The Seas of Poseidon
Players! Avert your eyes! This is for Game Masters only. Don’t spoil your present by peeking!
Summary
The Seas of Poseidon world will give you plenty of interesting places to set your campaign and a vast sandbox in which to play. Your group can explore the seas dotted with templs, fortefied monestaries and rugged hermits. You can get into the inter-city politics. You can voyage on galleys and trade, hunt pirates or do some piracy. You can get involved in the wars between the Byzantines and Mohawks. Or the Venetians and Byzantines. Or hunt Knights Templar Assassins. Or… well, you get the point.
The setting for the Seas of Poseidon is the Great Lakes of our world. As the 1300s came to a close, the Byzantines looked at a map and realized they were doomed. The Turks were unstoppable. So they followed a rumour and migrated their entire civilization to the Nordic Vinland.
They had plenty of help… for a price.
The Byzantines melted down their gold and bought, hired or stole ships from every corner of the Mediterranean and Atlantic. The Venetians in particular made a fortune out of the great migration. But when they discovered the Turks had a clear path to Venice, they decided to make the move as well.
The Knights Templar also profitted. As bankers, they had amassed great wealth in their Portugese hideouts and used this fortune to finance many ships. They realized this new world could also be a safe place to escape persecution from popes and kings, so they followed.
The year is now 1501, about a century later. Southern Europe is mostly Ottoman Turk. The Seas of Poseidon are dotted with colonies and even a couple large cities. The two largest cities are Sophia (the capital of the Byzantines) and San Marco (the new home of the Venetians).
Sophia is located where Quebec City is in our world. The geography is incredible with its imposing cliffs and commanding position along the Leviathan River (or the St Lawrence, in our world). San Marco is even more dramatic, situated snug in the middle of an incredible set of waterfalls (Niagra).
The Knights Templar built their fortress in an island in the mouth of the Leviathan River where they can watch everything that goes on (they love watching… and being cunning).
But these are not the only powers in play.
There is also a great native power rising into this world. The Mohawks waged a brutal war of conquest and mopped up all the tribes between the Seas of Poseidon and the Atlantic. The Mohawk Confederacy is not only huge and populace, but advancing quickly. Over the past century, they have watched the invaders carefully, traded with them, married and integrated with them. They have carefully selected all the aspects they admire and are incorporating them into their own rising civilization.
The stage is set for war! Or somethign else… Peace? Nah.
Orientation
What follows is your Guide’s orientation for your players.
First, lead your party into the Worm Room. It’s a large oval domed room covered in white panels that glow with charged particals. It’s filled with a strange ambient humming sound that seems to eminate from the walls and floor. On one end is a desk, changing blinds and a set of racks with costumes. On the other end is a platform with a weird floating light. This amorphous light will slowly turn into a yawning wormhole as the orientation progresses. Eventually the Guide will ask the party to step onto the platform and the wormhole will fully open, swallowing up the players.
The orientation is divided into four parts:
Description: A broad painting of the world they will visit. This is the hook. The things that gets them initially excited.
Scenario: Digging down into the specific region, time and the challenge they’ll face. Perhaps even an NPC or two will be introduced.
Cover Stories: The Guide will hand out cover names and stories to the delight of the players
Final Word: The Guide will say goodbye with a stern word of warning that will help the team through the darkest moments of their journey
Description
Here is a script you can use for your Guide during the orientation in the worm room:
“The Turks were coming. It was inevitable. Everyone knew it. And they were unstoppable. The last sad wails of the Roman Empire were tugging at everyones’ throats . The great bells of the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople would one day soon be thrown down by the Turks and melted for scrap. There was really nothing anyone could do but wait for the end.
“Or was there? Could the Roman Empire be saved?
“One scholar thought it could. He had discovered a text in the library of Constantinople that mentioned a vast new land across an ocean. It was a land that was enormous, bountiful and empty (save for a few tribes with stone age weapons). A group of Vikings had discovered this land long ago and apparently they still sailed there to fish. And the best part was, nobody knew about this place. It was a whole vast continent safely hidden.
“Rome had moved once before. Could it move again?
“The emperor sent an emergency expeditionary force to this new world with the help of some Viking fishermen as guides. The rumours were all true. The lands were vast and bountiful and there was no end to them. They seemed to go on forever. And the local tribes had no armour or iron weaponry, which was an incredible bonus. There was nothing to worry about! The land was there for the taking.
