[Roma Immortalis] Evolution of a Lineage

So I didn't have a pin-up for you last week, but that was only because I felt inspired and wanted to do something a little bigger than usual. These might not strictly qualify as "pin-ups", but I put a lot of work into them and their lore, so I hope at least some of you enjoy them. ?

1. Ancilla

The first chimaeras (human-animal hybrids) to be enslaved by Rome were the Atlanteans themselves, and they were such a novelty that nearly every well-off household wanted one. Just as how the Gallic slaves brought by Julius Caesar popularized blonde hair in Rome, chimaeras and the very distinct body proportions of the Atlanteans became a cultural obsession. It wasn’t long before wealthy Romans employed the services of Atlantean genoitors (genetic engineers) to create chimaera slaves for themselves.

Their creation was initially prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of people, and although breeding pairs could be made, ensuring their genetic compatibility to one another at least quintupled their cost; and even then, their children would be forced to resort to inbreeding in order to continue their species.

However, one enterprising patrician discovered a veritable goldmine when he figured out that several genoitor techniques could be combined to create female chimaeras that reached full adulthood in a mere four years, were capable of producing daughters without the need for a male, and very rarely suffered the same complications as immutati (genetically unaltered) humans did during childbirth. He sold the children of the first such chimaera to his acquaintances, guaranteeing them that they’d earn their money back manyfold. This turned an expensive luxury into a seemingly safe investment; one that people of the lower classes would eventually bankrupt themselves to get into. The “Chimaera Mania” that followed caused a population explosion of female chimaeras and the loss of fortunes of many Romans. The lasting legacy of this mania was a rapidly growing population of female chimaeras that would one day outnumber both the immutati and mutati (genetically altered humans).

Unlike the vast majority of slaves in Rome’s past, chimaeras were almost always thoroughly Roman, as the only culture they inherited was that of their masters. How they viewed the mutati and immutati varied greatly from individual to individual, but they generally felt a kinship with other chimaeras. While they were prized by their masters as exotic luxury slaves, the immutati of the poorer strata—many of whom were former farmers who had been displaced by wealthy mutati and forced to eke out a living in the cities—viewed them as subhuman abominations, and many of them would kill or mutilate any defenseless chimaera that they got their hands on.

The cheetah woman shown in the first illustration is an ancilla (maid/slave girl) belonging to a wealthy patrician family, and one of the earliest Roman-made chimaeras. Her body is exotic and designed in the sensual and exotic Atlantean style, but her engineered features go beyond mere looks. Her voice is naturally crystal clear, resonant, and pleasant to the ear. She’s strongly extroverted, attentive, and possesses a high libido. Moreover, her natural odor is reminiscent of a mild perfume. However, her status as a slave should not be understated—she’s always subject to the whims of her owners, and any children she has will be taken from her and sold for profit. Although this is sadly her lot in life, in the long run, the descendants of her kind will play a major role in shaping Rome’s destiny.

2. Libertae

Just as with immutati slaves, chimaeras were occasionally emancipated. Most notably, many of them were freed in the aftermath of the Chimaera Mania, as a lot of people could no longer pay for the upkeep of their chimaeras and thought it better to simply release them as clients, or even outright abandon them, rather than try to sell them in an oversaturated market.

Because of their inability to breed, freed male chimaeras rarely left a lasting legacy, whereas most female chimaeras birthed daughters who in turn had daughters of their own—thus becoming the stem of an exponentially expanding family tree.

Because of the violence frequently inflicted upon them by the immutati during Rome’s early-to-mid 8th century, free chimaeras almost always chose to reside close to their own kind for their mutual protection. Those chimaeras who managed to accumulate wealth usually became the patrons of others of their kind, and used their wealth and influence to protect and improve their lives.

The cheetah women in the second illustration are twin sisters and the descendants of the ancilla shown previously. They are both libertae (freedwomen) and have found themselves in quite an unfortunate situation. Attacked by a mob of angry immutati, one of the sisters has been severely injured, while the other is desperately trying to hold the mob off until help can arrive.

