Setting and places of note

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Kingdom of Cyprus

Game takes place in the year 1193, Cyprus had been taken over by Richard the Lionhearted, Richard was a vassal of Mithras. Richard had been shipwrecked on the island several years ago and was held for ransom by the king of Cyprus, the king himself was under the orders of a Black Fury Elder who wished to leverage the childe of Mithras to stop the incoming attacks from the Assamites. Richard was ransomed back, Mithras, feeling slighted that a mortal woman would dare to harm one of his vassals assembled an army and sent Richard back to attack the island with Mithras’ childe, Geraint assisting.

Several years later he Knights Templar purchased the island from King Richard, but after several revolts, and a Black Fury kinfolk uprising, they decided to leave the island and sell it to Guy of Lusignan, a Toreador Retainer. Shortly before he was to be crowned regent of the island an assassination plot was uncovered. Geraint and several of his allies sold off as many boons as they could to establish a court on the island provided they could take it back from the Furies and keep it. On the night of a ritual that the Furies were casting to expel all Cainites from the island, about to take control of the island a group of ships carrying several hundred men, as well as the PCs arrived.

Geraint’s childe, Peter of Nottingham, was to be prince of the island. However he was killed in the attack as were most of the men in his court when a spirit the Furies had summoned set their vessel ablaze.  Geraint, in a hurry to catch up to his sire, and deliver message of his victory as well as what men they had left to his sire’s forces quickly left the island in the hands of the PCs. His assistant, a strange man from the island Crete named Vasilis was left to help the court become established, take boons from those who would take possession of the island from Geraint, and ensure the werewolf menace was removed for good.

What the PCs know. Byzantium owned the island until a few years ago and they want it back, however they fear Mithras and his ire. They will take the island if there is an opening. The Sultanate is also eyeing Cyprus; they know if they can take the island they can cut off a vital resupply point for the invading Christian armies. The people of Cyprus themselves are unsure of their future, they do not like the new outsiders, and the few revolutions they have had were put down quickly and with a large number of civilian casualties.

Places of note:

Amathus was once the stronghold of the Furies, it had a cult to Aphrodite that was recently destroyed by the crusaders.  The city was destroyed but rumors persist of tombs filled with magical treasures and unknown dangers. The few buildings that remain are a public bath that hasn’t been used in centuries and a temple that was recently destroyed. The town is abandoned.

Church of Agios Lazaros was built by the Byzantines and is the final resting place of Saint Lazarus. The local priests still control the place and were mostly left alone by the Templars.

Kourion is near the city Limassol, it’s one of the oldest domestic buildings on the island and has been conquered or inhabited by nearly every major empire in the region at one time or another. The area has multiple ancient buildings, a Roman market, theatre and bath as well as several villas that were recently abandoned by Kinfolk.

Nea Pafos was once the capital of the island. Surrounding the small town are dozens of Roman Villas, the Basilica of Chrusopolitissa, and the Castle of Forty Columns. The city is nearly abandoned, recent uprisings started in this city and were put down quickly by the Templars.

Palaipafos was once the house of a cult to a Goddess of Fertility. The furies made their last stand in the ruins of this town. The Templars left no stone unturned in destroying everything they could that was associated with the cult. The locals avoid this place at all costs.

Tombs of the Kings is a burial site for the elite of the island, locals fear going there except when needed, it is said that on the darkest nights of the year voices of the dead can be heard within the tombs.

Kyrenia castle was built by the Byzantines, fortified by the Crusaders and is now home to Vasilis and the few troops that were left behind.

The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates is west of Kourion, and was once one of the main religious centers of Cyrpus it is now little more than ruins. The few buildings left standing are a Greek temple, a circular monument, an archaic altar and precinct. Nearby is an abandoned small house, and The Palaestra where athletes once exercised as well as Baths. Recently refugees from the towns who were hiding from the Templars can be found here trying to survive the new regime change.

Salamis is one of the oldest cities of the island, founded by Teucer, son of Telamon who was unable to return home after the Trojan was because he failed to avenge his brother Ajax. The city has seen much bloodshed and destruction. One of the more notable landmarks there is the monastery devoted to Barnabas who walked with Paul, Barnabas’ bones are laid to rest in the monastery, it is a place of pilgrimage for many crusaders on their way to the war. Most of the city was destroyed and swallowed by an Earthquake several hundred years ago but the locals were able to rebuild and named the new city Constantia, which was abandoned after the harbor became useless due to silt. The city is considered haunted by the locals, some of the islands more crime oriented citizens had begun living in the area but the Templars were able to stamp most of them out, their bodies can still be seen hung from some of the ancient stonework of the city.

Kition is near Larnaka, both the ancient city and the modern have multiple harbors, and are one of the wealthier parts of the island.

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The buildings you see are Roman settlements with intact Villas, the lines you see are aqueducts and roads. Most of these settlements are still inhabited.

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More maps of the island.

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