File: Italia Draft 4.png (884 KB, 2285x3000)

884 KB PNG

>>233940
>Manage your finances.
Having read through Landolfo’s invitation and sent a response, you turn to the matter of what you should do with the first day between sessions. After a bit of thought, you decide that the best thing to do for now would be to see to your own finances; a proclamation a few years ago had for the first time set up a wage system for senators, but in reality you weren’t getting paid much more than the average laborer for a day’s work. Thus you think on what can be done to remedy the situation.

Eventually the idea occurs to you – invest in your own neighborhood. There was almost never a dearth of craftsmen in need of money in Roma, and if one invested wisely they could live off helping small enterprises get started. It ends up taking you almost the whole day to track down a decent and fairly safe opportunity for your money, but you eventually find that a couple of young men from your neighborhood have been working towards starting their own barber’s shop just a few blocks from your insula. After accounting for all that they need, you are left with 15 sesterces. All you can do now is wait for the dividends that they’ve promised you. As it is already too late to do much else, you get something to eat and return to your home.

>Accept Landolfo’s invitation.

Waking up the next day, you prepare yourself for the meeting with Senator Landolfo. He had agreed to meet you at the same tavern that Tiberius had taken you to, confirming your suspicion that it was a regular spot for Senators. You have some trouble finding your way there, being as you had returned to your house last time a little bit drunk, but you arrive on time and enter the building. One of the workers askes for your name, and upon hearing it leads you to one of the private drinking rooms further back in the establishment.

Inside the room is the imposing, heavy-set man who you had seen debating with Tiberius in front of the Senate. Judging from his still impressive figure, and the gnarled scar tissue running the entire length of his left arm, in his prime he must have been a fierce warrior – perhaps how he got this position from his lord in the first place.

“Hail Senator Crassius,” he states as he sees you approach, “it is heartening to see that you’ve come. Some of you Romans have gotten it into your heads that the Gothic states are a subject peoples – not to be conferred with on affairs of the Federation. The fact that you’ve agreed to speak with me brings me hope you are not one of them.”

“I certainly don’t like to think so Senator Landolfo. Now, what was it that you wished to speak about?” you ask, sitting opposite to the man.

“First, of course, I’d like to congratulate you on a great performance two days ago. I can’t say that I agree with Tiberius’ relatio, but hearing you talk made me see why one would. They often say changing my mind is like moving mountains, so that’s a pretty good start.”

“Thank you for your praises, Senator Landolfo.”
>con

File: Session II Comp.png (510 KB, 2000x1158)

510 KB PNG

>>233944
“I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true. There are other problems that arose from that though. With the passing of the relatio, a lot of senators on the Gothic side are worried that the Senate is moving to get rid of the provincial forces guaranteed in the Charter, and if the senators are worried, you can be sure the princes they represent will be absolutely panicked. Now I don’t know if that was the actual intention with the motion, but in order to avoid a crisis the Senate is going to need to guarantee those rights soon. Luckily I already had a relatio submitted before-hand, so it will be brought up at the next Senate meeting.”

“So you would like me to speak for it then?”

“I would appreciate it if you would, yes, if only just to show that this isn’t just a motion pushed through by the Goths. What’s more though, is I’d like you to see if you can get Tiberius and some of his faction to vote for it. He doesn’t need to speak for it, but having a few extra votes would be a great help. Talk is you’ve already gotten in his good graces, so maybe you’d be able to get through to him.”

“Why would either I or Tiberius vote for this though?” you say after thinking over the matter for a few moments.

“To keep the Federation in balance,” he snaps, before regaining himself, “but even beyond that, I understand how this process works. If you can convince Tiberius to vote for this, we’ll do the same for you in the future for something that isn’t completely unconscionable.”

“I certainly find the idea attractive, but what does the relatio actually say?”

“It clarifies a clause of the Great Charter that provides the provinces the right to have their own forces for the sake of keeping the peace. The clause wasn’t defined in the first place because there wasn’t an agreement then about what it meant, so right now it’s open to interpretation. The longer it’s left undefined, the more tensions around the issue are going to grow, so the relatio sets standards on what can be called a peace-keeping force. After conferring with a number of princes, I think a rationale number to set as the maximum would be 500 men per province – something I hope that you can agree with.”

“That’s pretty high for just a single province,” you reply, with a hint of worry entering your voice. With that number the Gothic princes could collectively have almost two legions worth of soldiers in their personal standing armies.

“I can assure you that some provinces already have greater than that number Senator Crassius, so this is already something of a compromise. Any less and there will be some princes outraged rather than pacified. So, will you vouch for it?”

>How do you respond?

>Attempt to negotiate the number down. (Roll 1d20+2 DC:15, and say whether you will support it if the number can’t be negotiated down.)
>Agree to the proposition as it stands.
>Disagree outright and excuse yourself.

