Ancient Rome interest check

[Kayrax]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering whether there'd be any interest in a game taking place during the Ancient Rome period. It could be either historically based or just using the general setting of that particular time frame. Note that even if history route is chosen, no extensive knowledge would be required however - the point is ultimately to have fun and not to waste time studying (which is rather terrible advice in most other circumstances).

The Roman Empire (regardless of its government form: monarchy, republic or actual empire) was one of the world's largest powers, one that managed to hold its own for about a thousand years or so. That in turn translates into a rich history, a rich culture and generally a whole bunch of things that folks could easily write about. For those enjoying interesting plots there would be plenty of opportunities to consider such as conquering new provinces, defending previously conquered provinces, ruling (either a small city or even an important family), intrigue (political or otherwise) or just plain flaunting of status and wealth. And for those enjoying smut above all else I pose but this very simple question - did you know that Romans used to have more than 20 different names for prostitutes based on where and when they were encountered and also based on the type of services they offered? If that's not enough to paint a clear enough picture then how about other considerations such as the existence of slavery (which oftentimes led to sexual exploitation) or the throwing of eccentric parties that plenty of times turned into large orgies? Still not enough? Then how about the fact that they were also fairly damn uninhibited? The typical family implied the presence of both a man and a woman but as far as illicit lovers were concerned, genders didn't really matter all that much.

If you're reading this then you'll definitely notice how it's a really bare bones check. This is in fact intentional because I figured it would be more time efficient to first see whether there would be others willing to play in such a setting, then see what they would like to focus on and only afterward end up building a world and a generic plot so as to support all those desires. It's also for this reason that I would require more than a simple "sure, I'm interested" or "yeah, sounds fun" type of reply. Instead I would like those showing an interest in such a game to answer a few simple questions first.

The first such question is whether you'd like such a game to be historically accurate or to just use inspiration from such a setting. And assuming you're a history buff and pick the former, then I'd also like to know whether you have any preference as far as the government form goes.

The second question is in regards to the type of game this would be - system based, free form or hybrid. A subsequent question, assuming you'd like something involving numbers, is whether you had a particular system in mind? The answer to these questions would also determine the sort of character sheets we might end up using.

Third question should be an easy one, given that I'm essentially curious as to what sort of character concept you had in mind for such a game? Also what sort of goals would they have? A few examples would be: a rich and influential citizen wishing to raise his family's status, a military officer trying to prove himself, a magistrate trying to avoid any more assassination attempts, a merchant wanting to expand his already considerable wealth, an entertainer trying to get noticed by some rich patron, a gladiator thirsting for both blood and freedom, a slave that finally gave up on the notion of escape, etc.

That last one is fairly important as it would directly affect whether the game would be more plot oriented or instead more smut oriented, not to mention the fact that it would determine its scale and also number (and types) of NPCs involved. If for instance most players will end up showing a preference for positions of power then the main location would likely become Rome itself, as a hub helping to bring all those powerful folks together. If instead a preference towards military characters or rebels would prevail then it makes more sense to instead build the game around a campaign or a series of campaigns to conquer some territory or subjugate some revolt. If instead folks would like a more smut focused game then it would make more sense to instead focus the action on a single household or business.

Please let me know what everyone thinks and if you'd like to ask anything yourselves then by all means do so.

[Foxy DeVille]

Interested!

Answers!

1. Not really worried about super accuracy, I always feel the setting should accommodate the characters rather than constrain them.

2. Not really sure about a system unless people wanna do a lot of combat.

3. A female slave that has reached a pretty cushy position and will do anything to keep it.

4. Well, my character idea can fit any of those ideas. Definitely some smuttiness with her since again she'll do anything to keep her position.

[ElayneTrakand]

Definitely planting a flag of interest on this one!
Personally I do not know to much of the history but will happily do accurate if that is what people want to do. While I do usually enjoy system we should see what makes sense for the story we are trying to tell. I would like to play as a young woman captured as part of military conquest sold as a sex slave. And like Foxy's post this will fit nicely into whatever scope we decide to go with.

[Kayrax]

*happily collects the interest flags* Thank you!

I agree with Foxy Oni's view in regards to characters. Heck, it's practically the reason I chose to first see whether there'd be enough players interested and the sort of characters they'd be interested in playing so as to create a believable world that can actually revolve around those very same characters rather than provide a pre-established setting that might not have really appealed to everyone... at least not as much.

The reason I'm providing historical accuracy as an alternative is because things were somewhat different back then. One major example would be the calendar itself, that could either have 10 months or later 12. But even so the Romans actually had fewer days during most months, leading to fewer days per year. The fact that their weeks also contained 8 (or maybe 9 - I'd have to double check) days for a while similarly doesn't simplify things. Back then religion, or rather the worshiping of various gods, was also a big deal and certain celebrations or different routines would occur on some of those days or at certain times during the day. Such changes could in turn affect the pacing of the story or even provide new events for everyone to deal with. I do not expect players to remember all these little things, let alone know them beforehand, but if I am going to take on the role of GM for this game then odds are I will nonetheless provide such details in a world building thread. By all means let me know if you think it's overkill but past experience roleplaying has taught me that it's generally better to err on the side of more rather than less.

