D
Drifter
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Original poster
Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin, and the god of war himself. Their uncle Amulius was a paranoid tyrant who ruled the lands of Alba Longa with an iron fist. He came to fear that the rambunctious infants might one day grow to challenge his authority, so he sent guards to snatch them from their own mother and drown them in the river Tiber. Fortunately, the current of the great river was swift enough to carry them from harm and they drifted along until reaching a bank a few miles out. There, a she-wolf nursed them for the interim until a kind-hearted shepherd, Faustulus, took the boys home to his barren wife and the pair raised them as their own.
For years, the twins knew nothing of their royal and divine heritage. Yet even at such a young age, everyone noticed they were different. They excelled at the art of combat and they walked among men three times their age with a sense of authority. Mars appeared to both of them in a dream and revealed that they were not only demigods, but princes in their own right. They heard the call to arms and set out to slay their malicious uncle, freeing Alba Longa from his nightmarish rule. Neither brother wanted to rule the lands so they allowed the people to govern themselves in whatever way seemed appropriate. Romulus and Remus sought a much larger prize.
They intended to found a city on their own. The brothers searched far and wide and came across seven mighty hills which would become the cornerstone of their undertaking. Brothers, however close, have an incredible talent for bickering over the smallest of details. Romulus declared that he would break ground on Palatine Hill, while Remus preferred a spot upon Aventine Hill. They argued among themselves for what seemed like ages, neither willing to yield to the other's impassioned speeches. In the end, they decided to settle it in the way they knew best. The twins were to duel. The battle was masterfully fought, by Romulus with vigor and strength and by Remus with speed and cunning. In the end, Remus emerged the victor, allowing his brother to stand after his defeat. Romulus was a prideful warrior and he imposed a self-exile rather than to be reminded of his loss day after day in the new city.
And so the city of Remanus was founded atop the Aventine Hill. When Remus and a group of soldiers and builders loyal to him decided to finally begin construction, they soon discovered that Aventine was situated above a portal to the underworld itself. Unwittingly, Remus had unleashed the horrors and mysteries of the abyssal world below once more. Those powerful beasts established two curses on the land. One fell on Remus and his line, which was to never rest a single night so long as monsters roamed the earth. The other fell on Romulus' numerous brood, which was to give in to animalistic anger and transform into a beast each night.
The year is now 44 BC and Julius Caesar has been killed by the very man who now reigns as Roman Emperor, Brutus. Humans and the creatures of darkness once confined to the underworld have lived in conflict for centuries, often dragging the mythic creatures of the light into their skirmishes. Cyclopes, minotaurs, demons, lamia, and unnamed chthonic abominations roam the land, while fauns, nymphs, and other noble races struggle to exist between both worlds.
This is where our story begins. Under Caesar's reign, Remanus expanded far beyond its already extensive borders. The crafty emperor had bargained with Cleopatra in an inspired move that left Egypt in his clutches once the young woman killed herself. Now, the empire's resources are spread thin and people on the borders, as well as in the city proper, are in a time of turmoil. Egypt's inclusion has brought with it many strange rumors of unheard of monsters as well as new religions, and the restless population is on edge with each new yarn that's spun. Humans and the fantastic creatures whom they live alongside are tentatively working to form a world in which they can coexist, but threats to that peace come from all sides. Prejudice from within. Mistrust from the border states. Not to mention an entire country to the west that was established by the cursed descendant of Romulus and headed by a particularly vengeful infelix, or cursed shapeshifter.
And where does that leave you? Well, as romantic as it may sound, you're squarely in the middle of it all. Guard duty. The empire is so spread thin that it is turning to untrained and unqualified citizens who are willing to volunteer their time and bodies to serve. These small pockets of guardians, citizens mixed in with low-ranking soldiers and washed-up heroes of the old regime, are all of what most people see of governmental tampering nowadays, and many of them end up running odd jobs for the people they serve rather than fighting in the front lines. You fight monsters that are killing flocks. You escort citizens. You're glorified babysitters. But maybe, just maybe, one of these tasks will carry you away from your dingy outpost and into the heart of the action.
Or you could die out here, alone and probably of plague.
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