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>>225568
>Which peoples do you hail from?

>The Romans – staunch republicans who overwhelmingly support the continued existence of the Federation, as well as the extended authority of the Senate. (Near majority in Senate, meaning that many have a favorable disposition already. Heavily disliked by almost half of the Senate however, as many would need to be persuaded to work with a Roman.)
>The Goths – a people ruled by aristocratic princes with a few oligarchic cities seeking autonomy. They are split on the issue of the Federation, but almost none support the Senate gaining more power. (A little over a third of the Senate. Around half of the Roman senators will dislike you, and will need to be convinced that working with a Goth would advance their aims.)
>The Greeks – still sticking to vestiges of the Byzantine structure, they support aristocracy, but their views on the Senate and the Federation encompass the whole spectrum. (A small minority of the Senate, and there’s not nearly the cultural cohesion that the others have. Because of your small stake in Federation affairs, you will be seen as a third party – making it easier to mediate between sides and compromise in the Senate.)

I didn't come in expecting much, but it's sort of disappointing for the quest to die on its first post. Was the OP just too wordy?

>>225574
>>The Romans

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You are one of the sons of Rome – hailing from a line of nation-builders, innovators, and conquers that has remained unbroken for the past two thousand years. There are few things more prestigious to your people than being a member of the Senate, so you carry the post with pride.

Ascending the marble steps up the Capitoline Hill, you are struck with the feeling that a great weight rests on your shoulders; as one of the assembly of three hundred, you will have a fairly considerable influence on the course of history, especially in times as tumultuous as these. The fate of the Roman people, and more specifically your home province is in your hands.

As you step into the central complex, you are stunned to see the grand temple before you – with its massive pillars and golden shingles. The large effigies on top can only just be made out from the ground, their meticulously carved features making them seem almost alive. You can somewhat understand the feelings of those that worship the might of the old gods, seeing the structure dedicated to them. To think what the wealth of the old empire must have been to construct such a thing.

After crossing the courtyard and climbing up the many steps of the temple, you come to the main landing of the building. Looking through the pillars you can see the large entrance into the main chamber – no doubt where the meeting will be held – as well as several figures standing at various points on the platform. You can tell as you walk closer that they are members of the Senatorial Guard, wearing blackened armor with purple cloth overlain on top. One with a regal-looking helmet sees your approach and begins pacing towards you. In his hand is a sizable sheet of vellum, which sways in the breeze.

“Hail,” he states with measured words, “I am Decius Optatus, captain of the Senatorial Guard. I don’t recognize your face, but you look to be here for today’s session. What is your name, and what province do you represent?”.

>Tell him where you are from. Also feel free to make up a thematic name. I already have something in mind if you can’t think of anything.

>From Roma itself. (Elected by an assembly of the urban poor and middle class. They will expect you to vote for centralization, expansion, unity, and republican ideals.)
>From Valeria. (Elected by an assembly of large farmers. They will expect you to vote for rights of large farmers, expansion, unity, and oligarchic ideals.)
>From Picenum. (Elected by an assembly of small farmers. They will expect you to vote for rights of small farmers, isolation, unity, and republican ideals.)

>>225752
>From Roma itself. (Elected by an assembly of the urban poor and middle class. They will expect you to vote for centralization, expansion, unity, and republican ideals.)

Crassius Curio

>>225752
>From Roma itself. (Elected by an assembly of the urban poor and middle class. They will expect you to vote for centralization, expansion, unity, and republican ideals.

Gaius Primus

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>225801
>>225824
Tie breaker.
1 - Crassius Curio
2 - Gaius Primus

>>225752
“Hail, I am Crassius Curio, representative of Roma and its people,” you respond, wondering how he had not at least heard your name when the assembly selected you. It was quite an event.

You study his worn face as he scours the vellum for your name. It’s more than apparent that he’s seen many years, and the faint traces of a scar on his face tell you no few have been on the battlefield. Likely he was in a number of the conflicts leading up to the establishment of the Federation, although you couldn’t really say if being relegated to protecting the Senate was a good reward for his service.

“I see you now. A recent appointment. Well, you’ve actually shown up for the job, so welcome Senator,” he says, giving a curt nod before holding out his hand. You meet it, and share a firm handshake.

“The Princeps Senatus asked me to send you along to talk with him when you arrived. He’s in one of the back offices. I would not keep him waiting.” He motions around the building to the right. A flash of anxiety runs over you as you wonder what the head of the Senate would want to speak with you about so soon into your career. It is certainly not a custom for him to greet new Senators.

“Good luck today. Debates can get quite brutal at times,” he calls after you as you begin following his directions.

