🗲 Heroes of the Prytaneum: SHOP UPDATES: pg 76!

[Dame Hestia]

IT IS A WORLD LIKE OURS...

There are stories, of course, that have lasted through the millennia. Tales of heroic quests, monsters and magic have made their way into the modern ethos, and have pervaded every nook and cranny of western culture. Buildings are adorned with symbols that have decayed, over the years, from representing ancient healing cults to simply decorating the front of a hospital. The magic of bygone times has been dismissed as allegory or mythology, a way for less advanced peoples to explain things that they didn't have the science to fully understand.

It is only the few who learn that the myths are real, and that magic plays a hand in every special moment of modern life. A world that seems cut and dry, normal, is a facade over the meddling of ancient gods:

The Olympians.

They seek out those who are exceptional in some way: who have a spark inside of them that can be stoked toward greatness, that sets them aside from the usual noise of the average human rabble. They find the geniuses, the great beauties, the philanthropists and inventors and everyone else who will impact our world, for better or worse, and they make them their own.

[Dame Hestia]

July 10th: Our Grand Opening is here!

For our grand opening, we're currently inviting everyone interested in the shop to come and play, with a limit of one character per person.

We aren't yet opening the questing forum, so instead, please head to the character claim thread to make your character.

Note that at this time no threads that you RP will result in any XP; the XP system and credit for your RPs won't begin until the start of the first Epic. However, this is a chance for you to show your activity, to develop your character, and potentially to win some art! We plan on giving out art to active players, or potentially running free raffles.

[Dame Hestia]

No meta-gaming - Make sure that what you know and what your character knows are separate entities. You may have read a character's profile, but your character has not. Use only what you have learned through RP.

No god-moding - You should never dictate another character's actions without the other person's permission. The best way to avoid problems in fights or other kinds of conflict is to contact the other user via IM or PM to work out the loose sketch before you begin the RP.

Keep it PG-13 - Gaia's ToS requires all threads on the forums, in guilds, or PMs to be PG-13. This means that any violence should be written in relatively tame terms, and all sex must Fade to Black before it hits the juicy bits.

[Dame Hestia]

The core setting is a simple one: it's a modern world almost exactly like our own. The bulk of the setting is not in Greece but in America, and the seat of power for the Chosen is currently, strangely, settled in upstate Michigan. Characters can be from anywhere in the world, but for the purpose of this RP, there is a focus on the western world generally and the United States specifically. They do not need to speak English; we'll make sure all characters are able to understand each other.

In this world, magic doesn't generally have a direct influence on anyone's daily life. Usually, the gods' blessing appears not as an active spell but as something that promotes talents, skills and knowledges to improve people so that they, in turn, can improve the world.

Strange things happen, but go overlooked. Most humans, laying eyes on monsters and magic, fail to see what's happening in front of them, their brains filling in more mundane details instead...

THE PRYTANEUM

Some people are Chosen, with the end goal of them becoming heroes -- either of the epic kind, the great questing kind, those that fight monsters and wars and everything else, or the more modern kind, the quieter ones who influence the world in simpler ways. These select few are taken tho the Prytaneum, a swath of land protected by Hestia herself. It is a separate world, currently tied to a spot in northern Michigan, opening up onto Lake Huron.

This self-contained area, surrounded by woods on one side and the lake on the other, functions as a college campus might. It gives all kinds of training for incoming heroes, preparing them for whatever duties for which they might have been recruited.

Note that this is not the end of their outside lives. While talking about the Gods and Magic -- or revealing their magic too blatantly to the outside world -- is strictly forbidden, people are welcome to visit their families and friends at will. They might explain their recruitment as a new job, as a scholarship, a training opportunity, or anything else that might satisfy the people they know and keep them from worrying.

Dormitories

There is a dorm for each of the 12 gods, and people are housed by their god.
All dorms are of a standard size, containing a bed, a desk, a mini-fridge, with wifi access. Each pair of adjoining rooms share a bathroom.

Zeus's dorm is very classic with intimidating columns and high arches.
Hera's dorm is decorated in bright greens and blues and adorned with peacock feathers.
Poseidon's dorm is situated with a view of the ocean, decorated in white and blue.
Demeter's dorm is filled with growing things, with a massive garden.
Athena's dorm is covered with book and old scrolls on high shelves.
Apollo's dorm is decorated in gold-veined marble with huge windows to let in a lot of light, with high ceilings for good acoustics.
Artemis's dorm houses all the spoils of her hunt, with furs and mounted heads and antlers.
Ares's dorm could practically be an armory, decorated with weapons and shields.
Aphrodite's dorm is decorated with fine draped silks and chiffons, with muted lighting and couches covered in pillows.
Hephaestus's dorm has a steampunk vibe, with handmade technological enhancements and, frequently, bits and pieces of projects everywhere.
Hermes's dorm is decorated with maps and globes and other images from all around the world.
Dionysus's dorm is adorned with grapes, with a massive, high-tech wine cooler, in deep jewel tones.

