Gothic

Gaius noted the tone and guessed from his behaviour that he was dealing with a slave. It did not bother him. In fact, it was merely an opportunity to speak to someone outside the norm and if he happened to hear some juicy gossip. Well, that was hardly his fault! His eyes lit up when Teutus agreed to speak with him. "Oh, that is excellent," He said, clasped his hands together in acceptance, and leaned against the walking stick to support his weight in order to give his body a temporary rest from work. Gaius turned in mock frustration to look back towards Pavo. "At least someone is happy to speak with me." Gaius snapped at Pavo who had the grace to look embarrassed. It was part of the banter between Dominus and slave. Pavo would complain and Gaius would respond in jest at whatever it was. There was always a chance that it could be shocking for a newcomer to seeing their interaction with each other. "Tell me, who are you? Do you have a moment to speak?" He asked, his tone still friendly and retained the one associated when dealing with slaves. The last thing he wanted was for Teutus to get in trouble or to lose coin by not conducting himself properly. @Sharpie

As expected, Quintus arrived with many of the other the other Senators and made his way into the building. It was a place he had been born to serve in and through merit (and connections) he was able to rise through the ranks. He walked alongside his brother-in-law and gave him a discreet nudge with his elbow. Quintus looked around to see who was present, who had yet to arrive, and most importantly who was missing from the Senate meeting. He was not above gossip, and looked forward to speaking to Appius when they were alone about what event had taken place. There were many ghosts from the past that were not there, and by rights, they should have been there if the civil war had not seized the lives of so many men. He gave a few of his close associates nods of greeting, murmured to a couple and otherwise he was able to find his place readily. He himself had been at risk of death on several occasions, and had learned a great deal during those dangerous times. Allies were found in strange places. Having served as Consul in years past, it permitted hit to sit alongside the men closer to the front and comfortably he took up his position. Once he was seated he relaxed and waited to see who else would arrive, and who would be pointedly absent from the hearing.

The AeRonian Issue six 2019 Better late than never, eh? Character Spotlight! Helenus played by Atrice! Helenus is a cheeky bath slave and has stolen clothes in the past. Check him out! Hit Atrice up if you want to thread with him. Got a character you would like to nominate and why? PM me with it. (No I don't just want PMs.... okay, I do ) Senate in motion! Come and check out the different Senate factions here and add yourself to where your character aligns. The Senate thread is currently in motion and is open to members of the Senate only. Please reply and get the Senate rolling with us! This is a bit of a tester to see how we're going to be doing things in the future. Also give the Senate procedure thread a look. Lemuria! Roman Halloween! It is currently in motion here. Everyone is more than welcome to take part with the celebrations. Maybe your character will something or someone spooky? Check out the information if you need some information about what the event is. Events Organisation! The most recent event will be on the left with two other categories. Current events are other events from this year and Old Events are ones from last year. Feel free to participate in both although keep in mind that time has moved on since then. Got a site event you would like to see? Post it here and who knows, it may appear! What is coming? We hope to get the gangs and the gladiators in motion. There is a clubs system with the software that would be excellent for this. Hopefully in a later issue you will see this being perfected and released into the community. Time change? It is happening on the sixth of this month. Be on the look out and remember to timestamp your threads accordingly. Skins and themes, oh my! A new theme is currently in the works and I have been listening to your feedback here. If you haven't already. Come and vote here, feel free to leave a comment.

There were many spirits he hoped would be present. He hoped his parents would be proud of the achievements made by his family, and especially him. Octavius was not sure whether his parents would be tending to Quintus or if they had gone with him. Or whether they remained here. Either way, he wanted to conduct the ritual. His Parentes and Lares, ancestral spirits would guide and protect him throughout the ritual. The Genius, the household god of manly virtue and symbolised by a snake. He prayed and made offers of sacred bread to the figures. Thus far, the lemures or wicked spirits had been driven from their dwellings and the home. Octavius did not consider himself to be an overly superstitious man, he walked around the family home and made sure he went into every room. Every corner. No place within the home would go without. There were many times when he witnessed other people carrying out this sacred duty. Always there was an elder brother within the family home who had the authority to do the ritual. Whether it was Quintus or Jullus in the past, his father before the Gods had taken him, and now it was left to him to conduct the sacred right. It was a further reminder of the role he now played within the family, and within Rome, herself. Octavius wore a tunica without a belt nor rope to hold it in place. He threw the beans, recited the sacred lines, and held his hand in the mano fico position. The lines were repeated as he walked through the expansive and mostly silent home during the darkness of night. The hallways were lit and light shone from the braziers. “Haec ego mitto, his redimo meque meosque fabis." ((These I cast; with these beans, I redeem me and mine!)) He called out into the darkness, force behind his voice and he wondered how much this ritual would work. Like the state religion, it was important to do your duty to the Gods and ensure they were well treated. He reached out his hand and waited for the gong to be placed it in so he could continue the ritual. The household slaves and every member of the family present were aware already. Each of them would participate in the event. Octavius Minor and Valeriana both stood, wiped the sleep from their eyes and waited. Slowly but surely daylight had begun to form. There were no signs that the ritual had failed nor gone astray. https://www.ancient.eu/article/34/roman-household-spirits-manes-panes-and-lares/ @Sharpie @Dev Plus anyone else involved in the family is welcome to come.

