Olympus (Domain)
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| Olympus (Domain) | |
|---|---|
| Culture Level | Classical (4) among the cities, Iron Age (3) in the more rural areas[1] |
| Ecology | Full[1] |
| Climate & Terrain | Temperate Forests and Hills; Cold Mountains; Warm Aquatic[1] |
| Year Formed | ? |
| Population | 25,000[1] |
| Races (%) | Humans 90%,Halflings 2%, Gnomes 1%, Elves 1%, Half-elves 1%, Dwarves 3%, Other 2%[1] |
| Languages | Olympian*, Halfling, Dwarven, Elven[1] |
| Religions | The Olympian Pantheon*[1] |
| Government | Absolutist feudal theocracy[2] |
| Ruler(s) | The Living Gods[2] |
| Darklord(s) | Hercules[3] |
| Nationality | Olympian |
| Analog | Ancient Greece |
| Related Categories | |
| Locations in Olympus (Domain) | |
| Transportation in Olympus (Domain) | |
| Inhabitants of Olympus (Domain) | |
| Former Inhabitants of Olympus (Domain) | |
| Flora of Olympus (Domain) | |
| Fauna of Olympus (Domain) | |
| Native Monsters of Olympus (Domain) | |
Olympus is a land of six city-states, each ruled by one of the so-called the Living Gods, the supposedly divine incarnations of The Olympic Pantheon. In truth, they are imposters, merely normal humans imbued with fiendish energy from a summoning ritual gone awry. The person known as Hercules works to overthrow them, though in truth his underhanded tactics make him no better. In fact, he is the realm's darklord, cursed to alienate the people he would be the liberator for.
Things, Creatures & Personages of Legend
- Hercules
- The Forsaken One
- The Living Gods
- Various monsters of legend: monstrous humanoids (centaurs, harpies, medusas) goblinoids, cyclops and giants, monsters of the sea, and mermaid-like beings that charm passersby with song[4]
Geography
The main central landmass of Olympus is huge, taking up a similar amount of space to Vorostokov. Temperate forest and farmland dominate the majority of the landscape. However, swamps and wetlands periodically dot the eastern half of Olympus, and the wastelands, cliffs, and crevasses of Hades' terrain in the far south bear witness to volcanic activity. Throughout the domain, the broad valleys are often surrounded by looming, cold mountains on the edges.[1]
A warm sea envelops Olympus' central landmass, with multiple smaller islands also inhabiting the waters, either singly or arranged in archipelagos. A large island on the far northern edge of the domain is known to be haunted by evil spirits and is thus avoided[1]. The island holds the abandoned Temple of Zeus, the site of the botched summoning that transformed the Seven Voices of the Gods into the Living Gods. The temple is haunted by the Forsaken One, the ghost of the former high priest of Zeus.
Communication
Roads
Numerous trade routes dot the main landmass of Olympus, with all the major ones meeting in the center at Windydale[1].
Population Distribution
Olive-skinned humans are the primary inhabitants of the city states. Except for the dwarves, other civilized humanoid races tend to inhabit Olympus' wooded areas. There may be some trade with local human farmers and herders but gnomes and elves isolate themselves from human society to avoid scrutiny by the authorities. Working as miners, dwarves cluster in the mountains in each kingdom's middle. The largest number of dwarves reside in the western territory of Ares.[4].
Towns[1]
Economy
Because of past refusals to accept kingdom specific coins other than their own, the six realms of Olympus have a single unified coinage. The celestial represents the gold piece, starlight represents the silver piece, and the scourge represents the copper piece[5].
Unlike how they share a single coinage, the kingdoms of Olympus determine their own taxation policies. In practice, this means little in terms of differences in pricing goods, though goods imported from the other Olympian kingdoms incur a significant price increase[6].
