Hyperion Heights [Modern Day Deities][Recruiting]

[Foxy DeVille]

For millennia gods and goddesses walked the Earth. Humanity worshipped these deities with awe and sometimes fear. Then slowly over time the glory of these immortals faded and mankind thought they were nothing more than myths. Where did they go? Back to Olympus? Returned to Asgard? Disappeared into nothingness? Perhaps. But some have chosen to live in the city of Seattle. Specifically a neighborhood called...

God game! Come and get your god game! I noticed there was interest in modern day deities so I thought I’d toss this out there. To summarize: A) There are gods. And B) They live in Seattle. Actually a fictional ‘hood shamelessly ripped off lovingly borrowed from Once Upon A Time. I thought it sounded cool and realized "Hey, it's named after a god." Now in addition to this being an interest check I’d like this to be a bit of a brainstorming session in order to create a story with lasting appeal. Some of my thoughts on the matter…

1. I’d like to see some peeps from beyond the usual pantheons that run around current fiction. Not saying you have to, just encouraging it to add diversity.

2. The gods know each other but that doesn’t mean they have like each other. Mythology is chock full of squabbles between deities that were in the same family so there is room for rivalries in this.

3. Remember that they are gods, not just pretty people with supernatural powers. They have portfolios that provide motivation. Plus they’ve felt their power wane as their worship did so keeping themselves in the minds of mortals is a priority.

4. Civic pride! The gods like living in their adopted city. Seattle’s pretty cool so I’d like to make the setting come alive. I’ve already thought up stuff to make the neighborhood seem like a real place, mainly by swiping borrowing stuff from TV shows set in the city (but actually filmed in Vancouver, also a cool place).

5. The gods aren’t in god-mode. Sure, they’re better than humans but they’re very diminished. I’m thinking they’re a bit better physically and maybe have three special abilities tied to their portfolios at most.
 
6. Stuff should happen. Socializing is good but plots keep things interesting. Threats to the city, enemies of the gods showing up, personal rivalries. Maybe there are situations that cause some people to wonder about certain folk within the city.

Those are some of my thoughts. Now I’d like to hear some of yours, if you're interested.

MORE BACKGROUND

Hyperion Heights is a neighborhood in Seattle, located where Northlake is in The Real World except extending more westward to Aurora Avenue. Gas Works Park is called Lakeside Park in this world because that sounds less bad to me. Overall the architecture resembles the Gastown district in Vancouver (what’s with all the gas?). There is a small college (Seattle State College) and a hospital (Treeview Hospital), plus a station house for the 42nd police precinct. Lots of nifty shops, clubs, bars, and restaurants. Residential areas included a collection of rowhouses called the Garden, the hip Woodland Apartments, and a luxury condominium called The Vault located on the edge of the Heights. Locals gather to discuss issues at a community center named SafeSpace Seattle. Overall it is a trendy but still welcoming neighborhood that embraces and encourages diversity. Oh, and gods live here.

The first immortal to emigrate to the area was the titan Hyperion. Belief in the Greek gods had waned to the point that he could escape Tartarus through a portal into the Seattle Underground sometime in the late 19th century. He established the neighborhood that bears his name, choosing to stay in the city to keep an eye on what else might emerge from the abyss. Plus when you’re a deity it doesn’t hurt to name stuff after yourself to keep you in the mind of mortals. Some other altruistic gods joined him in his vigil and eventually some others simply wanting the company of their immortal kind. Enclaves exist in cities worldwide but Hyperion Heights is known for the intermingling of pantheons in its borders. As for Hyperion himself, he vanished three years ago with some of his fellow gods fearing that something from the abyss had finally gotten to him.

While the gods aren’t as powerful as they were in the days when worshipped by mortals, they still are superior beings. At least they are twice as strong and durable as humans, unaging and immune to earthly disease. Gods heal five times faster than mortals and while not unkillable they survive many injuries that would be fatal among humanity. Deities adapt to environments very well, the chill of the Pacific Northwest isn’t much of a bother and Hyperion Heights always seems to have a bit more pleasant weather with locals attributing that to being on Lake Union. Gods can recognize other gods, unless some sort of subterfuge is taking place, and have an instinctive awareness of their kind which has helped them form enclaves and sometimes alerts them to threats to their kind.

