《Fabula Tactici》 Prologue - Pergite ad Bellum An Extract from the Commentaries of Catalinius Remiulus Cannaeus Sapiens Pubilianus The Interregnum, the darkest hour the continent has faced. The prelude to the conflict was the emergence of the ¡®Pannonian Blight¡¯, a taint that cause the recently departed to rise from death as ghouls. The Blight ravaged the northern Diocese of Pannonia, caused the deployment of the Militia Invicta in Pannonia. Following the completion of the Militia¡¯s deployment, Patriarco Marco III, head of the Concord of Kyros, across the Neptunic Ocean, declared the initation of the Purgante Grosse in l¡¯Crepuscallato, the Great Purgation in Crepuscallatum. This act of madness led to the fall of the Province Acaia in the Diocese of Grecia and forced the Magister Maximus to deploy the Militia Fortis to Grecia, to prevent the fall of the Diocese. With pressure mounting in Grecia, and growing casualties in Pannonia, the Magisterium ordered the Militia Victrix to march to Pannonia and for the Milita Valeria to march to Grecia. Furthermore the Militia Gloria was divided in to the Milita Rapax, which was sent to support Pannonia, and the Militia Nova is sent to support Grecia. A letter from the Magister Maximus Theodosius Maximillius Regalis Felix Marcellinus to Imperator Aetius Maximillius Regalis Fidelis Thedosinius Son, Praefectus Custodum Urbanis Lucius Vestiulus Urbanus has taken control over the Urbs, Aventium and Capitolium. He will soon breach into Palatium, He is calling for the execution of the Domini Gentum. I have already sent your son to safety. Do not return to the Capitol, it is lost. Focus instead on the extermination of the Pannonian Blight, it cannot be allowed to spread into the southern Dioceses. Your¡¯s Lovingly Pater Tuus Note: Urbs is one of the three section of the Imperial capitol, alongside Suburbia and Campania. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Note: Palatium, Capitolium and Aventium are the three large hills that take on different roles. Palatium is the site of the Imperial residance. Capitolium is the centre of Government and Aventium is the site of the Imperial Temples and the Imperial Schools of Magic. A Directive from Imperator Aetius Maximillius Regalis Fidelis Theodosinius to the Duces of the Exertici of the Militae Pannonicum Duces, the situation is dire. Hibernia, Caledonia and Moesia have already fallen to the blight. Every battle we fight strengthens our foe. I, here forthwith, order you to establish a perimeter of Limites and Vallea following the borders of Thelgica, Cumbria, Veldena, Crathica and Saxia. There is to be 1 Imperial Mile (1.2KM) between each Limes. The vallea are to run from limes to limes. Aevus¡¯ Blessings Imperator Tuus, Aetius Fidelis Vallea: the plural of Valleum, is a form of earthen rampart with a wooden palisade at the front. Limites: the plural of Limes, refers to a small, stone, fortification. Normally built on a national border. A Decretum Promagistralis from Aquitania I, as the Promagister of Aquitania, here forthwith declare that the Diocesis Aquitaniae (Diocese of Aquitania) officially denounces the, self-appointed, Dictator in the Imperial Capitol and until the restoration of the Imperial Magisterium, in its proper and dignified form, the Diocesis Aquitaniae will secede from the Imperium. Signed: Promagister Aquitaniae, Varus Cornilius Narsca Honestus Marcinus I - Dietes Placidi Chapter I We stand at the precipice of disaster; our very Empire stands on the edge of the dagger that is fate. We must rally our hearts to defend our homes and our families, for if we do not, this land shall become the memorial to our failure. I am sure that you have all heard now that the Imperial Capitol has fallen to a band of traitors, and I am equally sure that many of you wish to see this wrong righted. But now is not the hour of internecine war, we must stand together lest we are overwhelmed. But do not fear that vengeance will not come, for it will. In due course the Gods will issue the punishment of those who would usurp the Purple. And do not think that those across the Oceanus Neptunis (The Neptunic Ocean) will be safe from the wroth of Crepuscallatum. Those who follow the testaments of Kyros will face our fury; we will make them pay for our losses, and they will pay in blood. With Aevus as my witness, I swear that we will have our vengeance. Imperator Pannoniae, Aetius Maximillius Regalis Fidelis Thedosinius ¨C Shortly after the coup d¡¯¨¦tat in Lux Invictum Dies Lunae, Maximillianus, 49912 Praesens Tacticus awoke to the crisp mountain breeze flowing though his open window. He had short, caesarean, black hair. His face had grey eyes with high cheekbones and sharp features. He looks around his small, sparsely furnished room. He sees a small, wooden bed, a wooden dresser, a small wooden chest and a wooden table, doubling as a desk. He gets up from his bed, revealing his argent skin. He stands at 12,0 decicorpi (229.8cm, 7¡¯6), with broad shoulders and a lean and toned body. He walks over to the dresser chooses a linen, grey-brown, tunic and a set of brown linen pants. After dressing himself he walks over to the door and leaves his room. Stepping out into the corridor he turns left and walks to the main room of the house. Walking into the room he greets his parents. His father, Saturnius, is the Captain of the local Vigiles, the peacekeepers. His