Excellent, if no-one’s at a disadvantage due to assuming it was going to end, let’s continue apace. Well, probably a little less apace in the short term as I’m going to be away from home until Friday evening, back for two days (and desperately packing), then away again until the following Friday evening. Still, I see no problems with moderating the game, just some delays when I have other things I have to be doing.
Here’s a copy of the game state, for posterity and the edification of onlookers:
Rome
Treasury 172 talents
Unrest 0
Active Legions 4
Active Fleets 0
Land Bills: one of type III (10 talents / year)
Ongoing Events
Evil Omens (-1 to most die rolls)
Manpower Shortage (legions and fleets cost 20 to raise)
Officials
Dictator: n/a
Rome Consul: Aelius (Juan_Raigada)
Field Consul: Flaminius (scottagibson)
Censor: Junius (Panzeh)
Master of Horse: n/a
Pontifex Maximus: Aemilius (CraigM)
Forum
Unaligned senators:
Nomen
ID
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Sulpicius
15
2
3
2
8
Concessions:
None
Provinces:
None
Curia
Inactive senators:
Nomen
ID
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Plautius
17
2
2
1
6
Destroyed concessions:
None
Inactive enemy leaders:
None
Wars
Active:
Name
Series
Fleet Battle
Fleet Support
Army Battle
Disaster
Standoff
Spoils
Special
1st Gallic War
1 of 3 (1)
0
0
10
13
15
20
Creates Gallia Cisalpina
Imminent:
Name
Series
Fleet Battle
Fleet Support
Army Battle
Disaster
Standoff
Spoils
Special
(None)
Inactive:
Name
Series
Fleet Battle
Fleet Support
Army Battle
Disaster
Standoff
Spoils
Special
1st Punic War
1 of 3 (2)
10
5
10
13
11/14
35
Creates Sicilia & Corsica and Sardinia
Factions
Panzeh
Treasury: 0 talents
Hand: 3 cards
Nomen
ID
Popularity
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Knights
Money
PC
Offices
Concessions
Corrupt
*Claudius
5
0
4 (4)
2
3
7
1
2
Tax Farmer
Junius
10
0
13 (3)
1
2
8
0
0
Y
Censor
Acilius
[12]
0
3 (3)
2
2
7
0
0
Rex Antiquis (CraigM)
Treasury: 0 talents
Hand: 0 cards
Nomen
ID
Popularity
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Knights
Money
PC
Offices
Concessions
Corrupt
*L Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus
[19A]
0
6 (4)
5
4
8
1
2
Pontifex
Tax Farmer
Aemilius
[19]
0
1
4
2
8
Fulvius
[7]
0
4 (4)
2
2
8
0
0
Aurelius
9
0
3 (3)
2
3
7
0
0
Kolbexarii
Treasury: 2 talents
Hand: 1 cards
Nomen
ID
Popularity
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Knights
Money
PC
Offices
Concessions
Corrupt
*Cornelius
[1]
2
5 (5)
4
3
9
1
0
Tax Farmer
Valerius
3
0
5 (5)
1
2
10
0
0
Aegyptian Grain
Julius
[4]
0
4 (4)
4
3
9
0
0
New Men (scottagibson)
Treasury: 0 talents
Hand: 1 card
Nomen
ID
Popularity
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Knights
Money
PC
Offices
Concessions
Corrupt
*Flaminius
13
-2
8 (3)
4
2
6
1
0
Field C
Furius
8
-2
0 (3)
3
3
8
0
0
Calpurnicus
16
-2
2 (2)
1
2
9
0
0
Virtus Romana (Navaronegun)
Treasury: 0 talents
Hand: 0 cards
Nomen
ID
Popularity
Influence
Military
Oratory
Loyalty
Knights
Money
PC
Offices
Concessions
Corrupt
*Manlius
6
0
7 (4)
3
2
7
1
0
Quinctius
[18]
0
1 (1)
3
2
6
0
0
Tax Farmer
Eastern Grain Company (Juan_Raigada)
Treasury: 1 talent
Hand: 0 cards
Truly the Plautius family is cursed by the gods! The latest pater familias (rather less elderly than most of his peers after the untimely death of his father) was building influence, making alliances, generally schmoozing his way back towards the exalted position his late father had held amongst the very highest regarded senators when he had the misfortune to choke on a chicken bone at a great banquet he was hosting. He could not be revived and so it falls to a cousin to attempt to restore the family’s fortunes.
(I did remember to subtract 1 for evil omens from the Pontifex Maximus’ income roll.) Players, please distribute these funds as you see fit between faction and personal treasuries.
You may also trade money at this time.
State Revenue
Base
Wars
Legions
Fleets
Land Bills
Provinces
Total
100
-20
-8
0
-10
0
62
As things stand, the senate will have 234 talents to disburse this round. Senators may make contributions to the state to gain influence
(10T => 1 influence, 25T => 3 influence, 50T => 7 influence)
The people seem more amenable to recruitment now, so the senate asks the Pontifex Maximus to slaughter a goat to see if the gods are once again happy with Rome. Lucius Aemilius Paullus discharges this duty solemnly, selecting the very finest goat from the temple district pens and slaughtering it on the steps of the temple of Mars for all to see, for it is widely rumoured that Rome will be marching against the Gauls this season.
But as the entrails spill across the marble, the large crowd of onlookers sees the haruspices recoil in horror. The intestines, it turns out, are severely discoloured. This can only be another Evil Omen!
Aemilius spends all he can on temple offerings to mitigate this, even raiding the faction treasury, but it isn’t enough. At last the priests are satisfied that the gods have been at least mosty placated, but by then Aemilius has been stripped of office in his disgrace.
Game mechanics
The remaining effects from last year expired, both the evil omens and the manpower shortage.
Then at the start of the Eastern Grain Company turn an event happened, which was evil omens once again.
This is very bad for the Pontifex Maximus, who must immediately pay 20 talents from personal treasury or be stripped of his office for major corruption.
As he didn’t have this much, the rest plus a 10 talent fine is levied from the faction treasury. There wasn’t enough there either, so Rome pays the difference (ignoring the fine), which comes to 9 talents. Ouch, @CraigM.
To the players, I’m really sorry. I swear I’m using random.org.
To the lurkers, would you care for some popcorn?
@Juan_Raigada: it is your initiative in the forum, what would you like to do?
I am happy for you to make a persuasion attempt this turn if you want to, given the rules misunderstanding. You probably won’t get great odds though anyway, I haven’t calculated.
