KhaNESII: S.P.Q.R

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

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KhaNESII: S.P.Q.R

The year is 78BCE. Sulla, the dictator who showed the power of the Army in politics and ruled through sheer force of arms, is dead. He has reformed Rome, abolishing the title of Tribune of the Plebeians, and has now declared Rome's rule the sole prerogative of the Senate. But his reforms cost him dearly - he was assassinated by a furious plebeian, and the resulting riots almost plunged Rome once more into civil conflict. However, the Senate has stepped forth to reassert its power, and desperate to stave off another civil war, it has convened to elect a new set of Consuls. But how long can Rome's democracy survive, as dictatorship and war threatens on every flank?

The Republic of Rome
The Roman Republic is the organisation that all of you belong to. You are all representatives of the Republic, in its duty passed on by the Gods to bring civilisation to Europe and beyond, and create an Empire to stand the test of time.

The Republic is governed at any time by two Consuls and the Senate (the esteemed gentlepersons I see before me.) The consuls and senators have powers that are described below. Many of the consular powers pertain to the statistics of the Republic itself, which are explained below.

Example Stats said:
The Republic of Rome
Consuls: Gnaeus Pompeius (Alice), Marcus Licinius Crassus (Bob)
Funds: 25 (+125)
Legions:
Legio I (5000 Legionnaires) - Julius Caesar (Carol), Germania
Legio II (4800 Legionnaires) - Marcus Scipio (David), Transalpine Gaul
Legio III (5000 Legionnaires) - No Commander, Rome
Legio IV (3600 Legionnaires) - Julius Caesar (Carol), Germania

Consuls: The current consuls of the Republic. Players in parentheses.
Funds: The funds available in the Republic's Treasury. Republican Treasury funds are for recruiting legions, building buildings in Rome itself (which has no governor), and for Republic-wide policies (e.g. free Grain Laws.) Funds per turn are in parentheses.
Legions: the legions available to the Republic. First thing in a line is the name of the Legion. The second is the number of legionnaires in the Legion. Third is the Name of the commander of the Legion, fourth is the location of the Legion and its commander. If no commander is assigned to a legion, it is located in Rome and cannot move until a commander is assigned to it.

All the characters in KOTOR are the Senators of the Roman Republic. Characters have their own military, intrigue, and management ratings, traits, and possibly funds, holdings, and armies. An example character stats looks like this;

Name: Julius Caesar (Carol)
Location: Germania (CAMPAIGN)
Command: 4
Intrigue: 5
Management: 5
Governorships: Transalpine Gaul
Funds: 3 (+10)
Armies:
Legio I: 5000 Legionaries
Legio IV: 3600 Legionaries
Personal Army: 600 Auxiliaries, 100 Equites
Traits:
Talented Commander: +2 Command
Beloved By His Men: +1 Command
Great Orator: +1 Military, +2 Intrigue, +1 Management
Backroom Schemer: +2 Intrigue
Ex-Consul: +1 Intrigue, +1 Management
Good With Numbers: +1 Management
Stern Taxman: +1 Management
Corrupt: -1 Management

Name: Self explanatory. Player in parentheses.
Location: Where the character is currently located. If not on campaign, it will be in their governership province. If they do not have a governorship, it will be in Rome. If the character is on campaign, their location will be shown on the map as well, as a dot with a number next to it that will be relevant to a legend on the side of a map.
Military: The character's military score. Determines how good a commander he is, and partially determines your success in battle.
Intrigue: The character's intrigue score. Shows how good he is at the scheming and plotting of the Roman Republic. Determines diplomacy with NPC nations and assassinations.
Management: The character's management score. Shows how good a character is at managing the day to day running of a territory. Determines how much income a governor gets from a province
Governorships: What provinces a senator is governor of. Provinces provide income to the character.
Funds: How much money the character has. You spend your funds on provinces you are the governor of and recruiting soldiers in provinces you are the governor of, as well as some other policy you may think of.
Armies: The armies under the character's command. Legions are granted by order of the Senate, while personal forces are always under your command until you grant them to someone else. Armies follow you around absolutely - you cannot leave them behind to defend something, you must be with them at all times.
Traits: What traits your character possesses, which determine their score. They happen semi-randomly, but doing certain things can increase the chances of getting a trait. Traits can be good or bad.

Provinces

A sample province sheet looks like this;

Name: Transalpine Gaul
Governor: Julius Caeser (Carol)
Value: 4
Stability: 7
Buildings: Temple of Mercury, Large Barracks, Blacksmith, Archery Range, Marketplace, Port Facilities, Wooden Walls

Name: Self explanatory
Governor: The governor of the province
Value: How much money the province provides to the Republic and the Governor. The amount of money to both the Republic and Governor is equal to:
Value if Management=0
1.5*Value if Management=1
(Value*Management) if Management=>2
Stability: How stable the province is, out of 10.
Buildings: These are the buildings that can be built in a province. Buildings give certain bonuses to the builder or the governor of the province.

