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Great ending to part I Mett, really good update. I guess in time Ravenna will fall, but it might be a little offensive of Romulus to move against Gaul already with over 10 thousand of his army around Ravenna, but if Remus returns I am certain everything will work out fine.
I am looking forward to the next part :D
 
Excellent this far. Looking forward to the Gallic Campaign. I hope that you sooner or later gives us those events that are not just for the AAR so they can be added in the official 476. ;)
 
I love that you have decided to have the Romans drain the swamplands around Ravenna. It is such a huge project and very Roman. The history of Imperial works, let alone the army doing amazing things, such as bridging the Rhine river under Caesar in only 10 days, shows the spirit and sheer WILL of the Romans. No matter how big the project, they will doggedly keep at it until it is finished. Very well done, Mett!
 
There might be a long-term downside to draining the swamps around Ravenna, however since it does make it less defensible. Sure, that's the goal for now as long as it's held by the enemy but eventually the Romans will retake the city and then, if the swamps are drained, they will have lost a superbly defended city for the future.
 
May I just say that this is a really cracking AAR - unfortunately, I haven't had the chacne to read it all, as of yet. I do hope that you continue with Part two sooner rather than later, and good luck! :)
 
Somehow, Selenus needs to get back to Remus' side. He clearly lacks the needed figure to look up to here.

Part I was great, Mett. Really looking forward to part II. :D
 
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September 486

Winter had come early to Italia in the four hundred and eighty-sixth year since the Lord’s birth. Chilling winds had swept down the peninsula on both sides of the Apennines, fed by a particularly harsh drop in temperature, bringing biting cold and suffering. By September, snow had fallen in Campania, Sol rarely made an appearance on some days, and the harvest was scarcely taken in before the storms broke. Roads were washed away due to flash floods, mudslides overran many country villages, and a dangerous amount of merchant galleys were lost on the rocky shores of the Tyrrhenian and Hadriatic. It was a grim ending to a grim year, where the fate of Italia remained undecided as hungry and diseased soldiers clung to a long, laborious siege of Ravenna, with no end in sight.

Despite the establishment of an “imperial” regime over the length of the peninsula, few counted themselves blessed by any newfound prosperity. Many citizens, angered at Odoacer’s drafting of their sons and nephews into the army, now found the same drafted into Romulus’ imperial armies. Taxes had almost doubled, few trusted the currency, and there was the rampant fear of banditry, the same scourge which had produced the soldier’s revolt and the sudden rise of Remus Macrinus. Open grumbling had become commonplace in the Imperial Senate, several provincial governors had openly petitioned the Imperator, and the fear of foreign invasion hung over them all, suspending their insulated world over the edge of the Tarpeian Rock.

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The only sense of optimism that pervaded the Italian peninsula lay at its heart, where the court of Romulus - still dubbed ‘Augustulus’ despite his restoration – enjoyed a world of self-congratulation and privilege. Despite the decayed state in which the new Imperator had found his capital city, reconstruction was primarily concentrated on the Palatine, where the young ruler took a certain delight in rebuilding the Augustine imperial apartments in high flourish. Making use of building materials from abandoned temples throughout the city, much work was done to restore the marble façade of the Domus Augustana, though the quality of stonework was much diminished since the city’s past height. Surrounding himself with clergyman representing the eyes of the friendly Pope Felix III and a parade of loyal Senatorial protégés, the Imperator lived in an atmosphere of comfortable ignorance, his Imperial Guard doing much to silence any nascent dissent. The city, however, was fragile.

The interregnum which had devastated the peninsula in the last decade had lowered the population in the countryside by over a fifth, reducing grain imports to the city by almost a third. Those remaining aqueducts strained to provide enough clean water for the populace, which was becoming flushed with refugees from Latium and other provinces. And the people were going hungry. Most of the imperial coffers, however, were going to maintain Claudius’ ponderous army at Ravenna and to feed Romulus’ own ambitions, which included expeditions to Sicily and the Alps. The coming freeze reflected the bitter state of the Western Roman Empire in 486.

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With each gust of wind, the torches flickered precariously, one or two occasionally going out, to be quickly relit by underdressed servants who dared not show any discomfort. The howling winds made the laughter inside the palace grow higher and perhaps more shrill, as if those assembled were conscious of the hard world outside their hallowed walls, and sought to laugh away any fears inside.

Near his throne, Romulus listened to the man drone on with increasing boredom. The aide, sensing the Imperator’s displeasure, faltered as read over the list.

”Six hundred cows, three hundred pigs, fifteen hundred goats, one hundred wagons, one thousand sacks of grain, two hundred sacks of millet and barley, three hundred----“

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”Stop.” Romulus voice cut through the man’s words with amused distaste, many in the room giggling and turning to watch his dealings with another lowly official, a favorite pastime in the imperial court. Yawning ostentatiously, Romulus waved the man off. ”Surely you could put yourself to sleep, man,” he said, the court responding with appreciative hilarity.

