TLT: Dreams

He was walking as usual through his dreams, the uneventful, normal sort. They were dreams like any other man might have, rooted in memories, hidden fears and secret desires. Dreams which signified nothing, portended no doom. When Helenus had normal dreams, he usually dreamed of Troy, of his father, mother, brothers and sisters. He dreamed of Cassandra, of Hector and Andromache’s wedding, of Deiphobus defeating him at swordplay, of his mother taking him into her lap. He dreamed memories; a fact that always seemed ironic to him, since he never thought of the past during his waking hours. Usually, memories disturbed him even more than prophecies, and those were disturbing enough.

So he was almost relieved when he felt himself being pulled from these dreams, drawn away into shadows, shifting, dark, indistinct around him. They turned him within a gyre of shade, disorientating him completely, wrenching all recollections of the previous dreams from his mind. When the gyre gave way, he found firm ground beneath his body. He opened his eyes, wondering what terrifying vision he would find before them.

Much to his surprise, there was nothing. He felt the smooth stones of a city street under his palms as he raised himself to his feet, looking around warily. But scarcely had he straightened his back as a tremor ran underneath his feet, and he felt a deep rumble coming from the earth itself. And as he looked up, he saw the very buildings around him tremble, as some shuddered and toppled over, as easily as children’s toys would collapse if built too high. Helenus could feel the tremors, but knew he was not affected by them: calm as the ocean on a fine day, he watched as the great city quavered, rock shifting on rock, mortarless bricks crumbling as, around him, Sparta collapsed. Helenus closed his eyes. He had experienced hundreds of prophecies, but they seldom grew any easier to endure.

When he awoke to find himself in his bedchamber in Mycenae, Helenus felt his ears ringing, and he winced in pain. He held his hands to his ears, trying to still the throbbing of his head. And then he heard the voice in his head, as he had come to expect after every one of his prophetic dreams, speaking low in his ear...

The ground will quake beneath all
Beware, you kings of Lacedaemon, even the mightiest will fall
Beware, for Poseidon will take his due
As this prophecy comes true

The words burned themselves into his memory: he would have no need for writing them down now. Every prophecy he had made was as clear to him now as they had been on the day he had first heard them.

Rome: Deia's Character Profile

Character Profile

Full Name: Adeia Eurydike.
Meaning of Name: from Greek adea meaning “fearless; unfearing”.
Birth Date: 21 April.
Birth Place: Thessalonica, Macedon.
Age: 19
Race: Caucasian (Greek and Macedonian).
Hair Color: Dark Auburn.
Hair Style: Kept simple, the Greek way. Avoids the elaborate coiffures some of her fellow courtesans wear.
Shape and Features of Face: Large, expressive eyes, soft, sensual lips.
Eye Color: Blue-grey.
Skin Tone: Porcelain with a light dusting of pale-golden freckles.
Any Scars or Distinguishing Marks: A small birthmark on her back.
Build or Body Type: Slender, soft curves and shapely buttocks.
Height: 5'4”
Weight: Approx. 120 lb

Family and Childhood

Father: Antipatros, a wealthy Greek trader.
Mother: Eleni, a well-bred woman of Greek ancestry.
Family Finances: Comfortable.
Brothers: Antipatros had two sons, though one was born sickly and exposed as an infant. The elder, Kassandros, grew up healthy.
Sisters: Three elder: Tryphaina, Ligeia and Ptolemais.
Birth Order: Fifth and youngest.
Best Friend: Eidyia, an accomplished hetaira and her tutor.
Pets: Her father owned a stable of horses, and kept an old, tame mare for her riding.
Home Life During Childhood: Was allowed the headstrong upbringing of a youngest child.
Popular or Loner: Well-loved by all her father’s friends and relatives.
Important Experiences or Events: The beginning of her education under Eidyia.
Health Problems: Of reasonably good health.
Culture: Greek immigrants in Macedon.
Religion: Greek pantheon, particularly Aphrodite and Hecate.

Your Character's Character

Bad Habits: Too liberal with her trust; self-indulgent, obstinate.
Strong Points: Thorough, resourceful, quick-witted.
Temperament: Usually even-tempered, though has been known to make rash decisions when feeling threatened or stirred to anger.
Fears: Losing her charms with age, and growing old in poverty.
Weakness: ...
Secrets: Few of her clients have known that she began her career in Rome working in a brothel, under the guidance of a lena, Lamia.
Regrets: Having been listed as a meretrix, a registered prostitute, as it prevents her from attaining even the most basic level of respectability for the duration of her life.
Feels Vulnerability When: Without the power in a relationship.
Pet Peeves: Courtesans who dress and behave like common whores, and any woman who uses her sexual charms above her intellectual ones.
Conflicts: Her natural ambition and her weariness with the life of the courtesan are frequently at odds.
Motivation: To make enough money to keep her home and slaves, and lead a comfortable life. She is only interested in meddling with the political lives of her clients insofar as the benefits it may bring for her.
Goals and Hopes: To attain once more the wealth and reputation she possessed at the height of the dictatorship.

Sexuality: Heterosexual.
Speech: Trained in the Greek style of speaking, Adeia possesses a rich, clear voice, and is eloquent. Her Latin is lightly Greek accented.
Day or Night Person: Night.
Introvert or Extrovert: Naturally social, and thrives on attention.
Optimist or Pessimist: Pessimist.

Likes and Styles

Music: Is accomplished with both the lyre, and the auloi, a flute-like instrument.
Books: Has a wide knowledge of the Greek classics, Homer and Euripides being favourites.
Foods: Sweet fruits, like grapes, dates and figs.
Drinks: Mulsum, or honeyed wine. Overall, however, she is careful to avoid drinking excessively, as it does not become a woman.
Animals: Is not particularly fond of animals, but tolerates horses.
Colour: Yellow is her particular favourite, but blues, purples, reds and oranges also suit her.
Clothing: Prefers simplicity and elegance in her garments, rather than tasteless gaudiness.
Jewellery: Is partial to gold jewellery, particularly with turquoises and amethysts.

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now

Home: A small but comfortable domus near the city’s boundaries, towards the lower slopes of the Aventine Hill.
Favourite Possession: Does not attach herself to possessions as many other women do.
Married Before: Never, and her fame as a courtesan will most likely prevent her from ever doing so in the future, unless a man will stoop so far to marry her.
Children: None.
Relationship with Family: Her father was reluctant to associate himself with his hetaira daughter, and so her relations with her family were distant even when they were not separated by a vast distance.
Best Friend: Biblys, her Theban slave, harshest critic and confidante.
Career: Courtesan or hetaira.
Dream Career: Is perfectly happy with her career, despite its instabilities and uncertain future.
Hobbies: Has very little time for leisure activities.
Talents: Her faultless ability to attract men and her wit.
Finances: Good enough for now, but she cannot go without a protector too long.

Your Character's Life…Before Your Story

Past Careers:Meretrix.
Past Lovers: Numerous, though all were customers and clients.
Biggest Mistakes: Choosing her clients from the supporters of the dictator.
Biggest Achievements: Isn’t being one of the best known courtesans in Rome an achievement in itself?