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Thanks! I want to explain the causes, the background of some major players in the revolution and the events that would take place (including the involvement of the Langobards). These will take a lot of chapters so I hope all my readers can enjoy this revolution.
Chapter 117 (Crimson Revolution [part 2])
The Roman government wasn't the only source of discontent amongst the people living within Rome. The nobility class has grown very powerful over the centuries. The special privileges enjoyed by the nobles were the major reason that the situation only worsened as time passed by. When people began rising up, they not only called for a change of government but the death to all those part of the nobility class. What have the nobles done? Were they the root of all this discontent? Why was so much hate directed to this class?
Since the birth of Rome, a nobility class was born. People under this class were not part of the government but their wealth and influence did place them in the upper status of Roman society. Nobles also enjoyed privileges such as small land grants and small tax cuts. At the early stages of the Roman nation, nobles had a slightly better life than an average person. As the nation grew stronger, the nobles also became stronger. They were able to collect more taxes from the influx of people living on their lands. The life for a noble was improving quickly but their wealth and power would soon threaten the ruling class. The ruling class has always viewed themselves as the tip of Roman society. This class never wanted to part with the power they held within their grasp. If one dared to question their beliefs, that person would disappear the next day. As time passed by, the ruling class, especially the monarch, began to grow suspicious of all those around them. With nobles growing stronger day by day, the monarch (his name long forgotten) suspected that the nobles were attempting to overthrow him. Thus, the Roman monarchy began a series of changes in restructuring Roman society.
Following the suggestions of his most trusted men, the monarch began to take power and land from the nobles. He first targeted the lesser nobles to test the waters. The monarch would first use diplomacy and, if that failed, he would use force. The lesser nobles, not daring to challenge the monarch, reluctantly agreed to hand over their land and power to the monarch. The plan went smoothly which made the monarch more bold. The monarch decided to carry out his plans with a couple of the more powerful noble families and succeeded without any resistance. The monarch became overconfident and that was the opening a young noble was looking for. A young noble, by the name of Antonius Crimson, used his cunning and resources to gather supporters quietly. Antonius formed alliances with other powerful noble families and, by consolidating their wealth, hired the strongest mercenary army at the time. The army would help Antonius in overthrowing the government and forming a new one. This marked the end of the Roman Monarchy and the birth of the Roman Republic.
The new government would favor the nobility class. Antonius and the other noble heads refused to be the ruling class and preferred to elect the rulers (or better known as consuls). The nobles, however, still had influence on the major decisions in all matters. To accomplish this, nobles, depending on their wealth and influence, were granted plots of land and a sum of ducats. These nobles would then oversee the construction of towns or cities within their new plots of land. Upon completion of the towns or cities, the nobles represented the government by collecting taxes from the people living on their land. While most of the ducats would be sent to the government, the nobles would acquire a fairly large portion of it as payment for their governance over the land. In addition, the government collected little to no taxes from the nobility class which meant a noble could accumulate wealth very quickly. As towns and cities grew in size, the nobles were growing more powerful with the wealth they raked in from the taxes. In the Roman capital, the nobles would have a representative that participated in meetings with the consuls in discussion of domestic and foreign affairs. It was rumored that, if a consul made enough enemies within the nobility class, he would disappear without a trace. A new replacement, one assumed to have good standings with the nobles, would be picked soon after.
When Rome began her expansions, nobles were granted the newly conquered land to govern as well. Depending on one's influence within the republic, a noble might get first pick over the land. Rome's massive expansion in the centuries to come would see many nobles acquired a lot of territory. These nobles became so wealthy that rumors said that some nobles earned more ducats in a month than Rome could in a year. In other words, the consuls tried desperately in keeping the nobles happy to avoid the possibility of a rebellion they cannot hope to put down. Nobles even began playing a major role in times of war. During wars, the nobles would lend ducats to the government in return for more wealth and land once the war ended. In 27 BC, the Roman republic became the Roman Empire. The nobles had, by this time, became so powerful that they could hire a mercenary army to conquer whatever lands they had their eyes on. With the vast wealth they had access to, the nobles had no opposition within Rome except for other nobles. Relatively peaceful rivalries between nobility families had always existed but, in 828 AD, an internal struggle, known as the Roman Civil War of 828-832, would result in the clash between noble families. The nobles would pick sides and fought for the control of the throne. The bloodshed from the civil war destroyed the stability within the nation. The average citizen was struggling to survive following the war when the noble families, with the wealth they accumulated, continued to live the life of luxury. When the Crimson Revolution began, the nobility class and the ruling class would become the target of the revolutionaries.
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Chapter 118 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 1])
(Era of Roman Monarchy)
The Crimson Blood nobility was, arguably, the most powerful noble family in Roman history. The noble family dated back to the birth of Rome herself. The history of this family began with bloodshed and, as fate would have it, it would end with bloodshed. Each member of the Crimson Blood noble family would play a small part in shaping the future of Rome. There were, however, four Crimson Blood Patriarchs that would play a role in redirecting the entire future of the Roman nation. One of them was a man who would play a part in the creation of the Roman nation. The name of this man was long forgotten but history would still remember his contribution to Rome. This was how his story began:
There were three brothers that were in search of a new home. No one knew where the brothers came from. Their past has been shrouded in mystery. There has been many speculations that the brothers were once slaves that escape captivity. This speculation would explain why they kept their past a secret. However, their past would remain a speculation with no way of discovering their actual past. What is known was that the brothers were passing through the Palatine Hill where they met Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus had a dream of building a great city. The city would welcome people of all status all over the known world. To accomplish this goal, they needed people to join them. Both Romulus and Remus were charismatic men and the three brothers decided that fate brought them together. The three brothers, known as the Crimson Brothers since that day, would join Romulus and Remus in the construction of the greatest city in the world.
The origin of the name "Crimson" remained unknown today. Some say that Romulus gave the name to the brothers as an official welcoming gift. Other said that the color crimson had a connection to the brothers' past. Other said the Gods had given the brothers the name in a dream as a foreshadowing the bloodshed that will take place at the hands of those in the Crimson family. Whatever the case, Crimson would become the name of the noble family that began with the three brothers. When the city was near its completion, Romulus and Remus had a argument regarding who the city would be named after. The argument became so violent that the two brothers took up arms against each other. The citizens of the new city would pick a side in this conflict. One of the Crimson Brothers took the side of Romulus while the other two sided with Remus. The battle lasted an entire day with Remus killed by Romulus. The two Crimson Brothers that sided with Remus died that day as well. Some believed that the surviving member of the Crimson Brothers (now referred to as Crimson Brother) killed both his brothers to prove his loyalty to Romulus. Records showed that the Crimson Brother was devastated by the loss of his brothers. Whether or not they did play a role in the deaths of his brothers, the Crimson Brother did dig a grave for his brothers and, for three straight days, held a vigil. To further commemorate his brothers, the Crimson Brother would change the name of his family from Crimson to Crimson Blood. The Crimson Brother hoped that his descendents would remember that their future was made possible at the cost of blood. Blood of those that shared the same bloodline as themselves.
The victory for Romulus meant that the city would be called Rome. To say Rome was a city was an over exaggeration. At the time, Rome was nothing more than a settlement with a small population. The settlement lacked women and Romulus tried to solve the problem by negotiating with neighbors in marrying their women. When the negotiation failed, Romulus would carry out a plan known today as "The Rape of the Sabine Women." Rumors had it that the Crimson Brother was behind the idea. While there weren't any actual proofs, what was certain was that the Crimson Brother was promoted in rank the day after the plan was carried out. He would also become a part of the Roman Senate. With his growing influence and wealth, the Crimson Brother would form one of five major noble families in Roman history. Being a trusted adviser of Romulus, the Crimson Blood nobility would begin stronger than all the other noble families.
The Crimson Blood nobility would remain as one of the strongest noble families within Rome. Their wealth and influence grew stronger with the influx of immigrants to the Roman nation. However, their growth in power and wealth didn't go unnoticed by the ruling class. The ruling class would attempt to weaken the noble families but that only resulted in a large conflict. The conflict would change the direction Rome was heading towards. The man who played a major role in the conflict was Antonius Crimson.
(Era of Roman Monarchy)
The Crimson Blood nobility was, arguably, the most powerful noble family in Roman history. The noble family dated back to the birth of Rome herself. The history of this family began with bloodshed and, as fate would have it, it would end with bloodshed. Each member of the Crimson Blood noble family would play a small part in shaping the future of Rome. There were, however, four Crimson Blood Patriarchs that would play a role in redirecting the entire future of the Roman nation. One of them was a man who would play a part in the creation of the Roman nation. The name of this man was long forgotten but history would still remember his contribution to Rome. This was how his story began:
There were three brothers that were in search of a new home. No one knew where the brothers came from. Their past has been shrouded in mystery. There has been many speculations that the brothers were once slaves that escape captivity. This speculation would explain why they kept their past a secret. However, their past would remain a speculation with no way of discovering their actual past. What is known was that the brothers were passing through the Palatine Hill where they met Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus had a dream of building a great city. The city would welcome people of all status all over the known world. To accomplish this goal, they needed people to join them. Both Romulus and Remus were charismatic men and the three brothers decided that fate brought them together. The three brothers, known as the Crimson Brothers since that day, would join Romulus and Remus in the construction of the greatest city in the world.
The origin of the name "Crimson" remained unknown today. Some say that Romulus gave the name to the brothers as an official welcoming gift. Other said that the color crimson had a connection to the brothers' past. Other said the Gods had given the brothers the name in a dream as a foreshadowing the bloodshed that will take place at the hands of those in the Crimson family. Whatever the case, Crimson would become the name of the noble family that began with the three brothers. When the city was near its completion, Romulus and Remus had a argument regarding who the city would be named after. The argument became so violent that the two brothers took up arms against each other. The citizens of the new city would pick a side in this conflict. One of the Crimson Brothers took the side of Romulus while the other two sided with Remus. The battle lasted an entire day with Remus killed by Romulus. The two Crimson Brothers that sided with Remus died that day as well. Some believed that the surviving member of the Crimson Brothers (now referred to as Crimson Brother) killed both his brothers to prove his loyalty to Romulus. Records showed that the Crimson Brother was devastated by the loss of his brothers. Whether or not they did play a role in the deaths of his brothers, the Crimson Brother did dig a grave for his brothers and, for three straight days, held a vigil. To further commemorate his brothers, the Crimson Brother would change the name of his family from Crimson to Crimson Blood. The Crimson Brother hoped that his descendents would remember that their future was made possible at the cost of blood. Blood of those that shared the same bloodline as themselves.
The victory for Romulus meant that the city would be called Rome. To say Rome was a city was an over exaggeration. At the time, Rome was nothing more than a settlement with a small population. The settlement lacked women and Romulus tried to solve the problem by negotiating with neighbors in marrying their women. When the negotiation failed, Romulus would carry out a plan known today as "The Rape of the Sabine Women." Rumors had it that the Crimson Brother was behind the idea. While there weren't any actual proofs, what was certain was that the Crimson Brother was promoted in rank the day after the plan was carried out. He would also become a part of the Roman Senate. With his growing influence and wealth, the Crimson Brother would form one of five major noble families in Roman history. Being a trusted adviser of Romulus, the Crimson Blood nobility would begin stronger than all the other noble families.
The Crimson Blood nobility would remain as one of the strongest noble families within Rome. Their wealth and influence grew stronger with the influx of immigrants to the Roman nation. However, their growth in power and wealth didn't go unnoticed by the ruling class. The ruling class would attempt to weaken the noble families but that only resulted in a large conflict. The conflict would change the direction Rome was heading towards. The man who played a major role in the conflict was Antonius Crimson.
Here's a minor update. I've played to a point where I decided to stop. There are no longer any incentives for me to keep playing. Here's the date I ended at:
Chapter 119 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 2])
(Antonius Crimson [part 1])
In 814, Antonius was born into the branch of the Crimson Blood nobility that situated in the Roman capital, Rome. On the day of his birth, there was a great storm that forced everyone to stay indoors. When Antonius' mother was giving birth, there was no way for the servants to get a midwife. Thus, Antonius' mother died that day giving birth to Antonius. Antonius would become the last child to be born into the household because his father, Brutus, vowed to never marry again following the grief he experienced from the death of his beloved wife. While suffering grief, Brutus had also blamed Antonius for his losses. As a result, Brutus never wanted to give his newborn son any love and would simply meet the minimal expectations as a father. In the case of Brutus, he would only provide food, clothing and shelter. With the father distancing him since birth, Antonius would never learn to love his father. Luckily, fate had other plans for him.
Antonius had six siblings with four of which being his brothers. His three elder brothers have joined the Roman military and were high ranking officers. Antonius' fourth brother was still training in the military academy and was only a few years from graduating. Antonius was destined to join them as well. As for the two sisters, there was little known about them. The women in noble families were, at the time, merely bargaining pieces. To gain the favor of a member in the ruling class was often accomplished by marrying one's daughter off. There has been no records but it was safe to assume that Antonius' sisters were used to maintain the status of noble family. Antonius would never meet them or, if he had, there was no such mention. Given that Brutus sent Antonius away from home merely weeks after birth, Antonius would never grow close with his brothers either. To Antonius, he would never grow close to anyone within his family except for one man. This man would play a part in educating and shaping him. This man would be the reason for Antonius' mark in history.
Since he was in the crib, Antonius was under the care of one of his uncles, Decimus. Decimus was a wise man who had a reasonable reputation in Rome. Seeing the corruption within the court, Decimus decided to retire from politics and enjoy a life of tranquility. A month into his retirement, Decimus began to hate the idleness that plagued him. Decimus decided that he needed something to keep his occupied. The thing he was looking for would present itself to him. When he heard his brother had another son, Decimus, as a uncle to the newborn, paid a visit to his brother. When Decimus saw Antonius, he immediately grew attached with the infant. The infant had an aura that showed great promise. Without a second thought, Decimus approached Brutus in hopes of becoming the guardian of Antonius. Brutus, with no intention of raising his new son, happily handed Antonius over. Decimus would take Antonius home and hire a nanny to take care of the infant's everyday needs. Below was a segment from Decimus' personal diary:
Antonius is a promising child. Since I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was something special. Even as an infant, I can see the fire that burn brightly in his eyes. I never thought an infant can show this much promise but Antonius is one of the exceptions. I take this as a sign. A sign that this boy will bring about great change to Rome. He will carve his name into history. I cannot understand why my brother handed his son over to me so willingly. Antonius is destined for greatness and I feel honored to take him under my wing. I will raise him to be a great man. If my brother is so blind to not see his potential, I will prove to him that he lost a great son. Antonius is growing day and day. Once he can talk, I will teach him about the great philosophers. He will also learn to lead men into battle. Antonius will become a hero remembered by all. I will make sure of that. In the past, I wondered about my real purpose in life. Now, I know that my purpose lies in teaching and raising Antonius.
