Adventure in a pseudo-Greece. Our fledgling heroes will find themselves crossing Hercules' path while he does his twelve labors, and they may fight monsters of their own!
Science and Knowledge - Myrrine knows of the separation in the realm of Hades; the land is divided into three major realms, featuring the punishment zone of Tartarus, the Asphodel Meadows where the souls of the normal people live, and the Elysium Fields of heroes. As one closely attuned to death, Myrrine finds it difficult to understand why some people seek knowledge they may not have been meant to know, particularly when such a path effectively guarantees they will never be heroes and thus be barred from Elysium. She often comes into conflict with those who value knowledge above proper behavior.
Fish Out Of Water - Myrrine is generally a slow and patient person who's not too concerned with making the most of her life. She's also technically the cousin of Eris, Goddess of Discord and generally fascinating individual. Of course, strife isn't always harmful - proper competition can help people and nations alike grow and become better. People rarely come away from an encounter with Eris unchanged, though, and how could Discord possibly pass up a chance to mess with family?
Decisions and Responsibility - Actions can have unintended effects, and at one point, something Myrrine did had the unintentional effect of saving the life of a child who was marked for death. This upset wouldn't normally have been possible, but Myrrine's divine inheritance renders her able to resist the plans of fate (at least on smaller things, not larger ones) and cause a disruption. Having messed up the way things were supposed to be, Myrrine must make a decision about whether to put things back the way they were planned to be (i.e. kill an innocent child with her own hands) or take responsibility for the changes that her actions would cause.
Shadow of a Hero - As the group follows along behind Hercules, they're cast under the shadow of his fame and glory... and though generally well-meaning, Hercules could well be a little ignorant of what happens to others. He is the son of an Olympian, and people love him... she's the daughter of an Olympian, and many would prefer to pretend that she doesn't even exist. Jealousy is a terrible thing, especially when you know that the target of your feelings doesn't deserve them...
Charmed, I'm sure - Somewhere along the road, Myrrine encounters one of the rare and powerful sorceresses of Greek mythology, who offer to take her in and teach her things about magic that she's never had the opportunity to learn. Myrrine is mainly self-taught, after all, with instinct and divine inheritance substituting for skill and training. Of course, to obtain this power, she'd have to abandon her friends and abandon whatever important quest they were on... and the sorceress isn't the type to let people come back later.
Monsters among Men - Ancient Greece was nothing if not filled with all sorts of monsters. However, after surviving an attack by monsters and capturing a survivor, Myrrine eventually begins to realize that some of the monsters, at least, would mainly like to be left alone instead of being hounded by people who hate and fear them. That's something she can relate to, but the monster did kill a farmer in its escape from the town, and allowing it to go free would rob the innocent folk of justice...
I have to say that I am fascinated with the world/game you are putting together. Unfortunately i just don't have the time to devote to it that a player would need to do it justice. I hope you let bystanders in when you actually start play.
When custom avatars become available on here, I'll be able to better express my characters looks for all future characters.....but until such a time, this is as good as I can find for anything of Ancient Greece.
My apologies, work today was horrendous, lasting until midnight. I'm building the history right now (which used a few rolls from the Background Generator which I then fleshed out).
Been a bad past 4 or 5 days. The positive highlight of that period is I have 2 new tires on my car. There were fewer than 10,000 miles on the ones that I replaced. That was the highlight.
I have expanded the proposed background some. I now attach an updated background and the full mechanics which were completed 6 or 7 days ago, with my apologies.
Lycaneus, athlete, son of Prochoros of Tiryns
Background:
Born to Athena by Hesiod, the twins were quickly parted. Hesiod did not want his great wealth to turn the boys against each other, so when Athena brought him his sons, he begged her to leave Leandros, the elder, and see to the well-being of the younger. The elder's place was as well assured as any could be, so she took the younger son, whom she named Lycaneus, and gave him to her servant, Nike. Nike was instructed to find the boy a foster home where he could learn the things he would need to take his own place in the world as an adult, and to watch over him to ensure that he would have the opportunities to do so.
