Gaius Calenus

Gaius was a pivotal figure in both Nirvan Republic politics and their military command, distinguishing himself as one of the greats during his career.

## Early Life

Gaius Calenus was born in Nirva in **414PR**, to patrician parents Arruns and Julia Calenus.

His early life was spent learning at various schools before moving to the Octavian Institute, where he would further his education. Under the guidance of his father, who was now a Senator, he quickly began understanding politics.

When he reached the age of 18, he became a legionnaire, having a long list of qualifications under his belt.

## Career

While his father was willing to help him become a Military Tribune, Gaius instead opted to join as a simple soldier.

Through the next 3 years, Gaius continued to distinguish himself in battle, fighting under the leadership of one of his fathers allies, Decius Balbillus. It was done through countless border skirmishes, fighting the famous Tirox tribe and the Veti.

When his father became consul, Gaius helped with everything required, becoming a close right-hand. Since he was not in politics himself yet, accepting the Military Tribune position at the end of his fathers term in order to stay with him, he had more freedom to carry out tasks. Some of the tasks he completed was stopping a small rebellion from some Plebeians planning to siege the treasury, organising a gladiatorial games, and writing up his father’s legislation to grant land to veterans.

Once his father's term as Consul ended, he became a thick stripped military tribune under him, following him with the invasion of Bhirn in **438PR**.

### Bhirn Campaign

#### Beginning

It didn’t take long for Gaius to distinguish himself as a respectable leader in his father's army, being left in command of all 3 legions during the winter.

When the Bhirnians attacked through the winter, hitting the Nirvan fortifications, Gaius remained composed even in the face of greater numbers. He instead chose to wait for the enemy to get confident before gathering a group of his best soldiers and leading a charge to break through the Bhirnian line and steal many of their supplies, leaving the enemy scattered. Stealing the supplies improved the morale of the soldiers and saved many lives from starvation.

#### Stalemate

In **439** and **440PR** Gaius fought the Bhirnians, with very little happening during the campaign season. Instead, they simply starved the enemy fortifications, a lengthy but effective process.

During the winter of **440PR** is when Gaius once again proved himself. This time he wished to antagonise the enemy. Gathering a good amount of his soldiers, he slowly and silently constructed a fort right next to one of the Bhirnians, ensuring that they were none the wiser. Any scouts that could see the move were quickly captured, tortured for information instead.

Once the fort was completed and garrisoned, the Bhirnians began their attacks. Gaius and his troops managed to stand strong, though took moderate casualties. In the end, the fort was a success, getting as close to the enemy as they possibly could.

#### Capture of the Fortresses

When **441PR** came around, the first of the Bhirnian fortresses fell quickly, helped thanks to the fort made by Gaius in the winter. The others were taken out relatively quickly as well, being overwhelmed by the Nirvan forces.

Before the Nirvans reached the fourth fortress, they were met by the Bhirnians, at the Battle of Fort Urmnir.

#### Battle of Fort Urmnir

Gaius commanded one of the flanks during the battle. While the first day went normal, neither side gaining an advantage, the second brandished some troubles for Gaius and the Nirvans. Unknown to Gaius he had a weak side in his lines, which the Bhirnians were able to break through under the command of Thodir. As he had many times before, Gaius grabbed a bunch of his triarii and blocked the enemy momentum.

Once the enemy was stopped, Gaius feigned a retreat, letting the enemy push ahead and away from their line. After the enemy went too far and were exhausted, Gaius and his triarii pushed in. It didn’t take long for Thodir to die with his soldiers, Gaius striking the blow and taking the head of the enemy commander.

The rest of the day Gaius and the Nirvans managed to hold, gaining a morale victory with the head of Thodir.

On day 3 the Nirvans withdrew, taking too many casualties and wanting to fight another day.

#### Siege of Fort Urmnir

In **442PR** the Nirvans attempted to take the fort again. Taking the Bhirnians by surprise they surrounded it on all sides, splitting the command between Gaius and Arruns. Gaius took the more difficult side, building up his fortifications and making sure to block any route they could take into the fort.

His efforts resulted in victory, only taking light casualties and bringing down the fort.

#### Encirclement of Vagh Bhirn

With the campaigning season still having time, the Nirvans split their forces again. Half would go with Arruns and encircle the capital of Vagh Bhirn, using forts once more to make up for their numbers. On the other end, Gaius and his troops would take more land. Leading to the Battle of Bhirn Grove.

#### Battle of Bhirn Grove

The Battle of Bhirn Grove was a great boost to the future Senators reputation. He was able to overcome near defeat when his left flank began to crumble, instead pushing through the middle.

Gathering some soldiers, Gaius lead an assault through the middle. The fighting got so tough that Gaius forgoed his weapon and shield and just began ripping the enemy line away by hand, tearing shields from their hands. While he was wounded, his troops were able to push through, and he quickly went back to the front.

