Play@YSDC

Forum Romanum- Rome, Italia
Mid-Morning- March 15, 44 BC

Artemis Gaius Sylvius, Spurius Papirius Valens, and Marcus Sabinus found themselves in the Forum, feeling like they had only gone to sleep a moment ago. Though they knew it was morning, the sun had gone completely dark. In their hearts, they knew the worst had happened even before they had seen some of their other friends enter the Temple of Venus leading a makeshift litter bearing the dead body of Julius Caesar, his arm hanging over the edge. Claudius and two other slaves bore the litter, while Senator Germanicus led the entourage, along with Caelia Alba, Titus Iunius Philo, Decius Lupus, and Aricus Callidus Gladio. By the time the three of them caught up to the larger group, they had already entered the temple and were in conversation with a beautiful priestess.

Artemis watched in total frustration and anger as the body of Caesar was taken up into the Temple of Venus well forward of where he and his colleagues had entered the Forum. "After all of it, we failed him, we are to late and the Republic is undone." Tears welled in his eyes as he made his way through the various swirling of people in the Forum. Artemis recalled past campaigns, setbacks and advances that had helped him gain his greater respect for the General. Artemis moved through the remaining people catching portions of their conversations and laments.

He mounted the stairs and took them two at a time. When he entered the Temple, he blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust and he could see his colleagues gathered around the most beautiful of women wearing the dress of a priestess. "So it was all for naught, Lady Caelia?" Artemis whispered as he joined the group.

"It was." Caelia whispers sadly. "Artemis, we failed him. And the perpetrators have fled into the crowds; there was a flood of senators running from here, we were just too late." She looks up at Artemis with a tear stained face,
"There are many small wounds but there was only one that delivered the mortal blow; struck with conviction straight through his heart." She shakes her head and looks up into the dark and tremulous sky, "Look, even the sun is mourning his passing."

She turns to the priestess, "Please, what does it mean; will the sun come back?"

Horrified but not surprised by the ghastly murder, Titus studies the heavens for any indications of what the disaster will portend. The darkening of the sky is obviously a sign of the gods raging against the assassination. He hopes to find some sign of hope in the sky that Rome will be able to survive.

Germanicus turns to Claudius and speaks sternly.

"Quickly, send for Marcus Antonius to come here and dispatch a messenger to my wife and tell her to seal the gates and bar all visitors save Jupiter himself."

"Senator, didn't the Consul stop the murderers? He said he would have men with him and be prepared to intervene?" Artemis' shock and bewilderment continued to resonate within his voice.

Claudius sets off to do as bid. He heeds the urgency of his Master's tone as he finds two slaves to dispatch his messages.

Germanicus shakes his head gravely.

"I believe the Consul, just like myself, was delayed by cruel Fortuna."

"The sun shall return, my lady," said the priestess, "but noble Caesar is now with the gods."

No sooner had the slaves stepped outside than one of them returned, followed by Marcus Antonius, out of breath from running, and his entourage of lictors and servants. He let out an agonized wail when he saw the body of Caesar. He lowered his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. For once, he seemed at a loss for words.

Titus stared at the darkened sky. It seemed extremely odd to see stars in the daytime. Apparently they were always there, but the sun would normally outshine them. The brightest of the stars was Venus, and she was positioned directly over her temple.

OOC,[b]Titus[/b], please roll Science(Augury).

Fearfully, Titus looks to the skies for guidance as to what this strange appearance of the stars foretells.

Lupus shook his head gently, feeling as though he had been walking in a dream or nightmare fog from which he could not escape.

"Scaevola! We must stop him; if we hurry he'll still have Caesar's blood on his hands." Caelia turns to Germanicus, " We learnt that Senator Scaevola is a leader of the Brotherhood; it was his plan to kill Caesar personally and if he did it ritually with a special knife he would somehow gain magical powers; all in the name of Thoth and the Sphinx. Now he has succeeded there is no telling what evil havoc he intends on!"

Germanicus walks over to Marcus Antonius and embraces the man like a brother.

"We were unable to save him, but what strength we have should be used to save Rome from the jackals that have brought down our truest friend."

The senator turns his attention to Caelia.

"Scaevola? He has already wrought the worst he could and brought about the blackening of the Sun. What other evil has he in store then?"

Caelia Alba stares up into the black sky and says bitterly, "This is only the beginning; Scaevola and his followers worship Thoth and the Sphinx. They are preparing for the day when the stars are right and Thoth will descend to rule the world with the Brotherhood as his servants. By killing Caesar with this magical dagger, Scaevola has been given untold power; a 'magician' with which he'll further the Brotherhood's heinous designs. I know all this because I took Scaevola's initiation ceremony and became one of the Brotherhood. "

Titus dares to interrupt. "Tell us more of this Brotherhood, and how it may be thwarted."

Marcus Antonius slowly recovered from the shock. "I was too late..." he mumbled. "His body should be taken to his house, to Calpurnia. I...I must go now." He extracted himself from Germanicus's embrace and hurried out of the temple.

Artemis shook his head in disbelief as the Consul left the temple and the dead body of the leader of the Republic.

"What will we do now? The City will be in a panic and that will not make any effort to avenge poor Caesar easier by anyone. Where were the others we started the evening with? " Artemis asked as he looked about those who were inside the temple. The beauty of the place was lost on the signifier as he tried to identify people in the crowd.

"Calpurnia? Yes, poor Calpurnia...Antonius! Wait, don't act rashly! Come to my mansion at noon and we shall take council!"

Germanicus looks on as Marcus Antonius leaves.

"Prepare to bear Caesar's body to his home..with Venus's blessing, naturally."

He looks at the priestess for a moment and then to those present.

"The time has come for all under the sun to make a choice. The enemies of the Republic will move swiftly now to seize what power they can and to eliminate all those that were Caesar's friends. If you walk out with me then you will become their enemy. If you choose to stay, you will become mine, for I intend to avenge myself upon his killers."

"Well, General, we have seen worse odds I am certain," Artemis said with a bit of a smile. "It does seem like a good time for a walk outside, so let's go and see how now we can try to save the Republic our Caesar died for."