Spoiler List of buildings :

Units
Senators can build the following units.

Spoiler Units :

Senatorial Powers:

Senators have the following powers.
1) Every four seasons, they may vote in consular elections, UNLESS they are declared rebels, in secession, or on campaign.

2) Every four years, after Consular elections, they may propose and vote on laws. Laws are non-binding instructions on the functioning of the republic e.g. no armies in Roma province, all funds for the next 10 years must be put into armies, all senators must wear funny hats, etc. I will decide if something is a valid law or not - I don't want you guys screwing with the constitution much, if at all. Laws are non-binding, but thats only for character purposes - breaking a Law might bring the ire of the Republic and Senate upon you, so be warned. Its up to the players. Laws may also be 'resolutions'; that is, a formal request for the Consuls to do something in their bills. Resolutions are in an OOC sense non-binding, but you may draw the ire of the other senators if you ignore them. A Consul can in an OOC sense ignore resolutions passed into Law, but remember; a resolution passed into law is a formal request from the Senate as a whole, and ignoring it may add positive or negative traits. As always, the choice is yours. Laws can be vetoed if both Consuls agree to veto it, but otherwise it is binding in an IC sense.

3) A senator may declare himself a Rebel. (see below)

4) A senator has full control over their personal funds and armies, unless such army is under the power of somebody else.

Voting on Laws

Voting on Laws is done by a simple Yes/No vote on every law. The law is passed if more people vote yes than no. No senator who has a Legion at the time of voting, is on Campaign, or is a Rebel can vote.

Consuls

Every two years (4 Seasons, i.e. 4 turns), the Senate assembles in Rome to elect 2 Consuls. After the election of the Consuls, they must put out a Bill which contains the Republic Orders for each Season. Both Consuls must sign off on the final bill, and only one may be put out. Discussion on the bill may be public or private. The bill has the following powers.

Regular Powers: Will be done every year, in the form of a Bill.

1) Assign governorship to any character of any province.

2) Assign a Legion to the command of any character, and send him on Campaign.

3) Spend the Republican Treasury on whatever projects, including recruiting legions. Spending the Republican Treasury is done in Bills, and not in orders - (the Republic itself doesn't do orders, as its armies are under the control of Generals and its spending is done by bill). The Republic may also grant its funds on Senators to do with as they will, or alternatively it may specifically purchase buildings in provinces. It may also spend the treasury on improvements within Rome.

4) Send any senator as an envoy to an NPC nation.

5) Issue a declaration of war to an NPC nation.

6) Declare any character a rebel or declare their return to the fold.

7) Pass ingame policies and laws, eg. a limit on the size of farms, free all slaves, ban slavery as a whole, create new provinces, the creation of a Republic-wide bureaucracy for gladiatorial games… etc.

8) Issue non-binding (in an OOC sense) instructions to characters.

Extraordinary Powers: Will come up at other times

8) Call on a vote for a Dictatorship. (must be signed off by both consuls, may be done at the start of the turn order, when Consuls declare their candidacy)

Any bill can be vetoed if one Consul requests a vote for a veto with a 75% majority. If so, no bill is published this season. If no compromise can be reached by the due date for bills, no bill is published and all terms from last bill apply.

Governorships
Provinces can be granted to governors as governorships. Having a governor improves the funds the province contributes to the Republic's treasury by a certain amount, depending on the character's management score. It also provides funds to the governor, depending on the province's wealth itself and the management score of the governor. Governorships are granted in bills by Consular appointment, and remain in place until a Bill specifically grants the governorship to another character. Governors are responsible for the management of their province, and have control over all spending and recruitment within the province, though it is done with their own funds. Will you grant the best provinces to the most talented managers in order to increase the Republic's wealth? Or will you trade governorships for favours and victory in elections? The choice is yours.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Armies and Legions
Legions are handed out to characters to command, to send them on Campaign. A Campaign is an attempt by a character to lead an army into battle against an enemy. Any character that is granted a Legion by the Senate is considered to be on Campaign, and cannot vote. Characters may also declare themselves on Campaign, and also cannot vote.

A Legion is distinct from a personal army. A Legion is one composed of Legionaires, which can only be built by the Roman Republic from their own treasury. Personal armies are composed of auxiliaries, archers, and equites, and can only be built from personal treasuries. Controlling a personal army means you still have full rights as a senator, but if you are in possession of a legion, you cannot vote, even if you are still in Rome. (This is to simulate cases such as Gaius Marius and his allies waiting for Sulla to leave for campaign before overthrowing the Optimates.)

