When in Rome [Complete]

[Valerian]

That spring, the Emperor was making a triumphal progress, moving in stately fashion from the house of one wealthy Roman to another, in celebration of some wonderful victory on the battlefield.  The average Roman neither knew nor cared what this victory was, but all dutifully celebrated this proof of the gods continuing to smile on their Empire.

In just ten days, the Emperor would arrive at the most lavish villa of all, the home of the distinguished matron Julia Felix, widow of one of the most famous and trusted generals.  In preparation, she had invited several of her closest friends to welcome her royal guest, all true, loyal Romans -- or so she thought.

For that night, Julia Felix herself was killed as she slept.  The servants insisted that no one had entered or left the villa, and that it must have been one of those same, trusted guests that had done the deed.  There had been rumors of a plot against the emperor for months now, and it seemed that those rumors must be true.  This lavish, glorious villa hid a dark, deadly secret -- there were conspirators here, and they had to be sought out before the emperor himself arrived and fell into this terrible danger.





© 2005 Richard Ross with the courtesy of the J. Paul Getty Trust


The Players (tentative list):

• Aiden*
• Caeli*
• CirclMastr*
• country*
• Josietta*
• Kanrya*
• Kip*
• LadySky*
• Maeven*
• Marguerite*
• Ryven*
• Saku*
• Siberian*

[Marguerite]

-Slips into her toga-

Nice.

[LadySky]

*swims in orgy bathing pools*

"Oh slave boy! Bring me my fruit platter!"

[country]

Slips off his cuirass, waves off the toga, commands the new Cappadocian slave to shave his body hair.  The others are sent to bring in the amphorae, and a platter of figs with fresh licker-fish.

[Aiden]

While everyone is off mucking about in the baths, Aodinuous (Aiden- lol) rallies support against an imaginary threat, seizes power in the senate and calls on the dictator clause, taking control of the army and strong arming himself as emperor.

[Valerian]

The Rules and the Roles:

Conspirators (4)
Ability: Can choose to remove one (1) citizen each night.
Goal: To kill the other citizens and take over the villa in preparation for the emperor's visit.

Praetorian Guard (1)
Ability: Can choose to save one (1) citizen each night. If the chosen citizen was also voted to be killed by the conspirators, that person will not die.  The Guard can protect him or herself once each game.
Goal: To kill all the conspirators and survive.

Oracle (1)
Ability: Can choose to have one (1) citizen's role revealed privately to him/her each night, from the goddess of the seers (Valerian)
Goal: To kill all the conspirators and survive.

Citizens
Guests who do not have a specific goal are simply the citizens, the backbone of the Empire. Their goal is to kill all the conspirators via the lottery and survive.

Note: Please do not vote to lynch yourself.

Just as in the usual game of Mafia, any player can lie, deceive, or mislead as much as they think they can get away with, all in the name of having fun.  Please don't quote anything directly from any PMs you might send or receive regarding the game; but any information you might get that way can be repeated in your own words as much as you like.

The traditional day/night cycle will remain.  The first night, of course, Julia Felix was killed at the hands of the conspirators.  The next day, the players will vote on a character to be removed, and will discover if their choice was a wise one.  That night, the conspirators will claim another life, unless the Praetorian Guard happens to intervene.

Any rules questions can be posted in OOC or sent to me via PM.

Nota bene: The numbers above have changed!  There are now four conspirators, one guard, one oracle, and seven citizens.

[CirclMastr]

Excelsior!

Or something.

[Josietta]

*Josietta blackmails Aodinuous with proof of his treachery in exchange for power, money and sexual favors.*

[country]

Estapol!  Country Australis Maximus claims 10% of all bribes and sexual favours in return for my protection.  When I work out how to claim a 10% share of power I'll be back with my lictors.

[Valerian]

The guests awoke to the servants' weeping and spreading the news -- Julia Felix was dead, cruelly slain in her bed.  All was in an uproar.  Clearly, someone in the villa had to be the guilty party; but who?  The guests would need to keep their wits about them, and use all their cunning and wisdom.  The emperor was on his way, expecting to find a warm, royal welcome, and any loyal citizen would wish to ensure his safety.

The conspirators had to be rooted out!




The Players:

• Aiden
• Caeli
• CirclMastr
• country
• Josietta
• Kanrya
• Kip
• LadySky
• Maeven
• Marguerite
• Ryven
• Saku
• Siberian

There are 4 Conspirators, 1 Praetorian Guard, 1 Oracle, and 7 Citizens.

You are voting for a lynch to begin, so have at it.  Morituri te salutant!

[Ryven]

Ryven Gaius Sextius steps forward, a troupe of large burly men surrounding him.  "I believe that little evidence presents itself to make accurate claims, but since we have decided that someone must pay for this crime,  I will vote for Caeli."

[Kip]

A voice echoes through the villa.  "Data venia, Ryven Gaius Sextius," Kip Atius Marcellus said, pausing with a grave look on his face.  "Caeli cannot be blamed for the true villiany belongs to Marguerite.  She has never been a supporter of our great nation".

[Aiden]

Adinuous woke and left his chambers with a smile upon his face, he stretched lazily as he bathed and wrapped himself in fresh cloth, oblivious of the events stirring in the villa. Approaching the two men locked in conversation and listened in on their exchange.
"I was about to wish you all a good morning, but I now know it is much better than our recently departed Julia..."
He smiled and sat down on a padded bench.
"Would it not be wise to hear what they have to say first...a chance to defend themselves?"

