You toil away in the underworld, or stand around in the underworld, or once again experience bliss in the underworld. Not that it really matters, whether you've been trapped in the pits of Tartarus, the Asphodel fields, or Elysium, what matters is that it's always the same thing, day in and day out. Over the millennia the dead have grown restless. Occasionally, every century or so, there is a small uprising, but Hades and the souls that work for him quickly put it down and all those who rose up are lit on fire for a century or so as punishment.
One day Hermes arrives to take you to speak to one of the gods. That's not surprising. From time to time the gods "hire" the dead to do a particular job, those jobs being different depending on the god or goddess. This isn't like the other jobs, though. You have found favor in the eyes of this god, for reasons they explain to you, and they wish for you to be their agent. They have a problem with Hades, and want you to help them get back at him. They have tried this many times before, but Hades has always managed to put down the "rebellions". Though the gods cannot interfere directly in the domain of another, or risk punishment or, worse, civil war, they can send agents, and the deity you stand before will empower you to be their agent, if only you agree.
This will take place in the Greek underworld. You can be anyone from the time humans first walked the Earth to the present, as they have gotten souls for a long time, and inherited the underworld and many souls from the gods and titans that came before them. The underworld is divided into three parts:
Tartarus: Where the evil souls went. They are tortured in a way appropriate to their desires or sins.
Asphodel: Where the average souls went, those that weren't really evil or good. Essentially an overpopulated wasteland that is so boring you would kill yourself were it possible just for the few seconds of change.
Elysium: Heaven, where all of the good people went. There is all kinds of fun and happiness to be had here, but there is only so much fun you can have before it becomes meaningless.
Special rules:
1) Pomegranates are the fruit of the afterlife. As such, for every one a dead person consumes, their health and energy is restored by 1/5. They are grown in Elysium, but there are strict export restrictions, making them rare in Asphodel and extremely rare in Tartarus.
2) Demigods may eat small amounts of Ambrosia for a similar, but longer lasting, effects to pomegranates, but the only people with access to it are the gods and some titans, so it is far rarer than Pomegranates are in Tartarus. Also, it is both highly addictive and poisonous, so if you do stop using it, you become poisoned and go through serious withdrawal. Non-demigods are simply poisoned by it.
3) Your patron may give you abilities similar to their own powers, but, as you are human, they are pathetically weak at first and must be practiced to grow in strength.
4) The dead can grow hungry or thirsty, but they can't die, or pass out from hunger or thirst. If they are struck down, say in battle, however, they pass out.
5) Once you cross the river Styx you are alive again, and if you die your soul will be automatically sent to the appropriate afterlife, where Hades has guards stationed, waiting for the souls of escapees.
6) Magic takes twice the energy of powers, is slower to use (You have to recite the spell every time for new spells, and the first time for familiar spells, but don't have to recite it for mastered spells. There is a recharge time on every spell, though reciting it again speeds the recharge up.), and increases in strength slower than powers. Its advantage is that it is much more versatile.
7) Your time here has had a psychological and possibly a physical effect on you. You can choose what, though make it appropriate to where you were.
8) I understand that the Greeks had different cultural rules regarding nudity and sex, and that that would bleed over into their underworld. (the original Olympics were performed nude, for example) That's why this is rated R, but we're writing young adult fiction, not erotica. If nudity or sex is necessary to your character development or the plot, try to take a minimalist approach. Hint at things, don't tell (and I mean hint. "They entered the bedroom, and an hour later they left arm in arm, smiles on their faces." that kind of thing.) If things go too far and you feel like you need to do it, post it in Titanpad or something, and make it private. I don't have a problem with extreme violence, though. If you want to disembowel someone and strangle them with their entrails, go for it.
I case anyone is interested in this, here's a character sheet to help you get ideas for a character.
Character sheets:
Name:
Gender:
Race: (human, demi-god, Neanderthal, etc.)
Apparent age:
When did you die:
What culture did you belong to?
What did you do when alive?
Where did you go when you died?
What did you do after you died?