father has the same grey eyes and cheekbones, but a harsher face, a large scar tracing from his hear to his mouth. His black, caesarean, hair has streaks of grey tracing through it. His body is bulkier than his son''s, standing at 11,6 decicorpi (222.2cm, 7¡¯3 feet). His skin is same argent skin that seems to almost glow, a trait of the people of Crepuscallatum. His father is also learned in the three traditional schools of warfare, which he has been teaching to Tacticus. The Schola Draconis, the School of the Dragon, which specialises in using magic in conjunction with a weapon. The Schola Lupi, the School of the Wolf, which is centred on a primary belief, that the body is a pack of wolves, each member is an individual wolf. Therefore when in combat, no member is put into risk, the pack wears down its opponent. The school is focused more on teaching endurance and athletics rather than on teaching advanced combat styles. The final school is the Schola Aquilae, the School of the Eagle. This school specialises in Strategy and Tactics on the battlefield, and in politics. Tacticus then turns to greet his mother, Catilina. His mother has long black hair, reaching just past her shoulder. Her eyes are a piercing azure; here features are sharp and refined. Her body is 10,9 decicorpi (208.7cm, 6''10 feet) tall. His mother, like many wives in the continent, fulfils the role of mistress of the household, handling the maintenance and administration of the household. In the words of an old Grecian philosopher, ¡°to men the Farms and to women the Houses¡±. ¡°Tacticus, Antonius wants to see you at the Villa, after breaker fast hurry over to him¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡°Yes Father¡± ¨C Tacticus After eating a rabbit, carrot and potato broth for breakfast, Tacticus hurried over to the villa. The villa is the centre of activity for a gens, which is either a noble house or a collection of plebeian families with the same nomen. Tacticus was part of the Remuli, a plebeian gens. Entering into the Villa, Tacticus rushs over to meet Antonius, whom was the current head of the Remuli. His hair is a series of brown and grey streaks, a reflection a lifetime spent labouring. His bodi is scrawny and slim, with brown eyes and a soft face. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Tacticus, there you are, did you sleep well?¡± ¨C Antonius ¡°Indeed, yourself?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Yes, yes. Follow me now, the rest of the gens wish to see you.¡± - Antonius ¡°Why?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°You will see.¡± ¨C Antonius The pair walked in to the open area at the centre of the Villa, the meeting place of the gens. Upon their arrival old Hippolatus, the oldest man in Gabinaculum, gets to his feet and rushes towards the pair. His left leg has a slight wabble, is sking sticks to the bone. His hair is grey, dead from years of strain. His eyes are a grey-blue, filled with a century and a half of experience and wisdom. ¡°Boy, boy, look at you now. I remember back when this little one wandered around this villa, dressed in the same clothes as when he first met is mother. But that aside, I have something to give you little one.¡± - Hippolatus The old man then pulls out a black cloth wrapped around something. Then, handing to Tacticus, with a toothy grin that could put an infant to shame, he watches as Tacticus takes the cloth and grabs hold of what lies within. Tacticus, after pulling out the object, is awe-struck by what he is looking at. Looking up he can see that everyone gathered has an expectant look on their faces. In his hands is a Gladius, a thrusting sword used widely throughout the Empire. The hilt is made of a red wood with the pommel and cross guard being made from Gold tinted mitrillium (mithril). The blade itself though is a masterpiece. Made of umbrium, a black metal forged through the refinement of noxium (dark matter). The blade is gilded with gold tinted mitrillium and the sword itself is impossibly light. Tacticus looks with confusion at all those gathered. ¡°My sincerest thanks but¡­why?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Because the prodigy of Gabinaculum has just reached his fifteenth year of life, why would we not reward you for your efforts? I have also heard that a certain prodigy has been begging his father to let him travel around the nearby forests¡± ¨C Antonius The reply from Anotonius, with a grin reaching from ear to ear, leaves Tacticus stuck in place, petrified from this unexpected development. Just as he begins to recover from his shock Polibius Albulus Gabinaculus, the grandson of Gabinius Albus Ocotdrianus, the founder of the town, walks into the Villa. ¡°Where is the prodigy, come on where is he? The little bastard better not have left yet or so may the Gods help me¡± ¨C Polibius The roar of the middle-aged patriarch of the Albuli startled the young Tacticus. Tacticus turns to face him. He see a man, around 90 decicorpi (172.4, 5''8) tall with a bulky figure and brown hair. His breen eyes sweep of the crown of people searching for the young Tacticus. When he finds his prey, his thick eyebrows visibly relax. ¡°There he is, now come here boy, I¡¯ve got a gift for you.¡± ¨C Polibius Tacticus walks over to him and stands there, anxious to see what is going to happen. ¡°Here boy, take this. I was to lazy to carry the damned thing myself so I borrowed one of your father¡¯s arcalae (storage crystal).