Armies are under the total and completely loyal command of the commander, be it Legion or personal. A character may use an Army or do whatever he likes, even march on Rome or another character. Armies follow you wherever you go, unless told otherwise. However, armies cannot fight battles without being attached to a commander. So, you can, for example, leave your infantry behind in a province to pursue an enemy with your cavalry, but if the province is attacked they will merely hold out under siege and not attack the besiegers. You can send armies to other Senators without you, but they will not go on the offensive or sally or something unless under another General's command.

Battles are decided by partially by RNG and partially by the strategies characters lay out in their orders. Characters may die in battles - if so, they are removed from play.

Will you grant your enemies Legions to get them out of Rome to pass a bill they will not like? And will you use you Legion to march on Rome and replace a corrupt Consul? The choice is yours.

Recruitment

Armies are recruited from a province specifically. If you are a governor, then you may recruit soldiers from any provinces under your control (it is assumed that they are recruited and march to join you). If you do not control a province, you may still recruit soldiers from another province WITH THE PERMISSION OF A GOVERNOR.
Permission for a character to recruit from another governor's province must be included in the governor's orders. The option of recruiting from a a governor's province is only available to Senators without governorships - governors must recruit from their own provinces. You must be physically in a province to recruit from another governor's provinces (as such, you cannot recruit from two provinces if you control none of them).

Here is a sample of recruiting from another governor's province.

Spoiler Tiberius Gracchus' Orders :

…Travel to Transalpine Gaul…
…WIth permission from the Governor of Transalpine Gaul, Julius Caesar (Carol) spend 9 Funds on recruiting 100 Equites…

Spoiler Julius Caesar's Orders :

… grant permission for Tiberius Gracchus (Tim) to recruit from Transalpine Gaul.

Envoys
Envoys are characters specifically deputed by the Consuls to negotiate on behalf of the Roman Republic with Barbarian NPC nations. An Envoy will travel to the Barbarian government to negotiate with them, be it a peace treaty or an alliance. Any terms negotiated by an envoy are binding, whether the Consul agrees with the terms or not. Terms must be negotiated in private. (To avoid people setting a precedent for negotiating in public and hence removing the whole 'selling out opponents territory' thing from the game.) Will you use your position as an envoy to get the best deal you can get from the Barbarians? Or will you abuse it to sell away the lands of your enemies? The choice is yours.

NPCs
NPCs are non-Roman nations that cannot be playable by anyone, ever. They exist to be fought or bargained with by Senators. Only a designated envoy can negotiate with a Barbarian nation on behalf of the Republic. However, any Senator may conduct their own diplomacy on behalf of themselves only. Barbarian nations may come to you with offers, perhaps to betray their allies or to join with you in alliance.

Rebellion
A character may be declared in rebellion by the Consuls, or go into rebellion themselves by their own free will. A Rebel is free game for all characters. You may declare your rebellion at any time, effective immediately, but Consuls may only declare you a Rebel in a bill. Rebels cannot vote. You rebel with any army in your control at the time. On rebellion, a Rebel with a governor's position may try to take his province with him into rebellion. If enough people and their provinces are in rebellion and agree to do so, they may attempt to form a Government-in-Exile, which, if enough people agree to it, will have its own separate and private Senate thread.

A character can be rehabilitated from rebellion in one of two ways. Firstly, they may be welcomed back into the fold by a bill from a Consul. Secondly, a rebel may take Rome and, for the first year, be named a dictator. (See below).
A rebel may not be named as an envoy or a governor by the Consul, and must be rehabilitated first.

Dicatorship
A dictatorship is a state of government when one person is invested with all the powers of the Consul. The dictator may pass any bill, on his own, which cannot be vetoed.

There are two ways a dictatorship can come about. Firstly, if a rebel seizes Rome, then he is declared Dictator for 4 seasons. (This is mainly so he can declare all his enemies rebels and do whatever he wants to simulate a rebel actually seizing Rome.) The second way is for both Consuls, in an emergency, declare a vote for Dictatorship. The Consuls nominate any single senator (even one with an army) as Dictator, and hold a vote on whether to give the candidate dictatorial powers or not. Both Consuls must agree to the choice of Dictatorial candidate. If successful, the candidate is given dictatorial powers for 4 seasons. A dictator's term may be extended by a majority vote at the end of the term, which happens before consular elections if the dictator requests an extension of his powers.

Voting on Dictatorships
To vote for a dictatorship, senators must either vote for the Dictatorship or against the Dictatorship. No senator who is in possession of a Legion at the time of voting or is a Rebel can vote.

