March, In the 15th year of the Emperor
It seems that another pointless war was finally over. The emperor just led his grand army into another city of the barbarians, and burnt it down in revenge. No one can ever comprehend the exact dead, but two things are certain: 5 Years ago, most of the young men in your village were drafted into the army. Only 1 in 5 are healthy enough to come back today. Nor this war had made the frontiers safer: The barbarians were still raiding constantly, without raising a finger to the razed city.
This is just a slice of life in the frontiers. Weathers are harsh, the soil produces so little, and lives are brutally short due to constant warfare or starvation.
But somehow you survived your worst ordeal; moreover, you were well praised as you saved the live of your commanding officer by striking down an enemy Champion by a well-lined up spear thrust. He promised some reward; but that was not coming, and now you have to revert to the life of a farmer in such a hostile place. Until today.
"Is it the home of _______________?" Yelled an unfamiliar voice, as the door was knocked on.
"Yes sir, May I help you?" You opened the door, and saw a small procession of men in fancy clothes. You recall their funny headgear are a symbol of their status of bureaucrats, and status of their rank.
"Are you __________________?" The men in center asked in the same high voice.
"Yes sir." You replied in a half trembling voice. You don't have the knowledge of the Imperial ranks, but you know that he could condemn you to the dungeons for the rest of life - if living on the frontiers are not harsh enough.
"Kneel." You obliged, as common sense would told you so; you tried your best to shove your head down straight into the the dusty ground.
"There is an imperial message for you," he continued, "and this is the message in its entirety."
"__________________, Your bravery has been noted; you have killed a barbarian giant, and you saved the life of one of the our important officers. For your extraordinary achievement, we decide to confer you the Governorate of _______________________. We, the emperor, had spoken, dated February 16, in the 15th year of our reign."
As you hear every bit of this message, you can feel tears rolling down your face, making the ground a bit soaked and less dusty. "This worthless subject is grateful for the Imperial message. May the Emperor lives long!" You replied, using phrases overhead from your army duty, but you couldn't cover your emotion.
"__________________, " Said the bureaucrat, still in the same high loud voice. "The message was already finished. Usually, such positions are only conferred to close associates, or if the emperor prefers, some learned man. However, in special times, special means are needed. As a symbol of your new rank, you are now given your seal. Use it wisely."
"Yes, sir." It was a small, bone seal, around an inch in diameter, with all the craftsmanship that would never be found in the frontiers. On it was engraved some letters, but you realize that you are illiterate, and can't make any sense out of it. There are also more letters engraved on the business side.
"One more thing, __________________," reminded the bureaucrat. "You know where is __________________?"
Now you remember your name and the place...
Your name: ________________________________
The place: You have three choices. You can rename them later in the game.
Grand Cliffs: This is a place by some cragged cliffs. You remember another soldier talking about a river cutting through some highlands, giving that place its name.
Big Camp: This is a relatively flat place, which was once noted as a big frontier camp. As the actual frontier moved forward, these places lost its importance, and all remains is just soggy moorland and a stream.
Black woods: Black woods is one of the more precious pieces of forest, by the foothills under a mountain. There are gushing streams in the area, and some people go harvesting better wood from there, There are also bandits operating from the woods; fairly speaking though bandits can be anywhere.
Author
Topic: Governorship - on the very frontier of civilization (Read 8450 times)