Roll Those Dice

I'm just a DM, who had a player suggest keeping a blog to track our adventures as an offhand comment. Current Game: The Basilieus of Hesperia

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The City of Bisanthe

This ever changing city provides links to many of the large island nations, and processes a vast amount of the country’s lumber. It has a relatively friendly rivalry with Eretria – Bisanthes call Eretrians coarse and uneducated, and Eretrians consider Bisanthes stuck up and lazy. 

But what shady business lurks in the dark?

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My Cryptid, My Cryptid, & Me - the premium newsletter for cryptid spotters in Hesperia. Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is I’m sure, entirely coincidental.

(One of my players has a character who is an avid cryptid fan, and I threw together a publication for them, and the bingo card to match. It’s rough, but they seemed to like it.)

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Ariel and the story so far, 2

We get so far and plant one of the staffs of true travel, which is a fancy stick that makes the roads safe. Turns out our employer created a personality to keep tabs on the network. RETT is a sweetheart who knows so much but had never seen a field before. It’s not the same, but it reminds me of how I felt leaving the temple. It’s a lot all at once.

Eventually we get to this old backwater village and plant the staff, but there’s a party going on so we decide to hang around. The village has a weird ritual where village women hide in the forest and their husbands to be try to find them, and they have a festival to celebrate. Everything was lovely, which really should have tipped me off that things were about to go to hell.

Everybody waits, and waits, but time drags on and the young lovers don’t come back.

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The Oracle

Externally young and cheerful, the Oracle is blessed with the gift of prophecy- and cursed with the inability to act upon it. The keepers of his temple do their best to interpret often confusing or contradictory prophecies, hampered by his inability to give them the wider context, despite how much he wishes he could.

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RETT’s Theme

RETT (the Regulated Enchantment of True Travel) is the source of the safe roads the party are installing. Situated across already dozens of anchor points, RETT may be a new consciousness, but she’s learning and changing fast. 

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Royal Family of Hesperia

The royal family line is an ancient one, with so many offshoots and branches that if there is a sudden call for someone with royal blood to take the throne there will be dozens of cousins that could come crawling out of the woodwork. 

The main royal family, thankfully, don’t seem to have any intentions of going anywhere, and are well liked by the people of the country and the country itself.

The Basileus

Iphition Meditrina || 46

The Basileus of Hesperia took the throne 21 years  ago and has ruled decently. He has not been known for great charity, but he  has in turn not been known for any great cruelty. In his younger days he was seen about the Basileus often on special occasions, walking amongst the  people. However, since the death of the Basilinna ten years ago, he has  withdrawn from most of public life. Public occasions are now mostly attended  by The Crown Prince or The Elder Princess.

The Basilinna

Selene Meditrina || N/A

The Basilinna was much loved by the people and her charitable works and championing of libraries are the legacy she left behind after her untimely death ten years ago.

The Crown Prince

Pandorus Meditrina || 24

The Crown Prince is relatively well liked by the people of the land, and will come to almost any occasion he’s invited to, if possible. He is not always in touch with the common folk, but he smiles wonderfully, has a handsome face, and gives out money like it’s nothing, so that usually goes down well. It is generally accepted rumour that he is not terribly interested in the politics of the land, and has been known to sneak  away from diplomatic meetings to go to the theatre instead. (To this end, his bodyguard also serves as captor when he really must stay.) He shares his late mother’s love of stories, but would rather be told a tale than read one.  

The Elder Princess

Hiera Meditrina || 21

The Elder Princess is not quite as interested in appearing at public events as her brother, and common folk are less likely to have stories about the time their uncle went drinking with royalty involving her, but she is liked well enough. Being as she is not heir, people just do not care as much. Much of the management of the libraries and theatres that her mother started she now cares for, and her skill at solving problems is renowned.

The Younger Princess 

Scython Meditrina || 16

The Younger Princess is a cheerful girl, who attends as many public events as she’s able, usually with a scowl when she’s held back from joining in with people due to her youthfulness. It was only two years ago that her title was changed from Younger Prince as it was proclaimed she had made a decision about her gender, and that it had been ratified by law and magic.

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Aurelia Rich District Theme

The capital city is a busy, bustling place, and the richer parts of the city are not an unpleasant place to spend your time sitting outside a cafe.

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DM Shaming

Accidentally nearly killed a great PC today. Made a player weep. Feel like garbage.

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The Basileus of Hesperia - Main Theme 

The main theme for this campaign- the overture, if you will, for what’s to come. 

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Ariel and the story so far, 1

I’ll be honest, there was never any doubt in my mind that I’d be one of the chosen few getting to journey around Hesperia. Naralis provides, even if He works in mysterious ways.

So I meet my travelling party as we’re being tested. There’s Marr, Kate, and Mort. Maar is half orc and doesn’t seem to like anything or anyone much. Kate is a dwarf who does seem to know about stone stuff, but doesn’t like people assuming that she knows stone-stuff. Mort is a drow and the kind of person who burries themself and crawls out of a grave looking spotless, so naturally I don’t know what to make of them but I’m impressed and a lot more wary of freshly dug graves.

We get through this crypt that belonged to a line of barmy inventors who thought it was a fun idea to make their final resting places idiot proof with algebra and death trap robots. Fun. Just as we’re about to win Marr gets hit one too many times and topples. I can tell you this much, I haven’t been so scared since... well. The second we were done fighting I ran over to Marr and revived him. He seemed a bit less gruff with me after that, which I think means he trusts me a little bit more than not at all.

