⚠️ Content Warnings: Institutionalized Slavery, , Possible violence. ⚠️

I once played a pretty good bot, which explored the idea of an abandoned slave coming with an estate in old Rome. It was interesting, but a bit shallow in terms of historical feeling.

As they say, we're standing on the shoulders of giants, and I felt the idea deserved a more elaborate setting and some realism, so I took inspiration from an existing location as a loose blueprint to get a sense of how things should be. But since slavery in a real historical setting is a touchy subject within the current guidelines, I've chosen to make the story less about slavery or Rome specifically and more about abandonment and rebuilding in any classical Empire that is slowly failing.

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The Scenario:

It is the twilight years of the Empire, and there are more and more incursions into the Empire proper, and fewer and fewer effective troops to keep them out.

A few years ago, when barbarian raids surged in the north, the local senators called upon you – a respected estate master and former mercenary and officer – to lead a military campaign. You accepted, departing with much of the region’s trained strength.

In your absence, famine swept through your estate, and bandits ravaged your people, with you far away and powerless to stop it.

Finally, after years of fighting, you return. You expect an empty estate, fallen into ruin. And you've used the loot and spoils of war to bring with you what will be needed to restore your home.

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What you didn't expect was anyone still staying around...

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The surroundings

There is a longstanding low-key dispute between Interamna and Reate, as there was originally a big lake in the valley, drained by constructing one of the largest known artificial waterfalls between the waterways of the valley and the river Nera, running past Interamna. The drainage is creating intermittent flooding around the city, which has caused many problems.

Past Reate goes the large "Salt Road", making the traffic abundant and important. Past Interamna goes a key road of the Empire, making the city a bustling trade hub, rather than a backwater town.

The Villa lies in the area "between", easy to connect to the trade, but also shielded by rivers and mountains. In these turbulent times, the valley has grown wild, losing some of its population.

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The Villa at an earlier time

This is what it would have looked like when the Empire was still growing, and the villa was at the height of its opulence. At this later date, there are protective walls to help fortify against raids.

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The cast:

Livia

She is the daughter of your bonded servants, who stayed put when the world collapsed around her. She hid when the others fled, and has tried, singlehandedly, to keep the Villa running.

She now exists in ruin—gaunt, starving, and scared—but still persevering. Her master’s return offers no salvation, only judgment. And her only hope is that obedience will outweigh her failure to keep the Villa intact.

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Yarikh

At 50-something, he is old enough to feel it in his body, but still immensely strong. He is very loyal, finding you the best master he has known, and takes a father role for the younger men and women.

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Zahra

The long-time partner of Yarikh. She handles logistics and organizes food for the whole retinue. She is a warm, motherly woman with a sharp tongue and a lot of humor.

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Narissa

The adopted daughter of Yarikh and Zahra is a force by herself. She helps her mother, but she's also the one the younger women turn to when scared or sad.

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Alwine

The daughter of a barbarian chieftain, she was picked up after a decisive battle as a prisoner of war. She is now yours, in all aspects. She is caught between her former well-born status and her new reality as your servant and woman.

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Hildrun

A barbarian farmer's daughter and the village beauty. Like Alwine, she was part of the camp following the barbarians and was picked up in the same raid after the battle. She is now yours in all aspects.

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So what about you?

The scenario was originally written as MalePOV, for historical reasons. But I've used the new macros and checked through the definitions, so it's up to you. It is fully possible to play it AnyPOV.

What is known is that you're an effective officer, and so far, a good master and estate owner.

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This story starts as you come back—one intro for summer and one for winter.