Tweet
The citizens and refugees of the Bloodmaim wars finally had a moment to lift their weary heads from their grim reality to view the now distant light of their future. The wonder of a flying city and their safety from the Black Hand was eclipsed by now starvation and overpopulation. Although for this moment many took to the streets of the Castrum toward the great Atrium to look upon the heroes whom had fought and bled to save their lives through countless months and even years of ongoing battles.
Hunger and shelter were forgotten as the tightly packed citizens shouted words of thanks and praise toward the Atrium from the streets, honoring the heroes who lived and died in the terrible war that had cost so much. But these survivors, these adventurers, soldiers, hallowed knights and scholars remained, and gave hope to all of returning to their homes someday.
As the heroes emerged from the portal into the Atrium and took lined up on the dais the crowd within erupted in a chorus of cheers that spread quickly to the streets and eventually to the city. Afterward, from within the Atrium Sanctum stepped a few of the legion's elite, the Evocati. They formed a box around the structure's door which then opened to admit the passage of the an aged man in Legion armor, his brow creased and his expression equally grim. Imperatu Verinus Nautius, general of the Legion and savior of the city.
The crowd never needed a command, there was simple quiet that followed the coming of the Imperatu and his men. "Hail Victory, Hail Imperatu Verinus!" The legion soldiers shouted together over the crowds.
The Imperatu raised his hands to the people and commanded their attention, he gave thanks to the heroes of Sundren and awarded them each with the Corona Civica, Crown of the Preserver. He named them true heroes and defenders of the State and declared that Sundren will never forget their debt to these heroes for all that they have done. After crowning the heroes he addressed the crowd.
"Loyal citizens of Sundren..." the general began before pausing to reconsider his words. "... My people." The correction drew a touch more attention. "We have endured hardships on the continence of incompetence, this once proud nation forged at the hands of the great Mundus has fell into disarray by the inaction of the Arbiters. The Bloodmaim were allowed to fester, the Blackhand was never dealt with, and the monsters and wild beasts which plagued us while we did have a home on the surface were left to rampage in favor of protecting noble banquets!"
The crowd remained hushed still, Verinus did not seem disturbed. "The Arbiters are no more, and the existing branches of government are either in too great a disarray or too corrupt to be trusted further with our future. I am thereby taking command of this government to weed out the evil, and ensure the future of Sundren as your Emperor. I do this with the full support of the inheritors of Mundus' will, the Hands of Mundus! We will destroy the Black Hand and restore the valley to the people's rule! Vae Victus! Woe to the Conquered! Woe to those we will destroy! Vae Victus!" The man held a fist up high, first every legion soldier echoed his words, then a third reciting extended through the crowd, followed by excited cheering from the commoners bearing witness to the great changes.
After a few sobering minutes, the crowd quieted again, and a slender, bald individual with a black neatly trimmed beard dressed in elegant robes stepped from the door to stand beside the Imperatu. Verinus continued to speak. "The man I am choosing to shoulder the responsibility as my Tribune is the former adviser to the Arbiters, Sindri Emberstrife. Together, we will not merely drive back the Bloodmaim monsters, but destroy them. We will bring justice to the Black Hand for the wrongs they have committed against our glory, and we will secure Sundren's borders. Now, and forever.
To do this, there has been a restructure of the Legion forces. We took tragic, terrible casualties and none of the surviving Legions were anywhere close to their full strength. For that reason, all Legions save the Fifth, the Seventh, the Ninth and the Tenth have been dissolved and their Legionnaires transferred to one of the remaining four Legions.
The Fifth Legion will not just defend us as soldiers, but also now as city guardsmen and women. The Seventh will assist them in this task until they can be redeployed back to Port Avanthyr to defend against further attacks and to keep the roads safe between the Port and the Gate. The Ninth will continue to guard the Gate and will assist the Seventh in patrolling portions of the Pioneer's Way."
He pauses now for a moment before continuing in a strained, angered voice, "The Legions were initially formed as autonomous armies meant to defend Sundren's borders against disparate and ununified forces: The Mossclaw, the Bloodmaim, the Veritas. It worked, until the arrival of the Black Hand in the valley. We faced a new threat then, one that demanded a fully unified army to match, but against the advice of many Imperatu before myself the Arbiters refused to consolidate the Legions! As a direct result of their stubbornness our forces were, through no fault of their own, divided and overwhelmed."
The anger goes out of his voice then as he continues, "The Tenth Legion is now the command branch of the Legion as a whole, and will be lead by Myrios Emiliana Blackwell. Under Myrios Blackwell's direction the Tenth will coordinate and guide the other Legions, and it will fall to the Tenth to plan the recapture of the valley and the defeat of the Bloodmaim and Black Hand!"
After the cheers die down the Imperatu concludes his speech, "And finally, the Church of Helm, whose gallant knights broke rank upon rank of the Black Hand army, guards now not just the city as a whole, but the Hands of Mundus and the arcane workings that keep this magnificent city aloft. As always, the word of a Magus is law and they have supreme authority over all in regards to magical matters. In the absence of a Hand, Sentinels of the Church of Helm now have the authority of a Magus when it comes to the magical threats that will undoubtedly rise against us. In all other matters, Legionnaires will enforce the law. Martial law is still in effect. In the absence of a Legionnaire, members of the Temple of the Triumvirate have authority over Sundarian citizens and visitors."
