A Courtesan of Rome

**A Courtesan of Rome** is the first and only book of the *A Courtesan of Rome* series.

## Summary

*From captive to courtesan... Use your beauty and wiles to avenge your murdered tribe, while navigating love, war, and intrigue in Ancient Rome.*

## Chapters

#### **Chapter 1: A Princess of Gaul**

> *Make your debut as a courtesan in Ancient Rome and plot your vengeance against Julius Caesar for his conquest of your homeland.*
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#### **Chapter 2: Crossing the Rubicon**

> *As Marc Antony reveals that Caesar crossed the Rubicon, you have your first opportunity to seek vengeance for your tribe.*
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#### **Chapter 3: The Aid of the Gods**

> *When a chance meeting lets you seek your mother in the world of spirits, will the pull of Rome be stronger than that of the gods?*
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#### **Chapter 4: The Hunt**

> *Walk a fine line to cultivate the trust of your Roman patrons while continuing your studies of poison and magic to seek your vengeance*
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#### **Chapter 5: Red-Handed**

> *At Cassius's poetry reading, will you play the peacemaker or stoke the flames of war?*
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#### **Chapter 6: Marked**

> *With the eyes of Rome on you, what price will you pay to pursue your vengeance?*
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#### **Chapter 7: A Fighting Chance**

> *When you go to the Senate to seek Marc Antony's favor, what will you learn about your... and Rome's... greatest enemy?*
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#### **Chapter 8: The Goddess is Watching**

> *The arena awaits your friend with open arms, will you do whatever it takes to help them survive?*
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#### **Chapter 9: Power Vacuum**

> *When the Senate abandons Rome, Marc Antony is left holding the reins. How can you use his interest in you to fuel your quest for vengeance?*
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#### **Chapter 10: Snakes in the Grass**

> *When the lines between your closest friends and worst enemies get blurred, will you rally behind your friends or will the risk be too great?*
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#### **Chapter 11: Trial By Combat**

> *When Syphax faces his trial by combat, will the gods prove his innocence in the arena, or will his blood be spilled?*
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#### **Chapter 12: Raising The Stakes**

> *The games come to a close, but not before a revelation that will change everything! Later, an invitation to a popina could be more than it seems.*
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#### **Chapter 13: Bread and Circus**

> *Attend a wild night of parades, bonfires and sacrifices to celebrate the great Vulcanalia festival.*
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#### **Chapter 14: A Twist of Fate**

> *Your growing reputation brings you closer to your vengeance. But when your enemies retaliate, is it your friends who will pay the price?*
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#### **Chapter 15: Best Served Cold**

> *When you finally reunite with your father, how will you plan to enact your vengeance on Legate Aquila?*
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#### **Chapter 16: Triumph**

> *The time has come! What fate will you choose for your mortal enemy?*
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#### **Chapter 17: A Life for a Life**

> *When you make a dangerous pact with Marc Antony, will it be enough to save your father and Syphax's lives?*
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#### **Chapter 18: The Die is Cast**

> *Can you grant your father and Syphax freedom? And will Antony hold you to your deal when Caesar returns to Rome?*
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#### **Chapter 19: A Warrior's Death**

> *Can you survive?*
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#### **Chapter 20: The Liberators**

> *Will you join Brutus and Cassius in their plot against Caesar?*
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#### **Chapter 21: The Ides of March**

> *Find true love and achieve your ultimate vengeance against Caesar and Rome!*
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## Gallery

### Sneak Peeks

Chapter 3 Sneak PeekChapter 7 Sneak PeekChapter 9 Sneak PeekChapter 11 Sneak PeekChapter 13 Sneak PeekChapter 15 Sneak PeekChapter 17 Sneak PeekChapter 18 Sneak Peek #1Chapter 18 Sneak Peek #2Chapter 18 Sneak Peek #3Chapter 18 Sneak Peek #4Chapter 18 Sneak peek #5Chapter 18 Sneak Peek #6Chapter 21 Sneak Peek
### Pre-Book Sneak Peeks & Information

First tease of this book in early October 2018Sneak Peek #1 on A Courtesan of RomeSneak Peek #2Confirmation of being a Female LeadChapter 1 SummarySneak Peek #3Confirmation that it's Cleopatra in the 3rd sneak peekSneak Peek #4Clarification on this book being Multiple POVsSneak Peek #5ACoR 03-22-19 Standalone ConfirmationNew Info from May 2019 Choices Insiders Newsletter
### Locations featured in A Courtesan of Rome

The Town Square and lake of Egypt in Ch.18Your Village in Flames (Day)Your Village in Flames (Night)Gladiator Ring in Arretium (Day)Gladiator Ring in Arretium (Night)AmphitheatreGallic ForestsStars Over Gallic ForestMountain During Hunt
### Miscellaneous

* Promo
* From Choices
* In Game/Tutorials
* Items

Official PromoThumbnail CoverThumbnail Cover (Version 1) (Old Interface)Thumbnail Cover (Version 2) (Old Interface)In-Game Banner (Version 1) (Old Interface)In-Game Banner (Version 2) (Old Interface)Full Cover as Shown in the New UIIn-book Starting CoverIn-App AnnouncementNew ACoR Book Cover w/ different color fontNew Chapters each weekOfficial SoundNew interface (May 21, 2020)

