"Rufus! I'm glad you could make it." You clap him on the back as you usher him into your tent. It's not quite right to call your reasons for talking with Rufus 'conspiracy', but the planned topic is more conniving than discussing a simple plan.
"Of course! Bandying words with you is always a pleasure, especially after how droll my comrades on the campaign trail turned out to be. The topic is certainly interesting, but one can only bear so much talk of swords and armor before they go mad." The two of you gave the joke a respectable chuckle before moving on to more important matters. "Still, your message read more urgent than mere discussion. What crisis has befallen you?"
"No crisis, but an opportunity." you explain. "Sertorius has seen fit to grant me command of a sizable portion of the legion, and he's assigned you to that very same portion."
"Well then I look forward to working with you. Perhaps we may even find time to discuss something not related to this war."
"I would enjoy that immensely." you say. "But alas, now is not such a time. I wish to discuss tactics, and more specifically, how you might aid me with them."
"I am afraid I am not your equal in that regard. I have gained some knowledge of battle, but my passion is still law whereas you have taken to war like a shark to the sea." Rufus shakes his head. "I fail to see what help I could be."
"I am nowhere near as skilled a commander as Sertorius, yet he has put me in command of half a legion."
Rufus sputters. "Half? You said a sizable portion, not half."
You would be lying if you said you didn't draw pleasure from his shocked expression, but you decide to continue your point rather than tease him with your success. "Half is a sizable portion. But as I was saying, he has given me this command because he faces a host of problems and cannot afford to deal with them one at a time."
Rufus nodded knowingly. "And the problem he has assigned you is in turn comprised of smaller problems you must, yet cannot deal with all at once?"
"If the gods have not seen fit to grant Sertorius the power to be in multiple places at once, I can assure you they have passed by me with that gift as well." you lament.
Rufus laughs good-naturedly. "So you wish to delegate to me. Very well then, what task am I to perform?"
"I could tell you, but I suspect you'd enjoy a little game first." you tease. "A hypothetical scenario. Solve it, and you'll have your role in all this."
"A word puzzle? By all means." As you being, you can tell you have Rufus' interest and undivided attention.
"Suppose you place ten denarii in your purse and go for a pleasant stroll through Rome to partake in some fresh air." you begin, setting the scene. "All of a sudden, you are beset by two men. One draws his dagger and demands ten denarii lest he sheathe it in your gut. The second man offers to sell his services to you. Protection from brigands and thieves in exchange for ten denarii. Who do you give your ten denarii to?"
Rufus places a hand on his chin, deep in thought as he mulls over the hypothetical situation. "Am I correct to assume I am incapable of defending myself in this scenario?" he asks.
"For the sake of argument, let us say you left your blade at home, and the man with the dagger is quite intimidating, but the potential bodyguard is stronger."
"Then I would pay the bodyguard." he answers. "It deals with the current assailant as well as any future thieves, leaving me free to enjoy my walk through Rome."
You raise a finger knowingly. "Ah, but at the end of the day, those two men return to the same hideout and split your denarii down the middle."
"A trick!" Rufus exclaims. "I suspect the same would have happened if I had paid off the man with the dagger?"
"But of course."
"So then there was no way to win, then?" asks Rufus.
"On the contrary, there were two ways to succeed." You withhold the answer, reveling in Rufus' confusion. Rather than admit defeat, Rufus furrows his brow and thinks.
"Two ways? I cannot fathom one…" he mumbles. You can see the moment realization dawns on him, and a smile splits yours in two. "Two ways. By being either a man with a dagger or a man driving off thieves."
"There's no way to lose."
"So which man am I in your plans? The man with the dagger, or the bodyguard?" asks Rufus.
"Well, I've already burned Aeclanum to the ground. A mighty fine dagger if I am to play the villain in our little tale, wouldn't you say?" A jovial smirk graces your face.
"A well made dagger indeed." agrees Rufus. "But isn't the point of the bodyguard to be more powerful than the man with the dagger in order to drive him off?"
"Why Rufus, you are a man backed by the full might of Rome! There is no one more powerful!" you jest before growing serious. "We will have to adjust our plan on the fly, but here it is in general. You offer to protect them if only they would swear allegiance to Rome, and I threaten to treat them as enemies of the legion unless they swear allegiance to Rome."
"A fine plan, but I wouldn't have paid the bodyguard if I knew he and the man with the dagger were conspiring together." counters Rufus. "We are both citizens of Rome, the offers will come from the same place."
"A fair point, but the issue is solved before it arises. The Samnites will reject any offer from Rome on principle, it is their way. Any option is unsavory to them if it involves swearing themselves to Rome. The key is to give them an option. Do not let them think of rejecting it outright. Let them take the less unsavory deal, and they will leave the meeting table with high spirits, thinking they've won."
"All the while not realizing we've each taken five denarii the moment their backs are turned." Rufus said with a knowing smile to match your own.
"Exactly." you say. "So what do you think?"
"I think if everyone made tactics as enjoyable a topic to discuss as you, I'd have the motivation to become Rome's greatest general."
AN: Someone mentioned 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' and it stuck in my head. So here's this.
Screams fill the air as you follow your charge into the narrow streets of this accursed place. Aeclanum. They had felt Rome's fury before for their impudence and were granted a small mercy in return afterwards by being allowed to keep their wretched ruin of a home. Now they had risen up again, and so another generation of Roman blood is tested and spilled in these very streets. As you march alongside to reinforce the rest of the cohort your old bones can hear the echoing clash of arms through the empty streets, the sound of steel striking steel and flesh in equal measure, all of it causing you to slip back somewhat to older days. Hispania, even now you found yourself reminiscing about bygone days where you were a simple Centurion serving under a different Cingulatus. The conflict in the air brought back vivid images to you, of standing at the forefront of a century with a scutum in one hand and gladius in the other as you fought shoulder to shoulder against waves and waves of Celtic and Iberian tribesmen. Once again you found yourself in an army led by Sertorius, yet at the moment you were apprehensive. Atellus was like a son to you, having practically raised him from birth. You had taught him almost everything you knew, which made you the best person to know his measure. Many great Romans had tried to tame the Samnites, with the latest in Sulla having clearly failed as well. With this town standing as an homage to his failure here you found yourself wondering how Atellus would fare under this test. However, as you marched further and further into the town proper, the sounds of smells of battle became clearer and clearer to you. Gripping your sword tighter in response, you found your mind drawn to the sounds of the shouts of men, the clashes of steel, alongside the smell of spilled blood, sweaty bodies, and overall carnage. While they could take the man out of the Legion, they would never take the Legion out of the man.
Sighting the scene of the fighting, you can tell immediately that the combat is fierce. Blood runs unimpeded through the streets, and corpses lie directly at the feet of the men. Even the hardened veterans of the first cohort struggle against the ferocity of the Samnites. Some may have thought it impossible for a bunch of ill-led rabble to withstand the might of one of Rome's Legions, however in your experienced eye you can tell that they are no mere disorganized mob. No, in each and every one of their eyes you can see an ironclad determination that binds each and every one of them together. It does not matter if before they were simply farmers, butchers, or what have you. At the moment they are fighting like cornered animals, and those are often the fiercest when near the end. You would not faulted your charge if he had not risen to the occasion and led the men forward from here, it was his first command after all and no matter how much training he receives sometimes no amount of training prepares you for leading men into battle. Yet as you expected he did not disappoint you. Staring into the tumultuous combat taking place down below, you watch as his aquiline features set themselves in determination.
"Men of the Sixth! Hear me! Before you now lay the Samnites, cursed and wretched foes that our forefathers and ancestors have fought for generations. We stand here today as arbiters of Roman justice and retribution. Take heart men, for Rome is watching. Every Samnite you slay here is another that is not ravaging Roman lands. I cannot say that all of you will live to see the end of this day. But, know that I will too will lead from the front and fight alongside you, and for those of you who fall, your names will live on forever. Men, follow me and I will lead you to riches and glory alike. For we are the Sixth! The Blessed of Mars! Now, show these curs the might of Rome!" comes the rallying cry from Atellus, his charisma and confidence inspiring the men before you, proud veterans all, to let out war cries of their own as the implacable advance of the cohort becomes a furious charge as you all burst into the fray.
Up ahead you can see that the Samnites have finally noticed you and the remains of the cohort. Eyes widen, mouths gape, and tunics are wet with piss as they see your charge about to reach them.
It is Atellus of course who reaches the enemy first, a flanking group of Samnites who were trying to envelop the first group led by Mercator. Ducking under the errant swing of one of the desperate men before him, a woodsman's axe goes high over his head, before he buries his gladius deep into the gut of the one who had tried to end him in a single, quick, and vicious stab that has the man holding onto his wound briefly before collapsing onto the ground.
Soon enough you find yourself joining him in the clash moments later. While your bones may be old and your muscles not as firm as they used to be in their prime, a lifetime of experience in Rome's Legions has given you more than enough to defeat the foe before you. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the legionnaires beside you, you use your scutum to expertly block the furious blows sent your way. Stabs from a pitchfork fail to penetrate the shield you are carrying, a blow from a club is deftly deflected and turned through a parry of your own. All the while you continue to stab forward with your gladius, your seasoned eye allowing you to spot momentary openings in an instant and seize upon them. You are pure efficiency as you continue to scythe through the opposition before you. One man you stab in the eye, your blade piercing his skull in the instant he overextended, another you stabbed him through his armpit while he was distracted by the legionnaire at your side. Through it all, you find yourself getting reacquainted with the feeling of steel sliding through flesh and bone, a jolting sensation that only one who lives to make war can ever get used to.
While the men beside you and behind you had at first thought you were a simple servant at first, your time in the yard with them and in a few routine spars had shown that beneath your leathery exterior laid a man of iron. You had earned their respect, and their trust. While you may not have been one of them at this moment, you were still a product of the legions and that granted you courtesy and respect enough.
It was a grinding advance, one that favored the legion, but an annoying situation all the same. You found that even your sword arm was getting somewhat tired from having to stab them over and over and over again. Oh sure, the Samnites tried many times to outwit Atellus and the cohort with a feigned retreat there, an ambush from a side street here, or the old pretending to be dead under the bodies trick there. None of that fazed your charge however. Fighting nearby you watched as he led the lead detachment forward, passing a ruined manse while successfully fixing the flanking detachment before him. Standing at the forefront, with his badge of office clear for all to seem, the Samnites, being the canny fighters that they were, charged him. While they may have fought furiously and for a worthy cause in their eyes, Atellus simply fought and led better. Deflecting blows with an odd grace, and dealing devastating damage with that flashing blade of his, the enemy quickly found that even anger and righteousness fury were not everything. That was the last thing they learned in any case, as Atellus was more than cunning enough to use this situation to his advantage, as while they were fixated on him they noticed too late before another detachment slammed in behind them and cut them to pieces.
Even through all of this however, you have to give the Samnites credit, for all the devastating losses they had suffered, all of the death and destruction dealt upon them, they still did not give up when many other foes, many you remember being better provisioned and equipped, would have simply fallen apart. Carpets of Samnite dead litter the streets, their lifeblood flowing through the mixture of dirt and cobbled roads creating an almost squelching mud as you continued your advance.
Where before you found yourself facing men in their fighting prime, now you were fighting youths and women as they tried to avenge their fallen. What was once an ebbing tide swelled forth back again as they came at you and the cohort from everywhere. Standing side to side, with a shieldwall presented to towards them you felt a press of bodies meet you all while the Samnites make their final stand. Daggers and swords are thrust at you, a legionnaire further to your right falling to an upthrust sword aimed at him by a youth younger than even your charge, one who is quickly cut down by the legionnaire who steps forth to fill his spot in the line, with the youth quickly going to join his father in whatever wretched afterlife the Samnites believe in.
What was once a steady advance had become an arduous crawl. The foes before you now were unending in their fury as they charged at the cohort with reckless abandon, their eyes bloodshot and their bodies resilient as you see many take more wounds than they could possibly survive and continue fighting despite it, one woman simply charging through the gladius that had impaled her to club the legionnaire and take him to the ground.
On and on this goes, enemies uncountable fall to your blade. You know that this cannot go on, yet you are not in a position to do anything about it. At the same time however, you are sure that if you know, Atellus likely does as well. Fighting nearby him, you can see that even as the sweat continues to stream down his face, and the blood continues to drip down his arm, his expression remains as poised and composed as ever. To you, that assures you that he has a plan and that he has some gambit that will deliver you from this ordeal. Soon enough, your trust is paid off when you see one, two, three, and more fires erupt around the city, illuminating this charnel house with blood and flame. As soon as the smoke plumes can be seen rising into the blue sky above you, the screams of those burning piercing the shroud of the battlefield, you can see the hope die within the eyes of the Samnites before you as many drop their weapons and turn to flee.
It is at this moment that Atellus lets you loose.
"Tercerus, round up the rest, " is the simple order given to you as he dispatches you and a detachment of legionnaires to gather up the remaining Samnites.
"Acknowledged. You heard the Tribune, follow me," you bellow as you have the legionnaires with you march double time to catch up to the fleeing Samnites.
As your detachment rumbles through the streets, you make sure to detach groups here and there in order to secure certain sections of city and to make good on your order. Wailing women and children are dragged back towards the assembly area which Atellus has formed to reorganize the cohort. Along the way you can see that the looting has already begun as you pass more than a few legionnaires with bags full of plundered silver, gold, and other trinkets.
It is as you are heading northwards however, that your speed pays off for you see a familiar figure in the distance. Leading a caravan of horses and mules, whose saddlebags appeared to be loaded with loot is none other than Spurio the would-be traitor. Around him are perhaps a dozen men, some of them resemble the men who he had led before Atellus to parley, the others seemed to be ordinary Samnites. But that is no matter to you, what is, is the look he seems to get within his eyes, one of panic as he sees you and the men behind you rush up the street. In haste he tries to order his men to quicken their advance, however all of that ill-gotten treasure he has on him has slowed him down enough for you to catch him.
"Pila!" you below out, causing the men beside you to grab onto the javelins they carry with them, all while preparing to throw them.
"Loose!" you order again, and watch as the dozen or so projectiles fly through the air and impact the men and beast before you.
