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Greek Campaign - Non-Player Characters

The Age of Antiquity is filled with a great variety of people. Some are powerful and noble while others are petty and cruel. Whatever their outlook, these figures played an important part in the Battle of Corinth, whether directly or indirectly. The following are non-player characters who had a special part to play in the Greek Campaign.

Affiliations:
Achaean League
Allies
Rome
Other Enemies


Achaean League
Critolaus the Peripatetic
Achaean League Philosopher
Homeland: Phaselis
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: None
Class: Expert
First Appearance: The Fires of War

Critolaus was a whiny, annoying and overly critical man, but extremely intelligent and recognized as a master of naval battles. He was largely skeptical of the League's chances should they stand up against Rome and instead believed that they should submit as soon as possible and hope for a better future as part of the Empire. Nevertheless, he was committed to helping Greece and remained as a valuable member of the League.

After Damocritus's expulsion from the League, Critolaus was promoted and assigned the heroes to their adventures. He served quite well in this capacity for quite some time, until he was sent to Scarpheia as a last ditch effort to broker peace. It was revealed that he had been feeding intelligence to Rome in exchange for gold and promises of safety. He was assassinated by Rogerius in revenge and died a traitor.


Damocritus
Achaean League General
Homeland: Thrace
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Olympian Pantheon
Class: Fighter / Marshal
First Appearance: On the Wings of an Eagle

Damocritus was the party's first commander with the Achaean League. A gruff, military man, he saw the need for caution and the promise that could be found in the lost secrets of Greek's past. Damocritus hated the Romans, but greatly respected their tactics. It was Damocritus that first hit upon the idea of using Polybius's tales to help locate forgotten treasures and tools.

After leading the Achaean League forces against Sparta in a failed attempt to forcefully conscript the Spartans, Damocritus was officially expelled from the League. He fled Greece, acting as a spy against the Roman army. He discovered the fate of Lucius Mummius, which he shared with Polybius, an act that would prove to save the lives of the heroes. He later travels with Polybius and the heroes as a bodyguard when they left for Africa.


Diaeos
Achaean League Politician
Homeland: Arcadia
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Apollo
Class: Aristocrat
First Appearance: The Lion's Roar

Diaeos was a politician in the upper echelons of the League. His mastery to knowing how other people think and manipulating their moods had made him invaluable in keeping Rome from attacking so soon. Often sent to other lands to raise influence against the Romans, he nonetheless managed to keep up appearances in his homeland as well.

Diaeos had spent over a season in Rome attempting to keep the Roman invasion from occurring, but he couldn't postpone it indefinitely. Instead he returned to Corinth and began assisting in the League's activities there. When Polybius left Corinth, it was Diaeos who took over command of the League armies. He died during the battle after committing suicide.


Polybius
Achaean League Poet-Historian
Homeland: Arcadia
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Apollo
Class: Bard
First Appearance: On the Wings of an Eagle

Polybius was a scholar steeped in the traditions of Greek history who yearned to produce a work that is recognized throughout the world and tells of the Achaean League's struggles against Rome. To this end, he had asked that the party relate to him tales of their travel, which he intended to turn into a book. Polybius had a more open mind than most of the leaders of the League and has produced many leads on more unorthodox tools that may be hidden.

Polybius created The Histories from the tales the heroes gave him, after leaving Corinth for a short time. He returned with Damocritus and recovered the dying Lucius Mummius, and in doing so, revealed the secret of the False Mummius. After the Battle of Corinth, he, Damocritus and the heroes set out to Africa to hide The True Histories while he worked on a new book, with all the dangerous secrets of the war edited out. Afterwards, they returned to Greece and other Roman provinces to improve the conditions of the people there.



Allies
Alexander Balas
Syrian Tyrant
Homeland: Smyrna
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Athena
Class: Rogue
First Appearance: Hannibal ad Portas

Alexander Balas was a Greek man from Smyrna, who through the machinations of Pharaoh Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt established a claim with the Roman senate as rightful ruler of Syria. After defeating Demetrius I Soter, he became ruler, but quickly lost control of his life and gave himself over to debauchery. He was extremely reliant on Philometor for advice on how to run his newfound kingdom and he knew deep down that he was not the rightful ruler of Syria, even if it was for the greater good.

