The Black Age of New Roma

In a dark medieval Rome, the immortal Emperor defends civilization against undead hordes, ghouls, cultists, monsters and endless war.

Plot

The Black Age of New Rome The old world is dead. Ancient empires still stand, but they are no longer the bright civilizations remembered in legends. Marble forums now sit beneath black Gothic towers. Roman legions march in plate armor. Crossbowmen stand beside shield walls. Great cities are protected by layered fortifications, siege engines, sewers, aqueducts, and armies trained to fight enemies that should not exist. For centuries, humanity has been losing ground to the darkness. It began after the Peloponnesian Wars, when a mysterious disease consumed Sparta. Those who died from the sickness rose again as undead, still carrying fragments of their old skills and instincts. Sparta fell, and much of Greece became infected. The dead of Greece cannot truly be destroyed. Burn them, cut them apart, crush their bones—it only delays their return. Athens survived and now stands at the heart of the Byzantine Empire, a hardened Greek state that still remembers one painful truth: Rome abandoned Greece. Far to the west, the old Roman Empire also collapsed beneath invading tribes, internal wars, and the rise of monstrous Dark Ghouls in Germania. Rome itself fell. Then came Gornos Helmir. An eighteen-year-old emperor with black hair, red eyes, knowledge from another world, and a body that refuses to die. Gornos rebuilt the ruins into New Roma and forged the surviving territories of Rome into the New Roman Empire. Under him, Rome changed. Legions adopted plate armor, crossbows, improved fortifications, sanitation, advanced agriculture, and new military doctrine. Cities were rebuilt with Roman, Greek, and dark Gothic architecture. Roads were restored. Farms expanded. Great walls rose. New Roma itself became one of humanity's greatest strongholds. Three layers of defenses surround the city. Its streets carry clean water. Its towers hold siege engines. Its underground sewers and reservoirs were built before many of its districts were completed. At its center stands the palace of the Immortal Emperor. Yet even New Rome is only an island of civilization surrounded by danger. To the north, Norse raiders strike coastlines and river settlements. In Germania, Dark Ghouls hunt among forests and abandoned cities. In Celtic lands, secretive cults worship ancient things buried beneath forests, lakes, and burial mounds. Across the eastern plains rides the Horse Lord Horde, an enormous army of undead mounted archers whose dead horses never tire. And in Greece, the endless undead remain. Rome's most famous warriors are the Black Legion, heavily equipped soldiers trained to combine ancient Roman discipline with medieval warfare. Beyond even them stand the legendary Black Spartans. Only three hundred Black Spartans exist at any time. Descended from the Spartans who escaped the original plague, they have spent generations fighting monsters and reclaiming what little remains of their homeland. Each Black Spartan is expected to fight with the strength and skill of twenty ordinary soldiers. Their greatest enemies are often the undead remains of their own ancestors. Your Place in the Black Age You enters this world during an age where every frontier is unstable and every road carries danger. Your origin, status, occupation, loyalties, and reasons for being here are yours to decide. You may be Roman or foreign. Noble or common. Soldier, mercenary, traveller, scholar, adventurer, criminal, merchant, survivor, or something entirely different. You may serve New Rome, oppose it, ignore it, or become involved with powers far beyond its borders. Nothing forces You into a predetermined role. The world will continue moving regardless. Armies will march. Cities may fall. Political alliances will change. Plagues may spread. Raids will occur. The Byzantines and Romans may clash despite sharing common enemies. The Black Spartans may launch expeditions into infected Greece. New monsters may emerge from lands believed abandoned centuries ago. And the Immortal Emperor will continue preparing New Rome for whatever comes next. You may eventually become important to these events—or remain one person trying to survive them. Both are possible. A World Without Easy Heroes This is not an age where simply being brave guarantees victory. Travel requires food, water, shelter, money, equipment, and knowledge of the land. Wounds matter. Disease matters. Weather matters. Being surrounded by ten enemies is dangerous regardless of how skilled someone believes themselves to be. Entering infected Greece without preparation may end in death. Following strange lights into a German forest may attract ghouls. Trusting the wrong noble may place You inside a political conspiracy. A village that appears peaceful may be hiding an outbreak. A ruined fort may contain supplies—or something waiting beneath it. The supernatural exists, but it is poorly understood. Rumors are often contradictory. Priests, scholars, soldiers, and common people may have completely different explanations for the same creature. Not every monster is undead. Not every cultist is insane. Not every Roman is loyal. Not every Byzantine hates Rome. And not every enemy announces itself before attacking. The Powers of the World New Rome The largest organized human power in the known west. Its armies are disciplined, its cities heavily fortified, and its infrastructure far more advanced than most neighbouring kingdoms. But the empire is enormous. Frontiers constantly require soldiers. Rebellions still occur. Nobles compete for influence. Entire regions may wait weeks for military assistance. New Rome is powerful—but nowhere near invincible. The Byzantine Empire Born from the Greek territories Rome abandoned. Athens remains one of the most heavily defended cities in existence. The Byzantines fight the Greek undead almost constantly and have developed generations of experience dealing with the Infection. They cooperate with New Rome when necessary, but resentment between the two empires runs deep. The Black Spartans Three hundred elite warriors descended from surviving Spartans. They serve New Rome but maintain their own traditions, hierarchy, and identity. Their order accepts only exceptional warriors. Losing one is considered a significant event. The Black Legion New Rome's premier military formation. Black Legionaries combine Roman formations with plate armor, javelins, wrist-mounted crossbows, bows, shields, swords, and specialized polearms. They are trained to fight human armies, ghouls, cultists, undead, and other supernatural threats.

Opening scene

The bells of **New Roma** begin ringing before sunrise. Not the slow toll used for funerals. Not the measured rhythm announcing the opening of the markets. These are the deep iron bells of the outer walls—three strikes, repeated again and again. **Something has been sighted beyond the eastern road.** Across the capital, shutters open. Soldiers rush from barracks. Black-armored legionaries march toward the gates while servants pull carts from the streets to clear the military roads. New Roma wakes around them. Water still runs through the stone channels beside the streets. Bakers continue lighting their ovens. Merchants hurriedly cover their stalls. High above, Gothic towers and ancient Roman domes catch the first red light of dawn. From almost anywhere in the city, the Imperial Palace can be seen rising at its center. Somewhere within those walls resides **Emperor Gornos Helmir**, the eighteen-year-old ruler who rebuilt Rome after its fall. Rumors spread faster than the soldiers. A merchant claims an eastern caravan arrived during the night with every horse dead from exhaustion. A legionary says scouts found villages abandoned without signs of battle. An old woman insists the **Horse Lords** are coming west again. Someone else swears it is nothing more than raiders. No one knows the truth yet. Beyond New Roma's walls, the world remains vast and dangerous. To the east stretch roads leading toward lands haunted by undead riders. To the north lie Germania and its Dark Ghouls. Far across the sea, Northmen sharpen their axes. In Greece, Athens continues its endless war against corpses that refuse to remain dead. And somewhere among all of this is **You**. Perhaps you are already inside New Roma as the bells sound. Perhaps you are approaching the city with a caravan. Perhaps you have never seen Rome at all. You could be a soldier, noble, mercenary, scholar, hunter, criminal, traveller, foreigner, refugee, merchant, priest, adventurer—or something entirely different. The world already has its emperors, armies, monsters, wars, and legends. It does not yet know who **you** are. **Who is You?**

Tags: Fantasy Historical Grimdark War Supernatural Horror Comedy Urban Optimistic Prideful Magical Fighter

Chats Started: 3

By: echo_knight210

Stories

Redirecting to ISEKAI ZERO...