“After reviewing all the maps, the emperor decided to plant his new city in a choke point along a huge river. This river was high in the north lands and it froze in winter, but it also importantly led right into the heartland of the continent where there could be found a group of huge inland seas. These bodies of water they called the Seas of Poseidon. The seas radiated with rivers. Some led down to tropical lands with swamps and aligators, while the northern routes led to polar bears and ice. By controlling the Seas of Poseidon and the huge vast network or rivers, the emperor envisioned a new Roman empire far greater than even the ancient seat of Augustus.
“And so, the emperor commissioned all the ships he could build, buy or steal to begin the great migration. Most of these ships were hired from Italian states such as Venice. who very quickly realized this could be a lucrative venture. The Venetians set up their own city in this new world for trade and conquest. Other Europeans followed. The Knights Templar built an island fortress. The English and French sent out small trading colonies. Everyone wanted to be part of this new venture!
“Please put on your costumes now while I complete your orientation. You can find your costumes on those hooks…
“The year is 1501. The old city of Constantinople has long since collapsed and the new capital Byzantine of Sophia is the centre of the universe, at least as far as they’re concerned. The Seas of Poseidon are flurishing with many cities, towns, trade posts, fortresses and monestaries. But not all is well in the Seas of Poseidon…”
Scenarios
Below are a number of scenarios. Choose one of them, or make up your own as you like. The first one is called ‘The Archiect’ and is written in some detail, while the others have been left more as prompts to stimulate your own ideas. You could start out with the first scenario as a warmup over a few sessions and then move onto some of the other scenarios, if you want. This is your game.
Scenario 1: The Architect
This is a good introductory game that you can play out over a few sessions.
You could treat this either as a combat heavy campaign, or as suspensful problem solving game with a lot of slinking around and avoiding death. With this scenario, your exploration is limited mostly to dark forests filled with Mohawk warriors and cut throat mercenaries, along with a light touch of the Byzantine capital of Sophia and the Mohawk capital of Tharvhyyawa to bookend the experience.
To summarize this scenario, the military architect who designed the mighty walls of Sophia has been (apparently) kidnapped by the Mohawks. The Mohawks are a growing superpower in the region. If the Mohawks build walls in the Byzantine style around their settlements, they may become unstoppable. Your mission is to travel deep into Mohawk territory and rescue (or kill) the architect and then return to Sophia for your reward.
You can tease out some tantalizing themes and moral challenges from this scenario to enhance the playing experience.
Are the Byzantines ‘good’ and the Mohawks ‘bad’? Do the Byzantines deserve the new empire they’ve carved out? How about the Mohawks? Both are expansionistic. Both have martial societies with grisly public executions and cut throat politics. So neither has an edge when it comes to the word ‘civilization’. Especially not since the Mohawks are quickly urbanizing and are hungry for technology, architecture and art.
So why would your group think it a good idea to keep the balance of power in the hands of the Byzantines and away from the Mohawks?
Sure, it’s interesting to see Romans in Canada. But wouldn’t it also be interestding to see how Mohawk society advances if given a chance? Don’t you want to see what kind of architecture they build out of stone? What would Byzantine walls with Mohawk aesthetics look like? And why stop at walls? What would Mohawk castles look like? Or palaces? Would they build temples as centres for their spiritual beliefs? And what would those look like?
Here’s another curve ball.
When your players finally do find the architect, they’ll discover he doesn’t want to be rescued at all. He’s being paid for this job. He wants to do it and the Mohawks are treating him like a king. He offers your group an impassioned speech about why he believes the Mohawks deserve a chance to thrive. Now it is your party who must do the kidnapping. Or they’ll have to kill the archiect. Either way, it’s the only way to get paid their reward. Now who’s breaking bad?
Or does your party walk away from this nasty job and allow a rising Mohawk civilization to advance? But if they do choose to walk away, what about the other bounty hunters coming up behind? They will have no qualms about killing the architect. So now maybe your party will have to turn on their bounty hunter companions, perhaps even sound the alarm and endanger themselves by attracting Mohawks warriors to help.
Or perhaps the weight of these moral conundrums will simply be too much for your party. Maybe the group turns on itself under the weight of these stark options. You may have characters who are only splitting worlds for adreneline and loot, while others are there to explore and admire culture. Only one path is possible. How will the group maneuver these challenges and stay united?
