Main Cast, Alikos, et al. | The Raging Heavens and Olympia
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Raging Heaven and Olympia, the Half-step City
If the cults of greater mystery regard each other as peers, the Raging Heaven is considered first among equals. Its foundational mystery is the aptly named Storm that Never Ceases, which wreathes the peak of Kaukoso Mons in eternal storm clouds and tribulations lightning. In this impossible city, the holy seers of the gods reside. Along with a branch of each city's greater mystery cults, each with a tyrant to match and a king above them all. Unfortunately for everyone, the king just died. General tropes for the Cult and city
- The Ace: A lesser example of this trope. Each initiate of the Raging Heaven is the cream of the crop from the wider mystery cults, but due to the iron fisted Tyrants that rule over the city they lack the edge they need to be truly great.
- Civil War: A cold war erupts between the eight remaining Tyrants in Olympia after the death of the Tyrant Riot. They use crows to avoid open conflict in the streets, so not to spark the war before they're ready.
- Nice Day, Deadly Night: During the day, Olympia is the beating heart of the Free Mediterranean, a bejeweled haven of learning, prosperity, culture, and plenty. At night, the Elders' crows prowl the streets for victims and recruits.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The Elders hate each other. Vehemently. The only thing that kept them from each other's throats was the presence of the Tyrant Riot. And now that he's dead...
The Kyrios and Elders
The Tyrant Riot
The deceased Kyrios of the cult of Raging Heaven, a larger-than-life figure originally from the hinterlands of the Free Mediterranean. Known in life as Bakkhos, a name that seemingly vanished from memory.
- The Ace: What else can you call someone who beat up eight Tyrants and made them obey his every command? The man collected Tyrants like other Tyrants collect philosophers and heroes.
- The Alcoholic: The late Kyrios was fond of drink in the same sense that fish are fond of water. This may have improved his cultivation.
- And Then What?: His last words to the Tyrant Elders evoke the sentiment."Even if you did defeat me - what would you do then?"
- Bash Brothers: In his youth he and Heracles the champion were brothers and very close friends.
- Chemically-Induced Insanity: If the visions in the Orphic House are anything to go by, the man weaponized mania with his pneuma.
- The Hedonist: The man loved his alcohol, and his games of chance.
- The High King: His position in the Raging Heavens cult and somewhat of Greece as a whole, having subjugated and brought eight different Tyrants of the free city-states of Greece to Olympia as a show of his superiority.
- It Amused Me: Why did the Tyrant Riot subjugate eight other Tyrants, drag them back to his city, and force them to play nice for year after year, decade after decade? First, to establish dominance. Second, he thought it was funny.
- Large and in Charge: Averted massively; in contrast to every other Tyrant we see in the story which range from nine to thirteen feet tall Bakkhos was only six feet tall at his peak. One imagines it made the humiliation of losing to him all the more agonizing. L
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: After his death, his name Bakkhoswas seemingly totally forgotten, and only his title, The Tyrant Riot, was remembered. Until the Heroes that viewed the story scroll are reminded of it, they didn't even realize they had forgotten it.
- Nice Guy: By most regards, the Tyrant Riot was a generous man with favors and such to his friends, and he wasn't all that bad to the regular citizen in his domain.
- However, in the Aetos's story he sent a younger Calliope to die so her more fit sister could inherit the position of Oracle. As well he's positively cruel to the Tyrants that he subjugated and imprisoned in Olympia, though they are all terrible people in turn.
- Red Baron: The Tyrant Riot.
- Resurrective Immortality: There is a non-zero chance that he may well be the mortal life of the Olympian god Dionysus/Bacchus. The visions Sol and Griffon witness in Thrace, ostensibly drawn from his memories, line up with the Dionysian
/Orphic interpretation of the deity's history.
Socrates
The Scholar | The Gadfly
The founder of Western philosophy and a trusted advisor to the Tyrant Riot. The first link in a master-apprentice chain that starts with him, to Plato, to Aristotle, to Damon Aetos and then to Solus and Griffon. Notable for being not a Tyrant like the rest of the Raging Heavens elders, but a Sophic Captain.
- Badass Boast: "I, your grandfather, will teach you the way of things."
