Letters to Aequium

[Temp 2006]

A three masted Velian tradeship from the west encroaches upon the colony of Aquium. It makes port, lingers for roughly three days and then makes its way back out to sea, departing in the distant mists. It’d leave behind many family documents, letters, several empty crates and most importantly, a missive from Velia which would read as follows:


Sons of Velia, we hope Aequium goes well. We have read of this Terra Pravum and hope that you’ve not forgotten your true purpose in these distant lands. The peoples of Velia have needs we must ask of you.

Firstly, the mouths to be fed are many. We ask of you enough grain to feed the garrison for six months time. The details of which, we will leave within the crates for this.

Second, we request a dozen of these foreign horses. We wish to see what this land provides in the way of sport and utility.

Third, an exotic beast for the arena. The land is ripe with all manner of beast, surely you can manage to outsmart one or two of them.

Finally, The sons of Mechinum have made a rather foolish move in the most recent forum. There are but a dozen of these men left, to evade the bulk of details. We shall present to you an issue and you are expected to develop an answer, the means of production and no less than three working examples. For this, we will provide set resources in which you may trade with the locals to fund the endeavors.

Do not disappoint.


The extras: These are simply passive ambient events that have occured in Velia.

Red Dye continues to be cheap and easy to produce but green dyes have begun to see a decline in cost of production. Much of the lower-class fashion has shifted to reflect this.

War on the northern front continues! The peoples of Nauris see staggering losses with each conflict but do not yield. Much of the fighting has shifted to open fields and casualties are mounting.

Chain as fashion? Men of elevated status have begun to wear chain tunics alongside their daily garb. Rumors suggest petty family disputes have brought about this strange trend.

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 15456]

Commodus makes plans to try and sell Velians bears for them to make the servii fight.

[sandey0000 216]

Marcus Flavius reads a letter from his family, a tear is shed as he reads his elder brother died in battle

[Zarsies 6795]

Seated upon a finely crafted yet plain chair is a dear lad of the Aequium colony, a  particularly brawny youth of Velian make and forge-tending build. The boy-turned-man was nested in his own craft and labor, recently blown collections of vases, bottles, flasks, sheets, and all manner of glass littering his forge. He laid out a large parchment – something he assuredly intended to cut rather than fill – and produced a quill wet with a mixture of ink and anchovy oil, his makeshift writing desk prepared with a wrapped package beside him with gifts and goods for the homeland. He inhaled long and hard as he took in the salty sea air drifting in from the waters over the walls of the colony, something that reminded him he was not home, but ‘home’. The man began his letter home as such;

 

“Percarus avus,

 

Terra Pravum is indeed what it sounds, torturous and corrupt.

 

There are feral Men who live in huts and speak to flames, Men who are enraptured and confused by their own governments, and Men who are so dim and dull the rumors must be true; they eat dirt. There are knife-ears who pontificate without power from atop pearly towers, knife-ears who roost in the canopy of elder trees, knife-ears who, black as night and wicked as sin, hide in caves from the sun. There are all manner of creatures and beasts and things which roam, some beasts regarded as Men and others which seem as Men yet are beasts. This place is haunted by wickedness and sick with poison.

 

Yet, avus, Terra Pravum is an enigma. 

 

This place defies itself with compassion, sweetness, small comforts like what is at home, and gentleness. There are families with bonds as tight as our own, small throngs – small – with hearts of gold, and people of decency too. They must congregate upon leylines for I have no mind to find them accurately; they are disguised in all forms, be they Men, knife-ears, or even beasts.

 

Is this hope or is this sickness?

 

So too, avus, am I afraid.

 

I have delved into matters far beyond myself and my own, more than what I could have ever imagined, and the strangeness of it all cannot be described. As I write this I hunger so as I have hungered always yet more. For more, for garum and wine and bread and grapes and all things meat and flesh. I eat for two, some days even three! Four! I know what fuels this hunger and in turn what this hunger fuels but I have decided to live with it and make the best of what I have been offered. I think you know of what I speak, dear avus, perhaps I am your prodigy with herbs and plant or perhaps I am a shame upon the family for having not fought harder. Whatever my fate, I grieve for myself nonetheless. As I speak the strangeness of this land is creeping up by spine and tickling at my thoughts. I feel it against my skin, coarse like lion fur yet dense and of some fluff like a fine down pillow running up my spine to raise the hair upon my neck. I feel the weight of my veins on my skin and I sense every heartbeat and every twitch of what lifeblood moves within. What these mean I do not know but I will make the best of it.

 

But, avus, I am reminded of home. Of beauty. Of grace. I mean to send the same reminder back but of I and with what spoils I have managed to collect. Inside this package I have enclosed my best work yet, intricate little glass animals, and a good many bars and coins of sparkling gold and precious metals and stones I have come across.

 

I love you, avus. Give my regards to avia, I miss her so. Give my regards to mater and pater, I weep away what nights I am haunted by them but too live in the day in their memory.

 

-nepos Nero”

 

A few fleeting tears trickled off the man’s face as he finished writing and read what he had penned, quiet as he smiled. He cut the parchment to size with clean forging scissors and a knife and tucked it into the wrapping of the package to be sent away. He carried it to the boat, paid what he needed, and sent the goods home.

[ScreamingDingo 20568]

 

 

 

The bustle of the colony would be heard all around as the trade-ships would land in the small port. Materials and builders flowing out of the landed ships, with bundles of mail and such in tow with other possessions. News of the homeland came to them and Julius cherished it, a man of animal talents sprung into action as soon as he heard the mainland needed horses.

 

A few hours later, a group of studs would be escorted onto the remaining trade-ships. An assortment of coats and strange features native to Atlas were present, as they’d be loaded onto the ships. With that, a message would be given to the sailors by Julius and he’d head back into the colony.

 

 

“

 

Whomever shall receive,

I write as a servant to the mainland to tell you the completion of your requests. These group of horses should be ample for the ongoing races, for I am wishing to start my own track when the facilities have been granted. The land is strange and ample to abuse the idiocy of those within Terra Pravum. Once the tracks are established, I shall send a tithe back to the mainland with the exploits of these lands. Though, a storm surges forth so I may not get time to truly open the racetracks for these people.

 

They are strange and curious beyond belief. Do make good of the horses, I await for further orders of acquisition.

 

 

- Julius

 

“

 

 

 

[Callistus 988]

 

Meanwhile the young Avitus, a naive, nefarious Velian who diligently practices thievery huddled what was left of the stolen Dominionette food from the not-so-watchful eye of a dormant old woman, snoring vapour into her tightly folded arms with a shawl draped over her sagging shoulders. Bottles of milk and sacks of meat and fruit alike were dumped straight into his makeshift bag with which he'd strive to make off with; hoping to serve and benefit his prized homeland.