Heracleion

The sunken city of Princess Soteira, roberto's paramour, and her father King Triton.
Following the events of 1235, king Triton was killed by dread Attumah and his ally Leolinus, with Soteira subsequently becoming Queen

Description

Aura

Faerie 8

Setting

Herakleion is a huge regio, encompassing an ancient greco-roman city and its surroundings, and centered on the Palace. Some rare features are more fantastical, made out of giants shells or such, but these are rare and arcane places. Engravings of Poseidon, King Triton, and various sea creatures adorn the buildings.

Otherwise, the city resembles in most points what you could have found in ancient rome, save than the products being traded are more marine and strange, and that the denizens are appropriate to the locale: All of them have at least blue, sometimes green, skin or hair, a fish's tail, visible gills, scales, or some similar feature.
The city itself is circular, enclosed in a great stone wall. It sports 4 great entrances, but there are numerous smaller, hidden passages, which allow access in and out of the city to those who know them.

The closer one gets to the regio's center, the harder it is to just swim everywhere: People here either walk or swim above the ground, guards stand… if not for the denizen's and city's strange look, one could never something's off

Customs and Religion

The Faeries of Herakleion overtly worship Poseidon, great god of the sea, supposed progenitor of the royal line.
In everyday life, though, this "big" worship is replaced by respect and veneration for dead ancestors, as well as for the city's customs and traditions.

The people here also respect power, whatever its form.
This gives a martial bent to the culture, in that important people are expected to be powerful, be that through physical prowess, mystical might or sheer knowledge. This also opens up the ranks of society, in that someone who demonstrates power can at times reach a position beyond her station, if she demonstrates sufficient respect for Herakleion's traditions and character.
This ain't enough to unseat someone, though: While a captain of the guard owns his post, he is expected to be strong and competent, and you're supposed to obey him if working under him, even if you are stronger. Should he lose his station, though, there's a chance that his superiors will pick you up from the rabble to replace him. They may also allow you to contest his replacement with a trial by combat.

However, this is tempered by an heavy emphasis and respect for customs, traditions and lineage. With an history stretching back centuries, the merfolk of Heracleion are proud of their culture, their city and their link to the gods. Whatever his rank in society, one is expected to help ensure the preservation of Heracleion's way of life.

Leadership

Following the events in 1235, King Triton was killed by Attumah, who was himself defeated by Roberto of Flambeau.
As a result, Princess Soteira became queen, vastly increasing her power.

But she doesn't rule alone.
She is surrounded and advised by a Council of Advisors, comprised of Herakleion's diverse factions:
- Aubert represents the clergy and the religious. Despite the royal family being heirs to Poseidon, he is the guardian of tradition, and the will of the god.
- Thula rose into the ranks, and represents the military. She speaks in defense of herakleion's survival and strength.
- The plump Coral is the citizen's spokeperson, and is concerned with the common citizen's well-being
- Llyron, a middle-aged, bearded merman, this tentacled merchant is eager to trade Herakelion's goods to humans. He and his caste have lots of faerie trinkets and D: Until powers.
- Byrrah, a cousin of Soteira, represents the nobility and is tasked with diplomacy and external relationships.

Although Soteira is the final arbiter, the rulers of Herakleion have tended to follow the council's advice, even when disagreeing.

Notable Places

Church of Poseidon

Going from the palace, a large road leads directly up north, until, near the city walls, it reaches an octogonal place, a smooth, elegant building rising in its center. Where the palace is all massive spire, the church is more organic-looking, both surrounded and engraved by sculptures of sea creatures, gods and goddesses. All save Poseidon, whose trident symbol features prominently above the entrance.
The central nave is one great, roughly circular chamber, which ends in a flight of large stairs leading up to a 120-foot statue of a regal Poseidon.

Palace

In the center of the city, a huge agora before it, rest Herakleion's palace. It is a single, huge rectangular spike, crafted out of marble, not unlike one huge obelisk. It sprouts several windows, their lights shining far in the city night.

University

Far from an university as know to the great cities of Mythic Europe, this is a depository of knowledge first and foremost. There, scholars study ancient lore, and one may get them to teach him, if he's lucky, but there are no formal classes: If you go to the university, you're supposed to be able to take care of yourself and your own research. In that way, the university is more of a library than its name suggests, possibly a misunderstanding by the faeries.