Regardless of what will get chosen by the players, I should probably mention that I'm kind of hoping that the general pacing and atmosphere of this game will be more along the lines of Gladiator, Rome or Spartacus rather than I, Claudius, Caligula or Roman Empire. Caligula does nail a couple of awesome scenes though, just in case anyone is interested in a few extra ideas.

I agree that system games in general are better suited for situations involving lots of conflict but some of those systems do have the added benefit of providing some rather decent character creation guidelines. Even if the number crunching won't feature heavily (or even at all), the added options to choose from could potentially help some players come up with better concepts or it could provide everyone with a sense of fairness and equality. Not saying it will be needed though and even if we go with a purely free form alternative then odds are I might still provide a quick guide containing examples of personality traits, skills, professions and the like.

It's somewhat interesting seeing how the first two concepts for this game involve slaves I'm certainly not complaining and you are correct thinking that slaves could easily be integrated in whichever situation a plot might require of them. There wouldn't technically be any sex slaves though as the Roman laws would allow their masters to use them for such a purpose unimpeded - maybe some small limitations in public actually. Particularly gorgeous slaves would of course fetch a higher price though precisely because sex would be considered prior to the actual purchase. Oh and once the Empire would rise from the ashes of the Republic, slaves would actually gain a few more rights and small liberties. There's also the very slim possibility of maybe earning their freedom should their masters feel particularly generous for whatever reason... Incidentally, I'm considering some manner of magistrate for a character. I figure that should provide plenty of opportunities to interact with other players no matter what sort of characters they choose.

[Malkavian]

Loving what I've seen so far.

As a random question: has anyone here read the RPG Lex Arcana? It's a Roman-focused RPG, though it does have a supernatural bent, so I'm not sure if that's what you'd be interested in considering.

[pendarious]

I will plant a flag of interest as well.

1. I could swing either way though regardless of which way it is I will probably throw in a bit of historically accurate concepts


2. I have a preference for Free form but I will use a system if it's what everyone else votes

3.The type of character I would play would be a Military officer from an influential family who is being pushed into politics by his subordinate's in order to improve things for everyone.

[Amarlo]

I'm intrigued >.>

1. Personally? I'd like perhaps a mixture here. I like historical settings to feel fittingly oppressive? It's just not as fun if everyone is super progressive and as open minded as most of us on E really are. Although I know that under some circumstances Rome was more open to a lot of things in comparison to other ancient civilizations. However, the idea that they held orgies all the time is a common misconception. I just don't like when games devolve into orgy games, personally.

2. I'd prefer something more freeform or hybrid. But I honestly could do any.

3. The type of character I'd be interested in playing would largely have to do with the overall setting, in all honesty. I definitely like cooperating with other players to build my character along side. That way I can entrust that I will have others to work with, rather than making whatever random thing that comes to my mind and getting no interest from anyone to play. So I'm open to pretty much any of these settings. I'm pretty flexible. I can play anything from a slave to an Empress.

4. I lean more towards story over smuttiness in general. I definitely enjoy smut, but to keep me interested long term I need other things involved.

[Kayrax]

Haven't read Lex Arcana yet, though I already considered going through it and a couple of two more games to further expand my knowledge of the lore and to possibly gain some new ideas as to what sort of alterations might be fun to make or what sort of adventures I could suggest for the other players. To that end I did already go through Invictus and Rome: Life and Death of the Republic... and I've only started Imperial Rome the other day.

Romans were fairly superstitious and rather religious too, regardless of which particular god or gods they happened to worship, so if anyone wants a bit of supernatural elements thrown in then I'm not opposed to that. Then again they also happened to give thanks or blame the gods for a good many deal of things regardless of whether or not the gods were actually involved... so there is that too.

*adds more flags to the collection* Nice!

By having players answer a short questionnaire I'm hoping to get as many of their individual preferences so that in turn I could make the sort of decisions that would lead to the fewest possible compromises. Say for instance that 6 players show interest - 5 want freeform and 1 wants a system game. Sadly, the compromise would have to be in the favor of freeform in such a case. But say the same 6 players instead wish something like 3 freeform, 2 hybrid, 1 system. In that case either freeform might win once more or I could try coming up with an incredibly easy to use system that would require only a minimal input from everyone else and then I'd likely do some rolls behind the scenes so as not to bother everyone else with such things.