As you walk around the wall of the building, you try to think up all that you know about Canus Junius, the current Princeps Senatus. He was famously a leading figure of the first Federation Senate, bringing the newly incorporated Goths into cooperation with his mixed heritage. Around five years ago he was chosen as the head, meaning that he sets the agenda and takes the votes when it comes to that stage. There are even rumors that he aspires to be one of the consuls in the near future, although you’re not sure how much to trust something you’ve only ever heard in taverns.

Seeing the entrance on the far wall, you make your way inside and see a long hallway with numerous offices and storage rooms jutting off the sides. There seems to be light coming from only one of them, however, so you decide that must be your destination.

“Quite early aren’t you?” the Princeps quips as you enter. “That’s a good thing to get in the habit of. If only I could get all the senators to show up on time.” He is a diminutive old man, but even sitting behind a simple wooden desk, you can discern an aura of authority. Before him are spread out a number of documents, a glancing telling you that they have to do with the Senate’s budget.

“Please, sit,” he motions you towards a chair opposite to him, “I would like to properly welcome you to the Senate, and perhaps give some sage advice.”

“Frankly I don’t talk to every new appointee, but these are strange times, and after reading of your career I thought it was important to pass on some words.”

>>225853
>What sort of career have you lead?
>You’ve lived your life as a civil administrator, acting as an assistant to the various magistrates of Roma. Politics comes naturally to you, and you have some experience in all forms of administration. (++Persuasion, +Statecraft, + Finance)
>You were the son of a somewhat competent merchant who had only some meagre holdings. After you took over the family business, you managed to become a cornerstone of ever sort of commerce in Roma. (+Persuasion, ++Finance, +Income and starting wealth)
>You’ve served in the Legio I Latium, first as a soldier, then an officer, and finally as a military tribune. You are knowledgeable in the ways of war, and have some talent in leading men. Having already held a position, you should easily advance in the ranks of the Senate. (++Martial, +Persuasion, +Career advancement)
>You are the fortunate son of a renowned patrician family in Roma. You don’t have many skills, save perhaps an understanding of the Federation’s structure, but you have a great deal of wealth and political connections to make up for it. (++Statecraft, +Income and starting wealth, +Political Connections)

>>225857
>You’ve lived your life as a civil administrator, acting as an assistant to the various magistrates of Roma. Politics comes naturally to you, and you have some experience in all forms of administration. (++Persuasion, +Statecraft, + Finance)

>>225857
>You’ve served in the Legio I Latium, first as a soldier, then an officer, and finally as a military tribune. You are knowledgeable in the ways of war, and have some talent in leading men. Having already held a position, you should easily advance in the ranks of the Senate. (++Martial, +Persuasion, +Career advancement)
or
>You are the fortunate son of a renowned patrician family in Roma. You don’t have many skills, save perhaps an understanding of the Federation’s structure, but you have a great deal of wealth and political connections to make up for it. (++Statecraft, +Income and starting wealth, +Political Connections)

>>225857
>>You’ve lived your life as a civil administrator, acting as an assistant to the various magistrates of Roma. Politics comes naturally to you, and you have some experience in all forms of administration. (++Persuasion, +Statecraft, + Finance)

>>225853
Thinking back on your life, you had engrained yourself in the administration of Rome from an early age, wishing to have an effect on politics. Your efforts to keep a fair and perhaps more importantly, on budget, civil administration did not escape the notice of the plebeians, and they selected you in the hopes you could do the same in the Senate.

“The Federation is in worse shape than I think anyone quite realizes,” he states solemnly, “I would know – I am dealing with its representatives every day. Regardless of how one feels about the Federation, the direction things are heading right now is towards a result no one will be happy with. Something many seem to forget is that the Goths and the Romans have two legions each, and the ability to raise many more. A civil war between our people will leave our able men killed, fields salted, and borders open to invasion. I will not allow that to happen.”


“It is my job to make sure that this body still functions, whether it wants to or not, and I think that as someone who has been in charge of implementing actual policy when the Senate adjourns, you have the mettle necessary to help things along. The new wave of Senators in the coming years will surely decide the fate of this nation, whatever that may be. They, like you, will all have been barely of age back when we the Great Charter was signed, and will need a central figure to look to, to show them how they can preserve our time honored traditions. Otherwise, floor will descend into chaos before you know it,” he continues, pausing for a moment at the end.

“You can fill that position with ease, and to help you on your way I think I could nudge you in the right direction. All I would ask in return is that hear out the advice I’ve spent years learning for myself – gods know no one else will.” Before you can give him a response, or even really think of what to say, he holds up a hand and continues.

“Do not give me a response right now, or even within the week. Decisions should be ruminated upon, and only acted out when thoroughly thought through.”

