• Published 3rd Jun 2016
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Census - The 24th Pegasus



A Cirran censor travels the land and records his experiences. Supplementary work to "Of Skies Long Forgotten."

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Prologue

Translation by T. Sparkle
Dated 8th High Sun 380 AE (Translator’s Note: 8th June 737 AoT)

I shall waste little time in beginning this log. My name is Aureus Primus [1], appointed by our princeps [2] Augustus Haysar to conduct the 76th census of the Cirran Empire. It is an honor to be awarded the title of censor, and it is an office that I plan to command with the respect and imperium it demands. The Emperor’s will be done.

[1]: There were two common naming schemes in Cirra at the time: those who used ‘Old Cirran’ like Aureus, and those who used the language we’re all more familiar with today. Traditionally, only patrician and optimates families used the Old Cirran language in naming their children, while the plebeian and populares classes used more common language and words. Aureus came from an old patrician family, and that is evident in the names of his family members later in this text.

[2]: The official title of the Cirran emperor was ‘princeps’, which roughly translates to ‘leader’ and is the origin of our words prince/princess. Despite this, everypony called him emperor, and referred to him only by princeps in official records.

With the conclusion of the High Noon War not even seven months prior, our great empire has finally achieved dominion over the entirety of the known world. After four years of fighting, our mighty legions crushed the barbaric hordes of the scattered Gryphon tribes, who banded together in one desperate confederation bent on trampling civilization underhoof. In what will surely be remembered as the Empire’s finest hour, the stallions and mares of the Legion fought tooth and nail, sword and shield, to stop the griffon onslaught at the gates of Nimbus, denying the monsters even a taste of victory at the Shield [3]. Now that the war has ended, and the rest of their lands have been placed under the just stewardship of the Emperor, it is time to conduct a census so that Emperor Haysar may accurately estimate the sum of our population and wealth, and organize affairs for the years to come.

[3]: Nimbus was often referred to as the ‘Spiked Shield’ of Cirra for the number of times it repelled griffon armies over the centuries, inflicting horrendous casualties on the attackers as it did so.

To this end, I was appointed from the Senate to conduct the census. As soon as I filled my position in office at the beginning of the year, I dispatched letters to the far corners of our empire, ensuring that every male adult, both griffon and pegasus, registered their names, members of their household, and property wealth with the officials I sent to the towns and cities across the continent. Now that these officials have had time to conduct their duty, it is now my duty to meet with them personally and ensure the transfer of articles is performed safely and securely. These records I am collecting are the sum total of the wealth of our entire empire; it is thusly important that they reach their destination safe and sound, carried in on the wings of the one appointed by our emperor himself. The gods only know what would befall Cirra were they to fall into the wrong talons, as it were.

I expect my travels to take the better part of the summer, as the world is large, and although I will be accompanied by lictors [4], it is dangerous as well. I am also bringing my family along, as since I will not be home for several months, there will be nopony to provide for them in my absence. It is my hope that the experience will prove enlightening to my two sons as they grow into the world around them. The Senate will need more bright minds in the years to come.

[4]: A lictor was an appointed bodyguard tasked with protecting officials with imperium. While the emperor did not have traditional lictors, as he was protected by members of the Praetorian Guard instead, lesser officials such as the quaestor and praetor were awarded varying numbers based on their station. While a praetor was followed by 6 lictors, a legatus, 5, etc, the office of the censor was an important yet temporary office. Censors were given 8 lictors for the length of their term, usually only one year.

I plan to begin my journey tomorrow, starting with our capital, and making my way north and eastward until reaching the griffon lands. From there, I will journey to the south and the west, completing my loop of the countryside, where I will return to Stratopolis and deliver my report. I shall be keeping a personal journal of the journey as well as making note of anything that I need to discuss with the Emperor upon my return.

I pray to Garuda that I may conduct my service to the empire swiftly and without harm, and that he keep my family safe in our travels.

Ante Legionem nihil erat, et nihil erit post Legionem [5].

Censor Aureus Primus

[5]: This was a common mantra of the Cirran Empire, translated as “Before the Legion there was nothing, and after the Legion there will be nothing.” Due to the historical significance of this mantra, it has been preserved in its original Cirran for this text.