Knowing that hardship, dedication, training and, above all, yearning for success are key components of victory, Nike took young Lycaneus and fostered him with Prochoros, an older, retired soldier who kept a meager flock of only a few sheep. Prochoros neither had nor truly wanted more after surviving his time away at war. But his home was in the village of Tiryns, home of Chiron, the trainer of great and mighty heroes. Nike took the form of Euthymia, a local crone known to be a follower of Persephone, and came to Prochoros' home at dusk, carrying the toddler boy. She told him that the goddess had made it clear to her that he was the best choice to care for and raise the boy, Lycaneus, and that he would continue to thrive as long as the boy lived under his roof. Nike did not reveal anything of Lycaneus' parentage.
To many a young man, the difference between living a long life and thriving towards the end of a long life goes unnoticed. To an old man, however, the difference is very significant. Prochoros could not refuse an offer to return to being more physically capable while raising the boy. He correctly reasoned that he had been identified as the best choice because of how he went about his life, and so he changed as little of it as he could while including the boy into it. The lack of material goods and wealth as Lycaneus grew built a desire to have the things that he saw others acquiring. This provided both a basic hardship and the yearning. Prochoros provided the basics of training, as any warrior should to a boy growing under his care and guidance. Thus, Nike's choice of a foster home was proven.
While still a young boy, Lycaneus took to running. He quickly proved to be faster than boys a handful of years older than himself, and much quicker than other boys his own age. Prochoros taught Lycaneus to properly throw a spear, though the spears they practiced with were mostly wood gathered for their fires and not true instruments of war. They also spent time grappling. As is normally the case, the adult easily dominated the small child. As Lycaneus grew, however, his skill at grappling seemed to grow far faster than his body.
Nike ensured that Chiron saw the boy out-running and out-wrestling his peers. The centaur recognized the potential, but had no desire to separate the boy from the father who had managed to do so well raising him to this point.
As he approached puberty, Lycaneus demanded a place in the competitions during a harvest festival. The organizer started to refuse, ready to cite the boy's youth. Chiron was present with his students of the moment, including Heracles, and he chose to speak up at this point, instructing them to allow the child to compete. After all, there was no fear that the child would defeat the men . . .. During the footrace, of course, Lycaneus did exactly that, outrunning the older competitors. He still lost, but he lost to one of Chiron's students. He fared far more poorly during the spear contests, falling into the middle of the performances. The majority of the young men found Lycaneus difficult to hold onto during the grappling contest, though. His smaller, lither form allowed him to avoid being pinned multiple times and a purely opportunistic response garnered him more pins than anyone expected. Several rounds before the grappling tournament would be concluded, though, one young man, Praxiteles, decided that he could not bear the insult of being bested by a child and attacked Lycaneus from behind, with no warning, after the match had been declared finished. Nike was watching, and she did something she had never before done for Lycaneus, or since, she warned him. Lycaneus simply felt hands attempting to grapple him before Praxitelese actually reached him, so that he responded before he was actually trapped. As this grapple was quickly becoming less competitive and more aggressive, the young Heracles stepped in and pulled the two apart, holding each at arm's length on either side. Lycaneus didn't win the grappling competition, either. That one was won by Heracles, of course.
After this competition ended, but the festival was still being celebrated, Chiron offered to take Lycaneus on as a student. His performance in the competition made it clear that Lycaneus was at least favored by the gods, if not descended from them. Such favor has always been enough for the trained, prepared and dedicated to become great heroes. Lycaneus almost refused, not wanting to leave his father alone. Prochoros cried, realizing that his vigor was surely ended, but knowing without a doubt that Lycaneus had to have sprung from the loins of a god and that Chiron's training was obviously what the boy needed. Thus, Prochoros accepted the offer from Chiron on Lycaneus' behalf. Trying to be the good son, Lycaneus found himself obliged to learn from Chiron or refuse the very father he had been trying to honor. Prochoros did not wake the morning after Lycaneus moved into Chiron's training camp.