¡± - Polibius Tacticus then took the arcala and infused some of his numen (mana/magic/qi) into it and then examined its contents. What he saw startled him, he brought it out of the arcala to examine it. It was a set of lorica musculata (look it up). It was, like the blade of the sword, made of umbrium, gilded with gold-tinted mitrillium. He just looked back at Polibius, then to Antonius. ¡°How did you get this much umbrium and mitrillium, the imperial foundries closed a millennium ago?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Well little one, your father, many years ago, used to travel the mountains of Alpina, searching for the treasures of the land. Whilst on one of his adventures he stumbled upon an old supply cache, reserved for the Imperial Family. It was filled with ingots of umbrium and mitrillium. Whilst he sold most of it in Diocesan Capitol of Patavium, he kept some around for himself.¡± ¨C Hippolatus ¡°What?!¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°It¡¯s true Tacticus, you father came to me, saying that if I paid for the smith to make the armour, he would provide the materials¡± ¨C Polibius ¡°wha¡­¡± ¨C Tacticus Before Tacticus could finish his sentence ¡°Tacticus your father would like to see you now¡± - Catalina II - Via Nova Chapter II Patricians, Plebeians, Countrymen, lend me your ears. Before our walls stands the greatest threat we have ever faced. We must not show weakness. We must not show fear. We will be strong. We will be brave. For if we fall, if we allow those who would have magic chained up like some savage beast to stand victorius, we will have desecrated the very foundations of our city. Rally now to the call of your city, the disciples of Saul stand at our gates. Yet the Gods our on our side, fate is our champion. Steel your hearts and sharpen the swords of your forefathers. Now is the hour of the Wolf. Now is the rise of the Eagle. Now is the age of the Dragon. Pontifex Maximus, Caius Maximillius Regalis Felix Marianus ¨C at the eve of the battle for Lux Invictum, in the Twilight Wars (Note: a week is comprised of 6 days, and a month is comprised of 10 weeks. Therefore a month is 60 days long) (Note: changed from the Palmus to the Decicorpus, tenth of a body. 10 decicorpi make the average height, 191.5cm, 6''3) (Note: Therefore there will be characters at 7-8 feet tall, its one of the effects magic has had on Humanity.) Dies Solis, Maximillianus, 49912 Praesens ¡°Father you wanted to see me?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Yes, sit down. Now son you¡¯ve wanted to travel around and see the world abroad. Now, your mother and I have discussed this and we¡¯ve decieded that we will give you one month to do as you please outside of Gabinaculum, but you must be home by the first Dies Lunae, Conditorium. Remember one month.¡± - Saturnius ¡°Yes Father. If I may, when will I be leaving?¡± - Tacticus ¡°Tomorrow at noon.¡± ¨C Catilina Dies Lunae, Maximillianus, 49912 Praesens Tacticus hurriedly gets out of bed, racing out of his room, down the corridor and into the main room of the house. His mind is racing with thoughts of adventure, excitement is coursing through his body. ¡®This is the day, I will finally be able to go and travel. To go and experience the world.- Tacticus ¡°Morning son.¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡°Morning Father, morning Mother.¡± ¨C Tacticus As he greeted he his Mother walked into the room carrying an iron tray with an assortment of plates and bowls. Tacticus glanced at the tray and was instantaneously seized with desire. Before him was an assortment of delicacies from throughout the Empire. His Mother was renowned throughout Gabinaculum as being a chef among chefs. He could see a patrician¡¯s feast, which is an assortment of beef, pork, duck, chicken and lamb cuts. There was a Salmon-Tuna Sasima (their way of saying sashimi) a Nionian delicacy. There was a Pannonian Boar; a boar cooked in an assortment of forest herbs and an alcoholic drink to add falvour to the meat, the favourite in Pannonia is Caldeonian Vihscum (whisky). Then was also Caelican Salad (think Caesar with chicken). He looked up to his Mother, who had a smile of stars. Lowering his head he managed to mumble. ¡°Thank you for the meal¡± ¨C Tacticus ''Gods, this is a lot of food. Damn I can''t wait to eat some of mum''s cooking" - Tacticus ¡°Best enjoy it, your not going to be eating well for the next month from now¡± ¨C Catalina Tacticus looks at his mother in confusion. ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Son we decided that rather than placing a month¡¯s worth of your mother¡¯s cooking in the you arcala, we will give you a month¡¯s supply of annonulae (an annonula is a long lasting ration bar, per say, with a wax-like texture).¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡®Of all the foods to be stuck with for a month, fantastic. I best learn how to hunt.¡± - Tacticus After eating his fill, and his parents explained the basics of camping and hunting they took him to the back of the house. ¡®I wonder what Father wants me to show me¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Son, I want you to take this, it was given to me by an old friend, may years ago. Now I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± ¨C Saturnius Saturnius then pulled a large leather wrap from a chest he kept under lock and key at the back of the house. He handed it the leather wrap to his son. Tacticus opened up the wrap and laid his eyes on his father¡¯s old Cumbrian longbow. ¡°Father this is¡­¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡®This is my father¡¯s longbow!¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my old Cumbrian longbow, made by a member of the Cernavani, it has 150 Librae (72.5KG, 159.8 pounds) of weight behind the bowstring. I wan you to take it with you. Also I got this for you¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡°Now son, go and put your armour on and then pick up your weapons from the arms room. Once your done grab your arcala and meet your mother and I at the Villa.¡± ¨C Saturnius. ¡®By the Gods, I cannot wait to be off for Octodrium.¡¯ - Tacticus Tacticus hurried off to complete his preparations for the journey. Whilst he did this gens gathered together in front of the villa, preparing to send him off. Once he had completed his tasks and arrived outside the villa to see all the Remuli gathered to see him off. He went about, talking to all those gathered, hearing the farewells of his family. ¡®He comes that old crone¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Keep safe little one, wouldn¡¯t want to have a funeral this year, bad havest and all.¡± ¨C Hippolatus Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°Thanks old man, you best take your own advice.¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡®That bloody old fool¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Keep well and may the Gods look over you and your endeavours Tacticus Remulus Saturnianus.¡± ¨C Antonius ¡°Thank you Antonius, I hope that old Hippolatus won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± ¨C Tacticus Before heading off Tacticus and Antonius grasped each other¡¯s arms. ¡°My son, you best be home in the month¡¯s time, or so may the Gods help me I¡¯ll have you living with Hippolatus in the old cottage.¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡®Gods Father, there¡¯s no need to be abusive.¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Come here by Tacticus, your father and I wish you the best on your journey. Keep well and always remember¡­¡± ¨C Catalina Tacticus¡¯ mother went and grabbed a shield from where it was leaning on the wall. Coming back over to him she held out his new shield to him., His new scutum was 60 decicubiti length ways and 26 decicubiti across (75.6cm x 30.24 cm, 29.8 Inches x 11.9 Inches). ¡°Return my son, either, with your shield, or upon it.¡± ¨C Catalian. ¡°Maximillius, King among Gods, steel this heart and guide this soul. Cornelius and Flavius, Brothers of loyalty, inspire fortitude in this heart, and shield this soul from the whims of chaos. Iunius, Sword of man, guide this warrior as they leave their home, guide their heart and mind, so that they may return to those whom they must protect. Iulia, lady of will, prepare this heart for the evils of war, shield their mind from the woes of the dead. Caelica, mother of Kings, bless this soul with your maternal love, for yours is the love that will conquer all. Aevus, Genitor, God of Gods, Father of King. Your will is the will of creation. Protect this warrior from chaos and evil. Due this please, in memory of man¡¯s faithful service. I beseech of you, the Gods. Protect this heart from death. Do this in memory of your own humanity, and in memory of the love that you all hold, in life and in heaven. Gratulor (I give thanks)¡± ¨C the Rumuli ¡°God, be praised, for you have looked upon my soul. I hope you have not found myself wanting in fidelity and piety. Gratulor.¡± ¨C Tacticus After finishing the Prayer of the Soldier, the Remuli dispersed, returning to their homes. Tacticus walked up to his parents. ¡®Best head over to my parents¡¯ - Tacticus His Father¡¯s face softens significantly and he takes his son into an embrace. Then Saturnius disengaged himself from the hug and held is son, on the shoulders, at arms length. ¡°Tacticus Remulus Saturnianus. Gods you been a good son, now you¡¯d best come home, your sister¡¯s waiting in the village for you. She has asked me to let you know that she wants to see you. Remember, the Gods¡¯ hath no fury like a woman scorned.¡± ¨C Saturnius ¡®Best see her before I head off then.¡¯ ¨C Tacticus He then walked over to his mother and was taken into an embrace by her, tears rolling down her face. ¡°Keep safe my son, every night I will pray for your safe return.¡± ¨C Catalina ¡°I will return mother, I promise¡± ¨C Tacticus Tacticus wished his Father and red-eyed Mother farewell. Turning around he left the Remulan estate, and began his walk down to the town of Gabinaculum. Twenty minutes pass ¡°Name.¡± ¨C Vigil ¡°Tacticus Remulus Saturnianus.¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Ah, so your Saturnius¡¯ boy are you? Well, best behave yourself and keep out of trouble.¡± Vigel ¡°Understood sir¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡®Best head round to my Sister¡¯s place down by the temple.¡¯ Tacticus So he walked along the main street of the town, turning left just before the town¡¯s markets. Travelling along the road he turned to his left and entered an insula. He climbed the stairs to the first level above ground and knocked on the door to his sister¡¯s apartment. ¡°Tacticus?