The group before you collapses into disorder as more than half of their number now find themselves impaled upon the thrown pila, their lifeblood dripping out of them. Luckily for you, one of the thrown pila managed to hit the horse carrying Spurio who is now partially trapped under it. As the rest of the legionnaires with you cut through the men before you, you on the other hand approach Spurio who is cursing up a storm.
"Shit! Fuck! Damn it!" cries the infamous bandit as he nurses his likely broken leg, turning about as soon as he sees you coming, with sword drawn.
"S-servant! I see you've found me...no hard feelings right? A man's got to make coin after all," comes the pathetic reply from Spurio as you continue to advance towards him.
"Come now don't be like that," he says as he tries to back away from you, something that causes you savor the fear he has in his eyes.
"Wait! W-wait! Don't kill me...please, j-just take this, all of this, just spare me," he says with tears coming to his eyes as he begins to crack, shoving the bags full of plunder towards you, something you ignore as you silently step over them and get closer and closer to him.
"Hmph, where was all the bravado you had before traitor? Did you not say you would take the gold from our corpses after this battle? How pathetic," you say as you spit on the ground beside him.
"P-please, I was only doing what only sane man would do, honest. J-just spare me and I'll make everything up for you,'' he promises to you in desperation.
"And what could you possibly offer to us?" you ask with a dismissive tone.
"I...I know things...about the Samnites. I'm sure your master would love to hear about them. Spare me and I'll tell him everything!" he says with increased intensity, eyeing your gladius in fear.
"Hah! Do you honestly think I'll fall for that one. No one would trust you, a known turncoat, after what you'd attempted to do at the parley. No, I will not spare you, I think you've lived long enough," you say as you plant a boot on his chest and stomp him into the ground causing him to let loose an explosive breath.
"W-wait...you have to...urgh...grrrrh," comes the last words of Spurio as you bury your gladius into his ribcage, making sure to twist a little before extricating your blade.
Watching for a moment as the light dims from his eyes and the blood finishes exiting his mouth, you take a moment before you decapitate him in one swift blow. You'd think Atellus would like this one's head mounted on a pike, especially after the utterly despicable attempt at extortion earlier.
Soon enough you are organizing the men around you, who have taken great pleasure in grabbing the saddlebags filled with gold, and then you set off back to Atellus.
Marching alongside Atellus, you feel a familiar pride well up in your chest as you and cohort he commanded are greeted with cheers and adulation as you enter the camp of the Sixth Legion. As the column treks up the via praetoria, as you are at its head with Atellus you immediately spot the visage of Sertorius as he awaits your charge in front of the Principia.
Watching the exchange that occurs between them, you cannot help but make comparisons to a different Cingulatus. In your minds eye you find yourself transposing Atellus' father in his place. Instead of the fields of Samnium you find yourself back in the hills of Hispania once again. Sertorius is once again before you commending a Cingulatus, but before you find yourself too drawn into memories of the past you return. You watch as Atellus displays and presents the treasured mural to Sertorius in a flair for dramatics that was totally unlike his father. For as much as Atellus was his father's son, you could see at this moment, as does Sertorius, that he is more than that, and for that you are grateful.
Spurio grabs an amphora of wine from a nearby slave and takes a deep drink before wiping his mouth and shrugging noncommittally. "Doesn't matter to me. Roman coin is Roman coin, whether I take it from your corpses after the battle or not."
Time seems to slow for an instant as you run through myriad possibilities from how best to use Spurio and his men should you accept the offer to whether killing him now would do irreparable damage to your reputation going forward. Unfortunately, it probably would. Just as you notice Spurio begin to grow tired of waiting, your mind stumbles upon an idea that you like very much.
"Do you have the brains to pay up, or is your puny mind trying to understand my offer?" taunts Spurio. Tercerus reaches for his sword, but you stop him with an outstretched arm. You've concocted a fitting plan for this worm, but you'd have stopped him anyways; seeing this worm dead on anyone's blade save your own would be wholly unsatisfying.
"I was merely thinking of how best to use you and your men. It would be a waste of money to have you join us in the charge or simply leave the city when we attack." you explain, letting the insult roll off you like water. "Now, if you were to leave a gate open and help my legion subdue the city once we're inside… now that may be worth the price you ask."
"Sir, you cannot seriously be considering-" you cut Tercerus off with a raised hand.
"Tercerus, I am in command." you remind him with a tone that brooks no argument. "Sertorius trusts my judgement. You will as well."
"Haha! You'd best listen to your Master, dog!" laughs Spurio. He seems to wish for death rather than a successful negotiation. Tercerus manages to control himself though, as Spurio turns back to addressing you. "We can swing a gate swung open, and we'll follow your legion's lead once you lot are inside. Now then, that'll be ten talents."
Now it is your turn to laugh. "I may be no Sertorius, but I promise you I am no dullard. You'll have your money as soon as I stand at the top of Aeclanum, not a moment sooner." Spurio opens his mouth to speak, but you cut him off. "I'm not about to entrust half my treasury to a man whom, by virtue of accepting the money, has proven himself a traitor."
Spurio actually laughs at that, and it seems humored, in contrast to his usual mocking bark. "I suppose I can't fault your logic there, Roman. But I can't just be taking you at your word either. Looks like we have ourselves a stalemate. Either pay up, or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of our blades come tomorrow."
"Hardly a stalemate. Thirty pieces of silver is Rome's base rate for this scenario." You toss a small purse to Spurio, and the coins inside clink together tantalizingly as he catches it. "I trust that's a suitable down payment?"
Spurio looks inside the purse, and you see his eyes light up at the sight of silver. He looks back up to you, and greed is replaced by suspicion. "And I'll get the ten talents once you have Aeclanum?" he asked warily.
"On my honor as a citizen of Rome, you will be paid as your deeds deserve." you say solemnly. "But know this. If you renege on your end of our arrangement, I will take those silver pieces back from your corpse."
"Tomorrow night the gate will open for your legion. Don't blame me if you ain't there to walk through though." Spurio turns to leave, waving his men to follow him as he counts the coins.
"Are you actually going to pay that scum?" asks Tercerus, finally trusting himself to speak now that Spurio has left.
"I shall reward him as a traitor deserves." you say, the savage grin on your face both shocking and relieving Tercerus. He laughs quietly all the way back to camp.
XXX
Spurio may be a greedy rat of a traitor, but he's a rat who knows how to open gates. With the walls of Aeclanum rendered worthless and the help of Spurio's men, you have taken the city in time to watch the sun rise. The public forum of Aeclanum pales in comparison to Rome's, but you decide that it is a fitting location to command the takeover of the city from.
"One Aeclanum delivered right into your hands. Now how about you deliver those talents into mine?" You are glad you dismissed the idea of exposing Spurio's treachery and then leaving him to the tender mercies of the Samnites. The man is practically flaunting it to the handful of captured citizens you have in the forum as he walks past with his bandits following behind.
"The day is won." You begin, putting on your orator voice and projecting it so that everyone in the forum turns to look at you. "As is Roman custom, it is the time to grant honors. And who could be more deserving than the man who singlehandedly swung wide the gates?"
Spurio is clearly enjoying the show, even as the captured Samnites spit at him and curse his name. "Oh, and I assume that would be me?" he asks rhetorically, as much to play along as to taunt the people wishing death upon him.
"Indeed. Come forward Spurio and be honored." You extend a hand making clear that Spurio is to clasp it to seal your little deal. It's hardly the customary way of granting honors, but you doubt Spurio knows or cares as he approaches and slaps his palm to yours. The instant the two of you touch, you yank Spurio close. "Honored as a traitor deserves."
You're still using your orator voice so that everyone can hear you, and Spurio would no doubt complain about you hurting his ears if he weren't more preoccupied with the dagger embedded between his ribs. His bandits take a second to realize what's happened, but your legion reacted the moment you gave the signal. To call it a battle would be disingenuous. Slaughter was more accurate. Not a single man from the legion died, and only a handful were even wounded.
Tercerus spat on Spurio's corpse. "I only wish I could have done it myself." he muses. "Your orders?"
You give your orders loudly, to save time repeating it to the captives, at least those present. "They may either swear sacramentum to Rome and die on their feet." You notice some Samnite faces drain of their color, while others harden into terrified defiance. You sigh softly at that. "Any man who refuses to join Rome will be joined by his family." A good number of the defiant faces break at that news.
Tercerus nods in understanding. "I will convey your orders."
You watch as he runs off to tell the other officers what they are to do, letting you get back to deciding on spoils. You seem to recall seeing a rather beautiful mural when you first clearing out the governor's estate. It might make a good gift for Sertorius, as recompense for stretching the bounds of your orders.
Struck by a bolt of remembrance, you squat down. "I'll be making good on my promise." you say to a dead man as you pocket thirty silver pieces.
AN: I wanted to write this little what-if back when the choice of how to deal with Spurio first popped up, but I had like, five essays due that week, so it got postponed until now.
[X] Plan Roman Duty
-[X] Bovianum
-[X] A Law Beyond The Sword
-[X] Sic Semper
-[X] Write Home
--[X] Cicero
--[X] Proserpina
June 9th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
Your first ever campaign, you were assigned as military tribune to the VI Legion under one Quintus Sertorius, a famed general and the Legate of Italia. The legion was dispatched by the Proconsul Cinna to defeat the Samnite tribes once and for all, and win a resounding Roman victory close to home.
Legion(s): LEGIO VI GRADIVIUS (Sixth Legion, Blessed By Mars) Position: Tribunus Laticlavus (Broad-Striped Tribune) Commanding Officer: Quintus Sertorius Commanding Officer Reputation: 8/10 -- Sertorius is the soldier's ideal, a young man who rose from nothing and won the Grass Crown, the Republic's ultimate military honor. Held to be a champion of his soldiers and a defender of the common people, there are many in the Sixth who would die for Sertorius without question. Total Forces: 5,600 combined Roman legionnaires, equites, and auxilaries. Reputation With The Legion: 6/10 -- The giver of laurels and the breaker of the Samnites, the bringer of coin and law, and a capable fighter in your own right -- you are many things to the men of the Sixth Legion, but first and foremost you are the Tribune. They may not all love you, but they respect you. Location: Apennine Italy Outcome: ???
The sun beats down on your tanned skin as the short, barrel-bodied legionnaire standing in front of you finishes his long litany of complaints against everyone and anyone in the camp, from the camp cooks (who are poisoning him with their food) to the slave who dumped out his latrine that morning (who is helping the cooks). As he closes out with the absurd accusation that his centurion has been trying to steal his boots for the last few weeks, Rufus, next to you, can barely keep himself from laughing. You, however, lean forward, plastering just the right amount of interested concern on your face as you pretend to take down his name.
"These are some serious claims. I promise you, I'll personally look into each and every one of them. I'm astonished these abuses have been allowed to continue for so long, and I thank you for bringing them to my attention...ah...Varius Mertilla, was it?"
"That's right, Tribune." His face relaxes from the semi-permanent scowl that has twisted it for the last half-hour, and you swear you see the shadow of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Good to see there's someone else in this damn camp who's willing to open their eyes."
Mertilla gives you an appreciative nod before pacing off into the throng of soldiers around your table, pausing to stare accusingly at a nearby tent, perhaps suspecting it of trying to cheat him.
The last week and a half have been full of men like Mertilla, you reflect. When you first started setting up, men only came to you with important cases, things like missing food or late pay, but as time has gone on and you have made it clear you will hear out any legionnaire who wishes to air his grievances before you, other, more trivial things have started to make their way before you and Rufus. But for every petty complaint about ill-fitted boots or lumpy cots, there's a brewing rivalry you can nip in the bud, or an ownership case to settle, or any of the thousand-and-one arguments and disputes which can spring up in a legion largely stationary for over a month. Most of these are not terribly serious, but there are one or two which you see could easily develop into a heated feud which might break apart the unity of a century, or even a whole cohort. These, you settle with a trial and a fair judgement, which more often than not puts the matter to rest permanently.
However, there is an accusation you have heard from several different ears in the last few weeks: namely, that Scemperio, a centurion of some small infamy in the legion, is far too harsh to the men under his command. Those who come before you spin tales of broken bones and backs whipped raw, of soldiers unable to march for days and men denigrated and tortured for the slightest of offenses. Harshness is valued, even enforced, in the legions, but when Carcellus comes to you one afternoon with a quiet request to look into the centurion --a boundary he, as an officer, cannot cross himself without incurring the wrath of his peers -- you are fully convinced Scemperio has overstepped his remit as a centurion.
The day after Carcellus comes to you, you quickly round up the tribunes and hold a court-martial for the overzealous 'Barracks Tyrant', as the men have so nicknamed him. There is an outpouring of witnesses from almost every corner of the legion, and even men not under Scemperio's direct command volunteer to testify to his actions. In the end, faced with overwhelming evidence, you and Rufus pass sentence on Scemperio, one that is met with cheers by the legionnaires watching the trial: you issue him a gradus deiecto, stripping him of his rank and making him a legionnaire once more. As a measure to ensure he is not murdered in the night by his former subordinates, you switch him to a different cohort than the one he previously commanded. While the legionnaires respond to this with celebrations and praises of your name, the officers do no take it well. Though Scemperio was far from well-liked, the idea that you can simply strip away their rank for disciplining their men is one which does not sit well with many of them.
Aside from this, however, your duties have become a routine and ordered part of your life, leaving you some small free time for your own matters. For the first time in the months since the campaign began, your thoughts can turn at last to Rome, and the friends and family you left there. You write first to Proserpina, who responds almost immediately. She has been keeping herself apprised of the well-being of your family and estate — both your sisters are doing well, she says, though the eldest is receiving many callers and suitors from all walks of life. You will have your hands full with them when you return to Rome, she warns.
Other messages follow this first, written in a special cipher your father invented for just this purpose back in Spain. You are a mite rusty with it, but when you recall the gist of it —the first ninety-four words of Scipio Africanus' memoirs correspond to the letters of the alphabet, backwards — you can puzzle out the messages, though it takes you a bit longer than you'd like. You can't escape the nagging feeling you've missed something, but the letters are largely decipherable, at least.
