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roman_era
Table of Contents
The Roman Era
Dramatis Personae
ROMANS
Vitelius Cordatus - Christian Priest; converted Priest of Minerva
Cassia Servana- Roman poet
Cornelia Sabina - Roman Legionary; friends with Titus
Titus Verenus - Former scholar; friends with Cornelia
CELTS
Alasdair Gall - Celtic storyteller
Morgan Grannd - Celtic Warrior; sibling of Caitlin
Caitlin Grannd - Celtic hunter; sibling of Morgan
Fionn Dunaidh - Priest of Sulis; actually Sacrifice
Plot
The Humans' Story
Romans shipwrecked on island already inhabited by Celts. Most Romans drown, including all generals.
Start out split cleanly into factions.
Titus tries to gather food, badly. Caitlin snags some puffins to help. They become friends.
After an argument with Sacrifice that the fake priest wins by calling upon Sulis (Devotion), who manifests, the Roman priest realises that Minerva is an analogue of Sulis and goes back to worshipping that god. They merge their gods together into Sulis Minerva. Devotion is happy.
Cassia and Alasdair get on well from the outset and are sneaking out to tell stories around the campfire together. Romance blossoms.
Vitelius tries to convert other Romans to worship of Sulis Minerva to make Devotion more happy. Lots of arguments on the Roman side. Cornelia firmly against this. Cassia, enamoured with Alasdair, secretly thinks this might be a good idea, but keeps quiet. Ditto Titus, minus the whole being enamoured thing.
On Celtic side, Morgan discovers Caitlin’s friendship with Titus. Tentatively gets to know him, but very wary. Cornelia, discovering this, tells Titus to act as infiltrator. Titus pretends to go along with it for a while, but when ordered to kill Morgan (strongest warrior of the celtic tribe) refuses and kills her in her sleep with what will go on to become the Gladius of Betrayal. Runs away to live with the siblings.
Romans blame Cornelia’s death and Titus’ disappearance on the Celts. Romans attack the Celts, kill Vitelius and “kill” the fake priest. Sacrifice exits stage left for the rest of the story.
Morgan blames Titus and Caitlin for what the Romans are doing. Morgan kills Caitlin; Titus kills Morgan. Both kills made with the Gladius.
More Celts kill Titus. Alasdair and Cassia run away together and record events that led to the collapse, but are eventually hunted down by soldiers of both sides. Alasdair survives, decides he wants out of all this crap, and takes Escape's offer of a way out of the story.
The Stories' Story
| Written on the Columns | Simplified |
|---|---|
| The next Age begins with They Who Bear Gifts and They Who Are Adored. Between them both they gathered a wealth and guarded all they had with fervour. For a time they ruled, and there was peace But it was not to last | Sacrifice and Devotion are in the ascendant having made a lot of headway influencing the islanders. |
| As more became available, still they gathered more He Who Makes The Best Of Things was called in to help and he too cared for that gathered by They Who Are Adored and They Who Bear Gifts for what was found was precious in his eyes. Meanwhile, without the notice of the others She Who Plays With Hearts secreted away a tiny quantity and nurtured it to grow as she is wont to do. But even between all of them, they could not hold it all forever. | Sacrifice and Devotion plough ahead. Found Family assists with their plan because he fundamentally approves.\\Love Inconvenienced starts making a play with Cassia and Alasdair This wouldn't last. |
| Soon, this drew the gaze of The Storm Bound One. Piece by piece they stole from the others, and began to set their own against them. And while the others fought with all they had to protect what was theirs The Storm Bound One made use of all they had to tear down everything the others had built. Through their boundless spite, that which could not be taken was destroyed cast into fire or water. | Betrayal gets involved starts seeding their own influence the others are so busy trying to protect what they have they don't stop Betrayal using their own actors against them a lot of people die. |
| Even that being nurtured by She Who Plays With Hearts could not remain untouched This drew the eyes of He Who Calls The Storm as he took half of what she had gathered and put it in a place beyond the eyes of all where none would find it and still it remains. | The Cassia Alaisdair pair Love Inconvenienced has been working on is also compromised Escape offers Alaisdair a way out of the story |
| That was all to escape the scourge of The Storm Bound One as soon all that remained was fit only for them and He Who Takes All. It was not long before all was lost and this age, as all do came to a close.| | This makes it a win for Betrayal, with Loss cleaning up. Alaisdair leaves. Everyone else dies. |
Notes
Found Texts
Tell me a Story
[The following was found at the fire pit past the gorse.]
By Cassia, for [……..]1)
Tell me a story.
Not like your usual ones. Make no mistake, they are beautiful, and I could think of nothing better than to listen to you sing of your home.
But I have a special request this time. We have always said there is magic in the words we weave, and when you sing I can truly believe that.
Do not worry, this is a story you know well.
It is the tale of humble singer and a poet from a far-off land. Two who, despite all differences, saw in each other what they could never find in their own people.
Two kindred spirits telling tales by the fire.
Two souls brought together by the gods.
We both know this story well, at least to this point.
But from here things are unsure. People are dying.
So please, my love. If there is any power in the stories we tell, then let us write an ending together.
A tale where we are together in the end.
Tell me, my dear [……..]. Tell me a story.
Ghostly Re-enactment: Fireside Vision
“Caitlin.”
Three figures stand on the edge of the stone circle, not far from her own position. One is dressed in the manner of a Roman soldier, the rain sadly omitting to clatter off his lorica. The others…probably Celts. One, a woman, carries a bow in one arm and a dagger at her belt - a hunter, then? The other wields a shortsword, raises it in warning as the Roman approaches.
These figures are shadowy, certainly, but translucent?
The Roman soldier takes a few more steps towards the others. “Morgan, Caitlin… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“What happened?” The Celtic hunter (Caitlin) looks worried.
“Who?” enquires Morgan, somewhat sharply, evidently a step ahead of his friend.
The Roman bows his head. “I killed her. Cornelia. My comrade. She wanted me to… to….” His voice trails off.
The Celtic woman steps forwards. “It’s all right,” she tells him.
“She wanted me to kill you,” the Roman tells Morgan. “I couldn’t - she’d have….”
Morgan narrows his eyes, clearly suspicious. “I was right. You were spying on us, weren’t you?”
“At first. But I swear, I never knew she’d try to take things this far. She was obsessed. I couldn’t do it. I never could, not after everything you two have done for me.”
There is a lengthy pause before Morgan speaks next. “I’m… surprised. I’ve never exactly been kind to you.”
“But you didn’t deserve to die,” the Roman protests. “Not like that.” And then he whispers: “She didn’t, either.”
This time, the silence is agonising. It appears that none of the ghostly figures knows what to say.
“Well,” Morgan says at last, “I suppose you’ve shown which side you’re on - for now, at least. I’ll still be keeping an eye on you, though.”
“You always have,” the Roman grins, awkwardly. “I won’t let you down.”
Caitlin shifts in position - she must have been gripping her bow all this time. “Come on,” the hunter says, brightly. “I think I see Fionn and Vitelius. The evening rituals are about to start.” Another pause, and then: “Or am I going to have to drag both of you there?”
At last, the vision fades.
1)
The name is illegible. The letters are there, but trying to read them hurts your eyes.
roman_era.txt · Last modified: 2017/06/12 17:17 by gm_sally
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