Chiron trained Lycaneus to increase his athleticism beyond where it had already developed, and improved his concepts of warfare and the uses of the three primary kinds of spears (throwing, short and long), but was always clear that the training was preparation to learn, not all that should be known.
Lycaneus knows that he was fostered, but he knows nothing of his parents or that he has a twin. He's been told that others think one of his parents was a god, but nobody knows which one it could be. At this point, Chiron and the other students are the closest thing he has to a family.
Athena was angry with Hesiod for refusing to take both of his sons, but she chose to temper he ranger in order to see Leandros have the best opportunities that he could be provided. He had all the advantages of wealth and position, including focused training and leisure. He was also made aware of his heritage. His father actually advertised it, playing to his own ego at having bedded a goddess while also instilling fear that the city and his people had the favor and protection of his son's mother. Leandros developed an inordinate expectation of privilege for himself and subservience from others as a result. Shortly after hair declared Leandros a man, Hesiod met with an unfortunate accident, as Athena finally expressed her anger over his refusal of the second son those many years before.
Combat:
Init +3
Move 30' (x5)
Lawful Good
BAB+0 Melee+2 Ranged+3 CMB+2 (Str+2, Dex+3)
Unarmed +2 for 1d6+2 @ x2
Fluury of Blows +1/+1
Javelin (Throwing Spear) +3 for 1d6+2 @ x2
Unarmed can do lethal or non-lethal at no penalty
+2 CMB for Grapple
Stunning Fist - 1/Day - DC13 Fort or Stunned for 1 Round
AC16 T16 F13 CMD18 (Dex+3, Wis+3, Str+2, BAB+0)
+2 CMD for Grapple
HP10 (8+[Con+2x1])
Fort +4 (Con+2)
Ref +5 (Dex+3)
Will +5 (Wis+3)
+2 Trait vs Charms, Compulsions & Emotional effects
Now, I figure there's no reason the brother has to be the stereotypical evil twin. I would rather he isn't, honestly, but that would make a story about the pair a little harder to write.
Now, I figure there's no reason the brother has to be the stereotypical evil twin. I would rather he isn't, honestly, but that would make a story about the pair a little harder to write.
A rival for fame and glory is always good to go on. A friendly rival.
Ha! I did some background rolls, and Antikytheros ended up having a twin as well! I'm building the twin Kytheros as the temperamental opposite to Antikytheros; where I'm bookish and logical, he's athletic and spirited. Once again, not an Evil Twin, just an Opposite Twin.
I can change that if you feel that's too many twins, though.
Okay, I'm just going to ask for some help here. For some reason I keep hitting this major block in determining the background for Antikytheros. I'm not used to hitting this creative slump, but I am. Help!
I don't know, I used the campaign story guide for help with mine and then got a good idea of wanted and loosely based the story on my rolls, as they helped me to create a far grander idea. :)
I think of Prochoros as having tried to teach Lycaneus that the acquisition of wealth just attracts those who will try to take it and that the acquisition of fame just attracts those who want to use yours to create their won. Neither are worth pursuing as a result. Just do what should be done, what needs to be done.
Not a primary Greek philosophy, I know. LG's not really a primary Greek alignment, though, either.
Edit:
Do you want me to expand on anything, find something else to add, or something else? I can't try to adjust to your desires if I don't know what you want.
I think of Prochoros as having tried to teach Lycaneus that the acquisition of wealth just attracts those who will try to take it and that the acquisition of fame just attracts those who want to use yours to create their won. Neither are worth pursuing as a result. Just do what should be done, what needs to be done.
Not a primary Greek philosophy, I know. LG's not really a primary Greek alignment, though, either.
Edit:
Do you want me to expand on anything, find something else to add, or something else? I can't try to adjust to your desires if I don't know what you want.
Put athlete in quotes behind monk.
I should make up an archetype for an athletic monk, come to think of it. It shouldn't be hard. Just a moment . . .
Okay, I quickly whipped up an Archetype for the Monk you can take. I have no idea if it's overpowered for the concept or not. Pankration is an overpowered martial art in the real world (if you want to think in terms of Balance, none of the real world martial arts are truly balanced against one another).
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
