now murdering Scaevola. That was fun. Or how about we get sent to back up Marius and lose? Now we're dead, and so is our family. So, basically what happens in the other timeline. Or how about we back up Marius, and then swap sides to support Sulla? Well, I guess we betrayed both our ideals and the Marians. We then get sent to Spain to murder Sertorius. I guess actual betrayal isn't that bad.
How about if we get sent to southern Italy, and the guy who replaces Sertorius is loved by the legion and staunchly pro Marius? I guess our choice was made for us once again. But wait, now Pompey is marching towards us, and Sulla won out in Asia. I guess we'll just beat everyone with only the VI legion, surely we won't lose and die, waiting for Sulla to start his purge against our family. Or we could try to betray our commander, except the VI likes the other guy more than us and we get killed by our own men, dying as a traitor.
Same situation as last time, except now the commander is super into Sulla. And Sulla wins in Asia! Awesome, now we march back to Rome and start the purge once again. Sure are glad we're supporting the guy wantonly slaughtering people for having the same ideals we do. This can only end well. Oh well, at least our family is safe. Sure is lucky we aren't really responsible for any of this, after all, someone else made the decision for us. Maybe we can convince Sulla to not murder anyone, that seems reasonable.
How about if we're just in the middle of nowhere? We hang out on the sidelines, hoping that whoever wins is merciful, or that our commander was supporting them. Sadly our commander was an idiot or hated us, and would teach us nothing. The VI likes us, or maybe not, because they weren't getting paid during the chaos of the civil war, nearly revolting, and we just wasted years of our life accomplishing nothing, learning nothing. Worse off than we were before we decided to leave everything up to chance.
The worst part about all of this is the lack of agency. We don't get to make these decisions, they're made for us. We're being given the chance to put ourselves in a reasonably good position and we're giving it up because we want to put off the inevitable, or we think that we're going to spend all our time in the legion hanging out in Rome, or that we somehow convinced ourselves that making no choice is better than making any choice.
Right, let me follow your example and go over it bit by bit. First, your worst case scenario, we go to Spain and Sulla wins.
To correct you, from the news that reached us during the siege, (which admittedly might not be accurate) Marius will be fighting Mithridates first, and then Sulla. So, if that's true, Sulla only have to fight one enemy, and Marius's legions will be banged up a bit. And I'm pretty sure Marius had only 3 legions with him to the east, with two remaining being the ones Sertorius will get if don't go with him. Here's a citation:
So Sullan victory is much likelier than you think, I believe, and it would be achieved with less casualties.
However, in the end, I do not believe it would particularly matter how hard would be his victory and how much time would it give us. If Sulla wins, than the entire might of Roman Republic will be turned against Sertorius, and then, no matter our preparations, we would be extremely outmatched in resources. Sertorian War lasted years, it's true, but only because Sertorius resorted to guerrilla warfare, avoiding set battles and preserving his forces. It is notable that in every big battle he fought, he never quite succeeded - and while he was a bit unlucky, a victory wouldn't help him much, because for every soldier he loses, the Republic could trade five and still win. Guerrilla warfare was a correct choice of tactics, from his point of view, but it does not exactly give him a chance of ultimate victory, and, personally, I really don't want Atellus to spend next decade running around from Roman legions all across Iberian Peninsula.
Next, I think you are being unfair and forgetting to mention that should Marius win, odds are he himself will not take Sertorius building his independent power base with glee. The update itself mentions that Sertorius is falling away from Cinna and Marius, never being all that connected to them in the first place, so it is entirely possible that for both Atellus and Sertorius, Marian victory ends up much the same us Sullan one - he orders Sertorius from Spain to finish his carrier, Sertorius refuses, and we again have to fight a war against the entire might of the Roman Republic. Only maybe without support from disgruntled Populares Sullan victory would produce, as I doubt remaining Optimates after Marian victory would see Sertorius as their last chance, and with betrayals in the legion or two full of Marian veterans loyal to him.
Third, your bad case scenarios. I won't lie, staying with our legion and being more connected to the civil war will be more risky in the short term. There are ways it could go wrong, some of those ways could lie outside of our control, and we most likely will have to take risks to make sure things go right. However, for all that, in my opinion you utterly underestimate just how much opportunity for important decisions it will have for us. In fact, I believe that staying with the legion is an option that would provide us more agency, likelier than not. Because for all the dithyrambs about how free we would be in Spain and how our decisions would matter, I really don't see all that much agency in choosing between a couple of options Sertorius would lay out for us, and then driving off some African raids or gaining a thousand or two of auxiliaries, all while hoping that maybe the fate will be kind for us and whoever wins the civil war will not decide to prune Sertorius from his power base, and that Pompey and his legions won't be important in the outcome, with him asking for our head as reward and us not being able to contest him in any way, as all our connections in Rome are burnt.
