Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
- Location
- Europe
Gotta disagree with that. Sulla and Marius aren't fighting each other at the moment and I don't think they're going to until Mithridates is defeated. We've been placed in the 6th by Scaevola, who's an ally of Sulla, so I don't think we'll get proscribed for continuing to serve in the 6th as long as we don't actively fight Sulla in a battle. He'll probably not be happy about it but Sulla has bigger fish to fry.
We are a Populares idealist but we aren't a Marian. There's a difference. We want to give power to the people, not use the people as a cudgel to gain power for ourselves. At this point in time, we're just trying to build a name for ourselves while simultaneously putting ourselves in a position where we'll not be killed or exiled regardless of who wins the civil war.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
People make good points, so here's a second version of my plan:
[] Plan Make Connections and Study v2
[] Connect: You make an attempt to connect with him. Cassianus' father was a farmer and his mother a tavern maid -- you come from different worlds, yet if you can form a friendship, or at least an understanding of sorts, it will make both your lives easier in the long run.
[] Training: Your men are well-trained enough, but the Samnite campaign did not offer many opportunities for the sort of combat they will soon be facing. It may be chilly, but you drill them in the fields outside Nicomedia.
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
[] Correspondence
--[] Cicero
[] The Scipians: Unlike Sertorius, who traveled with a single slave, Scipio has brought along a veritable entourage of slaves, clients, friends, and cronies. These Scipians are largely plebian men of all stripes, and you attempt to integrate yourselves with them in order to learn something more of their new master, Cassianus, who seems to have become a focal point for them -- a novus homo who has risen from their ranks to lead a legion.
[] The Marians: The soldiers and legions now serving under Marius are devoted in their loyalty to the great general. You seek to make connections with these men, and form relationships which may serve you well back in Rome. Perhaps the greatest of these Marians is the legatus Gnaeus Papirus Carbo, legatus of the Seventh Legion and Marius' second in command.
[] The Prince: Bithynia is not short on royalty. Ptolemy, one of the princes of Egypt, long exiled from his native land, made himself a guest of Mithridates and remained in Nicomedia after the city fell to Rome. Famed as a great partier and player of the flute, he has resided in a palatial estate here in the city with his family and retainers. You could pay the heir of the Pharaohs a visit.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] Para Bellum: You begin studying the campaigns against the Macedonians and the Greeks over a century ago, hoping to learn more about Greek tactics, that you might counter them better.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
Swaps 'A Law Beyond The Sword' for 'Training' and 'Seafaring' (guess that won't come into play for a while anyway) for 'The Prince'.
[] Plan Make Connections and Study v2
[] Connect: You make an attempt to connect with him. Cassianus' father was a farmer and his mother a tavern maid -- you come from different worlds, yet if you can form a friendship, or at least an understanding of sorts, it will make both your lives easier in the long run.
[] Training: Your men are well-trained enough, but the Samnite campaign did not offer many opportunities for the sort of combat they will soon be facing. It may be chilly, but you drill them in the fields outside Nicomedia.
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
[] Correspondence
--[] Cicero
[] The Scipians: Unlike Sertorius, who traveled with a single slave, Scipio has brought along a veritable entourage of slaves, clients, friends, and cronies. These Scipians are largely plebian men of all stripes, and you attempt to integrate yourselves with them in order to learn something more of their new master, Cassianus, who seems to have become a focal point for them -- a novus homo who has risen from their ranks to lead a legion.
[] The Marians: The soldiers and legions now serving under Marius are devoted in their loyalty to the great general. You seek to make connections with these men, and form relationships which may serve you well back in Rome. Perhaps the greatest of these Marians is the legatus Gnaeus Papirus Carbo, legatus of the Seventh Legion and Marius' second in command.
[] The Prince: Bithynia is not short on royalty. Ptolemy, one of the princes of Egypt, long exiled from his native land, made himself a guest of Mithridates and remained in Nicomedia after the city fell to Rome. Famed as a great partier and player of the flute, he has resided in a palatial estate here in the city with his family and retainers. You could pay the heir of the Pharaohs a visit.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] Para Bellum: You begin studying the campaigns against the Macedonians and the Greeks over a century ago, hoping to learn more about Greek tactics, that you might counter them better.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
Swaps 'A Law Beyond The Sword' for 'Training' and 'Seafaring' (guess that won't come into play for a while anyway) for 'The Prince'.