If a somewhat more oppressive setting is desired then we could possibly move the action from Rome to one of its provinces. The Romans would still be in control but because the local populace wouldn't be fully assimilated yet there would be patrols on the streets, propaganda to join the greatest Empire in the world and generally a fairly big divide between the rich Romans settling in and being offered territory there and whoever happened to rule those lands previously. Also, I at least never claimed that Romans held big orgies all the time. Those were somewhat rare as they generally required important people to join so as to fully enjoy themselves. There were also financial concerns as well - many important people meant a good deal of entertainment, not to mention lots of food and drink. And to that end those same Romans also enjoyed filling themselves like pigs only to then puke everything back out, take a short break and start all over again. The latter is still being debated though and I doubt many players would be interested in pursuing such activities anyway...

Assuming there's only a limited number of players interested in such a game and similarly assuming they would actually like to try out different things then I wouldn't be opposed to allowing maybe 2, 3 at the most, characters per player. If anyone feels they're active enough and can handle the extra workload then just ask if something like this would be of interest.

[Fury Aphrodisia]

Yeah, kinda interested! Definitely would be good to see what develops of this.

Historically accurate would be NICE, but I'm not so well-versed in historic Rome that I would be able to list the names of things in Latin or be able to tell with certainty if the classical social strata I'm describing would have been present in Rome or if I'm thinking ancient Greece or if I've smattered a bit of something else in there by mistake or coincidence. Alternatively, I'm not keen on the idea of aliens landing in the Mall and Roman emperors playing with Smartphones, so somewhere in between the two would be nice. Closer to the first, maybe, but I'm not picky.

As for system, I'm a fan of hybrid for games that might involve combat (this is the age of the Coliseum, after all, not to mention the expansion and warfare needed to classify an empire) but tend to flow more freeform in every other aspect. And there's just so much more to explore in the Roman empire than just combat. That said, I'm alright any which way it goes.

I would love to create a priestess or acolyte of Athena, maybe, or a gladiator, or perhaps a slave trader? Or possibly an insurrectionist. Or a foreign citizen visiting the empire (I'm thinking a Celtic or Pictish delegation, possibly) There are so many options to choose from, honestly. Rome was one of the few times in history that such a wide variety of cultures and histories and backgrounds were found in the normal day-to-day functionality of the empire and its locales. There's so much open space to play with.

I'm definitely going to want the option for smut, but it's not going to be the central focus. I'd rather some adventure, sure, and some good, strong plot, but I'm probably not going to be focusing primarily on military campaigns, or such. They are more a reality of the world that would likely influence various character backgrounds.

So I guess my own question is, how many characters would you be looking for the players to be controlling at any given time? For instance, in Aetherpunk, I've got five characters on the go,but it's a rather involved game. In others, one or two characters is preferable, but it's a very mobile group needing to stay coordinated.

[Kayrax]

If you're interested in Latin names for items, jobs, actions, etc. then Rome: Life and Death of the Republic mentions a lot of those things. Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about aliens or smartphones - we'll just blame it on AT&T not having sufficient cell towers in the region

Since you already warned everyone of possible confusions between Roman and Greek worlds, I'll just discreetly point out that Athena would be a Greek goddess rather than a Roman one. Minerva would be the closest Roman alternative, though Juno or Vesta seem to have more details as far as their priestesses and rituals are concerned. A member of a foreign delegation would work but they wouldn't be called citizens however. If it's a delegation from a state (or rather just a large territory in some cases) that has yet to be conquered then they'd be guests of sorts. And if they'd come from a state that was already conquered yet not fully assimilated then their citizenship would be limited - having similar rights and liberties as freed slaves would. Since you do mention Celts and Picts though, a good province to possibly involve those would be Britannia. It would also fit in with Amarlo's desire for something a bit oppressive and would generally allow for a good degree of independence, military conflicts (the tribes to the north were never brought under control), not to mention social and cultural clashes too.

To answer your question, I'm looking for folks to control the one character they'd start out with. The reason I wouldn't mind them having more is because the setting would provide ample opportunities to play as all manner of things. If for instance someone is torn between a centurion concept and a gladiator concept then I wouldn't mind them trying them both out. Likewise if someone wanted to play both a ruler and a slave, or a musician and a thief, and so on and so forth. So if a player thinks he's active enough and has the time to care for more than a single character then by all means go for a second one or even a third one. I wouldn't want any more than that because various things can happen and should such a player require a break or even decide to drop out for whatever reason then his/hers sudden absence might negatively affect more plots and thus more players. So a limit of three characters per player feels like a good enough compromise.

[Malkavian]

Best of luck with this guys! Sure the resultant game will be awesome.

[BlackStone]

Bowing out, thank you for consideration

[Vergil Tanner]

So roughly what time period are we looking at? Republican? Immediately after Caesar? Augustus? Further down the line with Vespasian, or even perhaps moving into the 2nd or 3rd centuries with Trajan or Caracella?

