If you are running a Pavis-Big Rubble game prior to Argrath’s liberation (or conquest depending on your perspective), remember that the Lunar Occupation post-Sor-eel is rapacious. Halcyon, the new governor, views his appointment as an opportunity for personal enrichment through extortion and plunder, treating the province as a “gold mine” for robbery and corruption.
Halcyon knows full well that the Imperial Court and the Provincial Overseer do not care about Prax, as long as the revenues flow in and there are few expenses.
Here are some RW Roman governors that are good sources of inspiration:
1. Gaius Verres (Praetor 74 BC, Governor of Sicily 73–71 BC)
Verres epitomizes the “voracious” governor, plundering Sicily so thoroughly that Cicero called it a “province reduced to a desert.” He extorted massive sums from farmers (e.g., arbitrary grain requisitions at below-market prices, resold for profit), looted temples for Greek artworks (including a famous cup from Himera), and rigged courts to seize estates. His quaestor and legates participated in the graft, with bribes flowing to Roman allies. Tried in 70 BC under the lex Cornelia de repetundis, Cicero’s prosecution (In Verrem) exposed over 3 million sesterces in direct extortion, though the total haul was likely far higher; Verres fled to exile before full condemnation, forfeiting his property.
2. Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella (Praetor 81 BC, Governor of Cilicia 80–79 BC)
As proconsul in Cilicia (modern Turkey), Dolabella systematically looted the province through fake naval campaigns against pirates, pocketing funds meant for fleets while his quaestor Verres (ironically) learned the ropes of corruption there. He demanded “gifts” from cities, enslaved locals under false pretenses, and extorted 3 million sesterces from Macedonian allies. Prosecuted in 78 BC by Marcus Aemilius Scaurus under the lex Cornelia, he was condemned with a litis aestimatio (damages assessment) of exactly 3 million sesterces—equivalent to a governor’s annual salary times dozens—leading to exile and ruin.
3. Titus Albucius (Praetor ca. 105 BC, Governor of Sardinia ca. 103 BC)
Albucius turned Sardinia into a personal ATM, imposing crushing taxes on shepherds and farmers, seizing livestock, and favoring Greek intellectuals (he fancied himself a philosopher) while ignoring local suffering. His extortion included illegal fines and property grabs, sparking provincial revolts. Accused in 103 BC under the lex Servilia Glauciae de repetundis by Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo, he was condemned and exiled to Athens, where he later committed suicide. The case’s severity lay in its cultural insensitivity—he mocked Roman jurors in Greek during the trial—making it a scandal that underscored class tensions between senators and equites.
4. Gaius Porcius Cato (Consul 114 BC, Governor of Macedonia ca. 113 BC)
In Macedonia, Cato enforced brutal tribute collections, doubling taxes and executing resisters, which fueled anti-Roman sentiment and nearly sparked rebellion. His methods included public floggings and asset seizures disguised as “debts.” Tried in 113 BC under the lex Calpurnia de repetundis, he was condemned to exile, but the low litis aestimatio of just 8,000 sesterces suggests political favoritism or underreported damages.
5. Decimus Junius Silanus Manlianus (Praetor 141 BC, Governor of Macedonia 140 BC)
One of the earliest notorious cases, Silanus devastated Macedonia with exactions that left cities bankrupt, including forced loans and land confiscations. An embassy from the province accused him in 140 BC under the newly minted lex Calpurnia de repetundis. His father, Titus Manlius Torquatus, preempted the trial with a private senatorial inquiry, finding him guilty; Silanus then committed suicide to avoid public shame and restitution. Though the case ended abruptly, it set a precedent for familial intervention in corruption probes and highlighted Macedonia’s frequent victimization by greedy governors.
See also
Now those are just quick summaries, but they can give you a feel for the sort of stuff that corrupt governors historically did – and what corrupt governors might do in your game.
I could have used just as easily Abbasid or Achaemenid examples:
1. Ahmad ibn Tulun (Governor of Egypt, 868–905 CE)
Appointed by Caliph al-Mu’tazz to quell unrest in Egypt, Ibn Tulun transformed the province into a personal power base, amassing a fortune through inflated tax collections on peasants and merchants while delaying or diverting the annual tribute to Baghdad (up to 300,000 dinars). He built a lavish new capital at al-Qata’i and a private army of 24,000 Turkish and black slaves, funded by monopolizing Nile trade and extorting Coptic communities. His semi-independence sparked caliphal ire; under al-Mu’tamid, he was briefly stripped of authority in 870 but regained it through bribes and military displays. Though not formally tried, his actions set a precedent for dynastic breakaways, and his successors continued the graft until the Fatimid conquest.
2. Muhammad ibn Ra’iq (Governor of Wasit, 934–938 CE; Amir al-Umara)
As governor of the key Euphrates province of Wasit under Caliph al-Radi, Ibn Ra’iq exploited the caliphate’s weakness to seize the new title of amir al-umara (supreme commander), effectively turning Baghdad into his fiefdom. He disbanded the caliph’s professional army, sold off state assets for personal gain, and imposed crippling taxes on trade routes, pocketing revenues to fund his Turkish mercenaries. This stripped the central bureaucracy of funds and power, exacerbating famine and unrest. Overthrown in 938 by a coalition of rivals amid accusations of tyranny and embezzlement, he fled but was captured and executed, highlighting how governors’ greed accelerated the caliphate’s devolution to puppet status.
