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Danassos: Defining the Magic System

Danassos: Defining the Magic System

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This post is going to be kind of long. In it, I’m going to go over a piece of published fiction in detail, looking for references to the use of magic, and I’m going to see how best to express what we read in GURPS terms. The main wrinkle is that I wrote this piece of fiction, although that was a couple of years ago and I wasn’t explicitly using GURPS as a world-building tool at the time.

The story is my novelette “Harmony’s Choice,” published in the spring of 2016. It’s set in the Mycenaean era, in the city of Thebes, and it involves a contention among heroes for the vacant kingship of the city. The protagonist is a young woman named Megara, who is sent by the city’s ruling Queen to select the most likely candidates. The two men she brings before the throne turn out to be two of the great heroes of Greek myth.

Both Megara and her Queen are magic-users, in the same tradition that will carry over into the Danassos stories I intend to write (the Danassos setting can be considered part of the same historical-fantasy timeline, a few centuries later). They both resemble Alexandra, the protagonist for those stories. All these characters are young women who are highly talented in some system of spirit-based magic, in which they produce effects by interacting with a spirit world and call up specific spirits to serve as allies.

What do Spells Look Like?

Let’s start by examining places in the story where a character can be said to engage in some form of “spell-casting.” I think the system I had in the back of my mind when I wrote “Harmony’s Choice” was the Paths and Books ritual-magic system, as detailed in GURPS Thaumatology (Chapter Five, pages 121-165). Keeping that in mind, I’ll mostly be looking to see whether I wrote anything into the story that can’t easily be framed in that kind of magic system.

“Your brother is safe, and will return to the city by tomorrow,” [Megara’s father] assured her. “The spirits you sent with us watched over him well. He took a cut across his cheek in the last battle, but nothing to threaten his life. He might show a scar once it heals.”

[Megara] snorted in derision. “He’ll like that. The girls will think he’s a great hero.”

“Yes, I believe he’s already thought of that.”

Here, Megara is said to have “sent spirits” to “watch over” her father and her brother during a war. This sounds very much like a protective ritual, most likely Chaperone (p. 152 in Thaumatology) creating protective amulets that Megara’s men could wear in battle.

For a long time, Euryganeia sat in silent thought, one hand reaching out to idly caress Megara’s hair. “I have consulted the omens,” she said at last. “Walked in dreams and spoken with my kin upon Olympos. King Laios is dead.”

Queen Euryganeia (who is both a mortal woman and a vessel for the city’s patron goddess, Harmonia) has apparently used scrying magic based on dreams (oneiromancy) to determine the fate of the city’s king.

This could be the working of an advantage like Blessed or (less likely) Oracle. It could also simply be the use of the Dreaming skill with Fortune-Telling (Dream Interpretation), as described on p. 188 of the Basic Set). It would make sense for such a skill to be supernaturally effective in this setting – the ancient Greeks certainly believed in prophetic dreams. Finally, it could indicate that Euryganeia is using the Dreamwalk ritual (p. 142 in Thaumatology).

I think I’ll go with the latter and assume that magical adepts are likely to have some combination of Dreaming, Fortune-Telling, Ritual Magic, and Path of Dreams skills. Of course, none of that is mutually exclusive with a god-touched individual also having the Blessed advantage, for occasional advice straight from the deity.

Megara moved forward to stand by the central hearth, between the contenders, with as much dignity as she could manage. From there, she administered a terrible oath, invoking both Olympian and chthonic powers. By the time she finished, the divine presence had become so thick in the megaron that she could barely breathe.

This priestly act of oath-taking can also be modeled using GURPS Path and Book magic. This could most likely be implemented as the Doom ritual (p. 152 in Thaumatology) with a starting condition (i.e., “when you break the oath you just swore”).

That’s all the “spell-casting” references in the story. All three can be represented using Path and Book magic, and it’s interesting that two out of three of those came from the Path of Luck. Looking at the other Paths, though, all of them look as if they would fit the setting except for the Path of Gadgets.

I’m going to assume that magic-users will invest in the Ritual Magic skill. I’ll assume the Effect Shaping form of the magic system, with most magicians using Paths, although there may be a few Books (grimoires) written by famed practitioners.

Spirit Allies

Another major component of magic, as it appears in the story, has to do with the service of spirits. Megara has a team of small air-spirits, called aurai (the word is related to the English “aura” and literally means “breeze”). These aurai always linger near her and she can perceive and speak with them. They usually act as spies and message-carriers, but they’re also capable of giving her a little help in dangerous situations. An example:

She heard a great commotion out in the grand courtyard: the sudden rattle of chariot wheels on stone, followed by the clatter of bronze and the hoarse shouts of men.

Eyes wide, Megara sent one of her aurai out through the window to investigate. When the tiny spirit returned to whisper in her ear, she rose to her feet at once.

“News of the war?” wondered Klymenos. “Or is it the king at last?”

“It’s my father,” said Megara.

All of this has several implications. First, Megara almost certainly has the Medium advantage (10 points) so that she can see and speak to spirits. Second, she also has an Ally Group advantage, indicating her command over a personal team of aurai. We’re going to need to stat out the aurai, which means analyzing what their capabilities are.

