xa na xa
A.E.I.O.U. - Antarticae est imperare orbi universo
- Location
- σ Octantis
That's right, we have to have a small power baser soon before we have a large power base later.
How do we build a small power base?
Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
That's right, we have to have a small power baser soon before we have a large power base later.
How do we build a small power base?
Claytonimor
WE WILL TAKE JERUSALEM
- Location
- Loudon, TN
Seems like a good plan, I say.
- Location
- USA
Who do we butterfly away by marrying Julia Minor? I'm assuming a fair chance of someone important never being born.
Edit: looks like the only important one is Octavius. And that's her grandson, who could easily just be our grandson if things last that long -- or at least someone equivalent to him.
Edit: looks like the only important one is Octavius. And that's her grandson, who could easily just be our grandson if things last that long -- or at least someone equivalent to him.
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That's what we're doing right now. Making friends, building reputation, getting favor from sponsors, advancing cursus honorum - that all starts our powerbase.
Good marriage is a big part of that too, yes.
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- Location
- Europe
AU Octavian being our grandson would be great. It's the next best thing to mixing our line with Caesar's.
Hopefully we won't be this timeline's Caesar then, though.
I mean, getting assassinated and having our line be the one to save Rome from itself is fine by me, but please, I don't want Atellus to die in Pompey's theatre.
- Location
- Europe
How do you feel knowing that despite this way to go out, Pompey only lives on in the collective conscious of humanity in your shadow? Pretty cathartic, I assume.
Loving the Quest, have been reading through for the last few days. All the jokes, plotting, and grandiose planning for our eventual domination of the Mediterranean are highly entertaining.
Also, on a sidenote, I found a great playlist to listen to whilst reading, especially the updates:
Also, on a sidenote, I found a great playlist to listen to whilst reading, especially the updates:
How do you feel knowing that despite this way to go out, Pompey only lives on in the collective conscious of humanity in your shadow? Pretty cathartic, I assume.
You might very well think that, but I couldn't possibly comment.
XVIII: The Samnite War, Turn X
- Location
- Texas
[] Plan Digging In
-[] The Pompolussan Stratagem
-1[] Outriders
-2[] A Matter of Allied Officers
-3[] Blessed by Mars
-1[] Old One-Eye
-2[] Bonds of Brotherhood
-3[] Write Home:
---[] Scaevola
---[] Proserpina
-4[] Study Logistics
-5[] Study Finance
-[] The Pompolussan Stratagem
-1[] Outriders
-2[] A Matter of Allied Officers
-3[] Blessed by Mars
-1[] Old One-Eye
-2[] Bonds of Brotherhood
-3[] Write Home:
---[] Scaevola
---[] Proserpina
-4[] Study Logistics
-5[] Study Finance
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
- The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
After an afternoon of heated debate, Pompolussa and his supporters win out over the other officers and their plans. They are helped in no small part by you throwing your own weight behind their plan, which sways Sertorius to decide in their favor. Orders for the construction of winter quarters are sent out to the engineers, and soon enough, walls of wood are rising up around your heads. The legion settles in, men readying themselves to wait out the Samnites within the towering walls as the siege of Nola begins in earnest.
You again begin your daily discussions with Sertorius, but now they are tempered by the wisdom of command. You have led men, fought in battle, and held your own against Rome's enemies. The steel in your eyes is no match for Sertorius' own grey slates, not yet, but there is steel. When he speaks of the throng of battle and the difficulties of commanding an army amidst the chaos of war, you no longer have to imagine some distant theoretical conflict -- no, you have very real experiences to draw upon, and your conversations are all the richer for it. He instructs you in tactics and strategies you cannot truly comprehend without understanding their necessity on the battlefield, and your knowledge of warfare grows as the days spin into weeks.
As time passes, your discussions even stretch into other topics. Sertorius is a magnetic figure, capable of arresting an entire legion's attention with a few words, and his voice is filled with such gravitas that you have seen men years his elder be swayed by his rhetoric and force of words. Your own feats in Samnium have made you a capable diplomat, and so you and Sertorius often fill your conversations with discussions of how best to sway hostile forces to your side, and of the careful balance of appeasements and counter-appeasements necessary to negotiate compromises favorable to Rome.
950 XP to Diplomacy (8000/8000)
Rank Up: Diplo Rank 10
Level Up: Accomplished Diplomacy (+2 Bonus)
(0/10000) XP to Diplomacy Rank 11
These discussions often last long into the night, and though you are merely a youth by any standard, your intelligence and wit mean you are capable of matching Sertorius, though not word for word, and you even supply an original idea every now and then that makes Sertorius think and give serious reply. In time, Sertorius comes to treat you with the same respect he might a favored pupil or a rising son, and the effects of this readily make themselves apparent in the weeks that follow. In the Roman camps, you walk where you will, and no man may impede you, and when not busy with other duties, you are a regular member of Sertorius' entourage and council. Officers years your elder...well, they do not defer to you, exactly, but your word holds more weight among them simply due to your association with their beloved general.
