Session 29 - Xanthopolis

General Summary

Neo goes to talk with Helia while Xanthos backs him up. He asks her what she has heard of his own sect of the Fytanke worshipers, the ones who did not believe in the Great Wildfire. They were not well respected among the main Fytanke followers. They were cowardly and did not follow Fytanke’s will. They believe that Fytanke’s cycles are to be observed rather than acted upon directly, while most followers believe they should ensure the cycles are unobstructed. Neo asks if she knows anyone who has his oracular abilities, but she says this is very rare. He asks if Fytanke has any children, but she’s unaware of them… There are many who would claim this, but they would need to demonstrate it somehow via feats or abilities or otherwise provide irrefutable proof before she would believe something like that. She has heard tales of demigods, and recommends Neo look into them because that information was kept from him by his family.
He asks her if she knows of any reason that would make it easier for him to be a conduit for the gods. He brings up the Oracle at Korymour, she posits that Neo acts as a conduit for the gods while the oracle gets her power from other powers. He asks if she’ll teach him more of her people so that he can seek them out, she will help but warns him that their paths are not the same. He doesn’t intend to disappoint Fytanke, but she seems a little doubtful! Xanthos asks Neo to bury the bodies without him because he’s really thirsty after the battle.
Ionessa and Kestor talk about what it was like to flee the Great Wildfire, the burning village bringing back some memories. They also talk about when it is okay to lie and when it is not okay, sometimes it’s necessary, and sometimes telling the truth leads to bad consequences like when Vasili Eurydia threw a spear at the Keeper at Korymour. Kestor tells her that wasn’t her fault, but she’s not so sure. They agree to be honest together, but also agree that sometimes lying is necessary. The next issue is that Mikola Leos hates Fytanke, and Ionessa has chosen to be honest with him. We try to convince him that we should choose peace, he’s concerned that she will try to get her hands on the ember. It’s in the bag of holding, which helps, though that wouldn’t stop Fytanke from interfering directly.
He suspects Neo will tell Helia, or failing that he believes Fytanke may reveal this information through him. Ionessa and Leos believe that Neo shouldn’t be with Helia unless supervised. The mercenary who survived the fight is here too! His name is Dinon and he’s only interested in staying at the town if there is a space for gambling, the man loves dice. He comes back and interrogates Xanthos about gambling and using currency. He straight up says he wants a monument to excess, he’s surprisingly astute about the world of vice for someone who willingly gives all of his money to it.
We look for a building that we might be able to stay in other than the main manor, and also have a conversation about whether Neo should be alone with/around Helia because Fytanke might speak through him. Neo agrees but seems upset about it, he’s being persecuted by Leos. Kestor hears from Drosis, he has a means to hide the party. Kestor says the problem is solved, Drosis is cool with that and looks forward to hearing the story. We find a spot to settle!
That night on watch, Neo sees some movement in the ruins of the town and heads towards it but doesn’t see any sign of what was causing the disturbance. He tells Kestor after his watch is over, and the party go investigate the ruins. Neo learns that whatever he saw did not leave footprints, and Ionessa spots the same movement on the other side of the ruins. Ionessa and Kestor sneak off after it and see a translucent figure inside, it’s a GHOST! Ionessa goes to talk to it. It’s a feminine figure, pale, shock white eyes, a real ghost of a person. It drifts closer and says that she lived here, she doesn’t remember her name. She asks why we are here, we’re here with Xanthos to rebuild. She says she cannot “find him”, her son, he ran off.
Xanthos approaches the ghost this time. He’s dressed in armor and blues that looks like Phaedra, she asks what he did with her son. IT’S HIS MOTHER! She fades away before any real dialogue can be had. Ghosts appear when a body is not properly buried, entombed somewhere Nypoloita cannot find, or in particularly traumatic circumstances that causes them to reject Nypoloita’s embrace and cling to the world. We decide to sleep on it and approach it in the morning, Xanthos is devastated and doesn’t get any sleep.
In the morning, Neo and Kestor work together to trick the corpse of Keos into admitting that he burned the farms and fields, not Arsenios. Xanthos asks him where he has family remaining, but he won’t answer. He does confirm that Keos poisoned his mother, though. He goes to speak with Arsenios and tells him that his mother’s ghost is haunting the town. He declares that this means they can bring her back, which is tempting to Xanthos. Ionessa argues that all of the problems in Sideris are because people could not let go and meddled with forces they did not understand. She may even come back traumatized by her experience as a ghost. This is pretty messed up.
We all talk to Xanthos and explain to him that we think what he’s doing is wrong. It’s really emotional and eventually he relents, he’s distraught that life isn’t fair, that he never got the chance to know his mother, that so much of his life was taken away from him and he had no power over it. But one cannot be driven by grief and expect to come out intact at the end of their journey. We all hug, Xanthos cries, it’s sad but for the best. We turn our attentions to the town.
The buildings themselves are beyond saving, they need to be torn down and rebuilt. The roads and other longer lasting infrastructure needs repair but that’s doable. The town has been left pretty much alone after its destruction, no monsters or dangerous animals have moved in, maybe due to Arsenios and Helia’s influence. The sidero trees have all been burned of course, there’s some equipment that was used for felling them that’s basically destroyed. There’s also some burned farmland, and across a small river is a range of cropless fields that could function as fertile farmland now due to the forest fire. There’s a small islet off the coast that could be used for something, it has a sandbar that is keeping it from eroding.
Ionessa and Adelpha go visit the fields, it needs a lot of work but they get to work cleaning up a plot of the field. Adelpha is concerned that people seem upset in the town, but Ionessa reassures her. She’s also really strong, talk about reduced labor costs! We request a trade representative from Iros, they respond saying they consider the offer but we have to go there to negotiate further.
Ionessa hears a voice in her head, a booming voice! “Ionessa, this is Tidecaller Axiokeanos. We have discovered a location for the potion! Please contact us for further information. Should be ready in a few…” Ionessa lets him know that’s great and asks where to meet. “Marvelous! We will send someone for you in Cherianto in one week. Do you require aid for your land-dwelling companions? Sorry about the last…” Ionessa says we do need assistance breathing, we’ll head to Cherianto when the time comes.
The end.

Notes

(・ω´・)

Report Date

01 May 2023