GM NOTE: This scenario reflects the game style, ranks, and practices of the "Old Roman Legion" and may not accurately represent the history of the current game's storyline. Consult with a GM before referencing any component of this scenario.

Marius Julianus stood out side of his tent, watching the mist rise. He had sent
one of the troops, on watch, to get all the officers up. Tarquinius Julianus
walked up, Commodus Servo right behind him and Lucius Dio behind him. Marius
Greeted them, and funneled them into his tent.



" Men, I have asked you here today because we are in dire need. We have no
general to our legions, we have twenty-six thousand Gauls chasing us, and we
need a plan of action. Who is willing to take up the position of General?"
Marius asked. All of them, except for Commodus, kept their hands down.



"Commodus, would you be willing to take command of this legion and-"



"Marius, how would you feel about being general? You've much more experience
than I and make a better leader. Do what's best for the legion." Commodus looked
around for other officers' approval.



"I concur" Tarquinius said, looking at Lucius.



"I am fine with it" Lucius responded.



"Then it is settled. I am in command" said Marius, somewhat surprised about the
turn out.



"Marius, what are your plans?" Commodus was intent on repairing the disastrous
situation within the Legion.



"Well the Legion is nearly decimated. We must meet up in the old Fortress
citadel of Avignon and link up with legion XIII. They have no immediate
commander. Word has it officers have split up the legion into local patrols to
keep secured Narboneses and Aquitania. We will march for there and link. We will
use Avignon as both the point of defense and the point of counter-attack.
Needless to say...casualties might be extreme."



The officers were floored by Marius ability to lead and by his willingness to
not give up the struggle for Gaul, even in the midst of a Civil War. Commodus
was inquisitive. "What about the Civil War? What about Marius?"



Marius Julianus shook his head "The Emperor counts on us to do our duty. The
Senate has empowered us through our inception to protect Rome from its enemies.
Roman enemies are here in Gaul...we must prevent them furthering the already
horrible situation within the Empire."

---------

Meanwhile

---------

Marius Aelius had tasted bitter defeat at the hands of Antoninus Maxus and was
now more committed than ever to destroying Antoninus, even at the cost of Rome.
"Dominus we will make way to Hispania through Cisalpine Gaul and through
Narboneses. Hispania can provide us with troops, equipment, and food. For their
help to end Antoninus' reign, we will give them a very favorable provincial
status."



Dominus seemed puzzled "Didn't you promise them alliance but freedom from Rome?"



Marius laughed "If they should believe that, more fool them."



Marius' tattered army rode for days on end making, slowly, their way. They came
upon the old city of Avignon where they knew massive equipment and food lay for
the taking with only the XIII legion to stand it guard.



Unknown to Marius was the fact that the city was now completely prepared for
attack. There was no way Marius could have realized or even guessed that it was
more than a Legion defending the city, with 3,000 local forced conscripts in
uniform as auxiliaries.



A. Marius Julianus might be a bold and brave man, but Marius Aelius was thrice
his capacity in military capability. The civil war had gone on now for nearly a
year. With the Capture of Avignon, It would keep Hispania, and Gallic lands
within contact as now free Gallic provinces and conquered ones openly rebelled
against their Roman governors.

---------

TIMALA

---------

Legion XV, under Tacitus Calidus Disius, defending the fortress of Timala in the
eastern region, came under attack on 10 March, 80bc by more than 12,000
organized soldiers under King Poliantis who was actively unifying the nation of
Hispania.



For three days the siege went on and by the fourth day, it was clear to Calidus
Disius that no help would arrive, and his soldiers were running out of supply
and, within two months, they would be without food. Calidus staked his military
career on the most bold plan of action since the great battles for Illyrica
under Augustus Aelius.



Calidus ordered his soldiers, that at first light, on the 14th March, 80bc, they
would all out assault the center of the besieging Hispanian army. Hopefully,
before the remaining soldiers could react, the center numbering about 4,000
Hispanians, would break. If this happened, the Legion would move 3/4 of its men
to round the men besieging on the south side of the citadel and cut them off
from retreat and crush them wholly.



The plan was without a doubt the most bold and dangerous of plans. Calidus knew
failure would be the loss of Hispania, but knowing full well no help could come
to him, the gamble must be made. Calidus laid it all on the hope that his
legions veteranship and superior weapons and training would, in the end,
prevail.