[Valerian]

Current voting:

country (4) - Josietta, Aiden, CirclMastr, Ryven
Aiden (1) - country
Caeli (1) - Kanrya
Marguerite (1) - Kip
Saku (1) - LadySky
CirclMastr (0)
Josietta (0)
Kanrya (0)
Kip (0)
LadySky (0)
Maeven (0)
Ryven (0)
Siberian (0)

Yet to vote: Caeli, Maeven, Marguerite, Saku, Siberian

[LadySky]

LadySky Horatia Astore emerged from the bathing pools and accepted the covering offered by the slave boy she had waiting for her. The material clung to her wet body but she did not notice, uncaring if her body was revealed to all who cared to look. Joining the discussion being had by the men LadySky shook her head in sadness.

"Julia Felix was a gift to the Roman people. Her murder cannot be left unavenged. I believe Aiden is correct that we should listen to everyone. For now I keep my eyes upon Saku, she is not to be trusted I can feel it."

With that LadySky takes a seat and waits for the day to unfold.

[country]

Hearing all the clamour Country Australis Maximus slipped his tunic over his head and approached the group. 

Estapol!  Are we forever to be a nation of treason and deceit, must all decisions be made at the point of a knife?  Have we not enemies enough about us that we must be forever destroying ourselves from the centre? 

Here in our midst we find treachery set loose, and we, the good citizens of Rome, patricians all, must seek recourse to remove this scourge from our midst.  Perhaps we are not all Patrician born and Romans true.  Note how quickly Aodinius was to proclaim himself as a replacement for our Emperor who, thanks be to our gods, is with us still.  Let our powers and abilities seek out the traitor as we unite in our goal to protect the emperor.

[Kanrya]

*slips on her toga and looks around*

I believe that it was Caeli and hopefully that is the guilty party

[Josietta]

Aodinius -is- an Emperor, in my bedchambers. *impish grin* However, is your rallying speech meant to make us believe you to be the utmost of followers instead of a possible sneaky assassin our midsts? Perhaps, you, country are the one responsible. Much like many who wish to gain power, you make yourself seem the perfect citizen, rallying that we uphold every Romans wish for peace. While in the cover of night, and in the bedchambers of innocents, you take out the big players in hopes of doing just the same to the Emperor and claiming the throne for yourself?

[country]

Tace inepte!  How dare anyone challenge my allegiance to Roma.  What breed of mentula minutus casts aspersions on a Patrician such as Country Australis Maximus?  I, who served Rome as Imperator leading the Legions in Bithynia, Galatia and Cappadocia.  I, who provided many hundreds of talents of gold to our treasury from those defeated nations.  I, who can trace my patrician line back to the Conscript Fathers, the original founding fathers of Roma, with no trace or drop of blood other than Patrician.  I, who served many terms as a magistrate as Praetor and Consul.  I, who served in the senate as Quaestor and indeed even Princeps Senatus.   I, who wear my toga praetexta with pride, showing to the world its purple border and the dignity and distinction I have earned.

Would it not be possible that only a traitor would wish to besmirch my good name?  Would it not be plausible that only a traitor would wish to remove an enemy, an enemy as potent and dangerous as I, from their path to destroy our nation?

Perhaps we should look carefully at why one would wish to make such an allegation against me, while at the same time so quickly stepping forward to defend another.  Could it be that this action is but to defend a fellow traitor?  Look carefully to your backs my fellow countrymen.  We have much to lose.  We must remove this evil from our midst, and quickly, before we too follow Julia Felix onto the lectus funebris, that couch reserved for our body. 

Were we but in Rome so that these traitors could be thrown of the Tarpeian Rock as befits all traitors.  None the less, a fitting end will be arranged.  They shall not lie in state as does the fair lady Julia Felix.

[Aiden]

"Watch your tone, we are not in the forum for you to speak so freely. Your commendable service record aside, it was you who threw out accusations blindly, so...with that said Country, I do believe you have a hand in the death of or beloved Julia."
Motioning for his "empress" to approach, he moved back in his seat and offered her a place to sit as the rest gathered to the news and the morning rounds of wine.

[CirclMastr]

"Indeed, country, your bombastic verbosity only makes you appear arrogant and untrustworthy."

[Ryven]

He began to see the rather numerous votes for country pile up, and the man wondered if the others knew something he didn't.  Better to be safe now than sorry, so Ryven changed his vote to follow the others in hopes that he was doing the right thing.

[Josietta]

She moved over toward Aodinius and gave a warm smile settling into the offered seat. She leaned over and whispered quietly, "Me thinks the man doth protest too much."  She waited her wine and watched the masses gathering as they accused who they felt was to blame in this unexpected terrifying incident.

[Marguerite]

Somehow, Marguerite felt Josi was under the spell of Aodinius and pondered if Josi was in love enough to kill Julia. "She may have been competition and with her out of the way, Josi was number one."

[Valerian]

Current voting:

country (4) - Josietta, Aiden, CirclMastr, Ryven
Aiden (1) - country
Caeli (1) - Kanrya
Josietta (1) - Marguerite
Marguerite (1) - Kip
Saku (1) - LadySky
CirclMastr (0)
Kanrya (0)
Kip (0)
LadySky (0)
Maeven (0)
Ryven (0)
Siberian (0)

Yet to vote: Caeli, Maeven, Saku, Siberian