“Here’s a bit of direction for free though: the man you should talk to before the meeting today is Senator Tiberius, you will find that the faction he leads holds views similar to your own. He has an important piece of legislation coming up today, and would be indebted to anyone that offered some last minute help; he should be somewhere on the other side of the building, pouring over his notes right now.”

You thank him for his advice, politely bow before you exit, and make your way back out to the exterior platform of the building. A patrolling Senatorial Guard gives you a slight nod as he walks past, and you think over the words of the Princeps as you stride towards the front entrance. It seems some more Senators have started to arrive in the time you spent talking.

>>225948
>Follow the advice of the Princeps Senatus and talk to Tiberius
>Enter the chamber the meeting is to be held in and socialize with those that have already arrived.
>Other (write in).

Congratulations, you’re now out of the character building phase, and are basically free to do whatever you like. Here is the character sheet: http://pastebin.com/8cd9USXw. This is as far as I’ve fully written out choices though, so the pace of updates will slow down a bit from here.

>>225948
>Follow the advice of the Princeps Senatus and talk to Tiberius

>>225948
>Follow the advice of the Princeps Senatus and talk to Tiberius

>>225951
>Follow the advice of the Princeps Senatus and talk to Tiberius

>>225948
There’s no reason not to follow the advice of the Princeps, so you follow his directions and head to the other side of the structure. It doesn’t take you long to identify the man he was talking about – it seems that he has acquired a number of crates and made himself a makeshift office. He is madly shuffling through the myriad documents spread out before him, and a few on looking senators seem to be watching him with either concern or subtle amusement.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Tiberius calls without looking up as you approach him.

“Hail friend. I am Crassius Curio, one of the representatives of Roma. As I understand you have an important relatio up for debate today. I am no stranger to oration, and would be glad to help in any way that I can,” you respond.

“Yes, I do have a motion going before the Senate today. What do you think I am preparing for here? It hasn’t just been today though – we’ve been discussing this matter for weeks, and I suspect it’s going to be a close vote. What do you know about it?” he asks, finally meeting your gaze.

“Honestly, not much at all, save it is in the interests of the Federation.”

“What, is this your first Senate meeting?” he sighs in frustration, placing his hands on his head. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have a new face go up for debate. All right… you know that provinces are asked to provide census information every year right?”

“Of course, I’ve written no few reports myself.”

“Good. Well other than the core Roman provinces, no one does them properly, and this motion is to require them to do so. Everything we get from the Goths is either clearly fabricated, poorly done, or nonexistent, so the Senate would just offer to send a Censor to do it for them. It would make sure they’re all paying the right amount of tribute, and give the Senate the information it needs to make decisions. Sounds like a win-win for everyone right?” he continues, not pausing for a breath.
>con.

>>226069
“Unless the provinces were already skimping on their tribute.”

“That’s just the thing – they’re not. The Goths know most of that money goes towards maintaining their own legions, and they’re not stupid enough to try and hold back. No – there’s something greater at play here, and I know just what it is. They don’t want us to know how large their personal armies are; the Charter allows them to have policing forces, but I imagine they’ve been building up for a rebellion. That’s why I need to get this through the Senate – our Federation is at stake here!”.

“I see. You want me to try and give a convincing performance on the debate stage then, to sway the vote?” you respond, thinking over the matter in your head.

“Exactly! Everyone has heard what I have to say a thousand times over, but you’re novel and new. Look, I really need to get back to my preparations, but if you’re going to help me out here I’d appreciate it. Take these notes and read them over before the meeting starts, they should help you prepare,” he explains before shoving a couple of sheets of vellum in your hands and returning to his work. Looking over them, they seem to be the full text of the relatio, as well as scrawled messages on the sides noting which parts to talk about.

>What do you do now?

>Do as Tiberius asked, reading through the notes, and preparing yourself to speak on the Senate floor. (Roll 1d20+1 to see how well you prepare.)
>Try to socialize with some of the other Senators since you have the chance.
>Other. (Write in.)

Rolled 16 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>226078
>Do as Tiberius asked, reading through the notes, and preparing yourself to speak on the Senate floor. (Roll 1d20+1 to see how well you prepare.)

On the one hand, we're no strangers to this bureaucracy and the danger of not being held accountable in light of day, but these notes are worth weeks of work regardless. I suppose it's better than trying to socialize with a few Goths and get their perspective.

Rolled 20 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>226078
>Do as Tiberius asked, reading through the notes, and preparing yourself to speak on the Senate floor. (Roll 1d20+1 to see how well you prepare.)

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>>226114
Aw fuck yeah nigga.

