Discuss ROME- Auctoritas [M-LSV]

[Juke Box Hero]

[CENTER][i]
As Praetor, Aristodemus Deloricus Desponius held court at Ragnarok. A vanquished foreign king was brought before him, to be tried for his crimes against the Roman State. Refusing to kneel, the king told the court, "The Praetor and I are equals, I will stand." This foreign king was found innocent of any sedition against the Roman State. Aristodemus sentenced him to the cross anyway, saying, [b]"You have insulted me in saying that we are equals, for I am a Roman, and you are only a king[/b]"[/center][/i]


[center][color=red][size=4][b]ROME[/b]:[i] Auctoritas[/i][/size] [/color][/center]

[color=RoyalBlue][i]Blood, iron, the might of thousands of men marching, fighting, conquering- all in unison, all for the mightiest of history?s cities. A few successful campaigns is not unusual for the warrior races of Europe, but after 600 years of unparalleled might the Republic of Rome is peaking. The mighty Patrician Families- Julii, Caeponii, Livii, Cornelii, Claudii, etc. have controlled the most prized possession in the Western World, Roman Citizenship, with an iron fist worthy of Romulus since the formation of the republic.

The non-citizen subjects of Rome have been taxed and conscripted to the breaking point, malcontent is very great. These people are raped of their valuables-from gold to their sons? for military service- and then cast aside as inferior beings, closer to animals than Romans. Even the Italian peoples, blood brothers of the Romans, are trod upon dogs.

Within the city itself lies a most fearsome power struggle between the old might of the Patricians, and the new might of the New Men, the Plebeian Noblemen. The New Men are forced to marry into the Patrician lines, often at great cost, to advance in the Roman government. The Patrician hold on the Roman Empire is slipping, yet they will not go quietly.

Rome, the World?s Greatest Stage, is primed for a monumental drama- a drama so fierce and with such long reaching consequences that it will decide the fate of the Western World for many hundreds of years to come. The drama is very simple- many powerful, intelligent, and capable men seek three things: [b]Auctoritas[/b]- the might of command, [b]Dignitas[/b]- the might of respect, and the title of [b][u]First Man in Rome[/b][/u], a title held by few, very illustrious men.

Who will rise to the forefront and lead the West in this period of revolution and reform? In this story we will discover that and much more- the very humanity of people must be put in the balance against their ambition, the talent, and how far they are willing to go for Auctoritas and Dignitas.[/color][/i]

Background Information-

[b]ROMAN SOCIAL CLASSES[/b]

[b]Plebs[/b]-

A Plebeian is the standard Roman citizen. This will be the starting social status for almost every citizen of Rome. There may be occasional exceptions for veterans, but almost every new citizen will be a Plebeian. They are the foundation of Rome, the basis of the entire unit. They are the people in the expression "Senate and People of Rome". They are not lowly peasants. They are the citizens of Rome, and they must never bend a knee in supplication to either lords or gods.
Plebeians are encouraged to seek out a Noble Household and offer their services as a "Client" in exchange for their "Patronage". The mutual obligations between patron and client may differ somewhat from House to House. For the most part these obligations consist merely of looking after one another?s interests. The patron represents his/her clients? interests in the Senate and helps them progress up Rome?s social ladder. In return the Patron should expect his/her Clients to support specific candidates in the elections and keep an ear to the ground on their behalf. It is possible to be a client of a patron who is a client of his own patron. In this case, your patron?s patron would also be your patron.
A non-Senatorial Plebeian may increase their social status to Equestrian in any of three ways:
 Seek election as Tribune of the Plebs
 Adoption into a Household. Adoption does not automatically provide the adopted Roman a seat in the Senate. The adopted Equestrian or Patrician must still become a Senator through political office.
 Achieving any three of the highest military awards: the Coronae Graminea (Grass Crown), Civica, or Aurea.
Plebeians enjoy Senate representation through the Tribune of the Plebs. While the Tribune may not vote, he/she has considerable power.

