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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Orichalcum" data-source="post: 2631612" data-attributes="member: 3722">Alea Iacta X: A Civil Campaign Chp. 7: Busts, only one sestertius!With the crowd dispersed, we convene briefly back at Metellus' house to divide up responsibilities. It's decided that our primary targets are Publicola, particularly since Heilyn thinks that he's somehow involved in the whole smithy-explosion business, and Otho, the wealthy fat man, since both Thrax and Fabius Maximus seem on first impression to be good types. Still, it clearly makes sense to investigate all of their backgrounds.Metellus and Cornelia decide to go to some aristocratic dinner parties and get a sense of who the Senators are leaning towards. Lucretius plans to look into the official records, although the Praetorian also been asked to spend some time beefing up security around baby Cimbra's nursery, and to bring Meloch along to play. Lucretius is still avoiding any private time with Cornelia, determined to evade her interrogation about minor issues of gender.Meanwhile,  Marcus and Meloch when available plan to deal with the seamier side of the Roman public. Marcus plan to hit the taverns where other soldiers hang out, while Meloch will talk to the slaves. Llyr's investigative skills and ability to create fun fur-grooming tools are sorely missed, but he's still back in Britannia, dealing with family business.Heilyn, whose skills are less in communication, offers to assist by making some molds for crude plaster busts of each of the candidates to generate publicity and propaganda. Everyone thinks this is a wonderful idea, and much time is spent trying to think of appropriate themes. Eventually, it's decided to make a fairly straightforward but noble looking bust of Metellus, with his few asymmetrical features smoothed out; sadly, this is not one of Heilyn's more successful artistic efforts. However, Heilyn succeeds massively in creating a small statue of Fabius Maximus leaning on a column, managing to make him look somewhat debauched and with more than a suggestion of drooping, flaccid genitals. Publicola is depicted as a fop in his overly elegant toga, up to his neck in scrolls; Thrax as a good Roman legionary, but less attractive than Metellus, and Otho as a Silenus-type - decked out in grapes and carrying wine flagons in either hand. The molds quickly start producing cheap plaster busts in Metellus' stables, and they sell quite well, given the relative novelty.Marcus goes to the tavern near Thrax's apartment and, after waiting a while, finally spots the grizzled primuspilus centurion who had been applauding firmly at the declaration of candidacy that morning. He adjusts his own primuspilus pin (of the Ninth) to be prominently visible and  brings over a large amphora of decent but not too expensive wine."To the Eagles! Fellow Centurion!""To the Eagles!" the man responds. "The Ninth? I hadn't realized she'd been resurrected.""She lives again," Marcus answers, "but the Emperor does not wish to expand beyond twenty-four legions at this time. I'm Marcus Alexandros, by the way.""Ah, makes sense. Gaius Regulus, at your service. Well, matters are hot enough in Parthia we may need her sooner or later.""Indeed. The Seventeenth was on the way to Parthia, wasn't it?""Yes, till the blasted Thracians ambushed us. Now it's only half a legion and needs to recruit again. And the arrow wound in my leg will keep me out of fighting for at least a season; the doctor says maybe forever.""That's a shame. So how'd the Seventeenth get trapped into an ambush? Didn't you have scouts?""The Legate," Regulus almost spits the title, "said we didn't need any. Said this was a peaceful march through Roman territory and it would only tire out the horses and men.""Officers. They think with their feet," Marcus responds wryly."Not all of them, mind you. I work now for a Tribune, Aulus Gellius Thrax, now he's a soldier's soldier.""Oh? What did he do to impress you so much?""Well first of all he tried to persuade the Legate to send out scouts or at least build a proper defensive fortification when we camped that night. And when that failed, and then when the Legate went down, and the men started to drop their weapons and run, he rallied them all, got us all into a proper tortoise formation, and then sent the cavalry around the back to pincer the Thracians. We killed maybe 12,000 of them in the end.""Good for him, and good for the Seventeenth. Sounds like a tough situation. What happened to the Legate?""Arrow in the throat. Lucky shot - unlucky, rather - just one of those things that happen." Regulus seems a little uneasy to Marcus' trained eye, and he quickly changes the subject. "What do you think of the Blues' chances this season?""Well, I don't follow racing that much, but a friend of mine has a cousin racing for the Whites, who's a very good charioteer, if not the brightest of fellows," Marcus answers."Anyway, I should be heading back to see how Thrax is. Good day to you, Centurion, and my best wishes as well to your master Metellus," Regulus winks, and strides out of the tavern. Marcus looks a little disgruntled, and then thoughtful.</blockquote>

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