Rolled 15 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>233948
>Attempt to negotiate the number down.

I won't support the bill if it can't be negotiated down.

Rolled 4 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>233948
I say don't support the bill if you can't haggle down the price, but if he offers a bribe to you, you should just look the other way.

File: Evropa.png (2.88 MB, 5482x3365)

2.88 MB PNG

>>233948
“Senator,” you cry at hearing his reasoning, “surely you realize that 500 men is completely unreasonable! How can you say that you support the balance of the Federation while giving each prince an army of his own? I think we both know that 150 would be all that a province would need to police its roads and keep order.”

“Crassius, with that number a prince couldn’t even repel brigands, much less border raids or peasant revolts. There is no way that we could possibly drop the number below 400 men. Even with that, there will be provinces livid enough to threaten rebellion!”

“Surely you must be kidding Landolfo, 200 men would be the absolute maximum that a prince would need to patrol their roads and repel raids. The Burgundians only cross over in groups of twenty at most, and the Iazyges haven’t mounted a proper raid in almost a decade!”

“I sympathize with your reasoning Crassius, so I’ll concede that 300 men would be adequate for a lord to protect his lands, but that’s where I’m drawing the line! Even with this deal I’ll be risking losing the respect of some of the northern princes.”

“The ones which wish to secede anyway? Look Landolfo, I’ll meet you at 250 men, but that’s quite honestly my final offer. You seem to be forgetting that I have to somehow convince Tiberius and forty other Roman senators to pass a relatio that will guarantee the right of provinces to have their own personal armies.”

“I’m sorry Crassius, but I have to stand firm at 300. The senators of my faction would weep if they heard that I allowed a newly appointed senator to negotiate me down this far.”

“Come now Senator, you need the support of at least one Roman faction to get this through the Senate, and the Imperials aren’t going to go for it any time soon. 250 men and I will vouch for it.”

“I… I’ll draw up the revisions before the Senate meeting this week. You had better get Tiberius on board with this though.”

“You have my word that I’ll give it my all,” you reply, feeling some sweat roll down your face. 250 isn’t a phenomal deal, but you’ve cut it down to a point where it seems permissible. You suspect that the northern Goths aren’t going to be happy with the compromise though.

After the negotiation, you both finish your drinks, shake hands, and exit the tavern. You can’t help but notice a greater look of respect in Landolfo’s eyes when you part however. Exhausted and now burdened with the promise of more work ahead of you, you return to your home for some rest.
>con

>>234047
>Speak with the Senator who proposed the marine corps relatio.
On the third day you attempt to set up a meeting with Tiberius to discuss what Landolfo had said as well as the Sardinian issue, but unfortunately he replies that he has pressing business, and you will have to wait to meet him until tomorrow.

Instead, deciding that you would like to speak with the person who put forth the relatio calling for the reestablishment of a professional marine corps, you attempt to set up a meeting with Senator Thaddeus Strakas by sending a messenger to his residence. Within the hour you are given a response and a local eating place that you can meet at. It doesn’t take you long to get there, and you quickly spot a man clad in senatorial colors eating some street food on the far end of the thermopolium. Looking at him as you approach, you see that he is an average-sized man with leathery skin and the beginnings of a head of grey hair.

“Hail Senator Thaddeus,” you announce as you draw closer, causing him to jump in his seat. He quickly turns around to greet you.

“Hail Senator. I appreciate that you spoke for my relatio the other day; I was starting to worry that only the Imperial Faction was going to help from the Roman side,” he replies, his words coated in a heavy Greek accent. He places his food on the counter and outstretches a greasy hand towards you. You reluctantly meet his handshake.

“It was no trouble. If the Federation is going to prosper, we’re going to have to enforce our status as a power on the Mediterranean once more, and a professional marine force is the first step.”

“We can certainly agree on that. Merchants from Bari are always in fear that their next shipment will be waylaid by pirates. A man can’t do business when they’re carrying around those sorts of concerns. Not to even mention the constant risk of costal raiders making their way to Italy,” he continues with no small degree of conviction. You simply nod and allow him to rant for several minutes about all the dangers of not having a professional naval force.

“Which is why, Senator, I was wondering a couple of things. First of all being, what can I do to help your relatio pass the Senate?” you ask when Thaddeus finally seems to be done lecturing.

“You could try speaking for it again, and hope that you end up debating someone less well-spoken than Theodoro. If it would help, I could even give you a copy of the full relatio to look over before-hand. I’ve already read through it so many times that I have it memorized.”

“I would appreciate that Senator Thaddeus; I’m fairly confident I can make a larger impact if I come prepared.”

“Excellent! I have it on me now, so feel free to take it. Now, what were the other things that you wanted to talk about?”
>con

>>234055
“Well, I can’t say for certain yet, but in the near future there may be a relatio from the Roman side calling for the construction of a navy to go along with the marine corps. Would you, and at least some of your fellow Greeks, support it if it came up?”