>>226114
I'm not doing criticals since they just lead to suffering, but it's fair to say you've prepared pretty well

>>226114
>Senators of the Repu-

>A compelling argument
>Indeed ol' chap
>Quite the performance
>He has a gift, an oratorical gift
>I suppose it can be seen from that perspective
>Mmm oh yes, quite so
>Indeed
>Marvelous

>>226078
Deciding that it was time to enter the chamber that the Senate would be meeting in, you make your way back to the front of the temple. Two guards step aside to allow you to enter, and inside you see yet another grand display of opulence. The marble walls are lined with numerous exquisite statues, many of which cast in precious metals like gold and silver. Multiple reliefs adorn the spaces between them, mythic scenes painted with vibrant colors and staggering size.

On the far wall is an alcove containing an effigy of Jupiter at least twelve feet in height – once more cast in solid gold and adorned with precious gems. To his front is a sizable altar, on which there are a number of offerings and religious objects. One has to wonder if the reign of emperors fell victim to a crisis in which man had accumulated more wealth than he had taste.

A platform, clearly placed for the Princeps Senatus to preside over the meeting is placed some distance in front of the altar. Before it are a number of marble benches, traditionally for people to observe a service, but now repurposed to act as seating for the Senate. There are already quite a few Senators sitting and conversing throughout the room, which would seem to suggest that the meeting will start sometime soon.

Not wanting to lose any more time, you immediately begin looking over the notes that Tiberius gave you, and find that they are filled with incredible detail. You can’t help but feel from some of them, like “the Goth bastards won’t want to hear about this part”, that the man has an undue bitterness towards the Gothic states, but a number of critical points are raised. The Senate would ultimately be responsible for the costs associated, which seems to be its greatest selling point, and would make the results known to the province.

There seem to be a few critical parts that Tiberius hasn’t put nearly enough stress upon, like that reports have suggested that the Gothic provinces are overpaying their tribute as a result of not having proper censuses, so you make a mental note to bring them up.

Just as you finish, the Princeps Senatus walks before the gathered assembly, and sits at a platform overseeing the entire chamber. After a few moments of ruffling through the many sheets of vellum he has brought up with him, he sighs and begins looking out over the crowd of senators. After a few moments, he gives an almost unperceivable nod to himself and begins talking.
>con

>>226176
“Good morning everyone. We have quite a lot to wrap up today, so I’ll be brief. Quaestor Aurilius will provide an overview of the state of the Federation, then our ambassador to the Sardinians will talk of their situation, and then we will begin today’s proceedings,” he states simply, motioning for a Senator to come in front of the assembly as he concludes.

“Hail Senators, I am Aurilius Octavius, Quaestor assigned to the province of Latium, and I will be informing you of the state of the Federation today. In terms of finances, we currently have 4,502,326 sesterces in the treasury, and are making a surplus of 275,886 a month. As for our army, all five legions are fully manned and equipped. Finally, the Senate’s recent project to provide an aqueduct to Cremona has completed on time, and on budget,” the man announces, his words echoing off the marble walls.

“News has come in of more border raids and skirmishes with the Burgundians, although there doesn’t seem to be much risk of a full out conflict as of yet. The Iazyges have once again challenged our right to fish in the eastern Adriatic Sea, but we suspect that is just the political maneuverings of a newly crowned high chief. That is all that is happened of note, however. A rather uneventful month,” he concludes, bowing before returning to his seat. As soon as he is seated, the Princeps calls for the ambassador to speak in front of the Senate.

“Hello, I am Camillus Suilius, ambassador to the Sardinians. As I’m sure you’re all aware, the slow boiling conflict of the Vandal Conquest has been going on for almost ten years now, with the barbarians slowly subjugating the coasts of the island. Things have recently taken a turn for the volatile, however, and not in a way that benefits our friends in the Sardinian court. Tired of the ongoing conflict, it seems that the people are losing interest in fighting off the Vandals, and the king has assured me that they will be forced to surrender within the year if Roman aid does not arrive shortly. Of course, he’s said the same thing before, but I believe this time it’s quite genuine. If the Senate wishes to intervene in this conflict, it should do so in the near future. That is all, thank you,” the man states, giving a slight bow and then marching towards the entrance. If you had to guess, this is not the first time he’s had this talk with the Senate.

“Thank you ambassador,” the Princeps calls after him as he walks away, “it is always a pleasure to hear you talk. Now, let us move on to the agenda of the day. The first relatio we will be discussing and voting upon is the motion from Senator Tiberius, regarding census reform.” When he mentions the bill, the Gothic side of the senate begins shouting in disapproval. Canus waits for the heckling to die down before continuing.
>con

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>>226181
“Then we will debate the proposed renaming of the Legio V. Third we will look over a relatio calling for a new public works project, and finally we will discuss the possibility of reinstating the professional marine force,” he calls as quickly as possible, this time talking over the shouts of disapproval that arise with each relatio.