Actions and opportunities in the civil war will be risky, it's true, but as I've said before, right now the Rome is exceedingly unstable. A flap of butterfly's wings might change its fate, much less the actions of a capable tribune well liked in his legion. If there are ever opportunities for our actions to really matter and change the outcomes and dispositions of important historical figures in the next decade and a half, it is now. This is what I truly call agency, not the choice between which tribes we will pacify and by which means.
And even if by some quirk of fate we will end up removed from Rome and the civil war enough for it to not matter, it does not mean we would simply waste those years. Even leaving our legion and the glory in whatever duties it does, we would have opportunities to build connections and truly our own power base in whatever province we end up deployed. It would be a harder to do so without sympathetic supreme commander behind our back, it is true, but in exchange that power base would truly be ours, and it would have much better odds of surviving the civil war and still being there to support us in any our future endeavors.
[] Accept Sertorius' offer. Scaevola will doubtless be angered by your implicit rejection of his patronage, but you will gain as a mentor a man who learned at the feet of Marius himself. You will fight in the dusky fields of Spain where your father earned his glory and his name, and learn of war at the feet of a master. Hannibal, Scipio, Sertorius -- some of Rome's most beloved and hated names have arisen in Spain. Might you follow in their footsteps?
[] Refuse Sertorius' offer. You cannot leave Rome, and you cannot abandon the ties you have already made here to follow Sertorius on some quixotic quest to Spain. There is glory enough to be gained in Rome, if you know where to look.
Sertorius will push for the Sixth in-story regardless of your decision, but I'll only actually roll for it if you say yes. If not, he's automatically shot down and given a different set of legions to take Spain.
It's one of those weird votes where the players themselves have more power than Atellus does in order to allow the conceit of choice. Those will get rarer as time goes on, but I figured I shouldn't send you all off to Spain without a choice in the matter.
This entire quest we've been playing as Quintus Cingulatus Atellus, up until this vote when we suddenly change perspective entirely to instead take on the role of the Senate as Atellus approaches them to request the use of the VI Legion in Spain.
The military needs of the Republic, the potential consequences of giving Sertorius a legion that is already personally loyal to him, the politicking, backstabbing, and political backdoor deals of Rome, none of that matters anymore. Because whether they accept his request or not is no longer in their hands.
For no better reason than "Because he's The Protagonist™", the ability to decide the deployment of the VI Legion has fallen to a young Military Tribune with a single campaign to his name.
Except, that's not exactly true. It's worse than that. It's not even Atellus who decides where the Legion is deployed to, it's US.
Agency has been taken away from the people of the setting and given to a bunch of nerds arguing on the internet. Whenever we've made choices before this, it has always been as Atellus, we've never been given control over someone else.
The illusion is broken. The suspension of disbelief is shattered. Immersion lies butchered under the knife. The curtain has been pulled back and the wizard is our own reflection.
After all the debate and well-made arguments on both sides, I can only say this to @Telamon: Alea iacta est. The die is cast, let it land wherever it wills.
Take away this meta choice that we should never have been given in the first place and give it back to fate. Let the roll of the die determine where the VI Legion goes, and where we go with it, whether that be Spain, Gaul, Northern Italy, Southern Italy, Rome, Africa, or Greece.
Not really, though. Here, Doylist reason of not invalidating our vote can easily be given Watsonian explanation - Sertorius has a lot of pros and cons to account for in his push for the VI, and our decision just happens to be a deciding weight on the scales. If we don't go, he thinks "and beyond other cons, I also would be invalidating Atellus's decision for which he wouldn't thank me, so whatever, I have better ways to spend political capital than to really push for VI. If Senate doesn't want to give it to me, it's fine". And if we do, he thinks "and beyond other pros, Atellus did a lot of good work on it, and would be thankful if the legion came with him. Alright, I'll push for it a bit harder".
Yeah, I don't think Sertorius actually wants the VIth. He has precious little reason to be fond of them at the moment, after all. However he does want Atellus, and requesting the VIth is the simplest way to accomplish that. Should Atellus opt not to follow him to Spain, though, there is very little point to expending his political capital by requesting the legion.
