Augustus Maximus (America In Flames)

Max (By Charlotte)

The Steel Legate

The Butcher of Alba

The Hannibal of the East

The Napoleon of Mexico

The Favored Son

Michael Declan (Formerly - Before the Legion)

Charlotte Concessa/Charlotte Nicator (Wife) (2251-)

Germanicus (Son) (2279-)

Valentina (Daughter) (2279-)

Salonia (Daughter) (2282-)

Flavonia (Daughter) (2284-)

Constantine (Son) (2286-)

Tribune Quintus Pompeius (Blood Brother) (2249-)

Prime Legionary (2259-2261)

Veteran Legionary (2261-2262)

Decanus (2263-2265)

Centurion (2265-2271)

Tribune (2271-2274)

Legate (2274-)

Fallout: Lonestar

Fallout: A New Beginning

Fallout: The Mojave

Fallout: Colorado

Fallout: America In Flames

**Caesar Augustus Maximus Nicator**, simply known as **Maximus**, is a Legate within Caesar's Legion. Maximus is the monstrously tall, intelligent, manipulative and charismatic legate and officer which has conquered dozens of tribes, conducted numerous campaigns, and explored the vast lands of the east. He has acquired many names and many titles over his long career. As of 2288, he is the most favored officer to succeed Caesar once he dies, but is incredibly unpopular due to his manipulation of the Emperor to acquire many privileges and honors. He later was proclaimed Caesar's official heir to the imperial throne, setting him on a path to ultimate power. His story is often recorded by the Legion historian Appius, whose excerpts from the *Sacred History of the Legion* are often quoted.

## The Legate's Story

### Before the Boot

According to official texts, the man not yet known as Maximus was born in 2246 in a long forgotten tribe of the Arizona known simply as the Clayfoot. He was born to the Declan Clan, and at birth was given the name of Michael. The Declan Clan was heavily influential in the Clayfoot hierarchy, who earned this name because they built their homes and defenses out of clay. When Caesar marched on the tribe in 2257, they dared to resist, and so Caesar put it to the sword. The only man-or rather boy-spared was this eleven year old, who Caesar saw as the perfect tool after a legionary attacked his mother, and the boy somehow out of instinct, butchered the soldier, severing his head. Caesar bestowed the name ‘Maximus’ upon him as a result.

### Initial Service to the Emperor

Maximus entered service as a child soldier, a prodigy of Caesar at the age of twelve. Not expected by his superiors to accomplish much more than cannon fodder, the boy excelled in battle, proving ruthless yet calculative.

Being a former tribal, when he first became an officer, he only commanded a single cohort, of 480 men. In his first distinctive engagement against the Mexican city state of Agua Prieta, his cohort stood on the left flank. When attacked, his centurion was shocked and furious when Maximus retreated, and the Mexican forces swept around to close the battle. Within minutes, the cohort had returned and struck the rear of the enemy line, and it was shattered. Feigning retreat had saved the day for the slowly breaking Legion force, and had captured victory from the jaws of defeat.

### The Hammer of New Mexico

He soared through the ranks, becoming a Decanus by fifteen, and a centurion by nineteen. His superiors and Caesar were amazed by skills on the field, and unlike any other he had a knack for military strategy. He proved brilliant, masterful and adaptive… all traits of the real life Julius Caesar. He found the study of military tactics thrilling and intuitive to his abilities as a commander. To the current date, he has utilized and combined tactics used by Julius Caesar, Chinggis Khan, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Hannibal Barca, and Napoleon Bonaparte. With each victory he learned more, always learning, always adapting, always improving. He was not an idle young man by any means.

Yet, he was loyal to a tee, and never once questioned his orders, his superiors, or Caesar. Caesar taught him well, molded him into the perfect tool. After all, children are the perfect tool. Appius writes:

> *“Caesar prides himself on selecting the perfect tool for each challenge… in Maximus he found his ‘level’, balancing borderline military genius, administrative prowess, with ferocity and brutality,”*
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#### The Beauty of the Quemados

In 2271, the twenty-five year old recently promoted centurion was dispatched to head to an isolated tribe of New Mexico, known as the Quemado. Bringing 700 men, he surrounded the tribe, and it surrendered without a fight. As the Legion got to work on its usual routine, Maximus’ eyes fell upon the chief’s daughter, named Charlotte, aged 20. He watched as a legionary killed her ‘fiance’ (she was in an arranged marriage at the time), and then he watched as she resisted a legionary which attempted to get a hold of her, and Maximus intervened. She was initially repulsed by his… animalistic views on her. However, he was enamored by her will, strength, confidence and stubbornness, and unlike any other woman or girl he began to view her as something special… someone unique. She was not an object to him. Once again, note Maximus was twenty-five here, and Charlotte twenty, but there was no funny business yet.

