-A vast barbarian horde under the Starchild Adennakar crosses the border somewhere near the Aeterni Mountains.
-Scaius Rota seizes control of the throne of Taglarika, and now fights a civil war against rebel clans.
-Theocritus, Governor of Evvia, declares his intent to punish Anaxion for their brutal slaughter of the Archon of Zoeon. The other prefects of Evvia announce support for his new policies.
-The naval legion under Varinius Stubo allies with the local legate Epidromus to depose the old governor Callixtus, who escapes into the Kypari forests. Simultaneously, Caelinus Mancinus approaches Chaledonia from the north.
-The island prefecture of Cassia defies the Legate Remus Rufinius and the Acting Governor of Magna Evvia, Gnaeus Rufinius.
-Across the West in Aetheria, Tarias, Vincetia, and Aetacia, leaders consolidate power.
-A conference is called by Legate Fabianus to address the Cintra-Kalessos dispute.
-Taria Esronesis is split by Optima and Esronapolia declaring support for Legate Fabianus and Governor Valerius.
-The Governor of Hateph, Tiberius Varus, imprisons the Prince-Judge of Aspea for corruption at the demand of Legate Sempronius, leading to a revolt of the Aspesim.
-The Solar Magus Bastian allies with Ahburanipal and crosses the border into Valian Polynomia. Legates Rufus and Tullius withdraw to Tisbarion as Limala and Barbarkos are razed by Ashraic and Khuneroi forces.
-The whereabouts of the Lunar Mystagos are a Mystery.
Second Letter of Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus to the Valian Forum and the Colleges of Saia.
Venerable brethren, senatorial fathers, in the days of the Hatephite rebellion were sent as envoys to Hateph the chief men of the community, firstly to warn that internal enemy upon the Iteros, Varus the Elder, to desist from rebellion, remember the ways of his ancestors in Saia and submit to his Emperor's judgement for the preservation of peace and the common good. Secondly, they went forth to rally to the common good those loyal and honest men, servants of the Empire all, who would oppose such folly should reason fail to stay Varus the Elders pretensions and ill-omened fate cause Hateph to take arms against its master. In those dark days when Hateph foreswore obedience to its god , the divine Emperor Carian, incarnation of Heru the universal sovereign, as indeed came to pass, it is known that the Prince-Judge of the Aspesim, a people whom the Empire and the college of pontiffs has long exempted from the obligatory sacrifices by virtue of antiquity of cult and whose immemorial custom I remind you has upheld the exclusive worship of their own national god, a people whose weakness and tendency to fanaticism and superstition is well known amongst you, spurned folly and cleaved fast to the Emperor. Yea this, the least of the civilised nations, by divine inspiration remained loyal to Valia even beyond the Empires victory over the rebels and was instrumental in quelling disorder amongst the Hatephites and restoring peace to the province and the Empire. Thus Carian, when he had raised an army by his own efforts, and had freed Hateph from the outbreak of danger, in order that no such crime should afterwards arise, renewed the aspesim in their ancient customs and rights, rights of self-government not uncommonly granted to local communities throughout the Empire that the Aspesim might know that the Empire beneficently rewards loyalty in abundance even as it punishes rebellion, and that the fruits of fealty are sweeter than the bitterness that is to be tasted in sedition. Indeed, Valia is no tyrannical mistress but rather the mother of all and the benevolent guarantor and protector of her subjects, and even as it maintained Aspea in immemorial customs, it bestowed upon her the blessings of her own goods, that the aspesim might be edified in the light of Saia and become indivisibly integrated into her commonwealth. For this same reason Carian in his clemency pardoned Tiberius Varus Lucius, the son of the great rebel, for he at that time had no part in his father's faults being away it is said in Evvas on a pleasure tour at the time, and it was hoped that Varus the Younger would remember this clemency and advance the goods of Valian civilisation in Hateph even as Hateph was affirmed in her own immemorial ways, thus putting an end to divisions and restoring peace to the Empire.
Now then consider, what is Tiberius Varus Lucius' object in holding levies, raising money, and hastening east? From what he has said it is earnestly to be hoped that he hastens thus to Tisbarion to contend with the great enemy, Bastian, and the priests of Ashrai as they trespass in Valian lands not merely to seize their own advantage, but even before bare necessities, compelled as they are by their rabid superstition and vile barbarian oracles. This object we, honourable senators, ought to hope is on the eve of fulfilment, or fulfilled already; but it is fitting that the fruition of our hope be reserved for the actual event, lest we seem, either by our haste to have anticipated the kindness of the immortal Gods, or by our folly to have despised the might of Fortune.