Again, I wasn’t explicitly using GURPS when I wrote this story, but I can attest I was thinking in terms of the spirit templates developed as far back as GURPS Spirits (2001). I’m fairly certain that the aurai will be easy to set up using something like the Spirit meta-trait on p. 263 of the Basic Set. Let’s do the analysis. I’m going to search for each reference to aurai in the story and make a note of the implications.

Starting with the reference above:

  • Aurai can fly. More precisely, they can use the omnidirectional movement that’s typical of the Insubstantiality advantage.
  • They are quick enough that they can move out of a building, see something, and report back within a few moments. That may suggest a level or so of Enhanced Move.
  • They are also intelligent enough to recognize what they see, for example specifically reporting to Megara that her father (and not some other bronze-armored charioteer) has arrived.

Okay, let’s look for some more data.

Then Megara heard a whisper. Not one of her own aurai. A different voice, cold and accustomed to command.

Oskalos must have seen a shadow in her face. “What is it, little bird?”

She looked up into his eyes, suddenly solemn. “The queen wants to hear your report.”

  • The queen (a woman named Euryganeia) clearly has command of aurai of her own, so Megara isn’t the only character with the requisite traits.
  • Aurai are intelligent enough to carry a message, and even to convey something of the personality of the person who sent a message.

A thought called up her aurai, and sent the spirits soaring around the two of them, silent and invisible. They examined Alkaios, searching out the secrets of his heart and whispering to Megara of what they saw. She compared the man to what she remembered of the boy.

  • This suggests some level of telepathic ability, permitting the aurai to sense Alkaios’s thoughts and intentions. Alkaios doesn’t seem to be aware of the scrutiny or able to mount a Will-based defense of it. That suggests Empathy rather than the more active and intrusive Mind Probe or Mind Reading.
  • The aurai are probably quite intelligent, well above the level of even a smart animal, if they are using Empathy to weigh human souls.
  • I’ve just realized this, but if Megara is using her aurai to assess another character, that probably means she lacks the Empathy advantage herself.

“If you’re a prince, why are you in exile?” Megara silently called up an aura to watch him. “Did you commit a crime?”

“No, potnia, I’m guilty of no crime there.” He tossed his head ruefully. “In fact, I left Korinthos to prevent a terrible crime. I wish it wasn’t necessary. I love my parents very much, but to rest at ease in their palace is not my fate.”

She listened for the spirit’s protest, but it remained silent.

He is telling the truth. Or at least he believes what he is saying.

  • Once again, Megara is using an aura to apply Empathy (and probably the spirit’s Detect Lies skill) while conversing with someone.

Megara barely had an instant to realize what was happening. She pulled out her dagger. Then a man loomed up in front of her in the darkness, all stink and staring eyes, his teeth bared in a snarl. His own knife swept up, ready to tear out her life.

She didn’t have time to think, only to react. She whispered a name. One of her aurai flew forward, half-materializing in the darkness.

Suddenly the man saw not a frightened young woman, but something out of clawed and fanged nightmare, leaping for his throat. He stopped dead, paralyzed with sudden terror, as if he had seen a Gorgon’s face.

  • An aura can apparently materialize for short periods of time. This fits the Spirit meta-trait, with the Insubstantiality advantage carrying the Affect Substantial and Usually On modifiers.
  • When substantial and visible, an aura can seriously frighten a human target. That suggests the Terror advantage.

Megara calculated quickly, and whispered to another spirit. It picked up a heavy load of dust from the street and hurled it into the faces of the men opposing her brother.

  • This doesn’t seem to require much beyond the ability to materialize for a moment and move an object, which seems implicit in the Spirit meta-trait. The aurai don’t seem to be very large or physically strong, otherwise Megara would be calling on them to actually fight for her, instead of engaging in this kind of trickery.

Megara found herself watching Alkaios: jaw set, brows lowered, eyes flashing in anger as he thought hard. The picture of consternation. Her heart went out to him. She felt the sudden temptation to send an aura to whisper in his ear, help him find the answer he needed. Then she quashed the idea, shivering at the thought of what the goddess would do to her, if she tried such a thing under Euryganeia’s watchful eye.

  • At first glance, this doesn’t seem to suggest anything new, but I just now realized that Megara is assuming an aura could whisper to Alkaios and he would hear it. Alkaios is not likely to be a Medium or anything like that, just an ordinary man, so this might require explanation. I had to check the GURPS rules to see that Insubstantial characters are assumed to be able to speak to substantial ones, so that’s okay.

Okay, I think I’ve gathered enough information to draw up a template for aurai, which will serve as basic spirit servants for magic-using characters in the Danassos setting as well.

Aura (300 points)

Age N/A; Spirit; 1′; Negligible weight; Amorphous and diffuse creature, rarely substantial or visible.

ST 4 [-60]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 8 [-40]; HT 10 [0].

Damage 1d-5/1d-4; BL 3.2 lbs.; HP 8 [8]; Will 8 [0]; Per 14 [30]; FP 10 [0].

Basic Speed 6 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Block 8 (DX); Dodge 9; Parry 10 (DX).

Social Background

TL: 2 [0]. CF: Hellenic (Native) [0]. Languages: Greek (Native) [0].