-[] Refuse Sertorius' offer. You cannot leave Rome, and you cannot abandon the ties you have already made here to follow Sertorius on some quixotic quest to Spain. There is glory enough to be gained in Rome, if you know where to look.
-[] The Bacchanals: Rome's youngest and wealthiest throw their own extravagant private parties atop the Palatine Hill, great affairs of drinking, licentiousness, and all those vices which Romans have so long claimed to despise. Perhaps the eminent party of these Triumphal celebrations is that thrown by the eminent statesman Quintus Lutiatus Catulus, a renowned optimate, and his friend, Marius' nephew-in-law, Lucius Sergius Catalina. You have been personally invited to one of these celebrations by the latter. -[] Blood and Sand: The teeming hordes of Rome gather in the amphitheaters of the city to watch men fight and die and scrabble in the dirt for the glory and the name of Rome. Many of the city's more bloodthirsty elite take a special delight in these festivities, and several influential Senate members often watch.
-[] A Soldier's Welcome: You pay a visit to your sisters at the apartment Proserpina has rented for your family in Rome. Your old servants will be there as well. -[] Mentor: You pay a visit to the Pontifex Maximus, your mentor, the old jurist Scaevola.
December 21st, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
When you accepted the invitation, you were not sure what exactly, awaited you at the revels of Quintus Lutiatus Catulus.
Whatever you were expecting, this is most certainly not it.
Slaves wearing satyr horns and painted togas of gold dance and cavort before cheering nobilitas in front of a great pool filled with wine. Young men and women in various states of dress chase each other through palatial halls. Wherever your eyes fall, you see some new extravagance -- here a Senator's son collapsed in a pile atop a couch with several slaves in bright costumes, there an elder of great dignitas and standing cavorts wildly with girls half his age, and there a young nobilis dandling a grinning slave on his lap, running a hand over his chest as he feeds him grapes. Above it all, a wild frenetic music plays, a frenzied drum-filled symphony that harkens back to older, wilder days, when nymphs cavorted with men and satyrs danced and the gods themselves partook in the revels of men.
A tall man with golden gleaming skin steps out of the throng towards you, his toga a godly white, and for a split moment you think divine Dionysus himself has emerged to bless the revel with his presence. Then the 'god' smiles a beaming smile and clasps you about the shoulders.
"Ah, the...heroof Samnium has chosen to grace my fair party with his presence!" Up close, you can see the shine of the paint that covers every inch of Catulus' skin. Though you have seen the man in passing, you scarcely recognize him like this, all gleaming and costumed, adorned like a wild god out of wilder days. "I am certain you must be tired, after all your great and...mighty triumphs against the Samnites. My halls are yours, my slaves are yours, my drink is yours. Enjoy, and be merry."
He sights someone else in the crowd and lets out a shout, waving them over. Moments later, a young man with a mop of mousy brown hair and dark eyes emerges from the party, his bare chest covered in a dark fluid you hope is wine.
"Hail," Catulus begins "your guest has arrived. Please, show him how men of real standing celebrate a victory." With that, the golden god vanishes back into the bacchanal.
The young man clasps your shoulder and smiles apologetically. "I apologize if Catulus is a bit harsh. Marius had his father killed, you see. Marius, Sertorius, and their ilk. He may count you in with them, but I am not so blind, nor half so foolish. No student of Scaevola Pontifex could ever be a dumb sheep to follow Marius without thought."
He scans your eyes for a short moment.
"But you are not like them either, I do not think -- or do you love great Sulla, as your teacher does?"
You shrug. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. If it is foolish to follow blindly Marius, it is foolish then to follow blindly Sulla."
He grins. "Scaevola taught you well, to turn your tongue so. I knew I had cause to trust my instincts. I heard you speak in the Forum last year, and I thought to myself -- ah, here is a leader, not a follower. Rome needs more men like us, don't you think?"
"I might agree with that, sir, had I any idea who you are."
"Ah, of course, but where are my manners!" He bows. "You are graced with the presence of Lucius Sergius Catalina."
He grabs a cup of wine from a passing servant and shoves it into your hand, then claps. "Come then, let me introduce you to the future leading men of Rome."
