- "The grand error of the Confederacy, shared by the Germans, was subjugation based upon race. Slavery subjugation cannot be meted out upon factors beyond the slave's control; this basis is without justice. Servility must be earned by belief and creed—and earned has it been by the enemy, whose barbaric ideals know no temperance."
- ―Divinus
The Nova Romanii (English: The New Romans) is an organization and aspiring polity (under the name Nova Roma) founded by Divinus and Visum. Begotten out of dissent, the Nova Romanii are a group of deserters aiming to gain control of Camp A.C.E. They hope to wipe out the current government by force and usurp control, establishing fascism as the form of government.
History[]
The Nova Romanii movement began when Divinus defected from the Camp A.C.E. government in 2017, bringing with him Divinus. As one of the few members in the A.C.E. Oligarchy with military training and experience, his defection dealt a crushing blow to the combat readiness and capability of the government. Divinus, a former general of the United States Army and a student of history, drew upon the Ancient Romans to develop his new state, seeing his faction as a continuation of the Empire: a powerful, warlike polity aimed at civilizing the barbarian populace around them.
Divinus disregarded republicanism and democracy characteristic of the Roman Republic, yet also rejected the personal loyalty to commanders of the Empire. He claimed to reject Nazism as a source of inspiration yet inexplicably drew upon Fascist Italy instead.
Politics[]
The Nova Romanii are a fascist organization. Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ideology that emphasizes an autocratic leader and a centralized, highly militarized, hierarchical society. The Nova Romanii adhere to all of these basic tenets, with Divinus serving as the autocratic leader. Ranks in the Nova Romanii society are modeled after ancient Roman ranks during the Empire, with Divinus recognized as the "princeps," the first citizen. There is no democracy in Nova Romanii territory, and Nova Romanii citizens are expected to die for the cause. Opposition is forcibly suppressed by both law and violence, and dissenters are frequently imprisoned or put to death. Freedom of speech is limited in Nova Romanii territory, though not entirely curtailed, so long as criticism of the regime is not spoken.
Unlike other fascist movements, the Nova Romanii view on gender and race is much more fluid. The Nova Romanii are not racists, policy-wise, though they tolerate racism so long as it does not interfere with the execution of orders and military campaigns. Sexism is tolerated, but not in the military, due to its potential to hamper the prosecution of war. Women are conscripted members of the Nova Romanii army, the Legio Novae Romanorum ("Legion of the New Romans"). Divinus has remarked to Visum, "Any able-bodied person who can fire a weapon must fight for the cause." Likewise, rape is not tolerated either upon civilians or upon members of the Nova Romanii army, and such matters are redressed either by decimation (if done on a civilian) or execution via public firing squad (if done on a Nova Romanii soldier). Civilian rapists face different punishments: men are castrated, women are enslaved. Divinus justified this particular prohibition through the story of Lucretia, a Roman woman who was raped and subsequently took her life, spawning the Roman Republic ("our fathers overthrew their government over sexual exploitation; it is the severest sin, punishable only by the severest methods"). Homosexuality is not tolerated in the military, and any members found engaging in same-sex relationships are dismissed with Prī̆nceps dēspectūs (with "the Princeps's [Divinus's] contempt"). This is akin to a dishonorable discharge, but much more severe, and results in the branding of an individual's cheek with DESPECTUS. This severely hampers a person's ability to function within Nova Romanii society.
The Nova Romanii reinstituted slavery. Unlike older forms, slavery in Nova Romanii government is not race-based (and is forbidden to be so by law). It is instead based on "moral turpitude," a phrase so loose it essentially legalized enslaving any person in opposition to the Nova Romanii, which in practice resulted in Seventh Heaven supporters, soldiers, and prisoners of war being sold into slavery, as well as non-SH-aligned freedom fighters. Slavery is not regulated, allowing a slaver to treat their slave in any way they see fit, except for sexual slavery, which is punishable by public flogging, castration, or execution depending on the severity of the assault. The proscription on sexual slavery does not discriminate on the basis of gender, meaning women and men can both be convicted of sexual slavery. Slavers however are allowed to beat or even murder their slaves with no legal repercussions. Enslaved persons have no legal rights, a contrast to ancient Roman slavery, and are considered inhuman property.