Advantages

Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Empathy [15]; Enhanced Move (Air) (1) [20]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; Insubstantiality (Accessibility (Cannot move through solid objects or liquids) (+2); Usually On) [32]; Invisibility (Electromagnetic) (Substantial Only; Usually On) [38]; Resistant (Metabolic Hazards) (Very Common) (Immunity) [30]; Terror (Will-0) [30]; Unaging [15].

Disadvantages

Curious (6 or less) [-10]; Dependency (Open air) (Very Common) (Constantly) [-25]; Invertebrate [-20]; Selfless (12 or less) [-5].

          Quirks: Devoted to its assigned human; Imaginative; Playful and mischievous; Sometimes acts out to get attention [-4].

Skills

Detect Lies-16 (Per+2) [2]; Lip Reading-14 (Per+0) [2]; Observation-15 (Per+1) [4]; Search-15 (Per+1) [4]; Throwing-15 (DX+1) [4].

A few things to note here:

  • An aura has no magical or psionic powers that it can use to affect the substantial world while it remains insubstantial. Even its Terror requires that it be visible and therefore substantial. It can pick up (very small) objects with its ST, but again, only while it’s substantial. I therefore didn’t apply the Affects Substantial modifier to Insubstantiality, as in the Spirit meta-trait on p. 263 of the Basic Set.
  • I kept the Doesn’t Breathe advantage, but I also added another Accessibility limitation to Insubstantiality so that an aura can’t move through walls or other solid objects. It also needs open air as a Dependency – close an aura up in a sealed space, or worse yet a small box, and you’re likely to kill it before long.
  • Aurai are about as intelligent as a human child, but they are very perceptive, and their few skills are almost all Per-based. Their ability to move or manipulate physical objects is very limited due to their low ST, Invertebrate disadvantage, and lack of physical skills aside from Throwing.
  • If aurai come in at 300 points, then a magic-using character with at least that many character points will be able to purchase them as Allies for a base cost of 5 points each. That fits my estimates for the point budget for leading characters in the Danassos stories.

One more item. I’ve mentioned it briefly above, but the character of Queen Euryganeia is a little unusual:

Megara and Euryganeia were the same age. They had grown up together, learning the same lessons, sharing secrets with each other, playing the games that young women of the palace always played. Then Megara’s aunt died, old Queen Iokaste who had ruled for so long, and the goddess of the city chose Euryganeia to be her new vessel. Now Harmonia, the Lady of the Sphinxes, often looked out at the world through the young queen’s eyes. The goddess could be compassionate and wise, but she was also mysterious, and full of holy dread.

This could be implemented through the Spirit Vessel system (pp. 211-214 in Thaumatology), but I think it’s likely to be subtler than that. In the story, Euryganeia’s possession by the goddess doesn’t lead to drastic changes in personality. She spends almost every scene she appears in just sitting on her throne, the “voice of the goddess” becoming more pronounced when she is angry or needs to speak with authority. This can probably be represented by a few advantages (and possibly a point or two of IQ) with the Pact limitation.

So, to summarize:

  • Almost all magic in the Danassos setting (and in my Mycenaean-era stories) is related to interactions with spirits (including gods) and a spirit world.
  • True magic-using characters always carry a priestly function, so all magic is clerical in nature. Even self-employed diviners and magicians are usually initiated as priests of some god (e.g., Hekate).
  • Magic-users will need the Ritual Magery advantage (p. 72 of Thaumatology), with the Path/Book specialization (p. 123 of Thaumatology). This represents an investment in power from a deity, like the Power Investiture advantage from the Basic Set. Magery, as an innate ability to wield magic, doesn’t exist in this setting.
  • Especially god-touched characters will probably have some or all of the following: Blessed, Channeling, Clerical Investment, Medium, and Oracle. Many of these advantages may come with the Pact limitation, if they don’t require behavioral standards by default.
  • Magical effects are produced using Path/Book Magic as described in Thaumatology. All the Paths are available except the Path of Gadgets. Power Investiture acts as a bonus to IQ for the Ritual Magic skill and all Path skills.
  • Magic-using characters are likely to gather teams of spirit allies, such as the aurai detailed above. More individualized spirits, with personal names and specific abilities of their own, are entirely possible. The Ally or Ally Group advantages here are also likely to have a Pact limitation.
  • Very rarely, a character may serve as the “vessel” for a god. This is most often simply a special effect.

Okay, I think I’m now prepared to draw up Alexandra herself, and possibly one or two magic-using antagonists for her. I’ll work on that and see how it comes out later this week.

Nikias

Nikias

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Here’s a character who’s going to play an ambiguous role in the first Danassos story. When Alexandra first arrives in Athens, Nikias is going to be the first Athenian of any importance to give her real help. On the other hand, later in the story he’s going to be one of her opponents, although an honorable one.

Nikias, son of Nikeratos (205 points)

Age 56; Human; 5′ 7″; 140 lbs.; Distinguished-looking middle-aged gentleman, receding grey hair, dark eyes, expensive clothing.

ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 10 [0].

Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 13 [0]; Per 13 [0]; FP 10 [0].

Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Block 6 (DX); Dodge 8; Parry 8 (DX).

Social Background

TL: 2 [0]. CF: Hellenic (Native) [0]. Languages: Attic Greek (Native) [0].

Advantages

Reputation (Accomplished diplomat) 2 (All the time; Almost everyone) [10]; Status (Wealthy aristocrat) (+3) [15]; Wealth (Multimillionaire 1) [75].

