Session 35 - On the Lam, Part 2

General Summary

After escaping from Sisyphus' palace, the members of the party remain separated and in hiding, fearing the king's wrath.

* * *

Still below the sea, Candid was attacked by an undying crab, angry at the recent loss of its claw. Candid beat it again. Later, Glaukos unfairly jabbed at him. Despite his injuries, Glaukos wanted Candid to go and release Thanatos from Sisyphus immediately, and he kept insulting Candid, telling him again that Ischyrós was still in the city still, and had a hidden location where he was resting. So, not wanting to deal with that anymore, Candid collected his breastplate from under the sand near the harbor, and then made his way to the abandoned house in a secluded section of the city, where Ischyros was said to be staying. The foreigner was not there, so Candid went to sleep, waiting for him to appear.
Earlier, Ischyros had gone out into the city in a new disguise. He talked with some merchants at the harbor, who revealed that encounters with slaughtered animals and people who should be dead were becoming more common, and causing murmurs opposed to the king to arise. He actually encountered a sacrificial bull who had been terrorizing people, and dispatched it with sling and sword, hoping that any bystanders would not become overly concerned with such a display of prowess from a supposedly old man. He also encountered a man he met outside a temple before, and that man was of course Glaukos. Ischyros asked him about secret entrances to the palace, but the old man answered that he thought the ones he knew were likely changed. He also searched around the edge of the fort walls, finding no obvious entrances.
Starting to get exasperated, he returned to his secluded house, finding Candid resting there. He discussed the idea of possibly purposefully getting caught, so that they could be taken to the dungeon/prison to find Thanatos there, but neither were much convinced of the plan. Candid then tried to convince Ischyros that communicating with the priest/oracle of Hermes would help them find and communicate with the rest of the party, and although the temple was outside the city gates, it seemed a promising venue.

* * *

Theresa and Xenobia, after making a half-hearted attempt to loot the soldiers they had slain and to secure the horses (one team did bolt with its chariot), collapsed to rest. While watching over her comrade, Xenobia once again saw the sea nymph Klymene and spoke with her. Xenobia woke Theresa up, and when introduced, there was a palpable sense of rivalry between the two nymphs. When asked about her grotto home, the nymph was not very interested in having them stay there, especially as the dead bodies started to move. Xenobia quickly stomped their heads flat, and Theresa offered to clean up their bodies in return for allowing them to stay in the grotto.
Xenobia explained what missions they had been sent by Hades to complete, and Theresa explained that who Xenobia called Hades the nymphs call Poseidon. However, the water nymph just seemed confused, and disagreed that they were the same deity. The party decided to offer a horse to Poseidon in return for the favors he had provided the party during their time in this country. After that, they left the grotto to the north, in the hopes of retrieving help from the armies of Polydoros, in the hopes of getting his assistance in dealing with Sisyphus. However, they were stopped by the water nymph once again. She explained that she had been told by Poseidon that Thanatos was to be freed, and to deliver that message to the two of them. Xenobia seemed interested in returning to the city, learning that the rest of the party might still be there, especially Pyro, who was still probably held in the king's dungeons. However, Theresa asked for further clarification, as they had gone to Abraxas - a trusted oracle, and they seemed to think that Hades had let Thanatos get captured.
Were the two gods one and the same, and had Abraxas misled the party?. Moreover, in an unguarded moment, Theresa revealed that she had no interest in working Candid, as she believed he had tried to kill her by luring her into the fort and then letting her get captured, not to mention certain comments he made when she was escaping.
Eventually, convinced that a specific deity did indeed want Xenobia and Theresa to go back, Theresa thanked the water nymph for her message, and the two decided to head north to seek Polydoros' aid.

* * *

A mercenary from the North named Rhodysseus had recently arrived in Eidyla, but now faced the unfortunate situation of being trapped in the city after the king locked it down to search for the party. However, it seems that he was also lucky, as he was looking for a change in professions, and word of this party of scoundrels seemed like the perfect group for him to join, especially as rumor had it that it was led by Candid, the great hero. However, after hearing he was looking for work, a kindly stranger directed him to ask Sisyphus if he need somebody to work as a soldier. Not knowing any better, Rhodysseus went to speak with the king. The king seemed elated that such fortune had fallen into his lap, and sent Rhodysseus to find an ally of the party - Korinna. She was known to be a priestess of Hermes, and the king knew that she had taken refuge at his temple just outside the city gates. Sisyphus couldn't reasonably search the temple without causing political and religious problems. However, a mercenary that wasn't connected to the king was the perfect person to send to collect Korinna. After finding Korinna, Sisyphus would certainly be able to use them to find the rest of the party.
Rhodysseus went to the temple, after being let out with a convoy of guards. However, the guards couldn't enter the temple, and he spoke to Wadjet - one of the priests there. At first he tried to gain access to Korinna by asking for a vision/divination. But he did not have enough money, and was instead given a divination from the priest he met. The divination seemed strange, and after discussing it with the priest, realized to his astonishment that no one could die. Suddenly experiencing a shift in his outlook, Rhodysseus realized that Sisyphus was certainly doomed to experience punishment from the gods, and decided right then to explain everything that had happened to the priest. The priest explained that Hermes possessed a mighty magical power - to turn words into things.

Report Date

21 May 2024