The day began with the shrieks of 9,000 Romans moving, in mass, charging
downhill into the extreme center of the Hispanian force. The Hispanian
commanders sounded for their men to encircle the attackers, but the Hispanians
were caught too far off guard. They had never expected an attack would, or
could, take place. Like a hammer smashing into a soft fruit, Calidus' men
crushed the center formation of the Hispanians within thirty minutes. The mere
sight of the following cavalry charge slicing fleeing Hispanians down caused
panic and the entirety of the force began fleeing against the commands of their
leaders.



Within three hours, the whole of the Hispanian army that was to be trained and
helped by Marius was either fleeing west, or dead upon the field.



ROME: 700 casualties

HISPANIA: 6,200 casualties



The men cheered as they saw Rome had annihilated the Hispanians. "Mars is with
us Calidus!" One of his officers was full of glee.



The whole of the legion began cheering and screaming "Calidus! Calidus!"



Calidus rode high on his horse and screamed out to his men. "Prepare and eat
well my men. Tomorrow we travel EAST!" Calidus waited for the men to calm down
more before he spoke "We ride EAST to crush Marius not in the name of Antoninus,
or of the senate, but for the HONOR of Rome and the PLEASURE of Mars!!!" The men
were in a frenzy.

---------

AVIGNON

---------

On the 18th of March, 80bc, Marius ordered the attack as he came upon Avignon.
His men were tired and tattered but extremely veteran. They had begun to believe
Marius' rantings of a return to the nobler days.



Marius Julianus felt the full brunt of the first of the assaults and barely held
on at the end of the day. Marius' forces nearly breeching the walls on the first
day. "my men, i know not where this ends...20,000 Gauls ready to pound us from
the north, and our own brothers ready to slice us in half from our south. Jove
is angry with Rome...we must pray that Mars is not..."



Tomidius Servo was no great military strategist, but he was cunning and capable.
It was not a strategic move of genius, but one of anger that caused Tomidius to
order three legions to pursue Marius through forced marching. Legions III, IV,
and V, totaling some 27,000 strong had come upon Avignon. Marius' was informed
by patrols that this was the case and made plans for a night retreat to the
northwest, to link up with the Gauls, but news of a great success in Hispania by
Calidus Disius came that evening.



"I taught him...I taught him everything..." Marius was woeful. "Perhaps I taught
him too well..."



Dominus Carus and Maximus Lianus no longer spoke to Marius, but just listened.
"Praetor, what are your orders?" Maximus Lianus remained loyal to his commander
as he was taught to do his whole life.



"My orders?" Marius looked up "We die".



The next day Marius men shined in the sun with their white rags tied about their
arms in sign of the old Republic. Tomidius Servo personally grinned with glee at
the chance to crush his old enemy.



Marius was prepared for an honorable death in the name of his cause. But he was
also bitter. "Should I have such a force as Tomidius has had, I would be
unstoppable. Rome would know no greater glory."



Dominus knew their fate, and spoke comfortingly to the General. "Rome may never
know glory with you, but in Dalmatia, and Macedonia, and on that first battle in
Ostia, we have known it with you. Lead us again, Praetor, into our final act."



Marius charged headlong into Tomidius' army of 27,000 with half of his 33,000
man force. The other half would only charge until half way, then turn back
expecting an attempt from Marius Julianus to leave the fortress and attack his
rear. Marius Aelius proved right.



Caught off guard, Maximus Julianus had only ordered 2,000 cavalry and 3,000
infantry to pursue Marius Aelius' rear upon Marius charge. Seeing that Marius
was looping back 15,000 men to encircle and crush his men, Maximus Julianus
ordered the remainder of his total 12,000 man force to attack.



On the eastern flank, Marius men did a perfect hit and retreat movement style of
skirmish. Tomidius continually ranted for his men to completely attack and crush
Marius, but Dominus Carus was doing a perfect job of carrying out the orders. On
the western side, Maximus Julianus showed his novice skills and was
outmaneuvered by the outnumbering 15,000 men under Maximus Lianus and Marius
Aelius. Less than 1km outside of the city, Marius Julianus ordered his men to
fall back and take cover behind the fortifications, but they could not
completely organize for a retreat. Instead, by nightfall, they dug in just
outside the walls and prepared for a morning attack.



