Play@YSDC

Aricus, ex-gladiator

Aricus was talking with Decimus when out of the corner of his eye he saw Adelphus turn momentarily scaled like a serpent-man.

"By Jupiter's cock!" he swore, reaching for his gladius that wasn't there. The next moment Adelphus was normal. Aricus shook his head, disturbed and doubting his own sight. How can this be? It should not be! Do gods joke with me? Being a man of action the Gaelic Roman moves.

"Gratitude Decimus, I must need go. Send word of my fighting time and I will arrive to entertain crowd with sword," says Aricus quickly.

He steps to Adelphus and grasps the old man by the arm. "Good sir I would have word."

- Sanity Check (55) [1d100] = 61
- San loss [1d6] = 1

Caelia Alba had been browsing a selection of silks sold by a street hawker but was finding they were of very inferior quality. She was interrupted by an old friend of her fathers, Senator Tiberius Tullius Germanicus and his hideous slave, Claudius Marcius, and was about to reply when they too were interrupted by Caesar and his panoply of followers.

The crowd surges forward to see the great ruler but Caelia hangs back from the mass and keeps walking around the outskirts of the throng to the steps. These she climbs a little and watches over the square, although she can see little of what is happening around the Emperor's litter. She notices a man sitting at the base of a statue looking rather worse for wear. He's obviously a soldier and his ugly face is vaguely familiar; maybe he'd been to her father's clinic. She nods to him so as not to seem impolite.

Previously said:   Turning to Lucius, she asks:"So...what are the sights? The Circus? Lions and gladiators? I must say, some of these folks are very Russell Crowe...

"Rustle crow? I am not familiar with that sport?"

Lupus' heart skipped a beat at the greeting from the beautiful and skilled Alba. His ugly face broke into a smile and he gave her a polite soldier's wave in return.

So far out of your league, horse-brain.

And then Gladio was holding the seer's arm. Lupus didn't know either but deep seated superstition forced his hand. Lupus quickly strode towards Gladio. "Whoa laddy, let him go, it's far too early in the day for stupidity." Lupus didn't yell but his parade ground voice carried.

As he got closer, Lupus tried for reason and a slightly quieter voice. "The seer read General Caesar's fortune and gave him a warning. No cause for offence to anyone. But everyone knows hurting a seer is massive bad luck, they are beloved of gods and spirits. You hurt him and you'll likely bring down unaimed bad luck on us all, like a rain of arrows from the heavens."

OOC,[b]Caelia[/b] and [b]Lucius[/b], please don't forget to roll Spot Hidden. I have an update planned, but I can wait another day or two before posting it to give you some time to roll. I also still need a Spot Hidden roll for Claudius.

Story,[b]Story[/b] was shocked to see that [b]Adelphus[/b] no longer had a man's face. His skin was covered in purple scales, and he had a look like that of a snake. This was visible only for a second, and then his features were suddenly those of a wrinkled old man. [spoiler][b]Story[/b], please roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 0/1d6, so you lose no Sanity if you succeed or 1d6 Sanity if you fail. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, please roll Idea. If you fail the Idea roll, you may act normally. If you succeed at it, you will go temporarily insane.[/spoiler]

SUCCESS,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4867391/]Sanity - 79 (1d100=76)[/url]

Story momentarily appears surprised as he focuses his attention on Adelphus, tilting his head to the side he exhales deeply. Upon seeing Aricus grab the old man's arm he begins to walk over.

Brook opens her mouth to explain to Lucius, then closes it, smiling a little. "Never mind, Lucius. It's a...a sport from my time."

Caelia Alba is surprised as the soldier rushes off into the throng. She follows his progress and watches from afar as he seems to come to the rescue of an old seer. She can't quite hear what exactly is said. Then she notices a small group watching from the side. They look like ordinary citizens but something doesn't seem quite right; maybe it is the way the two women have set their hair... The old man in the group then also walks towards the fracas around the seer and she strains to see what happens next.

Spot hidden,(35) [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4867617/]1d100=59[/url]

Lucius' face goes pale and he stands in shock. "By all the Gods! What was that?"
"Story! Wait, no!"

Brook startles at Lucius' sudden outburst, then looks to Story to see what it is he's doing to make their roman companion call out. "What' was what?"

Hearing Lucius' sudden outcry Story stops and turns around and walks back. Upon reaching Lucius, Story reaches out and lays his left hand on Lucius' right shoulder and says, "My friend, it is alright. Fear not." He glances back at Adelphus momentarily before returning his attention to his friend. Story continues, "There's nothing to worry about. Though..." He smiles and resumes talking, "I thank you for your concern." With a firm squeeze to Lucius' shoulder he removes his hand and looks at Elizabeth and Brook for a moment to see if they are distraught by what they may, or may not, have seen. In answer to Brook's question he simply says, "An old man..." Looking back at Adelphus he continues, though trailing off, "and someone whose undoubtedly quiet interesting."

"Quite interesting?" says Elizabeth weakly, wondering what she has missed. She looks from Story to Lucius, and back to Adelphus, trying to understand what has happened.

Lucius whispers to Story, To Elizabeth and Brooke, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, keep an eye on the soothsayer."

Story turns his attention to Elizabeth and say, "For a second the man appeared... different. As in the reason we travel different." Then in case anyone unwanted was trying to listening he adds with a smile, "But it was probably just the sun in these old eyes of mine playing tricks."