Thursday 22 August 2013

Meet the Fish-packers

The Kybiosaktoi (packers of salted fish) are one of the factions being used to playtest Song of Shadows of Dust and might be considered typical of the many factions of ruffians leaving their mark on the streets of Antiocheia Mikros (sometimes quite literally). Legally the faction is composed of a trade association or guild who trade in the preserved fish brought up from the coast and exported into the Syrian interior. Unofficially the Kybiosaktoi maintain strong links with various groups of pirates who base themselves or the rocky shores of Kilikia, and, like many of those pirates, would like to see a different, more sympathetic king residing in the royal palace. Luckily for them, in the first century BC, there is no shortage of potential kings.

Strato Monophthalmos (the one-eyed) is the faction's leader. He used to sail with a band of like-minded gentlemen out of Korykos in Kilikia until a Roman arrow took out an eye. Now he trades in salted fish and goods found at sea without owners. He also runs the Green Oar tavern, a den of iniquity in one of the seedier backstreets of Antioch.
Faction Leader
60 points
Q3
C3
Special Rules
Leader

Strato's grandmother, Erato, is thought to commune with the spirits of murdered virgins and is one of his chief advisers. She can usually be found in one of the back rooms of the Green Oar where she prepares curses on commission.
Witch
40 points
Q3
C1
Special Rules
Poison, Short Move, Threatening, Dynast

Philokrater has perhaps spent too much time in the Green Oar. He hails originally from Northern Thrace and is employed to ensure nothing untoward happens to Strato.
Foreign Bodyguard
42 points
Q4
C4
Special Rules
Armed, Barbarous, Heavy Drinker, Protect Leader

Antiochis, is a fiery young widow who's husband, a member of the Kybiosaktoi, never came home one night and was found a week later being eaten by rats in one of the sewers opening onto the Orontes River. She has sworn not to remarry until she avenges her husband's death.
Henchman (with sword or spear)
36 points
Q4
C3
Special Rules
Armed, Bellicose

Apollonios is a former light infantryman. After thirteen years serving in the Seleukid army he was discharged with no backpay for punching an officer. Finding himself without an obol to his name and back in his native Antioch, Apollonios now works for the Kybiosaktoi.
Retired Veteran
52 points
Q3
C3
Special Rules
Armed, Danger Sense, Hard

Apollonios' daughter Europa was brought up in a succession of army camps and learned early on that a girl needs to know how to take care of herself. She always shadows her father and has become a well known and respected member of the Kybiosaktoi in her own right.
Apprentice (with sling)
36 points
Q4
C2
Special Rules
Agile, Grey, Quick, Sling

The last of the known members of the faction, Zeuxis is an old companion of Strato's from his seafaring days. He demonstrates his immense strength by carrying an oar around with him at all times. The oar has also proved handy in more than one altercation on the backstreets of Antioch.
Henchman (with cudgel)
32 points
Q4
C3
Special Rules
Bludgeon, Grey

2 comments:

  1. Love it. Going to have to look up some of what these abilities do.

    FMB

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is turning out to be a fascinating project. Just fell off the chair over 'goods found at sea without owners' - OK I believe you!

    Stalking with interest :-)

    ReplyDelete