Tycho
AFK Forum Warrior
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2011
- Messages
- 3,240
Praetorian legions from all corners of the Roman Empire assembled now in order to deal with the barbarian hordes streaming northward. Legions from Burdigala, Brunidisium, and Roma itself with armed gladiators marched now to assemble on the hills on the banks of Alysian River. Scouts reported that the barbarian hordes streaming northward were doing so because of a plague in the south and were armed with iron axes. Troubling news, but the Roman's had axes of their own and the Praetorians held the high ground to the east, the banks to the west, and Lugdunum's hills to the north. Once the barbarians fell into the forested valley below, they would have nowhere to go, trapped in the bottleneck with the Pyrennes mountains on one side on the Romans in front of them.
Not only that but the legendary commander Aurus Lupa, the Gold Wolf, was leading them, although being a hard as nails commander garnered respect from all of the army men.
A barbarian group of swordsmen attempted to assualt the Roman axemen and legions on the western banks of the Jango river. The axemen of the Roman cohorts drove forth and dueled to the death with the barbarian swordsmen, slaughtering them as they tried to retreat back across the river. The remaining bodies were dumped in the river and for three days the river ran red with blood and black with fly covered bodies.
As the Praetorian legions waited for the barbarian onslaught, Rome descended into total chaos as the general Aulus Numidius rose up and declared himself dictator for life, effectively sealing out the Roman Senate. Supporters of the senate and the men of Numidius's army clashed in the streets of Roma as anarchy rang out. The Gold Wolf who sat at the hold of Lugdunum and waited for the barbarians to come heeded no cry from either side to help them.
When the barbarians marched into the valley, the Gold Wolf issued a decree saying that those that surrendered would be spared and sold into slavery, while those that did not would have their mouths sewn shut and drowned in the Meditteranean Sea. The message was delivered to the barbarian leader Alacrus in prompt fashion as the Gold Wolf waited for the response.
The messenger's head was returned by nightfall, along with a sword sticking out of his left eye socket. For that insult, Lupa ordered no quarter to be given.
Censors carried on their duty nonetheless as anarchy reigned, bringing back reports of the empire's population close to five hundred fifty thousand civilians. It was grand news indeed after the capture of the Celtic town of Duructorium.
More barbarian soldiers advanced into the valley south of Lugdunum. The hardened Praetorians were not scared of a little stabbing match with the swordsmen, but the mercenaries were getting uncomfortable in their current situation.
The swordsmen were the first to attack the legions of Roma, and for that they paid the price. Many of them were slaughtered, and Aurus kept his promise and sewed the survivor's mouths shut and had them drowned in the sea.
The artist Li Po, one of the men credited for writing some of the best Roman poetry and literature, created a vast monument to the conquering Praetorian armies of Rome, creating a monument sure to increase the cultural power of Brundisium. Many of the Greeks from around the Peloponessian Peninsula came over to Brudisium and letting the Greek territory fall into disarray as they left, the former lands taken by Roma.
Numidius was assassinated by loyal Roman senators, which were in turn killed off by Aurus Lupa, who then siezed the crown of dictator for life. Taking the colors purple, he became known as the People's Caesar.
