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Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome

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Satar said:
Or why I'd rather have been born in India (or China) in any time before the modern era, tbh. Provided you don't spawn into, like, the Yellow Turban rebellion or something, your quality of life is leaps and bounds over anything anywhere else has to offer. Actual spices, imagine.
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Problem is Pre-Modern Wars in China tend have some absurdly high death counts.
 
Simon_Jester said:
@Telamon , could you please link to a place where the stat dividing lines between, for instance, "Talented" and "Renowned" and so on are located? It's supposed to be in the front page slider about the rules, but it's obscured so you can only see the first few entries on the list.
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You can reload the page and should be able to expand the quote then.
 
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Roman Histories: Mithridates
  • Informational


    • Roman Histories:
    Mithridates​

    Without a doubt, the greatest enemy of the ascendant Roman Republic in the time of our game is Mithridates (meaning 'Gift of Mithra', Mithra being a Persian god of war) the Sixth of Pontus (135-63 BC), called by his people Megas (the Great) and Eupator (of great father). Ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in the Black Sea, he is the last and greatest of the Kings of antiquity, descended from noble blood and lord of a Kingdom that straddles both east and west. Powerful, intelligent, and crafty beyond measure, he is hailed by his people as Alexander come again, the hero of the Greeks who will throw the Roman tide back into Italy and free Asia and Greece from the Italic scourge.

    To understand Mithridates, one must understand his legend. His ancestors were Zoroastrian satraps in ancient Persia, descended from the line of Cyrus the Great, the King of Kings of Persia and Lord of the Four Corners of the World. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, they swore loyalty to him, and after his death, successfully resisted being ruled by his successors, the warlords known as the Diadochi. Instead, they fled to the shores of the Black Sea, where the first Mithridates was hailed as King of Pontus by the greek-speaking peoples who lived there. They defended their nascent kingdom against the mighty powers of Selecus and Ptolemy, the famed heirs of Alexander and mighty generals in their own right -- and their legend grew.

    As the Mithridatids expanded their small Kingdom, their dynasty grew to include even nobler lineages. As the power of Rome grew and the time of the Macedonian kingdoms waned, the Mithridatids expanded from their Persian roots, intermingling with the Greek dynasties that surrounded them, taking on the appearance and manners of their ancient foes while retaining their Persian pride. This culminated with the marriage of Mithridates V to a princess of Seleucid Persia, once sworn enemies of the Pontic Kings. This made their son Mithridates, upon his birth, descended in the male line from the mightiest Kings of the Persians, and in the female from the mightiest kings of the Greeks -- the Diadochi Antigonus and Seleucus, who once ruled half the known world.

    The young prince may have had great lineage, but his life began to a troubled start. His father was poisoned by his enemies, and his mother immediately seized control and began a Greek regency of Pontus that would last most of his childhood. His mother favored his brother over him, and it was widely held that she would have the elder Mithridates slain when he came of manhood. To avoid this fate, he escaped the Pontic court with the aid of his father's allies and went into hiding. When he returned to Pontus, he was a man of great intelligence and strength, charismatic, bold, and skilled at war. He could speak both Persian and Greek, the twin tongues of his land, and with his magnetic personality, he rallied the kingdom to him and was hailed as Basileus -- King, to the Greeks.

    He claimed both sides of his heritage, acting as the heir of Alexander to the Greeks and the heir of Cyrus to the Persians. In the East he was a conquering satrap, and in the West a mighty Greek conqueror in the mold of the Diadochi, whom they called the new Dionysius. His effective and two-faced propaganda meant that he had overwhelming support from all sides, and could call on the legends of both Cyrus and Alexander to bolster his own.

    The new king overthrew his traitorous mother and brother, both of whom later died in prison. His power-base secure, he began to expand, conquering the Colchian people to his east and extending offers of vassalage to the Greek-speaking peoples who lived around the Black Sea in exchange for protection from the nomadic Scythians. The most powerful of these was the Bosporan Kingdom, a mighty Greek state that had existed since the days of Alexander and controlled much of the Crimea. With the Crimea and the shores of the Black Sea under his power, the ambitious king warred against the fierce Scythian tribes to his north. By the year 100, the Scythians lay in disarray and defeat, and the nomads bent the knee to the King of Pontus, acclaiming him as lord of the steppe and master of the Black Sea.

