Session 36 - Reunited Under the Aegis of Hermes

General Summary

We opened with Korinna attempting to track down members of the party in the woods after leaving the temple ofHermes. She encountered a few guards along the way, but managed to stay out of sight. With little luck in the forest, she looped back around toward the coast and discovered a cave with Theresa and Xenobia hiding inside. The trio caught each other up on events since fleeing the city and debated what to do next and how to get in touch with their other companions. They eventually decided to continue north in hopes of asking for aid from Polydoros and his army. They also bribed a seagull to take a carefully worded message explaining their plans to the temple of Hermes, because Ischyrós had met Korinna there and might return in hopes of reuniting.
Rhodysseus, after leaving the temple of Hermes by the back passage, swam into the ocean and met Glaukos, who instructed him to go back into the city and track down Ischyros and Candid, bearing his name. He found the house where the two were staying, introducing himself, explaining his history and offering his assistance against Sisyphus. Rhodysseus also offered to take the other two on his boat and through the back way into the temple, allowing them to escape the city without the guards noticing. Ischyros tried to scout, but was quickly set upon by a group of people who were essentially walking corpses. He escaped and returned to the house, saying it might be best for all three of them to go together. On their way out, Glaukos mentioned the dungeon was actually designed by acolytes of Hermes.
Korinna, Theresa and Xenobia reached the oikos of Dromeos on their way to seek aid from Polydoros. Dromeos was not particularly receptive to the party and only grudgingly let them in. They explained what was going on in the city, and in return Dromeos told them Polydoros' battle in Ormos was progressing but that he had been unable to capture the capital and would probably not be able to lend them any martial aid. Dromeos agreed to house the trio for a night only.
Upon reaching the temple, the other half of the party met Wadjet the priest, who gave them the message carried by the seagull. Debate ensued about how best to proceed. The eventual conclusion was to try and get in touch with Korinna again, asking her and anyone she might have found to return to the city instead.
Up north, the women were having a similar debate after finding out the Polydoros plan was likely a bust. They decided to head back south and camp by the temple in hopes of hearing word of their compatriots. They also traded some spare goods and honey with the household before leaving.
On their way back, they were attacked by an enormous boar that terrified Xenobia into fleeing. They managed to flee eventually, but not before Xenobia got further injured. Theresa explained to Korinna that the boar in question was sacred and of interest to the party, since it could cure a curse affecting other party members. They tracked down Xenobia with the help of Theresa's bees and eventually made their way to the temple, where Korinna snuck in, found the rest of the party waiting there, then brought Theresa and Xenobia in to discuss further moves.
The party debated how to get into the palace, with the preeminent theories involving a distraction, a grappling hook, Korinna's ability to turn invisible, or all three. They asked Wadjet for more details about the palace and the dungeon, discovering that the acolytes who built it carved sacred words into each room there that prevent magic function and abilities to contact the gods via prayer. He produced a map and said if the first character, a serpent, was removed, magic would again function. The dungeon is made up of four very large chambers with corridors all around, and a key prisoner would likely be held in one of those center chambers.
They now plan to enter the city and fetch some holy water that can heal injuries, potentially while invisible, to prepare for their attempt on the palace.

Report Date

04 Jun 2024