Once the Senate has once again calmed down, the Princeps begins the debate on the issue of census requirements by asking all that wish to speak on the issue to make themselves known. You are surprised how few wish to do so, but you imagine that is because this topic has already been on the floor so many times before. Senator Tiberius is chosen first, on account of his standing in the issue, and Senator Landolfo comes up as well to engage him in debate. The exchange lasts almost an hour, with the two lashing out at one another about every piece of the legislation, until finally the Princeps calls the discussion to a close. Looking around at the assembly, you doubt anyone was convinced either way by the debate. A few others come out in turn, some of them just stating their position, and others challenging one another. Finally it comes down to you.

>Roll 1d20+5 (+2 from skill, +3 from preparations) DC 15 to see how well your oration goes.

Senate Sheet: http://pastebin.com/RnFdJWAk

Rolled 10 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>226194

Rolled 15 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>226194
Fortes fortuna adiuvat!

Rolled 11 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>226194

>>226194
Nah but for real, we ought to subjugate Sardinia and Corsica since they're real strategically located. Sardinia first, since we can march right in and annex them under the auspices of fighting off the vandals.

How strong are the vandals though? What's our fleet like, compared to theirs?

Also looking at the map it seems like Islam never really became all that prominent. Judging by the fact that Assyrians and Ghassanids both control fairly large swathes of territory and Arabia seems uninhabited.

>>226194
As your name is finally called, you stand and walk slowly to the front of the assembly. It would be a lie to say that it wasn’t intimidating to have the eyes of the most powerful men in the Federation all upon you. The Princeps calls for silence, and asks if there is anyone who would like to challenge your oration. No one accepts, apparently content to hear what the new Senator has to say.

Starting with a few deep breaths, you launch in to your defense of the relatio – the force of your words having a visible effect on those in the first few rows. “How then, do those of you opposed, call yourselves representatives of the Federation,” you call, holding back a smug grin as many in the audience lean forward to hear you speak, “when you would purposely reject information to your lords and governors, and even the Senate itself? Are you truly so fond of overpaying your tribute, that you would keep this body in the dark to say you’ve opposed the Senate? How do you even expect this assembly to make beneficial decisions when we don’t even know how many laborers your province has?”

Seeing that many are thinking over your words you press on, “If it is your concern that you are handing over your autonomy to the Senate, simply conduct the censuses yourself; the relatio even calls for funds to be set aside to train your administrators to do so!”.

After a number of other remarks, you conclude your speech, and silently walk back to your seat. There is a stunned silence for a few moments before the entire Roman and Greek parts of the Senate erupt in applause, with numerous shouts of approval mixed in. There are even a few Goths who are reluctantly nodding in assent with your performance.

The Princeps Senatus calls the discussion to a close when the Senate once again calms down, but you think you can see the vestiges of a smile on his downturned face. The vote then begins with Senators walking to opposite sides of the floor in “for” and “against” groups. After a few minutes of silently observing the Princeps calls for a verbal vote and names off those present one after another to count out the precise totals.

When it is over, the vote is called 130 to 112 with 242 Senators present. The jubilation of the Senators around you seems to suggest that they weren’t expecting the vote to pass at all, much less by a fairly decent margin. You are then ushered to return to your seats, and the Princeps moves on to the next issues that need to be discussed.
>con

>>226365
The second relatio is one presented by a Gothic Senator from Trieste which calls for the renaming of the Legio V Aquileia to “Aquileja” to reflect local name. It wouldn’t seem like that would be a very contentious issue, but a large faction of Roman Senators is trying their best to block it in the name of preserving tradition.

The next issue on the agenda is a public works project to improve infrastructure in major cities – put forward by a Roman Senator from Capua. A sizable part of the Gothic bloc is opposing it on grounds that it overreaches the authority of the Senate established in the Great Charter.

The final issue is the reconstitution of the marine force, put forward by a Greek Senator from Bari. Rome once had a professional corps of sailors to man the navy, but has since abolished them both. There’s some contention on all sides, as this relatio seems to question whether or not the Italian Federation wants to militarize itself.

>You can try to influence the vote of one other issue today (the Princeps is not going to allow you to speak every time or the debates would take forever). Keep in mind that if you go up for debate and fail, your earlier success might not have as great an effect on the minds of your fellow Senators.

>Speak for/against the renaming of the Legio V. (Which one)
>Speak for/against the public works project. (Which one)
>Speak for/against the reinstatement of a professional marine corps. (Which one)
>You’ve done enough today; just observe.

