NationStates Jolt Archive


The Last Bastion of Sanity Falls to Pieces; The Rise of Emperor Marius

Generic empire
27-11-2004, 23:35
It had been twenty long, prosperous years since the return of Emperor Antonius to Generia. Antonius was one of few strong enough to contain the Empire in peace for any relatively long duration of time, and would go down in history as Antonius the Great.

Five years after his return, Antonius had married his mistress, Lady Alexa, and had ruled with her by his side as a constant bastion of comfort and strength through the best and worst of times. They had had three children together, two daughters, and a son. At the birth of his son, the sovereign lord of Generia had rejoiced, but his joy was to be short lived. His son, Antonius Desmus was sickly, and not expected to last three months. In fact, with the aid of Generian advanced medical technology, he had so far lived fifteen years.

Of course, his bones were quite brittle and his cardiovascular system weak, and so it was commonly decided by the Emperor’s advisors that the boy was in no way fit to rule. Many pushed for the disinheritance of Antonius the younger, and the appointment of the boy’s uncle as heir. After much discourse, Antonius made the final decision to leave his son as the heir apparent, but to establish his current council, headed by his brother Arus, as the true government, leaving Antonius Desmus as more of a figurehead. The decision was accepted by all as a wise course of action, and it seemed as though the crisis of succession was resolved.

But there was another. Unbeknownst to Empress Alexa, her children, or even any of the Emperor’s closest confidants, Antonius had had as his mistress a certain Lady Anja before his marriage to Alexa. She had in fact gone into exile with the Emperor in The Island of Rose at the time of the usurping of the throne by the traitor Alexei. After some time, it became apparent to Antonius that this woman wanted nothing but power and station through marriage to the Emperor. So it was that when she came to Antonius to beg for marriage, he turned her away, exiling her to the Imperial port city of Antonium in Mozambique.

However, at the time of her exile, Anja was pregnant. She bore the child in the home of a general, the commander of the Praetorian garrison in the city whom she had taken as her lover, mostly out of need for shelter. The child was a son, and was named Marius. As he grew, he was trained in the ways of war by his surrogate father, the general Marcus Meridius.

He was trained in the ways of hatred by his mother, who constantly reminded him of where he had come from, and of how his cruel father had banished them without reason so that he could lay with the “tramp of an Empress” he now held as his wife. Thus the seeds were planted in the boy’s mind.

At seventeen, Marius entered the army and quickly rose through the ranks until he was nearly on even station with his surrogate father. Still, Antonius remained unaware that this promising young officer was in fact his son.

As he rose in station, Marius began to realize his own potential, and became angry at the fact that General Meridius seemingly refused to allow him to progress further. In fact, the general was frightened of the young man, and what he saw he was becoming. Marius seemed to exhibit dangerous tendencies, utilizing extreme violence in even the least dangerous situations. The thing that scared him, however, was that Marius enjoyed it.

So it was that Marius’s ambition was blocked, and his frustration stewed. Soon enough, the general was found dead at his desk, a .357 bullet hole through his skull. It was ruled as a suicide.

As his bastard son schemed in the backwaters of Mozambique, Emperor Antonius continued to rule with wisdom and care, steering the Empire through international diplomacy with great success. At age 60, Antonius died in his bed, a product of emphysema. Two months were set aside as a period of national grieving, and grieve they did. The funeral was the largest spectacle in modern Imperial history. Millions crowded the streets of Generia City to watch the procession move to the great mausoleum constructed years before for this occasion.

At the end of the two months, Varus prepared to be coronated, and the council of former advisors to Antonius settled in to run things.

Marus had not been idle in these years however. He now had power and influence among the military, and, fueled by the injustice he felt at the fact that the weaker of two sons would be granted precedence over him, he prepared to seize the opportunity. Accompanied by a detachment of twenty of his finest soldiers, the now General Marius traveled to the capital.

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And the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

The doors swung open with a loud crash, and a shadowy figure stepped into the main foyer of the Imperial Palace. The people who had been going about their business halted and squinted at the figure through the glare from the outside.

The shadow stood there for some time, before moving forward, revealing his strong features and muscular build. The people watched in confusion as the man advanced. Through the door followed a score of soldiers, each bearing an unfamiliar emblem on his uniform.

The man looked harshly into the face of each awestruck person before halting in front of the grand staircase. At the top of the staircase appeared a rather irritated looking elderly gentlemen. He hurried down the steps and stood before the man.

