'Lets see what we have here...'
Alone in his room, Nolan sat on a chair near his desk, surrounded by various writing materials and ink. Beside him, another table held a collection of scribes and scrolls that had been summoned by Cicero. However, Nolan decided to prioritize examining Polyphetes' collection first, as it was claimed to contain potentially crucial information about his opponents and the state of the armies.
As he delved into the report, the records from Polybius were nothing short of harrowing. They shed more light on the life of his grandfather in this world, Emperor Verilian I. Hailed as the restorer of the Marcellus Dynasty and the deposer of Emperor Titus II. Verilian I initially rose to power with the influential support of the Patricians - the Nobles. He also skillfully used his popularity among the public to further his cause.
However, following his formal coronation, Verilian I took a sharp turn. He turned his back on the very Patricians who had supported him and his reign became marked by the popularization of the idea of "proscriptions", and the details of how Verilian I carried out these brutal acts were truly terrifying to read.
The proscriptions were a terrifying method used to eliminate one's enemies. The names of those targeted were written on a list published in front of the grand courthouse, known to most as the senate. If your name appeared on this list, your property and wealth were immediately confiscated by the state. Moreover, rewards were offered for the heads of those proscribed, effectively making state-approved murders.
When the lists were published by Verilian I, four days after his coronation, the gates and all the other exits from the city, the harbor, the marshes, the pools, and every other place that was suspected as adapted to flight or concealment, were occupied by soldiers; the knights were charged to scour the surrounding country. All these things took place simultaneously.
Straightway, throughout city and country, wherever each one happened to be found, there were sudden arrests and murder in various forms, and decapitations for the sake of the rewards.
People turned on their loved ones and masters, either from some concealed hatred, or in order to obtain the published rewards, or to possess themselves of the gold and silver in their masters' houses. For these reasons each one became treacherous to the household, preferring his own gain to compassion for his loved one. Those who were faithful and well-disposed were still fearful of aiding, or concealing, or connive at the escape of the victims, because such acts made them liable to the very same punishments.
Three days later, there seemed to be no more proscriptions, but certain persons were arrested unexpectedly, and as all feared similar treatment all sheltered each other. After the proscriptions some immediately became the betrayers of all. Others, being free from danger themselves and eager for gain, became hunting dogs for the army for the sake of the rewards. Of the remainder, some plundered the houses of the slain, and their private gains turned their thoughts away from the public calamities; others, more prudent and upright, were palsied with consternation.
Some died defending themselves against their slayers. Others made no resistance, considering the assailants not to blame. Some starved, or hanged, or drowned themselves, or flung themselves from their roofs or into the fire. Some offered themselves to the army or sent for them when they delayed. Others concealed themselves and made abject entreaties, or dodged, or tried to buy themselves off. Some were killed by mistake, or by private malice, contrary to the intention of the Emperor. It was evident that a corpse was not one of the proscribed if the head was still attached to it, for the heads of the proscribed were displayed on the rostra infront of the senate, where it was necessary to bring them in order to get the rewards.
Equally conspicuous were the fidelity and courage of others -- of wives, of children, of brothers, of slaves, who rescued the proscribed or planned for them in various ways, and died with them when they did not succeed. Some even killed themselves on the bodies of the slain.
Such words accompanied the legacy of his grandfather, Verilian I, the political tyrant of his generation. Despite the terror he unleashed through the proscriptions and his brutal reign, Verilian I managed to govern for many years before his eventual demise, attributed to "political fatigue." However, it is not hard to imagine that his death might not have been entirely natural.
In fact, many rumors circulate, suggesting that Verilian I met his end at the hands of his own son, Maximus the Elder. These stories argue that the dynasty's unbroken line of succeeding emperors following Verilian's death might indicate Maximus's involvement and that the other Patricians might have only tolerated Maximus's rise to power if he had orchestrated his father's demise, although there is no concrete evidence, and Maximus himself has never admitted to any involvement.
This was relevant to Nolan because it also provided a profiled backstory and a clear motivation for Julian's rebellion. Julian's father, Nikophorus, the youngest son of Verilian I, had suffered a cruel fate during the proscriptions. He was listed among the condemned and mercilessly slain in front of his own son, Julian, in their estate. The heart-wrenching scene was followed by the destruction of their home, and all their wealth was ruthlessly carted away by the soldiers.
Julian survived this horrifying encounter but was forced into a life of exile and secrecy. Betrayed by his friends and loved ones, he spent over two decades in hiding, bearing the burden of being branded an enemy of the state. However, his life took an unexpected turn when Maximus the Elder succeeded Verilian as the ruler. In a gesture of sympathy, Maximus restored Julian's titles and wealth, rescinded his status as an enemy of the state, and appointed him as the governor of a northern province.
Yet Julian's deep-seated hatred for Verilian's direct descendants clearly didn't diminish. As soon as Basilius I assumed the throne after Maximus, Julian boldly declared himself Emperor. Over the decades of exile, Julian had garnered immense popularity among the soldiers in the northern provinces, and the formidable tribes of Galba, known for their fearsome mercenaries, pledged their loyalty to him. They implored Julian to lead them in a march on the Capital, urging him to seize the throne and defy the Imperial rule. Julian, now over 50 years old, gladly accepted their petitions.
As he continued to read through the scrolls, Nolan's mind began to churn with thoughts and emotions. He couldn't help but draw parallels between the events described in the reports and the current situation he found himself in. The idea of proscriptions, which he had now learned, now took on a much darker and disturbing meaning. It made him wonder what kind of ruler he would become if he ever returned to his world and faced the same challenges as his grandfather.
But as Nolan opened another scroll written by Polyphetes, a blinding light suddenly striked him, and he found himself transported to a bizarre scene.
'W-where am I? What is this?'
He was confused but upon brief scrutiny, he quickly realized he was now in the midst of a grand banquet. The long table before him was filled with guests, and at the far end, opposite to the door, sat a man adorned in prestigious garments, clearly the center of attention. The room was filled with cheering and jubilation, and the man stood up to speak but before the man could do so, the atmosphere shifted drastically.
Suddenly, soldiers burst in while the feast was going on. Some of the guests started up in tumultuous alarm, but the knight in command ordered them to resume their places and remain quiet. Then, seizing the adorned man by the hair, just as he was, the knight drew him as far as need be across the table, cut off his head, and ordered the guests to stay where they were and make no disturbance unless they wished to suffer a like fate.
Time seemed to crawl as the guests remained stupefied and speechless, reclining by the side of the lifeless body until the darkest hours of the night. Nolan was filled with terror and dread, experiencing the horrific event unfolding just inches away from him. But as quickly as the vision had begun, he found himself back in his own chamber, bewildered and shaken.
Nolan's heart raced as he tried to make sense of the nightmarish experience. Was it a taste of the proscriptions he had been studying? Did the scroll intentionally transport him to witness such a cruel scene.
His head felt heavy as he struggled to calm himself, still recovering from the trauma of the vision. The questions and emotions swirled in his mind, haunting him as he tried to grasp the reality of what had just occurred. It was too much for him to bear, and he decided to put an end to his studies for the day.
Sleep would not come easy tonight.