(Needed 8 Subterfuge)
Proserpina's network is growing quickly, and well. The small stipend you send back to Rome monthly is enough for her to slowly expand the number of servants and slaves in the houses of Rome's well-to-do who are on her payroll. She has continued making contacts among the aristocracy, as you ordered, and several salacious secrets have already passed her ears. But though she has kept her ear to the ground on the matter of Pompey, she has heard little that most do not know. The Young Butcher, by all accounts, is growing restless in Rome — almost as restless as his legions, who have started three riots in the past week. He has made no further moves against you, at least not openly, but she warns he is not a man to forget or forgive slights. Her final message ends with a curt instruction to watch your back.
Your second correspondent takes far longer to respond, and it is just when you think Cicero's forgotten that a sheaf of papers as thick as your wrist arrives in camp. You are baffled, and it takes you a few minutes of reading to realize that this is all one letter. Those pages contain anything and everything, from ruminations on legal developments to topics as mundane as the rumors and scandals of Rome --a Senator's daughter was caught in bed with five centurions half a week ago-- and as abstract as a long tangent on the inherent selfishness of many of the Greek philosophies, to which Cicero half-jokingly attributes the moral decay of Roman culture. It takes you almost a week to read, but no matter the topic, it is almost always pleasurable reading.
At first, you do not think you can match the erudition and wit of such a letter, but as you begin to draft out your response, you find yourself answering him in kind. Cicero wrote about his experiences, so you write about your own. You tell him of the scandals and troubles of the legion, from the petty to the grim, and of the fierce, unbending resistance of the Samnites. You write of your own near-admiration for their tenacity and determination, of your own successes at Aeclanum and elsewhere, and of the growing responsibilities --and glories-- heaped upon you by Sertorius. You match Cicero wit for wit and wordplay for wordplay, and when you are finished, you have a stack of papers to rival Cicero's own. You have Rufus look it over, then pay the Legion's fastest messenger fifteen denarii to see it to Rome as quickly as possible. In the weeks to come, you quickly strike up a correspondence with the young lawyer, and his letters to you come to provide a welcome break from the stifling strictures of the legion.
390 XP to Intelligence!
400 XP to Education!
Law in the Legions: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 1 (Proficient Diplomacy) + 1 (Proficient Law) + 1 (Gift of Minerva) = 18
Needed: 11
Letters to Cicero: 1d20 +4 (Renowned Intelligence) +2 (Accomplished Education) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 19
Needed: 15
June 24th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
Gaius Pompolussa is no Lucius Mercator, you reflect for nearly the tenth time since meeting the man. The foremost centurion of the Second Cohort, he is as different from the Primus Pilus as night is from day. Where Mercator is grim and introspective, a veteran with eyes too old for his body, Pompolussa is wry and talkative, a man closer to Tercerus' age than yours with a tongue foul enough to make the gods blush. A lifelong soldier, he's been killing men since before you were born, and he and Tercerus hit it off more than well enough, talking about campaigns and wars and men long since dead. As you lead your horse over a particularly rocky stretch of terrain, you think, not for the first time, that you will be more than glad to have the two old dogs with you in Bovianum.
Sertorius has given you command of the Sixth, the Third, the Ninth, and the Second cohorts, as well as a group of auxiliaries from Gaul. Of those, the best-trained are the Second, Gaius' cohort, composed half of veterans and half of green men. The rest are primarily composed of relatively new recruits with veterans scattered into the command structure, or are Gauls, who, while skilled warriors, are no Romans. Sertorius offered his apologies for saddling you with the greenest men in the legion, but you are going to an ostensibly friendly city, while he is heading to the lands of the Hirpini, the most infamous and violent of all the Samnite tribes. He will more than need every veteran he can get, and you do not begrudge him for it.
But gods, these men are green.
Sitting in camp and only skirmishing with the odd bandit troop has softened these men of what training they already had, and their drills and exercises haven't prepared them for marching hard over rough country. The march to Bovanium should've taken two days at the most, and instead it has taken a full four. The Gauls have horses, at the least, but you have had to stop them from raiding a nearby village twice, and were forced to flog a man on the second day to make an example. They didn't appreciate that much, you don't think -- Roman discipline is lost on men as barbarian as they, and they only see a slight on their vaunted Gallic honor, not a just reprimand for disobeying orders.
At least you'll have lots of time to focus on the men under your command in the weeks to come. You think you'll...
Pick One
Whip Them Into Shape [] You'll focus on honing and training the green legionnaires into a fighting force to be reckoned with. Sertorius isn't expecting you to see much fighting, so you can hardly imagine the look on his face when you return with four cohorts of battle-ready men, not the boys he sent you out with.
Whip Them Into Order [] The damned Gauls could be a terrifyingly effective weapon against the Samnites if you could just get them to reliably follow orders and understand Roman discipline. Though you have your own doubts as to the worth of these unwashed barbarians, Tercerus and Pompolussa both assure you that the Gauls are a force as horrifying as any legion when properly motivated and utilized.
Forge Bonds [] You forgo stricter training in favor of forging closer bonds with the cohorts under your command. If you tie these men tight to you, they might volunteer for service under you when and if you raise a legion of your own. Building your future armies starts here and now, by making these men remember your name, whether it be through gold, food, or your own sheer charisma.
Forge Contacts [] These Gauls are important men back in their homelands, second and third sons of chieftains who volunteered as auxiliaries to find glory in foreign lands they could not find at home. You promise to return them to their countrymen loaded heavy with Samnite gold, and make an effort to forge connections and bonds with these men that may pay dividends in the future. Having a Gallic tribe or two which holds the name of Atellus in high favor could be more than useful in the years and wars to come -- least of all in more auxiliaries, who will readily volunteer to serve under the man who brought their countrymen such wealth.
Rufus, at your side, passes his hand through the scraggly auburn beard that has sprung up on his chin in recent weeks. It's not strictly Roman, but you must say it makes him look like less of a boy and more like a man grown. Combined with his thickening arms and the slight reduction in the paunch of his belly, he almost looks the part of a Tribune. He catches your eye and steers his horse closer to yours, his faced prickled in thought.
"I've been thinking on what we should do in Bovianum. You said Sertorius left the specifics of it up to you, correct?"
"Correct. As long as they don't turn to the rebels and the city's still standing, we can do whatever we like." You try to stress the we. Rufus is technically your co-commander for this venture, and though he's nowhere near as skilled militarily as yourself, this is an ample opportunity for him to earn himself accolades as well. You don't expect him to become the next Marius, but any fame for him is good for you -- if your friends rise in step with you, it means you will have more allies as you make your way up the cursus honorum.
"Well, it just came to me that it's not strictly necessary to give them anything. We've got 2,500 men, give or take. If we garrison them in Bovianum, I expect it would be rather hard for them to flip sides. And once Sertorius brings over the Hirpini, I can't imagine they'll dare turn against us."
You chuckle. Rufus certainly is more ruthless than his flabby body might bring one to imagine.
"I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind," you start, "but giving them some small concessions now could mean true loyalty down the line. Or, well, we could actually attempt to solve their problems. That would win them over to us for certain."
"Solving their problems would mean putting them to the test," Rufus says with a nod towards the cohorts behind you. "I don't like our odds on that. I'm no soldier, but then again...hardly are they."
Dark eyes stare at you from alleyways and corners, brimming with mistrust and suspicion. Though the streets are packed, the throng parts before your regiment. They part uneasily, unkindly, with hardness in their eyes, but they part, moving to the side before your horses.
This, then, is Bovianum. A city of murmured words and distrustful looks, divided on itself by fear and tradition.
You have left the majority of the cohorts camped outside the city walls and entered Bovianum with a small regiment. Rufus and Tercerus ride at your side, and from the looks on their faces, they are just as uneasy as you.
"Remind me," Rufus mutters, "Did these people not come over to Rome freely? They're treating us like conquerors."
"They joined us out of hunger and fear," Tercerus says plainly. "There is no love lost in their hearts for Rome."
Your meeting with the city elders only supports Tercerus' position. A pack of hard-eyed old men with flowing beards, the elders of Bovianum make clear in no uncertain terms that their willing subjugation to Rome is a thing of practicality, not loyalty. The foremost of their group is Mencinio, a balding aristocrat with a bent nose who quite clearly lays out the numerous problems facing the city. Many have not taken well to bending the knee to their ancestral enemy, and there is talk of rebellion fomenting in the underclasses. On top of this, the last harvest was a poor one, and half the city is starving, with the other half well near.
In times like this, Mencinio explains, they would rely on supplies and aid from their sister city of Aquilonia, some ten miles away, but bandit raids have made it harder and harder to even travel between the cities, much less transport valuable grain. Not to mention, the local rebel leader, Gemino, has declared he will punish any settlement which attempts to send food or supplies to Bovianum. From what you can gather, this Gemino is as fervent a believer in the rebel cause as the recently-deceased Spurio, largely using his authority to raid and molest the towns he claims to protect.
After careful consideration and deliberation with yourself and the officers, Rufus presents the legion's plans for the next few months...
Pick Three
Secure A Route [] You send one of the cohorts to Aquilonia to clear out any bandits on the road and secure a stable route between the towns.
Fortify the City [] You set one of the cohorts to building and refurbishing the city's walls. Devastated by Sulla during the Social War, they are a poor defense against bandits and rebels.
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension.
Liberate the Towns [] You begin sending your forces to the towns and villages around Bovianum, returning then to Roman rule simply by marching into their streets. You order them to resume supplying the city, which should feed Bovianum come winter.
Eliminate the Bandits [] You set one of the cohorts to tracking down and eliminating the numerous bandit groups plaguing the hills around Bovianum. There are many places for crafty and cunning natives to hide, and it will no doubt be an arduous task to track down and destroy each group of then.
Defeat the Rebels [] This Gemino has too long defied the will and the might of Rome. You set a cohort to hunt him down and bring you back his head.
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Build an Encampment [] You decide that garrisoning all of your cohorts in the city is too much of a risk. It invites licentiousness and rioting, and makes you less able to gather your men at a moment's notice. You set a cohort to building and constructing a temporary camp on the outskirts of the city, a durable fortification which should prove more than useful should you be forced to winter here.
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude.
Nothing [] You have come to the realization that Rufus is quite correct. You do not have to do anything at all — and so you don't, instead choosing to simply sit and garrison your troops in the city. They cannot rebel with the cohorts in the city, and what happens to them afterwards is not very much your problem. (Can pick no other option if this is selected)
VOTING
Forging a Reputation: The people of Bovianum see you as an occupying invader, an outsider come to force them into obedience. While this is, technically, true, you can act and behave in such a way as to change their opinions of you. You...
A Harsh Hand [] You paint yourself as the conqueror, the destroyer and the annihilator, the contemptuous Roman trampling their lives beneath his feet. You attempt to cultivate a personal legend of harshness and viciousness, every bit the enemy they imagine you as, the great demon of Rome given flesh and a name: Atellus. Dissidents are whipped in the streets, and rebels are executed in the town square as an example to all who would defy the mighty name of Rome.
I Am The Law [] You become the impartial, unflinching master of Bovianum, following the laws to the letter and the word. You are not cruel or kind, simply just — and justice is blind. You attempt to build the image of a stony-faced judge, passing down law from on high, regardless of where the scales may fall. You punish legionnaire and Samnite in equal measure, for Rome knows no favorite in the courts.
Friend of the Samnites [] You paint yourself as the willing ally and friend of their people, trying to protect them from the depredations of their people as well as the viciousness of your own. Addressing Aeclanum as a regretful necessity, you attempt to win the Samnites over to your side by filling their bellies and safeguarding their homes. You spin them great promises of ensuring their valued citizenship within Rome, and of protecting their ancestral lands.
[] Write-In
Rufus' Reputation: Rufus, as your co-Tribune, is regarded much the same as yourself. However, you have previously discussed how he is to present himself to the Samnites, and in concert with you, this will hopefully lead the Samnites into the waiting arms of Rome.
Ruthless Administrator [] Rufus portrays himself as a heartless, tyrannical administrator, ruthless and without mercy. Taxes increase, rations are clipped short, and Samnites are treated like second-class citizens.
Willing Advocate [] Rufus portrays himself as a noble defender of the Samnite people in the courts, a heroic advocate of their freedoms and rights as Roman citizens, representing them in every case for which he is able and then some. From land claims to theft charges, he is a ceaseless ally of the Samnite people.
Enemy of the Samnites [] Rufus takes on the identity of a driven and ceaseless legal rival of the Samnites. He presses cases against them, judges against them in the courts, and makes audacious claims about stripping away their rights or censuring their right to vote when he can return to Rome and lobby the Senate to do so.
[] Write-In
A Matter of Food: Feeding a legion is a troublesome affair, and it is even more so in a city struggling to feed itself. Several means of procuring food for the cohorts lie before you, and you decide upon...
Sharing [] You will share the already-strained resources of the city with your men. This will initially be difficult, but if you increase the town's food stores, the amount available to your men will increase as well.
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men.
Forge a Route [] You attempt to establish a decent supply train from nearby Beneventum, a steadfastly Roman town which has procured supplies for the legion for a few months now. Protecting such a long supply train across hostile territory would be tricky work, however.
Scavenge [] You order the men to quite literally live off the land, scavenging farms and hunting local wildlife in order to procure enough supplies to feed the legion. This will necessitate constantly having a detail of men out in the fields scavenging, and will likely mean your men must keep their belts tight for the foreseeable future.
There is now a TWELVE-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.)
Let's see if I can take a shot at a quick history-style write-up. (Admittedly I'm just happy to see the small novel that is Cicero's correspondences)
It is all too easy to think of the Roman legion strictly in the terms of a fighting force. All too often, historians from - ironically enough - Tacitus to Hans Delbrück focus almost exclusively on the great battles that served as pivot points. From the last stand at Thermopylae, to the burning fleets of Red Cliffs in the Three Kingdoms of China, armies are more often than not faceless, amorphous entities who serve as extensions of the will of their kings and generals. In the high stakes games of statesmanship, only the leaders, their motives, and their constraints are accorded any note.
