Isle Olympias

Isle Olympias thrives as an island-continent off the southern coast of Europa, an independent sovereign land steeped in Hellenic tradition, philosophy, and divine reverence. Over the centuries, Olympian society has interwoven with Terra’s mystical forces, shaping a unique civilization where gods and mortals coexist in delicate equilibrium.

Isle Olympias, positioned in the southwestern hemisphere of Terra, enjoys a Mediterranean climate, defined by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The land is carved into two mountain ranges—the Olympic Mountains to the east and the Voulgara Mountains to the west—cradling Olympic City, the island’s heart.

• Makryema Bay along the northern coast offers long pebble-strewn beaches, while sheer cliffs dominate much of the island’s edge.
• Port Olympias, the southern merchant city, serves as the island’s primary harbor, controlled by the Isle Olympias Port Authority (IOPA).
• The interior is a mixture of fertile valleys, olive groves, and vineyard-laden hills, reminiscent of an ancient Hellenic paradise.
• Mystical Springs—believed to be touched by the Naiads—dot the landscape, their waters known for their healing properties.
• The Karteros Plains—vast open fields where hoplites and philosophers alike gather for combat training and symposiums.

Olympias weaves its culture from the threads of ancient Greece, blending old-world reverence with arcane evolution. In Olympic City, life breathes in agoras and amphitheaters, in symposiums under starlight, and in sacred groves where mortals and gods whisper across the veil. The people prize physical and intellectual excellence, their lives shaped by debate, art, athleticism, and spiritual pursuit.

• Citizens are expected to pursue arete—excellence of mind, body, and soul—through study, debate, physical training, and artistic mastery.
• Gymnasia and theatres are sacred spaces for cultivating the self; palaestrae and agoras echo with the clash of hoplite drills and philosophical discourse.
• Public symposiums are central to civic life—laws and truths debated not behind closed doors, but in sunlight and song.

The Olympian and Chthonic gods remain central to Olympian spirituality, though their influence has evolved over centuries:

• Temples to Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon dominate Olympic City.
• Mystery cults, devoted to Dionysus, Hecate, and Orpheus, perform esoteric rituals beneath the city’s foundations.
• Oracles and seers, often blessed by Apollo, act as intermediaries between the mortal and divine realms.
• Philosophy has merged with mysticism, leading to schools of thought that intertwine logic, metaphysics, and arcane theory.

Festivals, theater, and philosophy continue to thrive, blending Hellenic tradition with Terra’s mystical reality.

The Assembly rules as an oligarchy, with four Archai presiding over domains such as defense, trade, diplomacy, and knowledge. Above them all stands the Oracle, spiritual heart of the isle. Decisions echo the rhythm of the seasons—war planned in the frost, laws passed in harvest, and magic sought in winter’s stillness.

• Archai of the Olympias Military: Supreme Commander, responsible for defense and the Hoplite Corps.
• Archai of Business & Trade: Oversees commerce, patronage of artisans, and economic policies.
• Archai of National & International Relations: Manages diplomacy and xenia (sacred hospitality).
• Archai of Information Handling & Storage: Maintains libraries, the Great Lyceum, and historical records.
• The Oracle: The supreme religious figure, tending to the Temple of the Twelve, the sanctuary where oracles divine the will of the gods.

Trade flows through Port Olympias, rich with olive oil, wine, marble, and artisan wares. Gold, silver, and bronze drachmae exchange hands with weighty worth. The economy is sustained not only by commerce, but by patronage of the arts, symposiums of philosophy, and the harmony of agriculture and craftsmanship.

The national currency of Olympias is the drachma minted in bronze, silver, or gold. Its value is based on its weight, with 1 silver drachma equaling roughly 5 grams. On average the daily wage for a skilled laborer is 1 silver drachma.
- 1 is equal to 10
- 1 is equal to 10

Though politically independent, Olympias trades extensively with Europa and beyond, navigating the power struggles of the continent’s divine and mortal rulers. Philosophical guilds debate and legislate in public symposiums, ensuring the government remains guided by wisdom.

Slavery is a widely accepted practice in Olympias, with the primary market being located in the port. Only exotic and well trained slaves are ever sent to the capital. There is no state-sponsored slave market, and the flesh market operates privately through the Isle Olympias Port Authority (IOPA).

Reasons for enslavement include:

• Debt: People who were unable to pay off their debts can sell themselves into slavery, along with their children and spouse.
• Punishment: A form of punishment for committing a crime.
• War: Prisoners of war are often enslaved or sold to other countries.
• Economic hardship: Peasants might sell themselves into slavery for food or shelter.
• Piracy or Banditry: Those captured during raids are often sold into slavery.
• International Trade: other countries who engage in slavery may sell their stock to other countries.

Free-persons are allowed to utilize the abilities of their slaves by employing them in different manners including domestic services (cooks, maids, brewers, nannies, etc.) and labor services (gardeners, stable hands, field hands, etc.). They also have the right to force the slave to learn a trade or craft to make the slave more valuable. They cannot, however, force child slaves to perform harsh physical labor. Slave familial relationships are not recognized by the state. Slaves have fewer judicial rights than citizens and are represented by their masters in all judicial proceedings. A misdemeanor that would result in a fine for the free man will result in a flogging for the slave at a ratio of one lash for one silver drachma.

Demosios are slaves bought and owned by the state.
Pornai are a type of slave owned by a brothel or pimp.