If you are going to speak for one, roll 1d30+2 to see how well you did.

>>226377
1d20+2 I meant to say.

Rolled 7 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>226365
>marine Corp

>>226254
>How strong are the vandals though? What's our fleet like, compared to theirs?
From what information you have, you'd guess they have around two-thirds of the military force that you do. Unfortunately, you don't have a fleet at the moment, although there is a relatio before the Senate to begin rebuilding one. Theirs is basically a bunch of transports.

>Also looking at the map it seems like Islam never really became all that prominent. Judging by the fact that Assyrians and Ghassanids both control fairly large swathes of territory and Arabia seems uninhabited.
There are a few different divergences obviously, but Islam remained a fairly localized phenomena. Arabia isn't uninhabited though, it's just that there were no tribes important enough to note.

>>226377
>Don't speak out regarding the Legio V.
>Speak for the public works project.
>Speak for the reinstatement of a professional marine corps.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>226456
Shit, shoulda read more thoroughly.

>>226377
>Speak for the reinstatement of a professional marine corps

>>226365
>ma bad
>besides marine corps approve public works.
>stay neutral on name change

Rolled 4 + 2 (1d30 + 2)

>>226377
For marine corp

You decide to simply sit out the next two hearings, content to allow events to work themselves out on their own. The relatio about the renaming of the Legio V ends up being a long and bitter debate between two incredibly invested Senators, only ending when the Princeps has one of the Senatorial Guard break up what was quickly developing into a brawl. When the voting occurs though, the vote is clear enough that it doesn’t require a proper roll call, and many draw a sigh of relief when the floor moves on to the next issue.

The public works project comes next, and once again the floor erupts in a poorly organized bout of general shouting and disapproval. It takes hours to get through the long line of Senators that wish to speak their opinion on it, and somehow none of them have anything inspiring to say. Finally, the debate is closed and the Princeps calls a vote. You find yourself in the minority when you walk over to show your support. The result is once again rather clear, although not by such a large margin, so that a roll call is not necessary.

When the matter of whether or not to reinstate the professional marine corps comes up, however, you immediate make your wish to speak on the floor again known. Perhaps as a gesture of respect for your earlier performance, you are not called last this time, and you walk confidently up to the stage. Maybe a bit too confidently, as a great number volunteer to debate you in front of the assembly. Eventually a Gothic Senator by the name of Theodoro is chosen and stands a few feet to your side as the Princeps has you begin.

He is certainly not an amateur, and challenges your every word as you try to build up an argument about the necessity of mobility that a standing navy would have. You trade statistics, philosophy, and insults for the span of what feels like an age until finally the Princeps calls the debate. You do not receive the standing ovation that you did last time, but as you return to your seat you hear many call your name in agreement – more than call the name of your opponent at least.

Eventually the debate is called as the sun was falling over the horizon, and the Senate is unable to make decisions after sunset. After your speech the discussions seemed to be more in favor of the bill, so you can safely conclude you had some effect.
>con

>>226627
As you stand up to exit the hall, you see Tiberius, flanked by Senators on either side, quickly walking up to you.

“Crassius, my good friend, I should have never doubted you!” he exclaims, bringing you into a short embrace as he reaches you.

“I’m glad that I could have been of service, Senator Tiberius,” you reply, wary of how to speak to the leader of a faction.

“Nonsense, there’s no way that the relatio would have passed like it did without you,” he dismisses, “and I don’t want to think about how smug Landolfo would have been if it hadn’t. Look, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve already a place in my faction, and to prove it I’d like you to come out with us tonight for celebrations!” The Senators to his sides seem less enthusiastic about the idea, but he is beaming at you regardless.

>Go with Tiberius. (Is there anything in particular you’d like to bring up or ask him?)
>Search for Landolfo – the leader of the largest Gothic faction. (Is there anything in particular you’d like to bring up or ask him?)
>Go do or talk with someone else, perhaps one of the Senators who had put forward motions today. (Who, and what?)

>>226638
>Go with Tiberius. (Is there anything in particular you’d like to bring up or ask him?)
Poke about the rival Greek and Goth factions, who is more inclined to see things our way, and perhaps replace hostile faction leaders, like Landollo

The next update will take a little longer, as I'll be preoccupied for a bit.

>>226638
>Go do or talk with someone else, perhaps one of the Senators who had put forward motions today. (Who, and what?)
We might wanna track down the guy who proposed the bill to reinstate the marines and the navy, see if we can't coordinate things with him.
Excusing ourselves politely of course, and promising to catch him next time.

