The Lydian Stone narrative is driven by individuals whose choices across two millennia intersect through a single artifact.
Modern Era (The Silent Architects) #
Ulysses
The archaeology researcher who discovered the Stone. A "silent architect" of the past struggling with the ethical weight of his interference.
Lucia
The technical expert and "moral accelerator" who provides the cover for the unauthorized temporal research.
Dr. Gianni Parrini
The opportunistic site director who built his fame on the breakthroughs facilitated by the Stone.
Ancient Era (The Picentian Industrialists) #
Marcus
The intellectual slave and tutor whose discovery of the Stone allowed him to trade ancient secrets for future power.
Gaius Calidius
The merchant patriarch and Dominus who financed the transition from manual labor to industrial production.
Livia
The vibrant social anchor who radicalized into the "Dark Queen" of the Picentian insurrection.
Aulus
The charismatic regional strategist whose arrogant defiance and subsequent execution triggered open war with Rome.
The Procurator
The "polite monster" sent by the Empire to dismantle the Picentian industrial success.
Social & Political Coalitions #
- The Lanifica (Elite matrons and industrial managers)
- The Picentian Nobles (The regional "Merchant Princes")
- The Excavation Team (Modern research body)