Chapter 119 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 2])
(Antonius Crimson [part 1])
In 814, Antonius was born into the branch of the Crimson Blood nobility that situated in the Roman capital, Rome. On the day of his birth, there was a great storm that forced everyone to stay indoors. When Antonius' mother was giving birth, there was no way for the servants to get a midwife. Thus, Antonius' mother died that day giving birth to Antonius. Antonius would become the last child to be born into the household because his father, Brutus, vowed to never marry again following the grief he experienced from the death of his beloved wife. While suffering grief, Brutus had also blamed Antonius for his losses. As a result, Brutus never wanted to give his newborn son any love and would simply meet the minimal expectations as a father. In the case of Brutus, he would only provide food, clothing and shelter. With the father distancing him since birth, Antonius would never learn to love his father. Luckily, fate had other plans for him.
Antonius had six siblings with four of which being his brothers. His three elder brothers have joined the Roman military and were high ranking officers. Antonius' fourth brother was still training in the military academy and was only a few years from graduating. Antonius was destined to join them as well. As for the two sisters, there was little known about them. The women in noble families were, at the time, merely bargaining pieces. To gain the favor of a member in the ruling class was often accomplished by marrying one's daughter off. There has been no records but it was safe to assume that Antonius' sisters were used to maintain the status of noble family. Antonius would never meet them or, if he had, there was no such mention. Given that Brutus sent Antonius away from home merely weeks after birth, Antonius would never grow close with his brothers either. To Antonius, he would never grow close to anyone within his family except for one man. This man would play a part in educating and shaping him. This man would be the reason for Antonius' mark in history.
Since he was in the crib, Antonius was under the care of one of his uncles, Decimus. Decimus was a wise man who had a reasonable reputation in Rome. Seeing the corruption within the court, Decimus decided to retire from politics and enjoy a life of tranquility. A month into his retirement, Decimus began to hate the idleness that plagued him. Decimus decided that he needed something to keep his occupied. The thing he was looking for would present itself to him. When he heard his brother had another son, Decimus, as a uncle to the newborn, paid a visit to his brother. When Decimus saw Antonius, he immediately grew attached with the infant. The infant had an aura that showed great promise. Without a second thought, Decimus approached Brutus in hopes of becoming the guardian of Antonius. Brutus, with no intention of raising his new son, happily handed Antonius over. Decimus would take Antonius home and hire a nanny to take care of the infant's everyday needs. Below was a segment from Decimus' personal diary:
Antonius is a promising child. Since I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was something special. Even as an infant, I can see the fire that burn brightly in his eyes. I never thought an infant can show this much promise but Antonius is one of the exceptions. I take this as a sign. A sign that this boy will bring about great change to Rome. He will carve his name into history. I cannot understand why my brother handed his son over to me so willingly. Antonius is destined for greatness and I feel honored to take him under my wing. I will raise him to be a great man. If my brother is so blind to not see his potential, I will prove to him that he lost a great son. Antonius is growing day and day. Once he can talk, I will teach him about the great philosophers. He will also learn to lead men into battle. Antonius will become a hero remembered by all. I will make sure of that. In the past, I wondered about my real purpose in life. Now, I know that my purpose lies in teaching and raising Antonius.
Here's the final world map. I won't be explaining anything since I don't want to spoil the story. It will be awhile before I get here though.
I might have misunderstood but you're implying that my AAR ends here. My game has ended but this AAR is far from over. If I were to guess, there are at least a hundred more updates but that's a rough estimate (the actual number can be much higher
). There are a lot of things I want to try and the long timeline with this game makes it possible. Hope you can stick with me in the long haul even though I will admit that some of my updates can get boring.
Note: I'll try to add some actual facts here but chances are most of these ideas and concepts are made up to suit the story .
Chapter 120 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 3])
(Antonius Crimson [part 2])
Under the care of his uncle, Antonius was growing up to be a happy child. With no siblings to compete for the attention of his uncle, Antonius was, to some, spoiled by Decimus. Decimus, however, knew better than to spoil the promising child. While he did dedicate all his time on Antonius, Decimus always pushed his nephew to help Antonius grow up. One such case took place on a hill. Antonius, only two years at the time, was hiking with Decimus. Halfway up the hill, Antonius grew tired and wanted to rest. Decimus told Antonius that he must keep pushing himself until they reach the top. Once they reached the top, they would rest. Decimus knew that Antonius, at the age he was at, must learn to keep pushing forward. Determination was important and one mustn't always pick the easier way out. Antonius, while not fully understanding the intentions of his uncle, never whined. He appeared to have taken his uncle's lessons to heart with every decision he took. By the time Antonius reached the age of three, he has also proven himself to be a child eager to learn. Decimus chose to tell stories of great men and Gods to educate Antonius. During the stories, Antonius interrupted to ask questions. From these questions, Decimus realized that Antonius might not become a warrior like his brothers. The young child was a caring person that wished the world was a better place for everyone. He constantly asked about how one would fix a man's flaws. At that time, Decimus actually abandoned his original idea of sending Antonius to the military academy in Rome. He felt that Antonius would bring about greater change as a scholar than a warrior. Fate, however, had other plans for this child.
When Decimus abandoned his idea of sending Antonius to military academy, he excluded weapon training for his nephew. One day, Antonius, at the age of five, was playing with his group of friends when a drunken soldier arrived onto the scene. One of Antonius' friends was unfortunate enough to get into the path of the soldier. The soldier kicked the boy to the ground before pulling out his sword. As he was about to swing his sword down, Antonius dove forward to attack the back of the soldier's left knee. The soldier collapses and Antonius' friend manages to get to a safe distance. The soldier turned his attention towards Antonius and Antonius knew that the soldier wanted him dead. He looked around and saw a dagger which the soldier dropped when he collapsed. The soldier swung at Antonius who expected the attack. Getting low, Antonius leaped for the dagger and grabbed it. The soldier has gotten up and charged towards Antonius. The young boy was ready for the charge as well and leaped out of the way. Then, he quickly slashed at the soldier's arm which disarmed him. The soldier got so enraged that he decided to charge at Antonius with his fist next. Antonius was too quick and he simply sidestepped the soldier. Following the sidestep, he threw his entire weight at the soldier and pushed the soldier towards a wall. The soldier fell unconscious the moment he hit the wall head on. Antonius and his friends decided to run home to avoid trouble. What he didn't know was that a person watched the whole thing. That person was Marcus.
Late that very night, Marcus came to see Decimus. The two of them were old friends. When Decimus decided to retire, Marcus chose to remain in his position. Decimus thought that his friend just came over to chat. When Marcus mentioned a fight between Antonius and a soldier, Decimus was shocked and immediately called Antonius over. Antonius told his uncle what has happened and Decimus was surprised his nephew possessed such capabilities in battle. When Antonius left for bed, Decimus chatted with his friend regarding Antonius and military academy. Decimus saw another gift of his nephew and didn't want it be wasted. Marcus replied that he knew a few friends that could take Antonius in. Starting the next day, Antonius would begin his training to be a soldier. Because of Marcus' influence, Antonius joined a class of eight years old. Antonius' classmates, upon seeing the new kid, decided to bully him into submission. The instructor, his name unknown, simply waited by the doorway to see the situation unfold. Five kids, all much older than Antonius, surrounded the young boy. One of them went forward to throw a punch but Antonius was too quick. When another kid decided to try his luck, he was tripped up. The five kids tried for a few minutes but none of them could land a blow on Antonius. Conversely, Antonius was able to get the five kids bruised up and, in one case, bleeding. The instructor only ended the fight then before starting the class. On that day, Antonius earned the respect of his classmates and the instructor.
The military academy was broken into three levels: Junior division, Officer division and General division. Junior division was the level where a child began his career as a soldier. At this level, the child learned the basics of hand to hand combat. A child was considered a man when he was fit for battle. After graduating from the Junior division, the person would join the ranks of the military to participate in actual combat. For an average soldier, he would fight for his nation for twenty years while earning a decent pay. After twenty years of service, the soldier may choose to retire and pick another career. He could also choose to remain in service and, given his experience, would be promoted to be an officer. As an officer, he would enjoy a higher pay and better benefits once he retired at old age. As for the soldiers that were truly outstanding in battle or had connections within the upper ranks, they would serve a few years before returning back to the academy to join the Officer division. Graduating from Officer division meant that one rejoined the army as a officer. As officer, one would require roughly a decade of service and excellent record before one meet the requirements of entry into the General division. Very few joined the General division and those that joined were upper class in Roman society.
After junior divisions, Antonius would join the Roman ranks to experience actual combat. Antonius progressed through the academy at an alarming rate. Not only was his battle instincts sharp but he had a aura that made him a natural leader. Those that trained with him or taught him all praised him. At the age of seven, he graduated from the junior division. At a time where most kids were twelve by the time they graduate, Antonius has already proven himself as a prodigy and would continue down his progress as a soldier. Because he was so young, his armor and weapons were specially made. For a Roman soldier at the time, one would be given body armor, a helmet, a gladius (sword) and a pugio (dagger). In the case of Antonius, he was given a lorica, a chain mail cuirasses, instead of ordinary body armor because his uncle could afford him one. The Roman military considered a shield as an equipment of cowards which was why Roman soldiers weren't equipped with a shield. With his new equipment, Antonius would join the military at a time when the Roman nation was nearing the end of her series of expansions.
The Roman Monarch at the time, Tarquinius, declared a series of wars against the neighbors of Rome. His goal was to assert control over the Latin League. The Latin League consisted of minor powers in the region of Latium but it has always been a loosely formed confederation. Tarquinius wanted control over the Latin League to prove to his people and his neighbors that Rome was the dominant power in the region. When Antonius became a soldier, Tarquinius nearly accomplished his goal with only two minor powers standing in his way to complete dominance. The two minor powers has formed an alliance to fight against the Romans or her allies. The decisive battle would take place by the Tibiris River. This would be the same battle where Antonius makes his name in Roman history.
. Chapter 120 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 3])
(Antonius Crimson [part 2])
Under the care of his uncle, Antonius was growing up to be a happy child. With no siblings to compete for the attention of his uncle, Antonius was, to some, spoiled by Decimus. Decimus, however, knew better than to spoil the promising child. While he did dedicate all his time on Antonius, Decimus always pushed his nephew to help Antonius grow up. One such case took place on a hill. Antonius, only two years at the time, was hiking with Decimus. Halfway up the hill, Antonius grew tired and wanted to rest. Decimus told Antonius that he must keep pushing himself until they reach the top. Once they reached the top, they would rest. Decimus knew that Antonius, at the age he was at, must learn to keep pushing forward. Determination was important and one mustn't always pick the easier way out. Antonius, while not fully understanding the intentions of his uncle, never whined. He appeared to have taken his uncle's lessons to heart with every decision he took. By the time Antonius reached the age of three, he has also proven himself to be a child eager to learn. Decimus chose to tell stories of great men and Gods to educate Antonius. During the stories, Antonius interrupted to ask questions. From these questions, Decimus realized that Antonius might not become a warrior like his brothers. The young child was a caring person that wished the world was a better place for everyone. He constantly asked about how one would fix a man's flaws. At that time, Decimus actually abandoned his original idea of sending Antonius to the military academy in Rome. He felt that Antonius would bring about greater change as a scholar than a warrior. Fate, however, had other plans for this child.
When Decimus abandoned his idea of sending Antonius to military academy, he excluded weapon training for his nephew. One day, Antonius, at the age of five, was playing with his group of friends when a drunken soldier arrived onto the scene. One of Antonius' friends was unfortunate enough to get into the path of the soldier. The soldier kicked the boy to the ground before pulling out his sword. As he was about to swing his sword down, Antonius dove forward to attack the back of the soldier's left knee. The soldier collapses and Antonius' friend manages to get to a safe distance. The soldier turned his attention towards Antonius and Antonius knew that the soldier wanted him dead. He looked around and saw a dagger which the soldier dropped when he collapsed. The soldier swung at Antonius who expected the attack. Getting low, Antonius leaped for the dagger and grabbed it. The soldier has gotten up and charged towards Antonius. The young boy was ready for the charge as well and leaped out of the way. Then, he quickly slashed at the soldier's arm which disarmed him. The soldier got so enraged that he decided to charge at Antonius with his fist next. Antonius was too quick and he simply sidestepped the soldier. Following the sidestep, he threw his entire weight at the soldier and pushed the soldier towards a wall. The soldier fell unconscious the moment he hit the wall head on. Antonius and his friends decided to run home to avoid trouble. What he didn't know was that a person watched the whole thing. That person was Marcus.
Late that very night, Marcus came to see Decimus. The two of them were old friends. When Decimus decided to retire, Marcus chose to remain in his position. Decimus thought that his friend just came over to chat. When Marcus mentioned a fight between Antonius and a soldier, Decimus was shocked and immediately called Antonius over. Antonius told his uncle what has happened and Decimus was surprised his nephew possessed such capabilities in battle. When Antonius left for bed, Decimus chatted with his friend regarding Antonius and military academy. Decimus saw another gift of his nephew and didn't want it be wasted. Marcus replied that he knew a few friends that could take Antonius in. Starting the next day, Antonius would begin his training to be a soldier. Because of Marcus' influence, Antonius joined a class of eight years old. Antonius' classmates, upon seeing the new kid, decided to bully him into submission. The instructor, his name unknown, simply waited by the doorway to see the situation unfold. Five kids, all much older than Antonius, surrounded the young boy. One of them went forward to throw a punch but Antonius was too quick. When another kid decided to try his luck, he was tripped up. The five kids tried for a few minutes but none of them could land a blow on Antonius. Conversely, Antonius was able to get the five kids bruised up and, in one case, bleeding. The instructor only ended the fight then before starting the class. On that day, Antonius earned the respect of his classmates and the instructor.
The military academy was broken into three levels: Junior division, Officer division and General division. Junior division was the level where a child began his career as a soldier. At this level, the child learned the basics of hand to hand combat. A child was considered a man when he was fit for battle. After graduating from the Junior division, the person would join the ranks of the military to participate in actual combat. For an average soldier, he would fight for his nation for twenty years while earning a decent pay. After twenty years of service, the soldier may choose to retire and pick another career. He could also choose to remain in service and, given his experience, would be promoted to be an officer. As an officer, he would enjoy a higher pay and better benefits once he retired at old age. As for the soldiers that were truly outstanding in battle or had connections within the upper ranks, they would serve a few years before returning back to the academy to join the Officer division. Graduating from Officer division meant that one rejoined the army as a officer. As officer, one would require roughly a decade of service and excellent record before one meet the requirements of entry into the General division. Very few joined the General division and those that joined were upper class in Roman society.
After junior divisions, Antonius would join the Roman ranks to experience actual combat. Antonius progressed through the academy at an alarming rate. Not only was his battle instincts sharp but he had a aura that made him a natural leader. Those that trained with him or taught him all praised him. At the age of seven, he graduated from the junior division. At a time where most kids were twelve by the time they graduate, Antonius has already proven himself as a prodigy and would continue down his progress as a soldier. Because he was so young, his armor and weapons were specially made. For a Roman soldier at the time, one would be given body armor, a helmet, a gladius (sword) and a pugio (dagger). In the case of Antonius, he was given a lorica, a chain mail cuirasses, instead of ordinary body armor because his uncle could afford him one. The Roman military considered a shield as an equipment of cowards which was why Roman soldiers weren't equipped with a shield. With his new equipment, Antonius would join the military at a time when the Roman nation was nearing the end of her series of expansions.