Inhabitants

Heracleion is home to many Merfolk, from the humble to the powerful.
But tritons and mermaids aren't its only inhabitants. Fishes of various shapes and sizes roam its "skies" and surroundings, and if most are normal specimen of their kind, some are unnatural big, intelligent, or just strange, warped by the city's powerful aura, while a sizeable minority is composed of faerie creatures..

All is not quiet either in the underwater kingdom, as various Monsters live near Heracleion, and sometimes attack the city.

Artifacts

Crown of Nammu

The ancient crown of Heracleion, supposedly given to their first ruler by the an ancient goddess as a sign of rulership.
This golden crown is a Faerie item of Might 10, going up to 10 when in Herakleion. Between that and the birth name of its rightful wearer, it can manage a penetration of 42, hopefully granting both Increased Faerie Might and an Aura of Ennobled Presence to its chosen wearer

Contrary to the trident, its goal is to serve the royal family, and to symbolize its power. Legends about it tell how only one from the royal line can unlock its powers and gain its wisdom.

Faerie Might: 10 (Terram)
Virtues: Faerie Sight*, Faerie Speech*, Narrowly Cognizant*, Place of Power: Heracleion*
Flaws: Crippled*, Slow Might Recovery*
Qualities and Inferiorities: Major Flaw (Slow Might Recovery), Major Flaw (Crippled), Ritual Power × 1: 25/25, Lesser Power × 10: 250/250, Minor Virtue (Place of Power: Heracleion), Minor Virtue (Faerie Sight), Minor Virtue (Faerie Speech)
Reputations: Artefact of power 2, Can only be worn by the rightful king or queen
Traits:Loyal to the royal line 3, Careful 2
Abilities: Area Lore: Mediterranean Sea 6 (geography), Autocrat 4, Awareness 3 (alertness), Faerie Lore 5 (Aquatic Faeries), Faerie Speech 5, Folk Ken 3 (Heroes), Intrigue 5 (alliances), Magic Lore 1 (magical traditions), Penetration 10 (Royalty)
Aura of Ennobled Presence (Lesser: 20), Points: 0, Initiative: Qik-4, Form: Imaginem, Range: Touch, +1, Duration: Sun, +2, Target: Ind, +0, Level: MuIm10, Design: 10 levels, Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, -2 Might cost
Enthrall Crowd (Lesser: 120), Points: 0, Initiative: Qik-16, Form: Mentem, Range: Sight, +3, Duration: Sun, +2, Target: Group, +2, Level: CrMe50, Design: 50 levels, Base 4, +3 Sight, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +3 size, -10 Might cost, +4 Initiative cost: Allows a faerie to create a particular emotion in any group of up to 10 000 people that it can see it. Fear, loyalty, and infatuation are popular choices. This power also increases the intensity of an emotion that already exists. A stress roll with an appropriate Personality trait against an Ease Factor of 9 allows a victim to overcome this power’s effect.
Ear of Truth (Lesser: 60), Points: 0, Initiative: Qik-12, Form: Mentem, Range: Per, +0, Duration: Conc, +1, Target: Hearing, +3, Level: InMe30, Design: 30 levels, Base 10, +1 Conc, +3 Hearing, -6 Might cost
Perceive all under the Sea (Lesser: 50), Points: 0, Initiative: Qik-10, Form: Imaginem, Range: Water-way, +3, Duration: Conc, +1, Target: Body-of-water, +3, Level: InIm25, Design: 25 levels, Base 2, +3 Water-way, +1 Conc, +3 Body-of-water, -5 Might cost: The crown may see and hear everything that happens under the sea it is in. It needs not be able to see the target, but he must be able to sense it in some way, unless the spell is an Intellego effect intended to determine whether something is in the water-way.
Grant Increased Faerie Might (Ritual: 25), Cost: 25, Points: 5, Initiative: Qik-10, Form: Vim, Range: Touch, +1, Duration: Sun, +0, Target: Ind, +0, Virtue: Increased Faerie Might, which increases the target's faerie might by 05 points until the virtue is rescinded.

