steve.marte
Pennsylvania, United States
 
 
Hello, I am a professional writer. Been a journalist, ghost writer, advertising copywriter and a high school English teacher. Published two novels about ancient Sparta titled "The Wandering King" and am working on the third.
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My name is Lucius Varrus. My father was the village blacksmith at Tevea. He and my mother were killed, and my brother Phasos and sister Alea kidnapped by a roving band of raiders. My older brother Nerva, and five of our cousins, armed ourselves and left Tevea seeking justice.

For six months we scoured the countryside of the Northern Empire killing bandit gangs. We lived off the loot we pillaged from their bloody bodies and flea-infested hideouts. Nerva was the best warrior. He could put an arrow through the eye of a robin from a hill away, practically ride his horse across water, and splatter your head like a melon with his lance.

Nerva embarrassed me by teasing me in front of the others. “You’re just as likely to hit one of us with an arrow or your blade. Stay out of the way. Don’t try to help. I’ll handle it.”

He handled it alright. Nerva, Caracco Blacktooth, Cottula the Healer and our growing clan of 20 infantrymen and archers slowly gained a reputation in Lycaron and Phycaon for killing bandits, protecting merchant caravans, and ambushing ambushers.

This is not to say I am worthless. My skills are finding the high ground for our archers, telling the infantry when to charge, negotiating lucrative work for the clan, and smithing 2-handed weapons that fetch a good price. In that first year, our purse was nearly empty. Our men fought with wooden shields and wore leather armor. By spending our wealth on steel weapons, Roman shields and war horses our victories and numbers grew.

Eventually we tracked down King Arion of the North and asked him to hire the Varrus clan as mercenaries. He happily took us on. What a sweet deal. One hundred dinars for every Southern Empire head we took. We sharpened our skills butchering the militia in the Southern villages, looting their fish and grain, making the lambda sigil feared across the South.

Then suddenly, the Saka declared war on the North. Nothing frightens a warrior more than the sight of 30 yelping horse archers circling your formation. While we were raiding the village of Karahan, stealing their famed horses, Lord Chaghan and 80 Saka, including 40 horse archers, attacked us. There were only 50 of us, 22 legionaries, 20 auxiliary archers and 8 eques cavalry, so we made a run for it. They caught us out on the open steppe with no hills to fortify our position.

We squared up our shield wall, put our archers in the center, and dueled it out with their horse archers. Our sturdy Roman scutum shields made the difference. Chaghan’s infantry wore padded armor and carried wicker shields. Our legionaries chopped them up. Nerva charged their horse archers, skewering eight with his lance.

By the end of the day, Lord Chagun was our prisoner and would fetch a hefty ransom. Cottula the Healer tended our wounded, but we still lost 12 good Northmen. Of our 8 eques, only Nerva survived.

After a year of war with the Southern Empire, Saka and Western Empire, in an elaborate ceremony in the great city of Onira, King Arion, made me, Lucius Varrus, a vassal. The Varrus clan were now legit. We were rubbing elbows with the famed Junii, Tarpeii, Antonii and the Numicii.

On our own, Nerva and I took Castle Dinar from the Saka, then led the army that sieged the largest town in the northeast, Baltakhand. King Arion could have kept the city for himself, but he gave it to me. With it came the villages of Fisnar, Ulaan and Asalig where they produced sheep, flax and steppe horses.

After five prosperous years, the Varrus clan’s influence dominated the Northern Empire. When King Arion died with no sons, it took me by surprise when the Junii, Tarpeii and Antonii declared me, Lucius Varrus, King of the North. Me, a poor blacksmith’s son, and the worst warrior in Calradia now ruled an empire.

Under my leadership, the Northern clans conquered half of Calradia. We captured Rhagaea, Queen of the South, and took all of her towns and villages. Likewise, we captured everything the Saka held dear. We pushed the Sturgians west and have taken half of the desert away from the Aserai, all the way to their fortress at Qasira.

In my capitol, Danustica, with my Queen, Phaea, I somehow found the time to father five children, four girls, Atia, Bellica, Messia and Carfulena and my son, Hordeonius. We have made Danustica the most prosperous city in the Empire, with aqueducts, hanging gardens, and great defensive siege engines. Our people are loyal. They’ve been untouched by war for four years.

I am 40 years old now. Nerva is 43. My brother Phasos and sister Alea are 31 and 34 and lead their own war parties. Phasos has become a good scout and Alea a fair engineer. Understanding how to use the trebuchet and onager to capture well defended cities is an art form, and a joy like no other. It is good to be King.
Neuroboner Soprano 2024년 1월 1일 오전 11시 06분 
Here's to another new years friend, have a nice one and stay safe! :er_wave:
Krozair 2022년 2월 7일 오후 6시 22분 
Just read your review of Bennerlord. Hats off to you sir!
steve.marte 2021년 10월 30일 오후 7시 33분 
Yakob, thank you for the Witcher III. I was surprised to receive it from you. Glad you enjoyed my books. I can't seem to find you among my friends. Just wanted to thank you in a more personal way. Hopefully you see this. Am overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness. Thank you!
MD25 2019년 4월 11일 오전 7시 27분 
You like hentai so do I :SMGYukismile:
Check out my profile :suzuko1:
TheMightyLeg 2018년 7월 1일 오전 8시 16분 
+rep For having so many hours in total war. I love it.
SilentRose 2017년 11월 18일 오전 5시 24분 
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