Yet what is certain is that Varus the Younger has deposed the Prince-Judge of the Aspesim, a man confirmed in his office by the divine Carian himself, a loyal and devoted servant of the Empire. For what cause? Corruption? My lords, what a decadent age we live in! The senate is not unaware of the goings on in the provinces, the delegates see them. It cannot be otherwise, for if it were otherwise the scurrility and corruption of the governor of Hateph's court would not be well known to us even in far off Lutetia. Who indeed has not heard how Varus is attended by hatephite catamites and concubines in his private quarters and even in public! How he dines on peeled grapes and rare herbs prepared with oriental spices from the furthest east as he makes his ablutions in the Hatephite fashion even as he neglects the rites of Caelus and Pallater? Such rumours have reached us, terrible and distressing rumours, that the governor of Hateph saunters amongst his legionnaires wearing the harlots veil, inviting all who would abandon Hatephite notions of purity and Valian virtue both into his unmanly embrace without discrimination, committing such debasements of his person that we would discount them as the fables of old women and slaves and cling to the assumption of his good valian name, if it was not for the certain travesties of his sire who foreswore his fathers and prostituted his soul to the Iteros that cause us to doubt the wisdom of such skepticism. It is a fool indeed who says that the intention that Varus the Younger would remember the kindness of Carian and advance the goods of the Empire in Hateph has been fulfilled. For what trace of Valian ways remains in such unmanliness? My lords, it is loyalty and stability that is the first priority of Empire, if every accusation of corruption were sufficient to depose officials from their estate, then surely the governor of Hateph of all the officials of the Empire would have long ago been deposed!
Now, If I may first say a few words which are pertinent to the actual matter. The Prince-Judge was affirmed in his appointment by Carian himself and the aspesim's customary rights affirmed and reaffirmed by imperial writ. Now then it is said that at the instigation of Legion Legate Sempronius who alleged the Prince-Judge had foregone his obligations to the state Varus had the man imprisoned. All to ensure the legions loyalty one must presume in good faith, as he marches forthwith to Tisbarion to assail the Empires enemies. Yet in acting thus in unseemly haste, senatorial fathers, granting favours to satisfy personal grudges and disregarding prudence and reason, Varus has committed worse than Theocritus, for not even the governor of Evvas was so bold as to depose a legitimate imperial governor by force. At best we must attribute this scandal to folly, or rather attest taht a foolish man by foolish action under foolish inspiration provoked rebellion by offending against customary liberties afforded Valia's subjects. However, it would seem to us rather that Varus' acts have been informed and inflamed by a ravenous desire to avenge the degradation of his father and avenge the shame of Hateph by subjugating that nation, the Aspesim, which in their loyalty to the Empire ensured his sires fall. Varus the Younger has inspired hatred and sowed the deceit that the Empire has forgotten the service of the Aspesim and seeks to cast aside their ancient customs. I say to you, venerable senators, the Empire forgets the loyalty of none of its servants but remembers with inerrant memory all the betrayals committed against it. Valia has forgiven the Varii once before and it is not unreasonable for Varus to avver from his course and serve the Empires good, but I tell you the Valian people will not forgive a second treason nor abide a shameful man who scorns past mercies and repays kindness with derision.
A Letter from ‘Pax’, to the Valian Forum and the Colleges of Saia
Valian brothers, ever since the death of our beloved Emperor Carian, there has been a word that is on the lips of many.
Occasio
It is a word that is both beautiful and insidious, one that might inspire citizens to the mightiest heroics in order to serve Valia, or to encourage the most heinous of betrayals.
It is a word that has reached every corner of our empire, where leading men, governors, legates, and delegates have seen fit to secure themselves personal fiefdoms, impoverish the people, and even declare themselves Emperor!
It is a word that has penetrated deep into the darkened lands of the North whom no Valian has ever set eyes on, and across the desert to Ashrai. They have heard this word, occasio, that in our moment of chaos, they might cleave our provinces from Saia’s embrace as one might tear an infant from their mother’s bosom.
Now let us speak of Tiberius Varus Lucius, a man so hated for his noble effort to sow the Valian seed. He has kept the grain supply to the Imperial province secure, a triumph in these trying times. He might have tried to extort the Senate, but he has not accepted a single piece of gold, nor favor, for he sees it as his most noble duty to secure safety and security for the people of Saia, not just from the dangers of the Ashrai, but also from the terror of the empty belly. Perish the thought of starving children and desperate mothers, so long as Tiberius Varus Lucius has secured Hateph.
There are some who ascribe hatred to Varus, towards the people of Aspea. That he saw an occasio to avenge himself on those who contributed to his father’s defeat. Perish the thought! Indeed, Varus has great affection for the people of Aspea, even with their odd religious customs, for they were instrumental in bringing his father’s treasonous rebellion to an end. And let it be known that when the time came to strike the final blow, it was then when Tiberius Varus Lucius proved to his Emperor where his loyalties lie, once and for all.
When Varus came upon the province of Aspea, he expected them to embrace the occasio to once more assist the empire and show their devotion, instead he found a Prince-Judge in the throes of decadence. He saw a golden palace that would shine in the desert sun as a rival to even Saia’s light. He saw an army loyal to the governor stockpiling weapons and armor, and plans being worked on for fortifications of the city. He did not mean to aid Valia in their hour of need, he was taking the occasio to secure his own position, even his independence!