Here is the suggested script for the Guide who will continue the orientation:
“The native tribes that once seemed so docile have proven themselves formidable. The fiercest of these tribes, the Mohawks, has carved out a vast confederacy that spans a huge track of land and hundreds of villages. They have traded with the Europeans and their weaponry is now just as advanced. They have agriculture and are building roads. They’re even starting to train a standing army using European tactics. Thankfully for the Byzantines, their wooden palisade walls are easily breached, so the Byzantines can still raid Mohawk lands with impunity.
“But that could change.
“An unsettling development has occurred that could swing the balance of power in favour of the Mohawks. Sophia’s lead military archiect has been kidnapped. If he reveals his secrets to theMohakw, their settlements will be impenatrable.
“The Mohaks are growing into an unstoppable powerhouse. If left unchecked, the new Roman empire and all the Seas of Poseidon may one day be conquered by them. First, the Huns sacked Rome. Then the Turks took Constantinople. Now will the Mohawks destroy Sophia? The fate or the decendants of Aeneas once again hangs in the balance…
“The emperor is offering a bounty for the return of the architect. Ruffians and mercenaries from across the seas are rushing to Sophia and filling its taverns and port. If you choose to join their ranks and try to capture find the archiect, you must first visit the castle at Sophia where you will be given further instructions by the seargent at arms.
Scenario 2: Bomb under San Marco
Explore a city and solve a mystery with little to no combat.
In this scenario, your players will explore the narrow cobbled streets and fantastic waterfalls of the incredible Venetian city of San Marco. A Byzantine agent has been sent to destroy the city by setting a charge under the waterfall that will collapse San Marco. Your team has to caputre this agent, find the bomb and snuff it out before it’s too late.
Scenario 3: A Templar Colony
Explore the Seas of Poseidon by galley. But don’t stop for long. You’re being hunted…
The Knights Templar have escaped the onslaught of muslem invasions and their persecution by European powers. The Templars have amassed their wealth in the great island fortress of Tomar. Your players will join a group of refugee knights and their families newly arrived from the Mediterraean on their journey to found a new colony deep in the Seas of Poseidon. But beware! The seats of power do not like or trust the Knights Templar and will do anything to stop this colony from being built (provided the Templar Grand Master back at Tomar don’t find out). Once you pass Sophia, the emperor will rig a war galley to hunt your players down. It’s a race for survival!
Cover Stories
“Ah, let’s see you! Come, please. Step out from behind the blinds and let’s have a look at you! Oh, yes!”
This is the fun time in the orientation when you get to hand out cover names and stories. Here are some possible names, occupations and costumes. Feel free to use these as a starting point. When you’re doing this, pull out one player at a time and lavish them. Ask them to fill in their character sheets with the information.
There are four main cultural groups in along the Seas of Poseidon, and many smaller ones.
Byzantines are mostly concentrated in the city of Sophia. They hail from modern Greece and Turkey as well as further down the Levant to places like Syria. They are olive skinned with dark hair and they speak Greek. The Eastern Orthodox church is the dominant religion and the most important figure is the Patriarch of Sophia. The character of the Byzantines is mostly defined by superstition and a martial pride in their long heritage. They’re very aware of themselves as not only the descendants of Rome, but the centre of the church, and therefore the universe. Why leave when you’re at centre of everything?
The Venetians are predominantly refugees from the city Venice (obviously) and their new capital is San Marco which dominates the waterfalls known in our world as Niagra Falls. They speak Italian and are predominantly Catholic. The pope currently lives in France as Italy has been conquered by the Turks, so the Venetians have a loose connection to the French city of Avignon. But it’s only loose. The character of the Venetians is of adventure. They view the world in terms of maps and seas, trade and possibilities. You can’t make money by sitting at home, so why stay?
The Knights Templar are a shadowy secret order founded in the blood years of the Crusades. They view themselves as the protectors of the faith, the sword of God. But since they were banned throughout most of Europe (and by banned, I mean horribly executed) they cloistered themselves in fortresses in the only place left to them, Portugal. The Templars are now mostly Portugese, though there are still quite a number of refugees from across Europe who have swelled their ranks (and their coffers). The Templars are not only a martial society filled with actual knights with actual training to kill, but having been created to guide the crusades overseas in the Holy Lands, they are also very good an organizing, maneuvering, building, assassinating and whispering. The Byzantines and Venetians hate the Knights Templar. But they’re also incredibly scared of it. The Knights may walk freely in the streets, and they may hold positions in court, but behind closed doors and in dark cellars, they are often involved in knife work, both on the business and receiving end.