Assassinations
There is one other way to kill a senator outside of battle. You may attempt to assassinate a senator. To assassinate a senator, you must assemble a conspiracy of senators, all of which must include 'join assassination attempt on X' in their orders. The attempt may succeed or fail, depending on your influence score, but it is safe to say that having more people in a plot will make it more likely to be successful. However, be warned - the attempt may be revealed on failure or success.

Voting on Consuls
When a vote for a consul is called, you must signify that you are voting for ONE particular senator who is running for consul. The two senators who have the most votes will be the Consuls for the next four seasons. No senator who is in possession of a Legion at the time of voting or is a Rebel can vote.

Trials
In case of a particularly grievous act (namely, Treason Against the Republic), a trial of an offender may be called for. A trial is a BIG DEAL. The NES is halted while a trial is in effect. As a result, if I think the situation does not warrant a trial and that one would be frivolous, I will flat out veto a trial as mod.

Trials are called for by a Consul, after the revelation of serious wrongdoing by some party. For example, Julius Caesar (Carol) presents evidence that Tiberius Gracchus (Tim) was conspiring with the Germanians in order to 'accidentally' lose the Relief of Segesta, causing the province of Illyria to fall. This was a clearcut case of Treason against the Republic. In light of this news, Consul Gnaeus Pompeiius (Alice) calls for a Vote for a Trial against Tiberius Gracchus. Over 50% of the Senate must vote in favour of a Trial for it to go ahead. Alternatively, in the case of wrongdoing by BOTH Consuls, a Senator must call for a trial, at which point a Vote for a Trial happens.

If a Vote for a Trial is successful, the NES goes into 'Trial Mode.' First, a Prosecutor (selected by the Person who demanded the Trial) presents the case for guilt against the defendant, with any evidence he may have (there will be some time to gather evidence). Then, the Defendant (or his Lawyer, who he selects to represent him) presents the case for innocence. After this, I will take PM'd submissions for questions for the Defendant from any and all senators, which I will publish in a big post. The Defendant must answer these questions. After this, the Senate must vote on the Defendant's guilt. If above half the Senate votes that he is Guilty, the Defendant is found guilty by the Trial.

If guilty, the Defendant is punished by losing all his offices, his titles, his Legions, and his funds. His armies remain with him, however. A guilty verdict may be followed by the defendant being declared a rebel.

A note on Trials and Rebellions: A Trial may NOT be called on someone who just stopped being a Rebel. Trials are something that should START a Civil War, not as a punishment for people ending one. Trials are meant to be a really big deal, and show the breakdown in order in the Senate to the point that betrayal is happening. I don't expect more than one trial in the entire game, and that Trial will be the root of a gigantic civil war which will consume the entire Senate or something. So call your Trials wisely.

Changing the Constitution of the NES
You can't do it. Don't even bother. I will not let you. The senate is complex enough as is.

Turn Order
The turns go;
1. Consular Candidates declare candidacy (if at time for consular elections). [If previous consuls are calling for a vote on dictatorship, they do so now.]
2. Vote on Consuls
3. Senators propose laws
4. Senators vote on laws.
5. Consuls prepare bill.
6. Bill is published.
7. I request orders from each of you.
8. Update, go to Step 1.

An Example of Several Turns
1. Alice, Bob, Carol and David declare their candidacy for the Consulship.
2. Alice votes for herself, Bob votes for himself, Carol votes for herself, David votes for himself, Edward votes for Alice, Fred votes for Bob, Greg votes for Carol, Harry votes for David, Irene votes for Alice, Joe votes for Bob, Kerry votes for Alice. Alice and Bob win the elections are now consuls.
3. Fred proposes a law that bans cats in the Forum. Kerry proposes a law that all armies must march to Gaul immediately.
4. Senators vote on Fred and Kerry's laws. Fred's fails to pass, but Kerry's passes.
5. Alice and Bob publish their bill for the season. Edward and Irene are given a Legion each in the bill.
6. Orders. Everybody builds things. Edward and Greg (who declares himself on campaign in the orders) march to Gaul, as per Kerry's law. Irene, however, decides to break the Law, and marches on Parthia instead.
7. Joe and Fred propose laws. Edward, Greg and Irene cannot vote, as they are on campaign and will not abandon their campaigns until the end of the season.

Ending the NES
This NES will end when I believe it has come to a fittingly dramatic conclusion; that is, when somebody has won a Civil War and is now functionally dictator for life, and their position is so secure that I may rule that they declare themselves Imperator. The resulting (lets face it, its going to be inevitable) civil war will likely be the climax of the NES, and the victors will be the 'winners' of the NES.
This is highly contextual, however, and if I judge that the NES still has potential to continue, then it will not be the end of the NES. For context, if history was this NES, Octavian's victory over Anthony would end the NES, but Caesar's over Pompey would not.

