(no subject)

[greyerrant]

Who: Lucius and Garviel (spies or assassins welcome)
When: Sunday evening (forward Dated)
Where: The plains outside of Hirawyr
What: Negotiations
Warnings: Boring rome-centric crap

Garviel waits for Lucius, bareheaded, in the ruins of an old Belkan villa. He stands near a pool, in the moonlight, sitting on an overturned column. A map of Dagaria is spread out before him, and a great tome. He looks from one to the other, waiting for the Senator.

Comments

[bathtothefuture]

Lucius's men had offered him a large tail, both to show off and in case Cerberus should try to kill him as well (the latter being left unsaid, to not offend the senator's pride, though he knew the danger well too).

He galloped up with a small escort then, one that he bade leave him and the bodyguard alone together. He dismounted and approached the map.

"Ser Cerberus."

Always formal, always respectful, even with an enemy.

[greyerrant]

"Senator Modestus. It seems the circumstances of our meeting are quite grave. We have much to speak of. Sit down, if you like." He gestures to a chair across from the map and great Codex, neither humble nor great, simply functional.

Regardless of him sitting or not, Cerberus continues, "As I understand it, your concern and love for Rome are making you rebel. I... cannot fault your patriotism or your motives, but the results are not good. Particularly with the sabotaged sewer systems, we're going to be losing many people to the plague, and will be that much weaker in the future. The rise of the Beastmen's new nation on our flanks, even as we fight amongst ourselves puts us in a very precarious position. But you can rescue it. Return to the capital, help restore things to as they were before, and I've no quarrel with you." He looks at the map for a moment, "I understand that you wish to expand the sphere of Roman influence. Within Dagaria we will likely be thwarted by the other larger, more established kindgoms but.... as the raiders have demonstrated, there are more places than just Dagaria."

He waits to see if Lucius catches his hint.

identical expressions

[bathtothefuture]

"Ultimately I cannot fault yours either. Loyalty is the most admirable quality a man can have, even if it is loyalty to someone who no longer deserves the title. I am not blind to the situation we are in, which is why I have not made a large attack. I had wished to call a ceasefire with you while we work to restore Rome's infrastructure to deal with the plague."

He considers for a few seconds. What could Cerberus m...Ah.

"I believe I understand you. The Empire has always looked outward and with official imperial authority no longer relevant, any strictures on our expansion outside of Dagaria's borders are lifted..."

[greyerrant]

"Indeed." He touches the map. "Once the situation settles a bit, I'd like to send out a delegation of explorers and traders to examine, and possibly settle the unoccupied regions that surround Dagaria. You won't have as much crystal, based on the old initial surveys, but you'll have the culture of Rome, a portion of the Legions, and your own expertise with you."

He pauses, to let that sink it. "That is, if you agree to it."

[bathtothefuture]

He sits and examines the map with him, one general to another.

"I must run this proposal by my men, but I can't see any problem with it."

A pause.

"Do you want to know why I made the decisions I did?"

[greyerrant]

"Of course. That is always important information." Cerberus looks very curious indeed.

[bathtothefuture]

It's funny, he's never told any of his allies this, yet here's he's dissembling to his most immediate enemy.

"One day, last year while I was sitting in the bath, I investigated this strange new drain and was sucked down by it. I emerged in the bathhouse of a strange place. I was...sometime far in the future. I can't explain it, except to say that i'd slipped downstream in time. This happened to me several times since.

In that time, the glory of the Roman Empire is but a historical footnote and the city is a tourist trap. All our remaining influence is gotten through being a gutted puppet state for the church. I pledged that I wouldn't let that future come to pass.

You might think me mad. I brought back artifacts though..."

From his toga, he pulls an iPod, with earbuds, and hands it to Garviel. It contains several 80s playlists.

[greyerrant]

"This is.... this is.... very strange." He listens for a few moments, nodding to himself.

"I could see how that would motivate you." He hands it back to Lucius.

"What was your most recent encounter with this... displacement from the time stream?"