The Roman Monarch at the time, Tarquinius, declared a series of wars against the neighbors of Rome. His goal was to assert control over the Latin League. The Latin League consisted of minor powers in the region of Latium but it has always been a loosely formed confederation. Tarquinius wanted control over the Latin League to prove to his people and his neighbors that Rome was the dominant power in the region. When Antonius became a soldier, Tarquinius nearly accomplished his goal with only two minor powers standing in his way to complete dominance. The two minor powers has formed an alliance to fight against the Romans or her allies. The decisive battle would take place by the Tibiris River. This would be the same battle where Antonius makes his name in Roman history.
Glad to have your support
. Chapter 121 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 4])
(Antonius Crimson [part 3])
The battle that would decide the future of Rome came to be known as the Battle of Tibiris. The two sides would battle it out at a river crossing that was roughly four meters wide and six meters long. On both sides of the river, flat grassland would stretch out for miles which provided no cover from nature. The Tibiris river has divided the two sides in territory which made this location a fitting place for the upcoming battle. Tarquinius was eager to see his dream of uniting the region under one rule becoming a reality. The Romans did have a couple of disadvantages though. First, they were, overall, less wealthy than the Volsci-Gabii coalition. Even with their allies joining with them, the Romans still cannot hope to match their enemy in wealth. Secondly, the Romans had a bad harvest which meant they lacked food to fight a short war, let alone a long war. Both of these reasons should have dissuaded Tarquinius from declaring war. Conversely, the coalition had anticipated the war and, for a couple of years leading up to the battle, began stocking up on food and weapons. Considering how well the coalition was prepared, Tarquinius appeared to have doomed his nation with his hasty declaration of war.
The Romans and her allies assembled roughly two thousand men. While Rome's allies did contribute, there were estimates that the Romans made up about a third of the total men. Despite contributing a large number, most of the Romans, like Antonius, have never experienced actual battles. Not only did most Romans lack experience, they, with the exception of the few that were upper class, also lacked proper equipment. Rome's allies weren't any better. They, like Rome, haven't actually experienced any battles. They chose to ally themselves with Rome because they feared the military might of the Romans. Of course, Rome was viewed as a military power because they could muster more men due to a larger population. The Battle of Tibirus would be the first real battle for the Romans. With the lack of experience and the lack of proper equipment, the Romans looked destined to lose.
The coalition has mustered up three thousand five hundred men. The coalition has, in addition to mobilizing their own men, hired mercenaries from nearby regions. The mercenaries were battle-hardened men that have participated in many actual battles. It was estimated that roughly half of the coalition army consisted of mercenaries because the coalition leaders believed mercenaries were the key to their victory. The coalition also put a greater emphasis on archers as theirs outnumbered the Roman's by two hundred to fifty. In addition, the coalition had two mercenary leaders that had reputations being fearless in battle. These two mercenaries would lead the coalition into battle and, unlike Tarquinius, would be fighting with the soldiers at the front lines. Having not only outnumbered but outgunned their enemy, the coalition had confidence that they could win this battle. It was said that, days before the battle, two Roman officers tried to convince their king to postpone the battle. Tarquinius, unable to swallow his pride, executed the two officers for the reason of siding with the enemy.
When the two sides made their way to the Tibiris River, a storm was brewing with heavy winds battering the soldiers of both sides. Tarquinius ordered his men into a simple formation while staying in the rear. When asked why he was staying at the back, Tarquinius merely answered that he could direct his troops into victory and active participation wasn't necessary. Rain began falling by the times the two forces met at the riverbanks. Silence suddenly came over the battlefield as everyone stopped breathing for a moment. Then, war cries roared out from both sides before the infantry began charging the enemy. The archers then positioned themselves at the flanks and shot arrows into the enemy's flanks. After the initial volley, the Roman's first rank faltered due to their losses but, with the escape route cut off, they had no choice but to move forward. Tarquinius, seeing the threat of the enemy archers, ordered his archers to change targets from the melee infantry to the archers. After a few volleys, Tarquinius plan worked as expected with the coalition's archers largely devastated. Of course, the Roman archers weren't spared from arrow fire as well. By the end of the first hour, both sides lost all their archers and only close quarter fights continued.
A few more hours passed and, by this time, the storm has entered the battlefield. The soldiers were drenched to the bone but they carried on. The Romans were losing more men than the coalition because the two mercenary leaders were wrecking havoc. These two men, seeing men on both side wavering, began their war cry which was rumored to have shaken the ground. A lightning strike would land not too far from the battlefield. The Roman officers leading the charge, upon hearing the war cry and seeing the lightning strike, decided to abandon their weapons and run to safety. Their action nearly resulted in the whole Roman army routing but one person would put an end to it. Antonius, with the aid of his uncle, was positioned further back in the Roman ranks. The hours of fighting has finally moved him to the front lines where he got a glimpse of the two mercenary leaders. When he saw the Roman officers abandoning their weapons and tried to run, he advanced forward and killed the officers. He then raised his sword and yelled: "Come with me, men! We either create a great nation today or die trying!"
Antonius then charged at the two mercenary leaders. Antonius' outburst gave the Roman soldiers the confidence they needed to continue fighting. The soldiers charged after Antonius with renewed confidence. For Antonius, he knew that victory would be secured if he killed the two mercenary leaders. Thus, he ran right at them hoping to catch them off guard. One of the mercenary leaders underestimated Antonius for his size and decided to set attention at another Roman. That was the last mistake he made as Antonius beheaded him with a quick slash with his gladius. The other mercenary leader, seeing his partner beheaded, realized that Antonius wasn't someone to underestimate. He turned his full attention at Antonius and readied his sword. The two patiently stood there waiting for an opening. When another lightning strike hit close by and freezing everyone else up, the two two charged at each other. Antonius knew he couldn't take the man head on and dodged the first few blows. During the dodges, he analyzes how his enemy moves and realizes that the man had a minor limp in his left foot. Waiting patiently, Antonius then feints to the man's right and the man took the bait. The mercenary leader swings hard thinking that the boy was determined to get to his right side when he suddenly realizes that the boy was feinting. Antonius then cut to his right and took a quick slash at the man's exposed shoulder. With a heavy swing, he took the man's entire left arm off. Without stopping, he then targeted the man's foot and the mercenary leader collapsed onto the ground. With a final swing, the man's head rolled to the ground.
The death of both the mercenary leaders began a complete rout of the coalition army. The Romans chased for a few miles before Tarquinius ordered them to stop. The Romans had won the battle. The coalition, having dedicated all their men and wealth in the battle, was forced to surrender soon after. Antonius would later be recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield. With victory secured, the future of Rome looked bright. In the shadows, a group of men chose to undermine the peace and they would bring about a bloody change in the Roman court.
Chapter 122 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 5])
(Antonius Crimson [part 4])
Tarquinius, like those under him, wanted to celebrate for the great victory at the Battle of Tibiris. On the very next day, the monarch ordered an entire day of celebration. There would be feasts, dances and entertainment for all classes in the city centre. The allies of Rome would be invited to the celebration as well and people from neighboring lands poured into Rome to take part. Everyone wanted to enjoy the day before they have to return to their dull boring lives the very next day. To commemorate the contributions of Antonius, Tarquinius even ordered a statue of the hero built. The statue would be placed above the main gate which was the only way into the city. The monarch ordered this so that all those entering the city would see the hero. Antonius instantly became a celebrity and suddenly everyone knew his name. During the celebration, he was supposed to be, apart from Tarquinius, the centre of attention. As the crowd celebrated the great day, Antonius had other plans.
Antonius sneaked away from all the celebration and headed to his uncle's home. To Antonius, fame was never his goal. He merely accomplished what he felt was demanded of him as a soldier of Rome. Training in the academy and joining the army has made him lonely. Despite having many friends, Antonius could never find anyone that could replace his uncle. Knowing that he would be returning to the academy to become a officer the next day, he made the decision of spending the night with his uncle. Decimus was never the type of person that participated in large parties. He preferred the tranquility of his office or garden. When someone knocked on his door, he was confused that anyone would choose to visit him instead of taking part in the celebration. When Decimus opened the door, he sees his nephew still in his armor. Without a word spoken, Decimus let his nephew into his home. Antonius, after changing into everyday clothes, met with his uncle's garden. In his uncle's garden, Antonius chatted with Decimus about all his experiences, both in the academy and on the field of battle. Once he finished, he asked his uncle to tell more of his stories of court life. It was said that Decimus agreed and told stories through the night and Antonius, feeling as though he went back in time, listened as though he was only an infant. On the next day, Antonius reluctantly said goodbye to his uncle promising to return soon. Little did Antonius know that this would be the last time he would see his uncle alive.
The Roman royal family was also thrilled with the victory in the Battle of Tibiris. The victory promised them more wealth and power than they could imagine. However, they weren't satisfied with the victory alone. The noble class has been growing stronger day by day with their influence over the people. While there weren't any evidence that the noble families even plotted against the royal family, many members of the royalty were paranoid. They felt that the nobles were strengthening themselves so they can overthrow the government and reinstall themselves as the new rulers. After all the years the royal family put into the creation of Rome, they weren't willing to throw it all away. When Tarquinius returned back to the court after the day of celebrations, members of the royalty organized a meeting with him. The goal of the meeting was to devise a plan in limiting the wealth and influence of the noble families. Ideally, the noble families would be forever removed so no one dared to threaten the royal family. Tarquinius, exhausted from the celebration, didn't want a part in the plotting. He felt that his nation has just been unified with the victory and his family members were foolish to create problems. He told him family members that they should give up this notion and worry about the future of Rome in the topic of expansion. After dismissing his family members, Tarquinius went to his bedroom to sleep.
The royal family, despite not having the support of the monarch, decided to go through with the idea anyway. They decided to start with the smaller noble families first. In a way, they wanted to test the waters first before moving onto the larger targets. They promised the lesser nobles that, in return for their lands, they would be guaranteed a chance at a position in the court. The lesser nobles, at the time, were only wealthier than middle class because they had land. Land didn't guarantee one a chance for a position in the court, no matter how minor, unless one had lots of influence. Many lesser nobles did cede their land to the royal family because they felt the royalty provided them a good offer. There were a few instances of resistance where some lesser nobles turned down the offer. The royal family responded to those resistance by using coercions as a way of taking the land. The operation with the lesser nobles went so well that the royal family grew bold. They felt they could take down the more influential noble families with little or no resistance as well. The problem with the more influential noble families was that they already have positions in the court. However, the position wasn't permanent which meant that the powerful noble families must continuously expand their influence to secure a seat or seats within the court. The royal family, therefore, offered the noble families permanent positions within the Roman court in return for nearly all their land. When the offer was placed on the table, there was a division between the noble families.
There was a split between the noble families that roughly pit half of the noble families against the other half. Some noble families thought the royal family was giving them a great offer. Instead of constantly spending wealth to secure influence, they could secure a position in the court by giving up land. The land given up might appear to be a large cost but the nobles, with their newly acquired power from a position in the court, would obtain more wealth and, in the long run, they can reclaim the land and thus making them in a better position than before. The opposing side saw this offer as the royal family's way to stripping power from all nobles. The lesser nobles have already been weakened and yet the royal family has yet to live up their side of the bargain. If the noble families gave up their land, one wondered how long it will take before the royal family agreed to their offer as well. Since the agreement between the royal family and lesser nobles has taken place, distrust began to take place between royalty and noble class. The side that wanted to accepted the offer felt they were proving their loyalty to the royal family while the opposing side was viewed as traitors. As such, conflict began to arise between the two opposing sides of the noble families and bloodshed appeared to be inevitable. Decimus, along with a few of his old friends, tried to act as mediators in the conflicts. They knew an open conflict would benefit no one and, with Rome recently winning an important victory, they must ensure that the nation doesn't collapse. Decimus, despite leaving court, was still very influential with the noble families. After a couple days of negotiating, Decimus was successful in diffusing the conflict to the point where bloodshed was avoided. His actions made the nobility class thankful of him. It would appear the diffusing the conflict would also cost Decimus his life.
The royal family had actually been, in the shadows, promoting the conflicts in hopes of weakening all the noble families. The arrival of Decimus put an end to their plans and they wanted him removed. Thus, Decimus was asked to meet with representatives from the royal family to discuss about forever ending the conflict and Decimus, suspecting nothing, went without hesitation. He was killed the moment he stepped into the meeting hall and the killers were never caught. While the royal family claimed assassins sent from foreign lands were responsible, everyone suspected that the royal family was behind the killing. Decimus' death created a large rift between the royal family and the noble class. In a way, the death of Decimus united the noble class when it was still divided despite Decimus' negotiations. The royal family, seeing the noble class united, decided to withdraw their offer until a later date. By this time, the royal family was already too late in stopping the end of the old Rome and the birth of a new Rome. They made the mistake of killing an innocent man with a noble cause. Decimus would be seen as a hero as his sacrifice would bring about great change to Rome which, ultimately, changed the world.
(Antonius Crimson [part 4])
Tarquinius, like those under him, wanted to celebrate for the great victory at the Battle of Tibiris. On the very next day, the monarch ordered an entire day of celebration. There would be feasts, dances and entertainment for all classes in the city centre. The allies of Rome would be invited to the celebration as well and people from neighboring lands poured into Rome to take part. Everyone wanted to enjoy the day before they have to return to their dull boring lives the very next day. To commemorate the contributions of Antonius, Tarquinius even ordered a statue of the hero built. The statue would be placed above the main gate which was the only way into the city. The monarch ordered this so that all those entering the city would see the hero. Antonius instantly became a celebrity and suddenly everyone knew his name. During the celebration, he was supposed to be, apart from Tarquinius, the centre of attention. As the crowd celebrated the great day, Antonius had other plans.
Antonius sneaked away from all the celebration and headed to his uncle's home. To Antonius, fame was never his goal. He merely accomplished what he felt was demanded of him as a soldier of Rome. Training in the academy and joining the army has made him lonely. Despite having many friends, Antonius could never find anyone that could replace his uncle. Knowing that he would be returning to the academy to become a officer the next day, he made the decision of spending the night with his uncle. Decimus was never the type of person that participated in large parties. He preferred the tranquility of his office or garden. When someone knocked on his door, he was confused that anyone would choose to visit him instead of taking part in the celebration. When Decimus opened the door, he sees his nephew still in his armor. Without a word spoken, Decimus let his nephew into his home. Antonius, after changing into everyday clothes, met with his uncle's garden. In his uncle's garden, Antonius chatted with Decimus about all his experiences, both in the academy and on the field of battle. Once he finished, he asked his uncle to tell more of his stories of court life. It was said that Decimus agreed and told stories through the night and Antonius, feeling as though he went back in time, listened as though he was only an infant. On the next day, Antonius reluctantly said goodbye to his uncle promising to return soon. Little did Antonius know that this would be the last time he would see his uncle alive.