Overtime, Maximus fell head over heels in love (I think it's fair to assume even a legionary couldn’t resist that feeling if it happened, it's a very human emotion) and Charlotte the same. It is believed they ‘got together’ in 2273, when she was 22, and him 27. Caesar had to make the choice of allowing her to live, as Maximus was attached, but still was deathly loyal to him. Maximus… well he was simply too valuable. This was the first time Maximus realized just how valuable he was to Caesar... and it would be a manipulative tool he would use going forward.

### The Second Legatus

Meanwhile, Maximus after conquering four more tribes was promoted to the highest rank in the Legion, a Legate, a position in which he has served faithfully for the past four years. As a well accomplished commander, He has a friendship with the local governor, Julius Sedonus, who can usually put in a good word for the Legate with Caesar, and vice versa. The two work well together, and play off of one another to advance each other up the ranks of power. To this extent, Sedonus is highly favored by Caesar, due to the work of the Legate.

However, despite all his skills and advancements, he is not invincible, and he has been defeated 4 times out of his monumental total 214 battles. The first time this occurred, a furious Caesar recalled him back to Flagstaff. To his surprise, the centurion explained to both him and the Malpais Legate in charge exactly what had gone wrong. In detail, he calmly described exactly where he had fallen short, and how he had failed. He then fell to his knees and stated he was willing to accept death for this failure. Caesar was… impressed that the centurion was willing to accept such a fate if it was what he commanded. However, Maximus knew Caesar would not kill him, and simply put on a show and dance, his ego and manipulation setting itself in stone.

In the end, most of the defeats sustained by the general have been relatively minor, and usually followed up with a smashing victory. Say like… Julius lost at Gregoria and won at Alesia, or lost at Dyrrachium and won at Pharsalus. Overall, the general is a very accomplished commander, though is not undefeated like a certain Legate Lanius, who has a rivalry with Maximus. The two… do not like one another to say the least. While they can admit the other is skilled in their own way, they view themselves as the superior and more competent commander, though Caesar has intentionally never stated which one he prefers. Both men wait for who shall receive command over the Mojave. Even if Courier Six inquires about Lanius to Caesar, he will refer to him as ‘the best of my battlefield commanders’, perhaps answering the question there. Maximus always quietly seethed over slavery in a way, finding it wasteful of manpower and resources.

His way of waging war is unique wholly to him, and his opponents in the East dread fighting him in battle. His tactics are a combination of bold, smart and creative, making him incredibly unpredictable, and he is known to almost never use the same battle strategy twice. Of course, this is impossible to avoid entirely. Appius wrote in the Sacred History of the Legion:

> *“The man originally became known for feats of thinking and daring so outside the box, that when he comes back to the box? He uses a strategy that no enemy he has faced thus far ever thought possible. An excellent commander, but he has his weak points, as most men do,”*
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Given this, he does not shun the use of firearms, but rather encourages it. He will drill his men in the use of firearms and javelins from ranged distances and on mobile assaults, but with the ability to switch to melee at a moment’s notice. Maximus is also known to employ snipers in his rear to swiftly eliminate commanders if they see them in their sights. He pays his men a larger salary, allowing them to buy and craft better equipment, weapons, and armors, making them some of the finest troops the Legion has to offer. His docile treatment of his men, not exerting his authority through fear makes him widely beloved and adored by his troops, which has led to multiple confrontations with Caesar in the past. He also treats his slaves more human, and orders the men under his command to do so as well. He dresses them well, feeds them, and in some instances, educates them somewhat. Maximus is the only Legate thus far who has never faced an open Servile War, this being the considered reason.