Recent histories have seen a shift in focus towards those same masses of men. What was life like as a Roman legionnaire? Was life that much different as a Soldier of Rome as opposed to that of the United States or the Soviet Union? What sort of daily pressures and concerns might such a man of one of history's greatest armies have worried himself over?
Some of the answers have been found in one of the most surprising and unlikely sources: Cicero's letters. Though many of his letters have been recovered and recorded for posterity, a recent set of correspondences detail a long running series of discussions with one of Cicero's contemporaries and possible friends.
Quintus Cingulatus Atellus, fellow student of Quintus Mucius Scaevola and also a practitioner of law by trade, was serving as an elected military tribune on campaign against the Samnites in approximately the early to mid 80s BCE. Assigned to Legio VI Gradivius, he served in a function not too dissimilar to that of an executive officer in a modern military capacity. That is to say, he served effectively as the second in command to Quintus Sertorius, the commander of the Sixth Legion. While history has spilled much ink about Rome's final battle with the Samnites - to say nothing of the great battle of wills between the titans of their day, Sulla and Marius, that almost overshadowed it - one of the newly discovered letters between Atellus and Cicero shine a surprising light on the daily routines of a Roman legion camp.
Atellus describes in great detail the many, many problems of an army that never completely goes away. All of said problems are also somehow your problem to diffuse. From issues of pay not reaching the common legionnaire, to complaints of the lack of competency of his fellow tribunes (with one exception), Atellus sheds light on the daily workings of the Sixth Legion as it campaigned to pacify the Samnites. Much of his writing, while in a very straightforward manner, can be almost tongue-in-cheek. In many instances, the tribune writes as if he had accepted that life was going to throw surprises and problems at him no matter what he did, and he was simply making the best of them.
Two instances in his letters are particularly interesting. The first is, in hindsight, one of history's earliest cases of military law. Putting his time as a lawyer to good use, Atellus described an instance where he was forced to balance the competing parties of accused murder. A legionnaire, Caius Castus, had been accused of murdering a member of the equites. The political complexities of Roman society had every right to rear its head, as the Soldiers of the Legion were drawn from the commoners of Rome, while the equites were of Atellus' social strata as optimates.
Atellus wrote that, while daunting, he had to approach this case like he would back in Rome: with the audience of the Forum in mind. "Imagine, if you would," Atellus wrote to Cicero, "that you were to prosecute the greatest man in Rome; that a third of the Forum attending were for the defense, a third for the prosecution, and a third to heckle everyone and anyone. Imagine that your name will immediately reach all of Rome, from Spain to Macedon, in but the moment required to draw breath. Now imagine the men watching you all have swords, and the training and wherewithal to use them on each other, if not necessarily on you." It is to Atellus' great credit that he was able to present a verdict that, while not loved, was respected by both parties as the firm law of the Legion. While the murderer was executed, the equites were found guilty of instigating the conflict, and were compelled to provide the expenses for funerary rights.
Another instance of camp life can be seen in the daily concerns of the common soldier. Atellus made a point of listening, if not necessarily taking action on, the many, many complaints legionnaires presented to their commanders when given the choice. Many of these concerns are rather mundane. Complaints included that of poor equipment, poorer food, the actions of a fellow legionnaire that were unlawful. "They must think us [myself and Servicus Sulpicus Rufus, fellow Tribune] to be the gods," Atellus complained to Cicero, "As if we were Jupiter, and were to but wave our hands and make all right again. Were it only so!" Yet he admitted that for all the 'petty complaints,' there were many instances when he actually saw problems of leadership and friction between personnel that threatened the cohesion of the Sixth Legion, and took immediate steps to stop them. "We can ill afford to be competitors for the consulship when the Samnites threaten Rome."
As unlikely a primary source as it is, Atellus' discussions with Cicero are fascinating, and are highly suggested to any who are interested in this often overlooked part of history. Were it not for the momentous events that were to literally shape the course of the classical world in the following decades, the conquest of Samnium - and the daily lives and squabbles of the men who made it possible - would certainly rank higher in the interests of historians everywhere.
- Victor Gilliam
"Life of the Sixth Legion," Triumphs of Rome
[X] Plan Slow & Steady
-[x] Whip Them Into Shape
-[x] Secure A Route
-[x] Defeat the Rebels
-[x] Build an Encampment
-[x] I Am The Law
-[x] Willing Advocate
-[x] Forge a Route
July 8th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
Your first ever campaign, you were assigned as military tribune to the VI Legion under one Quintus Sertorius, a famed general and the Legate of Italia. The legion was dispatched by the Proconsul Cinna to defeat the Samnite tribes once and for all, and win a resounding Roman victory close to home.
Legion(s): LEGIO VI GRADIVIUS (Sixth Legion, Blessed By Mars) Position: Tribunus Laticlavus (Broad-Striped Tribune) Commanding Officer: Quintus Sertorius Commanding Officer Reputation: 8/10 -- Sertorius is the soldier's ideal, a young man who rose from nothing and won the Grass Crown, the Republic's ultimate military honor. Held to be a champion of his soldiers and a defender of the common people, there are many in the Sixth who would die for Sertorius without question. Total Forces: 5,600 combined Roman legionnaires, equites, and auxilaries. Green/Veteran Split: 4 Green Cohorts, 1 Half-Green, 3 Average, 1 Skilled, 1 Elite Reputation With The Legion: 6/10 -- The giver of laurels and the breaker of the Samnites, the bringer of coin and law, and a capable fighter in your own right -- you are many things to the men of the Sixth Legion, but first and foremost you are the Tribune. They may not all love you, but they respect you. Location: Apennine Italy Occupied Cities: Bovianum (Opinion 4/10) Outcome: ???
In the first few weeks since you arrived in Bovianum, the Ninth Cohort has taken to the task of building an encampment with aplomb. Though the cohort itself is largely green, you have placed them under the more than capable architecti, the legion's engineers and specialists, who have directed the regiment in assembling a semi-permanent camp for your half of the legion. They've taken somewhat longer than a more veteran legion might have, but the Ninth has finally erected a solid edifice on a hill to the north of Bovianum proper. The people of Bovianum are more than happy to no longer have half a legion quartered in their homes, and your men are more organized and controlled in a strictly military setting.
Watching the camp go up has given you some small idea of what goes into the construction and erection of such a compound, and though you can certainly put this knowledge to no practical use yet, building on this may help you and forces under your command put up better encampments, quicker.
New Skill Gained: Engineering
Lesser armies sleep where they fall and allow their movements to be dictated by the environment. But the Legions of Rome know no such difficulties: they are masters of engineering and construction, bending the earth to their will. A skilled engineer can have his armies erect a fortress in days and tear it down in hours, or bridge a roaring river only to demolish the bridge and trap the enemy on the other side.
After establishing a place for your men to rest their heads and sleep, you decide that your first point of order is hunting down the infamous rebel leader Gemino of the Pentrii, who has eluded the legion since you came into Samnium. This Samnite is well-trained, crafty, and has lived in these hills for years. To drive him out and defeat him is no small task, and it is for this reason which you place Gaius Pompolussa and his Second Cohort in charge of ferreting out the rebel wherever he might be hiding. Pompolussa sends his men into every hill, warren, and briar patch between Bovianum and the Valley of the Volunturnus -- to no avail. Gemino, ever the clever dog, manages to disappear into the hills of his homeland, leading the Second on wild chases through the Samnite countryside before vanishing into thin air. His guerrilla tactics frustrate and annoy the Second, but he is always one step ahead of them, leaving taunting messages etched into the sides of rocks and trees.
However, these seeming victories lead the Samnite into arrogance. One night he attempts to raid a town within firmly Roman territory, as an attempt to humiliate the legion in the eyes of the people. And it would have indeed been humiliating -- had it succeeded. One of the Second Cohort's scouts spots the Samnites moving in the dark and rides five miles at breakneck pace to alert the Cohort proper. Pompolussa falls upon Gemino's forces, wiping out his raiding party and capturing several of his band's leaders. Though the rebel himself vanishes into the night, you have at least struck a heavy blow against him and his followers for some time to come.
(Samnite Leader Stat Roll): 1d20 +5 (Heart of Steel)= 21
Samnite Hero Generated: Gemino of the Pentrii (Renowned Military, Renowned Command)
Hunt them Down (Pompolussa): 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +2 (Accomplished Command) -1 (Half Green) = 12
versus
Elude the Hunters (Gemino of the Pentrii) 1d20 + 4 (Renowned Military) +2 (Home Turf) +4 (Renowned Command) = 18
Narrow Defeat
Spit in the Eye of Rome (Gemino of the Pentrii): 1d20 +4 (Renowned Military) +4 (Renowned Command) = 17
versus
Crush the Rebels (Pompolussa): 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Military) + 2 (Accomplished Command) -1 (Half Green) = 20
Resounding Victory
A mere day after the failed raid, a letter finds it's way inside your camp in the dead of night, nailed to a post on the inside of your tent. You have every guard on duty questioned, but each one swears he saw and heard nothing. The gates remained closed all night, and the walls are so tightly fitted not even a mouse could slip underneath.
Nonetheless, the impossible letter is there, and it reads thus, in the blocky, sturdy script of the Samnites:
Tribune Atellus, forgive me on not being able to welcome you to Bovianum personally. Let this letter, then, stand in place of a more formal greeting. Your name has crossed my ears before, in connection with the death of that vile lackwit Spurio of Aeclanum. I offer my sincerest thanks -- I have long wanted to place a blade in that spineless coward's neck, and I envy you the honor of having done so. Consider this letter your reward for such fine service. Your man Pompolussa is quite a determined sort, and I've enjoyed playing with him myself, but he won't catch me. You won't catch me. Bovianum belongs to the Samnites, and no other. Pack up your camp, take your legion, and go bother that fool Appius at Nola instead.
I will not ask so kindly again.
-- G.
As the summer crawls to a boiling height, Bovianum starves. It's fields lie empty, pillaged first by bandits, then looted by Gemino and the rebels. It needs food, and now. You order the Sixth Cohort, nearly entirely green, to Aquilonia to secure the roads between Bovianum and it's sister city. To their credit, the untested cohort performs well -- despite clashing against several bandit groups with more greed than sense, they emerge victorious. Most of the bandits are sensible enough to find other hunting grounds, but those who are not are easily wiped out by the cohort. A young centurion by name of Marcus Fullio distinguishes himself in the battle, proving skilled enough to lead his men to victory again and again, emerging as foremost centurion of the Sixth.
This same Fullio, however, finds himself at a loss when the city of Aquilonia refuses to send supplies to Bovianum, afraid of meeting the same fate as Bovianum should Gemino turn his eyes to them. The young centurion attempts to negotiate with them, and, with the convincing sight of five hundred legionnaires at his back, proves capable of wringing some small concession out of them, enough to feed Bovianum for a week or two. It is not the windfall which the city had hoped for, and the Aquilonians send a message back with Fullio: they want guaranteed Roman protection, else they will send no more food.
While you struggle to feed the city, your efforts to feed your men go little better. As you have little to no skill with logistics and the proper conduction of supply lines, you delegate the task to your officers, though you grit your teeth at knowing you can do little more than give orders and hope it gets done. The officers to whom you delegate the creation of a supply line return to you shamefaced a week later. It started out well enough, they say -- your men reached Bovianum easily, and retrieved the supplies. However, unknown to them, the supply line they had planned out crossed bad terrain. It was struck by Gemino and his rebels (who else), and the men returned empty-handed.
Hearing of your troubles, Sertorius has diverted his own supply lines to feed your men, but the curt message he sends warns that he cannot afford to do so for long, nor can he spare the men to erect one for you and protect it -- or rather, he did, and they are currently with you. The letter leaves you with the bitter feeling you have somehow disappointed your mentor, but not all is lost. The experience has given you some insight into the confusing but vital world of military logistics, a field in which you previously knew nothing. Now, you are no longer wholly inexperienced -- just absolutely terrible.
New Skill Gained: Logistics
Feeding an army on the go is always a tough proposition. It requires careful planning, intimate knowledge of terrain and resources, and the ability to protect supply lines that stretch across vast distances. Many leaders simply delegate this task to their bureaucratic subordinates, but the best and brightest take it upon themselves to fill their men's bellies.
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1003
(2,910/6000) to Rank 7
July 18th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
You tap your hand on the hilt of your sword, watching the men drilling in front of you. These men, formerly green, have been drilled and trained almost constantly since your arrival in Bovianum. You have had them jog around the camp in full armor, wake in the morning to spar and drill, and made them practice almost incessantly. You have come a long way from training guards for the temples, and even though it has only been a few weeks, you have begun to trim the fat off of these men. They snap to attention quicker, and you no longer have any qualms about sending them into battle. They aren't on the level of your veteran soldiers, not yet at least, but they're certainly not the embarrassments they used to be.
All Cohorts advance from Rank 2 (Green), to Rank 3 (Half-Green)! The Second Cohort advances from Rank 3 (Half-Green) to Rank 4 (Average)!
A cohort can either be Untrained (-5 modifier), Green (-3 modifier), Half-green (-1 modifier), Average (No modifier), Veteran (+1 modifier), Skilled (+2 modifier), or Elite (+3 modifier). Up until now, you've been fighting with an elite cohort given to you by Sertorius, but in Bovianum, and in the future, it will be your job to train Green troops and turn them into skilled men, which will take dedicated turns, and can depend on the morale, discipline, and health of the men in question.
When you're commanding a legion, you can 'fix' the problem of green or untrained troops quickly by mixing them with veteran cohorts, though this will drag the overall rank of the veteran cohort down a rank.
At your side stands Rufus, dressed in a light tunic to stave off the sweltering heat. His red beard stretches across his entire jaw now, and is thick enough that you cannot see the skin in places.
"The Samnites are beginning to respect your authority," he says casually. "Those whom I've spoken with say there's an understanding in the city that you'll judge every man equally -- or at least equally harshly. After you ruled in their favor in the Pullius case last week, they've even come to see that you'll judge in their favor against Romans. And, of course, who better to assure them of this than a Roman? They've started visiting me at all hours of day and night for legal advice or support."