>/his/: the Quest
Keep it up, OP

You agree to go along with Tiberius, and he is very apparently pleased by your acceptance. “Wonderful! Now I know this place a few blocks away from the Forum, it’s perfect for Senators to meet at – private rooms, good drinks and everything,” he explains as you exit the building. It seems like the other Senators with you are used to him reveling in his victories, as they just nod as he talks at length about how great an achievement passing the proposal was.

“I have no doubt that the Goths are going to oppose it at every level of the administration, and they might even try to appeal their case to a Praetor,” he continues as a part of his ranting, “but we’ll fight them all the way through it. They can’t get out of it this time.”

Eventually you make your way to the place that he mention he was taking you. It’s an unassuming looking tavern off of a side street, but as you enter the building you can see why he chose it. There are small, separate drinking rooms off either side of the building, each insulated from the next for maximum privacy; it wouldn’t surprise you if other Senators were congregating here as well. After a few moments of waiting, you are shown to your own room, and all sit down around a well-made table.

“Now, Crassius, my friend do you have anything you’d like to ask me? I can remember how chaotic my first day in the Senate felt after all,” he asks once you’ve all settled in.

“Honestly, I’d just like to hear about all the factions in the Senate and where they stand. Living in Roma I’ve heard all the popular names before, but still I don’t really get who’s who.”

“That’s a fair question, and not one I have all the answers to friend. Alliances come and go in the span of days, even just over the course of one relatio, although there are a few set factions. First we’ve obviously got the one I’m the head of, which supports the republic and the Senate. We’ve got around 45 permanent members. There’s also a group of Romans who advocate for a return to the days of the empire; you saw them today up there arguing about changing one letter in a legion’s name. They’ve got, maybe 23 members or so. Then there’s at least two Greek factions of about 13 each who respectively hate the Federation and love it. Old Landolfo leads the largest Gothic group of 44. I don’t think he hates the Federation, but damn does he make it hard to get anything done. Finally there’s the real bad guys from the north – a bunch of Gothic nobles who would secede in a minute if they thought they would win. Their number are always changing, but there are about 30 of them right now,” he rattles off between sips of wine.
>con

>>227001
“So who’s on our side here?” you ask.
“Reliably? Only that Greek faction I was talking about.”

“So that makes what, 58 Senators in total? Is there any way in which you could make any other faction heads more amenable?”

“We could assassinate them,” he laughs,” but other than that they’re here to stay. There’s a lot of in-betweens that we count on to get things through though.”

Your conversation continues for some time, touching on all sorts of topics from the night life in Roma to Tiberius’ future plans for motions to put forth. All the while Tiberius gets himself increasingly drunk and loose-lipped, perhaps why the Senators looked nervous to bring you along. Eventually something fairly surprising comes through.

“Y’know, I think I can trust you Crassius. I’ve got this idea I’ve been thinking about, and I’d like to hear what you think,” he slurs, immediately gaining the disapproving gaze of both of his companions.

“What is it Tiberius?”

“The Federation needs to expand if it wants to make it friend – bring the republic to new peoples and secure our future and all that. I’ve been thinking about the Sardinian thing for a while, and I think we should intervene. Send over some troops and then just take the place over… maybe Vandalica too. It’s not the most honorable, but I figure it’d be worth it don’t’ you think?” he slowly explains, looking to you for a response.

>Of course.
>Perhaps.
>There’s no way.

Sorry about the wait. My dogs weren't going to wait much longer for a walk.

>>227010
>there would have to be a lot of argument to push that through, especially what your talking about. I don't say we should betray them, though I do approve of intervention. Dealing with both sides will be dealt in the present, assumations would not be wise to make now.

>>227010
>There is no way, the honor of Rome is the highest priority.
We need to entice them into attacking us, then make a mass appeal to the citizens of Rome to unite against the common enemy.

>>227167
Do you mean incite the Sardinians to attack or the Vandals?

>>227010
>Perhaps.
I don't know if I'd advocate taking them over outright, but establishing them as a protectorate. Allowed to manage their own affairs so long as they pay taxes. Recall the methods by which our ancestors conquered Judea, Bithynia, and Aegyptus.

>>227010
>final compromise: give the reason for the vandals to attack as casus beli, consider making Sardinia a protectorate, but make final adjustments when the time is right

>>227192
Get the Vandals to attack us first. Try to get them to raid a pretty unimportant target that we let out some rumors about how it has tons of gold or tradeable goods.
>We could have some heavy shock and light skirmish cavalry hiding near the town to quickly come in to slay that savages before to much damage.
>It could be a good time to train some new commanders or new recruits for real battles.

