Prologue:

Rain's Hand 21, 4E-50


It was the final battle of the Hammerfell rebellion, a last ditch effort by the rebels to break the legion lines and drive them back. They would fight to the death for the city of Sentinel, but even if the plan succeeded, the rest of the legion would come to wipe them out. This last stand was no longer about survival, but for honor. They would fight to the death for their people's dignity , as redguards are very honor-bound people. Their remaining forces had high moral, and a well motivated enemy is a dangerous enemy indeed.

The Knight of the Imperial Dragon, Marcus Alerius, laughed the idea off as nothing more than a "pitiful attempt for a small victory". He personally came out with some of his officers to claim the glory of the final battle, even though none of the officers were actually fighting on the front lines. But once the black robed forces of the redguard attacked, things changed quickly. They struck like lightning while the scouts were resting, so our forces had almost no idea they were coming. Their attack was too fast to allow the legionarries to prepare, so they fell back to the officer's trench. It was there that Alerius regretted his decision to thin the lines, as he and every other officer there was killed. The enemy had caught them off guard and successfully killed off their leaders, leaving the bulk of the army leaderless. The only hope they had left was the only officer that chose to stay on the front lines. A young Knight Errant that was given the task to rally the forces and win the day.

The Knight Errant of the legion wondered if the general was still mocking their opponents in the afterlife now that he was dead. The former Knight's corpse lay next to the second in command with a javelin stuck in it's chest like a flag pole without the flag. The rebel's plan may have seemed very simple and crude, but it was still successful. They broke through the battle line and managed to surround the general's unit, which this Knight Errant happened to be in. This same thing was happening to the whole battle line, multiple units of men being surrounded by rebels and cut off from the rest of the battle line. The fact that the rebel ballistae were moving up added a new factor of danger. The Knight Errant wanted to stay positive, but his fellow legionnaires nearby were hiding in their trenches and begging for the Nine to deliver them from death, even if they knew that it would never happen.

The Knight Errant and his men were surrounded by bloodthirsty rebels that wanted nothing more than to draw legion blood. And to make matter's worse, a desert storm was brewing and heading their way. If he did nothing then the confusion caused by the storm would make the rebel's job easier and get them all killed. "If only the general wasn't so foolish as to leave the Scorpio's behind!" he muttered angrily as he gripped his shield and tried to get better cover in his trench. The rebels were circling their trench on horseback and throwing javelins, filling the air with death. The Knight Errant and his men all had their tower shields up to block the javelin's but they could not hold out forever, as the enemy ballistae were moving closer. "Legionnaires!" he called sternly, "Prepare to leave the trenches!" His men hesitated for a second, but fell in line quickly, hoping he could get them out of here.

He picked up one of the javelins and waited for a rebel to ride by before throwing it. It hit the redguard in the shoulder and knocked him off his horse. As soon as the rebel hit the ground the Knight was upon him, impaling the rebel's chest with his silver longsword. "Testudo formation!" he yelled as he drew his sword from the now dead rebel. His men came rushing from the trench and formed up around him, overlapping their shields and facing forward. The Knight took up his own shield and stood at the front of the formation, his shield covering him from his chin to the middle of his shin. Other nearby legionnaires rushed to join the formation that could very well save their lives. There were around seventy men in the formation now, with the twenty remaining battlemages forming their own Testudo in front of the Knight's. "Everyone move forward!" he yelled to both formations, "Battlemages cover us until we can reach the other units!" The battlemages began marching, followed by the Knight and his men.

This caught the attention of the nearby rebels, who moved in to attack. They let loose a hailstorm of javelins, but they harmlessly bounced off the shield formation. One rider burst into flames as he was hit by the battlemage's fireball. Another was knocked off his horse by a bolt of lightning that hit the rebel right in his face. The battlemages continued to give cover fire as the formation moved forward towards the rest of the army.

"The storm's approaching!" a soldier yelled from the back of the formation, "We need to go faster!"

"Double time!" the Knight yelled as he spotted a unit of legionnaires up ahead. The battle mages heard the command and started moving faster, spewing out lightning bolts and fireballs when rebels rode near. The unit up ahead was fighting against infantry and calvary, taking many casualties. "Slow down and bring up the rear!" the Knight called as they approached the enemy infantry, "Break formation on my command!" They slowed down and waited as the back half of the formation fell in on their side, forming a horizontal Testudo. Then they continued forward at their normal pace, the Knight waiting until he could see the perfect time to charge.