But this, too, is a double-edged sword. Many note your new status in Sertorius' eyes, and not all do so with deference. Outside the notoriously self-serving Cinna, Sertorius is the greatest ally of Marius still in Italy, and there are many who have not forgotten that, even in the legions, where the bond of Mars has supposedly erased all other ties. Whether you wished it or not, you have made enemies in the ranks of the Sixth Legion, enemies who, though their hands are now tied, may not be so docile in Rome.
As the siege enters its' second week, you gain permission from Sertorius to gather Veniximaeus, the Gauls, and a cohort of the legion in order to ride out and hunt down the renegade Samnites in the surrounding regions. These bands of rebels have harassed the legion's supply lines since before you returned from Bovianum, but with your arrival, the legion now has enough forces to both securely hold the siege and hunt these rebels down. You set out from the camps around Nola with roughly six hundred men, and use the Gauls as outriders to search the surrounding towns for dissidents.
But the rebels of the Hirpini prove as stubborn as their Pentri brothers. They disappear into the hills and valleys of Samnium as the cohort approaches, and though there is more than one time when you are hot on their heels, they always manage to affect an escape. The Gauls are brutal in their searches, and scour the countryside in pursuit of the rebels, but even their famed ferocity turns up nothing more than rumors. In the days that follow, you investigate a farm where a handful of rebels may have slept a week or so back, a cave where they might have been sighted, a farmer's boy who claims to have seen armed men in the woods — whispers and tall tales that amount to nothing, in the end.
Your search, while fruitless, is not without it's benefits. With your forces hot on their heels, there is little chance for the Samnites to strike at your supply line or hound the villages that have sided with Rome. The Samnite commander, while shrewd, is no Gemino, and it is all he can do to stay ahead of you, much less continue an offensive at the same time. That is a small consolation, however, as you return to camp empty-handed, with only a few dead scouts and a handful of tall tales to show for your trouble.
Being connected to the centurion has other, more political benefits as well: Mercator's father, Proculus Agrippa, won glory in his youth in Numidia under Marius, and though he never sat the Senate, became wealthy and connected enough to launch profitable careers for his sons. Mercator seems well on his way to making just as great a name for himself, and his brother Gnaeus is currently serving as a quaestor in southern Spain.
All of this and more reaches your ears during the daily meals you have with the others, and the bonds of brotherhood you formed with these men on the battlefield are drawn ever tighter and closer as the days wind on towards winter.
Midway though August, Pompolussa takes advantage of your newfound friendship to draw to your attention to a matter which has troubled him these last days: the growing tensions between the legionnaires and the new Samnite auxiliaries. The Hirpini may have thrown their lot in with Rome for the time being, but their men clash often with your own, with arguments and fights breaking out over even the pettiest of differences. Their men, while trained, are not held to the same levels of discipline as the legions themselves, and this, exacerbated by the ancient rivalry between Roman and Samnite, has recently bred conflict again and again. The general feeling in camp seems to be that the Samnite officers could be doing more to rein their men in, but have thus far refrained from doing so. Things have not yet boiled over into open hostilities, but there is no love lost between the legion and it's 'allies'.
Acting in your position as Sertorius' second-in-command, you call the Samnite officers together one overcast August morning and speak to them. You carefully explain that it is in their best interests to force their men into cooperation -- should the siege fail or their men revolt, their entire region would be punished. Should the siege emerge a success, however, they and their men will fill their pockets when the city falls, and their people will be handsomely rewarded, as Sertorius promised. Their faces are impassionate and stony as you speak, and you leave the tent wondering if you've changed any minds. However, in the weeks that follow, you receive reports of Samnite dissenters and troublemakers being punished harshly for inciting arguments with the Romans, and the Hirpini in general seem to snap to Sertorius' commands more quickly than they did before.
120 XP Gained!
(120/10000) to Diplomacy Rank 11
Your initiative pays off -- Sertorius is well pleased by this development, and begins offering you more and more important positions in negotiation and diplomatic matters, speaking as the legion's representative in many of it's negotiations with local elders and Samnite officials.
