I’ve walked battlefields from the forests of Gaul to the banks of the Nile, and I would have never imagined that a soldier of Rome could find himself in such a sorry state. Octavian has prevailed, and it is now clear who will sit on the imperial throne of Rome. \n\nWith Antony’s defeat on the battlefield, the queen poisoned herself with an asp, Charmion bid her priests carry her body off to someplace called the “Field of Reeds”—a ridiculous superstition. As her praetorian guard, it’s my duty to see to it she reaches that destination safely. Safe, I imagine, is a relative term for a doomed woman, but as it guarantees me a place aboard the imperial barge, under the circumstances, I’m happy to oblige. \n\nGiven that I doubt I’ll be returning to Egypt anytime soon, consider this my last will and testament. Whoever finds it, I bequeath my lands in Rana and its olive groves to my wife Jamal, and later our son. My dear love, forgive me for leaving—it is the only way I know to protect you and our son. \n\nCenturion Quintus Publicus \n\nPraetorian Guard to Marcus Antonius, 19th Legion

The living will of a broken man

A Legionnaire’s Lament

The skies opened, and the wrath of the gods had fallen upon us. As the storm raged outside, and the ship pitched and rolled with the waves, so our queen writhed and tossed in her own struggle against the poison in her veins. I knew in my heart, that the long shadow of Ammit was upon us, and that we would soon be returned to the abyssal waters of Nun, from which all life flowed. \n\nThen suddenly, salvation came. From within the fog, I beheld a man, wrapped in linen with a crown atop his head. In his hands, he carried the crook and flail of his office, and I knew that he must be the great lord Osiris, father of all Pharaohs, and judge of all that is mortal. All who dared look upon him knew he was not of our realm, for not even the guards dared to stir from their posts at his intrusion.  \n\nLady Charmion prostrated herself before him, pleading for his intercession with our queen – our Cleopatra, daughter of Isis. His daughter! He proclaimed that he had been riven by Sutekh, but that our Queen’s presence had roused him from deathless torpor. He would deliver her from mouth of the crocodile unto the Land of Reeds, where she would reign forever.\n\nLady Charimon kissed the hands of our deliverer, and at his approach, a stillness fell over the Queen. He took her in his embrace, and they both vanished in a flare of light. Outside, the rocking of the ship abated, and the wind has grown quiet. I could hear the soft cackle of the gull far off in the distance. \n\nPraise be to Osiris, who has weighed my heart against his feather, and found me unburdened by sin!\n\nIras, Handmaid to Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt

The gods have delivered us

Behold our queen’s salvation!

Well, this land continues to be a source of amazement.\n\nToday, a priestess of Isis and attendant of the queen broke down, despairing that she had failed poor Cleopatra, and that the goddess had abandoned them. I confess, I can’t entirely disagree— the queen has been missing since the strange report of her abduction during the storm, and I can only assume is quite dead. Still, the outburst was proving disastrous for morale, and I can ill afford any treasonous impulses on the part of our Egyptian comrades. So I did the only sensible thing, and ordered a member of the 19th’s to quickly silence her.\n\nHis report was rather unorthodox. Apparently, after he slit her throat she vanished in a ball of light. My first thought was to have him checked by the medics. But before I could manage it, the woman showed back up at the camp spewing her usual doomsaying. \n\nFor the time being I have her locked up in a trunk in the bilge. It’ll have to do until I can devise a more… creative solution for dealing with dissidents.\n

No one can die…

The Journal of Publius Canidius Crassus

The rage of the maelstrom has abated, but the outlanders continue to wash ashore. By last count, over 80 ships have made landfall, but still more may be lost in the Stormwall. Moreover, they have proven competent mariners, and many have thus far remained on the open ocean with the intention of rescuing those whose vessels have been lost at sea.\n\nOf those who have made landfall, some wear the traditional garb of our ancestors. They bear little resemblance, however, to the soldiers with whom they mingle. Their segmented armor and livery are of origins mysterious to me. By nightfall I have no doubt that hundred, perhaps thousands of their number will have come ashore, with their intentions as yet unknown. \n\nI would propose that we call a meeting of all of the desert-dwellers. We must assess the threat posed by the outlanders, and appoint an emissary to engage them on our behalf. Such numbers represent an inevitable shift in the balance of power here in Brimstone, and it would be wise for us to position ourselves to benefit when it does.\n

Newcomers from beyond the clouds

Scouting Report

To the one known as Legatus Crassus,\n\nI see by your order and discipline of your ranks, that you are a strong soldier and veteran of many campaigns of conquest. But by now it is surely known to you that this land is like no other that you have dared to tame. The wages of immortality render the prospect of prolonged conflict grim, and the ruins you now call home are evidence that there are greater dangers slumbering beneath the sands of this strange and terrible place.\n\nAnd so, in the interest of peace, and the prosperity of the greater whole, I make this proposal: take me into your service. You have, no doubt, gained much in the way of wisdom through your travels and tribulations. You should then know, then, that I have lived many lifetimes and died many deaths in the pursuit of such knowledge. I offer you this insight, along with my vast chronicles of this new world and its denizens, if you will only agree to entertain my council.  \n\nIf you find my terms acceptable, look for me at the foot of the Great Pyramid. I will be waiting.\n\n-Imhotep, Sage of the Brimstone Sands\n

An offer of service

To Legatus Crassus

The sandswept and sunscorched desert in the West, and the last known home of the Ancients

The Romans' Journey Chapter - NWGuide Database of Lore

Images

Comments