Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Friendly reminder from your local magistrate: Sulla did everything wrong and Hail Caesar.
Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Ehh to be fair there were a lot of wrong horses in those days.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
I don't think Kleopatra, foremost stateswoman of the last independent Hellenistic state in the eastern Mediterranean, who had put her sister to death for betraying her and had risen to the position of Pharaoh, chose Antony just because of love
Nor did it really become obvious that the horse was wrong until Actium; after all, Octavian was a young, brutal man known for his killings and use of violence, who had always had a reputation of being a poor leader in battle (he was mysteriously not at the camp at the Battle of Philippi when Brutus stormed it and Pliny says he went to go hide in a marsh) and if he had lost at Actium and subsequently he would likely remain portrayed in that way, and not as the divine picture of peace, prosperity, and majesty that he portrayed himself as when he became Augustus.
However, he had Marcus Agrippa, and Agrippa was not to be fucked with.
- Location
- Reno
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan Asian Connections
ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
[X] Preparing for Asia
- Location
- Texas
I don't think Kleopatra, foremost stateswoman of the last independent Hellenistic state in the eastern Mediterranean, who had put her sister to death for betraying her and had risen to the position of Pharaoh, chose Antony just because of love
Nor did it really become obvious that the horse was wrong until Actium; after all, Octavian was a young, brutal man known for his killings and use of violence, who had always had a reputation of being a poor leader in battle (he was mysteriously not at the camp at the Battle of Philippi when Brutus stormed it and Pliny says he went to go hide in a marsh) and if he had lost at Actium and subsequently he would likely remain portrayed in that way, and not as the divine picture of peace, prosperity, and majesty that he portrayed himself as when he became Augustus.
However, he had Marcus Agrippa, and Agrippa was not to be fucked with.
Ah, yes, Marcus Agrippa.
The only Roman to ever truly understand boats.
And you are very correct: her divine majesty Cleopatra Thea Philopater, Lord of the Two Lands and the Goddess Isis in new flesh, was not a naive little girl to be swayed by love. That she may indeed have loved Antony or Caesar is uncertain, but what is certain is that her relationships with them played a direct and vital part in maintaining Egypt's independence, and her ability to play the Romans against themselves meant that she very nearly did what Hannibal and Mithridates never truly came close to doing: destroying the Roman Republic.
On a totally unrelated note, I was going to try to find a natural way to segue into talking about Caesarion, but I can't, so here's Caesarion. He's Caesar's only natural son. He's also a Ptolemy. Both his parents are gods, and he was the last Pharoah of Egypt. Cleopatra wanted him to be King of Rome.
If you don't think that's at least a little cool, this isn't the quest for you.
I literally have had a Caesarion quest written for five months. It is taking all my willpower every day not to post it. Someone help
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Caesarion quest wen? Wait no that'd be a terrible idea since the only way that wouldn't end with "And then Augustus strangles us" is to control things that Caesarion could in no way control.Ah, yes, Marcus Agrippa.
The only Roman to ever truly understand boats.
And you are very correct: her divine majesty Cleopatra Thea Philopater, Lord of the Two Lands and the Goddess Isis in new flesh, was not a naive little girl to be swayed by love. That she may indeed have loved Antony or Caesar is uncertain, but what is certain is that her relationships with them played a direct and vital part in maintaining Egypt's independence, and her ability to play the Romans against themselves meant that she very nearly did what Hannibal and Mithridates never truly came close to doing: destroying the Roman Republic.
On a totally unrelated note, I was going to try to find a natural way to segue into talking about Caesarion, but I can't, so here's Caesarion. He's Caesar's only natural son. He's also a Ptolemy. Both his parents are gods, and he was the last Pharoah of Egypt. Cleopatra wanted him to be King of Rome.
If you don't think that's at least a little cool, this isn't the quest for you.
- Location
- Europe
Well yes, but the woman apparently fell in love with him at some point.I don't think Kleopatra, foremost stateswoman of the last independent Hellenistic state in the eastern Mediterranean, who had put her sister to death for betraying her and had risen to the position of Pharaoh, chose Antony just because of love
Besides, sure, she probably chose him since he was a powerful Roman politician and triumvir in close proximity to her.
So was Antony at the end. I wonder if Cleopatra realised it when Octavian took Gaul from him or after he botched the invasion of Parthia.
Ah, yes, Marcus Agrippa.
The only Roman to ever truly understand boats.
And you are very correct: her divine majesty Cleopatra Thea Philopater, Lord of the Two Lands and the Goddess Isis in new flesh, was not a naive little girl to be swayed by love. That she may indeed have loved Antony or Caesar is uncertain, but what is certain is that her relationships with them played a direct and vital part in maintaining Egypt's independence, and her ability to play the Romans against themselves meant that she very nearly did what Hannibal and Mithridates never truly came close to doing: destroying the Roman Republic.
On a totally unrelated note, I was going to try to find a natural way to segue into talking about Caesarion, but I can't, so here's Caesarion. He's Caesar's only natural son. He's also a Ptolemy. Both his parents are gods, and he was the last Pharoah of Egypt. Cleopatra wanted him to be King of Rome.
If you don't think that's at least a little cool, this isn't the quest for you.
I take it you've seen some of the wacky conspiracy theories about Caesarion as well?