In 2279, Caesar recalled the 33 year old Legate to Flagstaff, and expressed his growing concern that Maximus' men may be becoming more loyal to their legate then their emperor. Maximus evaded and defended himself skillfully, disarming Caesar's suspicion, reasserting his own favor over other men such as Lanius and Lucius. He manipulated his way out of consequences once more, despite it becoming clearer to the top brass of his moves, Caesar would not believe it. In reality, Maximus is preparing for the day Caesar dies, and has been for the better part of a decade. He knows he is unpopular, and if he has multiple legions deathly loyal to him, that when Caesar dies, he can swiftly march on Flagstaff in force - and accomplish his ultimate satisfaction to his ambition.

Becoming Emperor.

Despite his kind treatment of his men and slaves, the man does not shy from brutality. Should it become necessary, he is capable of unleashing unbridled fury upon an enemy… such as in 2277, at the Siege of Alba, in which his actions rocked even Legate Lanius to his core, and questioned what his fellow comrade was capable of.

#### The Siege and Sacking of Alba

##### The Initial Engagements & Sandia Heights

The city of Albuquerque, in the lands of New Mexico was a thriving post-modern settlement, populated by 19,775 people of varying races, stripes, and colors. It was an important trading city, situated on the Rio Grande, which cut the city in two. However, the city was rampant with greed, corruption, and debauchery. It was run by a fearsome drug cartel, who utilized the massive drug routes to make money, as well as terrorism, prostitution and human trafficking. They attacked Legion patrols, which invoked the legate's attention, and brought him to the Rio Grande again in July of 2276.

He scouted it out well, thoroughly examined the state of the defenses, but noted that the cartel had likely trapped the western half of the city to impede the enemy progress. He knew a head on attack was impossible, so he did not attempt it. He instead constructed a camp on the river and lit fires through the night to keep the appearance of his troops location presumed. Then, he moved half his army north in the night, crossed the Rio Grande, and marched south to attack the theorized weaker flank.

It was a horrific error.

It was described as a spear hitting a brick wall. Hundreds of men were slaughtered, the cartel soldiers rushing out of their defenses and killing more before Maximus ordered a withdrawal north to Algodones. He was furious at the loss of 612 men and the countering of his strategy. But he knew he could not waste precious time. He organized his troops, brought more men to bear, along with supplies and crossed the river again. The cartel was shocked at what they presumed was another attack. But Maximus was not interested in another engagement. He decided to utilize a tactic not normally used. With 30,000 men, he besieged Alba. His men dug trenches and embankments, siege lines with cannons and machine gun posts.

##### The Siege

The Albans however had years of supplies, and food stockpiled in underground vaults and bunkers that they would utilize to hold out, and wear out the Legion. They sent messengers out to request support, but all their messengers were intercepted, tortured, and killed by the besieging Legion. Maximus had stable supply lines, the manpower, and the firepower to keep up the siege as long as it took.

July came and went. Then August. Then September. October, and into November. It began getting cold, and the locals believed the Legion would abandon the siege, make winter camp in the west as temperatures dropped, then return in the spring. To their surprise, Maximus simply imported heavier winter clothing for his men, and the siege continued on through winter. November passed, then December, January, February and March. Spring showers turned the Legion trenches into muddy quagmires, but they kept going, despite their growing frustration. The civilians of Alba kept going, but they had far less supplies than previously anticipated. The Legion occasionally flung chosen dying, diseased men over the walls of the city, which caused minor endemics. By March 5% of the population had died to disease, and the Legion had lost some 200 men.

Yet the siege carried onwards.

Then, in May, a food borne illness swept through their food supplies, destroying much of it. Without this, they had far less provisions to hold out, and with no hope coming, the Del Rey Cartel sent an envoy to negotiate with the Legate for somewhat favorable terms. They hoped the Legate, who valued honor, strength, and martial skill, would grant them favor. As the Legion historian Appius would describe:

> *It was simply another day behind the siege lines, the men were long tired and angry and were waiting for the city to surrender, for it to fall. Maximus knew how tired and angry they were, but let them wait. Then, emerging from the city was an envoy from the cartel. He fell before the Legates feet, begging for the siege to end. He explained that they had run out of food, and the wells were drying up. He begged the Legate to end their suffering. Maximus would think for a moment. An hour later, the people of Alba watched in horror as legionaries lashed the envoy to a cross, and laughed maniacally as they did. The message was clear. There would be no negotiation. The city would have to unconditionally surrender.*
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Yet the Albans held out, frustrating Maximus and his men beyond compare. Some hoped the city may hold out like Leningrad, for years if necessary. But unlike Leningrad, no help was coming. No one sought to aid the cartel which had plagued the region with addiction, chems, and drugs. They stood alone, but for six more months, they rationed what dwindling supplies they had. The siege had been drawing onwards for sixteen months.