“I certainly would. As for the rest of my faction… I’d have to talk with Senator Argo about that. It was a struggle to get him to agree to this relatio and it’s probably a tenth of the cost of actually building a navy. I’ll certainly try though, so keep me updated if such a relatio is about to go to the Senate floor.”

“I suppose that will do for now, Senator. It’s nice to know that there’s at least one Greek that will be on our side.”

“Of course, friend. Now is there anything else you’d like to talk about?” he asks, after finishing the final piece of his food.

>How do you respond?

>As a matter of fact, yes I do. (What?)
>No. Thank you for your time

>>234058
Maybe try to get a general idea of what the greeks are thinking/feeling right about now.

>>234058
Seconding >>234090

>>234058
“Yes, actually I have one more thing in mind. I’m obviously quite new to the Senate, so I don’t really know what sort of priorities your faction has right now. What is your perspective on the way the Federation is going and could you tell me, for example, what relatios you plan to put up for debate in the near future? Of course, only if that’s not too intrusive,” you ask, finishing the last of your meal between sentences.

“Not at all Senator, on the contrary I’m glad that you’d like to hear our interests. I can only really speak for my faction and my home province of Messapia, but honestly most of our concerns of late have been to do with the struggling merchants of our cities. It used to be that we could easily find wealth on the markets of the Greek Empire, but internal strife has made them even more impoverished than we are. One of our number has a motion up in the next meeting calling for the repair of a number of roads throughout the south, so that at least internal commerce is easier. The week after that another has a relatio up calling for the refurbishing of a number of ports across the Federation to aid in inter-provincial trade. As for our view of the Federation, it has to be said we don’t have nearly the consensus that the Romans or the Goths do. In Messapia we love it, and wish to see it grow, in Pandosia the Senators are mostly neutral, and Kalabria is infamous for its dislike of being a province.”

After talking for a short while more about unrelated issues, you thank him and part ways. Looking over the copy of his relatio as you walk back to your insula, you think that you would need to spend a full day studying it and its surround circumstances to get a substantial boost to your ability to speak for it.


>Speak again with Tiberius.
You wake in the late morning, and after grabbing breakfast you head to meet Tiberius. This time you are to head towards Tiberius’ domus, which lies a short way into one of the more wealthy districts of Roma. As far as town houses go, it’s rather modest, but it still must be worth a considerable sum; most likely it has been in the possession of his family for quite some time. A child greets you at the entrance and takes you into the atrium where Tiberius is sitting – looking absently at a small fountain. When the child announces you, he springs to life, coming to his feet and greeting you warmly. After a few moments of small talk, he turns the conversation to more serious concerns.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to start with the Sardinian matter. I’ve spent the last few days going around and feeling out what we need to do to get the process started,” he starts, once again taking a seat and motioning you to do the same.

“Of course, go ahead.”
>con

>>234133
“Thanks. You see, I’ve talked to some of the senior members of my faction, and I think we should move forward these next few months with the intervention in Sardinia in mind. The first thing we’re going to absolutely have to do to get anyone on-board is to build up a navy, which should take around two months if we can get the Goths to lend their ports. It’s a thing easier said than done to get those Goths to agree to anything though. Then we should consider the prospect of raising a new legion or two to either help in the intervention or to garrison our forts while we send our already trained legions over. If we just try and do the intervention with the legions we have now, we risk the Goths or our enemies taking advantage of their absence. Maybe we can even name one after me – the Legio VI Tiberius – while we’re at it.”

“All of that sounds rather expensive,” you reply.

“You’d better believe it will be. I’ve talked with Quaestor Aurilius and he estimates that in total it will end up being around 2,000,000 sesterces upfront and will end up lowering our budget surplus afterward, but we can definitely take the hit right now. The hard part of all of this will be getting the process started. Once we’ve passed a relatio for building up our navy, the Vandals aren’t going to see us as neutral for very long, and the Senate will be forced to go through with it, but it’ll be convincing them to pass that first motion that will be a problem. Regardless of all that though, what do you think of it?”

>It sounds fine. (Would you like to bring up the matter of Landolfo’s offer? Roll 1d20+2 DC 13 if so to convince Tiberius of supporting the relatio in order to gain a favor with the Goths.)
>Here’s what I would like to change. (What would you like to change? Roll 1d20+2 with variable DC depending on what it is to convince Tiberius it’s a good idea.)
>Actually, we might want to lay this to rest. (Roll 1d20+2 DC 18 to convince Tiberius to give up on it.)

>>234140
>agree on the construction of a navy, but not of the new legions, the intervention of Sardinia will be planned swiftly. I will be speaking with the Sardinian ambassador about protectorate status and tribute for their nation. The vandals will attack first, in intrigued enlightenment we will swoop in mercilessly with the cooperation of our newly acquired territory, driving the vanadals off and providing the federation with a marvelous return on it's investment. Naturally we need Sardinian representatives afterwards, perhaps adding to the curfufl but it can and will be subverted and death with in my name.