You trail behind the young aristocrat as he flitters through the party, pointing out this noble and that young prospect. The optimate on the couch adored by slaves is, you learn, Quintus Metellus Scipo, among the last living descendants of the great Scipio Africanus, victor over Hannibal. One of the dancing slaves is no slave at all, but Marcus Valerius Messalla, the young brother-in-law to Sulla himself. The young man dandling a slave on his lap is none other than Quintus Metellus Celer, a close friend of Catiline's who lost his run for the tribunate to your own friend Rufus. As the night wears on, you are introduced personally to all of these men -- what is more, you drink with them, toast with them, sing drunkenly with them.
The wine and the incense and the dancing flesh and the pounding wild satyric music all blend together into a rush, and your next clear memory is of sitting on a lush couch with an empty cup in your hand, your head pounding. Daylight is beginning to stream through the windows, and most of the party guests lie collapsed around the domus in various states of undress. The wine pool is, perplexingly, empty. Catiline himself lies sprawled on another couch in front of you, with a handsome young man tucked under one arm and an empty amphora of wine tucked under the other.
After gathering yourself for a moment and remembering how words work, you manage to ask him why. Why invite you to this party against the wishes of the host? Why introduce you to all of his friends? Why?
Catiline inspects his empty amphora for a moment, then looks up at you. "Because," he shrugs. "You're different."
Faction Uncovered:
The Catilinarians: Several young and influental aristocrats who tie strongly to neither Marius' camp nor Sulla's have rallied under the influence --though not, strictly, leadership-- of the charismatic and rogueish Lucius Sergius Catalina, a young optimate from a once-great Senatorial family. Their patron is Quintus Lutiatus Catulus, a powerful optimate and diehard Sullan.
Scarcely a night later, you are on the Palatine Hill again, being ushered through the quiet halls of the Domus Mutia. All of Rome may be embroiled in wild bacchanals, but Scaevola is the Pontifex Maximus, and a figure of renown and standing in the Senate. He is the moral fiber of Rome, and cannot engage in the pleasantries and debaucheries which so satisfy other men. While the plebians and the patricians alike throw heady, wild revels in the streets below, you join stone-eyed Scaevola and a group of quietly influential Sullans for a meal that to you would have been extravagant in any other time, but seems positively spartan when compared to the excesses of the night before.
Afterwards, you join your patron for a quiet conversation over a few cups of wine. Rome, Scaevola mourns, is blinded by flash and pomp without substance. The empty triumphs of Cinna and the Marians have nonetheless won them the hearts of the common people, and where the Pontifex could walk in the street and be met with respect, he must now travel with armed guards to protect him from the thronging mob. Cinna's position has become more stable over the last year, and with the younger Marius a puppet and his co-consul a flaking moderate, he has become the natural center of Marian power in Rome. Scaevola and the other optimates are only suffered to live because Cinna's strong position does not require their deaths. Should the war in the east turn sour, or Cinna's position begin to crumble, many of the men you ate with tonight may find their deaths in the dark.
He congratulates you, however, on your first successful military campaign. It will be the first of many, he promises. Sertorius has gone to Spain, and when you tell him of the offer the one-eyed general made you, he claps you on the shoulder. A hard decision, he says, but wise all the same. However tempting it may be to flee the chaos of Rome, and however fine a man Sertorius may be, such a position would certainly mean your death when Sulla returns.
If Sulla returns, you cannot help but think. Not when.
Nonetheless, you take up this time to bring up the matter of Himatus and the Pentri, to which the old jurist reacts with a faint air of something that might be admiration. That you have managed to gather an entire people into your debt at such a young age is something to be admired, and word of your speech to them has reached even Rome, where Scaevola has enjoyed some renown as a teacher because of it. His association with you pays more dividends than he has imagined, and so he will attempt to bend Cinna's iron ear to have their taxes alleviated for a time. Your other promises may be more difficult, but even Cinna will see the sense in not taxing a war-torn area into the dirt.
Well, hopefully.
"Brother!"
Your sister crashes into you with such force that she nearly bowls you over. Her tiny arms wrap around yours with such strength that you think she might truly squeeze the life from your lungs.
You look over her into the middling apartment on the outskirts of Rome that Proserpina has acquired in your absence, and you see many familiar faces. Scarred Glaber, beaming Theo, and glowering Mancina have all gathered to welcome you to your family's home in Rome, surrounded by the household slaves and a few of the more trusted servants from your estate. Even your small sister, Cingulla Minor, has tottered out to meet you. Last time you saw her, she couldn't walk, but now she totters next to Glaber on chubby little legs. You cannot stop a smile from splitting your face at the sight.