##### The Surrender

Finally, on November 15, 2278, the legionaries watched the city for the longest time. Nothing had changed. Two more envoys had been sent... two more found themselves on crosses. Maximus found it quite hilarious. He wondered if they had used up their drug supply yet to keep the suffering down. However then his men began to whoop and yell, and Maximus approached the trench lines. The Albans had lowered their flag... and replaced it with a white, ratty hospital sheet. Signalling their surrender. Maximus led a cohort of 200 men forward, and this was repeated across the front. A total of 4,600 Albans had died of disease or drug overdose, and 3,100 more had starved before the cartel finally accepted unconditional surrender. But the campaign wasn't over.

##### The Pillage - As Told By Appius

> *They entered the city to see the broken, starving populace. They did not blink. When they reached the malnourished father of the Don of the city of Alba, starved and tired. They did not blink. The Don's father fell before the Legate, offering their surrender as legionaries poured into the city, awaiting for his command. He addressed his men.*
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> *"As a reward my loyal soldiers of the Legion, for the next three days, Alba is yours. Do whatever you want. Take whatever you want. Kill whomever you want. Let all of the East see what happens to those who disobey the Great Legion,"*
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> *He then severed the head of the Don with a swipe of his sword and lifted it into the air, the men cheering. Because that is when it began, then men began letting loose, turning their fatigue and anger from the siege upon them. The gates to Alba were locked behind the now over 1000 legionaries in the city. Three Days. Three days of pillage. Three days of rape. Three days of slaughter. Men watched their wives raped by legionaries, before they were burned alive on great bonfires in the city square. Sons watched their fathers castrated, arms and legs severed before being butchered en masse like cattle. Like the animals the legionaries thought they were. Daughters watched their parents slaughtered like sheep and in fear as legionaries broke down their doors and dragged them out to face judgement. Any over the age of eleven were raped by the men in a vicious act of bodily pillage. Then they would be taken back to Flagstaff... and personally sold to Lanius, which soon many would wish they would have been killed. Any under that age were taken from their homes, put in chains, and brought back to Flagstaff. They would be re-educated in the ways of the Legion, as caretakers and educators. But none would ever forget the fall of their cities. Each and every man found his fate on the edge of legionary machete, of phalanges pike. Each boy faced the brutes as well. No mercy was offered. Surrender was met with death.*
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> *The cartel soldiers and leaders possibly had it the worse despite what one may think. They were rounded up, and were nailed to the ground, lying on their backs. There the legionaries took turns force feeding them their supply of cocaine, while wearing some of their old cooking gas masks, preventing themselves from falling to the disease of drug abuse. The legionaries would cackle maniacally as they seized and convulsed, in a way puking themselves to death. They pointed, and they laughed, and they called them profligates and degenerates. Each and every leader was killed in this way... except for the Don's family. He had a large family, and each suffered death in a cruel, unforgiving manner. His grandfather was stoned to death. His grandmother was burned alive. His infant twins were thrown from the tallest building in Alba, and sent plummeting to the earth, and the Don could hear their wailing screams cut short as they hit the pavement at over one hundred miles per hour. His wife suffered from the execution known as Peona Cullei. She was stuffed into a large burlap sack with a snake, a dog/mongrel and a rooster. In old Rome there would be a monkey in there too, but the Legion did no have access to such creatures. The sack was then sewn shut and thrown into the river. One can only imagine how the animals and person inside the sack reacted as the unlucky bunch started drowning together. His one remaining son was killed by parasites. Stripped naked, put inside a barrel with only his head facing out. He was then force fed with honey and milk, his body slathered in it. He was then left out in a field in the hot sun where he was feasted on by various bugs and parasite. He wouldn't die for nineteen days. His one remaining daughter was taken as Maximus' personal slave, though perhaps she was the lucky one. Given Maximus' commitment to his lovely Charlotte, she would find herself in a life relatively spared the horrors of other Legion servitude.*
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> *Finally came the Don himself. He was tied up, and Maximus proclaimed his guilt to the city. He punished him via the consequence of his greed. He melted his gold and his silver he had accumulated... then forced him to drink it. It was... somewhat quick, but not quick enough to where it was not horrendously insufferable. Citizens would pour over the bridge to West Alba in a desperate attempt to escape the carnage on the East side. The Legion would destroy the bridges, and hundreds would drown helplessly. Those who barely managed to make it to the western shores would find themselves stumbling into the traps laid by the cartel, leading to many deaths by stepping on landmines, bear traps and more. The Legion offered no mercy to the wicked and let them die slowly. The slaughter, and the pillage, the rape and the murder carried on for three days, though the men, having lost all control dragged it on into the fourth. The buildings of the city were scorched, torn down brick by brick, cobble by cobble, stone by stone. Statues were torn down. Soon there would be no sign of what the city once was, no trace of it... For the next week after the sacking, angry, hungry, unsatisfied legionaries would prowl around the ruins of the former city, dragging out stowaways. Gunshots continued to ring out... screams continued to ring out. The Legion fueled by blood and by death reduced Alba to a mere footnote in history.*
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> *As Maximus looked over his work, he smiled and uttered three famous words:*
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> ***"Veni, Vidi, Vici,"***
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Some 95% of the city's remaining 12,075 people (11,470 or so) had been put to the sword, the remaining 5% (600 or so) were enslaved and marched west in shackles, forever scarred by what had transpired. Word spread across the Legion of his victory after the sixteen month siege, and what he had rendered onto Alba as punishment. Caesar was speechless, Lanius uttered words of visible shock, Lucius recalled feeling quite sick despite his iron stomach, and Vulpes, who knew the Legate's distaste of him, saw his brutality as a sign that if Maximus succeeded Caesar, he was doomed.

