#collegia

[scalochac]

The Barony of St Florian de la Rivière (South Brisbane and surrounds) held their war collegia over the weekend #mysca #lochac #stflorian #wartraining #collegia #archery #medieval https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn158rNnqx8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yuvp1nnoelsj

[garland-on-thy-brow]

re: magic au, 

I would make Brutus a healer because of the theme with Ligarius. I remember Brutus does timey-wimey things, but they happen very rarely, because it’s a highly unstable ability, so I may as well add this. 

Also, most QSFs are healers to some extent, because the imported (due to pestilence, by the way) cults of Apollo, Asclepius, and Latona are their responsibility.

[Who saves Catulus Capitolinus in the moment when he dies in history (late 61 - early 60 bce): Cato, Brutus, somebody else?]

[garland-on-thy-brow]

Back to AUs that eat my brain. This time very magic very AU. Consider it a warning.

So. Nominally modern setting, but with Late Republic projected on it (characters, composition of political factions, names of political institutes, their characteristics as much as possible, etc.). Magic features prominently, so influence shifts towards religious organisations. Three main Roman religious colleges - Pontiffs, Augurs and Quindecimviri Sacris Faciundis (abbreviated QSF, but also inevitably shortened to quins) - are magic emergency management / law enforcement agencies. They don’t get along very well. One of the reasons is that pontiffs and QSF are a lovely pair of traditionalism and xenophilia. Augurs like to call themselves a scientific organisation, not interested in power struggle; I hope you don’t buy it.

Important: there are no gender restrictions for participation in the colleges. So yes, a lot of prominent women there. Particularly: Hortensia, coopted into the college of augurs in her father’s place after his death. ...And Fulvia, entering the same college shortly after. Hello.

One storyline consists of cases handled/investigated: unknown demons accidentally (or not) summoned, magic crimes, this. Features Brutus (pontiff) and Cassius (QSF) working together, because it’s me (also, Cassius has apollonian magic tattoos, because what’s the point of magic au otherwise). 

The other storyline is political. Metellus Pius, the Pontifex Maximus, in this verse lives longer (not unreasonable to suppose magically prolonged life; I'd also like to keep Catulus Capitolinus alive longer - historically he died at the age of approximately 60). Metellus eventually dies ~51-50 BCE, Caesar wins the subsequent elections, but. A large part of priests (a half or more, those siding with Pompey and/or optimates) just refuses to recognize him on formal pretexts. Instead they rally around Catulus, second-best in elections. So there are two Popes Great Pontifices in the state. This schism is an appropriate overture for the civil war.

[garland-on-thy-brow]

...So Caesar has created some horcruxes, and 

All his soul is divided into seven parts.

Of course, the last horcrux is Brutus, that's why he sees the ghost. Antony is Nagini. The prophecy is in Sibylline books. “Marius, burst from his sepulchre, lifting his head beside chill Anio’s stream” (Lucan, Pharsalia) is an inferius. Other horcruxes include a diadem and a famous ring, this one: “It was through a dispute, too, at an auction about the possession of a ring, that the feud first commenced between Cæpio and Drusus a dispute which gave rise to the Social War, and the public disasters which thence ensued..” (Pliny the Elder, The Natural History).