The Roman royal family was also thrilled with the victory in the Battle of Tibiris. The victory promised them more wealth and power than they could imagine. However, they weren't satisfied with the victory alone. The noble class has been growing stronger day by day with their influence over the people. While there weren't any evidence that the noble families even plotted against the royal family, many members of the royalty were paranoid. They felt that the nobles were strengthening themselves so they can overthrow the government and reinstall themselves as the new rulers. After all the years the royal family put into the creation of Rome, they weren't willing to throw it all away. When Tarquinius returned back to the court after the day of celebrations, members of the royalty organized a meeting with him. The goal of the meeting was to devise a plan in limiting the wealth and influence of the noble families. Ideally, the noble families would be forever removed so no one dared to threaten the royal family. Tarquinius, exhausted from the celebration, didn't want a part in the plotting. He felt that his nation has just been unified with the victory and his family members were foolish to create problems. He told him family members that they should give up this notion and worry about the future of Rome in the topic of expansion. After dismissing his family members, Tarquinius went to his bedroom to sleep.
The royal family, despite not having the support of the monarch, decided to go through with the idea anyway. They decided to start with the smaller noble families first. In a way, they wanted to test the waters first before moving onto the larger targets. They promised the lesser nobles that, in return for their lands, they would be guaranteed a chance at a position in the court. The lesser nobles, at the time, were only wealthier than middle class because they had land. Land didn't guarantee one a chance for a position in the court, no matter how minor, unless one had lots of influence. Many lesser nobles did cede their land to the royal family because they felt the royalty provided them a good offer. There were a few instances of resistance where some lesser nobles turned down the offer. The royal family responded to those resistance by using coercions as a way of taking the land. The operation with the lesser nobles went so well that the royal family grew bold. They felt they could take down the more influential noble families with little or no resistance as well. The problem with the more influential noble families was that they already have positions in the court. However, the position wasn't permanent which meant that the powerful noble families must continuously expand their influence to secure a seat or seats within the court. The royal family, therefore, offered the noble families permanent positions within the Roman court in return for nearly all their land. When the offer was placed on the table, there was a division between the noble families.
There was a split between the noble families that roughly pit half of the noble families against the other half. Some noble families thought the royal family was giving them a great offer. Instead of constantly spending wealth to secure influence, they could secure a position in the court by giving up land. The land given up might appear to be a large cost but the nobles, with their newly acquired power from a position in the court, would obtain more wealth and, in the long run, they can reclaim the land and thus making them in a better position than before. The opposing side saw this offer as the royal family's way to stripping power from all nobles. The lesser nobles have already been weakened and yet the royal family has yet to live up their side of the bargain. If the noble families gave up their land, one wondered how long it will take before the royal family agreed to their offer as well. Since the agreement between the royal family and lesser nobles has taken place, distrust began to take place between royalty and noble class. The side that wanted to accepted the offer felt they were proving their loyalty to the royal family while the opposing side was viewed as traitors. As such, conflict began to arise between the two opposing sides of the noble families and bloodshed appeared to be inevitable. Decimus, along with a few of his old friends, tried to act as mediators in the conflicts. They knew an open conflict would benefit no one and, with Rome recently winning an important victory, they must ensure that the nation doesn't collapse. Decimus, despite leaving court, was still very influential with the noble families. After a couple days of negotiating, Decimus was successful in diffusing the conflict to the point where bloodshed was avoided. His actions made the nobility class thankful of him. It would appear the diffusing the conflict would also cost Decimus his life.
The royal family had actually been, in the shadows, promoting the conflicts in hopes of weakening all the noble families. The arrival of Decimus put an end to their plans and they wanted him removed. Thus, Decimus was asked to meet with representatives from the royal family to discuss about forever ending the conflict and Decimus, suspecting nothing, went without hesitation. He was killed the moment he stepped into the meeting hall and the killers were never caught. While the royal family claimed assassins sent from foreign lands were responsible, everyone suspected that the royal family was behind the killing. Decimus' death created a large rift between the royal family and the noble class. In a way, the death of Decimus united the noble class when it was still divided despite Decimus' negotiations. The royal family, seeing the noble class united, decided to withdraw their offer until a later date. By this time, the royal family was already too late in stopping the end of the old Rome and the birth of a new Rome. They made the mistake of killing an innocent man with a noble cause. Decimus would be seen as a hero as his sacrifice would bring about great change to Rome which, ultimately, changed the world.
Chapter 123 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 6])
(Antonius Crimson [part 5])
Antonius has been attending the academy for a couple of months and his instructors all saw him as a prodigy. Because he was making incredible progress, Antonius only had a week left before he officially become an officer. One of the greatest bonuses was that, as an officer, Antonius can take up to a month off. Antonius hoped to use this time to spend with his uncle. That goal would be forever out of reach when, on a bright sunny day, a housekeeper of Decimus asked to speak with Antonius. Normally, no one was allowed to speak with a officer-in-training unless it was an urgent matter. Despite many urges from the housekeeper, the guards at the academy gates not only were unwilling to let the housekeeper pass but they also refused to pass on his message. As though fate played a hand, Antonius was given an assignment that involved him visiting a barracks by the city walls. He was just heading out to complete his assignment when he saw the housekeeper. When the housekeeper saw Antonius, he screamed: "Decimus has died!" Antonius was stunned by what he heard. At first, he thought he misheard because the soldiers were too loud. Yet, the sight of the housekeeper collapsing on the ground wailing told him that something was wrong. He quickly approached the housekeeper and, ignoring the pleas of the guards, listened. The housekeeper explained that Decimus was meeting with the representatives of the royal family when he was assassinated. What he said after that never did register for Antonius who was in shock. Without another word, he bursted out the gates and sprinted towards his uncle's home.
What Antonius saw at the yard of his uncle's home confirmed what the housekeeper said. His uncle's body was placed by the small garden with only his face exposed. People surrounding him were all weeping while paying their final respects. Antonius suddenly felt weak at the knees and put his hand on the wall for support. Decimus' cook, upon seeing Antonius, quickly approached him and led him to Decimus. Antonius followed and, once he stood before his uncle, knelt down. For several hours, Antonius knelt there saying his final goodbye. There were many things and regrets he wished to speak with his uncle. Everyone decided to give Antonius some space and, by the time Antonius got up, the yard was empty. Antonius began to make his way out of the door when the cook stopped him. The cook was able to persuade him to eat something before staying overnight in his old room. Antonius stayed in his room but he couldn't fall asleep. The man that had taken care him since birth. The man that gave him everything so he can achieve the fame and success he enjoyed. The man that meant everything to Antonius had left so suddenly that there wasn't even time to say a proper goodbye. Antonius stayed awake the entire night while pondering about his future plans. Losing his uncle was a huge blow to him. Antonius decided that he would first find out the cause of his uncle's death. He would decide his next moves after that.
On the next day, Antonius approached the housekeeper who agreed to explain everything he knew at the breakfast table. The housekeeper explained the offer from the royal family has divided up the noble families. Bloodshed would have taken place had Decimus not become a mediator and lessened the tensions. When the housekeeper explained the meeting with the royal family and the sudden appearance of an assassin, Antonius suspected that something was wrong. Thus, he ate quickly before going to the house of Marcus. Marcus has anticipated the meeting and told Antonius his belief. Both of them felt that the royal family was behind the death of Decimus. Marcus tried to talk Antonius out of revenge but Antonius wasn't going to hear any of it. He left and headed to a place he never thought he would return to. While Decimus did raise Antonius, there were still ties between Antonius and his immediate family. Antonius knew that his father, Brutus, was opposed with the offer from the royal family and that, if he hoped to rally support to rebel against the royal family, his father was the one to ask. When he met with Brutus, Antonius was surprised to see his family (excluding his sisters of course) at the meeting hall. Brutus had wanted to avenge his brother and the arrival of Antonius made that possible. While the two never did repair the damage in their relationship, there was still respect between the two.
Brutus was very efficient in gathering the nobles that, like him, opposed the offer from the royal family. Some noble families that were once in favor of the offer had switched sides after the death of Decimus. Antonius, the hero of Rome, easily gathered his own followers within a few days. Two weeks after Decimus' death, Brutus and Antonius have gathered a fighting force of seven hundred men in secret. Not risking the chance of discovery, they launched their attack days later. The guards, many of whom were tired of the treatment from the royal family, defected over and the force led by Antonius entered the palace virtually unopposed. The members of the royal family were all gathered together at the main courtyard where they awaited their fate. Antonius, as the head of the group, would decide the fate of these people. He first approached Tarquinius and asked whether or not he was responsible for Decimus' death. When Tarquinius denied any involvement, Antonius said he could go. Antonius knew the kind of man Tarquinius was which explained why he didn't suspect him as the mastermind. Next, he allowed the elderly, women and children to leave since he had no quarrel with them. With the remaining men, he gave them a simple option. They could either rat out the people responsible for Decimus' death and live or stay silent and die. To make the men sweat, he let them think for two hours to think over their decision while not being able to speak with each other.
Two hours later, he asked if there were any volunteers. Immediately, several men began to point fingers at each other trying to shift the blame. Antonius made a note of these men and asked if there were any other volunteers. While he looked around, he checked to see anyone that was trembling or shaking with fear. Those that did were noted down by Antonius as well. Once he was sure no one else was going to say anything, he pointed to the men that didn't catch his attention and allowed them to leave. Only a handful of men were allowed to go free that day but they would be killed later in the day by mobs who weren't so forgiving. As for the ones that stayed behind, Antonius ordered some soldiers to make a small stack of pugio in the middle of the group. He then explained that the men that remained may choose to grab a pugio and fight for their freedom. There would only be one standing and that man will be fortunate enough to leave the courtyard alive. The men all grabbed a pugio and began their duel for survival. The duels took awhile but, eventually, a single man was the last man standing. Despite bleeding everywhere, the man still could walk on his own legs. Antonius said he was free to leave the courtyard and the man made his way to the doorway leading to the hallway. As soon as he stepped through the doorway, a few guards stabbed him with gladius. The man, while bleeding to his death on the floor, stared at Antonius demanding an answer. Antonius merely answered: "I never said you could leave the palace. I merely said you could leave the courtyard alive. Now, you see how it feels to be deceived and die from it." Then, Antonius walked out the palace and, eventually, out of the main gates. No one knew where Antonius went but his legacy would be forever remembered. The people would forever remember Antonius as the great hero that not only saved Rome but created the Roman Republic. The truth was, for the next few years, Brutus would reform the government so that Rome would become the Roman Republic. A new chapter has begun for this great nation and rapid expansion would soon follow. No members of the Crimson Blood Nobility would make a mark in history until a man called Lucius Crimson.
(Antonius Crimson [part 5])
Antonius has been attending the academy for a couple of months and his instructors all saw him as a prodigy. Because he was making incredible progress, Antonius only had a week left before he officially become an officer. One of the greatest bonuses was that, as an officer, Antonius can take up to a month off. Antonius hoped to use this time to spend with his uncle. That goal would be forever out of reach when, on a bright sunny day, a housekeeper of Decimus asked to speak with Antonius. Normally, no one was allowed to speak with a officer-in-training unless it was an urgent matter. Despite many urges from the housekeeper, the guards at the academy gates not only were unwilling to let the housekeeper pass but they also refused to pass on his message. As though fate played a hand, Antonius was given an assignment that involved him visiting a barracks by the city walls. He was just heading out to complete his assignment when he saw the housekeeper. When the housekeeper saw Antonius, he screamed: "Decimus has died!" Antonius was stunned by what he heard. At first, he thought he misheard because the soldiers were too loud. Yet, the sight of the housekeeper collapsing on the ground wailing told him that something was wrong. He quickly approached the housekeeper and, ignoring the pleas of the guards, listened. The housekeeper explained that Decimus was meeting with the representatives of the royal family when he was assassinated. What he said after that never did register for Antonius who was in shock. Without another word, he bursted out the gates and sprinted towards his uncle's home.
What Antonius saw at the yard of his uncle's home confirmed what the housekeeper said. His uncle's body was placed by the small garden with only his face exposed. People surrounding him were all weeping while paying their final respects. Antonius suddenly felt weak at the knees and put his hand on the wall for support. Decimus' cook, upon seeing Antonius, quickly approached him and led him to Decimus. Antonius followed and, once he stood before his uncle, knelt down. For several hours, Antonius knelt there saying his final goodbye. There were many things and regrets he wished to speak with his uncle. Everyone decided to give Antonius some space and, by the time Antonius got up, the yard was empty. Antonius began to make his way out of the door when the cook stopped him. The cook was able to persuade him to eat something before staying overnight in his old room. Antonius stayed in his room but he couldn't fall asleep. The man that had taken care him since birth. The man that gave him everything so he can achieve the fame and success he enjoyed. The man that meant everything to Antonius had left so suddenly that there wasn't even time to say a proper goodbye. Antonius stayed awake the entire night while pondering about his future plans. Losing his uncle was a huge blow to him. Antonius decided that he would first find out the cause of his uncle's death. He would decide his next moves after that.
On the next day, Antonius approached the housekeeper who agreed to explain everything he knew at the breakfast table. The housekeeper explained the offer from the royal family has divided up the noble families. Bloodshed would have taken place had Decimus not become a mediator and lessened the tensions. When the housekeeper explained the meeting with the royal family and the sudden appearance of an assassin, Antonius suspected that something was wrong. Thus, he ate quickly before going to the house of Marcus. Marcus has anticipated the meeting and told Antonius his belief. Both of them felt that the royal family was behind the death of Decimus. Marcus tried to talk Antonius out of revenge but Antonius wasn't going to hear any of it. He left and headed to a place he never thought he would return to. While Decimus did raise Antonius, there were still ties between Antonius and his immediate family. Antonius knew that his father, Brutus, was opposed with the offer from the royal family and that, if he hoped to rally support to rebel against the royal family, his father was the one to ask. When he met with Brutus, Antonius was surprised to see his family (excluding his sisters of course) at the meeting hall. Brutus had wanted to avenge his brother and the arrival of Antonius made that possible. While the two never did repair the damage in their relationship, there was still respect between the two.
Brutus was very efficient in gathering the nobles that, like him, opposed the offer from the royal family. Some noble families that were once in favor of the offer had switched sides after the death of Decimus. Antonius, the hero of Rome, easily gathered his own followers within a few days. Two weeks after Decimus' death, Brutus and Antonius have gathered a fighting force of seven hundred men in secret. Not risking the chance of discovery, they launched their attack days later. The guards, many of whom were tired of the treatment from the royal family, defected over and the force led by Antonius entered the palace virtually unopposed. The members of the royal family were all gathered together at the main courtyard where they awaited their fate. Antonius, as the head of the group, would decide the fate of these people. He first approached Tarquinius and asked whether or not he was responsible for Decimus' death. When Tarquinius denied any involvement, Antonius said he could go. Antonius knew the kind of man Tarquinius was which explained why he didn't suspect him as the mastermind. Next, he allowed the elderly, women and children to leave since he had no quarrel with them. With the remaining men, he gave them a simple option. They could either rat out the people responsible for Decimus' death and live or stay silent and die. To make the men sweat, he let them think for two hours to think over their decision while not being able to speak with each other.
