Shattered Eagle: Fall of an Empire (WIP) [509k Words | Interlude Update 06/19/2025]

[Iello]

@Aeternitas

Meanwhile, the sort of senatorial republicanism Consentia is meant to espouse died with the transition to the feudal period. Classical civic virtue, with its undertones of “the better people inherit the power and guard the civic polity” just isn’t common anymore

Yeah — it’s often cited as one of the least attractive parts of the American and French Revolutions, when they initially pressed for a more limited diet of republicanism. It’s just not attractive in an era of universal suffrage.

It’s funny: monarchy has that lure of shiny jewels and fantasy but there’s no fantasy of “what we have today but only the rich get a say” — if anything it cuts too close to home.

@Aeternitas

Finally, it’s possible that aligning with the Senate is inconvenient for most playthroughs. In my “save the Empire” runs where I play as a Treasury Prefect, it’s practically impossible to do good by the Empire and still have a compromise-eligible route. Meanwhile, I can ally with the foederati, keep the Empire stats high, and still have the Senate approval >60. Aligning with Consentia might just mean more sacrifices than Antonius demands of us

Haha, I’ve felt this pain. This was why I wondered how ya’ll managed to save Augusta so easily. It hs very hard to have a senatorial rhetoric treasury pretext in particular and get a decent outcome. I would rather roleplay that min max but golly it’s rough haha.

@Cataphrak

What might help actually ameliorate this is if Consentia or one of her close supporters had something of a “common touch” - not just in the sense of having an alliance-of-convenience with Ceto, but being genuinely able to win the love and loyalty of her clients (as a Matrician, I’m assuming she has a lot of clients) to the degree that she can unironically say “people like me deserve the power we have” because there are crowds of common people willing to consider her the virtuous materfamilias she’s supposed to be.

Yes, I like this. This goes along with what I was suggesting about the senatorial bond with the populus and the desire to win the acclaim of the People. A patron (matron, ha) is obligated to do well by their clients, and the sea of grateful clients lends both honor and political clout. Consentia being able to help vast swathes of plebs with their problems is basically a way for her to ostentatiously show how great she is.

This way we keep true to Consentia’s aristocratic nature (which I think is vital) but show she does help in her own way. As long as she gets status and acclaim for it, as all senators seek.

[Aeternitas]

@Iello

I would rather roleplay that min max but golly it’s rough haha

Well, I’m roleplaying too! I made a loyal Perfect that had Economics IV but Rhetoric III in Chapter I, and was told to get one faction’s support. I went to the Senate to try to smooth things over, but found their demands unreasonable. Massive budget expenditures and a cession of political power? I stormed out, went to the Castra, and found that the foederati just wanted fertilizer and supplies. And to my Prefect, that was easier to fulfill, strengthened the military capacity of the Empire, and does not weaken the Empress’ position. As a compromise, I did move court to the Forum. Let no one say that Lucius Agrippa is not reasonable.

[Iello]

@Aeternitas

Well, I’m roleplaying too! I made a loyal Perfect that had Economics IV but Rhetoric III in Chapter I, and was told to get one faction’s support. I went to the Senate to try to smooth things over, but found their demands unreasonable

I just said a bunch of pretty words and committed to nothing of value. It’s the senatorial way. Worked like a charm.

[Perm4frost]

I really like the parallels between Iblin and a hadati MC who has taken Julia as their lover and sired Augusta. Extra points if they’re extremely cautious and always urging Julia to do the right thing. Behind every great empress there’s a carthaginian.