- Location
- Texas
Hey, that's not strictly true.
Marius is for the people...so long as the people in question are for Marius.
EDIT: Bloody hell, who put the tally button so close to the post button on my phone? And why can't I take it out?
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Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
I dont know how I feel about working under a man who makes grown Consuls cry.
- Location
- Central Europe
@Telamon I have to agree with this sentiment, that roll should probably depend more on Health than knowledge about how to sail. Alternatively, if just being on a ship is part of that skill, then I would've expected EXP gain from simply crossing the Mediterranean on one.
- Location
- Europe
Yes, Yes, No, No.
Either make terms to sort out command, despite that probably being a stupid idea since I believe we should outshine him. We can't always play with kiddy gloves, I feel like we should try and assert us. He isn't going to take that lying down of course, he is a homo novum, so used to climbing up the social ladder (the upstart
) and he is older than us. I'm however feeling confrontatial.Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes, No, No.
Training is always important, we defnitely should seeing to promoting our centurions, law beyond the sword is what we are good at, we need engineering and will likely not get around to that (pretty sure Rufus will see to is since he seems to learn the military subskills we don't get around to learning), equipment is a) expensive and b) not important yet, we need to get people back on board with each other so they can function as a well oiled war machine, don't care about being a disciplinarian and I don't see a point in an augury just yet.
Let's write Scaevola, I want to piss off Marius. Otherwise Volero, Cicero or Proserpina.
Yes, no, no, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes, no, no, yes, yes, no, yes.
Learning is always good, eating with the men now that they see us as one of them (and would die for us) is a good idea, I don't care about seafaring yet or the crone, getting to know the important Greek players and the former king is likely a good idea (anyone know if he is well liked? I'm assuming not, since he sided with Romans, willingly or not). Don't care about sucking up to the eunuch or the old man soon dead. And Fuck Ptolemy.
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- Location
- Texas
Seafaring covers everything sea-related: your comfort on a boat, your knowledge of how the sea works, your ability to handle yourself on water. If we're being frank, it could afford to be split into two skills, but I still have some I haven't introduced and don't want to add skill bloat.
The seasickness DC will get easier with every boat trip you're on, but the Seafaring debuff will remain. And yes, you did gain some Seafaring XP, meaning you now have the Seafaring skill at Rank 1. I'll add those to the character sheet/update momentarily.
[] Plan Love of the Legion and various Studies.
-[] Make Terms: You sit down with your new compatriot and hash out the details of your new positions -- who will do what, where, and when, and who will be command of what and where.
I feel like this should be our action. Connection seems like a bit too much of a gamble for me, and a good working relationship might fill for it anyway. And it still leaves our options a bit more open for the future.
-[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
-[] 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 the worn palace and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
-[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
Those three look like a good choice to endear ourselves to our legion. They already know we're a capable commander and soldier, but they never precisely loved us - so I think we should fix that.
-[] Correspondence: As part of your efforts to stay on top of events in Rome, you write to one of your contacts elsewhere in the Republic. With such long travel times, anything you write will take a long time to arrive. However, that does not mean you cannot write. You write to... (response will arrive in 2-3 turns)
--[] Scaevola
I really feel we should write to Scaevola right now, as any connections or advice he could give would be very useful while we're in Asia, and would help us right now. Cicero is well and good, but we're nowhere near new Intelligence or Education rank, so any XP from Cicero's letters is a rather long-term plan we can delay a bit for short term gain. Especially as we have written a letter to Atticus, so we might get some XP from that correspondence, or from our various study actions this turn. We also don't really need any news from Rome, and should probably write to our spymistress, if we want them.
-[] Make Terms: You sit down with your new compatriot and hash out the details of your new positions -- who will do what, where, and when, and who will be command of what and where.
I feel like this should be our action. Connection seems like a bit too much of a gamble for me, and a good working relationship might fill for it anyway. And it still leaves our options a bit more open for the future.
