Fantasy The Siege of Greece - Magic

[theunderwolf]

MAGIC (and how it works)

Magic in Greece is an ever present force, every citizen is born with it to varying degrees.


12 gods give the power of magic, they are known as patrons. Those who receive their power are called the clients of their patrons.


For every Patron their are three houses, each house has a power associated with them.


While each citizen has powers, their strength varies. Strength is graded by three


categories


Potency:


How strong they are physically basically, for super strength how strong are you? How much water you can control? Etc.


Skill:


How skilled one is with their power. How much control and precision you have.


Creativity:


So you can control fire, but what can you do with it? Are you just burning things or can you take advantage of everything involved in the process.

THE HOUSES OF MAGIC

THE PATRONAGE OF ZEUS

Zeus was the king of the gods, and his clients believe that they are the kings of magic. Not without just cause however. Clients of Zeus can soar through the sky, then rip it asunder with lightning. They see all enemys of Geek law and snuff them out with impunity. They are prideful and arrogant, spiteful when angered and vindicating to the extreme. They can fall into bouts of hedonism and infidelity, often seeking simple pleasures like animals. But above all, they are an example. They have a regal bearing and gain the respect of all that near them. They serve Greece with zealotry unheard of in other patronages and always try to excel in what they do. All in all, they are seen as the finest among Greeks and great clients of Zeus are exemplars for the rest of their people.


House astra:

And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.


Black Elk


House Astra are the wielders of their patrons greatest weapon, lightning. They can create it, shape it and direct it to varying degrees. They are the most famed of Zeus’ clients, but are in the minority numbers wise. The weakest can make sparks. The strongest can call down lightning at will.


House Aetos:

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”


― Leonardo da Vinci


House aetos was given the power to traverse the biggest domain of their patron, the sky, with the power of flight. The weakest of them can glide, the strongest are given the wings of eagles and can outpace almost anything in the air. The weakest can hover a little. The strongest soar like the eagles.


House Nomos

“For there is but one essential justice which cements society, and one law which establishes this justice. This law is right reason, which is the true rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Whoever neglects this law, whether written or unwritten, is necessarily unjust and wicked.”


― Marcus Tullius Cicero, On the laws


House Nomos are the clients of one of their patrons lesser known aspects, but hold much power. They are given the power of law. Those of house Nomos can see the auras of people, blue of the innocent, red of the guilty. They also have a sense of how honest the speech of a man is. While like all houses their powers vary, their sight is never wrong, and the word of a Nomos is law. The weakest can get hunches. The strongest can see a criminal from miles away

PATRONAGE OF POSEIDON"

Poseidon is the ruler of the Sea, horses and earthquakes. He bequeaths these powers to his clients. His clients are powerful loners, those who wander their domains and sea with little company save a devoted crew or a trusty steed. They are jealous and territorial. Sedentary and inflexible. They have wild and unexpected mood swings, one moment calm, the next, raging. But they are wise and deep thinkers yet never sacrificing a true down to earth set of ideals. They conserve and truly appreciate the world in all of it’s beauty.


House Nero:

“My soul is full of longing


for the secret of the sea,


and the heart of the great ocean


sends a thrilling pulse through me.”


― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Those of house Nero control water in all its simplicity and power. The weakest can barely move a skinful with effort, the strongest are the personifications of a tsunami as they call upon huge swells of water to demolish their foes. Most of Poseidon’s clients belong to this house.


House alogo

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. ”


― William Shakespeare, Henry V


Those of house Alogo are the ultimate cavalry men. They are said to be unbeatable when astride their mount. A horse ridden by one of this house runs faster and longer than any other steed. Their rider is more balanced, harder to knock off and infinitely stronger than they are on two feet. The mightiest among them are granted Pegasus by Poseidon himself. The weakest are less likely to be bucked off. The strongest are the perfect union between rider and steed.


House Seismos

“The earthquake, however, must be to every one a most impressive event: the earth, considered from our earliest childhood as the type of solidity, has oscillated like a thin crust beneath our feet; and in seeing the laboured works of man in a moment overthrown, we feel the insignificance of his boasted power.”


― Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle


The smallest group of Poseidon’s clients, but possible the most dangerous on land. House Seismos were given the power cause earthquakes. They can create great fissures in the earth and tsunamis at sea. The weakest can shake a home. The strongest could rip apart a city.


PATRONAGE OF HADES

The Clients of Hades are very much like their god. Reclusive. Secretive. Judgmental and finally, wise. They prefer seclusion, though not all of them do it in dark caves. Just most. They do accept some company and those they care for, they protect fervently gripping every possession and loved one until their dying breath. Justly though. Alongside the nomos the clients of Hades are known for their wisdom and fairness as well as a love love for ironic punishment.


House Thanatos:

In every shadow there is light


in every tear, a smile


In death I know there still is life


That lingers for awhile


--author unknown


House Thanatos is not widely liked in Greece, they are viewed as a necessary evil for it is their power that gives the labor that builds their citys and temples. This may be because they are better known by another name. necromancers. Their power creates puppets out of dead bodies. Weaker ones can control one corpse at the most, the strongest command armies of the dead.


House fantasma

“Be hole, be dust, be dream, be wind/Be night, be dark, be wish, be mind,/Now slip, now slide, now move unseen,/Above, beneath, betwixt, between.”


― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book


House fantasma command the spirits of the dead and enlist their help to become like them. invisibility, incorporeal and ethereal. They are spies and assassins. thieves and vagabonds. they make deals with spirits to give them benefits of invisibility. of course this means having deals with spirits that may not necessarily be friendly, but any fantasma will tell you that it is well worth it. A weak fantasma can make deals with fewer and weaker spirits. Strong ones have hundreds at their beck and call including the spirits of heroes and kings.


House Ploutos

“The best thing about being rich is the freedom; freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want. It doesn't suck.”


Tommy Lee


Rare and enigmatic, House Ploutos have an, affinity for money. Gold and jewels seem attracted to them. They make savvier business decisions. They have a sixth sense for gold and jewels around them. Even the weakest find a couple coins in their pocket every once in a while. The strongest are in control of the greek economy.


PATRONAGE OF HERA

Hera may be known for her vengeance for her husband’s infidelities, but that is only because she cares for family so much. And that is reflected in her clients. The clients of Hera are the universal family men and woman. They are known for their generosity and outgoing nature, they care for all others and go out of their ways to help. Do not anger them though. Their wrath is terrible, only matched by their perchance for gaudiness and showing off.


House Agelada

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.


Richard Bach


Agelada is the house of family, by building connections between people as a physical force. A person of House Agelada marks those they consider family and the bonds between them form protection in the form of glowing auras that deflect harm. The weak can deflect a paper cut within a small group of very close friends. The powerful deflect rockslides from people that they only have the smallest inkling of connection with.


House Liontari

There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.


Homer


The Liontari excel in bonds between two people. A Liontari can form a close bond with one person at a time. They gain a telepathic link with their bondmate, and both appreciate benefits from the other. A weak Liontari and partner can gain half the strength, dexterity and skill of the other and communicate simple emotions mentally. The strong can gain more and more of their partners attributes and gain the ability to communicate completely telepathically. It is not required but also not uncommon for bondmates to marry, indeed many are simply platonic best friends or partners..


House Pagoni

Vanity is my favourite sin.


Al Pacino


House pagoni are the house of vanity, they like all of Hera’s Houses gain their power from bonds. But unlike the others, those bonds do not go both ways. Pagoni gain their power through attention, the gazes of others. And they are excellent at getting it. Pagoni’s gain the power of creation of iris, colored spirits of light, that are flashy and gaudy, but deadly in combat, though fragile. They are mostly used for distractions. though a too successful distraction turns into the real attack.


PATRONAGE OF ATHENA"

The clients of athena's true gifts arise, like their patron, fully formed from their heads. They are the wisest of all the clients,and fill the halls of debates and senates, run guilds and produce great works of art and everyday craft. They can be somewhat haughty and vengeful and assume that they are always the smartest person in the room (they usually are) and sometimes lack common sense and have over specializations in their own skills that may leave to gaps in others.


House Sofia

Wisdom outweighs any wealth.