Some players showing love for ACoR as of Nov. 14, 2018Continued love by some playersACoR Writers Part IACoR Writers Part IIPB Confirming that ACoR will only have 1 book

Disclaimer before Ch.1MC and her family as prisonersLena's training tutorial infoChapter 2 Tutorial MessageChapter 4 DisclaimerAdopting the monkey tutorialLast Chance to change outfit message

GladiusSwordFlamingo TonguesSea UrchinRoasted DormouseFlask of PoisonPoisoned wine in cupAmphora from Cassius to MC
## Promotional Videos

Choices - A Courtesan of Rome Teaser 1Choices - A Courtesan of Rome Teaser 2Choices - A Courtesan of Rome Teaser 3
## Soundtracks

Visit the soundtrack page for more soundtracks from Choices.

A Courtesan of Rome - When in RomeA Courtesan of Rome - BacchanaliaA Courtesan of Rome - The Will of the GoddessA Courtesan of Rome - Gaul RemembersA Courtesan of Rome - Clear SkiesA Courtesan of Rome - Hopeless RomanticA Courtesan of Rome - We Who Are About to Die, Salute You
## Spoilers

* On October 26, 2018, through the blog post for *The Elementalists*, Pixelberry teased players to stay tuned for sneak peeks into what's next in Choices... a journey back in ancient history!
* On October 30, 2018, the first sneak peek for the *Untitled Historical Fiction Book* was revealed via Pixelberry's official Instagram page first.
	+ In addition, they also revealed that the name of the new book is *A Courtesan of Rome*
* On November 1, 2018, a book cover with the premiere date was revealed.
	+ It was subsequently confirmed later in the day to a player that it will be a Female Lead only book.
* On November 2, 2018, a sneak peek for the first two chapters was revealed along with the confirmation that real-life historical figures like Julius Caesar and Marc Antony will be characters in this book.
* On November 6, 2018, a third sneak peek was released and it features four characters: Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Julius Caesar, Cassius Longinus.
* On November 7, 2018, a fourth sneak peek was released, this time featuring two gladiators fighting in what looks to be like an arena. It also hinted at this being a Dual Lead narrative; with parts being from the courtesan female, and other parts being from a male gladiator POV.
	+ It was later officially confirmed via a response to a player that it will actually be Multiple Points of View. While primarily playing as a Courtesan, players will also get to play as a gladiator and a priestess.
* On November 9, 2018, a 5th sneak peek was released; this one asking the player what they will you do to win over your love?
* On November 12, 2018, the book trailer was released.
* On November 13, 2018, a blog post featuring an interview with the writers for this book was released ahead of its debut on November 14.
	+ *A Courtesan of Rome* begins as you make your debut as a courtesan during one of the most dangerous and difficult times in history, the rise of Julius Caesar and the beginning of the fall of the Roman Republic.
	+ The Main Character in this book is the daughter of a former chieftain of Gaul who was captured by Caesar's forces years ago.
	+ Part of the plot involves using your power and influence to seek vengeance on the men who massacred your tribe, search for your scattered family, and perhaps find unexpected love in a city where everyone is an enemy.
	+ In this book, it's not always cut and dried who your friends and enemies are, and if the player plays his/her cards right, they will able to pull the strings in all this political intrigue during the time period this book is set in.
	+ The book is described as a romantic historical epic. While romance is a huge part of the storyline, it takes place on a backdrop of dramatic historical events, giving the player a chance to take part in gladiatorial blood sports, religious mystery cults, brutal battles, and Machiavellian political maneuverings... and even shape history in unexpected ways.
	+ The writers for this book put out the standard historical novelist disclaimer here, which states that, while they tried to stick tot he broad outline of the important events that happened at this time, the needs of the story always took precedence.
	+ So, if there was ever a question of "this character was really married at this time, but they thought he would be a really great love interest...", it meant they had to consistently choose what will be the most fun for players, even if that means occasionally playing fast and loose with some historical facts.
	+ A few different historical fiction epics that were big influences on this story include: Manda Scott's *Boudica* series and Kate Quinn's *Mistresses of Rome* series (both of which were set a little later in the Empire), and Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy which covers this exact time period from the point of view of Caesar's enemy Cicero.
	+ Marc Antony is described as a fun combination of puppet master and rule-breaking anarchist. He and the main character start as enemies, but when sparks fly between them, players will have to decide whether or not they want to risk using that sexual tension to manipulate Antony.
	+ Marc Antony and Cassius Longinus (who eventually masterminds the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar) are love interests in the book - the two historical figures that the player gets to romance and date.
* On December 10, 2018, PB celebrated the new update, the launch of *The Heist: Monaco* and the December birthdays.
* On December 31, 2018, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 9.
* On January 14, 2019, PB released a Sneak Peek for Chapter 11.
* On January 28, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 13.
* On February 11, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 15.
* On February 25, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 17.
* On February 27, 2019, PB released a statement saying that the book would be going on a hiatus after Chapter 17.
* On March 1, 2019, PB released some sneak peeks for Chapter 18 and also revealed that the book will come back in Late Spring 2019 to wrap up and reach an epic conclusion.
* On this same day, they released a second blog post featuring some spoilers.
	+ When the book returns, the player will have the opportunity to use our wiles to gain the trust of Caesar and Cleopatra.
	+ Learn what has become of your long-lost brother... And work with your parents and Cassius to mastermind the plan to assassinate Julius Caesar!
	+ We were also teased with PB asking players if we will stay in Rome, or return to Gaul to rebuild our tribe? As well as asking who will be at your side when the Republic falls?
* On March 6, 2019, in response to a question asked by a person on the Reddit AMA, PB stated that the chapters that will be released after the hiatus will conclude the series, as they are not actively planning a second book.
* On March 22, 2019, PB revealed that this book will come back from its hiatus in Late Spring 2019 with a batch of final chapters to wrap up the book.
* On April 26, 2019, PB revealed that the book would return with its epic final chapters on May 22, 2019.
	+ In addition, the official book's soundtrack was released on the same day.
* On May 9, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 18 while re-confirming the fact that the book will return from its hiatus on the 22nd of May.
* On May 21, 2019, PB released a final sneak peek for Chapter 18 while promoting the return of the book on the next day.
* On June 10, 2019, PB released a sneak peek for Chapter 21 and confirmed it would be this book's finale.
* The music of this book was not composed by PB but rather by an external studio called "The Noise Distillery". You can find all the tracks here