-[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
-[] 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 the worn palace and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
-[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
Those three look like a good choice to endear ourselves to our legion. They already know we're a capable commander and soldier, but they never precisely loved us - so I think we should fix that.
-[] Correspondence: As part of your efforts to stay on top of events in Rome, you write to one of your contacts elsewhere in the Republic. With such long travel times, anything you write will take a long time to arrive. However, that does not mean you cannot write. You write to... (response will arrive in 2-3 turns)
--[] Scaevola
I really feel we should write to Scaevola right now, as any connections or advice he could give would be very useful while we're in Asia, and would help us right now. Cicero is well and good, but we're nowhere near new Intelligence or Education rank, so any XP from Cicero's letters is a rather long-term plan we can delay a bit for short term gain. Especially as we have written a letter to Atticus, so we might get some XP from that correspondence, or from our various study actions this turn. We also don't really need any news from Rome, and should probably write to our spymistress, if we want them.
-[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. They care for you already, but this may well cement it.
To finish the whole "endearing ourselves to the men" thing.
-[] The Cult: You call together the cult of Mars, hoping to influence the officers and tribunes within towards your viewpoint on the new tribune. (Need to pick either Undermine, Overshadow, or Make Terms above.)
Getting a bit of pressure of our side can really help our negotiation would do us good, even if it would a bit heavy-handed, should the negotiation go sour. But heavy-handiness is better than failure, I think.
-[] Res Publica: You study the formations of your own legions, the way Romans fight. After all, you may soon be doing war with Romans -- and what is more Roman than that?
From the mission description, we'll be fighting half of the legion going to Sulla first, so we should learn how legions fight before how Greek do. Even if not, we'll still learn more about forces under our command, and Mithridates has another half of the legion anyway, so it would still be useful.
-[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
A good action that can do a lot of things - give us new options, add some bonus to the rolls, give us XP in several different categories, maybe even get us into a bit of better light with Marius.
-[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
Diplomacy is one of our greatest weapons, after all, and there's possibility of more XP.
-[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
OR
-[] The Crone of Bithynia: On the hills outside the city lives a wrinkled old seer, a woman of incredible age whose eyes are blind with years. She is kissed by the sun god, they say, and speaks with tongues of prophecy. Mithridates himself visited her during his time in the city.
I am not sure what to take in the last personal action. City will most probably give us connections that might be important in the future - but just that, in the future. Crone is a bit of unknown wildcard, but there is a certain presence of supernatural in this quest, so it might do us good to seek advice from it. Or maybe not, supernatural advice is not known for reliability.
To finish the whole "endearing ourselves to the men" thing.
-[] The Cult: You call together the cult of Mars, hoping to influence the officers and tribunes within towards your viewpoint on the new tribune. (Need to pick either Undermine, Overshadow, or Make Terms above.)
Getting a bit of pressure of our side can really help our negotiation would do us good, even if it would a bit heavy-handed, should the negotiation go sour. But heavy-handiness is better than failure, I think.
-[] Res Publica: You study the formations of your own legions, the way Romans fight. After all, you may soon be doing war with Romans -- and what is more Roman than that?
From the mission description, we'll be fighting half of the legion going to Sulla first, so we should learn how legions fight before how Greek do. Even if not, we'll still learn more about forces under our command, and Mithridates has another half of the legion anyway, so it would still be useful.
-[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
A good action that can do a lot of things - give us new options, add some bonus to the rolls, give us XP in several different categories, maybe even get us into a bit of better light with Marius.
-[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
Diplomacy is one of our greatest weapons, after all, and there's possibility of more XP.
-[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
OR
-[] The Crone of Bithynia: On the hills outside the city lives a wrinkled old seer, a woman of incredible age whose eyes are blind with years. She is kissed by the sun god, they say, and speaks with tongues of prophecy. Mithridates himself visited her during his time in the city.
I am not sure what to take in the last personal action. City will most probably give us connections that might be important in the future - but just that, in the future. Crone is a bit of unknown wildcard, but there is a certain presence of supernatural in this quest, so it might do us good to seek advice from it. Or maybe not, supernatural advice is not known for reliability.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
Thinking about training, is has a lot of synergy if taken with the military study actions.