¡± - Sorellia ¡°Yes Sorellia¡± ¨C Tacticus The door burst open, a young girl, with a similar appearance to her mother, leaps from the doorway and onto her brother. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much. Mum and Dad are good right? How Antonius? What about Hippolatus? Your good right?¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡®This sister of mine, she¡¯s as energetic as when she left to learn under the augur at the temple¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Sis, calm down, one question at a time. Mum and Dad are good. Antonius is very well. Hippolatus is¡­ well ¡­Hippolatus is Hippolatus. I¡¯m good, how are you and before you say anything (an evil glint comes into his eyes) I hope the boys around town have been keeping their distance.¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Brother calm down, your just as bad as dad. But its good to hear everyone¡¯s okay. And apart from you, everything has been well and good. So, (a dark aura appears) when are you leaving¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡®Shit, right answer, right answer.¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Tomorrow morning since, I thought, I¡¯d stay the in town for the evening. Would you mind if I stayed in your apartment¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Of course not brother¡± - Sorellia III - Aedes Gabinaculi Chapter III ... a pack of Lupi Divini (Divine Wolves) approached Maximillius and his siblings. The fifteen wolves split up, each one heading for one of the siblings. The largest one, pitch black, twice the size of the other wolves, approached Maximillius. As the wolves approached the siblings they growled, the pitch was low and sent shivers down their spines. Cornelius and Flavius were shaking as the wolves approached, and they held up their brother Maximillius. The alpha, the one approaching Maximillius, stood before him it let out a howl that would have woken the dearly departed. Then it lowered its head in cozied up to Maxmillius. It was then that all the wolves established a soul-bond with their respective masters. An extract from the Fabula Maximillii (the Fable of Maximillius) (Note: Sorellia is 10,1 decicorpi, which is 193.4 cm, 6¡¯4) (Note: Imperial Governors will appear in the chapter so here is the basics of how the Provincial Hierarchy is structured. At the top is the Magister Maximus and the Magisterium, sort of like an Emperor and his Imperial Court. They appoint Promagisters, deputy Magister, to govern an imperial diocese. The Promagisters then appoint Proconsuls, deputy Consuls, to govern the Imperial Provinces. The Proconsuls then appoint Propraetors, deputy Praetor, to govern a Provincial Region. The Propraetors then appoint Procurators, deputy curators, to govern the pagi, regional subdivisions.) (Note: Promagister < Proconsul < Propraetor < Procurator) Dies Lunae, Maximillianus, 49,912 Praesens Shortly after getting into some more comfortable clothing Tacticus was dragged down to the town¡¯s temple by Sorellia. ¡®At least I¡¯ll be able to see that old augur again¡­¡¯ ¨C Tacticus ¡°Hurry up brother, the temple will be closing soon.¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡°I¡¯m coming, rather you shouldn¡¯t be running on the temple thoroughfare.¡± ¨C Tacticus Sorellia comes to an abrupt stop, turns around to face her brother. A dark aura is forming around her; an evil glint comes to her eyes. She has a smile on her face, but it doesn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Did you say something brother?¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡®Crap¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°No, nothing¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Okay, well come on, we need to get to the Temple.¡± Sorellia Once again Sorellia begins her mad dash for the temple. They arrive a couple of minutes later. As the pair were walking up the stair to the temple a man called out from their left. He had a gaunt face with a timid, feeble build. Barley 80 decicorpi (153.2cm, 5¡¯0) tall ¡°Sorellia, how are you, have you reconsidered my offer for later tonight?¡± - ??? ¡®Who¡¯s this imbecile¡± ¨C Tacticus An evil glint appears in the eyes of Tacticus. ¡°Fuck off Tullius¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡°Come on dear, don¡¯t be like that. Hey, wait a minute, who¡¯s the bastard walking with you?¡± ¨C Tullius ¡®WHAT DID HE SAY!¡¯ - Tacticus Before Sorellia could say a word Tacticus had moved from her right and was now standing right in front of Tullius. His face was a mask of fury. ¡°I¡¯m her brother, Tullius, and if you ever, and I mean ever, approach my sister again, I¡¯ll personally escort you to the temple¡¯s crematorium.¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°S-sorry.¡± ¨C Tullius Tullius¡¯ face turned pale, panics entered his. After all, what kind of fool would pick a fight with, not only the son of the Captain of the Vigiles, but with the prodigy of Gabinaculum. As the stories went, Tacticus beat all the vigils in a sparing session, when he was eight years old. As Tullius ran off, madly dashing out of sight, Sorellia turned to Tacticus. ¡°Thanks, now let''s go see old Horatius¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡°...¡± ¨C Tacticus The two of them walked into temple. As they enter a small, timid, man approaches them. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®Here comes Argimenius, it¡¯s good to see him again, haven¡¯t seen him since my parents introduced Sorellia to him to being her tutoring¡¯ - Tacticus ¡°Sorellia welcome, and is that you Tacticus. How long has it been, three, four years? It¡¯s good to see you again¡± ¨C Argimenius ¡°It good to see you as well Argimenius, it must to have been three years since I last visited here, bringing little Sorellia along to start here tutoring under Augur Horatius.¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Very much so, well I presume you would like to see Horatius?¡± ¡°Yes please¡± ¨C Sorellia ¡°Come this way then.¡± Argimenius led the pair towards a door on the right side of the main hall of the Temple. He opened the door and then, turning left, led Tacticus and Sorellia down the corridor. ¡°Have you heard the news from Octodrium?¡± - Argimenius ¡°No?¡± ¨C Tacticus and Sorellia ¡°Our Proconsul (of Alpinia Octodrionnis) has been ordered, by the Promagister of Alpinia, to raise a levy. From what I¡¯ve heard, the Promagister is worried about the Proconsul of Transalpinia, since he threatened secession. So, as a precaution, the Promagister has threatened to decimate Transalpinia.¡± ¨C Argimenius (In this case ¡®decimate¡¯ is meant in the traditional, Roman, sense. That is to kill one in ten people.) ¡°What was the Proconsul¡¯s response?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Word is that our Proconsul is more than happy to support the Promagister, but the Propraetor of Grathia has informed our Proconsul that he will support Transalpina, with or without the consent of the Proconsul.¡± ¨C Argimenius Tacticus and Sorellia stoped, their faces awash with shock. ¡°What happened to the Mos Regminis?¡± ¨C Sorellia (Mos Regminis: The Way of Governance. It refers to the tradition that within the imperial hierarchy the subordinate must, always, obey their superiors. But, by the same token, the leaders must always heed the advice of their subordinates.) The pair began to walk again, following Argimenius and as the corridor veered left. The timid man began to answer Sorellia¡¯s question. ¡°The Mos Regiminis has fallen apart. Due to the Interex¡¯s usurpation of power from the Magisterium many of the Promagisters have, either officially like Aquitania and Pannonia, or unofficially like Carpathia or our own Alpinia, seceded from the Empire. Because of this many of the lesser Governors, the Propraetores and Procuratores, have become unwieldy, declaring that the Diocesan Governments lack either the support of the Purple (the Imperial Government) or the support of the Plebs (¡®Plebs¡¯ is a latin word meaning ¡®the masses¡¯). They use this reasoning to weaken the authority of the greater Governors, the Promagisteres and the Proconsules, strengthening their own power. In the Diocesis Serviae (The Diocese of Servia) the Imperator of Pannonia sent the IX Legio Imperialis, Valerium (The 9thImperial Legion, Valiant) to pacify the lesser Governors, due to this very issue. The pacification ended with the Imperator dispatching a Military Prefect to govern the diocese, citing ¡®For as long has the civil leaders of the Empire continue to rally behind petty causes, seeking to usurp the righteous authority of their superiors, I, as the Commander-in-Chief of Pannonia, Servia and Callia, designate the assets and territories of the Diocese of Seriva will be placed under the control of the new Praefectura Militaris Seviae, the Military Prefecture of Servia¡¯. ¨C Argimenius ¡°Can the Empire sustain itself, considering the circumstances?¡± ¨C Tacticus ¡°Tacticus, when I was your age my father would gather me and my brothers around the dinner table, just before dinner, and have us chant ¡®Ave Patira Mea, Aeterna et Pulchra¡¯. Now, as the years pass, it is chanted less and less. Few now remember the words of the chant. With Pannonian Blight moving closer and closer to the Imperial Capitol. The Purgatorial Orders in Gracia come closer, with each passing day, to breaking out of Acaia. Even now our home, Alpinia, has began to fracture. So to answer your question, no. It cannot sustain itself if it does not change. Its fate grows darker with each passing year, soon not even a Maximillian could save our Empire.¡± ¨C Argimenius (A Maximillian is someone drawn from the Gens Maximilliorum, The House of the Maximillians. The main branch of the family, the Maximillii Regales was, before the usurpation, the Imperial Family of the Empire.) Argimenius stopped the pair in the middle of the corridor, to their right was a wooden door. ¡°Any way, step through the door, Horatius will be inside.