          Perks: Proxenos (Danassos) [1].

Disadvantages

Code of Honor (Gentleman’s) [-10]; Honesty (12 or less) [-10]; Indecisive (12 or less) [-10]; Sense of Duty (Athens) (Large Group) [-10]; Susceptible to Intestinal Disease -2 [-2].

          Quirks: Careful; Constantly consults omens; Sarcastic when talking to foolish people; Spends lavishly on public duties; Staunch political conservative [-5].

Skills

Accounting-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Administration-13 (IQ+0) [2]; Area Knowledge (Athens)-13 (IQ+0) [1]; Connoisseur (Visual Arts)-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Current Affairs/TL2 (Politics)-14 (IQ+1) [2]; Diplomacy-15 (IQ+2) [12]; Finance-13 (IQ+0) [4]; Hiking-10 (HT+0) [2]; History (Athenian)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Law (Athenian)-13 (IQ+0) [4]; Leadership-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Literature-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Musical Instrument (Lyre)-11 (IQ-2) [1]; Navigation/TL2 (Land)-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Politics-14 (IQ+1) [4]; Public Speaking-13 (IQ+0) [2]; Religious Ritual (Hellenic)-13 (IQ+0) [4]; Riding (Equines)-11 (DX+0) [2]; Savoir-Faire (High Society)-14 (IQ+1) [2]; Shield (Shield)-12 (DX+1) [2]; Shortsword-10 (DX-1) [1]; Singing-10 (HT+0) [1]; Soldier/TL2-13 (IQ+0) [2]; Spear-12 (DX+1) [4]; Strategy (Land)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Tactics-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Theology (Hellenic)-13 (IQ+0) [4]; Wrestling-11 (DX+0) [2].

Nikias is one of the leading statesmen of this time, having been the primary negotiator for the current truce in the ongoing wars between Athens and Sparta. He is a staunchly conservative aristocrat, who dislikes both populist demagogues and the war-hawks of his own class.

At first, his role in the story is as the proxenos of Danassos in Athens – kind of a local advocate who represents a foreign city’s legitimate interests and helps out any citizens of that polis who come to visit. (In our history, Nikias was the proxenos of Syracuse, which was one of the things that pulled him into the debates over the Sicilian Expedition.)

Character notes:

  • In general, Nikias is drawn here as a typical Athenian gentleman, never as outstanding as some of his peers, but solidly competent in his chosen fields of endeavor. His best skill is his Diplomacy, the basis of his foremost accomplishment. He also has high levels of Religious Ritual and Theology, as he was known for extreme piety and a tendency to take the omens before every big decision.
  • As a war-commander, Nikias was cautious and indecisive. He managed to lead a few minor expeditions without serious loss, but it was a complete disaster when the Sicilian Expedition fell into his hands. I also gave him a mild Susceptibility to various intestinal bugs – he’s not a young man any more, and he has a brittle digestion which sometimes knocks him flat at critical moments.
  • One notable element of this character is his extreme wealth – Nikias was one of the dozen or so wealthiest men in Athens at the time, having invested in the extremely profitable business of leasing slaves in bulk to the silver mines at Laurion. Wealthy men often served as proxenoi, since they would often house visitors from their represented city at their own expense. Nikias will be very able to help Alexandra when she turns up on his doorstep.

I’m not done working up characters, but I think I want to build a few of the more supernaturally oriented ones next – which means I’m going to need to define how magic works in this setting.

As it happens, I’ve done some informal work in that direction already – my novelette “Harmony’s Choice” includes a protagonist who uses exactly the kind of magic I want to include in these stories. I think my big project for tomorrow (the one day I’m going to have off for the next week) will be to analyze my own published story and hammer out GURPS references for everything. Look for that soon.

Aspasia

Aspasia

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Here’s another character who’s likely to play a big part in Alexandra’s adventure in Athens.

Aspasia of Miletos (200 points)

Age 50; Human; 5′ even; 115 lbs; Petite middle-aged woman with dark hair and eyes, dresses in modest but very fine clothing.

ST 9 [-10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 11 [10].

Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0]; Will 15 [0]; Per 15 [0]; FP 11 [0].

Basic Speed 5.5 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Block 6 (DX); Dodge 8; Parry 8 (DX).

Social Background

TL: 2 [0]. CF: Hellenic (Native) [0]; Persian [1]. Languages: Ionian Greek (Native) [0]; Persian (Accented/None) [2].

Advantages

Appearance (Beautiful) [12]; Contact Group (Athenian aristocrats and wealthy businessmen) (Effective Skill 15) (9 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [10]; Status (Average aristocrat) (+3) [15]; Wealth (Wealthy) [20].

Disadvantages

Hard of Hearing [-10]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Reputation (Among conservatives, as a foreigner and former prostitute) -3 (All the time; Large class) [-7]; Sense of Duty (Family and close friends) (Small Group) [-5]; Social Stigma (Second-Class Citizen) [-5].

          Quirks: Always soft-spoken and polite; Likes to flirt with handsome men; Nostalgic for her time with Perikles; Quietly skeptical about the gods; Very careful with money [-5].