Two hours later, he asked if there were any volunteers. Immediately, several men began to point fingers at each other trying to shift the blame. Antonius made a note of these men and asked if there were any other volunteers. While he looked around, he checked to see anyone that was trembling or shaking with fear. Those that did were noted down by Antonius as well. Once he was sure no one else was going to say anything, he pointed to the men that didn't catch his attention and allowed them to leave. Only a handful of men were allowed to go free that day but they would be killed later in the day by mobs who weren't so forgiving. As for the ones that stayed behind, Antonius ordered some soldiers to make a small stack of pugio in the middle of the group. He then explained that the men that remained may choose to grab a pugio and fight for their freedom. There would only be one standing and that man will be fortunate enough to leave the courtyard alive. The men all grabbed a pugio and began their duel for survival. The duels took awhile but, eventually, a single man was the last man standing. Despite bleeding everywhere, the man still could walk on his own legs. Antonius said he was free to leave the courtyard and the man made his way to the doorway leading to the hallway. As soon as he stepped through the doorway, a few guards stabbed him with gladius. The man, while bleeding to his death on the floor, stared at Antonius demanding an answer. Antonius merely answered: "I never said you could leave the palace. I merely said you could leave the courtyard alive. Now, you see how it feels to be deceived and die from it." Then, Antonius walked out the palace and, eventually, out of the main gates. No one knew where Antonius went but his legacy would be forever remembered. The people would forever remember Antonius as the great hero that not only saved Rome but created the Roman Republic. The truth was, for the next few years, Brutus would reform the government so that Rome would become the Roman Republic. A new chapter has begun for this great nation and rapid expansion would soon follow. No members of the Crimson Blood Nobility would make a mark in history until a man called Lucius Crimson.
Chapter 124 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 7])
(Lucius Crimson [part 1])
Lucius Crimson was the first and only son of Marcius, a powerful figure in the Senate. Marcius had many wives throughout his life but none of them were able to bore him a son. Marcius, at the age of thirty five, felt he was running out of time in getting a son. In desperation, he got into an affair with one of the maids working for him. The maid would become pregnant and, as though the gods finally answered his call, Marcius got his son. For the sake of his reputation, Marcius was forced to kill the maid and the midwife while making it appear as though his wife had given birth to his son. As the maid was dying, Marcius promised her that Lucius, the name given by the maid, would be in good hands. Marcius felt great pride for his son who has been so hard to come by. Unlike the many daughters he had, Marcius would spoil him in every way in hopes of giving Lucius a happy childhood. Little did Marcius know that his spoiled son would one day pay the ultimate price because he struggled to adapt to the ever changing political landscape surrounding Rome. Lucius would also, one day, play a role in bringing about one of the greatest revolutions in Roman history.
Growing up in the noble household, Lucius enjoyed luxuries most people at the time couldn't even imagine. He had servants taking care of his everyday needs while getting the best of everything. It was rumored that Lucius learned to walk at the age of five because his servants were carrying him anywhere he wished to go (including going to the next room down the hall). Experiencing the best of everything also meant that Lucius saw little of the outside world. Everything that the young boy needed was within his father's villa. The land upon which the villa was build could easily rival the land covered by the palace of the Roman Emperor. Thus, there was no need for Lucius to see the outside world. Even when the boy had to leave the villa, he never had to leave the upper class district. The upper class district was magnificent and, compared to the other districts, seemed like heaven. Patrols were often in the streets to prevent any of those that weren't upper class from entering the district. Lucius, with the exception of the servants, would not see any of the other classes until he reached the age of twenty.
Since a very young age, Lucius was fascinated by gladius. Marcius himself was a warrior in his youth and he had thrilled to discover that his son had the warrior's blood within him. Marcius proceeded to use his wealth to purchase a large collection of gladius. Not only did Marcius purchase the best gladius one can buy in Rome but he also imported weapons called swords used by the Barbarians. This man wanted his son to have the best collection possible to show off to relatives and strangers. Lucius was amazed by his father's purchase and spent many days inspecting his collection. He even asked his father to hire a renowned swordsmith in Rome to explain the differences in the gladius and swords. Seeing his son's eagerness in the art of battle, Marcius couldn't wait until his son joined the academy so he can become an excellent warrior and, hopefully one day, an excellent general. A year before Lucius was old enough to join the academy, a terrible accident occurred in the academy that would forever end Lucius' hopes of joining the academy. In a tournament that took place every year, a son of a noble family was crippled in a friendly duel against a lower class boy. The lower class boy would later be executed but his action brought about a wave of fear for the nobles, especially to a man like Marcius. Following the accident, Marcius would, like many other noble families, ban his son from joining the academy fearing the worst to happen to his son.
Given that Lucius has been waiting a long time to join the academy, he wasn't too thrilled with his father's decision. Lucius always dreamed himself leading his own men on the battlefield. He also wanted to be remembered as a hero just as Antonius Crimson once accomplished in his one and only battle. When Marcius told him that he cannot join the academy, Lucius was, as expectantly, very upset. He even went as far as to avoid seeing his father or, at the very least, not talk with his father. Marcius was in a dilemma as he was struggling to pick between risking his son getting injured or losing the love of his son forever. In the end, Marcius used his wealth and influence to purchase documents indicating that Lucius graduated from the academy. At the meantime, he hired a tutor to teach Lucius the basics. With the basics, Lucius could at least protect himself against petty thieves but he will never survive in a battlefield. To Lucius, the tutor appeared to be an experienced officer that had vast knowledge in close quarter fights. Thus, Lucius believed that the tutor had taught him all he needed to know to become a hero when he actually barely touched the surface.
The fact that Lucius didn't attend the academy also meant that he had limited exposure to people outside his household. Since birth, Lucius had little interactions with those outside his household. Marcius saw the lack of friends a problem as he needed his son to have the social skills to communicate with those of equal class. Marcius made sure that Lucius did know boys that lived in the nearby villas. These boys were also of the high nobility blood and they were banned from joining the academy as well. The fact that they were of the same class and had similiar experiences made it easier for them to get along. After a few visits to nearby villas with his father, Lucius made a few friends and, because he had the aura of authority around him like his father, he would be the leader of the group. The group often hanged out at Marcius' villa where they began practicing hand to hand combat. Lucius was the only one to get a tutor which also meant that he would teach the others in the combat with a gladius. Lucius loved the feeling of being the head of the group and he tried his very best in teaching the others what he knew. The other boys took several months to master the teachings of Lucius and, by the end, they would believe that they, too, mastered the art of hand to hand combat. Believing that they reached the peak, the group saw no need to hire another tutor to sharpen their skills more.
Lucius, at a young age of fourteen, achieved a rank of Centurion and Marcius was once again behind his son's accomplishment. Lucius, achieving the position of Centurion without any training of experience, was actually expected to lead men into battle when he was called upon. Marcius, seeing that no wars would plague his nation any time soon, saw no harm in his son's rise in rank. Lucius, with a few of his friends also achieved the rank of Centurion, got bored with their training with the gladius. They decided to move onto other things to keep themselves entertained. At the age of fourteen, Lucius and his friends began to develop interest in women. They began to hang out on the streets of the upper class district where they bragged about their accomplishments to any women that could listen. With powerful fathers and promising futures, these boys would attract the attention of many women. With the extra attention, the boys would be engulfed in acts that were considered sinful by the Catholic church. Their fathers, however, were too busy within the senate to be bothered with disciplining their sons. Lucius and his friends would be in for a rude awakening soon enough when they found themselves caught in a civil war that erupted in the city of Rome.
(Lucius Crimson [part 1])
Lucius Crimson was the first and only son of Marcius, a powerful figure in the Senate. Marcius had many wives throughout his life but none of them were able to bore him a son. Marcius, at the age of thirty five, felt he was running out of time in getting a son. In desperation, he got into an affair with one of the maids working for him. The maid would become pregnant and, as though the gods finally answered his call, Marcius got his son. For the sake of his reputation, Marcius was forced to kill the maid and the midwife while making it appear as though his wife had given birth to his son. As the maid was dying, Marcius promised her that Lucius, the name given by the maid, would be in good hands. Marcius felt great pride for his son who has been so hard to come by. Unlike the many daughters he had, Marcius would spoil him in every way in hopes of giving Lucius a happy childhood. Little did Marcius know that his spoiled son would one day pay the ultimate price because he struggled to adapt to the ever changing political landscape surrounding Rome. Lucius would also, one day, play a role in bringing about one of the greatest revolutions in Roman history.
Growing up in the noble household, Lucius enjoyed luxuries most people at the time couldn't even imagine. He had servants taking care of his everyday needs while getting the best of everything. It was rumored that Lucius learned to walk at the age of five because his servants were carrying him anywhere he wished to go (including going to the next room down the hall). Experiencing the best of everything also meant that Lucius saw little of the outside world. Everything that the young boy needed was within his father's villa. The land upon which the villa was build could easily rival the land covered by the palace of the Roman Emperor. Thus, there was no need for Lucius to see the outside world. Even when the boy had to leave the villa, he never had to leave the upper class district. The upper class district was magnificent and, compared to the other districts, seemed like heaven. Patrols were often in the streets to prevent any of those that weren't upper class from entering the district. Lucius, with the exception of the servants, would not see any of the other classes until he reached the age of twenty.
Since a very young age, Lucius was fascinated by gladius. Marcius himself was a warrior in his youth and he had thrilled to discover that his son had the warrior's blood within him. Marcius proceeded to use his wealth to purchase a large collection of gladius. Not only did Marcius purchase the best gladius one can buy in Rome but he also imported weapons called swords used by the Barbarians. This man wanted his son to have the best collection possible to show off to relatives and strangers. Lucius was amazed by his father's purchase and spent many days inspecting his collection. He even asked his father to hire a renowned swordsmith in Rome to explain the differences in the gladius and swords. Seeing his son's eagerness in the art of battle, Marcius couldn't wait until his son joined the academy so he can become an excellent warrior and, hopefully one day, an excellent general. A year before Lucius was old enough to join the academy, a terrible accident occurred in the academy that would forever end Lucius' hopes of joining the academy. In a tournament that took place every year, a son of a noble family was crippled in a friendly duel against a lower class boy. The lower class boy would later be executed but his action brought about a wave of fear for the nobles, especially to a man like Marcius. Following the accident, Marcius would, like many other noble families, ban his son from joining the academy fearing the worst to happen to his son.
Given that Lucius has been waiting a long time to join the academy, he wasn't too thrilled with his father's decision. Lucius always dreamed himself leading his own men on the battlefield. He also wanted to be remembered as a hero just as Antonius Crimson once accomplished in his one and only battle. When Marcius told him that he cannot join the academy, Lucius was, as expectantly, very upset. He even went as far as to avoid seeing his father or, at the very least, not talk with his father. Marcius was in a dilemma as he was struggling to pick between risking his son getting injured or losing the love of his son forever. In the end, Marcius used his wealth and influence to purchase documents indicating that Lucius graduated from the academy. At the meantime, he hired a tutor to teach Lucius the basics. With the basics, Lucius could at least protect himself against petty thieves but he will never survive in a battlefield. To Lucius, the tutor appeared to be an experienced officer that had vast knowledge in close quarter fights. Thus, Lucius believed that the tutor had taught him all he needed to know to become a hero when he actually barely touched the surface.
The fact that Lucius didn't attend the academy also meant that he had limited exposure to people outside his household. Since birth, Lucius had little interactions with those outside his household. Marcius saw the lack of friends a problem as he needed his son to have the social skills to communicate with those of equal class. Marcius made sure that Lucius did know boys that lived in the nearby villas. These boys were also of the high nobility blood and they were banned from joining the academy as well. The fact that they were of the same class and had similiar experiences made it easier for them to get along. After a few visits to nearby villas with his father, Lucius made a few friends and, because he had the aura of authority around him like his father, he would be the leader of the group. The group often hanged out at Marcius' villa where they began practicing hand to hand combat. Lucius was the only one to get a tutor which also meant that he would teach the others in the combat with a gladius. Lucius loved the feeling of being the head of the group and he tried his very best in teaching the others what he knew. The other boys took several months to master the teachings of Lucius and, by the end, they would believe that they, too, mastered the art of hand to hand combat. Believing that they reached the peak, the group saw no need to hire another tutor to sharpen their skills more.
Lucius, at a young age of fourteen, achieved a rank of Centurion and Marcius was once again behind his son's accomplishment. Lucius, achieving the position of Centurion without any training of experience, was actually expected to lead men into battle when he was called upon. Marcius, seeing that no wars would plague his nation any time soon, saw no harm in his son's rise in rank. Lucius, with a few of his friends also achieved the rank of Centurion, got bored with their training with the gladius. They decided to move onto other things to keep themselves entertained. At the age of fourteen, Lucius and his friends began to develop interest in women. They began to hang out on the streets of the upper class district where they bragged about their accomplishments to any women that could listen. With powerful fathers and promising futures, these boys would attract the attention of many women. With the extra attention, the boys would be engulfed in acts that were considered sinful by the Catholic church. Their fathers, however, were too busy within the senate to be bothered with disciplining their sons. Lucius and his friends would be in for a rude awakening soon enough when they found themselves caught in a civil war that erupted in the city of Rome.
Chapter 125 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 8])
(Lucius Crimson [part 2])
Marcius was a powerful man in the Senate. It was rumored that he was so influential that even the Roman Emperor listened to him. The Roman Emperor was merely a puppet to which Marcius installed. While the rumor was never proven, there was little doubt that this man was calling the shots in the Senate. Marcius was a smart man who wasn't foolish enough to make himself an emperor. As a nobleman, he had many options to acquiring wealth and power while not attracting too much unwanted attention. There were many people that were jealous of Marcius' success but no one dared to oppose him in public. There had been people that antagonized Marcius and they simply disappeared without a trace. Like all good things, Marcius' domination over the Senate would come to an end eventually. That transition began when the exiled branch of Pieroni family was allowed to settle down in Rome. Marcius was one of the few members within the Senate that welcomed this new family. He felt that the members of the Pieroni would provide valuable intelligence to the Romans that may come in handy in future wars. With members of the Pieroni family only occupying the lowest positions within the Senate, no one, including Marcius, thought they would ever pose a threat.
Marcius enjoyed his power very much and did everything within his power to keep it that way. The other noble families knew how dangerous he was and were willing to back down to avoid a confrontation with this man. However, the head of the Pieroni family, Rotari, wasn't a pushover like the heads of so many Roman noble families. He was an ambitious man that had the brains to accomplish the seemingly impossible. When this branch of the Pieroni family was exiled, their former head died on their way to Rome and Rotari, the son of the former head, took over. There were some questioning about the capability of the new head and conflict nearly broke out within the family. Rotari, using his brains, was able to lower tensions by convincing others that he would guarantee them a bright future if they followed him. The other members were hesitant still but they were willing to give Rotari a chance. Rotari needed to, so to speak, walk the walk if he wanted the full support of his family. A seemingly impossible task awaited him when it seemed very likely that many in Rome opposed his family from entering the city of Rome. If he could get his family inside Rome, he would earn the respect he needed to maintain a firm grasp over his family.