@Telamon, I think that supposed to be Rank 11, unless we really picked up our education somewhere between puking our gut out.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I have changed my mind significantly on a few points. Most importantly, *actions resolve in the order they are presented* So of we do The Cult half-way through the rest time, Cassanius gets 3 actions to get settled in. Not ideal.
[]Plan Greek Focus
-[] Make Terms: You sit down with your new compatriot and hash out the details of your new positions -- who will do what, where, and when, and who will be command of what and where.
-[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
-[] 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 the worn palace and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
-[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
-[] Correspondence
--[] Cicero
-[] The Cult: You call together the cult of Mars, hoping to influence the officers and tribunes within towards your viewpoint on the new tribune. (Need to pick either Undermine, Overshadow, or Make Terms above.)
-[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
-[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
-[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
-[] Para Bellum: You begin studying the campaigns against the Macedonians and the Greeks over a century ago, hoping to learn more about Greek tactics, that you might counter them better.
-[] The General: Marius. Busy directing a war and writing furious missives back to Rome, the great general has little time for personal frivolities. Yet if you can get him to take a liking to you, your own position in Rome will surely soar. Both Sertorius and Sulla began their rise to power under his wing.
Anyway, I think I should explain the specific philosophy behind my plan. We go to Cassianus and say, basically "look, we both want glory here, no need to step on eachother's toes. You make all the logistics rolls, you make all the engineering rolls. (depending on roll here) I am gonna make you our paymaster, so you get to make all the admin rolls, which is REALLY PRESTIGIOUS. I'll tell all the legionnaires and generals 'Wow, that Cassianus, he's great at these three rolls'. Everyone will love you. In exchange, do not fuck with me when i do all the law rolls, command rolls, or wierd rites involving wolves, and other nonsense.No, you can't see my logistics, engineering, or Admin score, that's not important here. "
Then we send him off to extract pocket money from his new father for shiny new gear for the legion. Heck, if that fails, maybe we even GIVE him the money just this once if he fails. The important part is that we NEVER have to roll a contested command roll in the middle of battle, and NEVER get a dissenting opinion in our legal rulings because he's feeling jealous.
As for the rest of the plan, having abdicated our responsibility for 3 categories of rolls, we focus on prep. Si Vis Pacem is the most important IMO, as it has the feeling of a chain now, and City of Kings gets us practical experience to fill out gaps in theory, thus returning us to our previous state as the optimal occupation tribune. Then we do the max military study mode, and get brief feedback from the expert. (I am very ambivalent on Marius as a person but as a commander I can't stand the thought of him randomly dying next turn without us ever really getting to meet him. Plus, even if he's alive he'll be VERY busy.)
The end result, we are the best possible anti-greek tribune we can be. Hopefully, we then get deployed more against greeks and less against Romans.
[]Plan Greek Focus
-[] Make Terms: You sit down with your new compatriot and hash out the details of your new positions -- who will do what, where, and when, and who will be command of what and where.
-[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
-[] 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 the worn palace and invite men to come air their grievances before you, and perhaps even raise a case against a fellow soldier.
-[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
-[] Correspondence
--[] Cicero
-[] The Cult: You call together the cult of Mars, hoping to influence the officers and tribunes within towards your viewpoint on the new tribune. (Need to pick either Undermine, Overshadow, or Make Terms above.)
-[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
-[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
-[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
-[] Para Bellum: You begin studying the campaigns against the Macedonians and the Greeks over a century ago, hoping to learn more about Greek tactics, that you might counter them better.
-[] The General: Marius. Busy directing a war and writing furious missives back to Rome, the great general has little time for personal frivolities. Yet if you can get him to take a liking to you, your own position in Rome will surely soar. Both Sertorius and Sulla began their rise to power under his wing.
Anyway, I think I should explain the specific philosophy behind my plan. We go to Cassianus and say, basically "look, we both want glory here, no need to step on eachother's toes. You make all the logistics rolls, you make all the engineering rolls. (depending on roll here) I am gonna make you our paymaster, so you get to make all the admin rolls, which is REALLY PRESTIGIOUS. I'll tell all the legionnaires and generals 'Wow, that Cassianus, he's great at these three rolls'. Everyone will love you. In exchange, do not fuck with me when i do all the law rolls, command rolls, or wierd rites involving wolves, and other nonsense.