(New Votes Opened Up)
Trait Lost: Enemy of the Samnites
In your rare moments of free time during the siege, you attempt to pen letters to your friends and allies back in the city of Rome. Your first letters are to Scaevola, who writes to you of uncertainty and suspicion in the city of Romulus. Cinna's hold on the city grows more tenuous by the day, and his political enemies and rivals -- whether or not they are friends of Sulla -- are being proscribed, executed without trial, and their belongings sold off to fund the wars in the east. Blood runs thick in the streets of Rome, but Scaevola himself has somehow managed to emerge unscathed. As one of the Senate's foremost legal minds, he has argued staunchly against these proscriptions, using his status as Pontifex Maximus as a shield, but with the Marians in full control of the Senate, it has been little use. The more moderate elements with which the Marians aligned themselves at the beginning of the year have either split off or used the growing radicalism to their advantage, pitching their lot in with the Marians wholesale. Flaccus, the consul whom many hoped would tone down the radical voices of the populares, has instead become a rubber stamp for Cinna's increasingly heavy-handed policies, while Marius the Younger, though skilled enough for his age, shows none of the backbone or savvy of his father, serving largely as a figurehead and a rallying point for the Marians in Rome.
Scaevola spends much of his letters bemoaning this last point, that a man barely 25 years of age, who had led few battles and held few positions of importance, should sit as Consul over men years his elder. The blatant nepotism and favoritism of the Marian party disgusts him, and he outright states that a true Roman such as Sulla would never stand for such corruption in the halls of power. Indeed, he sings Sulla's praises, and urges you to distance yourself from Sertorius, a noted enemy of the general since his youth -- should Sulla return and meet you at his enemy's teat, there may be little Scaevola can do to keep your head off the chopping block.
Lastly, your mentor mentions almost offhandedly that Pompey's legions have withdrawn from the city proper -- ostensibly at the command of the Senate, but in reality under pressure from Cinna, whose wealthiest supporters had grown tired from having their stores and homes terrorized by drunk soldiery for nearly two years. He writes that the young butcher has fallen back with his legions to his birthplace, Picenum, in the east of Italia, and bids him, and his foolish schemes and immature plots, good riddance.
Proserpina's letter, which follows quickly on the heels of Scaevola's, paints a different picture. Pompey, ever proud, paid little heed to the words of the Senate or of Cinna, and, with three legions at his beck and call, had no need to. Rather, according to Proserpina's informants among the aristocracy, he had owed several very large debts to several very important men, and his funds, while quite large due to his father's long career, are rumored to be sinking lower by the day as he personally finances 15,000 armed men, their food, and their supplies. Proserpina speculates that Pompey has thus headed with his men to Picenum, his family's homeland and his own birthplace, not out of compliance with the Senate, but rather in order to raise money from his father's supporters and reinforce his under-strength cohorts with men loyal to his family, as well as remove himself from his debtors.
What he will do next is any man's guess, but according to slave on your payroll, several prominent young noblemen have privately declared their intent to stand by Pompey and support him whether he declares for Marius or Sulla, while many elder aristocrats have begun trying to directly or indirectly manipulate him. Marriage offers are flooding the young general day and day out -- and Proserpina takes this cue to end the letter on a wry note, suggesting that perhaps you should find yourself a suitable wife before Pompey snaps them all up.
You watch in the flickering torchlight as the priest circles about the small, well-lit clearing, slowly sprinkling crimson flecks of blood onto the golden eagle as he walks in a circle about the shining aquila. The aquila is the symbol of the legion, the standard of every man in every cohort. Personally sanctified by a priest of Jupiter before the campaign, every inch of it is legally a piece of the very city of Rome itself, as deserving of protection as the sacred halls of the Vestals themselves, and most every man in the legion would die before he let it fall to enemy hands. It is this devotion, then, which fixes the eye of every legionnaire gathered around the central area of the camp on the scepter and the eagle affixed to it as the priest of Mars sanctifies it with the blessing of the red god.
You have personally begun to enforce and promote the active worship of Mars in his aspect as the soldier-god among the men of the camp, and the first step in doing so was to bring a priest from nearby Beneventum to sanctify the standard in his name. You have gathered some five hundred men, roughly a full cohort, here in the predawn darkness to witness the ritual. These men, watch, their eyes glinting in the torchlight, as the priest and his acolytes, young men in simple white shifts, slowly light two sacrificial braziers set on either side of the standard, which has been placed up on a raised altar inscribed with the Legion's name. As the thin priest chants litanies to the soldier-god, his acolytes toss handfuls of spices and leaves into the braziers, creating a deep, smoky incense that fills the night air with it's dusky, lingering odor. Suddenly, the chanting stops, and for a long, still moment, it seems as if the whole clearing is holding it's breath.
Then the priest raises his arms above his head and bows deeply before the altar. On this silent signal, it begins -- slowly, at first, a soft thumping on the dew-coated grass that rises into a rhythmic thudding that echoes through the clearing. It spreads like wildfire from man to man, and you find yourself moving in time with it without even thinking. In moments, every soldier present is thumping his feet in time with the flickering of the flames, a rhythmic thudding that echoes in the hills of Samnium. It is the sound of Roman boots on foreign soil, the sound of a legion marching -- the sound of Mars Gradivus, the soldier-god.
