Brass Legionnaire (The Steam Empire Chronicles)
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Primus Caesar, primus imperio – Used interchangeably, the terms refer to the First Caesar, or the heir to the throne of Imperial Rome. The emperor designates an heir, known as the primus caesar, who is placed above all other sons in the line of succession. Generally assigned by age, precedence has been altered during the reign of some emperors due to scandal, treachery, assassination, or simple favoritism. The term secondus, or tercius is used to when referring to the second or third in line from the throne.
Scuta – a Roman shield with central metal boss and rounded rectangular shape. The shield is slightly concave to better protect the bearer from missiles and blows.
Spatha – the next advancement of the original gladius sword adapted from the Iberian tribes. Similar in design, but with an extra two feet of reach, the spatha provides heavier hitting power for modern-day legionnaires.
Acknowledgments
The story you have read started as an inside joke. For some reason, it just wouldn’t leave me alone. I spent an entire summer and fall typing, fiddling, and reworking Brass Legionnaire. In many ways, it reflects things I love to see and peruse about in my own reading. Action, adventure, sacrifice, growth, love, pain, and despair – all have their place in the story. Before I let you read, there are a few people I’d like to thank. To my parents and family, thanks for supporting me and always having my back. To my Aunt Susan Ottalini, your generosity won’t be forgotten. To Tabatha and Glendon Haddix over at Streetlight Graphics, you guys made the world of Imperial Rome more alive than I ever could. To my editor, Marg Gilks at Scriptora Editing Services, my book would suck without you (Not stealing from a song at all!). To my friends who provided hours of beta reading – Emma, Allison, Alyssa, and all the others who contributed in one way or another, thanks for catching my little blunders. To Chris Valentine, thanks for the super awesome bonus artwork for the website. Thanks to my Kickstarter pals – John Idlor, Stefan Vilpula, Stephen Meyer, Daniel Winterhalter, Lindsay Buroker, Maria Grenchik, Rel ná DecVandé, M.C.A. Hogarth, Alexander, and all the others for helping take the pain out of editing and publishing on a teacher’s salary. To my brother Russell, who reliably informs me that Constantine ‘sounds a bit like an obnoxious snob until you get to know him’ thanks for being the voice of Constantine and all the others.
Finally, to my dearest Eduarda, you made the inside joke come to life and pushed me to do my best. Thanks for putting up with my ‘twenty cool facts about the book’ talks and the endless supply of steampunky related blabber. This book wouldn’t have been finished without you.
Daniel Ottalini
April, 2012