    In just 13 years of rule, Mithridates had more than doubled the size of his kingdom -- and he was by no means done. In Asia, his ally, the Bithniyan King Nicomedes, had come to fear Mithridates' ambition, and sought aid from the rising power of Rome. The Romans answered in kind, turning Bithniya into a client kingdom and leaving Mithridates with little choice. If he wanted to rule in Asia, as his ancestors had, he would have to make war on Rome.

    But he would not do it alone.

    In the early 80's BC, when Rome was embroiled in the Social War, Mithridates saw his chance, and struck. With only two legions in Roman Asia, the power of Bithniya was weaker than ever before. He shattered two Roman legions and the army of Nicomedes in a resounding victory that won him acclaim across the Greek world. For the first time in lifetimes, a Greek king had bested a Roman army on the field. Rome was not invincible. She was not unstoppable. The heirs of Alexander had ruled all of earth once, and might do so again. The name of Mithridates rippled across the Greek cities like wildfire, tales of his strength and heroism, his mighty heritage and his skill at war. All it needed was a push.

    Mithridates pushed.

    Scarcely a year after his victory over the Romans, in the Asiatic Vespers of 88 BC, the Greeks rose up as one. Romans in cities across Asia were butchered, put to the sword, and slaughtered. Men, women, children -- it mattered not. Tens of thousands of Roman settlers, merchants, and travelers were massacred across the breadth and width of the Greek world, and the gates of the cities of Asia were thrown open for the armies of Mithridates. In one violent breath of war, Mithridates had driven Rome from the east and struck a horrific blow against his new enemy.

    Hearing of this mighty upturn, the ancient cities of Greece, so long in chains to Rome, rose up as well. Mighty Athens, fair Sparta, and ancient Thebes of the Seven Gates -- these too fell under the power of the Pontic King, with Mithridates installing loyal dictators in each of the cities. The power of Pontus now stretched across all of Asia and Hellas proper, the lands of antiquity and titanomachia, the birthplace of the Greeks and the cradle of western civilization. The Greeks hailed Mithridates as 'ho Megas', the greatest since Alexander, the hero of the Hellenes and the conqueror-king who would restore the Hellenic age that had died with Alexander -- and so he would have them believe, for his armies spread this message far and wide across his lands.

    To his east, seeing a power which might challenge the terrifying might of Rome, the powerful Armenian King Tigranes the Great sought alliance with Mithridates. Armenia was the strongest state to the east of Rome, and sought a powerful ally to help it expand from under the growing shadow of the Republic. Mithridates, descended from the Zoroastrian emperors of yore, before whom all the East had once bowed, seemed the perfect candidate. With the union of Armenia and Pontus, all the near East was unified against Rome and her power. Like the Italic Confederation and Hannibal and Jugurtha in Africa before them, the mighty Greco-Persian realm Mithridates had established was to be the last and best chance at freedom from the Roman hegemony.

    As the game begins, armies under the command of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the most skilled and bloodthirsty of Rome's generals, have landed in Greece, sacking many cities and laying waste to the famed Acropolis of Athens. Mithridates manuvers to throw him back into the sea, keeping a wary eye on the city of Rome, still embroiled in a bitter civil war. If Rome unites, Mithridates cannot stand. But if the Romans remain divided? If the Republic tears at itself out of ambition and arrogance?

    Then there may be a King over Greece once more.


    *Asia here refers to the region known as Byzantine Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey.
     
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  • Informational
    • Dark Abstraction said:
    We haven't done anything to place Atellus in favor of one side over the other though, so these statements of yours don't actually hold any weight. If people had actually done some campaigning that we the voters dedicate ourselves to such a position, they may start to do so, but until that point @Publicola is objectively correct about those points.
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    Well, no.