The smell of the incense, the low chanting of the priest, and the rhythmic thumping begin to blur together. The flames dance before your eyes, the rhythm of the march fills your bones, and you lose yourself. There is no Atellus now, no Pompolussa, no Mercator or Carcellus.
There is only the Sixth Legion, unbent and unbowed, Mars' own, now and forever.
Patron Legionary Diety Gained: Mars Gradivus -- Mars in his aspect as the Marching god, the soldier-god, and the God of Armies.
Legionary Superstition Increased: Your men have grown more superstitious, a natural result of mysticism and ritual. A healthy fear of the gods befits any Roman, but beware -- there are stories of legions who saw the sun set too early, took it as an ill omen, and disbanded in the night.
Personal Health Increased: Your personal health has increased as a result of the exercise regimen you have started. You feel healthier, stronger, and more hale, and will likely continue to do so as long as you keep exercising.
You have personally begun to enforce and promote the active worship of Mars in his aspect as the soldier-god among the men of the camp, and the first step in doing so was to bring a priest from nearby Beneventum to sanctify the standard in his name. You have gathered some five hundred men, roughly a full cohort, here in the predawn darkness to witness the ritual. These men, watch, their eyes glinting in the torchlight, as the priest and his acolytes, young men in simple white shifts, slowly light two sacrificial braziers set on either side of the standard, which has been placed up on a raised altar inscribed with the Legion's name. As the thin priest chants litanies to the soldier-god, his acolytes toss handfuls of spices and leaves into the braziers, creating a deep, smoky incense that fills the night air with it's dusky, lingering odor. Suddenly, the chanting stops, and for a long, still moment, it seems as if the whole clearing is holding it's breath.
Then the priest raises his arms above his head and bows deeply before the altar. On this silent signal, it begins -- slowly, at first, a soft thumping on the dew-coated grass that rises into a rhythmic thudding that echoes through the clearing. It spreads like wildfire from man to man, and you find yourself moving in time with it without even thinking. In moments, every soldier present is thumping his feet in time with the flickering of the flames, a rhythmic thudding that echoes in the hills of Samnium. It is the sound of Roman boots on foreign soil, the sound of a legion marching -- the sound of Mars Gradivus, the soldier-god.
The smell of the incense, the low chanting of the priest, and the rhythmic thumping begin to blur together. The flames dance before your eyes, the rhythm of the march fills your bones, and you lose yourself. There is no Atellus now, no Pompolussa, no Mercator or Carcellus.
There is only the Sixth Legion, unbent and unbowed, Mars' own, now and forever.
Patron Legionary Diety Gained: Mars Gradivus -- Mars in his aspect as the Marching god, the soldier-god, and the God of Armies.
Legionary Superstition Increased: Your men have grown more superstitious, a natural result of mysticism and ritual. A healthy fear of the gods befits any Roman, but beware -- there are stories of legions who saw the sun set too early, took it as an ill omen, and disbanded in the night.
Personal Health Increased: Your personal health has increased as a result of the exercise regimen you have started. You feel healthier, stronger, and more hale, and will likely continue to do so as long as you keep exercising.
Health is a hidden stat. No, I won't be telling you hard numbers. Yes, this is unfair, and you'll have to rely on context clues and the way I mention your body health in the text to figure out whether or not you need to go jogging. Don't worry -- as long as you serve in the legions, you maintain a minimum level of fitness, which can go down somewhat during sieges.
As the first month of the siege draws to a close, Appius' men seem no closer to capitulating, and his allies on the outside are still at large. As your skills grow, your responsibilities grow with them, and the time you have left to yourself seems to shorten. As September starts, heralding the first chills of winter, the legion settles into the stability of life in the siege camps, allowing more enterprising officers to begin working to finish the siege in their own manner. Rufus declares his intention to begin work on several siege weapons with which to begin a concentrated offensive, while Mercator sets to training and re-training the cohorts for when the walls finally fall. Pompolussa, you have heard, is talking to the architects about reinforcing the walls of the winter camp, or perhaps even expanding it somewhat. Lastly, Appius has sent an offer for a diplomatic meeting outside the walls of the city, a meeting to which Sertorius has agreed. The general invites you to join him on this expedition -- to witness and learn more than advise directly, to be certain, but he has still invited you.
However, winter is coming, and the legion's permanent stores are worryingly low, meaning you may be forced into heavier reliance on the always-vulnerable supply lines, again a worrying prospect. Requisitioning food and gathering supplies before it is too late becomes a pressing concern with every week that passes.