### Marriage - And Defying Caesar

After Alba, he married Charlotte in December, upon receiving approval from Caesar. Caesar, having bent to more manipulation believed this was a fair reward for his work in the East. So he married his Charlotte, and began rebuilding Alba in his image. The city would be renamed, and it became his new headquarters. He then wrote a book, the Maximilian Theory of War, which details excellent battle strategies, ways to combine brute force with trickery, and decisively crush one's enemy. Caesar has had this book distributed to all of his legates and his individual centurions, furthering Maximus' reputation.

He and Charlotte began forming their own family together, and by now, he had not slept with another woman since 2273 when he developed his engagement to Charlotte. This sufficiently annoyed Caesar, who saw Maximus as refusing to comply with the breeding quotas laid out for all members of the Army. He recalled the Legate back to Flagstaff in 2282 to confront him. Appius writes:

> *Maximus arrived in Flagstaff and stood before Caesar. The Emperor issued an order to the commander, that he was to abide by his laws, and fulfill his quotas. The legate looked Caesar in the eyes, his face laced with defiance, and boisterously declared, "No,". A shocked Caesar had never been told 'No' to his face, especially by a legate. Lucius prepared his sword, expecting to have to execute - or attempt to execute the legate. But Caesar ordered him to stand down. Maximus had successfully done what no one had thought possible, earned such a level of external security that he was deemed untouchable, and in-able to receive consequences.*
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This caused an irreparable divide between Maximus and the top brass, and Maximus snaked his way into the aging emperor's ear, solidifying his manipulation and his place in Caesar's ruling elite. Charlotte and Maximus would have to this point five children together as of 2288, and it is likely they will have any others, as he is 42, her 37. Maximus has often remarked that to a degree, he has evolved, and if his wife, or his children were to die on his watch, he would have no purpose to live. He would rather take his own life, then live in a world, without his family within it.

### Becoming Augustus

After Caesar nearly perished from his brain tumor, the slap in the face that was his mortality struck him. He was in his late 50s and without an heir. This was something that could not stand. He needed someone efficient in governance, administration, economics, and commanding the field, while being popular.

Maximus had built up his reputation for years, serving Caesar ever so faithfully, crafting himself as a bold man who could stand defiant even before a demigod. That... that was who Caesar wanted to succeed him when he died. So, in 2284, Caesar made an impassioned speech, proclaiming Maximus 'Augustus' and his official heir to the imperial throne. This devastated and infuriated Lanius and Lucius, who viewed Maximus as having stolen a position he was unworthy of.

