Session 44 - The Praxilid and the Darid

General Summary

OH GOD THE STORM IS GOING TO CAPSIZE THE BOAT! THE CREW IS MADE OF STONE! WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE! We’re running around, pulling on ropes, trying to keep the ship going. Kestor is calling out to Kairemos but he needs to get higher up for them to hear him, so he starts climbing the rigging! It’s a difficult climb, he’s being thrown all over the place, but he makes it up there and cries out into the storm! It abates slightly, not gone completely but gives us a chance to make it out safely. We’re a few hours out from Vas, before we get there we do a little planning. We disguise ourselves and decide to meet up with Phaedra. Ionessa gets a big cloak for Kovu.
Vas is a grand city but it’s pretty significantly hampered by the awful weather. There’s a river running through the city that’s overflowing, defensible forts are visible atop hills. We head to the center of the city in search of Phaedra, and find people in the agora going about their business as best they can. A LOT of people are working out, running, wrestling while in cover from the rain. We question a big buff half elf on a workout break and ask if he’s seen Phaedra. He directs us to one of the acropoli to ask the elders for more information. There are rumors that Kairemos is angry but it seems not many people are taking that seriously. The guy then totally negs Kestor and tells him he’s too flabby and he should work out or else he’s gonna get everyone killed in war. What the heck? Xanthos offers to take Kestor running.
We head in and see soldiers training, a phalanx repelling a philosopher’s lightning bolt, glints of armor showing soldiers watching the path and taking note of anyone coming towards the acropolis. When we make it up to the doors it’s blocked by guards! We tell them Xanthos’ name and that we’re here to seek an audience with the elders, we also name drop Phaedra and we’re let in by Elder Battus. They even let in Kovu if he promises to be on his best behavior, Battus also promises to be on his best behavior. We tell Battus why we’re here, that we’ve been tasked by Kairemos to bring Eurydia to justice. Phaedra is here too! We can speak to her later.
Eurydia believes that Vas is in trouble because Aristion is unfit to be Vasili because he does not have the sword of Vas, which has gone missing along with Isadora (Aristion’s mother). Eurydia wants to expand Vas’ borders, Aristion just wants to continue his education for now, so it looks like she’s seeking to depose him and rule Vas alone. She’s staying at the northern acropolis of the Darid line, though currently she’s helping train the army in the field. Aristion might need tutoring in how to speak good, Kestor speak good, maybe Kestor teach? Eurydia is likely to have her Oikos close by. The people are on her side because they don’t have a full picture of what happened at Korymour except that she ended some corruption.
We find Phaedra, she ain’t even say hello. She asks Xanthos what he thinks about Battus and how he plans to have Eurydia repent. The Elders are invested in keeping things running smoothly in the city, maybe keeping Aristion unempowered would be a good way for them to do that? Are they part of the problem? Xanthos doesn’t really have a plan for Eurydia. Phaedra wants to empower Aristion and give him his education so that he can be the figurehead deposing Eurydia, not outsiders and not the Elders. Aristion has actually decided not to become a citizen of Vas, not to take part in the Sklirotikos! Uh oh. But the Sklirotikos would take another like 20 years, wouldn’t it? Apparently there is another way for him to become a citizen, but it must be decreed by the gods.
Phaedra recommends not having Kairemos be the one to champion Aristion given they are doing so much damage to Vas, maybe we can get another god on side? She thinks the Elders have become too comfortable in their unprecedented level of power and some won’t want to give it up. Aristion is only 7, the Elders have been in control for 6 years, if he undertakes his training it will be harder for Eurydia to argue he’s unfit. We’ve gotta go see this kid, the Elders are keeping him on a short leash but we must know what he’s about and what he wants. Ionessa makes her feelings about Phaedra clear and the two of them verbally joust a bit. Kestor tells Phaedra about the latest news on Isadora and that he plans to travel to the southern continent in search of her.
Xanthos blows Phaedra off! She wants to talk to him but he leaves. Ionessa is on the warpath, she has a plan! We leave the acropolis and find some bird contacts and ask them where Aristion is staying, they show us to the window of his room. Kestor writes two invitations to his magic/comedy show, we give one to a bird and another to the Elders to bring to Aristion. We intend to lure him down with a fun time and then ambush him with political questions. Phaedra counsels Xanthos to seek the assistance of Zole to champion Aristion, this is the deity that the people of Vas would accept unquestioningly. She also suggests that he seek citizenship for himself in the same way so that it is harder for Eurydia to take over Sideris. She also suggests that if we cannot stop Eurydia in time, she will kidnap Aristion and raise him herself. She also cautions that Eurydia wields a gift from the gods themselves, so long as she has that shield we may find defeating her impossible.
Aristion receives the invitation from the bird, it seems he did not receive the invitation from the Elders, and he actually comes down to the main hall to greet us! Kestor puts on a fun show for the child, who has a great time! Kestor convinces him to let us talk further, he wants to hear about the outside world. The Elders are pissed about this, also everyone’s miffed that the boy is kind of meek and doesn’t act like a Vasili. He invites us to his war room, and reveals that he actually saw through Kestor’s lie and knows we’re here for more than just to entertain him. He’s actually pretty intelligent, just not strong! We tell him we’re here on a divine mandate to settle what’s happening in Vas.
He tells us that he doesn’t want to become a citizen by Sklirotikos because it seems dangerous, and other Vasili have made the same decision. He’s more comfortable around adults, he’s kind of awkward around other kids. Ionessa talks to him about what he wants, whether he’s being forced to do a bunch of stuff. It seems he’s pretty sheltered, he hasn’t really spoken to anyone except the Elders and his guards, he doesn’t have a connection with the public. Ionessa explains that people want him to connect with his people. He doesn’t have any friends, his mother had a friend and she’s right nearby. He wishes he knew more about his mother, we suggest he talks to Phaedra then.
We ask if he does want to become a citizen, he kinda says yes. He’s open to us “looking into” alternative ways he can do this, so we make plans to visit a temple of Zole to see what that might entail. We tell him all about our homes and lives, he seems to really appreciate having his horizons broadened! He leaves to attend to other matters, but it seems we made an impact. We go gather information about what’s going on in the city and how people feel about Eurydia specifically. We don’t do great, people don’t want to talk to outsiders. Most people believe Eurydia was stamping out corruption in Korymour and that Kairemos is mad about what she did. They’re suspicious that Aristion won’t undergo Sklirotikos.
Kestor dissociates! He wanders around, clearly being influenced by Isadora, he feels nostalgic about being here and spends more time looking around and listening to people, enjoying his “old haunt.” He starts gravitating towards a group of soldiers that includes EURYDIA HERSELF! Xanthos tries to stop him but gets noticed and draws everyone’s attention, Ionessa tries to cause a distraction by blowing away the tarp keeping the rain out, but draws more attention to us as a result (low rolls, multiple 1s!) WE BOOK IT! WE’RE RUNNING! Ionessa throws down a fog cloud to cover our escape, soldiers are after us, we’re vaulting over shit and bowling over innocent bystanders! Xanthos kills a guy! We manage to escape and end up in an alley, back in the agora Eurydia says she knows where we’re going and looks towards the acropolis.
The end.

Notes

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Report Date

02 Oct 2023