    @Publicola 's statement is " ''Gather Support" is the only acceptable option here."

    That's a pretty specific choice of adjective. Publicola didn't say "This is the only option that lets us continue sitting on the fence between the Sullan and Marian factions." He didn't say "I think this is the best option." He didn't even explicitly say "This is the only acceptable option, given that we intend to continue sitting on the fence."

    No, he said "this is the only acceptable option."

    That's a pretty bold claim to make, in the context of an ongoing debate on whether it's time for us to finally pick sides in the civil war. As long as we were fighting for Sertorius in Italy we could afford to hem and haw, but now that we're being thrown into the main theater of the conflict between Marius and Sulla, that option may cease to be available to us.

    At a bare minimum, we need to seriously consider actually trying to make allies of one of the factions, rather than skating around between them. We may decide that our current fence-sitting strategy is best, but it would be in no way UNACCEPTABLE for us to have this be the moment when we decide to pursue a different strategy.

    There's a big difference between saying "this is most consistent with how we've played so far" and "this is unacceptable, implicitly because it's not how we've played so far."
     
    Droman said:
    Is it too late to play as Mithradates? I think I like him more than Marius or Sulla.
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    Eh, IMO the Mithridates Quest players are metagaming like crazy right now, and getting some stupid lucky rolls. It can't last forever.

    Probably.

    Also, that Poison Resistance trait is gonna bite them in the ass if I have anything to say about it.
     
    I feel like some knowledge of seafaring might be worthwhile given where we're going to be operating. Especially if, for example, we want to put a crimp in the Pontic food supply by taking the Crimea, which IIRC was the major grain producer in the Black Sea region during this period.

    Or just if we want to be able to use the Navy to help move us along the coast, which I believe is where the bulk of the Anatolian population is in this period.
     
    Fuck, now I want to copy that other Roman guy and throw our legion behind Mithradates. @Telamon would be reasonably be able to convince the legion to follow us in turning our cloaks?
     
    If we can instigate some kind of conflict between Serterious and Rome, perhaps by faking a missive proclaiming Sulla's victory and a summons to Rome for death (or exile!), we could probably force Serterious's hand in the West as well. If we can throw the Romans from Asia and Greek proper, and cut them off from Espana as well, then surely victory is not far from sight.

    Let the banner of Alexander rise again!
     
    Simon_Jester said:
    That's a pretty specific choice of adjective. Publicola didn't say "This is the only option that lets us continue sitting on the fence between the Sullan and Marian factions." He didn't say "I think this is the best option." He didn't even explicitly say "This is the only acceptable option, given that we intend to continue sitting on the fence."
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    Here's what I wrote:
    Publicola said:
    The men don't know Asiaticus, and neither do we. Inciting rebellion is a bad move, as is inciting blind loyalty to man we don't know. ''Gather Support" is the only acceptable option here.
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    The point of 'Rudderless' is not to pick a side between Sulla and Marius; nor is the point of 'Gather Support' to merely stay seated on the fence.

    The direct effect of the vote is to 'pick a side' between Asiaticus or 'not Asiaticus'. Given that the men of the legion don't know the Consul -- and even more, given that we don't know the Consul -- deciding once and for all to devote ourselves to Asiaticus or undermine Asiaticus is premature at best. It may turn out that the Consul is effective at persuading the towns of Asia Minor against Mithradates -- in which case, even if we decide to back Sulla, we'd want to keep Asiaticus in charge for longer. Or if may turn out that the Consul bungles every battle and engagement in the campaign -- in which case, even if we decide to back Marius, we'd want to sideline Asiaticus as much as possible.

    Picking 'Loyalty' or 'Dissent' commits us to one or the other, before we know what we're committing to. 'Gather Support' ensures that, once we have the information we need and can make the right call, we're in a position to do something about it, and can act with the full backing of the Legion.
     
    Publicola said:
    The direct effect of the vote is to 'pick a side' between Asiaticus or 'not Asiaticus'.
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    Regardless of whether we throw our lot in with Mithradates (or Marius, or Sulla), we should have the Consol quietly strangled after we make it far away enough from Rome.