While the heroes visited Syria in search of Hannibal's manual, Balas turned them on to a deeply entrenched and hidden cult of Nergal in Damascus. Using the adventurers as his own personal strike-force, he was able to remove the threat from his city, but not without great cost, both of life and property, to the fires the cult had spread. After the heroes left, Husa-Dain remained in Syria as guest and tool of Balas for many months. When the ranger finally left, Balas's city was cleared of the Nergalite threat.

Balas was killed by Demetrius II Nicator, the son of the man he had slain to get the throne of Syria sometime before the Battle of Corinth. His former mentor, Ptolemy, had grown tired of Balas' antics and used the confusion of the impending Roman invasion of Greece to stage a coup and place a new puppet ruler on the throne.


Andriscus
Macedonian King
Homeland: Macedonia
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Zeus
Class: Aristocrat
First Appearance: Never encountered

Andriscus, an ally of the Achaean League was responsible for much of the troubles that faced Greece during the campaign. His use of Thracian soldiers to take Macedonia from the Romans was amazingly executed, but it drew the eye of Rome and in turn, Greece. Andriscus had also taken Thessaly, a country renowned for its witches and horsemen, but his corrupt and cruel reign seemed poised to topple him. It did finally, with Roman soldiers killing Andriscus and resuming control of Macedonia.

Although Andriscus was an ally of the Achaean League, the generals cut political ties with his sympathizers in order to buy time to protect themselves. The party never met with Andriscus, but his role in establishing the current troubles in Greece made him an important figure nonetheless.


Medea
Immortal Witch
Homeland: Colchis
Gender: Female
Race: Feytouched
Deity: Hecate
Class: Wizard
First Appearance: Rooting for Allies

Medea was an immortal witch who assisted Jason and his Argonauts in recovering the Golden Fleece. During the campaign, she had been in the throes of grief induced madness, a result of her murder of her own children as revenge for her husband Jason's abandonment of her. When the heroes assisted in slaying the personified demons of her insanity, she became lucid once more and agreed to join the Achaean League to train a new generation of powerful Greek wizards.

Before the Battle of Corinth, Medea mysteriously disappeared, leaving Apnea in charge of the Greek wizards. Her whereabouts afterwards are unknown.


Ptolemy VI Philometor
Egyptian Pharaoh
Homeland: Egypt
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Ra-Horakhty
Class: Aristocrat / Cleric
First Appearance: The Lion's Roar

Ptolemy is the pharaoh of Egypt at the time of the campaign and a never ceasing opponent of Rome. The ruler found himself in a delicate position. He could not be an outspoken opponent of the Romans, yet he also could not sit by as they continued to consume the world. To this end, he favored a secret war, and had made many arrangements, such as feeding information to the Achaean League and installing leaders under his influence in neighboring countries. He greatly resented having his power controlled by the Roman senate and would have done almost anything to regain what he saw as his birthright.

Ptolemy worked mainly behind the scenes, installing Alexander Balas and later Demetrius II Nicator to the throne of Syria to hold some power over those lands. He also assisted the party on several occasions, helping them find Homer's scrying equipment, allowing them entry to the Great Library to search for the lost Memorabilia that led to the recovery of air-powered artillery, and even granting the League use of Egyptian sorcerers. Ptolemy did not act directly in the final battle, but afterwards had allowed Polybius, Damocritus and the heroes safe and secretive passage through his kingdom as they went to deliver the True Histories.


Puck
Ambassador of the Seelie Court
Homeland: The Plane of Faerie
Gender: Male
Race: Satyr
Deity: Seelie Court
Class: None
First Appearance: Spirits of Nature

Puck is a satyr who has chosen to try and broker peace between humankind and the inhabitants of Faerie. When the heroes requested an audience with the court, he agreed to both sponsor and debate on their behalf.

Although he wasn't particularly strong, Puck managed to hold his own in the battle against his rival Spring's attack as several faeries broke ranks and attacked, along with Arachnea and her children. Puck's work to secure an agreement worked and he led a small contingent of faeries in the Battle of Corinth. He was known to have survived the battle.