You can't stop a small grin from reaching your face. You weren't entirely sure this little gambit of yours wouldn't just make you come off as a hardass, and Rufus a simpering panderer, but it has all worked out in the end.
"I am the hammer, you the anvil, and they are driven into the arms of Rome all the same," you remark.
Rufus casts you a sidelong look. "You've certainly got the tact of a hammer. Just rushing in and trying to kill this Gemino fellow. You've invited him to make a mockery of us, and he has. It didn't occur to you that a Samnite might know Samnium better than a pack of Romans?"
You blink. "Well, I'll be damned. That almost sounded like a tactical observation. Maybe you're not hopeless at war after all."
Rufus grins. "I'm full of surprises, Atellus. I've been reading records of Sulla's campaigns against the Samnites. Gemino rose to fame back then by harassing and eluding Sulla's legions until the old bastard gave up. It's because of him Bovianum's still standing."
"Perfect."
"Perfect?" Rufus asks quizzically.
"Yes, perfect. We have a chance to do what the mighty Sulla could not. I'll have this bandit's head before summer's end, and Bovianum singing praises to Rome."
Rufus chuckles. "Right, and how in the world do you intend to do that? The city's still starving, our men will be soon, and Gemino's still at large, his belly fat with Roman food."
"Ever the optimist, aren't you?"
"Just a realist, Tribune."
"Well, Tribune...watch and learn."
Whip them Into Shape: 1d20 +2 (Proficient Military) +0 (Average Command) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 20 Needed: 10
Critical Success
Divide and Conquer (You): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Law) +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) +1 (Gift of Minerva) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 22
Needed: 14
Critical Success
Divide and Conquer (Rufus): 1d20 +2 Accomplished Law +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) = 17
Needed: 8
Resounding Success
VOTING
The Encampment
Your encampment is already built, and your men already stabled within. However, some of the centurions and architecti have approached you with a suggestion. The encampment, as it stands, is a summer camp. Summer camps are lightly-built things, inexpensive and practical during the summer campaign season, when the necessities of war might force an army to move quickly. The architects suggest that if the campaign calls for you to remain in Bovianum through the summer, you might expand the encampment into a more permanent winter camp instead. Expanding the camp into a winter camp will be a necessity if you remain here anyhow, so doing it now may just save you time in the future -- but it would tie up the Ninth for another two weeks.
Castrum Aestiva [] You keep the camp as it is, a lightly-defended summer camp composed mainly of tents and a thin outer wall. The Ninth are freed to work on other things, and the legion has a place to sleep.
Castrum Hibernia [] You choose to expand the camp into a winter camp, with wooden barracks and thicker gates to withstand winter conditions. While useful if you remain until winter, it'll be a waste if you end up relocating before winter. Of course, if you do remain in Bovianum until winter, it'll become necessary to expand it later, when winter is closer. (Lose One Command Vote)
The Supplies
Aquilonia has refused to send any more supplies to Bovianum until you can promise them the same protection you currently offer their sister city. You could send a cohort to protect them, or to force them into sending supplies, but it will leave you without a cohort for the time it takes to do so.
Obey or Burn [] You send the Sixth back to Aquilonia, to force the city to send supplies at swordpoint. You don't expect them to resist, but if you do, the cohort can handle them. It's just a bunch of peasants, after all.
Garrison [] You send the Sixth to Aquilonia, to garrison the city and protect it for an indeterminate period of time. This will mean effectively losing the Sixth for the next few weeks -- and all the weeks after that, should you choose to continue the garrison.
Train a Volunteer Force [] You send the Sixth to raise and train a volunteer militia of Samnites to protect their city. This, of course, runs the risk of the fact that you are giving training and expertise to the very people whose land you are invading.
Nothing [] You assign the Sixth to other things, leaving Aquilonia to fend for itself. You will find another source of food.
Command
As supreme commander of all Roman forces in Bovianum, it falls to you to command the cohorts and set their goals for the next few weeks. Bovianum looks to you for protection and support, and if it does not get it, the city might turn against Rome. The Gauls have been put to little use in your time here, and could be used to free up one of the cohorts to do something else, but if they attack or savage the people they are meant to protect, Rome may never tame Bovianum. Pick Three (Minus One/Two, depending on your votes above)
Fortify the City [] You set one of the cohorts to building and refurbishing the city's walls. Devastated by Sulla during the Social War, they are a poor defense against bandits and rebels.
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Liberate the Towns [] You begin sending your forces to the towns and villages around Bovianum, returning then to Roman rule simply by marching into their streets. You order them to resume supplying the city, which should feed Bovianum come winter. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Scavenge [] You order the men to quite literally live off the land, scavenging farms and hunting local wildlife in order to procure enough supplies to feed the legion. This will necessitate constantly having a detail of men out in the fields scavenging, and will likely mean your men must keep their belts tight for the foreseeable future. (Permanent -1 Command Vote until another food source is found)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Eliminate the Bandits [] You set one of the cohorts to tracking down and eliminating the numerous bandit groups plaguing the hills around Bovianum. There are many places for crafty and cunning natives to hide, and it will no doubt be an arduous task to track down and destroy each group of then. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Defeat the Rebels [] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Protect the West [] The towns to the west, situated near to the Valley of the Vulturnus, seek Roman protection from the bandit/rebel Tercerian, who has risen up and taken control of the city of Aesernia. While Tercerian's grip on the Valley is far too weak for any expedition to attack the cohort or expand rebel control outside the Valley, his raiding parties have harassed and terrorized outlying villages and townholds for weeks. You dispatch a cohort to protect these towns.
--[] You join this cohort yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Establish Supply Lines [] You try again to establish a supply line to Boventum, and you delegate the task to...
[] Rufus. He's read enough books to know something about logistics, or so he tells you.
[] Tercerus. Though never a commander, he has a head for numbers about him.
[] Pompolussa assures you he can easily do it, but assigning him here will mean the Second cannot perform any of the many tasks for which it is needed.
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Personal
Despite the rigors of command and administering an enemy city, you have managed to find some little time for yourself -- or rather, for you to advance your ambitions. Select Three
[] Connect With Elders: The elders of Bovianum are some of the most influental and powerful men in Samnium. By making connections among them, you could shift how you are seen in the eyes of the Samnite people as a whole. [] Prosecute Cases: You have already overseen a handful of cases in Bovianum, and you realize that your career in the law need not grow stunted while you are at war. You begin to diligently see to it that the laws of Rome are enforced in your city and in the camps. [] Reform the Laws: The laws of the city of Bovianum are a mess, a mix of traditional tribal laws and decrees from the elders, filled with contradictions and loopholes. You set about rewriting them, but be warned: failure means hatred in the eyes of the people, and even success may not win you love -- you meddle with traditions as old as Rome. [] Study Logistics: You read books on planning and organization, hoping to gain greater mastery of logistics and large-scale planning. [] Speak With The Architects: You speak with the legion's architects and engineers, hoping to increase your own knowledge of Engineering. [] The Sibyl: In the rolling hills of Bovianum, there waits the Sibyl of Bovianum, a Samnite prophetess said to follow the ancient Greek rites. You make your way to her, hoping to learn your future. [] Brotherhood: You began eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. [] Sparring: You began sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you. [] Silver Tongues, Silver Words: You began to attempt to form deeper connections with the men, walking around the camp and speaking and talking to your soldiers. With enough personal charisma and skill for speech, you can begin to make yourself as loved in their hearts as Sertorius. [] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Pompolussa, gather to gamble and game. These men are all fast friends, with ties stretching back years, but if if you integrated yourself with them and got them to consider you one of them, it would go a long way towards improving your standing in the legion. [] Study: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
There is now a TWELVE-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.)
Welcome to another installment of "Telamon Explains Something He Should've Explained a While Back, But Didn't Fully Flesh Out Until Now".
Today, we'll be covering Warfare and Battle in Antiquity. Awesome modifiers and cool-sounding ranks with big numbers next to them look awesome on paper, but a fight between two legendary generals (Caesar and Pompey) would hypothetically look like this if you just threw their personal modifiers and army modifiers together:
Hypothetical Fucking Awesome Battle That Never Happened said:
Attack Pompey(Julius Caesar): 1d20 +8 (Legendary Military) +8 (Legendary Command) +5 (Gift of Mars) +3 (Elite Troops) +2 (High Ground) = 45
versus Attack Caesar(Pompey Magnus): 1d20 +8 (Legendary Military) +8 (Legendary Command) +5 (Gift of Mars) +3 (Elite Troops) -2 (Terrain Disadvantage) =38 Result: Holy Shit Those Are Some Big Numbers
That's not, historically, how battles happened in real life, however. Rather, when commanders fight on the level of armies and campaigns, generals often don't command personally, and a brilliant general's stats can be screwed over by a weakness in those under him. That's why in legion-scale battles and up, the rolls are done between different flanks of the army engaging one another. So, say, a battle between Pompey and Caesar under this system would realistically look like this:
Significantly Less Awesome But More Realistic Battle said:
A general's high stats aren't worthless on this scale, however. Any modifiers they add are applied to their troops on an army-wide scale, so if Caesar has a (Fuck Pompey) modifier which gives him +3 to all combats with Pompey, all his troops get it. Half a general's command skill is also applied to morale rolls to see if the flank/cohort/what have you breaks. For example:
Morale Check DCs depend on the closeness of the defeat (i.e, a Narrow Defeat is a DC 5, while a Resounding Defeat is a DC 14, and a Crippling Defeat (20 vs a 1, almost impossible without terrain/tactical advantage) would be a DC 18. After every defeat in a round of combat, the Morale Check DC for the next round increases by 1 no matter what. So, in the next turn of the hypothetical battle above, Pompey's cohort would have to beat a DC 6 if they lost narrowly again, and a DC 15 if they lost Resoundingly.
A general's personal cohort, which he is in command of, obviously receives all of his boosts, and so a force personally commanded by Pompey would decimate anything it came into contact with -- unless, of course, the shit commander to his flank crumbled, giving him a -4 tactical disadvantage, and the one to the right of him broke as well, giving him another tactical disadvantage and a -6 outnumbered malus. He might not do so well then, and his only reasonable choice would be to flee.
A general with a high logistics or military score might instead chose to remain behind the main force and command the entirety of the battle, giving all of his troops half of his military stat as an armywide bonus to combat, and half of his logistics skill as an armywide bonus to movement.
What does this mean? Well, it means fuckheug stats will not and cannot always win the day. Feeding your troops, keeping their morale up, and selecting competent subordinates is just as important in this game is it would have been in real life. Later, when you can make large-scale strategic decisions, things like picking the terrain and making pre-battle choices (say, splitting your force in half to attack from behind and in front) may add modifiers which will turn the tide of battle against even a vastly more skilled opponent.
(Note: This is all subject to change and modification in the future as Telamon wrangles with his oldest and greatest enemy, numbers.)
So I've been a bit busy this week dealing with projects and finals approaching near the end of the school year, but the update should hit tonight. I'm currently traveling right now, and on my phone, but I've whipped up a character sheet for my favorite non-Roman of antiquity who isn't a dead philosopher — Alexander of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great.
Social Status
Name: Alexandros III Argead Age: 32 (Born 356 B.C) Family: The House of Argead Class: Noble Profession: Conqueror Patron(s): None
Clients: Ptolemy, Cassander, Seleucus, Antigonus Children: N/A Dominion: Macedon, Persia, Egypt, Asia, and Greece Reputation: (Rank 25) The Greatest -- You are a man beyond myth, beyond legend. Your fame will transcend eras and ages, cultures and centuries. The best and brightest men of after times will strive to be but pale imitations of thee. Your name will echo for a thousand years. Truly, the Greatest of All.
Economic Status
Wealth: 12000 talents Monthly Income: 12 talents Buildings Owned: The Palace of Xerxes (1000 talents), the Palace of the Argeads (600 talents), the Palace at Alexandria (1200) Land Held: 1.400 acres (net worth: 3000 talents) Slaves Owned: 5032 Debts Owed: 0 Debts Held: 19
Titles and Honors
Name Meaning: Alexandros (lit. Defender-of-the-Greeks) Nicknames and Titles: The Third of His Name, Ho Megas (lit. The Great), Basileius (lit. King) the Shah of Shahs, the Hegemon, Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of Asia and King of Kings. Honors and Decorations: The Great, The King of Kings, the son of Zeus-Ammon, Hrw mk Knut (lit. Great-protector-of-Egypt-who-tramples-the-nations), Horus-The-God-Who-Is-Called-Alexander, the Ruler of Rulers and First-Among-Kings. Offices Held: Shah, King, Basileius, Pharaoh Celebrations Held: 29 Campaigns Led: 1
Stats
Military: Mythical (20) -- You are Alexander. To you, War is not just an art, it is your life, the blood in your veins. To see the shattered foe reeling, to smell the nations burning — can there be any greater joy? Charisma: Epic (17) -- You are persuasive, magnetic. Your golden hair and fair eyes conquer as many hearts as your sword. Stewardship: Poor (4) -- Coin. What is this to one who rules all nations? When you hold the world in your grasp, gold is as dust. Intelligence: Renowned (16) -- Your mind is among your finest weapons. Cities thought impregnable fall before your schemes, armies thought undefeatable crumble before your stratagems. Education: Accomplished (14) -- You learned at the feet of the wise, from the mightiest scholars of Greece. You were tutored by men whose words would last as long as your own legend. You do not know everything — but you know enough. Subterfuge: Poor (4) -- You do your finest work in the light of day. Trickery and deception do not come easy to you off the battlefield.
Skills
Combat: Mythical (20) -- You are Alexander. Your blade is as part of your flesh, your shield woven to your arm, your spear bound to your fist. To face you in battle is to invite death. Oratory: Average (8) -- You are no Plato, and you would not strive to be. Your wit, your strength — these are what matters. Command: Mythical (20) -- Your are Alexander. King. Conqueror. God. Your armies would follow you to the very ends of Earth. They have. Engineering: Legendary (19) -- The Earth itself is no obstacle to Alexander. The hills, the mountains, the rivers and the seas — what are these to thee, who masters the nations? Siegecraft: Epic (18) — Before you topple the walls of the world. Logistics: Very Poor (2) — Let others feed the armies. Your duty is to lead them to glory upon glory, and lesser men be damned. Law: Poor (3) -- Laws are words on paper, idle things made by idle men. You are Alexander, and no words may hold you. Philosophy: Renowned (15): You have learned under the Brahmins of India and the sorcerers of Persia, studied under the philosophers of Greece and the wise men of Asia. Administration: Average (9): You are a man of the here and now. And now, here, in this place, you are master of the nations. What follows after is none of your concern. Diplomacy: Average (8): Diplomacy? Words in air, voices in the wind. The only true strength is domination, the only peace, subjugation.