    If we had a legion that was effectively loyal to us and us alone, we would be able to more cleanly decide who we want to ally with, without mixed or divided loyalties causing the legion to defect or rot away from internal power struggles. Furthermore, whatever loot and glory we earn would be indisputably ours. Lastly, Pompey shows us that having a legion's love and loyalty is, in and of itself, a hedge against being killed off in the optimate-populares power struggle. It would also make us a serious player in Rome, which we may as well be, since we're already paying big boy consequences even as a Tribune.
     
    Satar said:
    Fuck, now I want to copy that other Roman guy and throw our legion behind Mithradates. @Telamon would be reasonably be able to convince the legion to follow us in turning our cloaks?
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    Is it bad to say if I was fairly certain we could do that without dying in the process, I would probably support that vote? :p

    Also, I love these history posts. They are quite interesting! Thank you Telamon.
     
    Telamon said:
    Eh, IMO the Mithridates Quest players are metagaming like crazy right now, and getting some stupid lucky rolls. It can't last forever.

    Probably.

    Also, that Poison Resistance trait is gonna bite them in the ass if I have anything to say about it.
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    I still say Visella Tertia and Mithridates would make a great couple.

    "I've spent the last three years building up an immunity to iocane powder. And you... you've actually heard of iocane powder..."

    "Oh! Finally! Someone who really understands how to say "to Hell with the Romans" and mean it..."

    [ <3 ]

    Satar said:
    Fuck, now I want to copy that other Roman guy and throw our legion behind Mithradates. @Telamon would be reasonably be able to convince the legion to follow us in turning our cloaks?
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    Probably part of it if we really wanted to, but probably not all of it.

    Publicola said:
    Here's what I wrote:

    The point of 'Rudderless' is not to pick a side between Sulla and Marius; nor is the point of 'Gather Support' to merely stay seated on the fence.

    The direct effect of the vote is to 'pick a side' between Asiaticus or 'not Asiaticus'. Given that the men of the legion don't know the Consul -- and even more, given that we don't know the Consul -- deciding once and for all to devote ourselves to Asiaticus or undermine Asiaticus is premature at best. It may turn out that the Consul is effective at persuading the towns of Asia Minor against Mithradates -- in which case, even if we decide to back Sulla, we'd want to keep Asiaticus in charge for longer. Or if may turn out that the Consul bungles every battle and engagement in the campaign -- in which case, even if we decide to back Marius, we'd want to sideline Asiaticus as much as possible.

    Picking 'Loyalty' or 'Dissent' commits us to one or the other, before we know what we're committing to. 'Gather Support' ensures that, once we have the information we need and can make the right call, we're in a position to do something about it, and can act with the full backing of the Legion.
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    The flip side of that is that the Loyalty/Dissent actions are going to be more effective if we build some momentum.

    If we want to pursue a strategy of aggrandizing ourself with the Marians by sidelining Asiaticus, we need to make sure the legion doesn't outright riot and overthrow him without our permission- especially a serious problem if he's a fuckwit, and especially a problem if we don't stop to engage with the optimates-leaning officers like that cavalry guy. That means working to keep the other officers on-side and building SOME loyalty to the commander, who will hopefully be smart enough to cooperate in letting us help him win his battles.

    Conversely, if we want to pursue a strategy of seizing control of the legion, we want the Sixth thinking in terms of "shit, Atellus would be a better general than this bozo" from pretty much the day they set foot in Asia.

    It's likely to take multiple personal actions distributed over a period of several turns to effectively take control of a legion from a position of not technically having imperium over it. We need to start politicking early and often if we're going to pursue such a strategy. ANY such strategy, be it pro-Marian, pro-sultan, or just pro-Atellan.

    veekie said:
    All the parasites spreading too. The sewers were full of shit and the fish ate it up, then the guts which were too gross to eat(on the basis of having shit) were salted and fermented .
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    While salting and fermentation might actually help with that a bit, you're right that this sounds hilariously unsanitary.
     