“What is the meaning of this? Who are you.”

The man spoke, his voice sharp and booming.

“I am Marius Meridius Alexei, firstborn son of Antonius I, and rightful heir to the Imperial throne.”

The old man chuckled.

“Are you mad? Guards!”

Marius seized the old man about the throat and thrust him against the banister of the staircase. Several White Guardsmen rushed into the room, only to be met by the muzzles of Marius’s soldier’s guns.

“Praetorians! Lay down your arms and bow before your true emperor!”

The men stood frozen in place. Marius turned back to the man whose throat he now clutched.

“Tell them to do as I say.”

He released his grip slightly and the old man croaked out an order.

“Do it.”

The guards cautiously set their weapons on the ground, and Marius’s men rushed forward to secure them. Marius released the man, who gasped for air and rubbed his soar neck.

“Now, I have told you who I am. Tell me who you are.”

The man spoke through harsh breaths.

“Arius Cassius, advisor to the Emperor.”

“Then advise me, old fool. I know of your treachery, of your stinking plots. The weak one will be Emperor in name only. Your ‘council’ is a farce, the true puppet master. You will bring me before them so that they may look upon the face of true power.”

“Impossible.”

Marius drew a saber from its sheath at his waist and put it to the old man’s throat.

“Maybe we can work something out. Follow me.”

Marius sheathed his sword and gestured to his men. They formed up and followed Marius, rifles at the ready. The procession made its way through the vast complex that was the Imperial palace until finally reaching a pair of large doors, engraved with the Imperial seal.

“Right through here.”

Arius opened the doors, and stepped into the dark room. Marius followed. In the center of the chamber sat a large, circular conference table. Around this sat several figures, who now looked to gaze at the man who entered their presence. From one of the men came a low, gravelly voice.

“Arius, who is this man?”

“His name is Marius. He claims to be the rightful heir to the Imperial throne.”

Marius stepped forward into a beam of light, and spoke.

“Indeed I am! I am the true firstborn of Antonius, the despicable fool who banished me and my mother to that shithole years ago! I have come to reclaim what is mine before it is wrongfully given away to the weak and the corrupt!”

The council was startled by the man’s staunch statements. A murmur turned slowly into an uproar as the advisors began to shout cries of ‘preposterous’ and ‘he’s mad.’ However, one man who had thus far remained silent raised a hand for order and spoke.

“No, friends. It is the truth. You have forgotten Anja, Antonius’s former lover. At the time she was sent away, she was indeed pregnant. Not a soul but the Emperor and myself were aware of the fact at the time. Her child was not expected to last the night of his birth, but it would seem we were mistaken.”

“Avidius, are you most certain you are not mistaken now?”

“Yes, Lord Cassius, this man cannot be the man he says he is. How could we not have known about his existence?”

“I am indeed certain. Look into his face and tell me you do not see the features of our late Emperor.”

“Lord Cassius is indeed wise. I see he speaks truthfully. The man does bear the appearance of Antonius, and that of the lady Anja.”

Marius, who had thus far remained silent, spoke.

“Then this man is the least foolish of you, for it was he alone who could see my true identity. He speaks the truth, and I speak with veracity as well. You now have no choice but to hand me the crown, for I have the right of the firstborn.”

Murmurs again filled the dark room.

“But he is not the true heir. It cannot be. He was conceived of the treacherous harpy, and I can see he has her wild lust for power. This man must not become emperor.”

“But he is strong, stronger than Varus. Would you rather let the Empire whither away under Varus’s unsteady hands, or take our chances with this man?”

Lord Avidius Cassius raised his hand once more for silence and spoke.

“Marius, you present us with a great dilemma. Pray leave us for some time to discuss the matter. Be patient and perhaps you shall have what you desire. In the mean time, make use of the guest quarters of the palace.”

“Fine. You shall have until tomorrow morning to bring me a favorable decision.”

Marius turned, his long black cloak flying about behind him, and stormed out of the chamber.

He returned the next morning as he had promised to receive the council’s verdict. Avidius Cassius addressed him.

“After the deliberations that consumed the entirety of time from when you left until now, we have reached our decision. Marius, your step brother is weak, too frail physically and mentally to rule the Empire, even with the aid of this council. However, we believe that your ambition will prove threatening if it goes unchecked. Therefore, we have decided to give you the crown, as long as you rule under the direct guidance of the Imperial parliament.”