Sophocles


House sofia is the house of wisdom and it’s clients are smart. They gain enhanced memory, reaching from minorly photographic to full on eidetic memory. They can juggle impossibly large sums in their heads, imagine full three dimensional models of objects and cities. They simply speaking are geniuses. the weakest are a little quicker to think and imagine. The smartest are supernaturally intelligent (think sherlock holmes crossed with einstein).


House Technia

I am an artisan. I only became an artist when people watch what I do. That is when it becomes art.


Rhys Ifans


House Technia are the worksman. and artisans. No one is quite sure what it is. Their hands are more deft as they work. They have a knack for selecting the right materials. Or that they can cobble together masterpieces with the bare basics. They just seem to have hundreds of years of practice somehow stuffed into their short mortal lives. maybe they just have the touch of the goddess herself. What ever it is, House technia are the best artisans in the world whether it be producing high works of art, or just a efficient road, a technia is a master of his or her field.


House Strategia

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.


Sun Tzu (cause who else)


Those of house Strategia are the tactical powerhouses behind any greek force of note. it produces master strategists and brilliant generals. While their education is rigorous, and they have more practical experience then a veteran infantrymen their true prowess rests in their sight. the sight is a slowly developing sixth sense for seeing the weakness of any object. The cracked part of a structure. The weak man in a formation. The bone that never healed quite right, its not a bright flashing light but more of a trusted instinct for the tactician. indeed, the only apparently supernatural thing about it is that they all share the exact phenomenon.


PATRONAGE OF APHRODITE"]

Clients of Aphrodite are in love! With love itself mostly. Clients of aphrodite obsess over it, praise it, sing songs about it and generally expound it in everything they do. They are flighty vain and easily offended by the smallest things. They can be...promiscuous and unfaithful. But a client of aphrodite is one thing above all: passionate. They care more deeply and passionately then all others.


House Agapi

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.


H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


House Agapi are the emotion sensors, they can tell how you feel, why you feel and with effort, plumb your deepest emotional depths. These feelings are shown as colered auras in the eyes of the Agapi and reading these subtle colors and variations is the greatist challenge of any client. The weakest are a little empathetic. The strongest can see your every feeling


House omorfia

A beautiful woman can be painted as a totem only; not as a woman, but as a Madonna, a queen, a sphinx.


Saul Steinberg


those of House Omorfia possess the power of attraction, their weakest hold the eye a little longer and stick in your memory. the strongest can inspire wars over their hands, and are viewed as amazingly attractive, reducing those of the opposite (or same) gender into wrecks upon the sight of them. They are seductresses and entertainers but in battle. Well It’s hard to defend against an attack when you can’t stop staring at the attacker


House Elxi

When something is missing in your life, it usually turns out to be someone. ~Robert Brault


Agapi can tell you how people feel. Omorfia can attract all who see them. But only the rare Elxi meddle in the affairs of true love. An Elxi is a matchmaker, a people person. They know how to put people together, how people form those all-important bonds. The weakest have an idea of how two people would get along. A marriage arranged by a strong one is said to never break. Though in practice serendipity and “The winds of fate” say otherwise, such is the way of love.

PATRONAGE OF ARES"

The clients of Ares like war. They really like war. To the point where they never seem to stop wanting to fight or kill something. And they're good at. They are masters of combat in all forms and strive for singular martial perfection. However, when faced with overwhelming strength that exceeds their own, they can be cowardly. Also they can be overly cruel and brash. Overconfident to the extreme a mighty client well charge into an winnable battle with no strategy, only to be crushed by a superiorly organized force. Or as the popular saying goes: “The only old Ares client is a smart one”


House opla

Without a sign, his sword the brave man draws, and asks no omen, but his country's cause.


Homer


The masters of weapons, the opla are swordmasters, legends of the spear, champions of the club etc. Opla are given supernatural skills with the weapons of melee combat (The bow is reserved for a certain pair of twins) The weakest seem to learn weapon techniques quicker and their weapons seem to move a little faster and hit harder. The strongest is invincible in close combat when they have their chosen weapon in hand.


House Dynami

A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.