Her mother was all of those things. Soft, gentle, loving and an utter fool. Happiness did not matter to Corinthia. What was important was to build alliances in order to protect herself (and her mother) from people who would wish to take advantage. She kept these thoughts under wraps and politely smiled in response, she shrugged in sincere surprise as to why none of them remained. Of course, it was difficult to marry someone when they had been killed.... Corinthia wondered how often Seia had been invited to any functions by society. Not that Corinthia considered her mother to be anyone of particular note, but still. It was a sign of the dangerous nature of Rome, any false move and it could mean that she could be in the same position Seia was in. Or worse. She was determined never to let it happen, no matter the cost. "Aw, that is good." She added, no doubt Gaia will flail around in excitement and be more than happy to know that Seia would be on her way to visit her. And then Corinthia would have to listen to how happy and how grateful her mother was. Corinthia was terrified of the thought of having children. The thought of something growing inside her, changing her body, and possibly holding the power of love over her was utterly terrifying. She wanted to always be the Mistress of herself. However, it was necessary. A Roman woman was dependent on the amount of children she brought into the society. Still, it did not make it a pleasant thought. The good man? Either he was an opportunist or a fool, however, the gamble he played won in the end. She wrinkled her nose at the mention of horses. The smell, the fact they were beasts, and she was more than a little scared of them. "Horses? That is..... not something I would expect," She answered, a strained smile as she tried her hardest to be polite. "Your horses are in the race today?" She asked, surely it would help to bring them in some level of coin. @Renna

She waited patiently while Volusa dressed her in the veil and once she was finished. She stretched upwards as the other two slaves continued to deal with her hair and cosmetics. The finishing touches were made and she looked at her reflection, smiled in approval and moved a stray curl to the side. She lifted each foot at a time when the slaves dressed her in soft lambskin sandals adorned with jewels, they were secured and she looked over at each of the necklaces. Her hand reached out and trailed over the surface of them in admiration. She needed to keep in mind what would be suitable for both of the different veils. Her gaze moved from one to the other. Finally she made her decision about what she would wear. "The gold set, Volusa." She answered, they may not be her most ornate pieces yet they were still beautiful. Claudia waited for the necklace to be draped around her neck. Her hand reached out to take the bangles to adorn her wrists and arms. Once her outfit was complete she took another look at her reflection in the mirror, admiring herself and smiled in satisfaction. In the background the other slaves continued to prepare the items and clean the room for when their Domina would return. "First we will be visiting the temples," She said and walked from the room with Volusa behind her. "Where is Cynane?" She asked, the female bodyguard was a common sight for her and would protect her in spaces where the praetorian guard could not follow her. Claudia looked around the entrance room to her quarters. She was nowhere to be seen. "She will also be attending me." @Sharpie

Princeps Senatus: Titus Caecilius Faustinus (NPC) Senate Meeting. July 74CE. The Princeps Senatus was already in place, the eldest member of the body of men who would open and close every Senate meeting. His position did not hold imperium yet it held considerable respect and authority within the Senate. Titus, did not have a single scandal to his name and carried great amounts of dignitas. The two new Consuls; Marcus Aemilius Scaurus Alexander and Marcus Valerius Maximus (NPC) were both going to be introduced to the community. Both of them were connected to Caesar through blood or marriage. One could only guess if Caesar or his heirs would be making an appearance today. The Rectangular building had the elder or men who had been in positions of note closest to the bottom, while the younger men or those who had not yet served in the upper tiers had to stand at the back to wait their turn. The Senators of the divine body began to gather, take their seats while the wise, old Princeps Senatus... a man who had seen many different and chaotic events in Rome waited. The role had been returned, a gift from Caesar to the Senate and to the people of Rome. He waited for the men to take their seats for the meeting. What would be discussed this fine day? OOC: Okay everyone, this is a test run for the Senate threads and organising how we are going to use them in the future. Please read the thread about the two political factions. This is the perfect time to make a Senator character to join in on the fun. The first round of posts will be the arrivals of the different Senators, then we will get into discussion and finally the thread will be wrapped. The Newsreader will report the findings of the Senate, so be sure to look out for that. All Senators are expected to attend.

