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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 237463" data-attributes="member: 1645">Chapter V -- Invading BritainWith tense expresssions, all on board the eighty transports and the dozen warships of their escort strained their eyes to study the foreign land ahead as the white cliffs of Dover began to shine luminously in the new day's light....On board the transports, locally built craft with relatively flat bottoms, high prows, and sterns and powered by just a single square saild each, were the Spanish legionaries of the 10th and 7th Legions, with an average of 150 mean to each troopship.That's 80 men/transport x 150 transports = 1200 men.  And now that we're getting used to Roman armies, that's a pretty small force.Observing the ships from the heights were British tribesmen, cavalry and infantry, fully armed and waiting in their war paint -- their exposed upper bodies and grim faces daubed in wild, tattoolike pattern with blue-green woad, a plant dye.Excellent visual -- and a great "special effect" for protective magic in D&D.It was now that the aquilifer of the 10th Legion, the bearer of its eagle standard, took the step that was to immortalize him, although his name has not come down to us.  No more than twenty-seven years of age, he probably uttered the Legionary's Prayer: 'Jupiter Greatest and Best, protect this legion, soldiers all,' adding, according to Caesar, 'May my act bring good luck to us all.'  Then he went over the side with the eagle of the 10th.Who doesn't love that?  None of the armored troops want to jump into chest-high waters, but the standard bearer jumps right in -- and they can't let their standard fall to the enemy, can they?The eagle of the legion, silver at this time, gold by imperial times, was venerated by its legionaries.  Kept at an altar in camp with lamps burning throughout the night, it and the ground it stood on were considered sacred.Now that's magic -- or what magic should feel like.The British envoys now asked for peace.  In return, Caesar demanded hostages.There are so many things to do to losers besides kill them: enslave them, take hostages (to ensure their good word), etc.The legion hadn't been at work many minutes when, out of the blue, javelins began slicing into the ground around the feet of bent and toiling soldiers nearest the woods.  Moments later, with terrifying war cries, thousands of Britons came streaming from the trees...Another great image!</blockquote>

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