All of a sudden, the Knight felt a rush of air pass him as a ballistae bolt flew by and took out almost half the column of men to his right. The enemy artillery may have arrived, but if he could get close enough they would be useless."Keep moving!" he yelled as he tried to spot their attackers. He finally spotted them on a hill above the infantry's position, giving their forces cover. "Battlemages flank the ballistae from behind!" the Knight yelled as another bolt flew past and took out a few stragglers in the back. The formation of mages broke off and went marched towards the back of the hill. The Knight hoped that the mages attack would buy them enough time to engage the infantry. "I can't engage the enemy if all my men are shot down!" he thought as he watched another five men get taken out by the ballistae bolt.

"The storm!" one soldier yelled as they continued forward, and the Knight glanced over his shoulder to see the dust storm gaining on them. He could feel the strong winds and knew that with the storm going with them and not against, it would be their best chance at surprise. With their backs to the wind and sand it would not affect them as much as the rebels getting hit by it from the front.The Knight noticed the ballistae had stopped firing and turned to see the bright lightning of the battlemages light the artillery ablaze. The other men saw the burning ballistae and released a battle cry as they closed in on their targets.

All the rebels heard the battle cry, but only the ones that weren't fighting turned to meet them. Fear swelled up in the enemy's hearts as they saw that there was a storm right on the legionnaire's tail. They prepared for the legionnaire's charge by putting their spears in front of them and crouching, waiting fearfully for the storm to consume them. "Hold and crouch!" the Knight yelled as he turned and saw the storm about to wash over them. The centurions all yelled the order over the noise of the winds, and all the men stopped running and crouched. The storm blew past the lieutenants' men and knocking some of them over, but most of them held firm under the winds force. The rebels were not so lucky however, as they felt the full force of the coming winds. Many of them fell over and some even dropped their weapons to cover their eyes. Many of the rebels and legionnaires that were fighting were pushed hard by the winds, knocking a bunch of them over and forcing them to fight on the ground. The Knight saw his chance and decided to take it.

"Charge!" he yelled as they all stood up and ran towards the frightened rebels. The storm was beating on his back, but the lieutenant didn't care, for the only thing he saw now was victory in front of him. The men under his command clashed into the enemy with a loud battle cry, convincing a few of the rebels to run away from the legionnaires. "For the empire!" the lieutenant yelled as he finished off a few dazed rebels. It was at that second that he knew the battle was won.....

For the rest of the battle the Knight drove his legionnaires into the flanks of the rebel forces, driving them back and forcing them to retreat. The day was theirs an Sentinel was there for the taking.The legion army slowly regrouped, and the only thing that could be heard even through the dying storm was the legionnaire's loud chant. "Marius! Marius! Marius!" they chanted over and over as the hero of the battle, Gaius Marius, removed his helmet and watched the last of the rebel army retreat. He surveyed the battlefield and looked at the many corpses that littered the land. The chanting slowly died as they watched him walk out into the battlefield, pick up one of their fallen and tattered banners, then walk back over to them with the banner. He planted it into the ground in front of his men and looked at it for a few seconds before turning to his now silent men. "For the empire!" he yelled, and soon the others were cheering and chanting all over again. The rebellion of Hammerfell was as good as over, but the story of Gaius Marius was just beginning.

OOC: criticism is a good thing!

Chapter 1:

Midyear 12, 4E-50


It had been almost two months since the battle "of the dust storm" as the people liked to call it. After that battle, Gaius Marius was promoted to honorary Knight of the Imperial Dragon of the legion for his "brave actions" and the fact that most of the officers, including the general himself, were dead. Instead of sending a new general over to Hammerfell, they let Gaius keep the title until his return to the Imperial city. Being the honorary Knight of the Imperial Dragon of the legion, he immediately began to wipe out the rest of the rebels in Hammerfell. Sentinel fell quickly with barely any resistance, and now he was the first to set foot into the capital of Hammerfell to accept their surrender. He was the honorary general of the legion, and he wanted to give an impression of strength as he walked through the city with ten legionnaires following him.

"What a lovely city." he said as he ran a hand through his brown cropped hair, "It's a good thing it belongs to us now." Gaius stood a little above average height, but made up for his height with his large muscular body. He had a brown boxed beard and a gaunt face, which accented the beard. On first sight some have mistaken him for a nord because of his broad shoulders and face, making him an intimidating man. He wore the normal legion armor, but had a crimson red cape flowing behind him that indicated his status. He was armed with a silver longsword adorned with rubies and a single document. This document was the official surrender of the rebels, and it's signing would mark the end of the war. He looked around the city as he continued towards the palace and stroked his beard. There were walking through the main street, which was adorned with markets along the whole street. The people were busy trading with each other, and gave the legionnaires a moments glance before returning to their business.