Personally, I would love it if it was set around the middle of the 2nd century CE, since I had a concept in my head for a Spartan warrior-turned-Gladiator, and the Roman conquest of Greece wasn't until 146ce. I could make the concept work from an earlier timeframe, but him being captured in the aftermath of that war would be easiest. xD


1) I'm a history buff, so I'd want it to at least be within spitting distance of historically accurate xD

2) I would personally prefer Freeform.

3) My general concept is captured / disgraced / depends on time period ex-Spartan warrior-turned-Gladiator who has a real problem with authority and is just angry all the time. xD Possible goals could be escape, or winning his freedom. I could certainly see a PC owning him as a slave, though we'd need pretty heavy coordination to make that work xD I have a friend who would likely want to play as his eventual sweetheart, so his end goal would probably be getting his freedom and finding a way to settle down with her. Maybe there could be drama if a PC Female decides that she likes the hunky gladiator and being a Noblewoman, well...he can't say no, even if he wants to. Though that would be a source of drama that everybody involved would have to be ok with, since I don't see him consenting easily.

4) No reason why we can't have both! Smut and story in equal measure is all good to me! It's Rome, let the wine, the blood and the other bodily fluids flow freely! No reason why each player can't pick how much or how little of each they wanna do

[PentheWonderful]

Interested party here!

An RP set in an ancient setting is exactly what I never knew I needed.

For the questions...

1 & 2. I don't mind either way. This could go one way or the other, and I would still go along with it. Although, I suppose given I have close to no-prerequisite knowledge on the history of Ancient Rome, anything that demands pre-reading is admittedly a bit intimidating

3. The character I have in mind is a princess from a fallen kingdom from Southeast Asia, who was then taken as a prize by the opposition and then sold off into the trade market, switching hands until she eventually ended up in Rome. Given her previous status, exotic looks, and various skills (including cooking, first aid, knowledge of medicinal plants and herbal remedies) she became a prized slave and was tasked to be the handmaiden of her Master's wife as a sign of their wealth and status. I'd love for a PC to be her Mistress and discuss other connections. P.S. I am the friend Vergil Tanner mentioned whose character would become his character's sweetheart, so having a happy ending for the two of them would be the ultimate goal. Perhaps a chance for them to run away and live in peace together. <3

4. I am looking to be in a game that has more smut, but the story always comes first for me. So having a moving plot is definitely a must.

[Foxy DeVille]

I'm all for more slave characters for mine to bully and undermine mentor and nurture.

I see mine as being from a once-affluent family that sold her as a child to cover debts. So she is educated and good with numbers, which makes her useful in keeping track of her master's accounts. She plans on buying her freedom but doesn't want to end up with nothing after achieving that so she wants to immaculate enough money so she can be both free and comfortable. Not being as young as she used to be, she feels the grains of time trickling down. This has her on the lookout for schemes that will be very profitable as well as fueling her jealously toward younger slaves that she thinks threaten her current position as well as her future plans.

[Kayrax]

I apologize ahead of time for the length of this post. If I could, I would've provided you with a TLDR at the end but the things I'm talking about are varied enough that even such a summary would've been fairly large.

It's lovely seeing the amount of interest this has garnered and I believe I can slowly start narrowing down the scope of the game, as well as providing a clearer picture as to what everyone can hopefully expect. New players or new characters are always welcome to join in at any given time (even after the game will have its proper start) given that it shouldn't be too difficult to just pick a concept and just hop on in with it... but for the time being at least I believe the ones already having shown an interest have helped with some of the decision making.

I asked firstly whether folks would prefer a more accurate setting or something more relaxed and merely Roman inspired (such as alternate universes, regular medieval settings with a bit of a twist or possibly even low fantasy ones if supernatural elements were desired). Considering all of the received answers I'm leaning towards realistically accurate but with a somewhat loose approach. But what does that actually mean? Well, it simply means that in the world building thread I'll eventually provide, there will be a section explaining some of the major events in the Empire's history, some important details concerning the region we'll focus on, and also some other information regarding neighbors and worldly events.

You won't actually be required to read though that, or most other sections in that future thread, as its purpose won't be to limit player creativity and choices but rather to provide additional details and flavor that will hopefully help improve the game's atmosphere. It also means that if you have a character concept based on historical facts then odds are it will already be good for use without the need of further tweaking.

The choice I'm currently considering as far as space and time are concerned would be: Britain, 43-410 AD. I will further restrict the area and years after I finish a bit more research on the subject. Please let me know if this is agreeable with everyone, if you've got a problem with it or if you actually have any suggestions to help further limit those constraints. I already noted Vergil Tanner's suggestion for anything 146+. If so, that would mean Hadrian's Wall would be already finished and the Antonine Wall would either be still in the process of constructing or possibly finished as well.