Tiberius Varus Lucius did what he could to prevent the inflimation of tensions any further. He did not depose the Prince-Judge, for he knows that only the Senate has that authority. He merely requested the Prince-Judge’s presence at Tabernae so that he might be better protected; however his countrymen, distraught that their plot would end before it began, rose so that his legions might be delayed, and that they could be aided by the Ashrai.
When Varus has dealt with the rebellions, he intends to march once more towards the Ashrai, where he means to crush them beneath his sandal. When the Ashrai have been humbled, he intends to march to the frontier to secure the north, and drive off all who dared to defy Valia.
And when the threat to fair Valia has been crushed, when traitors have been routed, those who called his honor into question, will have to answer only to their conscience of how they besmirched a noble servant of the empire.
FROM Septimius Agrippanus Theocritus
TO The Valian Forum ; Colleges of Saia
▪︎ PRAEFECTUS EVVIACUS ▪︎
It is with heavy heart that I must inform the esteemed members of the forum and by extension the empire at large, of a terrible injustice and reckless attempt at violence against a noble prefecture of Evvia at the hands of another.
Years of steady decline both in lands owned and self-importance must have sprouted madness most foul in the people of Anaxion for they launched in early spring a cowardly attack on their long standing rivals of Zoeon, butchering their Archon, his family and his guard detail in a manner that was beyond cruel and undeserving. Acting quickly and decisively, my administration led a legion onward to the anaxite home territories to make their leaders answer for their unprovoked barbarism.
Upon our arrival the citizen army refused to surrender and began attacking state legionari, forcing my hand to engage their numbers in self-defense. The ensuing battle to put down these aggressors unfortunately caused a great deal of destruction within the city, as well as loss of life on their part as their ancient martial principles caused them to fight unto pointless death. But it had to be done. Words can not describe the heartache I share with the people of Zoeon, and I offer them my thoughts and prayers.
Your colleague and ever loyal servant of the empire,
Theocritus
FROM Septimius Agrippanus Theocritus
TO The Valian Forum ; Colleges of Saia
▪︎ PRAEFECTUS EVVIACUS ▪︎
It is with heavy heart that I must inform the esteemed members of the forum and by extension the empire at large, of a terrible injustice and reckless attempt at violence against a noble prefecture of Evvia at the hands of another.
Years of steady decline both in lands owned and self-importance must have sprouted madness most foul in the people of Anaxion for they launched in early spring a cowardly attack on their long standing rivals of Zoeon, butchering their Archon, his family and his guard detail in a manner that was beyond cruel and undeserving. Acting quickly and decisively, my administration led a legion onward to the anaxite home territories to make their leaders answer for their unprovoked barbarism.
Upon our arrival the citizen army refused to surrender and began attacking state legionari, forcing my hand to engage their numbers in self-defense. The ensuing battle to put down these aggressors unfortunately caused a great deal of destruction within the city, as well as loss of life on their part as their ancient martial principles caused them to fight unto pointless death. But it had to be done. Words can not describe the heartache I share with the people of Zoeon, and I offer them my thoughts and prayers.
Your colleague and ever loyal servant of the empire,
Theocritus
Third Letter of Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus to the Valian Forum and the Colleges of Saia
We mourn with Septimius Agrippanus Theocritus the savageries committed against Zoeon by Anaxion and lament the regrettable violence that subsequently ensued between this city and the forces of the Evvian Prefect. Pursuing satisfaction of private grudge against a fellow subject of the Empire ought to be condemned by all citizens of the same and we join Theocritus in condemning the Anaxites chosen course and the prefects of Evvia in proclaiming the suppression of their rebellion justified. We do this all the more given such perilous times as now, when our enemies gather abroad in all quarters of the world and mischievous and vainglorious men buoyed by the acclamations of their subordinates assail the Empire from within.
It is our fervent hope, conscript fathers, that this tragedy may serve the prefect and all those accounted the great and noble of Valia as an indelible lesson that actions have consequences and that the tranquility and order which Valia and her subjects have long enjoyed (oh how bitter still is the tragedy at Sataraphon and how lamentable the death of the divine Carian!) is served best by cleaving fast to the traditions of our fathers and by sedulous obedience to the wise and prudent law of the great and pacifying Emperors. The violation of imperial privileges and rights enacted by Theocritus' hand and the subsequent tumult of bitter sentiments, grievance and offended justice that erupted as a consequence can nowise be considered other than the first spark that let loose this upheaval. What cause would there have been for strife if all had been maintained in their rights and business and assured of the equanimity and impartiality of their governor?* This is clear to all.
