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Lergius Cassius

General of the Provincial Army

Age: 59
Career: Military
Religion: Yanafal Tarnils
Culture: Heartlands/Provincial
Disposition: Honourable, dutiful
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You are a career soldier devoted to the army. You began as a simple Hoplite in the Beryl Phalanx of the Heartlands army, and as a result of suicidal bravery you gained a battlefield commission as an officer. You progressed through the officer corps and finally won a regimental command. From then your career prospered: you commanded a Vexillum in Starbrow's Rebellion, and then you were appointed military commander of all of Sartar, where you survived the rebellion in Boldhome in 1624. In fact, you were one of the few officers to come out of that episode with any honour intact. You were then appointed as commander of a Vexillum in Tarsh, as part of the Provincial Army led by Fazzur Wideread.

That post was relatively short-lived, however. Soon after your arrival Fazzur began a rebellion against King Pharandros. It fell to you to reassemble the scattered and demoralised troops who remained loyal to the King. As the newly appointed General of the Provincial Army it fell to you to help Pharandros put down the rebels. Last year there was all-out war, when the desperate Fazzurites enlisted the aid of Argrath White-Bull, a southern barbarian king, in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat you once and for all.

Though Bagnot was sacked, following the assassination of Fazzur, you managed to route the Fazzurites in two battles and even captured one of their leaders, Onjur Fazzurson. After torturing him, you had him summarily executed and you now bear his head with you as a present for Moonson from his loyal vassal Pharandros, King of Tarsh.

Pharandros, upon whom the pressure of civil war is telling badly, wants you to seek Moonson's support for him personally, as well as physically in the form of at least two more crack Heartlands regiments.

You could not have chosen a better moment to report to the senior command here in Glamour. You have gained very strong evidence that the Fazzurite rebels have been getting arms shipments from somewhere in the Lunar Empire. You must find the unscrupulous culprits and have them executed.

On a personal note your campaign against the Fazzurites led to the capture of Fazzur Wideread's youngest child (a baby girl by his consort Queen Hendira of Esrolia - who was murdered by his jealous sons and wife). The child is a treasure, and you have held back from handing her over to Moonson, as you rightly should have done. She is just a babe, Fazzur is dead, and his other surviving sons would only wish her dead too. What is the harm in keeping her?

 

Background

Your Homeland

The Lunar Heartland satrap of Kostaddi is your homeland, though you left it as a teenager to join the Beryl Phalanx as an enlisted man. You always greet others from your home sultanate as old friends, if only from a sense of nostalgia.

Your home these days (apart from your military Headquarters) is the Provinces, where you own two sprawling villas in Lunar Tarsh.

Each of the Provinces sends annual tribute to the Empire through the Provincial Governor at Mirin's Cross, and provides manpower for the Provincial Army to fight against the usurpers in Dragon Pass. Their rulers are required to assist the work of the Seven Mothers missionary cult in proselytising the populace, and to stamp out dissent and rebellion.

The Comrades of Yanafal Tarnils

You are a devotee of Yanafal Tarnils, Lunar God of War. Yanafal Tarnils was one of the Seven Mothers, and his cult defines how the perfect Lunar soldier should behave. Most of his worshippers are career officers in the Red Army; the Scimitars of Yanafal are heroes of the Empire.

The followers of Yanafal Tarnils are honourable men, known to one another as Comrades of Yanafal; you address each other as 'Comrade General,' 'Comrade Satrap,' etc. You pride yourself on your skill with the scimitar, the sacred weapon of the cult, and are happy to resolve disputes over matters of honour by duelling.

The High Priest of the Cult of Yanafal Tarnils is Bellex Maximus, the Imperial Warlord.

The Lunar Military

You have followed a career in the Lunar Army, rising from the ranks. The only way into the Yanafal Tarnil's Office Corps for a ranker is via a battlefield commission. After a probationary period officers are assigned junior officer positions in Lunar regiments and to the general staff. They then rise through a hierarchy of positions until they finally gain the Captaincy of a regiment. Patronage plays an important part in an officer's progress.

A few lucky Captains may be posted to the Staff College of Polaris, and from there enter the General Staff as Comrade Generals of the Army.

The head of the Lunar Army is General Bellex Maximus, the premier warrior and general of the Lunar Way.

 

Objectives

Personal

  1. Gain promotion to a higher rank, whether political or military.

  2. Be soldierly. You are a soldier through and through, a soldier's soldier - a soldier's general even. You may have some rough edges, having come up through the ranks, but you are a paragon of military virtue and efficiency.

  3. Try and keep Fazzur's baby daughter (in order to keep her safe and bring her up as your own daughter), but without compromising your duty to the Empire. You must also find a wet-nurse for her!

Career

  1. Deliver the head of Onjur Fazzurson to Moonson and gain from him his firm support for Pharandros.

  2. Report to Murad Iznik the Lunar arms shipments going to the Fazzurite rebels. Discover who is behind them and bring them to justice.

  3. Ensure that at least two more regiments are assigned to Dragon Pass, so that the rebellion can be controlled once and for all.

  4. You need 10 influence from the Military Budget to pay the Veteran Furthest Cavalry. You must pay this to the CPS Director before at the beginning of Windsday. Put in your claim to Murad Iznik before the Presidium decides on the Budget.

Religious

  1. The Empire must be warned of the danger from the south, Argrath. Moonson must declare the next year to be a Black Moon Year! The Empire must prepare for a holy war!