General Rules
IC-OOC arguments: I predict this might get pretty heated - I don't think in most NESes you are actively voting against each other or trying to sway hearts and minds. Please keep OOC statements polite, and maintain a very clear distinction between IC and OOC discussion.

Parties: Parties have no official status in this NES. You're welcome to create your own with logos and everything, but they have no effect on the core rules of the NES.

If you require any clarification on something, do not hesitate to ask. I'm doubt these rules are 100% comprehensive, and there may be something I have not elaborated on.

Armies: Each character only has one army, so overarching campaign strategies aren't really applicable here. In this case, what is applicable are battlefield tactics, which is something that I don't think comes up frequently in NESing. A sample military orders section would read something like;
"March north into Latium en-route to Rome. Engage in battle against the army of Lucius Crassus if he is present.
When battle is joined, arrange the Legio I in the front lines, flanked by the equites on the left flank. Arrange the velites in a skirmishing line in front of the Legio, and the archers in front of the velites. Attempt to harass the enemy army into charging our lines. When the enemy forces begin to charge, the velites and archers are to withdraw behind the Legio I, which prepares to take the blow of the charging enemies. When enemy forces are engaged against the Legio, the Equites come out of the flank to strike the rear of the enemy formation, causing chaos and trapping them between the hammer of the Equites and the anvil of the Legion. If victorious, pursue to the gates of Rome, and lay siege to the city."

New Players

New players are always welcome to join the NES. Just give us a name (a good random name generator is here, and some information on Roman names can be found here), a brief personal history, and I'll tack up some traits. Then you're free to do whatever you like within the Senate and get politicking!

Hints and Tips
Be wary about handing out all your Legions to your close allies - it means they can't vote for your legislation/dictatorship. Similarly, be wary of handing out all your Legions to your enemies, to get them out of the way - it might backfire on you too. Balance is key. Balance and luck, anyway.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Current Status:

Orders Phase

All Senators are to send Orders for this Season. You have 5 days to send orders.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Laws In Effect

Law 1.4: Expansion of the Grain Dole - The grain dole will be expanded to feed all citizens, male, female, and children, that cannot afford to purchase food for the following year.
Proposed by: Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius (erez87)

Law 1.5: All people that were exiled by Sulla will be allowed to return.
Proposed by: Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius (erez87)

Law 1.6: Government salaries - all men employed by the senate for the coming year will be paid according to ability - A general will receive 3x military skill, an envoy will receive 2x intrigue skill. A bonus may be given to those who do exceptionally well, but they pay will be calculated at the beginning of every year the man is employed.
Proposed by: Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius (erez87)

Law 1.8: A General who conquers a province will automatically become the governor of that province. In case two generals co-conquered the province, the general with the greatest amount of contribution to the war effort will become the governor.
Proposed by: Rufus Amidarus Laconibus

1.3.1: Initiate the office of the Praetor Parricidii (with choice of who to fill that office to be made by consuls in agreement after the bill passes if it does)- voting 'aye' does not signify that i would automatically fill that that office- the choice would be the consuls.

1.3.2: Initiate legal proceedings to capture and try the mob who killed the rebel patricians under the direction of the local governor Consul Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius.

1.3.3: Initiate legal proceedings to try the defecting legionaires. They should not just be offered early retirement for their trechery. I consider myself an EXTREMELY devoted supporter of our soldiers and am PROUD to have served in Rome's military but we cannot allow this sort of defection to be ignored. I don't call for their heads- merely for our laws and traditions to serve the function they are meant to.

1.3.7: Accept Marcus Titus Scipio's offer to return to Rome so as to make it very clear that he is loyal to the senate. Appoint a new commander to assist in the battle with the central Gaillic confederation and command of the 1st. I recommend reappointing Marcus Titus Scipio in another theater - he has proven himself an able commander and we have need of them in the field. The final decision would be that of the consuls.

1.3.8: Invest the governor of Hispania with the formal powers of an Envoy of Rome and have him meet with the Celtiben and Vascones to engender local diplomatic support and to prevent opportunism from these tribes while we deal with Transalpine Gaul and Gaius Caesar. (point edited in light of fellow senators wise arguments)

1.3.9: Any war started without the prior express permission of the Senate/Consuls will be deemed illegal.

1.3.12: Self-declared rebels are outlaws who have renounced the Senate and People of Rome, and all citizens of Rome have the responsibility to bring them to justice by whatever means necessary or that they are capable of providing, until the rebels are disarmed, incapacitated, captured, or dead.