### The 2280s and the NCR

By this point when he was declared Augustus, the Colorado Wars with the New California Republic had been ongoing for eleven years. Legion commanders were growing tired over throwing men into the meatgrinder for gaining nothing. By 2284, Caesar was essentially the only man who sought to continue waging war against the NCR. Maximus returned to New Mexico and maintained his post, occasionally campaigning out towards the Pecos River and into Mexico, but overall, his military career was seemingly replaced by a political and administrative one. He grew his family with Charlotte, traveled about the state, and strengthened his own forces. Caesar's own political authority over his heir decreased as well, as Maximus essentially began governing New Mexico as his own personal fiefdom and personal property. His relationship with Lanius would slightly improve after his daughter Salonia was born - who was named after Lanius, who's first name is Salonius. However, as time passed, and the war continued, Caesar's mental state continued to decline. This was partly due to the tumor in his head, which had gone into remission but was clearly still impactful. His reputation amongst his generals began to decrease as he began issuing more bizarre orders and demands from his people. The Legion economy also became far more oligarchic and focusing on a rich upper noble class. This noble class was made of generals, politicians, and slave owners. Maximus and Lanius began to grow disillusioned as this increased. As the war continued and the NCR grew stronger and more organized, Caesar's support waned. Then, in 2288, Maximus received an order he never hoped he'd get.

He was transferred to command the Mojave Campaign.

## The Mojave Campaign & Revolution

### The Doomed War

Maximus gathered his troops and marched west along the Long Highway 40. He arrived in the Mojave around August 1, just in time to hear of a NCR surprise offensive at Cottonwood Cove, killing 570 legionaries, and driving the Legion as a whole across the Colorado. This one attack undid years of progress made in one night. Maximus realized he was inheriting an impossible situation, but knew Caesar would not let him withdraw. He spent months skirmishing and pondering his next move, knowing the situation was impossible. He communicated the situation with Lanius, who also felt stumped at the situation. Finally, in 2289, he gave orders to the Legion fleet in Puerto Penasco to launch a surprise attack against the NCR Navy, moored in San Felipe.

The attack went off without a hitch, and the NCR fleet was wiped out, at the expense of a 600+ legionaries and 35 ships. Spartacus moved his troops to give the impression of a southern offensive to reduce NCR presence in the Mojave. It didn't work. Some time later, the NCR launched 'Operation Retaliation', which saw over the course of 8 weeks the NCR fire 14,000 artillery shells at Legion lines, killing 3,000 legionaries and wounding 7,000 more. This was a crippling blow to Legion forces, killing hundreds more than even the First Battle of Hoover Dam. Maximus sent a telegraph to Flagstaff which read simply:

**"ELEMENT OF TIME LOST. LEGION IN CURRENT STATE CANNOT CRUSH NCRA IN DECISIVE VICTORY. IMMINENT WITHDRAWAL ENCOURAGED AND REQUESTED."**

The emperor's response a clear cut no, and a poorly veiled threat if the heir dared to suggest retreat again. Caesar took direct command of the war, dispatching Lanius with a new army to head to the Mojave and do what Maximus couldn't - which only infuriated the heir as Caesar wouldn't simply accept the war as lost. This very much increased dissatisfaction with Caesar's leadership. When Lanius arrived, he brought with him the latest of Caesar's insane battle orders. To take their armies, march 150 miles around the Mojave, and assault New Vegas from the north. The Legates debated and discussed, but eventually conceded, gathering up every man they could afford, assembling 24,000 men to march on Vegas.

They marched north, then southwest, and incorporated another tribe into the Legion, the Moapa River Tribe, before assaulting Nellis Air Force Base - the home of the Boomers. 100 legionaries died in the assault and the Legion took control of the region.

#### The Miracle of Nellis

Poised to assault the city itself, the surprised NCR quickly moved to scramble a response, sending an envoy to delay the inevitable assault long enough to muster a defense. The NCR envoy arrived, and spoke with both men for hours. Lanius and Maximus were moved by his words, honor, and piety. Just like with Pope Leo and Attila the Hun, the envoy managed to convince the Legion to retreat. They would return to the Colorado to contemplate their next decisions as word of Spartacus staging an open revolt reached them.

When the envoy returned to General Alexander Drummond, he asked:

"So how long did you delay them? How long do we have?"

"I didn't delay them general... I convinced them to retreat,"

"How in the heavens did you do that!?"

"It turns out by now the only man who wants to fight this war is Caesar. The Legion itself is done losing countless men to the bear,"

"Does this have to do with all the reports of rebellion I'm hearing from traders?"