Skills

Accounting-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Acting-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Area Knowledge (Athens)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Brawling-11 (DX+0) [1]; Carousing-12 (HT+1) [2]; Connoisseur (Literature)-15 (IQ+0) [2]; Current Affairs/TL2 (Mainland Hellas)-16 (IQ+1) [2]; Dancing-11 (DX+0) [2]; Diplomacy-15 (IQ+0) [4]; Erotic Art (Human)-11 (DX+0) [2]; Expert Skill (Natural Philosophy)-15 (IQ+0) [4]; Fast-Talk-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Finance-14 (IQ-1) [2]; History (Athenian)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; History (Ionian)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Interrogation-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Knife-11 (DX+0) [1]; Law (Athenian)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Literature-15 (IQ+0) [4]; Musical Instrument (Lyre)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Occultism-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Philosophy (Milesian School)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Politics-15 (IQ+0) [2]; Professional Skill (Prostitute)-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Psychology (Human)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Public Speaking (Rhetoric)-16 (IQ+1) [2]; Religious Ritual (Hellenic)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Savoir-Faire (High Society)-16 (IQ+1) [2]; Sex Appeal (Human)-14 (HT+3) [1]; Singing-12 (HT+1) [2]; Streetwise-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Swimming-11 (HT+0) [1]; Teaching-14 (IQ-1) [1].

The problem with drawing up Aspasia in GURPS terms is that we know almost nothing about her life. We can be fairly sure that she came from an aristocratic family in the Ionian city of Miletos, that she was very well-educated for a woman of her time, that she may have worked as a hetaira (essentially a high-class prostitute) for a while after coming to Athens, that she had a long-term relationship with the statesman Perikles, and that she was extremely influential in the social circle that grew up around him. The details, unfortunately, are lost under centuries of fiction and outright slander.

I’m working with the assumption that Aspasia was born about 466 BCE, and that she came to Athens as a young woman, accompanying her older sister, and her sister’s aristocratic Athenian husband. As a foreign woman in Athens, beautiful and with a considerable education, she would likely have been able to make a small fortune as a hetaira, but I’m assuming she gave up that life when she took up with Perikles in the middle 440s BCE. This version of Aspasia never ran a brothel, although she has often offered advice and support to other women in the trade, helping them maintain their independence and invest their money.

At present, Aspasia is settling into a comfortable middle-age, married to an Athenian strategos and democratic statesman named Lysikles. From behind the scenes, she is still assisting her son by Perikles as he develops a public career. She maintains the appearance of a very private individual, but she quietly remains in contact with every intellectual and half the aristocrats in Athens. Many people visit the house she shares with Lysikles, seeking advice, hoping to make political or business bargains, or just for quiet conversation. Sokrates and Alkibiades both remain her close associates.

Although, no, this version of Aspasia is not running any world-spanning conspiracies.

Character notes:

  • Aspasia was renowned for her intelligence, wit, and education. Sokrates himself held her in very high esteem, and she and Perikles created a social circle that did much to give Athens its reputation as the center of Greek intellectual accomplishment. I don’t think an IQ score of 15 is at all unreasonable for her.
  • Aspasia is well past her youth at this point, not quite as deft or fit as she once was, and I have her growing hard of hearing with age.
  • I’m assuming that Aspasia, born to a wealthy family in Ionia, would have had opportunity to learn spoken Persian and assimilate something about Persian culture. That might make her a valuable resource for anyone having dealings in Ionia or with the Persian Empire beyond.
  • Aspasia still has some of the skills she picked up as a hetaira, although she hasn’t used them professionally in decades. Instead, she uses them to advise younger women as need arises. She remains a sharp businesswoman, managing her own investments with an iron fist and earning some income by helping others do the same.
  • At this point in her life, Aspasia is primarily a philosopher, with the emphasis on natural philosophy that comes from the Milesian School of her home city. She doesn’t teach or debate in public, nor does she accept pay for teaching like many of the Sophists, but she continues to lead an active intellectual life and maintain a circle of like-minded friends.
Alkibiades

Alkibiades

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Here’s another character who is going to be pivotal to the Danassos stories:

Alkibiades, son of Kleinias (310 points)

Age 33; Human; 5′ 11″; 160 lbs; Tall and handsome, light brown hair, brown eyes, wears rich clothing carelessly.

ST 13 [30]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 13 [30].

Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 34 lbs.; HP 13 [0]; Will 13 [0]; Per 13 [0]; FP 13 [0].

Basic Speed 6.5 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Block 7 (DX); Dodge 9; Parry 9 (DX).

Social Background

TL: 2 [0]. CF: Hellenic (Native) [0]. Languages: Attic Greek (Native) [0].

Advantages

Appearance (Handsome) [12]; Charisma 2 [10]; Fit [5]; Status (Wealthy aristocrat) (+4) [20]; Wealth (Filthy Rich) [50].

Disadvantages

Chummy [-5]; Code of Honor (Gentleman’s) [-10]; Lecherousness [-15]; Overconfidence (9 or less) [-7]; Reputation (Among conservatives, as an impious and unruly individual) -2 (All the time; Large class) [-5].

          Quirks: Broad-Minded; Does not take the gods seriously; Enjoys flouting social conventions; Loves to drink and party; Proud [-5].