Rolled 7 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>234140
>also promise to appease the goths with a relatio being drafted shortly in their favor. That will smooth the building process

>>234188
Come on we need more rolls!

Rolled 4 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>234140
>Here’s what I would like to change. (What would you like to change? Roll 1d20+2 with variable DC depending on what it is to convince Tiberius it’s a good idea.)
Mention our conversation with Senator Thaddeus, and his intentions to support any motion to build a navy. Perhaps suggest working more closely with his faction on this matter, and stressing what a boon this will be for Roman financial ventures.

Also, maybe cut the number of legions down to one, rather than two. A Roman legion though, since we'll be helping Landolfo and we can probably secure his faction's support that way.

Oh, and definitely bring up the matter of Landolfo's offer.

Shit, hope a third roll can pull our ass out of the fire here.

>>234211
Could you do a separate roll for convincing him to go along with Landolfo's relatio?

Rolled 19 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>234215
Sure thing, this is the roll for Landolfo then.

Rolled 17 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>234205

Rolled 10 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>234205
I'll second this.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

Seconding >>234205

>>234140
“The navy part definitely sounds fine Tiberius, but I have some concerns with the idea of raising extra legions to do this. It would be incredibly costly in sesterces and manpower, and would undoubtable create some concerns among the provinces,” you reason, trying to put your objection as softly as possible.

“The legions are absolutely essential to this Crassius. On one hand we can piss off the Goths because we raised some more troops, and on the other we can end up with a rebellion or an invasion because there are no legions defending Italy; which one would you want? I will put forward the relatio when the time comes – you can decide whether to vote for it or not,” he replies with look of frustration on his face.

“Very well, I’ll support raising a legion, but only one. As a compromise we could raise it from Roman provinces, and that way we can make sure one of the Goth legions is replaced by a loyal one while it’s campaigning,” you offer, quickly trying to think of what Tiberius would find amenable. Tiberius considers your words for several minutes before responding.

“That makes sense Crassius. We could be safe with only one, after all if we reach too far right now it would be a problem. Did you have anything else to say?”

“Well I had met with Senator Thaddeus yesterday, and he seems like he was willing to help with rebuilding a navy if the topic came up in the Senate. He wasn’t so sure about the rest of the Greeks though.”

“I had figured he would. I actually know Senator Argo fairly well, so I’ll talk to him about his faction supporting us when the time comes. He can be a obstinate old man, but I have confidence I can get through to him.”

“That’s wonderful,” you reply with a sense of relief, “now all we have to do is vote for Landolfo’s relatio in the next meeting, and we’ll have the numbers we need to start building a navy.”

“Landolfo’s what?”
>con

>>234274
“I met with him a couple days ago; he had wanted to speak with me about working with him to pass the relatio he has in the next Senate. He had said he would be willing help us pass something in return if I got you and some of your faction to vote for it.”

“The one promising 500 men to every province? And you listened to him?”

“I was able to negotiate it down to 250, and that was as far as he’d go. Look, we’re going to need a fair amount of Gothic votes to pass all these motions, and this is the best way to do it.”

“We can do fine without them if the cost is allowing those princes to militarize themselves! This is exactly the sort of thing that census relatio was trying to stop!” he yells, the anger in his voice increasing steadily.

“The Charter allows them to do so already, only now there is no limit on how many they can have. Most of them probably already have more, so this will actually reduce the risk involved. We get a cap on how many personal soldiers they can have, and then we get their support for the navy, it’s a win-win scenario.”

“But it’s… fine. I’ll do it, but I’m not going to force any of my Senators to vote for it, and please consult with me before making these sort of agreements in the future.”

“Of course Tiberius.”

“Is there anything else you want?”

>Yes. (What?)
>No.

Sorry about the slightly longer time between updates. Had to re-write halfway through since you ended up not making it a total trainwreck.

>>234279
>No.

>>234279
>No.
Think we more or less covered everything.

>>234279
“No, I think that we’ve covered more or less everything. Thanks for your time Tiberius.”

“You’re welcome. Now get out of here before you convince me to do something else stupid,” he replies, chuckling at the end. You say farewell and exit his home, entering into the cool night air and taking a deep breath. You’ve had a productive past couple of days so you reward yourself with some wine at a tavern in your neighborhood and go to sleep content.

>Talk with the Sardinian Ambassador that you saw at the meeting

You wake in the morning with a mild headache, but you otherwise feel refreshed. Yet again you must think of how to spend your time. Having met with Tiberius, and hammered out your plans for the days leading up to the intervention in Sardinia, you decide in the morning that you should talk with the Roman ambassador to Sardinia who you had heard talk in the prior session of the Senate. Luckily he was still in Roma, and early in the afternoon he sends a servant to your insula to show you to his residence. It is a sizable domus in an obviously patrician neighborhood not far from the forum – the atrium alone is roughly the size of your home.