Vernon Howard


The house of strength. A relatively simple House thankfully (oh my poor aching hands) You get super strength. The weakest are stronger than they look, able to lift objects that look a tad bigger than they could possibly lift. The strongest can smash through steel with the simplest gesture.


House Diamachi

In strife who inquires whether stratagem or courage was used?


Virgil


House Diamachi feed on the clash of people and emotions, where chaos, fear and hate, all ramming together exist, Diamachi gain strength and speed. Simply put, they feed on strife, using it to grow stronger and faster, quicker of hand and mind.




PATRONAGE OF HEPHAESTUS​

Hephaestus clients are simple folk, they are strong of arm and quick with a smile, not the prettiest people around, but for those that are not vain enough to shun their presence, they discover a fiery but grounded person, a dedicated worker and a dedicated partner. They can be obsessive and focused, often getting wrapped in their work. Also as a surprising turn, many are surprised to learn that the clients avoid armed conflict, though they are mighty on the battlefield, Hephaestus clients prefer the workshop or forge over the din of combat.

House chalyvas

“As great Pythagoras of yore, Standing beside the blacksmith's door, And hearing the hammers, as they smote The anvils with a different note, Stole from the varying tones, that hung Vibrant on every iron tongue, The secret of the sounding wire, And formed the seven-chorded lyre.”

―Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The house of metallurgy. This house can strengthen, weaken and control metal They can forge nigh unbreakable swords and armor that can stop a battering ram. The weakest have their creations in the forge come out stronger as the metal seems to bend more easily to their will. The strongest can forge a blade with no hands, shatter a sword with a touch and call up armor around them from all the metal nearby.

House Petra:

What are men to rocks and mountains? -Jane Austin

The house of stone, those of house petra are able to manipulate solid rock into the form they choose, shaping it to their will into walls, weapons, buildings and art. Unlike their contemporaries in house Seisomos the Petras have a fine tuned connection to the rock and earth they control, though they lack the sheer power of their earth shaking fellows. The weakest can chip away at stone with their bare hands and produce shapes that would be impossible. The earth rushes to the aid of the strongest who can raise cities and erect mighty fortifications.

House Fotia:

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.

Ferdinand Foch

FIRE (finally!). Manipulation of heat and flames house fotia breathes fire,controls fire, shoots fire and is damn good to have around when you want s’mores (which totally existed in ancient greece shut up). They are cooks and potters, firefighters and fire creators, the weakest and snap their fingers and make them burn like a match. The strongest have been compared to volcanos.

PATRONAGE OF HERMES

The followers of hermes are clever. They are not smart like Athenas clients, they are clever. Clients of Hermes think quick and move fast on their feet. they are thieves, travelers and doctors. They are spontaneous and quick witted, favoring tongue to sword when conflict arises. and if anyone meets a client, they always check their pockets afterwards.

House tachitita

Faster, faster until the thrill of speed Overcomes the fear of death.

Hunter S Thompson

Super speed.When their feet hit ground they can MOVE. They are messengers, theives, laborers and scouts. The weakest can outpace any normal man. The Strongest can run between the city-states in less than an hour.

House iatrikí̱

Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.

Hippocrates

House iatriki were given the power of medicine to heal wounds and cure maladies. This power requires intense focus and knowledge as the healing of a human body is an amazing burden and the slightest error can cause an injury worse than the original inflicted. The weakest can heal a cut or bruise and maybe ease a cold. The strongest could save you after being impaled on several spears and cure most any disease with a flick of a finger.

House téchnasma

“Listen, Peaches, trickery is what humans are all about," said the voice of Maurice. "They're so keen on tricking one another all the time that they elect governments to do it for them.”

― Terry Pratchett,

The house of trickery and illusion technasia clients are liars and thieves, magicians and con man. Their powers are te most illy defined of the houses, because technasia are magicians, magic their show and it wouldn’t work if the audience knew what was behind the curtain. Some say they can create things out of thin air. Others say they can make people see things that aren’t there some say they control minds with hypnosis and subtle cues. a week on wins shell games with ease. A strong one once conjured an entire army out of thin air.

PATRONAGE OF APOLLO

The clients of the sun god. They live bright lives and greet each day with a smile. THey laugh easily and compete often. They like to be the center of attention but won’t hesitate someone else into it. They are patrons of the arts and sciences and work to improve life for everyone.

