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.

Turpillius was shocked by the Emperor's dispatch calling him back into
military service. At forty four in 79bc, and in ailing physical condition, the
old one time General was unsure of his capacity for war, his ability to lead,
and his loyalty within the imperial state and the Emperor. Turpillius, of
course, wrote to turn down the position.



Postumus Varro arrived shortly after the Emperor's dispatch and asked if it had
arrived. Turpillius said it had, but he divulged his intentions to completely
turn down any such advances towards truce with the Emperor whom he loathed.



"I do not know you well young Postumus, but your interest in me I find both
intriguing and worrisome."



"I am many things to many people. You have been many things to Rome and I can
respect and appreciate the possible talents you might have to lend it." Postumus
was smooth with flattering tones.



"The Emperor chose me to save his neck. To quell the rebellion. He knows I am a
poor general, but that I will go to all ends of this earth to complete my
appointed task. The Emperor can rot in hell. Tell him to pick someone else."
Turpillius was assertive and hostile to the subject.



"You see with clouded vision Turpillius. The Emperor chose nobody. I chose you.
I still choose you. You who campaigned with my father, with Braeus, and with
Marius. You will lead these men into hell or heaven but it matters little to me.
Rome needs a viper to strike out and to be feared. I will make sure the matters
in Rome are right enough to supply you with decently trained men. You make sure
every ounce of their blood is spilled driving back and into total submission
those Gauls whom trouble us so."



"Total annihilation?" Turpillius smiled.



"Completely and without recourse. Destroy all vestiges of Gaul. Every corner of
it should be bled white." Postumus eyes shone. Postumus snatched the scroll
Turpillius was working on and tore it in half and threw it into the fountain.
"Work on something more fruitful...Praetor."



Turpillius stood and saluted. Finally some kind of firm command had been
established. Turpillius was never the kind of man to do less than his ultimate
in all things.

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

Turpillius arrived in Cisalpine in early 79 BC, and immediately began
reorganizing the army there. He had four Legions, one commanded by his adoptive
younger brother, Darius. He had been given the mission of conquering Gaul-Once
and for all.



His men were marched, whipped, beaten, and starved. Their feet were whipped
before long marches to toughen them up. Rations were cut in half and they were
forced to march nearly twenty miles a day with full equipment. Many men died and
the Senate was appalled. One established Senator commented "I know little who
will kill more of our men, the Gallic army, or Turpillius".



Finally, on the 10th of July, 79bc, his orders were to prepare to march. He was
outnumbered, but this did not daunt him. He had faced worse odds in Illyrica as
aide to General Augustus Aelius, and then at Vossindat, facing the Covollos
tribe.

He felt confident he would be victorious. His plan was to pin the Gallic
forces in Narbonesis, some 18,000 men. To ensure surprise, he would allow dummy
orders to be captured by the Gauls, directing the army to fortify; He would also
have the numbers ascertained by the enemy to be twice his 40,000, through the
same ruse.



He would also send his 30 Sardinian marines, led by Fabius, would make a raid,
with the help of Adrianus' ships, on the city of Marseillesi, which would
distract Gallic troops from the main front.



His final legion would march to the rear of the Gallic army, to intercept and
destroy them as they ran. All but 500 of his army's cavalry would accompany this
column. He knew the enemy's camps to be at Remy, a small town, spreading north
to Lasarse. He would strike all along this line, allowing no reinforcement
anywhere for either he or his opponent: The great Tocinederex.



He got to work on the summer campaign which would be historically called "The
Misery"



----------

Turpillius Castus had at once made two terrible errors and two tremendously
brilliant moves. The attack with the Marines was successful. 30,000 Gauls were
diverted from Fort Cambo leaving the 18,000 Gauls in Narbonesis without ready
reinforcement. He also forced them to move out of their fortress to try to
invade into Cisalpine Gaul. His 40,000 men would have a fantastic advantage
against unfortified Gauls.



The blunders, which were huge, were firstly, Roman early raids showed Roman
resolve not to conquer Narbonesis, as Gaul had originally expected, but showed
renewed vigor to trounce Gaul. Hispania, likewise, began raising huge armies.
Secondly, Turpillius had underestimated Gallic thinking and assumed they would
continue their boarder warring with the Germans, they had not and had made many
brilliant strides towards making a lasting peace.