However, winter is coming, and the legion's permanent stores are worryingly low, meaning you may be forced into heavier reliance on the always-vulnerable supply lines, again a worrying prospect. Requisitioning food and gathering supplies before it is too late becomes a pressing concern with every week that passes.
Siege:
Week 1:
(Sertorius) Lay Siege: 1d20 +6 (Epic Military) +4 (Renowned Logistics) +2 (Voice of Mars) +0 (Average Troops) = 23
versus
(Meddix Appius) Defend Against the Siege: 1d20 +4 (Renowned Logistics) +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Rank III Walls) +1 (Adequately Supplied) -1(Outnumbered) = 33
The Siege Holds
Week 2:
(Sertorius) Lay Siege: 1d20 +6 (Epic Military) +4 (Renowned Logistics) +2 (Voice of Mars) +0 (Average Troops) = 17
versus
(Meddix Appius) Defend Against the Siege: 1d20 +4 (Renowned Logistics) +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Rank III Walls) +1 (Adequately Supplied) -1(Outnumbered) = 24
The Siege Holds
Week 3:
(Sertorius) Lay Siege: 1d20 +6 (Epic Military) +4 (Renowned Logistics) +2 (Voice of Mars) +0 (Average Troops) = 23
versus
(Meddix Appius) Defend Against the Siege: 1d20 +4 (Renowned Logistics) +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Rank III Walls) +1 (Adequately Supplied) -1 (Outnumbered)= 18
Samnite Morale Roll: 1d20 +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Renowned Command) = 20
DC: 10
The Siege Holds
Week 4:
(Sertorius) Lay Siege: 1d20 +6 (Epic Military) +4 (Renowned Logistics) +2 (Voice of Mars) +0 (Average Troops) = 26
versus
(Meddix Appius) Defend Against the Siege: 1d20 +4 (Renowned Logistics) +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Rank III Walls) +1 (Adequately Supplied) -1 (Outnumbered)= 22
Samnite Morale Roll: 1d20 +5 (Hearts of Steel) +4 (Renowned Command) = 25
DC: 11
The Siege Holds
Outriders
Hunt Down the Rebels: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +0 (Average Command) +2 (Gallic Cavalry) +2 (The Voice of Mars) = 26
versus
(Rebel Commander) Evade the Romans: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) +2 (Accomplished Command) +5 (Hearts of Steel) +2 (Home Turf) = 28
Samnite Victory
Allied Officers
Negotiations: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +2 (Accomplished Diplomacy) +1 Gift of Minerva = 14
DC: 13
Old One-Eye
Befriending Sertorius: 1d20 + 3 (Legion Reputation) + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) = 22
DC: 16
The Devoted of Mars:
Swaying the Legions: 1d20 +3 (Legion Reputation) +2 (Accomplished Diplomacy) +2 (Gift of Mars) = 20
Needed: 14
Major Success
Swaying the Officers: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) +2 (Accomplished Diplomacy) +2 (Gift of Mars) = 17
Needed: 17
Very Close Success
Sacrifice of the Sixth (Augur): 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Augury) +2 (Gift of Mars) = 15
Needed: 11
Considerable Success
Studying Finance: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Education) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 22
Needed: 4
XP Gained: 900
Stewardship EXP (1200/4000) to Rank 5
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 973
Command Rank Up: Rank 7
(296/7000) XP left to Rank 8
Military (Training With Sertorius): 1d1000 +200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1033
(5295/10000) XP left to Rank 14
A Note On Siege Voting: Siege voting is not like normal voting. You'll be stuck in the same place for potentially months at a time, freeing you up to do a lot of things you normally couldn't. Of course, when the siege comes to an end, all your plans end with it. So, in a siege vote, you plan out your actions by selecting the five/four/three votes you most favor, then ranking them from first to last. The one you rank first is guaranteed to get done, but all the others are tossups -- the siege could end in two weeks, making it all meaningless. Of course, if you stick something useless on the end, then you're going to end up wasting entire weeks or months should the siege stretch that long.
This is where plan voting is imperative, and well-thought out and well-described plans will carry the day.
Siege
As broad-striped Tribune, you have many duties to see to during the siege, but there are also several tasks that, while they do not officially need your attention, could certainly benefit from it. As well, there are, as always, the myriad responsibilities which are continuously cropping up that you should see to at some point.
Select Three and rank them from 1 (most important) to 3 (least important)
[] Engines of War: You begin assisting Rufus with his attempts to see the construction of several well-built siege engines, devoting your intelligence and skill to procuring more men to help build them, more resources to construct them, and, if you have the knowledge, putting them together.
[] Drilling: Mercator has been drilling and re-drilling the men in order to improve their skills in battle. You attempt to help him out here, though an incompetent or overly harsh performance could turn the men against you or even set the legion back. Of course, it will also be beneficial to your skill at command should you succeed.