This young man proved his worth when he successfully negotiated with the Roman Senate to grant his family entry into Rome. Instead of negotiating with many of the families that opposed the idea of Pieroni within the Senate, Rotari was able to realize that Marcius was the man he needed to convince. He saw Marcius as the man pulling all the strings and that, if he was convinced, his family's entry into Rome was pretty much guaranteed. As a skilled diplomat, Rotari not only was able to convince Marcius of the benefits of allowing his family's entry but he also managed to secure a few minor positions within the Senate for himself and a few other men loyal to him. Rotari's family was nearly broke when they arrived before the gates of Rome. They were only allowed a few possessions when they were exiled and most of it was used as travel expense. There was no way for this family to move elsewhere without any funds. Rotari knew that, with the financial situation they were in, he needed some steady income. The minor positions would serve to provide some income until Rotari can secure more wealth and influence. For Rotari, he had a simply goal of wresting the throne of Rome from the emperor and use it newly acquired power to conquer all of Langobards. To do so, he kept his goal a secret, even to those loyal to him. He wasn't going to take any chances until an opportunity show itself for him to strike.
Rotari knew that he needed his family member and himself to rise in rank within the Senate so they can gain enough wealth and influence to make his dreams come true. With the limited wealth at his disposal, Rotari made careful purchases of land outside of Rome. His family would work on those lands as farmers to accumulate more wealth while cutting down expenses that may result from hiring workers. The first few years were tough for the Pieroni family but they made it through. Meanwhile, Rotari kept his ear open before the meetings of the Senate for any information that could be useful for him. Using the information, Rotari would use either persuasion, coercion or both to extort more wealth from lesser nobles. Within a few months, Rotari accumulated an incredible amount of wealth while making many enemies with the lesser nobles. Rotari knew that he could keep those nobles in check but he worried about the reactions of the more influential nobles. Without a stable foundation, the Pieroni family can still be exiled from Rome as well. When Marcius caught wind of Rotari's actions, he saw it as the Pieroni family merely trying to get by with any means necessary. He basically ignored them while focusing on other matters. When Rotari realized that the more influential noble families, especially the Crimson family, ignored him, he would implement his next few steps of his grand plan. He would secretly make lesser nobles and their families disappear while forging their wills which transferred their possessions over to the Pieroni family. Rotari was a careful man who left no tracks in the disappearances. By the time Marcius realized that wealth and influence of the Pieroni family was growing out of control, Rotari has already risen up in ranks within the Senate with only Marcius as his equal.
It was obvious that Rotari was the mastermind behind the Pieroni family. Should he die, the Pieroni family could be easily dealt with. Marcius knew this and hired a group of assassins to take out Rotari. The assassins were well trained but even they couldn't escape the trap set by Rotari. Rotari has planted a spy within Marcius' family and the spy discovered the plot. When Rotari was informed of the plot, he would use it to his advantage and he laid out his plans carefully to those closest to him. Rotari would secretly capture and execute the assassins while spreading rumors that he was dead after a group of assassins attacked. Meanwhile, Rotari gathered a few soldiers that were loyal to him and sneaked them into the meeting hall of the Senate. On the next day, not a single member of the Pieroni family attended the meeting with the excuse of grieving of the death of Rotari. Marcius and his loyal followers were delighted by the news and dropped their guard as they entered the meeting hall without escorts. The moment they stepped into the meeting hall, the ambushing soldiers charged and hacked down Marcius and his friends. The soldiers then escaped the palace before anyone reacted to the killing. The killers were never found and no one had proof to tie the killings to the Pieroni. Rotari has eliminated a powerful enemy and nothing could stand in his way.
The soldiers returned to Rotari and reported their success. Rotari, believing that he had removed all the obstacles standing in the way of his family, coughed up blood and died shortly. Unknown to his family, Rotari had an incurable illness and it was his strong will alone that kept him going. He knew that his days were numbered and wished to eliminate all the obstacles before he died. With Marcius dead, there were technically no one that can stop the Pieroni family from taking complete control of the Senate. Rotari, believing that his family was in good hands, died at a young age of thirty. His son would became the new head of the family with the responsibility of carrying out his father's wishes of taking control of Rome. A month after Rotari's death, his son would be crowned as the new emperor of Rome. As the new emperor, the young man would find himself fighting in a civil war to establish his control over all of Rome. His main opposition would be led by the son of Marcius, Lucius. The two young men would each play a major role in one of the bloodiest conflicts in Roman history.
(Lucius Crimson [part 2])
Marcius was a powerful man in the Senate. It was rumored that he was so influential that even the Roman Emperor listened to him. The Roman Emperor was merely a puppet to which Marcius installed. While the rumor was never proven, there was little doubt that this man was calling the shots in the Senate. Marcius was a smart man who wasn't foolish enough to make himself an emperor. As a nobleman, he had many options to acquiring wealth and power while not attracting too much unwanted attention. There were many people that were jealous of Marcius' success but no one dared to oppose him in public. There had been people that antagonized Marcius and they simply disappeared without a trace. Like all good things, Marcius' domination over the Senate would come to an end eventually. That transition began when the exiled branch of Pieroni family was allowed to settle down in Rome. Marcius was one of the few members within the Senate that welcomed this new family. He felt that the members of the Pieroni would provide valuable intelligence to the Romans that may come in handy in future wars. With members of the Pieroni family only occupying the lowest positions within the Senate, no one, including Marcius, thought they would ever pose a threat.
Marcius enjoyed his power very much and did everything within his power to keep it that way. The other noble families knew how dangerous he was and were willing to back down to avoid a confrontation with this man. However, the head of the Pieroni family, Rotari, wasn't a pushover like the heads of so many Roman noble families. He was an ambitious man that had the brains to accomplish the seemingly impossible. When this branch of the Pieroni family was exiled, their former head died on their way to Rome and Rotari, the son of the former head, took over. There were some questioning about the capability of the new head and conflict nearly broke out within the family. Rotari, using his brains, was able to lower tensions by convincing others that he would guarantee them a bright future if they followed him. The other members were hesitant still but they were willing to give Rotari a chance. Rotari needed to, so to speak, walk the walk if he wanted the full support of his family. A seemingly impossible task awaited him when it seemed very likely that many in Rome opposed his family from entering the city of Rome. If he could get his family inside Rome, he would earn the respect he needed to maintain a firm grasp over his family.
This young man proved his worth when he successfully negotiated with the Roman Senate to grant his family entry into Rome. Instead of negotiating with many of the families that opposed the idea of Pieroni within the Senate, Rotari was able to realize that Marcius was the man he needed to convince. He saw Marcius as the man pulling all the strings and that, if he was convinced, his family's entry into Rome was pretty much guaranteed. As a skilled diplomat, Rotari not only was able to convince Marcius of the benefits of allowing his family's entry but he also managed to secure a few minor positions within the Senate for himself and a few other men loyal to him. Rotari's family was nearly broke when they arrived before the gates of Rome. They were only allowed a few possessions when they were exiled and most of it was used as travel expense. There was no way for this family to move elsewhere without any funds. Rotari knew that, with the financial situation they were in, he needed some steady income. The minor positions would serve to provide some income until Rotari can secure more wealth and influence. For Rotari, he had a simply goal of wresting the throne of Rome from the emperor and use it newly acquired power to conquer all of Langobards. To do so, he kept his goal a secret, even to those loyal to him. He wasn't going to take any chances until an opportunity show itself for him to strike.
Rotari knew that he needed his family member and himself to rise in rank within the Senate so they can gain enough wealth and influence to make his dreams come true. With the limited wealth at his disposal, Rotari made careful purchases of land outside of Rome. His family would work on those lands as farmers to accumulate more wealth while cutting down expenses that may result from hiring workers. The first few years were tough for the Pieroni family but they made it through. Meanwhile, Rotari kept his ear open before the meetings of the Senate for any information that could be useful for him. Using the information, Rotari would use either persuasion, coercion or both to extort more wealth from lesser nobles. Within a few months, Rotari accumulated an incredible amount of wealth while making many enemies with the lesser nobles. Rotari knew that he could keep those nobles in check but he worried about the reactions of the more influential nobles. Without a stable foundation, the Pieroni family can still be exiled from Rome as well. When Marcius caught wind of Rotari's actions, he saw it as the Pieroni family merely trying to get by with any means necessary. He basically ignored them while focusing on other matters. When Rotari realized that the more influential noble families, especially the Crimson family, ignored him, he would implement his next few steps of his grand plan. He would secretly make lesser nobles and their families disappear while forging their wills which transferred their possessions over to the Pieroni family. Rotari was a careful man who left no tracks in the disappearances. By the time Marcius realized that wealth and influence of the Pieroni family was growing out of control, Rotari has already risen up in ranks within the Senate with only Marcius as his equal.
It was obvious that Rotari was the mastermind behind the Pieroni family. Should he die, the Pieroni family could be easily dealt with. Marcius knew this and hired a group of assassins to take out Rotari. The assassins were well trained but even they couldn't escape the trap set by Rotari. Rotari has planted a spy within Marcius' family and the spy discovered the plot. When Rotari was informed of the plot, he would use it to his advantage and he laid out his plans carefully to those closest to him. Rotari would secretly capture and execute the assassins while spreading rumors that he was dead after a group of assassins attacked. Meanwhile, Rotari gathered a few soldiers that were loyal to him and sneaked them into the meeting hall of the Senate. On the next day, not a single member of the Pieroni family attended the meeting with the excuse of grieving of the death of Rotari. Marcius and his loyal followers were delighted by the news and dropped their guard as they entered the meeting hall without escorts. The moment they stepped into the meeting hall, the ambushing soldiers charged and hacked down Marcius and his friends. The soldiers then escaped the palace before anyone reacted to the killing. The killers were never found and no one had proof to tie the killings to the Pieroni. Rotari has eliminated a powerful enemy and nothing could stand in his way.
The soldiers returned to Rotari and reported their success. Rotari, believing that he had removed all the obstacles standing in the way of his family, coughed up blood and died shortly. Unknown to his family, Rotari had an incurable illness and it was his strong will alone that kept him going. He knew that his days were numbered and wished to eliminate all the obstacles before he died. With Marcius dead, there were technically no one that can stop the Pieroni family from taking complete control of the Senate. Rotari, believing that his family was in good hands, died at a young age of thirty. His son would became the new head of the family with the responsibility of carrying out his father's wishes of taking control of Rome. A month after Rotari's death, his son would be crowned as the new emperor of Rome. As the new emperor, the young man would find himself fighting in a civil war to establish his control over all of Rome. His main opposition would be led by the son of Marcius, Lucius. The two young men would each play a major role in one of the bloodiest conflicts in Roman history.
Chapter 126 (History of the Crimson Blood Nobility [part 9])
(Lucius Crimson [part 3])
Lucius, twenty years old at the time, was flirting with a few young ladies at the marketplace when one of his sisters told him that he was needed at home. Lucius reluctantly parted with the ladies as he followed his sister back home. When he reached home, he realized that something was terribly wrong. Many people surrounded his mother who has collapsed on the ground. When asking a servant what happened, Lucius was told that his father was dead. At first, the reality didn't settle in for Lucius who has seen his father in the morning. An hour later, Lucius learned what had taken place at the meeting hall but he still struggled to accept the reality. He ran out the villa towards the palace when he collided with one of his friends. His friend, like him, just lost his father in the assassination and refused to accept the news. Both of them wanted to confirm their worst fear by heading to the palace. For whatever reason, they believed that their families merely received misinformation and that their fathers were on their way home right that moment. The two of them arrived outside the palace gate when they saw the corpses. They each found the lifeless body of the father they loved dearly and knelt down to touch them. They realized that their fathers were actually dead and nothing could bring them back.
Since seeing his father's corpse, Lucius returned home and stayed in his room. He wasn't willing to see anyone and his mother barely managed to persuade him to eat his meals. A month passed and Lucius was slowly recovering. The killers of his father were still not found but he, like many other within the Senate, knew the Pieroni family had a hand in it. When the new head of the Pieroni family became the new emperor, Lucius no longer grieved for his father's death. Instead, he discovered hate within him and vowed to avenge his father. Lucius immediately headed into action by making plans to overthrow the Pieroni and reinstall the former emperor onto the throne. Lucius only had a few friends which limited his ability to gather support. Luckily for him, Lucius, as the new head of his family, got the support of his mother who had connections with wives of many well-known noble families. Using her connections, Lucius mother was able to gather more support than she and Lucius first expected. Lucius managed to gather a thousand or so well armed men in a few days but he still was able to keep it a secret to his enemies. A few days later, the large fighting force was assembled and Lucius chose to launch an attack on the Palace.
With the cover of night, the fight force stormed the palace gates and broke through the outer defenses. The guards, waking up from the chaos, quickly gathered out in the main courtyard as they struggled to make sense of the situation. The defenders were pushed back bit by bit until they were forced into the inner courtyard. Just as the defenders were about to rout, one of the Centurions calmed his troops and directed the defenses in the inner courtyard. The guards went into formation as they forced the attackers to funnel through the doorway. The narrow doorway would remove the advantage the attackers had with numbers. The attackers, unable to enter the inner courtyard, were forced to fight a battle of attrition as the battle entered a stalemate. Unknown to Lucius, a member of the Pieroni family escaped the palace undetected and went to the local barracks to call for reinforcements. When the reinforcements arrived, Lucius' forces were sandwiched in the middle. What appeared to be an easy victory didn't take place as the attacking side was forced to retreat. With the assault of the palace ending in failure, the chance to remove the new emperor quickly with minimum bloodshed was gone. The Italian peninsula would be divided as the civil was has officially begun.
The new emperor had already ordered soldiers to target the noble families that participated in the attack. Those that resisted would be cut down while the rest were captured alive for a future trial. Lucius, taking the advice of a nobleman who anticipated the move, took the former emperor back to his villa where he gathered his family members before they made their way out the city. There were a few noble families that weren't as fortunate and they were capture by the soldiers. These people would be marched to the prison where they could only hope for a fair trial. Meanwhile, Lucius, along with the heads of a few other families that escaped the city, began to make their journey southwards to gather support in an attempt to overthrow the new emperor. The Pieroni family had somehow secured the support of many in Northern Italy where their strength lie. As for the Crimson family, Southern Italy would be where they had the majority of their support. Lucius went south to gather men for his army in hopes of retaking Rome from the Pieroni family. As for the France region, Iberia and Northern Africa, the local powers chose to be neutral in the conflict. These powers did, however, vow to swear loyalty to the victor of the conflict. Thus, the civil war would only be taking place within the Italian peninsula where, for many centuries, it had been free from bloodshed and warfare.
With the Italian peninsula divided in half, the civil war has begun with the Pieroni family fighting against the Crimson family for the throne of Rome. The former emperor was under the protection of the Lucius who vowed to return him to the throne or die trying. However, Lucius made the mistake of weakening his side by making two poor decisions. First, Lucius executed a few of his family members that he suspected were working for the enemy. Those family members had tried to persuade Lucius to surrender to the Pieroni family so they can save their skin. They saw the war already decided and Lucius was merely delaying the inevitable. There was no doubt that these men put their family first and wanted to preserve the power base their family has enjoyed for so many centuries. As a man that was only driven by vengeance, Lucius saw these people as his enemies that hope to place obstacles in his path to victory. Without proof, Lucius ordered their execution despite much opposition, including his own mother. Following the execution, Lucius was seen as paranoid which meant that quite a few powerful allies deserted him fearing the same fate waited them. While most of those powerful allies left for neutral lands, a few in fact joined Pieroni's side to gain favor.
