Though the gameplay in Ryse: Son of Rome failed to greatly impress critics at this year’s E3, there was no disputing that the game’s graphics were next-generation quality. This week at the Ryse panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Microsoft Studios and Crytek finally revealed a bit of the story surrounding the brutal violence seen in previews of the game.

In Ryse players will take on the role of Marius Titus, a Roman soldier out for revenge against bandits for his family’s murder. According to Microsoft’s announcement, Marius is “completely dedicated to Rome and her ideals.” When the character finds out that there is “an even more insidious threat than the barbarians” he sets out to save from from “her true enemies.”

Other characters from the game were also announced at Comic-Con. Vitallion is a “wise and charismatic general” who is Marius’ mentor. Roman Emporer Nero makes an appearance in the game, along with his sons, Commodus and Basillius. Oswald, king of the Britons is also a figure in the game as is his daughter Boudica, who leads a rebellion against Rome. The character Glott is the leader of the Northern barbarian tribes. Various spirit gods will also appear to Marius throughout the game.

In addition to the story details, Micrsoft announced three interactive graphic novels titled Ryse: Sword of Damocles that fill in some of the story surrounding Ryse. The first comic, titled “Claudius,” is already available at the Ryse website. It contains a few audio and animation elements to interact with.