King Triton's Trident

Following the Mythic Weapons rules in Sub Rosa 16, this is a Faerie Weapon of Might 05.
It grants Increased Faerie Might minor virtue to its wielder (effectively adding its own might to its wearer), and can control and shape large bodies of sea water.

The ancient trident has one goal in life: To serve its master, whoever it is. There's an ancient ceremony in Heracleion, by which one attunes itself to the trident by cutting one's palm with it and whispering one's name. Despite the pagan trappings, this is actually more pragmatic than it may seem: Between the blood and the birth name, this gives the trident a +4 penetration bonus for its "Grant Increased Faerie Might" power, enabling it to affect a faerie up to Might 60

Faerie Might: 5 (Terram)
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Thing, Incognizant*, Mute*, Traditional Ward: Sailors*
Qualities and Inferiorities: Improved Damage × 2 (Trident: +6), Improved Initiative × 1 (Trident: +3), Lesser Power × 4: 100/100, Major Flaw (Mute), Minor Flaw (Traditional Ward: Sailors), Minor Flaw (Incognizant), No Fatigue*, Ritual Power × 1: 25/25, Temporary Might*
Reputations: Fearsome Weapon 2
Traits: Loyal to Wielder 2, Violent 1
Trident: Init: +4, Attack +2, Defense +0, Damage +11
Abilities: Area Lore: Mediterranean Sea (Currents) 2, Awareness (Wearer) 2, Penetration (Grant power) 11
Master of the Sea (Lesser: 100), Points: 0, Initiative: Qik-16, Form: Aquam, Range: Sight, +3, Duration: Conc, +1, Target: Part, +1, Level: ReAq45, Design: 45 levels, Base 5, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +1 Part, +3 size, -9 Might cost, +2 Initiative cost: Can control large parts of the sea in a violent way, creating strong currents in any place it can see.
Grant Increased Faerie Might (Ritual: 25), Cost: 25, Points: 5, Initiative: Qik-10, Form: Vim, Range: Touch, +1, Duration: Sun, +0, Target: Ind, +0, Virtue: Increased Faerie Might increase the target's faerie might by 05 points, until the virtue is rescinded.

Special Rules

Hazards

Breathing in Heracleion required someone to be able to breathe underwater. With Soteira's accession to the throne, this has changed: So long as one is into the region, she can breathe water as well as air.
Likewise, the region is protected from deep sea pressure, as described in Legends of Hermes p104, be it before or after Soteira's crowning.

Outside of the faerie region, though, normal rules do apply, and the sudden shift may prove the death of the unwary.

Moving

The regio is underwater, but the enchantment there makes it so that one can move almost like on land: Everyone walks, talks… no one can "fly" by swimming, save a few feet over the ground (that's what mermen do), or at the city's periphery, as do the guards: The further you get, the more free you are to swim everywhere.

Fighting

Moving is a little difficult, but a lot less than it should: Non-piercing weapon have -1 to attack.

Magic

Aquam

Acids are treated as Fire, below. Other wise, works as normal.

Auram

Using Lightning is just suicidal: Everyone in range takes the spell's full damage, including the caster. Other Auram spells are mostly useless.
Creating winds and gazes is possible. And of course, controlling of transforming air phenomenon has no material to work with.

Ignem

The water inhibits fire magics, but they are still effective, as they heat water to the boiling point and beyond. They get -05 damage.
Perdo Ignem works fine.

Terram

Works as usual.

Allies

Northwest to Alexandria, there's a small island, populated by humans friendly to herakleion, some of them faerie-blooded.
They serve as intermediaries, messengers and ambassadors with the mundane society of Mythic Europe.

Riad Ibn Kadir Abd Baaz is one of them, a young hero who went in search of Roberto when Attumah conquered Heraklion.
Along his travels, he lived his own adventures, meeting the wizard Khalid Ibn Zayd Al-Kâtib. This (faerie?) sorcerer, which lived in a stangely-colored tower in the moutains, gave him an enchanted sword, which helped him in his quest for Roberto.
Later, when the Djinn Bakerdodds invaded the island, reclaiming what was his due, Riad confronted him but was defeated, and his sword broken.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License