¡± ¨C Argimenius Tacticus and Sorellia bid goodbye to the old, timid, man as he left they way they had come. The pair then turned to the door, turned the door handle, opened the door and stepped inside. Magic in Mundus Magic in Mundus Vis Vis, also known as Quilor to the Elves, Rashak to the Daemons, Mana to the Occidentals and Qi to the Orientals. It is a raw energy that covers the world and can be manipulated to either bend or defy the laws of nature. Vis is to all, unattuned lifeforms, toxic, acting like radiation. It causes dangerous mutations in the body, as it attempt to adjust to the presence of vis. More dangerously it can also cause mutation in the Soul. This leads to one of three results: Soul-Body Rejection: Where the mutations cause such a degree of inconsistency between the body and the soul that they both mutually reject each other. Arcane Insulation: Where the Soul develops a layer of insulation to prevent vis from entering into the soul. This is fueled by the vis entering the body, which in turn prevents mutation of the body. Arcane Adaption: The Soul develops a mutation, a sort of appendage, that allows it to store a limited amount of vis. This vis is then refined into numen, explained below, which can manipulate vis, and is used to prevent vis from entering the body, except to maintain the insulation, since it is required to protect the body from mutation. The only other exception is when vis is brought into the body to be refined into numen, to replace any that was expended. Vis originates in the core of the planet. From there it flows to the surface, until it reaches the only point it can escape through the crust of Mundus, the Continent of Crepuscallatum. Therefore, since vis is dangerous to life, and because it so dense in Crepuscallatum that if vis was visible, you could not see your eyelids if you closed your eyes, the only type of animals alive are either semi-sentient, such as the divine wolves and eagles, or a completely docile due to: A, a severe lack of edible prey and B, a complete lack of predation. Therefore Humanity developed in Crepuscallatum, not only as the only sapient species, but without any predatory animals to threaten them. The presence of vis caused Humanity to develop on two evolutionary paths: The Illuminati: The Enlightened ones, those humans developed the ability to manipulate vis. the Impermeabilates: The Impermeable ones, those human who cannot manipulate vis. Numen Numen is a form of Vis, refined in the Castranumentis (The Stronghold of Numen), a section of the soul. Numen allows for the manipulation of Vis, and is specially tailored to each soul, meaning a person can only control their numen, not another person¡¯s. The term assigned to magic users differs. In Crepuscallatum the term is Numenitas (plural: Numenitates). In Arcadion the term is either Magos or Magus (Plural:Magoi/Magi). In Kyrosid, all lands that believe in Kyros, name is Aposta (plural: Aposte). There are two Mores Numentis, Ways of Magic. There is the Mos Incantorum, the Way of the Incantors. The other is the Mos Geniorum, the way of the Geniuses. The Glomus The Glomus is the unit of measurement used for Numen and vis. Magic usage is measured is vis glomi, not Numen glomi. This is because different Magic Users have different vis:Numen manipulation ratio. The average ratio, for Incantatores, is 2:1, ie 2 glomi of vis can be manipulated by one glomus of Numen. The average ratio for Geni is 10:1. The record amount is linked to the familial heads Maximilii Regales who, due to their descent from Aevus the creator of Mundus, have a ratio of 1,000:1. The average Incantor has a 50 Numen glomi capacity. Whereas the Geni have an average 500 Numen glomi capacity. Also, on average, it takes one hour for an Incantor to refine another Numen Glomus, whereas it takes ten minutes for a Genius. For Numen to be refined the body must be in a restive state, ie: either meditating or sleeping. Mos Incantorum Incantorial magic is arcane style that requires some form of incantation. This can come in the form of either a spell, or the keyphrase for a scroll, arcane device or a ritual. It is used to indirectly manipulate the Numen since an Incantor cannot directly access their Numen. Scroll, Arcane Devices and Arcane Rituals are methods for storing a Modus, an Arcane Procedure. A Spell is a keyphrase spoken allowed that relates to a Modus written into the Index Incantorum, the Index of the Incantors. The Modus: The Modus is a procedure that guides the Numen in manipulating Vis. An example is the Modus Incantamenti Globi Ignis (The Method of the Spell of the Ball of Fire, ie the Fireball spell). The Modus has the Numen manipulate the vis into collecting the nearby hydrogen in a dense mass with a radius of 2 Decacubiti (2.52 cm). It then ignites the ball of hydrogen and sends it forward at 20 Miles/hour (25.2 KM/H). This requires one glomus of vis. To activate a Modus, the Incantor must rely upon a Numen Modus, also called a Medium. Spells utilises the Index Medium, which a series of Arcane Modi, written into the Index Incantorm, that draws the Numen out of the Caster to complete the spell. So when you cast the above fireball spell, you also, unknowingly, activate the Index Medium Modi. Scrolls utilise a similar Numen Modus, known as a Conceptual Medium. Rituals instead feature a Catalyst Medium, which is either an invocation of action conducted prior to the utterance of the ritual¡¯s keyphrase. In an arcane device, such as a staff, there is a Focal Medium, such as a Focalising Crystal, which draws out Numen from the user and concentrates it into the Focal point, the Medium. Numen Modi draw Numaxium, Supreme Numen, from the Numaximacristallum, a large crystal underneath the city of Lux Invictum. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Mos Geniorum Genial magic is an arcane style does not require the use of the Modus. Instead a Genius directly manipulates his Numen, and there directly manipulates the elements himself. A common description of how Geni work can be split into three group. Subconscious Geni: this form of geni simply think of a concept, such as a fireball or sandstorm, as well as provide some form of scale and their subconscious will conduct the ¡®dirty work¡¯ of manipulating the Numen. Conscious Geni: this form of geni utilises their numen by, mentally, forming a Modus of their own, then executing this Modus. The average time associated with form a modus is around 2 seconds. The Third type is simple anyone able to do both of the above, this is extraordinarily rare. Humankind, Vis and Crepuscallatum In Crepuscallatum humanity¡¯s division, between those have and have not got numen caused a great deal of tension, which peaked during the Saulican and Twilight Wars. Saulicanism: Saulus was an Impermaebilas, impermeable one, who was born, lived and died in Carpathia. He despised the aristocracy of Carpathia which, like every other aristocracy or plutocracy in Crepuscallatum, was composed of Illuminati. Over his life he would write down his opinion and beliefs. Then one day he decided to organise his beliefs into a series of ideals. This document he wrote became known as ¡®the Tenants of Saul¡¯ and form the basis of his new philosophy, Saulicanism. The primray tenant being ¡®all those that have numen must be regulated, for they have a power that is unnatural, and it will surely corrupt them¡¯. This tenant would see many magic users bound in chains, and at one point, a mass persecution of infants born with numen. Eventually Saulicanism gained influence in a small kingdom in the Aquitania. The King there had two sons. The elder was born to his legal wife without numen. The younger born to a servant girl with numen and who would never be legitimised, nullifying any legal claim he could¡¯ve had to the throne. This caused a split in the Kingdom¡¯s aristocracy. The traditionalists, who believed that the crown must pass to the eldest son, whether he had magic or not. The arcanists believed that a lack of numen was equivalent to being female, that is that he should only ascend if there is no other option, they made the case that the bastard child was, due to circumstance, rendered legible for succession. The resultant civil war after the king¡¯s death saw the elder son coronated. His reign saw the rise of Saulicanism in his kingdom, and by the time of his grandson, it was the dominant philosophy in the Kingdom. This led to a series of conflicts and war, referred to as the Saulican upheaval. The upheaval saw lands Aquitania, Carpathia and Alpinia ruled over by Saulican realms. Soon after the upheaval was over, the Saulican realms united together and waged war against the non-saulican realms, this period is referred to as the Saulican wars. The war eventually ended with all of Crepuscallatum, except for the city of Lux Invictum, ruled by the Saulican realms. The rule of the Saulican realms saw the mass exodus of magic users to Aurorallium to the east. Their descendant now dwell withing the pro-magic empire of Arcadion in easter Occidens. Eventually the Saulicans waged war on Lux Invictum and started the Twilight wars. Note: Crepuscallatum comes from crepusculum, meaning either dusk or twilight. This is because it is the eastern continent. Its other name is Terra Crepusculi, the land of the setting sun. The siege is described by every successive historian and strategist to have studied it as being foolish to the extreme. The city is divided into three sections: the Urbs, inner city, densely packed with many five story buildings, called insulae. Suburbia, a maze of smaller single, or double, story houses. Campania, a collection of farms that produce enough food to feed the city. The Urbs is protected by the Interior Muri Invicti, the Inner unconquerable walls. A set of three walls, the inner two are 28 acti (35.28 metres) tall and 10 acti (12.6 metres) thick. The outer wall is 30 acti (37.8 metres) tall, 10 acti (12.6) metres thick at the top and 16 acti (20.6 metres) thick at the bottom. In between the outer wall and the middle wall, as well as the inner and middle wall, are trenches, 10 acti (12.6 metres) wide, 5 acti (6.3 metres) deep. Near the top of the trenches are small, circular, holes, spaced 1 actus (1.26 metres) apart from each other. They are use to eject Grecian Fire Oil (Greek Fire Oil). The Suburbia is protected by the Exterior Muri Invicti, the outer unconquerable walls. Featuring two fall, the outer wall is 26 acti (32.76 metres) tall, 8 acti (10.8 metres) thick at the top and is 12 acti (15.12 metres) thick at the base. The inner wall is 25 acti (31.5 metres) tall and 8(10.8 metres) thick. There is a trench, with the same design as the ones above, separating the two walls. The Campania is protected by the Circumcastellum, the encircling fortress. It is made of a massive wall, 16 acti tall (20.16 metres), 3 acti (3.78 metres) thick at the top and is 6 acti (7.56 metres) thick at the base. At every Imperial Mile (1.26 KM) there is a Castrum, a stone military installation. The siege ended after fifty years, at the end of which the Legions of Lux Invictum attacked the Saulican coalition forces, initiating the second phase of the Twilight wars. The wars themselves ended with the foundation of Imperium Maximatum, the Empire of the Supreme Ones, which has ruled Crepuscallatum since 1 Praesens. It also caused the formulation of the Magisterium to head the new Empire, and it would be headed by the Magister Maximus, the Supreme Master. The formation of the Imperium Maximatum caused the mass exodus of the Impermeabilates.