The man, a court chamberlain, looked confused and scared. ”But…imperator, you asked for the figures on the Sicilian expedition and----“

Romulus silenced him again with a wave. ”I care about soldiers, man, not about livestock. When did livestock ever win a battle?” More laughter. He leaned over to see his mother’s response, and was irked slightly by her forced smile. Irritated, he waved the man off with more force, his eyes already falling on a particularly choice lady in the far corner when---

”Imperator! A messenger!”

He struggled to hide his annoyance at the interruption to his more pleasurable musings and watched as the doors opened to admit a pair of freezing individuals, piteously dressed, their overcoats waterlogged and…terribly smelly. Romulus frowned, noting their confident bearing in spite of. They bowed properly enough, and he was unnerved to recognize the official imperial ritual he remembered from his youth, before his exile. Who were they?

The taller man, on the right, spoke first. ”Arenius and Gillenus from Soissons, Great Romulus, Imperator of the West. Word has reached us even in the midst of this cold clime of the recovery of your unjustly torn diadem.” As his real diadem still lay securely in the hands of Zeno in Constantinople, Romulus’ face tightened, though the visitors didn’t notice.

”Know that, despite the woe that has been visited on the West these past years, there are still loyal elements of the Empire still free and willing to serve.”

Now the court’s smiles faded and looks of calculating interest were planted on their faces. Romulus’ mind swirled and for a brief moment, he wished Selenus were there to remind him of what he should’ve known. But the man, hardly a man, was off in Ravenna, and it couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t useful enough in the end, more’s the pity.

The visitors continued, drawing murmurs from onlookers by their blondish hair and height. They had familiar faces with Roman elements, yet their stature…

”Syagrius, Magister Militum per Gallias, sends his earnest professions of loyalty to the Imperator of the West and his entreaties for aid.”

Though he had no wish to admit it to anyone, the name Aegidius eluded him. And he was confused the entire speech. There was still a Roman government in Gaul? Where? And why hadn’t they supported him during the long struggle of the past decade? He frowned. He turned to his right, waiting for Varic to lean over and brief him on what was going on. It took several minutes to educate him on the basics of Roman Gaul, none of which particularly impressed him.

”We are…pleased that Syagrius has finally reported to us and made us aware of his status. As a Governor of Gaul, we would have expected Syagrius to have brought his armies to my side when or need was greatest?”

He saw his mother’s lips purse out of the corner of his eye, worsening his mood. ”You ask for aid when we are just bringing this empire back together again. Why, as loyal subjects, do you not offer aid instead?”

The visitors looked taken aback and seemed off-balance, which encouraged Romulus. Subjects did not ask, they gave, as was their wont. Arenius, who looked to be the leader of the pair, opened his mouth, but was cut off and Romulus privately mused about the man’s mixed origins.

”How large is Syagrius’ army?”

Arenius paused for a moment. ”Much of it is strewn across Gallia in garrisons, fending off the Visigoths and Burgundians. Near Soissons? Perhaps three thousand, but---“ he was about to say, but again Romulus cut in.

”Good. We want those troops in Mediolanum by spring.”

There was a flat silence in the room as even his fawning courtiers saw the impossibility of that request.

To his credit, Arenius responded calmly. ”Imperator, to march that distance in that time is too much for our army to overcome in the dead of winter. And King Gundobad would never let us march through Burgundian territory.”

Romulus mood continued to sour as the man went on, impervious to how much his words were deflating the imperial ego, a dangerous move.

”…and King Clovis of the Franks has made no secret of his designs on Gallia. Border raids have hit us hard in past years and open warfare threatens. In fact,” and at last some of Arenius’ stress seeped into his words. ”the Franks may have invaded already. Moving our army would mean the loss of Gallia, Imperator.”

Inwardly, Romulus seethed, and his words grew petulant. ”Most unfortunate. And equally unfortunate that we have nothing to spare you either. We march against the Vandals in the spring and we could have used your troops if they had diligently joined us. Now it appears, we will suffer on without. As will you.”

He grew annoyed at seeing one of the torches go out at a gust a wind, and then his eyes grew wide as he saw who it was.

Stepping into the room with scarcely a limp, his eyes shining, Remus Macrinus strode into the throne room and bowed to the Gallic emissaries. ”I will go to Gaul.”

The words fell on the court with a thud, all smiles gone, save those of Arenius and Gillenus, who knew precisely who the new arrival was.

