Rome, I come to your aide! - IC Started, still open

Started by Primarch, December 02, 2017, 11:47:00 AM

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Primarch


Rome has been sacked

It is the year 101 AD. The Emperor is dead. The Senate has been slaughtered.
While the Roman Empire had its attention turned east, a Gothic horde of barbarians came from the west. They burned their way through Italy until they attacked Rome itself.
The legions defense was staunch but failed. The savages penetrated the walls and entered the city. What followed was a period of horror that only such uncivilized barbarians could perform.
They burned, looted, pillaged, raped and slaughtered to their hearts content before vanishing when word of reinforcements came. Legions that had been stationed abroad arrived to aide the city but it was too late.
The damage was done.

For all the damage done however, the city can be rebuilt. A new Senate can be found. A new Emperor may ascend. Those with the power and will to see Rome restored to her rightful glory travel from far and wide.
Rome has need for her greatest sons and daughters and they will arrive in their droves. They bring coin, they bring soldiers, they bring food and they bring water.
They also bring greed and ambition.


If the above blurb did not make it clear, the idea behind this game is that Rome was sacked and the current leadership that had been based out of Rome are all dead. The city needs to be rebuilt and in doing so, powerful people will be in a position to make themselves more powerful as the power structures of the Empire need to be rebuilt. It is also the chance for unprecedented reform, as the city and its leadership is put back together someone who did not like how things were run previously would have a powerful opportunity to change it.

This game will be taking place strictly in the city of Rome. Players will take on the role of either powerful people who were living outside of Rome and now have arrived to see it re-constructed. It is also possible to take on a character who was present in Rome and survived the attack. Characters will leverage the resources they can bring to the restoration of their great city, ally with one another and in general I hope to create a story of intrigue, ambition, politics and sex. The Gothic horde may return at some point for a healthy dose of violence. Very HBO.

I do not expect or require people to have an very high understanding of Roman history. This is effectively a historic AU and I'm not wildly against providing some wiggle room here and there to make a better narrative. If you are having difficulty with working up what sort of character might be ideal for this here's a handy list of Provinces of Rome run by the Senate during this period. Pick one and play its Proconsul (Governor), returning/arriving in the Capital of the Empire to help rebuild (and grab some power!). There are most certainly other options and players should feel free to have a ponder on that. I for one intend to take on the governor of Roman Egypt.

I plan on using episodic content/time-skips. This will allow us to move through the rebuilding of Rome (not to mention if we have lost a few players, a chance to get things moving again without getting caught).

If there is interest I will put together a character sheet, which I intend to keep relatively on the brief side. Beyond that if you have any questions, comments or suggestions please let me know!




Character sheet:

[float=right][img]URLHERE[/img][/float][b]Character:[/b] Character name
[b]Player:[/b] Player name

[b]Role:[/b] Position/role/occupation within Roman society
[b]Specialties:[/b]
[list]
[li]3 chief skills your character has developed[/li]
[li]Insert here[/li]
[li]Insert here[/li]
[/list]

[b]Personality:[/b]
[list]
[li]3 chief personality traits associated with your character[/li]
[li]Insert here[/li]
[li]Insert here [/li]
[/list]

[b]History:[/b]
[list]
[li]Character backstory/life milestones[/li]
[li]Add/remove bullet points as required[/li]
[li]No need to spell out everything, give us the essentials and what you want known in particular[/li]
[/list]

[b]Relationships/Connections:[/b]
[list]
[li]Character name will go here- Nature of relationship/character opinion will go here[/li]
[li]None - To be filled out after plotting[/li]
[li]None - To be filled out after plotting[/li]
[/list]

[b]Additional Details:[/b]
[list]
[li]Any details you could not elaborate above should go here[/li]
[li]Remove/add bullet points as required here [/li]
[li] [/li]
[li] [/li]
[li] [/li]
[/list]

[center][b]Additional Images:[/b] [i]Any additional images you would like to include, please use spoiler tags if particularly large
[img]URL HERE[/img]


_____

Please feel free to use this little Wanted Ad template if there are any characters you would like taken up to be paired with yours such as romantic partner/business partner/second in command/important friend or relative. Should be posted under your character sheet.

[center][b]Wanted[/b][/center]

[b]Name:[/b] Open
[b]Role:[/b] Character role/occupation

[b]Desirable traits:[/b] [i]Any particular
[b]Requested faceclaim(s):[/b] Face claims you would like used in, if any. Feel free to list as 'open/negotiable'
[b]Other notes:[/b] Any details not listed above 



Anouk Daae

ooh!
I'm planting my interest flag in this.
I love stories from this period. This sounds awesome!