Talos
The Bronze Man
Homeland: Crete
Gender: None
Race: Construct
Deity: None
Class: Advanced Bronze Golem
First Appearance: The Metal Giant

Talos is the bronze giant that attacked the Argonauts on their way to Thessaly. Medea stopped the beast by mesmerizing it with her magic, at which point Jason was able to sneak behind it and remove a long bronze nail from its heel, and thus draining its life-blood.

The heroes later travelled to Crete where they were able to locate Talos' body, the nail and a formula for synthesizing new life-blood. After escaping from Lasthenes with their prize, they returned to Corinth, where Achaean League alchemists were able to resurrect Talos.

Talos fought alongside Husa-Dain during the Battle of Corinth, but fell after several assaults by cavalry. His weight unfortunately crushed Husa-Dain during the collapse, which killed the ranger.



Rome
Calish
Bound Efreeti
Homeland: The Elemental Plane of Fire
Gender: Male
Race: Efreet
Deity: Unknown
Class: Advanced Efreet / Fighter
First Appearance: The Metal Giant

Calish was an efreet bound to a magic ring that somehow came into the possession of Finellas Procutas after the Roman merchant had become destitute as a result of the adventurers' actions against him in Syracuse. Calish was unusual in that he saw a kinship in Proscutas and worked willingly for the merchant. After failing to assassinate the heroes on Crete and failing to keep pieces of Talos from falling into their hands, Calish turned to magically augmenting Proscutas and acting as the merchant's bodyguard.

Calish was killed while defending a Roman supply train prior to the Battle of Corinth when he was struck through the heart with one of Eonus' arrows.


Finellas Procutas
Roman Merchant
Homeland: Rome
Gender: Male
Race: Human, later Spellwarped Human
Deity: Fortuna
Class: Expert / Rogue, later Despot / Binder
First Appearance: The Fires of War

Finellas Procutas was a merchant living in Syracuse. Unknowingly residing in the home previously owned by Archemedes, the man was in constant fear of being beaten, robbed or killed because of his shady business practices. He watched as the heroes broke into his home and later followed them to some caves by the sea. Enraged, he rushed back to his home and using his last few coins, purchased a tiger from an acquaintance in order to ambush the party. Finellas barely escaped with his life.

Later, a newly remade Finellas was seen on Crete in the city of Malia, where he had started to acquire artifacts that he believed would draw the Achaean League, and subsequently the heroes to him for revenge. His newly discovered efreeti companion Calish was unable to kill the heroes and they escaped with the bronze nail of Talos.

Later still, Finellas had used his influence and Calish's magic to join the Roman invasion force during the Battle of Corinth. Seeing that Lucius Mummius was not willing to utterly destroy Corinth (and thus provide the merchant with his long deserved revenge), he had Calish summon a shapechanging creature from beyond the world to replace the Roman consul. He subsequently died trying to kill the heroes using powers granted to him by Calish. As a result, the False Lucius was no longer controlled, and chose to exploit Greece's treasures rather than obliterate them.


Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Roman Consul
Homeland: Rome
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Mars
Class: Fighter / Marshal
First Appearance: War

Lucius Mummius was the consul put in charge of attacking Corinth in retribution for an insult levied against Roman ambassadors. He replaced Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus who had been put in charge of attacking Scarpheia. Pushed relentlessly by Fineas Proscutas into completely destroying Corinth, Lucius resisted, believing that the Greeks had much to contribute to the Empire. He instead was pushing for peace and Greece's assimilation into the Roman Empire.

As a result, Fineas Proscutas and his efreeti servant Calish summoned a creature not of this world to impersonate and replace Lucius. Lucius was mortally wounded by his doppelganger and left for dead, but was discovered by Polybius and Damocritus and later the heroes in time. With his dying breaths he explained everything and apologized for what had happened.

At the moment of his death, Lucius was filled with intense hatred towards his replacement and grief over what was to happen in his name. These powerful emotions, combined with his powerful spirit, the endless praises given to his name by his men and the senators of Rome and his soul-link to the doppelganger that replaced him turned him into a vestige: Lucius the Faceless General.