In regards to my second question, the one about this being either a systems game or freeform, everyone seems to be leaning towards freeform, with numbers possibly making an appearance should combat be involved. If this is the case then odds are the character sheets will be quite generic and very easy to use (assume the sort of tags you'd normally expect in most other RPGs: age, appearance, personality, bit of backstory, maybe short/long term goals as well). I have a somewhat simplified system in mind for situations involving combat and in case two players might want to solve a particular situation with the help of a roll rather than the need of a compromise or a third party's ruling. It will (probably) involve a single roll of dice (6d6, extra 6, TN1=2, TN2=6). For those with some experience involving systems games, that means a total of 6 six sided dice, with rolls of 1 (critical failures) counting as 0 (and thus dismissed), rolls of 2-5 counting as 1 and rolls of 6 (critical successes) counting as 2 and re-rolled. Highest count wins and whatever action was attempted succeeds. Don't worry if it sounds confusing - it involves Elliquiy's very own Dicebot and I'll be posting a screenshot to showcase which fields would require filling and with what numbers. You can either make the roll yourselves or if you prefer not dealing with such things then I'll make the roll on your behalf and inform you of the results.

Status effects and equipment (if we're considering situations concerning gladiators or soldiers) might add or lower those numbers but such things will likely come into effect much rarely. As a rule, playable characters will always have a slight advantage over NPCs. I was also considering two further additions. The first would come in the form of Inspiration points. Those familiar with D&D games should already be familiar with the concept. Essentially I would be handing out such points over time for participation in certain scenes (essentially for being active and playing the game really) and possibly (and much more infrequently) for achieving certain goals or results (think a mixture of quantity and quality of writing being slowly rewarded over time). What would those points be good for? Well if you're not concerned with rolls then they really wouldn't affect you in any way really. If you are however using such rolls then you would be able to further improve the end results by adding in those points to the results. The other thing I was considering was to actually turn that previously mentioned advantage over NPCs into something more flexible and random straight from character creation. It would involve a fairly simple roll (6d3) that again players could either roll themselves or have me roll on their behalf. The resulting 1-3 variable would next be used as a modifier to affect all subsequent rolls. Think 1 as above average, 2 as very good and 3 as exceptional. Ultimately though this would merely be a modifier so don't stress out if you fail to get a 3.

I will point out again though just to be on the safe side - this entire system involving rolls would only come into effect should two players choose to make use of it rather than rely on compromises or 3rd party rulings. So if you have no interest in it or if you're cool with whatever someone else might decide then by all means feel free to disregard its existence. It will however be there for whoever wishes to make use of it.

In terms of character concepts discussed so far I'll be providing a brief summary to maybe help folks plan ahead or get a better idea of where everyone else stands (my own thoughts, questions or suggestions in red):
Foxy Oni - a female slave that has reached a pretty cushy position and will do anything to keep it. By cushy position I assume an above average level of trust with her masters to the point where she'd be known by name rather than just a generic slave and might as a result have a bit more pull with the other slaves? I was also going to ask whether you'd prefer a master or a mistress but currently there don't appear to be any PC dominas...
ElayneTrakand - a young woman captured as part of military conquest sold as a sex slave. Any preference as to where exactly she might hail from? Also just a suggestion on my part but if you happen to join the same household owning Foxy's character then the two of them might end up dealing with some plots revolving around abuse, power play, jealousy... cat fights. Feel free to ignore this though as it was merely an idea thrown out there.
pendarious - a military officer from an influential family who is being pushed into politics by his subordinates in order to improve things for everyone. Usually it's family members or superiors that might want to get more political backing rather than the subordinates. Especially since "improving things" would realistically be a very hard goal to pull off given the need to be in a very high position to attempt it and then the subsequent need to wallow through all the bureaucracy to actually make it happen. There's nothing wrong with your idea but realistically the odds of it coming to pass would be fairly slim.
Amarlo - anything from a slave to an Empress. Things still aren't fully set in stone yet but a less vague location and time frame have already been mentioned above and the concepts that other folks considered are neatly grouped here to make it easier to get an idea of what everyone would likely be doing during the game. Feel free to take your time some more as there's really no rush at this time, but do consider all these elements in case you're able to restrict your own character concept to something more specific.
Fury Aphrodisia - a priestess or acolyte of Athena / a gladiator / a slave trader / an insurrectionist / a foreign citizen visiting the Empire. My previous comment regarding goddesses still apply (Athena = Minerva... and Juno or Vesta being better documented).
BlackStone - a Senator with diverse business holdings from salt mines to gladiator house / a popular and successful legion commander disgraced and made into a gladiator. If we'll end up playing during the Empire days then the Senate would actually have little power left to them. Especially if we play in a province rather than Rome itself, so I would suggest a wealthy merchant or some other sort of influential citizen.
Vergil Tanner - captured/disgraced ex-Spartan warrior-turned-Gladiator who has a real problem with authority and is just angry all the time. Would he feel better if everyone dug up a big bottomless pit so people could kick each other in it?
PentheWonderful - a princess from a fallen kingdom from Southeast Asia that became a prized slave and was tasked to be the handmaiden of her Master's wife as a sign of their wealth and status. Given the goal is to eventually get close to Vergil's character, I will assume that the you'll want to be part of the same household owning him? Opportunities for slaves to engage one another would otherwise be much more difficult to properly set up, though still not impossible to make happen.
Kayrax - wealthy/influential citizen that has both slaves and gladiators / maybe a gladiator as well.