[] The Winter Camp: Pompolussa is seeking to fortify and expand the winter camp before, well...winter. You endeavor to help him in this task by requisitioning materials, coercing engineers, and finding capable builders among the legions to work at this task.
[] Envoy to Nola: You decide to accompany Sertorius to meet the envoy Appius has sent. Though Sertorius himself will probably do the majority of the speaking, it will still benefit you to be present.
[] A Crack in the Walls: You begin attempting to make contact with unhappy elements within the walls of the city, using your charm and not a bit of luck to make contact with men you hope may be willing to betray the Samnite cause from the inside out.
[] A Matter of Allies: While they are willing to work together, the Romans and the Hirpinic auxiliaries have little love lost between them, and the feeling is almost entirely mutual. You attempt to impress upon the men the importance of accepting the Samnite auxiliaries as their brothers-in-arms.
[] Outriders: You again take the Gallic auxiliaries and begin scouring the surrounding area for rebels and rebel-allied bandits, hoping to tighten the noose and reduce the amount of food which slips through the barricades into the city by hidden means. Emboldened by their escape from you this past month, they are growing more and more daring with their raids on the supply lines, which are becoming a growing concern.
[] An Army Marches On Its Stomach: You visit the outlying towns and cities, hoping to procure extra food for the legions by convincing the elders of these towns to donate to the war effort, as it's in their best interests.
--[] You take a few legionnaires with you and set about 'convincing' them to 'donate'.
--[] In your capacity as Sertorius' official representative, you set about trying to diplomatically convince them to open their stores to the legions.
[] The Gauls Shall Feed Us: You loose Veniximaeus and the Gauls on the nearby Samnite towns, commanding them to take every piece of food that isn't rotting or nailed down, and then some. There's something about an angry half-naked Gaul that makes farmers much more willing to disclose where their last stores of food are being held.
[] Requisition Supplies From the Pentri: You write to Bovianum and the towns you have so recently left behind, half-requesting and half-ordering them to send supplies to bolster your stores for the winter.
[] A Matter of Wealth: Some of the men feel their share of the loot is a bit too small, and have taken to complaining about it rather loudly. It is Carcellus' duty to administer discipline, but if you stepped in and saw to their problems directly, you could improve your standing among the men.
[] A Law Beyond The Sword: The men often have simple issues, complaints, or grievances which they wish to address. As broad-striped tribune, it is your duty to see to these. One afternoon, you set up a table in the middle of camp and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
[] Holding Trials: With the support of some (not all) of the Hirpinic officers, you begin prosecuting and court-martialing the Hiripini and Roman soldiers guilty of starting fights and inciting conflict. Many of the Hirpini claim this is unnecessary, as they have already disciplined their men in their own fashion.
[] Maintenance: Though it is the Camp Prefect's duty to ensure maintenance of equipment and materials, you begin to rigidly enforce the proper maintenance of personal weapons and armor. Through reduced rations and corporal punishment, you will force the men to ensure their equipment does not rust or rot.
[] Justice Beyond The Walls: You begin cracking down on even minor offenses and crimes, making it more than clear that the rule of Rome extends far beyond the city walls. The men respect a disciplinarian -- but they will never love him.
[] The Left Hand Strays: The other tribunes are, well, a disappointment. With the exception of Rufus, they are all young men who were elected on the strength of their family names over any actual skill or worthiness they might have. You take it upon yourself to whip them into shape and make them decent extensions of Sertorius' will -- and your own. You failed at this the last time you tried, but you have now had a taste of battle and leadership.
[] Portents and Signs: You contact the Camp Augur and hold a public augury. Auguries are necessary to determine the fate of any military venture, as men are often nervous marching into battle without a sign from the gods, but if the augury is unfavorable to the campaign, the morale of the legion will be lowered.
[] Drilling: Mercator has been drilling and re-drilling the men in order to improve their skills in battle. You attempt to help him out here, though an incompetent or overly harsh performance could turn the men against you or even set the legion back. Of course, it will also be beneficial to your skill at command should you succeed.
[] The Winter Camp: Pompolussa is seeking to fortify and expand the winter camp before, well...winter. You endeavor to help him in this task by requisitioning materials, coercing engineers, and finding capable builders among the legions to work at this task.
[] Envoy to Nola: You decide to accompany Sertorius to meet the envoy Appius has sent. Though Sertorius himself will probably do the majority of the speaking, it will still benefit you to be present.
[] A Crack in the Walls: You begin attempting to make contact with unhappy elements within the walls of the city, using your charm and not a bit of luck to make contact with men you hope may be willing to betray the Samnite cause from the inside out.