Primarch


Aiden

Tenative interest as a returning general with men more loyal to him then Rome but with the interest to rebuild the Pinnacle of human civilization.

Primarch


Aiden

Hopefully with out the fall... >.>

Anouk Daae

I'm having trouble figuring out where a female character would fit in without an NPC father-brother-husband-keeper.

Primarch

A wealthy widow would be able to go about her business without any husband/father figure. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the 'Spartacus' show but Gaia is an excellent example. In a setting like this someone like Zenobia would fit in nicely. Alternatively another character in play may need a wife/sister/daughter etc and you could plot something out together.

BlackStone

Interested, also more than willing to pair up with someone as husband and wife team.  Maybe from Britannia and thus influenced more by meritocracy and not slavery based society.

BentonKjarn

Interested in playing as a Son of Rome who has never actually seen the city.  His Father had been assigned as the Pro-consul of Dacia in the East before he was born, and while both of his parents were full Roman citizens, he has spent his entire lifetime on the front line in the battle against the Goths.  After the death of his father, he seized the Pro-consul title for himself, and Rome by then was too weak to defy him.  With Rome in ruins, he returns battled hardened and contemptuous of the citizens who allowed themselves to be overrun.

RedEve

If a male player is looking for a wife for his Proconsul, send me a PM.

I think I might enjoy playing an Atia-like figure. Very much a scheming bitch, I mean.
"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Countdown0

Is there any room for a criminal underworld kingpin in this game? Someone who runs a large amount of the crime, especially the likes of which goes on in Rome By Night, as it were. Type of guy who wants to be just friendly enough with everyone jockeying for power that, when someone takes over Rome, he's got the ear of whoever is on the throne. He would have a vested interest in Rome getting back into full gear, since the criminal underworld needs a city to BE under if its going to make money :D
My posting rate is SLOOOW at the moment... sorry about that :(

On's + Off's                             
RP Search Thread
A/A's

Anouk Daae

101 A.D. - so there's still gods and priestesses in Rome?

Primarch

I'm happy enough with the response, CS sheet has been placed up! Feel free to start submitting.

Quote from: BentonKjarn on December 02, 2017, 10:01:07 PM
After the death of his father, he seized the Pro-consul title for himself, and Rome by then was too weak to defy him.

Seizing the title is fine if the present army support him, I should point however while this game revolves around the idea of Rome as a city being sacked, the larger Roman Empire is actually very powerful. During this period Rome was just about as powerful as it ever would be. Just something to keep in mind.

Quote from: Countdown0 on December 03, 2017, 05:19:19 AM
Is there any room for a criminal underworld kingpin in this game?

The character could most certainly exist in the setting but may have difficulty rubbing elbows with the elevated society the game focuses on. A very corrupt official based in Rome may be easier to work with.

Quote from: Anouk Daae on December 03, 2017, 09:36:03 AM
101 A.D. - so there's still gods and priestesses in Rome?

Absolutely~

Primarch

Character: Corvus Cornelius Sulla
Player: Primarch

Role: Prefect/Governor of Egypt (Praefectus Aegypti)
Specialties:

  • Military Command
  • Administration
  • Oratory

Personality:

  • Pragmatist - Some Romans will deal with a problem the Roman way, if that doesn't work they make it work. Corvus takes a more flexible approach.
  • Patient - Feeling no obligation to act immediately, Corvus would rather strike at the right time and is quite comfortable waiting until the moment arrives.
  • Sociable - Despite a notoriously stern face, Corvus is highly comfortable in the social circles of Rome and routinely hosts company in Egypt.

History:

  • Born in Rome, Corvus is a descendant of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. There is some contention on weather this is a positive or negative factor.
  • Although the family were not as wealthy or influential as they had been in the past, he received a respectable education. He earned some notoriety for associated himself with a group of 'young philosophers' more well known for drunken mischief.
  • His military career had a promising start. Corvus served as a broad-striped tribune under a family friend, Legatus Claudius Xaverius. They campaigned extensively in the east, primarily in the direction of Antioch and beyond.
  • After a brief stint back in Rome, he was elected Quaestor under the Proconsul of Carthage.
  • Returned to the side of Claudius Xaverius to campaign, resuming his time in the East.
  • Once again resumed life in Rome where he was known to move through politically minded social circles.
  • Appointed Prefect of Egypt by the Emperor in 98 AD

Relationships/Connections:

  • None - To be filled out after plotting
  • None - To be filled out after plotting
  • None - To be filled out after plotting

Additional Details:

  • Corvus is currently 30 years old and a member of the gens Cornelia patrician family
  • As the Praefectus Aegypti Corvus has command of 3 Legions. Egypt is also the wealthiest province outside of Italia and a major source of grain.
  • This is his final year as Prefect of Egypt
  • Having spent so much of his career in the East, Corvus has taken to some rather non-Roman habits. Most obviously facial hair he has grown.