- Badass Teacher: In his fight with Griffon and Solus, he not only beats them black and blue without breaking a sweat, but also lectures them in the process, teaching them about the fundamentals of Philosophy.
- Historical Domain Character: He's Socrates.
- Historical Domain Superperson: He's Socrates with various powers allotted by Greek cultivation.
- Living Legend: He's the golden standard for Philosophers, a Philosopher who even Tyrants don't dare to subjugate when they would any other Philosopher.
- The Mentor: He was the teacher of Plato, and later takes on Solus, and to a lesser extent Griffon, as a student.
- Red Baron: The Scholar. The Gadfly.
Polyzalus of The Burning Dusk
The First Son to Burn
The Rein Holder
The Former Tyrant of the Burning Dusk. He resides in Olympia as the Alikoan representative, not of his own will. Hates the Aetos clan. Selene's Father and Calliope, the Scarlet Oracle's husband.- The Ace: After the Kyrios of the Raging Heaven died, old Zalus was the greatest threat to all the elders ( not counting prime/motivated Ptolemy, of course).
- Berserk Button: He despises Damon Aetos and, by association with Damon's leadership, the Rosy Dawn.
- Elemental Weapon: As the rein-holder, Zalus uses burning whips that extend from horizon to horizon in addition to his horses and chariot.
- Historical Domain Character: The bronze sculpture known as the Charioteer of Delphi was dedicated to Apollo by the tyrant (lowercase) Polyzalus (or Polyzalos) of Gela following a racing victory.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Between him and his wife, Calliope; she is normal size, and he is a larger than life Tyrant at eleven feet tall.
- Symbolic Mutilation: His guts are torn out by Ptolemy, because his virtue is Courage, making him gutless.
Aleuas Pyrrhos of The Howling Winds
The Hurricane Hierophant
The tyrant elder of a branch of the Hurricane Heights in the Half Step City, also known as the King of Seers. He is also Scythas' father-in-law.
- Blow You Away: In common with members of his sect, Aleuas's abilities make use of the wind and air pressure. His audience chamber is filled with windchimes to give an attentive visitor just enough of a hint that Aleuas is losing patience.
Ptolemy of the Scattered Foam
The Hollow Satrap/ The Saviour/The Great
Yes, that very same Ptolemy. A hollow man after he betrayed Alexander and stayed behind, Ptolemy is a shell of his once majestic self. But even as a starving, almost corpse, he still yearns to return and fix his greatest crime and mistake.- The Ace: As a broken-down wreck of himself, Ptolemy still stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the other Tyrant Elders. When he regains his lost spirit and vigor, the other seven Elders had to seize on a distraction to bring him down.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Griffon drawing King's Curse enrages Ptolemy like no other. In an instant, he transforms from an exhausted corpse into a figure of such unparalleled might that he easily overpowers the other seven Tyrants while calling for Griffon's head. He crippled them all. Then Alexander's image approved Griffon as his heir, and Ptolemy turned his back on them to follow his lost brother and lord. They all struck at once.
- Dying Curse: After the backstabbing, Ptolemy died. And in the process, his final breath destroyed the other sevens domains and the city of Olympia wholesale.
- Historical Domain Character: Historical Ptolemy was one of Alexander the Great's generals. Following the splintering of his empire, Ptolemy lead one of the successor states and founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt, which included the famous Cleopatra VII. He claimed to share a father with Alexander, but that was more likely propaganda. Virtuous Sons Ptolemy is a Super-Saiyan.
Thalestris of Blind Maidens
The Despoiler
Formally known as Queen Minythyia before she decided to go after Alexander the Conqueror to give birth to a child. Thalestris is the only woman among the Tyrant elders of Raging Heaven. Thus she is besieged on all sides even more than the rest. She is also Ivy's mom and Anastasia's grandmother. Disappointed in them both.- Giant Woman: Thalestris is the tallest tyrant in Olympia, bar Prime Ptolemy, at a whopping twelve feet tall. In general, the Amazons of The Blind Maiden cult pride themselves on being bigger, stronger, and just plain better than men in all regards. So all of them are taller than even cultivators. Thalestris is just the tallest. That is a big part of why she is so disapproving of her daughter and granddaughter because they failed to measure up vertically.