But let all convulsions and divisions cease and let all past offences be pardoned. For now, as Tisbarion stands upon the precipice of battle against the hated foe and Adenacarius in his conceit reaches to assail Valia itself, it is time for the Empires servants to rally to her aid and succour and grant such aid as can be granted in her defence as dutiful and loyal sons. Now that the ructions in Evvia have ceased, let my colleague show himself to be an ever loyal servant of the Empire** and make haste to staunch the wounds of the east and contend with the accursed Bastian. Otherwise, let him make way with his legionnaires to the north against the barbarian Alteni, whatever avails the best end and most swift destruction of Valia's foes. Orations and sentiments have their place but as the philosopher Plethon the Wise attests, such things are vain unless they are manifest in action, for no prayer is efficacious without sacrifice and no thought meritorious without word and deed.
~ Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus.
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ooc notes:
* Saying the "Theocritan Reforms" sparked the events even if they were not the direct cause.
**using Theocritus' own words of self-attestation here.
It was at that brief supper that I decided I hated Epidromos Felix. It had gnawed at me for some time, since the conference at Chaledonia. There was nothing in his bearing to provoke such loathing. He was an affable, erudite Evvic, generous and capable. I had known him for years by that point. From a professional standpoint I should have the greater ire for the departed Governor Callixtus, who had frustrated and skimmed off my efforts to supply troops and material to the war against Ashrai. From a personal standpoint, Appius Marcius Altius and I rub against each other like two rocks without mortar even as our legions maneuver like a flight of eagles. Epidromos combined the civility and the administrative skill of each. He was effectively taking over Kyparis, replacing Callixtus's cronies with his own clients as a new legate-governor. He had a loyal legion and a list of distinguished glories. Were the Gods to curse the empire, I thought, he would make an ideal Valian sabaktoi. That he could be, and was not, was why I hated him.
The idea of a new generation of sabaktoi gnaws at me, but surely that is what we are now. Carian is dead, Carantinus is dead, we are just second children of lesser men playing in the edifice of the empire. My propraetorial authority should rightfully have dissolved with the death of the the preferati. I continue to wave around that imperial seal, legions and governors bow to it, because of my personal gravitas and not any true imperium. I am stretching the bounds of my provincia to the limit with this. I have authority to commandeer resources and men and send them east to support Carantinus, but Carantinus is dead and I wage a war against Ashrai alone.
And that is why I hate Epidromos. He is me, on a smaller scale. What he has done with Kyparis and his sole legion I have done across a quarter of the empire with my legions. I've installed my own proteges as legates and bullied governors into supplying food and treasure. If he is a shadow of what I've accomplished then I do not like my own shape that casts that shadow. Were I to march from the Myrmsis to Cantar Castrum and do the same to an empire larger than anything Artemios conceived I would not like the shadow. He is a petty, self-serving man content to carve out a personal fiefdom under other men without risking himself. The kingdoms of the sabaktoi, the great empire of the conquerer, are gone like castles in the sand. They at least built their own kingdoms but Epidromos and I have spent our lives building those of others.
For me, myself, I wonder what is an alternative. I built Carantinus's conquests and now they are gone. Will Epidromos's despotate last a decade before some new emperor or warlord removes him from power? Will a victory against Ashrai preserve Valian Polynomia for just another decade until a horde of the khuneroi come down from the high plateaus and wash it away?
There is plenty of room for idle speculation on the march. Xenosophos wrote his great works as a mercenary for the Heukerian Empire. It is a nice distraction from the burden of duty and more productive than fantasizing about my hands around Epidromos Felix's throat.
From: On Philosophy and the Nature of the Gods ~ Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus*
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~ On the generation of the world
The Supreme principle which the Hatephites name as Aman and the Evvic philosophers refer to as the Monad or the One is utterly ineffable, unknowable and possessed of all perfections and attributes. The emergence of multiplicity begins with the self-reflection of the One, in which the anima of creation, its sublime spirit, arises forth. The anima is the self-reflection of the One arising from the monad's divine will. It is simultaneously both being and thought, idea and cognition. As a perfect image of the One it corresponds perfectly to it and is that energy and power that manifests and organises the material world into perceivability. From this organising principle the archetypes of the ideational world emerge from the abyss of the primordial chaos.
These archetypes, arising from the reflections of the Supreme Being (like ripples from a stone dropped in a lake, or the refractions of pure undifferentiated light through crystal) generate essences. These essences are not merely passive substances but as refractions of the primordial being are possessed of cognition and agency. These intellective essences generate and pervade the lower phenomenal world, that is to say this world of tangible forms sensible to us, as they manifest in matter and are known to all men as gods. Ideally this phenomenal world, composed of matter and void, ought to remain in perfect harmony. Indeed, so long as the perfection of the divine governs matter, or rather when the soul perfectly governs the body, then the world is rightly ordered and good. It remains an image, shadowy but distinct, of the pure upper world with the degrees of differentiated perfection within it being essential to the harmony of the whole. Yet in actual fact (As all men know) unity and harmony as known in the ideational world of the gods is replaced in the phenomenal world by the ubiquity of discord and strife; the result being conflict, arising and vanishing, the simple fact of existence being illusive and transient to us brief mortals with all things under the sway of time being subject to change. The reason for this is because as finite instantiations of being possessing limited attributes, all things in the phenomenal world are imperfect and by nature lack the fullness of perfection reserved to the Monad. Evil (natural or moral) is parasitical, it has no existence of its own but is an unavoidable outcome of the universes multiplicity of being, maintaining a certain necessity in the order of differentiated creation as a result. Things are good insofar as they exist and are subject to evil in what they lack**.