"Don't you agree that this is a lovely city Sulla?" Gaius asked as he turned his head to look at his new captain.

"Yes sir, it is a lovely city." Sulla said lifelessly as he followed his general through the conquered city. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix was the Knight Bachelor's full name, but he was simply addressed as Sulla. He had the face of an average imperial, the only distinct part of his character was his reddish-gold hair, which flowed down to just above the captain's eyes. He was also in the battle that gave Gaius his fame, but was given no such luck. The people that did know Sulla described him as being half fox and half lion, due to his perceived cunning and bravery. He was assigned to be Gaius' second in command as soon as he achieved the rank of honorary general, and this displeased Gaius to no end. He found Sulla to be a dangerous man, and the fact that it was his father on the Elder council that got him his rank was no spirit lifter. The fox-lion was said to be a good warrior, but the fact he was also known to be sneaky and cunning is what worried Gaius. To him the only thing that is worse than a backstabber is one with a strong and mighty sword-hand. Sulla's combination of strength, cunning, and lust for power would force Gaius to watch him closely.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally made it to the palace. The guards spotted the group of legionnaires and immediately stepped aside to let them pass. Gaius gave them a wave and a smile as they passed through the archway to the palace. The king of Hammerfell met them at the front of the palace with a grin on his face and a group of nobles following him. "Welcome! Welcome!" the plump king said happily as he reached out to shake Gaius' hand, "Welcome masters to my palace! It will be a pleasure to end this feud and retake our status as providence to the great empire!"

"The pleasure is all mine." Gaius said as he took and shook the king's hand. On the outside he was smiling, but he was secretly disgusted by the so called king of Hammerfell. He was just like any other politician, greedy, selfish, and willing to sacrifice innocent blood to gain power. This man had thrown away the lives of many strong men to gain power, and was now begging for mercy and trying to keep his position.

"Let's continue our conversation inside." the king said as he grabbed Gaius by the hand and led him into the palace. It was a well decorated palace, with expensive furniture all over the place and jewels on almost every one of them. They walked into the center courtyard, which was a beautiful garden full of flowers, exotic plants, and had a stone fountain in the middle of it all. There was a large brown and well decorated table near the fountain that they all sat down on, Gaius and the king taking the two head seats. Each side of the table was filled with legionnaires on one side and redguard nobles on the other.

"Let us begin the negotiations." the king said as clapped his hands and food was brought out. There was a large roasted boar with a large selection of sides on the menu, but Gaius had more important things in mind than food. After the servants cut Gaius and the king the boars best parts, they served the rest and the eating began. Gaius took out and unrolled the document, handing a quill dipped in ink to the king.

"I need you to sign this document making your surrender official." he said as he swallowed some meat, "It would be good to end this quickly, for I have things to attend to."

"Yes I imagine such an important man would have many things to do indeed." the king said as he reached out to grab the document, "But we do need to look this thing over as we enjoy the meal."

"That will be just fine, as who would want to waste such a feast!" Gaius said cheerfully, and his men all gave a grunt of agreement. Sulla sat silently as he ate his meal, and continued to watch Gaius' every move. For the next few hours they ate and discussed the treaty in peace, but Gaius knew it wouldn't last after the king read the treaty's final clause.

"Excuse me?" the king said suddenly as he held the document closer to his face, "You must be joking right?"

"What joke?" Gaius said as he finished his wine, "Everything on that document is completely serious and is no joke."

"You cannot do this!" the king said as he jumped up from his seat and threw his plate to the floor, "You can't make me sign something like this! I will not hand over my kingdom!"

"I'm sorry former king," Gaius said as he rose from his chair, "but the council deems you a threat to the stability of Hammerfell and the empire as a whole. You have lost your status, but the council will let you keep your life and some, not all, of your possessions."

"No!" the king yelled as he picked up the treaty and tore it to shreds, "You can not and will not take what is rightfully mine! Guards!"

At those words a crowd of palace guards came rushing into the room and prepared to attack the legionnaires. Gaius' men jumped up from their seats and drew their swords, ready to defend him to the death.

"You will not go against the council's wishes!" Sulla said as he drew his sword, "You are ordered to lower your weapons and surrender, or the legion will slay you all!"

Gaius rushed forward and grabbed the king, putting his blade to the pig's neck just below his adam's apple. "Form up around me!" he yelled, and his men formed a circle around him.

"Back away from us or he dies!" Gaius yelled as he pressed the blade harder to the king's neck.

"You can't hurt me! I am the king of Hammerfell!" the king screamed as he tried to push his attacker's arm away, to no avail. "You are not the king anymore." Gaius said as he picked up a shred of the document from the table and dropped it to the ground, "You will sign the document and give up your power, or you will have to die."

