Prologue

Introduction to the book. Explains the timeline, situation.

Prologue

Dead men tell no tales, so this is told for him. The patriot Cassius lay dead, his country the murderer and his companion the weapon. He died betrayed, and was sworn to live again. In reality or in spirit, the flame of Cassius was yet to die. A man is never truly dead as long as his named is breathed from lips. So shall Cassius's name be sung through time, for he was the savior of the New Roman Republic.

In the year 1916 A.F., or After Founding, the New Roman Republic was subjected to an invasion by the Roman Empire, established almost 2,000 years ago after the assassination of Julius Caesar by Cassius the Traitor. In a coup attempt during 40 B.F., or Before Founding, Gaius Cassius killed Caesar, Caesar's nephew Augustus, and one of his closest friends, Mark Antony. After the killings, Marcus Brutus, Caesar's apprentice, took the place of Dictator (some say this was the true start of the Empire, since Brutus would rule continuously until his death) and began a civil war with Gaius Cassius Longinus.

The war began with Gaius Cassius fleeing with his scant few Legions from Rome to Northern Italy. After a brief battle there, he managed to repel the superior number of Legions under Brutus long enough to escape into Gaul, where Roman rule was weaker. There, Gaius Cassius fathered a child with a new wife, since his former one had remained loyal to her brother Brutus. It was with this child that the Cassius family name truly entered into existence. When the boy was old enough, and when Gaius Cassius wasn't fighting from his new position in Gaul, Gaius told his son the meaning of his name:

“My dear boy, you are Cassius the Younger. All of your children shall bear the mark 'Cassius', and carry that name on with them forever. I did a terrible thing, yet a just thing. So it is that as long as our name exists in this cruel world, the people will never forget my view in it.”

Both Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius died in the year 20 B.F, on the same day. It was March 15 of the twentieth year since Gaius Cassius struck down Caesar and his companions. Cassius the Younger was 16 at the time, and took on the task of fighting against the Republic's Legions from Gaul. For twenty more years, Cassius the Younger fought alongside the Gauls against Rome. While the people had managed to separate from Rome for a while, their independence could not last. Superior weapons, armor, and tactics eventually lead to the routing of the main rebellion force, composed mostly of Gauls and rebel Romans. Cassius the Younger, alongside his remaining Legions, disappeared.

The son of Brutus, Julius Brutus Augustus, had little involvement with the civil war, instead leaving the job of fighting to his generals. Instead, he manipulated the Senate at home, following in his father's footsteps as an extended Dictator. Through methods that have remained under shadows, Julius convinced the Senate to follow the earlier decision to crown Caesar, only this time a different Julius was made king. Julius Brutus Augustus was crowned Emperor at the triumph ceremony for the victory of the Gauls and the rebels. So the Empire was born

The Roman Empire, over time, expanded to most of continental Europe, and presently holds some of Northern Africa as well. The Mongol Horde holds control over almost all of Asia up to the Ural Mountains to the west and the northern tip of the Korean Peninsula to the east. The Persian Empire controls the Middle East region, as well as much of southern and eastern Africa. The rest of Africa, mostly northern and middle, is ruled by the Carthaginians.

Carthage had been rebuilt, as a city, during a project to restore several Phoenician colonies, only under Roman control. In the year 760, Carthage rebelled alongside Egypt and crushed the Roman garrisons inside their claimed territories. By the year 762, Rome had suffered the greatest defeat in its entire history at the hands of Carthage and Egypt. They had no choice but to grant the two territories independence. Carthage and Egypt eventually fought a war against each other, in the year 780, and Carthage absorbed Egypt as a result. In 812, Carthage and Rome began the conflict known now as “The Great Punic War”, which is a centuries long series of small and large wars in a bid to secure Africa. Currently, in the year 1916, Carthage had lost the War, as well as almost all it territories in Western Africa. Rome extended its territory out from the far west of Africa towards the center.

The Empire, after discovering the Western Continents in the year 1098, realized it could not extend its grasp all that way. After several failed attempts at colonization, the Empire instead made truce with the tribes in the northern region. With the aid of the Empire, they became united as the Iroquois Federation. For centuries after, they warred with the Aztec Empire, who held all but the very south of the South American continent and up into the southern portion of Mexico. The Aztecs had slowly united the tribes of the south through sheer terror and domination. Throughout the world, independent nations are few, but exist. These include the Japanese Empire in Asia, the Inuit tribes to the north of the Iroquois, Imperial China along the east coast of Asia, and various small republics. However, many of the large nations allow their different states to act as semi-autonomous. This ranges from the Celtic Nations, where they are practically separate nations, to the Roman Empire, where all states are heavily influenced by Roma, the capital province.

Around the year 126, it was discovered that Cassius the Younger had made his way to a tribe in the Briton Tribal Nations, where he started a family. Over time, his family united the tribes scattered about the Celtic Nation of Eire, and were the only independent nation in Europa for centuries, having such fanatical warriors that the Roman Empire feared unnecessary warfare. Despite an initial invasion by a fanatical Emperor who worshiped Brutus and Caesar and superior tactics,they were outnumbered and outmatched by the warriors of the Celtic lands. The two nations brokered a truce, and despite several centuries of attempted subjugation, the Roman Empire ceased its desire to conquer them.

In 1564, the Celtic Nations became under threat from a massive invasion from the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire had superior weaponry, due to its access to gunpowder for centuries prior. The Celtic Nations, on the other hand, had primitive firearms and were divided into six different nations. An initial invasion of Brittany, the southeastern part of the islands inhabited by main-landers from France, gave the nations cause to unite. Eire, still under Cassius family rule,lead the Celtic Nations under an alliance that, with great loss of life, fought the Romans to a standstill only three miles from the shores. However, while Rome could bring reinforcements in a few weeks, the Celts could not. A quick truce was brokered while they still held the upper hand.

The Romans agreed to never again invade the islands for the purpose of ousting the Cassius family as well as conquest. In exchange, the Celtic Nations agreed to banish the Cassius family from ever returning to the Roman Empire or interfering with Roman citizens. While the family had rarely ventured into Roman territory, they still had influence over any dissident groups that rose and fell inside Rome. A few members even helped fund the more radical groups. An attempt on the Emperor's life by one such group had prompted the war. With this peace brokered, Eire broke all unofficial contact with Rome, and even began to deal with official business through the other nations. When the Celtic Nations eventually unified as a single entity in 1750 under that name, Eire representatives agreed to only send subordinates to treat with Roman issues.

Later on, an exception was made for the current Cassius heir, Gaius Cassius XII after an incident involving a Roman officer and a large bear. The Emperor Sevarius, father of the current Emperor Sevarius II, granted Cassius permission to enter Roman territory and a place in their armed forces. Since Rome was at war with Carthage at the time, Emperor Sevarius believed Cassius could b of great use due to his skill in close combat, since the theater of war in Africa had devolved to such fighting. All that, however, is history. While important to keep in mind, the most recent events are what must be explained, in order to understand his death.

Before his exact death can be reached, however, one must know its story. The beginning, the middle, and of course the end. This is as much as a biography as a legend, for no life can be without dramatic entailing. Some might say his story was not as romantic, others would argue it was grander still. This is but the tale as it was heard, and will be known for time. This tale shall begin with the situation in which the Roman Republic was near its downfall, with Cassius and his closest friends inside the capital. It is thought that the events following that time were the most direct factors in determining his death.

Author's Note

Commas, grammar infractions, etc. I will work on those types of issues in later drafts.

Reviews

[Aeternal Oceanfire]

Interesting! I must read this!