1.3.14: is mutually exclusive to 1.3.13 and dependent upon the passage of 1.3.5. New Roman military presence in Transalpine Gaul would be charged with protecting our allies in the region and protecting their homes within that province.

1.3.16 :Status of the Helvetii. An Envoy shall be sent to Helvetii to negotiate an official relationship with the tribes in that region. Reasonable effort shall be made to ensure this relationship will be peaceable or friendly.

1.3.17: This law brings into existence the office of Overseer of Gaul. This would act as a superior agent to the Governor of Transalpine Gaul, and any other Senators and Generals in the area of Transalrpine Gaul (excluding Consuls), which is to be defined as both Roman and Barbarian lands north of the Pyrenees and beyond the Alpes. This office is to be appointed by the Consuls, and will receive strategic directions in the Bill each season. Its primary purpose is to co-ordinate all operations within this chaotic province and find bring the Gallic Wars to an end in a way that is favourable to Rome and does not compromise the integrity of the Republic. Further aims and objectives will be set by the Consuls, in consultation with the Senate, however precisely how these aims are best accomplished will be primarily up to the Overseer to decide. The Overseer will not be provided with a fixed budget due to the need for flexibility, but may request the Consuls for further resources of any kind should they be necessary. The office shall remain until deemed no longer neccessary by the Senate.

Updates
Update 0: Winter, 79BC

Please see attachment for currently labelled map.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Senator Stats

Spoiler :

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

The Republic of Rome:

The Republic of Rome:
Consuls: Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius (erez87), Iustus Bruscius (ekolite)
Funds: 1 (+122)
Expenses: -49
Grain Dole: -16
Salaries: -33
Buildings: Militia Barracks, Stable, Arena
Legions:
Legio I (2100 Legionnaires) - Barbarian Gaul, Marcus Titus Scipio (germanicus12)
Legio II (3300 Legionnaires) - Pannonia, Iustus Bruscius (ekolite)
Legio III (2100 Legionnaires) - Barbarian Gaul, Lucius Dominus Protractius (thomas.berebug)
Legio IV (2400 Legionnaires) - Pannonia, Marcus Argetius Viator (SamSniped)
Legio V (3600 Legionnaires) - Hellenia, Cassius Flavius Livius (Nintz)
Legio VI (600 Legionnaires) - Rome
Legio VII (600 Legionnaires) - Rome

The Republic of Gaul
Rebel State
Consul: Gaius Iulius Caesar (Christos200)
Funds: 0 (+8)
Buildings:
Legions:

Province Stats

Spoiler :

Hostile Forces in Republic Territory

Spoiler :

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Emergency Reserve.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

Update 0: Winter, 79 BC

"In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve."

A plebeian, overheard at a tavern discussing the new government.

The year is 78 BC, and Sulla, Dictator of Rome, is dead.

The reign of Sulla the Tyrant, as the plebeians named him, was loathed by the common man. Sulla dedicated his Dictatorship to ending the reforms of the Populares, and destroying the legacy of the Gracchi brothers and Gaius Marius. The reforms limiting the amount of land a single man may own were overturned, and the smallholders have been pushed out of the grain markets by the large, slave-run plantations. He has cut the grain dole by huge amounts, leading to anger and dissent from the Roman poor. He has abolished the People's Tribunes, and all governance of the Roman Republic was done by the Senate - or, as far as anyone was concerned, Sulla himself, as elected Dictator. There is no accountability for the people of Rome any more.

The proscriptions ruined the established Senators of the Republic. Many were murdered, even the former allies of Sulla himself, and their wealth redistributed to the killers. The former senate has been decimated, and the former members went into hiding.

Worse still, in his final years of life Sulla spat upon the civic traditions of Rome itself. He has granted himself a Triumph, without being hailed as an Imperator by the troops. In a fit of megalomania, Sulla has scorned the traditions of the Roman Legions, infuriating even the army that was his power base.

However, his reforms were not without resistance. Sulla himself is dead, stabbed to death by a Plebeian while his army bodyguards watched. Sulla's death is no great tragedy, and he was unloved by much of the Republic. The city was in crisis at first, with angry mobs rioting in the street, until an unnamed member of the Legions stepped forward and rallied the military to secure the streets. This Cincinattus did not allow himself to become the new Sulla. Instead, he has returned power to the old Republic.

For the first time in three years, the Senate has reconvened to take care of the affairs of state. But this is not the old Senate of Gaius Marius and Sulla. This is a new senate, full of fresh faces brimming with optimism that the mistakes and tragedies of the old Republic can be avoided.

Only time will tell if they are right.