As your sister releases you from her death grip, Proserpina appears at your side with a small bow. "Dominus. It has been some time."
"Some time indeed," you say as you run a hand through your smallest sister's hair and clasp Glaber's shoulder with the other. "But I am back, at least for the moment. I trust things have gone well in my absence?"
"As well as could be expected. I took the liberty of hiring a few guards, but it seems they were not needed -- your relationship with Scaevola has not invited as many enemies as I feared."
You nod. Good.
Later, after the reunions are over, Proserpina takes you aside and quickly informs you of the goings-on in Rome during your absence. It is much the same story that Scaevola painted, though perhaps without such a Sullan slant. Her spy networks have become harder and riskier to maintain, as Cinna has stamped down on anything he perceives as being traitorous or deceitful to the Marian cause. Servants who were too willing to talk have disappeared, replaced with more loyal ones who value their lives more than coin. Tensions rise in the city of your fathers, and soon all may reach a boiling point. While you are gone serving in the legions, Proserpina may devote her attention towards a certain faction, but investigating them and building up a network of information in such a tense climate will take greater resources. Who do you tell her to investigate?
Pick One
[] The Marians: You wish to know if Cinna or his allies are planning anything before they do it, and to receive updates on their moves and strategies, that you might better plan your own actions in accordance with what they might do. (-10 Talents)
[] The Sullans: You tell Proserpina to keep an eye on the activities of the Sullan partisans still in Rome. Though greatly diminished in power, they still have enough influence to make plays that could upset the delicate balance of power in Rome. (-7 Talents)
[] The Catilinarians: Proserpina is surprised when you ask her to extend her network to keep an eye on Catiline and his band of disaffected youths. Young men barely your age or older, they have little real power in Rome, but you are still concerned that they might make a move which could influence your decisions. (-4 Talents)
The celebrations continue for several more days, in predictable enough fashion. You watch gladiators butcher one another in the teeming sands of the arena, and make small-talk with more than a few Senators eager to please Sertorius by offering you congratulations on your victory. Perhaps the most powerful of these well-wishers is Marcus Gratidianus, a powerful praetor whose widespread currency reforms had made him beloved in Rome. Indeed, you meet him when he arrives at the arenas for a game in his own honor, and grants you a seat near his own central one. The common folk cheer louder for him than for the gladiators, and you mark him in your mind as a man to be wary of. Nothing is so dangerous in Rome as a man beloved by the people.
Aside from Gratidianus, there is little else of note to speak of during the celebrations. It is a heady festival of blood and wine and music and sound that swells and bursts along the streets as Rome gorges herself on her own glory, but it is as Scaevola said: flash and pomp with little substance. The people drink and dance tonight, and the crimes of yesterday are forgotten, just as Cinna and his cronies hoped.
Soon enough, the celebrations are over. The air of mad revelry fades, replaced by the same wire-strung tension that has dominated Rome since your first arrival over a year ago. You return to the VI Legion, camped outside the city walls, and wait for your orders.
You do not have to wait long.
Almost as soon as the new year breaks, news arrives from the East of blackest treachery. The Marian legate Lucius Flaccus, brother to the Consul, has been murdered by his own legion, the IX, who were long discontented with his command. One half of the legion, led by the tribune Gaius Flavius Fimbria, has fled into the south of Asia, fearing deadly reprisal from Marius, and some say they have pledged loyalty to Sulla. The other, greater part, led by the officer Lucius Magnia, has sworn service to the Pontic King Mithridates in exchange for protection.
Thus emboldened and reinforced, Mithridates has slammed into the armies of Marius, driving him from his position in Asia and forcing him back into Roman-held Bithnya. In reaction to the news, many towns and cities conquered by Marius have risen up yet again across the breadth of Asia, with one name on their tongues: Mithridates. Sulla, still facing off with Mithridates' general Archaelaus in Greece, cannot capitalize on this Marian defeat, but it is only a matter of time until he turns his sights again to Rome.
The reaction in Rome is immediate -- and violent. Fimbria's brother, Marcus Flavius, is dragged from the family home and torn to shreds in the streets by a maddened mob. Pieces of him surface for weeks after. Many optimates are out-and-out murdered in their homes, and those who are not flee into hiding or withdraw from the public eye. With Sertorius and two legions gone to Spain, Cinna is forced to reestablish order with gangs of armed men prowling the streets, and with Rome boiling over, cannot afford even the pretense of democracy. He is unanimously and illegally re-elected Consul alongside the prominent Marian Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, descended from the younger brother of the more famed Scipio Africanus.