Secondly, Lucius never trusted Barbarian soldiers who he viewed as vile creatures that plagued the land. Being sheltered in the upper district for nearly his entire life, Lucius had heard stories of Barbarians from other nobles which didn't stop him from being prejudice towards Barbarians. Lucius, as paranoid as he was, feared that the Barbarians were in fact aiding the enemy in secret. Therefore, he proceeded to systematic killing of the Barbarian soldiers to eliminate what he regarded as a threat to his forces. Not only did Lucius side lose a fairly large portion of their fighting force but his cruelty only resulted in more people supporting the Pieroni. The loss of powerful allies and many previously loyal soldiers would become obvious for Lucius at the deciding battle outside Rome. The two sides gathered all their forces and the Pieroni not only had a numbers advantage but they also had the better generals, many of which were Barbarians. The forces under Lucius was defeated and Lucius, with a few of his family members, were forced into hiding. The Pieroni has won the battle and secured their hold on the throne. The Crimson nobility was believed to be no more but fate had plans for them to play one final role in deciding the future of Rome.
Note: We will be returning back to the Crimson Revolution in the next update. I hope you have been enjoying this bit of background filler.
(Lucius Crimson [part 3])
Lucius, twenty years old at the time, was flirting with a few young ladies at the marketplace when one of his sisters told him that he was needed at home. Lucius reluctantly parted with the ladies as he followed his sister back home. When he reached home, he realized that something was terribly wrong. Many people surrounded his mother who has collapsed on the ground. When asking a servant what happened, Lucius was told that his father was dead. At first, the reality didn't settle in for Lucius who has seen his father in the morning. An hour later, Lucius learned what had taken place at the meeting hall but he still struggled to accept the reality. He ran out the villa towards the palace when he collided with one of his friends. His friend, like him, just lost his father in the assassination and refused to accept the news. Both of them wanted to confirm their worst fear by heading to the palace. For whatever reason, they believed that their families merely received misinformation and that their fathers were on their way home right that moment. The two of them arrived outside the palace gate when they saw the corpses. They each found the lifeless body of the father they loved dearly and knelt down to touch them. They realized that their fathers were actually dead and nothing could bring them back.
Since seeing his father's corpse, Lucius returned home and stayed in his room. He wasn't willing to see anyone and his mother barely managed to persuade him to eat his meals. A month passed and Lucius was slowly recovering. The killers of his father were still not found but he, like many other within the Senate, knew the Pieroni family had a hand in it. When the new head of the Pieroni family became the new emperor, Lucius no longer grieved for his father's death. Instead, he discovered hate within him and vowed to avenge his father. Lucius immediately headed into action by making plans to overthrow the Pieroni and reinstall the former emperor onto the throne. Lucius only had a few friends which limited his ability to gather support. Luckily for him, Lucius, as the new head of his family, got the support of his mother who had connections with wives of many well-known noble families. Using her connections, Lucius mother was able to gather more support than she and Lucius first expected. Lucius managed to gather a thousand or so well armed men in a few days but he still was able to keep it a secret to his enemies. A few days later, the large fighting force was assembled and Lucius chose to launch an attack on the Palace.
With the cover of night, the fight force stormed the palace gates and broke through the outer defenses. The guards, waking up from the chaos, quickly gathered out in the main courtyard as they struggled to make sense of the situation. The defenders were pushed back bit by bit until they were forced into the inner courtyard. Just as the defenders were about to rout, one of the Centurions calmed his troops and directed the defenses in the inner courtyard. The guards went into formation as they forced the attackers to funnel through the doorway. The narrow doorway would remove the advantage the attackers had with numbers. The attackers, unable to enter the inner courtyard, were forced to fight a battle of attrition as the battle entered a stalemate. Unknown to Lucius, a member of the Pieroni family escaped the palace undetected and went to the local barracks to call for reinforcements. When the reinforcements arrived, Lucius' forces were sandwiched in the middle. What appeared to be an easy victory didn't take place as the attacking side was forced to retreat. With the assault of the palace ending in failure, the chance to remove the new emperor quickly with minimum bloodshed was gone. The Italian peninsula would be divided as the civil was has officially begun.
The new emperor had already ordered soldiers to target the noble families that participated in the attack. Those that resisted would be cut down while the rest were captured alive for a future trial. Lucius, taking the advice of a nobleman who anticipated the move, took the former emperor back to his villa where he gathered his family members before they made their way out the city. There were a few noble families that weren't as fortunate and they were capture by the soldiers. These people would be marched to the prison where they could only hope for a fair trial. Meanwhile, Lucius, along with the heads of a few other families that escaped the city, began to make their journey southwards to gather support in an attempt to overthrow the new emperor. The Pieroni family had somehow secured the support of many in Northern Italy where their strength lie. As for the Crimson family, Southern Italy would be where they had the majority of their support. Lucius went south to gather men for his army in hopes of retaking Rome from the Pieroni family. As for the France region, Iberia and Northern Africa, the local powers chose to be neutral in the conflict. These powers did, however, vow to swear loyalty to the victor of the conflict. Thus, the civil war would only be taking place within the Italian peninsula where, for many centuries, it had been free from bloodshed and warfare.
With the Italian peninsula divided in half, the civil war has begun with the Pieroni family fighting against the Crimson family for the throne of Rome. The former emperor was under the protection of the Lucius who vowed to return him to the throne or die trying. However, Lucius made the mistake of weakening his side by making two poor decisions. First, Lucius executed a few of his family members that he suspected were working for the enemy. Those family members had tried to persuade Lucius to surrender to the Pieroni family so they can save their skin. They saw the war already decided and Lucius was merely delaying the inevitable. There was no doubt that these men put their family first and wanted to preserve the power base their family has enjoyed for so many centuries. As a man that was only driven by vengeance, Lucius saw these people as his enemies that hope to place obstacles in his path to victory. Without proof, Lucius ordered their execution despite much opposition, including his own mother. Following the execution, Lucius was seen as paranoid which meant that quite a few powerful allies deserted him fearing the same fate waited them. While most of those powerful allies left for neutral lands, a few in fact joined Pieroni's side to gain favor.
Secondly, Lucius never trusted Barbarian soldiers who he viewed as vile creatures that plagued the land. Being sheltered in the upper district for nearly his entire life, Lucius had heard stories of Barbarians from other nobles which didn't stop him from being prejudice towards Barbarians. Lucius, as paranoid as he was, feared that the Barbarians were in fact aiding the enemy in secret. Therefore, he proceeded to systematic killing of the Barbarian soldiers to eliminate what he regarded as a threat to his forces. Not only did Lucius side lose a fairly large portion of their fighting force but his cruelty only resulted in more people supporting the Pieroni. The loss of powerful allies and many previously loyal soldiers would become obvious for Lucius at the deciding battle outside Rome. The two sides gathered all their forces and the Pieroni not only had a numbers advantage but they also had the better generals, many of which were Barbarians. The forces under Lucius was defeated and Lucius, with a few of his family members, were forced into hiding. The Pieroni has won the battle and secured their hold on the throne. The Crimson nobility was believed to be no more but fate had plans for them to play one final role in deciding the future of Rome.
Note: We will be returning back to the Crimson Revolution in the next update. I hope you have been enjoying this bit of background filler
.
Chapter 127 (Crimson Revolution [part 3])
Following the conclusion of the civil war, huge debts and instability plagued the great empire known as Rome. Langobards, busy with her own battles, weren't able to take advantage of the weakened Rome. Even if they were idle, the fact that a Pieroni ruled the Roman throne made declaration of war a more challenging task given the political backlash. The new emperor tried his best to restore the former glory of Rome but his rise to power was too late. There was no way the nation could pay off its massive debts it accumulated over centuries and the new emperor realized that he was powerless outside the Italian peninsula. The upper class in the France region, Iberia and Northern Africa had their own agenda and had no loyalty towards to the new government. In addition, the Italian peninsula was in chaos following the civil war. Many infrastructures were destroyed and crime rates rose dramatically. Income from taxes was nonexistent with the lower and middle class hardly earning anything. In 834, a revolt in Rome would spark a bloody revolution that would last for twelve years. The leader of this revolt was a man called Lucius Crimson. The Crimson noble family was destroyed by the Pieroni royal family and Lucius was out for revenge. What Lucius didn't foresee was that he began a revolution which he himself cannot hope to control.
Lucius was forced into hiding since his forces was defeated in the civil war. Life was difficult for him and his family members were either dead or missing. In the end, Lucius was alone as he tried to survive in the harsh world . Since he grew up in a very sheltered life, Lucius struggled to adapt to the life of a lower class. The lower class at the time were struggling to find work and, for those that did, earned such a meager wage that they could only guarantee a meal every two days. The middle class wasn't better as many of them were forced go into enormous debts. For Lucius, he couldn't believe how many people had the endure this hardship since their birth. No one provided them any aid and the nobles continued to live their life of luxury. Lucius finally realized how cruel the world was and how he wasted his youth enjoying luxury which could have provided food to those that were starving. Living as a lower class has changed Lucius. Instead of the spoiled brat that got everything he wanted, Lucius became a caring man that wanted to change Rome to a better place. For Lucius, his future was quite clear. He would improve the lives of the lower and middle class which, coincidentally, went hand in hand with his path for revenge. Only through the destruction of the Pieroni family can real change begin to take place.
More hardship would fall upon the people following the rising inflation resulting from bad harvest. Drought has struck the farms in Northern Africa for a few years and the harvest was worsening each year. With no trades with the Langobards, the Roman Empire was experiencing food shortages it cannot hope to deal with. The prices of food practically quadrupled overnight. Considering that the lower and middle class struggled to buy food at its previous price, the new price meant that they couldn't hope to purchase with their earnings. Many people starved to death and the situation across the empire looked dire. In the streets, bodies littered everywhere were rotting and those that were strong enough turned to thievery to acquire what little food they can get. Most people were too weak to spend their energy moving the dead and disease quickly spread throughout the city. In Rome, it was estimated that nearly thirty percent of its population died from starvation and disease in the year 833. In the environment where one had to deal with the smell of rotting flesh and the painful experience of starvation, Lucius had often thought about committing suicide. Still, he pushed forward in hopes to avenging his family and bringing about real change.
The opportunity arose in 834 when a group of men in a town near Rome decided to take up arms. The group voted Lucius to be the leader as he was the only one to have experience in actual battle. A large portion of the population in the town had either died or migrated to Rome. Those that stayed didn't fare any better and the men, frustrated with their helplessness, decided to take a gamble and literally fight for their survival. They grabbed anything they could use as a weapon and started their march. When the group passed another town, Lucius met with the local people and encouraged the men in the town to join them in the fight as well. Lucius was very convincing and nearly all the men in the town joined his cause. The locals, facing a similar bleak future, went into their homes before coming out with their own weapons. The group passed many towns along the way and Lucius continued to use his charm and reason to get more people on his side. The progress of the rebel army didn't go unnoticed by the Roman government. By then, the group has expanded to a few thousand men and their numbers continued to grow. The government could no longer ignore the situation and ordered one of their Centurions to lead forces to quell the rebellion. With five thousand well trained Roman soldiers marching to meet the rebels, the rebellion look destined to fail.
The two sides met near the Tibiris river where Antonius Crimson earned his place in history. The Centurion ordered his troops to engage the enemy when, suddenly, his officers cut him down. The soldiers, apparently, only fared slightly better than the lower and middle class. They wanted changes as well but they haven't seen any action from the government. When the news of the rebels reached them, the officers began their own plotting. A small detachment would be heading into the field to meet with the rebels while the rest stood guard on the city walls. The detachment would join forces with the rebels and they will march to the gates of Rome. The officers inside the city walls would open the gates and begin their march to the palace. There were still soldiers in the palace that were loyal to the royal family which meant a bloody battle in the palace was inevitable. As expected, the Centurion didn't suspect a thing and he was taken cared of quickly. The officers of the detachment, upon seeing Lucius, wanted him to lead their men as well. Lucius' army doubled at the Tibiris river and they marched to the gates without meeting any resistance. More people from nearby villages and towns also rushed to join the army and, by the time the army reached Rome, an estimated twenty thousand men joined Lucius army.
The soldiers inside the city quickly opened the gate to let the rebels enter. The royal family, upon discovering this development, began to pack their possessions in an attempt to escape the city. The royal guards, realizing that they were facing off against overwhelming odds, betrayed the royal family and instead joined the rebels. As a result, not a single member of Pieroni family escaped and they were all captured in the palace. Lucius, eager to avenge his family, ordered the immediate execution of the Pieroni without a fair trial. He merely stated that the execution of these corrupt people would finally bring about change to the Roman Empire. Outside the palace walls, every member of the Pieroni family in Rome were executed and their heads were paraded in the streets. For Lucius, his rash decision did bring about change but it quickly got out of hand. The execution of the royal family would spark rebellions across the nation as rebel leaders follow the lead of Lucius. They would capture those that had wealth and influence and execute them without a trial. The mass executions would destroy the foundations that brought some order to Rome. With the foundations gone, Rome would be plunged into complete chaos. The Revolution that began to engulf Rome was broken in three time periods: the Age of Chaos ( 834 AD - 836 AD), the Age of Unification ( 836 AD - 841 AD ) and the Age of Rebirth ( 841 AD - 846 AD).
Following the conclusion of the civil war, huge debts and instability plagued the great empire known as Rome. Langobards, busy with her own battles, weren't able to take advantage of the weakened Rome. Even if they were idle, the fact that a Pieroni ruled the Roman throne made declaration of war a more challenging task given the political backlash. The new emperor tried his best to restore the former glory of Rome but his rise to power was too late. There was no way the nation could pay off its massive debts it accumulated over centuries and the new emperor realized that he was powerless outside the Italian peninsula. The upper class in the France region, Iberia and Northern Africa had their own agenda and had no loyalty towards to the new government. In addition, the Italian peninsula was in chaos following the civil war. Many infrastructures were destroyed and crime rates rose dramatically. Income from taxes was nonexistent with the lower and middle class hardly earning anything. In 834, a revolt in Rome would spark a bloody revolution that would last for twelve years. The leader of this revolt was a man called Lucius Crimson. The Crimson noble family was destroyed by the Pieroni royal family and Lucius was out for revenge. What Lucius didn't foresee was that he began a revolution which he himself cannot hope to control.
Lucius was forced into hiding since his forces was defeated in the civil war. Life was difficult for him and his family members were either dead or missing. In the end, Lucius was alone as he tried to survive in the harsh world . Since he grew up in a very sheltered life, Lucius struggled to adapt to the life of a lower class. The lower class at the time were struggling to find work and, for those that did, earned such a meager wage that they could only guarantee a meal every two days. The middle class wasn't better as many of them were forced go into enormous debts. For Lucius, he couldn't believe how many people had the endure this hardship since their birth. No one provided them any aid and the nobles continued to live their life of luxury. Lucius finally realized how cruel the world was and how he wasted his youth enjoying luxury which could have provided food to those that were starving. Living as a lower class has changed Lucius. Instead of the spoiled brat that got everything he wanted, Lucius became a caring man that wanted to change Rome to a better place. For Lucius, his future was quite clear. He would improve the lives of the lower and middle class which, coincidentally, went hand in hand with his path for revenge. Only through the destruction of the Pieroni family can real change begin to take place.
