1663

As I said, I plan to raise some fleets.

Again, any takers for Censorship?

1664

Nah, change of plans. I’ll heed your advice.

Junius Proposes his election as Consul for life

@Panzeh @CraigM @Kolbex @scottagibson, cast your votes.

1665

If someone has an assassination card, now is the time to use it. Otherwise I don’t think the nomination can be defeated.

1666

No

1667

No.

1668

Yeah, ok.

Flaminius assassinates Junius.

“As he was valiant, I honor him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him.”

@rho21

1669

The senate is in uproar. From nowhere, the leading senators of the Eastern Grain Company have been able to claim all the major offices this year for themselves. And now there’s talk of appointing one of them “Consul for Life”!

For many, this is an outrage. Is the senate so forgetful or ill-educated that it does not recall the history of Rome itself? The struggle to remove our kings and start this republic may have been nearly 300 years ago, but the story sings in the heart of every true Roman! No more kings! Never again!

Never again indeed, says the Eastern Grain Company. But what harm in an esteemed public servant like Gaius Junius Servilius being named consul for life? That would let him guide us through these troubled times, with new consular elections beginning after his death.

The argument is the most heated the senate has ever seen, but to the more politically savvy in the crowd, it is clear which way the vote will go. There are far too many normally neutral senators siding with the Eastern Grain Company. Bribery is certainly not unknown in the senate and it would appear to be in full force here.

Among the New Men (who have worked so hard for their status and are loath to relinquish it) the discussion takes a darker turn. “This must not stand. The republic can resume after his death? Well then, let us hasten that along such that our republican tradition need not suffer harm in the interim.”

Flaminius, as faction leader, feels he must risk himself in this cause. A poisoning is planned first, but must be abandoned as Junius is taking far too much care. In the end it comes down, as it always has, to knives.

1670

The Eastern Grain Company is not entirely stupid, as shown by the care taken to not allow unchecked food and drink to reach Junius. Needless to say, they also had plenty of guards on hand. They were expecting an assassin, but not so soon and certainly not so brazenly: a faction leader himself!

But even so there were enough swords around that Flaminius’ desperate attempt was stopped two feet from its target. Flaminius was cut down where he stood and the guard redoubled. There would be no further chances for assassination this year.

Assassination attempt

I rolled a 1. Seemed like a good time for a critical fail story.

The voting continues after this bloody incident; @scottagibson, @CraigM and @Juan_Raigada still have votes pending.

1671

@scottagibson and @CraigM will vote. Then I will.

1672

New Men vote No

1673

Waiting on @CraigM

1674

I’ll also place the symbolic no.

1675

All right, so that’s 29 votes against (since the New Men’s faction leader was killed before the vote). The Eastern Grain Company can muster 15 votes, plus the 25 influence of Junius for a total of 40 votes. So the motion passes without the Eastern Grain Company having to expend a talent more.

So the Eastern Grain Company votes yes.

Junius, steps to the center of Senate after the voting, looking left and right to friends and opponents both.

Dear Senators, I’m honored by such confidence being placed in me. I will use this appointment to make the best of the dire situation the failed policies of The New Men, Virtus Romana, The Kolbexarii, Rex Antiquitis and specially the Panzehians have put Rome in. Carthage has risen to dominance through inattention and sloth. We have been complacent, and Consul after Consul have failed to do anything about it.

I could not stand aside and watch. It was the responsibility of those of us who saw things had to change to actually step up and change them!

Only our second Rome Consul, that who came after me, and his faction, the honorable Eastern Grain Company. seemed to have an answer, and that’s why me, the very first Consul this Senate had seen, chose to side with them. Do not play attention to the rumors of bribery and treason. This is the opposite of treason, this is loyalty, to Rome before my previous faction. Now I will be not only the first Consul, but the last, at least for some time, until the sinking ship that is Rome sails again.

Strife has proven ineffective. Violence has stained this holiest of chambers with blood and rage. And for what? For nothing more than delays and bickering. Only united can we focus on the problems at hand. Only united can we face the Carthaginian onslaught and assert our dominance over the sea and land that are rightfully ours by the Gods’ will.

I am to be the manifestation of such unity, and as thus I am nothing more but the humble servant of Rome.

All hail Junius, Consul of Rome

1676

Well played, and congratulations. @Juan_Raigada

1677

Thanks, a lot of stuff fell on my lap, tbh. This last turn having a Consul to persuade was the final giveaway.

1678

The money is a killer. We should have dealt with it from the start.

1679

Ahem, ahem says the ghost. 😱

Great game, everyone! Congratulations @Juan_Raigada!

1680

Yeah, we got pretty hosed by the mortality chits but the EGC was able to just:

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Good game!

1681

On the bright side, Rome wasn’t defeated!

1682

If my guy hadn’t died in the Macedonian war i would’ve gone into revolt because i was pretty sure Rome was done.