279 B.C.
Kristoboulos, aka public enemy #1, laid siege to Grumentum as anticipated.
This set the stage for a massive battle with the fate of the Republic hanging in the balance. Would the third time prove to be the charm? Meanwhile, Valerius's negotiations with the the Genuans proved to be fruitless -- he was told they 'have better things to do than listen to his pathetic mewling', and a young garrison commander was given the Senate's stamp of approval:
law90026, consider this your official welcome to the game, with
Vibius Marcius Phillipius as your alter ego. You now begin your five years of useless service as
Cavalry Commander, and will be tasked with educating yourself in Roma, for now at least under the watchful eye of
Praetor Mus, and preparing yourself for a life of honorable service. At the end of that time, if the gods have deemed you worthy by not striking you dead for some minor act of insolence, blasphemy, negligence, or having the unmitigating gall to merely exist, the Senate will appoint you to a tribunate if available. You have moderate talent, and seem best suited at this time to be a general with a focuse on waging war defensively.
You owe this new commission to
Quaestor Caius Fabricius Luscinus, who put forward your name to the right people. Your fortunes shall rise and fall together. You are now called upon to reveal your chosen nickname, without which you will simply be known as
Phillipus.