Hellenia
HISTORY
Long ago, the Hellenese came from the far north to settle in this place. We drove out the foul Bull men with force of arms and claimed this fertile land as ours. Over time several great societies have come into creation from our common stock, Atlantyl, Rhodes, Troy and Thessaly. Together these four nations comprise the unparalleled strength of the Helleenic people. Unfortunately we are not a folk to act in concert. As a result the four nations have ever competed against each other, trying to outdo each other for supremacy of the Aegean.
THE SCOPE OF HELLEENIA
The region known as Helleenia ranges from the Balkans to the north, throughout the Helleenic peninsula, the isles of the Agean to western Anatolia. The Agean is a Helleenic lake, providing for communication, trade and flow of ideas. Although the four societies are highly competitive they are all highly interdependent on each other. Key cities: Thessaly, Athanai, Sparta, Thebes, Corfu, Halicarnissus, Ephesos, Troy, Sevestapolis.
ISOLATION AND INTERACTION
Helleenia is in some ways the backwater of the world. This would normally lead to a high degree of isolation form the rest of the world. However, many Helleenic societies (Atlantyl in particular) are bound to the sea - which results in inevitable conflict with the Phonecians and the Mykenaion. The ongoing conflict with the latter is especially pronounced because the Minotaurs have a long memory, and they remember when the Agean was their lake. Not that realm of puny humans.
TECHNOLOGY
Hellenia is a late Bronze Age society much like the rest of the world. Their one advantage is that they have been able to fuse much of the best that Sumeria, Hatti and Aegyptus have to offer in a unique adaptation of modern technology.
THE HUMANITIES
The Hellenes excel at social thought. The Matriarchal Direct Democracy in Atlantyl drives this. The Atlantyans have come up with a unique of writing that departs from that which is represented in the rest of the world. Instead of symbols for for words they have developed a system of writing in which discrete symbols represent phonetic syllables, which are then mashed together to form words. A cumbersome system compared to cuneiform and hieroglyphics, but it works. The Hellens also excel at drama, poetry and music.
SUBSISTENCE AND MOBILITY
The people of the Agean are agrarian farmers who support their diet with the bounty of Poseidon. While Thodes, Troy and Thessaly venerate Zeus above all, Atlantyl claim Poseidon as her own.
RELIGION
The Gods
The Olympians are a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. All the Olympians are related in some way. They are named after their dwelling place Mount Olympus.
Zeus
Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. Zeus overthrew his Father Chronus to become the ruler of the Gods. He then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera but is famous for his many affairs. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. He is represented as the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Lightning Bolt
Domains: Air, Chaos, Good, Nobility, Strength, Weather
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Hera
Hera is Zeus wife and sister. The Titans Oceanus and Tethys raised her. Shea is the supreme goddess, goddess of marriage and childbirth and takes special care of married women.
Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her breast to warm it. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.
Once when Zeus was being partcularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguments. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untie the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed his thuderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night but none of the others dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little choice but, to agree. While she never again rebeled, she often intrigued against Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.
Alignment: Neutral
Symbol: Fan of Peacock feathers
Domains: Community, Nobility, Protection, Trickery
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Poseidon
Posiedon is the God of the sea, protector of all waters. Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus.
At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsucessful and created a varity of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled.
His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Trident
Domains: Chaos, Earth, Water
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Demeter
Demeter is the godess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. It is Demeter that makes the crops grow each year. The first loaf of bread from the harvest is scarificed to her. Demeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.
Demeter is intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss Demeter laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and die, the land became desolate. Zeus became alarmed and sought Persephone's return. Unfortunately she was traped in the underworld because she had eaten while there. Thusly, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underwold. During these months Demeter grieves her daughters absence, and withdraws her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return to Mount Olympus brings the spring.
Demeter is also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries - huge festivels held every five years. The central tenant of the Mysteries is that just as grain returns every spring after its harvest and wintery death, so too the human soul could be reborn after the death of the body.
Alignment: Neutral
Symbol: Mare's Head
Domains: Earth, Plant, Protection
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Apollo
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre, archery for shooting with a silver bow, healing who taught man medicine, light truth, which cannot speak a lie. One of Apollo's more importaint daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. His tree was the laurel, the crow his bird and the dolphin his animal.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Lyre
Domains: Good, Healing, Knowledge, Magic, Sun
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Hecate
She is the goddess of the Moon, Magic, and Plenty. Hecate is both feared and revered.
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Symbol: Setting Moon
Domains: Creation, Evil, Knowledge, Magic
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Artemis
She is goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild things. She is the huntsman of the gods. She is the protector of the young. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows. She is associated with the moon. She is a virgin goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth, which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was born. The cypress is her tree. All wild animals are scared to her, especially the deer.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Bow and Arrow on a Lunar Disk
Domains: Animal, Good, Plant, Sun
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Athena
Athena is the virgin goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full-grown in armour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but only wars to defined the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She is Zeus's favorite child and is allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her favorite city is Athenae. Her tree is the olive. The owl is her bird.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbol: An Owl
Domains: Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, War
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Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that compels anyone she wishes to desire her. Aphrodite came into existence when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus. She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The dove, the swann, and the sparrow her birds. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares. She embodies sex, affection, and the attraction that binds people together.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Seashell
Domains: Love, Beauty
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Hermes
He was the cleverest of the Olympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods.
Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus messenger. He is the fastest of the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Caduseus
Domains: Chaos, Good, Luck, Travel, trickery
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Ares
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Both parents dislike him. He is the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite. Since then her husband Hephaestus has publically ridiculed him. His bird is the vulture. His animal is the dog.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Spear
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, War
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Hebe
Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is the goddess of youth. She, along with Ganymede are the cupbearers to the gods.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
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Hephaestus
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others that he took Hera's side in an arguement with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is the patron god of both smiths and weavers. He is kind and peace loving. His wife is Aphrodite.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Hammer and Anvil
Domains: Artifice, Community, Earth, Fire, Good.
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Hades
Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the overthow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon, another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling is to increase the number of dead are seen favorably. The Erinnyes are welcomed guests. He is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects leave.
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Symbol: Black Ram
Domains: Death, Earth, Evil
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He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisable. He rarely leaves the underworld. He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious. His wife is Persephone whom Hades abducted. He is the King of the dead but death itself is another god, Thanatos.
Dionysus
Dionysus is the God of ritual dance and sacred mysticism, of death and new life. He can be gentle or provoke the wildness within us all, literally able to drive both his followers and his enemies mad. Euripedes called him 'most gentle and most terrible'. Dionysus is the patron of poetry, the song, and drama, and of course wine and its intoxication effects. He was credited with the invention of wine making and its use on Earth
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Thyrsus
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Madness
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Persephone
Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was the goddess of springtime and, after her abduction by Hades she became his wife and Queen of the underworld for six months of each year. The mint and pomegranate is sacred to her. Persephone raised Aphrodite's child Adonis. She is also known as Kore, "the Maiden". She symbolizes the sprouting seeds of springtime.
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Thanatos
Thanatos is the reaper and collector of the dead. Once The Fates decides it is time for a person to pass on, Thanatos will collect the dead and deliver them to Hermes to be escorted into the Underworld.
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The Titans
The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthew them. The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was de-throned by his son Zeus. Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against Zeus and were punished by being banished to Tartarus. During their rule the Titans were associated with the various planets.
Chronus
Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. Their offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children, tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and the other Titans, defeat them, and banish them to Tartarus in the underworld.
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Uranus
Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. He is the son of Gaea, who created him without help. He then became the husband of Gaea and together they had many offspring, including twelve of the Titans. His rule ended when when Cronus, encouraged by Gaea, castrated him. He either died from the wound or withdrew from earth.
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Gaea
Gaea is the Earth goddess. She mated with her son Uranus to produce the remaining Titans.
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Oceanus
Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world. Together with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.
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The Nereids
They are the daughters of Nereus and Doris, fifty in number. They are named in honor of their father. All of them lovely, they are the nymphs of the sea. Some of the better known are Thetis and Amphitrite.
The Underworld
The underworld is hidden in the earth. It is the kingdom of the dead and ruled over by Hades. Hades is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling is to increase the number of dead are viewed favorably by Hades. The Erinnyes are welcomed guests. He is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects leave.
For most, life in the underworld is not particularly unpleasent. It is rather like a miserable dream, full of shadows, without sunlight or hope. It is a joyless place where the dead slowly fade into nothingness.
Geographically, the underworld is surrounded by a series of rivers: The Acheron (river of woe), The Cocytus (river of lamentation), The Phlegethon (river of fire), The Styx (river of unbreakable oath by which the gods swear), and The Lethe (river of forgetfulness). Once across the rivers an adamantine gate, guarded by Cerberus (a three headed dog with the tail of a Dragon), forms the entrance to the kingdom. Deep withen the kingdom is Hades vast palace, complete with many guests.
Upon death a soul is lead by Hermes to the entrance of the underworld and the ferry across the Acheron. There is a single ferry run by Charon to take the souls across the river. Only those who can pay the fare, with coins placed on their lips when buried, receive passage. The rest are trapped between two worlds. The souls then enter through the gates. Cerberus will allow all to enter but, none to leave. The souls then appear before a panel of three judges, Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus, who pass sentence. The very good go to the Elysian Fields. Others are singled out for special treatment. Sisyphus and Tartarus being prime examples of the later.
Tartarus lies far beneth the disk of the world, deeper then Hades kingdom of the underworld. It is used as the ultimate of prisons, unpleasent and inaccessable.
The Erinnyes
Also known as the Furies, punish crime. They persue wrong doers relentlessly, until death, often driving them to suicide. They are particularly concerned with matricide. There are three Erinnyes, Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. The Erinnyes came from the blood of Uranus when he was castrated.