~ On Limited Manifestation and the Monad's self-reflective activity
The supreme consciousness of the Monad is like a mirror and the universe is a reflection appearing on it. Consider, a mirror, like consciousness, can contain an infinity of different images without itself being affected by the image displayed thereon. Accordingly, in like manner, the universe appears as a limited manifestation in the mirror of supreme consciousness, but unlike a physical mirror that needs an external object to form a reflection, the image in the mirror of supreme consciousness is projected by the same supreme consciousness itself, that is to say the One. This is called the “power of the divine will”, the anima of creation which is refracted and given substance as we have said through the ideational beings men call gods. In other words, the universe appears inside supreme consciousness because The One desires it of its free will and yearns to be manifest in multiplicity and innumerable forms that through these forms it might be known in all its infinite attributes.
Creation is thus ontologically real and not just an illusion as certain gymnosophist sects proclaim in their schools of false-thinking or certain Evvics attest in vain distortions of philosophy***. Indeed, it is composed of “limited manifestations” which are nothing but the ideations of the One manifesting as empirical objects in the phenomenal world. Thus, all things are limited manifestations with complex manifestations being composed of simpler ones, culminating in the totality of this world. Paradoxically, even though limited manifestations have the nature of consciousness (thus why we reverence the genii loci, the spirits of arbor felici and other minor deities in innumerable variety), they also exist externally on account of being manifested through the occultation the Supreme Being to allow the generation of multiplicity within the divine unity. An advanced philosopher is capable of seeing this differentiated world as limited manifestation, a flash of consciousness and beatitude inseparable from his own self and undifferentiated from universal being. In other words, the ineffable light of consciousness shines from within the object of perception as an intuition, a super-human “direct vision” of truth.
Accordingly, when contemplated from the point of view of manifestation the universe appears as “limited manifestation” and contrarily, when contemplated from the point of view of the Ultimate Reality, it appears as “self-dependent and free will”. This energy radiating from the supreme is akin to a wave of motion inside consciousness that acts as the fundament of creation, or in another view, the original word, the Logos of the Evvics. This power does not use any external instrument as it is itself the first stage of creation and it is this power that creates multiplicity within the original unity of the absolute and permits the genesis of the gods, and through them of mortals, beasts and all phenomena. The true philosopher can confidently affirm that the Monad, the fundamental reality, does appear as distinct subjects and objects, but also that the particularity and diversity of creation does not conceal his real nature as ultimately One.
~ On the utility of ritual and sacrifice for the philosopher
When a particular soul in the cosmos reflects upon nature of his own free will, this soul is capable of obtaining insight into the very essence of nature and the divine order; however when it views nature as something objective and external - that is something to be experienced and undergone whilst in a state of illusion (i.e. forgetting that soul itself is the author of nature), suffering and evil ensue as a consequence of the necessary deprivation of perfection. To obtain peace of mind and union with the One then, one must return back up the creative outflow of the divinity through liberation from the bodily passions and remember one's own origin in primordial spirit.
The philosopher ought also remember, that between him and the One are superabundant gods, each standing at the wellspring of a particular chain of causation and granting them their character and specificity. Thus is Mareus the ideational cause of all instantiations of water, from the raindrop to the sea. Yet as all is one in The One, each god through this mysterious interpenetration of the divine power participates in every other god, according to its own character, and what appears to the unwise as multiplicity reveals itself as a sublime unity. Thus, while it is said the Caelus is Lord in Heaven, each god in itself can be said to stand at the center of it's own creative world in the devotion of its votary.
Contemplation and the cultivation of virtue as the gymnosophists of the furthest east maintain, is an activity which can liberate the particular soul from subjection to bodily passions and illusion of mind. It can remind it of its origin in primordial soul, the Anima and ultimately the One, and prepare it not only to ascend spiritually to higher levels of being, while still in this life, but to avoid falling after death immediately back into a new body or worse to languish as a shade in Opertus' domain. The particular soul's attention, while inhabiting a body in the phenomenal world, is ordinarily turned far away from its divine origins due to its attachment to material things and the perception of multiplicity and manifestations therein. Accordingly, the philosopher must as a corporeal creature invested in this world, make use of bodily reminders of its spiritual origin to facilitate theurgical ascent, with this ordinarily being enacted through ritual. Do not heed the folly of those sects of philosophy which scorn ritual as the province of the rustics or as vain superstition! Indeed, ritual is the primary mode by which ascent to the divine orders is possible through the activation of that power that extends through the gods down causality and even into the material world. Prayer, ritual and sacrifice allows the soul to resonate and commune with the higher ideational powers, and by this efficacious means the soul can be “drawn back up” like a fish on a hook through the sequence of causation in reverse even unto the One itself! In this freedom from cares, peace of mind and life after death can be obtained.
