Kyparissos

The Village

Kyparissos is a community of perhaps two hundred souls clinging to a rocky harbor on the edge of the known world. Once named for the dense cypress forests that covered these hills, the trees have thinned over generations — logged for boats and buildings — though a few ancient specimens still stand in the village square and the Sacred Grove above. Across the water, the ruins of Pylos are visible on clear days, a silent reminder of what was lost.

The harbor is the village's heart: a sheltered natural cove roughly eighty yards wide, with a wooden pier where fishing boats depart at dawn and return at dusk. What the sea provides, the land supplements — terraced olive groves climb the southern hillsides, and sheep graze the western pastures. The village weaving workshop turns local wool into cloth, the potter fires amphorae for olive oil trade, and the bronze smith keeps tools and fishing gear in repair — though quality bronze grows scarcer every year.

Life is simple but not easy. Phoenician traders visit once or twice a season, bringing news and luxury goods in exchange for oil, salted fish, and pottery. The nearest trading partner is Methoni, half a day's sail south. Beyond that, the world grows dangerous.

The People

Leadership

Theron — Village headman. Mid-fifties, weathered face, grey-streaked beard, missing part of his left ear. A former warrior who has seen enough of the world to want to protect his small corner of it. Direct, practical, and fiercely protective. He leads by consensus, consulting his council before major decisions.

Melantha — Prophetess of Apollo. Blind, silver-haired, well past seventy. She has served as oracle for over fifty years and tends the Sacred Grove on the hill above the village. Her prophecies are plain-spoken and carry absolute authority. Treat her with great respect.

Kleitos — Priest of Apollo. Late thirties, tall, clean-shaven, piercing blue eyes. Devout and serious, he assists Melantha and serves as the village's spiritual advisor. A valuable source of theological knowledge.

Services

Phaedra — Dockmaster. Late thirties, lean and sun-darkened, missing the tip of her pinkie from her sponge-diving days. She manages the harbor, owns several boats, and knows the local waters better than anyone. Appreciates people who don't waste her time.

Nikandros — Innkeeper and warehouse keeper. Mid-forties, well-dressed for a villager, warm eyes and a merchant's charm. Runs the village's only inn (four small rooms) and manages trade goods. His network of contacts means he often knows things before anyone else. Useful for acquiring hard-to-find items or hearing regional news.

Alexios — Bronze smith. A former warrior who now runs the forge south of the square. Repairs tools, fishing gear, and the occasional weapon — though bronze stock is increasingly hard to come by.

Hypatia — Herbalist and midwife. Well into her eighties, white hair in a practical bun, sharp mind. She has delivered most of the village's children and healed most of its wounds. Her cottage at the village edge has a garden of medicinal herbs and drying racks.

Kleomenes — Potter. Runs the workshop north of the square, producing amphorae, household vessels, and trade pottery. Makes regular runs to nearby settlements.

Mentors

Zosimos — Minoan scribe. Late sixties, bald with white fringe, sharp grey eyes. One of the last living readers of Linear A, the ancient Minoan script. He fled the fall of Knossos with knowledge most of the world has forgotten. Reclusive but generous with genuine seekers of knowledge. His stone cottage on the eastern edge of the village is crammed with clay tablets.

Philippos — Shepherd and combat trainer. Early sixties, lean and scarred, moves with surprising agility. A former mercenary who abandoned warfare twenty-five years ago. Now he tends sheep in the western hills and teaches practical combat to anyone willing to work hard.

Families

Doros — Olive farmer. Mid-forties, gruff exterior hiding a kind heart. Manages the village's primary olive grove and small vineyard with his wife Kallisto and their three daughters: Rhea (18, devout, hopes to train under Melantha), Thalia (15, practical and good with numbers), and Iris (12, happiest among the olive trees).

Erastos — Elderly shepherd. Tends the flocks in the western hills alongside Philippos. Quiet, but his keen senses mean he notices things others miss.

The Sacred Grove

Above the village, a winding path climbs a hundred feet to a stand of ancient cypress trees untouched by the axe. This is the Sacred Grove of Apollo — the spiritual heart of Kyparissos, older than anyone can remember. The trees here grow impossibly tall and close together, their canopy filtering the light into something golden and strange. The air smells of resin and laurel.

Entry is forbidden to all but Melantha, Kleitos, and those they specifically invite. Villagers speak of the grove with reverence and a touch of unease — prayers offered at its edge are said to be heard more clearly than anywhere else, and strange lights have been glimpsed among the trees at night. Whatever power resides here, the people of Kyparissos know it is real, and they do not trespass.

Trade & Connections

Methoni — Coastal town, half a day's sail south. The nearest real marketplace, with a shrine to Poseidon. Increasingly fortifying against raiders.

Koroni — Farming village, three to four hours by boat to the southeast. Recently destroyed in a raid.

Erana — Island settlement, a full day's sail north. Known for honey. Last contact was months ago.

Pylos — The ruins of Nestor's palace on the mainland. Once the hub of regional trade, now occupied by raiders and off-limits.

Troubled Times

The village endures, but the world beyond the harbor grows more dangerous. Pirate activity along the coast is escalating. Trade routes are disrupted. Nearby settlements have gone silent. Strange omens surround the Sacred Grove. And the gods — once as present as the sea air — feel more distant with each passing season.