Hieronymus
12-18-2008, 01:15 PM
This is the 2008 seasonal C4 scenario by Aramann and Hieronymus - a tale of bribery, corruption and Christmas presents.
It follows (for those who have already played through "The Agrilus") the career of the song composers Howardus and Beckius, and tells how they came to compose a classic Christmas carol. Or not. (If you haven't played "The Agrilus", don't worry - apart from this tenuous link, the two scenarios are independent.)
"For a long time the Emperor Constantine has lamented the lack of any good Yuletide carols for his people to sing. Every year the best song composers of Constantinopolis have tried to come up with something that pleases Caesar - and every year they have failed miserably. So now Constantine has offered a prize to any composer in the Empire who can produce a Yuletide carol that will please him. A great prize awaits the winner of this contest - and there will also be great honor for the city whose resident composer is chosen. But Caesar does not have infinite patience, and if no suitable offering is received in seven and a half years, he will cancel the contest.
"As the appointed governor of a new city, you would expect to have little hope of winning this contest. But now you have heard news of two composers who have recently fallen from grace, banned from their city of Liverpool, and in search of a new home. They are called Howardus and Beckius - perhaps they could be inspired to write a new classic that will last through the ages? You just need to be aware of their strange ways. Beckius is notoriously fond of a glass or seven of wine, and will often take to dancing on tables. Howardus, meanwhile, seems to like spending his time 'getting back to nature', usually on the nearest sheep farm. Beckius fondly calls Howardus (the elder of the two) her 'Tutor, Mentor, Benevolent Dictator and Sheep Shagging Friend'. As for the long suffering spouses of this insane pair, their full names are now sadly lost - although ancient manuscripts seem to indicate that they (remarkably) share the same first name: 'Poor'."
It follows (for those who have already played through "The Agrilus") the career of the song composers Howardus and Beckius, and tells how they came to compose a classic Christmas carol. Or not. (If you haven't played "The Agrilus", don't worry - apart from this tenuous link, the two scenarios are independent.)
"For a long time the Emperor Constantine has lamented the lack of any good Yuletide carols for his people to sing. Every year the best song composers of Constantinopolis have tried to come up with something that pleases Caesar - and every year they have failed miserably. So now Constantine has offered a prize to any composer in the Empire who can produce a Yuletide carol that will please him. A great prize awaits the winner of this contest - and there will also be great honor for the city whose resident composer is chosen. But Caesar does not have infinite patience, and if no suitable offering is received in seven and a half years, he will cancel the contest.
"As the appointed governor of a new city, you would expect to have little hope of winning this contest. But now you have heard news of two composers who have recently fallen from grace, banned from their city of Liverpool, and in search of a new home. They are called Howardus and Beckius - perhaps they could be inspired to write a new classic that will last through the ages? You just need to be aware of their strange ways. Beckius is notoriously fond of a glass or seven of wine, and will often take to dancing on tables. Howardus, meanwhile, seems to like spending his time 'getting back to nature', usually on the nearest sheep farm. Beckius fondly calls Howardus (the elder of the two) her 'Tutor, Mentor, Benevolent Dictator and Sheep Shagging Friend'. As for the long suffering spouses of this insane pair, their full names are now sadly lost - although ancient manuscripts seem to indicate that they (remarkably) share the same first name: 'Poor'."