>>227010
“I definitely agree with the idea of intervening,” you begin with a measured tone, “but I don’t think we should put political expediency before the honor of Rome. We need to make sure we have the moral authority here. The Vandals are clearly the aggressors, so instead of trying to seize Sardinia outright, perhaps we can just offer to make them a protectorate. The Federation will expand, and we won’t have had to betray anyone, and later down the line if we have to make ‘adjustments’ in our relationship, then so be it.” Tiberius seems initially dejected at your response, but quickly brightens up once again.

“You’re quite the schemer my friend Crassius; of course there’s no reason to attack Sardinia! The Vandals are the bad guys here, not us. I’ll draft the relatio this week, and I’ll make sure your name is on it!”. You’re not sure if he’ll remember this conversation in the morning, but you can see that the two other Senators are seriously considering your proposal – a good sign. You continue talking for some time, and don’t part until well into the night. Tiberius, you feel, is a bit over-the-top, but sincere at least, and that’s all you could hope for in a Senator.

Feeling a little bit drunk and quite a bit pleased with yourself, you make your way back to your home section of the city. The few people still out on the streets greet you as you walk past, respectful of the fact that they selected you to be their representative. When you finally arrive home you admire the humble building that you’ve acquired for yourself and head inside. Sleep comes to you quite easily, and it is morning before you know it.

You are woken up in the early morning by the sound of a knock on your door. Getting up and walking to the door you see a piece of folded vellum slipped under it. You glance over the contents after picking it up, and see that it’s addressed from Landolfo Pietropaolo; it’s inviting you to have a meal with him in a few days. It seems he was impressed by your performance, and would like to talk to you about your recent entry into the Senate.
>con

>>227318
The next session of the Senate isn’t going to be until next week so you have six days with which you can do whatever you would like.

>Choose up to six things what you would like to do over the next several days:

>Speak again with Tiberius.
>Speak with the Senator who proposed the marine corps relatio.
>Accept Landolfo’s invitation.
>Attempt to gain audience with the Princeps again.
>Talk with the Sardinian Ambassador that you saw at the meeting.
>Manage your finances.
>Draft a relatio that you’d like to try and put forward to the Senate.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to write in whatever you’d like.

I hope that I got the idea of how you wanted to respond correctly. Either way, this is going to be my last proper update for this session. It’s been five hours and we’ve reached a good stopping point here. I’m going to stay around for a while to answer questions, and hopefully receive some feedback on the thread though.

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>>226114
>>226201
>>226365

Good read OP, thanks!

>>227330
In order of importance

>Speak with the Senator who proposed the marine corps relation.
>Talk with the Sardinian Ambassador that you saw at the meeting.
After these two are done
>Speak again with Tiberius.
>Accept Landolfo’s invitation.
>Manage your finances.
>Draft a relatio that you’d like to try and put forward to the Senate. (not sure if it should be unrelated to the Sardinian situation)

For any promise of protection to Sardinia to hold any weight we need to go about expanding our naval capabilities, the marine corp is an essential step there. Once we know it's feasible, we can speak with the ambassador and try to discern how open they would be to becoming a protectorate/vassal in return for our intervention, then we can nail out the details with Tiberius and (hopefully) swing Landolfo around, even if it means promising support to one of his relatio'sin return.

>>227330
>Manage your finances.
>Speak with the Senator who proposed the marine corps relatio.
>Talk with the Sardinian Ambassador that you saw at the meeting.
>Speak again with Tiberius.
>Accept Landolfo’s invitation.

I've archived the thread at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/225568/ and before I go I'd like to ask a few questions.

What would be the most convenient time for me to run the next thread?

Are there any things that I did in this session that you'd rather not see again, or any general criticisms?

Finally, where would you like to see this quest going? I've a narrative in mind, but I'm open to change what I emphasize about it depending on what people would like to see.

>>227330
>finances
>Sardinian ambassador. Talk to him about making protectorate status (and a fair amount of tribute to pay for later relatio)
>landolfo meeting. Get him and his supporters on your side
>draft a relatio on the approach to foreign relations, increasing affinity to the east and the Greeks while refurbishing coastal ports and border checkpoints mostly in the north (which will be Gucci for the Goth bros.)
>meet marine corps bro, see if you can make changes in it to make it more appealing. Preferably making it easier on the coffers and administration effort.
>speak with Tiberius, get his input on dis shit
>gain audience with princeps cause why not, we need dat input.

>>227564
>>227558
Actually that's 7. Never mind Tiberius he's already Gud with us. And op your fine to do this whenever tomorrow, preferably not in the morning tho.

Ay yo op you gonna be delivering today?

>>227558
One thing I don't understand is the timeline, is this an alternative history where Christianity hasn't become so deeply rooted?