For now, Rome is still faced with crisis. The repeals of the Gracchii reforms have infuriated the Plebeians of Rome. The laws of the Gracchii brothers limited the landholdings of a single person, thus curbing the rise of the large Patrician families and their immense landholdings. The Patricians would buy up the land of the smaller farmers and work them with slaves, pushing the smaller farmers out of the grain markets and destroying their livelihoods. The Gracchii limited the amount of land, creating a new space for the smallholders and allowing them to create a farming livelihood without the threat of being bought out or outcompeted by slaves.

The Sullian repeals have ended this law, and since then many small farmers have found themselves landless as the Patricians rebuild their plantations. These Plebeians are angry, and demand the restoration of the laws. However, doing so would lead to much anger for the Patricians, and a decrease in the profitability of the agricultural provinces of Italia, Hispania and Sicilia. However, by not passing the bill, the Plebeians may be incited to revolt in these provinces. It is a difficult problem to solve.

As a possible alternative, the Senate could expand the Grain Dole. The Grain Dole is the free grain that is allocated to the poor and starving of Rome. Sulla drastically cut the Dole, leading to much starvation for the Plebeians. The Senate must also choose whether to reinstate the Dole to its previous levels. On the one hand, it will end the starvation and misery of the Plebeians of Rome, making them more profitable and less likely to revolt. On the other hand, the Dole would be very expensive to restore to its previous levels, requiring almost a third of the Republic's treasury to fully solve the starvation.

The Senate must also decide whether to revoke the Triumphs Sulla granted himself. The Triumphs of Sulla were viewed as a mockery by the Legions, and incensed them to great anger. To retain the Triumphs would be to scorn the Legions and possibly cause great defections. However, Sulla had many supporters, despite his late mania, and its possible that the revocation of the Triumphs may lead them to revolt as well.

Meanwhile, the outer fringes of the Republic are not safe. In the North, the Pannonians raid the outer fringes of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyria. If not stopped, they may be bolder, and launch further raids on the Republic's territories.

In the Far East, Rome's old enemy, Mithridates of Pontus, seethes with anger at his defeat by Sulla. The cunning king of Pontus managed to escape losing territory, except for that he had occupied during the war by Marius and his revolt, but still seethes at the lost opportunity to expand his power, and is a cunning foe of Rome. The Celtiberi and the Galaeci seek openings into Hispania, while in the North the Germanians and Gauls continue their feuds. In Crete the city-states grow more and more cunning, and seek further gains in the Aegean.

It is a time of renewal for the Roman Republic, and it is up to the Senators to see whether they will succumb to the pitfalls of the Old Republic. For now, the Senate must meet for the first time since Sulla to decide the fate of Rome.

Issues of Concern:

1. The Senate must elect Consuls for 78 and 77 BC.

2. The Senate must decide whether to reinstate the Gracchii reforms, and limit the land that a single family may own. Passing the law will decrease the value of some provinces in the short run, as the established farms are forced out, and enrage the patricians but will restore the livelihoods of the Plebeians and increase their satisfaction with the poor. Not passing the law may result in increased anger among the Plebeians.

3. The Senate must decide whether to increase the Grain Dole or not. Increasing the Grain Dole will cost the Senate a variable amount of funds per season, as the Republic expands, (you must decide how much you start with) but will calm the starving peasantry. Not increasing the Grain Dole may result in increased anger among the Plebeians.

4. The Senate must decide whether to revoke the Triumphs of Sulla, that he granted to himself illegally. Revoking the Triumphs will increase the satisfaction of the Legions, who were infuriated that Sulla would scorn the traditions of the Republic, but may lead to increased anger among the Patrician supporters of Sulla. Not revoking the Triumphs will infuriate the Legions, and may lead to defections

5. The Senate must decide how to deal with the Pannonian raids, and whether to allocate Legions or not and under who's command.

6. Usual business of the Senate - granting provinces to governors, Legions, laws, etc.

The Map

Spoiler :

christos200 · Dec 18, 2012

Caesar is here.

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

The Speaker of the Senate, the public official charged with maintaining the rule of the Constitution in the Senate, steps forward, flanked by his orderlies. He is sage and venerable, and the assembled listen carefully to his words.

"Welcome, esteemed Senators of Rome. We are gathered here, for the first time since Sulla's dictatorship, to truly govern the Republic. We have faced traumas and tragedies in the last few years - some may be victims, while some may be perpetrators. I hope it does not matter.

Rome survives, and it is time for you to step forward to govern it. I point you to the Issues of Concern and ask that you consider them for debate in the coming term. For now, however, I urge Senators to introduce themselves and make themselves known to the assembled."

christos200 · Dec 18, 2012

'' Hello. I am Gaius Iulius Caesar. I have fought many battles in the army for the glory of Rome, and I hope that I shall also bring glory to Rome as a Senator.''

erez87 · Dec 18, 2012

I, Tiberius Tertinius Pachomius, nominate myself for Consul of Rome, and ask of the good senators of Rome to grant me this nomination.