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[center][size=18pt][glow=blue,2,300][u][b]DEITY NAME HERE[/b][/u][/glow][/size][/center]

[float=right][img height=400 padding=5]IMAGE LINK HERE[/img][/float]

[b]Mortal Identity: [/b](what they go by in Hyperion Heights)
[b]Pantheon: [/b](what group of gods they're from)
[b]Portfolio: [/b](The things they had divine power over)
[b]Gender: [/b]
[b]Apparent Age: [/b]
[b]Occupation: [/b]
[b]Sexual Orientation: [/b]

[b]Height: [/b] (these are all for their current mortal guise)
[b]Weight: [/b]
[b]Hair color: [/b]
[b]Eye color: [/b]
[b]General Appearance: [/b]
[b]Faceclaim: [/b]

[b]Origin and Background: [/b] (Their time as a god, how they came to Hyperion Heights, etc)

[b]Godly Gifts: [/b] (Special abilities gained from their waning status as deities, max of three)

[b]Skills and Talents: [/b] (both from their time as gods and for their mortal guises)

[b]Immortal Equipment: [/b] (Max one item associated with the god)

[b]Personality and Motivations: [/b]

[b]Weaknesses and Flaws: [/b]

[b]Ons/Offs: [/b]

[b]Extras: [/b] (More pics, favorite song, their home, place of business, general tidbits that don’t fit elsewhere)


Roll Call of the Gods

Airmid by TeamToaster
Amun-Ra by Juggtacular
Anansi by Juggtacular
Aphrodite by FlowerMagnolia
Baianai by Andronica
Baron Samedi by TheLaughingOne
Gilgamesh by Rave
Hades by TheBlackThrone
Hephasteus by firepyre
Idun by HopeAndFaith
Inari Okami by himawari
Ishtar by Crensler
Ixchel by Alaska
Kali by Wolfling72
Loki by Miss Nyx
Magni by Cold Heritage
Minerva by Andronica
The Morrigan by evilnerf
Mousai by CurvyKitten
Neith by LadyLunarius
Nike by Bowen
Nyx by CurvyKitten
Oshun by RainyHigh
Oya by Wolfling72
Persephone by himawari
Shait by Foxy DeVille
Shango by Lady Lunarius
Skadi by evilnerf
Susano by Bowen
Thor by Crensler
Tlazolteotl by Foxy DeVille
Tūmatauenga by Miss Nyx
Ullr by TheLaughingOne
Vaisravana by TheBlackThrone
Yeomra-Daewang by RainyHigh

[Tavarokk]

Something that the premise should probably cover: why have the gods, from various cultures even, gathered and are staying together? Why here?

[RampantDesires]

*pops in to drop off interest

I'd love to play Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn Tesana, who is quite frankly royally pissed that a google search of her name first brings up a fucking health food store.  Seriously humans?

[TheBlackThrone]

I want to suggest just slapping it with "Sandbox" and letting the writers make what they can out of the setting. XD You have already outlined some good plot points that could become very interesting ideas to use in the story. There could be monsters from the myths as enemies since even the thought to be "evil gods" may actually just be cool characters.

[Vi Violet]

Hmm, I'm somewhat interested. I played something similar before but the RP died.

[Nameless One]

Sounds like a nice idea, flag me interested! Any pantheon and mythology accepted, or just the most famous ones? And thanks RampantDesire for picking a goddess from Etruscan lore, you don't see much of that around...  ;D

[RampantDesires]

Ha, I do my best.  Dawn goddesses are pretty common but I tried to pick one of the lesser known ones.

[Bowen]

Hmm...interested in this. Thinking of Nezha or Susano

[Crensler]

I'm going to tentatively plant a flag of interest for this.  Maybe as, like, Ishtar, or perhaps Ereshkigal for, you know, a bit of Mesopotamian flavor.

[Arcanist]

Definately interested. Kwannon, Goddess of Mercy who was brought over to America by the ethnic community. Working as a photojournalist with her Cannon camera (ironic). She explores the city and performs random acts of mercy.

[Foxy DeVille]

Okey doke, been having some sorta tummy bug that left me loopy most of the past week but it's finally going on it's merry way so now I can get back to thinking thinks about this...

Something that the premise should probably cover: why have the gods, from various cultures even, gathered and are staying together? Why here?

Hmmm... one possibility I was thinking is that there's a portal to the underworld located in the Seattle Underground. That could have drawn some deities wishing to keep an eye on it. Eventually this led to other gods seeking companionship joining those ones. And player characters might have their own motivations.

*pops in to drop off interest

I'd love to play Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn Tesana, who is quite frankly royally pissed that a google search of her name first brings up a fucking health food store.  Seriously humans?

Ugh, humans are the worst!

I want to suggest just slapping it with "Sandbox" and letting the writers make what they can out of the setting. XD You have already outlined some good plot points that could become very interesting ideas to use in the story. There could be monsters from the myths as enemies since even the thought to be "evil gods" may actually just be cool characters.

My plan is to have it be a sandbox in general with optional plots. Nothing that characters have to be a part of but stuff to do in addition to slice-of-immortal-life things.

Sounds like a nice idea, flag me interested! Any pantheon and mythology accepted, or just the most famous ones? And thanks RampantDesire for picking a goddess from Etruscan lore, you don't see much of that around...  ;D

Accepted and encouraged. Like I have an Aztec goddess in mind for myself.

Hmm...interested in this. Thinking of Nezha or Susano

I'm going to tentatively plant a flag of interest for this.  Maybe as, like, Ishtar, or perhaps Ereshkigal for, you know, a bit of Mesopotamian flavor.