Auguries and Foretellings
The Greatest of the Greeks [LEGENDARY]: Across Greece, the Sibyls screamed when you were born. The Pythia, the greatest of the Oracles, wept tears of blood and gave virgin birth to snakes. Lightning thundered atop Olympus for twelve nights, and in Egypt, lions walked in the streets and the Pharoahs wailed in their tombs. 'He is come', they howled in their pyramids, 'the sun is come, Amun-In-Flesh, and a thousand nations shall know his name.' They say the Pythia spoke a final prophecy before her heart burst: that the whole of Earth would bow to Greece, if but for a single hour.
The Maharaja's Curse [EPIC]: In India, you met a mighty Maharaja, a man who professed to be as you are, a King of Kings. You destroyed his army, burned his cities, and put his bloodline to the sword. With his final breath, he laid upon you a curse, black and bitter, that fouled the air as he spoke it: that you might die feeble and ailing, that your arm which had conquered the nations might not even lift a sword in your final hour, and that your empire and your bloodline would join him in death ere thirty years had spanned.
Special Traits:
Enemy of the Persians (Rank 4): You are the archenemy of the Iranian, the bane of Zoroaster and the vengeance of the Greeks. The Persians detest thee and fear thee, for you have ended the empire of a thousand lifetimes, destroyed that which was never to be destroyed. (+4 against Persian armies, -4 to diplomatic relations with Persians)
Unique Trait:
Ho Megas: You are Alexander. Your armies have marched from one end of the world to the next. From the waters of the Hellespont to the rivers of the Indus, men know your name and tremble. In a thousand tongues, they call you Great. In a thousand tongues they praise your name. You are the mightiest military commander in a hundred generations, a conqueror to shame Xerxes and Gilgamesh. The winged goddess of victory herself bows at your feet in awe. Truly, there will never be another like you.(+3 to all military actions, +4 to all diplomacy/intimidation actions, +5 Reputation, +1 to all governance actions)
[X] Plan Cunctator -[X] Castrum Aestiva
-[X] Garrison
-[X] Eliminate the Bandits
--[X] Use the Gauls
--[X] Join the hunt -[X] Establish Supply Lines
--[X] Pompolussa
-[X] Liberate the Towns -[X] Connect With Elders
-[X] Study Logistics
July 28th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
Your first ever campaign, you were assigned as military tribune to the VI Legion under one Quintus Sertorius, a famed general and the Legate of Italia. The legion was dispatched by the Proconsul Cinna to defeat the Samnite tribes once and for all, and win a resounding Roman victory close to home.
Legion(s): LEGIO VI GRADIVIUS (Sixth Legion, Blessed By Mars) Position: Tribunus Laticlavus (Broad-Striped Tribune) Commanding Officer: Quintus Sertorius Commanding Officer Reputation: 8/10 -- Sertorius is the soldier's ideal, a young man who rose from nothing and won the Grass Crown, the Republic's ultimate military honor. Held to be a champion of his soldiers and a defender of the common people, there are many in the Sixth who would die for Sertorius without question. Total Forces: 5,600 combined Roman legionnaires, equites, and auxilaries. Green/Veteran Split: 4 Green Cohorts, 1 Half-Green, 3 Average, 1 Skilled, 1 Elite Reputation With The Legion: 6/10 -- The giver of laurels and the breaker of the Samnites, the bringer of coin and law, and a capable fighter in your own right -- you are many things to the men of the Sixth Legion, but first and foremost you are the Tribune. They may not all love you, but they respect you. Location: Apennine Italy Occupied Cities: Bovianum (Opinion 4/10) Outcome: ???
On a cool July afternoon, with one hundred and forty Gaulish riders at your back, you set out into the wilds and fens of Bovianum to bring law to a lawless land. With you are Tercerus and a handful of attendants and bodyguards, but apart from them, you are almost entirely accompanied by the Gauls, who have spent the last month languishing about camp, being barely held back from raiding. Every source you had has made it well clear that they are growing dangerously idle, and so you take personal command of their group in order to hunt down the bandits which had so long plagued this region of Samnium.
You meet the first challenge to Roman authority well before you meet any of the brigands, however. The Gauls, though an all-volunteer force, have long chafed under Roman authority, and being hungry and poor these last weeks has not made them any more amenable to your direction. Tercerus even voices fears that once you get far enough away from Roman eyes, they will fall upon you and take in blood what they feel they are owed in gold. You allay his reservations, assuring him that you have a plan. The leader of the Gallic auxiliaries, a brute of a man named Veniximaeus, is a warrior forty years your elder -- the classical Gaul, all hulking size and proud eyes. Unlike many of his younger followers, however, he has fought for Rome long before coming to Samnium, serving as an auxiliary from Spain to Macedon. It is this final fact upon which you seize.
You host Veniximaeus in your tent one afternoon early into the march and invite the old warrior to regale you with tales of the legion's wars, to which you listen attentively. In turn you tell him stories of your father's Hispanic campaigns, campaigns you dutifully memorized as a boy. Thoughts of Gallic dissent begin to fade somewhere around the third mug of wine, and once it comes out that your father was part of a relief force that saved Veniximaeus' entire cavalry wing during a particularly heated battle, he claps you on the shoulder and proclaims you to be a man of spine and worth, who would be better served in the fields of Gaul than in the cowardly, backstabbing streets of Rome. After you fend off a not-entirely joking proposition to marry one of his daughters, you emerge from your tent side-by-side with Veniximaeus, who, in front of his assembled men, calls you friend, brother, and a Gallic word you later hear translated as 'Roman, but one of the good ones'.
After that, the Gauls are yours.
The hunt which follows is a brutal affair which is not half as methodical as you would like. The Gauls tear out across the countryside like hounds finally loosed from the leash, their horses thundering across the hills like dervishes. Wherever one of the riders finds signs of bandit activity, he alerts the larger group, and you and Veniximaeus descend with your amassed force upon the bandits. It is haphazard and far from the clinical, deadly way in which the Romans perform their hunts, slowly tightening the noose until the enemy either try to flee and die trying, or gather together to await death. But it works. The bandits either break in terror and are cut down as they try to run, or they make a last, foolish stand against the Gauls, and are cut down regardless.
As success follows success, the Gauls grow more rowdy, and it is almost all you can do to rein them in. With Veniximaeus at your side, you can rein in most of them, but the worst offenders chafe even at their chieftain's word, and are barely stopped from raiding a village they only recently delivered from the bandits by your own arrival with the bulk of the force. Veniximaeus publicly chides the leader of this group, but in private he all but shrugs his shoulders and says there is nothing he can do. These men did not sign up to be auxiliaries out of any great love for Rome or her endless wars, but out of a desire for wealth and glory, both of which seem to be lacking in killing petty bandits.
So, you tell him, you will simply have to find them glory.
The surviving bandits have fled and gone to ground, but a few enterprising locals, seeking vengeance against those who have so long terrorized them, points you in the direction of the biggest and most centralized hideout. Bandits are not rebels -- when pressured, they merely split apart and go home. However, a charismatic leader, Heracleo, has built up a small cult of personality around himself and his band, and has even begun attempting to paint himself as a rebel of late, in order to gain freely what he has so recently stolen. The people of Bovianum and it's outlying areas, however, have had none of it, and even Gemino has disavowed him as a murderer and a thief -- an irony, to be sure, that is not lost upon you.
It is a perfect opportunity, then, to both earn glory and nip a potential threat in the bud. In the early morning, on the tenth day of your hunt for the bandits, you fall upon Heracleo's camp. The bandits, with typical Samnite ferocity, attempt to resist, but the Gaulish cavalry easily routs them, butchering them almost to a man. Heracleo makes a final, valiant stand against the Romans, and goes down with a Gallic arrow in his neck as his men fall in droves around him. In the aftermath of the battle, Veniximaeus delivers to you his severed head, his eyes still wide with fear.
A brutal trophy, but one that makes a clear point. In the following days, what few bandits remain throw down their swords and go home. The profit is no longer worth the risk, and there are easier ways to make coin without risking both life and limb.
Rome has come to Samnium.
Taming the Gauls: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 1 (Proficient Diplomacy) = 22
versus The Untamed Gaul: 1d20 + 3 (Celtic Pride) = 21
Rein Them In: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 0 (Average Command) +3 (Veniximaeus' Word) = 11
Needed: 10
Hunting the Bandits (1): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 16
Hunting the Bandits (3): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 13
Hunting the Bandits (4): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 14
Hunting the Bandits (5): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 8
Needed: DC 12
Needed: 2 out of 4
Dispersing the Bandits: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +0 (Average Command) + 1 (Gift of Minerva) + 2 (Gallic Cavalry) = 21
versus
Driving off the Romans (Heracleo): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) +1 (Proficient Military) +5 (Hearts of Steel) = 18 Roman Victory
News filters in from the east. Marius and Sulla are drawing ever closer to what seems destined to be their final confrontation. Sulla marches through Greece, burning the last Pontic holdouts and subjugating the few Greek cities which still deny Rome. In Anatolia, Marius has conquered up the coast, establishing a vital overseas supply line from Italy and his supporters in the eastern half of the Republic. Thus supplied, he makes for the interior of Anatolia, where the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator rallies his armies for what is set to be the last gasp of a free Asia, refusing to relinquish his hold on the lands he has shed so much blood for. Roman or Greek, whoever wins in Asia must still contend with the looming threat of Sulla, and winter draws ever nearer.
Closer to home, less portentous news filters in from the east of Samnium. The negotiations are going well, and Sertorius has been in talks with the elders of the Hirpini. As a show of goodwill, he has secured for them several rights and benefits for which he promises to argue for in Rome, as well as the far more physical gift of several talents of gold from his own stores.
Your own efforts are proving fruitful as well. Aquilonia proves true to it's word, establishing an immediate supply line to Bovianum the moment the Sixth cohort encamps within it's walls. Protected by Roman soldiers on streets you yourself have recently made safe, the first grain shipment arrives to the cheers and applause of the people of Bovianum, despite being carried across broken roads for a portion of the journey.
The second shipment, however, is struck by Gemino, who seems determined to prove a thorn in your side. While not a total defeat, he manages to light a few of the grain wagons on fire, though he does not destroy the entire shipment, or even a majority of it. Still, the bandit's message is clear: while he lives, Romans and their friends are never safe in Samnium. The people are noticeably less jubilant when the burned and battle-scarred wagons roll through the city gates, and the name of Gemino spreads once more through the streets -- though spoken more often with hate than reverence, now.
It is this newfound turning of sentiment against the formerly idolized Gemino that makes you feel safe enough to begin the process of returning towns from under his control. You set the Ninth to the task, a duty often as simple as marching into the villages and planting a flag. They enjoy success for a week or so, but an informant within the Samnites gets word to you that Gemino is planning an ambush on the cohort as it enters the nearby town of Bracchia. If this attack is successful, it could decimate the cohort and leave you maimed for the rest of the campaign. You send word to them, but rather than retreat, the ambitious centurion of the Ninth plans a counterattack to wipe out Gemino's forces.
It goes horribly wrong. Despite the advantage of foreknowledge, the centurion and the cohort nonetheless have the tables they attempted to turn reversed on them by one of Gemino's lieutenants, who rallies his men and leads them to push the cohort back. Amazingly, the centurion manages to keep his half-green cohort from routing, and engages in a protracted battle with Gemino's forces. It is a testament to the man's skill that, aware he is far outmatched and deep in enemy territory, he manages to hold his cohort together long enough to make an organized retreat, losing few to no men. But, yet again, Gemino's message is starkly clear. If Rome could not protect itself with knowledge of his actions, how can it hope to protect the defecting villages?
You spend the next week negotiating and bickering with tribal elders and leaders who come to you for reassurances of support and protection. Through cajoling and begging and a fair amount of bribery, you manage to convince all of them to hold off on defecting -- as long as you send the Ninth Cohort to protect them for a few more weeks, of course.
Attack the Roman Shipment (Gemino) : 1d20 +4 (Renowned Command) +4 (Renowned Military) = 18
versus
Defend the Train (Marcus Fullio): 1d20 +0 (Average Military) +1 (Proficient Command) -1 (Half-Green) = 16
Samnite Victory
The Battle of Bracchia:
Warning of the Ambush: 1d20 +0 (Average Subterfuge) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 17
Needed: 15
Stop Them From Wavering: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 19
Needed: 16
Your other endeavors for the month go surprisingly well, however. Pompolussa establishes a supply line to Boventum with ease, defending it with twice the men to prevent a third, humiliating defeat at Gemino's hands. Surprisingly, however, nothing ever materializes. It seems the rebel has chosen easier targets, or at least left this one alone for now. Your officers puzzle over it for days -- attacking your supply lines would be the easiest way for Gemino to accomplish his goal of driving you off, as he cannot hope to take your massed forces alone. Leaving them alone to become well-defended is either an uncharacteristically massive strategical blunder on his part -- or, well, he is planning something.
In Bovianum, you yourself endeavor to make ties to the elites of the city you even now strive to conquer, attending meetings and feasts of the great and powerful. Like Sertorius in the east, you realize that tying yourself to the Samnite establishment is one of the only ways to permanently subjugate the area -- and one that has benefits for yourself. In Rome, you are little more than a newcomer, an ambitious youth among many. To the Samnites here and now, however, you are the supreme power, the absolute representative of Rome in this part of the world, and when you speak, Rome speaks with you. Several of the elders and wealthy men of Bovianum have come to you seeking assistance or support for their endeavors, and your backing should they become Roman citizens. These men have pull across Samnium, and should you take them on as clients, you may be able to build a substantial power base after the war. Of course, should you not be able to fulfill your promises, the Samnites will not easily forget your betrayal.
