Post by Romae Fabulus on Jun 27, 2006 0:08:31 GMT -5
Cladius Oppius sat with his fellow outlawed legionnaires at their planning table, reviewing news from Rome. There had been riots in Rome and recently there had been an arrest of the Legatus of Legio I. It seemed that the revolution was kicking into gear.
Oppius was debating with his lieutenants possible locations to retreat to. After hours of discussion they finalized that the population of Marsi, a town to the east of Rome would for the most part welcome them. Marsi seemed a city that had been spared much of the Visigoth presence.
After their meeting Oppius met with many men including the man who had fired the arrow that started the whole revolution it seemed.
Oppius questioned how he felt that this accident came from his bow. A deep laugh came from the man's chest as he said, "It was no accident. I have a good eye with my bow and I knew exactly where the wind would take this, especially with the lack of a feather."
Oppius smiled, he knew this man who was not much younger than him was very similar, in fact, he thought he had seen him before. "Hmph, do you I know you? I have I seen you before?"
Again deep laughter erupted, "There is a good explanation. I won't let you feel sorry, but I am a little ashamed you did not recognize me sooner, I am your cousin Cladius Trudilus. Your father was my father's brother. It's been years since I've seen you, in fact I joined up with this cohort specifically to serve under you as I knew we'd meet again."
"Such interesting circumstances", Oppius commented as he smiled, "Well regardless, I would like to commend you for such a brave and noble deed. Standing up for your own brothers is a duty amongst Romans, I am glad to see you have it. I am hereby promoting you to be the Centurion of Centuria I, instead of me, as I am now Tribune."
Trudilus began to speak but Oppius said, "Thank me later, I need to speak with my officers again."
Oppius sent his cohort forward towards Marsi and as they marched they picked up Romans along the road, not many, but more than fifty travelers who were soon armed by the cohort. As Marsi loomed closer, his men were tired but rest would revieve them shortly before any conflict. Oppius sent a messenger into Marsi to discuss with the Mayor whether his cohort would be welcome, and if these were men loyal to Rome. His answer was frank, Yes, your men will be welcomed. I recognize civil war has started, and for all time my loyalties have lied with Rome. My citizens for the most part believe the same, as our Visigoth presence is relatively low. There will be fights but we will contain them. It was signed with the Mayor's name followed by S.P.Q.R.
After tossing and turning for two hours Oppius was finally able to sleep and he slept well for the rest of the night. The next day he reported to his officers as they were told after a day of brief training with their new men they would enter the city and declare Rome reborn.
Oppius gathered the entire cohort before him and took a scroll from his belt. "My brothers! This is a warrant for my arrest, from the King himself." "Well, this is what think of the King and his decrees", Oppius said as he took his gladius and cut straight through the arrest warrant. "MEN! Move on to Marsi! We will rid them of their Goth sympathizers and be welcomed in their halls.
After reaching Marsi, the gates were opened to Oppius and his men and the first welcoming was a volley of arrows from Visigoth sympathizers who had broken free of containment. Several men were killed, but Oppius rushed forth with Trudilus alongside him as well as the rest of the cohort and within two minutes the twenty or so men who had shot at them were all dead or deserted from the gates. An out of breath messenger gave them word that the Mayor was putting down Visigoth garrisons all over the city and while they and while they had lost over two hundred men they had killed many more. The Mayor considered the town loyal to Nova Roma, and this was supported when Oppius entered the town's center where he was greeted by several hundred citizens.
Oppius slept well after having fought less than he imagined he would have, though he knew that he was not close to being safe he had won both run-in's with the Visigoths and for that, he deserved atleast a morale boost.
By the end of the week Oppius had received well over two hundred recruits from the town of Marsi and he was overseeing the constant training of the guardforce alongside his own cohort.
Things looked good, but this was only Marsi, a town a hundred times smaller than Rome, with only ten thousand inhabitants. When the Visigoths heard of his momentary victories they would send much larger armies, perhaps more than ten times what he had at Marsi.
Oppius rested, however, and with a smile.