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OOC:
* Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus, a pontiff of the traditional valian religion and an educated representative of the Valian elite is known to have been familiar with the various schools of Evvic and perhaps even Ashraic or Hatephite philosophy (Certainly from certain Evvic philosophical schools he has tapped the concept of the Monad, the first principle, and his reference to Hateph indicates a passing familiarity with its peculiar religion). Given the rising religious indifferentism amongst the elite in his day in which understanding of the meaning of rites was forgotten and many turned to foreign sects or mystery cults or even to agnosticism and philosophical skepticism, the pontiff presented a work defending traditional Valian polytheism utilising the philosophical language of the Evvics, aiming to produce a convincing theological argument acceptable to the educated classes. It can be considered that his hope as of writing was to renew the Valian religion and society through cultivating traditional piety and defending its rites and heretofore implicit principles against detractors by embedding them within an eclectic philosophical framework incorporating Evvic principles and ideas of his own devising. Such a work may also be understood in the context of Valia's ongoing conflict with an exclusivist and fanatical religious foe in the form of the Ashraic Magi.
** Only the Monad is entirely perfect, evil to Ahenobarbus is a byproduct of multiplicity and thus inevitable.
***Ahenobarbus rejects the position ascribed (perhaps in error) to certain ditheist sects in the east that this world is a dream and ultimately illusory. Ditheism at this time presented a serious rival to traditional polytheism, having already supplanted the influence of traditional religion amongst the Evvic elite of Titanomuria. At the same time if a stoicism-analogue exists he maintains a similar view as this school of cosmogenesis and regarding souls as emanations of the divine, but disagrees with that philosophical systems view that the universe itself is God as ascribed to Chrysippus in Cicero's De Natura Deorum thusly "The universe itself is God and the universal outpouring of its soul; it is this same world's guiding principle, operating in mind and reason, together with the common nature of things and the totality that embraces all existence". - I've tried to include aspects of stoicism and neoplatonism in this work to reflect Evvic philosophical influences on Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus, with more novel concepts reflecting Ahenobarbus' own personal contributions to philosophy.
Spoiler:
To summarise Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus' philosophy...
To him, all that exists within time and beyond is one infinite divine Consciousness (The Monad), absolutely free, which projects within its self-awareness a vast multiplicity of apparently differentiated subjects and things: each thing being an instantiation and actualisation of timeless potentiality within the light of Consciousness and each likewise and additionally a contracted and veiled locus of self-awareness. This endless creation-in-awareness is an inevitable outcome of the impulse within Consciousness to express the totality of its self-awareness in action due to love. Thus the Supreme Consciousness contracts and is embodied in a multiplicity of loci-of-awareness freely by its own sovereign will in order for creation to exist.
When those finite subjects then identify with the limited and finite cognitions and circumstances that define this state of limited manifestation, instead of with the universal pulsation of pure Awareness that is their essential nature they experience suffering as a consequence of a lack of perfection (material evil). The philosopher. seeking to rectify this pain, should seek solace by curbing bodily desires and the passions, cultivating detachment and virtue and engaging in theurgic spiritual practice. The purpose of these is to undermine one's misidentification as separate from the Monad and directly reveal within their awareness the divine powers that compose the totality of individual experience, triggering recognition of one's true identity as identical with the highest Divinity, the whole in every part.
This experiential gnosis is repeated and reinforced through spiritual practice until it becomes the ground of every moment of experience and one's sense of separation and ego is finally annihilated into the unity of being and one's perception fully encompasses the reality of a universe animated by the divine.
On Deities.
As noted, in Valerian thought consciousness permeates all creation and the divine Monad differentiates and manifests in multiplicity (whilst simultaneously and mysteriously retaining a fundamental unity). Accordingly, not only humans and other beings possess consciousness, but even inanimate substances are imbued with pervasive divine awareness. The gods to the school of reflection are nothing other than instantiations of the universal consciousness, revealed as lord in a particular limited ideational manifestation, which is projecting from the "ideational world" within the comprehensible world in various instantiated phenomena. This neatly harmonizes with the ancient and traditional Valian conception of the divine as immanent within creation. His thought on God could be considered monist, but he affirms the separate reality and existence of gods as the manifestations of the Monad and thus promotes "practical polytheism".