To quell the people's fury, Asiaticus has been given command of the VI legion and co-imperium over Asia with Marius. He will sail east, defeat the traitor Fimbria, and aid Marius in besting the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator.
The Year Of Cinna and Asiaticus has begun, and the Sixth Legion has joined the Mithridatic Wars.
The heavens are still and far; But, not unheard of awful Jove,
The sighing of the island slave
Was answered, when the Ægean wave
The keels of Mithridates clove, And the vines shriveled in the breath of war.
Campaign Begun: The Mithridatic Wars (84 BC -- ???)
Legion Assigned: Legio VI Gradivius
Legion Commander: Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, Consul of Rome
Position: Tribunus Laticlavus, Broad-Striped Tribune
Legion Nickname: LEGIO VI GRADIVIUS -- The Sixth Legion, Blessed-By-Mars.
Oh, and you thought Gemino was annoying.
VOTING
Friends In Far Places
The Sixth Legion now sails across the seas to distant Asia, where treachery and betrayal have left the Marian position weaker than ever before. Freshly blooded off the Samnite Wars, they must now march to defeat the traitor Fimbria and aid Marius in beating back the greatest foe Rome has seen since the days of Hannibal: the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator. With Tercerus, your loyal mentor and tutor, too old for such travel, you must select another member of your household to take with you. Pick one
[] Glaber: Nicknamed Glaber, or 'the bald', for his lack of hair, this tall, dark-skinned Carthaginian was a mercenary from Africa who fought for Rome in Spain. He performed so well as your father's bodyguard that he brought him back with him to Rome, where he saved his life on more than one occasion. His ebony skin and bald pate draw many eyes, and, it seems, blades. His lanky body is riddled with faded scars, a testament to his ability as a fighter, and as a bodyguard. He has no great skill in subtlety, but, one might argue, he has no need of it, for you have never met a man who could best Glaber in a fight and walk away on both legs. He aches to return to the field of war, and seems almost jubilant at the prospect of cutting down any man who attempts harm on your person.
[] Theo: A young Greek with happy eyes, Theo was a slave, then a gladiator until he lost use of his right arm. Useless as a fighter or a worker, he was tossed aside to die, but instead came to your father's attention due to his particular skill with people. To put it simply, one cannot help but be charmed by him, from the shine of his teeth to the twinkle in his eye. Your father would send him to the markets to buy a cartful of grain, and the Greek would return grinning with ten for the same price. The servants skip to do his word, if only because disappointing him would be like pissing in the eye of the sun itself, and he is capable of winning a smile from even the most dour and grim-faced of men.
[] Carnigaeus: Some twenty-eight years of age, Carnigaeus was a Roman legionnaire in his youth, and fought in the Social Wars. Now, he sells his services as a 'man of swords', and was hired by Proserpina to train your household guards. A cold man with a broken nose and a mass of scar tissue where his eye should be, Carnigaeus volunteered to accompany you in Tercerus' stead. It has been too long, he says, since he marched with the legions and tasted of battle.
Rudderless
The men loved Sertorius. He was their hero, their champion, their idol. To serve under a bearer of the Grass Crown was more than an honor, it was a privilege. And now he is gone to Hispania without them, and they are left almost rudderless. They do not know this man Asiaticus, whom, though a good speaker, is no soldier. They still respect you though, and may heed your words of direction. Pick one
[] Loyalty: You urge the men to fall in line behind Scipio Asiaticus. He is of ancient lineage and mighty blood, and is consul of Rome besides. There is glory enough to be won under him, and at his side. The consul may well hear of your efforts on his behalf.
[] Foment Discord: You share in their pain, lamenting the loss of so great a leader as Sertorius, the hero of the Celtiberian Wars. This Asiaticus may bear the name of Scipio, but what battles has he won? He was humiliated during the Social War -- why should a legion named after Mars follow one so dishonored?
[] Gather Support: Sertorius may be gone, but you are still here. You reassure the men's worries and fears, and promise that if nothing else, you yourself will lead them to glory and wealth in the hills of Asia.