3. Cives Romanae

In the 750s AUC, Caesar Augustus had to deal with the chimaera population explosion and interspecies tensions within the city. And so he expelled any and all free chimaeras from the city of Rome and sent them off to found colonies—not only did separating the chimaeras and immutati allow both to live their lives in peace, but it had the added benefit of Romanizing the provinces.

While most chimaeras were created to serve specific roles, their descendants have proven remarkably adaptable in how they use their inborn talents and compensate for their flaws.

Because the vast majority of free chimaeras were female, these colonies became bastions of female liberty and empowerment in what was otherwise an incredibly patriarchal Imperium. Over time, ideas that challenged traditional gender roles in society spread outwards.

Although virtually all of them lived in the colonies, chimaeras came to make up the majority of the Imperium’s citizens by the 770s AUC. While they were typically wary of immutati up until the middle of Rome’s 9th century, the chimaeras eventually came to hold a much more balanced and nuanced opinion of them. Of course, between their history and proximity to the frontier, many free chimaeras tended to own human slaves exclusively. This was something the human citizens, especially in the upper class, found to be somewhat unnerving.

The cheetah women in the third illustration are both cives Romanae (Roman citizens) and the descendants of one of the previously mentioned libertae. The attention-grabbing features, clear resonant voice, extroverted nature, and charming personality they have inherited from their ancestor has aided them in becoming successful and wealthy merchants.

4. Centurio

In order to take further advantage of the rapidly growing chimaera population, and to attempt to create more stability in the chimaera-dominated colonies, Emperor Lucius declared that any female chimaera demonstratively fit enough to join the Legions would be granted the right to vote and stand for civil or public office in the colony in which she resided. Furthermore, this legal right was extended to that chimaera’s mother as an incentive to have them create such children. And because of the patron-client relationships that is so central to Roman culture and politics, those who possessed wealth and political ambitions in the colonies could now “create” new voters who would be loyal to them. By issuing this decree, Lucius created an almost endless supply of manpower for the military, and had it paid for by wealthy provincials.

Of course, the Legions and the Auxiliaries experienced some growing pains by the sudden infusion of female recruits, but over time they grew acclimated to them. Of course, it certainly helped that the senior officers were all sagatlae (Atlantean shark women renowned for their unflinching loyalty to the Emperor).

At the beginning of Rome’s 9th century, chimaeras made up roughly half of its Legions. By the end of the century, they made up over three quarters. It was because of this that many chimaera leaders began to demand expanded rights for their people, such as the right to vote and stand for civil or public office anywhere in the Imperium.

The cheetah woman in the fourth illustration is the descendant of the previously mentioned cives Romanae. A career soldier, she quickly rose to the position of centurio thanks to her natural charisma and resonant voice, which can almost always be clearly heard even in the midst of battle.

5. Princeps

When the last of the Caesars was assassinated and the Senate attempted to install a puppet Emperor, the sagatlae seized the reins of the Imperium and purged the government of any suspected traitors. What followed was an age of unprecedented stability as the sagatlae kept the ambitions of Roman leaders in check and were quick to stamp out any rebellion in the provinces. This era lasted until the middle of Rome’s 12th century, when a disease that was harmless to the vast majority of people wiped out the sagatlae. What followed was chaos, but enough men and women stepped up to restore order. The Senate thus elected a new Emperor, who in turn appointed new military officers.

Things were good for a time, but eventually cracks began to form throughout the Imperium—generals and their armies went rogue, Emperors were assassinated, political corruption grew, and provinces revolted. This culminated in the middle of Rome’s 14th century, when a civil war ended up fracturing the Imperium into a number of smaller successor states.

The cheetah woman in the fifth illustration is the descendant of the previously mentioned centurio. She is the Princeps Senatus et Imperatrix (head of the Senate and commander-in-chief) of the Imperium Gallianum (Gallic Empire), one of Rome’s many successor states.