The False Lucius
Destroyer of Corinth
Homeland: Unknown
Gender: None
Race: Doppelganger
Deity: Unknown
Class: Advanced Doppelganger / Fighter / Rogue
First Appearance: War

The False Lucius is the title bestowed upon the doppelganger that Calish and Fineas Proscutas summoned to replace Lucius Mummius. The two had used powerful magic to bind the False Lucius to this world and to force him to permanently take the form of the consul. During the short time the heroes saw him, the False Lucius had slaughtered several dozen Achaean soldiers single-handedly and had nearly killed Kratos as well, before their ally had disappeared in a flash of blinding light.

After the Battle of Corinth, without Proscutas to control him, the False Lucius ordered the deaths of all the men in Corinth, the enslavement of the women and children and the theft of all the artwork his troops could carry. Later he gained titles and recognition for the Battle of Corinth, established advanced theatres (the better to see people impersonating others) and died after fathering several children.


Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus
Roman Consul
Homeland: Rome
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Mars
Class: Fighter / Marshal
First Appearance: Never encountered

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus was the Consul who lead the armies of Rome to recapture Macedonia after Andriscus took power from them. Although he had not had any contact with the party or any of the Achaean League, it was he who sent Lucius Mummius to Corinth to destroy them.

For much of the campaign it was assumed by the Achaean League that Metellus would invade Corinth, so it came as a shock when the heroes learned otherwise.


Titus Quinctius Flaminius
Roman Proconsul
Homeland: Rome
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Athena
Class: Marshal / Aristocrat
First Appearance: Never encountered

A former military tribune during the Second Punic War, Titus established himself as Proconsul at the early age of 30. In 196 BC, at the Isthmian Games in the city of Corinth, he proclaimed the independence of Greece from the Roman Empire. He was a great admirer of Greek culture and spoke the language fluently. 47 years later, Titus was long dead and Rome began to hunger for Greece again.

While Titus has not appeared, as he had been long dead by the time the campaign opened, it was his actions in life that has caused some of the conflict from which the campaign had originated, and he had been mentioned fondly by many members of the Achaean League and later by Lucius Mummius.



Other Enemies
Job
Jewish Mystic
Homeland: Alexandria
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Yahweh
Class: Cleric
First Appearance: Blood of Egypt

Job was a Jewish cleric who had somehow gained ownership of the Staff of Moses, an incredibly potent artifact, and used it to wage a one-man war on Egypt. Using his magic, he had summoned angels, curses and insect plagues to attack the people of Alexandria, and to combat a mummified sphinx that Ptolemy VI Philometor had summoned.

Job was eventually subdued, and in shame, presented his Staff to Idalia. In exchange for banishment from Egypt, he used his magic to restore Eonus to life, after the priest had been killed by Ptolemy's sphinx.


Lasthenes
Mercenary Captain
Homeland: Crete
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Deity: Ares
Class: Fighter / Rogue / Exotic Weapon Master
First Appearance: The Metal Giant

Lasthenes was a powerful and immoral mercenary captain who lived on Crete, as well as the stepfather of Sirius. After Sirius' disappearance prior to the campaign, he searched far and wide for the warrior in hopes of capturing him and forcing his son to fight for his mercenary company in virtual slavery. The heroes first encountered him as his company was hired to excavate the body of Talos, during which time he and his war animals had been subdued.

Lastenes swore his revenge and nearly got it prior to the Battle of Corinth when his company was caught setting traps for the Romans. Sirius was finally able to avenge his mother by harnessing the power of his true father, Zeus in battle.


Spring
Exiled Faerie
Homeland: The Plane of Faerie
Gender: Male
Race: Unknown
Deity: Seelie Court
Class: Augmented Satyr
First Appearance: Spirits of Nature

Spring was a satyr who had argued against faerie-kind joining with the Achaean League when the heroes had attempted to petition for assistance. In his anger, Spring had brought Arachnea, a once human, now spider-creature and her children to attack the court, hoping that her assault, and those of the faeries loyal to him would drive the remaining faeries on the Material Plane back to Faerie.

Spring's plan failed and as a result, the court had him transformed into a gaunt, human-shaped creature. Swearing revenge against humankind, Spring disappeared, but faeries are immortal, so he might return at any time.


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