Pick One
Contidius [] Contidius is, in simple terms, a populist. He rallies the people to his side with fervent rhetoric and impassioned dialogue. With the backing of the people behind him, he has thrown his willpower and support behind many important laws and reforms in the city. To defy Contidius is to defy the will of the people, or so he proclaims. His requests are simple, if selfish -- that his land be protected from any seizures, that he be granted the same tax exemptions as the average Roman elite, and that he is rewarded for his service with governorship of Bovianum. In return, he promises to throw the people of the city behind you -- for now, at least. As a populist, his fortunes are dependent on whichever way the wind happens to be blowing, and if the people abandon him, the benefits of your alliance go up in smoke.
Marius Himatus [] The Himatus are an ancient and proud bloodline of the Pentrii tribe of the Samnites, and one of the original founding families of Bovianum. A leader and powerful administrator of the Samnite state during the Social Wars some years back, Himatus has flipped sides entirely, becoming one of the staunchest supporters of Roman rule in Samnium, and one of the first to personally accept Roman citizenship. He seeks your patronage in order to ensure that he and his family would be protected from retribution, and once the war is over, makes clear his intent to move to Rome and resettle there, far from the knives of the dissidents he betrayed -- with your help, of course. While he has far-reaching connections and influence among the Samnites, it would all dissolve upon his removal to Rome, making a connection with him only beneficial in the short-term.
Vorichus [] Vorichus is one of the most up-and-coming men in Samnium, and by far the youngest man to sit on the city's tribunal of elders, despite being from no family or name of note. This oddity is explained by a very salient fact: he is, in effect, a gangster. The groups of disillusioned and angry young men who prowl the city's streets owe their allegiance to him, and his name is carved or painted onto half the walls in Bovianum. He promises you things the old windbags on the council cannot -- connections, names. He knows people, he says, who know people who can beat the living hell out of other people, and get results besides. Gemino's troop movements? The names of the most important dissidents? He can get you all of that. Hell, he'll let you know what Gemino's going to eat before breakfast before Gemino does. And in return? Gold. Lots and lots of gold. And a title, too. Maybe, say...Governor of Bovianum?
Brullio [] Brullio is a merchant, nothing less, nothing more. Admittedly, he is a merchant with fingers in every pot from here to Capua and back. For the last twenty years, he has made Bovianum his home, and pledges his full support to the Roman cause, as every Roman citizen should. Of course, he will require some help in order to help you. Escorts for his poor, beleaguered caravans, for one thing. And exemptions from those cutting, cutting taxes to which he is subjected for the horrible crime of not being a natural-born Roman. And, just perhaps, someone to turn a blind eye to the things he is trading in that he really shouldn't be. In return, he would put his full financial backing towards the Sixth Legion. And, of course, he might make a few private charitable donations to his new friend Atellus in the process.
No One [] These selfish vultures can choke on their bribes and promises of support. Rome needs no friend in Samnium save Rome.
In between negotiating selfish bastards and dealing with the incredibly mixed news of the various endeavors around the countryside, you devote yourself to your newly found field of logistics. In the library of Bovianum, you find a few decent books on how the Diadochi kept the armies of Alexander fed during his constant wars, and you read it in your free time, often combing through passages with Tercerus, who uses the opportunity to talk your ear off about how logistical knowledge ties in with being able to properly command your forces.
As July rolls to an end, Bovianum creaks under the weight of marching boots and moving armies. Your cohorts have accomplished most of their tasks, despite being harried and harassed by Gemino all along. The area is beginning to solidly fall under Roman control, but you are under no illusions about just how secure you are. Samnium is a barrel of oil, and all it takes to light it is a single match.
For you, that match has a name -- Gemino of the Pentrii.
XP Awarded: 1,140
EXP 1000/1000 to Rank 2
Rank Up!
EXP 140/2000 to Rank 3
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1013
(4,323/6000) to Rank 7
So people have asked me how studying works in this game. Well, the answer is...on a case-by-case basis. I roll a 1d20 + Your Education Modifier to see how well you do at the act of studying itself -- maybe you can't focus, maybe you can't find a book covering anything you've read that day, maybe Atellus daydreams about that one Vestal Virgin with the nice eyes and wastes all his studytime...whatever. Once you pass that roll, I assign a percentage of XP based on how advanced you are in the skill and how much I feel studying will help.
This amount will go down rapidly as you increase in a skill. After gaining a skill, studying it for a few turns in a row, even if they are week-long turns, can easily net you thousands of XP. Once you reach Average and up, however, the amount gained from studying will rapidly diminish, and you should probably either find a teacher, up your Education skill, or increase the skill in the best and most readily available way: practical experience.
Right now, he's gaining thousands of XP on Logistics because it's literally his first time ever encountering the subject. He could flip the book open to a random page and learn something, anything about it. After ten months studying, however, he'll be hard-pressed to expand his knowledge through study alone.
VOTING
The Pentri
The Pentrii, one of the largest and most powerful of the Samnite tribes, are divided among themselves, with their capital city of Bovianum being harassed and starved by loyalists of their own people. With the bandits gone, the various elders finally feel secure enough to convene a tribal assembly in Aquilonia, to which they have invited you out of respect for your status as Rome's representative in their area of Samnium. While they are not wholly united like the Hirpini, there are some cities and towns which have not yet thrown their lot with or against Rome, who could be persuaded either way. The cities like Bovianum and Aquilonia would remain allied with you either way, but winning the support of the tribal assembly would be a great boon to Rome's legitimacy in the area. There are several things you can offer the Pentrii to convince them to join with Rome.
Pick as many as you'd like, but remember Rome (or rather, Sertorius) will have to deliver on all of them. Pick too few, and the Pentrii elders will laugh you out of town.
Harvest [] You promise them Rome will not touch their harvest. The area is badly hit by the rebellion, in no small part due to your own actions, and so you promise them exemption from grain tax for the next year should they submit.
Manpower [] The men of the area, if they are not rebels or bandits, are likely dead or starving. You promise them exemption from levies and recruitment for the next year and a half, to let their boys reach adulthood before being sent off to die.
Taxes [] You promise them a slight tax cut, to allow the devastated villages a chance to pick up the pieces before the tax collectors move in. This will be an especially difficult pill to swallow back in Rome, and one you are not sure even Sertorius can enforce.
Rebuild the Area [] Though this was one of Rome's initial promises, the area still lies in ruins, with crumbled roads and shattered walls. You promise to patch up the failing infrastructure around Bovianum.
Censure their Rivals [] You promise to levy heavier taxes and punishments on the rivals and enemies of the Pentrii for having wholly opposed Rome.
No Land Seizures [] You promise the Pentrii that Rome will not seize their land to support and reward it's legions, as it so often does around Italia.
Nothing [] The Pentrii have no leg to stand on. Either they kneel, or they will fall. Their cities have fallen, and now they pretend to make demands? They are Roman now, with all that entails -- Roman taxes, Roman recruitment, and Roman laws. (Gain One Personal Action)
Command
As supreme commander of all Roman forces in Bovianum, it falls to you to command the cohorts and set their goals for the next few weeks. Bovianum looks to you for protection and support, and if it does not get it, the city might begin to fall back towards Gemino. Pick Two (Three Depending on Choices)
Fortify the City [] You set one of the cohorts to building and refurbishing the city's walls. Devastated by Sulla during the Social War, they are a poor defense against bandits and rebels.
Call off the Garrison [] You order the Sixth back from Aquilonia. The town has already sent enough supplies to last weeks, and you need the Sixth for other things. (Gain One Command Vote)
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Towns [] You send your forces to protect the towns you have recently liberated from Gemino. They have all but threatened to defect if you do not provide them with the protection they so badly desire, and so you send a cohort to do just that. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men. They are already decently supplied, but if you end up here in winter, you will need all the foodstuffs you can get. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Defeat the Rebels [] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Protect the West [] The towns to the west, situated near to the Valley of the Vulturnus, seek Roman protection from the bandit/rebel Tercerian, who has risen up and taken control of the city of Aesernia. While Tercerian's grip on the Valley is far too weak for any expedition to attack the cohort or expand rebel control outside the Valley, his raiding parties have harassed and terrorized outlying villages and townholds for weeks. You dispatch a cohort to protect these towns.
--[] You join this cohort yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
---- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Supply Lines [] You cannot shake the feeling Gemino will attempt a strike on your supply lines. If he manages to destroy them, your men will starve. If you waste your men's time guarding against nothing, however, they will not be pleased. You send...
[] Pompolussa assures you he can easily do it, but assigning him here will mean the Second cannot perform any of the many tasks for which it is needed.
[] You go yourself. (-1 Personal Action) -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude. -- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Personal
Despite the rigors of command and administering an enemy city, you have managed to find some little time for yourself -- or rather, for you to advance your ambitions. Select Two
[] Prosecute Cases: You have already overseen a handful of cases in Bovianum, and you realize that your career in the law need not grow stunted while you are at war. You begin to diligently see to it that the laws of Rome are enforced in your city and in the camps. [] Reform the Laws: The laws of the city of Bovianum are a mess, a mix of traditional tribal laws and decrees from the elders, filled with contradictions and loopholes. You set about rewriting them, but be warned: failure means hatred in the eyes of the people, and even success may not win you love -- you meddle with traditions as old as Rome. [] Begin Journal: You begin a daily record of your actions and deeds in Samnium and on campaight, for posterity and future reflection. [] See to Affairs: With extended downtime, you can actually see to affairs in Rome. You write to Proserpina asking for a list of sister's best suitors, as well as a compilation of other affairs that might need your attention. [] Study Logistics: You read books on planning and organization, hoping to gain greater mastery of logistics and large-scale planning. [] Speak With The Architects: You speak with the legion's architects and engineers, hoping to increase your own knowledge of Engineering. [] The Sibyl: In the rolling hills of Bovianum, there waits the Sibyl of Bovianum, a Samnite prophetess said to follow the ancient Greek rites. You make your way to her, hoping to learn your future. [] Brotherhood: You began eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. [] Sparring: You began sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you. [] Silver Tongues, Silver Words: You began to attempt to form deeper connections with the men, walking around the camp and speaking and talking to your soldiers. With enough personal charisma and skill for speech, you can begin to make yourself as loved in their hearts as Sertorius. [] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Pompolussa, gather to gamble and game. These men are all fast friends, with ties stretching back years, but if if you integrated yourself with them and got them to consider you one of them, it would go a long way towards improving your standing in the legion. [] Study: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
There is now a TWELVE-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.)
[X] Plan Measure Twice
-[X] Marius Himatus
-[X] Harvest
-[X] Manpower
-[X] Rebuild the Area
-[X] Censure their Rivals
-[X] Protect the Towns
--[X] You go yourself.
---[X] Use the Gauls
---[X] Use the Ninth
-[X] Protect the Supply Lines
--[X] Send Pompolussa
-[X] Write-In: Order the 6th to start training an auxilliary force in Aquilonia
-[X] Begin Journal
July 30th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
Your first ever campaign, you were assigned as military tribune to the VI Legion under one Quintus Sertorius, a famed general and the Legate of Italia. The legion was dispatched by the Proconsul Cinna to defeat the Samnite tribes once and for all, and win a resounding Roman victory close to home.
Legion(s): LEGIO VI GRADIVIUS (Sixth Legion, Blessed By Mars) Position: Tribunus Laticlavus (Broad-Striped Tribune) Commanding Officer: Quintus Sertorius Commanding Officer Reputation: 8/10 -- Sertorius is the soldier's ideal, a young man who rose from nothing and won the Grass Crown, the Republic's ultimate military honor. Held to be a champion of his soldiers and a defender of the common people, there are many in the Sixth who would die for Sertorius without question. Total Forces: 5,600 combined Roman legionnaires, equites, and auxilaries. Green/Veteran Split: 4 half-green Cohorts, 4 Average, 1 Skilled, 1 Elite, 1 Skilled Auxiliary Reputation With The Legion: 6/10 -- The giver of laurels and the breaker of the Samnites, the bringer of coin and law, and a capable fighter in your own right -- you are many things to the men of the Sixth Legion, but first and foremost you are the Tribune. They may not all love you, but they respect you. Location: Apennine Italy Occupied Cities: Bovianum (Opinion 6/10) Outcome: ???
Since time and memory immemorial, the Pentri have lived in the hills of Italy, and since time immemorial, they have taken up arms against the race of Rome, numbering ever and always among the staunchest defenders of Samnite independence and liberty. Across the centuries and the years, they have always held Rome and her people as enemies, and have risen in arms time and again to throw off her yoke. It is said that the Hirpini are fiercer, the Caudini are wealthier, and the Caraceni wealthier still -- but no race or tribe in all of Samnium is so intractable as the Pentri. Their memories are long, and their grudges longer still. They do not forget, they do not appease, and most of all, they do not forgive.
It is all the more commendable, then, that you have won their hearts.
You came to Aquilonia, where the assembled elders of every village, town, and city between Bovianum and the Appenines had gathered to discuss the fate of their people. Urban nobles and pastoral farmers alike assembled in the great Forum of Aquilonia, and when you -- a Roman, with Roman face and Roman tongue and Roman garb -- entered their midst, there were more than a few ready to cut you down on the spot. But you were not without your allies among them. The elders you had won to your side, the powerful men of the cities you had won and saved and gathered to your cause, and those who were simply weary of incessant war -- all these gathered to your side. Foremost among them was Marius Himatus, your client and a veritable powerhouse in Samnite politics. It was the steadfast advocacy of Himatus and these others that even won you an invitation to the assembly, and their continued defense of you which won you the right to even speak before the gathered elders.
And speak you did. You rose before the great men of the Pentri and spoke of the Samnites. You spoke of fields, pillaged by bandits and left bare and dry to rot in the sun come harvest. You spoke of old men forced to tend for themselves in the autumn of life, their sons and their sons' sons dead, their homes crumbling around them. You spoke of mothers weeping and wives mourning, of sons who would never know a father's touch, maidens who would never know a lover's kiss. You spoke of homes crumbling and cities starving, a people divided and depleted, a proud and noble race withered away like so much chaff in the sun.