Correspondence: As part of your efforts to stay on top of events in Rome, you write to one of your contacts elsewhere in the Republic. With such long travel times, anything you write will take a long time to arrive. However, that does not mean you cannot write. You write to... (response will arrive in 2-3 turns)
--[] Scaevola
--[] Cicero
--[] Atticus
--[] Proserpina
--[] Catiline
--[] Volero
Personal:
The march to the ports and the subsequent journey overseas to Asia is long and uneventful. The duties of a tribune have become almost second nature to you now, and so you find yourself with more than a little time left for your own desires and wishes. What do you pursue during the journey? Pick three
[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. They care for you already, but this may well cement it. [] The Consul: You attempt to strike up a conversation with the new-made Consul, Scipio Asiaticus. Famed back in Rome as an orator and a jurist, he may well provide good conversation, though you are under no illusions about making as deep a connection as you did with Sertorius, who loved your father. [] The Scipians: Unlike Sertorius, who traveled with a single slave, Scipio has brought along a veritable entourage of slaves, clients, friends, and cronies. These Scipians are largely plebian men of all stripes, and you attempt to integrate yourselves with them in order to learn something more of their master. [] Sparring: You begin sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you. [] Seafaring: Romans are not mariners. However, by necessity, generals of the land are sometimes forced to become generals of the sea. You speak with the officers and crewmembers of the ships ferrying your legion overseas, hoping to learn something useful. [] Si Vis Pacem: You begin brushing up on your Greek, in ancticipation of subjugating Greek towns and villages in Asia. [] Para Bellum: You begin studying the campaigns against the Macedonians and the Greeks over a century ago, hoping to learn more about Greek tactics, that you might counter them better. [] Res Publica: You study the formations of your own legions, the way Romans fight. After all, you may soon be doing war with Romans -- and what is more Roman than that? [] The Cult: You call together the cult of Mars, hoping to influence the officers and tribunes within towards your viewpoint on the new consul. (Depends on your choice for the Rudderless vote)
[] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Carcellus, Pompolussa, and Mercator, gather to gamble and game. They have extended you an invitation. [] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients.
There is now a TWENTY-FOUR HOUR MORATORIUM on all votes.
Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.
As always, discussion is rewarded. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)
Some weird format issues, my apologies. Should be fixed now.
EDIT:
As a note, this last vote was incredibly contentious and very close, and all of the arguments were incredibly well-made. That was some amazing discussion which lasted for several pages that made me think.
As a result, 500 XP into your bank, bringing you all up to 3,530 XP.
Brief thought: we are not loyal to current populares, but we are loyal to the ideals of populares. Let us get to know the new consul before figuring out whether we are going to backstab him.
We have to leave all possible bodyguards at home, I think, to protect the family. Our job here will be to win loyalty of legion, and with loyal legion we will have literal thousands of bodyguards So, I think we should take Theo with us.
Plan-wise: get to know council, cement loyalty of soldiers and officers to us.
I figure we should move the discussion to the most recent update @agumentic, but I wanted to thank you for the replies. They were in depth and pointed out several things I had forgotten, remembered incorrectly, and just plain not known. I don't know much about Roman history, but if you'd like to continue the discussion in PM's, I'd be happy to do so.
That said, I certainly hope you're wrong about Sulla being likely to win, because we're apparently about to march against him. Well, him and Mithradates, who seems to be pulling the greatest upset of all time.
A tall man with golden gleaming skin steps out of the throng towards you, his toga a godly white, and for a split moment you think divine Dionysus himself has emerged to bless the revel with his presence. Then the 'god' smiles a beaming smile and clasps you about the shoulders.
"Ah, the...heroof Samnium has chosen to grace my fair party with his presence!" Up close, you can see the shine of the paint that covers every inch of Catulus' skin. Though you have seen the man in passing, you scarcely recognize him like this, all gleaming and costumed, adorned like a wild god out of wilder days. "I am certain you must be tired, after all your great and...mighty triumphs against the Samnites. My halls are yours, my slaves are yours, my drink is yours. Enjoy, and be merry."
He sights someone else in the crowd and lets out a shout, waving them over. Moments later, a young man with a mop of mousy brown hair and dark eyes emerges from the party, his bare chest covered in a dark fluid you hope is wine.
"Hail," Catulus begins "your guest has arrived. Please, show him how men of real standing celebrate a victory." With that, the golden god vanishes back into the bacchanal.
The young man clasps your shoulder and smiles apologetically. "I apologize if Catulus is a bit harsh. Marius had his father killed, you see. Marius, Sertorius, and their ilk. He may count you in with them, but I am not so blind, nor half so foolish. No student of Scaevola Pontifex could ever be a dumb sheep to follow Marius without thought."
