Green/Veteran Split: 4 Green Cohorts, 1 Half-Green, 3 Average, 1 Skilled, 1 Elite
Wow, we really did get the short end of the legion for this assignment. We got every below-average Cohort.
Occupied Cities: Bovianum (Opinion 4/10)
That's a better Opinion than I expected. Our great good cop/bad cop rolls must have helped a good amount.
New Skill Gained: Engineering
Lesser armies sleep where they fall and allow their movements to be dictated by the environment. But the Legions of Rome know no such difficulties: they are masters of engineering and construction, bending the earth to their will. A skilled engineer can have his armies erect a fortress in days and tear it down in hours, or bridge a roaring river only to demolish the bridge and trap the enemy on the other side.
This starts at level 1 if you look at the front page, so gaining this skill is more about being able to train it to a higher level at some point then it being actually useful for us now.
After establishing a place for your men to rest their heads and sleep, you decide that your first point of order is hunting down the infamous rebel leader Gemino of the Pentrii, who has eluded the legion since you came into Samnium. This Samnite is well-trained, crafty, and has lived in these hills for years. To drive him out and defeat him is no small task, and it is for this reason which you place Gaius Pompolussa and his Second Cohort in charge of ferreting out the rebel wherever he might be hiding. Pompolussa sends his men into every hill, warren, and briar patch between Bovianum and the Valley of the Volunturnus -- to no avail. Gemino, ever the clever dog, manages to disappear into the hills of his homeland, leading the Second on wild chases through the Samnite countryside before vanishing into thin air. His guerrilla tactics frustrate and annoy the Second, but he is always one step ahead of them, leaving taunting messages etched into the sides of rocks and trees.
However, these seeming victories lead the Samnite into arrogance. One night he attempts to raid a town within firmly Roman territory, as an attempt to humiliate the legion in the eyes of the people. And it would have indeed been humiliating -- had it succeeded. One of the Second Cohort's scouts spots the Samnites moving in the dark and rides five miles at breakneck pace to alert the Cohort proper. Pompolussa falls upon Gemino's forces, wiping out his raiding party and capturing several of his band's leaders. Though the rebel himself vanishes into the night, you have at least struck a heavy blow against him and his followers for some time to come.
Guerrilla warfare is always fun!
(Samnite Leader Stat Roll): 1d20 +5 (Heart of Steel)= 21
Samnite Hero Generated: Gemino of the Pentrii (Renowned Military, Renowned Command)
Samnites just keep on rolling heroes. Renowned Military, Renowned Command is rather great. For example...
Hunt them Down (Pompolussa): 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +2 (Accomplished Command) -1 (Half Green) = 12
versus
Elude the Hunters (Gemino of the Pentrii) 1d20 + 4 (Renowned Military) +2 (Home Turf) +4 (Renowned Command) = 18
Narrow Defeat
Pompolussa actually rolled better than Gemino here, 9 vs 8. But it becomes 12 vs 18 with all the buffs Gemino has. This is why training our legions was so important last turn. Our half green cohort becoming average goes from -1 to 0, buffing any rolls with them by one, which is nice. But taking green cohorts and becoming half green goes from -3 to -1, ie it buffs any rolls with them by 2, which is very nice. With green troops we'd be in a world of hurt versus Gemino, with half green we might have a chance.
A mere day after the failed raid, a letter finds it's way inside your camp in the dead of night, nailed to a post on the inside of your tent. You have every guard on duty questioned, but each one swears he saw and heard nothing. The gates remained closed all night, and the walls are so tightly fitted not even a mouse could slip underneath.
Nonetheless, the impossible letter is there, and it reads thus, in the blocky, sturdy script of the Samnites:
Tribune Atellus, forgive me on not being able to welcome you to Bovianum personally. Let this letter, then, stand in place of a more formal greeting. Your name has crossed my ears before, in connection with the death of that vile lackwit Spurio of Aeclanum. I offer my sincerest thanks -- I have long wanted to place a blade in that spineless coward's neck, and I envy you the honor of having done so. Consider this letter your reward for such fine service. Your man Pompolussa is quite a determined sort, and I've enjoyed playing with him myself, but he won't catch me. You won't catch me. Bovianum belongs to the Samnites, and no other. Pack up your camp, take your legion, and go bother that fool Appius at Nola instead.
I will not ask so kindly again.
-- G.