"I tore up your damn document! There is nothing for me to sign!" the king yelled as he struggled for air.

"There is a document for you to sign." Gaius said as he pulled out another piece of parchment from his satchel. He handed it to the nearest legionnaire, who unrolled it and placed it on the table. "The document you tore up was a fake." Gaius said with a chuckle, "It didn't have the official seal of the council on it. One of my men wrote that one himself. I knew you might get a little crazy once you saw it, so I kept the real one while you read over the fake. Now you can really sign the treaty, and you will sign it." At that he pressed his sword even harder against the king's neck, and a few small trickles of blood ran down his blade.

"Alright!" the king yelled, "I will sign your damn treaty!" The king would rather lose his title and a few things than his life. He picked up the nearby quill and signed the document, giving up his power and most of his wealth. He would be released and have to live the rest of his life in exile, but at least it would be in comfort.

"Good," Gaius said as he had the legionnaire hand him the treaty, "now call off your guards and we will be leaving." The guards lowered their spears and left the room before the king even said a word.

"It looks as if you have already lost their respect." Sulla said as he and the other men lowered their swords, "You must have never really had it if they have left you so quickly."

"I agree Sulla." Gaius said as he sheathed his sword, "Now let's get out of here."

The king grabbed one of the noble's scarfs and wiped the blood with it, watching the legionnaires leave his palace.

"You know the council won't accept this forceful kind of diplomacy general." Sulla said as he sheathed his sword, "They might even take your status away from you."

"I seriously do not hope that is true that Sulla ." Gaius said as he brushed Sulla's hand off, "They wanted him gone, and now he's gone. They should be glad I did it since the people might enjoy seeing their former tyrant living in a hut! You can tell your father it was the only way to resolve the situation."

"Fine, but the council will still be displeased with the way you achieved success. They can and will tell you all this once you meet them." Sulla said as he followed his superior outside the city gates and towards the camp, which was now bustling with movement. With the rebellion put down they could all return home. And Gaius Marius knew that he would be hailed as the hero of the war. There would be parades in his honor and a life a leisure was his for the taking. Gaius was one step closer to becoming the man he dreamed of becoming, the emperor of Cyrodill.

I tried to read this, but I got caught up on the first paragraph. The redundant and unnecessary repetition made me laugh so hard I was hardly laughing because I was laughing too hard.

Actually, now that I have skimmed over it, I'm not really liking the style so much. Despite the military theme, the actions of the characters seem bizzarely unproffessional. The deposing of the king wouldn't be tacked onto the surrender bill like pork on the congressional spending. Instead, the terms of the treaty would be discussed in detail. I understand you wanted to not bore the reader with technical details, but in this sort of situation, it is just generally better to imply the more boring stuff, and play out the important negotiations. The almost immature handling of the situation was a real turn off.

Also, I found the "Marius" chant a bit off. I think that they would not only attribute the victory to their commander, but also to the empire. Another problem I saw with the battle was the lack of respect on the author's part of the generals who command from the back. The officers, as a general rule, have risen through the ranks to that status by leading smaller squads on the battlefield and earning the backline rank, where they serve more important roles, such as developing and creating strategies. I sort-of took similar offense at this attitude with Dar'shandi over in Rewriting History, when he lashed out at Fin the second time for insulting the legion further by claiming the legion was run by fools.

I took a little issue with the way Marius was promoted to General from leutenant so rapidly. It would make more sense for him to be given a temporary position as "Honorary General" to expedite the process of formalizing the surrender proceedures, but he would lose the title after the mess was sorted out, since he was never a general in the first place, and lacks the training in battlefield strategy to augment his impressive tactical knowledge. However, he would most likely recieve several real promotions for his valor and brilliant command in the unfavorable circumstances. However, the Empire would just bring in another, more qualified general to handle whatever else was on the deceaced general's command.

I found it rather detailed but I do agree that the negotiating should have been disscussed at greater detail, somthing like: "He left the palace after many long hours of negotiating. The King was deposed and would be living at his villa in the country for the rest of his life"

And I do have to disagree with Scow2 about the incompetant generals part. many generals back then were generals because they were politically powerful. And Marius woudnt lose his position if he was popular common people like he was. And having Sulla there probably was the more qualified person just to offer "advice".

The one flaw I seen in battlefield tactics was the use of trenches. People didnt dig themselves in trenches until WWI. High ground was sought after when spears and swords were being used.

And I can tell this is gonna be good. Having Sulla and Marius together could be.....well......Read the history of Rome and find out what really happened. Im looking forward to the continuation.