That could definitely work. Caecina's stepmother is Flavia Juliana who is Octavius' and Quintus Caesar's niece. I'm totally up for a thread between the three of them.

Hello Liv and welcome to AeRo! I also love traveling, eating and wrestling with my cat. Looking forward to threading with you and getting to know you.

Your application has been accepted. Please make sure to update your necessary claims and feel free to make your plotter.

Wine. But I don't really like either. Chicken or steak?

Your application has been accepted. Please make sure to update your necessary claims and feel free to make your plotter.

Chocolate or dark chocolate.

1st May 74CE Thus far, the dead had never bothered him when it came to dealing with his business. His ancestral spirits must have been pleased with him for the work he had done. He was a good father to his girls, he treated his slaves well and did not deny them their holy days. His parents passed away, as did not of his siblings except for a brother who was off serving in the legion somewhere and Gaius was sure he would not even recognise him. He awoke in the darkness and stretched, cleansed his nude body with clean water and dressed with only a tunica. He yawned in the darkness and walked towards the Lares. The household figures who were represented by well-worn wooden figurines. Gaius prayed to them for protection, guidance and a chance to ensure his family would be protected during this time. He hoped none of the spirits within the walls of his home would be harmful or hostile towards them. Gaius' tunica was loose and without a belt, his feet were bare, and he placed nine beans in his mouth. One at a time. As he walked around the domus, he spat them out one by once with his thumb between his forefinger and middle finger in the mano fico and recited the ancient words meant to drive away the wicked spirits. “Haec ego mitto, his redimo meque meosque fabis." ((These I cast; with these beans, I redeem me and mine!)) He called out and wondered if the spirits really did follow the beans as they were thrown away. They must have for no wicked spirits remained in the family home. It was repeated nine times as he waked around the home and imagined foreign spirits now being forced to vacate the home. He then washed his hands in clean water then walked back and forth throughout the home. Lastly he lifted up a gong and struck it and allowed the noise to move through the home. Nine times he shouted. “Manes, exi paterni!" ((Ancestral spirits, depart!)) Sunlight began to creep up over the horizon. @Gil @AzraelGrim

Corinthia smiled softly. She noted that the compliment was not given before her mother's name was mentioned. She had to wonder how truthful they were and it seemed that Seia was on good terms with her mother. She watched as Seia sat back down again and spoke about their relationship in the past. Corinthia thought more of the past and the greater events that started everything. Corinthia needed to learn more about what had taken place. "I don't see my mother wishing to shun you. It is not in her nature," She answered, and it was true. Gaia wanted to be friends with everyone and wanted nothing more than to be on good terms with people. Why they had not seen each other since? Corinthia had no idea. She gestured casually in response that it was okay. "All in the past now," Corinthia answered, slowly and surely she was learning how to fit in and blend in with people. "She is well, there have been a few marriage proposals that have fallen through," She answered, innocently enough and had found methods of removing these foul opportunists away from her mother. A wealthy widow could still gain a considerable amount of suitors who would appreciate the connections. Not that marriage ever stopped Gaia from taking lovers of her own. However a few 'surprises' meant that her mother's behaviour was greatly reduced. "I know she would love to see you again. Perhaps you could visit the family villa outside Rome?" Corinthia suggested, clicked her fingertips sharply and soon had a goblet of wine placed in it. She sipped the wine and another was offered to Seia. "And tell me about yourself. You have had quite the adventure throughout the years." She said, her dark eyes studied Seia's face and waited to see if she would be willing to or not. @Renna

That's an awesome and handy map for RL Rome. I have been thinking about getting this for my birthday to put on my wall. https://www.unrv.com/roman-empire-map.php

"Anywhere too posh and fancy. Too many rules and chances I could mess it up." What is your favourite meal?

She saw the golden chain and wondered why the sudden display of wealth. The chain and pendant were both admittedly quite pretty. Perhaps she had been wealthy at one point? What happened for her to lose that wealth? Wealth and power. Those were the only two ways for Corinthia to survive. The thought of falling from her position of wealth was unbearable. She would die. That dimwitted mother of hers would die. Everything she worked for would go down in ashes and dust. Corinthia did not comment on it. The name was certainly familiar. She remembered her mother speaking it when she was a child. Her mother, despite all odds, had friends who she would speak to and enjoy. Her eyebrows lifted in recognition of the name. Seia was Titus Imperios Acuelo Gurges' wife and had apparently married an Equite afterwards. Her long-fingered hand reached out and gently took Seia's arm, "Wait," She said, her eyes creased as she smiled, "You are mistaken on both counts. We have been introduced when I was a little girl and do stay. I believe you know my mother." Corinthia added, she overheard someone once say she inherited her mother's beauty and her father's malice. Something her mother had taken a great deal of time to conceal and encourage kindness. Why should she be kind when so many people would be happy to see her perish? All for their own gain? "Claudia Gaia," She added, just in case Seia did not see the family resemblance and waited to see what the reaction would be. When her mother's name was brought up among some of the noble girls of Rome, they would giggle in amusement and whisper about her mother's former slave status. @Renna