[b]Equestrians[/b] (KNIGHTS)

The Equestrian Order is the Plebeian nobility. These are Plebeians who have ennobled themselves by entering the Senate. Also referred to as the Equites, or Knights. In Roman antiquity, these were the wealthy, landed Plebeian merchant class granted a "Public Horse" by the State so they could act as the Republic's cavalry. Anyone below this rank should not have any purple in their costume at all. Purple was reserved for the nobility. Equestrians wore a slim (one inch width) purple stripe (clavus) down the right of their tunics (front and back) to signify their noble status. Optionally, Equestrians may wear a plain gold ring, which was another historical requisite of their rank. By the time they reached the status of Equestrian, if not before, they were to have a toga for formal occasions.

[b]Patricians[/b]

The Patrician Class is Rome's elite aristocracy, the powerful Founding Families of Rome. For centuries Patricians governed Rome exclusively. To be a Patrician is to view the Senate (indeed, the Consulship) as your birthright. Their bloodline can be traced to the Senate of Romulus (Founder of Rome) himself, and is steeped in honors, culture, and tradition. Thier ancestors have held high office, commanded great armies, and installed the known world beneath the Roman boot. In reality, the Patrician Class is Rome's old guard, a particular distinction for those who originally helped build Rome into the great empire of which you are a part. The title is just a formal acknowledgement of their tenure in Rome. Patricians should sew a broad purple stripe (at least two inches wide) down the right side of their tunics to signify their rank. Historically, Patricians also wore an iron ring, and shoes of red leather.

Government Positions-

[b]Consul[/b]- These appointments are only open to Senators who have been Praetor. There are always two Consuls. The Consuls are responsible for calling and presiding over all meetings of the Senate. Rarely can a Consul removed from office before the end of his term. All proposed legislation must be put into writing prior to a division of the Senate. After their term, a Consul secures the title and status of Consular, allowing them two Senatorial votes. This is not accumulative. Basically, these are the Roman presidents.


[b]Praetor[/b]- There are between 6 and 8 Praetors, each given a different area to govern. The Urban Praetor is the first among them, and is responsible for the District of Rome. This appointment is only open to Senators. The Praetor is responsible to the Senate and People to ensure that ALL Rome's laws are obeyed under the terms detailed in the lex Romana (Catalog of Roman Laws) The Praetor shall act as judge in disputes involving Romans, whether internal or external. The Praetor will serve as a Consul suffectus (Basically the same thing as if the President died, the VP would take over) if a Consul is unable to keep participating.


[b]Aedile[/b]-This appointment is only open to Equestrians and Patricians. The Aedile must sponsor and preside over two events in Rome's name, i.e., battle, games, races, feast, quest, or a sacred hunt in their term. One of the two events shall be exclusively Roman. This is an important responsibility, as Rome relies on its Aedile for recognition and public relations. Aedile candidates must present their ideas for events when announcing their candidacy. This event must be pre-approved by the Consuls and Tribune of the Plebs. The Consuls and Tribune may disapprove an event, not a candidate, for this reason. (Lex Valeria Junia) The ballot for Aedile must include a brief description of the event they wish to hold. (Lex Valeria Junia).

[b]Quaestor[/b]- This appointment is only open to Equestrians and Patricians. Because of the fiscal nature of this appointment, the candidate must be gainfully employed and at least eighteen years of age, unless unanimously approved by the Senate. The Quaestor acts as a Treasurer for Rome, and is accountable to the Senate for any funds collected. The Quaestor serves as procurator, and shall oversee any purchases made collectively by Rome. This includes any funding granted to the Aedile for their event. The Quaestor shall maintain a list of the Roman combatants at every event.

Questors usually climb to Aediles, then to Praetor, then to Consul. That?s the general order for a Patrician on the [i]cursus honorum[/i] (Ladder of Honor). Onto the rest-

[b]Tribune of the Plebs[/b]- This appointment is only open to Plebeians and Equestrians (Funny, because Patricians can be Equestrians if the senate is full). Only Plebeians and Equestrians may vote in the Tribune's election. The Tribune is the only Plebeian allowed to sit in on all Senate meetings as the People's representative. The Tribune is empowered with the VETO, allowing him/her to reject literally any Senate legislation or function. Following the six-month term, the Tribune automatically becomes a member of the Senate and Equestrian Order (if not already). There are generally 10 Tribune of the Plebs during any one time. The Tribs, as they are called wield immense power, because they can literally force any law they wish through with little trouble (At least 6 of the Tribs in support), and it becomes difficult to undo after it is done.