Between this and not being able to even read the whole letter from Proserpina last turn without subterfuge 8, I think getting our subterfuge up will have to be a priority when the campaign is done. There doesn't seem to be a way to train subterfuge during the campaign unfortunately.
As the summer crawls to a boiling height, Bovianum starves. It's fields lie empty, pillaged first by bandits, then looted by Gemino and the rebels. It needs food, and now. You order the Sixth Cohort, nearly entirely green, to Aquilonia to secure the roads between Bovianum and it's sister city. To their credit, the untested cohort performs well -- despite clashing against several bandit groups with more greed than sense, they emerge victorious. Most of the bandits are sensible enough to find other hunting grounds, but those who are not are easily wiped out by the cohort. A young centurion by name of Marcus Fullio distinguishes himself in the battle, proving skilled enough to lead his men to victory again and again, emerging as foremost centurion of the Sixth.
Hero unit get, it seems like? Maybe we got some good rolls, but if we did they are hidden here.
This same Fullio, however, finds himself at a loss when the city of Aquilonia refuses to send supplies to Bovianum, afraid of meeting the same fate as Bovianum should Gemino turn his eyes to them. The young centurion attempts to negotiate with them, and, with the convincing sight of five hundred legionnaires at his back, proves capable of wringing some small concession out of them, enough to feed Bovianum for a week or two. It is not the windfall which the city had hoped for, and the Aquilonians send a message back with Fullio: they want guaranteed Roman protection, else they will send no more food.
We'll need to station a cohort at Aquilonia then. It's annoying, but Bovianum starving would be worse.
While you struggle to feed the city, your efforts to feed your men go little better. As you have little to no skill with logistics and the proper conduction of supply lines, you delegate the task to your officers, though you grit your teeth at knowing you can do little more than give orders and hope it gets done. The officers to whom you delegate the creation of a supply line return to you shamefaced a week later. It started out well enough, they say -- your men reached Bovianum easily, and retrieved the supplies. However, unknown to them, the supply line they had planned out crossed bad terrain. It was struck by Gemino and his rebels (who else), and the men returned empty-handed.
Hearing of your troubles, Sertorius has diverted his own supply lines to feed your men, but the curt message he sends warns that he cannot afford to do so for long, nor can he spare the men to erect one for you and protect it -- or rather, he did, and they are currently with you. The letter leaves you with the bitter feeling you have somehow disappointed your mentor, but not all is lost. The experience has given you some insight into the confusing but vital world of military logistics, a field in which you previously knew nothing. Now, you are no longer wholly inexperienced -- just absolutely terrible.
We're lucky Sertorius bailed us out of a bad roll here. We should put someone better in charge of this next time. Tercerus would be my choice, he has good stats and this is far too important to fail again.
New Skill Gained: Logistics
Feeding an army on the go is always a tough proposition. It requires careful planning, intimate knowledge of terrain and resources, and the ability to protect supply lines that stretch across vast distances. Many leaders simply delegate this task to their bureaucratic subordinates, but the best and brightest take it upon themselves to fill their men's bellies.
Again, this starts at level 1, so if we want it to be actually useful we'll have to train it a bunch.
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1003
(2,910/6000) to Rank 7
Second really good command training roll in a row - last time we rolled 845 out of 850, this time we rolled 803. Not too shabby.
All Cohorts advance from Rank 2 (Green), to Rank 3 (Half-Green)! The Second Cohort advances from Rank 3 (Half-Green) to Rank 4 (Average)!
Sertorius should be pleased with us for this in any case. It will really help in the future. Note that it required a crit to do this much.
Rufus grins. "I'm full of surprises, Atellus. I've been reading records of Sulla's campaigns against the Samnites. Gemino rose to fame back then by harassing and eluding Sulla's legions until the old bastard gave up. It's because of him Bovianum's still standing."
"Perfect."
"Perfect?" Rufus asks quizzically.
"Yes, perfect. We have a chance to do what the mighty Sulla could not. I'll have this bandit's head before summer's end, and Bovianum singing praises to Rome."
Rufus chuckles. "Right, and how in the world do you intend to do that? The city's still starving, our men will be soon, and Gemino's still at large, his belly fat with Roman food."
"Ever the optimist, aren't you?"
"Just a realist, Tribune."
"Well, Tribune...watch and learn."