Marius dug in all around his lines creating one large entrenchment. The first
day had been woefully bloody. Tomidius Servo screamed and whipped his officers
for their lack of heart and demanded a stronger attack in the morning...or they
would surely die by his hand if not Marius'.



Dawn saw a second day of ferocious battle between the two armies. One army
battling for the return to a different time, the other battling for the honor of
Rome and the rule of Antoninus Maxus, the chosen one by Braeus Sabaco. As night
drew in on the second day of battle, Marius Julianus' force had held its
position, but at terrible cost when it had launched a counter attack seeing that
Marius only used 8,000 men against them the second day to gain the upper hand
against Tomidius. Tomidius took a terrible thrashing, but was not outmaneuvered.
Instead Tomidius dug deep into Marius' men expecting the attacks Marius would
bring. The eastern side was a complete bloodbath on all sides.



Day three of the terrible battle of Avignon would see a swift change of fortune.
Marius Aelius' legions, surrounded and near exhaustion, saw the appearance of
their allies, the Gauls, coming from the north. By noon, Marius Julianus' forces
had finally re-entered the city. Marius Aelius, that morning, conceded the city
to Marius Julianus, but had concentrated the brunt of his attacks against
Tomidius Servo. Tomidius was pushed back four miles to the lower territory where
he was attacked mercilessly. It seemed now that the war was again balanced as
Marius was poised to take the day, but the 10,000 surviving men under Marius
Julianus, who were desperate to win, launched a full attack on the Gallic army.
By nightfall, the Gallic soldiers were in disarray, but not yet retreating, and
Tomidius Servo's forces were in complete tatters and retreating back to Rome
with grievous losses.

Day four saw the final addition to the equation as Calidus Disius arrived
with his fresh, and gung-ho Legion of some 8,000 or more men. Marius Aelius was
completely encircled, and decided that breaking out to the west was impossible,
instead he attacked and pursued Tomidius Servo's legions to deliver the final
blow against Antoninus' most ardent supporter and perhaps sway opinion in Rome.
By the late afternoon, his Gallic allies were completely smashed by Marius
Julianus and Calidus Disius. The two did not pursue the Gauls, but instead
turned towards Marius. Aelius had fought Tomidius back another three miles and
was laying terrible punishment to his army. Night, however, did not see the end
of the battling as Calidus Disius and Marius Julianus attacked Marius Aelius'
army and thus allowing Tomidius Servo to escape. Marius' soldiers had enough,
and began to rebel. By the dawn of the fifth day, Marius' army was in complete
destruction. It officially surrendered on the 22nd of March, 80bc.



Tomidius glared with evil eyes upon the remainder of the army. Some 6,000
soldiers still were in fighting condition but now in surrender at the deaths of
their generals. "The penalty for fighting against one's emperor is death. Kill
every last one, wounded or standing here." The gasps and screams of defiance and
disbelief came out from the men, but none-the-less the orders of Tomidius Servo
were obeyed. "Calidus, make sure those eagles are melted down and the flags of
the rebellius legions are burned. The Emperor will raise new legions, these are
unfit for human kind."



"As you order, Lord Praetor." Calidus was quick to obey. Tomidius asked for the
casualty reports, and nearly fainted at the sight of them.



ROME (Imperial): 14,300 killed

ROME (Rebels): 33,000 killed (and executed)

GAUL: 7,300 killed



It is without any doubt, the battle of Avignon was not only to destroy Marius,
but to end the sentiment for the old ways once and forever. Rome laid the road
in concrete now for the rule of the Imperial Republic. The actions and vision of
Tomidius Servo burning and crucifying the rebellious soldiers and commanders and
declaring the legions "dead" will live in Roman history with as much fame as the
toppling of Sarius by Crassus Daia and the beginnings of this time of
turbulence, which, by the will of the Gods, was finally going to end.

---------------

Marius Julianus, Tarquinius Julianus, Commodus Servo, Acedus Marius Julianus,
Lucius Dio, Turpillius Castus, Tacitus Calidus Disius, Dominus Carus, Maximus
Lianus, Antoninus Maxus, Tomidius Servo, and Marius Aelius