Editing CED Setting (section)

== General ==

As far as campaign flavor, I'm envisioning a definite Romano-Byzantine bent: for instance, decurions instead of serjeants, cataphracts instead of knights, etc. However, like any sword & sorcery millieu, my campaign world will certainly crib from a mishmash of sources including Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, the Successor States, various Persian dynasties, Eurasian steppe cultures, etc. 

A detailed knowledge of Roman history is *not* required to play in the campaign. Much as "typical" D&D is very loosely based on Western Europe during the Middle Ages, my campaign world will be very loosely based on Rome. The period that I know the most about would be roughly late fourth century CE to roughly late sixth century CE (i.e., Adrianople through Justinian's reconquest of Ostrogothic Italy), so the prime influences aren't going to be from the period that most influences the Hollywood depiction of Rome (Late Republic to Marcus Aurelius).

I think I'll probably stick with demihumans, although I'm envisioning them as dwindling, largely forgotten races found mostly in odd corners of the world, underneath misty hills, etc.

That all sounds great by me & is not too bleak. I honestly have no idea if Roman convicts were branded, but it sounds badass; let's roll with it.

An entire penal legion is fantastic, but I think it works with the campaign very well; an air of doomed struggle is something for which I'm goning. There's vague historical precedent, too; I believe that during the Marcomannic Wars, Marcus Aurelius enlisted gladiators into the army at one point to fill a manpower gap. 

Joining the legions at age 14 is also perfectly legit. I think that the minimum enlistment age was 17, but even during the times when they still paid attention to stuff like that, it wasn't uncommon for boys to join at 14 or even 13 and then serve 20+ years. Moreover, by the time that barbarians were being incorporated into the Roman army in large numbers, I'm sure that niceties like minimum age were completely ignored.

This is also why I like to leave things a bit vague at the inception of a campaign; I feel that a certain vagueness allows players to come up with cool shit like this that I wouldn't've though about on my own. :)

Are you familiar with the Jacquerie from medieval Europe? Bagaudae were the Late Roman equivalent.

So, in addition to isolated rejects dwelling in ruined cities, you may well encounter large, hostile, armed bands of peasants and slaves accompanied by criminals, legion-deserters, and disgruntled veterans. The bagaudae will be intent on looting, slaying, and otherwise gaining revenge upon their prime foes, oppressive wealthy rural landowners.

Having mobile legions in a province tends to keep the bagaudae in check. For this reason, it is generally thought best to shift around the mobile legions from time to time; moving a legion from one province to another distant province means that the legionaries will not feel any sort of ethnic solidarity with rebellious peasants on whom they may be called to act against.

The wealthy rural landowners can also present problems for the Empire, as they will gather large retinues of men loyal or beholden to them and violently resist tax-collectors. Succesful tax-collectors generally are accompanied by large numbers of armed men, either detached from the legions or mercenaries.