Skills

Acting-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Animal Handling (Equines)-13 (IQ+0) [2]; Area Knowledge (Athens)-14 (IQ+1) [2]; Carousing-15 (HT+2) [4]; Connoisseur (Wine)-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Current Affairs/TL2 (Mainland Hellas)-14 (IQ+1) [2]; Dancing-12 (DX-1) [1]; Diplomacy-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Fast-Talk-15 (IQ+2) [8]; Hiking-12 (HT-1) [1]; History (Athenian)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Lance-13 (DX+0) [2]; Law (Athenian)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Leadership-14 (IQ+1) [1]; Literature-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Musical Instrument (Lyre)-11 (IQ-2) [1]; Philosophy (Sokratic)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Politics-14 (IQ+1) [4]; Public Speaking-15 (IQ+2) [2]; Religious Ritual (Hellenic)-11 (IQ-2) [1]; Riding (Equines)-14 (DX+1) [4]; Running-12 (HT-1) [1]; Savoir-Faire (High Society)-13 (IQ+0) [1]; Sex Appeal (Human)-16 (HT+3) [1]; Shield (Shield)-14 (DX+1) [2]; Shortsword-12 (DX-1) [1]; Singing-13 (HT+0) [1]; Soldier/TL2-14 (IQ+1) [4]; Spear-14 (DX+1) [4]; Strategy (Land)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Strategy (Naval)-12 (IQ-1) [2]; Streetwise-12 (IQ-1) [1]; Survival (Mountain)-12 (Per-1) [1]; Swimming-13 (HT+0) [1]; Tactics-13 (IQ+0) [4]; Teamster (Equines)-14 (IQ+1) [3]; Thrown Weapon (Spear)-14 (DX+1) [2]; Wrestling-13 (DX+0) [2].

Here’s the notorious Athenian rogue, playboy, and statesman, at the height of his powers (although not yet at the height of his influence). He’s a long-time student and friend of Sokrates, but the older man hasn’t managed to impart much in the way of philosophy or sober morals.

A few notes about this writeup:

  • Weighing all the ancient sources closely, it does appear that Alkibiades had the talent to be an all-around paragon without really being world-class in any one area. He was a trained athlete, a gifted but not world-class political and public speaker, and a competent soldier. He managed to sustain an active lifestyle while still indulging in an impressive array of vices. I therefore gave him above-average attributes all around, and was tempted to give him an even higher HT score.
  • Alkibiades was the last of the famous aristocratic clan of the Alkmaionidai, and he inherited a substantial fortune of his own as well as a large dowry from his wife. High Status and Wealth are a given.
  • A fairly long list of psychological disadvantages here. He was apparently gregarious and loved social gatherings, the more raucous the better. He was certainly overconfident to the point of hubris, and got himself in trouble more than once by over-estimating his already considerable talents.
  • Alkibiades was also famous for racking up a long list of lovers of both sexes – Sokrates (who I drew up with very strong will) was one of the few who seems to have consistently eluded his seductive reach. Alkibiades also got himself in trouble more than once by indulging his taste for sex. A full-blown Lecherousness disadvantage seems very appropriate here.
  • Wide range of skills, with the highest being his Carousing, Sex Appeal, and Fast-Talk, as befits his known career. He was also a trained athlete, although he tended not to compete personally, instead investing in horses and chariot teams. He has Strategy (both Land and Naval specializations) and Tactics, but not at master-class levels – few Hellenic statesmen took a systematic approach to war-planning or command.

Alkibiades also seems to establish an upper bound for character point totals in the Danassos stories, as I work with GURPS to write up characters. My protagonist (Alexandra) is likely to be roughly at the same power level – 300 points or so – with the main antagonists being comparable, and most other characters falling somewhere below.

Danassos: A Familiar Character

Danassos: A Familiar Character

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked out a timeline for the Danassos setting, through the end of that world’s equivalent of the Peloponnesian Wars. I think I have enough material to sketch out the plot of two complete novels.

Next step is to work out some character details. At this stage in my world-building process, I often make use of the GURPS role-playing game to lay out characters, so I can be consistent about their capabilities while I write. That exercise also helps me define the fantastic elements of the story – what futuristic technology is available, what non-human species might appear, how magic and the supernatural will work. So that’s what I’m going to be working on over the next week or two.

Here’s an example, who will likely be familiar to the audience.

Sokrates, son of Sophroniskos (190 points)

Age 54; Human; 5′ 5″; 155 lbs; Stocky and muscular, bright brown eyes, balding with a fringe of grey hair, long beard, dresses very plainly.

ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 11 [10].

Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11 [0]; Will 18 [15]; Per 15 [0]; FP 11 [0].

Basic Speed 5.5 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Block 6 (DX); Dodge 8; Parry 8 (DX).

Social Background

TL: 2 [0]. CF: Hellenic (Native) [0]. Languages: Attic Greek (Native) [0].

Advantages

Fearlessness 2 [4]; Intuition (Daimonic advice) (Divine) [14]; Reputation (Among intellectuals, as a wise and honest man) 4 (All the time; Small class) [6].

Disadvantages

Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Honesty (6 or less) [-20]; Odious Personal Habit (Relentless questioning) -1 [-5]; Overweight [-1]; Reputation (Among conservatives, as a questioner of tradition) -2 (All the time; Large class) [-5]; Wealth (Struggling) [-10].