[] A Matter of Allies: While they are willing to work together, the Romans and the Hirpinic auxiliaries have little love lost between them, and the feeling is almost entirely mutual. You attempt to impress upon the men the importance of accepting the Samnite auxiliaries as their brothers-in-arms.
[] Outriders: You again take the Gallic auxiliaries and begin scouring the surrounding area for rebels and rebel-allied bandits, hoping to tighten the noose and reduce the amount of food which slips through the barricades into the city by hidden means. Emboldened by their escape from you this past month, they are growing more and more daring with their raids on the supply lines, which are becoming a growing concern.
[] An Army Marches On Its Stomach: You visit the outlying towns and cities, hoping to procure extra food for the legions by convincing the elders of these towns to donate to the war effort, as it's in their best interests.
--[] You take a few legionnaires with you and set about 'convincing' them to 'donate'.
--[] In your capacity as Sertorius' official representative, you set about trying to diplomatically convince them to open their stores to the legions.
[] The Gauls Shall Feed Us: You loose Veniximaeus and the Gauls on the nearby Samnite towns, commanding them to take every piece of food that isn't rotting or nailed down, and then some. There's something about an angry half-naked Gaul that makes farmers much more willing to disclose where their last stores of food are being held.
[] Requisition Supplies From the Pentri: You write to Bovianum and the towns you have so recently left behind, half-requesting and half-ordering them to send supplies to bolster your stores for the winter.
[] A Matter of Wealth: Some of the men feel their share of the loot is a bit too small, and have taken to complaining about it rather loudly. It is Carcellus' duty to administer discipline, but if you stepped in and saw to their problems directly, you could improve your standing among the men.
[] A Law Beyond The Sword: The men often have simple issues, complaints, or grievances which they wish to address. As broad-striped tribune, it is your duty to see to these. One afternoon, you set up a table in the middle of camp and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
[] Holding Trials: With the support of some (not all) of the Hirpinic officers, you begin prosecuting and court-martialing the Hiripini and Roman soldiers guilty of starting fights and inciting conflict. Many of the Hirpini claim this is unnecessary, as they have already disciplined their men in their own fashion.
[] Maintenance: Though it is the Camp Prefect's duty to ensure maintenance of equipment and materials, you begin to rigidly enforce the proper maintenance of personal weapons and armor. Through reduced rations and corporal punishment, you will force the men to ensure their equipment does not rust or rot.
[] Justice Beyond The Walls: You begin cracking down on even minor offenses and crimes, making it more than clear that the rule of Rome extends far beyond the city walls. The men respect a disciplinarian -- but they will never love him.
[] The Left Hand Strays: The other tribunes are, well, a disappointment. With the exception of Rufus, they are all young men who were elected on the strength of their family names over any actual skill or worthiness they might have. You take it upon yourself to whip them into shape and make them decent extensions of Sertorius' will -- and your own. You failed at this the last time you tried, but you have now had a taste of battle and leadership.
[] Portents and Signs: You contact the Camp Augur and hold a public augury. Auguries are necessary to determine the fate of any military venture, as men are often nervous marching into battle without a sign from the gods, but if the augury is unfavorable to the campaign, the morale of the legion will be lowered.
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 Four and rank them from 1 (most important) to 4 (least important).
[] Write Home: You take the opportunity of remaining on the Italian Peninsula to write back home to your friends and allies in the city. You wrote to...
(Pick Two)
--[] Scaevola
--[] Cicero
--[] Atticus
--[] Proserpina
--[] Volero
[] 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 Cult of Mars: You attempt to begin a religious gathering of officers and tribunes devoted to Mars Gradivus, to both lead the men by example and draw you closer to your fellow officers.
[] Prospects: While you cannot court anyone or get married now, Proserpina's latest comment has sparked thoughts of marriage in your head. You can't do much here and now, but you could have Proserpina write up a list of the best prospects and send them to you for you to look over. Should you like any of them in particular, you could even write to her father to gauge his interest.
[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat.
[] Carousing: You spend some of your nights carousing and partying with the Gauls, hoping to increase their opinions of you even further.
[] Exercise Regimen: You continue your daily exercise regimen, waking in the morning and running a circuit of the camp to begin your day.
[] Expand Journal: You begin expanding your journal to include more than strictly military matters, such as political happenings or philosophical musings.
[] 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 Carcellus, 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 Finance: Money. How does it work? Where does it come from? What, exactly, is it? You're not too sure on any of those counts, so you decide to sit down and try and find out when you have the time.
[] Study Warfare: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
[] Begin Studying Siege Engineering: You want to know more about making things go fast at other things.
[] Study: You have your slaves bring you as many books as you can and begin to read. This has a chance of increasing any skill by a random amount of XP, or even learning a skill you do not know.