My friends, Brave Valians, though you will all know me, or of me, I will present myself - The First part of me is that I am Valian, A man of honor and duty at my core. The Second part of me is that I am a Soldier, a man of honesty and bravery at my heart. The Third part of me is that I am a father, a man of wisdom and love in my soul. It was with these qualities I served our beloved Carian, once a man, now a god, and it is with these qualities I sought to serve his Son, stolen from us by the foul wizardries and perfidious poisons of the vile Ashrai.
It is with these qualities that I searched through the lands of Valia for one worthy to follow in blessed Carian’s footsteps, and preserve the empire from those within and without who would seek to tear it down to feed their own greed and lust for power. For one who would embody Valia and be her shield and sword - I found many worthy candidates, honorable and worthy men, but it seems that in my quest, they also found me. I accept this duty, as I have accepted it my entire life - this duty to serve Valia, her Senate, and her People.
I sought not the honor bestowed upon me by the men of the empire, soldiers and citizens all, but I recognize it for what it is. A duty, a call to arms - for the barbarians are at the gates. Already I have agreed with multiple brave and wise men of the west to stand together against this savage barbarian, he who styles himself the Star Child, and who seeks to plunder and rape the very heart of Valia. Already, the learned Titus Valerius Ahenobarbus, Governor of Taria, the generous Gaius Ruffinus, magnate in the south, and the Honorable Democles Braccus, Legate of Legio X Aetacia, have agreed to commit themselves alongside me to the defeat of this interloper - and, I trust and hope that they will eventually also stand as stalwart companions and friends to defeat all those that seek to tear our beloved Valia apart.
I promise to lead Valia as Carian would, with justice, dignity, and honor, and I call upon all who still believe in these virtues to join me in doing so. But let this also be a warning - in the same breath as I swear to lead us, I promise that I will stand between her and all who seek to despoil her, all the vile and venal corrupt men who would seek to use her to rise above their station.
Stand with me, friends, honorable Valians, and together this nation of ours will endure eternal.
I write to report on the status of the war in the east against Ashrai. I have assumed general command of the armies of the league in theater, acting on the propraetorial authority left to me by the Emperor Carian, though I do not have direct contact or control over all elements.
Following the defeat at Sataraphon, I rallied Legio VI, XI, and XV and withdrew in good order from Ashrai. The independent states of the east had reneged on their promises and oaths. Thus, our supply lines across the Myrmsis were no longer secure. I will discuss their treachery in individual detail later. We arrived around Tisbarion in late 840 FA and I stationed the XI in Tisbarion and the VI and XV in Limala. Due to heavy losses the Limala legions were at half strength individually. I left the legions here to recover and maintain our control of the center of Polynomia and continued west, to return Carantinus's body and assemble reinforcements.
Mardas did not have any additional soldiers beyond a miniscule garrison of 2 cohorts of proper infantry. Tensions within the province were high and it needed more soldiers to maintain control over the population, who were thoroughly enthralled by the Ashraic magi.
In Kyparis I was unsuccessful in rousing additional support. The province was divided between the governor Callixtus, whose name is thoroughly disliked by the soldiery, the Legate Epidromos Felix who commanded the XXIII, and the Legate Appius Martius Alcius, from the distinguished family of the same name (his kinsmen currently serve as Governor in Triportia and a legate in Aetheria), who commanded Legio II. The three magistrates thoroughly disliked each other and were unwilling to divert resources from their domestic rivalry in fear of losing ground and influence to the other.
When I arrived in Ditheia I was able to assemble a new force with provincial recruits using the existing legionary standard of Legio XII, which I had recovered from Ashrai and also gain control over the newly trained XXIV now commanded by Mettius Faucius following the unexpected death of its old legate. The XXIV was being prepared for occupation of Leykia but I have given orders to abandon that project in light of the significant military losses in Ashrai: the XIV was recalled from the territory and currently mans the border. I also dispatched troops under the Tribune Faucus Janius to reinforce and secure the Dannonian border. He is currently present in Triportia blocking the path of the barbarian warlord Adennakar.
With the remainder of the force I sailed from Ditheia to return to Chaledonia. My intention was to use this army to compel cooperation from the disparate elements in Kyparis, but events had progressed without my presence. Legate Epidromos had launched a coup against Governor Callixtus, who had fled, and was establishing control of the province in cooperation with the Legate Valerius Stubo, an agent of the Evvic Governor Septimius Agrippanus Theocritus. Stubo is an honorable man but unskilled at politics and Epidromos has taken advantage of this (though Callixtus deserves little sympathy). Callixtus is, I would later learn, still active in the southern part of the province with some loyalists. I leave the question of who is the rebel to the Forum. I negotiated with the Evvic detachment to secure supply routes and continued on to Saphon.
At Saphon, between my army and the developments in Chaledonia I was able to persuade Legate Martius to join with me and the combined legions continued east into Mardas province. Doubling the size of my army in this way was very promising, provided I can link with the legions at Tisbarion. I had moved with great speed over the few months but events nonetheless continued to proceed in my absence.
