Playtest: Song of Shadows and Dust

Meet the Strongarm Crossroads Collegia from Fraudentula, a small town outside Syracuse.Their patron (leader) has been locked up by the the Magistrate for swindling a racing bet - the Magistrate lost.

The patron's girlfriend, the Briton Cruella, has rounded up a few of the lads from the quarry and, accompanied by the witch Melissa, marches on Fraudentula.

The Emperor's peace in Fraudentula is maintained by the Urban Militia under the leadership of the Gaul Shaunus. 'Tis rumoured that Shaunus and Cruella have unsettled issues.

Cruella's crew are distracted by a Priestess of Issus who harangues them for marching on a holy day. This slows them down while the two women exchange insults. At the back you can just see the militia turning out from the Bar By The Fountain. Fortunately for Cruella the Militia are also delayed while they argue with the barmaid over the tip. She expected actual money.

The Militia sort themselves out and take up a defensive formation blocking the street.

Shaunus reads the Acta Riota and Cruella makes an Ancient British sign involving raising two fingers.


A melee breaks out in which Melissa and a couple of the Militia go under.

Shaunus loses his nerve and ran away - that's him disappearing down the street at a rate of knots.


Unfortunately, Cruella stopped to crow and got knocked on the head by a Militia spear butt. Her lads still on their feet decided to make a strategic withdrawal back to the quarry.

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The game took about forty minutes and was great fun.

I am keen to try this some more.


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We had enough time to play out a rumble between two groups of gladiators on the Via Potholia over who got the contract to put on entertainment at the Emperor's Birthday celebrations.

Romans commemorated their dead with gravestones along the main roads where they could be seen by passer's by. Various farmers and travellers got involved in the disturbance, including a bored Urban Cohort Legionary who was guarding the Tomb of a Patrician,