A sly grin creased Marius’s mouth.

“Excellent. Than it will be so, and it will be so as soon as possible for that matter. The coronation must take place tomorrow.”

“Lord Marius, these things take time to prepare. It will be at least a month before the ceremony can officially commence.”

“Silence old fool! It will be done tomorrow, or you will all regret it!”

Marius once more stormed from the room, a great fire in his eyes.

It was indeed as he desired. The next day, he was presented the Imperial crown, which he took from the bishop himself, as opposed to waiting for it to be placed upon his head. Thus Emperor Marius came to power, and the days of wine and roses came to an end forevermore.

Purges and Such

It had been the terms of the agreement that now-Emperor Marius would live in certain subjection to the Imperial parliament on matters of state. However, Marius was far too clever to allow this to get in his way. If he would be forced to live under an institution, he would make it so that the institution was firmly in his pocket.

So, with the help of his personal bodyguard, his former garrison from Mozambique christened the Red Hand, Marius began a brutal campaign of arrest and assassination to cleanse the senate of those who would disagree with him.

His men came at night, the armored cars screeching to a halt outside of apartment buildings, soldiers rushing up the steps, gunfire, and screaming persons being dragged down the steps to the backs of the vehicles which sped off into the night. In one week, Marius had achieved his first goal.

Still he saw threats everywhere, namely in the members of the old government. He feared that the council would begin to regret their decision of appointing him, and so he decided to remove them all.

Again, the Red Hand worked with quick efficiency. Each member of the council and his respective family members were discreetly eliminated, except for one, Lord Avidius Cassius. Marius had a particular distaste for this man, and wanted the joy of terminating him personally.

On a cold February night, the Chancellor was dragged into Marius’s throne room, and made to stand before the Emperor.

Marius stood with his back to the man, enjoying the fear he knew Cassius was feeling. He turned slowly, the light from the moon coming in from the windows casting a sickly glow on his crazed eyes.

“Look at you. Even now you eye me with contempt, you condescending bastard. What of your senate now? I own them. And of your council? Have you not heard that they all lie rotting, full of holes? I saved you for last.”

A nearby soldier handed Marius a rifle.

“I shall enjoy this.”

The crack echoed through the halls of the palace as the Chancellor fell to the floor with a thud, his blood flowing from the crater in his skull to stain the white tiles.

So it was that Antonius began his liquidation of the old government. Antonius’s family was next to go. His daughters were all put to the sword. His wife, the lady Alexa was spared this fate, as she was fortunate enough to have passed on several weeks before, some say out of grief for the loss of her beloved husband.

With his power firmly consolidated, Marius set on to accomplish everything his wild lusts would lead him to.
Doomingsland
27-11-2004, 23:49
OOC:Ahhh! Crazy fluid time!

IC:

Doom Citadel, Doomingsland

It had seemed that Antonius's wedding had been but days before, rather than years, but once again, a new Generian emperor had taken the throne. Emperor Helldawg had seen what seemed like dozens of emperors rise and fall from power, starting with Alexei himself. This was begining to become routine to him. He began typing a message to the new Generian Lord,'

To-Emperor Marius
From-Emperor Helldawg V

Greetings, my ally,

Firstly, I would like to congradulate you on your ascent to the thrown, and your purging of those once corrupt elements within your government. Secondly, I would like to make clear Doomingsland's continued support of Generia through all of her endevours. I would also like to take this oppurtunity to invite you to tour Doomingsland.

May you rule long and wisely,

Emperor Helldawg V, Lord and Emperor of Doomingsland

Then he waited...
Generic empire
27-11-2004, 23:57
OOC:Ahhh! Crazy fluid time!

IC:

Doom Citadel, Doomingsland

It had seemed that Antonius's wedding had been but days before, rather than years, but once again, a new Generian emperor had taken the throne. Emperor Helldawg had seen what seemed like dozens of emperors rise and fall from power, starting with Alexei himself. This was begining to become routine to him. He began typing a message to the new Generian Lord,'

To-Emperor Marius
From-Emperor Helldawg V

Greetings, my ally,

Firstly, I would like to congradulate you on your ascent to the thrown, and your purging of those once corrupt elements within your government. Secondly, I would like to make clear Doomingsland's continued support of Generia through all of her endevours. I would also like to take this oppurtunity to invite you to tour Doomingsland.