Ashraic armies crossed from their territory along the Myrmsis into Huria, which has joined with them. The Hurians, in culture and arms, are close with Ashrai and my scouts cannot distinguish them from Ashraic soldiery, but I do not doubt they have fully thrown in with the enemy. The Uranians, likewise, have made an alliance with the enemy. Urania is an ancient rival of Tisbarion, our provincial capital, and desires that it be humbled. They have often in the past played Valia and Ashrai against each other to preserve their independence and so I do not believe they are fully in league with the enemy, though I do not know the extent of their support. Additionally the Darcebalian League has sheltered Ashraic raiders. I believe their overt support of the enemy is minimal.
The most dangerous ally of the Ashraic magi is the Khuneroi, called in their tongue the Kayun, both derivations of the Valian Cunic. They were resettled by the Titanic Empire in the highland plateaus to the east of Polynomia in order to strengthen their control over the region. They frequently raid and extract tribute from neighboring territories and kingdoms, who are far less martially inclined and must choose between poverty and destruction. The Kayun, under a new warlord named Domnaios, have aligned themselves with Ashrai and destroyed the cities of Limala and Barbarkos. They are often divided internally and not capable of such havoc but the acquiescence of Urania and support of Ashrai have allowed them to penetrate deeper and in greater strength to Polynomia than ever before.
Further, Mardas was seized by a rebel army, capturing the governor, the esteemed Publius Atilius Auctor. Events in the province that led to the rebellion are unclear. Rebel armies also penetrated into Elcius and sacked the city of Gelmina. The fall of Mardas cut off Tisbarion from resupply and support. It is thus my first challenge in my counter-offensive.
Fortunately, we are not without allies. Western Mardas remains loyal and I have been able to progress swiftly. I was able to make contact with the Prince of Shahvanshar, one of the Satraps of the Vatrakertic Kingdom. Shahvanshar assembled a considerable army and has contributed it to repelling Ashrai: he deserves honor and glory from the Forum for his great friendship to the Valian People. In cooperation with Shahvanshar I was able to assault and destroy the Mardasite rebel army in an engagement at Nabalna. As a result I was able to recover the person of the governor and rescue the garrison. Unfortunately we were then confronted by a large Kayun army, with a significant cavalry advantage, and withdrew behind river defences rather than face them in the open field. The Mardasites succeeded in damaging the bridge across the river such that major troop movements are difficult and the Kayun continue to harass and prevent repairs.
I am confronted directly with the Ashraic magister Bastian, in their tongue Abbisidun, on the far bank. He is joined by Domnaios commanding the Kayun raiders. They have reinforced the crippled Mardasite rebellion with a significant portion of the Ashraic army, though I am not certain of their size. The Prince of Shahvanshar, who has scouts on the far bank, reports that Abbisidun's army is larger than what I have brought to bear. The Mardasite rebels thus may have benefitted us with their sabotage.
I urgently request reinforcements from the Forum. Evvic and Hatephic armies are maneuvering to support me, but Ashrai has deep reserves of manpower and treasure that they can spend on the campaign and unchecked control of central Polynomia. There are no natural barriers beyond the Polynomian rivers, the last of which I confront them at, preventing them from plunging into the Hektic Gates.
Conscript Fathers, faithful Valians! Our Empire is beset by peril as from all quarters of the earth its sacred bounds are assailed by the forces of chaos. In this time of woe when the state stands in mortal peril, the council of Titanomuria and all the lords of senatorial rank in the east have in their wisdom proclaimed us as Valia’s Emperor, that under our provident and auspicious rule the Empire might be preserved and our barbarian enemies scattered.
As Caelus’ champion, we assure all of Valia of this, that we shall dash the champion of accursed Ahtan, the foul Bastian (may his name be erased) against the unyielding stone of our land and put the false seer Baltarus to confusion and flight. As first amongst citizens we shall return in glory tidings of victory to Carias and the spoil of the enemy to Saia and the hallowed altars of the immortal gods, such as the divine will be so pleased to renew our Imperium and bestow upon you, the Valian people, eternal triumphs and dominion without end.
Some of you have, turning to the old folly of our sire, scorned us and opposed us in the senate, others still have acclaimed a pretender as imperator to the spite of the senate. We are not blind to the sentiments that compelled some to this rash course. But let all such divisions end, and all sins and past offences be pardoned as befits rational men of stature, learning and manly virtue. We for our part shall hold no grudges and meet out no punishments, granting all who have previously scorned us the clemency and magnanimity befitting our station. However, let it be said that the Empire will not forgive you should you refuse our imperial acclamation, lawfully proclaimed, and by your dissension hand the possessions of the Empire to the treacherous Ashraic foe.
Hearken, For I, Lucius Varus Aurelius assert my succession to the Imperial throne of the divine Carian and proclaim myself Emperor of Valia. Glory to Valia Aeterna!
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