Actually, in the case of a seige on Sentinel, trenches would be used to counteract the horrific artillery of the "Roaring Walls". Being on high ground would give the cannons massive targets. But the way he presented the battle, trenches are pretty much useless...

In sieges, trenches were used a lot and to good effect, but this battle sounded like it was on an open plain in the desert. I could be wrong of course.

hmmmmm.....sounds oddly familiar....

I do hope Canzeri puts Marius in the Siege of Sentinel Roleplay, to give the character even more background. However, that may end up being like the Disney Davy Crocket retcon, where the events of his past don't line up with what happened in the future. Maybe its not such a good idea to put him in SoS...

I dont suggest using him in siege of sentinel, like scow2 said "his past might not line up properly with his future"

Keep writing, this is really good and the Marius-Sulla part has me interested.

OOC: I have taken your criticisms and have remade the prologue and first chapter. The second will be posted Monday, and thanks for the criticism! Any more suggestions would be great!

Keep writing! This story is awesome!
I haven't enjoyed a story like this in a long time!

You should be flattered Duval. Immitation is the highest act of flattery.

Chapter 2:

Sun's Height 7th, 4E-50

The Imperial City

Gaius and the legion's arrival to the Imperial city was met with loud cheering and praising from the citizens. As Gaius and Sulla rode into the city on their horses, the streets were lined with people that cheered for them while threw flower petals and rice into the air. The entire legion force that went to Hammerfell was celebrated as they passed through the streets, but only Gaius, Sulla, and some other prominent people would go to the White-gold tower. Once they reached the tower, Gaius and Sulla would go to and speak with the Elder council while the other "heroes" of the war waited outside. While they were riding, Sulla rode close to Gaius and leaned towards his ear. "Do not forget Gaius Marius, you too are mortal." Sulla whispered, and then rode ahead of Gaius to wave to the people. Gaius knew that the phrase was usually said to generals to make sure they keep their modesty, but Sulla said it like he was plotting something. "It seems that Sulla might actually be jealous of me." Gaius thought with a chuckle, "It would be wise to watch out, as he might have some hidden plot."

On the way Gaius noted a few of the men he recognized from the front lines. He identified one of them as Knight Bachelor Isaac Iron-heart, a well known strategist who was able to win a battle against a rebel force of superior numbers with limited supplies and a force of battle-weary legionnaires. It was a small skirmish, but it was still seen as a strategic victory. Isaac was a man of average stature with short brown hair, a clean shaved face, and piercing brown eyes that made even Sulla nervous. He was the type of man Gaius wanted; loyal, smart, and he is from an influential family. The Iron-heart family is a well known upper class family that has been in the legion for generations and has a lot of influence with the Elder Council. They are one of the very few families that the council will bring into important situations. That explains Isaac's education, influence in the legion, and quick promotions. Isaac's younger brother, Matthew the Champion, is also a legionnaire, but was never moved to the front lines at Isaac's request. Isaac was riding his horse and waving to the people with a large smile on his gaunt face. His little brother Matthew rode behind him, letting his neck length black hair flow in the wind. The most distinguishing feature of this Iron-heart were his eyes. They not only held the same piercing gaze of his older brother, but they were different colors! One was a light brown color, and the other was blue. Matthew took after his beautiful mother while Isaac took after his strong father. Gaius knew that both of those men would be in his future if he was to keep his power, and he would keep an eye on them.

Another "hero" of the war Gaius spotted was Champion Manius Artorius, a beast of a man that was part imperial and part nord. Some of the men that fought alongside him said he killed three rebels without his sword, then killed ten more once he retrieved his weapon. This weapon was a large silver battle-axe that Marcus had "customized". The axe now had curved teeth on each side that pointed down, making ripping into flesh more messy and brutal. Even his fellow legionnaires feared being near this bear of a man once he went into a killing frenzy. Such brute force was useful in some circumstances, but the fact that he was also reckless and thick-headed made him nothing but a barbarian to Gaius. Even so, the man's large and bulky stature would inspire fear into all his enemies. Even his rugged face and large brown eyes made some people avoid his presence. He completely shaved his head and had a long brown beard that was usually unkempt and fuzzy. He also supposedly has a scar running down his chest from being hit by an axe....his own axe. The story goes that during a battle he plunged his axe so deep into an enemy that he had to use his foot and all his strength to pull it out. When he succeeded, the axe flew back and hit his naked chest, creating his now famous scar. It showed how powerful he was, and how stupid as well. The only job he was suited for was berserker, and he did his job well. He was able to achieve the rank of lieutenant just by blazing a trail of blood through the enemy troops. Gaius would need his raw power, so he would keep tabs on this one as well.