Facilities

The Hearth: the heart of the Prytaneum, where the kitchens and the cafeteria are located.
Gymnasium: in addition to the standard gym equipment, this building houses several sparring rooms.
Archives: currently closed, this building holds a repository of ancient and modern literature and history.
Studio: there are all kinds of workrooms available for rent, for creating art, robotics, and other creative endeavors.
Laboratory: well-stocked, there are labs for medical as well as all other kinds of scientific research.
Classrooms: regular seminars are held in classrooms of various sizes.
Assembly hall: a raised stage with stadium-style seating on three sides serves as a place for both meetings and theater.
Armory: all new recruits stop by the armory to collect a weapon, but it also contains war rooms.
Stables: there are quite a few kinds of animals at the Prytaneum, kept at the stables and the surrounding fields.
Swimming pool: while Lake Huron is available for swimming, there is also a more contained indoor pool for cooler weather.
Track & Field: fields for all kinds of games are surrounded by a paved running track.
The Woods: they start as a normal kind of woods, but as one ventures deeper into them, they become wilder, less natural, and ripe for a hunt.

[Dame Hestia]

Each Chosen is selected because they fall into one of the Olypmian gods' spheres -- but we leave it up to you to choose which god best suits them. So long as you can justify why they caught one god's eye over another, then we'll allow some flexibility in placement. However, try to make sure you pick the best god/goddess for your character.

Note that each god has a preferred type of Chosen, but unless there is a must, these are flexible.
Common roles are our suggestions, but if you have other ideas, please be creative!

Each Chosen wears on them somewhere the symbol of their god/goddess, as shown below.

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Zeus is God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice.
Chosen of Zeus tend to be lawful in nature, though some philandering is certainly overlooked.
Common roles might be lawyers, politicians, police officers, and leaders.

Chosen of Zeus tend to prefer melee weapons.
They cannot use healing magic.


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Hera is Goddess of marriage and family, hearth and home.
Chosen of Hera tend to have some talent at cooking.
Common roles might be chefs, architects, wedding planners, bed & breakfast owners,
and other people specializing in hospitality.

Chosen of Hera tend to prefer agile weapons.
They cannot use buffing magic.


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Poseidon is God of the ocean, islands, calm seas and natural disasters, horses.
Chosen of Poseidon must know how to swim.
Common roles might be sailors, navy men, fishermen, marine biologists or horse breeders, jockeys.

Chosen of Poseidon tend to prefer balanced weapons.
They cannot use debuffing magic.


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Demeter is goddess of fertility, agriculture, nature, and the seasons.
Chosen of Demeter are frequently parents.
Common roles might be nursery school teachers, gardeners, farmers, gynecologists, midwives, ecologists.

Chosen of Demeter tend to prefer defensive weapons.
They cannot use attack magic.


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Athena is goddess of wisdom, literature, handicrafts and science, defense and strategic warfare.
Chosen of Athena must have a college degree or be working toward one.
Common roles might be teachers, professors, writers, scientific researchers, war advisors, hostage negotiators.

Chosen of Athena tend to prefer balanced weapons.
They cannot use debuffing magic.


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Apollo is god of light, prophecy, inspiration, poetry, music, medicine and healing.
Chosen of Apollo are frequently lovers at heart.
Common roles might be musicians, poets, or doctors.

Chosen of Apollo tend to prefer ranged weapons.
They cannot use attack magic.


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Artemis is goddess of the hunt, virginity, archery, the moon, and all animals.
Chosen of Artemis must be female, and usually are abstinent.
Common roles might be hunters, zookeepers, animal preservationists, or veterinarians.

Chosen of Artemis tend to prefer ranged weapons.
They cannot use buffing magic.


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Ares is god of war, violence, and bloodshed.
Chosen of Ares are almost always fighters, and often have hot tempers.
Common roles are soldiers or officers in the army, some spec ops, assassins, bouncers, or bounty hunters.

Chosen of Ares tend to prefer melee weapons.
They cannot use healing magic.


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Aphrodite is goddess of love, beauty, and desire.
Chosen of Aphrodite must be attractive.
Common roles are models, cosmetologists, fashion designers, sex advice columnists, or matchmakers.

Chosen of Aphrodite tend to prefer defensive weapons.
They cannot use buffing magic.


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Hephaestus is craftsman of the gods; god of fire and the forge.
Chosen of Hephaestus must be builders or inventors of some kind.
Common roles are sculptors, roboticists, weaponsmiths, computer programmers, and those in construction.

Chosen of Hephaestus tend to prefer heavy weapons.
They cannot use debuffing magic.


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Hermes is god of commerce, thieves, eloquence and streets.
Chosen of Hermes are often slight/small.
Common roles are magicians, thieves, con men, street performers, motivational speakers, and economists.

Chosen of Hermes tend to prefer agile weapons.
They cannot use healing magic.


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Dionysus is god of wine, celebrations, art and theatre.
Chosen of Dionysus cannot be teetotalers.
Common roles are party planners, brewers, vintners, sommeliers, fine artists, actors, playwrights, and directors.

Chosen of Dionysus tend to prefer heavy weapons.
They cannot use attack magic.