Sponsoring god?
Powers:
Can they use magic?
Effects of time spent here:
Other:
My idea (sample)
Name: Robert Smit
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Apparent age: 32
When did you die: 1573
What culture did you belong to? Britany
What did you do when alive? Blacksmith
Where did you go when you died? Asphodel
What did you do after you died? Nothing. Occasionally picked a fight, or talked, but it didn't last long.
Sponsoring god? Hephaestus, later switches to Hecate
Powers: Toughness, fire resistance, increased strength, increased endurance, (later, easier magic use, less energy usage with magic and learns magic faster)
Can they use magic? Yes
Effects of time spent here: Patient to a fault. Things always seem like they're going "too fast" to him, causing him great stress. Muscles have atrophied, though working with Hephaestus will rebuild them.
Other: Hermes brought him to Hephaestus to help in the forge, but Hephaestus had already struck a deal with Hecate, so she was there as well. The deal they had arranged was that he, as a mortal agent of Hephaestus, would help free her daughter, Circe, and in return she would help Hephaestus form his most powerful magical armor yet. Robert would serve Hephaestus while Hecate taught him basic magic, as well as the spell to free Circe, though he wouldn't be strong enough to cast it on his own. When Robert was ready, Hephaestus would send his "loyal servant" to visit Circe in "The Harem" as a "reward" for his service. Once there, Robert would order Circe to cast the spell to free her that Hecate had taught him.
When he was discovered, Hephaestus would disavow all knowledge of this plot, and end his service. Hecate would then declare him her servant, and he and Circe would find their way back to Hecate. No one would care that Hecate had done this, as they all knew what her daughter had went through, and he would be free to work as Hecate's servant.
Yes, it's simplistic, but I'll add detail as I go.
Spells used so far:
I will be posting every spell from the RP here for reference.
Special areas in the underworld:
The Harem: Square kilometers of cramped cells, deep in Tartarus, where punishments of a sexual nature are administered. Circe is held here, being punished for all of her crimes against men by being forced to obey their every order. These orders aren't always sexual, but many are, so this is where she has been sealed for over three thousand years.
Originally posted in casual but there was no interest, and I want a more in-depth story than I usually get there. Not to mention that people there like to leave after joining.
One day Hermes arrives to take you to speak to one of the gods. That's not surprising. From time to time the gods "hire" the dead to do a particular job, those jobs being different depending on the god or goddess. This isn't like the other jobs, though. You have found favor in the eyes of this god, for reasons they explain to you, and they wish for you to be their agent. They have a problem with Hades, and want you to help them get back at him. They have tried this many times before, but Hades has always managed to put down the "rebellions". Though the gods cannot interfere directly in the domain of another, or risk punishment or, worse, civil war, they can send agents, and the deity you stand before will empower you to be their agent, if only you agree.
This will take place in the Greek underworld. You can be anyone from the time humans first walked the Earth to the present, as they have gotten souls for a long time, and inherited the underworld and many souls from the gods and titans that came before them. The underworld is divided into three parts:
Tartarus: Where the evil souls went. They are tortured in a way appropriate to their desires or sins.
Asphodel: Where the average souls went, those that weren't really evil or good. Essentially an overpopulated wasteland that is so boring you would kill yourself were it possible just for the few seconds of change.
Elysium: Heaven, where all of the good people went. There is all kinds of fun and happiness to be had here, but there is only so much fun you can have before it becomes meaningless.
Special rules:
1) Pomegranates are the fruit of the afterlife. As such, for every one a dead person consumes, their health and energy is restored by 1/5. They are grown in Elysium, but there are strict export restrictions, making them rare in Asphodel and extremely rare in Tartarus.
2) Demigods may eat small amounts of Ambrosia for a similar, but longer lasting, effects to pomegranates, but the only people with access to it are the gods and some titans, so it is far rarer than Pomegranates are in Tartarus. Also, it is both highly addictive and poisonous, so if you do stop using it, you become poisoned and go through serious withdrawal. Non-demigods are simply poisoned by it.