“Hail Senator, I have not heard your name before, but I’m glad that someone has taken an interest in the Sardinians,” the ambassador says, greeting you from one of the hallways leading off of the atrium. You give him a polite nod in return and reply.

“As far as I’ve seen, there are several in the Senate who would like to do something about it, but it hasn’t been an issue that they are willing to discuss yet,” you reply as he shows you in to the garden behind the atrium.

“I appreciate their sympathies, but that’s not going to stop the Vandals. I was already half-convinced that the Senate had given up on the Sardinians. Hopefully you can tell me something that dispels that fear.”

“Well, there’s certainly a faction that wishes to intervene in Sardinia, but there are a few considerations I’d like to talk with you about before we go forward with anything.”

“What would those be?”

“You have to understand that right now the Senate isn’t for intervening because they see it as a waste of resources with no real return.”

“Having an ally isn’t return enough for them?”

“Not if said ally is being overrun by a kingdom of barbarians far from their prime, ambassador. No, what the Senate would need in return for action would be something more substantial. A simple agreement by which they become our protectorate would be sufficient.”

“So you’re asking me if they would agree to be annexed by the Federation?” he spits.
>con

>>234362
“No, I’m asking if they would agree to pay a minor amount of tribute and recognize the authority of the Federation over their foreign affairs in return for their kingdom. The Senate would respect their autonomy in all other matters.”

“There’s not much difference between the two for their court,” the man groans while shaking his head, “although at this point the king might just be desperate enough to agree with it.”

“What about the people?”

“They would accept just about anyone that could ensure peace right now. Some of them are even defecting to the Vandals just to get things over with.”

“I see. Would you be willing to broker such an agreement if the time came?”

“I’d do my duty if that’s what the Senate wants, but I don’t much like the idea. Just keep in mind that they’re not going to be able to provide more than a meagre amount of money or manpower for some time. Now, do you want anything else?”

>How do you respond?

>Yes, I have something I’d like to talk about. (What?)
>No, that was all ambassador.

Since there are no replies, am I good to move on to the Senate meeting?

>>234369
>No, that was all ambassador

>>234369
You excuse yourself from the ambassador’s home, and return home for the day. The next day you sleep until noon, and are unable to do much of anything, but at least you are going to be well rested for the meeting tomorrow.

Finally the day of your second Senate meeting comes, and you make sure to once again prepare early – setting off shortly after sunrise. Where you are heading today is the slightly less opulent Curia Julia, the usual meeting place of the Senate, so you don’t have to walk up nearly as many steps to get there. When you arrive, you find the familiar building – a large structure headed by two rows of pillars, with a large arched entrance in the middle.


As you walk through the archway, Decius, captain of the Senatorial Guard, gives you a respectful nod. Inside you see a large chamber, with ornate tiling forming a long pathway to the end of the room, at which there is a bench obviously reserved for the Princeps Senatus. While the seat is empty for the time being, two Senatorial Guards are already standing to either side. Sprouting from the walls of either side of the chamber are three tiered landings, all of which having benches lined up on them in rows. From the senators that are here already, you can tell that they’ve segregated themselves by what peoples they hail from, so you sit in the Roman half.

After waiting for a little less than an hour while watching all the senators stream in to the chamber, the Princeps enters from one of the doors near the far side and sits at the bench in the front. A silence falls over the room as he surveys the senators for several minutes before turning down to the sheets of vellum beside him. “Good morning everyone. We have another busy day ahead of us, so let’s try to move through this fairly quickly. Quaestor Aurilius will provide an overview of the state of the Federation, then Censor Sextus will give the Senate an update on the progress with the census relatio passed last session, and then we can finally get to business,” he drones, lazily waving to Senator Aurilius to come speak.

“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 4,452,326 sesterces in the treasury, down 50,000 from the census relatio, and are making a surplus of 269,720 a month, down 6,166 from the same relatio. All five legions are fully trained and equipped, and there were no Senatorial projects finished in the last several days,” the senator you had seen last time belts out, his words echoing.
>con

>>234489
“News has come that the Burgundians continue to raid the border, and the high chief of the Iazyges has discreetly apologized for his threats. That is all for now,” he concludes, walking back to his seat.

Censor Sextus makes his way to the floor shortly after and begins, “Since the next census will not be done until this fall, we have ample time to train additional censors to oversee the process in the twenty-two provinces that assented to allow the Senate to conduct it for them. Eight other provinces have insisted on training their own men, and have taken the funds provided to do so. That is all.”