Then we send him off to extract pocket money from his new father for shiny new gear for the legion. Heck, if that fails, maybe we even GIVE him the money just this once if he fails. The important part is that we NEVER have to roll a contested command roll in the middle of battle, and NEVER get a dissenting opinion in our legal rulings because he's feeling jealous.
As for the rest of the plan, having abdicated our responsibility for 3 categories of rolls, we focus on prep. Si Vis Pacem is the most important IMO, as it has the feeling of a chain now, and City of Kings gets us practical experience to fill out gaps in theory, thus returning us to our previous state as the optimal occupation tribune. Then we do the max military study mode, and get brief feedback from the expert. (I am very ambivalent on Marius as a person but as a commander I can't stand the thought of him randomly dying next turn without us ever really getting to meet him. Plus, even if he's alive he'll be VERY busy.)
The end result, we are the best possible anti-greek tribune we can be. Hopefully, we then get deployed more against greeks and less against Romans.
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- Location
- Europe
[] Overshadow: You are more loved by the men and more senior in the legion. You attempt to dominate the position, becoming the primary tribune of the legion. Cassianus himself will not sit idly and be eclipsed, however.
[] Training: Your men are well-trained enough, but the Samnite campaign did not offer many opportunities for the sort of combat they will soon be facing. It may be chilly, but you drill them in the fields outside Nicomedia.
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
Correspondence: As part of your efforts to stay on top of events in Rome, you write to one of your contacts elsewhere in the Republic. With such long travel times, anything you write will take a long time to arrive. However, that does not mean you cannot write. You write to... (response will arrive in 2-3 turns)
--[] Volero
[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. They care for you already, but this may well cement it.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] Res Publica: You study the formations of your own legions, the way Romans fight. After all, you may soon be doing war with Romans -- and what is more Roman than that?
[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
[] The King Without A Crown: Nicomedes, last client king of Bithynia, is actually here in the city his fathers ruled and Mithridates forced him from. He has several times brought up the idea of reinstalling him as king, but with Marius busy with other matters, the claimant king is forced to make himself a guest in his own city. You might call upon him.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
My picks. I have not expected to get six personal options to be honest. I'm using them.
[] Training: Your men are well-trained enough, but the Samnite campaign did not offer many opportunities for the sort of combat they will soon be facing. It may be chilly, but you drill them in the fields outside Nicomedia.
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
Correspondence: As part of your efforts to stay on top of events in Rome, you write to one of your contacts elsewhere in the Republic. With such long travel times, anything you write will take a long time to arrive. However, that does not mean you cannot write. You write to... (response will arrive in 2-3 turns)
--[] Volero
[] Brotherhood: You begin eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat. They care for you already, but this may well cement it.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] Res Publica: You study the formations of your own legions, the way Romans fight. After all, you may soon be doing war with Romans -- and what is more Roman than that?
[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
[] The King Without A Crown: Nicomedes, last client king of Bithynia, is actually here in the city his fathers ruled and Mithridates forced him from. He has several times brought up the idea of reinstalling him as king, but with Marius busy with other matters, the claimant king is forced to make himself a guest in his own city. You might call upon him.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
My picks. I have not expected to get six personal options to be honest. I'm using them.
I'd go with the City, personally.
- Location
- Central Europe
Will this then apply now?
I think I would like something like this:
[] Plan The Better Tribune
-[] Make Terms
-[] Training
-[] Promote Centurions
-[] Brothers in Arms
-[] Correspondence
--[] Scaevola
-[] The Cult
-[] Brotherhood
-[] Para Bellum
-[] Study
-[] Si Vis Pacem
-[] The Crone of Bithynia
Or
[] Plan Two Tribunes
-[] Connect
-[] Training
-[] Promote Centurions
-[] Brothers in Arms
-[] Correspondence
--[] Scaevola
-[] The Scipians
-[] Brotherhood
-[] Para Bellum
-[] Study
-[] Si Vis Pacem
-[] The Crone of Bithynia
Both of these have a strong focus on really taking on the military leadership of the Legion, but sadly forgoing most of the Bithynia social options.