More hardship would fall upon the people following the rising inflation resulting from bad harvest. Drought has struck the farms in Northern Africa for a few years and the harvest was worsening each year. With no trades with the Langobards, the Roman Empire was experiencing food shortages it cannot hope to deal with. The prices of food practically quadrupled overnight. Considering that the lower and middle class struggled to buy food at its previous price, the new price meant that they couldn't hope to purchase with their earnings. Many people starved to death and the situation across the empire looked dire. In the streets, bodies littered everywhere were rotting and those that were strong enough turned to thievery to acquire what little food they can get. Most people were too weak to spend their energy moving the dead and disease quickly spread throughout the city. In Rome, it was estimated that nearly thirty percent of its population died from starvation and disease in the year 833. In the environment where one had to deal with the smell of rotting flesh and the painful experience of starvation, Lucius had often thought about committing suicide. Still, he pushed forward in hopes to avenging his family and bringing about real change.
The opportunity arose in 834 when a group of men in a town near Rome decided to take up arms. The group voted Lucius to be the leader as he was the only one to have experience in actual battle. A large portion of the population in the town had either died or migrated to Rome. Those that stayed didn't fare any better and the men, frustrated with their helplessness, decided to take a gamble and literally fight for their survival. They grabbed anything they could use as a weapon and started their march. When the group passed another town, Lucius met with the local people and encouraged the men in the town to join them in the fight as well. Lucius was very convincing and nearly all the men in the town joined his cause. The locals, facing a similar bleak future, went into their homes before coming out with their own weapons. The group passed many towns along the way and Lucius continued to use his charm and reason to get more people on his side. The progress of the rebel army didn't go unnoticed by the Roman government. By then, the group has expanded to a few thousand men and their numbers continued to grow. The government could no longer ignore the situation and ordered one of their Centurions to lead forces to quell the rebellion. With five thousand well trained Roman soldiers marching to meet the rebels, the rebellion look destined to fail.
The two sides met near the Tibiris river where Antonius Crimson earned his place in history. The Centurion ordered his troops to engage the enemy when, suddenly, his officers cut him down. The soldiers, apparently, only fared slightly better than the lower and middle class. They wanted changes as well but they haven't seen any action from the government. When the news of the rebels reached them, the officers began their own plotting. A small detachment would be heading into the field to meet with the rebels while the rest stood guard on the city walls. The detachment would join forces with the rebels and they will march to the gates of Rome. The officers inside the city walls would open the gates and begin their march to the palace. There were still soldiers in the palace that were loyal to the royal family which meant a bloody battle in the palace was inevitable. As expected, the Centurion didn't suspect a thing and he was taken cared of quickly. The officers of the detachment, upon seeing Lucius, wanted him to lead their men as well. Lucius' army doubled at the Tibiris river and they marched to the gates without meeting any resistance. More people from nearby villages and towns also rushed to join the army and, by the time the army reached Rome, an estimated twenty thousand men joined Lucius army.
The soldiers inside the city quickly opened the gate to let the rebels enter. The royal family, upon discovering this development, began to pack their possessions in an attempt to escape the city. The royal guards, realizing that they were facing off against overwhelming odds, betrayed the royal family and instead joined the rebels. As a result, not a single member of Pieroni family escaped and they were all captured in the palace. Lucius, eager to avenge his family, ordered the immediate execution of the Pieroni without a fair trial. He merely stated that the execution of these corrupt people would finally bring about change to the Roman Empire. Outside the palace walls, every member of the Pieroni family in Rome were executed and their heads were paraded in the streets. For Lucius, his rash decision did bring about change but it quickly got out of hand. The execution of the royal family would spark rebellions across the nation as rebel leaders follow the lead of Lucius. They would capture those that had wealth and influence and execute them without a trial. The mass executions would destroy the foundations that brought some order to Rome. With the foundations gone, Rome would be plunged into complete chaos. The Revolution that began to engulf Rome was broken in three time periods: the Age of Chaos ( 834 AD - 836 AD), the Age of Unification ( 836 AD - 841 AD ) and the Age of Rebirth ( 841 AD - 846 AD).
Chapter 128 (Crimson Revolution [part 4])
(Age of Chaos)
The first stage of the revolution was known as the Age of Chaos. There was little known about this age because there were hardly any written records of the period. This period of Roman history has been a mystery to historians. One can only piece together information from survivors to get a general picture. What was known was that the Rome during this period didn't resemble the Rome most people know about at the time. Rome was always known as a warlike nation feared by all. With a powerful army and incredible engineering feats, one would be foolish to underestimate the capabilities of the Romans. During the Age of Chaos, a large portion of the Roman population died due to the widespread disease and food shortages. The survivors, with the exceptions of the upper class, could barely get by each day. In their final attempt at survival, the lower and middle class began to rebel. When the rebellions began to rise up across the nation, the ruling class was helpless as they were at the mercy of their enemies. Without thinking about the consequences, the ruling class was slaughtered. With their deaths, the order that held communities together disappeared too. Without order, the communities would collapse into chaos as the Roman citizens struggled to rebuild their lives.
When the ruling class was defeated, the rebels were thrilled. They actually believed that positive change would happen overnight. To their dismay, their problems have only just begun. The destruction of the ruling class didn't solve the problems of food shortages and widespread disease. The food shortage actually worsened when the trades within the nation stopped taking place. Without soldiers patrolling the trade routes, merchants didn't dare to travel to other locations. These merchants not only brought goods but also food. Without merchants traveling, the rebels had to rely on the local farms for food. Despite many Roman citizens dying, the local farms still couldn't produce enough food to feed everyone. For the limited amount of food, the citizens that once banded together began fighting amongst themselves. Communities that were once held tightly together were split apart by the conflict over limited food supplies. The citizens also began to move into rural areas where they were close to food production. The once bustling cities that were the pride of the Romans were eventually abandoned. By mid-834, the cities were completely abandoned and were homes to the rats that feasted on the corpses that littered the streets.
The conflicts that would take place further lowered the population in Rome. To make matters worse, the conflicts also increased the population of rats in the nation. Prior to the rebellions, the rat numbers were kept low when the locals took measure to control the rat population. When survival was at stake, the locals ceased their measures against rats and the rat population across Rome increased out of control to the point they were soon the only inhabitants of the cities. The corpses in cities didn't last forever and the rats were forced to move elsewhere. They soon moved into the rural areas where the Roman citizens migrated too. Disease began to spread faster than before and people were helpless against it. With the food shortages, there were even people that welcomed the diseases as it helped trim the competition. The Roman citizens would continue their lives that were often characterized as the lifestyle of Barbarians. However, the lifestyles of those Roman citizens even shocked the travelers from Langobards. At the time, some people in Langobards assumed the lack of Roman patrol meant that visiting Rome was made possible. Some dared to cross the border to see the land that was famed for its great cities and incredible engineering feats. There were some travelers that left behind accounts of their travels and one account went like this:
I cannot believe what I have saw. This was supposed to be the glorious Rome that people often yearned to see. Instead, I see a place that was worse than my home. I grew up in a small village where we lived simple lives. Our lifestyle seemed primitive compared to the lifestyle of those in cities. Yet, the way these Roman lives was worse than that. They lived in huts that could barely survive the elements. The people fought over every bit of food they can get. When they saw us, they acted like beggars. They begged for whatever food we had. Yes, they didn't ask us for any ducats. They asked for food because that the only currency they traded in. In a land where one lived they way they lived, there was no longer signs of a civilization. There were only primitive animals that struggled for survival. When they were given food, they were very grateful. I don't think I can ever forget about the expression on their face when they got food. They seemed like children that were gifted toys they never thought they can get. Their smiles were genuine and they treated us like gods. I had no choice to but leave them. I cannot survive there. The elements were too harsh and I could never make a living there. The once mighty Rome has declined to its current state literally overnight. I don't think I would ever come to Rome again.
The scene described by the account above wasn't unique. Many locations were reported to have similar situations while great Roman cities were devoid of all life. The Langobards soldiers that entered the Roman territory were equally shocked with the scene and reported back to the Langobards governments. With Rome being nothing more than wastelands filled with primitive creatures that resembled humans, the Langobards saw no need in invading the land that offered no wealth. Thus, the Roman territory was left alone and the Langobards turned their attentions elsewhere. As for the Roman citizens, they continued their struggle for survival with no hopes of a better future. By the end of the Age of Chaos, it was estimated that nearly seventy percent of the Roman population in 834 AD perished from starvation, disease or internal battles. Infrastructure across the nation were in disrepair and plants began their growth in cities as nature reclaimed their former territories. The great engineering feats by the Romans were eventually forgotten and villages remained small with their populations relatively small. The great Roman Empire, in a span of two years, has become nothing more than a collection of villages spread across a vast territory. All that was about to change during the end of 836 AD.
While much of the nation was thrown into disarray, some parts of Rome avoided the worst of the chaos. The strip along the Persian Gulf was practically untouched by the chaos. The local officials weren't as corrupt and the people living under them had decent lives compared to those in other parts of Rome. When there were food shortages, the local officials actually secretly traded with the Langobards and nations in India to ensure a steady food supply for their people. With their basic necessities satisfied, the lower and middle class in the region saw no need to rebel. When the ruling class across the other parts of Rome were subjected to destruction, the region was cut off from the rest of Rome following the end of the communication routes that were made possible by patrolling soldiers. Some parts of Northern Africa avoided the worst as well. When the rebellions were over, the citizens in those parts established a simple government and, with the local farms producing enough food to sustain the locals, they lived simple lives without the struggles that plagued the rest of the nation. These parts, like the strip along the Persian Gulf, were separated from the rest of Rome and would live in isolation until the Age of Unification.
(Age of Chaos)
The first stage of the revolution was known as the Age of Chaos. There was little known about this age because there were hardly any written records of the period. This period of Roman history has been a mystery to historians. One can only piece together information from survivors to get a general picture. What was known was that the Rome during this period didn't resemble the Rome most people know about at the time. Rome was always known as a warlike nation feared by all. With a powerful army and incredible engineering feats, one would be foolish to underestimate the capabilities of the Romans. During the Age of Chaos, a large portion of the Roman population died due to the widespread disease and food shortages. The survivors, with the exceptions of the upper class, could barely get by each day. In their final attempt at survival, the lower and middle class began to rebel. When the rebellions began to rise up across the nation, the ruling class was helpless as they were at the mercy of their enemies. Without thinking about the consequences, the ruling class was slaughtered. With their deaths, the order that held communities together disappeared too. Without order, the communities would collapse into chaos as the Roman citizens struggled to rebuild their lives.
When the ruling class was defeated, the rebels were thrilled. They actually believed that positive change would happen overnight. To their dismay, their problems have only just begun. The destruction of the ruling class didn't solve the problems of food shortages and widespread disease. The food shortage actually worsened when the trades within the nation stopped taking place. Without soldiers patrolling the trade routes, merchants didn't dare to travel to other locations. These merchants not only brought goods but also food. Without merchants traveling, the rebels had to rely on the local farms for food. Despite many Roman citizens dying, the local farms still couldn't produce enough food to feed everyone. For the limited amount of food, the citizens that once banded together began fighting amongst themselves. Communities that were once held tightly together were split apart by the conflict over limited food supplies. The citizens also began to move into rural areas where they were close to food production. The once bustling cities that were the pride of the Romans were eventually abandoned. By mid-834, the cities were completely abandoned and were homes to the rats that feasted on the corpses that littered the streets.
The conflicts that would take place further lowered the population in Rome. To make matters worse, the conflicts also increased the population of rats in the nation. Prior to the rebellions, the rat numbers were kept low when the locals took measure to control the rat population. When survival was at stake, the locals ceased their measures against rats and the rat population across Rome increased out of control to the point they were soon the only inhabitants of the cities. The corpses in cities didn't last forever and the rats were forced to move elsewhere. They soon moved into the rural areas where the Roman citizens migrated too. Disease began to spread faster than before and people were helpless against it. With the food shortages, there were even people that welcomed the diseases as it helped trim the competition. The Roman citizens would continue their lives that were often characterized as the lifestyle of Barbarians. However, the lifestyles of those Roman citizens even shocked the travelers from Langobards. At the time, some people in Langobards assumed the lack of Roman patrol meant that visiting Rome was made possible. Some dared to cross the border to see the land that was famed for its great cities and incredible engineering feats. There were some travelers that left behind accounts of their travels and one account went like this:
I cannot believe what I have saw. This was supposed to be the glorious Rome that people often yearned to see. Instead, I see a place that was worse than my home. I grew up in a small village where we lived simple lives. Our lifestyle seemed primitive compared to the lifestyle of those in cities. Yet, the way these Roman lives was worse than that. They lived in huts that could barely survive the elements. The people fought over every bit of food they can get. When they saw us, they acted like beggars. They begged for whatever food we had. Yes, they didn't ask us for any ducats. They asked for food because that the only currency they traded in. In a land where one lived they way they lived, there was no longer signs of a civilization. There were only primitive animals that struggled for survival. When they were given food, they were very grateful. I don't think I can ever forget about the expression on their face when they got food. They seemed like children that were gifted toys they never thought they can get. Their smiles were genuine and they treated us like gods. I had no choice to but leave them. I cannot survive there. The elements were too harsh and I could never make a living there. The once mighty Rome has declined to its current state literally overnight. I don't think I would ever come to Rome again.
The scene described by the account above wasn't unique. Many locations were reported to have similar situations while great Roman cities were devoid of all life. The Langobards soldiers that entered the Roman territory were equally shocked with the scene and reported back to the Langobards governments. With Rome being nothing more than wastelands filled with primitive creatures that resembled humans, the Langobards saw no need in invading the land that offered no wealth. Thus, the Roman territory was left alone and the Langobards turned their attentions elsewhere. As for the Roman citizens, they continued their struggle for survival with no hopes of a better future. By the end of the Age of Chaos, it was estimated that nearly seventy percent of the Roman population in 834 AD perished from starvation, disease or internal battles. Infrastructure across the nation were in disrepair and plants began their growth in cities as nature reclaimed their former territories. The great engineering feats by the Romans were eventually forgotten and villages remained small with their populations relatively small. The great Roman Empire, in a span of two years, has become nothing more than a collection of villages spread across a vast territory. All that was about to change during the end of 836 AD.
While much of the nation was thrown into disarray, some parts of Rome avoided the worst of the chaos. The strip along the Persian Gulf was practically untouched by the chaos. The local officials weren't as corrupt and the people living under them had decent lives compared to those in other parts of Rome. When there were food shortages, the local officials actually secretly traded with the Langobards and nations in India to ensure a steady food supply for their people. With their basic necessities satisfied, the lower and middle class in the region saw no need to rebel. When the ruling class across the other parts of Rome were subjected to destruction, the region was cut off from the rest of Rome following the end of the communication routes that were made possible by patrolling soldiers. Some parts of Northern Africa avoided the worst as well. When the rebellions were over, the citizens in those parts established a simple government and, with the local farms producing enough food to sustain the locals, they lived simple lives without the struggles that plagued the rest of the nation. These parts, like the strip along the Persian Gulf, were separated from the rest of Rome and would live in isolation until the Age of Unification.