Definately interested. Kwannon, Goddess of Mercy who was brought over to America by the ethnic community. Working as a photojournalist with her Cannon camera (ironic). She explores the city and performs random acts of mercy.

All groovy ideas!

Glad to see the interest thus far!

[Miss Nyx]

I’ll post a tentative interest… I’m making a slow return to writing so I’m trying not to take on too much, but this surely looks like fun.

I’m anticipating perhaps putting a fresh new take on the oh-so-lovable trickster Norse God of Mischief, Loki. :)

[TheBlackThrone]

I’ll post a tentative interest… I’m making a slow return to writing so I’m trying not to take on too much, but this surely looks like fun.

I’m anticipating perhaps putting a fresh new take on the oh-so-lovable trickster Norse God of Mischief, Loki. :)

Hey! Welcome back!

I'll try to think of a deity not often seen in lit too. :) Well, I think we're mainly talking pantheons. I know Greek, Norse, and Egyptian are the most popular ones.

[Nameless One]

I'm still not sure about what character I'd like to play, please be patient while I wait for other players' choices and try to get some inspiration by them...  O:)

[himawari]

I have ideas. (DIBS ON PERSEPHONE!)

Camping for character sheet.

[Wolfling72]

Only here to stalk Hima nd see who else is gonna make me read this

[Andronica]

Oh, this really tickles my fancy - especially after finishing American Gods. I'm going to state my tentative interest and see what kind of attention this gains.

There are so many deities to choose from... I'm loving the idea of sister Goddesses Bastet, modern day cat mommy and medical receptionist, and Sekhmet, who's a cut-throat businesswoman. Or, Hecate the botanist, and a lot more rolling around in my head.

How are we feeling about "B-List" gods? Like the Norse goddess Skadi, or the Greek god Icelus. Icelus, God of dreams, working as a psychologist could be super fun.

Also, would the deities be in a body matching their original depicted gender, all gods being male in this modern iteration and vice versa?

[himawari]

Only here to stalk Hima nd see who else is gonna make me read this

WOLFIE <3

[Foxy DeVille]

Ok so I thought I was over whatever was illing me but apparently not. Not as bad as it was but it's on/off. So I'm still keen to do this and glad there's interest it but I need to shake off whatever this is before going forward. Hopefully not too long.

[Athem]

How about Aphrodite Areia ("Aphrodite the Warlike")? Rather than the more familiar version of Aphrodite, she was more like a Greek version of Ishtar or Astarte. She will be annoyed that Aphrodite is usually depicted in the media as a vapid beauty rather than a warrior goddess.

Do not call her Kallipygos!

In the modern world, she's adapted her skills at pankration and wrestling into MMA and unarmed combat training.

[Andronica]

I was considering Sekhmet being a personal trainer instead (can't decide how overtly I want to delve into her warrior past) but either way, I think she would find this feisty Aphrodite interesting.

[Foxy DeVille]

All righty, I've had two days in a row without getting dehydrated so I think I'm good. *knocks on wood after already thinking that once and being really wrong*

With the interest thus far I'll start working on a sheet and adding a bit more background to the setting.

Oh, this really tickles my fancy - especially after finishing American Gods. I'm going to state my tentative interest and see what kind of attention this gains.

There are so many deities to choose from... I'm loving the idea of sister Goddesses Bastet, modern day cat mommy and medical receptionist, and Sekhmet, who's a cut-throat businesswoman. Or, Hecate the botanist, and a lot more rolling around in my head.

How are we feeling about "B-List" gods? Like the Norse goddess Skadi, or the Greek god Icelus. Icelus, God of dreams, working as a psychologist could be super fun.

Also, would the deities be in a body matching their original depicted gender, all gods being male in this modern iteration and vice versa?

B-listers are definitely acceptable and encouraged. And how they are physically depicted is up to you, lots o' gods were shapeshifters, had different aspects, etc.

How about Aphrodite Areia ("Aphrodite the Warlike")? Rather than the more familiar version of Aphrodite, she was more like a Greek version of Ishtar or Astarte. She will be annoyed that Aphrodite is usually depicted in the media as a vapid beauty rather than a warrior goddess.

Do not call her Kallipygos!

In the modern world, she's adapted her skills at pankration and wrestling into MMA and unarmed combat training.

That would definitely work. I actually went down a Wiki wormhole looking up the various versions of Aphrodite not too long ago so I'm really cool with that.

[Foxy DeVille]

Okee doke, artichokes. Added some more setting background to the original post and slapped up a sheet. Go ahead and post your peeps here, that way maybe we can be inspired by and bounce ideas off each other.

[Missy]

I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with most mythology, much less so of more obscure examples outside of the modern fascination. I would say Bastet draws my fancy, though it seems I'm not the first to express such an interest.

[himawari]

Here to put a pin on Persephone. Will add the CS once I am done with work.