- Historical Domain Character: Potentially (probably) apocryphal, but relevant.
- Master Archer: Thalestris uses a massive bow the size of a ship in battle. Which is fitting given her height.
- Symbolic Mutilation: Blinded by Ptolemy, because of her association with the Blind Maiden cult and sight.
Midas of Waning Wax
King of Gold
The former king of the Alabaster Isles and Tyrant of the Waning Wax cult branch in Olympia. A man who can turn anything and everything into pure gold.- City of Gold: Left uncontested, his domain can transform his surroundings to gold.
- Midas Touch: Naturally. Midas spent his life convincing others of his ability to turn any object into gold. The truth is a bit more esoteric; over time, he gave thousands upon thousands of coins the appearance of gold, but they represented and stored the abstract valuation of time and effort. In his weakest moment, after Ptolemy freshly pulps his spine, Midas calls on that value.
- Symbolic Mutilation: Ptolemy leaves him with a spinal injury that leaves with a crippling debt.
Solon of Brazen Aegis
The Reformer of Law
The fallen Statesman of the Coast and the Tyrant of the Brazen Shield Cult branch in Olympia. Solon is a man dedicated to one thing and one thing only " Fuck Drako". He hates his opponent and nemesis with a passion only possibly surpassed by his hate for the Tyrant Riot.- Historical Domain Character: He is based on the famous Athenian lawgiver of the same name, if he could do sick martial arts.
- Revenge Before Reason: Solon develops tunnel vision when his nemesis is involved.
Drakon of Broken Tides
The Jury
The ancient sea serpent monster of the Coast and the Tyrant of the Broken Tide Cult branch in Olympia. Known as rule maker, judge, and jury. His domain is one of the strict rules with hideous punishment for breaking the law.- Historical Domain Character: He is based on the infamous Athens first codifier of written law of the same name, if he could do Greek magic and sick martial arts.
Leonidas of Infernal Frenzies
Sparta's Infernal King
The Former King of Sparta and the Tyrant of the Infernal Frenzy cult branch in Olympia. Leonidas is the same man who broke the Persian empire back with his 300 heroes, which he keeps chained to himself even after they died. A miserable existence.- And I Must Scream: Leonidas came out much, much worse the wear from his clash with Ptolemy. Not only is he completely immobile, but he cannot even speak, whether with his voice or through cultivation techniques.
- Historical Domain Character: He is Leonidas if he survived the Battle of Thermopylae.
Disciples of the Raging Heaven
Anastasia
The Caustic Queen
Thalestris's granddaughter and Ivy's daughter. A Heroic medical practitioner and cultivator who was once married to a Roman soldier. Immensely interested in Solus because of this. Cheeky disposition. Uses a javelin.- The Friend Nobody Likes: Among the six heroes that Griffon and Solus gather, none of the other five want to be near her.
- The Medic: She's a trained healer and surgeon.
- Shaping Your Attacks: Her pneuma can take the form of a pack of hunting hounds.
- Widow's Weeds: Her usual outfit is described as black funeral silks.
Ivy
The older Caustic Queen
Anastasia's mother and the daughter of Thalestris and Alexander. A poisonous woman to her core. Loves her daughter and hates her mother. She despises Rome and everything to do with it.- Mum Looks Like a Sister: Ivy and Anastasia look so much alike that Sol mistakes the one for the other. Even considering cultivation benefits, that implies a major family resemblance.
Chilon
The Obol Orator
A senior initiate of Raging Heaven, in age if not cultivation. Carries his collection of stories—scrolls, tablets, codices, etc.—on his back in a fishing net. Having stagnated in the Philosopher's realm, he's taken to collecting the legends and tales of other souls to write his legend through his deeds.- Historical Domain Character: Possibly Chilon of Sparta, given his lessons in rhetoric to Griffon.
- The Mentor: As an exchange of talents, Chilon helps Griffon to refine his rhetoric by condensing his ideas; "brevity is the soul of wit." Griffon in turn teaches Chilon how to throw a punch.
- Non-Action Guy: Chilon is pointedly not a martial cultivator.