3. Ghassan ibn Abbad (Governor of Rayy and Qom, ca. 816–831 CE)
Appointed by Caliph al-Ma’mun to govern the wealthy Persian province of Jibal (centered on Rayy), Ghassan enforced draconian tax hikes on Zoroastrian and Muslim landowners alike, using torture and arbitrary seizures to extract gold—reportedly amassing millions of dirhams beyond his salary. His brutality, including public floggings and property confiscations, provoked widespread revolts among the Daylamites and Arabs. In 831 CE, he rebelled openly against al-Ma’mun, declaring independence before being defeated and executed in Isfahan. His case, chronicled by al-Tabari, exemplified early Abbasid fiscal desperation turning governors into despots.
4. Ibn al-Furat (Vizier with Provincial Oversight, ca. 911–912 CE and 924 CE)
Though primarily vizier under Caliph al-Muqtadir, Ibn al-Furat wielded de facto control over Egyptian and Syrian finances as sahib al-kharaj (tax commissioner), embezzling vast sums through rigged contracts with tax farmers and favoring Christian officials in appointments that violated Islamic norms. He diverted provincial revenues to build palaces and bribe the caliphal court, leaving treasuries bankrupt and sparking riots in Baghdad. Impeached twice—first in 912 CE with a massive fine (later reduced) and again in 924 CE—he died in prison amid ongoing probes. His scandals, detailed in al-Mas’udi’s histories, illustrated how central officials corrupted provincial governance.
5. Al-Husayn ibn Abi al-Saj (Governor of Azerbaijan and Armenia, 889–929 CE)
As founder of the Sajid dynasty, Al-Husayn governed the volatile Caucasian frontier for Caliph al-Mu’tadid, extorting heavy tributes from Armenian princes and Kurdish tribes via brutal campaigns, including enslavement and forced conversions for profit. He hoarded border taxes (up to 400,000 dinars annually) to fund a personal cavalry, rebelling intermittently against Baghdad and allying with Byzantines for gain. His nepotism—appointing family as sub-governors—fueled local uprisings; deposed in 928 CE, he was poisoned by rivals.
Or Achaemenid:
1. Oroites (Satrap of Lydia, ca. 522 BCE)
Appointed under Cambyses II, Oroites abused his position in the wealthy western satrapy of Lydia by murdering his predecessor (the previous satrap) and the Samian tyrant Polycrates, using false accusations to confiscate their wealth and estates. Herodotus describes him fabricating charges against prominent Persians to execute them and seize their properties, amassing a personal fortune while terrorizing subjects through arbitrary violence. When Darius I ascended, Oroites’ isolation in Sardis (fortified against royal auditors) led to his downfall; Bagas, a royal agent, tricked and beheaded him without resistance, with his hoard redistributed.
2. Tissaphernes (Satrap of Lydia and Hellespontine Phrygia, 413–395 BCE)
During the Peloponnesian War, Tissaphernes exploited Persian aid to Greek factions for personal gain, accepting massive bribes from both Athenians (e.g., 5 talents from Alcibiades) and Spartans to promise support, then betraying them to prolong the conflict and extract more payments—totaling hundreds of talents. Thucydides and Xenophon portray him as duplicitous, using his satrapal treasury to fund intrigues rather than imperial defense, including poisoning Spartan envoys and executing Cyrus the Younger’s allies. Artaxerxes II had him tried and crucified in 395 BCE for treason and embezzlement.
3. Pharnabazus (Satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, 413–374 BCE)
As a contemporary of Tissaphernes, Pharnabazus engaged in similar graft by diverting military funds to build coastal palaces and bribe Greek mercenaries, while imposing heavy tributes on cities like Abydos to cover shortfalls in royal tribute. Xenophon’s Hellenica recounts his collusion with Spartan commanders for shared spoils from raids, and his role in suppressing the Ionian Revolt (412 BCE) involved extorting “contributions” from rebels far exceeding official demands. Though more militarily competent, he faced accusations of nepotism (favoring his son) and was recalled by Artaxerxes II amid the Satraps’ Revolt; his later execution in 374 BCE stemmed from alleged withholding of border taxes.
4. Ariobarzanes (Satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, ca. 387–362 BCE)
Ariobarzanes hoarded provincial revenues to construct unauthorized fortresses (e.g., at Thebes in Phrygia) and a private army of 10,000, using extortion from Greek colonies to fund alliances against the king. As a leader of the Great Satraps’ Revolt, he accused Artaxerxes II of unjust tribute demands while pocketing taxes himself, sparking widespread unrest in Asia Minor. Diodorus Siculus details his betrayal by a son (bribed by the king), leading to his capture and execution in 362 BCE.
5. Orontes (Satrap of Armenia, ca. 401–360 BCE)
Governing the rugged satrapy of Armenia, Orontes withheld annual tribute (estimated at 20 talents of silver) to amass wealth, enslaving local nobles and seizing caravan goods on royal trade routes for resale. Xenophon’s Anabasis notes his initial aid to the Ten Thousand Greeks turning treacherous for personal gain, and he joined the Satraps’ Revolt by allying with Datames, declaring independence and minting his own coins. Captured in 360 BCE, Artaxerxes II condemned him for embezzlement and treason, executing him publicly.
But there’s loads of points of inspiration here. Just remember that Halcyon is PARTICULARLY corrupt even by ancient world corrupt governor standards.