House Ilios

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.

Wilma Rudolph

The house of the sun. Clients of house ilios have the power to Emit light blinding or dim, burning or gentle, however they like. They can control light brighten or dim. Their power waxes and wanes with the sun. The strongest can be mistaken for a second sun. THe weakest have glowy fingers

House Mousiki

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

Plato

The house of music. House Mousiki are great singers and performers seeking new heights and styles. But the house is more than that, the music of the house has magic, like all music, but this magic is a little more tangible. Their music can fascinate and inspire emotions as the musician wills. The weakest will get silver and gold mixed into their pennises on street corners. The strongest can make entire stadiums watch them intently and manipulate that audience however they want.

House Toxoviola-tachýs

The Gigantic tension before the shooting of an arrow, and the total relaxation seconds later, is my way of connecting with the universe. -Paulo Coelho

The first house of archery tachys is the house of rapid fire shooting. They are accurate yes but their true ability is how fast they can shoot. tachys archers are known for loosing quiverfulls of arrows in mere seconds and most of those arrows hit their target. The weakest can fire off arrows quicker then most. The strongest can darken the sky.

​

PATRONAGE OF ARTEMIS

[The house of Artemis is the house of the wild. It’s clients live on the edge of society as hunters, scavengers and. They are hunters and gatherers, supplying people with things they couldn’t normally get.or serving as advance guards for armies. They are free spirited and feral, anti -socail but loyal. Blood thirsty and ambitious but above all they respect nature, where they live and work.

House Skia

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it’s wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first and is waiting for it.

-Terry Pratchett.

House Skia are the house of shadows they control the shadows and the dark making them tangible weapons and blades. They use the shadows created by the moon to form weapons and blades, to hide and attack. They are the masters of the night, given vision to piece the dark and hunt in it. The wekest can form a blade at moonset. THe strongest can make a deadly weapon in the noonday sun.

House Toxoviola-akríveia

Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything- Wyatt Earp

House tachys is known for their skills at archery, how they can loos a quiverfull of arrows and kill an enemy in the blink of an eye with rapid fire shooting. But the akriveia pride themselves of getting the same results with one, well placed shot. They are snipers where there fellows are artillery. They excel at putting maximum force accuracy and distance into every shot they take.

House thi̱río

When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal, I see a living being, I see a friend, I feel a soul.

House thirio are the stewards of nature and the wild. Their gift is to communicate with animals and befriend them. While most thirios are content to form a lasting bond with one companion for the rest of their lives, some can command entire packs or herds of wild beasts. The weakest are dog whisperers. The strongest have entire forests at their beck and call.

PATRONAGE OF DIONYSUS

The patronage of dionysus is full of over indulgence and hedonism. They drink well eat well and party HARD. Liked because of their outgoing natures, jooly and attitudes and being usually accompanied by large amounts of alcohol. But outside the party, they are often looked down upon as mad irresponsible drunkards. But they don’t mind. Life's a party and no one should be sad at a better.

House alkoól

Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.

George Bernard Shaw

House alkool are the drunkards, they have a high alcohol tolerance and as they get drunker they gain a special skill. Alkool members gain a higher capacity for learning. As such they can gain an incredible amount of skill in something in a short time when drunk and when they drink again they can access those skills. They have a high alcohol tolerance and are immune to alcohol addiction. The strongest are drunken masters in every field, the weakest are suspiciously good at drinking games.

House trélla

Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.

Allen Ginsberg

The house of madness is a house of barely functioning lunatics. They’re all insane to some degree. Every psychological problem in the books exists in their ranks. Their powers vary by what exactly they suffer from. Hallucinations can become real, paranoia becomes real observation prowess. Pyromania begets flames. The weakest have neuroses that become realer. The strongest warps the world around him.

house ef̱tychía

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.

Charles Spurgeon

The house of happiness. Eftychia is like a drug, their power makes people feel giddy. they spread happiness where they go. While this is controversial among the citizenry, as the idea of false happiness bothers many. The strongest spread uncontrollable joy wherever they go, the weakest make people feel a little happier.​