“Thanks to both the Quaestor and the Censor for their updates,” the Princeps calls as the Censor walks through a back door “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 Thaddeus, which calls for the reinstitution of the marine corps of the Federation. Then we will discuss Landolfo’s proposal to define the ‘peace forces’ mentioned in the Great Charter. Third we will hear from a senator who wants to expand the cursus publicus. Finally we will debate a motion to repair the roads around the region of Magna Graecia.” With each relatio mentioned, he has to shout louder to be heard over the calls of discontent.

>You are able to speak on two other issues today, as well as the marine relatio (you have priority to speak since you did so last session), and influence their vote. Keep in mind you promised Landolfo one of them would be his relatio. Which two will you choose?

>Marine corps relatio. (Free.)
>Landolfo’s proposal to define personal armies.
>A Roman senator wants to expand the cursus publicus, the public messenger network of the Federation. It currently only extends throughout the province of Latium.
>A Greek senator’s motion to repair the repair the roads in Magna Graecia, especially around Thurii.

>>234493
Forgot to add, roll a 1d20 for each issue you wish to influence.

>>234493
>A Greek senator’s motion to repair the repair the roads in Magna Graecia, especially around Thurii.

Help improve relations with the Hellenistic part of Italy so that they won't be tempted to join the Greek empire.

Rolled 13, 15, 8 + 2 = 38 (3d20 + 2)

>>234493
>marine corps
>Landfolo
>Greek roads
Proposition to renovate messenger networks is tempting but that would cost a bit much for now

Rolled 8, 11, 17 + 2 = 38 (3d20 + 2)

>>234493
>>Marine corps relations. (Free.)
>Landolfo’s proposal to define personal armies.
>A Greek senator’s motion to repair the repair the roads in Magna Graecia, especially around Thurii.

>>234493
dice+1d20
> cursus publicus
yes, communications ARE empire
> roads
see above
> Landolfo
Landolfo should fuck right off with his private armies, botch the speech in his favor

>>234493
When silence returns to the hall, the Princeps Senatus calls the first motion up for debate – Thaddeus’ relatio. The general sentiment still seems to be somewhat in favor of it, and several of the Senators in Tiberius’ faction get up and speak for it. One in particular does well against a Gothic challenger, as he cites the recent complaints on the behalf of his province about the fact that the Federation was not policing their waters. You end up getting to speak relatively early in the debate, and walk up to the front of the chamber. The Gothic senator, Theodoro once again gets up to challenge you, and the exchange of words lasts for a long time. Eventually, the Princeps Senatus calls the argument to a close, and although you can hear some cheers of encouragement from the Greeks and the Romans, you doubt that you’ve said anything to decide the debate either way.

When the discussions finally draw to a close, you can see the nervousness on the faces of most all of the senators in your section, as it’s not really clear who had come out the victor in the proceedings. The Princeps has you stand at opposing corners of the hall and attempts a visual count. The result is too close, however, and the Senate begins a roll-call vote to decide the issue. To the great jubilation of Senator Thaddeus (you see him nearly jump out of his toga at the proclamation), the final count is 129 to 125 with 254 senators present.

Then comes the relatio from Landolfo. There are several mutterings on the Roman side that the matter will be quickly closed, but many seem frankly horrified when a Roman senator from Tiberius’ camp walks up to speak in its favor. Looking over at the Gothic side of the chamber, you see many that are perplexed at this turn of events, and revel somewhat in their suspicious looks as you are called to speak your mind on the matter. A Roman senator immediately comes up to challenge your words, and seems quite confident at first.

“This has been said a thousand times Senator, the provision is already in the Charter. The forces are already there. What you are doing is blocking an attempt to regulate them in a way amenable to both sides,” you yell, glad that he fell into your hands so early into the debate, “and it’s frankly disingenuous that you claim that not doing so is going to keep the peace!” After several more minutes, the senator relents, and you are able to return to your seat to the sound of applause on both sides, although the Goths more than the Romans.

The vote for the relatio similarly comes down to a roll-call, and the numbers remain fairly even throughout. Eventually the last senator is called, and the vote is found 128 to 126 in Landolfo’s favor. You can see him give you a collegial nod from the other side of the chamber.
>con

>>234634
The next issue to come up is that of the cursus publicus, which you decide to sit out while you prepare for the next debate. While there are a great number of senators from the Roman side which come out in support of it, there are almost none from the Greeks, and the Goths seem vehemently opposed to the use of state funds. A number of bitter debates ensue, until final the Princeps calls the issue to a vote. This time, only the visual vote is necessary, as there is a clear majority opposed to the arrangement.

Finally, the Senate comes to the fourth issue on the agenda, and with quite a bit of time to spare until sunset. Initially it seems like there’s quite a lot of resistance to the idea of the Senate investing in provincial infrastructure, but it soon becomes clear that the opposition is mostly the same group of Goths, without the backup of the Kalabrian Greeks this time. You are called to speak near the end of the debate, and walk up to the sounds of encouragement from both the Romans and the Greeks. No one comes up to challenge your words this time, so you start with the idea of the precedence it sets not to invest in the commerce of the provinces.