To summarize for everyone's benefit, we have 3 female slaves, 3 male influential citizens, a handful of gladiators either as first choices or secondary choices... and a few others that either don't fit those categories or require a bit more time to choose something else. Personally I would prefer a start where we do not spread ourselves too thin and where we can actually have our characters affect each other or at the very least interact with one another on a more regular basis rather than specific social events or chance encounters. Especially since slaves (including gladiators) wouldn't really be free to move around all that much...

So I am considering the following to start with:

• a central plaza - fairly large and generally a good place to meet various people. Also the place where merchants might peddle some wares and where slave auctions would be performed.
• a government building of sorts - think the equivalent of a town hall, where local leadership would assemble and discuss important things, and also where law and justice(?) would be provided
• some military center, such as a local garrison - its presence would ensure the Roman citizens would not be bothered and that any revolts or surprise attacks would hopefully be quashed in a timely manner
• either a temple to some Roman deity or otherwise a bunch of shrines to more such deities - it would work to either spread their culture and to every once in a while perform some rituals or sacrifices
• an arena - given the interest in gladiators it makes sense for them to have a place to perform for the public, and it might also be used by the military for running drills or training exercises
• Kayrax estate - placeholder name aside, it would essentially be my character's home and would provide room for his family, some guards, slaves and also gladiators too
• BlackStone estate - pretty much the same as above if I'm not mistaken. Regardless if our two characters are friends or enemies (or even appear as such), they would likely be rivals given shared interests
• pendarious estate - this can either be another separate mansion much like with the above (maybe lacking gladiators) or the character could instead be part of either my character's or BlackStone character's extended family assuming everyone agrees to it
• various other places - that will be filled out as planning stage or story progresses

Things could obviously still change depending on what others might choose or if anyone has a change of heart and decides to pick something different, but assuming that's not really the case then I'd like to know whether the above arrangement is something everyone would be more or less okay with. If anyone prefers playing with NPCs and interacting with other PCs on a more infrequent basis then by all means pursue such a game style, but in my experience most people prefer interacting with each other and for that reason I figured it would maybe make more sense to get everyone in 2 or 3 locations at most given times. Alternatively we could shrink things even more by instead making a larger Roman family living in a very large mansion, with a lot of servants, guards and gladiators. Larger family could involve brothers, cousins or even fathers if age isn't that big of a deal. Would this be something people might be interested in pursuing?

It might make things more lively seeing as everyone would have the most chances to interact with one another. It would most likely increase the odds of smut content and also turn the plots more personal as well. Especially if the masters of the house wouldn't necessarily be all that happy to share their wealth with one another and might try to backstab one another. In which case we'd essentially have 3 masters, 3 slaves, 2-4 gladiators and possibly guests that might be anything else not fitting those categories.

I never actually made a 4th question as the preference for smut would have always been in the hands of the players, but since pretty much everyone agreed with the presence of sexy times in the game let me then ask something more specific instead - do you have any particular pairings in mind or any specific kinks you'd like to see, or on the contrary to avoid? It's the sort of information that will likely become part of your character sheets as well, but more importantly it will help decide whether this should be played in the Bondage, NC or Extreme sections of the forum.

[Fury Aphrodisia]

Would not a better parallel between the goddesses be Juno/Hera and Athena/Demeter? In any case, you're right, since Rome would encourage the gods being absorbed by Roman tradition, rather than existing separately.

If we're doing a singular family, that will help with character decisions, too, because there would be less chance of an Acolyte of most sorts to be in a private home. A disciple or priestess might be caught there on a visit, but not for long. An insurrectionist might, but that would still leave me some room to figure out what other features he/she/they would have. But since we have slave traders and gladiators aplenty, I think I'll leave that behind. So, insurrectionist or foreign visitor. Or both. Or maybe one in the same? Who knows.

Would be interested in plotting to break people out of slavery and away to safety either way, but until I have some concrete idea of who is playing what characters, I can't really say who individually I might be interested in.

Where we start otherwise isn't bothersome to me. Just choose what you're going to choose and I'll make myself fit wherever I need to.