[Dame Hestia]

Hestia: the Prytaneum is under Hestia's protection; she is at the core of the magic that keeps it safe and ties it to this world. She's not available at a summons, but she'll frequently be seen at gatherings and events.

Alvin Davies: the Head of Housing is the first person every new recruit will meet. He is a small, narrow-faced Chosen of Hera; not hostile, but extremely matter of fact and focused on getting things done as quickly and smoothly as possible. He helps people find their rooms, as well as organizing cooks and meals.

Maxine "Call me Max" Voigt: in contrast to Head of Housing, the Headmaster is in charge of programming around the Prytanium. She's a large, friendly Chosen of Athena, quick to smiles and equally quick to temper when people step out of line. She makes sure that there are classes schedules, experts brought in to teach new things. She deals with problems.

Griffin Ortega: many a Chosen has mistaken their tall, dark weaponsmaster for a follower of Aphrodite, but in fact, he's a fierce Ares warrior: he just happens to be one with a supermodel smile and an extremely on-trend manbun. Of course, on the actual field, he proves his loyalty to his own god quite thoroughly...

Rafe Petrov: those who are injured while at the Prytaneum will be sent to the healer: a pale, unhappy-looking man with virtually no bedside manner. He seems permanently annoyed and dour, which might have to do with the fact that he's chosen not of Apollo, as expected, but Hades -- perhaps the only Chosen of Hades currently at the Prytaneum...

Brynn Abernathy: if anyone wants to use any of the rooms in the studio building, they'll run into Brynn: a short pistol of a Hephaestus-Chosen, with messy pastel hair, an eclectic mix of nerdy clothing, a ton of freckles, and giant glasses. She's cheerful but distractible, helpful but forgetful.

Christopher "Chris" Breaux: while he might look like an intimidating giant of a Poseidon-Chosen, Chris is more like the camp counselor, a Cajun bro with an easy enthusiasm and willingness to help out that makes him excellent at guiding newcomers who are still getting used to their new life.

Olivia von Hooten: a Southern belle with a warm and friendly attitude that sometimes borderlines on passive aggressive, this Artemis-Chosen will teach the basics of weaponry -- which one suits individual styles, how to take care of them, how to hold them -- before sending newcomers on to be whipped into shape by the weaponsmaster.

[Dame Hestia]

RP tone

The base of the shop, in terms of RP, is the Prytaneum itself -- but this doesn't mean that characters are limited to the school-like setting exclusively. Travel, for the Chosen, is a simple thing, movement from one place of hospitality to another, making it easy for them to visit home, and to explore other places that can aid in the pursuits of their gods.

Unfortunately, this method of travel only works for the Chosen, and is the only way to get to the Prytaneum, so characters must leave their homes [at least temporarily!] to accept their new lives.

Epic Stories

Our goal as staff at Prytaneum is to keep an engaging metaplot going in the form of Epic Stories: larger scale plots that have an impact on the world, that player characters will need to participate in and solve. These plots are of various lengths, various levels of engagement, and have various possible consequences. They're a good way for nervous players and bold players alike to develop their characters and extend their personal stories.

Combat

In addition to one on one RP, we also have a comprehensive combat system written to make spars and fights easy and more exciting. The full details can be found in this thread in the guild, but to give a short breakdown:

> an extremely simple dice system
> a range of weapon types that affect fighting style
> magical items of various types for both combat and meta use
> magical spells given to characters by their gods

[Dame Hestia]

Since Epic Stories -- our metaplot -- is such a core part of the shop concept, most characters will be available during these stretches of GMed activity. During Epics, any player will be invited to create one character, and at the end of the story, characters that were exceptionally active will be rewarded with art.

Note that not all players are guaranteed art. Due to the free-for-all aspect of us giving away massive numbers of characters periodically, we can't guarantee that everyone who participates will get art. However, it is our goal to reward active players with frequent quest fairy art, raffles, and other opportunities. Our hope is that, while players aren't guaranteed art, they'll still have chances to get their hands on it none the less.

All art is thigh-up painted work like the samples found in this thread.

[Dame Hestia]

In addition to this image list, which contains only characters with completed art, a full text list of characters can be found in this guild thread.

[Dame Hestia]

Participating in events or RPing one-on-one yields XP, and XP is used to level up heroes. This is our take on the RP requirements many shops have, except that instead of just the big 'stages', we also have smaller milestones that reward activity between growths.

All characters start at level 0, when they are Chosen, and as they're played, or participate in special events, they'll be rewarded XP and status as a Hero!

While characters grow and get new waist-up art on the 10s, smaller levels also offer special bonuses: magic spells, items, or weapons. More info about this will come as we play through our first Epic Story!

[Dame Hestia]

and be blue - owner, artist
Silent Spy - GM
phoenix kiss - GM

[Dame Hestia]

If you'd like to help encourage activity, please use the link button below!
We'll also gladly accept affiliates and link trades.
Please send all requests to and be blue.

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[Dame Hestia]

[Dame Hestia]

[Dame Hestia]