I can't help but think 'this is why people just started killing entire families'. It's like an adventurer: you kill the mom and dad who rose against you, you let the kid live because you weren't that kind of Evil Overlord, but lo and behold a decade and a half later the little shit shows up again with another army and his old man's sword./jk
After gathering yourself for a moment and remembering how words work, you manage to ask him why. Why invite you to this party against the wishes of the host? Why introduce you to all of his friends? Why?
Catiline inspects his empty amphora for a moment, then looks up at you. "Because," he shrugs. "You're different."
The Catilinarians: Several young and influental aristocrats who tie strongly to neither Marius' camp nor Sulla's have rallied under the influence --though not, strictly, leadership-- of the charismatic and rogueish Lucius Sergius Catalina, a young optimate from a once-great Senatorial family. Their patron is Quintus Lutiatus Catulus, a powerful optimate and diehard Sullan.
Afterwards, you join your patron for a quiet conversation over a few cups of wine. Rome, Scaevola, mourns, is blinded by flash and pomp without substance. The empty triumphs of Cinna and the Marians have nonetheless won them the hearts of the common people, and where the Pontifex could walk in the street and be met with respect, he must now travel with armed guards to protect him from the thronging mob. Cinna's position has become more stable over the last year, and with the younger Marius a puppet and his co-consul a flaking moderate, he has become the natural center of Marian power in Rome. Scaevola and the other optimates are only suffered to live because Cinna's strong position does not require their deaths. Should the war in the east turn sour, or Cinna's position begin to crumble, many of the men you ate with tonight may find their deaths in the dark.
He congratulates you, however, on your first successful military campaign. It will be the first of many, he promises. Sertorius has gone to Spain, and when you tell him of the offer the one-eyed general made you, he claps you on the shoulder. A hard decision, he says, but wise all the same. However tempting it may be to flee the chaos of Rome, and however fine a man Sertorius may be, such a position would certainly mean your death when Sulla returns.
If Sulla returns, you cannot help but think. Not when.
Later, after the reunions are over, Proserpina takes you aside and quickly informs you of the goings-on in Rome during your absence. It is much the same story that Scaevola painted, though perhaps without such a Sullan slant. Her spy networks have become harder and riskier to maintain, as Cinna has stamped down on anything he perceives as being traitorous or deceitful to the Marian cause. Servants who were too willing to talk have disappeared, replaced with more loyal ones who value their lives more than coin. Tensions rise in the city of your fathers, and soon all may reach a boiling point. While you are gone serving in the legions, Proserpina may devote her attention towards a certain faction, but investigating them and building up a network of information in such a tense climate will take greater resources. Who do you tell her to investigate?
The celebrations continue for several more days, in predictable enough fashion. You watch gladiators butcher one another in the teeming sands of the arena, and make small-talk with more than a few Senators eager to please Sertorius by offering you congratulations on your victory. Perhaps the most powerful of these well-wishers is Marcus Gratidianus, a powerful praetor whose widespread currency reforms had made him beloved in Rome. Indeed, you meet him when he arrives at the arenas for a game in his own honor, and grants you a seat near his own central one. The common folk cheer louder for him than for the gladiators, and you mark him in your mind as a man to be wary of. Nothing is so dangerous in Rome as a man beloved by the people.
Almost as soon as the new year breaks, news arrives from the East of blackest treachery. The Marian legate Lucius Flaccus, brother to the Consul, has been murdered by his own legion, the IX, who were long discontented with his command. One half of the legion, led by the tribune Gaius Flavius Fimbria, has fled into the south of Asia, fearing deadly reprisal from Marius, and some say they have pledged loyalty to Sulla. The other, greater part, led by the officer Lucius Magnia, has sworn service to the Pontic King Mithridates in exchange for protection.
Fuuuuuuuuuck. We did not need a mutiny, much less half of a veteran legion going over to the guy halfway through making his army into a copy of the Legions with all its weaknesses covered.
To quell the people's fury, Asiaticus has been given command of the VI legion and co-imperium over Asia with Marius. He will sail east, defeat the traitor Fimbria, and aid Marius in besting the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator.
The Year Of Cinna and Asiaticus has begun, and the Sixth Legion has joined the Mithridatic Wars.
i would insert a meme about panicing...but frankly lets keep going and see if everything blows up and everyone genocides each other because that's how barbarians and romans got along.
So, I think we should take Theo with us.