[i]The[/i] [b]SENATE[/b]- The Roman Senate is composed of those Romans who have distinguished themselves politically, and have served as elected officials. The Senate controls the Treasury, votes on new legislation, and establishes policy. The Senate's duty is to ensure that Rome thrives in all her non-military aspects. The Consuls will call for meetings of the Senate. A Senatorial Quorum (One consul, simple majority of the senators, and at least two Praetors) must be present. A Tribune of the Plebs need not be present. However, all proposed legislation must still be ratified by the Tribunes of the Plebs. All proposed legislation must be put in writing prior to a division (vote). At the discretion of the Consuls, there will be meetings where all Romans may attend.

The Senate is divided into three distinct classes of Dignitas and Auctoritas- The [b]Backbenchers[/b]- new senators, poor senators, etc.- are not permitted to speak unless directly permitted by a Consul, and are there basically to vote. The Senators who hold some great distinctions- being an Augur (priest), etc.- they do the same thing as the back benchers, but have better seats. The third and final division is Consulars. These are the speakers, the movers and shakers, the powerbrokers wheeling and dealing at the heart of Rome. Each having attained Rome?s highest office, each wielding an impressive two votes, the Republic lives and dies under the opinions and power of the [b]Consular Senators[/b].

The Army and its breakdown will not come into play too much until the second installment of my three parter- Dignitas. I hope that this will take off, because if it does we can have quite a blast going from Auctoritas, to Dignitas, and finally discovering who is the First Man in Rome.

I have considered doing a Roman RP for a while, and have finally put the pedal to the metal and crafted a skeleton. I?m away at church camp all next week, so I?m going to leave this up in the Underground to see if there is any support for it.

If we can turn it into an RP, there would be four basic agendas one could align to- Patrician Roman, Plebeian Roman, Italian Non-Citizen, or Foreign Power. The Patricians and Plebeians are squabbling over government control, while the Italian NC?s are plotting revolution from their Roman overlords, and Foreign Powers are always hungry to pluck a juicy province or three from outlying Roman garrisons.

I?d like to hear your ideas, corrections, questions and comments! But please be patient with my response as I will be gone from Monday to Sunday of this upcoming week.

[Chaos]

I have to say, for being a "skeleton," this is fairly detailed. I like the attention you paid towards a more historically accurate setup of the hierarchy as opposed to "u r teh siticen u cna vote wtflol" or some crap. I see a couple of problems, first off, and maybe it's just me, but I'm finding a very definite lack of plot. You hinted at a coup at the beginning but kind of drifted off into the description with leaving only an impression. Second thing, you mentioned the army not coming into much focus. That right there is a major problem. Unless you have more experienced and veteran writers, you'll find yourself run into the ground with no much happening and possible stalling out. Then again, there is always turmoil in a political struggle, and, who knows, there might be some assassination attempts or whatever.

Third problem relates to numbers. You mentioned this being a series, and let me tell you, as someone who has tried his part in a good deal of successional stories, you have to really press the issue to keep a series rolling. Plus, often times, you find yourself running ahead of plans just to make sure things keep interesting. What could be a great idea in your head ends up translating badly on paper because people don't know what to look forward to.

In either case, this seems pretty interesting... I'll be keeping an eye out.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I rather like the idea behind the RPG, as to my knowledge it's the first of it's kind to me done here on OB, although I might be mistaken. Neil pretty much spelled out most of the reservations I had about the structure to the RPG, however I think the story is tight at the moment but needs to be made more detailed with current events in the Empire as a whole as well as Rome itself.

The fact that the Army will not come into play until the second installation worries me, as typically it was the Army or more so the Generals that held major power. Again as Neil said wanting to do a sequel and actually getting to do a sequel are two different things. Still the idea is solid and with a bit of fleshing out would make a fine RPG. [/SIZE]