Results
The city of Marsi is 95% loyal to Nova Roma
423 Visigoth loyalists killed in Marsi
126 Visigoth loyalists captured in Marsi
208 Marsi guards killed
52 Marsi guards wounded
17 Roman legionnaires killed
9 Roman legionnaires wounded
255 Roman citizens recruited into Cohort I of Legio I which now numbers over 700 men.
Cladius Trudilus promoted to Centurion of Centuria I
Oppius was debating with his lieutenants possible locations to retreat to. After hours of discussion they finalized that the population of Marsi, a town to the east of Rome would for the most part welcome them. Marsi seemed a city that had been spared much of the Visigoth presence.
After their meeting Oppius met with many men including the man who had fired the arrow that started the whole revolution it seemed.
Oppius questioned how he felt that this accident came from his bow. A deep laugh came from the man's chest as he said, "It was no accident. I have a good eye with my bow and I knew exactly where the wind would take this, especially with the lack of a feather."
Oppius smiled, he knew this man who was not much younger than him was very similar, in fact, he thought he had seen him before. "Hmph, do you I know you? I have I seen you before?"
Again deep laughter erupted, "There is a good explanation. I won't let you feel sorry, but I am a little ashamed you did not recognize me sooner, I am your cousin Cladius Trudilus. Your father was my father's brother. It's been years since I've seen you, in fact I joined up with this cohort specifically to serve under you as I knew we'd meet again."
"Such interesting circumstances", Oppius commented as he smiled, "Well regardless, I would like to commend you for such a brave and noble deed. Standing up for your own brothers is a duty amongst Romans, I am glad to see you have it. I am hereby promoting you to be the Centurion of Centuria I, instead of me, as I am now Tribune."
Trudilus began to speak but Oppius said, "Thank me later, I need to speak with my officers again."
Oppius sent his cohort forward towards Marsi and as they marched they picked up Romans along the road, not many, but more than fifty travelers who were soon armed by the cohort. As Marsi loomed closer, his men were tired but rest would revieve them shortly before any conflict. Oppius sent a messenger into Marsi to discuss with the Mayor whether his cohort would be welcome, and if these were men loyal to Rome. His answer was frank, Yes, your men will be welcomed. I recognize civil war has started, and for all time my loyalties have lied with Rome. My citizens for the most part believe the same, as our Visigoth presence is relatively low. There will be fights but we will contain them. It was signed with the Mayor's name followed by S.P.Q.R.
After tossing and turning for two hours Oppius was finally able to sleep and he slept well for the rest of the night. The next day he reported to his officers as they were told after a day of brief training with their new men they would enter the city and declare Rome reborn.
Oppius gathered the entire cohort before him and took a scroll from his belt. "My brothers! This is a warrant for my arrest, from the King himself." "Well, this is what think of the King and his decrees", Oppius said as he took his gladius and cut straight through the arrest warrant. "MEN! Move on to Marsi! We will rid them of their Goth sympathizers and be welcomed in their halls.
After reaching Marsi, the gates were opened to Oppius and his men and the first welcoming was a volley of arrows from Visigoth sympathizers who had broken free of containment. Several men were killed, but Oppius rushed forth with Trudilus alongside him as well as the rest of the cohort and within two minutes the twenty or so men who had shot at them were all dead or deserted from the gates. An out of breath messenger gave them word that the Mayor was putting down Visigoth garrisons all over the city and while they and while they had lost over two hundred men they had killed many more. The Mayor considered the town loyal to Nova Roma, and this was supported when Oppius entered the town's center where he was greeted by several hundred citizens.
Oppius slept well after having fought less than he imagined he would have, though he knew that he was not close to being safe he had won both run-in's with the Visigoths and for that, he deserved atleast a morale boost.
By the end of the week Oppius had received well over two hundred recruits from the town of Marsi and he was overseeing the constant training of the guardforce alongside his own cohort.
Things looked good, but this was only Marsi, a town a hundred times smaller than Rome, with only ten thousand inhabitants. When the Visigoths heard of his momentary victories they would send much larger armies, perhaps more than ten times what he had at Marsi.
Oppius rested, however, and with a smile.
Results
The city of Marsi is 95% loyal to Nova Roma
423 Visigoth loyalists killed in Marsi
126 Visigoth loyalists captured in Marsi
208 Marsi guards killed
52 Marsi guards wounded
17 Roman legionnaires killed
9 Roman legionnaires wounded
255 Roman citizens recruited into Cohort I of Legio I which now numbers over 700 men.
Cladius Trudilus promoted to Centurion of Centuria I