As with all things cosmopolitian, plenty of people from different backgrounds can be found in each zone, and these can make very interesting characters: an English sailor who married a Mohawk woman and now farms, a Viking mercenary guarding a Byzantine duke, a Berber merchant putting roots down in the beautiful San Marco. But the majority of the people found along the Seas of Poseidon will be from one of the four dominant groups.
There are four dominant language families found within the Seas of Poseidon: Greek, Italian, Portugese and Mohawk. These represent the three main poles of power (the Byzantines, Venetians and Mohawks) along with the more amorphus and mysterious Templars who are mostly Portugese. Here are some names for each of the main groups:
Artists
For characters who use the Artist discipline, here are some options for professions or trades that can fill out their cover stories.
Here are some uniquely Byzantine instruments for your muscian character:
Lyra - a stringed instrument played with a bow and shaped like a pear. Like a violin. listen
Askomandoura - bagpipes from Crete. listen
Venetians musicians might play the following:
Lute - like a medieval guitar. listen
Lira da Braccio - a huge violin-like instrument with seven strings. listen
Knights Templar could be found with this instrument:
Guitolão. A huge round Portugese guitar. listen
Mohawks tend to mix drumming, dancing and singing. Though this type of performance is common, there could be some who excel at it so much they are sought after. listen
Visutal artists, such as muralists who paint in frescoe as well as mosaic tilers are in very high demand. The architecture in this world is heavy and requires paint or tile to spruce it up.
Architects or master builders are very important. This world is being built and anyone who knows how to do this is in demand. Because this world is in such a high state of tension, buildings need to function as fortresses from time to time. Architecture is therefore very heavy using large blocks of stone and cement. Architects are therefore in need of painters or tilers.
Athletes
Chariot Racing - Still hugely popular at the hyppodrome at Sophia, Charioteers are the superstars of Byzantium life.
Cacaccia Football - A very rough older version of football involving 27 players per team. There were no substitutes allowed for injuries, so there was an incentive to injury players on opposing teams. At the Seas of Poseidon, this game often devolves into massive brawls.
Lacrosse - Once exclusive to the Mohawk Confederacy, this violent game involving sticks and a ball has excitedely been taken up by the newcomers from Europe.
Health Workers
Barbers are also surgeons in this world. Basically, anything that requires a knife on your body is something a barber will do. You don’t need a lot of different kinds of knives. As long as they’re sharp, they’d do.
STEM Workers
This is a world of inventors. Well, actually San Marco is where the inventors congrugate. Sophia is a little too wise and a little lacking in ingenuity to pump out good ideas. It may have something to do with the Patriarch of Sophia, while San Marco is increasingly separating itself from religion, replacing it with casual superstition among the masses. That’s a step up for any inventor. Rennaissance ingenuity is flourishing at San Marco. Pumps, gears, rotary wheels, fly wheels, simple steam power, and of course, being on the waterfalls, an overabundance of machines designed to harness the power of water… San Marco is the playground of invention.
Mercenaries
The Knights Templar are formiddable mercenaries. They’re trained for the job, and they have a religious and, well, cultish appreciation for the job.
But there are other types of mercenaries in this world. The Vikings are very commonly seen patrolling along city walls. So too are English longbowmen or even the odd Turkish Janisary, ironically enough. As long as they’ll fight, they’ll get paid.
Professors
As a rule, if you teach anything theological or are interested in big engineering with stone, you live in Sophia. If you’re interested in the natural sciences and humanities, you live in San Marco.
Gang Members
Gangs are everywhere. The knowledge is very transferrable. The Seas of Poseidon are weirdly libertarian in so many ways. There are no police. There are guards to guard things from outsiders. But if you’re an insider and you do something bad, it’s kind of dealt with among your neighbours, and usually in nasty ways. Sometimes, the palace will get involved when they need a good public execution for show. But usually things are done locally.
That means gangs. Gangs provide protection… for a price. Some would call it extortion. Others, a tax. But justice does have a price. And justice can look like a whole lot of things.