Romulus stood, his voice pitched high enough to give away his evident displeasure. ”We have not given you leave, Remus! And I think it’s very bad---“

And to the shock of the assembled, it was Romulus who was cut off.

”I will go to Gaul, Imperator,” Remus said, his features conveying reproach with every ounce of his being. The warmth and comforts of the imperial palace were no longer able to keep the realities of the outside world at bay, and Romulus grew frightened and angry.

His mother stood and put her hand on his shoulder, no doubt ready to make a plea for patience, but this set him off, and he shook her away angrily. Now his glare was open, and he was unable to produce reason with the man, to tell him how much he needed his military skill, how much he wanted Remus to command the invasion of Sicily, how little he could spare him. But he could spare him! Of course!

He was about to shout something regrettable when he felt a hand on the shoulder, and grew quiet only when he heard the familiar voice whisper into his ear. Varic always knew what to say in the right moment, and the semblance of a smile returned to his lips. He looked at Remus with barely contained fury, but with a hint of malice in his eyes. So be it, then.

”Very well, Magister. You will go to Gaul.”

His lips poured out each word following like boiling oil, searing as they were pronounced. ”Since you wish to go to Gaul, you will go to Gaul and you will retake Gaul. All of it. Every town, every river, every hillside. We command you to recover all of Gaul for the Empire. And we command you, never to return until the deed is done. We will send no troops, we will spare no supplies, we will give no aid, except your person. Here is my, answer, honored emissaries.” He turned back to Remus. ”Gaul or death, Magister.” The words echoed in the room, the shock visible on all faces except, to Romulus’ anger, on the man himself.

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Remus seemed calm. ”Very well, Imperator. I will go to Gaul.” And with the barest of bows, he spun on his heels, waited for Arenius and Gillenus to step up to him, and together they left the room.

Romulus, who had wanted the general to balk at the impossible orders, vented his fury on his wine goblet. Within moments, however, the torch was relit and the laughter resumed. Romulus’ eyes again looked for that enchanting lady.
 
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Good Gawd but Romulus is an ass! I sense some parallels between Remus and Caesar of old... while that is awesome for Remus if it is true, it is bad... VERY BAD for Romulus.


Awesome work, Mett, and would love to know what was going on in Remus' mind when Romulus was throwing his infantile fit!
 
Glad to see Remus is back and with attitude. I agree that this is going to play very badly for Romulus as Remus is almost to emerge a hero of almost legendary proportions if he reconquers Gaul without any Imperial support, ie singlehandedly. You have a wonderful mastery of drama, Mettermrck. I loved Remus' entrance.
 
Very nice. The generals who went over to their new barbarian overlords are seeing that Rome is sufficiently strong enough to warrant their loyalty. When I read the names, I smiled, thinking 'I know who these suckers are.' :cool:

One thing, though: Romulus has a good plan with retaking North Africa. It and Sicily provided much grain, and, particularly the former, tax surpluses to prop up the operations of the Roman state. One historian I'm perusing maintains that the loss of Spain and North Africa doomed Rome by forcing military cutbacks at a most unwanted time.


Oh, and when the Gallic legions install Remus as the new imperator, remember: You heard it here first. ;)
 
A nice campaign in Gaul. Jsut what any Roman ruler needs to pick his game up. ;)
 
Omg, I didn't think Romulus was such a complete moron... :eek: Remus should have him removed when he returns from his unavoidable triumph in Gaul. :mad:
 
Great to see the next campaign beginning so soon Mett.
Romulus is really silly, but that is good for us and the story I guess… I am certain Remus will have a hard time in Gaul, but in the end I hope he shall be able to do well in his goal and then march on Rome to teach the silly Emperor a lesson :D
 
Romulus doesn't have a lot of sense now, does he? There are three people who put him where he is right now: Varic, with his information, Barbaria with her connections and Remus with his army. With his childish little rant, he's knocked one support away already. And seeing as Varic was the one to suggest it (and Varic's too intelligent to NOT know how valuable Remus is), I think Varic's support for Romulus is waning as well. Varic, methinks, is getting ideas. Ideas about being the power behind the throne. Then there's Barbaria, who can't rule directly herself and therefore needs Romulus as a pawn to rule through. But if she makes an alliance with Varic, Romulus will be an utter puppet (yes, even more so than he is right now).

The future will bring Bad Things for Romulus, one way or the other, that's for sure. :)

Now, are you taking command of Gallia in the game, to model Remus' exile to that state and to retake the provinces lost there? If so, Gallia will probably end up as a stronger state than the pathetic 'Roman Empire' on the Italian peninsula. Assuming you CAN retake all of Roman Gaul, I think Italia will be joing them, rather than Gaul joining Italia.

Anyway, very exciting possibilities opening up in the story. I will greatly enjoy seeing where this will go.