[Kayrax]

Juno (Roman) = Hera (Greek) is correct. Both Athena and Demeter are Greek goddesses and it's generally assumed that Athena (Greek) = Minerva (Roman). I only mentioned Juno or Vesta as alternatives to Minerva because they seemed to be more popular and some of their priestesses and rituals are better documented as a result. At the end of the day you're free to pick whichever one you like though. Being caught praying to "pagan" gods though might lead to a rather violent outcome.

Other than a few elite priestesses that were controlled and protected to a greater extent by the state - mostly to ensure they remained chaste till they were 30, no real care or concerned would've been given to the regular ones. To this end she could be either a distant family member or a friend of the family and as such her visit could potentially last for longer. Or her order might not have sufficient assets in the area and might've as such come to an agreement with a willing party to house her for the duration. Basically one extra mouth to feed in exchange for their family's exploits and piety being sung every now and then in certain parts of the Empire. Or she might have been part of the family, ended up in a messy marriage and likely following a messy divorce or some other scandal, took up vows to escape the shame and public eye and now she might want to return home, especially if nobody would really know about her past in the new province. There are all sorts of ways that this concept could still work regardless of other choices and limitations so don't be discouraged just yet.

I actually wanted to ask previously as well but what exactly do you mean by an insurrectionist? A slave planning a revolt? A regular citizen displeased with the way things are and speaking out against the local rulers? An important individual that dares question the decision making of the Emperor?

Foreign visitor would probably work if they're either some manner of emissary or perhaps a merchant. Merchant of sorts will likely allow you more chances to meet up with everyone. That's because such a character could be selling various natural resources, buying trinkets or finished products and at the same time also inform the Roman hotshots in the region as to the movements and attitudes of their neighbors. The general disposition of most individuals might also improve as a result, whereas being an emissary would pretty much entail the representative of another nation/tribe/whatever and so folks would likely be more guarded.

Freeing slaves is a noble goal... if perhaps suicidal as well. You are quite free, and somewhat even encouraged, to pursue it since it might lead to fun/interested outcomes but do keep in mind that the age of a bunch of freed slaves wouldn't quite be upon them yet, and that in outlying provinces slaves would generally be more carefully watched and more swiftly/harshly reprimanded. Also the fact that an open rebellion would lead to lots of casualties and should too much of the populace start running for the woods then the remaining ones might end up suffering a whole lot more as a result. As far as I'm concerned these would be fun and interested outcomes though, especially since they might affect some of our characters as well - hence why I'm not in the least opposed to you trying this out.

[Fury Aphrodisia]

Either way, I think I'm backing away from the Priestess angle. Mostly, it was chosen as a point that was going to eventually compliment the character's personality, less so the ease of access.

That said, if I do go dignitary, or any other foreign character, I would probably still have them worshiping "pagan" gods either way. I understand that might cause some issues.

The point of the priestess character would have been to have been steeped in the insular culture of the temple. While I know that there were some orders that were completely isolated, it doesn't look like that concept was going to work out, either way.

As far as insurrectionist, those would all be possibilities.

I'm not sure I would be going with merchant or anything of the like, since the area I'm speaking of was a much more bartered system and would not have had merchants as such, more than just tradesmen. Emissary would be a grey area. I'm not interested in playing something stuffy and politically-focused. It would be a character more active and wholly uninterested in playing by Roman rules. Would take a great deal of pleasure in flying in the face of Roman custom and sense of propriety. Most of my characters will be somehow contrary to Roman control. I'm not going to be playing a pro-state character, at least under this banner.

In fact, other than slave traders, I would assume that most of my characters would be Roman-negative.

[Foxy DeVille]

Foxy Oni - a female slave that has reached a pretty cushy position and will do anything to keep it. By cushy position I assume an above average level of trust with her masters to the point where she'd be known by name rather than just a generic slave and might as a result have a bit more pull with the other slaves? I was also going to ask whether you'd prefer a master or a mistress but currently there don't appear to be any PC dominas...

Nailed it. She'll have been with her master for quite some time now and has proven to be an asset in both business and the bedroom. So she's held in some regard and has a bit of stroke over the other slaves.

So I am considering the following to start with:

All the setting stuff work for me. I'm not too concerned with specific era for my character, I can adapt.

I never actually made a 4th question as the preference for smut would have always been in the hands of the players, but since pretty much everyone agreed with the presence of sexy times in the game let me then ask something more specific instead - do you have any particular pairings in mind or any specific kinks you'd like to see, or on the contrary to avoid? It's the sort of information that will likely become part of your character sheets as well, but more importantly it will help decide whether this should be played in the Bondage, NC or Extreme sections of the forum.

I'm kinky AF and my gal will be very accommodating. She's become quite the exhibitionist and submissive over the years. I'd prefer Extreme so my sexy slave could get up to all kinds of freakishness with a willing partner while giving a heads up to any reader via content tags.