Once the Bhirnian army was split, they all retreated except the right. Quickly surrounding his opponent. Wanting to capture an enemy commander, Gaius gave them the choice to surrender. Instead he was met with a valiant battle cry. Wishing to lose as little troops as possible in this last stand, he called for a javelin volley to be thrown before he moved in. The remaining Bhirnians were slaughtered to the last man, already weakened by the constant fighting and the projectiles.

#### Fall of Vagh Bhirn

After two years of sieging the capital, King Urmnir and the Bhirnians surrendered to their conquerors. When the armies marched in, both Arruns and Gaius were hailed imperator by their troops.

### Political

After having a successful triumph at the end of **444PR**, Gaius announced he would be running for the position of Quaestor, which did not surprise many. As there were little governors to fall under, Gaius once again served his father as provincial governor.

Being a provincial governor was a simple task, simply him and his father lived their regular lives while keeping up to date with the political sphere, Arruns having been voted in for another 5 year term as governor before the end of the Bhirn Campaign. They also began preparation for Arruns running for Consulship again, using his fame from Bhirn to do so.

When his father became Consul in **446PR**, Gaius once again became his right hand man. This time as a Senator himself, Gaius’s goal was to influence the other Quaestors to their side, in order to get more numbers on the vote. It worked and many of the veterans from the Bhirnian campaign were granted land to farm and live on. Other laws that benefited the family also passed, gaining many more supporters.

Gaius chose not to return to his father as a provincial governor after his consulship, instead staying in the Senate and using his influence amongst the Quaestors to sway bills. Even at a low level, Gaius was becoming a very difficult political opponent for others to deal with.

In **449PR**, Gaius was voted in to become an Aedile, overcoming the opposition from the conservatives led by Aulus Ospius. His first act as Aedile was to host a festival for Julius Nirva, the founder of the city. Intending not to blow the entire budget on the first festival, he used some of his personal wealth accumulated to make it a full-day celebration, letting visitors from all round to come and show off their culture and acts. He quickly became quite popular during his year as Aedile.

#### Praetor

Little happened for him after his position as Aedile, instead building his campaign to become a Praetor in **453PR**. During a tough election, he was able to bribe his way into power, aligning himself with the reformer faction at the same time. Arruns also helped his son, choosing to not extend his governorship in order to stay politically active.

As Praetor, Gaius garnered more popularity from the people and support from some of the Senate. His cases were very entertaining to watch, making a good show of things. One of his notable cases he oversaw was a conspiracy to kill the current consul, Flavius Dio, who was unpopular with some of the Patricians for his outspoken nature of the Plebeian and Patrician divide. A difficult case to preside over, Gaius eventually found the conspirators guilty and exiled them from the city as punishment, if they were to have no heir to their fortune that was not also exiled then it would be seized by the Senate.

It split his support in the Senate, but the people were very happy. Even cheering when the sentence was handed down.

## Consulship

In **457PR** Gaius successfully ran for Consul. His campaign was filled with difficulties, first requiring him to get some of the Senate on his side, which became a mix of the reformer faction and the growing Calenus Faction led by his father. The people themselves were happy to vote for him, forcing some of the richer members to vote his way in fear of their anger, while others were bribed.

His co-consul was a man named Quintus Aebutus, who was of the reformer faction and an ally of Gaius. As Gaius had the most votes, he held fasces first. His first act was to create an educational reform bill that built schools for the Plebeians to attend, and expanded the Octavian Institute, allowing them to add multiple buildings. He reasoned that by increasing the level of education it would secure the Nirvan way of life for generations to come. While support from the conservative faction was minimal, he was able to pass the legislation.

In his second month of holding fasces, he granted funding to Caesar College, believing that magic would only grow more important and powerful to the world and that the Nirvan people needed to be the first to implement it in a grand way. Having the first proper school also meant that mages from elsewhere would be recruited by the Nirvans first, taking away powerful tools from their enemies.

Another major legislation Gaius passed was a taxation reform. Rather than add new taxes he better structured the current system, allowing them to get the optimal amount and reduce the taxes that the Nirvan Citizens had to pay.

The rest of his Consulship was spent adding minor laws and laws to improve the life and reduce the divide between the Plebeians and the Patricians, though nothing very significant

### Governorship

After his term as Consul, Gaius was able to become governor of Agrippa and Bhirn. Similar to his father, while most ex-consuls at this time stayed in Nirva to influence politics, Gaius chose to build up the nation in different ways.

Through the provinces he was able to gain a fair amount of income, accepting bribes and dealing with the tribes and free Bhirnians in the area. He still influenced politics a little, though it was mainly his father Arruns who did the work.

## Late Career

In **463PR** Gaius returned to Nirva, becoming leader of the Calenus Faction. His father eventually passed away and a grand funeral was held.

After the death of his father, Gaius continued to influence politics where he could, absorbing the reformer faction.

He became consul again in **467PR**, adding only minor or insignificant laws.