May you rule long and wisely,

Emperor Helldawg V, Lord and Emperor of Doomingsland

Then he waited...

((OOC: God I love the fluid time. I can cram so much more chaos into small durations.))

Official Imperial Communique

To: Emperor Helldawg V
From: Chancellor Alexander Julianus

Emperor Marius is grateful for your congratulations, and wishes to state that he intends for Generian-Doomingsland relations to remain as they have always been. Unfortunately, a tour of your land will not be possible, as the Emperor has many pressing affairs to tend to in coincidence with his ascension to power.

Chancellor Alexander Julianus,
Appointed Chancellor of the Imperial Congress,
Loyal Servant to Emperor Marius I
Camel Eaters
28-11-2004, 00:06
Linfield himself was an ancient man and could remember Alexei I. He sighed again. "Kin do ya know why Generia has stood so long?"

The young nephew said nothing just shook his head. "It's because of great men like Antonius who build an empire so strong that it'll take a hundred men like Marius to tear it down. Ah well send the letter."

Emperor Marius we pray to every god we know that you rule well.

Linfield Hannon
Generic empire
28-11-2004, 00:24
bump
Nikolaos The Great
28-11-2004, 00:36
Office of the Emperor, Imperial Palace, Athens

Emperor Nikolaos has just received the news that a new Generian emperor has risen to power. Like always he better check if this new emperor would remain as an ally.

To: Emperor Marius of Generia
From: Emperor Nikolaos

I congratulate you on receiving the Generian crown and becoming the new emperor of Generia. I hope you will keep the good ties the past Emperors have built with Greece.
-Nikolaos the Great, Emperor of Greece
Generic empire
28-11-2004, 00:38
Office of the Emperor, Imperial Palace, Athens

Emperor Nikolaos has just received the news that a new Generian emperor has risen to power. Like always he better check if this new emperor would remain as an ally.

To: Emperor Marius
From: Emperor Nikolaos

I congratulate you on receiving the Generian crown and becoming the new emperor of Generia. I hope you will keep the good ties the past Emperors have built with Greece.
-Nikolaos the Great, Emperor of Greece

Official Imperial Communique

To: Emperor Nikalaos
From: Chancellor Alexander Julianus

Emperor Marius thanks you for your congratulations. He assures you that the Generian-Greek ties will remain strong as always.

Chancellor Alexander Julianus,
Appointed Chancellor of the Imperial Congress,
Loyal Servant to Emperor Marius I
Generic empire
28-11-2004, 01:29
The Four Day War

In the later years of the reign of Antonius, the Empire had begun to lose touch with many of her provinces, namely the more recent gains in the Ukraine. Imperial garrisons there had gone basically unchecked since the return of the true emperor, and so the province was ruled less by the officially appointed governor than by an Imperial provincial military oligarchy.

The largely enslaved populace had suffered greatly at the hands of the generals and the praetorians, but as the years drew on, the generals seemed to lose interest in keeping order for the Empire and more in enjoying the spoils of their plunder. So it became easy for a resistance movement to develop and grow in the Ukraine.

At the time of Antonius’s death, bombings in Ukrainian cities by members of the resistance had become an almost regular thing. Order seemed to be rapidly slipping away. So it came as little shock to all involved when the event the Imperial government had long thought impossible occurred.

On a warm morning in late May, the popular uprising came. Led by the shadowy leaders of the resistance, who had long hidden out on the steppe preparing for this moment, a large, organized group of armed Ukrainian took to the streets of Kiev with the intention of throwing of the Imperial yoke.

Gunfire erupted as the mob attacked an Imperial military barracks, which had become more like a palace in the past few years. The Praetorians were taken off guard by the surprising organization and armament of the rebels, and so reacted poorly at first, giving the rebels time to break through the gates of the compound.

However, the success was short lived as the Praetorians armed themselves and fired back at the revolutionaries. Bodies began to pile high as the resistance members were driven back through the gates into the street. Blood rushed into storm drains where it flowed through the Kiev sewers to some unknown river.

As the rebels were pushed back, other struck at different locations throughout the city. The city had become a full-fledged battlefield as the generals began to receive news of the situation.

Praetorians rushed into position, setting up barricades and deploying armored units. The objective for now was containment. If the chaos spread, the chance of losing the province was quite real.

As the afternoon drew around, the battle continued to rage. More seemed to be taking to the streets to join the uprising, leaving the Praetorians hard pressed to control the situation. Worse, they were beginning to run low on ammunition.