    I wonder if our connection to Scaveola would do us some good here in Asia. Scaveola was wildly loved during his proconsulate here, after all, and we might get some measure of that love as his client.
     
    I think choosing to drum up loyalty to us in the VI Legion to us is probably the best option now. We don't know how events are going to turn out, so best to just wait things out for now. Taking the Greek Theo with us would also probably be a smart move. Having a veteran warrior with us would be nice, but I think we'll be fine without.

    As much as I would really like to continue to build rapport with Proserpina, continuing to connect with Cicero is probably the way to go here. I'm still on the fence about the other two options, but leaning towards Res Publica and The Scipians. The latter due to the old adage "if you want to know a man, observe those below him, not himself". The former is obvious. We are in the midst of a civil war, and Mithridates has Imitation Legionaries as well I believe. Knowing our armies strengths and weaknesses will be key in the coming conflict, as well as offer insight into possible reforms we could make ourselves during and after this is over.

    Still, we should take time to interact more with Proserpina in the future. I get the feeling building more personal connections with her could lead to more bonuses into building a network. That and I'm curious about her character.
     
    Something to keep in mind is that we are currently 7-8k away from Proficient (+1) Intrigue and ~13k away from Renowned (+4) Military. (There are some skills/stats, such as Stewardship and Law, which are also quite close to Rank-Ups however these are probably less relevant while on campaign).

    I will probably only vote for plans that take Theo with us and choose to Gather Support in the legion. The former should prove highly useful in hellenistic Asia Minor and the later is simply prudent before we know more about the Consul. I don't have any strong opinions on which faction to focus spying. Spying on the Marians probably gives us the most information, since they are currently in charge of the Republic. Focusing on the Sullans could provide us a warning, if they try something back in Rome. An Optimates uprising could have significant impact on how Marius and Sulla will act in the east. Lastly looking into the Catilinarians might provide us some insight into what Pompey is up to, since he probably has some associates among them.

    Our hardest choices will once again be the personal actions. @Telamon how many turns should we expect until our arrival in Asia? Only this one? An additional one in transit across the Mediterranean? Even more?
    I ask because some of these actions can wait until we are about to arrive in the east and might be confronted with hostile forces.

    Actions that should be taken...
    ... ASAP:
    [] The Consul (Getting to know the current Consul and our new Legate should not be postponed. Especially, since Gather Support will look least threatening, if we also take the time to connect with the "real" leader of the legion)

    ... before arriving in the East (so this turn or next IF we have 2 transit turns):
    [] Si Vis Pacem (Diplomacy/Oratory/Charisma are also our strenghts, so we should make sure that the language barrier does not hinder us)
    [] Study (IC knowledge on how to deal with a conflict like this will surely open up additional and/or superior options when the time comes to deal with Mithridates)

    ... this or next turn, mainly due to personal narrative preferences:
    [] Fortune's Favor (These are the people we need on our side, if we wish to have any chance to take control of the legion)
    [] Write Home:
    --[] Cicero (Mostly for narrative reasons, Long-term connections and exp boosts to Intelligence)
    --[] Atticus (Additional knowledge on Greece, further boost to Education/Intelligence?, could be replaced with somebody else)

    ... before we fight the rogue Legion:
    [] Res Publica (Analysing the Marian Reforms sounds interesting and since we have been thrown into the civil war knowing more about how to fight fellow Romans will surely prove useful)

    ... before we face Pontic forces:
    [] Para Bellum (We should refresh Atellus knowledge about then strengths and weaknesses of phalanx warfare)

    ... only if we find the time:
    [] Brotherhood (an interesting action, sadly overshadowed by the officier invitation)
    [] The Scipians (This should wait at least until Intrigue 8, or until Theo can boost our chances of success)
    [] Sparring (This will probably never be taken, as we are quite accomplished and it grows in battle)
    [] Seafaring (Logistics studying as thoroughly soured me on self teaching such skills. Better we wait on finding a suitable teacher, if we really want to get anywhere with this)
    [] The Cult (No need to go all in on this, since we don't even know which way we want to sway the Legion. Better focus on the officers)
     
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    Satar said:
    Fuck, now I want to copy that other Roman guy and throw our legion behind Mithradates. @Telamon would be reasonably be able to convince the legion to follow us in turning our cloaks?
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    What is this unpatriotic rubbish, this talk of treason? Is this what has become of the sons and daughters of Mars? Is this becoming of men and women protected under Jupiter Rex?