He's secretly Jesus...somehow
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I would be surprised but I'm not. People believe the Pyramids are too perfect to have been built by Ancient Egyptians despite the NUMEROUS failed pyramids that dot the desert.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Didn't he accomplish that just shy of a decade after Octavian first told him 'Dude, I have no clue where to put these floating boat things, and Pompey just kicked my ass at sea. Here's a consulship, do something shippy!"
... OK, that's click-bait as hell.
Tell me more about how I can make even more "Cursed Snake" jokes.
Mom is a Stand User, Dad has Prototype Excalibur.On a totally unrealted note, I was going to try to find a natural way to segue into talking about Caesarion, but I can't, so here's Caesarion. He's Caesar's only natural son. He's also a Ptolemy. Both his parents are gods, and he was the last Pharoah of Egypt.
If you don't think that's at least a little cool, this isn't the quest for you.
The kid is Anime Protagonist levels of Cursed.
- Location
- Europe
Too bad he wasn't a protagonist. That honour lied with Octavian.
@Telamon, how come Veniximaeus isn't among the barbarians? The man likes us so much he offered a daughter of his as our wife (a terrible, terrible idea, just ask Mark Antony and he had the good sense to be seduced by a powerful woman).
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- Location
- Texas
My general idea for it was for the players to go into hiding and witness the rise of the Roman Empire from within, maybe even building a coalition of the children of Caesar/Augustus' old enemies. Essentially, in the same way that Res Publica is "Meet everyone of importance in the Late Republic", Imperator would've been "Meet everyone of importance in the early empire."
But it's a sneakier and more subtle quest than I think SV is used to, and it would have significantly less combat and significantly more "pretend like I'm not an egyptian monarch so I'm not strangled in my sleep".
Either that or it would've been Egyptian Rebel Quest, where you gather allies and resources in Africa and Egypt in a sort of 'Simba returns to the pride' sequence, then take Egypt back and gear up for a final "Caesar v Caesar" showdown with Augustus.
Either way, I haven't figured out a way to do it justice in a way that would be both entertaining for players and fun to write, so...it sits in my Quest Box.
Droman
𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍
Fixed that for you.
- Location
- Europe
Oh God, quick, lock him up in the basement and take his computer from him! He is doing it again!
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Including a certain someone who really likes barbarians since they do the whole 'honesty' and 'getting along with each other' thing alot better than Rome. And can into cavalry.
Droman's right. An intrigue or pure politics quest is very niche and would require more than a little hand-holding/playing open handed to get people to grok the feel.
That sounds about as plausible as some of the CK2 things I "Co-authored" with Magoose. Which is pretty anime as fuck, but still highly 'don't think about it too hard, just have fun'.
I'd really have to understand the politics of the early empire more, but the latter would really benefit from one key... attitude change: Double-down on the 'gods' angle. Maybe they 'do' exist, maybe they don't, but they sure as hell do alot of things in your life. And being The Chosen One when you just want mom and dad back is kinda shitty.
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
- Pronouns
- He/Him
To be honest, that sounds exactly like the type of quest I would want. Must have! GIB QUEST
- Location
- Europe
By the way, I would be morally opposed to helping Caesarion become king of Rome in the same way I'll never help that half Carthaginian upstart in the Restitutor Orbis quest. No heir of Hannibal should ever sit the throne and clad himself in purple! And there is only one legitimate successor to Caesar!
(I'm a little Octavian and Rome fanboy if you can't tell. If we have the chance to marry Caesar's sister, I say go for it. Doesn't matter if he is the prophesied final boss of this quest. Makes the drama only more palpable)
(I'm a little Octavian and Rome fanboy if you can't tell. If we have the chance to marry Caesar's sister, I say go for it. Doesn't matter if he is the prophesied final boss of this quest. Makes the drama only more palpable)
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- Location
- Texas
It's already written, too late.
I did a little mock-up and intro before I realized that even though the idea is burning me, I don't know how to make it work at the moment. Maybe I'll return to it when Res Publica is over.
That's still too subtle.
Yeah, I figured that out really early into planning. Something like that would require the majority of my attention and a buttload of research...just like Res Publica. It would have to be a successor quest if anything.
Yeah, Caesarion rallying Egypt if he somehow escaped Augustus is plausible. Egypt taking on Rome in a head-to-head fight...not so much.
My sources are my extensive knowledge of Roman history, roughly four different podcasts (chief of which is History of Rome), and the invaluable Rubicon by Tom Holland.
When all else fails, there is, heretically, Wikipedia, which usually gives a decent enough springboard that you can research more about a subject using it as a base, or to find info on "Random Roman Guy #5000 that you've never heard of in your life despite months of research but somehow @Caesar has."
EDIT: The majority of the poems in the Quest are drawn from the Prophecy of Capys and other Lays of Ancient Rome. The index header is from Horatius At The Bridge. I have a small reserve of antiquity-themed poems I'm keeping around for relevant moments.
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Droman
𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍
Is there nothing that Peter Parker can't do?
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
I like this idea.
Well of course he knows Valens Valerianus Quimille. They both visit the same bathhouse on the day of Venus and both his sister and wife seek great Caesar's council on... topics he'll be debating in the Senate.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I'm not saying aliens didn't help build the pyramids.Well that's just common sense.
I'm saying that if they did, they were clearly Bronze Age aliens who had no more idea how to do it than any random bunch of Earthlings.