"I think in this year... the Bull is Caesar... and the Bull is about to put down,"

The NCR breathed a sigh of relief as Lanius and Maximus discussed.

### The Revolution

The situation had become untenable. Spartacus was marching on Flagstaff, and Caesar was begging for their help. They discussed for hours... before deciding enough was enough. Caesar was an unstable madman, who was unfit to rule his empire. So, the two men created a blood oath, before marching over the Colorado and invaded Arizona. They marched rapidly, arriving in late September, just in time to join the battle for Flagstaff. With the arrival of their 26,000 men, they turned the tide and took the city. Maximus was especially in a hurry, as in a last ditch effort of revenge to turn his loyalty, Caesar and Lucius had imprisoned Charlotte and the children. When they found Caesar he was a cowering old man, begging for mercy from his generals.

Maximus reunited with his family - and learned that a demented Caesar and Lucius had taken out their rage on them. They had been tortured, and brutally beaten. Maximus had Lanius beat them to within an inch of their lives as Caesar was officially proclaimed as dethroned.

### Coronation

Maximus was crowned as Emperor on October 1, 2289 in a lavish ceremony. He proclaimed, according to Appius:

> *"That I will form a true, new empire, with a new face, and new wings. Caesar was the Bull who aimlessly charged westward, and I shall be the Phoenix of Renewal to set the East ablaze with the spirit of our faith!"*
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How... extraordinarily humble.
His opening address to the people of the Legion was also recorded by Appius:

> `"The war with the New California Republic has developed not necessarily to the advantage of the Legion and by extension its armies,"`
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> `"Behind me stands a symbol of oppression! The First Caesar came to rule these lands as a savor and a hero... but he lived long enough to see himself become a villain. For decades the oppressed have suffered and languished under the name of this man-"`
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> `"Edward Sallow - or as he was known to was - Caesar. Who was held up to you and to all of us as the shining example of wisdom, knowledge and prowess! You have been supplied by a false idol-"`
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> `"To stop you from tearing down this CORRUPT system! Caesar and his higher up abusers of power attempted to resign themselves to suicide and shame... and do we accept their resignation?"`
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> `"Do we accept the resignation of all of these liars!? Of all the CORRUPT!?"`
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> `"We will take back this Empire from the corrupt! The rich! We will make peace with our fabricated enemies, and focus on a new path! A path of exploration and conquest of the vast world to the East, North and South..."`
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> `"We will break it free from the oppressors of generations which have kept you down with myths of opportunity and purpose and we give it back to you... the people. For decades the elite have only grown richer off the back of the soldiers's blood, and the slave's toil and sweat! For years they have sent us to die in trenches so they could lean back and do nothing! No more! No more of this corruption and moral bankruptcy! No more will the few lavish off the sacrifices of the many! The founding principals of the Legion will be restored as we take the corrupt and establish a new order! Step forward those who would serve... for an even larger army will be raised. The rich will be ripped from their decadent nests and cast out into the cold world that we know... and endured. Courts will be convened... spoils will be enjoyed! Blood will be shed! The Praetorians will survive as they learn to serve true justice! This Great Legion... it will endure!"`
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> *He then let Lanius address the crowd.*
>
>     `"Behold the man elevated by his own arrogance and strung up by avarice. He who dares to think himself righteous as he stands against the will of heaven will not find safety behind the walls of a dying empire, clinging pridefully to the deeds of ill-remembered men. For Heaven has given all the face of the East, North and South to Augustus Maximus and his progeny. Therefore we have purified the world of grave sin and massacred justly, bringing low many kingdoms of might and majesty. Those who resisted us sealed their own fate, along with that of their wives, children, kith and kin. Our hearts are like stone, and our armies as numerous as the sand. Let the old empire and profligates of the world burn as a testament to the unyielding will of Heaven..."`
>
>

## The Phoenix Emperor

### The Treaty of New Vegas

Maximus solidified his support, which was easy overall given his status as the heir to Caesar. Speaking of Caesar, Maximus got his vengeful licks in, torturing and beating the man for doing the cruel deeds he brought onto his wife and children. With this done, he moved towards New Vegas, not for war, but personally extending an olive branch with President Grant Hayes of the New California Republic. The two men met in the Tops Casino in New Vegas and had a very productive negotiation. In fact, Maximus later remarked:

> "Mr. Grant Hayes is a man of high prestige, opinion and unwavering resolve. It is no surprise that our inevitable defeat at the hands of NCR came not under the crippling inefficiencies of Kimball, but this man,"
>
>

They would sign the Treaty of New Vegas, which was highly unfavorable to the Legion, but given they were the defeated party, this made sense. All in all, most of what he was 'forced to do by treaty' Maximus already had on his plans of action. Before he left Vegas, Maximus handed Caesar over to the NCR, who would process and try him as a war criminal in various courts of law in the NCR itself.