          Quirks: Dresses very plainly in shabby clothes; Quirky sense of humor; Spends all his time on philosophy; Strong moral principles; Uninterested in money and possessions [-5].

Skills

Area Knowledge (Athens)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Brawling-11 (DX+0) [1]; Carousing-12 (HT+1) [2]; Current Affairs/TL2 (Mainland Hellas)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Dancing-10 (DX-1) [1]; Detect Lies-15 (Per+0) [4]; Diplomacy-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Fast-Talk-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Hiking-11 (HT+0) [2]; History (Athenian)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Law (Athenian)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Literature-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Occultism-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Philosophy (Sokratic)-18 (IQ+3) [16]; Psychology (Human)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Public Speaking-15 (IQ+0) [2]; Religious Ritual (Hellenic)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Savoir-Faire (High Society)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Shield (Shield)-12 (DX+1) [2]; Shortsword-10 (DX-1) [1]; Singing-11 (HT+0) [1]; Soldier/TL2-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Spear-11 (DX+0) [2]; Streetwise-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Survival (Mountain)-14 (Per-1) [1]; Swimming-12 (HT+1) [1]; Tactics-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Teaching-16 (IQ+1) [4]; Theology (Hellenic)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Wrestling-10 (DX-1) [1].

The starting point here is the character profile I did for Sokrates in GURPS Greece a long time ago (see the sidebar on p. 90 of that book). This version is suitably updated for GURPS Fourth Edition, of course. Some notes:

  • This version of Sokrates is a few years older, in his early fifties, past the time when he would have served as a hoplite solider in the Peloponnesian War. He’s still in decent physical condition, but his DX has declined a bit, and he starting to go a bit soft around the edges.
  • More recent research suggests that Sokrates was probably not a member of the lower class of thetes. If he could serve as a hoplite, then he wasn’t a poor laborer by birth, even if neglect of his finances left him struggling in his later years. This version of Sokrates has Status 0.
  • In this setting, Sokrates doesn’t have the minor Delusion that a daimon occasionally gives him advice. There actually is a daimon that watches over him and gives him advice when he stops to think about things! I’m modeling this as Intuition with the Divine (-10%) power modifier; it’s the only supernatural power he has, but it’s more reliable than the Spirit modifier would indicate. What god has sent his tutelary spirit to him, not even Sokrates knows for sure.
  • The skill list is polished up a bit from the one I wrote up twenty-plus years ago. Most of the skills have been trimmed back, although he still has Philosophy (in his own school) at very high level. He has a good array of knowledge and social skills. One surprise may be the set of Occultism, Religious Ritual, and Theology. We know that Sokrates never served as a formally invested priest, but he was quite knowledgeable about esoteric mysteries and the Hellenic gods, and he taught some of his students (such as Xenophon) the art of divination through omens. He still has some of his old military skills, although those are starting to degrade for lack of use.
  • On the other hand, some of the skills we might expect him to have, he’s operating at the IQ-based default. These include Politics, Masonry, and Sculpture. Sokrates certainly understood politics, and he began his adult life working as a stonecutter and sculptor, but he seems to have refused to develop or use any of those skills.

More to come, as I develop more of the characters that my protagonist will meet in her journey. Not to mention Alexandra herself!

 

Danassos: Some Deep Back-Story

Danassos: Some Deep Back-Story

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Just a quick post today, to share a piece of world-building I did a few years back. I was in the process of teaching myself map-making techniques in Photoshop and Inkscape, and dipped into my old notes on the Danassos setting to produce a map. Here’s a copy of the result:

That’s a pretty big file, so you may want to download it, or visit the pertinent page on DeviantArt.

(Yes, if you look closely at the map, you’ll see Atlantis. Thera, of course.)

The idea here is to trace the origins and eventual destiny of the so-called “Minoan” civilization, in the Danassos alternate history.

I’m assuming that the Minoans were originally Luwian people from southwestern Asia Minor, related to the Karian and Lykian peoples who lived there in historical times. About 3000 BCE some of them migrated into the Aegean and settled on Crete, forming the basis for Minoan culture. That would make the Minoan civilization an early outpost of the Indo-European language group, since the Luwian languages were part of the (very archaic) Anatolian branch of that family.

Centuries later, another branch of the Indo-European family made an appearance to the north, proto-Greeks migrating down into what we now think of as Thessaly. These people began as warlike nomads, using horses and primitive chariots to achieve military superiority over the pre-Greek peoples of the region. Eventually, they filtered further south, took over the small palace-states of the southern peninsula, and came into contact with the more sophisticated Minoans. The result was the Mycenaean culture, the first iteration of Greek civilization and the basis for all the later heroic myths.

All of that is entirely historical, of course. The first big divergence from our familiar history comes about 1450 BCE, when Mycenaean adventurers and warlords began to take over the Minoan palace-states on Crete. That sets up several decades of conflict, at the end of which the mainland Greeks invade and sack Crete, bringing Minoan culture to a bloody end. I’m assuming that the Minoans had long known about the existence of Italy and Sicily to the west; the major point of divergence is that some Minoan survivors escape the sack and set up the refugee colony in Sicily that later becomes the city of Danassos.