The last of the group was Knight Bachelor Annabelle Praxedes, a female breton battlemage. She had long golden hair, deep blue eyes, with the face and body of a goddess all wrapped up in an efficient killing machine. Many believe that she isn't a warrior based on her beauty, but she has earned the respect of countless men on the battlefield. She is so feared on the battlefield that she was given the nickname "Valkyrie" by all the Nordic legionnaires. Armed with her silver spear and destruction spells she is a force to be reckoned with, and her beauty has brought many a man to their deaths as they tried to force themselves on her. Being so beautiful, she has had many men try to win her hand in marriage, but every single one of them failed. It is rumored that any man that tries to court her is given a challenge that they must complete to win her heart. During the rebellion it is said she told a man he had to slay one hundred rebels to win her affection. No man has ever been able to win her heart, so it seems that none of these men succeeded in their tasks. Gaius once thought of trying to win her heart, but decided against it when he heard that the last man who tried to court her died horribly in an "accident". Even if he couldn't win her heart she would be a valuable companion in and outside the battlefield. She was riding her white horse and waving to the people with her spear. The women cheered even louder as she passed, since she was seen as a role model for all women in and out of the legion. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she held her spear high as they came upon the White-gold tower.

High Chancellor Ocato stood in front of the tower with the other members of the council, waiting to greet Gaius and Sulla. "Greetings heroes of the rebellion!" Ocato yelled as he raised his hands above his head, "Welcome home and congratulations on your victory for the empire! The entire empire is in debt to your bravery and skill on the battlefield! Step forward and receive your rewards!"

Gaius, Sulla, Isaac, Marcus, and Annabelle all stepped off their horses and approached the council, kneeling once the ascended the stairs. Ocato stepped in front of Isaac and took a small box from the nearest palace guard before placing a hand on the young man's head. "Rise Isaac Iron-heart!" he said as he removed his hand and opened the box, "For your bravery in the field of battle and your quick thinking, I present you with the Imperial Badge of Honor and a promotion to Knight Protector!" Ocato took an amulet out of the box and placed it around Isaac's neck. "Now turn to your people sir Knight!" he said loudly, and Isaac turned to look upon the cheering crowd. He began to blush with embarrassment as he spotted his family waving to him. Isaac turned back around and gave a bow to the high chancellor before being dismissed. He went to stand with his family while he watched the rest of the ceremony.

Marcus received his amulet and gave a loud roar to the crowd before descending the stairs to return home. Annabelle received her amulet and threw a lightning bolt into the air out of joy. Every other mage in the crowd and even Ocato himself did the same, filling the sky with lightning. She stepped down the stairs and waited by her horse for the ceremony to end. Sulla received his medal and saluted the crowd before moving to stand next to his father, who smiled and shook his son's hand. It was Gaius' turn now, and he rose as Ocato stood in front of him and placed the amulet on his neck. It was a golden diamond shaped amulet with the crimson red dragon Akatosh on it's front. He flipped the amulet over and looked at the back, which had his name engraved into it. "It's time for us to have our meeting. Once the celebrations are over." Ocato whispered to Gaius as the honorary general waved to the people. Gaius moved over and stood next to Sulla, waiting for Ocato to end the ceremony and dismiss everyone.

For the next half-hour the high chancellor gave a speech about the empire needing to stay together, and how the brave men and women of the legion make that possible. "And remember citizens!" Ocato yelled as he prepared to end the speech, "All hail the empire!"

"All hail the empire!" the people yelled in unison, and then they gave a loud cheer as they threw the last of the rice in the air, followed by more lightning. As the people walked away, the palace guards returned to their proper posts while Gaius followed Sulla and the Elder council into the council chamber. Once they were all inside, a palace guard shut the door behind them and the council began to take their seats. One by one, the council members took their seats, and Gaius was left to stand alone as Sulla stood next to his father, who was to the right of Ocato. "You may stand there Marius until this meeting is over." Ocato said as his words echoed throughout the room, "It won't take long."

"Yes sir." Gaius said with a quick salute, "But may I ask what we will be discussing?"

"We will be discussing your past." Ocato said as he held his hands together and placed them on the table, "And then we will discuss your future."

OOC: Next chapter Monday!

Having Mark Antony in there is a little much, but I can definaely see somthing interesting happening.

A man as Popular as Gaius could easily get what he wants when he has the people on his side

The Crimson Nine might want to make an appearance quickly so they dont appear to be a group you just randomly threw in

Excelent, keep up the good work

OOC: The beast man, as I like to call him, is NOT Mark Antony, but I can see how the name threw you off.