(Pick Two)
--[] Scaevola
--[] Cicero
--[] Atticus
--[] Proserpina
--[] Volero
[] 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 Cult of Mars: You attempt to begin a religious gathering of officers and tribunes devoted to Mars Gradivus, to both lead the men by example and draw you closer to your fellow officers.
[] Prospects: While you cannot court anyone or get married now, Proserpina's latest comment has sparked thoughts of marriage in your head. You can't do much here and now, but you could have Proserpina write up a list of the best prospects and send them to you for you to look over. Should you like any of them in particular, you could even write to her father to gauge his interest.
[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat.
[] Carousing: You spend some of your nights carousing and partying with the Gauls, hoping to increase their opinions of you even further.
[] Exercise Regimen: You continue your daily exercise regimen, waking in the morning and running a circuit of the camp to begin your day.
[] Expand Journal: You begin expanding your journal to include more than strictly military matters, such as political happenings or philosophical musings.
[] 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 Carcellus, 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 Finance: Money. How does it work? Where does it come from? What, exactly, is it? You're not too sure on any of those counts, so you decide to sit down and try and find out when you have the time.
[] Study Warfare: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
[] Begin Studying Siege Engineering: You want to know more about making things go fast at other things.
[] Study: You have your slaves bring you as many books as you can and begin to read. This has a chance of increasing any skill by a random amount of XP, or even learning a skill you do not know.
IMPORTANT:
An Announcement from the QM:
As some of you may have noticed, the ad I made for the Quest went out of circulation at the end of March. After a two-week long competition, @Ridiculously Average Guy has won the right to have his banner represent the quest for the next two months. Congratulations to him, and my personal thanks for saving me from having to break out Powerpoint again. As such, he wins the right to pick one single skill to immediately upgrade by a 1 (one) single rank.
As this is a Rome quest, anyone seeking to brutally stab him to death and unlawfully usurp the position through force of arms is more than welcome to do so, with the caveat that they are likely to meet the same fate.
On a more serious note, I'd like to apologize for the last week and half in which I didn't update. Finals were quite stressful, but as of this morning, I've come out the other end clear and free, passing all my finals/classes for the year. Updates should now come more regularly, perhaps even tri-weekly (though don't hold me to that).
As this is a Rome quest, anyone seeking to brutally stab him to death and unlawfully usurp the position through force of arms is more than welcome to do so, with the caveat that they are likely to meet the same fate.
On a more serious note, I'd like to apologize for the last week and half in which I didn't update. Finals were quite stressful, but as of this morning, I've come out the other end clear and free, passing all my finals/classes for the year. Updates should now come more regularly, perhaps even tri-weekly (though don't hold me to that).
There is now a TWENTY-FOUR HOUR MORATORIUM on all votes.
Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.
As always, discussion is rewarded. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)
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.)
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- Location
- Classified
God damn hearts of steel. These guys are fucking impossible.
Err... @Telamon? I'm pretty sure we didn't vote for 'Exercise Regimen' last turn, but rather for 'Study Finance'. This was the winning vote:
- Location
- Texas
*blink*
Apologies, I'll just take that out and give you your (probable) 900 Stewardship XP.
This is what I get for doing updates when I haven't slept properly in a week.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
well yeah, thats how these things work.
you sit on your ass until they starve and surrender, become desperate enough to charge at you, or try to take a well defended city with all the loses that implies. We don't want a narrow and dangerous chance at victory and our time is well spent training. Siege engines might help though.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Me, I'm okay with either outcome, because I wanted Exercise Regimen but was convinced to switch to finance.
[hug]
I wonder how much we'd have to show that Mars favors us to get the Gift of Mars trait, or something similar.
- Location
- Budget Quota Hell
Dude, if Meddix, epic hero, gave in to a 4 week siege, when it's not even Winter yet, either he's a joke of a commander or Sertorious is Mars incarnate somehow.
I'd say the siege is going slightly better than expected. The Samnite morale roll DC increases more and more, and even this early, we had them roll for it twice. When proper winter sets in, that's where the attrition begins in earnest.
The diplomatic option is new. Given our need for supplies come winter, going diplomat seems like a good idea.
This too, is new. It might give some insight on how things are behind Nola's walls.
Our failure's causing them to step up attacks. The closer we get to winter, the more valuable our supplies become. This should be a non negotiable.
Should we test the waters? I for one, want to see
So Nat 20 gives no additional bonus? Does Nat 1 not carry a penalty?
- Location
- Europe
Yeah, I knew why I was hesitant to get closer to Sertorius. We might want to look for a Sullan bride to keep walking the fine line between the factions like Gracchus the Elder did with the Scipii and Claudii.
I think we should now work on the legionaries accepting the Samnites, the rest I'll write about later.
I think we should now work on the legionaries accepting the Samnites, the rest I'll write about later.