3) Your patron may give you abilities similar to their own powers, but, as you are human, they are pathetically weak at first and must be practiced to grow in strength.
4) The dead can grow hungry or thirsty, but they can't die, or pass out from hunger or thirst. If they are struck down, say in battle, however, they pass out.
5) Once you cross the river Styx you are alive again, and if you die your soul will be automatically sent to the appropriate afterlife, where Hades has guards stationed, waiting for the souls of escapees.
6) Magic takes twice the energy of powers, is slower to use (You have to recite the spell every time for new spells, and the first time for familiar spells, but don't have to recite it for mastered spells. There is a recharge time on every spell, though reciting it again speeds the recharge up.), and increases in strength slower than powers. Its advantage is that it is much more versatile.
7) Your time here has had a psychological and possibly a physical effect on you. You can choose what, though make it appropriate to where you were.
8) I understand that the Greeks had different cultural rules regarding nudity and sex, and that that would bleed over into their underworld. (the original Olympics were performed nude, for example) That's why this is rated R, but we're writing young adult fiction, not erotica. If nudity or sex is necessary to your character development or the plot, try to take a minimalist approach. Hint at things, don't tell (and I mean hint. "They entered the bedroom, and an hour later they left arm in arm, smiles on their faces." that kind of thing.) If things go too far and you feel like you need to do it, post it in Titanpad or something, and make it private. I don't have a problem with extreme violence, though. If you want to disembowel someone and strangle them with their entrails, go for it.
I case anyone is interested in this, here's a character sheet to help you get ideas for a character.
Character sheets:
Name:
Gender:
Race: (human, demi-god, Neanderthal, etc.)
Apparent age:
When did you die:
What culture did you belong to?
What did you do when alive?
Where did you go when you died?
What did you do after you died?
Sponsoring god?
Powers:
Can they use magic?
Effects of time spent here:
Other:
My idea (sample)
Name: Robert Smit
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Apparent age: 32
When did you die: 1573
What culture did you belong to? Britany
What did you do when alive? Blacksmith
Where did you go when you died? Asphodel
What did you do after you died? Nothing. Occasionally picked a fight, or talked, but it didn't last long.
Sponsoring god? Hephaestus, later switches to Hecate
Powers: Toughness, fire resistance, increased strength, increased endurance, (later, easier magic use, less energy usage with magic and learns magic faster)
Can they use magic? Yes
Effects of time spent here: Patient to a fault. Things always seem like they're going "too fast" to him, causing him great stress. Muscles have atrophied, though working with Hephaestus will rebuild them.
Other: Hermes brought him to Hephaestus to help in the forge, but Hephaestus had already struck a deal with Hecate, so she was there as well. The deal they had arranged was that he, as a mortal agent of Hephaestus, would help free her daughter, Circe, and in return she would help Hephaestus form his most powerful magical armor yet. Robert would serve Hephaestus while Hecate taught him basic magic, as well as the spell to free Circe, though he wouldn't be strong enough to cast it on his own. When Robert was ready, Hephaestus would send his "loyal servant" to visit Circe in "The Harem" as a "reward" for his service. Once there, Robert would order Circe to cast the spell to free her that Hecate had taught him.
When he was discovered, Hephaestus would disavow all knowledge of this plot, and end his service. Hecate would then declare him her servant, and he and Circe would find their way back to Hecate. No one would care that Hecate had done this, as they all knew what her daughter had went through, and he would be free to work as Hecate's servant.
Yes, it's simplistic, but I'll add detail as I go.
Spells used so far:
I will be posting every spell from the RP here for reference.
Special areas in the underworld:
The Harem: Square kilometers of cramped cells, deep in Tartarus, where punishments of a sexual nature are administered. Circe is held here, being punished for all of her crimes against men by being forced to obey their every order. These orders aren't always sexual, but many are, so this is where she has been sealed for over three thousand years.
Originally posted in casual but there was no interest, and I want a more in-depth story than I usually get there. Not to mention that people there like to leave after joining.