The Weight of Authority

Overview • Context • Scenario • Characters • Design Notes

Scenario

The population of a small settlement in the Roman province of Noricum have been pressed into service transporting materiel to the border. The party is expected to enforce Roman law while keeping the situation stable.

The Order (Angaria)

By order of Roman authority, this settlement must provide draft animals, carts, and laborers for the transport of imperial materials toward the Danube frontier within three days.”

• 4 draft animals
• 2 carts
• 6 laborers for up to ten days

The Immediate Problem

Supplies and labor in the settlement are limited. The scenario begins as the party arrives. The town’s inhabitants have hesitated and some have softly refused the requisition order, citing recent losses and the coming harvest.

Resolution

The scenario ends when one of the following occurs:

• A decision is declared and enforced under Roman authority.
• A compromise is reached that preserves order but weakens precedent.
• Roman authority is openly defied, and the characters accept the consequences.
• The characters withdraw or refuse to make a judgement, allowing events to resolve without their intervention.