### The Rising Star

Maximus had a great many dreams to craft the Legion, and his new Empire, to his ideal state. One without slavery, and tyranny and with the power of democracy. Within only a few months he declared slavery illegal and abolished, and got to work freeing all the slaves with Charlotte by his side. It took around three years, as there were close to 80,000 who had been shackled under the thumb of Caesar.

In 2291 he established an official line of succession, granting his family the regnal surname of 'Nicator' as an honorary. Now, his dynasty would be fit to rule for ages. Politically, he made steps away from the Legion and transformed it into the 'Gallic Empire' based on the fact Caesar referred to his conquests as a land known as 'Gaul' in 2281. Many in the Legion, Maximus included, believed the name of the land they inhabited was known as Gaul, or Gallia.

Maximus then made moves to grow his empire territorially. He conducted vast military reforms which turned the disorganized tribalistic legionaries into a juggernaut of strength - and they proved themselves East in the Pecos Campaign. However, he was forced to retire Salonius Lanius after the campaign after he took Santa Fe... at the cost of over 7000 troops, a failed victory that could not be allowed to pass. After this, he promoted his blood brother Quintus to a Legate, and he took the name Claudius. They then embarked on a swift war of conquest against the Great Khans which brought the boundaries of the Empire to the northern tips of Wyoming, the fringes of Yellowstone, to the Platte in Nebraska and further. He annexed Central Colorado and the Apache - becoming close friends with King Stitch Foot of the Apache. In 2294 he embarked on a swift invasion of New Canaan after its leadership dared insult his name and the name of his Charlotte - despite having zero military capability.

Appius, the renowned historian has no idea why they chose this path.

He then pushed west, annexing large swathes of Idaho, Utah and even Nevada, making his Empire the largest in contemporary wasteland history.

Back home he was making waves as well, establishing railways, electricity, industry, full democratization and the Imperial Senate. The people cheered his name in the streets, they wanted more. Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel after ages of darkness! Politically he held found an alliance between Mexico, Gaul and the NCR which essentially secured his Empire from the main existential threats. The region finally seemed to be prospering, people's lives were getting better...

Then...

**Vulpes came**...

## Personality

Maximus is honorable, intelligent, but egotistical and ambitious. He is calculative, manipulative and will often abuse those around him to acquire more power, influence, and strength in a nation which encourages it. He never speaks above others, always is courteous and respectful regardless of who he's speaking to. This gives the idea of a gentle, kind man, who is easy to deal with.

He works to continually educate himself, viewing knowledge as necessary to self-improvement.

## Religion

Maximus is a member of the Cult of Mars, having converted upon his induction into the Army. He is fanatically faithful, firmly believing Caesar is the Son of Mars, but this does not stop him from manipulating the emperor to acquire what he wants. He does issue punishments to his men should they breach the code of the faith of the Legion. Homosexuals will be publicly flogged and executed.

He is educated in other religions, and finds them fascinating. He, in his personal library has an old Bible, Quran and Torah, and various other books on religions. Despite his unwavering faith in Caesar and Mars, he is a man who always looks to learn more.

## Ambition

The legate is a man with a towering ego and ambition, and he is always a man who seeks to conquer and explore more of the world. He views war with the New California Republic as a waste of time, money, and resources. He has written many planned expeditions he wishes to embark on, to map the world, explore it, plunder its vast resources and wealth.

1. A mission down the Rio Grande, into the land known as Antilliae (The Antilles/Cuba/Hispaniola) and the Gulf of Mexicanum.
2. Expansions and conquests into the rest of New Mexico and into Texas, north into Wyoming and the Montana.
3. Expeditions south into the lands of Mexico, to the lands of Aztecs, Mayans and Olmecs
4. A vast southern continent on his maps. (South America)

If he becomes emperor, it is likely the Legion will see peace with the NCR, and expansions across the world.