Haha, I love how arrogant we are here. Hopefully we can back up our boasting.
The Encampment
Your encampment is already built, and your men already stabled within. However, some of the centurions and architecti have approached you with a suggestion. The encampment, as it stands, is a summer camp. Summer camps are lightly-built things, inexpensive and practical during the summer campaign season, when the necessities of war might force an army to move quickly. The architects suggest that if the campaign calls for you to remain in Bovianum through the summer, you might expand the encampment into a more permanent winter camp instead. Expanding the camp into a winter camp will be a necessity if you remain here anyhow, so doing it now may just save you time in the future -- but it would tie up the Ninth for another two weeks.
Castrum Aestiva [] You keep the camp as it is, a lightly-defended summer camp composed mainly of tents and a thin outer wall. The Ninth are freed to work on other things, and the legion has a place to sleep.
Castrum Hibernia [] You choose to expand the camp into a winter camp, with wooden barracks and thicker gates to withstand winter conditions. While useful if you remain until winter, it'll be a waste if you end up relocating before winter. Of course, if you do remain in Bovianum until winter, it'll become necessary to expand it later, when winter is closer. (Lose One Command Vote)
I see no reason to make a winter camp yet. We have plenty of time before the winter, and quite frankly I doubt that even Gemino could actually attack our camp as it is. He's a guerrilla fighter, he's not stupid enough to attack us in an entrenched position, even a lightly-entrenched one.
The Supplies
Aquilonia has refused to send any more supplies to Bovianum until you can promise them the same protection you currently offer their sister city. You could send a cohort to protect them, or to force them into sending supplies, but it will leave you without a cohort for the time it takes to do so.
Obey or Burn [] You send the Sixth back to Aquilonia, to force the city to send supplies at swordpoint. You don't expect them to resist, but if you do, the cohort can handle them. It's just a bunch of peasants, after all.
Garrison [] You send the Sixth to Aquilonia, to garrison the city and protect it for an indeterminate period of time. This will mean effectively losing the Sixth for the next few weeks -- and all the weeks after that, should you choose to continue the garrison.
Train a Volunteer Force [] You send the Sixth to raise and train a volunteer militia of Samnites to protect their city. This, of course, runs the risk of the fact that you are giving training and expertise to the very people whose land you are invading.
We need the food, and training a volunteer force is just asking for trouble. We'll need to Garrison Aquilonia, at least until we can round up the rebels and the bandits.
As for Command decisions - assuming we trust the Gauls to do one task, and I think I do, we have 3 options assuming we Garrison Aquilonia. My thoughts on the options -
Fortify the City [] You set one of the cohorts to building and refurbishing the city's walls. Devastated by Sulla during the Social War, they are a poor defense against bandits and rebels.
Again, no one is attacking the city, this is low priority.
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
This would likely backfire badly. Pass.
Liberate the Towns [] You begin sending your forces to the towns and villages around Bovianum, returning then to Roman rule simply by marching into their streets. You order them to resume supplying the city, which should feed Bovianum come winter.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Medium priority. Would be nice, but we have better things to do. I definitely wouldn't trust the Gauls to do this.
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
We'd rather not have to do this, since it would turn the villagers against us even more than they already are. We might be forced to do this as winter approaches, but for now we should be ok. Pass.
Scavenge [] You order the men to quite literally live off the land, scavenging farms and hunting local wildlife in order to procure enough supplies to feed the legion. This will necessitate constantly having a detail of men out in the fields scavenging, and will likely mean your men must keep their belts tight for the foreseeable future. (Permanent -1 Command Vote until another food source is found)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Same as above, except a little less food and resentment, probably.
Eliminate the Bandits [] You set one of the cohorts to tracking down and eliminating the numerous bandit groups plaguing the hills around Bovianum. There are many places for crafty and cunning natives to hide, and it will no doubt be an arduous task to track down and destroy each group of then.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Medium priority again. We need to eliminate the bandits to get clear supply lines for both the city and ourselves.
Defeat the Rebels [] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
High priority. Gemino is a huge thorn in our side. I think we should probably use the Gauls for this, cavalry should help a good amount against an elusive foe. We should probably also personally join the hunt, although it has a large downside if he continues to elude us. Our +1 from Gift of Minerva should help, though.
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Medium priority. It's such a Roman thing to do, though, so we should definitely consider it.