Final Word
“It appears you’re all ready. Now is the time for you to leave this world and join another. Please step on the platform and let’s get you on your way. Now, you’re going to feel a little bit queezy and you might not remember where you are at first. Don’t worry. This will pass. Soon, you will be in the streets of Sophia, the capital of a new Roman Empire spreading out into the dark forests and frozen rivers of a brand new world.
“Oh, now before you go, I should give you a piece of advice…”
This is the time to state the theme of the campaign. What is the greatest challenge they will face? What is the overarching, constant pounding question that will hammer into your group the entire time? This is the question that may come back to haunt the group at the very end of the story when it hits its zenith.
If you are playing the scenario built out called ‘The Architect,’ your group’s great challenge will be whether to do something very morally questionable and kill the architect to claim the reward, or to give up on the reward, allow him to live and give the fledgling Mohawk Confederacy a chance to rise. Of course, doing this may possibly set this world on a collision course for war and doom the Romans for a third (fourth?) time.
The final word of advice can be the most difficult thing to tease out in the entire campaign. Here is some suggested wording, if you choose to use it:
“…In life, things are rarely black and white. Often, we can be so blinded by our own prejudices that we fail to see the virtues of the other side. In the Seas of Poseidon, there is no natural good or evil. There is only prejudice, and you may have a chance to shape this world according to your own. So as a group, I would advise you to be very careful about what you stand for. If you are divided in your prejudices, it’s not just your group that is in danger of tearing apart, but this entire world.”
Money and Costs
Each region has its own mint and prices vary depending on local economies. The largest cities in the Seas of Poseidon, Sophia and San Marco, are also the wealthiest and most products are in good supply.
The common currency in this world is a copper coin. While most of the larger towns have their own mints, there is enough commerce between them that the coinage has become standard at least in terms of weight and copper content. A copper coin minted in San Marco can be used to purchase products in Sophia.
Wages
Common Labour
2 Copper/Day
Swineherd
1 Copper/Day
Master Craftsman (Mason, Carpenter, etc)
4 Copper/Day
Craftsman
3 Copper/Day
Apprentice Craftsman
2 Copper/Day
Priest
4 Copper/Day
Soldier
3 Copper/Day
Common Sailor
2 Copper/Day
Prices
Food/Beverage
Good Wine (bottle), 4 Copper
Bad Wine (bottle), 2 Copper
Good Ale (gallon), 2 Copper
Bad Ale (gallon), 1 Copper
Tavern Meal (stew or mutton), 2 Copper
Provisions (salted meat or fish), 1 Copper per days rations
Dozen Eggs, 1 Copper
Accomodations
Night at Cheap Tavern (shared room), 3-5 Copper
Night at Cheap Tavern (own room), 10 Copper
Night at Upscale Inn, 30-300 Copper
Clothing
Peasant’s Tunic, 40 Copper
Nobleman’s Tunic (silk or gold embroidery), 500-1000 Copper
Fashionable Gown, 5000-10,000 Copper
Peasant’s Pants, 25 Copper
Nobleman’s Pants, 100-500 Copper
Traveller’s Bag, 30 Copper
Wine/Water Skin (Gallon), 40 Copper
Traveller’s Shoes, 100 Copper
Peasant’s Shoes, 50 Copper
Nobleman’s Shoes, 200-600 Copper
Peasant’s Shirt, 25 Copper
Nobleman’s Shirt, 100-500 Copper
Items
Pocket Sized Musical Instrument (flute), 30-100 Copper
Portable Musical Instrument (harp, lute), 100-1000 Copper
Metal Pots/Pans, 50 Copper Each
Carving Knife, 100 Copper
Draft Horse, 500 Copper
War Horse, 25,000+ Copper
Weapons
Knife, 250-500 Copper
BroadSword, 500-1000 Copper
Rapier, 400-900 Copper
Battle Axe, 1000-1500 Copper
Bow, 250-500 Copper
Arrows (each), 10 Copper
Crossbow, 1500-2500 Copper
Bolts, 10 Copper
Armour
Leather Shirt, 300-400 Copper
Leather Pants, 250-350 Copper
Chainmail, 5000 Copper
Breastplate, 10,000 Copper
Metal Helmet, 2500 Copper
Full Plate Body Armour, 25,000+ Copper