A note on dates: the calendar system I’m using is called Etos Kosmou or “era of the world.” (The Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Orthodox Church once used similar nomenclature for their calendars.) The epoch is the vernal equinox in the year 3058 BCE by our reckoning. Dates BCE can therefore be roughly determined by subtracting the EK date from 3058, and vice versa.

The idea here is that the ancient Minoans were aware of the procession of the equinoxes, and had the mathematical sophistication needed to estimate the position of the sun at the vernal equinox at various points in the past. This is all rampant speculation, of course – we have not a scrap of solid evidence for Minoan astronomy. However, it’s an interesting coincidence that right about the time the Minoan culture was established (circa 3000 BCE) the position of the equinox was in the constellation of Taurus (the Bull), not far from the bright star Aldebaran (the Bull’s “heart”).

We have evidence that the constellation of Taurus has been seen as a Bull since very ancient times. In fact, the Minoans were among the ancient cultures who maintained bull-cults and saw bulls as sacred creatures. I have to wonder if there wasn’t a certain amount of astronomical lore behind those cults. Maybe, maybe not – it’s not as if bulls aren’t impressive and dangerous creatures that any ancient culture might find worthy of worship.

Regardless, it struck me as a neat idea that the Minoans might have believed that at the moment of the world’s creation, the sun was at the vernal equinox and in the heart of the constellation of the Bull. I applied some astronomical software to estimate the point at which the sun would have been closest to Aldebaran at the vernal equinox, and that gave me an epoch of 3058 BCE. All of the notes I’ve gathered about the Danassos setting in the last few years, therefore, have used this version of the Etos Kosmou reckoning.

An Old Project, Made New

An Old Project, Made New

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The first book I ever had published under my byline was GURPS Greece, a sourcebook on Heroic Age and classical Greek history for Steve Jackson Games . . . first released, good Lord, over twenty years ago (first printing in 1995).

I did a lot of research and reading for that project, which turned a passing interest in ancient Hellenic civilization into a life-long passion. Afterward I moved on to other projects for SJG – that was about when the GURPS Traveller license began, for which I eventually wrote and edited a pile of books. Yet that first book stuck with me, and gave me a concept that I’ve had in the back of my mind ever since.

One result was my first attempt to write an original novel (as an adult, anyway – I did manage to complete one novel as a pre-teenager that will mercifully never escape my dead files). That attempt failed dismally, when I realized that I had an opening and a conclusion and no idea whatsoever what to do in between. So I set the idea on a back shelf and let it gather dust for a couple of decades.

Now, partially because of the time I’ve spent playing the most recent Assassin’s Creed game, I’ve found myself reviving that old idea. Lo and behold, I think all the reading and experience I’ve had since then has given me the ability to approach that story once again. I’ve been working on that notion off and on for the past few weeks, and I think it’s mature enough that I can discuss it here.

It all started with a character, and a setting. The character was a sixteen-year-old girl, heir to the throne of a pseudo-Minoan city-state, who was forced into exile when an older sister proved a little more ruthless than anyone expected. The setting was classical-era Hellas, specifically in the middle phases of the great (Second) Peloponnesian War.

This is alternate-historical fantasy, to be sure. There were no significant Minoan survivals in the classical era of our own history, and I had in mind to bring in a few supernatural elements. My protagonist Alexandra is “goddess-touched,” an oracle who is able to see and command elements of the spirit world. She’s also a petite teenager who would be helpless in a straight-up fight, so she has to think her way out of trouble and make allies before she confronts her enemies.

The first point of divergence here is in the late Bronze Age. After the final collapse of Minoan Crete, I have a small group of survivors who manage to escape from the Mycenaean invaders by sea. They end up in the west, settling on a small island off the coast of what we know as Sicily. There they create the nucleus of a new civilization: Minoan in inspiration, strengthened by the arrival of archaic Greek refugees and colonists, interacting with the barbarian tribes of Sicily and southern Italy. Their capital city is called Danassos, meaning something like “the place of the Goddess,” and it substitutes for the city we know as Syracuse.

The second point of divergence is right around the time of the Persian invasions of Hellas. The presence of Danassos off in the west doesn’t make much difference to events in mainland Greece for a long time. After the Persian Wars, though, interaction between Danassos and Hellas begins to send events slightly off-kilter. There is still a series of Peloponnesian Wars, some of the events echo what happened in the real history, and most of the same people are involved.

Still, by about 420 BCE things are starting to look quite different. That’s when Alexandra gets curb-stomped in her first fight for the Danassan throne, and has to flee into exile. She and a single loyal soldier end up in Athens, where they struggle for a while before they begin to make allies . . . some of whom will be quite familiar to the reader.

How Alexandra gets through that situation, and returns to Danassos to kick her usurping sister back off the throne, should be enough for a complete novel. It’s a novel I think I know how to write, too, now that I’ve spent the last twenty years studying the period in detail. Better yet, the last few weeks have given me enough ideas for a second novel, and maybe the ghost of an opening for a third.

More about that as things develop. In the meantime, the stories I’ve partially developed in a Bronze Age setting could be considered a loose set of prequels here. I’ve already published one of those, and this might give me the motivation I need to finish others.

I will admit, one of my worst handicaps as a writer is that left to myself, I have a hard time finishing one project before I wander off to nibble at another. Let’s see if I can stick to this one long enough to get some stories out the door.