Despite the above price hikes, trade and commerce represent important forces in Olympus- with Hermes holding the most complex systems of trading operations. Olympian exports include agrarian goods, food, and drink as well as iron, copper, and gems. In addition, a variety of manufactured items are produced, sold, and exported. Finally, culture represents an important export for Olympus as well.[5]
Authority
Darklord
The false Hercules is darklord of Olympus, though he has no power of secular rule. His gang of rebels is rather small in numbers and influence.
Spiritual and Temporal Rule
The political geography of Olympus is such that its central landmass is divided into six separate kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms is ruled independently by one of the Living Gods. In addition to their temporal rule, the Living Gods also hold ultimate rule over the spiritual and religious lives of their subjects and worshipers[4].
The Six Living Gods are Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Hades, and Hermes.
Government[6]
The ruling body of each city state is a council of individuals selected by the Living God that dominates that city state. Each council sits atop a vast (and often corrupt) bureaucracy that attends to their commands and manages the land generally within a few days' travel by horse.
Law
Each of the kingdoms of Olympus has their own set of laws. One law common to all of the kingdoms is that unrestricted use of magic is forbidden. Spellcasters and magic items are sought out and brought back to the temples supposedly for study[5].
The bureaucracies- and indeed, the entire political systems- that hold Olympian society together are highly vulnerable to corruption. People in positions of power and influence may often be bribed or blackmailed. Nonetheless, Olympian society is organized into castes of occupation and political appointments- with these positions usually under the thumbs of specific families or guilds[6].
Law-Enforcement
Local militias regulate and patrol the borders of each Living God's realm. Ares' is an exception, for he has control over the army. Despite the government's corruption, the borders between the kingdoms are fairly well delineated, although subject to occasional fluctuation as the Living Gods try to extend their reaches from time to time[6].
Beyond the local militias, each of the Living Gods enforce their laws and ultimately control through their own trademark methods[6]. Ares operates his realm as a military state[6]. Aphrodite uses seduction, charm, and guile, both her own and that of her spellcaster agents[6]. Hades controls vast throngs of undead[5]. Hermes dominates through control over trade and commerce[5]. Backed by divination, "Apollo" inculcates a cult of personality and intimidates rebels doling out horrific public executions of troublemakers using his powers.[6]. Athena practices magic of many kinds and is backed by the largest force of spellcasters among the Living Gods[6].
Intelligence Gathering
Athena acts as spymaster for an extensive network of agents. Apollo makes extensive use of divination, relying on both his own and that of his spellcaster servants.[6]. The most sizeable spy network is controlled by Hermes[7]. However, all of the Living Gods have at least some numbers of spies within their own respective city states[8].
Military Footing
Ares controls the armies of the land and makes periodic invasions of the other Living Gods' kingdoms from time to time. These military ventures ultimately fail in the face of the special tactics used by other deities[6] (see above). For example, Hermes shuts down invasion by cutting off trade and thereby the accumulation of the resources needed for war[5].
Language & Culture
Despite sharing the Olympian and some other cultural similarities such as with clothing styles, the cultures of each of the six realms in Olympus show considerable variance, usually influenced by the personalities and directives of their corresponding fiendish overlords.
Gods and Religions[5]
The Olympian Pantheon is venerated in Olympus, with the Living Gods recognized as their divine incarnations. However, the Living Gods are false deities, unable to sponsor divine spellcasters. As such, there are no spellcasting clerics of the Living Gods- though there has never been any such clerics of the Olympian Pantheon as worshiped in this land prior to it becoming a Ravenloft domain. Thus, any spellcasting priests of the Living Gods will be arcane spellcasters- such as bards and sorcerers. (That is not to say that absolutely no divine spellcasters exist in the domain- adepts, druids, shamans and the like may still receive spells.)
The Living Gods have enacted edicts against foreign, "false" religions and cults. Druids and rangers inhabit rural and far off places, staying out of reach of the Living Gods' servants- much to the latter's chagrin.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.280
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.282
- ↑ Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.293
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.281
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.283
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.282
- ↑ USS 2002 p. 283
- ↑ USS 2002 p. 294