    When men and women of Rome, the citizens of Rome, were slaughtered in Samnium, did we cower before the ancient enemy? Did we talk of joining the fool Meddix at Nola? Was there grumbling off crawling with Gemino of the Pentri through the dirt along the Via Appia, preying on the food bound for loyal subjects of our fair city?

    NO, there was not! The wolves of Rome marched on Samnium, they sheltered those who wished not be dragged down to ruin by the craven hands of madmen and murderers and fools! The wolves of Rome, which showed their teeth not to the Pentri and Hipirni, those who stood steadfast with Rome and her sons, but to Aeclanum and Nola. For the slaughter of men and woman and children, for the insult of killing envoys carrying the promise of the most revered citizenship of Rome!

    But here and now, I hear talk of cowardice, of asking to join a self-styled Alexander, a man claiming to be the heir to Cyrus, a Dionysus in mortal flesh. The Greeks of Asia Minor, they slaughtered our countrymen, they threw off our rule and wish to march on Rome and now the sons of Mars, men carrying the eagle standard before them talk of bending the knee, of submitting to a man threatening our home.

    Into the Tiber with you, or better yet into Pontus Euxinus, the Black Sea you evidently love so much. May you drown in shame. Is this the house of Cingulatus then? Descending from a sworn shield to Romulus himself, we throw our lot in with this Alexander reborn? Swear shield and pilum and sword to his cause to overthrow the rightful order?

    For is not Alexander's claim to eternal fame, and Cyrus' before him, the rule of all the world? I ask of you, is not Rome the caput mundi, the capital of this world? How can a man, this "Dionysus" in flesh, claim this heritage if not by capturing his would be capital? You wish to be his sword when he entices the Greeks in Magna Greica, the south of fair Italia, to rise up? To breach the walls of Rome herself, sheltering our sisters and our friends and our patron? Lead Greek men to the Capitoline Hill and all the hills of Rome and burn it forever?

    NO, this man is no Alexander! He is no Cyrus, and he is no god. He is a frightened despot, poisoning himself, because he fears his own shadow and all the men in it. Is this a man frightening the sons of Rome, the wolves which crushed the Samnites? Are we so much lesser than the great men before us? When under Brennus the Gauls had the gall to sack our ancient city, did Camillus hide with his tail between his legs? When mighty Hannibal led his monsters across the Alps, when Jugurtha led his riders across steppe and desert, did Roman legionaries not make war on them?

    The Roman gladius, it broke arrogant Carthage, it repelled the hordes of Teutons and the Kimbri. It defeated ancient Samnium and rough Numidians. It broke old Macedon!

    Sulla or Marius, it does not matter in the war against the corrupt man taking what is not his. For his goal is to rule the city of Romulus and no true Roman could stand by and abide this preposterous claim!

    We are the heirs of Jupiter and Mars, inheritors of this world. Ours is the wolf, the eagle triumphant in the sky. No Greek turned upstart rules the sky above the eternal city as king.

    NO, those Greeks that have a lick of sense with them, whispered into their ears by Jupiter Rex or their aging mothers, those will learn the gratitude of Rome, for its wolves have been unleashed. We ride, the hounds of war, to bring order to Roman lands and the Roman world. For who denies the outstretched hand, who smacks it aside in contempt, for those men and women there can only be the blade.

    This is the Roman way. Our destiny. In the east we defend the freedom long ago fought for against a tyrant. In the east, we prove ourselves sons of Mars, heirs to Alexander and Scipio Africanus, to Romulus and Camillus.