----------

NARCISSA: 10th-11th July, 79bc.

----------



Four legions under Turpillius Castus began to outmaneuver the Gauls now sensing
his advance who began to fall back. Darius' legion was most determined to spring
into action and did so early on the morning of July 10th at Narcissa post some
forty miles inside of the Narbonessin boarder near Cisalpine Gaul near the sea.
The Gauls were walled up in a position of retreated. They were easily
outmaneuvered and the slaughtered lasted the day.

By the second day, the Gauls had taken position on a small hilltop and began
and early archery show which drove back several Roman attempts to dislodge them.
By late afternoon, however, the Gauls were on the move west again and Rome had
taken the day.



ROME: 5,200 casualties

GAUL: 8,000 casualties (estimated)



---------

ASTA: 14th August-17th August, 79bc

---------



Turpillius legions were exhausted after the violent and bitter battle of
Narcissa. The Senate knew the victory was Rome's but at a huge cost. Turpillius
would bleed Gaul dry on the blades of Roman soldiers...at any cost. The Praetor
was bolstered by the fact that the Emperor was now encouraged by his efforts and
Postumus promised fresh soldiers would come above all.



Castus looked over his careful plans and how sure he was the war would go
according to his plans, but it was obvious, now, that Gaul would be a very
difficult task.



Despite the exhausted legions, the order for pursuit was given just after supply
and reinforcement. The Gauls were sure larger forces of Romans would be coming
and there would be the typical building of fortifications and a network of crude
roads as before when Romans moved along, but Turpillius marched on straight for
the throat. On August 14, he caught a huge Gallic army at a little known valley
called simply "Asta".



The first day saw 10,000 Gauls smashed hard by Turpillius recently reinforced
army of a swollen 38,000. The Gallic defenders were brave and weathered the
storm. On the second day they strategically retreated, but not without
skirmishing to hold off the Roman advance. "I can smell the blood, but I want to
taste the flesh" Castus told his generals.



On the third day, the four legions again surrounded and attacked the Gauls who
again took the higher ground. Their small numbers couldn't halt the massive
attacks. However, in mid afternoon, reinforcement of some 14,000 Gauls came and
attacked legion V from the rear. In complete shock, the Romans then saw the
10,000 gauls charging down upon them. The bitter fighting which ensued through
day three and four saw the Romans defeat attack after attack. Eventually,
disillusioned, the Gauls fled. It was a Roman victory, but at hard costs. Gaul
had grown strong or Rome had grown weak...either way the men in the east took
great notice of the Roman victories...and their costs.



ROME: 4,500 casualties

GAUL: 11,200 casualties (estimated)



----------

TANTUS 1st November- 18th November 79bc

----------



Perhaps the greatest Roman engagement since Cannae. Again reinforced and re-
trained, Turpillius ordered his troops another 60 miles to the west driving deep
into Narbonesis. Despite horrendous casualties on both sides, Gaul was
determined to fight, but Rome was determined to prevail.



The "siege" of Fort Tantus began on unusually sunny and warm November afternoon.
Some 39,000 Romans began to surround and lay siege to 5,500 townspeople, many
Roman by birth and moved to the city, and 13,000 Gallic defenders.



On the seventh, fourteenth, and fifteenth Rome staged assaults to try to save
the population and bring the stalemate to an end before the onset of Winter.
Gaul knew that if Tantus fell, within ten days Rome would have fully liberated
Narbonesis. Turpillius was determined to crush Gaul in spirit and in form. He
wouldn't go around this army, he wanted to kill this army.



On the eighteenth, some 10,000 Gallic reinforcements, and 20,000 Germanic
mercenaries and Hispanian allies came from the north. Turpillius barely had time
to move his troops into defensive positions. By the end of the day, it was clear
a retreat Asta and Torrum were in dire need. Turpillius was both beside himself
with disappointment, and embarrassed by what he saw as a complete failure to
secure some kind of victory. The war would have to wait until spring.



ROME: 7,600 casualties

GAUL: 5,400 casualties

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

Results: The people in Rome are in outrage, Turpillius has failed Rome, the
army has suffered mercilessly and brutally, and Postumus is being blamed,
chiefly, for the failure along with the Emperor. The Eastern powers are calling
for the independence of Dalmatia as a buffer state...and threaten war.



by: Turpillius Castus, Postumus Varro