Adventure Twisted Side Story - CRAZZZZY RAT AND HIS CAST OF

[Carthrat]

Looking a little deeper, Carthrat tries finding information on Marcus Aurelius's death..

[Anastasia]

A text from one of the more mystically inclined history books you have.

"The year 180 AD was the year of the death of Marcus Aurelius. He took sick in a northern campaign and soon died. Strangely, his valued imperial treasure, White Glow, was lost at his death.  Historians speculate he ordered it buried with him. However, a few magic cults claim it is a magical artifact and still in the world."

[Carthrat]

Carthrat leans back in his chair, pondering. "Do you recall any other incidences of the artifact appearing?" he asks Rachel..

[Anastasia]

Rachel leans back in her chair and closes her eyes.

"Hmm...," she mutters, "Not offhand. I haven't really studied artifacts; Diane would know more than I."

[Carthrat]

"A pity."

Carthrat ponders.. "If it was within the Roman Empire at that time, it can't have left it for a great while... then it would have likely remainied either with the Byzantine empire.. from there, it could have ended up anywhere... hmm.

The Crusades.. no, they were too long afterwards.. though it's feasible the Church could have gotten it's hands on the relic.. dammit, I don't know. Too many potential avenues.."

On a whim, Carthrat starts foisting through various other Emperors histories, looking up references.. especially on Romulus, the last emperor, and Dilocletian, strangely enough, the only emperor to die of old age..

[Anastasia]

Things of note that your search digs up. The veracity of each source is...questionable.

"Caesar, according to several different mage histories, was a low power mage. It is said he turned the tide of many a close battle in Gaul via a well played spell."

"Constantine was not a follower of the God! He was a fallen priest, secretly working to destory the Roman Empire and the stability it brought."

"A Roman nobleman in the fourth century made a play for the seat of power. He claimed he was decended from Marcus Aurelious and had his 'Sacred Tear' as proof.  Crispus Alexander was eventually slain as a 'heretic'."

Nothing of note beyond normal history turns up for Romulus or Diocletian.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat shakes his head, and starts looking up Crispus Alexander..

[Anastasia]

You are lead on a long, tiring search around the library, finally ending at a back corner of the history section of the library. Through a tiny window above, the last of the daylight illuminates the shelve with the book "Crispus Alexander - The fallen emperor of Rome"

The book is old and has a thick, choking layer of dust on it. The hardbound book seems somehow fragile in your hands, a familiar sensation when dealing with old tomes.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat carefully opens the book and starts to read..

[Anastasia]

You begin to read.

OOC: Just giving you the salient details. Do you really think I have the time to write a 100+ page historical document on a whim? </OOC>

It starts with his birth to Patrician parents in 403 AD. He was raised as a noble man from birth, enjoying all the benefits that his class gave him.  He showed a high interest in history and the classics. The 'Golden Age' of the Roman Empire in particular fascinated him.

On his twentith birthday, he went missing. Weeks passes as he was searched for in vain. Eventually, he was forgotten.

One year to the hour later, he came back a changed man. He quickly began to rise in power with fiery speeches and stunning rhetorical skills. He rose through the ranks until the old emperor died, beginning a scamble for the throne.

In what was a bold move, he annouced he was the direct decendant of Marcus Aurelious and had his 'Sacred Tears' to prove this claim, a beautiful white object.  Strangely, the accounts of what this object was vary widely from sword, clothes, ring, glove and other myriad objects. The only uniting point is that is was pure white.

At first, it seemed as if he may succeed, until wildfire rumors of him being a heretic spread. Three days later, this reached a cresendo and he was slain at a public apperance by a mob. His 'Sacred Tears' were said to be lost or destroyed, accounts vary...

Looking up from your reading, you hear an announcement that the library is closing. Checking your watch, you see it is 8 PM. Damn, the day went by quickly.

[Carthrat]

"Time to go. Let's hope Diane found more than I did," mutters Carthrat, heading back to the house..

[Anastasia]

You and Rachel walk back throught the London streets, quietly talking about the day. It seems that Rachel found nothing else of importance, merely some more nudges towards Crispus Alexander.

As you walk to the house, you find yourself marveling at how beautiful she would look with her arms ripped off and impaling her body, along with the fact you are rather hungry.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat shoves the image out of his mind and concentrates on cows, which make beef, which makes pie.

Mmm, pie..

[Anastasia]

You shrug off the ghastly vision and continue walking.

---

Over a simple dinner of sandwiches and drinks, you find yourself discussing the day's search results. You go first, outlining the information you turned up, Crispus Alexander in particular.

"Yes," Diane says between bites of a meat sandwich, "I found mention of White Glow in a few instances as well. Crispus Alexander, however, was not mentioned. Do you think it is legitamate?"

[Carthrat]

"I would.. however, he calls them 'Sacred Tears', as if there was more than one. And a different name. I'm not sure what to make of it, in truth."