[Kayrax]

@Fury Aphrodisia it would only cause issues if she'd be found out while in the act of praying, chanting, offering sacrifices to unknown idols or possibly dancing naked in the woods. The latter might not lead to religious assumptions but would probably lead to the questioning of her sanity... and possibly rape scenes. But yeah, so long as she wouldn't be found out all would be good potentially.

And yeah, that's the sort of merchant I considered in the first place. Basically taking various natural resources or raw ingredients from the "savages" up north, selling them to the civilized folks beyond the big wall(s) and then using the currency to buy worthless trinkets or a few fancy items to take back north in exchange for more pelts, plants, possibly salt or whatever else of worth that region might have and the Romans might have an interest in. And like I said, information might be worth a pretty coin as well.

Also, there could be plenty of reasons to hate Romans. If we're talking locals then they'd hate them as invaders first and foremost. But if we're talking other Romans then you could actually take the opposite outlook on living in a province. Much of the land there would be awarded by the Emperor to either deserving generals or to rich families that wanted to expand their wealth and possibly their status. Especially since Rome itself might prove too cutthroat to make the same attempt. But a newly acquired province? That held untapped potential and plenty of opportunities for those who wished to pursue them. At the same time however it meant moving away from the center of civilized world. Many facilities and benefits that might've been available in Rome would no longer be present in the boonies and plenty of people might hate that. It was also a common practice to remove one's rivals to such places by offering "promotions" and "gifts" of land and positions of power. And since refusing wouldn't really be a valid option... And there are plenty of other reasons to hate Romans even if Roman oneself.

@Foxy Oni it would depend on who your master is but you could potentially end up having plenty of control in a household, especially if the wife is either fairly naive/submissive or was otherwise married out of convenience in the first place. Just an idea to possibly consider. The presence of schemes and backstabbing or even double-backstabbing for potentially even greater rewards would definitely be nice to see though. Especially if it's decided to huddle up in one large mansion, in which case she could either play the intrigues and protect her master's interests or might instead decide to finally abandon him and try working with whoever might propose some vile plans instead... Oh, the juicy possibilities out there!

On that note, a question for everyone - how do you feel about potential character deaths? Cool? Not cool? Maybe if certain conditions are met?

[Foxy DeVille]

@Foxy Oni it would depend on who your master is but you could potentially end up having plenty of control in a household, especially if the wife is either fairly naive/submissive or was otherwise married out of convenience in the first place. Just an idea to possibly consider. The presence of schemes and backstabbing or even double-backstabbing for potentially even greater rewards would definitely be nice to see though. Especially if it's decided to huddle up in one large mansion, in which case she could either play the intrigues and protect her master's interests or might instead decide to finally abandon him and try working with whoever might propose some vile plans instead... Oh, the juicy possibilities out there!

On that note, a question for everyone - how do you feel about potential character deaths? Cool? Not cool? Maybe if certain conditions are met?

Oh she's all about the intrigue and it'll be cool to see what sort of world she'll get to operate in.

I'm cool with character death as long as it makes narrative sense and is treated properly.

[Fury Aphrodisia]

Well, I wasn't going to make religion out to be a big part of the life of whomever might be an outsider, but I think my tendency to be full of spite makes me want to actively make a character to fly in the face of Rome. The worst they can do it kill the person, and it's no loss to me. Druidic priest it is!

Merchants are not anything I'm remotely interested in. If someone wants to be a merchant, that's completely their own to choose, I just have no interest in it. I can't have any fun playing a character like that. There's plenty of ways to get information, if that's what I was after, but honestly it's probably not.

There's plenty of reasons to hold a grudge against Romans, even now in this day and age. But no, now I'm definitely set against playing a Pro-Roman character. Whoever it is is going to exist to fuck some shit up.

As far as I'm concerned, all the characters are expendable, barring player objection of course. It was Rome. Religion and war provided enough justification to kill just about anybody at any time for no reason at all. Provided the player of the character in question was okay with the thing - and please take this to mean I am okay with all that is not entirely nonsensical - kill them. Him or her. They are there to push buttons. A monolithic empire like Rome? Yeah, people are going to be drawn to it just to fuck shit up.

I am that hero.

[Kayrax]

For some reason the druid standing against Rome and fucking crap up made me think of Merlin in the first half of King Arthur (2004). Then again talk of religion and death also made me think of Jesus as well - the crucifixion bit in particular. So I guess... good luck being a hero and stirring up crap. And if you happen to become a martyr instead, well at least everyone will probably get to see a fancy (and potentially gruesome) execution. There should be plenty of fun to be had either way

[Fury Aphrodisia]

Precisely! Although, I'm not sure they'd be a martyr so much as just a dumb, contrary individual with more pride and general fuckery than they have survival instinct.