Gades, 710 AD

New Campaign, new party.  

Present:

• Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane

By Andrew

650 AD (60 years ago)

Duchy of Baetica, southern Spain, 710 AD

Background

It is 710* AD.

Even before the Roman Empire finally collapsed 240 years ago (476* AD), Roman Hispania (modern day Spain) was already occupied by foreign invaders: Vandals (from the area of modern day Germany), Suebi (Holland), and Alans (Iran). The final collapse brought in a new wave of Visigoths (from Germany, Austria and Romania) who took central and southern Hispania absorbing the Vandals and Alans, and pushed the Suebi west into modern day Portugal.

Then 150 years ago, the Byzantine empire, from Constantinople (Western Roman Empire), under Justinian I,  invaded southern Hispania and carved out a good chunk, including Baetica and Gades.

Since then, the Visigoths have expanded and absorbed the Suebi (killing anyone important), and they pushed out the Byzantines 85 years ago. Today, the Visigoths control 95% of Hispania, apart from some splitters up north: the Asturian Kingdom and the Basques.

* = Technically, we should be using the Spanish Era for dating. That epoch starts at 38 BC, so if you want to be pedantic, add 38 to all AD years to get the Spanish era year. 710 AD would be 748 SE.

Religion

Religion is a major part of everyone’s life and very important. No one is an atheist, but being the wrong religion can get you killed.

• Nicene christianity (40%)
• Arian christianity (40%)
• Judaism (10%)
• Roman polytheism (5%)
• Pagan and other (5%)

Nicene and Arian Christianity are still jostling for supremacy. Nicene Catholics believe in the Trinity, whereas the Arians believe that Jesus is a separate entity created by God (albeit before Time began).

(“Arian” is nothing to do with “Aryan”, the people of Indo-Iran, and the darlings of Nazis)

The Church of Rome has been Nicene since 380 AD, and it has declared Arianism a heresy, but the Arians still hold their own in Hispania. In Gades, there are an equal number of churches and both versions have a grudging tolerance for each other. The Dux of Gades, Arvandas, is Arian.

Since 708 AD, the current Pope has been Constantine I (not to be confused with Constantine the Great, which Constantinople was named after.) The previous Pope, Sisinnius, lasted only 20 days and died (58) of gout, and before that was John VII 705-707 (who died peacefully at 57).

More History

Justinian II “slit-nose” has been the emperor of Constantinople since 705 AD - his second turn as Byzantine Emperor. His first reign, from 685 to 695, ended when he was deposed, had his nose cut off (hence “slit-nose”), and then exiled to Crimea. But he got a prosthetic gold nose, amassed an army, and retook Constantinople in 705.

Aside: Maiming (amputating nose, eyes, tongue, ears, and/or balls/breasts) was a common Byzantine tradition and was used to exclude an individual from holding any office. Justinian II was the first to defy this tradition.

Islam started 88 years ago (622 AD) and Muhammed died 78 years ago. Thus began Moslem expansion. First came the Rashidun Caliphate, and this was followed by the Ummayad Caliphate which conquered all of the Middle East and all of the lands south of the Mediterranean, including the Maghreb (Morocco) across the (Gibraltar) straits whom they recently took from the Byzantines.

To the North of Hispania is the Kingdom of the Franks. It is nominally run by Childebert III (“the Just”), but the real power is in the hands of Pepin II (father of Charles Martel and future great grandfather of Charlemagne).

City of Gades (modern day Cadiz)

In Gades 

Ancient Gades (pronounced "GAH-dees", and does not rhyme with "Hades") started off as a Phoenician settlement, then in Roman times Gades became a city. 

Part of the city is an island called Erytheia. This is allegedly where Hercules did his tenth labour, where he killed the three-bodied (sic) giant Geryon and stole his cattle. Near to here is another island called Geryon's Sepulchre to mark the spot where the giant died.

In 710 AD, Gades had a population of 7700, eight churches (four Arian and four Nicene) and 12 inns.