I am a son of Rome, like you. I have come from a patrician family that supported Sulla in his early days. But as the tyranny of the man become obvious my father sent mt to Athens, hiding from me the reasons, telling me I am sent to study. In truth he was afraid of Sulla's dictatorship, and his fears were true! A traitor stabbed him and murdered most of my family. When I returned from Athens I have found only my mother and sister.

Sulla's days were stable I admit, but were also terrible for the majority of the people, and it is the people who should control Rome, not the other way around.

Now that I have returned from Athens, I have returned with the fine education of Athenian universities and education. I have studied command and art, philosophy and gymnastics. I will be an educated choice for the office of consul.

But I do not only bring theoretical education, but good founded plans. Choose me for Consul and I will ensure the senate will pass the return of the Gracchii reforms. The people are starving and weakening economically. While I know this may hurt our economy on the short term, I will not return the reforms to the way they used to be but allow the richer families to hold more lands than before, albeit still far smaller than the vast plantations they currently hold. Choose for me for Consul and I will stabilize the nation's population to make them happier.

While the economy is booming now, most people starve. I will increase the grain dole, albeit not as large as it used to be, for I know the Gracchii reforms will handle most of the need for the dole.

Not only that, I also promise to nominate a general to fight off the Pannonian raids and will make sure our eastern borders are safe.

As for governorship, I will welcome any suggestions but me and the other Consul will be the final word on this.

Vote for me, for a greater Rome!

talonschild · Dec 18, 2012

"I am Cassiodor, named Placidus Aurelius Cassiodorus, sometime called the mild one, now Senator of a wounded family. I'm sure many of you knew my uncle, if not personally then by reputation. Allow me to say this. I am not my uncle. I do not share either his severity or his mastery of governance. But I do share his blood, and for its shedding amends must be made. I hope to cultivate a friendship with each of you. May our friendships last for as long as they remain convenient!

I am certain I will be an excellent Senator, Governor, or General, in time. For now, I pledge my support for Tiberius as Consul, for I know he is an intelligent man who shares many of my sorrows. I ask also a Governorship, to test my skill and serve the Republic."

DC123456789 · Dec 18, 2012

"Servius Licinius Ulpianus, son of Drusus Licinius Ulpanius, is here. My family sought refuge in Greece during the turbulent rule of Sulla, where I received an academic education. I am presently undecided on the issues listed above, and I would prefer to think it over before presenting an opinion."

OOC: You gave me 1 intrigue, not 1 management.

erez87 · Dec 18, 2012

Servius, my friend, I, Tiberius, also have been in Hellas for the duration of the dictatorship. Have we met in Athens before? OOC: You can decide whether we know each other or not

Grandkhan · Dec 18, 2012

@DC123456789: Fixed, cheers for bringing that to my attention.

I'd like to remind you all that nominations for Consul haven't actually started formally yet.

talonschild · Dec 18, 2012

Always campaigning, Tiberius is. Maybe that's an Intrigue trait.

erez87 · Dec 18, 2012

Than start them

We need Consuls to run Rome, and the faster we get 'em the faster things can progress

lol talons. I am intending to make this an interesting game for myself

and for that I need to gain some points

Oh and anyone who wants secret dealings is free to contact me by PM.

talonschild · Dec 18, 2012

Seon said:
Oh and by the way am I the only one who noticed WE DON'T HAVE GAUL AS OUR PROVINCE YET?!

We have both Gallia Cisalpina and Gallia Transalpina. They're small compared to what we know they grew to, but they ARE there.

Seon · Dec 18, 2012

Rufus Amidarus Laconibus will speak. I refuse to support the Gracchi reforms and must question the wisdom of Consul-Elect, Pachomius. He speaks of an unstable republic that he seeks to stabilize, yet what he propose is a redistribution of wealth.

Such change after so sudden an event will only increase discontent and tumult in our glorious republic, which we cannot allow. A decentralization will not magically cause a future increase in wealth. Nay, I say we let the Patricians keep their lands. We will simply get more for the Plebians with conquest.

That being said, I vote we increase the grain dole. The citizens of Rome lay out starving in the streets. This cannot be allowed to happen. No expenses should be spared in order for us to secure life-giving food for our Roman citizens.

And in this time of hardship, I say that it is imperative that our republic show strength. The barbarians to the north must be punished for their actions against Rome. I suggest that Legio I be givin to Viator for the sake of defending our borders from the barbarians.

Finally I vote that Sulla's triumph be revoked. No sense in angering our legions in times of crisis, I say.

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