  2. Get the news of your recent victories against the Fazzurites used as the Sacred Time military news.

  3. Have Jar-eel recommend your investiture into the Moonsword cult.

Who You Know

Personal Acquaintances

Alehandro, Captain of the Queens Regiment: a Carmanian Count who commands one of the cavalry regiments in your army. He sough reassignment of his regiment, but you forbade it as you cannot spare them. You are surprised to see him in Glamour - is he attempting to go over your head?

Gul-Taran, Satrap of First Blessed: he served under you as a junior officer in Sartar during his short commission.

Hetman Ignatieff, Warlord of the Char-un Cossacks: a brave and blood-thirsty officer who served with you in Dragon Pass before becoming the warlord of his people. The Char-un can only be controlled by appearing to be stronger, more brutal, and harder-drinking than them. The Char-un only respect strength.

Prince Pardidas, Satrap of Sylila: twenty-six years ago he was a young and green junior triarch assigned to the regiment you were second-in-command of. You taught him how to make war and saved his life a couple of times. You and he became firm friends. You have not seen him for about twenty years.

Pharandros, King of Tarsh (NPC): though your boss is Appius Luxius, you owe your promotion and position to Pharandros and it is his kingdom from which you have campaigned for these last seven years. He may be weak-willed and frightened but you owe him much.

Through your Career

Appius Luxius, Provincial Overseer: you ensure that you keep on Appius' good side since he is your political boss. You have not yet told him about the arms shipments, though.

Brostangian Archmoor, Hierophant of Carmania: many years ago you served with him in the Officer Corps. He was on a short commission before entering religious orders, but you had time to become firm friends. You have not seen him for many years.

Jubba the Hood, Imperial Official: he was once the spy-master to Tatius the Bright at the time you commanded the forces in Sartar and Boldhome. He survived his master and has prospered in the Imperial Bureaucracy. You wonder exactly what he does now?

Murad Iznik, "The Red Admiral": your boss. In fact his moniker is misleading as he leads the whole Red Army. He used to be in charge of just the Red Navy. You have not met him since his promotion, but do remember that he was once an aide to Fazzur Wideread and Sor-eel during the invasion of Prax.

Quinscion the Patient, General of Procurement and Disbursement: as tax collectors go, this man is more human than most. Why, he has even assisted you with your tax returns to reduce what you owed!

General Roan-ur, Commander in Aggar: you have heard chilling horror stories of this brutal man and his Chaos Legion. No honourable soldier would behave in the way he does - and with so little success. You have heard he has influential supporters in the Imperial Court.

 

Other Knowledge

The Lunar Provinces. There are four major kingdoms making up the Lunar Provinces: Tarsh, Holay, Vanch and Aggar. Each provides valuable resources to the Empire, in terms of taxes, trade and manpower. Additionally, they serve as a buffer against the primitive barbarian cultures further afield. Each province has its own political structure, but always leaning towards the Empire. The Provincial Government's home is at Mirin's Cross.

The Provincial Government. Members of the Provincial Government enjoy the reputation of independent people of action. In times of crisis. there is often no time to wait for the decision of the high command in the Heartland. It must be taken on the spot, and in the heat of the moment. The most successful in the Provincial Lunar Government have learned to temper the demands of the local kingdoms with the wisdom of the Empire to forge a strong alliance of the two.

The Seven Year Plan is the mechanism by which the major food and raw material requirements of the Empire are centrally planned and provided for. At the beginning of each seven year period every sultanate and province agrees to quotas of important foodstuffs and other raw materials and goods which they must achieve over a seven year period.

A seven year plan has just ended and each of the sultanates and provinces will be audited this a sacred time on their results. Success is usually the route to promotion and Imperial favour, while failure is a sure road to political humiliation.

The Crimson Bat is a monstrous Chaotic demon, the Empire's ultimate deterrent. Once unleashed, it devours all who oppose it, a terrifying weapon of atrocity which has greatly aided the peace-making efforts of the Red Army. The Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat controls this demon, taking orders from the Director of the Field School of the Lunar College of Magic.

The Moonsword Cult is a special sub-cult of Yanafal Tarnils for military heroes of the Empire. Candidates must be recommended by Jar-eel. Those who are accepted are given their steel Moonsword by Moonson himself.

The Moonboats are magical aerial craft, propelled by the moonlight. Within the Empire, they are used for rapid transport of troops and supplies. Their use beyond the Glowline is more limited, as the cyclical phases of the Moon and the untamed forces of Storm can leave them grounded or even damaged

 

 


Secrets

  • King Pharandros is a weak and very scared king.

  • You have the baby daughter of Fazzur Wideread.

  • The baby daughter of Fazzur Wideread is so cute!

  • Unscrupulous Lunars are selling arms to the Fazzurite rebels!

  • In 1625 Jubba the Hood was criticised by Tatius the Bright for not providing enough Stonemasons for the Temple of the Reaching Moon in Sartar.

Special Items

  • A Bloody Severed Head: This is the head of the Tarshite rebel leader, Onjur Fazzurson, sometimes known as Onjur the Poet.

  • A Cute Baby Girl: The daughter of Fazzur Wideread and his consort Queen Hendira of Esrolia. She is happy, smiling, and never cries.

  • Veteran Furthest Cavalry: This regiment owes personal loyalty to you and can be mobilised speedily.

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Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson was written by Nick Brooke, Chris Gidlow, David Hall and Kevin Jacklin, with Rick Meints and MOB. The lead author for Lergius Cassius was David Hall.

Glorantha, HeroQuest, Hero Wars, and Issaries are trademarks of Issaries, Inc. The contents of this page are copyright by David Hall, 2001; any material derived from Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha is also copyright by Greg Stafford. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission.

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