Protect the West [] The towns to the west, situated near to the Valley of the Vulturnus, seek Roman protection from the bandit/rebel Tercerian, who has risen up and taken control of the city of Aesernia. While Tercerian's grip on the Valley is far too weak for any expedition to attack the cohort or expand rebel control outside the Valley, his raiding parties have harassed and terrorized outlying villages and townholds for weeks. You dispatch a cohort to protect these towns.
--[] You join this cohort yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Definitely something we should do in the future, but for now keeping Bovianum together is more than enough for us to do.
Establish Supply Lines [] You try again to establish a supply line to Boventum, and you delegate the task to...
[] Rufus. He's read enough books to know something about logistics, or so he tells you.
[] Tercerus. Though never a commander, he has a head for numbers about him.
[] Pompolussa assures you he can easily do it, but assigning him here will mean the Second cannot perform any of the many tasks for which it is needed.
Highest priority. I'd send Tercerus, for a few reasons. First of all, we know he has high stats. Secondly, we can totally trust him. Finally, Pompolussa and the Second can be used elsewhere.
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Hard pass. Bovianum is in Rome's column for now. We don't want to drive them into the arms of the enemy.
So for me, I'd go with
[] You try again to establish a supply line to Boventum, and you delegate the task to...
-[] Tercerus. Though never a commander, he has a head for numbers about him.
[] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself
(-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have sat back and done little for the last week, largely being used to forage and scavenge for supplies. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive.
(Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
[] You set one of the cohorts to tracking down and eliminating the numerous bandit groups plaguing the hills around Bovianum. There are many places for crafty and cunning natives to hide, and it will no doubt be an arduous task to track down and destroy each group of then.
Although making roads or liberating the villages would also work for the last spot. Main reason I'm not doing one of those is because I think they'd work better if we took both of them at the same time, they seem to synergize. Hopefully if we take care of the rebels and the bandits we can do that next turn.
As for personal actions, we get 2-3 of them. My thoughts-
[] Connect With Elders: The elders of Bovianum are some of the most influental and powerful men in Samnium. By making connections among them, you could shift how you are seen in the eyes of the Samnite people as a whole.
Nice, but there are better options.
[] Prosecute Cases: You have already overseen a handful of cases in Bovianum, and you realize that your career in the law need not grow stunted while you are at war. You begin to diligently see to it that the laws of Rome are enforced in your city and in the camps.
We've been getting quite the reputation, both with the city and with our troops, of being tough but fair. It could definitely be worthwhile to build upon this.
[] Reform the Laws: The laws of the city of Bovianum are a mess, a mix of traditional tribal laws and decrees from the elders, filled with contradictions and loopholes. You set about rewriting them, but be warned: failure means hatred in the eyes of the people, and even success may not win you love -- you meddle with traditions as old as Rome.
Hard pass. This would backfire spectacularly.
[] Study Logistics: You read books on planning and organization, hoping to gain greater mastery of logistics and large-scale planning.
An army marches on it's stomach. We'll need this in the future badly.
[] Speak With The Architects: You speak with the legion's architects and engineers, hoping to increase your own knowledge of Engineering.
Engineering is one of Rome's greatest strengths. It's definitly something we'll want in the future.
[] The Sibyl: In the rolling hills of Bovianum, there waits the Sibyl of Bovianum, a Samnite prophetess said to follow the ancient Greek rites. You make your way to her, hoping to learn your future.
Seems likely to be a roll that will either give us bonuses or maluses to rolls in the future. Interesting, but there are probably better options.
[] Brotherhood: You began eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat.
[] Silver Tongues, Silver Words: You began to attempt to form deeper connections with the men, walking around the camp and speaking and talking to your soldiers. With enough personal charisma and skill for speech, you can begin to make yourself as loved in their hearts as Sertorius.
[] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Pompolussa, gather to gamble and game. These men are all fast friends, with ties stretching back years, but if if you integrated yourself with them and got them to consider you one of them, it would go a long way towards improving your standing in the legion.
Various ways to improve our standing with the legion. We're at 6/10 currently, with a very nice blurb, so I don't think these are a priority.
[] Sparring: You began sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
Rolls to improve our Combat and our Command. Always important, but harder to increase than, say, Engineering or Logistics.
My thoughts would be
[] Study Logistics and one of
[] Speak With The Architects,
[] The Sibyl, or
[] Prosecute Cases.