Commentary[]
The Nova Romanii were widely reviled and feared by its opponents. Seventh Heaven politico Anne Driscoll described their policies, particularly their reinstitution of slavery, as "a profound moral failing on the part of humanity." Noak decried the Nova Romanii leadership regularly, describing them variously as tyrants, despots, dictators, enslavers, and "repugnant human beings." The organized, brutal fascism of the Nova Romanii inspired widespread panic in neighboring city-states, particularly in the People's Republic of New Connecticut, the closest. President Thomas Gaviria denounced Divinus as "a tyrant sharing the same blood as Hitler and Stalin... he is the architect of atrocities, the enemy to anyone with a sane mind." Exiled Nova Romanii historian Thomas Craig wrote of life under Nova Romanii rule, "Within this evil state there is no liberty, death is rampant, suffering the norm, and horror our daily bread." Continuing later, he wrote, "The cost [of Nova Romanii rule], beyond the obvious, is the degradation of all humanity. Nova Romanii subjects are all complicit in this grand expedition into hadal wells of Man's depravity. This iniquity surpasses and even dwarfs the South in 1859, Germany in 1940, Georgia in 1830, and Rome between 82 and 79 BCE."
The New Haven government, an oligarchy, feared the Nova Romanii more than the Camp A.C.E. government, which had threatened to detonate nuclear weapons on it. Widespread fear, however, more often resulted in silence on the part of neighboring city-states and polities. Nova Romanii defector Amelie Coste described living under Roman occupation as "[being] constantly afraid[, and] wondering if someone would kick down your door for something you've never even told another person."
Weaponry[]
The Nova Romanii are extremely militaristic and, as such, stockpile weapons of all sorts. They are nuclear-armed and posses several chemical weapons, including sarin.
Structure[]
The Nova Romanii have a strict structure, something typical with fascist ideology. Nova Romanii soldiers wear the exact same uniforms and receive the exact same training. Discipline is harsh; Divinus resuscitated the ancient practice of Roman decimation; the practice of ordering a squadron or other military unit to beat one-tenths of their comrades to death, typically as punishment for disobedience or mutiny. Divinus informs Noak that only one unit ever mutinied. Each soldier was put to death by firing squad.
All aspects of the Nova Romanii identity are policed in this manner, right down to their speech. When he was still a Nova Romanii soldier, Noak mispronounced Visum's name, using the English pronunciation of the word, at which point Visum ferociously corrected him, directing him to use the Restored Classical Latin pronunciation (wee-suum).
The Nova Romanii life would never have known peace, as its fundamental tenet is to conquer neighboring city states and to continue expansion until nothing was left, or until their forces were stretched thin and expansion had to cease.
Tactics[]
The Nova Romanii, being a fascist group, are highly focused on control, terror, and authoritarianism. Through sheer numbers and brute violence, the Nova Romanii steamrolled the government of Camp A.C.E., going as far as to execute the former leaders in public via guillotine and firing squad. They killed all but a few officers, whose hands they cut off. After this atrocity, the surviving officers were released as a warning to potential combatants.
After gaining control of the city-state, the Nova Romanii's tactics turned reprehensible as numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed under Divinus's orders. Once the former government had been eradicated, N.R. soldiers captured outposts by executing civilians. They also enslaved civilians and prisoners of war, notably of Seventh Heaven allegiance. Commanders bombed important districts with Seventh Heaven sympathies and deployed chemical weapons, most notably sarin, one of the deadliest toxins ever used in war, on civilians and combatants alike. Lastly, they employed the use of car bombs, assailing former A.C.E. officials, civilians, and Seventh Heaven soldiers with a non-stop barrage of explosives and death.
Under Divinus's orders, a rival city-state, the People's Republic of New Connecticut, was eradicated using a nuclear missile, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
This method of warfare is known as total war. Divinus's approach was unrestricted in the weapons used, the combatants targeted, the infrastructure, and so forth. His method of complete eradication of any government or Seventh Heaven sentiment permeated every action taken by the Nova Romanii, from the destruction and pillaging of homes, to the enslavement of Seventh Heaven sympathizers, to the execution of SH prisoners of war.
The Nova Romanii committed nearly every war crime possible, save for sexual violence, as Divinus viewed such a thing as reprehensible.
Notable Members[]
The Nova Romanii are very tightly organized and resemble an independent, functional army.
| Name | Rank |
|---|---|
| Divinum | Supreme Commander, General |
| Visum | Second-in-command; Drill Sergeant, Training Specialist, General |
| Vindictus | Third-in-command; Recon Specialist, Division Commander |
| Mortem | Third-in-command; Chemical Weapons Specialist, General |
| Dolosus | Torture Specialist, Division Commander |
Trivia[]
- Upon seeing their salute, Noak asked Divinus if their salute was a "Nazi thing or a Roman thing" due to the fact that the Nazis and Romans used the same salute.
- The Nova Romanii motto, "Ave Divine, morituri te salutant" translates to "hail Divinus, those who are about to die salute you."