The Republic Reborn II: Reborn Again [Orders Due Jan 31]

[Magnus Pym]

Still very interested here.

[TheMeanestGuest]

I'd be up for a resumption!

[Steerpike]

I would be up for joining. Apart fom thinking up a name and back-story, what goes into character creation? Do I roll for things like my age, Influence, Popularity, etc?

[Polycarp]

I would be up for joining. Apart fom thinking up a name and back-story, what goes into character creation? Do I roll for things like my age, Influence, Popularity, etc?

You don't actually roll for anything. Popularity/Influence start out at average (5 each, +1 influence for a noble senator).  Orthodoxy will also start as 5 unless something in the character's description/backstory implies otherwise (e.g. he's an Arnoldist).  There's a lot of leeway in character creation; unless something is clearly excessive ("I am in fact the bastard son of the King of France," "I have five beautiful daughters, all of marriageable age," etc.) it will be approved.

This is what you need for character creation:

1. Name, both first and family.  Anything roughly period-appropriate is fine.  We typically use this site for names, particularly central Italian ones, and particularly the early lists (it's probably best to avoid anything after the 13th century).
2. Common or Noble origin. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.  When we last left off, all active characters were common.
3. Age.  30-60 is a good range.  There's no mechanical effect, but if you character is old I will eventually start nagging you about when he's going to kick the bucket.
4. Main source(s) of wealth.  For a noble, this will be land; for a commoner it's likely to be trade of some kind.  I will use this to put together a starting list of owned enterprises for the character, which constitute the character's income.
5. Family members.  You don't need to name and detail every member of the character's family at character creation but it's helpful to establish if he has any siblings, children, nephews/nieces, and so on in case they prove useful later.  For children, establishing their age is important.  Characters should probably be married as well.
6. History/Description.  This doesn't have to be long; there are some in the first page for reference.

You can PM me those things, or you can PM a basic idea and we can flesh it out from there, or whatever you want.

[Llum]

I would be interested in rejoining.

[TheMeanestGuest]

Would you be Gerardo Calafatus, or a new character?

[Magnus Pym]

A return from the East, perhaps?

[Polycarp]

Considering that Fortis left for the Holy Land only a season or two ago, his return is not going to be forthcoming - and in any case, all his properties have already been divided amongst his sons.  As I've told Llum, he's free to either play Gerardo Calafatus or make a totally new character.  Since Gerardo has only a portion of Fortis' land, he'd probably start at around the same income level either way.

By the way, any of you are welcome to "switch" characters if you want.  All you need to do is PM/chat with me about what you had in mind for retiring/eliminating your previous character.  New characters made in this way will have more than "normal starting character" assets, so you're not totally back to square one, though you won't be in the same position as you were with your previous character.  I hasten to add, however, that wealth isn't everything, and as we've seen it's possible to be influential, effective, and awesome even if you're not the richest guy in Rome.

I don't want people to do this often, of course, but we've been at this game for several years IRL and I understand completely if anyone has gotten tired of their particular character.  This isn't a one-time opportunity, either - you could play a few more turns and ask me about switching then, if you want.  It's up to you.

[Nomadic]

I would be up for returning.

[Polycarp]

I count 5 so far, which is the minimum I'd consider restarting with - so we're on.  For the time being, I'm going to wait for Steerpike and Llum to decide on their characters (and anybody else who wants to take the opportunity to switch).

We currently have no interior consul, as Superbright appears to have become inactive.  Since her character only held the position (and indeed, only existed) for a season, I think the best solution is simply to retcon her character out rather than struggle for some IC explanation for her absence.  Because the intent of the senators in electing de Morrocho was to pick someone new and and untried, it seems reasonable to give the portfolio retroactively to one of the new senators who meets that criteria (thus, either Steerpike or Llum's character, assuming either of them are interested in it).  We'll figure that out once they've chosen their characters.

[Magnus Pym]

Fair enough. My vote towards Morroccho was mainly to assuage some of the nobility's fear that they would have no representation among the highest echelon of the Senate.

[Nomadic]

I'd be fine with that. My vote would be for Steerpike if he wants it, just because Llum has done it in the past and I'd like to give someone totally new the chance to try the consulship out if they want to. If SP doesn't want it I'm still totally cool with giving it to llum (he's a classy consul :P).

[LD]

Fine on the retconning of Morrochoi if necessary. It seems to make sense to substitute either one of the new players as consul, putting them in the exact same place as Morrochoi- e.g. X was always elected consul and made Morrochoi's decisions.

I hope to, with luck, be able to give my turn orders before the new year.

[Llum]

1. Name: Falco Bocca
2. Origin: Noble
3. Age: 32
4. Main source(s) of wealth: Olives & Olive oil.
5. Wife: Savina Bocca(27) Children: Rao (9) Emma (7) Symon (4)
6. History/Description: Falco quite short with dark skin and darker hair. He claims to be descended from Greece but many rumours give him Moorish ancestry as well. The rumours are aided by his rather low orthodoxy, being a staunch Arnoldist.

[Steerpike]

Sanguineus Viviani

Origin: Noble

Age: 38

Main sources of wealth: land, wine-making

Family Members: Sabbatina Viviani (wife), Cerrus (illegitimate son), Morus (nephew)

History: Having returned to Rome after extensive travels (reputedly following quarrels with his late father), Sanguineus has taken up the mantle of senator. During his youth he had a reputation as a wild, lecherous man much given to drinking and whoring, often seen wandering the streets with a pitcher of wine in one hand and a prostitute at his hip. Before he left, darker rumours dogged his steps, as well – whispers of unwholesome proclivities and even occult involvements.

Since returning from his mysterious journeys to parts only guessed-at, Sanguineus seems to have much matured. Some say he merely sojourned in the Kingdom of France, but others claim he ranged as far as Toledo, a center of translation that has attracted scholars from throughout Christendom, or even beyond into the realm of the Wolf King, Muhammad ibn Mardanis. Having now come back to Rome, quietly married Sabbatina, a woman of appropriate social standing, and taken up his father's senatorial seat, Sanguineus seems a far soberer man than his youth suggested he could become. Rather than the debauched drunk that most expected he is much given to scholarly pursuits, prone to shutting himself in his library for hours, or to perusing the collection of exotic artefacts he brought back with him from his travels.

The Viviani family has uncertain origins but seem to be descended from certain Teutonic knights from the eastern frontiers of the present-day Holy Roman Empire. Displaced from their ancestral lands near Lake Fucino by the Normans, the family has rebuilt their fortunes from their estate outside of Rome, though they have been plagued by what seems a family illness for several generations (the very disease that carried off Sanguineus' father). While Sanguineus' wife has yet to produce an heir, Sanguineus returned from his travels with a bastard son, Cerrus, born of an unknown mother widely rumoured to be a Moor, providing yet more grist for the mill of scandal.