### Arenian Campign

By **478PR**, Gaius and the Calenus faction began preparations for expanding the Nirvan border. Using the consuls and politicians they had in power let them grant legislation to help their cause, though there was little opposition from the conservatives who were also wishing to go to war soon. After some time they decided that Aren would be the better target, and marched on them in **479PR** with 6 legions provided by the Senate. Gaius would lead the army with a council to help him, consisting of trusted commanders Gallio Aebutus and Vibius Calenus, Gaius’s son.

Gaius soon found that the Arenians had put him up against a capable commander, Prince Aleardo. The first showing that the two would be good opponents for one another was the first major battle of the campaign, the Battle of Palebasso, where Gaius surrounded the Prince but was unable to wipe out his army due to tunnels constructed during the encirclement. The theme continued on during the Battle of Liorni and Siege of Durolipons, where Prince Aleardo continued to escape.

Gaius’s last major battle for the campaign was a tactical blunder, when the two armies accidentally ran into one another in the Battle of Acela. Unable to gather his forces correctly and fighting against a tough enemy, Gaius was eventually forced to tactically retreat or risk his entire army dying.

Now on the losing side and still having his supply lines constantly hit by the Arenians, Gaius came up with a plan. Handing over command to Vibius and Gallio, he grabbed a small regiment of soldiers focused on mobility. Their goal was simple, wherever the Arenians appeared, Gaius and his soldiers would too. It garnered quick results, bringing the campaign's momentum back to the Nirvan side.

## Death

Gaius was struck with a sudden and rapid illness in **481PR**. Originally he had high hopes of surviving the illness though he was bedridden only weeks after originally contracting whatever he did.

Gaius was found dead in the morning on Asunak 1 **481PR** with various letters on his desk to be sent to his followers, thanking them for their support during his life.

His body was returned to Nirva where it was entombed next to his father.

## Legacy

Gaius is remembered for his amazing political and leadership ability. The major legislation he passed through the Senate continues to help the Nirvan Republic today, giving them the early advantage when it came to implementing mages into their society and even their army. Education has continued to improve the quality of life in the nation too, with more politics being focused on making it better for the next generation than current times and an aristocratic society.

His military tactics and ability continue to be studied at schools around the world, focusing on the use of qualified officers and when to enter the battle as a general. Even with his death, he inspired the Nirvans to rush out and defeat the enemy in the Battle of Brindicci, effectively ending the war.

Statues of Gaius were created in Nirva and the province of Bhirn.

He was lived on through his son Vibius, who quickly made a name for himself in his own right.

## Personal Life

Gaius was very close with his father, always asking him for advice and trying to help him whenever he could, as seen when he was Arruns right-hand man before he even entered politics. They frequented letters to one another, often having meals together if they were in the same location.

Gaius met Sertoria sometime before **446PR** where they married. Their unification was one of his huge joys, always talking about how wonderful and beautiful his beloved was. She was also a great political ally, influencing the wives of various political opponents to sway them to Gaius’s side. A famous statement during Gaius’s life was “If Gaius and Sertoria were King and Queen, even the gods would have to bow.”, something that Gaius always shut down in fear of the Senate noticing (who are anti-monarch).

They welcomed their first child in **447PR**, Vibius. Just like Gaius was with Arruns, Vibius was very close with his father and his direct heir in everything. When he was of age, Gaius made sure to enroll Vibius in the Octavian Institute for further learning. After Vibius began to show signs of being an awakened, he was enrolled in Caesar College instead, teaching him how to control and use his power. It is believed the help from the College made Gaius’s decision to implement funding legislation for the school.

Gaius and Sertoria welcomed two girls in **449PR**, while they were close with their father it was nothing like Vibius and Gaius’s relationship. The two girls, Sertorius and Dexsia were later married to political allies of Gaius. While crude in nature, scholars write that the two girls actually loved their partners, and it was simply just a beneficial coincidence for Gaius. Dexsia later married Gallio Abeutus in **471PR**, a good friend of Vibius from his time in school.

Gallio and Vibius soon became similar to brothers, both getting the respect from Gaius, though Vibius only a little more due to the biological relation.

In **477PR**, Vibius and Gallio entered politics with the help of Gaius, who was grooming Vibius to become the new leader of the Calenus faction.

Sertoria passed away in **479PR** before the march on Aren. While Gaius wanted her to be buried in the Calenus family tomb, her wishes were to be buried with her family, which Gaius honored. The funeral was run by Gaius, who spared no expense on making it a beautiful place ‘just like she was’.

When the Aren campaign began, Gaius slowly let the command fall to Vibius, who he believed was qualified enough to lead the troops, he also let Gallio become the second, treating him with immense respect.

Some of the letters Gaius wrote before his death in **481PR** were to his daughters, grandchildren and sons. While Vibius was the heir in his will, large portions of his wealth were given to his daughters and Gallio.