Octavius rarely, if ever, lost his temper with anyone. He did not like being hot tempered like some sort of eastern despot and was not happy with the way he had behaved. The response back was appropriate and reached out to give Rufus' shoulder a gentle squeeze of encouragement and gratitude. He did not know of the thoughts of assistance that Rufus had about possible methods of tending to the old scar. He removed it. Too much affection for a slave encouraged bad behaviour and spoiling them. Much like a child, kindness and consideration was needed yet firm discipline was also needed. A change of subject was in order. Perhaps when the pair of them had built up a rapport it would be easier for them both to speak more freely with each other. His earliest body slave was much older, more like a father figure towards him and ensured that he was safe during his younger years. A lot of the slaves who were close ended up becoming freed although not every single slave earned that honour. He was torn for a moment. It was Rufus' concern to ensure his Dominus was in good health. It was part of being a good body slave. "You will ensure that there is a coal brazier lit in this study, and this room only, either in the earliest hours of the morning. It eases throughout the day. " He said, there was no point heating the whole home during the daytime when it was so hot. @Sharpie

Lemuria Information Lemuria was the festival to remove evil spirits from the home on the 9th, 11th, and the 13th of May. By M. Horatius Piscinus at Patheos. Read the additional information threads for more information on the festival. Note: The month of May was viewed negatively for marriages. Thread Advice Each family is more than welcome to have their own thread to represent their household. Be sure to tag who's household it is, etc. There will not be an official thread for this so post however you see fit. Additional Information Lemuria (wiki) Lemuria (ThoughtCo) Lemuria (Patheos) Lemuria (enacademic) This event was suggest by @Sharpie

Flavian Colosseum, Porticus Liviae, Regio - Palatium area, Circus Maximus.

Claudia watched as both of the veils were draped across her. Both were absolutely beautiful, elegant and expensive. She smiled as her gaze moved from one to the other in excitement at the choice offered before her, there was a pause and she laughed to herself. "The choice has not been made easier, Volusa!" She exclaimed with happiness, then gestured with her hand for Volusa to approach so she could feel the softness of the fabric with her fingertips. Meanwhile, the other two slaves moved when their Domina did and finished up her hair, cosmetics and now all that remained was the veil, sandals and the jewelry. She felt the fabric of one and then the other. "I will go with the apple green one for the day time and the other one for night time," She said, that meant that the slaves would need to carry the items with them and ensure they stayed safe. The princess rose from her seat and waited for Volusa to drape it around her. "Bring out both sets of jewelry," She said, wanted to compare the items and then paused to think about what sandals would be suitable. Claudia waited and added, "and the sandals, too." @Sharpie

Okay, feel free to start the thread and I shall reply.

I am totally up for a threeway thread with @AzraelGrim if she is up for it. Caius deals with more random gossip around the lower classes. He is also no nonsense, blue collar type so it would be interesting to see how he would react to her. With Quintus, I think that would be interesting. Especially how she is a social climber and it would be good to see them interact. Do you have any preference?

She had watched the woman approach her. Her dark eyes did not miss much and slowly, she fanned herself and glanced towards her when she heard Seia's voice. Corinthia had been in the social circle for some time now yet she did not recognise this woman. There was something familiar about her. Perhaps during her childhood or her youth she saw her sometime? It was hard to tell. Her gaze moved down to observe Seia's clothing. It was not grand and nor was it shabby either. Still, she was here with a purpose and was determined to see it through to the end. "Salve, I do not." Corinthia answered tersely. Slowly but surely, she was beginning to learn that a bit of sugar would assist her in getting what she wanted and aided in hiding her nature from others. It seemed her mother taught her something at least. She smiled, lowered the peacock feathered fan and looked towards Seia. "I do not believe we have been introduced to each other. I am Claudia Corinthia," She answered, her chin raised a little at the mention of her name. It was the connection to her father that was the most important. Her slave mother had used her beauty. "And who, may I ask, are you?" Corinthia asked. Deep down she did not particularly care. However, she had the nagging feeling that she had seen her before and wanted to know from here. @Renna