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...Hmm. If we did get seafaring XP (which would also apply Panory's omake bonus) then we probably don't need to pick 'Seafaring' this turn -- we could probably get away with waiting until shortly before we depart, to study seafaring some more, since the priority while we're in Asia Minor will naturally be the battles on land. Either way, that frees up another action for this turn that we can spend on training.
Here's my new picks (in order of priority):
Personal: (pick six)
[] The Scipians: Unlike Sertorius, who traveled with a single slave, Scipio has brought along a veritable entourage of slaves, clients, friends, and cronies. These Scipians are largely plebian men of all stripes, and you attempt to integrate yourselves with them in order to learn something more of their new master, Cassianus, who seems to have become a focal point for them -- a novus homo who has risen from their ranks to lead a legion.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] The Crone of Bithynia: On the hills outside the city lives a wrinkled old seer, a woman of incredible age whose eyes are blind with years. She is kissed by the sun god, they say, and speaks with tongues of prophecy. Mithridates himself visited her during his time in the city.
[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
[] The Prince: Bithynia is not short on royalty. Ptolemy, one of the princes of Egypt, long exiled from his native land, made himself a guest of Mithridates and remained in Nicomedia after the city fell to Rome. Famed as a great partier and player of the flute, he has resided in a palatial estate here in the city with his family and retainers. You could pay the heir of the Pharaohs a visit.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
[] The Scipians: Unlike Sertorius, who traveled with a single slave, Scipio has brought along a veritable entourage of slaves, clients, friends, and cronies. These Scipians are largely plebian men of all stripes, and you attempt to integrate yourselves with them in order to learn something more of their new master, Cassianus, who seems to have become a focal point for them -- a novus homo who has risen from their ranks to lead a legion.
[] Si Vis Pacem: The Greek city-states in Asia and the Greek mainland have long maintained their independence and autonomy, even as nominal vassals of Rome. You read up on their histories, rivalries, and old friendships, that you might make use of these in your campaign.
[] The Crone of Bithynia: On the hills outside the city lives a wrinkled old seer, a woman of incredible age whose eyes are blind with years. She is kissed by the sun god, they say, and speaks with tongues of prophecy. Mithridates himself visited her during his time in the city.
[] The City of the Kings of Asia: Bithynia, for a time, was the mightiest kingdom in Asia, and Nicomedia was it's crown jewel. By attempting to integrate yourself with the people here and getting to know figures of import, you might lay the ground for better things in the future.
[] The Prince: Bithynia is not short on royalty. Ptolemy, one of the princes of Egypt, long exiled from his native land, made himself a guest of Mithridates and remained in Nicomedia after the city fell to Rome. Famed as a great partier and player of the flute, he has resided in a palatial estate here in the city with his family and retainers. You could pay the heir of the Pharaohs a visit.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of Marius in Africa, hoping to learn something about defeating a hostile kingdom while protecting Roman clients. That Marius himself is here does not hurt matters either.
a) 'Study' should be locked -- it makes us a better officer for Marius and a better soldier for the wars ahead, prepares us for exactly the sort of campaign we're about to embark on, and gives us insight if we want to ingratiate ourselves with Marius down the road.
b) I strongly recommend we pick 'Crone of Bithynia' -- we've consulted oracles in each region (Rome and Samnium) we've visited so far, and while it hasn't been confirmed that the gods are real in this quest, the prophecies are certainly useful for us. Let's honor the local gods, and learn more of our destiny.
c) Now that Asiaticus has been sidelined, there's an opportunity to pry open Cassanius' base of support among the Scipians, to figure out what they're up to, to learn what makes Cassanius 'tick'. This should go neatly with the 'Connect' option, to try to make him our ally.
d) We brought Theo with us specifically to help us deal with the Greek cities of Asia Minor, and when we had our campaign in Samnium, our first priority was dealing with the cities there. 'Si Vis Pacem' should be our immediate priority, since gathering allies will be the first task while we're here.
e) As for one-time-only Bithynia actions, I'm torn between touring the city of Nicomedia and ingratiating ourselves with the exiled Pharaoh. My first instinct was to meet the Pharaoh, but visiting 'The City of the Kings of Asia' seems like it might boost our diplomacy efforts among the other cities, and would synergize very well with our studies with Theo.