Elissa
The Sword Song
A Heroic blade specialist. Well regarded by the junior initiates. Covered with Scars. Once studied under a master from further east along the Silk Road. Distrustful of Sol and Griffon following their initial meeting at the Kyrios's funeral, but still sufficiently concerned with the state of Olympia to hear them out.- Dance Battler: Variation; Elissa can separate her spirit from her body to near-instantly move and strike according to the notes played on various stringed instruments by her Muse Terpsichore (traditionally the Muse of Dance).
- Wrecked Weapon: Her sword is shaved down to a nub during her fight with Griffon.
Jason
The Hero Of The Alabaster Depths
The Drowning Pirate
A Heroic tier cultivator from the Waning Wax Cult. A pirate who is afraid of sailing and ships. Lost his crew in an incident prior to the story.- Survivor's Guilt: Much like Sol, Jason carries the weight of his dead comrades on his shoulders.
Kyno
The Heroic Huntsman
The Huntsman
A Heroic tier cultivator from the Broken Tide. Physically large and imposing, but cautious. Wears a crocodile skin over his head and shoulders.- Loyal Animal Companion: His crocodile skin is a virtuous beast, or something like it, named Sah-Bakari.
Lefteris
The Gold-String Guardian
The Archer
A Heroic archer from the Scattered Foam Cult, running away from something and a guardian of two boys of unknown origins. Doesn't like Solus or Griffon.- Protectorate: Leo and Pyr are under his protection. It seems a duty he takes seriously and sincerely; when violence or other calamities break out, those two are his first concern.
Scythas
The Hero of the Scything Squall
The Hurricane Harvester
A Heroic tier cultivator of the Howling Wind Cult. Possibly star-crossed.- Dark and Troubled Past: Scythas's life suffers from an excess of tragedy.
- He lived in poverty as a child, suffered at the hands of cultivator bullies as a young initiate, and less-than-voluntarily served as a catamite to one of the Elders of the Howling Wind cult. He convinced himself it was a necessary sacrifice for himself and his brother, regardless of his personal feelings.
- The Elder then looked at Scythas's younger brother. Scythas defended his sibling; it was the first time he'd stood up for himself in years.
- After that, he was sent as part of an expedition to the western portion of the Free Mediterranean. Where the dog-faced demons are. He was the only survivor.
- Hero-Worshipper: Scythas is a deeply troubled man with a lot on his shoulders. When Solus and Griffon roll in, projecting confidence and certainty, he latches on to the connection like a drowning man grasping a lifeline.
- Nice Guy: Through various circumstances at the beginning of Olympia's climax, Scythas finds himself in possession of imperfect (poisoned) nectar. After meeting the stone version of Urania, she converts the sacred brew into the genuine article. Standard cultivator rules are every man for himself, especially concerning rare materials or powerful artifacts. Scythas instead asks stone Urania to share the nectar with his fellow Heroes following him up the mountain.
- Pretty Boy: Even setting aside the tertiary benefits of cultivation, Scythas is regarded as strikingly attractive. This has caused him more problems than not.
- Razor Wind: Scythas can decapitate a horse with his pneuma before the beast has time to react.
- Spirit Advisor: Urania, muse of Astronomy. Curiously, there seem to be two of her. At least. One follows Scythas in some largely incorporeal form and offers encouragement but claims she cannot intervene. He meets another Urania on Kaukoso Mons inside the Storm that Never Ceases, this one made of stone. The second Urania calls the first a liar and proceeds to aid Scythas directly, first by refining the imperfect nectar he carried, then by riding along in his shadow to watch his back.
- Super-Senses: Scythas's mastery of the winds has given him a superior sense of hearing.
Greek Oracles
The holy women of the Greek faith, and the last tenuous connection the Greeks have to their forgotten gods. After Alexander ravaged the Hellenic city-states, the Tyrant Riot took the opportunity to gather them all into a central place, his palace in Olympia. For each discrete greater mystery, save the Storm That Never Ceases, there is an Oracle. Calliope
The Scarlet Oracle
The comatose mother of Selene, and the Scarlet Oracle.- Deep Sleep: She fell into a coma after giving birth to Selene.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: On the receiving end of this from Griffon.
- Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: The brothers Aetos were surprised to find that she was named after one of the Muses; by custom of the Free Mediterranean, this is considered a notable act of hubris.
