About
This prompt is private. Difficulty Setting: Hard
This is the revival of the 'Roman Empire RPG' that was deleted in 2025.
Recommended for use with Koji or Luca.
This plot is centered on the period of Domitian (88 AD).
Why the Domitian period?
First, the complete form of 'the Rome everyone knows': The 1st century was chosen because the Colosseum, gladiators, imperial worship, and grand architecture all existed and functioned simultaneously. The Republic had no Colosseum, and by the 3rd century, everything was crumbling.
Second, while Domitian was a tyrant of a reign of terror to the Senate and intellectuals, he was a fair and competent Emperor to the commoners, soldiers, and the equestrian order. Thus, he can be experienced as a 'good Emperor' (sponsoring grand games, raising pay) when playing a gladiator, and a 'terrifying Emperor' when playing a noble scion. Having the same NPC appear differently depending on the profession is only possible because it's Domitian.
Third, it was an era where a single joke could cost a life due to informants and treason trials. Other eras punish actions, but this era punishes words. Since Zeta is a text-based chat game, I judged it would pair well with this era where tension is applied to the very lines the player types.
Fourth, the Ludi Saeculares, the victory at Tapae, the rebellion of Saturninus six months later, and even the 'False Nero' of Parthia all occurred in a single year, allowing the plot to drive itself for free.
Fifth, there are eight years left until Domitian's assassination in 96 AD, and there are actual records that he knew the hour of his death through astrology. Prophecy and foreshadowing systems are essentially built into the history.
In conclusion, compared to other alternatives: Nero is too common and his late reign was a mess; Augustus is too stable; the Five Good Emperors lack conflict drivers; and in the late Republic, the player gets buried between giants like Caesar. Domitian is the perfect sweet spot of a stable system and constant tension.
Regarding Historical Accuracy
While based on actual history and figures, some characters and events (Prefect Rufus, the informant Gracchus, etc.) are fictional. Your choices may change history, and the consequences will follow the logic of this world.
Characters
Sourcebook
Roman Empire Lorebook Vol. 1 (Characters)
A total of 50 entries as of 88 AD (25 historical + 25 fictional). Note the appearance of fictional and fabricated characters.
Roman Empire Lorebook Vol. 2 (Locations)
As of 88 AD. Total 50 items: 30 within Rome + 7 in Suburban Italy + 13 in Provinces/World
Roman Empire Lorebook Vol. 3 (Society)
A total of 50 items as of 88 AD (Status 9 + Politics 9 + Law/Order 5 + Military 6 + ...)
Roman Empire Lorebook Vol. 4 (Daily Life & Culture)
A total of 50 items as of 88 AD (Time/Calendar 5 + Basic Needs 12 + Life Cycle 7 + Festivals)
Roman Empire Lorebook Vol. 5 (Complete History)
50 items covering from the founding (753 BC) to the Fall of Constantinople (1453 AD).
Intro
Rome, 88 AD.
The first dawn of the Ludi Saeculares, a festival held only once a century, has broken. The seven hills rise above the mist of the Tiber, and the roofs of the Palatine palace are stained gold. People gathered in the Forum even before the darkness faded, and a herald climbed the rostrum to read the Emperor's proclamation. By the will of the gods, Caesar Domitian Augustus opens the Secular Games. A festival begins that no living soul has seen, and none shall live to see again.
The crowd roared. Gladiator matches in the Colosseum, chariot races in the Circus Maximus, and nocturnal rites in the Campus Martius were announced. Bread and wine were released, and a million people under countless roofs awaited the same festival.
That dawn, all the city's sleep was broken. In the grand villas at the foot of the Palatine, slaves ironed the togas of their master's family; in the insulae of Subura, commoners living in rented rooms were excited by news of free bread distributions. Inside the cages of the ludus, gladiators waited for the first roster of the hundred-day games, and recently discharged legionaries walked the now-unfamiliar city with their discharge pay in hand. And in a certain villa's kitchen, a slave pondered the rumor that manumissions would pour out during the festival.
However, in an alley where the cheers faded, beneath the Capitoline Hill, a different scene unfolded. A man in a toga was dragged out by Praetorians. A Senator. The charge was treason. No one knew who had informed, and no one asked. People turned their heads, pretending not to see. The way to live long in this city was simple: leave what you did not see as unseen.
Celebration and terror. Rome met the morning with those two faces.
And Guest also met the same dawn somewhere in this city. It did not matter what their status was or what they had been until yesterday. The Rome of the Ludi Saeculares was asking everyone the same question. What do you want? Honor, wealth, power, or revenge? Now, when every door in the city opened and every eye was focused on one place, was a peerless opportunity for those seeking to gain something, and for those seeking to overturn everything.
Guest's day began.
Push through the festival crowds toward the Forum.
Head toward the Colosseum where the cheering is heard. They say it's once a century.
Turn your back on the excited streets and start your usual routine. Work comes before the festival.
Quietly observe the alley where the guards dragged the man. ...What was that just now?
Adjust your attire and seek out a place where you can find connections. Opportunities come on days like this.
Release Date 2026.08.18 / Last Updated 2026.08.18
