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Alea Iacta Story Hour: A Mythic Rome Campaign (Baby Announcement: 8/17)
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<blockquote data-quote="Orichalcum" data-source="post: 2091872" data-attributes="member: 3722"><p><strong>Alea Iacta VIII: Under Mud, Over Sea Chp. 13: Exegesis and Excitement</strong></p><p></p><p>On the litter ride back from the Sibyl, Cornelia makes notes on the various prophecies and texts that she's heard and shares her analysis with Meloch and I:</p><p></p><p>On "What is the true name of the BCP?"</p><p></p><p>I think we have a very good idea of what this one means. The only people</p><p>who know BCP's true name are his parents, and the only one besides them</p><p>who knows is Lugh. (Side note: does 'twain' mean only one parent and Lugh,</p><p>and the other parent died before BCP could be named? Or that one parent</p><p>came up with it, and so the only two who _heard_ the name were Lugh and</p><p>the other parent? Or does Lugh not count for these purposes?)</p><p></p><p>Therefore, there are two ways for us to find the name: to go into the</p><p>Underworld to ask BCP's parent(s), or to get the Vestals (the sisters whom</p><p>we saved) to ask Lugh, because the Vestals can talk to the gods in times</p><p>of crisis. I think we're all in agreement that we'd rather go talk to the</p><p>Vestals than go into the Underworld. Much more fun <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>There's still the issue of how we identify BCP so that Lugh will know who</p><p>we're talking about, because the only name we know is his Roman one. On</p><p>the other hand, BCP is the one who currently holds the Cap of Lugh, so</p><p>maybe Lugh can sense him through the Cap, and thereby identify him.</p><p></p><p>On the question about Cimbrus:</p><p>This gives us the answer that we wanted: Hadriana's couriers are right,</p><p>and BCP is somehow deceiving Cimbrus into thinking that the war is going</p><p>badly.</p><p></p><p>However, it also raises a few more questions. How is BCP doing it? Is he</p><p>also deceiving the Emperor? (I'm inclined to think no, because the Sibyl</p><p>says that BCP's chains are wrapped around the eyes of the _son_, not the</p><p>father and son.)</p><p></p><p>On "What did the first and eighth decree?":</p><p></p><p>Cornelia digs far back into her childhood lessons and remembers an ancient story about Roma's true name, the name that, if ever spoken aloud by an official in the Forum, might cause the very city to fall. Looking at the prophecy, she realizes what that name must be: AMOR, or Love, for the mother of Roma's founder, Venus, goddess of love and beauty, and also Roma spelled backwards.</p><p></p><p>"The name of the city is Roma - to honor Romulus' ancestor Venus (ie the</p><p>goddess of love, Amor). What was his dream?</p><p></p><p>He who brought the gates=Augustus. By speaking the word, he established</p><p>the Pax Romana.</p><p></p><p>All will shift, like an image in a pool <-->in the shadow of the shadow,</p><p>Narcissus and his love are reunited. By messing around in the Shadow</p><p>Realm, BCP is trying to affect reality.</p><p></p><p>Romulus spoke as a brother; Augustus spoke as a father. How should we</p><p>speak? As children, maybe, to preserve the vision that Augustus as father</p><p>built?"</p><p></p><p>The founder's reflection=Remus. Rome is in danger of becoming Rema. At first, this name seems meaningless to Cornelia or Metellus. But then she ponders it a little more, remembering some studies of ancient Latin and Etruscan she pursued in her attempt to learn more about her heritage. </p><p></p><p>"Rema...Rema doesn't mean anything. But Amer...amer means," Cornelia gasps out loud with the realization, "Amer means Bitterness. Metellus! Everyone! This is very, very bad. I think that Scaevola wants to change the True Name of Roma from Love to Bitterness."</p><p></p><p>Everyone agrees that this is most definitely not a good thing. Further analysis and earlier knowledge suggests that the BCP is also somehow manipulating the Place of Shadows as well as being interested in the Place of Forms.</p><p></p><p>We return to Licinia's villa, fend off inquisitive glances from her, and collapse after a long, intense day. The next morning, a few hours after dawn, a rider comes galloping up the narrow cliffside trail, his horse's flanks sweating and he himself, a Praetorian by dress, clearly on the last edges of exhaustion. "I bear a sealed message for the lady Cornelia Crispa!" he announces. Licinia attempts to intercept the message but Metellus bypasses her and gives it to Cornelia. She reads it, pales, and draws the rest of us, notably excluding her mother and the steward Ogulnius, out to the edge of the cliff.</p><p></p><p>"It's from Hadriana. At least, I presume - it's unsigned except with an H. She says - 'My husband disappeared within our very home, two nights ago. I have announced that he is sick and at our country place. Return to the city immediately.'"</p><p></p><p>We all consider what this means - that the Caesar, the Emperor's regent and the most legitimate ruler of the Empire within several thousand miles, has apparently gone missing, on the very night we saw and identified Scaevola as the Black Chain Philosopher. Metellus straightens himself, clenches his jaw, and snaps, "Llyr! Get the ship ready. Now."</p><p></p><p>While we quickly gather our goods, and our new treasure, which Licinia identified for us while we were at the Sibyl's in return for the lapis jewelry, Cornelia goes to quickly apologize to her mother for the abrupt departure.</p><p></p><p>"What's going on, dear? Who was the messenger from?" Licinia asks, fairly reasonably.</p><p></p><p>"I can't really talk about it, Mother. But you should be fine if you stay here," Cornelia answers nervously.</p><p></p><p>"Oh, darling, I'm your mother. " Licinia delicately casts Suggestion. "You can tell <em>me.</em>. Trust me."</p><p></p><p>"Well, " Cornelia answers, a little surprised at her sudden faith in her mom, "Cimbrus Caesar has disappeared from the Imperial Palace itself! For the last two days! And we've been summoned by Hadriana to try and figure out what's going on and rescue him." </p><p></p><p>"Right," Licinia answers matter-of-factly, apparently unfazed. "Protect yourself. Or at least get yourself knocked up, so we have a next generation in our family. Go get yourself ready...I have to summon my banker to handle my investments in the currency market."