And then you spoke of Rome.
You spoke of two hands -- in one, a sword, bringing with it the end of the Samnites, the end of a people as old as the hills and just as implacable. In the other, however, in the open hand, lay salvation. Food. Law. Justice. Hope. Rome comes only to provide what it provides to all of Italy, you said. Security, and shelter under the sword which had broken the Etruscans and the Latins and the Greeks, the sword which even now hangs like Damocles' own blade over all the lands of Samnium. You made four promises on behalf of Rome -- food, to fill their bellies come winter. Men, to harvest the food. Roads, straight and true, to carry food and men alike. And their enemies, made to pay reparations for the woes and suffering heaped upon the Pentri over these long years.
Your words were incisive, imploring, and though you are a man barely a youth, you held men sixty years your elder in sway like children. Their eyes flashed with dreams of a life not spent starving and hungry, subject to the tyranny of bandits and their own 'heroes', a life of warm crops and full bellies. Cynics became, for a moment, idealists, and bitter men saw better things.
When you descended from the podium, there was a roar like all the waves in all the ocean crashing against your ears. Men who had given their lives and limbs and heirs to the defiance of Rome since their youth cheered your name and applauded you. Rufus, at the base of the podium, met you simply with a wide stare and slack jaw. He would tell you after that in that moment, upon that step, you seemed for all the world Scaevola Pontifex in new flesh, an orator to rival the greats.
Tercerus, in all his simplicity, put it differently.
You won.
Lesser Feat Gained:A Speech to The Gathered Elders of the Pentri (85 BC)
A Feat is something you have done that will live after you, an action which will outlast you not in Roman history, but in human history. The Catiline Conspiracy, the Conquest of Gaul, the In Catiliniam, the crossing of the Rubicon, the defeat of Hannibal -- a feat is a specific action or group of actions which will long be remembered above all your other actions, which will spring to the forefront of memory whenever your name is mentioned. Feats may be negative or positive for the person in question: Caesar dying on the steps of the Theater of Pompey, riddled by knife wounds, is unarguably one of the most famous images in human history, and is thus one of his Feats -- but no doubt Caesar would not consider it among his greatest moments.
There are Lesser, Major, Greater, and Legendary feats. A Legendary feat is something such as, well, the Conqest of Gaul. A Greater Feat would be Cato's suicide at Utica, while a Major Feat would be Pompey's victory in Spain. A Lesser feat, such as the one you have just accomplished, is something that, while famous in its' own time, is largely only known by historians and record-keepers in our time, and even then only because of the existence of multiple records of it's occurrence. Lesser Feats are events such as Marcus Antonius Creticus' humiliating defeat and subsequent nickname, or Catiline's murder of his uncle.
Rewards and Results:
Diplomacy XP Gained: 2500 (2500/8000) XP to Rank 10
Oratory XP Gained: 3500 (6,613/10,000) XP to Rank 11
Charisma XP Gained: 2500 (3200/10,000) XP to Rank 12
Oratory Feat XP Bonus: A Speech To The Pentri: 1d10000 + 500 (Gift of Minerva) = 6163
Oratory Rank Up!
Rank 11! (2,326/10000) to Rank 12
Trait Gained: Orator (Rank I) Orator (Rank I): You are one of the most noted young speakers of your day. Though you are no legend yet, when inspiration strikes, you can speak as if blessed by Apollo himself. When you ascend the podium, men listen with rapt attention, their eyes and ears fixed upon your moving form. Scaevola Pontifex himself champions you as one of his most notable students, and the great orators and speakers of Rome look to you as a potential peer in the years to come. (+1 to Oratory and Oratorical actions, +2 to diplomacy/conversation rolls with Orators, Speakers, and Philosophers)
Trait Weakening:Enemy of the Samnites (Rank I): You have not reinforced this trait in some time, and/or have taken actions to reduce it severely. This trait will fade or reduce in Rank in 3 Turns.
The Assembly of the Pentri: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) +2 (Accomplished Oratory) + 1 (Marius Himatus) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 22
Needed: 18
Legendary Success
Convincing the Elders: N/A (Simply put, I had another vote set up for when you lost the last one (as you were probably going to), wherin you would convince the Pentri one-by-one to support you, winning over the various factions through individual rolls of Charisma/Diplo. But, uh, someone hacked my dice, so...)
With the Pentri falling in line behind you, unifying the area starts becoming surprisingly easy. Even if the Samnites as a people do not wholly trust you, their elders do, and that is enough for them. Bandit raids decrease in frequency, supplies stop going 'missing', and the citizens of Bovianum begin greeting you with more than a steely glare. All that is left now, you reckon, is to defeat Gemino. With his support base drying up, the now ironically-named Gemino of the Pentri will have no recourse but to step up his raids, either on the towns, in the hope of forcing the people back to his side, or on your supply lines, in the hopes of forcing you to fall back. Harvest season is quick approaching, and even Gemino must know that raids and attacks on farms will earn him nothing but pure hatred should he deprive the starving people of Bovianum of their crops. You decide to meet him with strong defenses on both fronts -- a cohort led by Pompolussa to protect your supply line to Beneventum, and the Gauls under yourself and Veniximaeus. You even order an auxiliary force to be trained in Aquilonia, so that in a few weeks you might lead the Sixth Cohort to better and bigger things, leaving the allied Samnites to protect themselves.
As you march from town to town with the Gauls, you receive a favorable reception -- after all, there is little they can do against you, little they would try to do against the terrifying Gauls, and little their elders would order them to do after your oration in Aquilonia. But wherever you go, you can find no sign or word of Gemino and his bandits. The rebel seems to have vanished into thin air. Even the most talkative of your informants among the Pentri swear up and down they have heard no word of him for months. Your own forces go unharassed, and Pompolussa reports nothing but fair weather and rocky hills. It seems for a moment that the famous rebel might have actually laid down his arms, realizing he was bested when his own people turned on him en masse.
It all this and more that you begin to set down in your new journal, a diligent record of all you have done and continue to do in Samnium. Tercerus informs you that the greatest generals of yore kept journals of their conquests, and so conquered the future by writing their stories before other men, less sympathetic to them, might.
In the days that go by without attack or harassment, you spend your time fraternizing and bonding with the Gauls. You would not expect yourself to get along so well with brutes and barbarians, but get along you do. With Veniximaeus toasting your name over ever fire and cheering you as the best damn Roman he ever met, it does not take long for you to build a familiar rapport with the Gallic cavalry. Soon, they are riding and working under your command as easily as if you had been born from a Gallic mother on Gallic soil. Some back in Rome might frown at such familiar association with the Gauls, of all people, but you readily accept them as your comrades.
Gallic Cavalry advances from Average to Skilled. They only act as skilled under your command, and will be treated as average warriors under anyone else.
It is in this quiet time that black news reaches you from the west. While your forces were distracted guarding supply lines and towns that, you now realize, were under no true threat, Gemino -- who, you now see, only attacked them to draw your defenses to them -- had snuck around the Roman-held territories and led his forces to the towns harassed by Tercerian, the tyrannical leader of the rebels of the Vulturnus. Painting himself as a hero of Samnium and a noble opponent of the tyrant, he traveled from town to town and rallied support there even as you were wooing the rest of the Pentri. These leaders, unable to even be present at the tribal assembly due to the dire straits of their people, believed his tales about the inaction and inefficiency of Rome, falling behind him almost to a man. His forces are replenished, nearly a thousand strong, and he now has a new powerbase, one with a bone to pick against Rome.
But you are not without your own victories, of course. Gemino doubtless could not have predicted you turning his own people against him, and so is cut off from his old powerbase near Bovianum. The towns and villages around Bovianum and Aquilonia which threw themselves behind him, seeing him abandon them entirely, turn into the arms of Rome. The old rebel is undeterred, and news reaches you that he intends to lead his forces into the Valley of the Vulturnus to wrest control of the rebels there from Tercerian. This, you realize, cannot be allowed to happen. If Gemino, among the finest commanders the Samnites have, assumes leadership of the rebels in the Valley, they will no longer be an ineffectual mob, but an army 4000 rebels strong -- enough to challenge your cohorts, and defeat them besides. You must either defeat Gemino or the rebels at Aesernia, before all your work in the west is undone.
It is in the midst of all this that word arrives from Sertorius. He has made a deal with the Hirpini, promising them land and wealth in exchange for their loyalty to Rome, and his forces advance on Nola with an army of Hirpinic auxiliaries even as he writes. Having heard of your success with the Pentri, he calls on you to rally the cohorts and meet him at Nola for the siege that will end the war -- after all, Appius has a mere 6000, and the two of you have the legion and the armies of the Hirpini, a combined 8000 battle-ready men. You just need to mop up the rebels and meet him at Nola to end the war. He trusts you will have no problem seeing such a simple matter to its' end, with your excellent successes thus far.
You could almost laugh at the irony.
VOTING
All legislative and administrative matters have been foisted off onto Rufus for the time being. Your schemes, your politicking -- they are at an end, for now. You are a Tribune of Rome, a soldier of the legions, and war is at hand. Your decisions here will make or break this, the final war between Rome and her ancient archrivals, the Samnites of the Appenines.
The War: Gemino marches for Aesernia with an army a thousand strong, rebels hardened by weeks of war and skirmish with Rome, to forcibly seize leadership of the rebels in the Valley. A skilled and charismatic leader, there is little doubt he can pry leadership of the rebels from the arbitrary and mercurial Tercerian. Should he do so, he will more than triple his forces, and with such an army at his back, he could very well pose a dire threat to the entire legion -- much less half of it. Your choices are limited, but vitally important. Failure here means returning to Sertorius with your head hung in shame at best, and with your head on a pike at worst.
The Enemy in the West [] You take your cohorts to meet Gemino, who leads a thousand men towards the Valley of the Vulturnus. You will easily catch him before he arrives in Aesernia, but if you can beat the legendary rebel on his own turf -- well, that is another question.
The Enemy in the Valley [] You rush to get ahead of Gemino and arrive at Aesernia before he does. If you can defeat Tercerian and send his already demoralized forces scattering, Gemino will have no choice but to fall back, his plans ruined. Of course, there is the small fact that Tercerian has a numerical advantage over your half-a-legion, and has even been training his men in military formations these last few months. Moving this quickly may be a challenge, as the roads in this area are particularly broken, meaning you will have to march over rough terrain.
Block the Valley [] Pompolussa pitches a plan that is as ingenious as it is daring. If you rush your forces just behind Gemino and build a wall blocking the narrow pass to the Valley of the Vulturnus, the rebels will all be trapped within, and it won't matter who wins leadership. Then, you can take care of the rebels in the Valley at your leisure, waiting until they either starve or are weak enough for your men to tear them apart. This is, of course, putting a tremendous amount of faith in the ability of your legion's architects -- quicker constructions have been done, yes, but by far better men, as they themselves are eager to tell you. Pompolussa professes some degree of engineering knowledge, which he volunteers to put to good use.
While The Iron's Hot [] You will wait until Gemino or Tercerian emerges victorious from their little spat, and then, when the rebel least expects it, you will strike, trapping them within the city and laying siege to Aesernia. All you'd need to do is keep a supply line from Bovianum open. In a siege situation, there is little Gemino can do to utilize his famous guerrilla tactics, and the already reviled Tercerian will only see his troop's morale plummet with every day of siege that passes.
The Enemy of my Enemy [] You write to Tercerian, hoping he is more a Spurio than he is a Gemino, offering him payment and protection from prosecution in return for siding with Rome and pitting his forces against Gemino. Even if the tyrant cannot compel his men to turn against the cause they have so long fought for, the dissent this will cause may well cause his army to dissolve. If they remain whole, you will meet Gemino with overwhelming force and crush him. Either way -- problem solved.
[] Write-In
Who Remains: Tercerus raises the rather fair point that it is somewhat dangerous to take every single Roman and lead them off to do battle. If Gemino has left even a few men behind, or if a town decides to rise up, or if the bandits return, any of them could strike your baggage train and endanger the entire war effort. You badly need all the forces you can get, but perhaps you should leave someone behind to watch out for everything you have gained thus far?
The Sixth [] You leave the Sixth cohort where it is in Aquilonia, commanding it to divide its' attention between the supply train and the city.
The Gauls [] You leave the Gauls behind to protect the supply/baggage train. You trust Veniximaeus to rein in his men's worst excesses.
The Second [] Though Pompolussa is badly needed, you leave him behind to watch over the baggage train and the city, knowing that the most important duty should fall to the most skilled soldier.
The Ninth [] The Ninth, despite their skill with construction and hard work, are probably the least battle-tested of all the cohorts. You leave them behind to guard the train.
The Auxiliaries [] You raise the Samnite auxiliaries trained at Aquilonia, though they have only a few weeks of training. If they choose to side with their people and betray you, however, you will be defenseless.
No One [] You can afford to leave no one behind. You pull all your forces up to go after Gemino.
Reinforcements: You have 2400 men, against a possible 4000. You badly need every sword you can get, and so you...
Pick Two (Not all are guaranteed successes)
The Auxiliaries [] You raise the Samnite auxiliaries trained at Aquilonia, though they have only a few weeks of training. If they choose to side with their people and betray you, however, you will be defenseless to stop them from ruining your flanks. (Unavailable if you select them for Who Remains)
Raise the Pentri [] You ask the Tribal Assembly of the Pentri for aid, requesting they raise what few town and city militia are left to them to aid you against Gemino.
Write to Sertorius [] You write to Sertorius asking for another cohort to reinforce your army. While you are well aware he cannot spare too many, a single cohort might well change the course of battle for you.
Levy Bovianum [] You begin conscripting the men of Bovianum as emergency auxiliaries. You shove a sword into every hand that can hold it and order them to march after you.
Noble Levy [] You petition the rich and wealthy of Bovianum and the Pentrii, whom you have so recently wooed, into raising their personal forces -- house guards, mercenaries, and such -- in defense of their city and home. You hope to appeal to their native selfishness, but if that fails, you will be left with little recourse.
There is now a TWELVE-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.)