I changed his name so they start with the same letters, but it won't cause confusion.

The C.N. will be making an appearence very soon, and thanks for the great comments everyone!

Chapter 3:

Sun's Height 6th, 4E-50

The Fortress of the Nine

After the Oblivion Conflict, as it was called, many began to hate and fear deadric worshippers all over Cyrodill. This has caused more people to join the Knights of the Nine, who were living in the Priory after Umaril the Unfeathered was defeated. It began with small groups of people joining, then it rapidly increased. After the priory was no longer able to support the vast number of newcomers, the current Knights decided to build a larger home for the newcomers. A fortress was built nearby the priory, and the new recruits were kept there. The actual Knights stayed in the Priory, but the now had a small army on their hands. They called these new recruits "Soldiers of the Nine". They began to train these soldiers for their great crusade against deadric worshipers all over Tamriel. After a while the Elder Council noticed their rapidly growing numbers and decided to make a deal with them. The empire would support the Knights if they ever went on a crusade, and the Knights would rename themselves the Crimson Nine and help the empire with it's wars. And so it was agreed, they became the Crimson Nine and they would serve the empire as well as the Nine Divine. A small force of their well trained men went to Hammerfell to keep up their end of the deal. They lead the main forces along the coast and helped take most of it. Now that the war was over, they would return to their lands and continue to wait for their great crusade.

Roderick Hawker was born in 4e-20 as the youngest son of Sir Thedret, the redguard that served the Great Crusader in the fight against Umaril. He was spending his time praying in the fortress chapel for his father and elder brother in the chapel when a fellow soldier came busting through the front door. "They have returned!" the soldier yelled, "The army has returned from Hammerfell victorious!"

At this Roderick jumped up and ran outside to try and spot his father and brother, both of them Knights. He ran past the barracks towards the main gat of the fortress to get to the stables outside. Luckily he got outside the gate before the returning army did, or he would have to wait for them all to pile into the fortress. He got to the stables and brought out his black horse, but before he could leave one of the soldiers recognized him and went to greet him. "Where are you rushing off to Roderick?" asked the young bosmer as he took off his helmet, "Going to see your brother?"

"Yes and my father as well." Roderick said as he moutned his horse, "And tell everyone I said hello."

"I will do that Roderick," the bosmer said, "but..."

"I'm sorry," Roderick interrupted, "but I must hurry to the priory. Don't forget to tell everyone I said hello." And with that Roderick rode off, not giving the bosmer a chance to respond.

"That poor guy is gonna be in for a sad suprise." the bosmer said as he walked into the fortress with the rest of the army.

Within minutes Roderick was at the priory, jumping off his horse and rushing inside. "Father!" he called out, "Brother! Where are you?"

A second later his brother, Shamar, came down the stairs with a grim look on his face. They were basically twins and both born on the same night, but since Shamar was the first to be brought into the world he was considered the elder. Everyone said they both looked almost exactly like their father when he was younger, and Rodderick could see his father in his brothers sorrowful face. "I'm so sorry Roderick...." Shamar muttered as he began to cry, "I'm so sorry...."

"What has happened brother?" Roderick asked as he approached his brother, "Where is father?"

"He is dead Roderick...." Shamar said weakly as he suddenly embraced his brother, "He is dead my brother."

"He...our father is dead?" Roderick asked as tears began to fall from his eyes as well. He stood motionless with his arms at his sides as his brother cried then returned his brother's embrace. Together they went up to their father's bed and looked at the corpse that was laid on it. Their father always looked peaceful, even in death, and this made them cry for a little longer.

Later in the evening, the two brothers and the other knights attended their father's funeral. He was buried in the cemetary built next to the chapel and given a warrior's farwell. Their father was the last of the original knights, as all the other ones died of either sickness or in battle. The current knights are Sir Amragor the nord, Sir Cassius the imperial, Sir Brellin II the bosmer, Lady Vanessa the breton, Lady Falena the dunmer, Sir Do'Shadda the khajit, Sir Falcar the altmer, and Sir Shamar. They were now one spot open, and Shamar was determined to give it to his brother.

OOC: I know it's short, but it's meant to be a short intro for the Crimson Nine. Roderick is the main character for this storyline while Gaius is the main for his. They will intertwine eventually. The next chapter with Gaius is still this Monday!

All I can say is

Nice intro, :thumbsup:

ive always liked Sir Thedret

OOC: thx, and I like Sir Thedret too!

Remember, criticism is welcome!