Before we set off I checked with our employer that he was okay with us potentially killing people who might be after the technology we’re supposed to be installing. He looked at me like I was mad for even asking. I didn’t realise that people were so cavalier about murder here. Maybe that’s just my upbringing showing. Living in the service of a god like Naralis all your life will do that.

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The Basileus of Hesperia

(What follows is the basic info I provided my players with for their setting.)

Capital: 

Aurelia

Races: 

43% Human       

24% Elf

13% Dwarven

7% Half Elf

5% Halfling

3% Gnome

2.5% Half-Orc

2% Dragonborn

0.5% Tiefling

Government: 

Basileusium 

Basileus: 

Iphition Meditrina 

Crown Prince: 

Pandorus Meditrina 

President of Advisory Council: 

Sabus Tiberinus

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Hesperia has a long history, with the royal line supposedly dating back two thousand years. In that long history the country has played many parts: a nation at war with its neighbours (and sometimes itself), a trader across the seas, a hub of magic; what it truly excels at though is as a capital of culture. Here is a place where music thrives, playhouses are packed, and everything from architecture to zoetrope is encouraged.

Because of this, the country can seem eclectic and disorganised to foreigners who are used to uniform houses and less forward fashion. Hesperia is the places trends are set, which can lead to seemingly unusual styles in clothing, music, or art. It is rare for any child to reach their fifth birthday without seeing some kind of theatre, though that could mean the great opera house in Aurelia or a puppet show performed by a travelling troupe.

Cities may have houses that are the same in layout, but this is usually a sign of a poorer district, and the residents will usually use paint or decoration to make sure that their house is distinguishable. In towns and villages, the problem is less likely to occur. Wealthy home owners will often hire an architect and a designer of renown to make sure everything marks out their individuality. (The fact that hiring the same person as the eight other people on your street is not terribly original seems to pass them by.)

The last war in Hesperia was just over fifty years ago, and was truly an intervention between two Southern neighbours- Asuncion and Vannin- who were fighting over territory. The border town of Rufiana is built around the border fort used during the war.

The capital city of Aurelia is a colourful and grand sight to behold. The royal palace is a marvel of architecture that wouldn’t be possible without heavy magic use- several dozen magic users are employed at any one time to maintain the intricate spells.

The size of the country is responsible for its varied climate- the trading city of Eretria to the East sits at the edge of a vast desert, and the city of Bisanthe in the West was built from the lumber of a great forest. The Dragon Spine Mountains stretch through the centre of the country, connecting these disparate climates, and swampland can be found in the North and South.

There is no official religion in Hesperia, with the people being too diverse, though the royal family have for many generations worshipped Milil, goddess of poetry and song. Celebrations at Midsummer and Midwinter and the equinoxes have pulled many deities’ holidays into large celebrations, though the Grand Revel of Midsummer does take its name from Milil’s traditional holiday.

Unlike in some countries of the world, elves have never suffered any particular prosecution or suspicion in Hesperia, which is why over a quarter of inhabitants are elf blooded. Acceptance even stretches, on occasion, to Drow- apparently there are even a few employed by the royal family. That being said, life is still hard for certain citizens- especially half orcs and tiefling, who have many untruthful myths surrounding them thanks to the country’s love of spreading stories.

The country it not without its problems. There is most certainly a gap between rich and poor, and a great disdain for those with no literacy or musical ability. Also, due to the tendency towards the arts and letting the wilderness be, there is a far higher level of abandoned ruins crawling with beasts than many more military countries. Once off the beaten track, it can quickly become dangerous, and if one cannot afford to travel by magic, they are unlikely to see any but the closest other settlements.

However, those who have the skill, luck, or idiocy to travel will rarely find themselves out of work, as there are plenty of occasions that only a physical messenger or adventurer will do.

________

Technology in Hesperia is reasonably well advanced. Magic is a large part of that, but there’s also the use of Helio power, an invention you don’t know the creator of, but have certainly benefited from. There are Helio lights in the cities, Heliographs that can capture images, and even certain large scale spells now take some energy from Helio power.

Transport: Travelling is difficult, in Hesperia, with the wilds and the beasts. People do travel between towns and villages as they need to, but it is a journey they usually hire someone to protect them on. Travelling between cities, however, is far easier- if you can afford it. Travel Portals can transport you instantly from one gate to another. Obviously, this sort of convenience comes with a hefty price-tag, and it is generally nobles or their guests who benefit.

Weaponry: There are a few early style firearms available in Hesperia, but they are generally considered a bit… pointless. If you are up close, you may as well use a sword, as that does not run out of attempts, and if you are far, a spell is far more versatile.

Entertainment: Hesperia is so wrapped up in its love of theatre and stories, that it is understandable why a form of television exists. Helio powered crystal screens- a possession only a rare few could own, and mostly found in establishments- can display an image being shown to a crystal ball almost the whole length of the Basileus. This has allowed performances being held in the theatres of the capital to be shown, with limited quality, in far flung cities. These are found mostly in cities, occasionally in towns, and almost never in villages.

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So, for this campaign, I sorted my players out with both a world map and a map of our setting. I didn’t expect them to want to scour every inch of it, but if I hadn’t wanted that I should have made the map smaller!

(Honestly, a reference dictionary for classical works of literature is super handy for place-names.)