“It is from traders both within and without our Federation that wealth is created, and it’s our duty to aid them in that pursuit. Not because of any kind of honorable obligation either, but simply because the more money they make, the more taxes provinces can bring in, and the more tribute that the Senate receives. It would be foolhardy to reject this measure.” You once again receive quite a bit of assent to your words, and it becomes quite clear that this will not be a contentious vote. There doesn’t even need to be a roll call, and relatio passes in your favor.

After the session was adjourned, you are thanked by Thaddeus and the Greek senator who had put forward the last relatio. Shortly thereafter, Tiberius finds you and congratulates you on another successful day before departing himself. Before you can leave, however, you are tapped on the shoulder by one of the Senatorial Guard.

“The Princeps Senatus would like to speak with you in his office if you have the time,” he states simply.

>What do you do?

>Go with the guard to speak with the Princeps.
>Try to catch up with Tiberius.
>Go talk with the Greeks.
>Talk with literally anyone else. (Who?)
>Just go home for the day.

>>234640
>speak with the princep.
Thank you for running op, this is a slow thread but great for nerds like me.
Also taking a break. Back in a bit

>Go with the guard to speak with the Princeps.

Eyo hol' up, did we ever read that packet from Thaddeus to get that sweet, sweet preparation bonus?

>>234640
>Go with the guard to speak with the Princeps.

>>234640
After agreeing to go with the guard, you are led through one of the back doors of the chamber, into a long hallway that seems to eventually head underground. A short ways down you turn down another passage, eventually coming to an elaborately carved door. As the guard opens it you see a sizable office with a view of the city through a large window. In the center is the Princeps sitting behind an exquisite desk.

“It is good to see you again Senator Crassius. Please, have a seat,” the old man says as you walk into his office, at the end motioning to a chair sitting opposite to his desk.

“I congratulate you on your performance in these past few debates. While I refrain from taking sides on issues, it is always quite heartening to see a young senator attempting so passionately – and so successfully – to make a difference in this body. You know, the name of the Senate was once derived from the word senux, the elder, but I have to agree with Augustus in saying that youth brings a necessary life and balance to the Senate.”

“Thank you Princeps, I take your praise with high honor.”

“As you should, my boy. Now, as I understand it, you’ve had quite a busy time outside of the Senate too. I don’t mean to pry, but it’s astonishing to hear that Landolfo actually met with a Roman and was convinced by him to compromise on a relatio! Or even more so that Tiberius would go along with it. That must be your years of public administration at work, convincing them like that.”

“Landolfo did not seem like an unreasonable man, and Tiberius can see reason if it’s brought before him explicitly enough, although I have to ask how you knew I met him,” you reply, only to receive a dismissive nod in response.

“Oh, a Princeps has to know these things if he’s to run the Senate. I must advise you though, the ambassador is not a man who can easily keep secrets, so if you have dealings with him in the future, try not to tell him anything you aren’t alright with anyone knowing.”

“What do you mean Princeps?”

“The idea to intervene in Sardinia has been floating around for quite a while. Someone was going to pursue it eventually. I’m interested, though, what exactly is your plan with them? How do you intend to fight off the Vandals, and are they truly just going to be a protectorate?”

>Tell him honestly what your current plans are.
>Tell him the bare minimum about your plans.
>Tell him nothing.

>>234728
>betraying anyone, even Sardinia a weak invaded country is a stain on the name of myself and Rome. So while the idea of complete integration is absolutely alluring, keeping promises and working in unison is what keeps people together at the end of the day.

>>234728
>Tell him the bare minimum about your plans.

>>234728
>>Tell him the bare minimum about your plans.

>>234728
You tell him simply that the idea is to declare Sardinia a protectorate and make the Vandals out to be the aggressor. At the end you add that to do anything more than make Sardinia a protectorate would be a stain upon the Federation’s honor. You do not tell him about the numerous relatios you and Tiberius have planned to use to get to that point though.

“Oh come now, that can’t be the entirety of what you’ve planned out,” he states as you finish explaining your plans to him. After a few moments, a grin overtakes his face and he chuckles.

“That’s the way to do it Crassius. Always be prudent about the information you give out; a Senator never knows when it will be used against him. It does make it somewhat hard for me to give you advice, though,” he explains.

“Just give me whatever you can Princeps, I am eager to hear your perspective.”

“Well, my advice? You’ll want to talk with a couple of people over the next few days. You’ve engendered the good will of both the Goths and the Greeks, but there will be a number of Roman senators that resent that. You can’t make everyone happy, but there’s one man in particular that you should meet – Flavius Vedius of the Imperial Faction. You may not have the greatest opinion of the Imperial Faction given the positions you’ve take in the past couple of days, but his support would be crucial for any sort of militarization or warfare.”

