Session 33 - Escape from Sisyphus

General Summary

Sisyphus, his arrogance as blinding as the ice now sealing his eyes shut, cried in fear. Panic rippled through the guards, their spears drawn but their confidence shaken. Theresa was a woman marked by divine favor, a divine servant within the heart of their king's domain. Pyro, in his satyr form, danced between the guards, creating chaos with his actions. Xenobia, her battle-honed instincts ablaze, moved with a fluid grace, each strike of her spear a testament to her warrior's spirit. Candid, despite his injuries and his aversion to divine affairs, found himself drawn into this maelstrom, his own strength a silent bulwark against the tide of guards. But even with their combined might, they were outnumbered. The walls of Sisyphus' estate echoed with the clash of steel and the roar of men. It was a dance of desperation, a last stand against a king who sought to defy the very laws of death.
As two guards rushed their blinded, blustering king away, the chaos intensified. Xenobia became a whirlwind of defiance, bronze whistling and bone crunching with each blow. Four guards crumpled lifelessly to the ground, including the unfortunate soul who met Xenobia's hoof as she smashed through the front gate. Theresa, less securely attached to the centaur's back than she'd imagined, tumbled to the ground in the aftermath. Korinna, already at a safe distance, whispered a desperate prayer to Hermes. A soft green light bloomed around the injured Theresa, mending her wounds from afar. "We slipped out the front gate!" Xenobia barked with a fierce grin, "Sisyphus was too busy whining about his eyes to notice!". Candid, bringing up the rear, attracted the attention of two more soldiers that emerged from the main part of the palace. Pyro, apparently sacrificing himself, taunted the other two soldiers, and was taken by them. Ischyros slunk around corners, and took the opportunity to sneak out from the main gate after its guards had been scattered by Xenobia. Candid hammered through the final guardsmen and out into the dust-choked freedom of the world beyond.
The city erupted in alarm. Xenobia, and Theresa, their hearts pounding with a mixture of adrenaline and fear, headed through the main city gate, where the guardians seem to not have heard what had transpired back at the palace, and blended into the countryside beyond the city's grasp. Korinna, who arrived slightly later, sought sanctuary at the Temple of Hermes - just outside the city walls, and her first home in Eidyla. Ischyros, ever the master of disguise, found solace back in the house inhabited by the old (and now deathless) revelers, and disappeared into the patchwork of everyday life. The gates then slammed shut, trapping those who lingered within. Meanwhile, Candid, burdened with injuries and seeking a path unseen. Aware from the town criers that he was sought, he made his way to the sand by the port, buried his armor, and found himself plunging into the unforgiving depths of the sea.
Ischyros, still plagued by his curse, found solace in the wine that was being liberally poured by his aged hosts. He even prepared a disguise that made him look like one of them. Unaware of their guest's escapades, they discussed the news spread by the criers with him, but as the criers mentioned only Candid and Xenobia by name, they continued giving him shelter. The criers also arrived outside the Temple of Hermes, but the priests asserted the temple's privileges, and did not open their doors to Sisyphus's soldiers. Instead, they ushered Korinna, as the god's hymnist, into the inner sanctum.
Xenobia, with a wounded Theresa mounted on her, headed north along the coast, and then broke off to the highlands in the east. Xenobia, as a unique and large creature, continued on into the woods to seek shelter, while Theresa watched the road from behind a rock. Soon, chariots driven by Sisyphus' soldiers appeared. After they passed, she headed upland into the woods as well.
Candid, weakened, could not contend with the sea, and darkness took him. Yet, he woke up at the bottom of the sea, an air bubble the only thing preventing him from drowning. Glaukos the fish-man stood in front of him. Candid remembered Pyro's tale of being a fish and meeting him. Recognizing they fought the same enemy, Glaukos and Candid talked about plans to deal with Sisyphus, who had earlier stolen the throne from him. Glaukos insisted the party only had to find Thanatos, and should avoid the King. After Candid gave him some information about his companions, Glaukos also suggested he might be able to find them...

Missions/Quests Completed

• Party escapes from Sisyphus' palace

Report Date

23 Apr 2024