## Trivia

* A disclaimer at the beginning of Chapter 1 advises player discretion due to the story taking place in a time period with very different views on violence, slavery, mistreatment of women, animal sacrifices, and other mature themes.
* Chapter 13 issues a content warning due to scenes of animal sacrifices, which were common in the ancient world.
* Chapter 14 issues a content warning due to sexual violence.
* Chapter 4 shares the same title as *The Nanny Affair, Book 2*, Chapter 8, "The Hunt".
* Chapter 5 shares the same title as *My Two First Loves*, Chapter 7, "Red-Handed".
* This is one of the 49 standalone books in Choices.

These are ***A Courtesan of Rome***, *A Very Scandalous Proposal*, *Across the Void*, *Bachelorette Party*, *Dirty Little Secrets*, *Distant Shores*, *First Comes Love*, *Foreign Affairs*, *Getaway Girls*, *Guinevere*, *Hero*, *Home for the Holidays*, *Hot Couture*, *Kindred*, *Kiss of Death*, *Most Wanted*, *Mother of the Year*, *Ms. Match*, *Murder at Homecoming*, *My Two First Loves*, *Nightbound*, *Passport to Romance*, *Platinum*, *Ride-or-Die*, *Rising Tides*, *Save the Date*, *Shipwrecked*, *Slow Burn*, *Sunkissed*, *The Billionaire's Baby*, *The Duchess Affair*, *The Haunting of Braidwood Manor*, *The Heist: Monaco*, *The Phantom Agent*, *The Princess Swap*, *The Royal Masquerade*, *The Unexpected Heiress*, *Veil of Secrets*, *Wake the Dead*, *Wishful Thinking*, *With Every Heartbeat*, *Witness*, and *Wolf Bride*.

* At the end of Chapter 21, a historical note is featured that mentions what became of the Roman Republic after Caesar's murder: Marc Antony's speech at the funeral started a seventeen year long civil war. Antony and Octavian fought Cassius and Brutus, then Antony and Cleopatra fought Octavian. Ultimately, this led to the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire under Octavian, who became known as Emperor Augustus.

*Click here for the walkthrough of this book: A Courtesan of Rome Choices.*

## References

1. ↑ http://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2018/10/26/the-elementalists
2. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpkmLC7HBjQ/?hl=en&taken-by=choicesgame
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1057388455079010305
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1058104198431039488
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1060247950897496064
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1058511415193956352
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1059920385704165379
8. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1060322562859626498
9. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1061031767501467648
10. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1062117916517093376
11. ↑ http://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2018/11/13/a-courtesan-of-rome
12. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1072250298037489666
13. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1079840010491256832
14. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1084924158859894784
15. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1089994716123324417
16. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1095088960596893697
17. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1100173993984905219?s=19
18. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1100834916160262144
19. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1101654673289764864
20. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1101654675281985536
21. ↑ https://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2019/3/1/a-courtesan-of-rome-hiatus
22. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Choices/comments/ay2jth/were\_the\_writers\_for\_choices\_stories\_you\_play\_ask/ehxyvcx
23. ↑ https://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2019/3/22/summer-reads-and-more
24. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1121866521557397504
25. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoxduxW\_nnk&list=PLrSmYLVCiKRruozACJpyG8wodjlbc-c7a
26. ↑ https://mailchi.mp/f05a8d1015a3/lights-camera-choices?e=24f7afd6af
27. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1126605366081417216
28. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1130951111634894848
29. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayChoices/status/1138159534587895809
30. ↑ https://noisedistillery.com/