The hardest blow came when the rebels finally managed to seize an Imperial supply depot in the southwest portion of the city. With heavy hearts, the generals ordered their men to withdraw to the far western portion of the city, and a distress call was sent out to Generia City. As night fell, the Imperial forces made a full withdrawal from Kiev.

In Generia City, the Emperor Marius was reportedly furious over the incompetence in the handling of the situation, but more so over the insolence of the Ukrainian rebels. With eyes aflame, the Emperor ordered the deployment of an additional 200,000 man force to deal with the rebellion.

Elsewhere in the nation, unrest was spreading, but the Imperial Praetorians now seemed to know what to expect, and managed to significantly curb the chance of a Kiev repeat in other major cities. As the Imperial reinforcements arrived, the generals prepared to teach the rebels a lesson in manners.

Fortunately for the Empire, the leader of the rebellion had made an unwise decision in revealing his identity to the public with the hope of instilling new patriotism in the populace. He was in fact a former Ukrainian statesman by the name of Victor Greschenko. From the old Imperial governor’s palace in Kiev he broadcasted his revolutionary messages to the nation, unaware of the devastation he was about to bring upon his land.

Regrouped and instilled with fury, the Imperial armies approached Kiev. As night fell on the third day, Imperial gunships entered the streets. The rebels opened fire, but were forced to take cover as the gunships rained death down upon them. Imperial armor rumbled down the streets, and the Praetorians began a bitter campaign of house to house fighting.

The rebels had not stood a chance against the full might of the Imperium. By dawn on the fourth day, the Imperial standard flew once more over the city, casting its shadows on the piles of bodies that littered the streets.

Marius was pleased by the success of the crushing of the rebellion, but the event spawned in his mind a vision of perfect order that would be the doom of the province. As punishment for their insolence, Marius ordered the purification of the city. All captured heads f the former resistance were executed in the street without ceremony. The executions also marked the beginning of the Orion Mandates.

The Orion Mandates

With the uprising in Ukraine handily crushed, Emperor Marius determined that it was necessary to above all prevent such an event from occurring again. With this in mind, he created the Orion Mandates, a secretive series of Imperial edicts that would transform Ukraine into a series of tightly controlled ghettos and slave labor camps.

The mandates gave the Imperial Praetorians jurisdiction to act to preserve order through whatever means they saw fit. The mandates saw the isolation of Ukrainian cities through several series of checkpoints, within the cities themselves, and on the highways that connected them. Each city was divided into several sections, each of which was penned off to make travel between them nearly impossible for anyone but an Imperial soldier or government officer.

Of all the ghettos, the most brutal was that of Kiev. Here was established the center of Imperial provincial control. To replace the elaborate governor’s palace, an enormous skyscraper was constructed in the center of the city, one referred to by the general populace as simply ‘the tower.’ Here, all the workings of the Imperial will in Ukraine were handled by invisible figures. No Ukrainian had ever seen the inside of this building and lived to tell about it. What went on inside the tower was known only through the twists of the imagination and the nightmares of small children, nothing more.

To top off the institution of the mandates, the Imperial government took another step to ensure order through the institution of a Ukrainian puppet government. A certain Mikhail Boreschkov was installed to be the figurehead of the nation to give a human face to the decidedly inhuman nature of the Imperial occupation.
Generic empire
28-11-2004, 04:39
((OOC: Alright, here's how it is. I was sitting eating a fajita and I suddenly decided that this is definitely not where I want to take things, so I'm gonna close this thread, in an interesting fashion of course. Just so you won't be angry or disappointed because of my deranged change of mind, I shall include a photograph of Slash to bring tranquility to your shattered psyches.))

Antonius awoke with a start. He rubbed his head and looked over to his wife who lay peacefully beside him.

"I really gotta stop all the drinking."

Antonius then got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, where he took several aspirin and played a rockin' guitar solo.

http://www.gnr.szm.sk/obr/slash.jpg
Doomingsland
28-11-2004, 17:49
Doom Citadel, Doomingsland

The emperor looked up from his desk at several empty bottles of whisky.

Mmmmmmmm, whisky...mmmmmmmm, halusenations...*drools*
The Island of Rose
28-11-2004, 18:01
((OOC: Wa, wa, wa, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Generia, you bastard :P))
Borman Empire
28-11-2004, 19:30
OOC: Thats the greatest thing ever. I love your RPs.