[RS AAR] Building an Empire: A Roman AAR
Hello readers. I have finally gathered some notes that I think will make a nice story for my first ever AAR. There is some explicit stuff in this AAR, I hope that wouldn't endanger the future of it
I apologize for any mistakes that are bound to be made (grammar and such) as I am not a native English speaker.
Anyway, I hope you like it, so here it goes.
Mod: Roma Surrectum 1.5c
Difficulty: VH/H
Faction: Romans
BUILDING AN EMPIRE: A ROMAN AAR
Prologue: The new era
Gaius nervously waited in the large hall of the villa of the greatest Roman in the Republic, Victor of the Etruscan wars, the consul of the state: Tiberius Maxentius.
The villa was one of the largest in Rome, second only to Cassius's, a fat senator who became rich by screwing with wifes of important patricians or even with some of them. A man with no dignity, but a powerful political figure who was always against Tiberius's propositions with his party in the curia. Cassius had a strong support of patricians and was elected consul in the last elections along with Tiberius, who was rather populist, but belonged to no senate faction. He was elected because of his popularity among the classes, which saw him as the sword of Mars or the hand of Jupiter sent upon the enemies of Rome. And after defeating Etruscans, this all seemed to be real.
Gaius had been summoned by the consul himself for some urgent matters and almost two hours had gone by and he was yet to be called into the house.
He admired Tiberius from the day he saved his mother and him from flames which had been set up by Etruscans and were threatening to trap and devour him and his mother inside a poor plebeian house, had it not been for a young, valiant warrior who came to their aid. From that day on Gaius has been accepted into the Roman army and has been watched by Tiberius, who was slowly, but effectively preparing him for his own ambitions... what ever they were.
A slave suddenly appeared behind him and interrupted his thoughts: "Come centurio, the consul is going to accept you now." He followed the slave into Tiberius' cabinet and was left alone with his general.
After a brief moment of silence consul began speaking: "Twenty years ago I was one of the garrison soldiers in Ferulia. One night the Etruscans launched a sudden attack on the city and set fires which engulfed the trade and military districts and spread on some plebeian houses, one of them being yours."
Gaius didn't know what to say.
Tiberius looked at him and smiled: "I saved you and Plinia that night"
-"You did, general."
-"Don't be so formal, lad. I didn't marry your mother and made you my son for military talks."
Gaius, now begining to feel more relaxed, smiled at Tiberius, but his father's words didn't change how he was accepted by Tiberius' legitimate children, who were adressing Gaius as a lesser, a bastard.
"Why did you send for me, general?" continuing in the same way.
-"The reason why I've put you into the army is simple: I wanted a warrior son. I wanted a real leader as my heir. My sons can do nothing good for the Republic if they one day became consuls.
I hate to admit this, but my blood has failed me. This is why I want you as my heir, for only you are worthy of the possesions of my ancestors and myself."
Tiberius sipped some wine and drank it quickly, as Gaius have seen him done it so many times before...
He continued: "Gaius, tomorrow I will make you a military tribune in the curia. That will enable you the right to mobilize troops. I will also entrust you with a legion: Legio II. Victoriana and appoint you as general."
Gaius was shocked. He hadn't expected honours like that and wasn't sure if he could manage to fulfil Tiberius' expectations, which were still a mystery to him.
"I am honoured by your trust, general... but don't know if I should rejoice or be worried of what you have in mind."
Tiberius looked at Gaius and nodded: "You are wise to be worried, as I don't know what will happen on the path you will walk. I have just directed you towards the goal I have set for you, the path you will take is up to you."
-"And what is the goal, if I may ask?"
Tiberius suddenly became serious and determined. He looked at the map of the Mediterraneum, then struggled to find Italy due to his poor eyesight caused by an injury he suffered in the war.
"We are finally rid of the Etruscans. The slave has become the master. You see, I don't want to be remembered as one of the leaders of war, or as victor over Etruscans. I want to be the one to make Rome into the capital of the world. I want to make it an empire. I am confident the gods have selected me as their weapon. And now that I have political power in Rome and you as my spear, this can come to be. Together we will begin the new era of the Republic, my son."
-"But you will need the approval of Cassius to launch an expansion war."
-"Don't worry about that idiot. He has screwed one patrician's wife too many, to be able to oppose me."
Gaius saw the uneasines in the old man's eyes and for a moment even helpless anger.
-"Father...? What happened? What did he-?" but he couldn't finish the sentence.
Tiberius was pale with anger. "He raped your mother." he said.
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(Okay, just once)
who laid hands on his mother. But surely Tiberius would make him pay...
hope that I can read a next installment soon
