A hushed voice

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

Oppius leaned over at a column at the back of the forum. Oppius was the young heir of the Cladius House, more clever than strong, he took to leading individuals. In this particular circumstance he was leading his friends in a group discussion concerning King Beralic's injust rule of Rome. Rumors had begin to pass through Rome that Beralic had passed laws through his puppet senate restricting income to a few cesterces, as well as dramatically shortening curfew for Romans.

Oppius glanced out at his friends through pale green eyes. He looked more like his mother, a woman of Britannian descent, fair skinned and light haired than his dark haired, tawny skinned father.

[Scipio Marcus [3 167BC]]

Marcus Scipio, a young equite, overheard Oppius' and his friends' conversation. He decided to walk over to them.

Although Marcus saw himself as fully Roman, his blue eyes gave his Germanian heritage away. After the Visigoths had taken over Rome, it had become a bubbling crackpot of different cultures. Just because Marcus' mother had been Germanian, it didn't mean he was shunned as he would have been before the arrival of the Visigoths. His black hair, however, was definately inherited from his Roman father. He was about average height, and rather muscular.

"Greetings", he said silently to the men as he approached. "I could not help overhearing a part of your conversation. My name is Marcus, of the house of Scipio, and I must agree with the fact that those barbarians are doing us no good."

He looked at each of the men surrounding Oppius, awaiting to be either welcomed to the conversation or chased away

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

Oppius cleared his throat, "Yes, we all have agreed to this. My name is Oppius of house Cladius, the eldest son of Lucius Cladius. Beralic has done deeds unthinkable, even Carthaginians would never have sunk to the leve of his tyranny. Rumor has it he executed a ex-Senator just because the sun did not stay in the sky long enough for his taste."

[Scipio Marcus [3 167BC]]

Marcus stared at Oppius in amazement. He had heard stories of Beralic's tyranny, but this was a little over the top.

"Well Oppius. Do you have something in mind to change Rome for the better?", Marcus asked with a tone of hopefulness in his voice. He detested the Visigoth-regime and dreamed of a free Rome

[Cornelius Tiberius [2-167BC]]

Tiberius leaned off to the side, his heritage pure, down to the last dark roots of hair on his head.
Stepping casually from behind a pillar, the young Cornelii spoke,

"If we are all so unsatisfied with Beralic, I suggest we make a move. I will be willing to head a small 'force', train them and equip them, my Great Uncle, Maximus Cornelius trained me from a young age to command, and I have several hidden stock piles off miss-matched legion gear."

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

"I agree with both of you. My friends and I have been discussing the formation of a liberation front, an underground movement."

[Scipio Marcus [3 167BC]]

"I would gladly take part in such a movement", Marcus said to Oppius. He then turned to Tiberius.
"I have been trained in the use of arms since a young age, as is the custom of the Scipii. I would be honoured to join your 'force'."

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

"I come from a military background as well, descendant of generals and admirals, the fathers of the Cladii House. The youth's rebellion, hmph? Well, we will need more than a handful of men. We will need to gather some sort of force...And the punishments if we are caught...they are almost assuredly death."

[Cornelius Titus [3-167BC]]

A tall fit boy comes out of the shadows, his dark hair glistening in the dull light, A Cornelius no doubt, He speaks in a deep hushed voice.

"Hello fellow youths, i am Titus from the house of Cornelius. I have been trained in the arts of combat for quite some time and am willing to assist in a rebellion against the Barbarians. Give me a sword and i will help in leading the way."

He steps back towards the shadows, awaiting the responses of the group.

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

"Welcome to the underground, Cornelius Titus. You're in." "Unfortunately we don't have any scrolls from the past to tell us what has worked, the only things that have survived through the ages have been our oral tradition. Interestingly enough, this has been the first successful foreign takeover in Rome in well...ages." "Perhaps we should start to formulate our underground first."

[Cornelius Titus [3-167BC]]

Cornelius Titus steps back into the light

"Very well, perhaps we shall start an underground, We will need supplies and housing. I am willing to work on a farm to provide food as long as other are willing to contribute is a different way. Perhaps buying houses to meet at and weapons for the underground, these are just ideas, Feel free to step in at anytime and alter my suggestions."

[Cladius Amulius [3-167BC]]

Amulius was standing on the side, half listening to the words spoken by the group gathered behind his back. Amulius, a short but firm man, he’s heritage unclear at best. Rumors has it he’s mixed with the blood of slaves from the east. He is a part of the Claudius tribe, and the presence of Oppius in the conversation seemed to relax him.

He has decided, eventually, to approach the group. “Do you realize what you are talking about? So careless! The whole room can hear you easily! Hush down now, my dear friends! I am Amulius”, he said. “I would most like to join this group, but I hesitate to align myself with such reckless man, who cannot keep their voice down.” he’s small, brown eyes, giving he’s cunningness away, says more than words. He is clearly excited at the opportunity. “I am not a man of the sword, but I assure you, my skills are to be reckoned with”.

[Cladius Oppius [2-167BC]]

"Amulius speaks well, friends, our voices must be hushed to a whisper, lest our skulls be crushed to a pulp. There are positions possible in the 1st and 2nd legions as centurions. Each commands a hundred men...Perhaps if we all could garner support in the legions, which are stationed outside of Rome and Ostia respectively, we could really start something here."

[Scipio Marcus [3 167BC]]

"I must agree with Oppius", Marcus said. "I will join the legions, and hopefully gather enough support there. Who's with me?"

[Gracchus Maximus [3-167BC]]

Looking to the west a young man with jet black hair and blue eyes looks benevolently upon the crowd situated in a circle. Dark Skinned his body bears the mark of Rome. He strides over with a gait of an animal...perhaps a lion...Or perhaps a Gracchus. His heritage is a mix of Roman and Brittanish. His father was a proud warrior of the Imperial legion in Brittania, his mother....a woman whose father was a soldier fighting the Imperial army long gone. She had fair skin and pale blue eyes. Maximus's father came to Rome without him during the Visigoth war...he lead many great charges but eventually lost his life to a druid spy. This left Maximus no choice but to come to Rome and make a name for himself in honor of his father, and his hated enemy......the Visigoths.

In a voice proud and strong obviously in his genes hes speaks, "My name is Maximus. Fellow Equites, is it not time for this youth rebellion to get serious? You say that we should keep our voices down but is this not what we all think here! Beralic has come to our lands to exploit them, he steps upon with a terrible foot all things Roman. I Will join this band of free thinkers. Together we shall cast down the false King and take his head as a sign of the New Rome." He says these things estatically with a gleam of madness in his eyes. The madness of a genious.

"Marcus, I am with you"