Additional Images:

_____

Wanted

Name: Open
Role: Wife of Corvus

Desirable traits: Ruthless, ambitious, cunning
Requested faceclaim(s): Gemma Arterton - Prince of Persia/Princess Tamina, Rosario Dawson - Alexander/Roxana, Eva Green - 300/Artemisia
Other notes: Characters married for primarily political reasons, have since fallen for each other hard. Preference for the wife to by Egyptian, Roman is cool too. Will plot particulars.


Aiden

I think I need to pick Mr. Phoenix for my face claim.


Primarch

I had a feeling you would. Not sure why. Just can't put my finger on it.

Aiden

#Commodus did nothing wrong

(Facts both RL and movie aside)
Besides totally not related for this game!

Letexta

Tentatively interested in this, although I need to have a think about where I might slip in a character.

Caitlin

Consider me interested. I was thinking of a Governor who hails from Germania Inferior and whose father is a noble Roman who married with a local woman. I can color my text with speech of the local area, although I'll stick to English 99% of the time. :-)

The only thing I'm a bit hestitant about is how much chance we'll have to build up meaningful relationships with other characters.

Primarch

Well if he has been appointed Governor of Germania Inferior he would only hold the position for a maximum of 5 years. You can put some amount of time spent in Rome making a name for himself or getting himself known before his appointment. Any characters who were in Rome during similar periods could have met previously, other characters can know each other through reputation. I put a couple points of my character in Rome for just that reason. Once the game gets off the ground I hope characters will mingle and associate with each other while working to put the city back together.

Aiden

#21
I am hoping we have a balance of strengths.

Example - While I plan on having seasoned and very loyal army legion, my character will need to find a way to feed and house them. Something he can do out of his own coffers, but maintaining an army in the long term can break any man no matter how wealthy.

My point being, having people with strengths can create awesome potential for plotting and alliances/betrayals, etc.

Primarch

That's exactly what I'm looking for. My character has wealth & food but 3 legions is 'meh' at best. Caesar for instance had 4 veteran Legions at the start of his wars in Gaul. Crassus had 8 Legions when he went off to deal with Spartacus.

Characters that can provide the support of some important Roman institution could be a nice leverage point too.

Caitlin

Quote from: Aiden on December 03, 2017, 11:43:54 AM
I am hoping we have a balance of strengths.

Example - While I plan on having seasoned and very loyal army legion, my character will need to find a way to feed and house them. Something he can do out of his own coffers, but maintaining an army in the long term can break any man no matter how wealthy.

My point being, having people with strengths can create awesome potential for plotting and alliances/betrayals, etc.
How about my character having intelligence as his strength, in particular the ability to engineer and design buildings that will stand the test of time, an architect if you wish, and also the ability to oversee such projects.

I like the idea of playing an engineer instead of a conquerer and it sounds like somebody who would be useful for the story. I'd also like him to be married/ engaged at the start of during the story, so if there are any women playing who are looking for somebody other than a conqueror, feel free to shoot me a message. :-)

Are there any pairings already by the way?

Anouk Daae

#24
Character: Cassia Octavia Agrippa
Player: anouk daae

Role: Former Vestal, Daughter to Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa
Specialties:

  • Educated in matters of state
  • Business management
  • Midwifery and apothecary

Personality:

  • Charismatic
  • Observant
  • Loyalty-Driven

History:

  • At age 6, Cassia was taken to be a Virgin of Vesta - a priestess to attend the College of the Vestals
  • During this time, she was educated in matters of state in order to give unbiased testimony during trials.
  • When the Goths attacked, she hid among the other Vestals and priests in a series of underground tunnels.
  • After several days, the Goths found the small group hiding. The priests were murdered. The Vestals were taken.
  • Her father and those in his house were also slaughtered.
  • After reinforcements came back to take the city, her brother returned from Cyprus.
  • Upon his return, Cassia was asked to resign from the Vestals to help her family rebuild their legacy.

Relationships/Connections:

  • Markus Julius Agrippa the Younger - older brother to Cassia Octavia Agrippa (NPC)
  • None - To be filled out after plotting
  • None - To be filled out after plotting

Additional Details:

  • Vestals are generally required to serve for 30 years. Cassia has only served 13 by the time her brother calls her away.
  • Cassia is 19 years old, beyond what is considered normal marrying-age for the wealthier classes.
  • Both siblings come from the gens Vispania patrician family.

Additional Images:


Wanted:

  • If someone wants to play her brother, I'd appreciate it. No worries if not, though.