    It is Mars who knows of war, not Dionysus. It is us Mars Gradivus rides alongside. The man who claims to be Alexander's heir, in the end his destiny is the same as of all enemies of the city at the Tiber.

    In the east, we defeat Mithridates, usurper king, false ho megas, pretender to Alexander's throne. Butcher of Romans, defiler of Roman cities. Soon he will cower when he hears the howls of wolves. The cries of eagles. For we are what he claims to be.

    Masters of this world.
     
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    Ok, before I do any sort of reaction post, let's go over choices... (by the way, the last vote illustrated why it's a good thing we aren't Roman generals with armies at the back of their calls:p)

    [] 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.
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    (-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)
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    First of the spying option. I'm less sure about this one. We know that if we are caught with the Marians we are in hot waters. No ifs there. However, it is probably the juiciest option available to us since they are in control of the city.

    The Sullans seem kind of a waste to be honest? Oh, I'm sure Scaevola isn't telling us anything substantial about the inner workings of the Sullan block in Rome, not even out of suspicion, but simply because we are still barely a man. Really not our arena, yet. Obviously if Sulla wins this free-for-all we would already have a leg up with a spy network in the ruling faction, but the same could be said about the Marians in the event of a Marian victory. However, didn't we already place spies among the aristocrats? Sure, Proerpina said that the network got diminished, but surely there is some of it left? And not all aristocrats are Sulla suporters and optimate sure, but there is a lot of overlap (not to mention that this decision didn't really have any pay-off in the end.)

    The Catillinarians? Well, we could see it as early investment since unless a victorious Marian faction heavily curttails them they will be among the big players in the future, but that seems far off. Outside of blackmail material (just look at Cattilina and the party) not worth it I think.

    I would probably choose the Marians.

    The servant:
    [] 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.
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    [] 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.
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    First instinct is Theo and I'll probably stick with him. As a Greek with stupid high diplomacy and a bard to boot he will come in handy in spreading news across the land, and among the legionaries. I don't think we can go wrong with him.
    For the sake of completion: Carnigaeus sounds like a worse Tercerus. We'll be able to learn more about leading men and tactics, and we can still use that, but I don't think we need it as much as we used to.
    Glaber can definitely be very handy indeed, but I trust our safety to the legion and frankly I think Theo and what he brings to the table in this specific area of the world outweighs both.

    Legion:
    [] 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.
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    No doubt. The others I'm too leery off for not knowing the situation in Asia yet and not knowing our new legate. From what was written he is useless on the battlefield, but he might surprise us in other ways.

    And most importantly:
    [] Write Home: 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
    [] 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.
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    I'll come out and say it: Study something, anything. We are currently en route to a major war against a mighty opponent, we need to prepare for this. And if this means not taking a social action this turn, so what? This campaign will be long, we'll have time enough to sit down and gamble with officers or get to know the legate. However, a few days or weeks uninterrupted at sea means we have the opportunity to actually read up on things which could turn out very useful. Especially since taking Theo will likely mean whatever we miss out this turn we'll get back with dividends later.
    I admit that I'm not well read on the Mithridatic wars, which I'll have to correct, so I'm not quite sure what to take yet. Sailing is very scenario dependent, could be an incredible boon or completely wasted exp.

    I'd likely take:
    [] Study:
    You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients.
    [] 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?
    [] Write Home:

    Personally I think the letters are unnecessary since we just left, but I wager there will be no successful plan without it. I'm unsure about leaving out studying the conquest of Greece, but if what I read is true and Mithridates is updating Greek doctrine it might not be as useful as getting to know the ins and out of the style he is trying to adopt and is our own.

    Edit: Right, I forgot brushing up our Greek. We gotta take that, so:

    [] Plan Taking Educated Guesses
    -[] The Marians
    -[] Theo
    -[] Gather Support
    -[] Si Vis Pacem
    -[] Res Publica
    -[] Study
     
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    Thyreus said:
    What is this unpatriotic rubbish, this talk of treason? Is this what has become of the sons and daughters of Mars? Is this becoming of men and women protected under Jupiter Rex?