</p><p></p><p>[OOG: Ladybird asks: "Was getting knocked up in the Suggestion?" No, in fact.]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Orichalcum, post: 2091872, member: 3722"] [b]Alea Iacta VIII: Under Mud, Over Sea Chp. 13: Exegesis and Excitement[/b] On the litter ride back from the Sibyl, Cornelia makes notes on the various prophecies and texts that she's heard and shares her analysis with Meloch and I: On "What is the true name of the BCP?" I think we have a very good idea of what this one means. The only people who know BCP's true name are his parents, and the only one besides them who knows is Lugh. (Side note: does 'twain' mean only one parent and Lugh, and the other parent died before BCP could be named? Or that one parent came up with it, and so the only two who _heard_ the name were Lugh and the other parent? Or does Lugh not count for these purposes?) Therefore, there are two ways for us to find the name: to go into the Underworld to ask BCP's parent(s), or to get the Vestals (the sisters whom we saved) to ask Lugh, because the Vestals can talk to the gods in times of crisis. I think we're all in agreement that we'd rather go talk to the Vestals than go into the Underworld. Much more fun :) There's still the issue of how we identify BCP so that Lugh will know who we're talking about, because the only name we know is his Roman one. On the other hand, BCP is the one who currently holds the Cap of Lugh, so maybe Lugh can sense him through the Cap, and thereby identify him. On the question about Cimbrus: This gives us the answer that we wanted: Hadriana's couriers are right, and BCP is somehow deceiving Cimbrus into thinking that the war is going badly. However, it also raises a few more questions. How is BCP doing it? Is he also deceiving the Emperor? (I'm inclined to think no, because the Sibyl says that BCP's chains are wrapped around the eyes of the _son_, not the father and son.) On "What did the first and eighth decree?": Cornelia digs far back into her childhood lessons and remembers an ancient story about Roma's true name, the name that, if ever spoken aloud by an official in the Forum, might cause the very city to fall. Looking at the prophecy, she realizes what that name must be: AMOR, or Love, for the mother of Roma's founder, Venus, goddess of love and beauty, and also Roma spelled backwards. "The name of the city is Roma - to honor Romulus' ancestor Venus (ie the goddess of love, Amor). What was his dream? He who brought the gates=Augustus. By speaking the word, he established the Pax Romana. All will shift, like an image in a pool <-->in the shadow of the shadow, Narcissus and his love are reunited. By messing around in the Shadow Realm, BCP is trying to affect reality. Romulus spoke as a brother; Augustus spoke as a father. How should we speak? As children, maybe, to preserve the vision that Augustus as father built?" The founder's reflection=Remus. Rome is in danger of becoming Rema. At first, this name seems meaningless to Cornelia or Metellus. But then she ponders it a little more, remembering some studies of ancient Latin and Etruscan she pursued in her attempt to learn more about her heritage. "Rema...Rema doesn't mean anything. But Amer...amer means," Cornelia gasps out loud with the realization, "Amer means Bitterness. Metellus! Everyone! This is very, very bad. I think that Scaevola wants to change the True Name of Roma from Love to Bitterness." Everyone agrees that this is most definitely not a good thing. Further analysis and earlier knowledge suggests that the BCP is also somehow manipulating the Place of Shadows as well as being interested in the Place of Forms. We return to Licinia's villa, fend off inquisitive glances from her, and collapse after a long, intense day. The next morning, a few hours after dawn, a rider comes galloping up the narrow cliffside trail, his horse's flanks sweating and he himself, a Praetorian by dress, clearly on the last edges of exhaustion. "I bear a sealed message for the lady Cornelia Crispa!" he announces. Licinia attempts to intercept the message but Metellus bypasses her and gives it to Cornelia. She reads it, pales, and draws the rest of us, notably excluding her mother and the steward Ogulnius, out to the edge of the cliff. "It's from Hadriana. At least, I presume - it's unsigned except with an H. She says - 'My husband disappeared within our very home, two nights ago. I have announced that he is sick and at our country place. Return to the city immediately.'" We all consider what this means - that the Caesar, the Emperor's regent and the most legitimate ruler of the Empire within several thousand miles, has apparently gone missing, on the very night we saw and identified Scaevola as the Black Chain Philosopher. Metellus straightens himself, clenches his jaw, and snaps, "Llyr! Get the ship ready. Now." While we quickly gather our goods, and our new treasure, which Licinia identified for us while we were at the Sibyl's in return for the lapis jewelry, Cornelia goes to quickly apologize to her mother for the abrupt departure. "What's going on, dear? Who was the messenger from?" Licinia asks, fairly reasonably. "I can't really talk about it, Mother. But you should be fine if you stay here," Cornelia answers nervously. "Oh, darling, I'm your mother. " Licinia delicately casts Suggestion. "You can tell [I]me.[/I]. Trust me." "Well, " Cornelia answers, a little surprised at her sudden faith in her mom, "Cimbrus Caesar has disappeared from the Imperial Palace itself! For the last two days! And we've been summoned by Hadriana to try and figure out what's going on and rescue him." "Right," Licinia answers matter-of-factly, apparently unfazed. "Protect yourself. Or at least get yourself knocked up, so we have a next generation in our family. Go get yourself ready...I have to summon my banker to handle my investments in the currency market." [OOG: Ladybird asks: "Was getting knocked up in the Suggestion?" No, in fact.] [/QUOTE]
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