Mabey saying how he died

somthing like:
A single arrow in the throat,
or disease on the way home (wich did often happen)
Mabey a sword struck him

You get the idea

Roderick was the name of the main character of my very first fanfic. Nice!

or leave it unkown, could make a good plot element, sometimes not knowing is best.

Come on dont stop now

I love this story so far

Chapter 4:

Sun's Height 7th, 4E-50

The White-Gold tower


"We will be discussing your past." Ocato said as he held his hands together and placed them on the table, "And then we will discuss your future."

"My past?" Gaius asked, "Why do you need to know about my past?"

"We don't need to know your past Marius." Ocato said softly, "We already know it, but we just want you to ellaborate."

"Yes chancellor." Gaius said with a salute, "What do you need me to ellaborate on?"

"You were born in the city Seyda Neen were you not? Also, what were your parent's occupation's there? Are they still alive?"

"Yes I was," Gaius said, "My father worked for the Census and Excise as an Operative. My mother was a housewife and took care of me and my brothers. My father was murdered by a dunmer revolutionist, but my mother is still alive. I heard from one of her letters that she took up a job as a clerk in the Census office."

"And about your brothers..." Ocato said as he took out a document and looked it over, "You have two brothers correct?"

"Yes, their names are Julias and Cassius. Julias died while he was young due to disease, and Cassius joined the Census. I have also heard from her letter that he is an agent now."

"What made you want to join the legionnaires? And what was your first assignment as one?"

"I chose to join the legionnaires for power." Gaius said as he clenched his fists, "And as for my first assignment-"

"You said that you joined the legion for power?" Ocato interrupted, "What do you mean?"

Gaius didn't say anything at first since he was so nervous, but after a few seconds of silence he continued. "I wanted power chancellor. The power to protect my family, my friends, and the empire. I wanted to become stronger so that I could leave Seyda Neen and become the man my father was not, a strong man. And that is why I want to keep my position as Knight of the Imperial Dragon."

"That is something that worries us." Ocato said menacingly, "We think that a man like you would not be working in our interest if we keep you in a position of power. Some of us feel that you might try to take even more power for yourself and go by your own ambitions."

"I would do no such thing!" Gaius exclaimed angrily, "I want to serve the empire as best I can! I will not sit here and-"

"You will not raise your voice in these chambers!" Ocato yelled as he stood up from his chair and glared at Gaius with the fury of a deadra. Gaius could only drop his head and get on his knee. "I am sorry Chancellor," he said still kneeling, "I did not mean to let my emotions take over, but I cannot agree with your last statement."

Ocato said softly, taking his seat as he did so, "You wish to prove your loyalty to this council? Then be patient, as your drive to keep your place as general is what worried us. Your request to become a Knight of the Imperial Dragon is denied, but you will be promoted to a full-fledged Knight of the Garland for your achievements. You will be given command of one legion of 5,300 men including officers and non-combatants."

"Thank you Chancellor." Gaius said as he stood up and saluted Ocato, "I will be glad to take these men and carry out the council's will."

"And one more thing," Gnaeus, Sulla's father, said as he stood up and put an arm around his son, "My son here will be your second in command as a Knight Protector and have full command of the one-hundred and twenty calvary men in your legion."

Gaius was silent for a second, anger boiling inside of him, before saying calmly "May I ask why?"

"Some of us still worry about your hunger for power, so we will have my son serve directly under you. And he will be given your calvary because he is a master of horseback combat." Sulla grinned and ran a hand through his hair before turning to his father.

"I accept this duty father," Sulla said with the grin still on his face, "I will make sure Marius doesn't lose sight of the council's wishes."

Gaius then knew that even though he seemed to have Ocato's confidence and support, there were still quite a few councilors that distrusted him. He would have to fix that. "I accept Sulla as my second in command and will do what the council asks."

"And there is one more pressing matter we must discuss." Ocato said as he pulled a parchment from his pocket, "This is to be kept secret with all except your closest men." Gaius listened intently, wondering what could be on the piece of parchment.

After a few more hours of conversing, Gaius left the council chambers and noticed how dark it was outside. "Time flies when you are being scolded." he muttered and descended the stairs of the tower, thinking of how his day had gone from great to abysmal in the council chambers. Their decision was final; Caius Cammilus would take over as general of the legion, and he would be a commander of a single legion. He lost his title as honorary general, but at least he gained some knowledge of what the council planned. He didn't want to seem arrogant, but it seemed to Gaius as he held the secret letter in his hand that they wanted to test him. "And if that is so, then I will pass their test with flying colors." he said as he walked towards his house, hoping for a good night sleep.

A little short but I liked it

dont make us go through another huge wait

This is one of the only fan-fics I like