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Aulius [Jamie]

Party Background

Luigi [Chris]

Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter was born in Carthagena, (duchy east of Baetica), to a family of Romano-Spanish traders who specialised in wine. Aulius Lucius holds on to the old ways, by Jove (Roman Polytheism), a heresy if ever discovered. He has served with the town garrison as a Primus Pilus or Subaltern, and he has his own horse. Aulius went on leave from the militia when his distant family friend Luigi arrived in Gades from Ravenna.

Elia [Richard]

Born in Ravenna, Luigi Abundus Bertolini was one of five brothers to a wealthy cloth merchant. His older brother is an up-and-coming Priest in Rome, and two other brothers are taking over their father's trade. Matthew and the remaining brother chose the monastic life. Luigi tired of it, and decided to go to the Pagan frontier, Hispania, to convert Pagans to Christianity. He is currently making his way to Africa. He has strong faith that God will protect him and provide for him. He can read and write, and carries a large copy of the bible with him. He is pious and humble, but considers the killing of pagans and heretics a distasteful but necessary act, if they can not, or will not, convert to Nicene Catholicism.

"Mamma Mia! What a mistake-a to make-a."

Luigi's job at the Monastery for the previous five years was a beekeeper and brewing up fine honey mead. He extols the healthy properties of both honey and honey mead.    

Victor [Ian]

En route to Gades, Luigi's entourage was attacked by Basque pagans and he was kidnapped. But he managed to convince his captors to ransom him, and one was sent with him to Gades to collect the reward. This was a barbarian girl called Elia Ildaria from Gasteiz. But during the trip south, Luigi's good nature endeared him to her and they became friends.

"Mamma Mia!" exclaimed Luigi. "Un'ingenua barbara pagana basca as a friend? Who would-a have thought-a?"

Merkel [Kevin]

Victor Koshenko, an Alan pikey and Merkel, a Vandal, were natives to Gades. Victor was a petty thief and fighter Merkel was his bully-boy muscle. Neither was the sharpest knife in the drawer [ MND 7 ] and they worked for a syndicate called the Crows run by Lucius Brutus, head of the Slaver's Guild. 

Abellinut [Jeff]

They both had a few run-ins with the militia, and thus Owl knew them well. But Victor's slack-jawed pikey wit and Merkel's vacant stare brought much amusement to Owl, so they became drinking buddies and often frequented the seedy taverns by the docks. 

Vanker [Shane]

Lucius had dealings with Moor smugglers who brought in African wines and Berber cold-pressed olive oil to bypass Gades taxes. Victor and Merkel were often called in to help for these jobs. Two of the smugglers Victor knew well were Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, a Moor from Septum across the (Gibraltar) strait, and Able's loyal Vandal rogue Vanker Polyester, another blunt knife in the drawer. 

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First Mission

Brother Luigi reported in to the one of the highest-ranked Nicene priests of Gades, Father Valerius who was based in Nuestra Sagrada Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro (N3, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour). Valerius found space for Luigi and Elia; separate quarters of course!

A few days later, the priest's acolyte, Felix and Nun Sister Justina had an errand for Luigi "to test his faith". There had been reports from down the causeway of heretics, and the Dux's town guard were not interested. So could he go investigate?

So, Luigi collected Elia  and Owl, who summoned his other acquaintances Victor, Merkel, Able and Vanker, and they all headed down the roman road.

There was a Christian shrine off the road. A woman in white robes was kneeling and incanting next to the stone cross. There were eight men milling around guarding her. She was concentrating so much that she did not acknowledge the party. 

Elia tried to plea with her but she heard nothing, so then Elia tried to convince one of the followers to take her to the kneeling woman. The man grudgingly agreed, and started to guide Elia forward, until another one of the followers stabbed Elia. So, then everyone went in, and a fight started.

Daphne of the Light

The men were not very good fighters and the group dropped four of them. The rest surrendered. Then the party shoved the kneeling woman out of her reverie. 

She called herself Daphne and was a nature-worshipper i.e. a pagan. She was trying to conduct a spell on the consecrated ground of the shrine. So she was rather pissed off and sulky that it had been ruined.

The party robbed her and her wounded men, then sent them on their way.

"You haven't heard the last of me."