    When men and women of Rome, the citizens of Rome, were slaughtered in Samnium, did we cower before the ancient enemy? Did we talk of joining the fool Meddix at Nola? Was there grumbling off scrawling with Gemino of the Pentri through the dirt along the Via Appia, preying on the food bound for loyal subjects of our fair city?

    NO, there was not! The wolves of Rome marched on Samnium, they sheltered those who wished not be dragged down to ruin by the craven hands of madmen and murderers and fools! The wolves of Rome, which showed their teeth not to the Pentri and Hipirni, those who stood steadfast with Rome and her sons, but to Aeclanum and Nola. For the slaughter of men and woman and children, for the insult of killing envoys carrying the promise of the most revered citizenship of Rome!

    But here and now, I hear talk of cowardice, of asking to join a self-styled Alexander, a man claiming to be the heir to Cyrus, a Dionysus in mortal flesh. The Greeks of Asia Minor, they slaughtered our countrymen, they threw off our rule and wish to march on Rome and now the sons of Mars, men carrying the eagle standard before them talk of bending the knee, of submitting to a man threatening our home.

    Into the Tiber with you, or better yet into Pontus Euxinus, the black sea, you evidently love so much. May you drown in shame. Is this the house of Cingulatus then? Descending from a sworn shield to Romulus himself, we throw our lot in with this Alexander reborn? Swear Shield and pilum and sword to his cause to overthrow the rightful order?

    For is not Alexander's claim to eternal fame, and Cyrus' before him, the rule of all the world? I ask of you, is not Rome the caput mundi, the capital of this world. How can a man, this "Dionysus" in flesh, claim this heritage if not by capturing his would be capital? You wish to be his sword when he entices the Greeks in Magna Greica, the south of fair Italia, to rise up? To breach the walls of Rome herself, sheltering our sisters and our friends and our patron? Lead Greek men to the Capitoline Hill and all the hills of Rome and burn it forever?

    NO, this man is no Alexander. He is no Cyrus, and he is no god. He is a frightened despot, poisoning himself, because he fears his own shadow and all the men in it. Is this a man frightening the sons of Rome, the wolves which crushed the Samnites? Are we so much lesser than the great men before us? When under Brennus the Gauls had the gall to sack our ancient city, did Camillus hide with his tail between his legs? When mighty Hannibal led his monsters across the Alps, when Jugurtha led his riders across steppe and desert, did Roman legionaries not make war on them?

    The Roman gladius, it broke arrogant Carthage, it repelled the hordes of Teutons and the Kimbri. It defeated ancient Samnium and rough Numidians. It broke old Macedon!

    Sulla or Marius, it does not matter in the war against the corrupt man taking what is not his. For his goal is to rule the city of Romulus and no true Roman could stand by and abide this preposterous claim!

    We are the heirs of Jupiter and Mars, inheritors of this world. Ours is the wolf, the eagle triumphant in the sky. No Greek turned upstart rules the sky above the eternal city as king.

    NO, those Greeks that have a lick of sense with them, whispered into their ears by Jupiter Rex or their aging mothers, those will learn the gratitude of Rome, for its wolves have been unleashed. We ride, the hounds of war, to bring order to Roman lands and the Roman world. For who denies the outstretched hand, who smacks it aside in contempt, for those men and women there can only be the blade.

    This is the Roman way. Our destiny. In the east we defend the freedom long ago fought for against a tyrant. In the east, we prove ourselves sons of Mars, heirs to Alexander and Scipio Africanus, to Romulus and Camillus.

    It is Mars who knows of war, not Dionysus. It is us Mars Gradivus rides alongside. The man who claims to be Alexander's heir, in the end his destiny is the same as of all enemies of the city at the Tiber.

    In the east, we defeat Mithridates, usurper king, false ho megas, pretender to Alexander's throne. Butcher of Romans, defiler of Roman cities. Soon he will cower when he hears the howls of wolves. The cries of eagles. For we are what he claims to be.

    Masters of this world.
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    Says a man currently planning to stab up his brother for a horse. Very droll Roman.
     
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