“How should I go about getting a meeting with him?”

“Just ask. He loves talking to new Roman Senators, and would probably drop everything to speak with you. I’d be careful with him though, he is an intelligent man, and it would be all too easy to fall into doing exactly what he wished you to do.”
>con

>>234837
“And the others I should speak to?”

“Quaestor Aurilius for one. He is unofficially in charge of the treasury of the Federation, so any large expenses should probably be talked over with him first. He’s quite tight-lipped as well, so it should be safe to tell him about your plans. The Greek Argo should be someone to think about too. If you can really get him to agree to this, chances are he’ll get a lot of the Greeks even beyond his faction on your side.” You nod slowly in response to his words. He then changes the topic to give you some pointers on debate tactics that you tried but found were ineffective, and by the time that he finishes, the sun was almost completely down.

“See, this is exactly the sort of arrangement I had envisioned. You’ve already got the ideas yourself, and all I have to do is point you in the right direction. I’ll assume so long as you keep seeking my advice, that our meetings will continue,” he concludes, motioning to the guard to show you the way out.


You thank the Princeps for his time and follow the guard through the corridors of the building yet again. The guard parts ways with you once you get back to the main chamber, which you now find is empty. As you walk out of the Curia, a robed man leaning against one of the pillars meets your glaze and approaches you.

“Senator Flavius Vedius would like to meet with you tomorrow,” he says in a monotonous voice, “please come to his domus at noon.”

Before you can ask anything more of him, he turns and begins pacing into the forum, soon to be lost among the crown. Tired from yet another long day, you give the exchange little thought, and head back to your home. Once you get there, you quickly fall asleep.

>You now have several days before the next session of the Senate. Choose up to four things you would like to do over the next several days:

>Accept Flavius’ invitation.
>Talk with Tiberius. (What about?)
>Talk with Landolfo. (What about?)
>Talk with Thaddeus. (What about?)
>Talk with Aurilius. (What about?)
>Talk with one of the senators which put forward today’s relatio. (Which one and what will you talk about?)
>Talk with the ambassador to Sardinia. (What about?)
>Talk with literally anyone else you’ve met. (Who and what about?)
>Prepare carefully for one of the debates in the next Senate.
>Politic in your local neighborhood.

Feel free to write something in as well, this is not an exhaustive list.

>>234844
Since it's been five hours and my updates are slowing down, this seems like a good stopping point. I'd appreciate any criticism that people can give me about this session, and any advice on how to improve it. For example, I think it was a mistake to have so many long-winded actions between sessions of the Senate, and in the future I'm going to cut down on them (hence the four things instead of six.)

I'll also be here for a while to answer questions if anyone has any.

>>234855
I just hope you aren't burning yourself out op, that is a lot of writing your doing.
>speak to Flavius
>Go politicking and see what everyone is buzzing about, maybe even try to harness some minute opinions about minute subjects.
>talk to the treasurer Aurelius about where specific incomes are coming from, and get his advice on how to improve some aspects. Maybe exchange theories
>talk to Tiberius for the sake of talking, maybe talk about strictly Roman problems to passivley garner respect from him not to mention improve your standing amongst our constituency.

>>234855
pace yourself.
also, when is it fun time? no toga parties laden with intrigue? no heated betting on gladiators with Senators you want to schmooze? no slave girls?

>>234993
Don't worry, I'm fine with the current pace. I am concerned, however, that the length of updates is a detriment to the quest, although I'm not sure how to split them up without the choices between them being meaningless.

>>235016
You're right in that everything has been pretty much all work thus far. I'll try to incorporate some leisure next session.

>>235016
>Christians don't approve of gladiators and slave girls, underground prostitution and pit fighting rings are a possibility tho.

>>235035
Luckily, Christianity was not very successful in the western empire in this timeline. Only the Greeks would have a real aversion to gladiator fights.

>>235048
>this is going to be fun
>owning gladiators is a go.

>>234844
>Accept Flavius’ invitation.
>Talk with Aurilius. (What about?)
About potential methods by which we might drum up more revenue, as well as what he thinks the projected cost of our plan in Sardinia will be.
>Politic in your local neighborhood.
I think it would be good to put forward a relatio which helps our local area first and foremost. Shows our constituents that we're there for them, not just for political power. Even if we are just in it for political power.
>Prepare carefully for one of the debates in the next Senate.
Prepare for debate regarding the construction of a navy, now that we've gotten the debate regarding marines passed.
I assume that will be the next debate, but if we're instead debating the commissioning of a new legion we should prepare for that debate.

Oh, and another thing. We may want to start looking for a wife somewhere. Marry into an auspicious patrician family. Might be best to wait until we're a little wealthier and a little more prestigious but the right marriage could really secure our place in society and in the senate.

>>235261
>I assume that will be the next debate
It will be. Tiberius will make sure of it.