In Fine, Solum Est Tibi (A Quest in Rome, During The Fall of the Republic)

[] War: Your Father, despite his lack of a male heir, did not decide to put you down into the hallowed halls of womanly virtue as was expected of you. You were not one to stand at the feasts, and be a pretty face for those to ogle and gawk at. Instead, he trained you in the art of war, and War, as it turns out, as it had for him, went well with you. You learned how to shout above men in battle when your voice was nearly gone. You learned to ride a horse and lead men to die for you. It was not something you expected to be any good at, but you became a master at it.

[] Law: Roman law is a complicated, tangled morass of bylaws and codas, less a legal system and more an inscrutable maze, the byproduct of three hundred years of plodding bureaucracy. Ever since you could walk, and talk, you found yourself in front of Roman Law books, looking through the loopholes and intricacies that are commonplace. How to find strengths and weaknesses in any argument involving the laws, including the peculiar situation that you find yourself in. The noblii see knowledge of the law as nothing short of essential, and the right case in the eyes of the Common man can make or break a political career.

[] Speech: Words are Wind. That was what your father said when you were a child after you lied to him about stealing a sweet treat. That was when you learned the power of words, how they can shape perspective, they can shape everything from opinion to the will of men. You may not ever set foot in the Senate, but nothing matters. Words… Oratory is the most valuable skill that any man, any person can have in Rome. A speech said to the right people, given the right motivation, can shape a nation. Even a nation as rigid as Rome.

[] Trade: Your Father's vineyards and wine production were never one to write home about, as many a year the wine barely paid for itself, with all that went into it, and Grain and Barely were seen as far more favorable investment. But on the rare year where he tried his hand at such investments and production, you were the one who led it into the city, and sold it to the wine merchants for profit. The merchant's life is not often sung in the tales, but it is one to which you are most suited, both in terms of practicality and just sheer competence. A coin can buy many things in Rome. It might not be glamorous as War or Law. But Gold Talks in ways that even honor cannot.

[]Combat: War did not suit you. But in the end, you did prefer one thing that suited you in a way that would make the Gods themselves be thinking of their combative Sisters. With a Bow, a Javelin, a sword, a shield. You may not be a man, nor a gladiator, but what you desire, what you wish to do, is kill. And as much as you hate to admit it to anyone, most especially to yourself, you enjoy it a little.

[]Architecture: You came to Rome a city as a city of Brick, and you will leave it a city of Marble. You have only one desire for your life. To build something, to see it conducted, and see it last a thousand years. That is what it meanest to give life to Rome.

Roman Gifts: The Gifts of your Father's Homeland. The ones in which, all that matters.

[] The Gift of Mars: It is said that those who take to the art of war from a young age were blessed in the womb by Mars himself, as a gift for your Father's loyal duty to Him. You are one such, a prodigy of battle, capable of learning and absorbing new strategies and tactics, and quickly adapting them to match the actions of your foes.

[] The Gift of Apollo: Words are like a hurricane, they can destroy you, or save you. That is what your father said to you before he died. To speak and to listen is something that you do obsessively. You are nothing short of a rabble-rouser, a loose cannon a fire that will light the great fire that is within Rome and cause it to burn to the ground, where you will be the master of it's ashes. The Senate views you, not only as a threat but as a truly dangerous voice to tradition and Roman Virtue. The Downtrodden, the Plebeians who have been lost and forgotten, even the slaves, who view you as the greatest master one could have. You are the future, some say. And everyone takes notice of the future.

[] The Gift of Venus: You are beautiful, a thing sculpted as if from massy stone. Your skin is as pale and alluring as marble, free from all crack or blemish, like the very flesh of Venus herself. Your nose is as aquiline as the eagle's beak, your lips as wide and fair as his wings, and your eyes as proud and mighty as his own. Men and women alike look upon you with lust and envy, and your striking features have won you the hearts of many throughout the Roman countryside, and will surely do the same in Rome itself.

[] The Gift of Fortuna: You are lucky. The Will of the world, fortune itself seems to fall upon you like tumblers in a lock, being opened by a key. Men who have tried to kill you fall in misfortune. Or treachery, turning on themselves before dying to your guards. Snakes that should have bitten you miss, or hit your clothes or sandals, their venomous bites. Games of Chance or merely games to win money. The Bets at the colosseum and the Circus Maximus are merely ways to get money to invest. And even the debts you owe, what little you do owe to your slaves and comrades, are nothing. It is as if a force you cannot control, but you feel as if you are a plaything, a whim to a much higher power.

[] The Gift of Bellona: Battle is what you live for. The battle is what you will die for. You are a master of fortune in fighting. Those who have seen you rip through a battlefield, be it a street or a war, say that it was like looking upon Bellona herself, the ancient goddess of war and destruction, come to earth in mortal flesh. While you draw breath with a blade in your hand, there is no man living that can face you alone.

The Greek Gifts: The Gifts of your Mother's Land. Those long-forgotten in power. (Note, If you chose any of these boons, there will be consequences)

[]The Gift Of Hera: If there is one thing your mother gave you, it was her grace, her beauty, and above all else her patience. She reminded you that her homeland's gods were not. Hera was a cruel goddess, whose marriage was loveless and heartbroken. But it seems her curse would not follow you, as it seems in all your relations, you will find happiness. Bonds with the Family you chose to have around you.

[]The Gift of Hestia: Home is where the Hearth is. And the Gods favor you as someone who knows where her home is. Hestia has blessed you with a home that will never be lost, no matter the tragedy. Your people may leave you, your plans may fall apart. But you will always have a home, no matter what and where it is. You will always have one place to be safe.

[]The Gift of Hades: Death will always be the end. It is only wise to smile and greet it openly and happily. Death does not fear you, as why should it, it is merely the end of a journey that lasts a lifetime. And Hades believes you are a wonderful student, and sometimes, you may see the end of it all for yourself, or rarer still, for another you care for. He also bestowed upon you a rather, strange gift, at least to you. Your eyesight is very good, good enough to tell a coin that is fake… or real. A useful trick.

[]The Gift of Zagreus: You Will Fail. You will break down and be defeated. But that is not the end, merely another beginning to start again. In one story your mother told you, Zagreus wanted to meet his mother and had to fight through all of the Underworld to reach the surface, before being dragged back to the underworld. You Will Fail. But that does not mean you will fail forever.