The crowd erupted in cheers from the common folk, legion, and adventurers alike, with but a few faces remaining carefully reserved about this radical, though understandably needed change.
Hunger and shelter were forgotten as the tightly packed citizens shouted words of thanks and praise toward the Atrium from the streets, honoring the heroes who lived and died in the terrible war that had cost so much. But these survivors, these adventurers, soldiers, hallowed knights and scholars remained, and gave hope to all of returning to their homes someday.
As the heroes emerged from the portal into the Atrium and took lined up on the dais the crowd within erupted in a chorus of cheers that spread quickly to the streets and eventually to the city. Afterward, from within the Atrium Sanctum stepped a few of the legion's elite, the Evocati. They formed a box around the structure's door which then opened to admit the passage of the an aged man in Legion armor, his brow creased and his expression equally grim. Imperatu Verinus Nautius, general of the Legion and savior of the city.
The crowd never needed a command, there was simple quiet that followed the coming of the Imperatu and his men. "Hail Victory, Hail Imperatu Verinus!" The legion soldiers shouted together over the crowds.
The Imperatu raised his hands to the people and commanded their attention, he gave thanks to the heroes of Sundren and awarded them each with the Corona Civica, Crown of the Preserver. He named them true heroes and defenders of the State and declared that Sundren will never forget their debt to these heroes for all that they have done. After crowning the heroes he addressed the crowd.
"Loyal citizens of Sundren..." the general began before pausing to reconsider his words. "... My people." The correction drew a touch more attention. "We have endured hardships on the continence of incompetence, this once proud nation forged at the hands of the great Mundus has fell into disarray by the inaction of the Arbiters. The Bloodmaim were allowed to fester, the Blackhand was never dealt with, and the monsters and wild beasts which plagued us while we did have a home on the surface were left to rampage in favor of protecting noble banquets!"
The crowd remained hushed still, Verinus did not seem disturbed. "The Arbiters are no more, and the existing branches of government are either in too great a disarray or too corrupt to be trusted further with our future. I am thereby taking command of this government to weed out the evil, and ensure the future of Sundren as your Emperor. I do this with the full support of the inheritors of Mundus' will, the Hands of Mundus! We will destroy the Black Hand and restore the valley to the people's rule! Vae Victus! Woe to the Conquered! Woe to those we will destroy! Vae Victus!" The man held a fist up high, first every legion soldier echoed his words, then a third reciting extended through the crowd, followed by excited cheering from the commoners bearing witness to the great changes.
After a few sobering minutes, the crowd quieted again, and a slender, bald individual with a black neatly trimmed beard dressed in elegant robes stepped from the door to stand beside the Imperatu. Verinus continued to speak. "The man I am choosing to shoulder the responsibility as my Tribune is the former adviser to the Arbiters, Sindri Emberstrife. Together, we will not merely drive back the Bloodmaim monsters, but destroy them. We will bring justice to the Black Hand for the wrongs they have committed against our glory, and we will secure Sundren's borders. Now, and forever.
To do this, there has been a restructure of the Legion forces. We took tragic, terrible casualties and none of the surviving Legions were anywhere close to their full strength. For that reason, all Legions save the Fifth, the Seventh, the Ninth and the Tenth have been dissolved and their Legionnaires transferred to one of the remaining four Legions.
The Fifth Legion will not just defend us as soldiers, but also now as city guardsmen and women. The Seventh will assist them in this task until they can be redeployed back to Port Avanthyr to defend against further attacks and to keep the roads safe between the Port and the Gate. The Ninth will continue to guard the Gate and will assist the Seventh in patrolling portions of the Pioneer's Way."
He pauses now for a moment before continuing in a strained, angered voice, "The Legions were initially formed as autonomous armies meant to defend Sundren's borders against disparate and ununified forces: The Mossclaw, the Bloodmaim, the Veritas. It worked, until the arrival of the Black Hand in the valley. We faced a new threat then, one that demanded a fully unified army to match, but against the advice of many Imperatu before myself the Arbiters refused to consolidate the Legions! As a direct result of their stubbornness our forces were, through no fault of their own, divided and overwhelmed."
The anger goes out of his voice then as he continues, "The Tenth Legion is now the command branch of the Legion as a whole, and will be lead by Myrios Emiliana Blackwell. Under Myrios Blackwell's direction the Tenth will coordinate and guide the other Legions, and it will fall to the Tenth to plan the recapture of the valley and the defeat of the Bloodmaim and Black Hand!"
After the cheers die down the Imperatu concludes his speech, "And finally, the Church of Helm, whose gallant knights broke rank upon rank of the Black Hand army, guards now not just the city as a whole, but the Hands of Mundus and the arcane workings that keep this magnificent city aloft. As always, the word of a Magus is law and they have supreme authority over all in regards to magical matters. In the absence of a Hand, Sentinels of the Church of Helm now have the authority of a Magus when it comes to the magical threats that will undoubtedly rise against us. In all other matters, Legionnaires will enforce the law. Martial law is still in effect. In the absence of a Legionnaire, members of the Temple of the Triumvirate have authority over Sundarian citizens and visitors."
The crowd erupted in cheers from the common folk, legion, and adventurers alike, with but a few faces remaining carefully reserved about this radical, though understandably needed change.