f) We have a lot of options here. We could study Greek tactics ('Para Bellum') or Roman tactics ('Res Publica') to improve our odds in upcoming battles. We could pick another social action (visit the Pharaoh, or chat with the 'Marians' faction). If we decide to 'Make Terms' with Cassianus, then 'Cult of Mars' should be locked, but as long as we're trying to make friends, then this action is wide open. I personally don't have strong opinions either way, though I'm tentatively inclined to pick the one action we can't pick later, and see if we can't befriend 'The Prince' of Egypt.
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xa na xa
A.E.I.O.U. - Antarticae est imperare orbi universo
- Location
- σ Octantis
Regardless of the rest of the plan, I think the following 2 Master Of The Cohorts should be chosen:
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
"Promote Centurions" is an absolute lock, as explained by others previously.
"Brothers In Arms" is also about our legion control.
It is furthermore important for the political cohesion of the legion, so it doesn't become faction-riddled like the IXth.
[] Promote Centurions: A few centurions and lower-ranking officers left the legion in Rome, their service having ended. Several soldiers who served with distinction during the Samnite campaign may well stand to replace them. Men you raise up may be loyal to you in the future.
[] Brothers in Arms: You strive to mend the frayed relations between the patrician cavalry and the plebian legionnaires, which have grown worse over time.
"Promote Centurions" is an absolute lock, as explained by others previously.
"Brothers In Arms" is also about our legion control.
It is furthermore important for the political cohesion of the legion, so it doesn't become faction-riddled like the IXth.
So we have the opportunity to try and befriend Marius... I don't know if we should. But I am thinking more and more that we don't want Sulla to win. Even if Atellus is steered by the players to be more on the Optimate side, Sulla is just too dangerous (and for those who want to save the republic, we know Sulla will destabilize things badly if he wins).
For my own part, I am also liking the idea of positioning Atellus into a strong position in what is likely to be a Marian Civil War after the old man is dead.
Also, helping Marius win is likely to be the best thing we can do for our friend and almost-second-patron Sertorius.
Of course, we'd also need Marius to live long enough, so obviously working to make Sulla's defeat is more risky, but something to consider for the strategy we pick.
fasquardon
For my own part, I am also liking the idea of positioning Atellus into a strong position in what is likely to be a Marian Civil War after the old man is dead.
Also, helping Marius win is likely to be the best thing we can do for our friend and almost-second-patron Sertorius.
Of course, we'd also need Marius to live long enough, so obviously working to make Sulla's defeat is more risky, but something to consider for the strategy we pick.
fasquardon
- Location
- Texas
Sulla is actually more of a stabilizing force on the Republic. He patches up many of the things that Marius broke, and by evicting his followers from positions of power (and continued existence) he gets the Republic to something vaguely resembling normal again. He restructures and codifies the cursus honorum and passes a bunch of laws to make it harder to do what he did.
It's quite arguable that the only reason the Republic lasted long enough for Augustus to destroy it was Sulla's reforms, which can be compared to a band-aid on a gutshot slapped there by the man who gutshot you.
Now, Sulla's reforms weren't exactly great for the common people, or anyone not a patrician optimate, but it's really up in the air just how much better Marius would've been about that.
EDIT: There is a reason that Sulla's epitaph read; "No better friend, no worse enemy." He was superbly vengeful and vindictive, but in peacetime proved a fairly competent administrator and made more than a token effort to fix what he had broken.
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- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
- Pronouns
- He/Him
To be honest, I'd much rather switch out Training for Cult and "King without a Crown" for the Egypt one. Mind you, you'll be having my vote anyhow seeing as you're the only one that is going for Overshadow. I just thought I'd let you know.
Seeing Marius rhetoric, all I see from his victorious return is another 3-way civil war, this time between him (or his supporters, after he dies), Cinna and Sertorius. So I really don't think that Sulla return would as dangerous or destabilizing.
Too many negatives for King Without A Crown. Cesar couldn't get away from the rumors that plagued him from that association and I have no desire to make Atellus life harder than it already is.